Product Reviews October 2004

This month's products are:

Rhythm Band Instruments, Inc.
Kids Discover
Educators Publishing Service
Charthouse Learning
Learning Resources

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Ring those bells
We've had more fun with this new product from Rhythm Band! It's a Combined Hand-bells/Deskbells Set! Truly! And to make it even better, a special mechanism allows the bells to be played either by pushing the button on top or by hand ringing in the traditional manner. This feature makes it wonderful for special ed kids who might have trouble holding the bell for ringing. Everyone gets to participate.

In addition, the bells in this eight-bell set are accurately tuned, but we'd expect no less from Rhythm Band. Everything they sell is as close to perfect as can be.

And there are color-coded cards available as an accessory for "chording" as accompaniment to melody playing. The 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 cards include C, D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor and G7.

Some other items in this line are music/CD packages for playing various styles of music with the bells and cases for the bells. There's a book of Christmas Bells – arrangements for handbells (two for eight-note handbells, three for 13-note bells and three for 20-note handbells) with an accompanying CD. We also saw Primary Bells, 10 arrangements for eight, 13-and 20-note bell sets with CD accompaniments for practice and performance.

This combined set of bells is just $66 and the Chording Cards are $7.95. Each of the book and CD packages is $19.95. All of these prices are plus s/h unless you have a school supply dealer near you. The website for Rhythm Band is www.rhythmband.com With money still tight, music is often ignored and, as usual, it's the classroom teacher who tries to substitute. These items can help teachers everywhere.
Rhythm Band Instruments, Inc.
www.rhythmband.com

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Kids Discover
What teacher doesn't know Kids Discover, the super science and social studies magazine for kids ages six to 12? Each month Kids Discover investigates a single, high-interest topic in science or social studies using a unique, prize-winning format. You'll find kids rapt in the kid-friendly text, full-color and exciting illustrations. Topics have ranged from ancient civilizations, through space exploration and important people in history. There are also puzzles and word games for reinforcing information. In today's world it's critical that a child know how to read for information; Kids Discover helps kids learn to do just that.

Each topic is dealt with in depth, yet content is blocked into smaller accessible units. The illustrations are consistently such high quality that every child can "read the illustrations" thereby helping themselves to read the captions and become better readers.

There is a long list of topics that have been covered and which are available for purchase. From 1–19 copies, the price per issue is $3.50. Prices go down as quantities increase. The titles are also available in sets with savings up to 40%. Our advice is to go to www.kidsdiscover.com for a complete list of the great topics available as well as pricing and order information.

Now a few words about the Teacher's Guides: These have been recently revamped and there's one Guide for each title (including all back titles listed in the Kids Discover catalogue). The Guides have been expanded to 32 pages and feature discussion questions, extension activities that cross the curriculum, an anticipation guide that prepares kids to investigate the chosen topic, reading comprehension questions, including main idea, cause and effect and compare and contrast. There are also a nonfiction skills page included that helps teachers guide kids to read and interpret charts, graphs, maps and pictures. And there's even more: blackline masters, crossword puzzles, word searches, matching and sentence activity pages. Wow!

Again, do visit the Kids Discover website. There's just too much good stuff to cram into this review and your really need to know about this publication.
Kids Discover
www.kidsdiscover.com

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Sounds Sensible
And if it sounds sensible, it must be the new phonological awareness and beginning phonics program from Educator's Publishing Service, Sounds Sensible®. This program helps develop students' readiness for reading, and efficiency in beginning spelling, while promoting reading success.

Sounds Sensible is actually the first level of S.P.I.R.E. – Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence – a multisensory reading and language arts program.

Sounds Sensible is for grades Pre-K – 1. It ensures coverage of all 20 consonants and short a.

In Sounds Sensible there is a daily lesson plan presented requiring a minimum of 45 minutes every day. Each lesson has five steps requiring about nine minutes each and the steps of the activities progress in difficulty. Step One focuses on listening, Step Two on rhyming, Step Three on segmentation, Step Four on phoneme/grapheme relationships and Step Five on Segmentation (dictation lessons). The guide is very explicit in leading teachers step by step through the program.

There's a separate book of 94 blackline masters that cover all your needs. For instance, there are sound tapping strips for three and four dots. Cleverly, these look like fingerprints. There are also Bingo masters (with letters) included that will provide many hours of classroom growth.

In this kit you'll also find picture and letter cards illustrating beginning sounds, matching rhymes, etc., games, game pieces, and activities to provide review and build skills.

You can download a Series Sampler, view sample pages or download a lesson at www.epsbooks.com The research basis for the program and state standards info can also be downloaded.

With its Orton-Gillingham philosophy this program is ideal as part of an intervention, remedial or inclusion reading program as well as a dynamite first level of any core reading program. Price is just $225 plus s/h.
Educators Publishing Service
www.epsbooks.com

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Fish! for Schools
Just wait until some Lucky Subscriber gets this kit: It's a whole philosophy of life and seems pretty on target to us. The material is based on the program developed for the consumer field (The Pike Street Market in Seattle) and adapted by teachers before there was even a school edition! The FISH! philosophy provides a blueprint for creating a common language, vision and structure to foster awareness of choices and goals.

The program is basically a management program that encompasses four major principles: Be There, Choose Your Attitude, Make Their Day and Play.

Be there for others is a skill children need to learn and have modeled. The ability to tune into the moment demonstrates respect for themselves and others and helps children develop a better understanding of the needs and feelings of others. In the classrooom this skill teaches children to focus on educational lessons.

Choose your attitude helps students develop an awareness of choice within the areas of attitude and behavior. With FISH! children learn strategies to choose and assume attitudes that are conducive to learning and building relationships.

Make Their Day lessons helps children focus on "making" their own days by taking care of themselves physically and emotionally. These lessons spill into community service learning projects to teach children about the importance and value of making the day of many people at one time.

Lastly, we look at the Play principle of FISH!. The philosophy encourages students to play with ideas and tap into their creative selves. It show children how to see Play as part of the natural learning process. This can bond friendships and strengthen relationships between students and teachers.

We received the K-2 Expedition Pack – The Joy of Schooling – which includes visual charts, posters, music and puppets, and a guide for the teacher (one guide for grades K-12 - called Guided Journey) which includes a DVD containing 10 video units. In the kit there are also two puppets; Pete the Perch comes in two sizes. One puppet is about the size of a slightly larger Beanie Baby® and the other is a hand puppet about 14" long.

Before implementing the four principles (or Expeditions) there is an activity called Chart your Course. This encompasses four 30-minute lessons. Once you've identified and described the four principles with your class, and explained how the phillosophy related to classroom activities, there are self-directed FISH! Learning Centers outlined for your use. Visit the Charthouse Learning website at www.Fishforschools.com

This product can be looked at as a management system or it can be positioned as learning for life. Whichever way you choose to view it, it's the gift of a lifetime for you and your kids. It's pricey ($595 plus s/h) so ask your PTA or your principal to help. It will be the best money either will spend.
Charthouse Learning
www.Fishforschools.com

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A Best Buy
The Tabletop Pocket Chart from Learning Resources is really terrific. It's portable, sturdy and so flexible you'll use it in centers, to work with small groups and the kids can use it when working individually or in pairs. Sentence strips can store in the convenient storage pouch, The chart stands alone, measures 16"x16"x10" and has a sturdy handle. It also collapses for storage, There's an activity guide included. Price is $16.95 plus s/h or buy from your local school supply store.

The company produces five different pocket chart card sets: phonemic awareness, word families, simple sentences, money and time skills. We saw the Money Card Set and the Phonemic Awareness Card Set. The Money Card Set has 30 double-sided money cards, 45 double-sided number and symbol cards and 20 double-sided money word valuecards. They range from 1-1/4" to 10 3/4" and can be used with standard pocket charts (Grades 1-3).

There are 104 cards in the Phonemic Awareness set (Grades K-1) with 52 double-sided alphabet cards, 26 double-sided word cards and 20 double-sided picture cards. Cards are $7.97 per set plus s/h.

If you're the plan-ahead type, you might want to look into these tidy packages for the next school year.
Learning Resources
www.learningresources.com