It's Back to School Time ~ Make Homework Time More Enjoyable with Usborne Books' Homework Helpers

It's back to school time which means it's back to homework time.  Even I, the parent, need resources to be able to help my children with their homework.  Usborne Books provides a great array of books to help!

I am going to go over the books pictured above and then add a few of my own that I used frequently with my children.

Grammar and Punctuation: This is a set of wipe-clean cards that will reinforce grammar and punctuation skills that are learned in school. Or if you are a home school family, this set is a great teaching and reinforcement set for those learning grammar and punctuation.  Makes for a fun way to learn and review rather than just on paper. At only $9.99, these are well worth it.  They also come with their own dry erase pen.

The Solar System: This is part of Usborne's Beginners Series.  I had to use this book last year to help my daughter with a project she was working on with the solar system.  Any of the books in this series are a great help. They are internet related which means there are web links in the back of the book that help reinforce the information learned in the text of the book.

What's Math All About: For ages 8 and up.  This book explains more about the principals of math and mathematicians.  I highly recommend the Illustrated Dictionaries of Math for homework help instead.  They go much more into the principals and problem solving of math concepts.  There are three different ones for three different levels: 

• First Illustrated Dictionary of Math  For ages 6 and up
• Illustrated Elementary Math Dictionary  For ages 8 and up
• Illustrated Dictionary of Math  For ages 12 and up

I have used these books more than any other for  math homework help and for teaching my children math concepts back when we were homeschooling.   Every home with kids in it needs these books.  There is a set of all three available: Complete Math Collection.

Going to School:  This is an Usborne First Experiences dual reader that is a great read aloud to explain to kids what to expect when they start school.  Illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, there is a little yellow duck to find on every page.

Dictionary of Science:  For ages 12 and up.  This is a fantastic reference guide for biology, physics and chemistry.  This is another book that every household with school aged children need to have.  I cannot tell you how many times we used it last year for my child's science class homework - almost every day!

Essential Atlas of the World:  This book is shown in the picture, however it is being updated at this time.  A much better book for Geography homework help is Usborne's Geography Encyclopedia with Complete World Atlas.  I used this book a lot when we were homeschooling.  And it is an essential reference text to have at home.  It covers cultures, and all geographical topics around the globe.  There is also a very extensive atlas at the back of the book which we used a lot for my daughter last year for her map assignments.  The book itself was so much easier for her to use than to try and find and look at maps online.

There are two other reference books that I want to share with you.  Both will be utilized a lot for homework help for grades fifth on up through high school.  If you have children in these grade spans I highly recommend having these in hand.  They will save your day all the time!

The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History:  This text covers world history from the Big Bang on up through the year 2000.  It is internet-linked which means that each page of the book has topics online that correspond.  This is so helpful for those working on a history project for school.  And for you parents, it's absolutely fascinating to read!

The Usborne Science Encyclopedia:  This text covers just about every science subject your child will learn in school from fifth grade on up through high school.  A must have for science help and great for science projects.  This book is internet-linked too.  My son has used it for all of his science fair projects.

Both the history and science encyclopedias are available in paperback and hardback.  I recommend the hardback as you will use these books a lot!  Also, all three of the internet encyclopedias, geography, history and science are available in a very affordable set:  Internet-Linked Reference Collection.

Having these books I've gone over on hand will make for a much more enjoyable homework time!

Happy Homework!  (is there really such a thing?)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Reading to Abby the Therapy Dog Helps Shy Boy

LINKING TO:

Wordless Wednesday

Create With Joy

What I Learned About Leonard da Vinci Today During My Kids' Art Class

Although my kids officially go to public school now, they had asked me to continue to teach them subjects and topics that they weren't learning in school.  That makes me very happy as they shared with me that they miss our "learning time" together - which tells me I definitely did something right during those eight years of homeschooling.

So today we started our Art History studies.  I am using Usborne's Famous Artists book for this.  The book starts with Giotto, however the kids asked for me to start with an artist they were more familiar with.  I knew who they wanted (da Vinci, of course), but I had them select between da Vinci and Michelangelo.  Guess who they picked?!?  You guessed it! Leonard da Vinci!

Having studied art history in college, I have been a huge fan of da Vinci for most of my life!  The kids, therefore, have probably been taught more about him than any of the other artists.  Now that they are bit older, I am going to change that.  And now that we live in Chicago, we can visit the Chicago Art Institute and see some great paintings - LIVE!

The Usborne Book of Famous Artists is great as it gives just enough information, two to four pages worth, to whet anyone's appetite to learn more about the artist presented.  Usborne is known for presenting accurate information along with not so well-known information.  I was shocked as I read the four pages on da Vinci to my kids that there were some facts about him that either I didn't know already, or I simply had forgotten over time.  I'm sure the later is probably the case.  

Here are those new or old found facts on Leonardo da Vinci:

• I knew da Vinci kept lots of notes and sketches in journals on his studies, but did you know that he wrote in reversed form and from right to left on the pages?  
• He was so busy coming up with new ideas that he often abandoned his paintings before finishing them.  There are only about 10 actually finished da Vinci paintings today.  I personally think he got bored and decided not to finish.  How many of us have started projects and not finished?
• Leonardo was born in the village of Vinci.  Hence the name "Leonardo of Vinci"!  I'm sure that is a fact that got lost in my brain somewhere.
• It is common knowledge that da Vinci designed military equipment, but did you know he also designed defensive buildings?
• In his last three years of life Leonardo, the French king offered him to move to France and he gave him a grand salary and even a castle to live in.  I never knew this, but it is said that da Vinci died in the arms of the French king.

Now that we have that short yet interesting introduction, we can move on to other information about Leonardo da Vinci not only as an artist but also as an inventor.

Usborne Books / EDC Educational Services ~ An Endorsing Partner of Common Core State Standards

 

 

Usborne Books / EDC Educational Services provides K-12 supplemental materials to support Common Core State Standards (CCSS). ALL of Usborne and Kane Miller titles support the standards.

 

As an endorsing partner of CCSS, Usborne Books / EDC Educational Services makes it easy for schools and families to choose books to help educate their children, both at school and at home. Some topics mandated by these standards include myths, stories from around the world, and informational text.

 

The following collections are available through Usborne Books / EDC Educational Services to support the Common Core State Standards:

 

 

Foundational Skills Collection — Includes 41 phonics based hardback and library bound titles to encourage Phonological Awareness and Phonics/Word Recognition. Allows students to recognize distinguishing features of the sentence as described in the Common Core State Standards. Included in the collection are Usborne's Phonics Readers and one each of the Very First Reading and First Reading sets.

 

 

 

 

 

Myths and Stories Collection for Literataure — Fifteen hardback and library bound titles allow students to recount stories as suggested in Common Core State Standards including fables, folktales and myths from diverse cultures including GREEK MYTHS and SHAKESPEARE for all ages.

 

 

 

  

 

Picture Book Collection for Literature —Includes 54 hardback and library picture book editions including many award winning titles from around the world.  Popular titles include:  Boom, Bah!, On the Moon, Kali and the Rat Snake, One Night in the Zoo, SoSu's Call, The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness, While We Were Out and Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge just to name a few.

 

 

 

 

 Informational Text Collection—This collection includes 78 hardback library bound titles to encourage students to read informational text as suggested in the Common Core State Standards. Includes many titles from Usborne's non-fiction and internet-linked titles series such as The Discovery Series, First Encyclopedias, Beginners Series and much more.

 

 

 

 

As your Educational Consultant, please contact me for further information or to place an order at:

 

Kristie Glascock

843-343-6134

kglasusb@yahoo.com

www.UsborneActivities.com

Sparrows, by Hans Post & Kees Heij ~ Such a Delightful Book to Teach Kids about Sparrows

I found this book at the library the other day.  Since we just moved up north from down south I thought it'd give the kids an understanding of the sparrows that we find nesting here.  We didn't have these birds flying around our house down south.  Down there we had a lot of doves and cardinals in our yard - not to mention a very LOUD woodpecker!

To my amazement, this is going to become one of my favorite books!  The kids loved it so, and it really taught about what these sparrows do here.  I myself learned quite a bit just in the first few pages!  For instance, I didn't know that sparrows are not native to North America.  They came over with the early settlers.

The illustrations by Irene Goede, are spot on in depicting the life of these fine sparrow birds.  I grew up in the north and remember all the baby sparrows that would be in the nests in spring.  Goede's illustrations of the baby birdies with their mouths open is exactly how they are!  Her illustrations are so life-like!

The book starts out as we would expect with the baby sparrows hatching from their eggs. It goes on about how mama bird takes care of her young and what the birds do throughout the year.  It is so well done and even takes kids to various places where sparrows will build their nests.  We always laughed at the silly birds who built their nests in the lighted letters of the Food Lion grocery store sign.  And here in this book the sparrows are shown having a nest in a lighted store sign because it keeps them warm.  Smart birdies!!

At the back of the book the authors share about how the sparrows came to North America back in the 1850's.  They also have a list of facts about the sparrow.  The fact we found most interesting was that "a sparrow can weigh as much as seven sugar cubes."  As much?  Doesn't sound like much at all!

I highly recommend finding this book to read to your children. Not only will the kids enjoy it, you will enjoy it too!

Usborne Books Celebrates 35 years of Stephen Cartwright Illustrations

I have to admit it myself. I love the duck!  Stephen Cartwright was brilliant when he designed the little yellow duck that you have to find on every single one of Usborne's Farmyard Tales books.  That duck is my children's favorite aspect of Usborne Books and it will stay with them forever, as it does with so many of the children who grew up with the Cartwright duck.

For those who are scratching their heads wondering what the heck is the Cartwright duck? Well here he is!
 

I have had so many people come up to me at Usborne events who just rave and rave about this little duck.  They all share with me how much their kids love him or how much they themselves loved him as a child.  I remember distinctly chatting with a gal at a holiday market in Charlotte, NC who was so happy to see the little yellow duck.  It reminded her so much of her childhood and she stated how she was looking so forward to sharing that little yellow duck with her children someday.  I'm sure Stephen Cartwright had no clue the following this little yellow duck would have when he first drew him on paper.  And to think he was given no name.  He's just merely "the little yellow duck" to all.

You can find the little yellow duck in all of Usborne Books Farmyard Tales stories illustrated by Stephen Cartwright.  On each page there is the little yellow duck to find!

CHECK OUT FARMYARD TALES STORIES ILLUSTRATED BY STEPHEN CARTWRIGHT HERE

Usborne Books for Montessori Schools

 Both of my children were Montessori educated until they aged out and then we brought them home to school them ourselves.  I started my Usborne Books business when both were at what we call "The Little Blue School House".  It was such a small Montessori school in an old blue house with LOADS of learning going on within it.  I'm sure we are all partial that our Montessori school was the BEST!  It was while my kids were there that I realized how much Usborne Books correlated with the Montessori curriculum and style of teaching.  The director at my children's Montessori school agreed and we quickly went through the Usborne catalog to correlate what books she wanted for the school.

Following is what she and other directors at all the Montessori schools I share Usborne Books with use:

FIRST ENCYCLOPEDIA SET:  This includes firs Encyclopedia of Science, Human Body, Dinosaurs, Space, and Seas & Oceans.  In fact this was the very first set of Usborne Books I ever bought!  I will say that the First Encyclopedia of Space and First Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs are much more popular than the others with Seas and Oceans coming in a close third.

What sets these books apart from what other publishers carry? There is so much information on each page - all done in small snippets.  The cut away photos show children exactly what is going on about every topic they are being taught.  Kids love these books so much that they don't even realize they are learning while they are reading or being read to!

Each book is internet-linked so if a teacher or parent wanted to use them they could simplygo to www.Usborne-Quicklinks.com.  Each page of each book has links on the internet that further teaches about the subject and there are also online activities that reinforces what the child has learned.

Although the Usborne website states that this series is for eight years and up, Montessori schools will use these for children starting at age three.  In fact when my son was three these were what he wanted read to him at night. 

PURCHASE SET OF FIRST ENCYCLOPEDIAS

PHONICS READERS:  I truly believe that teaching children their phonics sounds is an important way to grow a good reader.  Every one of my Montessori schools use and love these phonics readers from Usborne Books.  Kids love them too! 

The Phonics Readers series are wonderful to use to teach children about rhyming words and phonics. The pictures are colorful and fun. Illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, his signature little yellow duck to find is on every page. This provides the reader with entertainment before, during, and after reading. These are great books for children just learning how to read.

A phonic breakdown of the text is available in each book.

PURCHASE PHONCIS READER LIBRARY SET

BEGINNERS SERIES:  These are just about the most popular books purchased at the Montessori schools I work with.  They are smaller books that fit nicely in the child's hands and are chock full of information on the specific topic at hand.  Eggs and Chicks as well as Tadpoles and Frogs are the first titles that Montessori schools purchase from this set.  Once they use those they come back for more.  You certainly can save by purchasing the entire set.

The layout of the books are well thought out with a table of contents, glossary and index.    Each of these books are full of illustrations, photos, and interesting facts. 

PURCHASE SET 1

PURCHASE SET 2

USBORNE PICTURE BOOKS:  With bright and cheery illustrations, these picture books not only enthrall children about the story, they also teach about a subject.  For example, The Butterfly, teaches children in a story setting about how a caterpillar forms into a butterfly. On the Seashore teaches children about what they can find on the seashore in glorious story form.

PURCHASE PICTURE BOOK SET

1001 THINGS TO SPOT:  Fabulous hands on books that can be used for such a variety of activities!  First off, each page is full of items to spot.  Each item has a different amount to spot on each page so this is a great activity for counting.  It is also great for eye hand coordination as the child points to each item they spot.  These books contain some of the best material to stimulate young minds. They challenge the child's sight and memory as they look over these excellent illustrations in search of the objects in the list. I have also had teachers tell me that they copy the pages to use for tray work.  The child can then circle each of the items they find.  The specifications on this series states for 6 and up, but I know all my schools use these with children from 4 and up.  Each of these titles are just as popular as it's counterpart.

PURCHASE 1001 THINGS TO SPOT SERIES

DISCOVERY SERIES:  These are some of my favorite Usborne Books!  They are an advanced version with more in depth information compared to the Beginners Series non-fiction books.  Internet-linked as well so teachers can find even more info on each topic.  Full of illustrations, cut away pictures, and information, these books keep children interested in the topic at hand.

                                                               PURCHASE DISCOVERY SERIES 

VERY FIRST READING:  I have had quit a few Montessori schools order Very First Reading sets for each of their 3 -5 yr old rooms.  I do wish more schools would utilize this set as it is so wonderful and has proven to really help kids learn to read independently.  This set is designed for children who are just starting to learn to read. The series starts with very few words on the page.  One side of the page is for the teacher to read, the other side of the page is for the student to read.  As the series progresses, the teacher reads less and the student reads more until finally he or she is reading the entire book on their own!  It's just so wonderful!  And to see the bright smile on a child's face when they first read an entire book on their own (outloud) is priceless!  Fifteen books are included as well as a guide and online resources.

 PURCHASE VERY FIRST READING

There are so many other books and activities Usborne publishes that Montessori schools use besides what I have put on this list.  Usborne's art and language books are used and adored by so many Montessori teachers around the globe.  The Animal Stencil Cards are used for tray work, as are many of the flashcards and doodle cards.  

If there is anything you need or have questions about other items that Usborne publishes for your Montessori classroom please contact me.  I'm here to help in every way possible.  I look forward to working with you and your school. 

Kristie Glascock

843-343-6134

kglasusb@yahoo.com 

www.UsborneActivities.com

Animal Hide and Seek - A Must for Every Child's Bookshelf!

After The Farmyard Tales, Animal Hide and Seek is my favorite book to share with people who are purchasing a book for a small child.  This is the perfect gift for baby's first birthday!

Animal Hide and Seek incorporates the best of a board book, touchy feelie book and lift the flap book all into this oh so fun book for babies and toddlers.  Each page has a different sensory touch to it as well as a thick flap to lift.  This is an awesome book to introduce young children to flap books as the flaps are larger and thicker.  And, as the book is illustrated by Stephen Cartwright, it has his signature little yellow duck to find on each page!  Kids of all ages love to find the little yellow duck!

This is also a book the little ones will go back to over and over again.  And as your child becomes more mobile it will be a book that he or she will sit down with to look at and work with on their own.

At only $15.99, this book makes such a great gift and needs to be on every child's bookshelf.

Purchase

Fall is The Best Time To Start Your Usborne Books Business!

Did you know this time of year, the fall, is THE BEST time to start your Usborne Books business? Why? Because schools are starting and Christmas is coming! Usborne isn't just home shows and online marketing. We also can work with schools and preschools. And with Christmas coming, our books make fantastic gifts! 

Back in the fall of 2005 is when I started my Usborne Books business.  It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  By immediately setting up my business kick off show to share these fine books with friends and families, and by calling a couple preschools to set up a few small book fairs - I had my business up and running in no time.  It was SO simple to get this business started.  There is also HUGE support from consultants, your upline(s) and especially the Usborne home office.  Having built a large, successful Usborne business, I will be there for you with whatever you need to help you build a successful business as well.

As a New Consultant you can earn a full refund of the price of your kit along with free books, cash, and Success Kits!  Success kits are fun surprise boxes full of books, supplies and other fun Usborne goodies.  It's so much fun to receive them!

How do you get your Usborne business started?  It's simple! Click JOIN.  Fill out the form and select which kit you want.  There are two kits to choose from (pictured below).  Each kit contains everything you need to get started, including books, supplies and even your own website!

 JOIN NOW

Looking forward to having you join my team to help spread literacy one book at a time!

*Of course if you have questions, please email me at kglasusb@yahoo.com.  We can converse via email or set up a time to chat over the phone.  Facebook users can also message me at www.facebook.com/UsborneActivities

It's Best Friend's Day!

It's Best Friends Day! What better book to share on this great day than A Friend by Anette Bley.  

"I wish I had a friend to play with on grey and rainy days. Someone to get in trouble with when I feel like playing tricks. Someone to dance and laugh with when I am happy. A friend who is quiet with me when I feel sad."

This is such an awesome book that teaches children about all the different friends they will have throughout life. It's a fantastic book for those children who are just setting out on their adventure of gathering friends and even for those who have had a life long venture with their friends.  It's such a happy and uplifting book!

"Friends are an important part of anybody’s life, and this book encourages children to see the importance of their friendships." Oneota Reading Journal (2010)

Purchase

Literacy Tip: Point Out Print

Literacy Tip ~ Point out print everywhere!

Talk about written words you see in the world around you and respond with interest to your child's questions about words. Ask him or her to find a new word every time you go on an outing. Street signs, billboards, license plates; words are all around us!

50 Things to Draw and Paint ~ One of Usborne Books Greatest Craft Books!

50 Things to Draw and Paint is such an awesome craft book!  It walks kids step by step through the process to either draw or paint what it on the page.  There are 50 different drawing and painting activities ranging from horse painting, fingerprint dinosaurs, wax resist fish to a watery picture.  These are activities that kids of all ages can do.  

One of the reasons why I love Usborne's art and activity books so much is that they are instilling some great art principals for my kids.  Each of them are developing a talent to draw.  My older son, who grew up with these fine books has developed an incredible drawing talent. So much so, that he is now studying art in high school and plans to pursue it more in college.  And where did he get his art foundations from? Usborne activity books!

This book, along with some paper, paint supplies and drawing utensils make a great gift!  I have these made up into gift baskets at my booth events and they are always the first to go!  Definitely makes for a different and useful gift.

Here is a Fairy Picture drawing my daughter made from this book:

And here is the page out of  50 Things to Draw and Paint that it came from:

So simple and fun!  This book has created hours of joy for my kids.  

Other books in this series include:  50 Rainy Day Activities, 50 Science Things to Make and Do, 50 Easter Things to Make and Do.

PURCHASE

Literacy Quotes

I don't know about you, but I love a good quote.  I post quotes around the house, in my car, I even have a Day Book that I have made specifically for all my beloved quotes.  I got that idea from Robert Kennedy.  He always carried a day book with him to put important quotes in.  You can tell a lot about a person by the quotes they cherish.

So what are your favorite quotes about reading?  Here are some of mine ...

“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time.” ~ Carl Sagan


“As long as you have any floor space at all, you have room for books! Just make two stacks of books the same height, place them three or four feet apart, lay a board across them, and repeat. Viola! Bookshelves!
~ Jan Karon

 “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” ~ Frank Serafini

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read." ~ Marilyn Jager Adams

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall." ~ Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

And my all time favorite reading quote:
 

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." ~ Emilie Buchwald

 

Usborne Activity Books for Kids

One of the top reasons I love Usborne Books so much is that they produce such a fun activity book series for the kids.  My kids have loved each and every one of the activity books from Usborne!  My daughter particularly likes the Sticker Dolly series and my son (who is now in high school) loved the drawing and craft books.

Usborne's activity book series range from games, sticker books, coloring books, how-to-draw books to even paper plane books.  I have not seen a single activity book by Usborne that hasn't been a hit!  I remember Peter Usborne himself stating at the Usborne Books & More 2011 Convention that Usborne came out with a line of coloring books because he knew Usborne could do them BETTER!  He's RIGHT!  I may be biased as I have been an independent consultant for almost eight years now, but children's enthusiam does not lie ... I see kids from all walks of life who LOVE these Usborne activities!

Take a look at Usborne's Activity Book collection yourself:  Uborne Activity Books
I'm sure you will find a wide array to satisfy the creative aspects of the children in your life.  

If you're children have used any Usborne Activity Books, I'd love for you to share their experience.