Fun and Games Books

So far, so good. I like this series for Daily Oral Language Review. I used the fifth grade one in previous years, and the third grade version is just as good.

Excellent practical application book of concepts in the English language. The emphasis is on sentence structure and word usage (like verb agreement, capitalization, punctuation, etc.), and the analogies are good in terms of reinforcing word meanings. The only thing missing for me is the instructions for the concepts covered. For instance, explaining the use of quotation marks would have been helpful (my son is more of a visual learner than auditory - so having instructions written out helps him understand the concepts better than a lecture from me). In spite of this, my son likes this book almost as much as I do!

What I LOVE about it is the daily practice and review. I am a firm believer in small doses of practice everyday - makes a real difference in holding onto a concept. My only regret is that I didn't find this kind of book 2 years ago! You won't be disappointed!!

This book keeps my students current with the information they need to build and improve their grammar skills. They look forward to the daily exercises and participate willingly each morning. I have shared this book with other teachers and they have all since bought their own. I would highly recommend this book to any educator.

I have been a sub teacher for the last two years and am getting my own classroom this year, teaching 4th grade. I was very pleased that I remembered about the DLR (Daily Language Review) book from my time as a sub. My schedule at my new school is a little crazy, and the morning DLR will fill up the extra few minutes each morning perfectly. It is perfectly appropriate for the grade level, and I am anticipating a fabulous year of growth thanks to the Daily Language Review book!

I am homeschooling my 4th graders and wanted something language/writing related that I could do quick reviews and enable me (the teacher) to find areas that need reviewing. It takes only ten minutes or so to complete the five problems each day. It's a quick easy assessment for me and a great review for the kids. The book has problems for everyday of the week and a place the kids keep record of their progress. Some of it is easy and when it's not mini lessons are born!!! I believe in DOL!

This book is excellent for an individual child to use at home or a teacher to use in his or her classroom. I used this with my fourth grade class for morning work or for remediation. Pages are easy to copy or to make overheads. Answer key is available right after each selection, which is nicer than searching in the back of the book. It touches upon all Language arts skills in a nice format. I highly recommend this book!

I have used the Daily Language Program, (or as my students call it "DLR"), for several years. It takes about 15 - 20 minutes to do, and the results are remarkable. I highly recommend this book to supplement any language arts curriculum.

I used this for part of the year last year and while the concept is good, I felt almost everyday I had to spend a lot of time explaining questions on the sheet that they had never seen before. The skills are random (which is the point) but you will definitely need to teach some of them that day, as oftentimes they have not learned certain skills yet. This would end up being a large part of your language arts program.

The kids would get very frustrated doing these on some days from not knowing what some concepts were. Prepare to spend a lot of time teaching the skills everyday.

I have taught 3rd, 5th and 6th grades and will never teach without a DLR book again. They are simple and easy to use in the classroom, but also provide wonderful skills for students. They go beyond the traditional DOL skills and teach more skills that students need to know. These books are set up so that they can be completed in just a small amount of time but you will see a huge improvement in your students.

I teach remedial 3,4,5 grade math. Following the format of the other grade level editions, this provides a varied daily parctice and a short graphing of results at the end of the week. I use it as a "Do NOw" every beginning of math class to help keep skills fresh. It is appropriately layed out, appropriate to the grade level curriculum and a good, easy to use format that keeps the children on their toes!

I'm a firm believer of practice early on math. It will build kid's interest and confidence for the long run. This book is invaluable. It breaks grade 3 math into small pieces and let your child do a little every day. My daughter learned a lot from this book. She often asks further questions and thinks a lot more. It helped her do well in math. In the Beestar online math contest (a nice web site http://www.beestar.org), she often wins honor mentions. Very good math supplement.

As a homeschooling mom, the search for texts is difficult! This is not our main math text, but an easy way to keep my child up to speed in many different areas of math. For example, if we are studying geometry, he will still get daily practice in addition and subtraction... We use this book daily. I would recommend it as a supplement for any math program.

The book is huge in size and they're are tons of puzzles-some easier than others. A little difficult for the beginer (me). Check out the inside of the book before buying.

I have never been a crossword puzzle person. I recently purchased this book after flipping through it at a bookstore. The early puzzles are VERY easy - which is good. It gradually builds in difficulty, but it will also build your confidence. I really enjoyed working on and actually being able to complete the puzzles.

The only complaint I have about this book is that, every once in awhile, there is a clue where the answer is just plain wrong. It may be in the same category, but it is not the correct answer. There are only a few of them. But, as a beginner who is shy about even trying these puzzles (and was even shy about carrying this book around) it was very frustrating. Still, I do recommend this book for beginners and rate it as 5 stars. It is worth buying because it does accomplish its goal of building the confidence of a crossword puzzle beginner.

I also recently purchased the second book in this "Everything Easy" series. I have just started it, but it appears to be just as good as the first book and appears to be the next logical step.

I will probably never be able to complete the most difficult puzzles out there in the daily newspapers with a pen. I just don't have that kind of historical, literary and other knowledge. But I can now say that I do enjoy working on crossword puzzles because of this book.

Both my 10 year old son and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The various themes were entertaining and the difficulty level was just right. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crosswords and the wit and art that is used to make them.

I have a 3 & 5 year old and found really very little that would be of assistance to help them stay busy on a car trip. This is more of a hands on book for older kids with puzzles, mazes, word games, etc. Reading is definitely a must. I would say it'd be a help with any child over 7 who has a basic reading knowledge, and can follow written instructions.

well, my son loves it he now behaves just sitting on his car seat he really enjoy the book.

This was a great book to send home with the grandkids as they made their way back to CA from a long car trip to Iowa. I am sure it kept them busy for a good long time.

An excellent activity resource for kids and adults. With just a glance at the game chart,you have an appropriate activity in under a minute. I especially liked the chatty, easy way the information was relayed - like a personal conversation and good advice from your best friend.

This book brought back memories of when I was a child. My friends and I used to play many of the games listed in the book. It's an excellent way to get exercise, have fun, and spend time with friends and family. Today's kids spend far too much time on sedentary activities, usually involving a computer! Ms. Kennedy has provided us with an interesting, organized, and informative resource for family fun, recreation, and exercise! I would especially reccommend this book for those with young children. Start early to develop good habits!

The Family Fitness Fun Book: Healthy Living for the Whole Family by Rose R. Kennedy is a must for every family book collection. It is a well-organized and indexed guide to playing many types of active games with the goal of fun and fitness for every member of the family. With American children increasingly in danger of obesity and diabetes because of sedentary lifestyles, Rose gets your family into the habit of thinking "fun" instead of"work-out!" Detailing many old timey games which require no planning or equipment,she tells the rules of the game in a quick glance chart telling :Indoor or Outdoor, Ages Appropriate, Number of Players, Suitable Weather, Time Required, Parental Supervision needed, and Intensity Level. She tells for each game what you need, how to set up, how to play, and the Rules. There are games for all ages, for indoor and outdoor, for small and large groups, Super-Quick, Rainy Days, Snow Fun, Fun for One, Parties, etc. Kennedy explains how to determine heart rate and fitness levels and to set new goals for your family by incorporating daily movement into your activities just for fun and togetherness. The adorable black and white photos of laughing children throughout the book make the games look enticing. The book is a MUST!

I'm psyched for summer. I'm a SAHM and just read this tonight (I did do a lot of skimming as far as the actual crafts and stuff but read all the introductory text in each section).

I have no idea why someone would say this is geared toward working moms. There is a part in the beginning saying how to ADAPT it to working moms, but most if it deals with what to do with your kids on a day-to-day basis in the summer to help them entertain themselves (and avoid the "I'm bored" monster) along with teaching different values and focusing on different areas of their growth. I actually don't think it would work that great for working moms - did I miss something?!

There is a lot that I skipped over, such as how to help them earn money doing different summer jobs, and with any "list" type book of tips and ideas, there are some I already knew and a lot I probably won't use. However, just the craft part alone is worth the cost of the book. I got it from the library but am on here right now finding a copy to own so I can highlight and dog ear.

There are many many craft ideas that are actually cheap, unlike a lot of craft books and magazines that require you to buy special expensive ingredients and ending up with crafts that the kids can't even make well so the parent ends up taking over. The ingredients in here that look like they might be costly are used over and over again so at least you are not buying a big box of something like Borax or liquid starch and only using a tablespoon. And the crafts seem to be easy enough for the age range of 6-9 that I'm looking for. There are enough crafts that I'm interested in that I actually think it would take several summers to do them all!

I've already enrolled my 9yo and 6yo in a few day and overnight scout-type camps but was looking into some expensive daycamps at the Y and elsewhere (starting at $200 a week for both boys - yikes!) to keep them occupied during the day, since I plan to turn the tv and video games off for the summer. Now I realize I can actually enjoy doing camp-type activities with them without Mom getting too bored, and still have enough time to do the things I, myself, need and want to do this summer. Especially since there are a lot that require planning on my part but that they can implement all by themselves.

BTW, it has definite Christian overtones. If you are not big on Christian literature, as I am not, don't be turned off. It's not preachy and there is plenty here for parents of any religion or even no religion, like me.

There were some helpful worksheets and ideas, however, over all it is geared toward the working mom. Also if you homeschool - most of the ideas don't fit but some could be modified.

Sure kids need some time to relax over the summer but quickly become bored. What's a busy parent to do ?
I was delighted to discover this book after reading about in in the Maine Sunday Telegram. The author advises really listening to your children's input on what excites them, but also wants the parent to offer suggestions and set limits.
A child may think watching cartoons non-stop makes a fun summer. This book gives ideas (tennis, hiking, other exercise or structured programs). I highly recommend investigating the free programs at your local public library. They might be able to lure your child into reading for pleasure (or reward).
The book wants you to get resourceful and creative with your children. Learn origami or stamp collecting or take turns with other parents teaching the children new skills.
The author also suggests a designated "pickup time" each day to gather up the toys and do a 10-minute clean up. Great idea!
There are lots of things to do in the summer with children and many are inexpensive. Turn off the TV and turn on your family to having fun together this summer.

Fun to Grow On is an easy to read, well illustrated book that really supports parental interaction with their children.
No big expenses or fancy gimmicks, just household goods used in a new way.

This could be an excellent resource for home schoolers to fill up recreational time during the day.

This book will help you turn off the TV and be a hero bigger than Barney! With parents scrambling for non-computer related activities, this book provides more than 100 ideas for valuable interaction with your kids. I remembered many of them from growing up in the Midwest, including the peanut-butter birdfeeder, which I'll be sure to create this winter with my own children. The taste test and find-a-smell activities are fun ways to introduce new foods to kids, and are hits at slumber parties as well. I highly recommend this book not only parents but aunts & uncles and grandparents too.

This slim book was packed with good ideas for inexpensive spontaneous fun. Although some were a bit simplistic, most were new, easy and inexpensive to try! I'll give a good review to any book's ideas that keep my 4 year old busy and happy on a 4 hour plane ride, which this one did.

This is a Dover reprint of a book originally printed in the 1930s. As such it is illustrated entirely in line drawings in a similar style to those in String Figures and How to Make Them: A Study of Cat's Cradle in Many Landsby Furness Jayne. The one difference is that each figure is illustrated only with a drawing of the final figure, there are no step by step drawings to show the positions of the hands in the manipulation of the strings. All the instructions given are in the form of step by step text. However I made several of the figures in the book without difficulty and particularly enjoyed the Apache Door.

The book starts with an interesting article by the author in which several of the figures are illustrated as part of the discussion. However although textual instructions are given later in the book you have to refer back to the article to find the illustration of the figure which is a little irritating.

There are other much better books out there but this is quite a good starter which may please a beginner.

Les commentaires de l'auteur sont plein d'enseignement. Les figures sont connues (voir Jayne)

Les commentaires de l'auteur sont plein d'enseignement. Les figures sont connues (voir Jayne)