Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Readers In Residence Volume 1 (Sleuth)

     For a couple of years, my precious little girl struggled with reading.  We tried many different avenues to help her learn to read.  I was frustrated. She was upset.  It wasn't an easy time for us. 

     THEN, one day it was like a light bulb went off.  She finally understood all the things we had been going over. All those phonics lessons and memorizing sight words paid off.  She was a READER!!!!  I think I cried a dozen times that day.  They were tears of joy.  My girl was no longer struggling in this area.  She went from reading stage 1 books to reading full chapter books in a short 6 months.  

      You can imagine how excited we were to be picked to receive and review Apologia Educational Ministries new homeschool reading curriculum Readers in Residence Volume 1 (Sleuth) by Debra Bell.  We love learning fun and educational ways to study books. 

      This curriculum teaches our children how to really dive into the books they read.  They are taught how to comprehend and understand what they are reading. It has a very unique way of guiding them through the process.  

      The All-In-One Student Text and Workbook is a great resource to walk you through how to examine a book from cover to cover.  The six units include:

• Unit 1: Sarah, Plain and Tall
• Unit 2: On Your Own Historical Fiction
• Unit 3: Charlotte's Web
• Unit 4: On Your Own Animal Fantasy
• Unit 5: Because of Winn-Dixie
• Unit 6: On Your Own Your Choice

      You will have to purchase the three books mentioned above in order to have them on hand for the unit studies.  We already had two of them so that worked out well for us.  

     Right away, my daughter loved this study.  She loves a good mystery and looking for "clues" to find out how to tell what a book is about was fun for her.  I loved how excited she was to learn how to become an expert reader.  

     

     As a planner, I really appreciated the daily schedule that came included with the student text. The schedule is for 32 weeks total, and I think it works out just perfect for the amount of work that needs to be completed.  During our review time, we were able to get through the first 6 weeks of the schedule as we worked for 5 days a week instead of the four that are recommended. The student work is broken up into modules then sections, and as you can see from the schedule above, you usually complete 1 to 3 sections each day. After you complete an entire module you will go through a checklist and you will be giving points based on how well your child completed each item on the checklist. This will help you see areas that may need more work before moving on. My daughter, who is in fourth grade, didn't have any problem finishing her daily schedule and didn't feel overwhelmed at all.  

     I asked Hope what her favorite part has been so far, and she said it was making the cover of her own book that she will be writing. She looks so happy with her idea.

     This curriculum is good for kids who need help with reading comprehension or children who would like to be able to better understand books they will be reading throughout their lives. It will help them build larger vocabularies.  I feel this will help Hope be able to get a better grasp on what she reads in God's Word, as it teaches ways to study the text, characters, and meanings behind the words on the page.  I feel teaching how to study is an important part of educating our kids.
   
     If you would like to read some more great reviews of this product, please come over to the Homeschool Review Crew website and see what others have to say.

     Have a blessed day!!!!