Wednesday Words

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Review-Hoot Reading

I was recently given the opportunity to review Hoot Reading.

Hoot Reading is an app that allows students K-grade 4 the ability to practice reading skills online with a teacher.  The software allows both student and teacher to view and read the same book at the same time.  Students have appointments with a teacher 2-3 times per week to work on building reading fluency skills.

My Thoughts: I like the idea of the product. Reading skills definitely predict future success, and additional reading practice can only help a student achieve more in the future. Also, having a child read with a teacher can be more beneficial than reading with a parent. A teacher can help to correct and instruct to improve fluency-most likely better than a parent.

However, this product is expensive. For two, twenty minute sessions per week, the cost is $96.00 per month. Teachers are not required to be reading specialists-only a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), experience in the classroom, and strong communication skills. I have all of these things, but would not feel qualified to be paid to teach reading. If I was to sign my child up for Hoot, and pay the expense, I would feel more comfortable with a teacher that specialized in reading.

Also, I was unimpressed with the quality of the website. I had several questions about the app, and the website has some vague answers, broken links, and many misspelled words. As a parent, misspelled words and poor grammar on a reading website does not instill confidence in the quality of the product-regardless of how well the product actually works. On the plus side, I did send an email to the founder with questions that were promptly answered.

In summary, I think this could be a beneficial product for a student that really struggles, but I don’t know that I would personally use it.

**Disclaimer**
My kids did not complete a reading session with a Hoot teacher.  I cannot attest to its fluency effectiveness.  I was able to view the books used by teachers and students, and I spent time reviewing the website as well.  If you have a struggling reader, and are interested in the product, Hoot does offer a free session to try out the product.

Card Monday-A Birthday Box Card

Today I am sharing a Lawn Fawn box card that I made for my mom.
I tried to take pictures from a few different angles, so hopefully it gives you a little idea of what the inside looked like.
Here are the pictures:



All of the stamps and dies I used for this box card are from Lawn Fawn.
I love how this one turned out, and I hope you like it too!
Have a great day, and remember-my Christmas card series starts Thursday!  🙂

Book Review-Astrid The Unstoppable

Astrid The Unstoppable was written by Maria Parr, and is considered a middle grade fiction book.  The book follows a precocious nine year old girl by the name of Astrid, who really does believe she can do anything, and so she does it-with varying degrees of success.
She lives in the tiny mountain village of Glimmerdal, and spends much of her free time creating un-intended mischief, hatching plans with her best friend and godfather Gunnvald, and causing problems for the grumpy resort owner down the road.
Astrid lives life to the fullest-non-stop, all the time-but when a secret is revealed that challenges things she has believed to be true her entire life, will she have the strength of character to face the way things really are, and find a new way to be unstoppable?
My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book.  The portrayal of small town life in Glimmerdal-with its quirky characters and beautiful scenery-are brought to life through the eyes of Astrid, and make this book a truly enjoyable read.
The book felt to me like a cross between Heidi and Pippi Longstocking.  Being fans of both of those books, this one was right up my alley, and if you enjoyed those books as well, this book is for you.
I highly recommend this book-for kids and adults alike.  It is charming, well-written, interesting, and heart-warming.  And, it passes my true test-I am looking forward to reading it again.  Pick this one up-it is definitely worth the read.
I would like to thank Candlewick Press for providing me with a free copy of this book for my unbiased review.  And, I would like to mention, that as I am reviewing this book prior to its release, it will be available beginning November 13, 2018.  Go get it!

Kids Craft Friday-Perlers

Today I am sharing more of The Girlio’s perler projects:




There you go-some pretty fun stuff!
It always amazes me to see what she creates next.  🙂