Mosdos Press Literature – Opal – Review {3rd Grade}
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Mosdos Press Literature Opal integrates language skills with literature for third-grade readers. Mosdos Literature is a unique literature series that teaches all of the necessary language arts skills through a curriculum that promotes traditional values. To see a few sneak peek photos of the inside of this wholesome literature curriculum for third-graders, please continue reading below.
The literature bundle from Mosdos includes the following books:
- Two-book student reader
- Student activity workbook
- Two-part teacher’s edition
Opal includes nearly two dozen short stories, one play, one novella, three biographies, two nonfiction essays, one long narrative poem, and 17 poetry selections.
We started our literature lesson by reading a short story in the student reader. I was so pleased to find so many full-page colorful illustrations throughout the book. We skipped ahead a bit and started with the story titled, Patrick and the Great Molasses Explosion. Miss 8 and Miss 5 gathered around as they listened intently to the story of Patrick and the molasses.
I loved the “blueprint for reading” section at the beginning of the story that discussed the definition of historical fiction. It discussed the difference between fiction and nonfiction and what makes something historical.
In the image below, you can see that a different story from the literature book discussed a main idea – different stories discuss different topics – giving just enough insight to explain the topic but not too much that the student loses interest.
Throughout the story, word banks are included on the bottom of the page which give the definition and pronunciation of words that may be unfamiliar to newer readers. I loved this addition!
Then, at the end of the story, several very interesting facts about molasses were included as well as historical information about the actual explosion. We all found this so interesting and I loved the extra bit of history included alongside the literature.
Next, we moved to the student workbook and worked on vocabulary, an exercise on being misunderstood, learning the importance of your imagination and visualizing, and outlining a story. All the activities were varied and dare I say fun. 🙂
As I looked throughout the workbook, I was thrilled to find so many varied and interesting activities – a definite plus in our book!
While some student books include the answers in the back, I found a separate teacher’s book to be especially helpful for several reasons.
- If Miss 8 has a question, I don’t have to take her book and flip through the pages to find the answer in the back.
- I can read along with Miss 8, answering questions as we go.
- The teacher’s book from Mosdos Literature includes literary components as well as questions to ask the student during the reading.
If you are looking for a quality literature book that will last for years to come, Mosdos Literature is for you! We loved the stories, assignments, and the teacher’s guide provided invaluable resources. Miss 8 and I look forward to reading the stories together and working through the assignments and know that you will love this wholesome literature program just as much as we do.
These textbooks are available to purchase from Timberdoodle. You can purchase items separately or bundled together in curriculum kits. These particular books can either be purchased individually or as part of Timberdoodle’s 3rd-grade curriculum kit. We’ve purchased many items from Timberdoodle over the years – they have SO many fun and educational products, oftentimes priced lower than other retailers.
If you aren’t familiar with Timberdoodle, they offer fantastic learning products for babies all the way up to high school students. We have used their curriculum for many years and have been very happy with not only their products but their amazing customer service as well. Not a homeschooling family? That’s fine too! They have an entire shop of products that would make the perfect gift for any child.
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Megan
Tuesday 11th of June 2019
Do you find the teacher book to be necessary? Could you utilize the curriculum without it?
The Art Kit
Tuesday 18th of June 2019
Good question! The teacher book provides a lot of insight, prompts to ask your child, and guidance, which I personally liked. So, I would recommend the teacher book but maybe you could do without if you'd rather just read through the stories with your child.