Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
If you are the type of homeschooler who likes to draw from a wide variety of books, but does not want to risk such fines again, LightSail for Homeschoolers is a resource worth looking into.
Since receiving one year of access to a Premium Subscription of LightSail for Homeschoolers to review, my youngest son has not requested a single library book. For, at his fingertips, he has an incredible amount of digitized books to choose from and is enjoying browsing some, reading others, and learning more about how to use the many reading, writing, vocabulary, and fluency
resources that LightSail for Homeschoolers offers.
With Lightsail, I first had to take a placement quiz to see what level I am at. Basically, I read passages and had to answer questions by filling in words from four choices.
After the quiz, I was free to read any book around my level and to watch livestream and videos. To watch the videos, I had to read for 10 minutes or more from a Powertext which unlocked the videos. The Powertext is a book at your level or a bit higher that will challenge you. I am currently reading a non-fiction one about war canines.
The program also has audiobooks, action clips, encyclopedias, spelling, writing, and more. I have used a little of these things, but mainly like the reading aspect right now.
I find Lightsail interesting and want to continue to use it, because it has a huge variety of books that I don't have to return to a library. I would recommend it to any age student that can read and likes to be onscreen.
Diving a little deeper into what LightSail for Homeschoolers is, let me add some Mama thoughts:
LightSail for Homeschoolers is a complete, online, adaptive language arts platform that offers over 1,000 curated resources which work together to help advance students of all ages cross four pillar of literacy: reading, writing, vocabulary, and fluency.
The Premium Subscription we received includes access to a bevy of e-books, dozens of modules, hundreds of features, and thousands of pieces of faith-based and secular content. We're talking digital books - fiction, nonfiction, classics, and more, - plus audiobooks, encyclopedias, current events, video clips and the list goes on... There are also special features for each pillar of literacy.
Fluency options include reading aloud, narration, memory modules, grading etc.
Vocabulary options include vocabulary and definitions, spelling lists and spelling bees, cloze exercises in texts, dolch sight words, and grading.
Writing options include grammar skills, becoming and author and book sharing, essay writing, inquiry-based writing, informal writing workshop, and grading.
Then, our favorite, Reading options include booklists in classic, faith-based, and securlatr collections; the entire World Book Encyclopedia, Atlas, and Timeline; memory work; read alouds; built-in assessments; unit studies; content controls; and grading.
Of course, all this means you can use LightSail for Homeschoolers for all of our language arts and literacy needs, or you can cherry-pick what is most helpful and interesting to you and yours.
If I am 100% honest, I will admit that, due to the sheer volume of resources that LightSail for Homeschoolers offers, we have just scratched the surface of all the platform has to offer. Thus, I can not attest to every aspect of how it deals with every pillar of literacy. I can say, however, that if your child likes to be onscreen to and to self-direct (as my youngest does), this resource is a solid one for language arts.
It allows you, as a parent, control over what types of content you want accessible to your child while allowing your child freedom within limits.
Also, since LightSail for Homeschoolers is such a massive resource, I would suggest that both you and your child take time to watch the introductory videos included with it before digging in. (Trust me, this will help you avoid frustrations, such as your child being locked out of certain resources.) I would also suggest, as we are doing, getting used to one aspect of the resource at a time.
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Fluency options include reading aloud, narration, memory modules, grading etc.
Vocabulary options include vocabulary and definitions, spelling lists and spelling bees, cloze exercises in texts, dolch sight words, and grading.
Writing options include grammar skills, becoming and author and book sharing, essay writing, inquiry-based writing, informal writing workshop, and grading.
Then, our favorite, Reading options include booklists in classic, faith-based, and securlatr collections; the entire World Book Encyclopedia, Atlas, and Timeline; memory work; read alouds; built-in assessments; unit studies; content controls; and grading.
Of course, all this means you can use LightSail for Homeschoolers for all of our language arts and literacy needs, or you can cherry-pick what is most helpful and interesting to you and yours.
If I am 100% honest, I will admit that, due to the sheer volume of resources that LightSail for Homeschoolers offers, we have just scratched the surface of all the platform has to offer. Thus, I can not attest to every aspect of how it deals with every pillar of literacy. I can say, however, that if your child likes to be onscreen to and to self-direct (as my youngest does), this resource is a solid one for language arts.
Also, since LightSail for Homeschoolers is such a massive resource, I would suggest that both you and your child take time to watch the introductory videos included with it before digging in. (Trust me, this will help you avoid frustrations, such as your child being locked out of certain resources.) I would also suggest, as we are doing, getting used to one aspect of the resource at a time.
Learn More
You can also LightSail for FREE for up to 7 kids, getting instant access to thousands of exciting books if you sign-up today!
Plus, you can find LightSail on social media, of course:
