Cross Rhodes Academy

Week of Feb. 13th-17th

2012-02-12T23:30:00.000-06:00

To Do this week:

~~Print lessons for the week~~
Fill workboxes (nightly)
~~"Who am I?" continue with Lesson 2 for Bible study~~
Continue study of "Black people who made their mark in History"
Sequential Spelling Days 101-105
~~Homophones~~
~~Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Antonin Dvorak~~
~~Astronomy: Continue w/chap. 13 Stars and Galaxies~~
~~Star Spangled Banner: New Jersey~~
Put up completed work
Pay school tuition, ect,
Write TOS review
~~Mail out Postcards for State Postcard Swap~~

See~N~Spell

2012-02-09T12:30:00.000-06:00

Does your child have problems with misspelling words when he or she writes? Do you often find yourself having to grab a dictionary to check the spelling of a word in your writing? I have something to share with you that just may come in handy for you.

From the makers of See N Read is a product called See-N-Spell. The See N Spell Spelling and Vocabulary Quick Reference Guide “is designed based on the 300+ most common vocabulary words used in the American English language. It helps support correct spelling and language function of the most common words used daily”.

The See N Spell is a 40 page resource booklet. To help writers enhance spelling skills and expand academic vocabulary the guide is broken down into 3 parts:

1. It’s arranged in alphabetical order and organized into the most common language functions for the word.
2. Includes the most commonly misspelled words, arranged alphabetically for quick reference.
3. A section for your own Special Interest Words for quick reference.

This guide is very easy to use because all the words are in alphabetical order. Writers just turn to the page with the letter that the word begins with, scan the page to locate the correct word, then copy the correct spelling. It’s just that simple. The recommended ages are 4th grade to adult. The price for the See N Spell is $9.99.

At the back of each See N Spell is a free See N Read Reading Tool. It is “a practical remediation tool designed to help readers see, focus, and remember what they read. It reduces word and line- skipping as well as pattern glare (words appearing to move on the page)”. This in return will help enhance reading fluency and improve reading comprehension. Click here to read more about the purpose behind this handy tool.

My son used his See N Spell when he was practicing his spelling words. He really didn’t find the words he missed in the guide. When he would write stories he wouldn’t challenge himself to use more words that he didn’t already know how to spell. Hopefully as he matures he’ll get more use of it. I like having it around myself so it’s still getting some use. The Reading Tool is great because sometimes he reads over words due to him reading too fast. He has trouble focusing when there is too much on one page and the grayed out areas helps keep him on track. Be sure to stop by the crew blog and see what others had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a copy of See N Spell free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Week of Feb. 6th-10th

2012-02-06T12:08:00.000-06:00

To Do this week:

~~Print lessons for the week~~
~~Fill workboxes (nightly)~~
"Who am I?" continue with Lesson 2 for Bible study
Continue study of "Black people who made their mark in History"
Sequential Spelling Days 98-102
~~Homophones~~
Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Antonin Dvorak
Astronomy: Continue w/chap. 13 Stars and Galaxies
~~Star Spangled Banner: New Hampshire~~
~~Put up completed work~~
~~Write TOS review~~
~~Mail out Valentine Swap cards~~

Math Rider

2012-02-05T18:48:00.000-06:00

Do you have a child (ren) who struggle with their math facts whether it be addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division? Is doing drills, flash cards, or other memory math games boring, repetitive or causing more frustration to your child than helping them actually learn those math facts? There’s a math facts game I’d like to tell you about that is different from ones you may have tried in the past. It combines game play, storytelling, and a rewards system to help your child master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in a fun way.

Math Rider is a math game for kids ages 6-12. It was written 2 years ago by a software architect to help his 2 children where they were struggling in math. “The goal was to create a game that is entertaining yet gets the math practice done completely with a minimum of distractions”. The price for an instant download of Math Rider is on sale for $37.00. It soon will go back to the regular price of $47.00. They now have a version 3 of the Personal Edition. It contains many enhancements that are directly based on feedback and suggestions they received from existing users. These updates are available for free to all existing customers.

Click here to read about the system requirements which are for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. There is a FAQ page if you have questions about the program. “Practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division from 1 to 12 is no longer a boring chore of filling in pieces of paper that then need checking, or playing flat web games on-line that just serve random numbers.”

In Math Rider “your child is taken into a land of fantasy and quests. As they accomplish their quest, they will be finding magical flowers, returning gems to the elves or even rescuing a princess! Each operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) contains four quests, ranging from easy to master. The four quests are the same across the four operations but the rewards are not. Every combination of quest and reward holds a different reward. The rewards are all animated according to how well the player answered the questions. The game will pick up very quickly if the player has already mastered the materials, so no child will be held back”.

“While the rider is playing, the game learns what the rider knows and what he or she still needs to practice. Every single response (or non-response) is stored in an internal database and statistically analyzed by the software. In this way the program is able to custom-tailor to each rider, which questions are asked next. No repetitive drilling of random number facts the rider already knows – but real practice of what actually needs to be practiced!”

“A detailed statistics screen shows how your child is progressing and if there are any areas of weakness that might require some additional help. Plenty of feedback is given on the rider’s mastery of each number fact and operation, including an innovative overview map of mastery for each number table. This is highly beneficial for both the rider and the parent/educator. You can see with one glance where your child is at and where he or she might need further assistance”.

A good thing about the game is that it supports multiple users. That means if you have more than one child you can create separate login names for each one so that they can play their own game to keep up with their individual progress. If you would like to try out a 7 day trial to see what you think go here. They also have a blog and Facebook fan page if you want to keep up with the latest happenings with the game.

My son doesn’t do to well in math yet he really enjoyed this game. At times he was a little slow answering the questions and when he missed one there was a friendly voice from the game telling him the correct answer. Sometimes dad would help him to pick up the speed and he liked seeing his horse go faster. He had the highest scores with the addition and multiplication. Subtraction was the most challenging for him. After the first week of playing I noticed him muting or turning the sound down. He said he did that so he could concentrate. Be sure to stop by the crew blog to see what others had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received Math Rider free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Week of Jan. 30th-Feb. 4th

2012-01-29T23:30:00.000-06:00

To Do this week:

~~Print lessons for the week~~
~~Fill workboxes (nightly)~~
~~"Who am I?" Lesson 2 for Bible study~~
~~Study of "Black people who made their mark in History"~~
~~Continue with Math Rider~~
~~Sequential Spelling Days 93-97~~
~~Homophones~~
~~Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Johannes Brahms~~
~~Astronomy: Continue w/chap. 13 Stars and Galaxies~~
~~Star Spangled Banner: Nevada~~
~~Put up completed work~~
~~Write TOS review~~

Week of Jan. 23rd-27th

2012-01-22T23:30:00.000-06:00

To Do this week:

~~Print lessons for the week~~
~~Fill workboxes (nightly)~~
~~Start "Who am I?" Lesson 1 for Bible study~~
~~Start study of "Black people who made their mark in History"~~
~~Continue with Math Rider~~
~~Sequential Spelling Days 88-92~~
~~Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Stephen Foster~~
~~Astronomy: Chap. 13 Stars and Galaxies~~
~~Star Spangled Banner Quiz #9~~
~~Put up completed work~~

Week of Jan. 16th-20th

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-06:00

To Do this week:

~~Print lessons for the week~~
~~Fill workboxes (nightly)~~
~~Pick back up w/The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study~~

~~Continue with Math Rider~~
~~Sequential Spelling Days 83-87~~
~~Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Anton Bruckner~~
~~Star Spangled Banner lesson on Nebraska~~
~~Put up completed work~~

Week of Jan. 9th-13th

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

To Do this week:

~~Print lessons for the week~~
~~Fill workboxes (nightly)~~
~~Do Exploring Time Unit~~
~~Continue with Math Rider~~
~~BOV unit 10/2.4 and 2.5~~
~~Sequential Spelling Eval. Test #2~~
~~Begin See-N-Spell~~
Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Anton Bruckner
~~Star Spangled Banner lesson on Montana~~
~~Put up completed work~~

Maestro Classics

2012-01-07T18:03:00.001-06:00

For the past 4 or 5 months now we have been studying about different classical composers. I remember back when I was in school we learned about Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. I didn’t remember much of what was taught but a few musical pieces they wrote. It has fun get a chance to learn about different composers this school year. When we hear certain songs we can put a face and name to the person who composed it. We’re also learning what time period/musical era it was in. We’re not dedicated classical music listeners at our house but we enjoy hearing a selection or two from time to time to relax our minds.
Maestro Classics produces “stories in music” by making classical music CD’s for children ages 5-12 and families. This series of works features new, sophisticated performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. You can learn more about them by clicking here.

Maestro Classics award-winning series are recordings of well known children’s stories. Ones like “Peter and the Wolf”, “The Soldiers Tail”, “The Tortoise and the Hare”, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and more. The price of each CD is $16.98 but they also have MP3 downloads for $9.98 that’s also available from iTunes and Amazon. For review we received “The Story of Swan Lake” music CD.
“The Story of Swan Lake is the tale of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful princess. The princess, however has been turned into a swan by an evil magician, and only the prince’s love can break the spell.” This CD is for ages 6-12 and their families. It’s especially popular with those who are interested in ballet or dance. The CD has 7 tracks and runs for 54:02 minutes. It also comes with a 24 page program book that has information about Tchaikovsky, music, and fun activities for the kids. To hear samples from the CD scroll down the page and click on the arrows to listen. Maestro Classics also has a free homeschool music curriculum with ideas to use along with their story music CD’s. This is a great way to build a Unit Study. If you are on Facebook, like Maestro Classics fan page to stay up to date and get free coupons and giveaways.

My son and I had a great time listening to the story. It was a great addition for when we were studying about Tchaikovsky for music. While listening my son was closing his eyes and pretending he was at the ballet watching the show. It was so funny because he was humming and rocking like he was really into it. I thought he was sleep at first because he had his head down, wasn’t moving, and his eyes were closed. I asked him was he sleep he said “shhhh mom I’m pretending I’m there watching the show”. I said okay I won’t disturb you then. To see what other crew members thought of The Story of Swan Lake click here.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received The Story of Swan Lake CD free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Zeezok Publishing

2012-01-05T00:56:00.001-06:00

Most people I know love to watch movies. There are all kinds out there to choose from. I find myself liking many of the older classics movies from long ago. There’s so much you can learn from them. Do you and your kids watch movies as part of your educational studies? Are you in need of more ways to supplement your history curriculum? I recently learned of a company I had never heard of before. The TOS Crew were given an opportunity to review a product that is a great supplement with a history curriculum.

Zeezok Publishing is a company that “provides quality literature and educational books that will assist you in developing your family’s love for God and country”. Zeezok Publishing started providing materials for the homeschooling community in 1993. Their “desire is to provide distinctive materials for a well-rounded education”. You can read more about them here.

Zeezok makes a product they call Z-Guides. Z-guides are movie study guides that helps students study a movie and understand the concepts presented in the movie. They are a great way to incorporate media into a curriculum. The guides are for ages elementary to high school. Each of the guides fall within a specific time in history and are priced at $12.99 for a PDF version you download. If you do not already own a copy of the movie you need to use for one of their guides, you should be able to find most of the movies at your local library, through Netflix, or even on Zeezok’s website. You can read more about Z-guides here.

This is what a Z-guide looks like. In it you have 10 activities that are meant to take a week to do if the student does two a day. You know your child best so if you find he requires more time to do the activity then I suggest going at his or her own pace. Many days we only completed 1 activity depending on what it was.

Different activities the guide included are:

Topic overview: provides the students with information regarding the specific time period in which the movie is based.

Movie Synopsis: helps assist the student in what going on in the movie and how relationships, situations, and events all relate together.

Review Questions: meant to be answered while watching the movie to be sure the student is “paying attention to what’s going on being an active learner rather than being a passive viewer”.

Fill in the blank questions

Hands on Activity

Filmmakers art activity: helps the student recognize the tools being used to influence the viewer.

Word Search

World-view Activity: helps the student understand the movies worldview. The idea behind this is to get the student to think critically through what he believes and what is being presented in the movie.

Family discussion questions

You are even provided with the answers to the questions at the end of the guide. To see a sample Z-guide click here.

The movie we chose to do a study guide on was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It is the 1939 Columbia version.

My husband suggested this one because he loved the movie when he saw it years ago and wanted our son to see it. I guess you could say this gave him a reason to watch it again. An important thing my son learned was how a bill becomes a law. One of the activities had him glue cards in order of “how a bill becomes a law”. It was kind of confusing for him on some parts but we did more online research to put it all together. He also loved the art activity with Abraham Lincoln. He said he would like to visit the White House some day.

Zeezok has other products to choose from like government and history, presidential penmanship, reading and literature and more. If you are on Facebook you can stop by and like their page to keep up with latest happenings.

Other crew members had different movies they used these study guides with. Stop by the crew blog and read about their learning experiences.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a Toydle Big Fort free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Week of Jan. 2nd-6th

2012-01-02T23:13:00.001-06:00

On my other blog I posted about listing my weekly to do list/goals. I got to thinking and figured why not do one for our schooling too. Each Monday I plan to come here and post things that I plan for us (or myself) to get done for the week. I'll start my list for the week then I will come back and strike through things as they get completed. I may even find I have to come back and add on to the list for the week. Sometimes we won't get it all done. When that happens I'll just put it on the next weeks list and not stress over it. Now on to this weeks list (some things I've already completed).

To Do this week:
~~Write Toydle Review~~
~~Write Zeezok Review~~
~~Write Maestro Classics Review~~

~~Print lessons for the week~~
~~Fill workboxes (nightly)~~
~~Put up completed work~~

~~Finish up Z-guide lessons~~
~~Talk about Leap year~~
~~Begin Math Rider~~
~~BOV unit 10/2.3 & 2.4~~
Sequential Spelling ~~Days 75-80~~ & Eval. Test #2
~~Classical Composer- Romantic Period: Giuseppe Verdi~~
~~Star Spangled Banner lesson on Missouri~~

Toydle

2012-01-02T17:08:00.001-06:00

My 12 year old son said he has had the best Christmas ever. Part of that had to do with what I shared with you in this post. Thanks to (being on) the TOS Crew and Toydle he woke up Christmas morning with a BIG box sitting there waiting for him to unwrap. We were not able to get a camera fast enough to show the surprised look on his face at the size of the package. Next he tried to pick it up but discovered it was too heavy. My husband told me I’m really good at wrapping gifts because he would have never figured out how to wrap that big box. I wrapped it so well my son needed us to help him get started tearing the paper off in order for him to get into it. Once it was opened he saw a bag inside the box. He looked confused because he didn’t know what could be in it. When he opened it up he saw pipes, blocks, and clamps. I could tell him was wondering what he was supposed to do with those. I reminded him of the website I once showed him with the forts on it. Just in time for Christmas we received a Big Fort to review.

He couldn’t wait for him and dad to get started putting it up. With us living in an apartment and not a lot of space the fort was best built up high rather than spaced out. All of the blocks and pipes didn’t get used it this first try but that doesn’t mean it won’t the next time. With plenty of imagination you can build a fort of various sizes with these pieces. Once they finished building and put sheets on there it looked like this.

Here is a roof high up. Look closely and you will see the black clamps that’s holding the sheets in place.

Here is a side view of the lower level of the fort.

Here is my son ready his Calvin and Hobbes comic book.

My son is really enjoying his fort. He said “I’ve always wanted a tree-house but now I’ve got my own house in my room!” He calls the fort his clubhouse. As I sit here and type he’s sitting in his fort, eating brown bag popcorn, and watching one of his favorite educational programs on T.V. Every day he’s in his fort reading a book, playing with his toys (especially Legos), eating a snack, drawing his comics, or watching T.V. I have been telling him the past few days I need to take it down so I can vacuum the floor. I told him it can be put back up again once I’m finished but he just keeps throwing out other suggestions for me to clean other than taking down his clubhouse. I’m glad he has something that makes him happy and helps him get creative using his imagination. I wonder what he’ll build next; that is if he ever lets me take down his clubhouse to clean his floor.

If you need any ideas of toys or gifts for an upcoming occasion for the kids, I highly recommend checking out Toydle. These forts are really worth the price. The fort does not come with instructions because the point is to use your own imagination when building. It does come with Care and Safety Instructions as well as a Lifetime Warranty. I also encourage you to stop by TOS Crew blog and see other families having fun with their forts.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a Toydle Big Fort free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

REAL Homeschool Spanish

2011-12-30T23:35:00.001-06:00

I didn’t choose to learn Spanish when I was in high school because I thought it would be too complicated. These days you see people speaking Spanish all around you. Countless times my son has seen a children’s program with Spanish being spoken. Since he can’t get away from hearing it he may as well learn it right? He even asked me if we would be learning this since we’ve learned some Latin and French.

Do you want your kids to learn Spanish but feel like it’s too hard to attempt? What if learning Spanish was more relaxed and laid back almost like when the kids pick up a little from their educational shows? They are having fun while doing so aren’t they? Well I hope you enjoy hearing about a homeschool Spanish program we got to review.

REAL Homeschool Spanish is written by Dr. Karyn Williamson-Coria a homeschooling mother of three boys. The REAL comes from their motto which is Relax, Enjoy, Aspire, & Learn Spanish. REAL Homeschool Spanish “trains you and your child to be able to learn Spanish together and interact together in fun and interesting ways”. The curriculum has 48 weeks worth of study but you can stretch it out as much as you need to. It is geared towards K-8th grades but you only do the parts you know your child is ready for.

There are different options for a bundle purchase of REAL Homeschool Spanish. For review we received their instant download version. For $49.95 you get a bundle book deal that has the book, an activity book, activities answer book, and audios. A curriculum guide is included with that bundle for $59.95. This download version comes as a big zip file. On it you will find a 105 page color and a black & white book, a 179 page activity book, a 45 page activities answer book, and the audio files for the book and activities. To use the download version there are some requirements. You will need an operating system (ex: Windows, OSX, Linux, ect.), an MP3 player (ex: Windows Media Player, Itunes, or similar), as well as Adobe Acrobat Reader.

If you like hard copies of your material they have the book bundle for $89.95. It comes as a book and two CDs. If you want the curriculum guide with your hard copy it will cost $99.95.

The audios are read by native speakers of Spanish from Mexico. This will help you be sure you’re pronouncing the words correctly.

The book is divided into 10 units. Each unit has a general theme. Some of those are: greetings, colors, numbers, foods, family, weather, places, animals, sports, ect. Within the units you’ll find vocabulary, phrases, tips to the home educator, ideas to continue using new vocabulary learned in fun ways throughout the week, and grammar tidbits. There is also a curriculum planning chart included before you get to the lessons.

The activity book has things like crossword puzzles, word searches, word scrambles, matching, ect.

The curriculum guide was written with different ages of children in mind. In the left column is a weekly prep of suggestions for things you can plan ahead (like making puppets, games, or checking their list of suggested websites) before moving forward with that weeks lessons. There’s even a small sections to jot down some notes if you need to.

I would also encourage you to check out the culture section on the website. There are many ideas to expand on what your kids will be learning. To get a visual of what to expect click here to see different samples that’s available on their website.

We have really enjoyed learning from REAL Homeschool Spanish. My son loves pronouncing new words he’s learning and doing finger puppets. The activities did not overwhelm him so that’s a plus. He also loves the part on the audio with the music where in a soothing tone the lady says the motto “Relax, Enjoy, Expire, Learn Spanish”. We plan to continue learning from this Spanish course each week to expand our vocabulary as we’re learning to speak a new language.

Click here to see how other Crew members used REAL Homeschool Spanish in their homes.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a complete curriculum download free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Fun making Lemon Cupcakes!

2011-12-15T17:18:00.000-06:00

Did you know that today is National Lemon Cupcake Day? My mom loves lemon cake as well as other lemon desserts. My son and I made lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (added lemon zest to it). My son did the measuring and mixing. He put on his oven mitts and carefully placed the muffin pan in the oven like a big boy. He was so proud of his work. I'd post a pic but my camera is out of commission at the moment. Take my word for it they were yummy!

The World’s Greatest Stories

2011-12-14T16:29:00.001-06:00

From time to time we love to listen to stories on audio. Not because we don’t like reading books because reading is a regular part of our lives. I figure since my son has seen dad and I reading a lot of books, it has helped him develop a love of reading himself. I say this because when he’s being really quiet we wonder where he is just to find him sitting on his bedroom floor or buried under his covers reading a book. During our school times he enjoys listening to books on audio so I try to throw some in the mix to change things up a bit when things are getting too routine (I take cues from him). We received an audio of real life stories to review that is planting seeds (messages) in his heart that will benefit him for the rest of his life.

The World’s Greatest Stories are an “award winning series of Bible stories that has been brought to life through compelling storytelling by George W. Sarris”. George Sarris is a professional actor, narrator and spokesman in New York City. He has a degree of Bachelor of Science in Speech from a University and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He and his wife have 5 children.

The collection of The World Greatest Stories comes in 6 volumes and can be purchased for $7.95 each on cassette tape or CD in KJV or NIV versions of the Bible. The text for the stories is word for word from the Holy Bible. “They are told using the art of drama and carefully selected music and sound effects”. This is for kids ages 4-12 but is great for the whole family to gather around and listen in.
For our review we were given the Volume 1: The Prophets (NIV) on CD. The CD is an hour long but the stories are broken up into sections. The stories are anywhere from 8-15 minutes long each with an introduction to each story in between. This way you can control how long the listening time is. Sometimes I just broke up the listening time into 15 or 30 minute segments. The stories we listened to are:

1. The Blazing Furnace
2. The Handwriting on the Wall
3. Daniel and the Lions’ Den
4. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
5. The Prophecy of Jonah

Other volumes they have in the collection are: The Life of Christ, Beginnings, Joshua and Ester, Joseph and His Brothers, and their newest one Defeating Giants. If you order six or more volumes the shipping is free! We also received a sample CD of the other volumes. If you would like to hear samples just click on the “listen the audio clip” in the desired Bible version (to the right side of the volume title) and a download should pull up.

My son really liked listening to The World’s Greatest Stories CD. He asks to listen to it every week. It keeps him laughing and smiling. He is remembering the stories and likes to try and sound like Mr. Sarris when he’s being comical or the sounds get very dramatical when the situation gets intense. At times dad and I would even find ourselves laughing as well. This would make a great inexpensive Christmas gift or even a stocking stuffer. For more opinions of these stories stop by and see what other TOS Crew members had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a “CD” free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Fractazmic!

2011-12-09T21:44:00.000-06:00

I love taking time away from regular books and learning in a “fun way” through the use of games. It doesn’t take much to get my son happy to jump up and get his games in place of his workbooks. Math is one of those subjects where learning can be so much more fun when it’s in the form of a game. The owner of I See Cards knows just how much fun and learning go hand in hand. Dr. Ron created several card games to make learning math facts fun and less complicated for the students.

Fractazmic is one of the card games that the TOS Crew was chosen to review. It’s a game that “uses math and language skills”. The game consists of a deck of 60 colorful cards with numbers (fractions) in the top and bottom corners, and a graphic to reinforce the fraction. In each deck there are 3 different color suits. The green suit is the 10ths, the blue suit is the 12ths, and the red suit is the 16ths. This game is said to be for grades 1st-8th but people of all ages can join in on the fun. The price per deck is $6.95. This is what Dr. Ron has to say about Fractazmic:

“When children play Fractazmic, they know they're having fun, and you know that they're learning! Fractazmic is a comprehensive interactive fun lesson in fractions that gives your child unlimited practice at their individual level.
Each brightly colored card displays fractions, along with eye catching graphics, to ensure reinforcement. Players will quickly identify the fractions on their cards and calculate their way to fun and learning! Fractazmic teaches fractions, numbers and measurement.”

The cards help with learning:

* The relationship between fractions and measurement
* Quickly learning to convert and add fractions
* How fractions are used in the real world

Fractazmic can be played with 2-4 players. If there’s only 2 players each one gets 7 cards to play. If there are 3-4 players each one gets 5 cards to play. The object of the game is to create as many hands as possible before a player runs out of cards. The player with the most hands at the end of the game wins. In order to make a “hand” the suit must equal to one (1) when the numbers are added together. You can watch some videos of different types of this game being played here. Playing the game can help students just learning their fractions as well as those who are just needing a review. It can also help with memory skills as well as Eye Hand Coordination.

We have taken a break from our regular math studies and have been playing Fractazmic for a few weeks now. I think my son is enjoying the break to play a game even though he’s still learning. He’s trying to get the concept of adding fractions but he needs a bit more practice. Playing the game is challenging for him but each time we play I can tell he’s picking up bits at a time. I’m glad to have a fun way to work on these more with him. Other cards games by Dr. Ron are PyraMath, and PrimeBomb. He also has a free Math Success e-book (I suggest right clicking and “save link as” for a quicker download) you can download to learn about the different games and how to play them. If you are on Facebook be sure to like Pyramath to get the latest updates.

Don’t forget to stop by and read what other crew mates had to say about I See Cards: Fractazmic.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a deck of cards free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Teacher Geek: Catch the Bug!

2011-12-06T23:38:00.001-06:00

I’m married to a geek. It's part of what attracted me to him in the first place. He gets excited over not only doing science projects but working on anything technical. We’ve got stacks upon stacks of Computer and Technology, eWeek, and Information Week magazines to prove it. He’s also subscribed to all kinds of online technical magazines as well. A few months ago we saw a man at the grocery store wearing a black T-shirt that had “geek for life” printed in white letters. He was like “cool!” He was so fascinated that he went right up to the guy and asked where did he get his shirt from. My son is showing signs of following in his dads shoes. When I told my husband about this next product we got for review his eyes got big. He was like a kid waiting for Christmas because each day he kept wanting to know had it arrived yet.

Teacher Geek was started by a technology teacher who was searching for “products and materials that would allow his students to become innovators; growing their understanding from the most primitive concepts to the highest cognitive levels”. “Teacher Geek is a family-owned, customer-centered business.” They offer a complete line of project kits and supplies relating to electronics, physics, robotics, and hydraulics. “The products engage students and foster an inductive, application based learning experience where they drive themselves to the highest level of understanding through self directed activities”. Through these hands-on experiments the students are learning about math, science, and engineering. Teacher Geek’s kits are sold in single (for one student) or bulk orders. The bulk kits are great for a larger group of students in a class and/or co-op setting. We were given a bug to review.

Yes you heard that right…we got a bug. Teacher Geek’s “Catch the Bug” single kit will have your kids build an electronic bug while learning and having fun at the same time. “Catch the Bug” is for ages 10 and up. You have an option of getting the bug in one of 4 different colors (blue, yellow, green, and pink). We received a blue one. This single kit comes with the bug body, most but not all of the needed tools, as well as 3 sets of instructions. We had most of the extra stuff needed and what we didn’t have we used something in place of it. The only thing we were missing from our kit was one of the screws to hold the battery pack in place. My husband found one in his tools that would fit. The price for this kit is $22.98.

The instructions are set up where they need to be completed in order. The first step is to “build the body”. This guide provides and explanation of how to build the bug. The bug body needed to be bent into shape. After that you are instructed on how to attach the battery holder, switches, tires, motors, and feelers (antennas). The second step is to do the “electronics lab”. This has experiments to teach the student the fundamentals of electronics. He or she will learn what electricity is, how it works, what is a current, and about resistors. The third step is the “final bug wiring”. This instructions how the permanent wires are soldered on to “bring the bug to life”. In the back of this booklet is a troubleshooting guide in case something is not working right with the project. To see this electronic bug in action watch the first video on this page.

My husband and son had a great father son time doing this project together. A word of caution here: this product is intended to be used with parental (or adult) supervision because some parts of it could be harmful if the directions are not followed carefully. They did have a problem with the bug going backwards rather than forward. Dad said it just needed to be rewired to take care of the problem and the troubleshooting guide was helpful with that. Teacher Geek also has hydraulic arm kits that some of my other crew mates got a chance to review. I bet those were really neat projects as well. These products are not marketed as toys, and are not intended to be used as such. They are meant to be used as educational tools. The learning is lost if a child is left to his or her own devices.

If you are thinking of buying a kit I want to share something else with you. For my readers I have a discount coupon to offer you on your order. From now until the end of this month you can get 10% off by using the code: hschool at checkout. I hope you have enjoyed hearing about this cool project we got a chance to try out. Don’t forget to stop by the TOS Crew blog to read more crew members reviews of Teacher Geeks electronic bugs and hydraulic arms.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received an “Catch the Bug Kit” free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Pitsco: Medieval Machines

2011-12-02T19:50:00.002-06:00

My son enjoys learning about how different things were before now. He often listens to dad and I tell him about things available now that were not here when we were kids. He often asks about things from when his grandparents where kids and times long ago. He gets really fascinated by learning about the way things have changed from then to now. This may be why Geography, History, and Science are several of his favorite subjects. The TOS Crew had an opportunity to review a product that would take the kids back in time.

Pitsco is a company that helps students succeed by offering a variety of hands on STEM-oriented products and curriculum. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They want to engage and inspire their learners since they know many students learn better working with their hands than through traditional textbooks. For homeschoolers they have put together several kit and curriculum packages that you can check out here. The one we got for review is their Medieval Machines Pack.

Long, long, long ago when countries and kingdoms were at war, siege machines were the normal weapons to fight with. The Catapults and Trebuchets were some examples of them. If you and your kids have seen movies like Lord of the Rings, Robin Hood, or the Three Musketeers, then you would have seen some of these weapons in action. Pitsco’s Medieval Machines Pack comes with a Trebuchet Kit, Catapult Kit, a Siege Machines Book, and counterweights for the Trebuchet. The price of the set is $21.95. They also have boxes of Klean Clay to use as projectiles but it is sold separately. To build the kits and do other activities, you will need basic household items like glue (the list on the instruction sheet has the brands of glue they sell but any Super Glue, Crazy Glue, or instant bond glue will work), scissors, a ruler, etc. The Siege Machines guide includes multiple hours worth of several different STEM activities and lessons. From it your kids will discover the history of medieval siege machines as well as the concepts required to build and use them. The age range for Medieval Machines Pack is intermediate-middle school.

The Trebuchet is a sling shot like device that throws a projectile at a very far range.

The Catapult is a pulley crank device that hits targets precisely at close range. The smaller the projectile the further it goes. The larger the projectile the shorter the distance.

While learning about Catapults and Trebuchets through the hands-on activities you’re covering these areas:

Science: Tension versus torsion, elasticity, gravity and levers, and force and motion
Math: Metric conversion, calculating averages, and prediction
Experiments: Mass versus distance, testing rubber bands, targeting, and more

Here are pictures of our finished projects.

My husband and son said it was a fun project to make. While they worked together I just watched and asked questions. Even though a middle school child can read the directions and do this on his or her own, some adult help or supervision may be needed. My 12 year old would not have been able to do this on his own. There’s some waiting time for pieces to dry after the gluing process so be prepared for that. Here's a word of caution from my husband "read carefully and be sure to follow directions thoroughly". He glued two pieces from the Catapult on wrong but thankfully it didn’t mess up the outcome of the project. He and my son both loved this machine the best and played with it more. For them the Trebuchet just didn’t work as well as they hoped. It was the hardest of the two to put together. They kept making the clay smaller to get the sling shot to work. My husband thinks the sling (cloth) is not as durable and would have preferred something stronger like leather. He also thought the string was too thin. He felt a thicker thread would have worked better.

This was our experience so don't just rely on it. My other crew mates may have had a different take on it from us. Check out the crew blog to read what the others had to say about the Pitsco Medieval Machines.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a Medieval Machines Pack and Klean Clay free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

Fun through creative play and imagination

2011-12-01T09:15:00.000-06:00

With the Christmas season upon us many parents, grandparents, and other loved ones have started working on getting a list together of things to get the kids for Christmas. We all like to see the twinkle in their eyes, and the joy on their faces as they wonder of the contents inside of each colorfully wrapped package. Are you in need of a great gift that will have the kids being creative with using their imaginations while they play? What about one that will last a lifetime? If so then let me tell you about Toydle.

Toydle is a company started by Robert Brownfield and is located in Boise, Idaho. Toydle was born out of Robert’s frustration with the poor quality and lack of durability you often find in toys these days. Click here to read all about an experience he had with a toy he just bought for his son. Robert and his crew make toy forts for kids ages 3-10 (even older) that are American-made and of the highest quality, strong, and long lasting. Toydle is all about “fun and quality”. That’s why they make “serious toys that will last a lifetime”.

The forts are constructed with hand made wooden 3” blocks and high-quality PVC tubes. These forts come in two sizes:

The Toydle Fort is over 45 cubic (square) ft. of space. It has 29 tubes of high-quality PVC 1/2 pipe, 4 angled roof tubes, 18 wood blocks of laminated poplar, 6 clips, and sells for $149.00.

The BIG Fort is over 90 cubic (square) ft. of space. It has 52 tubes of high-quality PVC 1/2” pipe, 8 angled roof tubes, 30 wood blocks of laminated poplar, 8 clips, and sells for $229.99.

Both of the forts comes with a high-quality industrial grade carry-bag and unconditional warranty. “The only thing you will need to provide is the sheet, blankets, and the kids imagination!” It’s been said that “the best toys are ones kids “invent” so let their imaginations guide them beyond just making a fort. Their fort can be a castle of a charming princess; a submarine on a daring secret mission; a motorhome exploring America; an airliner cruising above the clouds; or even a battleship in the Navy!”

Just so you’ll know at checkout all orders are placed through Amazon. To add a word of CAUTION here. It’s important to note that “these forts are not meant for climbing on”. My family and I where blessed with one of these forts but shhh...it's a surprise for my son for Christmas so stop by here in January to read about our experience with the Toydle Fort.

Now dear readers I have a surprise to tell you all about. The TOS Crew is having a giveaway. Just by entering you will have a chance to be one of the three ~~lucky~~ blessed winners who will receive one of Toydle's BIG Fort. Yes you read that right. The TOS Crew is having a giveaway where there will be 3 ~~lucky~~ blessed winners! To enter stop by here and read the instructions. Wouldn’t that make for a fun Christmas present for the special child (ren) in your life? If you are on Facebook I encourage you to stop by Toydle’s fan page and "like" them to keep up with their latest happenings.

~PLEASE NOTE: This contest is open to residents of the United States ONLY. TOS Staff and TOS Crew Members (and their families) are not eligible to enter this contest.~

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.30th

2011-11-30T23:45:00.000-06:00

I was about to forget to post so I better hurry before midnight. Today I'm thankful for my husband helping me put together our Christmas Advent calendar for this year.

Great Commission Lauguages: The Easy French 1A

2011-11-29T22:14:00.007-06:00

When I was in high school I took French I and II. My friend told me he did too. We both chose it over Spanish because we heard it would be easier to learn. I still remember a few things I learned since those days some years ago. My son has been learning Latin the past two years, but he wanted to learn something new, so he asked if we would get the chance to learn French. When I found out the TOS Crew was going to review some French I was excited to get the chance to dig into it again and share with our son some of our memories from our French learning days.

Great Commission Languages is owned and operated by a homeschooling family that’s committed to providing quality language products for both the homeschooling and general education community. Marie and Peter Sherwood’s products are “unapologetically written from a Christian perspective”. They have scripture verses provided in all their products to help those who desire to carry out the “Great Commission”. Their products are “not really Bible curriculum per se so the scripture memory components are optional”.

The product we were chosen to review is their Le Francais Facile! (The Easy French) 1A. Check out The Easy French section of their website to get a feel for what they teach.

Le Francais Facile! The Easy French Level 1A is written by Marie Filion Sherwood. It’s for grades 7 and up. It consists of a 226 page spiral bound text book with 2 CD’s protected in a pocket at the back. One CD has all the audio you’ll need for the lessons. The other one has the answers to the exercises in the text book. The price for this is $84.95. We also received some extra items that goes along with this program. The test booklet and answer key are priced at $10.00 each. We also received a set of phonogram cards which are also $10.00. Be sure to see my pictures of these below.

The lesson structure is broken up like this:

1. Story: Done in a French weave where a French sentence is used with English words added to help with comprehension.
2. Vocabulary: Listen to the vocabulary words used in the story in French then English.
3. Student Helps: Has insider information on the language and will aid in better understanding the lesson and eventually the language.
4. Scripture Memory: There is suggested scripture in to learn in French for every two lessons.
5. Cultural Note: Helps you get a deeper understanding of the culture presented in the stories.
6. Trivia: Interesting information about the country being studied.
7. Everyday Vocabulary: Has a list of everyday words that can be practiced to master the sounds of French words. There’s a complete list of these words in the Appendix.
8. Activity: Has specific skills that need to be learned for the lessons.

You will want to read through the front of the text book because there is important instructions as well as an important note to the student. One of the features I like is that I don’t have to do any planning because it’s already done for you. Within each lesson is a “Lesson Planner Template” that acts as a checklist to help the student be sure all their work is done. There’s a section to add the date, and date completed. My son (12 yrs. old with Asperger’s) wasn’t able to do this by himself. I had to help him with it so he wouldn’t get confused. For sample lessons click here to download the PDF files of your choice.

There’s Phonogram Review Charts that the student can use to practice and test themselves to see which ones they have memorized. They check off as they master each one. There’s also a scripture sheet with all the scriptures he will be learning in the lessons. Both of the Phonogram Charts and Scriptures can be printed from one of the CD’s in the back of the text book. Here are pictures of what we had to work on. (Note: The test and answer keys are not spiral bound. They were sitting on top of the text book when I took the photos).

The lessons has all of the written work sections right there in the text so you don’t have to worry about extra workbook pages to keep up with. It is important you don’t miss the extra activities in the Appendix section because not only is the phonograms and vocabulary there but there are recipes and fun projects (to make soap, oils, ect.) too. Now let me share our experience with you.

I loved refreshing myself on the French language after such a long time having passed since my high school days. *gasp* I recognized many of the words so it wasn’t so hard for me to quickly catch on. My son was shocked when the audio started going and he heard the voices of the kids in a conversation with each other. He was enjoying reading along as they talked. He was getting a kick out of trying to pronounce the words. He loved practicing his phonograms. He said that was the easiest part. He struggled to keep up with the CD when practicing the vocabulary because she was going to fast for him. He needs time to process his thoughts on what he’s hearing and saying so this was just too fast paced for him. He took a couple of the tests but didn’t do well on those either. He didn’t comprehend well on what he was being asked in some questions and forgot a lot of his vocabulary words he had learned. Since this is stated to be for grades 7 and up I think we are going to set this aside for now and pick back up with it in another year or so. This should give him time to socially mature (in age).

There is an online support group (must have a yahoo account) you can join while using this curriculum. Marie F. Sherwood is an active member there are well. If The Easy French does not appeal to you they also have The Easy Spanish.

To hear more reviews about the Great Commission Languages check out what other TOS crew mates had to say about the ones they reviewed.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received Le Francais Facile 1A free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.29th

2011-11-29T17:28:00.000-06:00

Today I'm just thankful. So what about you? What makes you thankful today?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.28th

2011-11-28T18:36:00.001-06:00

Today I'm thankful for this season of Advent. My family and I began yesterday and had a great time together. I also am thankful to have turned all our leftover holiday food into new meals. From the turkey I made: turkey casserole (used leftover meat, stuffing, green bean casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce), and a turkey salad for sandwiches (made w/meat, boiled eggs, celery, onion, dried cranberries, walnuts, curry powder, Dijon mustard, and mayo). Tomorrow I'll be making bone broth with the turkey carcass. From leftover ham I made: Crockpot Green Beans with Onion and Potatoes, ham sandwiches for lunch, and tomorrow I'm using the last of it to make some Corn and Ham Chowder for lunch. I put the ham bone in the freezer the other day to make beans with next week. Although Thanksgiving has past it doesn't mean we should stop looking for reasons to be thankful. So what are you thankful for?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.27th

2011-11-27T17:58:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful that even when life is so uncertain God says in His Word to me...

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.26th

2011-11-26T16:10:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for all the websites and blogs that share great tasting and nourishing recipes that I can prepare for my family. When I want to cook up a frugal homemade meal there's always someone with great ones to try. I've also found new ones to give our taste buds a shock and keep the meals from getting boring with the same o same o.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.25th

2011-11-25T12:05:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for getting to sleep in this morning. I was pretty tired after all the excitement yesterday. We don't usually go out for Black Friday sales (did in the past but was too crazy and stressful that we quit going) so there was no rush for us to get up and go. I didn't eat much holiday food and there's plenty of leftovers which means I don't have to cook today. YAY! What are you thankful for today? There are 5 days left if you want to join in with Brenda over at Garden Of Learning for this Gratitude Challenge.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.24th

2011-11-24T09:36:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for Brenda over at Garden Of Learning hosting this Gratitude Challenge. I'm happy to have been diligent in keeping up with it. I'll have something to look back on in days to come especially when going through tough trying times. I pray everyone has a blessed and safe Thanksgiving day with their loved ones.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.23rd

2011-11-23T16:42:00.000-06:00

Today I'm so tired from all this cooking. I always start early because I want to spend the holiday enjoying time with my family instead of being in the kitchen all day. Even though I'm tired I'm thankful that we have food for the holidays because we could have been without. What are you thankful for today?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.22nd

2011-11-22T20:56:00.001-06:00

Today I'm thankful for a tip I picked up from another mom when making stuffing/dressing ahead of time. After you've finished cooking it and letting it cool off, spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Fill each cup with the stuffing/dressing you scooped out. Put pan into freezer to let them harden then pop them out and put into Ziplock bags and freeze for later use. Now you have individual servings already divided out for each person to eat and whatever you don't use you've got some stored up to use in another recipe for later.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.21st

2011-11-21T12:54:00.001-06:00

Today I'm thankful that I found out I won a contest hosted by my friend Lyria @ My Natural Motherhood Journey. I will be getting a 32oz. jar of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. I was so surprised because I didn't know if I would win. I'm excited because I was in bad need of some coconut oil for making my own body and hair products and I've never tried this kind before. I'm always hearing great things about this coconut oil. So what are you thankful for today?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.20th

2011-11-20T18:24:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful that God's word says...

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.19th

2011-11-19T17:33:00.002-06:00

Today I'm thankful for my husband waking up early this morning and told me to sleep in while he went out and did all of our grocery shopping for next week. That was such a blessing. He did a superb job and came back with everything we needed.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.18th

2011-11-18T10:08:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful that I've finished all my homeschool reviews for this month and will be free to have a break for Thanksgiving. YAY!!!

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.17th

2011-11-17T21:04:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for my family having clothes to wear through all seasons of the year. So what are you thankful for?

Time Timer

2011-11-17T13:15:00.003-06:00

When my son was in kindergarten (in public school) he learned how to tell time on a paper clock he made with his resource teacher. Unlike his regular ed teachers, she was his favorite teacher (mine too). She saw so much potential in him. For him knowing when things would happen has always been very important in his world. Like many Aspie kids he didn’t like things to change and he showed great anxiety with anything that happened unexpectedly. Even though at that time he was telling time because of his great rote memory skills, he had not yet mastered knowing how telling time would help him make sense of when things would happen. Each year he got better with telling time and he also was able to know things like when his favorite shows would be on T.V. (he learned to read a T.V. guide to help with this), what time to get up in the morning or go to bed at night, lunch time, dinner time, bath time, time for the school bus to come, ect. Now that he’s a little older he can tell us how long a T.V. program or movie lasts, and he’s able to look at the clock and see how long that looks. The problem we still have with him is not knowing how much time is left or when he’s wasting time but he doesn’t realize it. He really doesn’t have a concept of elapsed time. That’s where this next review comes in handy.

The idea of the Time Timer came about through Jan Rodgers because of a struggle she saw with her own daughter when she was younger. This type of timer can help a child understand time more clearly. He or she will be able to “see” time as a measurement and begin to understand it’s duration to give him or her a basic concept of time. The Time Timer is made with a transparent red disk that “creates a graphic image of the passage of time”. As the time elapses the red disk begins to disappear little by little. A child who doesn’t know how to tell time yet can also benefit from a timer like this.

Although the Time Timer is a great educational tool for K-12, and especially students with special needs, it can be used for persons of any age individually or in groups for a wide variety of tasks. It can be used in business (on the job), as well as in plain old everyday life.

These are some of the ways the Time Timer is used:

* Helping students manage their time wisely
* Serves as a visual aid for learning about the passage of time
* Keeping track of time during a test or therapy session
* Setting limits of how much time to complete work, homework, chores, practice sessions, having playtime, being on the computer, ect.

The Time Timer comes in 3 different sizes (3”, 8”, and 12”). I got the 3” for our review. The price for the 3” timer is $30.00. It’s small and very portable. It has a plastic cover to protect the timer when you pack it in your bag or purse to take with you. The cover also acts as a stand to help it stay in place in an upright position. To operate it you will need your own AA battery (not included). You have the option of turning the ringer sound off or on. It’s not like a wall clock or typical timer (ie: kitchen timer) with ticking sounds and loud ringing. This one has a "visual" element that shows how much time is left. The red disk slowly fades away minute by minute (like a pie shape) revealing more of the white area. You understand how you can actually “see” the passage of time? The timer goes from 0-60 minutes just like a clock. You can do segments of time in whatever increments you desire. Once the time is up you will hear a soft beep-beep sound. To help give you a visual of what I'm saying click here to see this timer in action. I also have pictures to share with you of our time timer in use.

I LOVE using our Time Timer. It gets used everyday and practically all day. I use it with my son when he’s doing work to keep him focused. He sees how much time he has to complete a task so he’ll go ahead and get it finished without playing around. I’ve used it around the house when I want to remember it’s time to do something but I not necessarily looking at a clock. It’s been used during reading times and even when timing how long me and my son playing a game. The Time Timer not only comes in this form but in other ways as well. They carry watches, software apps (for computer, iPhone, or iPod Touch), and wooden puzzles for kids 3 and up.

If you or someone you know can benefit from using this timer I bet you will love it too. The days go by quickly so as the motto of their website says "make every moment count"! Don’t forget to stop by the crew blog and see what my other crew mates had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a Time Timer free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.16th

2011-11-16T18:13:00.001-06:00

Today I'm thankful for my friend Renee over at GLOW Academy. She is so sweet and a true blessing. She has helped me time and again to fix up my blog the way I want it. She is so patient yet talented. Recently she made me some earrings. She didn't even know I was in need of a new pair. The first pair she made I was not able to wear but only one day. One of the earrings had fell out of my ear while my family and I were out for the day. My friend noticed the other earring was not in my ear. I was so sad because it was the first time I had gotten to wear them. So I told her about it and you know what she did? She sent me 3 new pair! I felt so blessed. She was going to make me cry indeed. She also has a sweet and handsome son she homeschools named Jacob. He's talented one himself. If you don't already know Renee why not stop by her blog and say hello. She loves visitors. Tell her Tajuana sent ya. While you're there, grab you a cup of hot tea or coffee while listening to some soothing music, and have a look around.

Read Naturally: One Minute Reader

2011-11-16T13:59:00.003-06:00

Do you have a struggling reader? Does your child have trouble with fluency, understanding the meanings to words, or comprehension? My 12 year old son can read at least two levels above his grade level with pretty good fluency. He has great decoding skills but he doesn’t have too good of comprehension skills. This has always been his weakest point with reading. That is why I was happy to see how this next review I’m about to share with you could help him.

Read Naturally is a company founded by husband and wife team Tom and Candyce Ihnot. Candyce has a masters in Special Education. In 1989 she “designed a unique strategy to help struggling readers”. The approach is a combination of teacher modeling, repeated reading, and self-monitoring progress.

Their “highly effective programs develop fluency, support vocabulary, and promote comprehension” because they develop and support the five essential components of reading. Those are:

Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension

This in turn accelerates reading achievement of special and regular education students. They have a couple of great programs to help with this. The one we had a chance to review is their One Minute Reader.

The One Minute Reader is Read Naturally’s in-home reading fluency program.
Age: 1st-5th grade
Product: Available as a starter kit, individual books, and level bundles.

The starter kits are available in six different levels. Those are E (early 1st grade), 1 (middle 1st grade), 2 (middle 2nd grade), 3 (middle 3rd grade), 4 (middle 4th grade), 5 (middle 5th grade) level readers. Each comes with 1 book with audio CD, a 1 minute timer, a red/blue graphing pencil, and an instructional DVD. The price for these are $24.95 each.

The individual books consists of five high-interest nonfiction stories as well as an audio CD. The books have quick quizzes (with 4 questions) at the end of each story. The back of the book has graphs for recording hot and cold scores, a joke jumble, crossword puzzle, and a glossary of words with the definitions (from bolded word in the stories). The price for these are $12.95 each.

The level bundles has a copy of all the One Minute Readers for a particular level, one starter kit plus seven more books. The price for these are $99.95 each.

So how does this all work for the student? These are the step by step instructions he or she is to take:

1. Pick a story to read.
2. Use the timer to time yourself reading.
3. Mark your cold score in blue (number of words read in a minute).
4. Read along with the CD
5. Read alone and raise your score.
6. Take the quick quiz and do the Joke Jumble.
7. Read for an adult while being timed.
8. Mark your hot score in red (subtract # of words you didn’t know from the # of words read in 1 minute).

I received a copy of the level 1 Ready, Set, Orange! and the level 3 Disasters (purple) readers. My son really liked these readers. He asked to read them everyday. Each time I recorded him reading the stories at first by himself then after having read along with the narrator on the CD. He did really well reading the orange reader. It was very easy for him since it is their E level reader. There was no problem with his fluency or him knowing how to say all the words from the stories. He did fairly well on the quick quizzes too. Once he got to the purple reader his fluency began to drop a little. He wasn’t able to read the stories in 1 minutes so the timer kept going off before he was finished reading but he didn’t say any words incorrectly. He didn’t do well on any of the quizzes either. His low comprehension skills is a major hindrance in him being able to answer the questions. On a positive note he was trying to read faster to beat the timer and he used the glossary at the back of the book to learn the meaning to words he could pronounce but didn’t know the meaning of. From our experience I believe he needed more than this program could provide for him at this time. I do like their approach so I will continue using the books I have with him to see if he can get better at this.

The crew was able to review different products from this company. If you would like to hear more about my other crew mates experience with Read Naturally and the product they reviewed, head on over to the crew’s blog and check out this post.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a kit free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.15th

2011-11-15T23:21:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for God's protection over me and my family all through this year. What are you thankful for?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.14th

2011-11-14T16:27:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful for the time my son and I had this afternoon making some homemade chocolate chip banana nut bread and chocolate chip pumpkin bread. He helped with measuring the ingredients, pouring, and stirring. He asks questions and said "It's time for my cooking lessons for today". I often tell him that he doesn't want to grow up not knowing how to cook because he'll starve if he's not rich. LOL So what are you thankful for?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.13th

2011-11-13T20:12:00.000-06:00

Today I'm thankful God says that...

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.12th

2011-11-12T15:24:00.004-06:00

Today I am thankful for our hot weekend breakfasts. I've never been a cereal person because as a kid I couldn't stand the texture of soggy cereal in my mouth. I can't eat it fast because I've always been a S-L-O-W eater. Ask my husband and son will tell ya. My mom always jokes about how I (when I first started kindergarten) would come home crying because they wouldn't let me finish eating my lunch. I love the time on the weekends where we sit at the table together, relaxed, taking our time enjoying one another and the meal because no one is in a hurry to get anywhere. This morning we had homemade sourdough waffles, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and bacon. YUM!

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.11th

2011-11-11T15:46:00.000-06:00

Today I just want to say thank you to our Veterans!

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.10th

2011-11-10T16:29:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for the internet. I know many people only use the World Wide Web for entertainment purposes. I am glad to have internet access for educational purposes. Not just education referring to schooling. No, I'm talking about being able to educate yourself on health, cooking, craft making, home projects, ect. You can read, watch how to videos, and see pictures. It's so amazing what's there to find right there at your fingertips. I am extra careful not to allow my son to view anything online without I being there. Not everything on the web is good for the eyes and ears. So what are you thankful for today?

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.9th

2011-11-09T12:29:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I missed posting because it was a busy day. Today I will post two things to catch up.

Nov. 8th---I'm thankful that my husband takes interest in what I write for my reviews. He always asks to hear what I wrote and helps me make sure the pictures are lined up and sized right.

Nov. 9th---

So what are you thankful for today? Hop on over to see what others are thankful for by clicking on the gratitude button above.

Keyboard Town PALS

2011-11-09T00:13:00.003-06:00

I have tried several programs in the past few years to help my son learn to type. It’s taking him longer than most kids his age to get up to speed, but he does have some learning challenges so that plays a big part in his struggles. When I heard we would be reviewing a typing program for the TOS Crew I was anxious to see if it would help him get past his struggles. Are you ready to say goodbye to a 90 year old stenographic method of typing? You know the one with drills, timed tests, and grades. If so then let me tell you about Keyboard Town PALS.

Type: Web-based or CD-ROM. Also available in French or Spanish and compatible with MAC and PC.

Age group: 7 and up

Price: $39.95

"In one hour your child can learn to type on a Qwerty keyboard through the use of puppetry, music, and humor in a playful relaxed atmosphere. Keyboard Town PALS teaches the location of the 26 letters and 4 symbols on a computer keyboard". It’s all done through a fictional town called Keyboard Town that has 3 streets. These streets represent the 3 rows on a computer keyboard. The 3 streets are called Home Key street (middle section), Downtown (bottom keys), and Uptown (upper keys). The word PALS is an acronym for Purposeful Associative Learning System.

The kids will be guided through the town by a fun and bright character named Sunny.

Sunny guides them through the town as she instructs and helps them stay on track.

There are houses on these streets that have puppets living in them. They are called the keyboard town PALS. Each puppet represents the letter of the keys. Like “A” for Amy who lives in the first house on Home Key Street. As your child goes through each one they will learn the story the puppet tells which in turn will help with memorizing which finger hits which key.

Keyboard Town PALS is set up to be taught in two 30 minute lessons where your child will learn all the letters for his or her left hand first. Then he or she will learn all the letters and symbols for the right hand. That is why they say your child can "learn to type in an hour". If that is too much or too long for him then you can also just let him do it in 4 mini lessons (2 videos a piece). Each video is anywhere from 6-7 minutes so this gives you the option of not going through with the whole hour lesson. This is great because each child is learning at his or her own pace without the fear or shame of being compared to other children. "Each lesson teaches only the keys pressed by that one finger”. There’s also a special feature on there where the backspace and delete keys have been deactivated. This eliminates the child from getting focused on correcting mistakes and getting off focus.

These are pictures from my son's lessons. I reviewed the web-based version of this program. The lessons are on the left side of the screen. You also see Sunny and some of the puppets in their houses. There is a digital hand that helps the kids see how to place their hands and which finger to use to hit the keys. Below the video is a text box that is designated as your child’s typing area where they can see the letters they type.

From my understanding this program will NOT teach your child speed typing if that's what you’re looking for. The focus is on learning proper placement of the fingers and where the keys are. My 12 year old son has learned where the keys are even though he has not mastered being able to type the keys from memory yet. I guess as he continues to practice on that we can worry about the speed part later on. It will just take him a little longer than most kids his age since he has problems with his eye/hand coordination. He liked getting on the computer to do the lessons each week. He would even ask if it was time to practice even though it is repetitive. He told me he kinda thinks the puppets were cute but he begged me not to tell anyone that so shhhh….it’s a secret. With that being said this program looks like it's more geared toward younger elementary students or children with special needs.

It is suggested the program be taught in two consecutive days for best results but we worked on it 3 days each week. You get an instruction guide with your purchase so you can know all about the program and how to use it. Keyboard Town PALS also has companion teaching aids to help cement the story line. There are coloring storybooks, activity pads, stickers, card games, and placemats. Click here to see a list of those and more of their products. For the price of the program alone I don't know if I would pay that price. With it being just an hour worth of instruction I think the price is not a bargain. If I were getting the other companion aids with it for that price I may reconsider. Don’t forget to stop by and see what my crew mates had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a month access to their web-based program free of charge to review, and give my honest opinion.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.7th

2011-11-07T17:04:00.004-06:00

I am thankful that I am able to continue on with our Costco membership this year. I've been members now for 2 years. I enjoy our monthly shopping trips. It's less than 20 min. away from where I live. Even though there is only 2 of us nothing ever gets wasted. I'm very strategic when I shop there so that I don't buy anything I won't use on a regular basis. I'm always anxious to see what will be in their coupon booklet each month so I can see what we need to stock up on. I didn't know I would fall in love with buying things in bulk at warehouse prices. It feels great to not have to constantly go out to the store when I run out of food or supplies. Just looking at the constant prices going up on our necessities is depressing so I'm glad to not have to go in the regular stores all the time. I hate that I can't get everything we need there so I do have to go other places to get those things. Either way I'm thankful I can even buy food and supplies because so many out there are having a tougher time being able to.

What are you thankful for today? Would you like to join in by linking up with us? Click on the button to head on over to Garden of Learning to share with others about your blessings.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.6th

2011-11-06T16:05:00.002-06:00

I hope you are taking time out to think of all the things you are thankful for. If you would like to join in on the gratitude challenge, just click on the button to link up and read what others have to say.

Today I am thankful for slow cookers/crock pots. I have 3 of them that are different sizes. My husband got me one of those Hamilton Beach 6 qt. "set it and forget" crock pots for Christmas last year. There are 3 reasons I'm so thankful for having a crock pot.

1. I don't have to be rushed to get dinner in the oven at the last minute. Me and my son always has a healthy meal waiting for them rather than having to rely on takeout or unhealthy frozen, boxed, processed foods.

2. This time of the year I can slow cook all my soups, chili, and stews while I'm busy with other things. I can literally set it and forget it! LOL

3. Many days I don't feel well enough to cook (I deal with chronic pain) so being able to put something in the crock pot til dinner time has been a huge blessing.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.5th

2011-11-05T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for the right to homeschool my son. When he went to public school I had no idea what homeschooling was. Long before he even started preK I was always teaching him things. I taught him how to feed himself, to walk, to go to the bathroom, and how to say his ABC's, numbers (1-10), and colors. I taught him how to put on his clothes, to read a book, put on and tie his shoes, and so many other things. I missed teaching him once he went off to school. I thought I HAD to send him to school in order for him to learn. I didn't know that could have carried us right into homeschooling. All that was needed is for me to just keep on teaching. Little did I know one day God would redirect my thinking and set me on a new path of being my son's teacher. I don't take pride in being his teacher. That's not the only thing I'm doing here. I'm learning right along with him and making lots of fun lasting memories together.

So what are you thankful for today? Hope you can join us in this gratitude challenge. If so click on the button above to take you there.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.4th

2011-11-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for my bright, creative, energetic, silly, happy, loving, generous, and compassionate son. Each day is an adventure and we learn so much together. Life would not be the same without. He's my sunshine.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.3rd

2011-11-03T20:44:00.003-05:00

Today I am thankful for my husband. We have seen each other through different stages of growth. One thing I like about us is that we can find so much to laugh and joke about. He's older than me by 8 months and we often reminisce about things that happened back in the day when we were growing up. No we didn't grow up together. We never knew each other. He lived in another state from me and we didn't meet until we were in my hometown. We just have similar backgrounds and remember stuff that was going on in the world during our childhood years. Since we are the same age we're getting a kick out of our changing bodies as we get older too. LOL I'm glad to have someone so special in my life to have days were we can sit, share memories, and have a good laugh together.

So what are you thankful for today? Would you like to share with us over at the gratitude challenge? If so click the button above to take you there.

The Person I Marry

2011-11-02T17:29:00.001-05:00

Since my son was 9.5 years old (he’s now 12) he has been known to say things like:
One day when I get married…
One day when I have a wife…
One day when I become a dad…
When I have kids…

Why am I talking about this? Well since he often ponders on these things I knew it was a good idea for us to review the book I’m about to share with you. It is part of the Bower Book’s Bright Future Series which “shares Biblical principles for families in beautiful down-to-earth ways”.

Product Name: The Person I Marry: Things I’ll think about Long before saying “I Do”
Written by: Gary Bower
Illustrated by: Jan Bower
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
Price: $11.99
Age Range: all ages (from young children to adult)
Website: www.bowerbooks.com

“The Person I Marry” was written and illustrated by “award winning” husband and wife team Gary and Jan Bower. They have been married for 32 years and have 12 children and 9 grandchildren. This book is written from a child’s point of view and it’s full of rhyme. It has received wonderful endorsements from Gary Smalley, Eric & Leslie Ludy, and the Duggar Family. It also was awarded "2010 Book of the Year" by the Christian Small Publisher Association. Through reading “The Person I Marry” your children will learn to look for the right character traits and qualities in a future mate. These would be the things that will make a marriage strong like:

Respect
Kindness
Honesty
Faithfulness
Thoughtfulness
Patience
Perseverance
Integrity and so much more.

What a way to celebrate true commitment, purity, and true love! This book has some of the most beautiful oil paintings I’ve ever seen (even though I haven't seen an actual hard copy of it). Another thing I liked about this book is the back page that has a place where your child can make a list of the traits they want to look for in a future mate. Check out the video of the book on this page.

Here is what they have to say on their website about their books:

Picture Books for the Entire Family
Beyond the skilled artistry of our picture books is another very rare characteristic - they really do appeal to all ages. Not only do children find our stories fascinating, but adults discover relevent gems just for them sprinkled across each page. And of course, our adorable illustrations appeal to young and old alike.
So if your kids or grandkids are tired of seeing you nod off during storytime, try some family-friendly books that are really for all ages.

Now you may be thinking this is just a book that only appeals to girls but that's not true for us. My 12 year old son really liked listening to me read while he looked at the pictures. We have read this at least 4 times and he enjoys it each time. One disadvantage for me was this: I thought we were going to receive an actual downloadable copy to read but we were given an online link to the book instead. My son said he wants me to buy him the "real" book so he can read it again, look at the pictures, and also have to give to his children some day. I think this will make a great Christmas present to get him. Now that you’ve heard what we think of this book check out what my other crew mates think of “The Person I Marry”.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a downloadable copy free of charge for viewing to review, and give my honest opinion.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge--Nov.2nd

2011-11-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for...

The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew is such a blessing in our lives. I have gotten a chance to test curriculum, games, online programs, ect. that we would have never heard of or afford to try out if it had not been for the crew. Not only is my son getting exposed to new things to learn but it has also helped me be a better blogger and reviewer. I feel truly blessed.

2011 Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge

2011-11-01T16:41:00.000-05:00

I am happy to be taking part in a month long Thanksgiving Gratitude Challenge hosted by Brenda Emmett over at Garden of Learning.

Since it is that time of year where we in the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving what better time for us to stop and think about all the things the Lord has blessed us with in our lives. No matter what is going on in our lives there is always something to be thankful for. Would you like to join me in showing others what you are thankful for? Click on the button to the right to take you there where you can read about how to join in on the fun. To clarify we will be posting each day something we are thankful for then heading over to Garden of Learning to link up.

Some days I will post my thoughts and other days I may just post a picture. Some days you may see both. :-)

So what am I thankful for today?

I am thankful for having a chance 16 years ago to ask Jesus forgiveness for my sins, for Him to come into my heart, and to be Lord and Savior of my life. My life has never been the same and that's a good thing. I can't image my life without Him. Why would I want to do life without Him?

Memoria Press: First Form Latin

2011-10-30T21:21:00.004-05:00

My first year on the TOS Crew (Maiden Voyage) I was introduced to Latin. My son fell in love with Latin when I received for review the Prima Latina from Memoria Press. You can read my thoughts on it in this post. After we finished Prima Latina my son asked to do more so we moved on to their Christiana Latina I. We’re still working through that and hope to be finished soon.

I was shocked to see we were getting another chance to review more of their Latin curricula. This time around for our review we received their First Form Latin.

Written by Cheryl Lowe

Age: grades 5 through college

Price: $55.00 for complete set which includes: teacher’s manual, student text, student workbook, quizzes & tests, and pronunciation CD

There’s also an option to get the complete set with DVD and Flash Cards for $115.00

These items can also be bought individually. See prices on the right side of this page.

I was excited when I received the white box in the mail. I remember getting a box like this from Memoria Press before. I was shocked at how big it was because I didn’t know what all they would send this time. When I opened it up to my surprise it was well packed with the complete set as well as the DVD and flash cards. I liked that a lot because having the DVD’s helps you (the teacher) out a whole lot. The flash cards are great in helping my son review new words he’s learned.

The teacher’s manual is full of useful information. It has the introduction, guidelines, and overview of how to use the program. You’re going to want to be sure to read over those pages because it will help you know how to get going. It’s “comprehensive with key, scripted lesson plans, chalk talk, recitation, and review guidelines, quizzes, tests, vocabulary drill sheets, and much more”.

This is a well laid out and very thorough program. There is lots to cover in each lesson. “The student text is organized into five units that enables the learner to comprehend the whole in its logical parts”. There are 34 lessons (two pages each which are side by side). These lessons takes around 30 minutes a day to complete. “The student workbook had 4-6 pages of exercises for each lesson. They guide the student through every skill needed for mastery of that lesson”.

Here’s how the teachers manual lays out daily lesson planning:

* Day 1—Recitation for 5 minutes, Teach lesson (do Latin saying for 3 min., vocabulary 10 min., Grammar 20 min.) and Workbook Section I and V for 15 minutes.
* Day 2--Workbook Sections II for 30 minutes
* Day 3—Workbook Sections III for 30 minutes
* Day 4—Workbook Section IV for 10 min., Oral Drill in Text for 10 min., and Pre-test for 20 min.
* Day 5--If student hasn’t shown mastery in first 4 days use this day to review and restudy then give quiz again.

First Form Latin is an introduction to Christian Latin. It “is the first of a series of four texts that cover the entire Latin grammar at a pace that fosters mastery.” The “focus is on grammar forms and vocabulary”. Although First Form Lain is designed for teachers and students with no Latin background it “is a great follow-up to Latina Christiana I”. A major plus about this program is that “the completion of First Form Latin is an equivalent to one year of high school foreign language”. If you are interested in seeing a sample lesson click on each of these:

Table Of Contents
First Form recitation
Sample from Student Textbook
Sample from Student Workbook
Sample from Teacher’s Manual

Of course we are not near finished with this. We are still in the beginning of this study. It’s harder for my son to grasp than I thought it would be. The vocabulary is easy for him but when he does the workbook lessons he’s not doing well with those. We’re going to put this aside for now and pick it up again the next school year. That will give us time to finish up the rest of Latina Christiana I. This may give him some time to mature and maybe comprehend more. Now that you’ve heard our experience with First Form Latin be sure to see what my other crew mates thoughts were.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this complete curriculum free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

George Washington Carver

2011-10-25T23:11:00.004-05:00

The TOS crew had the opportunity to review some educational videos from Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. The one we were chosen for is “one of their most popular educational DVD programs” about George Washington Carver.

Product Name: George Washington Carver: His Life and His Work DVD

Video: in color; runs 29 minutes

Price: $19.95

Age Level: 4th grade through Adult

Subject Areas of Study: U.S. History, and American Biographies

This video is about the life and accomplishments of George Washington Carver. In school when I heard of him he was only referred to as the “peanut man”. After my son and I watched this video we found out there was way more to know about him then what we had learned. It is an inspirational story of how a poor, uneducated black man became one of the most productive and inspirational forces in society but especially for his ethnic group.

The video can be watched in its entirety or in segments. There are 5 segments and they are:

1. Inspiring Words
2. Early Life
3. College Years
4. Tuskegee Years
5. Final Years

How much do you know about George Washington Carver? Did you know that “George Washington Carver Recognition Day” is celebrated on January 5th? It’s the anniversary of Carver's death to commemorate his life and inventions. Do you know how he got the name “The Peanut Man”? He researched and came up with 300 different uses and by-products for peanuts. Some of those uses are peanut oil, peanut butter, cosmetics, dyes and paints, plastics, gasoline and nitroglycerin. Did you know he could draw really well and was torn between a decision to study art or agriculture in college? Did you know he majored in Botany? Did you know he worked with his mentor Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee Institute as a teacher? There are so many interesting things we learned in this video on Carver’s life. It was so amazing to see his love for God, His creation, and people.

If you’re looking for an inspirational story, or want to teach your kids the true life of George Washington Carver I highly recommend this DVD. It features beautiful music, has beautiful sceneries, and great photography that you’ll want to watch it again and again. After the description of the video on this page you will find a study guide to use as a tool for discussion of what was learned about George Washington Carver. I believe the reason for the recommended age group being upper elementary to adult is because the younger crowd may not be able to sit still through the video. It's more like something you would use to teach students historical facts, have Q and A time, and maybe write a report about. I let my son use the study guide while we were watching the video because he could answer the questions in it better this way.

For my readers I am able to offer 15% discount on your order of this DVD. At checkout just use coupon code: TOSC1. Marshall Publishing also has other educational historical documentaries you can find here. You can also visit and follow them on their Facebook page. Please stop by our crew page to read more reviews from my crew mates and hear about the video (s) they were blessed to review from Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this DVD free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

Say Anything

2011-10-21T12:05:00.004-05:00

Next up in my homeschool reviews I will tell you as promised from my previous review about another North Star Game I were blessed to review.

North Star Games has another popular party game called “Say Anything” that comes in a family friendly version. “Say Anything Family” will have everyone in your home laughing yet surprised you really didn’t know the answer to things your family member thinks. It’s your chance to be witty, silly, or serious while you play along and well SAY ANYTHING!.

So what all do you get in the box? The game comes with 6 mini dry erase answer boards of different colors, 6 dry erase pens, 12 Meeple Tokens (to match the colors of the mini answer boards), Select-O-Matic 6000 (spinner), a dry erase score board, 60 question cards with 360 topics (3 questions on blue side and 3 on the yellow side), and the game rules. The game is for ages 8 and up and can be played with 3-6 players (can be played individually or as a team in groups of twos if there are more players).

How do you play the game? First select someone to be score keeper. The youngest person (the judge) is given the Select-O-Matic 6000 because he or she is the first to read a question. He or she chooses one of the 3 questions from the side of the card you are playing (yellow or blue). The questions always starts with "In My Opinion". The other players are to write their guesses of what they think the person would say on their mini boards and place it face up on the table. The judge will secretly choose his or her favorite answer and select that on the Select-O-Matic 6000 (spinner). The spinner will be placed face down so no one can see what was chosen. The players place their 2 tokens on the answer board(s) they think will win (can put both tokens on their own answer or split up between different answers). The judge will flip the Select-O-Matic 6000 over to reveal which answer was chosen. The one with the winning answer scores a point. Here is how the scoring works: you get one point for placing your token on the winning answer. The player who wrote the winning answer gets a bonus point. The judge gets one point for every player who placed their token on the winning answer. There is a minimum of 3 points given per person per round. Start another round by passing the Select-O-Matic 6000 to the player that’s on the previous judges left. After everyone has had a chance to ask two questions the player with the most points wins the game.

Here are some pictures of the game:

My son and I now have another fun game to play when boredom sets in. Things I like about the game:

* Easy set up.
* Sturdy boards and playing pieces.
* The rules are not complicated making it easy to learn how to play.
* Can be played in under 30 minutes making it short and quick.
* Always kept us laughing.
* It was fun seeing what kinds of answers family members came up with.

What would I have liked even better?

* It would have been nice to have the real Meeples instead of the tokens.
* It had all the color boards except my son’s favorite color. RED

Other than that it was still a great game that we will keep enjoying for years to come. "Say Anything Family” retails for $19.99 but the prices vary depending on where you buy it. You can purchase it at places like Target and Amazon. If you would like to stay up to date with North Star Games you can keep up with them on their Facebook page.

Now that I have told you what my son thinks of “Say Anything Family” I encourage you to check out what other crew members think of this game.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this game free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

Wits & Wagers

2011-10-20T00:54:00.004-05:00

One thing I’m loving this year about being on the TOS Crew is the cool games we have been getting to review. There’s so many games out there but not all are family friendly or fit in with some of the family values.

North Star Games has some cool party games to play at your gatherings with friends and family. In fact one of their most popular games Wits & Wagers is a party game that is mainly suitable for older teens (parents should decide whether it’s appropriate to meet their family standards) to adults. They now have a family version of that game called “Wits & Wagers Family”.

Wits & Wagers Family “simplifies the rules and scoring system than the original Wits & Wagers party game. It features 300 new family-friendly questions and includes the use of real Meeples”. Are you wondering what all comes in the box? The game comes with 5 mini dry erase answer boards of different colors, 5 dry erase pens, 10 Meeples (5 Big, and 5 small wooden people to match the colors of the mini answer boards), a dry erase score board, 150 question and answer cards with a plastic holding tray, and the game rules. The game is for ages 8 and up and can be played with 3-10 players (can be played individually or as a team in groups of twos).

How do you play the game? The set up is easy and the directions are not complicated. First one person has to read the question. The other players are to write their guesses on their mini boards and place it face down on the table. Once everyone is finished answering the cards will be turned face up and put in order. The players place their 2 Meeples on the answer board(s) they think will win. The person who asked the question will flip the question card over to the back to reveal the answer. The one closest to the answer without going over scores the point (s). Here is how the scoring works: you get one point for placing your Meeple on the winning answer. You get one point for placing your small Meeple on the right guess, and 2 points for placing your big Meeple on the right answer. The first player to reach 15 points wins the game. Here are some pictures of our game:

I have had a blast playing this game. What I like about it is:

* Easy set up.
* The rules are not complicated making it easy to learn how to play.
* Can be played in under 30 minutes making it short and quick.
* Sturdy boards and playing pieces.
* Kept us thinking but laughing all at the same time.
* Is a fun family game.

"Wits & Wagers Family” retails for $19.99 but the prices vary depending on where you buy it. You can purchase it at places like Target, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. “Wits & Wagers Family is a game that combines laughter and learning in a way that all ages can enjoy together!” Next up in my homeschool reviews you will hear about another North Star Game we were blessed to review.

Although I have told you what the family thinks of this game I encourage you to check out what other crew members think of Wits & Wagers Family.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this game free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

Apologia: Educating the WholeHearted Child

2011-10-17T22:40:00.002-05:00

There is one place that has Science curriculum that my son really loves. We’ve gone through two books already and he’s already looking at other ones.
No this review is not going to be about any science books or anything like that. Apologia Ministries is where we buy the books. It is also where you’ll find the book I’m going to be talking to you about. One day last month I got a package in the mail. I opened to find it was a big and heavy book. I’m not exaggerating when I say that. Despite how big it was the nice cover made me eager to know what was to be learned.

Title: Educating the WholeHearted Child (3rd Edition)

Authors: Clay and Sally Clarkson

Type: Paperback, 376 pages

Cost: $22.00

“Educating the WholeHearted Child” is written by a husband wife team who have homeschooled all of their four children. They are now all homeschool graduates. Clay and Sally Clarkson started Whole Heart Ministries. Their goal/mission is to “encourage and equip Christian parents to raise wholehearted Christian children”. Educating the WholeHearted Child is Christian based as it is a “handbook for Christian Home Education”. This book is for new and even seasoned (veteran) homeschoolers. Parents will rediscover God's original design for the family. I am so excited to share with you what I’ve been learning as I read through these pages.

In “Educating the WholeHearted Child” you will learn about the wholehearted learning model. They help you “see how your home can become a heart-filling, rich, and lively environment where your children will love to learn as naturally as they love to play”. The wholehearted learning model is “a natural, home-centered way to nurture, disciple, and educate your children”. What is meant by the “WholeHearted Child”? It’s where you actively take part in your children becoming wholeheartedly devoted to God with willing minds that seek to serve Him.

Wholehearted learning is “a biblical, commonsense, discipleship-based lifestyle of home education using real books, real life, and real relationships”. They state in the book that “God did not forget to include "school" in his biblical design for raising children because home education is a natural expression of all that God intended for parents and their children”. A home-centered wholehearted approach to learning is a biblical lifestyle. It is not the same as the man-made public institution (public school). It doesn’t make sense to try and impose the elements of the man-made institution upon an institution of God. Now they are not advocating everyone should carry out their homeschooling the same way. You are to follow God’s leading and let Him guide your family’s expression of your values in your home. Their mission is to give you a larger vision for what God can do in your home by providing a model that gives you freedom to follow the Holy Spirit in what your children need the most.

Educating the WholeHearted Child is divided into four main sections.

* Home: The Christian Home, The Christian Homeschool, Home Nurture/Discipleship/Education.
* Learning: The WholeHearted Learning Model/Home/Child/Youth
* Methods: Studies of the Bible/Basics/Ideas/Living
* Living: Family Vision, Homeschooling Structure, Order in the Home, and Spiritual Support.

You can check out the table of contents for free. You can also download a sample of a chapter to read and get an idea of what they share. Although a lot of the book is about home education you will come to understand there is three biblical priorities to build your home on and the order of how each builds upon the other. These are home nurture, home discipleship, and home education. On each page in the chapters are notes in the side margins where they share scriptures, tips, or quotes. These are full of encouragement. I love the sections at the end of each section where they share examples of how what they just shared is done in their home. It leaves me thinking “wow…I never thought of it that way”. Who am I kidding? All that I’ve read in the book so far has left me saying that. LOL There’s also a section at the end of the book with a list of book suggestions and helpful forms to use as you see fit.

There is so much in this book to glean and learn from. I’m only midways in but I know this is a resource I will return to time and time again. I hope I have helped you understand what to expect to learn through “Educating the WholeHearted Child”. Other members of the crew had an opportunity to review this book as well. Click here to hear what they have learned.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this book free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

E-mealz

2011-10-15T09:33:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure most of my readers already know by now I’ve been reviewing homeschool products for the TOS Homeschool Crew. Well this next review is not about a homeschooling product but every homeschooling family I know need this all the time. What is that you may be wondering? Why it’s meals to eat of course. LOL

Are you one who hates to cook? Do you struggle knowing what to fix for dinner each day? Does the thought of menu planning make you feel exhausted? Are you wanting to feed your family nutritious meals but need some help? I just may have that solution for you. There is a company that wants to help you “free up your brain, your budget, and your family time in a revolutionary way”.

The goal of E-mealz is to “take dinner menu and money planning stress off your plate”. How you may ask? Well it’s as easy as 1-2-3. Here’s how it works:

1. You choose a plan.
There are over 28 different plans to choose from like regular family meal plans or, the specialty family meal plans. Each of these are 7 days worth of plans that will feed 4-6 people. They also have meal plans for two, and specialty meal plans for two. Each of these are 5 days worth of meal plans that feeds 1-2 people. You may be wondering what is meant by specialty. That is meal plans for people with special dietary needs like low fat, low carb, portion control, vegetarian, and gluten free. Another option for choosing plans is according to the store you shop at and their weekly sales for that week. These are stores like Aldi, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, and Ralph’s. If you don’t live near these places or for any other reasons those are not options for you, they have “Any Store” plans as well. Each plan has a certain day of the week that it posts to the site. This is something you’ll want to keep in mind. Also during holidays (ex: Thanksgiving and Christmas, ect.) they only have 5 days planned out instead of 7 on the family meal plans. You can click here to see partial samples of their plans.

2. Now that you’ve chosen a plan you can print out your menu and list then go shopping. These are in PDF format so you can save it for printing later if you choose to. Quick tip: I save mine in a designated folder on my laptop titled “E-mealz”. You don’t have to worry about looking up recipes or writing out a list of things you will need. The plans come with all the recipes (main dish as well as side items to serve) on one page and an aisle-by-aisle grocery list on the other. So see you just print and go with no planning on your part. Another note here: I liked the fact that they keep the previous weeks plan up for downloading when they post the new plan for that week. This means you have two weeks to get a plan printed out before they take it down.

3. After you go shopping for the week all you have to do now is cook your meal according to the instructions on the plan and sit down to enjoy it with your family.

The cost for E-mealz is $5.00 a month. That’s about a $1.25 a week. The way it works is you set up your payment by debit or credit card. They will automatically charge your account every three months for a total of $15.00. You can cancel at any time but you have to do it before it’s time for your account to be charged for that billing period. One other thing you should know: if you don’t like the meal plan you choose you can change it but only once during a three month period.

For my review I started off with the “Any-Store Family Plan”. I figured it would be the easiest for me to make any adjustments and substitutions as needed for my family. Here is what this plan is about:

“The ANY-STORE meal plan is a complete, easy meal plan that is transferable to use at any store, anywhere. The mental work is done! Just print and go! The plan can be used at ANY grocery store ANYWHERE. It’s economical, and family friendly.”

For the past month I have enjoyed many of the meals from this plan. There were easy meals, on-the-go meals, easy grab and go meals, crockpot meals, meals that had something needing to marinate over night, ect. I have even taken pictures of the dinners I cooked. Take a look here:

Now I have to tell you that I didn't always follow along with the plans as they were written. Some items on the list were a little to pricey for our budget and we also don't consume a lot of pre-packaged processed foods. I will list the names of the meals we had and some modifications I made to them.

* Swedish Meatballs with Italian Green Beans, and Dinner Rolls= For this the meat I used was ground turkey and I made my own homemade gravy. We loved it and there was a little leftover for two people to eat for lunch the next day.

* Apple Baked French Toast with crispy bacon= For this meal they suggested buying a package of precooked bacon. I just cooked up my own bacon instead. We liked the new twist on French toast BUT...I decided when we try this again I will make French toast the way I usually make it then serve the cooked apples on top. There were leftovers for breakfast or a snack the next day.

* Chicken and Rice Taco Fiesta with tortilla chips and shredded lettuce= I used regular rice in this dish even though minute rice was suggested. I just used less rice than was called for. We loved this meal and there was plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.

* Open Meatball Subs with chips= For this meal I didn't do the open faced version (see the pic above). I just did regular subs. I also did have any mozzarella cheese on hand so I used the Mexican blend we already had. This was a huge hit with us and will definitely try again. We loved the toasty bread with all the oozing cheese coming out of the hoagie bun.

* Beef 'n Rice Mexi-Bowl with tortilla chips and salsa= Again I subbed the beef with ground turkey. I also used 1/2 corn and 1/2 black beans because we like this combination. It was really good and just a bit of leftovers because my guy liked it way too much. :-)

* Turkey Divan with steamed rice and dinner rolls= I made this in the crockpot instead of the oven. There were plenty of leftovers. My 11 year old son didn't really care for the dish. He said the sauce was too cheesy and sour tasting. I loved it though.

* Enchilada Pie with yellow rice and Pineapple Kiwi Toss= As you see in the picture we didn't have yellow rice or the fruit toss. I had to use what was on hand that would go well with the meal. We LOVED this and I'll definitely be making this again. There were NO leftovers.

* Savory Ham and Swiss Subs with chips= I ended up using this as a lunch meal instead of a grab and go dinner. It was a huge hit and will definitely make it again.

* Beef Zucchini Bake with carrots and dinner rolls= I made this in the crockpot for 3.5 hours on low because I wanted to see if it would hold up well. I also used regular rice in place of the instant. Everyone loved it and said they would eat it if I made it again. There were plenty of leftovers.

As you can see we were pleased with most but I wanted to try another plan to see if it would better suit some of our dietary restrictions. The next plan I chose is the "Any Store Gluten Free" option. The reason is because we have plans to get our son tested for gluten intolerance (He is on the Autism spectrum). I haven't used any menus on that one yet because we're due for another shopping trip this weekend. Now I want to share what I think are the advantages and disadvantages of using E-mealz.

Advantages:
- Is endorsed by Dave Ramsey author of the "Total Money Makeover".
- You don't have to think about what to fix for dinner each night of the week.
- You don't have to make up and write out a grocery list.
- Shopping list categorized by aisles.
- Has some meal choices with pre-packaged foods for convenience and quick prep.
- A good variety of nutritious meals.
- You get to try out meals you may have not ever thought of trying before.
- There are choices for "On-the-Go", "Grab-and-Go", or crockpot meals.
- Most meals will leave you with plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.

Disadvantages:
- Meals with pricey cuts of meats (my suggestion is to substitute where needed for this).
- Some items are more expensive to buy than what you may be used to paying (again substitute as needed).
- May not see the savings you are looking for in you food budget depending on where you shop.
- If you have a family full of very picky eaters the plans may not be a fit for you.
- If you are a family who eats mostly whole foods you may be disappointed by seeing lots of suggestions on the menu for pre-packaged/convenience foods.
- If you have various food allergies in your family you may have to make many adjustments or substitute a lot to accommodate for that. For instance: Even though you may be on a gluten free diet the menu doesn't take into account if you also need to eliminate dairy products as well. Many of the menus I saw had lots of dairy used in them.

All of this is to say that E-mealz may be the perfect fit for your family depending on your circumstances. All you can do is try it out and see what it can do for you, your family, and your budget. I didn't experience any difference in how much I spent at the grocery store but then again I am used to looking for the best deals and doing menu plans already. All in all I'm happy to have been given the chance to try out a plan like this. I got to try out some tasty meals I would have never thought to try before. You don’t have to rely on my thoughts of this meal plan. Stop by and see what other crew members had to say of their E-mealz experience.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a 3 month subscription free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

National Sausage Pizza Day!

2011-10-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

Did you know yesterday (Oct. 11th) was National Sausage Pizza Day? Yes it sure was. You can read here and here to find out more. My son and I made mini pizzas with english muffins, tomato sauce, pizza seasoning (from my spice rack), chopped veggies (onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms), cooked crumbled sausage, and cheese. He loved making these mini pizzas. He wants to do it again for his birthday that's coming up next weekend. Here are pics of him showing you how it's done step by step:

The end results were really tasty. Before putting on the sauce I drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil on top of the opened English muffins and let it toast for 5 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. After we finished adding the toppings I let it cook about 10 minutes in the oven. With the right combo of seasonings it tasted just like a pizza.

Visual Latin

2011-10-11T22:30:00.004-05:00

When you think of foreign languages what comes to mind? Is it things like Spanish, French, German, ect? What about Latin? You may be thinking to yourself “isn’t that a dead language? It’s probably the last thing you would think of wanting to learn. Latin doesn’t sound too appealing to many because they are probably yawning just thinking about it. Well don’t let that thought stop you because you’re going to love what I have to share in my latest TOS Crew review.

I had never heard of Visual Latin until now. I was very interested in seeing what would be so different in this curriculum than any other Latin we’ve ever studied. According to the website “Visual Latin is a rather unusual Latin curriculum.” They believe:

* It’s better to make students laugh than yawn.

* Shorter videos teach more effectively than longer ones.

* Small successes lead to big successes.

* Children like reading Latin more than memorizing it.

The program is designed in a way to help speed up the learning process.

From Latin 1 we were given lessons 1-10 to try out. There are 30 lessons total in this series that are are available for purchase at The Compass Store in single or group sets. The “single family” sets are a combination of 10 lessons each (1-10, 11-20, and 21-30). They can be purchased in two ways. The download version (which is what I reviewed) is available for $25.00. These HD (High Definition) can be downloaded using AppleiTunes, iPad, iPod, and even a iPhone. These are BIG zip files so a broadband connection is needed. The other way you can purchase the lessons is on DVD for $30.00.

Each lesson has videos that are done in 3 segments. First you have part A which covers grammar, part B are the sentences, and part C is the reading. Each video takes less than 10 minutes to watch. After viewing the lesson your child will have a worksheet to fill out. Our downloads came with the 3 videos, and a set of PDF worksheets. One had instructions, the other are the 3 worksheets for the 3 video lessons, and last was an answer key.

When I saw some of my crew mates getting excited about reviewing Visual Latin I had to know why. I looked around on the website a bit but I still didn’t see what they were getting all happy over. After I downloaded the big zip files my son and I began watching the introduction videos. They weren’t that long to watch. In fact they were pretty quick and to the point. As we all sat watching Dwane Thomas it didn’t take long before we were smiling. I loved the way he was presenting the information. It didn’t look like it would be difficult to learn at all. In fact they say kids ages 9 and up can learn through this method. It is a self-paced curriculum so if you have younger children who can read they can learn it as well.

To get an idea of what to expect click here to watch and try a sample lesson for free. If you like what you see but just aren’t sure yet, they have 6 free lessons you can try out. You’ll be hooked once you see Dwane’s great sense of humor. I know I sure was.

Whenever I tell my son it’s time for Latin he gets really excited. He doesn’t even get bored with it because he said “Mom it’s a great idea to do Latin everyday”. Learning Latin the visual way is so fun for him that he doesn’t act like it’s actually schoolwork. Here’s him all engaged into watching a video and doing his worksheet.

I love learning with him too. I said he wants to learn Latin too because he wants to brush up on some other foreign languages he had learned in high school. As Dwane said "learning Latin is supposed to make it easier to learn the other languages". There is also a Visual Latin 2 with lessons 31-40. To keep up with the latest in Visual Latin you can stop by and visit their Facebook page. I also encourage you to head on over to the Visual Latin post over at the TOS Homeschool Crew to see what the other crew members had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received these lessons free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

Scruble Cube

2011-10-05T21:05:00.006-05:00

Did you know there’s a way to combine Scrabble, the Rubix cube, and word puzzles all into a fun game of it’s own? You may be wondering what the heck I’m talking about. I want to share with you about a “3D word game puzzle on steroids”! LOL

The TOS Crew received a product to review called the “Scruble Cube”. It’s made by RSV Production, Inc. The Scruble Cube is a “3D word game puzzle that’s like scrabble in a cube.” The box comes with a cube that has 96 individual rotating letters (with a number for scoring as well), score pad sheets, an hour glass sand timer, and a “Getting Started Guide”. The cost of the Scruble Cube is $24.95.
The game is designed for anyone ages 8 and up. If you have a child that’s a little younger who can spell at least a 3 letter word he can join in on the fun too. The game can be played alone or for more of a challenge up to 4 players can play at a time. Having more players is one way the timer comes in handy. You can limit the amount of time someone has the cube while the other players are waiting for their turn. Like the Rubix cube the Scruble Cube twists vertically and horizontally. The difference is that the object of this cube is not to match colors but to put letters together to spell words. The difference from this and Scrabble is that the words can begin anywhere on the cube. Each player does not have to build on to the word the previous player spelled like in Scrabble. Check out this video to see the Scruble Cube in action.

Wasn’t that cool? My son loves watching that video. It’s great to know that while your kids are having fun it helps them exercise their brain, and build confidence. Speaking of exercising your brain educators will love the free lesson plans to use with the cube. This is what they said can be done:

“The lessons are designed to help teach math, language, logic, spelling, and science. Each can be adapted to the number of students in your home. The curriculum spans across multiple grades making it a great activity for the whole family.” You can click here to download their curriculum for free.

Our first impression:
When the box arrived my 11 year old son couldn’t wait to open it. We loved the way it looked and the display of the contents inside. It has a cool futuristic look to it. My son, and I all agree the cube looked like a big Rubix cube with button letters that turn. To be honest the cube scared me because it seems so fragile. Turning it is not very easy at first. After some uses it loosened up but it still feels as though it would break apart if you’re not careful in how you handle it. I was often reminding my son to be careful how he turned it because he can be a little rough with his toys. Here’s him hard at work:

Our overall experience:
We haven’t gotten full use of the Scruble Cube yet. It’s a little complicated for my son to build anything beyond a 3 letter word. He doesn’t really understand how to go about building the words on there even after showing and explaining it to him several times. For that reason we haven’t played any games where we’re competing against each other. We tried doing words with vowels, spelling words from his spelling list, and spelling the symbols from the period table. He really needs more time to get used to it. He got a bit frustrated when it was taking him too long to spell a word. I know it’s because of his learning disability. One thing I’m noticing is it’s helping with working on some motor skills (ex: his eye and hand coordination). I asked him does he like his Scruble Cube and he says “YES!”. We’ll just keep working with him on it like we’ve always had to do with games. He eventually gets the concepts as he emotionally/socially matures.

You can purchase the Scruble Cube here. It is also available at Barnes and Noble and Toys ’R’ Us. You can also learn more by checking them out on Facebook. Don’t forget to stop by and see what my other TOS Crew members had to say.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a Scruble Cube free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

Funny "Fall" Faces

2011-10-04T21:48:00.001-05:00

While we were out for a walk today my son collected things from around our neighborhood. He then picked a spot for us to draw a circle with some sidewalk chalk. He created funny faces with his collection and I was sure to capture pics for lasting memories. Hope you enjoy his creations...

The Most Important Thing You'll Ever Study

2011-10-03T12:08:00.001-05:00

I feel so blessed to have been selected to review a study I know will benefit my soon to be 12 year old son for years to come. When I saw the big package from Crossway that came in the mail my eyes got big. I couldn’t wait to open it up to see what was inside. I looked over the contents, started smiling, and wondering if my son would like to incorporate it into his school lessons for Bible time. So what did I get that got me all excited?

The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Study: A Survey of the Bible

By: Starr Meade
Publisher: Crossway
Type: Paperback
Retail Price: $54.99 (FULL SET: Volumes 1-5)
Price by volumes: Volumes 1 & 2, (Old Testament w/answer key vol. 5) is $32.99
Volumes 3 & 4, (New Testament w/answer key vol. 5) is $32.99
Volumes 1 & 2 (Old Testament) is $27.99
Volumes 3 & 4 (New Testament) is $27.99
This study is available in multiple volumes or as a full set. The books are not sold individually.

“The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Study” is a series of workbooks that surveys the entire Bible. It teaches students each book of the Bible moving chronologically through the Bible. It can be used alone or as a supplement to their Bible reading. They will learn how to read the Bible for understanding and mastery. As they complete the course they will have not only greater knowledge the Word of God, but a love for it as well.

This study guide set is geared towards students in junior high and early high school. It aims to help them answer questions like “how are the pages of the Bible relevant to my life today?” or “Why is it so important that I read this book?”

Before getting started it’s important to read a few things first. In the “Quick Start” section Starr explains two ways the study book can be used. One way is as a supplement companion while reading through the entire Bible. The other way is as a workbook that guides you through an overview of the Bible. You will learn about the shaded icons and book symbols within the lessons and why they are useful in the study. The “Getting Started” section is REALLY important for you and your student(s) to read. Here she explains to the student the reasons why “studying” verses just reading through the Bible is important in the life of a Christian. In order to understand all its meaning we need to study, analyze, and think about what is being said. The goal here is for the student to begin a lifetime of Bible study.

Starr points out that the main character in the Bible is God not the other people in the stories like Noah, Abraham, Jonah, ect. The focus point is to look at “who God is, what He’s like, and what He does in the stories”. Even though we may study the Bible just like we do any other book we should not treat it just like any other book. We are not to pick and choose what we will believe or agree with from God’s word. If we find the Bible contradicts our beliefs, opinions, and preferences, we have to give up our idea and accept the truth God reveals in the scriptures. Last she tells the student not to expect Bible study to be easy. It won’t always be fun or exciting to study nor will they understand everything they read. That’s why we study for a lifetime because as time goes on we will continue to grow more in our understanding.

We used “The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Study” by simply just following along with the questions. As we began I have to be honest and say I thought it would be a little too much for my son to comprehend and it would lead him to feeling overwhelmed. This is do to him having a learning disability. Well I was wrong. Once I explained to him what to do he took off and was able to complete to lessons with minimum help from me. He was excited to get started each day. We didn’t always finish a whole lesson that day because after 30 minutes he would show he was getting tired from all the reading. He also liked asking questions so we would get into deep discussions about some things. We’re in no hurry so the next day we just picked back up where we left off. Here’s some pictures of him doing his lesson for the day:

We are no where near finished with this study. It will take the rest of the school year (possibly more) for us to get through it. One thing my son loves is books that help him learn more about God. I was so happy to see him really get in there pondering and thinking about things he read in the Bible as he worked through answering the questions in the workbook. Receiving the full set of “The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever study” to review was definitely a blessing for our homeschool Bible study this year. No other book your child picks up will impact their lives more than the Bible can. This study is also available in e-book format for $9.99.

Disclaimer: Crossway Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was provided. Be sure to stop by their blog to read more book reviews.

Football Frenzy DNG

2011-10-01T23:32:00.001-05:00

My son had lots of fun doing the Football Frenzy DNG (Download N Go) from Amanda Bennett's Unit Studies. He did most of it with his dad who loves to watch football. We learned so much and I actually know what's going on with the game now. Here are pictures of some of what we learned.

If your kids want to learn more about football or just enjoy the sport, I highly recommend this unit study. Not only is there information to learn but your kids will be learning new words and their meanings, doing a little spelling and math, drawing their own pictures, doing some coloring, cutting and gluing, watching fun videos, getting in some history, geography, as well as science and much more. All of that in just 5 days. There's even some family fun ideas within the study. Now we're "Ready For Some Football"!!!

A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers

2011-09-29T21:12:00.004-05:00

We recently received a review product that came just in time for us to use for music. Over the past month we have been studying about composers of different eras and we are really enjoying it. Classical music happens to be one of the music types we enjoy from time to time. We are studying about several famous using a curriculum from Bright Ideas Press called “A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers”.

Description:

Written by: Melissa Craig and Maggie Hogan
Published by: Bright Ideas Press
Format: Paperback, 298
Price: $34.95
Ages: 9-13
Grade Level: 4th-8th grades

The program includes:

32 Weekly Lessons
26 Bios of Famous Composers
6 Eras of Music Explained
Easy-to-Use Comparative Timeline
Easy-to-Use Maps
Composer Info-Cards & Game Directions
Note-taking Pages
Quizzes
Answer Keys
Listening Suggestions
Intricate Coloring Pages
Resource Books

A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers provides you with a full year’s worth of curriculum to do with your kids. It is made up of 32 weekly lessons that covers 6 eras of music from the Ancient/Middle Ages to the Contemporary music era. This study provides a close-up look at famous composers from the Baroque to the Contemporary eras, their music, and their times, their character traits and Christian testimony (or lack of it). Each lesson has some reading that is 2-3 pages. It usually takes around 15 minutes to read through. There are note taking pages or review questions at the end of the lessons. I let my son write his answers down as we read because it was easier for him this way. Once we were done we would have a mini discussion and I’d see what he remembered from the lesson.

When you read about a composer there are composer cards in the back of the book that can be put together and filled out as well as coloring sheets, timelines, and maps to show where the person was born. As you study each composer there are links to suggestions of where to listen to musical pieces they composed. It is suggested you have the kids listen to the same selections 3 times a week to help them retain and remember who wrote it or what period it originally came from. My son really loved this part. When he would hear the music he would say “Hey I remember hearing that before.”. It was so amazing to learn who composed different pieces of music we have heard on T.V. or in movies that dad was even excited to learn more.

Although A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers is said to be for grades 4th-8th it can be adapted to use with younger or older students. You can have the little ones color the coloring sheets as you read and listen to the music selections or they can play some of the games that are suggested like composer BINGO with the composer cards. The older ones can play composer Jeopardy, make a notebook filled with maps, timelines, pictures, drawings and any other useful info. or even write an essay. We will soon be making a folder book that I will come back at a later time and add to this post. So as you can see this is something that children in different age ranges can take part in. Here are pictures of what’s inside this curriculum…

A good thing about this course is that there’s minimal teacher prep since the writers have done most of the work for you. You will find an answer key for the lessons, composer resource lists, links to helpful websites, and there’s even a certificate of completion to give your students when they have completed the whole course. We’re not nearly finished with this study because we’re only halfway into it. My son said so far his favorite composer is Bach. He loves his music.

I do plan to continue on with this study of composers since we had no other plans for music this school year. As I stated before I will come back at a later time with an update to this post with pictures of our finished folder book. Because of Timberdoodle I am happy to have received "A Young Scholars Guide to Composers" to review. You can find this and other homeschooling curriculum by visiting their website. While you're there you can sign up to receive their free homeschool catalog. You can also check them out on Facebook.

Legal Disclosure:

As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers {in CD (PDF) form} in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The 2011-2012 Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner

2011-09-23T15:45:00.001-05:00

I have been enjoying using the Schoolhouse Planners each year from The Old Schoolhouse. I get excited when another year rolls around because I want to see what new things they have added to it. This year I had an opportunity to review their all new 2011-2012 Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner. Being the mom of a son with Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD, I have to say I’m really thankful to have this handy tool.

The Schoolhouse Special Needs Planner is 191 pages. It comes in E-book (PDF) form for $29.00 or on CD for $34.00. The one I reviewed is the e-book form. I like that because it’s ready to download right then and there once you purchase it. The Schoolhouse Special Needs Planner is tailored to meet the needs of families with special needs kids. I have not seen a planner of this kind anywhere else. There are forms for your home and school needs. So what can you expect to get inside this planner? Keep reading to find out more.

The Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner comes complete with tons of forms to help you juggle school, therapy, and doctors appointments with ease. They have one page calendars for 2011-2013, 2 page spread or single-page calendars for planning, articles from well-known authors in the special needs community, and even GFCF recipes. Some of the forms included are:

* A 12 page IEP (Individual Education Plan) for special needs homeschoolers.
* Scheduling Forms
* Goal Forms
* Medical History & Test Records Forms
* Allergies Record
* Medication Record
* Medical and Developmental Record Keeping forms
* Discussion Questions List for professionals
* Emergency Medical Information
* Therapy Forms
* Routine forms and cards for tasks like: going to the bathroom, washing hands, taking a shower, getting ready for school, brushing their teeth, ect.
* Life Skills & Chore Charts for: cleaning their room, or doing laundry, ect.
* Weekly Behavior and Food Diaries
* Behavior Rewards Chart
* Picture Book List and more.

I love the fact this planner is interactive. You can type in the information you need on the calendars and forms then print it out or save for later use. I didn’t realize how much I needed this planner until I had forgotten the date of my son’s recent doctors appointment. I had remembered the time but not the date. I usually write it down on a calendar or on a note somewhere but couldn’t locate exactly where it was. Shame on mommy for being so disorganized (I usually am better prepared but got distracted somehow). I ended up having to wait until 2 days before the appointment when they have their automated service call to confirm we’re keeping the appointment. Won’t make that mistake again because it was hard being able to know whether or not there was room in my plans if something came up.

I also haven’t been keeping up my son’s eating diary lately which I normally keep in a spiral notebook. The problem with this is once I run out of paper I have to start a new notebook. With this planner I can just print out the page and start a new one. That’s another good thing about this planner. No more wasted paper. You can choose which pages you need and only print out those. The ones you need now may not be the ones you’ll need later or the ones you didn’t need now you may find you do need them later. I really do love this planner! There is so many things in here I can use. I also love seeing the GFCF recipes because I’m always looking for more of those. I hope to see this planner continue to grow and be around for years to come like they do with the regular Schoolhouse Planners.

For my family this planner is a great addition to The Schoolhouse Planner. I’ll never need to look elsewhere for forms to add to my planning pages for the life of my special needs child. If you have a child (ren) with special needs and you need help keeping their days or schedules organized I highly recommend checking out the Special Needs Schoolhouse Planner. You may find you it makes life a little easier because it’s taking a load off of your mind.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions written are entirely my own. I was not paid by The Old Schoolhouse Store to write this review but received the product free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

TOS Digital Magazine and Schoolhouse Birthday Bash!

2011-09-21T19:46:00.003-05:00

Why should you subscribe to the TOS Digital Edition?

Why wouldn't you?

New subscribers order a 2-year subscription now and receive:

24 monthly issues of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine
Access to subscriber's only Teacher's Toolbox section of our website
The 2012/13 annual print edition (a 300-page print resource valued at $19.95)
12 online programs (plus additional gifts featured on a digital gift certificate) for your family: art classes, math curriculum, science labs, and more!

All for only $39!

This isn't just another digital magazine; The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is rolling out major innovations. If you've enjoyed our gorgeous digital magazine in the past, you'll love the incredible interactive enhancements and multimedia features in the new TOS digital magazine! This is interactive, which means you can get more involved than ever before!

Have a question for one of our authors? Connect with authors, right from the magazine!
Need to find information on a particular topic? Search for articles or by topics easily-even search back issues.
Wondering about a new product in one of our ads? Some will have informational videos or slide-shows.

They're not only adding tons of exciting new features to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, but over the course of the year you will enjoy more than double the number of pages you've come to count on! With approximately 150 pages each month plus surprising bonus content, TOS is expanding their offerings like never before! The sheer volume of content is astounding!

If you haven't subscribed yet, now is the time!

TOS is having a party and you are invited. Here are the details of the events:

September 22nd 6pm to 9pm EST

Schoolhouse Birthday Bash Facebook Party

September 29th 6pm to 9pm EST

Meet-and-Greet with the TOS Family of Columnists

You can also sign up for the FREE homeschool webinar here.

Tri-Cross

2011-09-20T16:10:00.004-05:00

Do you and your family enjoy playing a good game of checkers or chess? Are their members of your family that just love a healthy dose of competition? If so you’re in for a treat as I tell you about my latest review.

Games for Competitors has a game that combines the strategies of both chess and checkers into one game. The name of this game is called Tri-Cross. “Tri-Cross is a board game that challenges competitors in the areas of strategy, critical thinking and problem solving in a fun and entertaining way. The board game is designed to be played with 2-4 players. This game can be played by children as young as 8 but is said to be for those who are 10 and older.”
By looking at the way the game is made (a cross shape with 3 rows and columns) it becomes obvious why it’s called “Tri-Cross”. I received both their standard board game and their Eco-friendly edition to review. It also came with a CD that gives you a visual of how the game is played.

The standard game comes in a rectangled box with a black pouch, square hard plastic playing pieces, and paper instructions. The price of the standard game is $24.95.

The Eco-friendly version comes with a big pouch that holds the cloth game board, small pouch and hard plastic game pieces. The great thing about this is you can fold your board up, put it in it’s pouch and carry it with you in your purse or bag when you’re on the go. It’s made of a soft cloth that’s environmentally friendly. You can read all about their Eco-specs on their site. The price of the Eco-friendly game is $19.95.
They also have a wooden game for $35.95. To see the different types just click here to see how to order. There are two versions of the game that gives you an opportunity to play with varying degrees of difficulty. One is the face up (2 players) and the other is the face down (standard version, 2-4 players). For beginners it’s best to play the face up version until you get better at playing. The object of the game is to be able to “occupy the Tri-cross square in the middle of the board; with one of your game pieces for four turns in a row or to jump and remove all of your opponent’s pieces”. The game doesn’t take long to play. It can take up to 20 minutes or less depending on how challenging it gets. To see some videos of how the game is played click here.
Now here’s a little tip. Be sure to play the game with the board sitting on a flat, sturdy surface. You don’t want your playing pieces sliding all over the board. I found out the hard way because we were playing on the bed and the middle section bulges up since that’s were the game folds in half to put away in the box. Here’s some pictures of us playing a few rounds…

Overall my family loves this game and we play it each week. My son says he’ll never get tired of playing. Having the instructional CD helped make the instructions more clearer to understand how to play the game. Even I was scratching his head at first. I’m glad to have received Tri-Cross to put with the collection of the other board games we own. It’s good to finally have something new to pull out when we’re strapped for what to play for game night. There’s nothing like having games to play to build lasting memories with your loved ones. To learn more about Games For Competitors read here. You can also find out more about the game through their FAQ page.

You can read what my other crew mates thought about Tri-Cross by visiting the TOS Crew blog.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received both games free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

AIMS--Solve It! 3rd

2011-09-17T20:04:00.001-05:00

Does your child struggle with problem solving when doing math? How is he or she with analyzing data for science experiments? My son struggles greatly with both. I kept wondering how I could come up with creative ways for him to develop more in these skills. Well now I believe I have come across a way to accomplish that through another TOS Crew review product we received from AIMS.

AIMS which stands for Activities Integrating Math and Science has come up with a way for kids in grades K-9th “to develop conceptual understanding using hands on Math and Science”. We got the opportunity to pick which product we wanted to try with our kids. As I looked around their store I was excited to see what they had to offer. I kept thinking about how it all looked like a fun way to learn. Even though my son is an 11 year old 6th grader I chose the “Solve It! 3rd Problem-Solving Strategies” because it’s something I was confident could help without boring him to death (It’s hard to keep him focused and working on a task if it loses his interest). I didn’t want to use anything too advanced for him because as I mentioned above he needs to develop more in his problem solving skills. In case you were wondering they do have the “Solve It! Problem-Solving Strategies” in different levels from K-5.

Solve It! 3rd Problem-Solving Strategies is a 240 page softback workbook. The cost of this workbook is $24.95. Inside you’ll find the 9 problem solving strategies that they focus on in the activities as well as a guide or important things the teacher needs to know before beginning each lesson. Each of the 9 strategies are broken down, defined, and then reinforced through hands-on activities that use the strategy to solve problems. Solve It! 3rd has 29 activities. The great thing I liked about the activities is that you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to print out neat and straight copies of the worksheets. The book comes with a CD of all the worksheets (listed in alphabetical order) of each lesson in PDF format. The CD is stored in the back of the book in a clear pocket.

The lessons also has extension (practice) problems in the back of the book in which students must decide which problem-solving strategy to use. These can be creatively used any time of your choosing as a means to further discuss and review the nine strategies. Here is a breakdown of the types of things “Solve It! 3rd Problem-Solving Strategies” addresses:

• using manipulatives,
• writing a number sentence,
• drawing out the problem,
• guesses and checking,
• organizing the information,
• looking for patterns,
• using logical thinking,
• working backwards, and
• wishing for an easier problem.

One thing you should know is most activities do require a group of students to complete (product is geared towards students in a school setting). It is set up to get them “working in groups and use logical thinking to decipher clues and crack number codes”. The purpose is to “allow the learners to apply and expand their number, measurement, geometry, data organization, and algebra skills”. If you are a homeschooler with only one child it will require a little creativity on your part to make this adaptable. With me having only one child I have had to "pretend” to be the other student at times. Yes I make it fair to not discourage him.

The purchase of this book alone is not all that’s needed to complete these lessons. Other things you will need are some cardstock (white and colored), a printer (or access to one), crayons or colored pencils, scissors, and glue sticks. Other unique things needed are hands-on manipulatives (some are shown at the bottom of this page), toothpicks, paper clips, grid paper, a yard stick, ect. Here are pictures of an assignment my son did called “Celebrating Combinations”.

In this he had to use the different hats, shirts, and shoes (manipulatives) that were provided in the lesson to see how many different looks he could come up with for the Elf. I loved seeing him get pretty creative with his drawings. This is my son answering the questions about his findings.

So far he likes Solve It! He’s happy to get to the days lesson each day. I think the way it’s set up with the pictures and using the manipulatives helps him out a lot. He’s not frustrated and to the point of crying to figure out the answers to the problems. We haven’t gotten very far in the workbook but I do plan on letting him continue to work through each lesson since he likes this so much.

To learn more about AIMS you can read their resource page. There’s also an option where you can sign up to get free activities, puzzles, and specials sent to your email by checking out this page. If you enjoy the option of downloading your products, they also sell some of their material in e-book form. For more of a visual look into their program, stop by and check out their youtube page.

You can read more reviews from my crew mates at the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this book free of charge to review and give my honest opinion.

Before FIAR

2011-09-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today I want to share with you about a company called Five In a Row. Five in a Row is based on a neat concept of reading a book for 5 days in a row and doing a different activity for it each day. The TOS Crew was asked to do a review of their book called Before Five In a Row.

Before Five In a Row was written by Jane Lambert. It’s geared toward children ages 2-4. It’s a 146 page soft back book that costs $35.00. One thing I want to point out is that this is NOT a curriculum. I will explain more of that in a moment. Before Five In a Row “consists of 23 mini-units based from some of the most well know children's literature books”.

This guide is divided into two sections. Part 1 deals with the stories and activities. Part 2 is full of creative ideas parents can use for “learning readiness”. This section includes things like ideas for coordination, has learning readiness activities for everyday life. These would be fun things to do in:
*the kitchen
*at the store
*bath time

You’ll learn all kinds of interesting uses for toys. Another thing you’ll learn in this section is how to tie in learning with the Arts like:
*visual
*literary
*performing

As I mentioned before this is not a curriculum. “It’s a series of little lessons created to bring enjoyment to little ones ages 2-4. The point is not to instruct or teach but for them to have a happy introduction to books. This helps builds intimacy between the reader and the child”. The lessons in this book uses the wonderful stories including some classics for early childhood. Each lesson also has a bible verse included for parents who want to build a foundation of God in their child’s learning.

When you purchase Before Five in a Row it does not come with everything you will need. The stories are NOT included with this manual so you’ll have to get those separate. There is a list of the books you’ll need to choose from on their booklist of the stories mentioned. You can find these books for free at your local library, or buy them inexpensively at places where children’s books are sold (ex: Wal-Mart). You can even find them online at places like Amazon.

The topical subject headings for each story title chosen in this guide are only suggestions for what areas the activities may “lay a foundation” for academic subjects to be encountered by your child in later grades. So don’t pressure yourself to do all these activities all at once. It’s not meant to overwhelm you or your child. They are meant to help inspire creative interaction between you and your child. For example: You can choose to read one of the stories during the day and save a question/discussion for eating times. You could also bring up activities/questions from previously read stories when you’re out on a walk together, at the grocery store, or during bath time.

As mentioned the ideas in Before Five in a Row lay the foundation for future formal academic training in each of these subject areas. It is not attempting to teach academics in depth, but provide a strong foundation of academic “readiness”. No the goal is not to create "little professors" to be proud of. The goal is for your 2-4 year old to enjoy a time of sharing, hugging, reading, singing, dancing, doing puzzles, building blocks, being outdoors and enjoying an introduction to the world of life. This in turn will enhance your child’s awareness of the world around him/her and create memorable times of interaction between the two of you.

As for my personal thoughts I wish I had a guide like this when my son was this age. Since he’s 11 I wasn’t able to use this with him. We did talk about the great stories mentioned. He remembers sitting on my lap listening to me read many of them. He also learned how to read from them too. We gave all his books away to his little cousin who is now also to old for them. He said “You read this to me when I was a little kid. Ahhhh...those were the good ole days"…LOL He is something else. Having this guide would have really helped us create a whole lot more lasting memories together as well as work on some skills he was delayed in. Looking at him now makes me want to tear up thinking about how big he’s getting. In a blink of an eye he may be old enough to head off to college.

Once or if your child (ren) have outgrown Before Five in a Row you may want to move on to Five in a Row for ages 4-8 or Beyond Five in a Row for ages 8-12. They follow the same concept of reading the same book for 5 days and doing 5 lessons to build on what was learned. To go along with the Five in a Row lessons I saw that Homeschool Share has many resources like units, lapbooks, activities, ect.

You can read more thoughts and opinions about Before Five in a Row from my other crew mates by visiting the TOS Crew blog here.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received this guide to review and give my honest opinion.

BigIQkids

2011-09-10T00:42:00.004-05:00

I’m back with another TOS Homeschool Crew review. Today I want to tell you about an online program for kids grades K-8th called BigIQkids. If you’re like me this may be the first time you’ve ever heard the name BigIQkids. I was happy to have the opportunity to check them out and see what they’re all about.

BigIQkids is a FREE online program that concentrates on core subjects like Math, Spelling, Vocabulary, and U.S. Geography. The goal is to “promote spelling efficiency, vocabulary building, math facts mastery, and U.S. geography knowledge”. Their “award winning programs are designed to help each child develop the skills needed to perform to his or her fullest potential”. Each program can be “tailored to fit your child’s needs whether they be an advance student who needs more of a challenge or one who needs some catching up”. BigIQkids can work alone or with any curriculum.

Each lesson should take around 10-15 minutes to complete. The programs are designed where your child will not move forward until a skill has been mastered. For the best results it’s suggested that he or she logs in to BigIQkids daily to complete their lessons and quizzes. Here is a description of each program:

Math: BigMathTime can be set up to go along with what your child is learning in your current curriculum. You can select the number of problems you want him or her to do for that day. It helped me to find out I could scale down on the number of problems for my son because what they had already set up was way to many for him to do in one day. Here’s a screen shot of what a lesson looks like.

Spelling and Vocabulary: The spelling and vocabulary come pre-loaded with it’s own lessons. You can modify the lists to take out or add words of your choice. If you create your own spelling list the program will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes, and tests around that list. Here’s a screen shot of this section.

U.S. States: In BigStateTime they will learn the states spelling, location, capital, abbreviations, and some general state facts. Lessons can be modified to select the number of states cover for the lesson. Here’s a look at this section:

It’s important for you to know that when you set up an account for your child on BigIQkids they will get a buddy. This is probably what most kids will love the most about BigIQkids.

As your child completes a lesson he or she will earn 1 game coin. There will be an option at the end of the lesson that they can click on to get to the game page. On the game page they can use the coin to play a game or dress their buddy they way they want. My son sometimes waits until he’s earned a few coins to be able to dress his buddy and play a game or two all in the same day. Hey, hey…what a great way to teach older kids about wise decision making!

Although BigIQkids is a FREE program they do offer premium packages. The premium subscription is what this review is based on. With the premium packages you can monitor the progress of your child because they track and save it which will be sent to you via email. You can also view their reports via the reports found in each program. There’s also customized buddies, full game page access, the ability to save coins for playing games, and has very limited advertising (no ads during lessons). You can see the list of their prices here.

Now for our personal thoughts on this program. All in all my 11 year old son enjoys the spelling, vocabulary, and U.S states programs. He loves it when he finishes a section he earns coins to play games or dress up his buddy. Here’s a picture of him doing one of his lessons:

What he doesn’t like is the math section of BigIQkids. In his own words he said “the robot is creepy and I can’t concentrate on my math problems”. I asked him what he meant by this. He said “he’s just sitting there staring at me, waiting on me to get something wrong so he can say INCORRECT. It’s like he’s thinking ‘hey kid you’re not going to get any game coins today and you’ll be here with me forever!’ (with an evil laugh).” I asked him why he didn’t feel that way about the other programs on there when he doesn’t get everything right. He said “because at least on the other ones they say ‘try again’ but on the math he just sits there looking, waiting for me to get it wrong because I have to master it”. Now although my son does have Asperger’s and math is not one of his best subjects I was a bit concerned with his take on this. I also have gone way down in the number of problems he does for each lesson. He did get a little comical about it and we all laughed. BUT…every time we log into BigIQkids he still doesn’t want to go near that section. He gets filled with anxiety. One day he even got a headache and had to take a nap. So I’m not going to push him to do if it’s making him feel this way. Other than the issue with the math he likes BigIQkids.

To help you understand how to utilize their site BigIQkids has training videos. They also have a blog for parents so that you may want to interact with others for questions. I hope you have gained a better understanding of this great program. Don’t forget to check out what my other crew mates have to say about BigIQkids.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review are entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a 1 year premium subscription to review and give my honest opinion.

Time4Learning

2011-09-07T09:12:00.004-05:00

I’m so excited to finally be on the TOS Crew again! This is my second year since the Maiden Voyage. We have so many great products we will be reviewing this school year so you’re in for a treat. First up in my reviews is Time4Learning. During my first year on TOS Crew I got a chance to review Time4Learning. You can read what I had to say about it here. Now on to this years review.

Time4Learning is a “technology-based online program that mainly focuses on Math and Language Arts curriculums using a combination of animated lessons, interactive activities, and reinforcing worksheets”. They have combined learning with fun to keep your child engaged. The grade ranges are from preschool through eighth grade. The program also includes science and social studies.

Time4Learning is not only great for families who homeschool but is also a great after school skill sharpener for non homeschool students too. Time4Learning’s “customized learning program provides flexibility in that you can adjust your child’s lessons up or down a grade level as needed. This helps provide a student-paced approach for mainstream, gifted, or special needs children”. This program can be used for homeschooling as a core or supplement curriculum for one or more subjects. The lessons are secular based so DON'T expect to find anything biblically based in these lessons.

The cost to use this program is a low monthly price of $19.95 a month. If you have more than one child each additional child costs $14.95 a month and there’s a 14 day money back guarantee. Each child will gets his or her own login name and password to do their lessons. Once you set up your parent account you can set up and adjust things from there. There is a getting started guide and hints section to help you with questions you may have.

Parents have access to their child’s progress reports through their membership. The parent page shows all types of helpful resources like account information & updates, student info., and account history. The lesson plan section is divided into grade levels and subjects. You can click on the preferred one and go to a page that shows the lesson plans, how to use them, and they have a print option as well. There’s even a FAQ if you need more help understanding how to utilize these.

Under the student info. tab you’ll find a helpful video to explain how to use this section. While in this section parents also have access to their student records. The student records takes you to a portfolio page. The portfolio section is providing you progress reports regarding lessons, assignments, activities, and assessment scores. It also tracks student usage by date. Here’s a screen shot to give you an idea of what to expect:

Some other neat things I noticed about this section were the:

Attendance Reports: shows how often your student has done work in the system each day and for how long each day.

Duration Reports: shows all the activities your student has completed and the time spent on each.

Student Score Reports: shows all the activities your student has completed, along with the time spent on each and the score.

There’s nothing like help from parents who know answers to question you may have. For questions about education, getting to know parents from the same state and even military families there is a parent forum for questions like these and more. Also if you are looking for ways to help your child with their writing skills, Time4Learning also has a writing program called Time4Writing. It is an online writing course for Elementary to High School students.

Now that I’ve given you the breakdown of this program here are my personal thoughts and opinions. First I’ll let you know what my 11 year old son had to say. When he first saw Time4Learning he was eager to get started. He loves that blue mouse on the top of the screen. He’s always smiling when he sees it. He told me it makes him happy to get ready to learn. His favorite thing is the animated talking characters. Not all of the subjects had the animated characters. He said he wished all the lessons had them because they would make learning more fun. The big plus for him is that he gets to do his work on the computer. Here’s a picture of my son doing one of his lessons for the day.

What I liked most is that I don't always have to sit with my son while he does his lessons. When he’s struggling with something I sit and help him through it. Other than that I can just get some things done around the house while he’s working. He stays focused and doesn’t play around like he’s not interested. It is a very user friendly and interactive program to navigate. We use it several times during the week as a supplement to go along with things we are already learning.

I hope I have helped you understand what to expect from Time4Learning and maybe even sparked an interest to see if it’s a great fit for your children. When you stop by Time4Learning there is a place where you can sign up to receive their free newsletters. Need a more visual picture to put in your head? Check out this youtube activities video that shows how the program works. Also stop by and see what my other crew mates have to say about Time4Learning.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this review is entirely my own. I was not paid to write this but received a free month subscription for my honest opinion.

Lessons, Crafts, and Activities for Labor Day

2011-09-02T11:28:00.001-05:00

Here are a list of resources we use or have used to learn more about Labor Day:

I love making our unit studies using the free printables from Homeschool About.

There’s a list of Labor Day printable activities from Apples 4 the Teacher.

Print some Labor Day crafts and activities from Enchanted Learning.

Homeschool Helper Online has a Labor Day Unit.

Hands of A Child has a Labor Day Project Pack

CurrClick has a big list of Labor Day resources to choose from.

TOS Homeschool Crew Blog Hop

2011-08-24T18:00:00.004-05:00

If you have been stopping by a while you may have noticed by the side buttons on my blog that I'm a member of the 2011-2012 TOS Crew! This is my second time around since the Maiden Voyage and I'm so excited.

Today I'm happy to share with you that we are having a TOS Crew Blog Hop! Would you like to get to know some fellow homeschoolers? Well grab your cup of tea or coffee, click the button above, and get ready for an adventure. But wait; this Blog Hop is not just limited to the Crew members. If you are a homeschooler who has a blog and you would like to join in, then you can link up too! Hurry because this is only opened until August 31st.

The guidelines for participating in this blog hop are as follows:

1. Please grab the blog hop button to spread the word. (See one of our hosts blogs to get the code.)

2. Please follow our wonderful hosts – Glimpse of Our Life, Our Homeschool Studio, and Our Village is a Little Different via Google Friend Connect.

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What's a "FREE" public education?

2011-08-19T15:50:00.002-05:00

Well it's back to school for the kids where we live. We're year round homeschoolers so we've been schooling all along. Our summer was more laid back though. We just started picking back up with the heavier load of work two weeks ago. I was thinking and pondering about how much money I spend each year to homeschool my son. Many things I get free online, other times I trade with someone else, and other things I buy throughout the year as I can find a great deal on them. There are some other costs here and there but they do not break our wallets. When I think about it I come out way cheaper than I did when my son was in public school. That is because I can control what the money is actually spent on. This got me to do a lot of thinking and counting the cost of homeschooling verses a free public education. I don't know why they call it a "FREE" public education because when you think about all the money you put into it from year to year it's hardly free and very costly.

Outside of tax payers having to pay out of their checks there are many expenses that come into play like: buying new clothes/uniforms, school supplies for your child(ren) as well as a long list of supplies from the teacher, P.T.A dues, clubs, Fall, Holiday, and Spring pictures, fundraisers, school lunches, book fees, club fees, projects, school functions, and the list can go on. So outside of not having to pay a tuition I'm still not understanding how it's actually free. Free means hardly anything to zero dollars in the minds of most people. So many people can't even afford to properly cloth and feed their own children from year to year. It's a stressful and heavy burden when teachers give out these pricey lists of "must" needed supplies to students whose parents can't buy all the extras outside of the regular pair of scissors, glue, crayons, markers, paper, pencils, notebooks, and backpacks.

When my son was in public school I saw first hand how wasteful schools can be. Teachers would end up with so much extra at the end of the school year that they are throwing it away or giving it away. Yes I've seen with my own eyes NEW stuff being thrown in the trash can. Say what??? When I asked why the response I got was "We had too much extras left over that didn't get used or we didn't need. Because of the school budget we're only allowed to ask for things we're in need of so we have to look like there's a real need in order to get the funds for it". This is also another reason they ask for so much on the student supply lists to help fund what's needed in the classroom. Being a frugal mom anyway I was very disturbed about all this waste. Every dime of what I spend on school supplies for our homeschooling is planned out carefully. You'd better believe I'm not buying stuff we won't use or have no need of. I can't afford to waste money like the schools do. Each time I watch the news hearing about the schools complaints of needing more of this or that I'm scratching my head. What are they doing with all this money if the test scores keeps showing the kids aren't doing better, schools keep getting closed down from lack of performance, and they say American kids are so behind compared to other countries? All in all the question I still can't get away from is what is a "FREE" public education? What part of it is actually FREE?

Another year with Workboxes!

2011-08-11T23:49:00.014-05:00

I can hardly believe we're in our 5th year of homeschooling. It's even better with workboxes. We are now in our 3rd year of using Sue Patrick's Workbox System and we love them still. My does the time fly by. If you would like to read more about how we've incorporating the Workbox System into our homeschooling, click here to read more. I haven't done much to tweak our workboxes this time around. The only thing else different from the original workbox system is we don't have the charts and work centers set up. Here's what's in our workboxes for the 2011-2012 school year:

What you see in this slide show is our 100 day countdown, what we're working on from the Book of Virtues Unit Study from Shiver Academy. I'm still teaching my son how to create his own student planner to help with learning about time management, organization, and planning (not shown). For Math he's still doing Math U See Delta because there were several lessons he was not able to master yet.

For Grammar we're working on Word Roots A2. We're still working on book reports with lapbooking from last year (not shown). He's on Sequential Spelling 3 this year. The blue notebook is what he uses as his journal for creating his silly stories. For Science we're still working through Apologia Astronomy book and using the lapbook mini books from the yahoo group Notebooking2Learn to make a notebook to go with it.

For Music we're doing a music unit from schoolexpress.com but will pick back up working any new Instrument Family Units from Joyful Songs. We're working on the Star-Spangled State Book we started the middle of last school year. After that we'll begin a unit study of countries similar to what we did for the 50 states. For History we're doing the Famous Men of Rome Study from Memoria Press. We're still working through Latina Christiana I.

He wanted to learn how to cook so we're working on a Basic Cooking Lapbook from Knowledge Box Central. We're continuing on with some art lessons from Spears Art. And for computer he's learning the basics of how to write his own computer programs with the Kid Coder Kickstart Series from Homeschool Programming, Inc.

For a fun box activities we're still doing the everyday Idioms, as well as his Highlights For Kids Magazine (for doing some of the fun stuff), different board games (not pictured), and he still loves cutting out the comics from the Sunday newspaper to glue into his notebook that he keeps all his favorite comics in.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what we're learning this year. Feel free to share with us what you do with your workboxes :-)

Ice Cream Sandwich Day

2011-08-05T07:49:00.003-05:00

Did you know Aug. 2nd was Ice Cream Sandwich Day? For journal time that day I had my son pretend he had to fix his own lunch that day. He was to fix a sandwich and have a piece of fruit. Since I didn't say what kind of sandwich to make he decided to fix an ice cream sandwich in honor of the day. Here is a description of his sandwich.

I think I will put on my ICE CREAM sandwich some peanut butter, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and whipped cream. To me this is the best lunch but my mom only liked the idea to have at dessert time. But hey, it was a good idea!

Past Homeschool/Curriculum Reviews

2011-07-28T10:00:00.005-05:00

Boy doesn't the time just fly by. Summer break is already coming to an end. For many (not all) a new school year is about to begin. Our 2011-2012 school year starts August 1st although we school year round. For those that don't know yet I'm on TOS Homeschool Crew for this upcoming school year. I will be posting the reviews of all the products I receive on this blog. I have put up a list of upcoming reviews on my side column. Please feel free to keep checking back to see what I have received, past and upcoming posts for review.

During my first year on TOS Crew (back in 2008-2009) I was able to test out many products I had never heard of before. Some of you may still be deciding what to use with your kids this year. I made a list of each subject/category. Under each subject are the products I reviewed that fit into that topic/category. Click on each one to read my review of that product. I hope you find some helpful advice in choosing what may work for your kids.

ART

Artistic Pursuits

Core Learning-Crayola Art Studio

Spears Art Studio

BOOKS

Media Angels-The Missing Link:FOUND

COMPUTER

Motherboard Books

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Prima Latina

HANDWRITING

Peterson Directed Handwriting

Cursive Copybook

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY

Famous Men of Rome

Tapestry of Grace

The Little Man in the Map

HOMESCHOOL HELPS

Knowledge Quest Homeschooling ABC's Class

LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERATURE/WRITING

Writeshop-StoryBuilders

LIFE SKILLS

Trigger Memory Systems- Clean n' Flip Charts

LOGIC/REASONING

The Critical Thinking Co.- Building Thinking Skills

MATH

Math Mammoth

Math Tutor

Trigger Memory Systems- Times Tales

MUSIC

KinderBach- Online Music Lessons

ONLINE RESOURCES

READING/PHONICS

SCIENCE

Apologia- Flying Creatures

SPECIAL NEEDS

Heads Up!

SPELLING

AAS- All about Homophones

SpellQuizzer

TOS
Splish Book- And then Moma Said...
Someplace Called Special
Let's be Scientists

TOYS & GAMES

One 2 Believe- Nativity Figurine Set & Noah's Ark

Schleich- Action Figures

UNIT STUDIES

Homeschooling in the Woods- N.T. Activity-Pak

Free Summer digital Issue of TOS Magazine

2011-07-27T15:09:00.006-05:00

Take a look at the brand new Summer digital edition of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. TOS is offering this digital issue of the magazine totally free with no strings attached. Enjoy this free gift from TOS—no registration or email address required to view the magazine! Take a peek here. Then share the link with your friends by clicking on the share button at the top of the magazine pages.

Crown Center Water Show

2011-07-22T11:17:00.003-05:00

My son's favorite place to go to in the summer is the water fountains. I'm so glad it's free to the public. We love watching the water show. They have one every hour. Hope you enjoy watching this video clip of the Crown Center Water Show.

Oh yeah excuse the constant movement of the camera. We need a better camera person. ~hehe~

Summer Fun

2011-07-15T13:11:00.009-05:00

I'm having Fun in the Sun!

If you could live anywhere in the world...

2011-07-07T13:12:00.003-05:00

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you pick?

If I could live anywhere I'd pick Hawaii! I think it would be great to go to beach everyday and try different kinds of foods they have. Maybe I could learn how to do a dance...ha ha! I also think it will be relaxing to watch the ocean waves.

Does your father have a nickname for you?

2011-07-05T12:15:00.002-05:00

Yes my dad has his own nickname for me. My real nickname that mom and dad calls me is C.J. but, my dad also calls me "C". He calls me this because he says it's just plain easy to say.

Do you like computers? Why or Why Not?

2011-07-01T12:40:00.002-05:00

I like computers because I don't always have to write on a piece of paper. I also like to play games and watch old cartoon videos.

What is your favorite color?

2011-06-29T12:43:00.003-05:00

My favorite color is red. I like red because it begins with the same letter of my favorite sound "rrrrrr". It is the color of a heart, shinny red apples, strawberries, superman's cape and letter S, and spider man's mask and boots.

What is your favorite thing to do in the Winter?

2011-06-27T13:12:00.003-05:00

In the winter time I love to play in the snow, eating different homemade soups my mom makes, and drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows. The best thing about Winter is that Christmas is coming!