Oh, this is fabulous!

The good folks at Florida’s Educational Technology Clearinghouse offer Lit2Go, a collection of free audio files for educational use. Many of the entries in the collection are full-length books; others are as short as a single nursery rhyme.

What is great about this site is that it offers a whole profile of each work. For homeschoolers, other teachers and older students, this information is a real treasure. Everything is covered here, from the version or translation used, to the historical background and genre, to the origin (Greek, British, American, etc.) This is what the entry for Jane Eyre looks like:

Jane Eyre
Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre is a classic novel by Charlotte Brontë which was published in 1847. Jane Eyre, an orphan, must find her own way in the world while learning about friendship, family, love, trust, societal roles–and how to deal with dark secrets.

Source: Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (Cornhill: Smith Elder and Co., 1847)

Lexile Level: TBD Origin: British Genre: Fiction, Novel

Reading Level: 9 Language: English File name: je

Sunshine State Standards:
LA.A.2.4: The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts.

LA.D.2.4: The student understands the power of language.

LA.E.2.4: The student responds critically to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

Theme: The value of friends and family, finding security, finding love, the danger of secrets, learning trust

Reading Strategy: Comprehension (Decode, make connections to prior knowledge, think about and control what is being read)

Look also for the Download Support Material links that accompany some of the files. Here you will find questions to consider as you listen to (or read) the text. If you are interested in learning about Lexile levels, you can visit the Lexile Framework web site, where you can download free information kits.

Each story is available in MP3 format and is accompanied by the written text in both HTML for screen reading, and a PDF file for those who wish to print instead. Word count and playing time are listed for each individual file, to help with lesson planning.

Browse the Lit2Go catalogue by author or title, or query the database (includes keyword and also reading level.)

Lit2Go is brought to you by the same people who created Clipart ETC. Up to twenty-five items from Lit2Go can be used in any non-commercial, educational project without permission.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!

It’s not always easy to know if a book will be a good fit for your kids. This is especially so when you order books unseen, be it an online purchase or even just an inter-library loan for an upcoming lesson. I often receive book lists, or links to online lists, from other homeschoolers. It’s great to have a selection of books to choose from!

But what about if you’re just looking for a book your child can read independently? Something that will have a subject that interests him, and that will be at the right reading level? You can try the Sylvan Book Finder!

This interface asks for your child’s grade level and preferred reading level (my grade level, easier, more challenging or any grade level.) It then offers the choice of fiction or non-fiction, and up to five subject areas or genres. Once everything is selected it will spit out a list of suggested books, with a grade level rating for each. Most books have a one-sentence summary, as well.

It’s not as good as a full book review, but I did like that the grade level is given. And it’s easier to get a manageable list here, than by going through one of the big box book vendors, or a search engine. I would suggest using this resource in conjunction with your favourite vendor’s site. This way you can get a better summary, reader reviews & ratings, find books by the same author or related books, etc. And most times, there’s a bit more of a description (number of pages, illustrations, sometimes even sample pages to view.)

Another cool thing on this site was a “5 Finger Test” to determine if a book is at the right reading level for your child. It’s pretty easy: have him open the book up & select a random page somewhere in the middle, then ask him to read the page. Every time your child comes to a word he doesn’t know or cannot pronounce, have him put up a finger. Up to two fingers by the end of the page means he shouldn’t have too much difficulty with the book. Three or more indicates a challenging book. Five fingers is a sign that it’s best to choose another book.

Also, even if very few fingers go up, look at comprehension & ease of reading. If your child reads much slower than normal or is spending a lot of time decoding the words, he isn’t going to retain too much of its meaning. Books that are interesting to your kids but too difficult in terms of reading skills could be done as read-alouds! If you’re using a lot of living books in your homeschooling you may find that a large number of books you’ve selected are good for sharing this way, but are too challenging for your kids to read independently.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!

Boot Camp is also available at Dans’Atout! See the poster below for more information.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!

This is the latest news from Dans’Atout, the studio where our girls are doing their Irish Dance lessons. If anyone is looking for classes to cover the dance component for Arts Education - or just wanting to have fun with dance! - this is an affordable studio with a very broad range of classes. We got a discount for registering two members of the same family, or you can get discounts for taking more than one class. From what we’ve seen so far, class sizes tend to be on the small side, so your kids will benefit from a good bit of individual attention from the teachers.

Quebec law does not oblige homeschoolers to provide specific courses such as Arts Education. However, if you want to reassure your school board you are providing an equivalent to school experience, it might not hurt to cover arts, physical education, etc. If you’re already doing two arts, dance could count towards your physical activity for the week! Dans’Atout offers acro-gymnastics, cheer leading, and karate classes, as well as various types of dance.

HIP-HOP FOR ADULTS
Several of you have asked us for a Hip Hop Class for Adults. Don’t miss your chance to get down to the beat on Wednesday evenings at 8:00 pm beginning January 23rd, 2008 with Brittney Udall.
This is a 12 week session for $120.

BALADI FOR ADULTS
Denise Paquin is looking forward to teaching you the art of Belly Dancing. Its origins are Middle Eastern, more precisely Egyptian. This art form combines technique, creativity and musicality making it a complete form of exercise. You will find it brings comfort and happiness to the soul! This is a 12 week session for $120. Wednesdays at 6:00 pm

ACRO-GYMNASTICS FOR KIDS!
Professional trainer and certified gymnast, Carol-Lyne Desroches offers this wonderful class for children ages 7 & over. Basic tumbling moves will be taught. If your child is agile and likes to move we recommend this class. They will learn cartwheels, walkovers and many other tumbling feats! Wednesdays at 7:00 pm

IRISH DANCE FOR KIDS
Have you attended the St. Patricks Day Parade? Perhaps you have seen Caitlyn Reimner, our Irish dance instructor. If you have a child who is 7 years or older, we are sure they will love the music and the intricate steps of Irish Dancing. Join us on Saturdays at 3:00 pm

KARATE AT DANSATOUT!
We are pleased to have Black Belt Expert, Raymond Legault at the studio this year. Raymond invites you to try out one of his classes on Thursdays at 8:30 9:30 pm for Adults or Sundays from 11:00 to 12:00 for Mixed Children & Teens.
Call Raymond for more info 514-972-0412

SALSA
Hot & Steamy Dance Moves! Tuesdays at 8 pm 12 weeks $120

SOCIAL DANCING ADULT
Have you always wanted to learn how to dance and have been too shy to get up on the dance floor? Let Benny Draer teach you how easy it can be! Cha Cha, Rock N Roll, Swing & more
Mondays at 8:30-9:30 pm

RENTAL
Our Studio is available for rental. Call us for information at 514-362-0112

As you can see, there are classes for both the kids & parents. Dans’Atout is located in Lasalle, not too far from the hospital, and is accessible by public transportation. I believe parking is available, for those with cars. The studio is newly renovated, just this year. There is a second studio on Nun’s Island, as well.

Our girls have been in the Irish Dance class since the fall, and when we went to the Christmas open house we could hardly believe how much they had learned! Caiti Reimner is a teacher with a friendly, gentle approach. The kids are always eager to learn what she has to share with them, and are already beginning to look like “real” Irish Dancers
Carol Bolster, the founder and director of Dans’Atout, is a lovely lady who is quite involved with community service. She’s easy to talk to and can answer any questions you may have. If you are interested in one or more of the classes offered, more information can be had by calling Carol at 514-362-0112. You can also visit the Dans’Atout web site.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!