Continuing Education for Kids with Spectrum Workbooks
Disclosure: I received Spectrum workbooks for the purposes of review. No other compensation was received. All stories, photos, and opinions are my own.
We all want what’s best for our children and we all want them to get a good education. Whether you believe in public schools or homeschooling, we work hard to provide continuing education for our children. I have discovered something that works well for my boy and I’m going to share this with you today. I’ve discovered the Spectrum workbooks from Carson-Dellosa Publications.
Since before he was in Kindergarten, we have always bought workbooks for Benjamin. He was in a Pre-K program through the YMCA and was learning his letters, numbers, shapes, etc. and we wanted to supplement that education with work at home. He loves crafts and coloring and this was just another activity to pass his time. While he likes video games a little, he not a typical “gamer” but he would actually rather prefer working in a workbook. During Kindergarten, he would tell us that he didn’t like Fridays because he missed doing homework. During the Summer this year, he told us the same thing. He wanted work to do and workbooks were the answer.
Now that he’s in First Grade, he’s in an advanced class and he actually needs the extra work to help with continuing education. So, when Carson-Dellosa contacted me to try out their workbooks, I knew this was one package the he would be super excited about receiving.
Benjamin has been telling us lately that Math is hard. He does a lot of Math in his advanced class and I don’t think it’s “hard” Math, but maybe just a lot of it seems to be hard. He’s getting excellent grades so I know he can do it, but if I can encourage him to continue to love school rather than start to hate it, I will do whatever it takes. Because these workbooks are “fun” for him, he has started loving Math again.
You can probably tell that he is doing really well in the workbooks since he’s getting all the answers right. He loves the number problems and it just makes me feel even better that he does well on the word problems as well.
Last month, Howard and I had a conference with Benjamin’s teacher and she told us that he is excelling in everything except his handwriting and vocabulary. For that reason, when I gave him the books, I gave him the Writing workbook first. (that’s why it wasn’t in the top photo…it was in his backpack because he takes it to school with him) He loves writing for fun and the more he practices, the better his vocabulary and handwriting will improve. My boy…I’m just so darned proud of him.
Let me tell you a little about each of the First Grade workbooks that I chose:
Writing
This workbook focuses on writing mastery and includes writing a story, writing to inform, writing an opinion, using the writing process, and a writer’s handbook. There are between 5 and 12 lessons in each chapter and then a post-test. There is also an Answer Key at the end in case your child (and you) get stuck on an answer.
Sight Words
This workbook focuses on sight word mastery, is based on Fry’s Instant Sight Words, and includes fluency, reading and writing practice, Cloze sentences, sight word scrambled sentences, and sight work flash cards. There are 100 pages of sight word practice and then the other chapters build on that practice. This book also includes an Answer Key and flash cards that can be cut out and used for practice.
Math
This workbook focuses on Math mastery and includes fact families, adding and subtracting through 100, composing 2-D and 3-D shapes, place value, and measurment. Each chapter has a pre-test, several lessons, and a post-test. There is an Answer Key as well.
Reading
This workbook focuses on reading comprehension and includes letter and sounds, word recognition, integration of knowledge and ideas, and key ideas and details. There are two fiction stories and one non fiction section that each include several lessons. The nonfiction section has a disclaimer that the vocabulary may be advanced and will your child may need assistance. There is an Answer Key as well.
Spelling
This workbook focuses on spelling mastery and includes letter recognition, short and long vowels, sight words, and a dictionary, as well as an Answer Key. There are several lessons and then a review, followed by other lessons and reviews.
Benjamin is really enjoying each of the workbooks and I’m enjoying the continuing education that I’m providing for him. With the upcoming 2 week Winter break, I think we’re going to get even more use out of them.
For more information, and to check out other grade levels and skills mastery, visit carsondellosa.com/spectrum.
These are great. I’m going to look into them for my four year old.
I’m all about supplementing my kiddo’s education in any way that I can!
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I love that you do workbooks at home! We do too!
These look like great workbooks!
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I like the workbooks. Sight words are so wonderful because once they begin to master them, BINGO they’re reading.
Well aren’t you lucky to have a little one that wants more homework!? And these sound like great tools for little ones! Very fun!!
Your son sounds a lot like my son! He loves work books and things like that, these books sound great!
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I love the extras like this. Not all can be taught in such a short school day.
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Those are some great looking workbooks. My daughter will start school before I know it so I will be looking into these.
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