Homeschool Reviews for You

Kregel Publications-Andi's Fair Surprise

2011-05-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

Andi's Fair Surprise by Susan K. Marlow and illustrated by Leslie Gammelgaard is a great addition to the bookshelf of any novice reader. Set in 1874, the thoughts, passions and problems faced by young Andi Carter, a six-year old cowgirl in training, are classic and relevant to today's young reader. A handy mini-dictionary of "new words" is included at the beginning of the text to help young readers as they read through this 63 page beginning chapter book divided into 9 chapters. A final chapter titled, "A Peek into the Past"adds an extra educational element providing insight to the historic context of the story.

Andi's Fair Surprise is the latest edition (2011) to Marlow's Circle C Beginnings Series, written for ages 6-8. All the texts in the series showcase the antics and struggles of Andi, a horse-loving, tom-boyish, independent little girl with a big heart. Andi's adventures continue in the Circle C adventure series designed for ages 9-14. Both series are written to illustrate wholesome lessons in "family, faith and friends". All titles from the series can be purchased on the author's website, www.circlecadventures.com

I am always on the lookout for wholesome and engaging beginner readers and was thrilled to receive this title to review as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew. I had heard of Andi and the Circle C adventure series from fellow homeschool parents, but hadn't shared them with my horse-loving daughter, Sierra yet. Sierra, a 3rd grade, beginning reader, agreed to assist me with this review and shared the following comments regarding the series.

"I think its a great book for little kids. It's a great book to read and it wasn't that hard to read. It's kind of easy and that's what makes it fun. I want to read the older books (Circle C adventures) too"(Sierra, age 9).

The Circle C Beginner Readers sell on the Circle C website for $4.99 each, $9.98 for two, or $15.96 for the first four. The website hosts a treasure trove of information about the characters, books, supplemental study guides and lapbooks for purchase, on-line games and puzzles and a handy link to Andi's blog. Gallop on over and set for a spell. You'll be glad you did.

Virtual Nerd

2011-01-12T19:54:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing to homeschool for highschool. One of the most prevalent concerns usually focuses on the level of expertise required to teach various academic courses like Algebra or Physics. To be honest, when my children were young I often wondered how we would manage these types of courses too.

Fortunately, for my children, God blessed them with a natural math ability. I have no idea where it came from as I have always been a "words"not a "numbers" girl. Ask me to write an essay...done. Ask me to solve and graph an equation......um, well, what was that again?

If your child is more of a "words" kid like me, you might want to consider a subscription to Virtual Nerd. Virtual Nerd is an on-line tutoring website filled with easy to understand instructional videos. It is free to educators, but not home educators. Homeschool families and other individuals interested in a low cost private tutor may access the site for $49 a month or $129 for three months. In addition, a $5 one day visit may be purchased, one week access for $19 or 2 hour visit for FREE. I received a free subscription for 6 weeks as a member of the TOS Review Crew in exchange for this review.

When I first visited the site I was impressed by its organization and ease of navigation. Users may choose to access help with Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II and Physics. Unique to this site is the ability to access information based on your math text. For example, if you are using McDougal Littel's Algebra text you can search for tutoring help based on the lessons/chapters in that specific text.

According to Virtual Nerd's website the company works hard to, "build original course content consistent with current textbooks. We complete an extensive review of the top textbooks and link our original content to textbook problems and concepts. We also ensure our content is aligned with standards defined by national math and science educators."

Because my 8th grade daughter has inherited, apparently a recessive math gene I missed, we were not able to utilize Virtual Nerd to its fullest potential. As I searched the site watching topical videos to test, I was impressed at how easily I found just the right information and the level of quality of each of the video lessons. If only I had had Virtual Nerd, back in the day! Then maybe this "words" girl would love "numbers" too.

To access Virtual Nerd point your browser to: http://www.virtualnerd.com/

North Star Games: Wits and Wagers Family

2010-12-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

"How many different Webkinz stuffed animals have there been?"

"How many feet are in a mile?"

"How many different colors of fruit loops are there?"

Don't know....then you had better get a copy of North Star Games latest party game, Wits andWagers Family! If you love trivia, if you love family friendly competition, or if you just long for a another board game that the entire family can play together and enjoy, you will want to get a copy of Wits and Wagers Family.

As a member of the Old School house Homeschool Crew, I received Wits and Wagers Family in exchange for this honest review.

Our family is larger than average with six "children" ages 21-6. Because of our size and age span, we don't often find games we can all play together and enjoy. We are pleased to announce after our test marketing experience during a recent snow day, that Wits and Wagers Family has been placed on our short list of fantastic, fun and family friendly games for everyone!

Wits and Wagers Family is easy to set up and takes less than an hour to play to completion. Not good with trivia? Never fear, because the beauty of Wits and Wagers Family lies in the fact that guessing is encouraged and anticipated. No one is expected to know the answers to the trivia questions, but everyone (ages 8 and older) is expected to play.

The game consists of a simple scoreboard, five color coded mini answer boards, Meeples (one large and one small for each color) and a generous supply of trivia question/answer cards. The scoreboard and answer boards are coated with a slick surface allowing players to use dry erase markers to record and change information easily. Mini dry erase pens are included with the game.

Meeples are small wooden people shaped place markers used in the

game; a design borrowed from a European board game, "Carsonne" by Wits and Wagers Family designer Dominic Crapuchettes. All game pieces and parts are well designed and constructed guaranteeing many years of use and family fun. North Star Games prides themselves as producing "games with personality" making the game appealing from the moment you open the box.

Wits and Wagers Family is designed to be used by 3-10 players ages 8 and older. We chose to play with 7 players placing our two youngest players on "teams". Due to the nature of the game everyone could easily participate and enjoy all aspects of play. After I read the brief instructions for the first time, we dove into the game eagerly. I served as question reader and assisted my 9 year old with some trivia answers, but for the most part watched and observed for the purposes of writing this review.

Play begins by reading a trivia question, having players/teams write their answer to the question on their answer boards and then laying the boards face down on the table. Next, the boards are turned over for all to see and Meeples are placed on the answers assumed correct in an effort to garner more points. Points are awarded based on the closest correct answer with a

total of 15 points winning the game. The questions are so unique that 3rd graders can easily compete with college Seniors, Graduate students, Mom or Dad.

Here's what the reviewers thought:
"It was fun. It was very competitive if you want it to be."- Courtney, age 21.

"The questions were very entertaining. It's a good party game."- Jonah, age 16.

"It was enjoyable to play. It's a great way to create healthy competition for a family game night. I think it's a great game to play with people of all ages." - Sammi, age 19.

"I liked how strange and funny the questions were. I especially enjoyed it because I got to guess answers I didn't know. It didn't really matter if I didn't know the right answer. I could guess and still have fun." - Micah, age 13.

"I liked the little dry erase boards you get to write the answers on." - Aidan, age 6.

"It's really fun with the dry erase boards, markers, and Meeples. It can be a really great family game because you can play as a team. If you get stuck on a question you can ask your team mate for help." - Sierra, age 9.

"It's been ages since I have played a game with all of my children at once! I can think of no better way to spend an afternoon than with Wits and Wagers Family and my children. Thank

you North Star games!"- Mom of six/ reviewer.

To learn more about North Star Games visit their website at www.northstargames.com. Tell the facebook world you're a fan by visiting their Facebook page or keep current with updates by accessing the company Twitter page. Wits and Wagers Family is available at Target, Borders and most specialty toy stores.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See!

2010-11-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

This is the best Christmas shopping experience you could ever have. Enjoy!!

KB Teachers website resource

2010-11-19T17:15:00.000-08:00

KB Teachers a division of Knowledge Bears, Inc., is a website dedicated to providing worksheets and other printable materials for parents and teachers. For $29.00 a year, or $49.00 for a two year subscription, homeschool families can have unlimited access to hundreds of resource materials located on the site. Similar in scope to other subscription based worksheet sites, KB Teachers offers a FREE 10 day unlimited trial subscription to those wondering if it is worth the investment. I received a FREE one year subscription to the site in exchange for this review.
I have test driven quite a few of these worksheet sites over the years, but for some reason KB Teachers felt a bit different to me. To begin with there is no search button to use. While some might think this problematic, KB Teachers is convinced that a well designed website does not require a search tool. According to the website, "We believe that on a well designed website you should easily find your way around and find what you need in three clicks or less. Gone are the days of searching endlessly." Is that right?! Hmmmm..... I was not so sure at first.

I spent my first visit to KB Teachers website testing the "three clicks or less" theory. Within minutes (perhaps even seconds) I had found seasonal educational games and worksheets to print out for my daughter to use with my six year old son and his friend during her weekly babysitting sessions with the boys. But were the very cute pumpkin/ghost maze/shapes game worksheets I found a true crowd pleaser?

"I think they were cool. I really liked the maze with the ghosts and haunted houses", said Aidan, age 6.

"I thought the games were really fun and interactive, yet simple for the boys to use. I liked that I could pack them easily to go because they didn't have a lot of pieces and easily fit inside a file folder", said Sammi, 19 year old babysitter extraordinaire.

KB Teachers offers a FREE weekly newsletter subscription distributed through email with every membership. The newsletter is filled with tips for using the site, highlights of educational moments for that week or month and links to other educational resources. For example, for the week of November 1st, I received a newsletter highlighting National Sandwich day, November 3rd and National Saxophone Day, November 6th plus other valuable tips and links. If I chose to take a few moments on the 3rd to celebrate sandwiches I only needed to clink on the live link in the newsletter and be directed to a printable worksheet at KB Teachers. Once on the site I could choose other links to enable further research for the topic of sandwiches. I found this feature very creative and relatively effortless to use; a great aspect for any parent.

KB Teachers definitely was a hit with the younger set as a supplementary/ educational play option, but I was a bit disappointed with the lack of depth the site provides for older students. There are geography, science, language and math worksheets, but no foreign language, history/ social studies ones like I've seen on other sites. Some of the text was difficult to read on the site perhaps due to my internet browser choice.

For the most part, however, I think KB Teachers is a great resource for anyone needing a little extra help with their homeschool lessons or simply something new to do with the kids while waiting for a sibling at dance or during lengthy visits to waiting rooms.

The Write Foundation: Essay Writing

2010-11-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

Since I do a LOT of writing many people often ask me what I use to teach writing to my children. Ironically, writing is not something I deliberately teach as a separate subject when they are young. Over the years I address grammar, vocabulary, reading, logic and other skills that will build a good writer, but deliberately I save writing instruction for the high school years.

One of the most important forms of writing for college bound students is the essay. I have never devoted an entire semester or year to learning to write an essay, but if I wanted to The Write Foundation has my back. Written by Rebecca Celsor, The Write Foundation's Essay Writing I nstructions consists of 30 lessons (enough for a whole school year) divided into two books with 15 lessons each. I received Lessons 1-15 to use in my home for free in exchange for this review.

The 200+ page curriculum arrived spiral bound, black text on white paper. COMPLETE step by step instructions, scheduling recommendations and even ideas for assigning grades offer the novice writing teacher wonderful guidelines for handling instruction. Although this curriculum lacks visual appeal its content is very comprehensive. Incorporating more than basic skills, Essay Writing may tend to be too thorough for some families.

The Write Foundation Essay Writing could easily lend itself to a Co-op class or private school instruction. The Write Foundation Essay Writing curriculum is recommended for ages 14-17 and retails on the company website for $100.00 for the two volume 30 lesson set with separate student worksheets and resource CD or $65 for a one volume set. If student worksheets and resource CD's are not on your shopping list the instruction manual alone sells for $75 for lessons 1-30 or $40.00 for Lessons 1-15. This flexibility in pricing is a plus in my opinion as one size does not always fit all homeschooling families.

True to most great homeschool curriculum, The Write Foundation products were birthed out of need by a homeschool Mom looking to fill a gap. Rebecca Celsor homeschooled her own children through high school and then began to teach Creative Writing for a co-op. Frustrated by a lack of options for teaching her writing class, Celsor designed her own lesson plans which she now shares in the form of The Write Foundation curriculum. The curriculum is divided into three levels beginning with Level 1: Sentence to Paragraph Writing for ages 11-13, Level 2: Paragraph Writing for ages 12-15 and concluding with Level 3: Essay Writing for ages 14-17.

Homeschool families that embrace structured curriculum will love Essay Writing. Assignments and instructional goals are clearly written and organized for the teacher. Essay Writing Lessons 1-15 cover the topics of sentence structure, paragraph organization, essay organization, poetry, and outlines. Critical thinking MindBenders are integrated into the curriculum as well as an option for developing strong logical thinking; an often over looked element of essay writing.

From our sampling of this program I easily identified its merits, but it was more than I actually needed. Perhaps I have been blessed with competent natural writers for our home, but to spend an entire school year with essay writing at this depth would be a waste of precious time for us. However, the fact Essay Writing has been kid tested and homeschool Mom approved should be reason enough to check it out when curriculum shopping. For sample lessons of each level of the curriculum, syllabii designed for writing classes, or to purchase visit the company website at www.thewritefoundation.org.

Buckets O' Fun!

2010-11-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

As weather begins to turn in our neck of the woods and activity becomes more centered inside the house, I usually begin to look for ways to keep energy and interest high. Lucky for me I received a Buckets O' Fun sample kit to review as a member of The Homeschool Crew in exchange for this review. My children Jonah, age 16, Aidan, age 6 and Sierra, age 9 signed up to assist me by offering their honest opinions onthis educational, family friendly product.
My intentions for cool craft projects or amazing science experiments often remain just that; intentions. Life can be hectic as the mother of six and understandably the benefits of hands-on learning often times get squeezed out by the reality of time limitations or having to find just one more item to complete the supply list. Buckets O' Fun brings great intentions to life by providing everything in one package with easy to follow directions. We received samples of Buckets O' Fun's Yuck activities.

In case you were wondering......Yuck is code for science experiments involving polymers. Yuck experiences are available in "Saucy", "Chunky", "Snowy" or "Sticky" options. Changing the polymer through hydration is as simple as adding water, but the effects are outstanding! A one pound package of dry Yuck powder complete with directions, scientific explanations, and optional expansion activities costs between $16-$20.00 depending on the polymer. A free sample of Yuck is available to interested, yet skeptical

customers at the company website.

I must admit I was curious how fascinating the Yuck could really be and was very pleasantly surprised by it's "WOW" factor. Aidan, Sierra and I created Snowy Yuck first and the squeals of delight were enough to draw their 16 year old brother into the room. Yuck is definitely appropriate for all ages as the scientific principles coupled with the hands-on experience keep everyone's interest.

When asked for his honest opinion Aidan eagerly said, "It's fun! We made snow. I liked

watching it melt when we put salt on it". Aidan highly recommends purchasing Yuck and says on a scale of 1-10, it is definitely a "10"!

Sierra's reaction to our sample of Buckets O' Fun was similar. "It's a fun science experiment", she said. "I liked seeing different things happen that I've never seen before!" she continued. Sierra also highly recommends Yuck products giving them two thumbs up for their "fun" factor.

Buckets O' Fun prides themselves on unusual fun-filled products. A visit to the company website is a one-stop shopping trip for mammoth beach balls, finger rockets, rubber chickens, ricochet balls, silly swords, belly bumpers and more. Pricing and specific product information can be found by clicking here.

Soli Deo Gloria Resources: Young Hearts Longing for God Bible Study

2010-10-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

"Educating children for God's glory" is the motto of Solio Deo Gloria Resources. The company offers unit studies and Bible studies for children in grades K-12. As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew, our family received a digital copy of Soli Deo Gloria's "Young Hearts Longing for God: A Pre-inductive Psalm Study" in exchange for this review.

Young Hearts Longing for God: A Pre-inductive Psalm Study written by Kim Kargbo, is designed for students who can read alone, but may not be ready for disciplined independent Bible study. According to the author, this is typically grades 3-5, but a recommendation is also given to utilize the curriculum through 8th grade. My third grade daughter, Sierra and my 8th grade daughter, Micah both made use of the study for the purposes of this review.

Inductive Bible studies utilize the power of color and shapes to identify key elements within the text. For example, the lesson studying Psalm 95 instructs the student to underline all the names for God in red, while the lesson on Psalm 36 has the student underlining attributes of God in orange, drawing a star over the sentence which tells the end result for a wicked person, etc. Using color and pictures is much more engaging than dissecting sentences in a more typical manner.

Young Hearts Longing for God has all scripture used typed on the top of each worksheet page. The author uses the New International Version of the Bible. Below the text are a series of questions, some of them simply instructions for underlining, etc., which help the reader draw meaning from the passage. The final step for each lesson is to answer a question in a journal. The author recommends keeping a spiral notebook for journaling exercises. She has designed her study to last an entire school year with the student spending one week studying each Psalm.

"Again, you may use your discretion in this regard, but a word of caution--taking longer than one week per Psalm may cause the child to become bored and lose interest, therefore not gaining all that could be gained from the study", says Kargbo.

I found the curriculum to be very user friendly, well organized and easy to implement. I simply printed out the digital copy, read the one page of instructions for use and we were off and running. Sierra required lots of hands on time with me in order to successfully make use of the study. Some of the concepts were difficult for her to grasp at first, but with discussion she genuinely engaged with the study and enjoyed it. Micah, grade 8, used the study completely independent of me as she does with most of her studies.

When asked for their opinions of Young Hearts Longing for God, the girls had lots of glowing comments.

"It helps you to think about what each verse means instead of just reading it. Sometimes I don't stop to think about the true meaning of a verse or I don't understand it. (when reading the Bible). This helped me focus on that", said Micah.

"I liked the journaling because it helped me think more and apply the Psalm to my life. It made all the verses more relevant", she added.

"The colored pencils helped me understand the meanings of different things", said Sierra, age 9. "It helped me understand what we were doing."

"I liked the journal too because at the end of the year I can look back and see all the things I learned", Sierra continued.

When asked for any final comments, Sierra added, "I also liked having the verses on the paper. It made it easier to have them right there".

To purchase Soli Deo Gloria's Young Hearts Longing For God: Pre-Inductive Bible Study of the Psalms or any of their other products simply visit their website at http://www.solideogloriaresources.com/ The study sells for $16.00 plus minimal shipping on the site. A sample can be viewed by clicking here.

Digital Frog International Virtual Field Trips

2010-10-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

Looking for a new approach to nature study? Hop on over to Digital Frog International at http://www.digitalfrog.com. Famous for their innovative virtual frog dissection interactive video computer program, Digital Fro g now offers virtual field trips for all ages. I received the entire virtual field trip series ,"The Wetlands, The Rainforest and The Desert" as a member of the Homeschool Crew in exchange for this review. Although my first initial reaction was "a bit pricey for an educational computer program", Digital Frog's programs are not average!

Digital Frog International describes themselves at their website as: "an innovative, enthusiastic, software company, dedicated to creating high-quality educational, multimedia CD-ROMs with an ecological focus. Our corporate headquarters is a converted barn surrounded by frogs, dogs and bogs in rural Ontario, Canada."

Always in need of an assistant, I asked my Kindergarten son Aidan to assist me with this review. Aidan is a Jr. computer geek, Lego afficiando and lover of animals. He is the biggest nature enthusiast of all of my kids, so I was sure he would definitely enjoy a virtual field trip.

Aidan was very excited to click through the different options of this program while I read the excellent, in depth text aloud. The field trips are multi-layered adventures filled with clear, bright photography, easily read, yet extremely informative text, and interactive opportunities within the virtual world.

Aidan and I chose to visit, "The Wetlands" first. We selected this from our initial screen choices of Wetlands, Rainforest or Desert. Next, the program directed us to a bog in Canada and we were asked if we would like to locate the bog before our visit. Choosing "yes" the next screen challenged us to click on North America on a world map, then Canada, then the Province of Ontario, then Algonquin Park, until finally we arrived at Cloud Lake. Throughout our virtual journey short, detailed descriptions of our destinations were provided in text which I read aloud to Aidan.

Once we arrived at Cloud Lake a series of 8 different posts, or specific sites of the bog, to visit were presented. We chose to travel to in order so as not to miss anything on our visit. Clicking on a mini map took us directly to the post marking where we investigated various plant and animal life at each location. The visuals have a 360 degree effect (think Google Earth) which is very fun for a six year old. We spun around in circles and happened upon a wood duck, a wolf and a beaver at various moments. Besides the fun of spinning, a small virtual notebook located to the right of the viewing area for the bog presents "field notes"for areas encountered. The text for the field notes is very concise, informative and intelligently written. I'm not sure of the grade level of the writing, but it is definitely appropriate for high school level nature study and if read aloud with explanation, appropriate for young nature enthusiasts too.

Spinning in circles in the "great outdoors" is fun, but for educational purposes, I asked Aidan his favorite animal so we could investigate the variety of information available in the text. He chose "Wood Duck", we clicked the link within the program, and were taken to a close-up photo of the wood duck at the lake. Within this screen were options to read an "Intro" about the duck, "Habitat", "Behavior", "Life Cycle", "Food Source", "Size Ranges", "Latin Name/Classification", "Trophic Level (ie. Consumer), and "Food Source".We could have spent hours just investigating the wood duck and all its related components, but the great thing about a virtual field trip for nature study is that you don't have to do it all at once. Older students can benefit with longer visits to study the in depth nature of the text and visuals, while young ones can glean brief snippets of information and enjoy "spinning" in the great outdoors.

I asked Aidan, for his honest opinion of "The Digital Field Trip Series" and he said, "I liked seeing the beaver, the frog, the wolf and the bald eagle in the wetlands!" When asked if he had any suggestions for improvement he added, "I wish there were games to play".

Digital Frog International's "Digital Field Trip Series" can be purchased at the company website for $199.00. Individual trips (ie. Desert only) can be purchased for home use for $60.00 each. Digital Frog is used in classrooms, but is a perfect product for home education as well.

LanSchool Technology

2010-10-06T16:37:00.001-07:00

If you need a little help managing your 21st century one room schoolhouse you might consider investing in LanSchool. Priced at $99.00, for a home version, LanSchool provides "supermoms" and dads the opportunity to develop "super powers" to help keep up with technology use in the home. Set up is simple and easy to use and once loaded on the teacher's computer, LanSchool allows parent teachers the ability to monitor all screen use in the home.

LanSchool apps are available for free at the Itunes store to downloaded to IPhone, or IPad. This allows even greater flexibility and time saving measures for teachers to monitor PC and Mac computers. In addition to monitoring screens, LanSchool provides the option of pairing a teacher computer with a student, blanking student screens when appropriate, instant messaging with students and blocking unwanted internet use.

It is easy to monitor student's progress and computer usage with LanSchool, but I am not convinced it is a product necessary for most homeschool families. I appreciate it is an award winning technology product that is easy to use, but don't have the same issues in my home classroom as a classroom in a more public setting. Although a great product for technology based classrooms filled with distractions, and perhaps a necessary element for a distractible child, I couldn't find a use for LanSchool in our home. We only have two computers for school use and both are in the same public room. Most of my children's schoolwork is done with traditional pen, pencil, paper, arts supplies and "old school" books. Even though my husband is a computer consultant and I maintain this review blog we try to limit our internet time in exchange for face to face interpersonal interactions. Needless to say, LanSchool is not a product I would recommend to the average homeschool family.

To judge for yourself, consider visiting the LanSchool Technology website at http://www.lanschool.com/lanschool. LanSchool provides a "guided tour" of their product along with testimonials, pricing options and technical specifications at the company website. If you still can't decide if LanSchool is for right for your family, simply register on the site for a FREE 30-day trial.

* I received a free copy of LanSchool for use in my home as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. This review was written in exchange for the product use and represents my honest opinion.

The Chronicles of Peleg, Book One: Foundlings

2010-10-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Fans of fantasy fiction are in for a treat with Foundlings, the first book in a new series, The Chronicles of Peleg, written by Matthew Christian Harding. According to Harding, "Foundlings is historical fiction that takes place in the time period of Peleg, soon after the tower of Babel dispersion". Dragons, giants and huge beasts are common throughout the storyline adding to a more fantastical experience for contemporary readers.

Harding, a homeschool Dad, offers a young earth creationist Biblical worldview which he says, "conforms to the Word of God". "Foundlings weaves together the Biblical principles of chivalry, truth, courage, duty, faith and love within the framework of Genesis, and a bold adherence to its historicity", he says.

Understanding Harding's motivation for writing the Chronicles of Peleg is equally noteworthy. The author states in his testimony that he is a former member of the occult saved through divine intervention only God could orchestrate. His credentials include an English degree from St. Olaf College and a Masters in Special Education from the University of Arizona. The greatest motivation, however, came from his love for his children and the desire to share meaningful stories with them at bedtime. "When I put the children to bed at night, they would often ask to hear stories about when I was young. Tiring of the same routine, I began to make up stories that got longer and more intricate, sometimes lasting for months", he says.

Encouraged by his wife to record these works of fantasy, Harding began to write the Chronicles of Peleg. To date he has completed, Book One: Foundlings and Book Two: Paladins. Harding says he plans many more to follow.

Foundlings is designed to appeal to children ages 10-12 and older. Younger children may enjoy the novel as a read aloud. My 13 year old daughter, however, is not a fan of fantasy fiction and did not enjoy the novel. Unfortunately, I also struggle with fantasy literature often feeling I have to work too hard to learn a new vocabulary, and follow complex plot lines. It is a personal genre preference that kept me from enjoying all Foundlings had to offer. I could not identify with the characters easily and the rich descriptions were not enough to carry my interest forward.

In an effort to give Foundlings a fair evaluation I passed the novel on to my 21 year old daughter, a self-professed fan of Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis, both genius fantasy authors in their own right. Her review of Foundlings was more favorable, "It's creative, but very long and drawn out. I felt it was overly detailed. I would still recommend it however, to lovers of fantasy fiction, especially because of its Biblical content", she said.

For those who enjoy a unit study approach to literature study, Harding is intending to publish a companion book which will investigate the historical, Biblical and character building themes of the literature. Consideration is also being given to creating a lapbook and educational game in the near future.

Foundlings and Paladins can be purchased at Hardings website, www.MatthewChristianHarding.com, local bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Ingram and Baker & Taylor. The 256 page novel sells for 11.95 in paperbook format. Harding offers free shipping on his website for all customers. In addition, a "money back guarantee" accompanies each purchase.

* As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received Foundlings for free in exhange for this review. My review is a reflection of my honest opinion of the book. *

New Monic Books-- Vocabulary Cartoons

2010-09-17T04:54:00.000-07:00

A strong vocabulary is evidence of a great scholar. It is easy to squeeze in subject specific vocabulary when studying science, history or mathematics. I am, however, generally in a quandry when it comes time to schedule vocabulary study to develop scholarly writing. Words like affinity, expunge, laudable and porcine just don't seem to find their way into my kids' language arts lessons and therefore don't appear in their written work or conversations. Vocabulary Cartoons, a product of New Monic Books, Inc. might just be the solution to help my students improve their rudimentary skills with a minimal investment of their time. Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power is designed to appeal to a multitude of ages and can be used in a myriad of ways.

New Monic Books sent me a copy of Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power for free in exchange for this affidavit. I am happy to report unbridled accolades of my own volition. Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power is propulsive in developing language skills.

New Monic describes the theoretical design of their book by defining mnemonic. According to the publisher a mnemonic "is a device that helps you remember something by associating what you are trying to remember with something you already know". Examples include acronyms like DEAR (drop everything and read)-- or rhyming phrases like "In 14 hundred and 92, Columbus sailed the ocean blue".

Vocabulary Cartoons is designed on the principle of a visual mnemonic. For example, "capacious"meaning "roomy, able to hold much" is illustrated with a small boy wearing a baseball hat 10 sizes too large. The phrase "A spacious cap is capacious" is written below the illustration. Using the cartoon visual to connect with the definition encourages the brain to develop a learning connection ensuring the student will remember the word. According to the publisher, "Vocabulary Cartoon mnemonic strategies not only accelerate learning, but they also motivate, entertain and build self-esteem".

The publisher contends standardized test scores for PSAT, SAT/ or even the GRE will improve from a deeper understanding of scholarly vocabulary. The words selected in Vocabulary Cartoons are those most frequently found on the verbal sections of the SAT and GRE exams. Additionally, students enrolled in adult education classes, ESL students and individuals suffering from ADD could all benefit from this unique product because of its strong visual component.

I believe the true test of Vocabulary Cartoons is evident when utilizing it for sporadic vocabulary study. I had Micah, grade 8, use the book occasionally over the past six weeks to note if vocabulary development had occurred or if the book was simply quixotic. Micah took a short quiz included within Vocabulary Cartoons to evaluate her ability to evoke the meaning of the first ten words included. She remembered 70% of the words, but felt the words she did remember were erudite.

"It's a great study tool for vocabulary", said Micah. "I liked the illustrations that they used to help to display vocabulary words or phrases. I found it easy to picture the illustrations in my mind when I was trying to remember the meaning of the word. I think I only got 70% of them correct when I took the test because it had been two weeks since I last looked at the book. I think I will continue to use Vocabulary Cartoons, however to help me remember vocabulary words I don't often use and to look for meanings of difficult words I encounter when I am reading".

Vocabulary Cartoons can be purchased on New Monic Book's company website http://www.vocabularycartoons.com/home/ for $12.95 plus shipping and handling. With casual use and dedication your student will veer from tyro to ubiquitous vocabulary enthusiast.

Math Tutor DVD: Pre-Algebra and The Texas Instruments TI83 Calculator Tutor

2010-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is my third year with TOS Homeschool Crew and my third year reviewing Math Tutor DVD products. I must admit that I now see Jason Gibson, creator and instructor for Math Tutor DVD, as a familiar, reliable friend to call upon when needing help with complex mathematical questions. Gibson holds advanced degrees in Electrical Engineering, Physics and recently resigned as Flight Controller for NASA's space shuttle program. Most importantly, however, he is able to translate his vast knowledge of physical science and mathematics to young less experienced students. There will be no more tears or stress when utilizing Math Tutor DVD products for middle school and upper level mathematics. The DVD's are user friendly, well designed and an extremely valuable resource to have in the home.

Our family received the 5 hour Pre-Algebra Tutor Volume 1 and the 8 hour Texas Instruments TI-83/TI84 Calculator Tutor DVD's for review. Each DVD is priced at $26.99 on the company website. With step by step instruction and all the quality aspects of a DVD like portability and easily accessed repetition of instructions, I can't imagine a more affordable educational option for anyone seeking a supplemental high quality math instruction.

Customers with a Facebook account have the opportunity to visit the Math Tutor DVD fan page and receive a $10.00 coupon off their purchase for clicking the "like" button. The company offers an affiliate program, DVD bundle pricing, and the opportunity to win a complete set of all the Math Tutor DVD products directly from the website. If that weren’t enough Math Tutor DVD offers a 100% money back guarantee for all of their products.

But are these DVD's effective? I decided to ask my 13 year old, 8th grade daughter her opinion of the TI-83/84 Caluculator Tutor DVD after viewing it. She is a current Algebra 1 student, so the graphing calculator is a tool she had no experience with, but will need to master in a few years. According to Micah,

"I found the DVD really helpful because the calculator is rather complicated tool and the DVD teaches you how to use all the different keys. It was easy to understand because he used the calculator with the different functions while he talked. I could see exactly what I needed to do. I would recommend this as a tutorial for anyone needing to learn how to use the TI-83/TI-84."

For more specific information regarding Math Tutor DVD products visit their website at www.mathtutordvd.com. To read my other reviews of Math Tutor DVD products visit the links listed below.

Numbers and Counting-part of the Young Minds Pre-school series

and Basic Word Math Problems and Algebra 2

Whether it's pre-school or upper level Calculus Math Tutor DVD has products that will help your family embrace mathematics. Math Tutor DVD's are award winning, affordable and easily accessible. Buy one and soon you will feel like Jason Gibson is your new best friend too.

School Supplies: The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner

2010-08-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Get all your ducks in a row! with

The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner!

Whether we like it or not, if you live in the northern hemisphere, Summer is coming to a close. A new school year is dawning and life begins to get a bit more complicated. I often describe the transition from summer to fall as "whiplash" since it feels like life moves from zero to 60 over night. Creating schedules, lesson plans, and menus make the transition a little less painful. Choosing The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Homeschool Planner helps families like mine get ready for another fabulous year of home education for only $39.00

Hands down the BEST homeschool planner on the market this 634 page organizational tool is specially designed to meet the unique needs of the homeschool household. Presented in digital format, the planner arrives directly to your computer upon payment. Available exclusively at the Old Schoolhouse Store, The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner includes:

Forms for Important School Record Keeping and Household Information
Calendars
Lesson Planning Pages
Goal Setting Pages
Record Keeping Pages
Internet linked educational ideas, tips and helps in an article format

All forms. calendars, etc., are easily customized, then printed right from your own computer. Print as little or as often as you desire. No more looking for the calendar or list....it's always on your desktop! The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner will save you valuable time, energy and provide encouragement throughout the year as you school at home.

Don't waste another moment dreaming of a successful school year. Get everything down in writing with the help of The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner.

*This is not a review. This is an ad prepared as a part of a contest for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine to promote their wonderful planner. I am an independent contractor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I received this planner free of charge in order to create this ad which is just ducky! My enthusiasm for the planner is real and my opinion sincere. Have a wonderful school year! *

The Schoolhouse Planner Modules--June 2010

2010-07-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a planner to make a homeschool Mom start to dream. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine offers one of the most comprehensive planners I have seen in 15 years of home education. You can read my complete opinion of this amazing planner by clicking here.

Although the 2009-2010 planner's service has come to an end the unit study based Schoolhouse Planner modules can still bring new life to your homeschool.

I LOVE unit studies. At one time, my homeschool support group referred to our family as "the unit study family". If you are unfamiliar with the term, a unit study is a organized effort to incorporate all subject areas of learning around one central topic or theme. Unit studies to me are like a big educational party filled with activities, recipes, great books to read and arts and crafts to make. They are especially wonderful with younger aged children who don't require a lot of structured learning, but really just need to catch the "fever" of the learning process.

I received the June 2010 Module (unit study) designed to accompany the 2009-2010 Schoolhouse Planner for free in exchange for this review. This module titled "Travel the World" is designed to introduce children of all ages to the study of world geography.

My children just completed a year long study of world geography so we did not use this module for this review. I wish however, I had latched on to "Travel the World" last year at this time. All of my planning and prep work for the World Geography co-op class I taught would have been done for me. "Travel the World" is filled with well written, concise informational text, poetry, fill in the blank activities, word scramble, word search, crossword and rebus puzzles, coloring pages which include world and continent maps, manuscript and cursive copywork, a high school expansion section with literature and activity suggestions, recipes, resource list and my personal favorite, answer keys. A section titled "Lapbook Beginnings" is included with several lapbook elements to be used as starting points for families wishing to develop a geography lapbook to chronicle their time with the study.

"Travel the World" was written especially for the homeschool family. Homeschool teachers can literally download the 52 page curriculm to their computer, open it up, print a few relevant pages and teach. It is a unit study homeschool teacher's dream come true and even strict textbook families will not be able to resist its charm and ease of use. To be able to take all children within your home on a learning adventure for a mere $7.95 is a treasure.

I have seen and participated in writing a lot of unit studies over the years and this is one of the best. It can be used as a brief break from routine studies or as one of a collection of units for an outstanding school year. Because of the variety of resources available through this digital download, families may choose to spend a full week using "Travel the World" exclusively or simply sample parts for several weeks. Since no two families look or school alike the flexibility and ease of use of this module make it a perfect homeschool product.

For more great Planner modules and products visit The Old Schoolhouse Store at http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=index

Great Latin Adventure

2010-05-31T18:21:00.001-07:00

Classical Legacy Press, founded by Norman and Katherine Birkett, is ready to offer homeschool families a Great Latin Adventure. If you think the words Latin and Adventure should never be used side by side in a sentence keep reading. Fans of foreign language education will appreciate and understand Katherine Birkett's enthusiasm in writing The Great Latin Adventure curriculum designed for students as young as 3rd grade, but specifically written for grades 4-6.

"I have been a language lover since I was a girl", says Birkett. "Words, grammar, etymology, writing--I love them all. It's been my privilege to study Latin, French, and Russian under various teachers, and a bit of Greek on my own. A desire to share that love of language with children has shaped my Latin program", she said.

Birkett developed The Great Latin Adventure while teaching a homeschool co-op class. She searched for an appropriate curriculum that could meet the needs of teacher and student, found nothing and decided to write her own. GLA has been homeschool tested and approved.

The Great Latin Adventure is grammar focused, not conversational. It is also teacher intensive, but extremely easy to use regardless of Latin education background. The program is not computerized or self-teaching like other homeschool foreign language programs. It is Christian focused and does not include Roman history, culture or teachings on mythology.

The 232 page student manuals can be purchased three hole punched and ready for a binder for $15.00 or three hole punched in a binder for $22.00. Teacher's manuals are $30.00 or $40.00 dependent on presentation and come with a pronunciation CD. Classical Legacy Press accepts PayPal and credit card payments on their website.

The Great Latin Adventure is divided into two levels each containing 12 lessons. A table of contents of Level One can be viewed here. To view the Table of Contents for Level II simply click here. Each level of the Great Latin Adventure includes:

Detailed lesson plans
Built in exercises to drill grammar, translation and vocabulary
Vocabulary/ full chapter quizzes
LOTS of teacher's notes and tips for each chapter to build confidence
Answer keys that model the student sheets with answers

The Great Latin Adventure is divided into 12 chapters organized to take one school year to complete. It is encouraged to schedule lessons three times a week with independent study, like reviewing vocabulary with flashcards, expected. Students are expected to dedicate three, 30-45 min. study sessions per week to Latin to complete the program in a school year.

We received Level I of The Great Latin Adventure for free in exchange for this review. My 7th grade daughter Micah, a student of Latin for the past two years, helped me test market this curriculum. We found that although the 12 lesson curriculum is designed to cover 36 weeks of school we could easily blow through it in less than 6 weeks. Although the lessons are well designed, and very thorough in presentation, the material was not challenging enough to demand the amount of time allotted by the curriculum guidelines. Micah easily completed 4 days worth of work in a short one day session.

"I learned a lot from the program because there was a lot of information regarding grammar, and how many Latin conjugations there are. It seemed to be a little too easy for me, however. Too much time was spent on one particular subject which slowed me down a little too much. I think I would really like to take a course like this designed for an older student", said Micah.

Micah's summation is spot on. I loved this course for its ease of use, and detailed teaching instructions. The more notes and teaching aids I can get from a curriculum the happier I am. The Great Latin Adventure makes teaching Latin as easy as reading and following directions. Unfortunately, because it is written for the younger student it was not challenging enough for my soon to be eighth grader with two years of Latin study behind her.

Classical Legacy Press provides a 60-Day unconditional money-back guarantee for all of their products. Classical educators will want to take note of the company's Logic curriculum on their website too.

Lobster Network

2010-05-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

Summer is a great time for homeschool families to get organized. Our family is usually so busy with school and activities during the typical school year that our house tends to suffer from "clutter-itis", "i'll deal with it later syndrome" and "throw it over there disorder". Stacks of things to be dealt with grow taller and taller on my desk and I begin to dream of long, summer days with nothing to do but, get organized.

This summer as I sit at the beach relaxing I know I have a new tool to help me re-capture order once I return. It's LOBSTER NETWORK found at http://www.lobsternetwork.com/. Making use of the facets of this FREE website can refresh a stressed out disorganized homeschool parent just like a day at the beach.

Lobster Network, created by Canadian homeschool parents, Isabelle and Robert Lussier, is a "one of a kind item networking" system that allows you to keep track of important items, share them with friends or borrow new things from others. If you can imagine maintaining a library of valuables while networking with other like-minded families you can imagine the possibilities of Lobster Network. LOBSTER is actually an acronym for Lend it/ Organize it/ Buy/ Borrow it, Sell it, Trade it, Exchange it, Request it. LOBSTER NETWORK is like a support group, garage sale and Facebook wrapped up in one handy website.

Creating an account on LOBSTER network is simple and FREE. Once registered you can join "communities" or create a new community for your friends to join. The most useful aspect, I think, is the ability to inventory all of your books, cds, educational games, etc. I have homeschooled for nearly 15 years and have an unbelieveable supply of educational resources. During the summer months I generally create lesson plans and begin to develop the ensuing school year. Many times I neglect items in my vast collection of resources and regret it later simply because I have lost track of it. Utilizing LOBSTER Network in the planning process will ensure I never do that again.

If time is limited and the thought of rifling through all of your "valuables" turns your heart to ice, never fear. Simply enter a few items every day and soon a wonderful list will develop ensuring you are well underway to optimum organization. I was amazed when I used LOBSTER network for the purpose of this review how quickly and efficiently the inventory process was. I also was able to quickly glance through the needs of members of my TOS Review Crew community to determine if I could fill a need.

Since I am a member of The Homeschool Review Crew for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine a special community group was created for us to use. My youngest child will enter 1st grade next year and I am finally willing to begin to part with some of my educational supplies. I listed these specific items to be searchable in the "Marketplace" for friends in my community. This allowed my friends to search my inventory and the inventory of other connected homeschool families when shopping for new homeschool supplies. Lobster Network allows users to search for products by name, category, purpose or distance.

LOBSTER network members can advertise items to other users. This advertising can include, for sale, for FREE, for lending,for trade or "I want this"in the listing. Lending and borrowing items with other homeschool families is a great way to frugally homeschool, but sometimes tracking those transactions can turn into a major waste of time. It is at best difficult to manage. LOBSTER network allows users to easily keep track of items lent, due dates, send messages to borrowers for due date reminders and request an extension on a loaned item. All communication can be managed right on the site.

When I return from my beach vacation and begin to tackle those stacks on my desk one of my first priorities will be to add to my Lobster Network. It's free. It's fast and efficient and it will help me refresh and re-organize my homeschool journey.

Kregel Publishing Books-Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure

2010-05-30T07:53:00.001-07:00

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan K. Marlowe is an adventure story set near Fresno, California during the time of the California Gold Rush. Thirteen year old Andi Carter returns home for a fun filled summer vacation from Miss Whittaker's Academy, a finishing school for girls located in San Francisco. She is anxious to re-connect with old friends, family and her favorite horse, Taffy. Andi, a true tom-boy is conflicted with the responsibility and expectations of a growing up in a time when women were limited in their roles.

The adventure begins innocently enough as Andi, big brother Mitch and friends Jenny and Cory take off on horseback for a 2-week camping and gold prospecting trip. The group believes they are destined for hours of riding, fishing and panning for gold. Unfortunately, innocent mishaps lead to bigger trouble and Andi and friends faith, courage and survival skills are tested in ways they could never have imagined.

Themes of adventure, courage, bravery, self-less love and Godly character are present throughout this 17 chapter novel targeted to tweens. Although Andrea (Andi) Carter is a female main character, most boys will enjoy the plot line and be drawn in by the action. Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure is the 5th book written by Marlowe for her Circle C Adventure series. Each book is available on Kregel Publications website, http://www.kregel.com/ for $7.99 for a paperback copy. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for this review.

I read this little adventure story during a 12 hour car ride to the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was occassionally surprised by plot twists and turns. As I read Marlowe's account of 13 year Andil I easily remembered the conflicted emotions and responsibilities brought about by this age. My daughter, Micah just celebrated her 13th birthday and could imagine her involved in the plot. I can't wait to give Micah this book to read and enjoy.

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure will make a great summer read for any child aged 10 and older. Due to the frightening nature of some plot twists I would reccommend pre-reading the book for younger children. There is also a 24 page supplementary unit study guide available for free on the company website. The guide covers:

vocabulary
Discussion Questions
A Closer Look section for learning more about maps, California Gold Rush and Annie Oakley
A Nature Connection section to learn more about mountain lions and rattlesnakes
A Just for Fun section
Helpful weblinks for "rabbit trail" studies of the Sierra Nevadas, the California Gold Rush, etc.

Click here to view the guide.

Kregel Publications is a Christian publishing company dedicated since 1949 to meet the needs of evangelical readers. You can read more about Kregel Publications and all the books they offer at their website.

Cerebellum/ Standard Deviant-US History AP prep video

2010-05-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Cerebellum Corporation is dedicated to helping students take the stress out of studying at Light Speed! Cerebellum Corporation, creators of Standard Deviants DVD curriculum has 25 titles in their new Light Speed collection. All titles are designed to appeal to teens as an entertaining review of various high school level course work. Light Speed videos cover topics such as Fractions & Decimals, Civil Rights, SAT Prep, U.S. Government & Politics, Chemistry, Writing, and History of the U.S.

Our family received a FREE copy of Light Speed AP U.S. History Exam Prep from Cerebellum Corporation in exchange for this review. Although no one in our home was preparing this year for the AP American History test we did think the DVD had a lot to offer. Included in the DVD package was a digital student workbook on CD-Rom to reinforce concepts reviewed by watching the video.

Light Speed AP American History Exam Prep has a run time of about 90 minutes, but provides a comprehensive review of all major events in U.S. History. The amount of time spent reviewing various topics is dependent on the number of questions a student will be asked when taking the AP Test. Watching through the DVD for the purpose of this review I found it covered:

Test taking tips and strategies

An explanation of what to expect when taking the AP test like types of questions, tips on answering essay questions, and a breakdown of subject matter covered

An explanation of how much time is dedicated to each part of the test aiding the student with time management issues commonly faced during comprehensive timed tests.

Step by step instructions detailing how to write a strong and effective essay for the essay question portion of the exam

A "30 in 30" portion of the video which reviewed 30 major events and facts of American History in 30 mins.

I found the "30 in 30" portion to be especially well done. Although 30 minutes is a bit of an understatement (try 60-65) an amazing amount of detailed information was presented to the student in an effective manner. Seven different college-aged young adults, who according to company description are actors, are placed in varied colorful and visually interesting sets to review pivotal events in American History. The topics are presented in an enaging and entertaining lecture format. Clever graphics, sound effects and occassional humorous commentary keeps interest and appeal high throughout the "30 minutes" of Light Speed education. There is a LOT of information in this short span of time, so most students would benefit greatest from the DVD by viewing it in small portions or reviewing its entirety several times.

If any of my children need to take an AP test or review for a College entrance exam in the future I will definitely consider taking advantage of Cerebellum Corporations Light Speed DVD's. Cerebellum sells their Light Speed collection on their website, http://www.sdlearning.com/ for $14.98 each. Currently, readers of this blog may receive a 20% discount off any product purchased online by using coupon code OHS20 at checkout. That's nearly a $3.00 savings per item through December 31, 2010!

Take the stress out study and reach your 21st century student's needs at Light Speed. Cerebellum Corporation makes it easy.

Ideal Pre-school Curriculum

2010-05-10T13:42:00.001-07:00

The mission of Ideal Curriculum is designed to provide a formal pre-school education at home. Complete with assessments, daily lesson plans and all the elements a classroom teacher would need I believe Ideal publishers has worked hard to cover all the bases. I received a free downloadable copy of month 1, Transportation unit of Ideal Curriculum to use with my five year old son, Aidan, in exchange for this review.

I have six children ranging in age from 20 to 5. I have spent many, many years in the presence of pre-schoolers. My oldest two children attended three years of pre-school classes at a wonderful, enriching pre-school near our home. It was a great asset for our family at the time since I was overwhelmed with other responsibilities and unable to create a formal pre-school educational environment in my home.

After those initially busy years of having only little children in our home, I never provide a formal pre-school education for my youngest four children . Their pre-school years were filled with educational toys, being read to on a daily basis and my concentrated effort to faciliate age appropriate activities on a regular basis. Simple and basic to be sure, but not a formal curriculum. My confidence that informal pre-school was enough to meet their needs only took root after my confidence in my parenting skills was built. Ideal curriculum, thorough and comprehensive, will support and build confidence in new homeschool Moms and Dads.

The following components are included in month one of Ideal curriculum:

Goals for the month

Initial assessments

Literacy activities complete with a sample daily/weekly schedule

Science/ Social Studies activities

Math activities

Calendar activities

Songs on MP3 files to complete activities

Printable resources and scripted teaching helps for activities

I administered all portions of the initial assessment with Aidan. The first assessment took a total of 8 mins. and near the end I found Aidan to be tired and distracted. I did, however, learn the precise holes in his phonics education and letter recognition skills. Since we were in assessment mode we followed with additional evaluations of his knowledge of print and other literacy skills, sight word recognition and phonemic awareness. Total assessment time was close to thirty minutes.

Ideal offers lots of suggestions to the homeschool teacher of how to incorporate the curriculum into your pre-schooler's day. It is designed for formal scheduled school time or to be used subltley throughout the day and play time. Repetition is key when learning new skills and with handy sample schedules included in the curriculum, parents can be assured they are covering all elements several times whether scheduled formally or not.

We chose the non-scheduled approach to Ideal based on my previously stated philosophy of pre-school. The songs included were very easy to incorporate throughout our day. My older children and I even began to sing some of the songs to encourage Aidan to review adding to the fun and playfulness of the curriculum.

"I like the animal freeze dance. I like to make a pose for the freeze part. I like to freeze. That is really fun. I like all the songs. They are really cool", said Aidan.

I found all the worksheets, and supplemental paperwork a bit confusing to organize. Having an instant download is great when shopping plus makes storage a breeze, but be ready to become an organized publisher. It took me nearly an hour of time to print, organize, cut, staple, three-hold punch, etc. for two weeks of the curriculum even before reading through the teacher's notes and directions. This is not a grab and go curriculum. It requires thoughtful planning and organization, but once it is in place it is full of fun, games and wonderful learning opportunities.

Ideal curriculum sells for $55.00 per monthly unit for a print version and $30.00 for the downloadable version at the company website, www.idealcurriculum.com. Currently only month 1 is available as an instant download, but months 2-9 are under development and available as a pre-order. Customers wishing to purchase an entire school year of product and take advantage of a 10% discount by purchasing the package for $526.00.

For more testimonials and information regarding Ideal curriculum check the company website, read the Ideal Curriculum blog at http://www.idealcurriculum.com/Preschool-curriculum-blog.html or read reviews from the rest of the Homeschool Crew by visiting Crew blog.

BeeYoutiful Health Care Products

2010-05-05T20:02:00.001-07:00

Preventative health care is a hot topic. Nutritional supplements, organic products, healthy eating and exercise have become common discussion points in most families. Steve and Stephanie Walker Tallent created a catalog and on-line store, Beeyoutiful, in an effort to offer natural health, nutritional supplement, and skin care products to people all over the world. Their mission, "to do good to all men" encompasses the couple's philosphy of business and life. Stephanie also writes a blog, www.traditionalfoodadventure.com ,to chronicle their journey in healthy eating.

Our family received Beeyoutiful's 4 oz. Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion and a 4 oz. Laveshmint Hydrating Toner for free in exchange for this review. My four daughters and I are connoisseurs of fragrant bath products; using them daily. We anticipated really enjoying this test market experience. I gave the toner to my 18 year old daughter, Samantha, to use and I took on the task of evaluating the moisturizing lotion.

One of my favorite fragrances is lavender. I thought the lavender fragrance would be a major component of each Laveshmint product based on the label and name. Unfortunately, I had to really use my imagination to discover any lavender scent in the Laveshmint lotion. Upon opening the jar it appeared to be a bit more watery than the moisturizer I typically use and held the fragrance of peppermint. Laveshmint lotion contains peppermint and lavender essential oils that are designed to offer cool relaxation. My experience did not relax me nor offer a fragrant escape. I was disappointed.

Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion sells on the Beeyoutiful website, www.beeyoutiful.com, in 4 oz. jars for $12.00. Besides the essential oils it contains aloe and coconut oil designed to smooth and nourish the skin.

After using the Laveshmint Toner for five weeks, Samantha had lots to say about her experience.

"I liked how it was in a spray bottle. I thought that was really unique because it made it easier and more fun to apply. The only problem with the product, however, is that I didn't feel it was strong enough for my skin. For the most part it helped with breakouts, but I didn't feel it helped me as much as my regular skin regimen I use to combat acne."

"At first when I used it, it was more fragrant than later uses. I really didn't notice any real fragrance and I never noticed it helping my mood in any way as promised by the catalog description", she said.

"I would recommend this product to someone with normal skin, but if they had any trouble with acne I think they would benefit from something else more", she concluded.

Beeyoutiful Laveshmint Toner sells for $14.00 for a 4 fl. oz. atomized bottle.

In addition to skin care products, Beeyoutiful offers a variety of nutritional supplements including vitamins, herbal remedies, essential oils, and multi-vitamins for children, men and women. Their catalog includes non-fiction books supporting natural health issues as well. Customers can order a paper copy of the company catalog or simply view the products on-line at Beeyoutiful.com. Shipping for all products is $6.00 domestic for any size order.

Lesson Planet

2010-04-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

Looking for some lesson plans that are out of this world? Give Lesson Planet, www.lessonplanet.com a try. With a data base of over 225,000 teacher created lesson plans and worksheets divided over 9 subject areas plus a special teacher's resource area, Lesson Planet is bound to have a fresh idea to jumpstart your homeschool curriculum. I received a free 3 month subscription to Lesson Planet in exchange for this review. Customers interested in Lesson Planet are offered a FREE 10 day trial of the site. After the trial, a one year membership costs $39.95.

Lesson Planet offers sage advice and specialized lesson plan ideas on the teacher subject guides portion of the site. These subject guides offer insight and advice from teachers specializing in each area. Homeschool parent, Kristen Kindoll writes articles of special interest to homeschoolers. Kindoll has written numerous lesson plans for science, history, math, literature and even a helpful article about sifting through homeschool curriculum choices.

Lesson planning is paramount at Lesson Planet.com, but for those working from a curriculum who simply need a little enrichment, choosing to search through the worksheet section covering 10 content areas might be valuable. For example, while searching under the subject area of World Geography, I chose "cultures" and found 64 pages of worksheet options including an Italian culture word search for grades 4-7. I noted the word search would make a nice little addition to my 7th grade daughter's computerized Italian language curriculum to reinforce vocabulary and cultural knowledge.

There is so much information provided in the Lesson Planet database that teachers could easily become overwhelmed with too many good options. In an effort to minimize frustration, Lesson Planet has built in search engines which allow teachers to direct choices through subject, age and rating requirements.A helpful Youtube video demonstrating the search options provided on Lesson Planet can be found here.

Sometimes the best test of an idea is how well it can be implemented. Lesson Planet products are rated by the teachers who use them with 1-5 stars. When searching for lesson plans or worksheets an option of choosing only those with 3, 4, or 5 stars ratings is available.

An amazing Lesson Planning Calendar is another tremendous resource for teachers needing a little inspiration with curriculum. A monthly calendar with live links to lesson plans for topics listed on the calendar saves searching time while providing fresh ideas. For example, April 29th was Duke Ellington's birthday. If I want to capitalize on this historical fact, I could choose from 115 lesson plans, 4 worksheets, and 4 Duke Ellington websites to build an educational unit. Add in the additional suggestions for Jazz, Piano and Big Bands and within minutes an entire musical unit study for my family is planned and ready to be implemented.

If your homeschool is needing a bit of inspiration, or perhaps a tad bit of enrichment, make sure and give the 10 day FREE trial at Lesson Planet a whirl. It really is out of this world!

Super Star Speech Homeschool Games

2010-04-23T12:42:00.001-07:00

When the book work is done it's time to play! Super Star Speech offers 11 educational games designed for homeschool families ready to play. Our family received six of the games for free in exchange for our review.

All games are available as an instant download from Curr Click and retail for $3.50. Created by licensed speech therapist and homeschool Mom Debra Lott, the games are simple old-fashioned board games focused on specific topics. Currently, Lott offers:

Silly Snail: A parts of speech game for grades 3-6

Road to Revolution: A game to understand the events, times and people of the American Revolution for grades for grades 3-8

The Inventors Game: a game designed to review inventors and their inventions for grades 3 and older

Colony Quest: Designed around the 13 American Colonies for grades 3-5

Climb the Vine: A question/ answer board game about plants for grades 3-6

All About Animals: An animal classification game for grades K-5

Explorers of the World: Focused around 24 different Explorers for grades 3-8

Covering the Continents: Questions, answers and maps about the seven continents for kids aged 6-10

Exploring Egypt: Centered around Ancient Egypt this game is appropriate for grades 3-8

The Insect Game: Designed for children in grades 2-6

Planet, Moons and Stars: A trivia based game perfect for grades 3 and up

Although each of the games has a slightly different objective all of the games my family played were easy to use with simple instructions and very little set up time. I printed my downloads onto cardstock for durability and stored pieces in labeled ziploc bags. The small investment of time reassured me that if pieces got lost or destroyed I could easily print off new ones without a hitch. Because the pieces including game boards were no larger than 8 1/2" by 11" pieces of

paper the games were easy to take on the road to be used during boring "wait" times. I love the simplicity and quality content of each of these games!

I am a firm believer in the power of educational games. I know my children learn more when the experience is relaxing, fun and just a bit competitive. A game format also helps me see new strengths and weaknesses in my children that would never show up with ordinary school work. For example, while playing All About Animals my 5 year old blew me away with his ability to recognize complex vocabulary words and classify his animals. Apparently, he had been "eavesdropping" on his older siblings recent science lessons.

In an age of so much electronic media, Super Star Speech's Homeschool Games are refreshing, affordable, and extremely engaging alternatives. My 15 year old, 8 year old and I played Climb the Vine using only the questions and answers while sitting in a parking deck waiting on my 5 year old to finish his nap. A potentially wasted hour of our time was spent laughing, learning, and building a quirky, fun memory because of our portable, adaptable game.

After playing All About Animals I polled the test market group for their honest opinions. "It's so exciting!" said Aidan, grade K. "I like the questions and I like the pictures on the board", said Sierra, grade 2. "I learned a lot from the facts about the animals", said Micah, grade 7.

Although Homeschool Games are listed for specific age groups, many are adaptable for multiple levels of play. Because the content and vocabulary are rich, the games engage older secondary aged siblings creating educational family fun. Their unique design and affordable price make them perfect for any size homeschool.

For more information about Super Star Speech Homeschool Games visit the Super Star Speech website, www.superstarspeech.com. Everyone needs to play during their day. Homeschool Games offer families a chance to play a little while they learn.

Alphabet Beats

2010-04-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Handwriting practice has just become one of the best parts of my Kindergarten student's day! We received Alphabet Beats, writing lowercase letters DVD to review from TV Teacher. The DVD was free in exchange for this review. The TV Teacher 's motto, "We make learning easy and fun!" capitalizes on the power and impact television has over young children to teach valuable early learning skills like handwriting, shape and number awareness.

There is a wealth of information for parents, teachers and therapists regarding Alphabet Beats on the company website. Created by Susan Ellis, mother to Ryan an autistic pre-schooler, the DVD's are perfect for any child aged 2-8. Ellis's son had difficulty forming alphabet letters although he could recite and read them. Marnie, his occupational therapist, agreed to video tape her therapy sessions with Ryan to be used at home. The videos helped him so much that Ellis knew others would benefit from a similar product. The videos began to be professionally produced in 2006, and have received acclaim from therapists, teachers and parents. Alphabet Beats received the "Preferred Choice Award" by Creative Child Magazine in 2008.

Alphabet Beats, writing lowercase teaches all 26 lower case letters in 5 minute mini-unit studies. The very happy, engaging and encouraging, Miss Marnie shares vocabulary words, songs, objects, visits around town and of course specific direction for each letter formation with humor and energy. Alphabet Beats, lowercase, however is more than simple handwriting practice. In my opinion it is a full pre-school curriculum filled with alphabet organized mini unit studies.

A typical unit shifts from video segments demonstrating letter formation for handwriting practice to short segments relating to the letter sound. For example, the letter P unit teaches the student, "dotted line down, follow up and around" with Miss Marnie chanting the catchy reminder and demonstrating on lined paper how to form lowercase p. After reciting the chant a few times the segment shifts as Miss Marnie narrates "P is for police officer!" The camera reveals a man dressed in uniform. The officer smiles at the camera saying, "Hi! I'm a police officer. You can come to me for help if you need it. I'm your friend".

Other examples of the comprehensive pre-school units include taking a virtual field trip to the dentist with Miss Marnie and learning a song to remember the days of the week. These activities are part of the unit dedicated to learning lowercase d letter formation.

Handwriting practice is demonstrated on chalkboards, dry erase boards and lined paper. Parents can download the same lined paper Miss Marnie uses from the TV Teacher website for free. Miss Marnie uses colored magic markers and dry erase makers adding visual impact for children.

Parents using Alphabet Beats for teaching handwriting instruction are offered the following teaching tips at the beginning of the video:

Watch the DVD with your child. (Alphabet Beats is NOT a video babysitter)
Practice the handwriting skills for 10 mins. a day
Complete no more than 3-4 letters in a day

Aidan is 5, almost 6 and I would agree with all the teaching tips offered with the exception of 3-4 letters in one day. We chose to focus on one letter per day by watching the video through once, then watching it a second time while he practiced letter formation along with Miss Marnie on the screen. At the conclusion of the video segment, Aidan spent some solitary time completing more letter writing practice before we called it a day. I found focusing on one letter at a time with Aidan had a greater impact in helping him remember the lesson.

"I liked it!" commented Aidan. "The letters are easy to make. I liked using the markers to write with. The paper made it easy too. I really liked the A's (for Aidan) the best.

I think the use of color and other visual stimulation accompanied with the chanting and narration are excellent examples of teaching to auditory and visual learning styles. Approaching handwriting through a variety of senses helped Aidan's handwriting lessons find their way into his long-term memory. Add in the "fun factor" brought to lessons by Miss Marnie and handwriting practice evolves from dreaded, boring chore to one of the best parts of the school day.

"It's really cool! When we were learning about the letter P my favorite part was picnic", said Aidan.

Alphabet Beats lowercase DVD sells on the TV Teacher website for $35.00. A spiral bound from the top student workbook of the special lined paper Miss Marnie uses sells for $4.49. For the frugal minded individual sheets of paper can be printed free of charge directly from the website. In addition, TV Teacher's Uppercase and lowercase DVDs sell as a set for $64.99.

Time For Learning-Preschool edition

2010-04-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

I am always amazed at the computer savviness of my youngest child. Aidan is 5 years old and although not completely literate, definitely computer literate. He navigates his favorite websites and can spend hours playing games. The computer, next to Legos, is his favorite toy. Many times, however, I find myself in a battle of wills with Aidan and his computer time. I wouldn't mind his favorite toy taking most of his time if I was assured it was well spent. Like his older siblings and mother, Aidan can easily fall into the trap of the "hypnotic passive stare"; a common side effect of too much screen time.

Lucky for Aidan, more computer time was required for him to help me with my review of Time 4 Learning's newest product created for students in pre-K. Time 4 Learning, an on-line curriculum designed for home education, provides pre-school activities completed on a home computer linked into the company's website. Aidan and I were given a FREE one month subscription to Time 4 Learning- PK edition in exchange for this review.

Our family was familiar with Time 4 Learning since reviewing the program last year for two elementary aged kids. At the time only limited portions of the Pre-school program were available. You can read that review here.

Time 4 Learning Pre-K is now a comprehensive pre-school curriculum with two different levels of ability with an average of 20 units per level. Time 4 Learning promises to be a "learning program that's fun and effective" providing a 100% satisfaction guarantee upon registering. In addition, Time 4 Learning placed in Homeschool.com's top three "100 Educational Websites for 2009".

After assisting him with log in procedures, Aidan easily navigated through the program without supervision. Graphics and visual cues like a smiling happy face nodding yes or a frowning face nodding no are provided to aid the non-reader with screen selections. Aidan chose a topic to study, clicking on the graphic which matched the description. Each topic consisted of 4-5 different activities to explore and learn taking him approximately 4-5 mins. to complete each unit.

Aidan's first choice of topic was "Garden". Within the topic he was presented with the choices of "storybook", "patterns" or "paint it" activities. Clicking on "Storybook", for example, provided him with a listening activity as a brief storybook related to gardens was read to him. Words of the narration were displayed to encourage reading. Aidan easily clicked the mouse to turn pages of the e-story book.

One of my favorite activities Aidan participated in was called "Write It!". Pre-schoolers are guided through making choices in plot, setting or characters by answering a series of simple questions. The activity concludes with the new story "written" being read aloud to the child complete with illustrations.

"I like the 'make the story' activity because it is really exciting", shared Aidan.

Level two topics and activities of Time 4 Learning, pre-K edition are more involved and require greater critical thinking skills. For example, one activity, "Re-call" asked questions to demonstrate reading comprehension for the "Manners" unit of Level 2. The "Color Mixing" unit contained an activity allowing kids to virtually mix paint colors to create new ones. The newly mixed colors were expressed as round circles with eyes. They appear to be spray painted to life in a factory. I thought the graphics were adorable and held great kid appeal. I noted Aidan spent more time playing the paint game than he had with previous activities; meaning it captured and held his attention well.

From storybooks to games to ideas for parents to extend topics with pre-schoolers, Time 4

Learning has a lot to offer parents and pre-schoolers. Subscriptions cost $19.95 a month for the first child and $14.95 a month for the second child. Although I am not a huge fan of on-line curricula especially for pre-schoolers, I believe Time 4 Learning provides age appropriate, engaging and valuable activities for little ones in love with computer time. Customers interested, but not convinced may try a free demo of Time 4 Learning on the company website.

When asked for the final word, my little computer game consultant provided a high recommendation for Time 4 Learning- preK.

"It was very cool! I got to do the games and stuff and watch the shows".

All About Reading

2010-04-10T15:54:00.002-07:00

Published by Marie Rippel, literacy expert, All About Spelling is an enjoyable, multi-sensory program with step by step lesson plans and daily review. Written for elementary aged students just beginning their literacy journey, All About Spelling fits nicely with a multitude of language arts curriculum and provides a gentle, thorough program for children.

Fans of All About Spelling will be thrilled to note readers are being added to complement the lessons of each level of All About Spelling. The readers, sold under the name All About Reading, are beautifully designed 5 1/2" by 8 1/2" hard bound books; perfect for little hands. Unlike other beginning readers, All About Reading readers do not contain extra sight words which may or may not be familiar to the student. Chapters align with words being studied in the All About Spelling program.

"I know first hand the importance of having decodable books for young children who are just beginning to read and for older children who are struggling to read", said Rippel, author of the All About Spelling curriculum and All About Reading readers. "My son (now 17 years old) was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was younger. We were told that he would never be able to read fluently. The good news is that after teaching him--using the same method I lay out in the All About Spelling program-- he is now a very strong fluent reader, and he actually enjoys reading for pleasure" she continued.

Our family received What am I? a collection of short stories for free in exchange for this review. This particular reader is not currently available on the website, but should be listed by April 15, 2010. It is the first reader to correlate with Level 2 of All About Spelling.

I really, really, really like All About Spelling and the Beehive Reader. My 2nd grader, Sierra struggles with phonics and language arts related activities. All About Spelling has provided her a much needed breath of fresh air from typical language arts study. My experience in teaching four older students is that spelling is a gift. You either have it or you don't and if you don't the average spelling curricula is simply a waste of time and energy. All About Spelling, however, does teach poor spellers appropriate tools and rules for decoding mysterious words making correct spelling an achievable goal.

Sierra is finishing Level 1 of All About Spelling. She reads fluently at a third grade level so I had her read some of the short stories included in What am I? to offer a kid's perspective.

"I liked the stories. My favorite story was "The Bench" because there was music in it. Lots of the stories were interesting to read. I could find some of my spelling words in the stories and some of the words were kind of difficult. I'm glad we got this reader because I really liked the first book (Beehive Reader) too." said Sierra.

I am in agreement with Sierra. What am I? is a delightful combination of charming illustrations, stories and poems. Having the reader divided into simple short stories allows even the most reluctant of reading students a stress free opportunity to practice new skills. Introducing playful poetry to the reader broadens and enriches students literary experience even more.

To read our opinion of All About Reading Level 1, Beehive Reader 1 click here. To read our family's comprehensive review of the All About Spelling Program, click here.

Tales of Terrestria

2010-04-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Tales From Terrestria, written by Ed Dunlop are the latest Terrestrian stories to be released from Cross and Crown Publishing. The Terrestria Chronicles, an allegorical fantasy series was written by Dunlop to "honor Jesus Christ as King, challenge young readers to serve Him, and to teach them to guard their hearts for Him". Although The Terrestria Chronicles are complete, Tales From Terrestria continue the adventure with stand alone stories of new characters from the land of Terrestria. Both Tales From Terrestria novels and The Terrestria Chronicles are written for children aged 10 and older.

I received the first Tale From Terrestria: The Quest for Thunder Mountain from the publisher for free in exchange for this review. The 203 page paperback sells on the publisher website, www.talesofcastles.com for $7.99. My children Sierra, Micah, and Jonah assisted me with this review.

Set in the middle ages, The Quest for Thunder Mountain introduces readers to young Gavin, an unemployed minstrel. Sick, hurt and needing direction he fortunately meets Sir Wisdom who ministers to his needs and sends him on a quest to Mount Thelema to seek the will of King Emmanuel. The journey is long and dangerous testing Gavin's strength, will and faith. Gavin uses a special book provided by the King to guide him on his journey.
Gavin a true hero is an inspiration, optimistic and strong in his faith. For example, during an unfortunate imprisonment in the "Dungeon of Condemnation" Gavin is bitterly asked by his traveling companion, "Do you have a plan?" Gavin replies, "Nay, but Emmanuel does....He'll show us a way out of here".

The Quest for Thunder Mountain is well written but at times predictable. My older children were not surprised by plot twists nor amazed by the allegorical references. We did understand, however, that these novels could easily draw children with a limited spiritual background into deep and meaningful conversations of Christ. Indeed this is the author's mission. Dunlop dedicates a section of the website to his reasons for trying to reach children with the Gospel. According to his statistics, 85% of people come to Christ between the ages of 5-14.

I asked the kid review panel for their honest reviews of the book. Their comments included the following:

"I can see how the novel would be good for little kids or for kids who really haven't studied the Bible. It was a pretty good story, but since I could understand the symbolism, like the "Shield of Faith", etc. it lessened the affect the story had on me. I would probably recommend these to a friend if they were interested in dragons and Medieval stories" ~ Jonah age 15.

"I thought the storyline was interesting. I think if I was a little bit younger it would seem more exciting to me. The plot was very creative and different from what I find in most books. The beginning especially really caught my attention and helped me care about the safety of the main character, Gavin. I would recommend this book to kids who like Science Fiction or fantasy adventure books"~ Micah, age 12.

"I really liked the story of this book. I liked the people, the action, and that it was in the middle ages. I really like fairy tales and stories of castles, princesses and dragons. I hope I get to read more of these books. There is NOTHING I didn't like about it at all!"~ Sierra, age 8"

The Quest for Thunder Mountain is the first in the Tales of Terrestria series novels. The Golden Dagger and The Isle of Dragons are also currently available with a fourth book, Return of the Dagger planned for release Spring of 2010. All books in the series average 200 pages and carry the $7.99 price tag. In addition, a special price of 3 books for $19.99 is currently being offered on the website.

Wiglington and Wenks

2010-04-05T22:48:00.001-07:00

The Travels of Wiglington and Wenks Virtual World is an on-line game for kids ages 7-14. The site was created based on a children's book series by British businessman and author, John Bittleston. Wiglington and Wenks, mice extraordinaire, live in an interactive time traveling virtual world where children learn history, geography and environmental science as they visit. Currently, anyone can travel with Wiglington and Wenks for FREE in a limited fashion, but an Elite Quest Traveler membership costs $5.99/ mo, $16.99/ 3 months, $29.99 for 6 months, or $59.99/ year. Our family received a free one month Elite membership in exchange for this review.

Wiglington and Wenks are adventure-seeking water rats from England. Wiglington's ancestor, Carto Wiglington, left a series of magic maps which unlock secrets of the past, present and future by enabling the owner of the maps to travel through time and space. The lost maps recovered by Wiglington, were brought back to his hometown to be used for good. Virtual travelers to Wiglington Town, re-named in honor of Wiglington's heroic recovery of the maps, may use the magic maps for time travel after graduating from the Traveling Academy of Wiglington Town and earning a passport. With passport in hand, the fun begins as travelers visit with historical figures, real and fictional, in various locations around the world.

Count Carneggio, a selfish, evil rat, attempts to foil the fun. Carneggio desires to have possession of the maps for financial gain. The evil Count is suspect of creating a time portal which accidentally traps historical figures, placing them in different time periods and locations. The confusing experience inevitably causes the misplaced people of the past to suffer from amnesia. Travelers must search for clothing, inventions and other historical items to prompt the amnesiacs memory and restore order to the world.

Although the description of Wiglington and Wenks Virtual World seems complicated it really is just a great story come to life. Kids participating in the virtual world easily learn the details of the storyline (read rules of the game) by attending the Traveling Academy and watching animated videos. Within minutes young travelers are seasoned enough to navigate throughout the world. All the animation of Wiglington and Wenks is engaging and snappy. The characters are cute, but smartly dressed with a contemporary flair drawn with sharp defined lines, slightly exaggerated heads, and clever expressions.

The introductory video on the homepage alone was enough to draw my 5 year old son, Aidan from across the room. Aidan stood intensely watching the video and obviously excited about all the potential this virtual world had to offer. After listening to my explanation of Wiglington and Wenks to his younger sibling, my 15 year old son said, "Man! Aidan is so lucky! I would have been all over that site when I was his age. I mean it has everything....cool characters, adventure, games...."

Wiglington and Wenks has over 100 educational real world and imaginary locations to travel. For example, adventure seekers can visit the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Great Sphinx of Egypt or future imaginary locations in outer space. While visiting, players engage in educational games, facts and information is learned and "money" is earned for future virtual costumes and attire that allow special powers and moves. A chat feature is also available to allow travelers to interact with others visiting the virtual world.

"I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it!" said Micah, age 12. "It's fun to communicate with other kids playing. I like all the random fun facts about different things in the countries. I also like that Wiglington and Wenks is challenging and gives you a mission. I like to have a purpose when playing games on the internet. I will definitely tell my friends that they need to check Wiglington and Wenks out" she concluded.

Aidan, age 5 was filled with enthusiasm when asked for his opinion of Wiglington and Wenks Virtual World. "It is awesome! I like the maps and Wiglington and Wenks. I like the people and the games. We get to buy clothes and costumes with money from the games. I really like those!" he said.

Fans will be thrilled to note Wiglington and Wenks merchandise is available for purchase at Zazzle.com. The webpage offering hats, t-shirts, mugs and of course, mouse pads can be found here.

Since Wiglington and Wenks Virtual World is available for limited use for FREE, I highly recommend readers give it a whirl. It's engaging storyline, graphics and fun atmosphere make it a wonderful educational resource for elementary and middle grade students. Clever homeschool parents can easily use this virtual world to light a fire of enthusiasm for history and geography study and maybe even some adventure story crafting of their own.

Critical Thinking Press--Language Smarts

2010-04-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

Language Smarts published by Critical Thinking Press is a user friendly language arts workbook that teaches students basic language skills while challenging them to understand advanced critical thinking concepts. Bright, colorful and engaging this 314 page workbook introduces advanced language arts skills to students in a slow yet progressive way. Language
Smarts is designed to be used as a spine for language arts study or as a supplemental resource.

Our family received Language Smarts Level C, the 2nd grade edition of Language Smarts, for free from Critical Thinking Press in exchange for this review. My second grade daughter, Sierra was very excited when I presented the book to her. Sierra struggles with language arts studies, but after reading the title, Language Smarts was convinced this workbook was for her.Workbook pages are glue bound and to my knowledge NOT perforated. The printing is beautiful with vibrant, engaging colors, graphics and text. Different sections of the book are designated with various colors. For example, "Think a Minute" activities in green, vowel/consonant practice in orange, "Word Benders" in bright blue, etc. Language Smarts, Level C sells for $39.95 on the Critical Thinking Press website, www.criticalthinking.com

The beginning of the workbook addresses basic grammar, reading, vocabulary, and writing skills needed for second grade. Once students conquer the essential language arts skills for second grade, they are challenged with advanced third grade concepts. Language Smarts is definitely challenging, yet presents concepts in a slow, progressive manner to avoid stress and frustration.

Language Smarts uses real life examples and teaches information not usually incorporated in typical language arts curriculum. For example, when learning the definition of "mnemonic" students are taught to remember the Oceans by using "I Am A Person" (I for Indian, A for Arctic, A for Atlantic, and P for Pacific). Yet another workbook page teaches following directions by providing practice using a street map. Students are asked to guide a car to a specific location filling in street names and directional words. The variety of concepts included ensure the workbook remains intriguing for students. A comprehensive list of topics covered in Language Smarts Level C can be found by clicking here.

No lesson planning is necessary when using Language Smarts, but I found when using the workbook as a supplemental resource, careful review of topics is important so as not to miss valuable reinforcement opportunities. An answer key is provided on the company website for quick checks of completed pages. I did not discover the answer key until the end our review time, because unfortunately, Critical Thinking Press forgot to publish this detail in the workbook.

Sierra loved Language Smarts initially, but soon became frustrated by some of the pages. Most pages required her to read directions carefully requiring a great deal more critical thinking to complete them successively than she anticipated. I appreciated the challenge, but was quickly reminded of Sierra's strengths and weaknesses with language arts as her frustration settled in.

"I like the drawings, colors and pictures in the book. I think the lessons are hard. Sometimes they are too hard", said Sierra.

Our family uses a non-traditional approach to language arts study. I have never concerned myself with state standards or traditional textbooks for teaching language arts skills, but instead have utilized narration, copywork and spelling practice for younger grades. Language Smarts is designed to align with State standards. Homeschooling families not following strict State standards will most likely benefit by using Language Smarts as a supplemental resource rather than a core curriculum. Using the workbook in this manner will ensure the challenging, yet engaging pages are viewed as a treat rather than a chore.

I will continue to use Language Smarts Level C as a supplemental resource for Sierra. Although challenging for her I can easily see after using the workbook for a few weeks how time spent will become beneficial. Sierra loves workbooks and all things resembling a typical school setting. I think a slow, leisurely pace with this workbook will lessen her frustration and provide maximum educational benefit.

Language Smarts Level C is a great product for 2nd grade language arts study. Critical Thinking Press currently offers Language Smarts Level B for 1st grade and Level D for third grade. The variety, challenge, and real life skills of Language Smarts provide a unique, engaging and enjoyable method approach to language arts study.

FamilyMint

2010-03-30T19:51:00.001-07:00

Budgeting, saving, spending, earning; all of these terms slip in and out of my daily conversations with my husband. I am a firm believer in making the most of teachable moments, but never thought our discussions of finances were the perfect "teachable moment" for eavesdropping children until I was asked to review FamilyMint.com. FamilyMint is a FREE website co-founded by IT experts, engineers and businessmen Jeff Eusebio, Bob Masterson and Brad Frederick. The trio, with the help of a group of financial experts, designed the site to teach children the art of money management.

Eusebio thought of the idea for FamilyMint after becoming frustrated with a lack of quality materials available to help parents teach their children about money management, allowances and interest. "We've heard over and over how young adults enter the world of fiscal responsibility without the skills to succeed. FamilyMint is a natural, easy way to get kids ready for this future", states Eusebio on the FamilyMint website.

My oldest daughters are 18 and 20 years old, work part-time and pay for their own college expenses. When they were young we made it a priority to teach them the importance of money management on a weekly basis with allowances, budgeting and saving. Back in the day of their youth we used old peanut butter jars to hold various "accounts", and although primitive in design they worked. FamilyMint takes the concept of the "peanutbutter jar" and revolutionizes it with technology. It is very, very cool!

Creating an account on FamilyMint is FREE and easy. Upon registration the banker/parent names their family bank and adds as many users as desired. Ideally each child in the family will be a separate user. Instructions for set-up are clear, easy to follow and take only minutes to implement.

FamilyMint's focus is to help children use their money to:

Plan
Organize
Motivate
Educate

Planning is accomplished by creating various accounts for each child to deposit money. Spending goals are set by either choosing a typical goal suggested at the site or creating a unique goal. Users choose an amount to contribute either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly to the savings goal and the program displays an end date to anticipate when the goal is met. Each spending goal created becomes a separate labeled account.

An added "Savings Plan" feature enables users to pre-determine percentages of deposits for each savings goal. For example, my 15 year old son created a savings goal of paying for his plane ticket for a National Bible Bowl tournament this summer. Making use of the Savings Plan option allowed him to determine that 35% of all of his deposits would be allocated to his Bible Bowl account.

Organizing occurs as users make consistent deposits to the family bank. FamilyMint suggests literally having children hand over their piggy bank stashes to the banker/parent as one option, but the important thing is to make sure money is deposited and allocated as pre-determined. Our family chose to make virtual deposits leaving the physical money in the hands, or wallets of each child. Yet another suggestion of FamilyMint is to include gift cards in the mix and record them as money deposits. The principle concept is to track and manage all money through the magic of the FamilyMint site.

Motivation is easy when using FamilyMint. Parent/Bankers can reward interest payments at any rate they choose for deposited money. Interest rates can be adjusted as the need arises, but only by the Parent/Banker. FamilyMint encourages the use of allowances to help children "think about money as a limited resource that must be used wisely". A "matching deposit" option is provided for extra incentive too. As parent/banker I chose to offer a 50% matching deposit to each college savings account for our children to demonstrate my value of this goal.

Education is natural and frequent with the creation of a FamilyMint bank and accounts. Because the site offers a visual component to a sometimes abstract concept of money management even my 2nd grader is comfortable in discussing percentages, interest and budgeting. Discussing FamilyMint deposits, accounts and savings goals is fun, engaging and feels more like a game than a lesson on finances.

I love FamilyMint, but the true test of any educational product is met when the kids use it. I asked the users of the Spoerndle Family Bank to share their honest opinions for this review. This is what they said:

"I like how they organize the money. I like how it shows you if you don't have enough money when you will if there is something you want to buy. For example, I want to go to the American Girl store in Chicago. This costs a lot of money. Now, I know how long it will take me to save the money and I don't have to keep asking my Mom when we can go."~Sierra, age 8.

"I like how it's set up in a way that's easy for me to understand. I like how it explains to you how close you are to your goal. I think this makes it a lot more exciting to save money this way. It's a lot easier than trying to figure it out myself. I feel more professional when using FamilyMint. I feel like I know more about banks and how they operate". ~Micah, age 12

"I like how you can work with your own account and add in deposits on your own without your parents help. Parents can just approve the transactions later. The account records look very official which is helpful for tracking details regarding your money. I would definitely recommend FamilyMint"~Jonah, age 15.

FamilyMint is a hit with all ages of our household. I especially appreciate being able to personalize all aspects of our bank and accounts. Step by step instructions, a users forum for questions, answers and tips and a blog are all accessible on the website. With very little effort on my part, my children have developed a new understanding of financial responsibility and money management in a short time. FamilyMint.com is the perfect product for parents in search of making the most of financial teachable moments.

Math Galaxy

2010-03-25T11:15:00.001-07:00

Ever wish you had a math tutor for your child? Math Galaxy offers its services by promising to help K-12 students "connect abstract concepts of math to concrete experiences with graphical illustrations at each step..." Our family received a free download of Math Galaxy's computer program Whole Numbers Fun in exchange for this review. My second grade daughter, Sierra, assisted me in discovering the best and worst of Math Galaxy.

Whole Numbers Fun is one of six computer programs offered by Math Galaxy. Other programs include:

Fractions Fun
Decimals, Proportions and Percentage Fun
Word Problems Fun
Pre-Algebra Fun
Algebra Fundamentals

Unlike my version, customers receive programs on CD for $29.95. Math Galaxy is currently offering FREE SHIPPING for any programs ordered.

With all the "FUN" mentioned by Math Galaxy in the titles of their programs I expected great things. Math has NOT been FUN for Sierra this year. With the promise of changing her experience we put Whole Numbers Fun to task.

Whole Numbers Fun is a very basic computer program. The graphics included are simple. There are no cute characters, rocket ships, sound effects, etc., just basic shapes and numbers.We could not discover an instructions page or help link, but most of the program was intuitive. Not realizing at first how very basic the program was, I double checked my computer's speakers to determine if the sound was off. It wasn't. There are NO sound effects or audio cues to guide students in the learning process. Math Galaxy programs are strictly visual.

Upon opening the computer program Sierra chose to practice addition and clicked on the button to let the fun begin. Next, she chose which whole number to use for addition practice, typing in number 6. The next screen presented an option of "random" or "in order" practice of addition problems related to number 6.

When testing a portion of the Adding section of Whole Numbers Fun the screen displayed large basic shapes at the top of the page and numbers organized in a number sentence directly below the shapes. A faint white box sectioning off ten of the shapes gave the visual cue to help students build awareness of the ease of organizing ones into tens for addition.

Unfortunately, when Sierra typed in her first few answers we couldn't find them on the screen. We typed the answer several times, tried to find a cursor with our mouse, but nothing showed up. Without a help icon or other instructions Sierra and I became easily frustrated. Fortunately, within a few minutes, we discovered the answer had appeared at the bottom of the screen not near the number sentence problem as anticipated. Sierra's previous typing attempts displayed an incorrect answer, and even though we tried to backspace to delete it, the program wouldn't let us. We finally solved the problem by hitting enter on the keyboard, which allowed us a second attempt at solving the problem. Math Galaxy teaches to mastery and will not allow students to continue to other problems without solving each one correctly.

When a problem is solved correctly a giant red message of CORRECT! appears as a reward. In addition, (pardon the pun) students are rewarded with "robots" for correct answers during a drill. These robots are used in the Labyrinth, a separate game aspect of the program. The games in the Labyrinth are reminiscent of early Atari games in design. They begin with a page of instructions/directions, but we still struggled to get the games to operate correctly. Many robots died in the Labyrinth due to our sad game playing ability.

Sierra summed up our game experience quite well when asked for her opinion."I kind of liked the robot game a little bit", she said. "I liked the different caves, but I didn't like it when we couldn't get the robot to move", she added.

Although the design of Whole Numbers Fun is not high-tech the material covered is comprehensive. Topics in the program are typical of grades 1-4 math curricula. They include:

Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Place Value
Rounding and Estimating
Patterns and Sequences
Time
Money Length
Area
Volume
Pictographs
Bar Graphs
Probability
Riddles

Games on the CD designed to stretch critical thinking skills include:

Word Problems
Word Jumbles
Bridge the Swamp
Riddles
Labyrinth
Word Jumbles
Bridge the Swamp

Whole Numbers Fun, offers a relatively inexpensive option for math drill practice. By nature, computer programs usually last through multiple children making the initial investment a true bargain. Customers are offered a 30-Day money back guarantee at the company website, www.mathgalaxy.com. Coupled with the FREE SHIPPING offer I would encourage anyone interested in their own test market experience to give it a try.

Although I am not a fan of Math Galaxy, my experience with computer programs and children is that even the most basic are worth a child's time. What I view as simple is rarely met with as much skepticism by my younger students. Sierra summed up her experience with Math Galaxy by pointing out her favorite aspects of the program. "I like how they show you the problems with shapes to help you solve it. I liked typing on the computer too."

Children's Bible Hour

2010-03-24T19:27:00.001-07:00

Children's Bible Hour Ministries is dedicated to providing"excellent media resources to evangelize and disciple kids and their families". Children's Bible Hour radio programming was founded in 1942, by Rev. Gil Crosselman and three other pastors after Crosselman was asked by his niece, "Why are there no radio programs for children talking about Jesus?

Children's Bible Hour radio programs were replaced with Down Gilead Lane in March of 2001 in response to meeting the needs of contemporary children. It is four of the original Children's Bible Hour stories that have been adapted for the Seasons of Faith picture book series. Each book in the series, which retails for $10.00 plus shipping, comes with a CD of the story narrated by "Uncle Charlie" VanderMeer, Ambassador-at-Large for Children's Bible Hour ministries.

I received CBH's new Seasons of Faith picture book series in exchange for this review. Paperback with a stapled binding, the books are 8.5" x 10" with warm, child-friendly illustrations with the appearance of watercolor and marker media. All four of the

Seasons of Faith books are designed to be read aloud to children in one sitting. Each "season" shares a different faith developing topic reflective of different aspects of a Christian faith. Faith elements are shared easily and naturally through the characters conversation and actions. Scripture references in the books are provided in the New King James Version of the Bible.

The Season of Faith series includes:

Spring: Race With Midnight: Becky takes a spring break

vacation to visit her cousin Sarah on her ranch in Montana.

Besides learning to ride a horse, Becky shares the gospel with her family who come to know Jesus as Savior.

Summer: You Can't Come In: Adam and his new friend Zack

decide to build a secret fort for summer fun, but stumble onto a

perfect object lesson to demonstrate the cleansing power of Jesus Christ.

Fall: Seventy Times Seven: Doug learns a valuable lesson of forgiveness from a broken sign, and a chewed up baseball cap. The parable of the ungrateful servant from the book of Matthew, chapter 18, is brought to contemporary life in this story of two friends and a Christian businessman.

Winter: Braving the Storm: Thomas's grandfather guides him in understanding that God is still present even during the storms of life. Encouraging and not preachy, this story will speak to children of all ages.

I was not familiar with Children's Bible Hour before receiving these books. Part of my college education was spent in radio broadcasting, so I was anxious to learn more about this unique ministry and its offerings.

The first book I read, Race With Midnight, felt a bit stereotypical in plot and language as I read it out loud. My older daughter listening in even made the comment, "That's awkward" when hearing me read the dialogue of Becky's mother offering witnessing advice to Becky before leaving on her trip. I had my doubts that the Seasons of Faith series would really speak to our family culture and truly be a reflection of contemporary childhood to my kids. As I continued reading through the series, however I discovered what a treasure these picture books truly are.

My younger children and I were very excited to note Akron, OH as the setting of You Can't Come In. We visit Akron on a regular basis, but never see this amazing city mentioned in works of literature. I loved the carefully designed plot of Seventy Times Seven and thought it extremely relevant. Finally, Braving the Storm spoke to my heart with honest encouragement making it a title I will recommend over and over to families and children facing one of life's storms.

"They were good, great and awesome", said Aidan age 5, when asked how he felt about the Season of Faith books. "My favorite book was Braving the Storm. I liked when they planted the tree together".

"I think they were good", commented Sierra, 8 year old horse enthusiast. "My favorite book was Race with Midnight. I like when they get to ride the horses."

For more information on the Seasons of Faith Series or Children's Bible Hour Ministries, visit their website at www.cbhministries.org. Readers of this blog post will receive free standard shipping when purchasing the Season of Faith series and using code FREESHIPAPR15 at the time of checkout. This free shipping offer is valid March 17-April 15, 2010.

Seasons of Faith picture books are worth the small investment of $10.00 per book. I know I will use this series as a staple to share with my children as we navigate the seasons of our Christian walk.

Pandia Press: History Odyssey

2010-03-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

I am a huge fan of unit studies having used them exclusively our first 7 or so years of homeschooling. The age of my oldest children drew us away from unit studies as curriculum available on the market at the time was designed for elementary use. I tried finding time to research, plan and write unit studies for my teens, but the time required to do so was all consuming. Our once strictly unit study based homeschool slowly evolved with textbooks in an effort to keep pace with the educational needs of Jr. High and High school.

Kathleen Desmaris, homeschool Mom to four children ages toddler to teen, author and owner of Pandia Press has created excellent unit studies for the Jr. High and High School level student. I received History Odyssey: Modern Times, a literature-based study guide combining history, geography, and writing from Pandia Press in exchange for this review. Modern Times is created with an unit study model based in the classical style, is written for grades 7-10, and covers world history from the 1800's-21st century. It is a unit study loving homeschool Mom's dream come true.

Modern Times Level Two is one of 10 offerings in Pandia Press's History Odyssey series. Modern Times Level Two serves as a complete study guide offering a unique mix of literature discussion, history study with mapping and timeline work, research and hands-on independent projects for upper level students. The Modern Times study guide includes:

99 detailed lessons written for independent use
Reading assignments
Writing assignments
Map work assignments (they provide the maps in the unit--yeah!)
Timeline instructions (timelines are also included--double yeah!)
Research instructions for further study and assigned essays and reports
23 Custom World Geography Maps
Worksheets
Primary Source writings

The text of the study guide is laid out in a day to day format with clear expectations. For example, Part I: Introduction to Modern Times covers a review of world geography based around the novel, Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. Lesson 3 assignments from Part I, which are recommended to be completed in one to two sittings, are simply:

Read Chapters 15 to 20 in Around the World in Eighty Days
Label places visited by Fogg on Map 1
Add destinations to travel log

Students are provided with small check off boxes as they work through assignments. There is no ambiguity in these lesson plans, nor any reason to offer an excuse for the inevitable question of "Why is this assignment not completed?" Students can work independently with home teachers acting as mentors or guides throughout the study. In our homeschool, independent study for 7th grade and up is a preferred commodity.

In addition to mapping and timeline work to plot the where and when of history; writing assignments sprinkled throughout the lessons provide opportunity to develop outlining and research skills. Writing assignments vary in complexity and focus, but correspond with the work of literature chosen to support the history topic. Students compose one major research paper in MLA format throughout the year long course.

Pandia Press guides are written to a secular market with this explanation. "Our courses are secular, they are not written from any particular religious point of view. We hope that customers of all faiths will be comfortable using our materials. History Odyssey courses begin at 6000 B.C., therefore evolution is not applicable...."

Most homeschool families struggle with finding the perfect curriculum and occasionally purchase items that after a few weeks are destined to be dust collectors for bookshelves. Pandia Press, offers a unique "try before you buy" program to help customers avoid purchasing a curriculum that doesn't work for their family. The first few weeks of each History Odyssey guide and the company's R.E.A.L. Science guides for elementary grades are available in PDF formats on the Pandia website. The company encourages customers to freely use the curricula from the website, then purchase and download the e-book formats of the desired curriculum once they are sure it meets the "kid tested, homeschool Mom approved" standard.

To take advantage of the "try before you buy" opportunity click here http://www.pandiapress.com/History%20Odyssey%20Modern%20Times%20%28level%20two%29%20Preview.pdf

History Odyssey: Modern Times is available on Pandia's website for $33.99 in e-book format. For those not thrilled with an e-book option, paper copies can be purchased from select vendors. A list of vendors with direct links to their sites can be viewed at www.pandiapress.com

Our short review time with History Odyssey: Modern Times provided us only a glimpse of this one year curriculum. I believe it will be a very good fit for future study for my older students. My 7th grade daughter, Micah shared her perspective with me of the first unit.

"I think it's a good curriculum because it helps you to understand more about the story (literature) by having you look at the maps and find where the person was. I think by writing down all the details in the Travel Log it helps you understand the story more and really know the plot", she said.

As I suspected she did appreciate the independent study nature of History Odyssey. She shared her enthusiasm with the following comments:

"It's easier to do things by myself and on my own time with this curriculum. All you have to do is read the instructions then complete the assignments. It explains everything for you. I really like this because I don't have to wait on my teacher to help me."

Pandia Press fans can join the History Odyssey yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/history odyssey/members to share ideas, information and teaching secrets with other users. To read more reviews of Pandia Press science or history curriculum for elementary, Jr. High or High School level students visit the Crew Blog at www.homeschoolblogger.com/thehomeschoolcrew

Homeschool in the Woods- Revisted

2010-03-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

From my experience, time in the woods brings about relaxation, refreshment and renewal of spirit. Founded by artist Amy Pak, Homeschool in the Woods offers products which will visually enrich your homeschool bringing refreshment and renewal to tired old lessons. Offering timelines, timeline figures, maps and unit studies with lapbook elements designed by Pak, Homeschool in the Woods products are educational works of art.

As a member of TOS Homeschool Review Crew I received a free download of Homeschool in the Woods Olde World Style Modern and Historical Maps: United States and Olde World Style Modern and Ancient Maps: World Maps for use in my homeschool in exchange for this review.

The maps are available on the Homeschool in the Woods website, www.homeschoolinthewoods.com as instant download zip files for $18.95 each or on CD for $19.95 each. For customers wishing for both sets of maps, a downloadable combo pack sells for $28.95 while the CD combo pack sells for $29.95. I received the instant download zip file maps, easily extracted the files and was ready to preview and print the pages I desired. I am not usually a big fan of e-books and computer based curricula, but I found the convenience of scrolling through the various maps and then printing specific quantities to supplement our history lessons a refreshing option to old school copying from books.

Each Olde World Style map selection comes with five separate files which include:

Acknowledgement/ Introduction information plus color or black and white cover pages for notebooks

Grouped Map Sets

Individual Maps

Notebooking pages

World Map notebooking pages include Country Fact Sheets, Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Geography Page, and Brochure template to enable students to create a brochure of specific countries. US Map notebooking pages include fill in the blank pages for each state, teacher key and full color State flags ready to be cut and added to the pages for each state.

Mapping activities usually fall off the radar in our homeschool. Even with a history curriculum which recommends mapping activities to enhance study we always seem to run out of time or interest to follow through. Homeschool in the Woods Olde World Maps cured us from missing out on this valuable activity. Since we are studying World History of the middle ages this year, I chose to print a number of maps from Olde World Style Modern and Ancient Maps: World Maps. A map of the Sui and Tang Dynasties of China, Paul's Missionary journeys, the British Isles, France, India, Japan and Korea allowed my kids to visually plot their history lessons. Pak explains in her introduction of Olde World Style Modern and Ancient Maps why mapping activities are an integral part of the learning process of history.

"History is made of stories and legacies from a different time and place. Each story taught is like a puzzle piece--it has its own shape, size and image, but may pose a challenge when trying to connect it to other stories, making it a random happening or isolated event. In order to make sense, these "happenings" need to go from random to concrete, and that's where these two important elements come in. Timelines are used to plot the "when" in history.....and mapping, in turn, plots the "where", says Pak.

Our test marketing crew agreed with Pak's analysis of the importance of partnering mapping with history study.

"I liked how there were maps for each one of Paul's missionary journeys. It helped me figure out where he was in the world at this time. If he was stranded or if it was hot somewhere, etc. Using the maps really helped me understand more about the stories I read", said Micah, age 12 and 7th grade history student.

Jonah, age 15 and 10th grade history student appreciated the quality of the maps included with Olde World Style Modern and Ancient Maps: World Maps.

"They are very informational. I liked all the detail presented on each of the World maps. They were easy to use because the printing was clear and well defined. These maps made geography study of my history lessons easy,"he said.

Due to our current world history studies our family did not take advantage of all the Olde World Style Modern and Historical Maps:United States had to offer during this testing period. We did however, print out all the information for the State of Ohio to send back with a flat traveler visiting us from Canada. With a detailed State Facts sheet, State Flag and maps of Ohio we created a small booklet of detailed information of our beloved home state to send home with our flat visitors. I found the design quality of each of the maps and the facts page to be superior. Everything printed easily and quickly from the PDF file.

Never again will geography lessons slip off our homeschool radar. Homeschool in the Woods
has enhanced our history lessons with beautifully designed resources. I encourage everyone to visit the company website and breathe deeply of the rich resources that await your homeschool.

Old Schoolhouse Magazine...coming events!

2010-03-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for homeschool encouragement, resources, and fun, check out all that is going on at The Old Schoolhouse!

March Madness and Win Big in the Schoolhouse Store. During March Madness, over 240 items are 10 to 40 percent off! Click here to read the details.

Customers 139,000, 139,500, or 140,000, you will win over $348 in prizes.
Prizes include a 5 year subscription to TOS (U.S.only)
Scripture Sleuth literature series
Guitar lessons on CD, and more!

Hurry, the Old Schoolhouse just recorded customer #137,818.

And........The BIGGEST news of all

The Schoolhouse Expo 3-Day On-line conference is coming this May!

Pre-register now through March 31st and save $5!

Conference speakers include:

Diana Waring
Sue Patrick
Mark Hamby
Kim Kautzer
Amanda Bennett
Davis Carman of Apologia Ministries
Todd Wilson (The Family Guy)
Susan Wise Bauer
Jill Novak
Malia Russell
Andrew Pudewa

Convention Topics include:

Multi-level teaching strategies
Family life
Workbox systems
Language Arts/ Writing
Classical Education
Character training
Unit Studies
History
Much more....

Pre-register today for only $19.99 through March 31 and receive over $300 in free gifts. Registration and full conference details are available at http://www.schoolhouseexpo.com

Homeschool Library Builder--re-visited

2010-03-08T21:37:00.000-08:00

Literature-based homeschoolers and bibliophiles this review is for you! Homeschool Library Builder offers new and used "living" books at bargain prices. Whether looking to stock your shelves, planning a unit study or simply looking for bargains to fill out booklists for popular curricula like Sonlight or Beautiful Feet, Homeschool Library Builder is an awesome on-line store ready to meet your needs.
I reviewed Homeschool Library Builder last year for The Homeschool Review Crew. You can read that review here. I was impressed the first time with all the site has to offer customers and was anxious to note any changes when they appeared on our vendor list for this year.

Homeschool Library Builder has added a few changes to their site since last year which I think benefit customers. A WONDERFUL "Spotlight on the Season" section is ideal for planning unit studies. Complete with ideas and book selections related to future holidays, seasons or special events this portion of the site is an information treasure. Live links lead to either sale pages for necessary books or websites with detailed information, crafts, recipes and photos on the topic selected. A detailed "calendar of events" contains topic links for nearly every day of the month. For example, a unit study for March 6th could include Michangelo's birthday or the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo. Very cool!

To test out the current value of Homeschool Library Builder I chose to shop books through their handy curriculum shopper option. I chose "click here to search by curricula"on the homepage of the site which directed me to choose between Ambleside, Beautiful Feet, Five in a Row, Heart of Dakota, Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace and Veritas Press. Most familiar with Sonlight products, I chose Sonlight from the list which directed me to choose between Cores to shop. After choosing Core 7, my browser was directed to two pages of titles currently available, new and used, through Homeschool Library Builder. As of this date bargains available for Core 7 included:

Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon
New Softcover Retail price: $14.95 HSLB price: $5.99

Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
Good/Very Good Condition former library cover edition
Retail Price: $16.95 HSLB price: $4.25

Leonardo Da Vinci by Diane Stanley
New Hardcover with Dust Jacket
Retail Price: $18.99 HSLB price: $9.99

There were two pages of bargains listed for Sonlight's Core 7, so one-stop shopping would not be possible at Homeschool Library Builder. However, for frugal families willing to invest in a little bit of time, a potential savings of $30.66 for three books might just be worth the inconvenience. Finding Homeschool Library Builder 's offerings of well-organized bargains require a small investment of time, but deliver great dividends in value.

Graphics Toolbox

2010-03-04T16:24:00.001-08:00

At a local homeschool support group meeting one night a member coined the phrase, "tool in our toolbox" to describe an opportunity from which she had benefited. I remember thinking it a great phrase to share as all homeschool families do not look alike. Curriculum, field trips and other opportunities which seem amazing and irreplaceable for some may seem boring or frivolous to others. Graphics Toolbox is an incredible graphic design program currently being marketed to the homeschool community, but it may or may not be a "tool for your toolbox".

I received a free copy of Graphics Toolbox as a member of the Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for this review. Initially overwhelmed by the program I had the opportunity to attend an extremely informative training session offered by program creator, Lynda Holler. The training was offered to help me ease through the learning curve of becoming a graphic designer. Holler recorded her training sessions with the crew and offers them free of charge on the Graphics Toolbox website, http://www.greatsoftwaretools.com/.

"Graphics Toolbox is my brainchild. I worked for over 25 years in NYC's fashion industry and I used the apparel and textile software Colour Matters for all my design and presentation needs. I also used it for all my personal graphics needs, like making invitations, thank you notes, photo editing and more....About three years ago a lightbulb went on and I realized that most people didn't own a professional-level graphics program that was easy to learn and use", said Holler in a recent press release.

"I began working with William Tsao, the developer of Colour Matters to create Graphics Toolbox. We removed most of the fashion features leaving the intuitive and creative graphics tools, while adding new functions that could benefit the personal user like our Daily Life Color Cards, Fancy Lines and Colorful Ribbons", she added.

Graphics Toolbox is a comprehensive design program that operates with a raster graphics editor. This means Graphics Toolbox is similar to Photoshop and Paint programs which work with a grid-like template enabling users to design in pixels. According to Holler, Graphics Toolbox works at a 300 dpi; a very high resolution equal to a photographic quality resolution. Controls and design options within the program are extremely visual making use of symbols instead of words. Holler explained this was purposeful so students would not have to be familiar with design terminology in order to use the program.

In addition to helpful training videos on the Graphics Toolbox website, a complete training manual is included with the program. Users only need to right click their mouse to find a help message linking them to page 2 of the users manual; a PDF file linked to various topics. For example, if struggling with re-sizing an image, right click, choose "re-size image" in the index, click on the topic and instantly access the portion of the user manual which explains how to complete the task.

When I first looked at Graphics Toolbox I had a hard time imagining using it in our homeschool. Even after my helpful training session I felt overwhelmed and a bit intimidated. I understood Graphics Toolbox could help my children create wonderful school reports, play with photos, design personalized invitations and other stationery and even be used for blog design elements. I was however, having a hard time embracing the technology so I did what every smart homeschool Mom does and assigned my 12 year old daughter to the task.

Micah is our family's designated card maker, bread baker, and constant source of creative entertainment. She loves to work with digital photography to create unique still photos, gift cards and mini movies. Feeling helpless to offer instruction I simply told her to visit the Great Software Tools website for training. She watched three different videos and chose to create an invitation as her project. She cut an image from an old photo, added ribbon elements and shadowed text to test out the aspects of Graphics Toolbox. It took her 3 1/2 hours to create her custom invitation shown below.

I interviewed Micah so she could share her experience as a student with Graphics Toolbox.

How would you compare this program in relation to traditional scrapbooking or card making ?

"I could have done most of this project with scissors. I guess the only thing I couldn't have done is save paper and ribbon".

Do you think you will use Graphics Toolbox again for projects?

"Yeah, I think so, because I can access everything really quickly like the pictures and ribbon and words. Some things I could have done on Microsoft Word, but Graphics Toolbox lets me do everything in one program".

What aspects could you not have done with Microsoft Word?

"Cutting out images, adding a shadow effect to the words, things like that"

What do you think about the learning curve needed to become familiar with Graphics Toolbox?

"I guess it really isn't that hard, but finding the right buttons and the right frame took me some time at first. Some things were a bit overwhelming until I got the hang of it."

How long would a project like this take you next time you used Graphics Toolbox?

"I'd say about an hour now that I've learned how to use the program. When I got stuck in certain parts it took me a long time to figure out what I was doing wrong and find the answer. I think that's why it took me so long the first time."

What is your overall impression of Graphics Toolbox?

"I like that you can cut out certain pictures. For example you could have a human head on an animal or you could put people in photos who weren't really there. My little brother loves Ben 10 so I could use this program to put his head on Ben 10's character for his next birthday card. I also like all the colors and choices for ribbons. It's definitely worth using Graphics Toolbox for projects for school and making cards for other people".

Graphics Toolbox retails for $149.00 on the Great Software Tools website. Its unique features can be put to work for business or school use. For those interested in trying before buying, Great Software Tools offers a FREE 30 day trial of the software accessible through instant download.

Although I am still struggling to understand how to incorporate Graphics Toolbox into our homeschool my children are not. They are ready to make it a "tool in their toolbox" as they bring fresh ideas and creativity to their school projects.

BeeHive Reader

2010-02-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

We have been using All About Spelling in our homeschool since I reviewed it last year for TOS Homeschool Review Crew. I have never been too excited about spelling as a subject and even abandoned it for years because I never found an effective program to use. All About Spelling, however, changed my opinion of the importance of a phonetic based spelling program. Published by Marie Rippel, literacy expert, All About Spelling is an enjoyable, multi-sensory program with step by step lesson plans and daily review.

The good news is that All About Spelling is now all about reading. The first reader for the soon to be released All About Reading program, The Beehive Reader 1 is designed to correlate with the word lists of Level 1 of All About Spelling. Our family received a copy of The Beehive Reader 1 for free in exchange for this review. My second grade daughter, Sierra was excited to receive the Beehive Reader 1 and assist me with the review.

The Beehive Reader is a hard back 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" book perfect for little hands. The illustrations are charming pencil line drawings with a soft tone. Making use of words taught and practiced in the All About Spelling program, the Beehive Reader offers instant success for beginning reading students. Unlike other beginning readers, the Beehive Reader 1 does not contain extra sight words which may or may not be familiar to the student.

"I know first hand the importance of having decodable books for young children who are just beginning to read and for older children who are struggling to read", said Rippel. "My son (now

17 years old) was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was younger. We were told that he would never be able to read fluently. The good news is that after teaching him--using the same method I lay out in the All About Spelling program-- he is now a very strong fluent reader, and he actually enjoys reading for pleasure" she continued.

Sierra truly enjoyed Beehive Reader 1 and eagerly shared her enthusiasm after reading the first chapter. "I really liked it! It was full of easy words. I like the pictures because they showed a lot of action. The kids are having fun in the pictures."

The Beehive Reader 1 is available at the All About Spelling website, www.all-about-spelling.com and retails for $19.99. The next reader in the series is scheduled to be released soon with a total of four readers available by the end of 2010. To view the table of contents, samples of the Beehive Reader 1 or read other customer reviews and testimonials visit http://www.all-about-spelling.com/beehive-reader-1.html#lookSee

Math Mammoth-Re-visited

2010-02-22T05:11:00.001-08:00

Math Mammoth specializes in custom fit math programs for elementary aged students. Founded by Maria Miller, MA in mathematics with minors in physics and statistics and educational studies, Math Mammoth offers four different types of curriculum to meet the unique needs of homeschools. Customers may choose:

the BLUE series- worktexts organized by topic

the LIGHT BLUE series- complete comprehensive curriculum for each grade level
the GOLDEN series - worksheet practice for grades 3-Algebra 1 level
the GREEN series -worksheets by topic (designed for grades 3-7)

"I always designed the lessons in the books so that they would teach BOTH the parent and the child the processes and concepts of elementary math", states Miller in her User Guide for the curriculum. "Thus, the books contain very clear explanations, lots of visual exercises and pattern exercises that help children see the structure of mathematics and clearly understand the concepts of mathematics, instead of just memorizing rules", she said.

Math Mammoth products are relatively inexpensive, but do require a bit of publishing on the part of the consumer. Customers choose between ordering a CD for their computer or downloading files immediately upon payment. I am not a fan of printable homeschool materials, simply because of the extra effort required to print, hole punch, and organize the materials once they are loaded to the computer. However, an entire 2nd grade level curriculum complete with instruction, 2 semesters of work-texts, cumulative reviews, tests, answer keys, worksheet generators, links to free on-line games to support each topic studied and a final comprehensive diagnostic test costs only $29.70. In addition, Math Mammoth allows unlimited use of products purchased within the family's homeschool, saving curriculum costs for future children studying the same level.

My 2nd grade daughter, Sierra used Math Mammoth Level 2A over the past few weeks. Miller sent us a link to download the zip file free of charge in exchange for this review. Math Mammoth, Level 2 Light Blue series consists of 249 pages; more than enough for an entire school year. According to the Math Mammoth text, students in grades 1 and 2 will need to spend 25-40 mins. each day to complete the curriculum over a span of 200 days.

After a rocky start with the curriculum, I learned it is very important to open ALL the PDF files that come with the instant download. I thought, initially, we had not received an answer key or teacher's guide. I was wrong. Another mistake I made was to NOT have Sierra take the optional placement test offered by the company. Many of the review topics presented in the first section of Level 2A were taught in a different format than Sierra's previous mathematics experiences. This created a mountain of frustration for her and I as we tried to work through the beginning work-text lessons.

I remedied our frustration by locating the User Guide filled with helpful advice regarding curriculum use, testing, cumulative reviews, using the worksheet maker and contact information for Miller for further questions. After reading the User Guide I had Sierra take the Level 1 comprehensive final test to check her mastery of topics required for Level 2. Students must receive a score of 80% on the test to be ready for the next level. Sierra was not ready as I had suspected. I readily agree with Miller's recommendation to use the placement tests, available on the website, to avoid purchasing the wrong product or frustrating the student.

Although students in the early grades can complete Math Mammoth without manipulatives, Miller encourages use of a 100 bead abacus or base ten blocks for 1st grade. "For the most part, the curriculum does not specifically emphasize manipulatives, but visual models", says Miller in the User Guide. "However the exercises that use visual models CAN be done equally well with manipulatives (beans/counters, base ten blocks fraction manipulatives, etc.)", she said.

Work-text pages of Math Mammoth are colored to aid visual learners and keep interest high. The beginning of each lesson provides brief instruction with a few sample problems surrounded by a blue box. Sierra struggled a bit with certain math topics and I found the instructions often were not detailed enough to meet her needs.

Miller offers suggestions in the User Manual to mix up instruction a bit or reach a struggling student. She advises teachers to make use of the Worksheet Maker, choose word problems from subsequent chapters relating to the topic or to simply incorporate one of the many on-line games listed at the beginning of each chapter for extra practice. The goal of Math Mammoth is mastery and Miller has created a host of opportunity for students to reach that level.

An optional test follows the conclusion of each chapter of Math Mammoth. Miller recommends using the tests only for diagnostic purposes or record keeping. The optional comprehensive final test is provided for each level of the Light Blue series as well. This is the same test on the website used for placement.

Cumulative review chapters are sprinkled throughout the curriculum. These chapters are available in PDF, doc, or htm file formats to allow teachers to customize problem sets for their student's specific needs. Miller recommends using the cumulative review chapters only as needed.

Although our experience with Math Mammoth was less than desirable due to (cough) user error, Sierra had only positive memories to share about her experience. "I like the directions and the colors on the pages," she said. "Math Mammoth colors things in so it's not confusing. The lessons seem pretty long, but I think I learned a lot", she added.

For more information about Math Mammoth visit their website at www.mathmammoth.com. Samples of the curriculum are available as well as the option of purchasing smaller portions of the curriculum before committing to a full package. Level 2A or Level 2B of the Light Blue Series retail for $15.50 each and is only available as an instant download. In addition, Miller offers a free 7 day virtual math educators e-mail course or tour of Math Mammoth filled with benefits on the site.

A rainbow of choices and seeming endless supply of customer service and support guarantees Math Mammoth is certain to fit the needs of most homeschool families in search of quality math curriculum for the elementary years.

Zeezok Publishing

2010-02-18T21:49:00.001-08:00

Zeezok Publishing, established in 2003 is a company focused on serving the homeschool curriculum marketplace by offering unique products designed to "assist you in developing your family's love for God and country". It's not surprising that a company with such a mission carries a handwriting curriculum titled, "Presidential Penmanship" Zeezok Publishing sent our family the Getty Dubay Italic Style version of Presidential Penmanship for free in exchange for this review.

According to the publisher, Presidential Penmanship is appropriate for handwriting practice for grades 1-12. I personally do not see the need to practice handwriting at the Jr. High or High School levels of education, but it is helpful to know the curriculum is comprehensive enough to span a variety of grades. Presidential Penmanship is described on the packaging as "a supplemental handwriting program....based on the writings and quotes of America's founding fathers and presidents." In addition, the company suggests using the short quotes used in the primary years for memorization practice. They believe these quotes will become a foundation for future instruction in government and civics. The sixth grade level includes a "final exam" requiring the student to copy the Gettysburg Address.

I have never taught anything but block style handwriting to my children simply because it is what I knew. Getty Dubay Italic Style handwriting has a few more curves to printed letters connecting them together much in the way traditional cursive writing does. Fans of Getty-Dubay Italic believe it develops neater handwriting by helping children who tend to struggle with letter reversals. According to research published by Portland State University, "The hand position and movements for the italic are natural and result in an easy flowing motion when writing." Presidential Penmanship is available in 6 different handwriting styles through ZeeZok Publishing.

My Presidential Penmanship Complete Program arrived as a computer CD-rom neatly packaged in a plastic box similar to packaging for DVD movies. There was no instruction booklet to read through, so I simply placed the CD in my computer to begin instruction. Unfortunately, there wer no detailed teaching instructions leaving me to interpret the numerous PDF files appearing on my computer screen on my own. After reading the package description printed on the back of the cover and opening several of the files I determined my student should spend one week each on a quote. All worksheets print from the CD and provide lined areas for printing practice. Each session of handwriting practice allowed for copying the quote once, but I printed a few extra practice pages provided just in case we would need them.

I chose to test drive Presidential Penmanship Italic Style Complete Program with my 2nd grade, left-handed student, Sierra. Being left-handed is not without its challenges especially when your teacher is right-handed. I always forget to remind Sierra to turn her paper the correct direction, etc. because she is a mirrored reflection of my habits. I hoped the simplicity of Presidential Penmanship and incorporation of Getty-Dubay Italic style would empower Sierra towards neater handwriting.

Week One of Presidential Penmanship, Grade One offers handwriting practice using the quote, "It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one." ~ G. Washington. The first day Sierra and I read and discussed the quote's meaning plus spent time remembering George Washington and his importance to our country. Sierra followed up our discussion by tracing inside bubbled letters that directed her strokes and placement. By having the mini history lesson first and following it with handwriting practice, the lesson seemed natural and purposeful.

Day 2 of the week was spent tracing over pre-printed letters and then following with an "On Your Own" section to practice writing the quote without prompts or helpful guidelines. The third and final day of week one of Presidential Penmanship was spent identical to day two. Students were expected to trace over pre-printed letters before trying to write the quote solo. Each day's practice took Sierra approximately 10 minutes to complete; an easy thing to incorporate into any day.

Sierra seemed to enjoy Presidential Penmanship. When asked for her opinion she eagerly shared. "I really liked it because it shows you how the letters should be so I always remember. I learned a little about the Presidents too", she said. A lifetime fan of Abe Lincoln she added, "I can't wait to do Abraham Lincoln. That will be awesome."

Presidential Penmanship Italic Style Complete Program retails at www.Zeezok.com for $39.99. It is available on CD or in e-book instant downloadable formats. Sample pages can be viewed on the company website. For customers not wanting the comprehensive version of the program separate grade level options may be purchased for $9.99 each.

The Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling by Debra Bell

2010-02-17T09:38:00.001-08:00

A few years ago I met a new homeschool Mom named Annette. Filled with enthusiasm and energy she seemed to inspire everyone she talked to. I loved our conversations as Annette always seemed to be an endless fount of information and great ideas.

I remember one conversation in particular regarding homeschool philosophies. I shared my personal views and Annette immediately, related, "Oh yes! I can tell you are very "Debra Bell"." At the time, I had no idea who Debra Bell was or why I was just like her, but I decided it must be a compliment and took it as such.

A few months ago, I learned that Apologia Science would be sending me a product free of charge for review as a member of TOS Homeschool Review Crew. Assuming it would be some sort of science curriculum, I was pleasantly surprised to find a comprehensive homeschool resource inside the package. As I glanced at the cover I noted that The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling was written by Debra Bell. It was finally time for me to become acquainted with Debra Bell's philosophy of home education

Bell is a veteran homeschool parent who has lived to tell her tale. Having homeschooled her four children from K-grade 12, she also helped lead a successful homeschool co-op, hybrid homeschool and private school, and assisted in the development of a thriving youth theater company during their homeschool years. Bell did not rely solely on her own expertise to write The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, however. She states in the text, "Beyond my own family's experience, I draw heavily upon the lives of my dear friends who are great sports about figuring unadulterated into my tale. Homeschooling would have never been quite as rich an experience if we had not had a large homeschool and church community to share the journey with."

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling retails at www.apologia.com for $20.00. It is part of their Apologia Press resources for parents. A 509 page paperback resource, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling offers detailed helpful advice for seasoned veterans or families new to home education. Topics covered in the text include:

Homeschooling: Is it for you?
Choosing a Curriculum
Organization and Planning
Preventing Burnout
What to Teach--When and How
Homeschooling Teens
Computers in the Homeschool
Creative Solutions
Measuring Your Success
Resource Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling reads like a letter from a dear friend. Bell's style, candor and wit reach out to the reader from every page. I found myself staying up way too late many nights reading this handbook soaking up its enjoyable, inspirational and refreshing information.

Although I have homeschooled for 14 years, I never tire of support group meetings and gatherings with other homeschool families. The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling reads like a support group meeting filled with ideas, honest confessions, encouragement and great teacher education. Homeschool families will want to keep this broad resource on their bookshelves and re-visit it often. And just in case you were wondering....Annette was right. I am very "Debra Bell".

Dollar Homeschool: Eclectic Education Series

2010-02-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

Everything old is new again with Dollar Homeschool's Eclectic Education Series or EES. EES is a collection of textbooks used in the American public schools between the years of 1865-1915. Due to limits of copyright, all of these texts are available for distribution free of charge in various locations. Dollar Homeschool has located and organized them by subject, scanned them and placed the texts on CD.

EES covers every major subject area including, science, math, grammar, history and reading. It includes well known titles like McGuffey's Readers, Ray's Arthimetic, Pinneo's Grammar, Thalheimer's History, and Norton's Science. The CD holds copies of each of the texts spanning basic educational needs for grades K-12. Customers can choose between buying the entire series on CD for $159.00 or individual subjects for $39.00 each. Dollar Homeschool offers FREE shipping on orders and a 30 day money back guarantee.

I received an email download of EES for free in exchange for this review. Since our family only had six weeks to spend with textbooks spanning an entire 12 years of curriculum we choose to focus our time with Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Long's Language Readers. Complete product descriptions, pricing and ordering information can be found at Dollar Homeschool's website, www.dollarhomeschool.com.

I was very resistant at first to make use of Harvey's Elementary Grammar. Not being a huge fan of the subject matter to begin with and being slightly turned off by the dull pages I glanced at with old-fashioned typeset, I had high doubts that information from the "good old days" truly was better than curriculum options of today. I was WRONG!

Charlotte Mason fans take note....Harvey's Grammar is a huge inexpensive resource which will fit idyllically with this educational philosophy. Broken into small simple lessons with intelligent vocabulary each lesson is designed for discussion and narration. For $39.00 customers can have an entire Grammar curriculum for 12 years of education. Wow!

My 2nd grade student, Sierra and I spent several weeks working through the beginning of Harvey's Elementary Grammar. She had never studied Grammar formally before and Harvey's was a perfect fit for her. Sierra has been a late bloomer in the area of language development and still struggles in her writing with letter reversals, fine motor control, verb tense, and spelling. Harvey's Grammar met Sierra's need to advance her conceptual understanding of language without having to constantly face these hurdles which slow her down. I could not have loved a curriculum more!

When asked for her opinion, Sierra enthusiastically replied, "I really liked it (Harvey's Grammar) because it tells you different things you probably don't know. I like some of the words that are in it because they are big words. It seemed easy because I just got to talk through it instead of like having to fill out the answers."

Eclectic Education Series is available only on CD format at this time. I am not a huge fan of e-books, but the value of this curriculum will certainly off set any printing costs incurred at home. The CD is bookmarked making it easy to locate desired texts, print and use in an alternative location from the computer.

Although we have spent six weeks with this massive curriculum I still believe we have much to discover. Dollar Homeschool has created a Yahoo group for discussion for Ray's Arithmetic. A link to the group can be found on their website. In addition, their blog, http://www.dollarhomeschool.com/blog/index.html offers customers articles of interest and helpful links to use while using their curriculum.

Math Tutor DVD: Numbers and Counting

2010-02-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

Math Tutor DVD, a unique math curriculum company developed by Jason Gibson who says he "gets a thrill out of making seemingly complex topics suddenly easy to students" has a new product for the youngest of students. I received the Numbers and Counting DVD, the first installment in the company's Young Minds DVD series free of charge in exchange for this review.

I sat down with my five year old son, Aidan and eight year old daughter, Sierra to watch the DVD and noted from the packaging it is award winning. Numbers and Counting received the 2009 Dr. Toy Top Ten Audio Visual Product, 2009 Dr. Toy Top 100 educational products for the year, 2009 Top Choice award from Creative Child Magazine and was recipient of the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. I had high expectations and after our viewing session Sierra, Aidan and I agreed Numbers and Counting is the "Best of the Best"!

Numbers and Counting helps young students learn to identify and practice counting numbers 1-9. Beautiful classical music accompanies gorgeous colorful nature photographs and other child-friendly images while a narration of simple facts are shared. For example, a detailed color photo of a sea turtle is accompanied with the narration, "One Sea Turtle. A sea turtle swims in the ocean". Occassionally, video is incorporated within the mix of images keeping visual interest high throughout the movie.

Even though the content of Numbers and Counting is definitely geared toward the pre-school set, Sierra enjoyed the music and images too. While "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" played in the background she exclaimed, "Mom! I know that song!" Watching this basic concept video is a pleasant, relaxing experience for all ages; another plus in our opinions.

Numbers and Counting is divided into 4 min. segments for each number. This division allows parents to use the video sparingly if desired to meet the attention spans of young ones. Although the video can run seamlessly, because it's a DVD, users may select various sections accessed through the menu option.

Bonus features included with the DVD include three game options, Puzzles, Connect the Dots and Guess the Animal. Numbered puzzle pieces float into place creating an image in the Puzzle game. The floating puzzles are accompanied by narration relating to the numbers and image. Connect the Dots displays a basic black and white line drawing needing finished by connecting numbers in order 1-10. Once complete the image is displayed in full color. Very fun! Guess the Animal, my favorite, consisted of close-up images with narrated clues followed by the image slowly pulling out to reveal the animal or insect in full.

Numbers and Counting has a full running time of approximately 45 minutes with an additional 15 minutes of bonus feature games. All narration in Numbers and Counting is done by a young child. The narration is clear and distinct and when combined with the classical music hints of Disney's Little Einstein videos. Aidan, a huge Einstein's fan noticed the resemblance too.

When asked for his honest opinion of Numbers and Counting to add to our review Aidan was enthusiastic and poetic.

"It was very cool! It was very special to me. It was fantastic. It was very cool, very romantic. I loved all the games!" he said.

Numbers and Counting retails at MathTutorDVD.com for $19.99. For more information regarding Math Tutor DVD's Young Minds series or any of their other products for older students visit their website at www.mathtutordvd.com.

Become a member of TOS Review Crew !

2010-02-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

If you enjoy reading these reviews and have often thought, "I could do that", now is your chance. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is currently accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Review Crew.

For specific information and details visit the official ad at: www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/homeschool/Homeschool-Crew-2010.htm

The deadline for applicants is March 12th so hurry! We've love to have you on board!

Kinderbach--revisited

2010-02-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Once again I received a three month subscription to Kinderbach, an online music education program, as a member of TOS Review Crew. The gift subscription was provided to me in exchange for this review.

According to creator, Kerri Gregor, "Kinderbach gives any young child the wonderful opportunity to learn music through playing the piano". I used Kinderbach in our home last year with my then 4 year old son, Aidan and 7 year old daughter, Sierra. Our comprehensive review can be read by clicking here.

In summary, according to the Kinderbach website, Kinderbach offers:

* Solid Curriculum
* Fun Characters
* Multi Learning Styles
*Engaging Video
*Hands on Pages
*Music Theory Games
*30 Day Money Back Guarantee

Since we last spent time with Kinderbach, a few extras have been added to the program. On-line lessons currently cost $19.99 a month or $95.88 a year. With the purchase of an on-line membership families receive unlimited access to Kinderbach curriculum divided into 6 different levels of instruction. In addition, Kinderbach now offers an optional Crafts and Games Level I, II and III for $9.95. The Crafts and Games subscription provides additional activities which match up with the lessons. Other downloadable PDF file extras like
a floor keyboard, music posters and flashcards are available with price points of Free- $2.95 each.

For families unsure about commiting to an on-line subscription, Kinderbach offers a FREE two week trial of their product. In addition, free song downloads are available at http://www.kinderbach.com/ and samples can be viewed on Youtube by searching under Dodies Story.

Facts First/ Saxon Harcourt

2010-02-01T22:22:00.001-08:00

Facts First, an on-line program distributed by Saxon Homeschool and created by Skills Tutor, a sister company of Saxon, had my attention when it showed up on the review schedule for TOS Review Crew. My family has been a fan of Saxon Math since the beginning of our homeschool journey, or rather should I say, I have been a fan, my kids, well.....

Facts First is designed to develop "fluency with math facts". This skill mirrors a major portion of the Saxon Math curriculum, but math fluency complements any math program, not just Saxon. The on-line subscription based computer program drills kids in basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division math facts through timed drills. Students as young as Kindergarten easily benefit from the program targeted to younger students. Students do not need to be able to read independently to be able to use the program independently.

Our family received a 90 subscription to Facts First in exchange for this review. My 2nd grade daughter, Sierra and Kindergarten son, Aidan couldn't have been happier.

After logging into the site for the first time it guided me to register up to 4 students. Students are represented by a basic avatar, labeled with their name. Once logged into the site even a younger child can find his account by simply clicking on his name. Since I only had two students needing to develop fluency in basic math facts I quickly had everyone registered and we were ready to begin.

Although I selected addition to begin our trial, each time a student logs in they may choose to learn and practice addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. These are represented by large mathematical symbols for each, (+, -, X, etc.) on a button. Clicking on the math symbol takes users to the first "Welcome" lesson for the topic.

Non-readers easily continue without assistance as all directions to create a personalized avatar character for the lessons are spoken and written. After creating the avatar by choosing a body, clothes, etc. students are ready to attempt their first pre-test to check their fluency level.

Sierra began her first lesson by watching a teacher explain to her class the concept for adding zero to a number. Next she was asked to practice the concept a few times before taking a quiz to check fluency. Sound effects accompanied her rate of speed encouraging her inner competitive spirit.

Speed is very important with Facts First as students will not be awarded credit for completed work if it is done too slowly. A chart known as The Math Fact Matrix displays students progress when attempted. Facts marked in green note the rating of "excellent", yellow equals "good", red notes "needs work" and blue dashed lines mark the fact as "not sure yet".

Sierra received the award of "not sure yet" despite receiving all checks and check pluses when drilling her facts. She was a bit frustrated with this aspect which basically penalized her for slow typing skills. She had answered all of her facts correctly, but been told by the program her work was less than satisfactory. Unfortunately, receiving a 42% for answering all questions correctly left her discouraged instead of encouraged.

Parent control settings with Facts First allow adjusting the speed required for math facts. This can be individualized for each student in case someone is a slow typist, but excellent mathematician. As I prodded Sierra forward she took the her timed test two more times in an effort to compensate for the lack of typing experience. She began to warm up to Facts First as her scores continued to improve. By her third attemtpt her speed had improved enough to warrant an award of 84%.

Although Sierra struggled getting to know Facts First she said she enjoyed the program over all. "I liked Facts First, because it helped me learn math. I like when you begin the lesson how it puts your character in different places; sometimes it's the school and sometimes it's at the recycling center or at home," she said.

Aidan, a future computer geek, loved every moment of Facts First. He easily sailed through quite a few lessons and I believe learned new addition facts from his time spent with the program. Due to his age, I had not spent much if any time instructing him in addition math facts. Facts First lit a fire within him for reciting addition facts which he now readily shares with anyone close enough to listen.

After spending 20 minutes with a math lesson Facts First rewards students with "arcade" time. A visit to the arcade simply means more computer math games to play focused around a carnival theme. Arcade time is timed and even when in the middle of a really great game a message of "times up" appears and the user is re-directed back to the lessons. I thought this feature was good, allowing me the freedom to set my little computer nut loose with Facts First trusting his time would be well spent.

"I really loved it! I liked the person (avatar) on the screen because he is very cool with his video game shirt. I really liked the math games I got to play at the end", said Aidan.

Facts First is fun oriented for the kids and practical for the homeschool parent wanting to monitor time spent "playing" on the computer. When logged into an individual student account parents can view a detailed report for each time test. Clicking on the title of a time test shows dates of the attempts, whether the student completed the task or not and a final score or percentage calculated by measuring their mastery speed level. The report also details how much time is spent on with each time test.

Facts First is comprehensive in its scope of basic math skills. Within the topic of addition there are 40 different time tests to master, not including pre-tests and final or post tests. Addition topics include:

Adding 0
Adding 1 and 2
Adding 5
Doubles (ie. 2+2 and 4+4)
Doubles plus one (ie. 1+2 and 2+3)
Sums 9 to 11
Sums 12 and 13
Sums 14 to 17

A one year subscription to Facts First is $49.99 and good for up to four users in one home. A free demo of the program can be found on the company website at http://www.factsfirst.com/

MathScore

2010-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

If math education has lost its appeal in your homeschool a subscription to MathScore.com may be just what you need. Developed by MIT graduate Steven Yang, MathScore.com promises to make math practice fun and inviting to kids in grades 1-Algebra 1 level of study. Yang, who also co-founded Direct Hit Technologies, a winner of the MIT $50K Entrepreneurship competition in 1998, is hopeful that millions of children will be positively impacted by MathScore.com

" It is a challenge in educational software design to find a balance between genuine learning and motivational fun. One of the reasons why I designed MathScore was because I felt that too much educational software was fun, but very light on meaningful learning. I hope you agree that we've achieved a good balance", said Yang.

My test marketing team is pleased to give MathScore.com two thumbs up. As a member of TOS Review Crew I was given a 6 month trial to the MathScore website to use in our homeschool in exchange for this review. My daughters, Micah, grade 7 and Sierra, grade 2 took advantage of this opportunity. After watching a brief intro video on the company website, http://www.mathscore.com/ I understood the philosophy of MathScore lined up well with my approach to math education for my children. According to the website MathScore:

Eliminates the need for timed math tests

Is paperless

Promotes mastery learning

Is Proven to raise test scores

MathScore rewards speed and therefore to enable maximum success students need to have basic computer keyboarding skills. To assist with this issue, the first topic or lesson to complete is the Copy Cat Topic which teaches using the number key pad. This aspect was especially important for my 2nd grader who did not have much experience with keyboarding skills. Once Sierra successfully completed the Copy Cat Topic a screen appeared which said, "Congratulations" and small fireworks exploded. She was also promoted to the next level of expertise, that of Trainee and was so impressed by this that she ran to me shouting, "Mommy! I completed the level! I've been PROMOTED!" Wow! Excitement over math practice equals a very good thing.

I was pleased my 2nd grader was motivated, but in my opinion the true test of this product was to appeal to my somewhat skeptical 7th grader. I sat down with Micah after she had been using MathScore for three weeks to have her show me around the website and share her honest opinions.

After Micah logged in with her student user name and password she chose "Topics" to begin. A list of 92 different topics are available to choose from for the 7th grade level. Users can choose to review the list alphabetically, show only the critical thinking topics or simply leave them as presented. Once a topic is chosen, users may elect to view a mini-lesson, practice a worksheet of problems relating to the topic or simply do a worksheet. Timed worksheets vary in difficulty and length; the more difficult the concept the fewer the problems and more time awarded to complete. Students work against a designated time to solve problems and once successful in completing the worksheet are awarded points and promoted to the next level or higher. For example, while working on the "Fraction Division" topic, Micah completed level 4 worksheet in record time, was awarded 75 points and promoted to level 7. MathScore read her speed in level 4 as proficiency and rewarded her accordingly. This aspect of the program ensured Micah didn't waste time reviewing mastered concepts.

"They usually make you jump up a level if you have more time left than the time you've spent", explained Micah.

There are many aspects of MathScore which encourage students to pursue more math study. A "High Scores" section lists students using MathScore who have achieved the most points while using the program. Students are simply identified by initials, rank and score. An "Awards" section records the various levels of accomplishment the student has met throughout the entire subscription time with MathScore. All students begin as Trainees and unlock various rankings as points are scored. For example, at 27, 904 points Micah was ranked as a Lieutenant and would move to the next ranking at 30,000 points. The ability to print her list of accomplishment was a nice feature if I desired to have a written record of time well spent. Finally, in addition to points and rankings students can be awarded virtual "trophies" as certain topics are mastered.

"I think it makes it more fun to earn points and move up in ranking,"commented Micah. "It's kind of addicting, actually", she added.

A "Statistics" section of the website detailed a summary of Micah's activity on MathScore. By choosing to click on this button I quickly learned that she had spent a total of 23 hours and 59 mins. in math practice over a three week period. As her parent I also received daily report summaries through email each and every day she spent time on the site noting the updates to her status.

Although, we did not take advantage of the math assessment feature of MathScore, students in grade 4 and older may take an assessment test on the site which identifys student strengths and weaknesses. At the conclusion of the assessment, MathScore recommends topics to be studied based on test results. Assessments are an optional part of the MathScore program and recommended to be taken only a few times a year. Concentrating on working through the math topics is the intended focus of MathScore.

I have reviewed quite a few math related websites over the past two years. I really like the simplicity of MathScore; the competitive nature which taps kids' natural motivation and the accountability aspect of reporting activity to me on a daily basis. Micah was able to use this product without any assistance from me, but I was able to keep tabs on her progress through the email updates and quick checks of her summary. The fact that she completed her traditional math lesson quickly so she could spend more time with MathScore is in my opinion high praise for an educational product geared to mastery not entertainment.

MathScore has a rather complex pricing system in an attempt to meet the unique needs of homeschoolers.

Free half month trials are available to those wishing a test run before purchasing a subscription. After the trial period a subscription purchased month to month costs:

First child: $14.95/month
Second child: $5/month
Each additional child: $3.95/month

When logged in to your MathScore account, users can choose to purchase a 9-month subscription that reduces the price for the first child to $9.95/month. Once the purchase is made, the new pricing is locked in permanently, so after the 9 months, you can still pay the new rate on a monthly basis without prepaying for 9 more months.

Another price option is a lump sum payment. If you prepay $50, you can get $60 account credit (20% bonus credit). If you prepay $100, you get $140 account credit (40% bonus credit). The lump sum payment option is the most favorable for parents who have already locked in the lowest rate.

MathScore also allows subscibers to freeze their account for vacation times, then reactivate once home without any penalty. When an account is frozen account credit is awarded on a prorated basis so when the account reactivates no credit has been wasted.

Help your kids fall in love once again with their math education. Take advantage of MathScore and watch it light a fire for math in your homeschool.

Keyboarding for the Christian School

2010-01-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

I remember 2nd grade very well. It was a challenging year for me as I had a teacher who demanded excellence and relentlessly expected nothing less. For the first time in my life learning was a bit of a chore as I was introduced to the concept of homework to keep up with academic demands. I couldn't print well to save my life and I remember many tears as I practiced and practiced letters trying to print legibly. I finally conquered printing only to return to school after Christmas break to discover that it was time for the evil "cursive writing".

When I look back at those second grade memories I am grateful for the lessons they taught me but also struck by the changes technology has brought to the lives of children. No longer is it enough to have solid penmanship. Personal computers, use of the internet, even texting on phones require children to grasp the concept of keyboarding in order to keep up with our fast paced technology based world.

K eyboarding for the Christian School is a low budget solution to technology education in the home. Delivered to your home computer in e-book format, this course eliminates all the bells and whistles of computer driven or on-line courses yet manages to provide the necessary instruction to teach children, grades K-12, keyboarding skills. Author Leanne Beitel states on her website, http://www.christiankeyboarding.com/, “Keyboarding for the Christian School can be used along with a software-based program or online program to further enhance your students learning. Most of these programs are great for graphical use, but fall short of actual teaching in word processing skills”

Beitel, who holds her Masters in Instruction from Texas A & M University, noticed a need for Christian based material for computer courses during her time teaching in the private school sector. After researching for just such a curriculum and finding none she developed Keyboarding for the Christian School to meet State educational requirements and Biblical content desired by the private Christian school.

Beitel advises on her website that typing courses in e-book format actually benefit students versus the typical computer generated versions. “Think about the things you type. Are they readily available to copy from the screen or are they something that you are looking at on a piece of paper? Usually you are typing something from a rough draft. If the lessons are only available on the computer monitor; your student will not get the needed skill of transferring information from paper to the computer. A printable e-book allows you the preference of binding the whole book or just giving your student one page at a time. A printable e-book is portable and economical,” she says.

Keyboarding for the Christian School retails on Beitel’s website for $15.95. This 106-page e-book is:

* Printable
* Economical
* Designed for grades 6 and up

In addition the curriculum promises:

*Brief lessons

*Traditional typing drills

*Letters and Envelopes instruction

*APA and MLA reports

*Centering

*Proofreader’s marks

*Creating Tables

*A Biblical Perspective

Keyboarding for the Christian School Elementary Version, designed for grades K-5, is available for $12.95, also in e-book format. This scaled down version of Keyboarding for Christian Schools teaches the basics of the keyboard while using a cute ladybug theme throughout.

Our family received both Keyboarding for Christian Schools and Keyboarding for the Christian School Elementary Version for free in exchange for this review. Since I have students in both age categories we decided to spend a few weeks testing the curriculum to see if it really is easy to use and effective.

I have a problem with e-books to be honest. I prefer not be my own publisher spending hours printing books, collating pages, and then binding them in some effective manner. I love the accessibility of e-books and the speed they are delivered to your inbox, but overall I am not a fan. That being said our family probably would have missed out on this delightful, extremely inexpensive homeschool resource had it not been offered to us for review.

I avoided the whole printing issue by keeping the courses on my computer. They arrived in PDF format by email, which I organized in a special file in Outlook. When my students needed to work on their keyboarding lessons they simply found the email, opened up the PDF and proceeded. Because I have a laptop MAC and a desktop PC I didn’t want to create a Word document on my desktop thus tying us down to home use only. Remembering the accessibility of Google Docs we created two separate Word documents on-line, one for each student, and were ready to begin our lessons.

At first we simply flipped back and forth from screen to screen, but quickly this method became tiresome. I determined my students were not getting the benefit of “ease of use” the product offered because of my stubbornness not to print and began cutting and pasting the instructions into each student’s Word document. I admit this method deters from the goal of teaching students to transfer information from paper to computer, but it worked for the busy and often multi-locations of our homeschool.

I sat beside my 2nd grade daughter, Sierra as she worked through the first 4 lessons of Keyboarding for the Christian School Elementary Version. I thought having the lesson begin with a Bible verse was a nice focus. The short lessons contained simple and straightforward directions. Sierra easily conquered each lesson in about 10 minutes with occasional directives from me like reminders to check finger placement. Although my constant presence would not be needed on a completely computer driven course, I found this simple basic format refreshing for my younger student. Ten years ago I would never had considered keyboarding skills a necessary element of a 2nd graders education, but today is a different story. I am glad to have found an inexpensive, user friendly product which addresses this need while remaining age appropriate to an 8 year old.

"I liked it. I like how you get to type on the computer", said Sierra. "The lesson on the computer can tell you what to do for directions so you won't forget. Learning to type makes me feel like I’m a big kid. I’m excited I am learning to type so I can type when I move on to older grades.”

My older student, Micah, a 7th grader, completed all of her lessons on her own. She reminded me that she had some typing experience by working a few years ago with a computer-based typing program and an online game. Still being able to benefit from instruction Micah used Keyboarding for the Christian School and easily worked through two lessons a day taking about 5-10 mins. each to complete. To date, she has worked through 11 of the 43 lessons.

“I think it’s a really easy to understand course. I am learning everything very easily. This makes it fun for me to complete. I really like the words at the end of each lesson, which makes me feel, like I’m actually typing something, not just letters. One thing that is a little bit of a negative is that the course can’t grade you. I guess if you have a teacher then they can check your work, but you have to wait for them and can’t find out right away”, commented Micah.

Keyboarding for the Christian School is one of many courses offered on the company website. Other courses include:

*Columns 2003 or Columns 2007 (using Microsoft Word) for $3.95 each

*Creating Tables: Tables 2003 or Tables 2007 for $5.95 each

*Teacher’s Tools for $14.95

*Lesson Plans (for Keyboarding for the Christian School) for $9.95

The company is currently offering a 2010 New Year’s Special when purchasing Keyboarding for the Christian School (revised edition) and Keyboarding for the Elementary School. The package is selling for $22.00! Check the website for details.

Worship Guitar

2010-01-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Available in English or Spanish, Worship Guitar Class DVDs offer students aged 10 and older guitar lessons in the home taught by Jean Welles, of Los Angeles, CA, professional guitarist and teacher for over 30 years. A student of the guitar herself, Welles holds a Master's degree in Guitar Performance from USC.

"One of the reasons I came to Christ is because at that time I didn't see a purpose in life. Now I have a purpose. It's to enjoy God and to help others know how great HE is!", states Welles in a letter provided with the Worship Guitar Class DVD.

I received Worship Guitar Class DVD-Volume 1 and separate student music book as a

member of TOS Review Crew to use in our homeschool in exchange for this review. According to literature provided with the DVD, Volume 1 promises:

Step by Step Instruction
The ability to learn to play the guitar at home
Easy enough for 1st day beginner to beginner/intermediate students
Instruction regarding creating a personal worship time
Instruction for learning to lead worship in a small group setting

Volume 1 consists of 7 lessons each designed to teach one worship song per lesson and the ability to master a dozen chords. Several strumming and picking patterns are presented in the lessons. Songs taught throughout volume one include:

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
My All in All
More Precious than Silver
Take My Life
Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
This is the Day
I Love you Lord

Retailing for $24.95, Volume 1 is part of a 4 Volume set which can be purchased at the Worship Guitar Class website for $99.80. Once on the website, www.worshipguitarclass.com, I noted the student book included in each volume is also available for separate purchase for $5.95. When purchasing the 4 volume set, customers receive a $40.00 value bonus of 4 e-books titled:

Tips, Tricks & Exercises for Great Guitar Technique
Favorite Hymns For Guitar
200 Chord Charts and Pictures and Much More
Chord Charts with Pictures for 5 Major Keys and How to Use This Guide Book

Welles offers a DVD course for the younger set, "Worship Guitar for Kids" designed for students ages 5-9. In addition to the DVD courses, customers will find guitars, gig bags, guitar stands, music stands, assorted guitar instructional books for further study, piano and drum curriculum and vocal CD's at the Worship Guitar Class website.

I was anxious to see Worship Guitar Class DVD in action based on my experience with children and music lessons. I grew up learning to play the piano, trumpet and french horn and have always valued the importance of music instruction in a child's education. When my older children were younger we were fortunate enough to find quality music lessons for them locally. They took piano, violin, voice and guitar lessons over several years, but unfortunately, great teachers seemed to move on to bigger and better opportunities. My younger children have missed individualized music instruction to date and thinking I could have a guitar instructor in our home at my disposal was a wonderful one.

I assigned my 12 year old daughter, Micah to the task of helping me with this review and she attempted the lessons with no previous guitar experience. We don't own an acoustic guitar, but she blew the dust off of her older brother's electric guitar, hooked it up to the amp and put the DVD in the player. I sat down beside her to watch the process and see if the DVD truly offered, "step by step instructions" simple enough to follow.

Jean Welles presents a professional demeanor and the set and video quality are of high standards pleasing to watch. Unfortunately, we found the instruction to move very quickly making Micah extremely frustrated even to tears within the first lesson.

The first lesson included specific instruction regarding proper holding technique of the guitar and two chords, A and E7. Students learn specific placement of fingers on strings in order to properly strum the chords both with visual demonstration and the use of a giant chord chart which Welles uses in her explanations. Micah had trouble from the beginning determining why her chords lacked musical quality when she played. Because I have no guitar experience, and Micah's hands might not have been placed exactly where they should have been, I could not help her with her frustration in finding just the right finger placement. We paused the DVD, repeated over and over the specific portion explaining the finger placement, but very quickly, Micah was frustrated and in tears over her lack of accomplishment.

I reminded Micah that "Rome wasn't built in a Day" and music like all great things takes lots of patience and practice for mastery. We wiped the tears and returned to the lesson with greater fortitude. Once Welles demonstrated finger placement of the two chords for lesson one she combined the chords to play the first song taught, "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands". I wanted to build a campfire when I heard the wonderful familiar and simple worship song, but instead of inspiring Micah this section of the DVD made her want to throw the guitar into the fire. Unfortunately, Welles, didn't explain verbally when to change chords while playing rather the instruction was provided through a close camera shot of Welles' hands strumming the guitar, making use of the chords A and E7. For a new student like Micah unfamiliar with the guitar and its elements this simplistic visual only instruction was very confusing.

"For the first lesson it would have been nice if she slowed down a little bit, just because I'm a beginner. I think something that should be added is explanation of which chords to do when she sings the songs, so you can play and sing along with her," said Micah.

I encouraged Micah to spend a week or so practicing chords A and E7 and become more familiar with holding the guitar before deciding to move on with the DVD lessons. After she practiced those skills, she decided to attempt lesson two of the video and felt much more positive about the experience.

"The second lesson was a little bit easier because I knew which fret to do and which string", she said.

When I asked Micah for a recommendation she added, "I think it would be easier to have a real instructor, but I still think I can learn a lot from this too. I think I'll keep up with the lessons and see how it goes."

A sample of lesson one of Volume 1 is available at www.worshipguitarclass.com/brochure. Customers can sign up for a free newsletter on the website and Jean writes a blog that offers tips and lessons to encourage students at www.jeanwelles.com. For more information regarding Worship Guitar Class visit the company website at, www.worshipguitarclass.com.

ACT Advantage: PLAN Test

2009-12-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

ACT Inc., is a name synonomous with College preparations. In fact, this year, ACT, Inc. is celebrating their 50th anniversary providing standardized testing services to students, parents and colleges. The ACT of 2010, however, is a great deal more than just a standardized test to add to your college application process. ACT, Inc. currently has a host of opportunities to help students and parents EXPLORE, PLAN and DISCOVER their options for post secondary education.

Earlier this school year I reviewed with the help of my 15 year old son Jonah, the ACT Discover program designed to assist students with discovering a vocation to match their interests, personality and personal goals. Today, Jonah and I took a look at the PLAN test designed for 10th grade students. EXPLORE, PLAN and DISCOVER are components of ACT, Inc.'s ADVANTAGE program available to families through ACT, Inc.'s Homeschool Solutions portion of their website.

The PLAN test administered by many public schools to assess 10th grade college readiness may be purchased by homeschoolers at the ACT, Inc. website, http://www.actadvantage.org/plan/. The test

packet sells for $22.95 and includes:

Testing booklet titled Sample Test Booklet and Answer Sheet
Using Your PLAN Results brochure—a brief overview of score results and the process
College Readiness Standards handbook—a handbook that provides ideas for progress in each subject to prepare students for college or the workforce

Jonah and I viewed PLAN as a pre-test for his scheduled ACT test he will take in February as a part of his application process for post-secondary classes at our local University in the fall. Similar to the traditional ACT test, PLAN assesses students in the areas of:

English
Mathematics
Reading
Science.

According to the ACT Plan website, PLAN will answer the following questions for parents:

Where does my son or daughter stand right now?

The test will evaluate students abilities in the four major subject areas listed above by identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

How can I help my son or daughter advance in the four core subject areas?

An "ideas for progress" section in the College Readiness Standards Booklet provided in the packet offers tips and suggestions to assist students in problem areas over the next two years of high school.

How do I know if my child is on track for college?

The Plan Test will reassure homeschool parents who suffer from that "nagging voice" that keeps asking, "Did I cover enough?" Consider PLAN an opportunity to receive a well deserved pat on the back.

The total testing time for PLAN is just over 2 hours; similar to the traditional ACT test taken for college entrance. Students spend 30 mins. answering 50 questions on the English portion, 40 minutes answering 40 Mathematics questions, 20 minutes answering 25 questions for the Reading portion, and conclude with 25 minutes for the 30 questions of the Science test. Sample test questions can be found at the ACT, Inc. website.

Jonah concluded his test in one sitting. He is very familiar with standardized tests including the ACT since taking it the first time last Spring, and the PSAT this Fall. When I asked him if he thought the test was similar to the ACT of last year, he quickly agreed.

"IT was just a normal test; just like the ACT. It was probably a little bit easier because I think it seemed shorter. I think there are fewer sections too, because on the ACT I think the Reading is split up into two sections and the English is split up into two sections", commented Jonah.

Instructions and answer key sheets are included in the test packet for parents. It took me about a half hour to score Jonah's tests and determine his raw, scale and percentage scores. I thought the directions were thorough, but a bit confusing the first read through. Students fill out a bubble sheet for their answers which I had to read through while scoring and then transfer those results to another answer key sheet to compute the raw and scale scores.

I was thrilled to learn that Jonah is very well prepared for college. His composite score of 23 placed him in the 97% percentile for high school sophomores and well on his way towards his goal of acceptance into the University Post-secondary program for the 2010-2011 school year.

* I received the ACT Advantage PLAN test packet free of charge directly from ACT, Inc., in exchange for this personal review.