Heads Up Now! learning aids provides a LARGE selection of aids to students of all abilities. There inventory is specifically directed towards students who have challenges from distraction to sensory to auditory.

I have been using the Heads Up! Frames and the Readers.

I had the opportunity many moons ago to learn about the Irlen Method and Scotopic research - using colors to redirect students and help them stay focused. I will be honest and say that the office space I shared with the tester/director was often tense because I felt what she did was bunk. Students would come in, take a test, leave and two weeks later return to pick up a pair of literally rose-colored glasses. Or blue-sky colored glasses. Or green-egg colored glasses. I didn't really know what to make of that.

Well, guess what? That little kid I had with me in my office became one of those easily distracted kids! We've done it all...put him at a table and desk by himself...allowed him to complete lessons on his bed...set up a "science project board" in front of him...he was only isolated from the pack and he simply did not like it.

Well, into my life come the Heads Up! family of thin colored plastic "rulers." And the kid uses them AT the table with the rest of us. And he is much more easily and effieciently focused. And the price is so good you'll want to stock up in case you're like me and you have an industrious four year old who enjoyed trimming the edges... At only $1.00 a piece (except for the full page which is $5.00), they are one of the most useful and cost-effective  tools ANY learner can have in his toolkit. Shipping is VERY reasonable to it is worth stocking up.

I had only one child who did not care for them. And she is just highly focused as it is and she was actually distracted by manipulating an additional something.

So... check them out... http://www.headsupnow.com/index.php . You will not be disappointed. It may just help your child, like mine, over the hump. For only $1... (plus about $3 shipping).

(three out of three)

Patty

Do you talk to yourself like I do? Well...here's incentive to put your musings ink to paper!

+++++

Exciting News from TOS!
 
Attention writers!
Grab your pencils and get those creative juices flowing!

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is hosting our second Storytime Writing Contest! We have two creative fiction categories: adults (16 and up 2,500 words or less) and children (15 and below 1,500 words or less). Deadline to enter is March 16, 2009. $7.95 fee per entry.

Grand prize winners in both the adult and child categories will receive prize packages valued at over $1,000, publication in the Summer 2009 issue of TOS, and publication in our Storytime 2009 Compilation E-Book. Eleven Honorable Mentions from each category will also be included in the E-Book in addition to receiving gifts from top homeschool companies.

We look forward to reading your entries!

For a detailed list of prizes, official contest rules, to meet our judges, and to upload your story, please visit: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/Short_Story_Contest.php.
 
Need help teaching writing? We have over 200 writing products in the Schoolhouse Store!

It has been TOOOOOO long since I have been able to write. I feel kind of crazy from having talked to myself for so long.

Do you have those mini-conversations? The conversations that start while flipping laundry or vacuuming or even following kids throughout the yard?

Mine go something like this:

What a great winter day.

If it's going to be cold I wish it would snow.

What's the weather like on the mountain?
*checks the iTouch weather channel app*

Oh! We could ski on Thursday. The weather would be perfect.

No, Mike has a diaconate meeting on Thursday. What does Wednesday look like?

Hmm... piano lessons on Wednesday. Wonder if Sam would reschedule.

Well, with Scouts on Monday and basketball on Tuesday I really wouldn't have a lot of time to prep everything.

I need ot get that Lowes Foods To Go order placed.

Did Jessica say she needed anything?

*checks past emails*

Hmm... I'd prefer to place my order on Wednesday then we have more choices for the weekend...

But if we're skiing then I don't really need choices.

And so goes the continuous loop. Somehow in the whole mix of mini-convos I manage to get chores and lessons and special time all in the day, too. But I end the day with an incredible headache. Ouch!

I hope having my blog back will help alleviate the headaches!
And I have lots of great reviews to write, too! Among them are Heads Up Visual Aids. I love these! And better yet, they work...and there's a story behind this one worth reading, IMO.

And we just began an Apologia science book today. I've never seen Apologia though I have of course heard of it. I am very pleasantly surprised after our first day!

Additional reviews include a lovely Home School in the Woods, SpellQuizzer (which will get cranked up later this week), and MathMammoth which is a delight!

Please check back as I recommit to daily writings. And to see if my own little headache experiment works!

Patty

These are easy, breezy reviews because these five products offer immediate results with fairly little effort from mom (or dad!).

We began on a late Saturday morning with the Zone Cleaning Clean 'n'Flip chart. Saturday mornings are our home are the messiest because we kind of laze around a bit and take our time with life. I introduced the children to the clean 'n' flip chart and set them loose with the goal of completing the living room zone. WHEW!

They worked together and they worked swiftly. Never once did they need my assistance. In about 15 minutes my living room was ready for even the most discriminating guests!

The Zone Cleaning Clean 'n' Flip chart also includes the kitchen and bathroom zones. It is laminated and is OK for dry-erase markers (for those changing responsibilities).

Since that was such a speedy success, we moved immediately into the Bedroom Cleaning Clean 'n' Flip chart. We put it to the ultimate test - the girls' room. This place is a filth magnet. It can be clean one moment and a disaster site the next. I am not kidding!

Again, I introduced the girls to the Bedroom clean 'n' flip chart first. I provided them with the correct number of baskets and they commenced upon Step 1: Make Messy Pile. What a great way to get started! The girls worked very hard on their messy pile. And they wanted it quite high and indeed they met their goal.

Admittedly, there was less enthusiasm when it came to following through with the remaining steps. They did, however, complete them and with a good attitude. I believe they enjoyed being guided and with very clear instructions on what they were to do.

We have yet to try to the Laundry Clean 'n' Flip chart as this is an area that I have yet to let go. But we'll get there! The set of all three Clean 'n' Flip Charts is very well worth it $29.95. They can also be purchased in sets of two or individually  from Trigger Memory Systems HERE. We used the bedroom chart today, several weeks after introducing it and they're still going strong!

Times Tales, also by Trigger Memory Systems, is a VERY unique and VERY successful way to teach EVERYONE in your family the upper times tables at once.

The Monday following the introduction of the Clean 'n' Flip charts, I introduced Times Tales. We used them each morning in our circle time. This was a very exciting addition to all of the children (ages 2 - 9) because they were new and unique stories about familiar things. I did my best to follow the directions exactly. (We generally follow a Waldorf rhythm style to our days and so I don't necessarily take direction well, but rather prefer to manipulate resources to my own style). The children did not bat an eye when I added the flachcards, which are very whimsical and relate directly to the stories.

Then, when I moved to the more traditional flashcards, also included with Times Tales, the older children still did not bat an eye even though the younger ones did become distracted. By the end of the week, all four older children knew the stories and the three older children knew the upper times tables with near mastery. The 4 year old could recite but still does not yet have a concept of written numbers so he didn't grasp what the older ones did. I no less feel he benefitted from our circle time with Times Tales because when his turn comes to learn, he'll already be familiar.

Times Tales is a KEEPER. I will certainly recommend Trigger Memory products to fellow homeschoolers and conventional schoolers with ease. I hope you enjoy the opportunity to purchase Times Tales HERE. And while you're there, how about checking out the other great offerings from Trigger Memory as well!

(three out of three)

Patty

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