Reading Challenge & Passport

 

This week, I'm continuing our Día de los niños series with a free download. If you're a MommyMaestra subscriber, you'll find this printable reading passport in your inbox this evening. If not, you can purchase my reading passport file in my TpT store. 

Scroll down to the bottom of this post or sign up here for my newsletter.

Bilingual Printable Reading Passport

This reading passport is easy to print and assemble.  

1. Make sure to select "Actual Size" on your printer settings, or "Custom" and "100%."
   
   
2. Print pages 3 and 4 on two separate pieces of paper (Do not select "Print on both sides of paper.")
   
   
3. Fold page 3 in half with the printed side facing out. 
   
   
4. Fold the page in half again with the dark blue covers on the outside.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with page 4.
   
   
6. Tuck page 4 inside page 3. 
   
   
7. Staple in the middle to hold the booklet together.

The passport has text in both Spanish and English.

How to Use This Reading Passport

You can use the reading passport like a reading log for your child. Just let them enter the titles and authors of the books they've read and keep it like a running account. There is no limit to the number of inner pages you can print and add to your child's passport.

OR you can assign your child a reading challenge...

Reading Challenge

I'm always thinking about ways to get kids excited about reading. And one of those is with a reading challenge. 

One simple and easy challenge is to have your kids read 8 books in one month. You can set the details based on your child's interests and reading level (picture books, chapter books, poetry, etc.), or just let them choose which books they want to read.

Other challenges could be for the summer or school year. You can require books by Latino authors, classics, novels, short stories, books in Spanish, biographies, or even graphic novels. You can also challenge your student to read one book from each genre.

Whatever you do, be flexible and have fun!

Other Día Posts You May Enjoy:

• Ways To Celebrate Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros/Children's Day, Book Day
  
  
• New Books to Celebrate Día
  
  
• Día Craft: DIY Book Tutorial
  
  
• Día Craft: DIY Book-Inspired Sports ID Tag
  
  
• Día Craft: Music-Themed Magazine Holder
  
  
• 10 Ways to Celebrate Día at Home
  
  
• Día de los Niños Activity Packet

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New Website & Titles from Nacho Books

The following is sponsored post with Nacho Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

Friends! I've been highlighting Nacho Books for a few years now because they are so well done and are hugely popular among the bilingual homeschool community. 

New Website

Well, I'm excited to share that they have just launched a brand new website! It's easier than ever to find their amazing products, including new ones such as the ones below.

Susaeta is a leading publisher of children's learning books throughout Latin America. In fact, I've heard from many homeschooling moms that they learned to read with Nacho books when they were kids in Venezuela, Colombia, and other Spanish-speaking countries. Their products have been really hard to find here in the United States, but thanks to Nacho Books, they are now available!

New Titles

The response has been so positive that Nacho Books has decided to expand the number of titles that they carry. They were kind enough to send me several for review, which I'll do over the next few months. 

The first two titles I want to highlight for those of you who are preparing to homeschool (again or for the first time) next year, are below.

Lecturas Integradas is ideal for emergent readers in 1st through 2nd grades. This book is packed full of stories that boost vocabulary, as well as comprehension questions to reinforce what they've read. The book still reviews the alphabet here and there simply to help students master it. But the focus is on reading and writing. 

Matemáticas A is best for students in 1st and 2nd grade (in my opinion). It begins with number recognition (1 - 100), quickly moves into double digit addition, and continues all the way through understanding how to interpret different types of graphs. 

These activity books should not be used as complete curricula (they don't teach how to do the various concepts), but rather they make excellent supplements as a fun way to practice in addition to their lessons. I think I would use these as activity books for car rides, on trips, or simply to pass the time at home.

If either of these sound like what you are looking for, go and check their website out! Or if you are looking for books in Spanish that teach concepts in grades PreK through 2nd grade, take a look at all the other titles on their website. 

A Discount for YOU!

MommyMaestra readers can get a 30% discount on any order of Nacho Books. Just use this link and the discount code MommyMaestra at checkout.

Holiday Gifting: Reading Eggs

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with Reading Eggs. All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

Do you know about Reading Eggs? It's been around for quite a while now, and I have often seen it mentioned in homeschool circles. So when Reading Eggs reached out, I finally had a chance to check it out more closely and see if it is a good fit for MommyMaestra readers. It absolutely is. 

What is Reading Eggs?

Reading Eggs is an online program designed to support your child as they learn to read. Created for children ages 2 - 13, the site is full of online reading games (there are SO MANY GAMES!) and activities that children love and which helps develop their literacy skills through lots and lots of practice - without it feeling like work. 

Ten million children around the world use this program. Yes, I wrote that correctly! And the reason is that the program is really fun for kids and is effective. It is based on scientific research and centered around the five essential keys to reading success:

1. phonemic awareness,
2. phonics,
3. vocabulary,
4. reading comprehension, and
5. fluency.

If you are a homeschooler, it is critical that you understand these concepts. Click here to learn about them and how to apply them in your child's reading development.

As you can see from the image above, the site offers five different levels of learning. When they begin, your child takes a placement test that matches them with the right level. And, yes, that's a math section at the end. For those of you whose children are struggling with memorizing math facts or who has negative associations with math, this section will help!

As they progress through the program, kids can earn golden eggs (hello? Reading EGGS!) as awards and then use them to buy special reward games or items for their avatar or their house. And they can also earn certificates of achievement.

Things I love best about the program

There are two things about the program that really stand out for me. First, the program has more than 2000 online books and EVERY ONE of them ends with a comprehension quiz. And second, parents can access detailed progress reports on their child. If you have more than one child using the program, no problem. Your dashboard keeps track of everyone's progress and you even get emailed in‑depth reports every time your kid completes a map. 

I also love that the program is self-paced and your child can repeat any activity/game as many times as they want to reinforce the concepts being learned. This is really important for struggling readers.

And finally, Reading Eggs is a kidSAFE certified website. This is SO IMPORTANT TO ME as a parent. I don't have to worry about ads all over the place to distract and tempt my kids. And knowing that it is a safe place for kids to play is gold. With so many other sites I have to worry about who my kid is interacting with or who has access to their information. That's gotten harder as my 14yo has grown. But I have a 3yo now that I have to start worrying about. I'm looking forward to trying this program with him without fear of what he sees and who he meets.

November deals

Right now, Reading Eggs has several holiday promos going on FOR NOVEMBER:

• First, they are offering FREE week‑by‑week program guides for homeschoolers for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Each guide provides a 36‑week teaching and learning sequence for Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, making it easy for parents to cover and track essential learning outcomes. You can download the guides here.
  
  
• Second, Reading Eggs is also offering a 30-day free trial for parents and their little learners to try the online homeschool program. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and you'll get instant access to hundreds of online lessons, activities, kids' books, and printable worksheets – perfect for your family's homeschooling needs.
  
  
• Additionally, from November 1 through Thanksgiving, Reading Eggs is offering free shipping on any products including their workbooks, flashcards and mega book packs.
  
  
• For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Reading Eggs is offering 62% off a family subscription for up to four children. (WOW!) The sale will start on Thanksgiving and go through Cyber Monday.
  
  

Learn more!

If you want to learn more, visit their site. 

They also have a YouTube channel that features testimonials from other parents and getting started tutorials.

Barton Reading and Spelling: Expensive, Boring, and Effective

The following is a guest post by Stacie Farias, a Mexican-American mom of 6 who does not blog because she is too busy reading other blogs to write one of her own.

Have you been struggling to find the right reading and spelling program for your children? Do you have a child with a learning difference who needs the right program to guide them on their path to reading fluency? Today's reading program might be for you! Barton Reading and Spelling is a powerful program that works with all children.

This post contains affiliate links.

The Basics

Barton Reading & Spelling is an Orton-Gillingham based reading and spelling program created by Susan Barton. According to the Barton website, the Barton system “is a great tutoring system for children, teenagers, and adults who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing due to dyslexia or a learning disability.”

Barton Reading and Spelling has 10 levels that range in price from $300 - $350 per level. All students must pass the free Barton Student Screener in order to be able to use the program and all tutors, or parents who “tutor” their own children, must pass the free Barton Tutor Screener. There are several other requirements to be a Barton student (or at least be able to benefit from the Barton program) that are listed here.

The Real Review

Now that I have explained all the basic information, let me give y’all the real deal from a homeschool mom who has tutored her kids through 7 of the 10 Barton levels. 

Barton Reading and Spelling is VERY expensive, as far as homeschool curriculum is concerned. We have paid $350 for just one level?!?!? And all you get is a large spiral-bound manual, some colored tiles, and a set of DVDs!!! 

Yup. A lucky set of circumstances helped us to cover some of these costs, but yes. We paid $300 to $350 per level for a box with a giant manual, some colored tiles (although the tile app is better) and a set of DVDs. The plus side of Barton is that it has a very high resale value. Most families buy one level at a time and list that level “for sale” on eBay or various Facebook groups and easily get back $250-$300 back. That money goes into buying the next level their kiddo needs. Another plus is that many Barton parents later invest in becoming certified Barton tutors and begin to tutor other children. Overall, tutoring your own children is still astonishingly cheaper than paying a tutor to do it for you. 

Barton Reading and Spelling is VERY boring. LOL! This does not sound like an endorsement but it most definitely is, after an explanation. Barton was originally written for adults and so there are no cutesy pictures or anything of ANY visual interest in the student pages. The practice stories are drab. The procedures of Barton are so repetitive that you may require a caffeine boost to get you through them. But the repetition is key! The formulaic, systematic, and yes boring, procedures are exactly what a dyslexic student needs to recall and retain the many skills that are needed to read and spell. This is the secret of an Orton-Gillingham based program and why it works. And by the way, Barton is scripted. Moms, you CAN teach your child using this system by watching the DVDs, then doing the lessons from the script. That’s all you need. 

Barton Reading and Spelling is VERY effective. I have seen it in my own children. Their spelling is not perfect 100% of the time but they now have tools to help them. My children can break apart syllables. My children know what schwa is. My children are helping their younger siblings learn how to read using Barton techniques. Wha?!?!? Yes! I caught my dyslexic 12-year-old explaining to my 7-year-old why “y” makes different sounds at the end of a word. It’s called the Cry Baby Rule, thank you Barton!! 

With regards to my children’s reading skills, Barton has been effective in 2 ways. First, my children have stopped guessing at words (at least in front of me) and my children can read words that they have never encountered before by breaking apart syllables. Many people think this is the same as “sound it out,” but it is not the quite the same. There is a system for breaking apart syllables to determine what sounds the letters make and my kids understand this because of Barton. If you are more convinced by numbers, take a look at these studies about Barton’s effectiveness. 

Disclaimer! I could not possibly say everything there is to say about the Barton experience. Some days it just clicks and some days we have to close the manual and take a break. And what can I say about Susan Barton herself? She is a queen, A QUEEN!! If you watch this video of Susan Barton explaining signs and symptoms of dyslexia, you can see how much she cares and how much she knows. When you hear the story about her nephew, grab a tissue. 

Please! If you suspect dyslexia in your child or children, I highly recommend checking up Susan Barton’s two websites:

• Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
• and the Barton Reading and Spelling specific website. 

Do NOT be put off by the early 2000s look of the websites. LOL! The information is up-to-date.

Supplies to Help You Teach

These are some of the extra supplies I find helpful in teaching my kids to read with this program. 

• tabletop whiteboard and markers
• 3-ring binder
• page protectors
• plastic (tile) organizer
• Crayola Take Note ERASABLE Highlighter Set << These are awesome!

I also really like the I See, I Spell, I Learn Super Combo Picture Sight Words & Picture Homophones Flashcards...

And these guided reading strips are also extremely helpful.

Keep learning!

Click on these links to additional information about dyslexia resources or other reading program reviews.

• Resources for Dyslexia Awareness Month
  
  
• PRIDE Reading Program Review
  
  
• Teaching Children with Learning Differences to Read with Reading Horizons
  
  
• Reading Eggs review

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Stacie Servantes Farias is an Army wife and mom of 6 with a “very healthy” obsession for Snoopy, Disney movies, Audrey Hepburn, Dr. Pepper, Whataburger, books, and homeschooling. Originally from Mission, Texas, Stacie and her high-school sweetheart hubby live with their kids and dog in a different home every few years, because that is the military life. She has big plans to write a book exploring her theory that La Llorona drowned her children because they would take their socks off all over the house and then would complain that they never had clean socks! Stacie also thinks she is really funny, but she is mostly lame. 

Martín y Pepe - Spanish Beginning Reader Books

 

Friends, I'm excited about today's giveaway! (I know, I'm excited about ALL of them!) But this one is special to me because this series of books is loved by my 3yo. 

Last year, I shared these books with you in a sponsored post. Not only did I fall in love with the simple storylines and the beautiful illustrations, but so did my youngest. 

THEN, when I was hosting the Migrant Children's Book Drive last year, Dana Ryan - the author of this series - reached out to me and donated 40 copies (10 of each book). Y'all, I just really love this series and both the author and the illustrator. 

Rosa C. Lopez is the artist. She's brilliant. I actually had her create some art for me for a current project I'm working on and it was remarkable the choices she gave me. I had such a hard time narrowing it down and had to ask my own children to help me choose. And they had a hard time, too. Rosa is THAT good. 

Here's a time-lapse video of her working on the most recent book released in this series. Watch her brilliance in action... 

The Giveaway

Dana has SO kindly offered to give away one complete set of these beginning readers to one MommyMaestra reader! 

To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter below. 

Good luck, friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nacho Books

One of the things that I see coming up a LOT these days from parents raising bilingual children is a request for materials that teach children how to read in Spanish. Especially from parents who had children in immersion PreK and are now homeschooling them for Kindergarten.

A few years ago, I reviewed the Nacho (lectura) books from Susaeta. They have been SO POPULAR! So many parents have said that these were the books they used to learn to read. 

But the biggest hangup was that they are published in Latin America. Fortunately, there is one place here in the States where you can order them: Cultural Bytes. 

The Giveaway

But I'm very happy to announce that our friends at Cultural Bytes are offering a set of these awesome books for one lucky family.

This set includes (all shown above):
1- Nacho Lectura Inicial De Lectura (estados unidos)
1- Leo y Escribo 1
1- El Gran Nacho

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Act It Out Shakespeare

Today, I have the pleasure of a special feature. 

There's no giveaway associated with this because the creator is using the profits from her sales to pay for her ballet class. She's 12 years old. 

Julie Cerdas is a member of our Hispanic & Bilingual Homeschoolers Facebook group. Her family homeschools. A few years ago, while studying King Lear with another family, they tried to find paper puppets to supplement their lessons and make it a little more interactive for the kids. But they couldn't find any. Her daughter was inspired to create her own, and then, Act It Out Shakespeare was born. 

Her daughter has created a website to seller her creations. It's called Bluebirds and Blackberries Studio. That's where you can find this set for Shakespeare's The Tempest. But she didn't stop with just puppets. She also adapted the play to include only the characters for which there are puppets, but still presents the complete story arc of the play. So in all, her digital set comes ready for download with 11 puppets to cut out and glue to popsicle sticks (if desired), a play, and a list of characters per scene so you can easily assign roles without going through the entire play.

She's also created a set for A Midsummer’s Night Dream and is working on Much Ado About Nothing. I love that she's made the former available in different versions: full-color or outlines to allow children to color their own should they so choose. 

Children are amazing. Their creativity knows no limits. And parents who nurture not only their child's creativity but their entrepreneurial spirit deserve praise. 

So if you are studying Shakespeare in your home or school classroom and would like to buy a set, visit their online shop. 

Well done, young one!

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• LEGO...Shakespeare?
  
  
• Homeschool High School World Literature Curriculum
  
  
• Make Your Own Family Keepsake Book
  
  
• Music-Themed Magazine Holder
  
  
• DIY Book-Inspired Sports ID Tag

Las vacas no pueden saltar - Cows Can't Jump

This is a sponsored book post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It may use affiliate links.

I frequently get requests from bilingual families for book recommendations. And now that I have an almost preschooler in my house again, I'm always on the lookout for bilingual board books with full text in both English and Spanish. But they can be hard to find. So after I saw a copy of Las vacas no pueden saltar (aff link), I knew it was a good fit for MommyMaestra readers.

In fact, while I was looking at a review copy of the book, my 2-year-old walked into the room and immediately crawled onto my lap demanding that I read it to him. Which I was happy to do. When we finished, I asked him what he could and couldn't do. He said he couldn't fly, but that he could jump, jump, JUMP. (He then promptly proved it.)

Have you seen the English version, Cows Can't Jump, by Dave Reisman? Well, the bilingual version is even better because it allows bilingual families or classrooms to choose which language they want to focus on while reading. And the storyline is equally fun in both languages for little people with big imaginations. 

Reisman's book introduces children to animals and their abilities. You'll discover not only what specific animals can't do, but also what they CAN do. Check out this excerpt from the book...

"Los gorilas no pueden nadar...pero pueden columpiarse. Las jirafas no pueden columpiarse...pero pueden galopar.

Gorillas can't swim...but they can swing. Giraffes can't swing...but they can gallop." 

And so this book goes, on and on, animal after animal, teaching children all about animals and their special skills. Beautiful in its simplicity, the literacy nut in me delights in all the action verbs that children learn about as they go through the book.

For these exact reasons, this book is a treasure for language learners, also. What a great way to teach vocabulary - especially Spanish reflexive verbs!

The illustrations are engaging, too. Each page shows the subject animal doing - or not doing as the case may be - the various activities. Take a look...

What I love best about this book is how it prompted my toddler to go and find all his animal figures and start playing with them. Imaginative play is so important! And that, to me, is what makes a book a keeper.

Las vacas no pueden saltar / Cows Can't Jump is available both in paperback and board book versions.

What Are Cumulative Tales? A Fun Way to Build Literacy & Language Skills

illustrated by Randolph Caldecott

Do you teach your students or children about cumulative tales? If not, these entertaining stories are a fantastic way to engage young learners. Cumulative tales follow a pattern that builds step-by-step, making them ideal for improving speech, language development, and literacy fluency. They’re particularly helpful in classrooms, homeschools, and speech therapy settings because the repetitive elements reinforce memory and learning.

Whether you’re exploring folklore or looking for engaging activities to boost reading and comprehension, cumulative tales are a must-try. In this post, we’ll dive into what makes cumulative tales so powerful and share tips for teaching them effectively. Plus, I'll introduce a Halloween-themed cumulative tale lesson that your students will love!

What Is a Cumulative Tale?

A cumulative tale is a type of story that builds by adding elements in each step, with every new addition followed by a repetition of the previous parts. These stories rely heavily on rhythmic patterns and repeated phrases, which make them easy for children to follow and participate in.

The magic of cumulative tales lies in their predictability and playful structure. Each time a new character, object, or event is introduced, the story circles back to recount the earlier parts. This makes them ideal for developing vocabulary, sentence structure, and comprehension skills in young learners.

Examples of Classic Cumulative Tales

1. The House That Jack Built

Perhaps the most famous example would be The House that Jack Built. The illustration above was published in 1877 by Randolph Caldecott. But the tale itself is much older than that. It was passed on by word of mouth for years (possibly even a century or more!) before it was first published in 1755. Dare I say that the structure and story is as popular today as it was then? I don't know, but I can state in all honesty that this was one of the stories I was told as a child, and one that I've read to my own children. Its charm lies in the way each element connects back to the house, creating a chain of amusing characters and situations.

The House That Jack Built shows how cumulative tales are effective at holding a child’s attention because the story grows incrementally, with every repetition deepening engagement.

2. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Another recognizable example would be the children's rhyme and nonsense song, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This one, though, was written a looooong time later - the 1940s, actually. But it is still beloved by children and families today for its sheer absurdity. 

The story also demonstrates how cumulative tales can be used to introduce sequencing skills and cause-and-effect relationships in a fun way.

Why Use Cumulative Tales for Teaching?

Cumulative tales may or may not rhyme. Some involve tongue twisters. They are frequently humorous. Oftentimes, the story has a surprise ending. Or it may start with a problem which each repetition attempts to solve. Most of the time, the new story elements are kept relatively short and simple. The tales involve strong imagery, so the focus tends to be on nouns and adjectives. But always, they repeat the part of the story already told.

Cumulative tales offer more than just entertainment. Here are a few key educational benefits of using these stories with children:

1. Language Development and Vocabulary Building

Since cumulative tales rely on repetition, children encounter the same vocabulary multiple times, reinforcing word meanings. The repetition also provides natural opportunities for students to practice pronunciation, and sentence construction.

2. Memory and Comprehension Skills

The structured pattern of cumulative tales helps children predict what comes next, strengthening both memory recall and comprehension. The simple, repetitive structure makes them excellent for younger learners and English language learners (ELLs).

3. Speech Therapy Applications

Cumulative tales can also serve as tools in speech therapy, helping children with speech delays practice words and phrases through repetition. The predictable language patterns build fluency and confidence in speaking.

4. Encouraging Creativity

Many cumulative tales invite participation. Children can create their own cumulative stories by following the pattern, which encourages creative thinking and storytelling skills.

A Fun Way to Teach Cumulative Tales: My Halloween Storybook & Lesson Plan

I was thinking about this the other day and wondering how I could teach this to my children. So, I created a Halloween-themed printable that would do just that.

I wanted to introduce cumulative tales to my children in a hands-on way, so I created a Halloween-themed printable storybook. This activity is designed to teach young learners how cumulative stories work while sparking their creativity.

What’s Included in the Halloween Cumulative Tale Lesson?

1. Printable Storybook:

   • The story follows a little witch’s house and builds on relationships between characters using nouns and adjectives.
   • Children can color in the illustrations, making it a fun and engaging project for younger learners.

2. Introduction to Cumulative Tales:

   • A child-friendly explanation of how cumulative tales work, with examples for easy understanding.

3. Graphic Organizers for Creating Their Own Tales:

   • These worksheets guide students through the process of writing their own cumulative stories step-by-step.

4. Bilingual Content in English and Spanish:

   • The story and activities are available in both English and Spanish, though the Spanish version is adapted for natural flow rather than being a direct translation.

How to Use the Halloween Storybook & Lesson Plan in Your Classroom or Homeschool

Here are a few ideas for incorporating this Halloween-themed lesson into your teaching:

• Storytime Activity: Read the story aloud, pausing to let children repeat the previous parts. This reinforces memory and builds excitement as the story grows.
• Creative Writing Exercise: After reading, encourage children to use the graphic organizers to create their own cumulative tales.
• Language Practice for ELLs: Use the bilingual version to help English language learners build vocabulary in both languages.
• Art and Literacy Integration: Let children color their storybooks while listening to the tale. This blends art with literacy, making the activity even more engaging.
  
  

Where to Get the Halloween Cumulative Tale Printable

You can find my Halloween Storybook & Cumulative Tale Lesson in my TpT store. It’s an easy-to-use resource that brings cumulative storytelling to life while teaching essential language and literacy skills. Perfect for classrooms, homeschools, or even as a fun Halloween activity!

Final Thoughts on Teaching with Cumulative Tales

Cumulative tales offer a unique way to build language skills while keeping children engaged with their repetitive, rhythmic structure. Whether you’re working on speech therapy, bilingual education, or just looking for a fun, creative activity, these stories are a powerful teaching tool.

Don’t forget to check out the Halloween-themed lesson to give your students a hands-on experience with cumulative tales. It’s a playful way to celebrate Halloween while reinforcing key language concepts!

Other Halloween-Themed Posts You May Enjoy:

• Halloween Activity Books for Kids
• Activities for Kids Celebrating Halloween at Home
• Freebie: Bilingual Halloween Counting Mats
• Free Download: Halloween Spelling & Numbers Game

The Big Fat Notebooks Series for Middle Schoolers

Last year, I reviewed a product for a marketplace that has since closed. So I wanted to share my thoughts about these books with you here because this set of books has become an invaluable tool for us in our homeschool. In fact, I would say that they are a must-have for ANY middle schooler's home reference library. It's not just for homeschoolers. All kids (and their parents, too!) will love this series which helps describe the most important concepts in all subjects in a clear and concise manner.

This post contains affiliate links.

The Big Fat Notebooks series is set of five books covering all the major subjects in middle school in easy-to-understand detail. They are your middle schooler’s new BFF! The best thing about this series is that it is very reader-friendly and presents the information in an engaging manner with lots of visuals to help your student understand and retain the concepts. Children in traditional schools can use the series to help them complete homework, while homeschoolers can use the books as a curriculum spine, or the base curriculum for your entire school year.

The Basics

The set is made up of five books in all. They are color-coded for easy recollection and cover the following subjects:

• English
• Science
• Math
• American History
• World History

The books were created by the same people behind the popular series, Brain Quest. We’ve used their workbooks regularly in our homeschool as a supplement to our lesson or for days when we just need a change from our main curriculum. But the Brain Quest series only goes through 6th grade.

Enter the new "COMPLETE Middle School Study Guides.” They are very different from the workbook sets. There is a greater emphasis on layout and the use of colors. We love how these books break up concepts into short manageable sections that focus on the key concept being taught. The front of the book states that these are “notes borrowed from the SMARTEST KID in class” and the information is definitely arranged in the form of a notebook, with highlights in different colors representing different things (i.e., yellow highlights = important vocabulary, green highlights = definitions, and blue writing = important people, places, dates, and terms). The illustrations are more like doodles that help the note taker to visualize big ideas.

Each chapter ends with a list of questions that helps the student test their knowledge. (It’s almost like a quiz, but the students simply have to turn the page to check their answers.)

The only thing that would make this series better is if they had included an index at the back for easy reference. For instance, my daughter was trying to look up subordinating conjunctions, but they weren’t listed in the Table of Contents because they were included in the chapter with phrases and clauses. So it took a little while to find them.

English Language Arts 

This book covers five areas:

1. Grammar
2. Language
3. Reading Fiction
4. Reading Nonfiction
5. Writing

From intensive pronouns and figurative language to setting and tone to plagiarism and citation, your child will learn about these concepts in easy-to-understand language with simple examples. There are definitions, diagrams, doodles, and even mnemonic devices to help your student remember important information.

Math

My daughter often forgets what the difference is between finding the greatest common factor and the least common multiple. Sometimes she needs help remembering how to find the percentage. This book is a fabulous reference and a must-have when doing school work. It covers six areas:

1. The Number System
2. Ratios, Proportions, and Percents
3. Expressions and Equations
4. Geometry
5. Statistics and Probability
6. The Coordinate Plane and Functions

This book is really a goldmine not just for students, but for the parents to whom they turn asking for help! Can’t remember how to convert measurements or calculate simple interest? No problem! You can just look it up in this handy notebook!

Science

This book is my favorite of the set! It covers so much information and I’ve enjoyed just starting at the beginning and taking each section one by one with my kids. Sure they can use it to supplement their science curriculum, but this book is also fun to use as a science spine. Take it one section at a time and then supplement it with activities, books, and experiments!

It covers ELEVEN areas:

1. Scientific Investigation
2. Matter, Chemical Reactions, and Solutions
3. Motion, Forces, and Work
4. Energy
5. Outer Space: The Universe and the Solar System
6. The Earth, Weather, Atmosphere, and Climate
7. Life: Classification and Cells
8. Plants and Animals
9. The Human Body and Body Systems
10. History of Life: Heredity, Evolution, and Fossils
11. Ecology: Habitats, Interdependence, and Resources

The doodles are simple but very entertaining, and the explanations are clear and concise. If you could only get one book of the whole series, this would be it!

American History

I think this book is great for explaining the more difficult events in American history, such as the cause behind World War I. I love how superfluous details are left out and the main points are the focus of these books because it really helps to clarify those murky moments in U.S. history.

This book covers ten areas:

1. Prehistory – Early 1600s
2. Colonial America, 1607-1780s
3. American Revolutions and the Early Republic, 1776-1791
4. American Expansion, 1801-1861
5. Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850s-1870s
6. Reshaping the Nation, 1850-1917
7. World Wars and Modern America, 1900s-1930s
8. World War II, 1930s-1945
9. Post-World War II Era, 1945-1980
10. American History and Current-ish Events

From the Louisiana Purchase to Burr vs. Hamilton to D-Day, this book is a super helpful guide for students studying American history.

World History

And finally, we have world history. From Medieval Japan to the Olympic Games, this book covers tons of information in bite-sized snippets that focus on the key points.

This book covers nine areas:

1. The First Humans: Prehistory-3500 BC
2. First Civilizations: 3500 – 300 AD
3. The Middle Ages: 400 – 1500
4. Renaissance and Reformation: 1350-1650
5. The Age of Exploration: 1400- 1800
6. Revolution and Enlightenment: 1500 – 1865
7. The Era of Imperialism: 1800-1914
8. World Conflicts in the Early Twentieth Century: 1914-1945
9. Post-World War II: The World from 1945 to Today

Overall, I love how these books strengthen a student’s skills for using a reference source. It also empowers them to find the answers they are looking for rather than asking an adult or looking it up on the internet. Actually, it is better! Have you ever looked up the reason for World War I on the internet? Or how to find the least common multiple of two numbers? We like the descriptions in these books best.

For homeschoolers, this isn’t a stand-alone curriculum. It must be supplemented with textbooks or living books and online tools, if you choose to use it as a curriculum spine.

Quick, No-Prep Day of the Dead Printables for Kids

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is only a few days away! Are you looking for quick, no-prep printables to introduce the holiday to your kids or students and to keep them busy? MommyMaestra has you COVERED!

Take a look at just some of the fabulous printables I have available (ALL of them in English AND Spanish!). The links below are to my TpT store, but you can also find them in my MommyMaestra shop. (Psst! If you buy directly from my shop, use the discount code DOD18 to get 25% off all Day of the Dead printables!)

Día de los Muertos Reading Passage

This is a one-page history on the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. From where it is celebrated to the significance of the items closely associated with the holiday, this informational text is written for students in 4th - 8th grade. Includes an 8-question comprehension quiz plus answer key. 

Día de los Muertos Pre-K Activity Pack

Introduce your young students to the Día de los Muertos holiday with this fun activity pack! Available in English and Spanish with answer keys.

This pack includes:

- Number recognition (1-10)

- Find the difference

- Bigger vs. smaller

- Montessori nomenclature cards (English & Spanish)

- Book List of Day of the Dead Picture Books (Bilingual)

- Maze

- Tracing sheet

- Shadow match

- Vocabulary

- Writing sheets

Día de los Muertos Booklets

Celebrate and educate with this set of Day of the Dead booklets! This packet features three different styles of books: a flip book, an accordion book, and a booklet. Just choose the one that best suits your needs. 

All three are available... 

• in black-and-white or full color, 

• with descriptive text or blank to allow students to write inside, 

• and in English or Spanish.

Great for ESL, dual immersion, or Spanish learners. 

Write Your Own Calavera Poems

Teach your students about Calavera Poetry by having them create their own calavera poems! This activity includes a brief description of calavera poems, directions and graphic organizer for writing your own poem, sample calavera poems, and various Día de los Muertos writing pages. The directions and sample poems are in English only. The writing pages may be used in any language.

Día de los Muertos Ofrenda Labels

Is your class setting up an ofrenda this year? These labels help to explain to observers the various elements in the display. They may be used as framed posters or pinned to a display board.

In this packet, you’ll also find a set of small free-standing labels for each student to fill one out and place it next to the framed photograph(s) of their deceased loved one(s). These labels have space for the student to write the name, relationship, and likes/hobbies of the person being remembered.

Día de los Muertos Minibook

This minibook is an introduction to the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This book includes coloring pages of items most closely associated with the holiday, as well as brief descriptions in English and Spanish that are easy for young children to understand.

This file contains THREE books: 

• a bilingual book (English & Spanish)

• an English only (for ESL)

• a Spanish only (for Spanish learners)

Día de los Muertos Bilingual Puzzle Cards

For younger students, this set of bilingual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)-themed puzzle cards is a simple way to introduce new vocabulary. 

The 7 cards feature items associated with Day of the Dead...in English and Spanish.

Just print, cut, shuffle, and have your students piece them back together. This activity it good for language learners and preschoolers. You can laminate them for added durability.

Día de los Muertos Ten Frames

Incorporate a little culture and have fun with math! This set of ten frames comes with Day of the Dead images, such as pan de muerto, papel picado, cempasuchitl, and more. Includes blank frames for additional ten frame activities. 

Día de los Muertos Triptychs

Teach your students about Day of the Dead - Día de los Muertos - with my triptychs.

For younger students: these triptych coloring pages can be used as stand-alone triptychs or as templates for aluminum crafts. This kit comes with three printable triptych designs.

For older students: the triptychs include an informational passage that talks about the tradition and some of the elements associated with it.

Day of the Dead - Día de los Muertos - Activity BUNDLE

Save! When you purchase this activity bundle for Día de los Muertos. Best suited for elementary students, first-year Spanish students, ESL, and bilingual or immersion students. 

This packet includes five of my Day of the Dead activities.

Free Calavera Prepositions Graphic

So this was fun. The other day, I shared a graphic on the MommyMaestra Facebook page that had a graphic with visual examples of prepositions. Lots of people liked it, and one reader asked for a Spanish version. Of course, there wasn't one. I tried going to the website of the person who had originally created the graphic, but the website was no longer available. So I decided to make my own.

And since Día de los Muertos is a month away, I thought, "Hey, why not be a little creative and unique and make it with calaveras?" So my preposiciones graphic was born. It was so popular, that I decided to make an English version to go with it and offer them both as a free download for my readers.

Here you go, my friends. Click on the following link and it will take you to a Google file that has these two graphics as .png files and as a .pdf download. Choose the one that works best for you. Please do not resell this file (trust me, I will know if you do!). It is for personal or classroom use only.

Click here to download this file

Oh, and if you are looking for more print-and-go Day of the Dead downloads, please consider purchasing one of mine? All of them are available in my TpT store, or here in my MommyMaestra shop. :) 

Enjoy!

Other Posts With Day of the Dead Activities

• Free Download: Day of the Dead Writing Pages
  
  
• Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead Lesson Plans and Activities
  
  
• 3 Ways to Celebrate Día de los Muertos
  
  
• Quick, No-Prep Day of the Dead Printables for Kids
  
  
• Dia de los Muertos Nichos

One-Page Reading Passage on Los San Patricios

St. Patrick's Day is quickly approaching so I thought that now would be a good time to remind you about a little-known group of men in history called Los San Patricios.

Have you heard of them? To the U.S., they were considered traitors, but to Mexico, they were heroes. If you are looking for a unique angle to the annual holiday, consider teaching your kids about this historical group. If you have older children/students, this would be a great time to teach them about Los San Patricios.

I have a one-page reading passage plus 8-questions quiz available in my shop. It's best suited for students in 4th grade and higher. And the good news is that it is now available in both English and Spanish versions!

To download it instantly, just visit my TpT store or my MommyMaestra shop.