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Nov. 19, 2009
Exploramania's Gymathtics DVD
The first thing my children did when the Exploracise Gymathtics DVD arrived in the mail, was to put it in the DVD player. They love exercise videos and were eager to test a new one. After their first test run, they were all worn-out. Only the 3 year old and 8 year old actually finished the 30 minute workout -- the 5 and 10 year olds both quit. My 8 year old son was intent on keeping up with the children on the DVD, and my 3 year old came to tell me how tired she was at the end. "And my head is weally tweating," she said. (sweating)
The Gymathtics DVD by Exploramania is more than just an exercise video. It also includes math concepts for 2nd - 5th grade students: basic geometry, counting, skip counting, and number patterns. As the children exercise, they learn about parallel lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, polygons, skip counting, and patterns. You can see a more detailed list of the topics covered on the DVD HERE.
Combining math concepts with full-body movement provides a multi-sensory approach to learning that can be very helpful for the kinesthetic learner. The visual learners will also benefit from watching the DVD, and the auditory learner will benefit (to a lesser degree) from hearing and seeing the explanation. Exploramania has based their Exploracise program on scientific research.
I consider this to be more of an exercise video than a math lesson. The math is just a fun reinforcement of concepts already taught in your curriculum for most children. But for the kinesthetic learner, it can be very helpful understanding the concepts covered. The DVD appeals to younger children than 2nd grade, so it also serves as an introduction to concepts that will be taught later. Four of my kids (ages 3 - 10) enjoyed the DVD, although the 10 year old is already bordering on considering it silly. The four children who have used this DVD enjoy using it occasionally, but it isn't their favorite exercise DVD.
I was surprised by the voice-over of wellness thoughts in the stretching wind-down at the end of the DVD. It just reminded me of a New Age, pop psychology, positive thinking, meditation and relaxation recording.
- "Relax your body and open your mind to think about good health and well-being."
- "Be nice. Ride the "nice wave". "
- "Eat healthy super foods with lots of vitamins and minerals."
- "Be a dream stretch star. Stretch your dreams and reach for the stars. Stretch your mind to reach for your dreams with hard work and determination."
In the future, I think we'll be turning the volume down for the wind-down segment. There isn't anything overtly inappropriate in there, it just annoys us all. As Christians, we do prefer to place our trust in God and follow His direction rather than believing in the supposed power of positive thinking.
The Gymathtics DVD is available for $24.99, and they are currently offering free shipping. There is also a Gymathtics 2.0 DVD for 4th - 7th grade students. Exploramania has Exploracise Mats (educational yoga/exercise mats) and Exploracise Thumballs available to combine math with exercise.
Gymathtics DVD is a great way for young children to get the wiggles out and burn some energy on a rainy day ... and reinforce some math concepts at the same time.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Nov. 17, 2009
TOS Homeschool Crew Review: AVKO Membership
AVKO Educational Research Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to helping teachers, parents, and researchers as they teach reading, spelling, and keyboarding to students with mild learning disabilities and dyslexia. Don McCabe began AVKO in 1974, and is the creator of the popular Sequential Spelling curriculum.
AVKO's website offers many free resources on their FREEBIES page (The Complete I Before E Rule, Latin and Greek Roots), but they also have an affordable membership option which provides access to many more materials. The membership options allows you to download many of Don McCabe's e-books for only a $25 annual membership. The following information on membership benefits was taken directly from their website.
Benefits of AVKO Basic Membership ($25 per year):
- Access to all of the benefits of AVKO's Basic Membership
- 25% discount off ALL materials ordered
- Read-only access to ALL AVKO curriculum materials (except for Sequential Spelling and Engaging Language Kits)
- Access to AVKO's newest e-books:
- Word Family Supplements 1-7 for Sequential Spelling
- Spelling Remediation Test Kit
What do I think?
I've not used Sequential Spelling, nor do I have a dyslexic student, so I hadn't really looked at AVKO or its e-books before. But if I had a child struggling to learn to read or spell, then buying at least ONE basic membership subscription would be beneficial. To Teach A Dyslexic is sold for $14.95, but for only ten dollars more ($25.00) a member receives that e-book as well as many other helpful resources. The Patterns of English Spelling e-books are sold for $39.95, but members receive all ten e-books free.
If your child struggles with spelling or reading, or you are tutoring children with disabilities or dyslexia, then the AVKO membership is an affordable and helpful resource. Even if you only join once, in order to download and save the e-books, it can be beneficial if your child has a need. The website has a plethora of information, although it isn't always easy to locate.
In our home, this isn't something we need at this time. BUT if I suspected dyslexia in one of my children, I would definitely turn to AVKO for help.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Nov. 9, 2009
American Heritage Foundation -- free American history curriculum
 Click banner to visit AHEF website.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free,
in a state of civilization,
it expects what never was and never will be."
~~ Thomas Jefferson
The American Heritage Education Foundation is a non-profit organization created to help educate our children in the history of our nation and the philosophies upon which it was established. They believe that the focus on diversity in our schools is tearing the country apart and threatening its survival, and that it needs to be balanced with a study of our country's history. They focus on four themes in US history: Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility.
In order to promote these four themes, the American Heritage Foundation created an American history/citizenship curriculum for K-12. They provide this $150 value curriculum free of charge as a free PDF download, as PDF documents on a free CD-ROM, or for $19.50 in a printed notebook format.
The curriculum is provided in 3 levels: elementary, middle school, and high school. They also provide a Spanish language variation in the elementary level. Each level of curriculum is over 180 pages long, with information for the teacher, lesson plans, group activities and individual activities.
These materials are designed for public school use, and some of the activities are obviously created with a larger group in mind than a typical homeschool family (like the Colonial America Simulation Game). These could be adapted with some effort, or they could be used in a homeschool group or co-op setting. Now, I will admit that adapting materials intended for a public school classroom to the family homeschool isn't always easy, but sometimes it can be worth it.
Although the American Heritage Foundation is a secular organization, the curriculum refers to the founding father's belief in God and the Bible with factual respect. The Christian beliefs of the Colonial settlers and founding fathers is not ignored, but it is still a secular curriculum. This makes it suitable for classroom use, or use in a homeschool group with members of varying beliefs.
Some of the citizenship topics covered include:
- The American Revolution
- George Washington
- U.S. Presidents
- The Declaration of Independence
- The US Constitution
- The Great Seal
- Thanksgiving
- The Bill of Rights
- Our National Documents
- Entrepeneurs in American History
- The United States of America's Flag
- The Star-Spangled Banner
- The Gettysburg Address
- The National Motto
- The Statue of Liberty
- The Pledge of Allegiance
- America the Beautiful
- What is An American?
The three levels include much of the same materials for the teacher, with age-appropriate differences in activities and discussion questions. This means they can be used together in a homeschool or co-op setting to teach the same material to all the students. This is NOT a complete American history curriculum, but can be used to supplement your American history or US government studies.
For myself, I have to admit that I will not use all these lessons and activities, but I will use some of them. Most of our citizenship lessons are oral discussions. We aren't likely to use most of the worksheets, but we are more likely to use the activity ideas. I think this curriculum lends itself to a homeschool group or co-op more easily than to an individual family situation.
BUT, it's a FREE curriculum!! Request your own copy and check it out for yourself. Even if it's not something you'll use regularly, there may be some helpful information or even one activity that makes it worthwhile. Get it for your homeschool group ... or you might fall in love with it, and take the time to make it work for your family. You have nothing to lose!
If you'd like to help promote the American Heritage Foundation, you can donate to their non-profit organization. These donations will help them continue to share their curriculum free of charge to public schools, private schools, and home schools.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Nov. 3, 2009
Bright Ideas Press: Mystery of History & All American History
As a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew, our family was chosen to review curriculum published by Bright Ideas Press. I was thrilled, because I'd been longing to try their history products. Our family was allowed to review two items:
These are both in-depth history curriculums, and this is a LONG review. If you are primarily interested in All American History, scroll down to the photo of the textbook cover. I'll begin with The Mystery of History.
 Click image to view curriculum.
PROS:
- Speaks directly to the student in a natural voice
- Focuses on God's plan in history
- Companion Guide includes suggestions for additional reading material
- Kids loved the student reader and the hands-on activities
- Elementary - High School students = whole family learning together
- Focuses on history largely through the lens of biographies
- Brings history to life
- Weekly pre-tests, activities, maps, and review tests included in companion guide
- Re-usable and non-consumable
- Self-contained, no other materials necessary
- Quality, colorful student reader
- Can print/photocopy as many worksheets from the companion guide as your family needs
- Students cycle through history in 4 years (or longer if you slow it down), but when they return to this time period, the activities and supplemental reading are at a higher level.
- Helpful Yahoo Group email list of other families using the curriculum
CONS:
- My younger students glaze over after awhile with the reading, so needed to slow down
- Need to follow suggestions in Companion Guide to make it high-school level
- Need to print activities, maps, and pre-tests each week
- Companion Guide CD-Rom was slow and clumsy to locate items at times
The hardcover student reader is 441 pages long, and retails for $59.95. The family license version of the CD-Rom Companion Guide retails for $29.95. The black and white printed version of the Companion Guide is available for $39.95, and it contains over 600 pages you can photocopy for your family's use. You can view a sample of Mystery of History, volume 3 HERE, and two samples from the Companion Guide, week 1 and week 2.
We really liked The Mystery of History, volume 3. We liked the simplicity of its use, and that it includes everything you'd need. Additional books are supplemental and not necessary, unlike our current history curriculum. We would consider switching to The Mystery of History, but we're ahead of the author in history right now. She is still writing the last book, and my children do not want to go backwards. They want to complete the 20th and 21st centuries rather than return to the 18th century. However, when we are ready to return to ancient times in a year, we will definitely be using The Mystery of History volume 1 -- at least as a history spine, if not our sole curriculum.
The other issue that we'll have to consider before switching completely is that our current curriculum includes literature, and The Mystery of History does not. Bright Ideas Press is currently designing Illuminations which does tie The Mystery of History in with other subjects, creating a guide for a complete course of study for all ages of students. Some of the TOS Homeschool Crew did receive Illuminations to review, but those reviews will be coming a bit later.
We definitely recommend The Mystery of History, and give it 5  -- one from my 3rd grader, 5th grader, 7th grader, 9th grader, and myself!
 Click image to view curriculum
All American History is written for 6th - 12th grade students, but it can be adapted for younger students. (Vol. 1 is written for 5th - 8th grades, but can be adapted for younger and older students.) I really like how each of the 32 weekly lessons contains three sections: the atmosphere surrounding the event, the event itself, and the impact of that event on America's future. The author included the social and cultural history of each time period, so students could have a fuller understanding of American history.
In addition to the weekly chapter in the student reader, there are also maps, forms, review questions and questions for further study in the Student Activity book. The Teacher's Guide includes project and activity ideas, book lists for additional reading, and the answer keys to the Student Activity book. You can view samples of the Student Reader, the Student Activity Book, and the Teacher's Guide at the Bright Ideas Press website.
PROS:
- Speaks directly to the student in a natural voice
- Focuses on the background of each event and its impact
- Teacher's Guide includes suggestions for additional reading material
- Teacher's Guide includes information on activities and projects
- Teacher's Guide includes ideas to adapt for younger students
- 9th grade daughter enjoyed the reader
- Builds an understanding of history, not just the facts
- Self-contained, no other materials necessary
- Hardcover Student Reader is well-made
- Student Activity Book includes maps, worksheets, review questions
- Re-usable, non-consumable reader and teacher's guide
- Nothing to photocopy or print, since Student Activity Book contains it all
- Self-taught for older students
- Helpful Yahoo Group email list of other families using the curriculum
CONS:
- Not as easily adapted for all ages as Mystery of History
- Student Reader is long and dry for elementary age students
- Student Reader contains black and white photos only
- Student Activity Guide is consumable, not reusable
- Need a Student Activity Guide for each student
The hardcover Student Reader (557 pgs), the softcover Teacher's Guide/Answer Key (336 pgs), and the softcover Student Activity Book (306 pgs) are sold as a set for $68.00. Additional student activity books cost $16.95.
I would not try to use All American History for the whole family, but it does make an excellent American history course for older students. If I were to try to use it with my elementary age students, I wouldn't read the textbook to them, but I would use the suggested reading materials in the Teacher's Guide instead.
All American History gives a very thorough understanding of events in American history! This is an excellent history text for the older student. My 9th grade daughter and I each give it a !
These items were provided to me free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. They were provided as review materials, and no other compensation was given. This review states our opinion only.
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Nov. 2, 2009
ACT Inc. Discover -- Online Career Planning
Do you remember the High School Guidance Counselor and all the tests you had to take to help you decide where your skills and interests were? I loved those tests! Well, ACT Advantage has an online career planning software called Discover.
As their website states, the Discover software helps students:
- Assess interests, abilities and job values.
- Explore occupations, majors and schools.
- Build an education plan that relates to career plans.
- Improve job-seeking skills and develop a resume.
My 14 year old daughter loves personality tests and exploring her interests, so she enjoyed her time on the Discover website. She loved digging through the many career options it presented to her, and looking at the education requirements for each career. It helped her to see what careers were available to pursue, and what would be required for each career. At one point, I teased her that this was really the "stay in school, get a degree" propaganda machine since it lays out what your projected future income would be with each level of education you complete: GED, high school diploma, 2 year degree, 4 year degree, graduate degree. It also included information on scholarships and financial aid, to help plan how to pay for college.
After seeing all the options the Discover assessment provided her, my daughter then started removing fields of study and career paths from her portfolio. Since she doesn't really want to go on to a master's degree, she removed jobs that REQUIRED a graduate degree, for instance. This narrowed her career planning portfolio down to a more realistic and manageable list of careers that interest her most. When she was done with her portfolio, we were able to print it so she could keep this idea list as she continues through high school. We discussed that the high school courses she chooses can be important, as well. If she wants to pursue a science career, she'd need to focus more on math and science in high school than if she wanted to pursue a career in art.
There were some weird things that came up. She isn't really interested in math, yet many science careers that lean heavily on math did appear on her final assessment. I'm sure they were triggered by other interests or values of hers. But it was still good for her to look at those options and consider them.
One of the benefits I see is that homeschool parents don't always know all the career options out there in a specific field, or what educational requirements that career path would have. 14 yo A was looking at careers I hadn't heard of, and wouldn't have been able to advise her on educational requirements at all.
Unfortunately, this is a secular software provided by a secular company. There were very few faith-based ministry careers listed and many Christian colleges were not included in the college database. I also had to remind my daughter that God already has a plan for her life, and that if she is following Him ... He'll guide and direct her into a career. For the Christian student, the Discover assessment can be helpful, but thankfully it is not all we rely on.
The Discover assessment is available with a 3 month license for $19.95, or a 6 month license for $24.95. This can be helpful both for freshman looking at what courses to study in their high school years, as well as for seniors preparing to apply for colleges and scholarships, and choosing their major course of study.
Working through the Discover assessment was a helpful process for my daughter. It helped her see what her options were, and also helped to take some of the fear and worry out of the future. It was a fun way for her to explore her future plans and goals.
This item was provided free for review purposes, as members of the TOS Homeschool Crew. There was no other compensation, and this is our honest review.
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Nov. 2, 2009
Homeschool Crew Review: ABC Teach
Perhaps you've spent time searching the internet for a free worksheet on bird anatomy to print before, and you've found one of the 5000+ free worksheets available at ABC Teach's website. I have. But I hadn't ever really looked at what was available with membership in ABC Teach until we were given a chance to review it for the TOS Homeschool Crew.
ABC Teach has over 35,000 worksheets that members can access, as well as worksheet generators for crossword puzzles, word searches, and handwriting worksheets. When we were reviewing the Sue Patrick Workbox System, I found myself searching ABC Teach's subscription database for logic puzzles, sudoku puzzles, grammar worksheets, and sentence-structure worksheets to place in their workboxes. I printed out worksheets that went along with our history studies, as well. When I wanted to give my daughters some math practice from a different perspective, I printed worksheets on fractions, multiplication, and algebra. They do have worksheets on just about everything, for pre-K through 8th grade!
The worksheets I printed from ABC Teach looked great. They printed clearly and had cute graphics. Their search engine worked well, and found all the Autumn worksheets for me when I was looking for another workbox activity. I printed Autumn acrostic worksheets for my children, to get them thinking and writing creatively.
Although we had a good experience with our ABC Teach review membership, it's not something I'm likely to purchase. To be honest, in our homeschool, I just don't look for worksheets to print often enough to justify the expense. We use curricula that includes its own worksheets, and we do lots of things via discussion instead of worksheets. I prefer having my children actively involved in something, or reading, and it isn't often that I need a worksheet to help them understand a concept. To make use of an ABC Teach membership in my home, I'd be assigning worksheets as busy work, and that isn't a direction I want to go. I'd rather spend the $40 on buying more curriculum or supplemental curriculum for my kids.
However, for those who are designing their own curriculum, filling workboxes, leading co-ops, teaching classes, or needing to complete portfolios of their children's work to show to school boards or skeptical family members, a membership in ABC Teach would save them a lot of time. They wouldn't have to search the internet for just the right free worksheet, and they wouldn't have to try to create their own worksheets each week.
ABC Teach's membership costs $40.00 per year, or $70.00 for a 2 year subscription. But you can purchase it for 50% off through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op, now through November 30, 2009. If you're intrigued by what ABC Teach has to offer, you can see a video tour, and a list of their worksheet categories HERE.
We received a free one-month trial membership in ABC Teach in order to write this review. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 29, 2009
My Access Home Edition -- Because Writing Matters
Many homeschool parents struggle with how to teach writing skills to their children. Perhaps they aren't sure how to break the writing process down for the children, or they find it difficult to grade such a subjective assignment. Thankfully, there are many curriculum options available to help parents.
One of those options is Vantage Learning's My Access: Home Edition online writing course. We were given a free subscription to My Access' Home Edition online course in order to write this review. Although I signed up my oldest four children, I didn't end up using it with all four of them. My 7th and 9th grade daughters have been using it, but I have not started the 3rd and 5th grade students on it yet. That is partly because of the difficulty of balancing online time with one computer and 4 children. I chose to test it out with my oldest two, because improving their writing was one of my primary goals for them this year.
My Access has interactive lessons about writing, as well as actual writing assignments for students to work through. The writing assignments include informative, persuasive, and narrative essays on a variety of topics. The My Topics option allows you to assign writing assignments that coordinate with your other curricula: history, science, literature, etc. Once a child begins a writing assignment, they are walked through the steps of pre-writing, drafting, revising, and finishing their writing project.
I began this school year knowing I needed to help my 7th grader and 9th grader improve their writing skills, and become more comfortable with the writing process. Writing has not been a strong focus of our homeschool thus far. With high school looming and college entrance exams imminent, I knew we had some catch-up work to do. I was thrilled to receive this subscription to My Access, because it seemed like the perfect solution to allow my daughters to become comfortable with the writing process.
One of my daughters seemed to suffer from performance anxiety, often stalling in the early stages of the writing process, taking forever to complete assignments, and producing work that I felt was below her ability. Her perfectionist tendencies were causing her to perform poorly. Writing is an important communication skill. I want my children to be able to express themselves clearly, so helping her overcome this problem is important to me.
My Access is helping her to get through the early steps of writing, and having her work graded by a third party is helping, as well. She wants to see her work improve, and she works to reach the goals set for her. It is frustrating when she is graded below her proficiency level because the character in the book report she has written has a name the spell-check can't recognize, but otherwise it is proving to be a valuable resource for her. Writing for an aritificial intelligence program first, with the ability to edit before it is read by any people, has helped her overcome some of the performance anxiety.
I usually prefer curriculum that is not computer based. It's easier to have each child working in their own books than to try to have them share the computer for a subject. But I think My Access is a great way to help students begin writing, or bring low proficiency students UP to an average or advanced proficiency level. While it is designed to work for students in 2nd through 12th grade, I think it works best for upper elementary and junior high students. Although it can likely teach writing adequately for 10-12th grade students, I feel that the artificial intelligence software is somewhat limiting for upper-level high school writing.
PROS
- Self-taught
- Self-paced
- Teaches the writing process
- Walks the student through the writing process step-by-step
- Edits writing, pointing out grammatical and spelling errors
- Children can earn points and reach goals set by the parents
- Parents can choose age-appropriate assignments for the student from a pre-set list
- Parents can create their own writing assignments
- Finished writing is graded as Proficient, Below Proficient, or Advanced Proficient in multiple areas
- Progress report emailed to parents
- Can choose frequency of project reports
- Online learning can motivate students
- Students practice their keyboarding and computer skills as they write
- No hand-writing necessary, unless you choose to pre-write on paper first
- Immediate Feedback and Grading
- Helpful Student User Guide and Parent User Guide
- Print finished assignments for Student Portfolio
- Print progress reports for record keeping (graph prints in IE but not Firefox)
- Subscription prices include up to 3 or 6 students
- Completely web-based curriculum can be accessed anywhere, without specific software
- Can publish their writing by sending it to family, friends, or teachers via email
CONS
- Some children may wander away from My Access to the internet during school time
- Sometimes the grammar check or spell check marks things wrong, when they aren't
- Artificial Intelligence doesn't allow for variations of the norm
- Can be limiting for advanced writers
- Very rule-based
- May be difficult for those with low-speed internet connections
- Can be expensive for smaller families
- Not re-usable -- an online subscription is a consumable product
- Computer or internet problems can delay access to the website
What's the ElCloud Opinion?
My daughters have enjoyed their My Access subscription. They've requested that I add more topics that relate to their studies, and they've reminded me when I need to set a new goal and award for them.
We initially were frustrated with learning the system, and confused about when the points would be awarded. We also were uncertain how to access the pre-writing once we had moved on to the first step of writing. We sent an email to the technical support, and received a quick reply to both of our problems. After that, the writing process went much better. There were a few days when My Access was having problems and we could not access the website, but that will occasionally happen with any on-line curriculum.
Overall, we like My Access. As I stated earlier, I feel that artificial intelligence can only take a child so far. For upper-level writing, I prefer having a human give instruction, input, and grading. A human can guide a student through different stylistic issues better than a computer can. I'm sure it can provide an adequate writing education for the upper levels, but I'm not confident it can provide excellent writing instruction for older students.
Would I buy it myself?
I'd have to answer with a qualified yes. I would, IF we had the available money in our budget, and IF I felt I wasn't going to be able to focus on their writing adequately myself. If my daughter continues to struggle with the writing process, then it would be worthwhile just to see her improve.
You can learn more about My Access at their website -- viewing a demo video, and reading about subscription benefits. You can also buy a subscription: $99.95 for up to 3 students, or $129.95 for up to 6 students.
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, we received a one year subscription to My Access from Vantage Learning. We did not receive any other compensation for our review. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 23, 2009
Sue Patrick Workbox System
Last Spring I started to hear about this new organizational system that was transforming homeschools across the country -- Sue Patrick's Workbox System. I kept bumping into discussions about how great it was, all over the internet. Steve and I talked about it and decided that it might help solve some of the dawdling and procrastination problems we were facing with our children in our homeschool. We were at the end of that school year, so we agreed to try it in the Fall.
Over the summer, I found out that it was going to be one of the vendors for the TOS Homeschool Crew, and I was excited! I hoped to be one of the families chosen to receive it for review purposes, and I was grateful when I was selected. If you haven't heard of workboxes yet, then Sue's video will help you understand what I'm talking about. The video provides a visual and some explanation of the benefits of Sue Patrick's Workbox System. (There is no sound, so don't worry ... your computer isn't broken.)
What is Sue Patrick's Workbox System?
Sue Patrick has written a book that describes her method of organizing her homeschool classroom and lessons. Her goal is to help students (especially special needs students) work more independently. The difference in this system is that it is a visual organizational tool that doesn't require reading skills.
As seen in the video I linked above, Sue Patrick recommends you have a metal cart/shelf for each child. On that shelf, there are 12 shoe boxes. You place their school work in the shoe boxes, broken up into manageable chunks. She also recommends that you place fun things in some of the boxes to encourage your children to work until they get to that item. The children can easily see what they'll be doing that day, what order to work in, and how much further they have to go until they are done.
How did we implement Sue's system?
I knew enough about the system that I suspected I could not use it as Sue prescribes, because we didn't have room for 5 shelves. I still was glad to read the User Guide e-book to understand the reasoning behind her methods, and to make a final decision about whether or not to modify the system. Steve and I were trying to decide whether to implement the cart and boxes with a few children, line the hallway with them for all the children, or just use a modified system for everyone. In the end, we decided that having the carts in the hallway wouldn't help the children very much. It'd be a hassle to have to go to their cart, and they couldn't see it while they were working. In addition, we knew the 3 year old and 1 year old would empty the shoe boxes repeatedly.
We chose to use milk crates for each of our children, with hanging file folders numbered 1 - 12. We also modified the schedule strips, by leaving them as a grid. One grid with their schedule pieces went into the first folder, along with their first assignment. There was a corresponding grid on the front of the milk crate, where they moved the numbers as they finished a folder. This let them see which folders they were still working on, which ones they had to skip to wait for Mom, and which ones they still needed to do. Everyone could see at a glance, how far along each student was in their school day. Since the milk crates reside on a built-in buffet in the dining/school room, I could see how each child was doing, as well. The youngest two took their milk crates to the table, but the older three just left them on the shelf.
 Our milk crates lined up on the buffet, before I had added the schedule grids to the outside.
 Inside one of our "work crates".
 Most schoolbooks fit nicely in a folder, although some heavy textbooks or large 3 ring binders were placed between hanging folders instead.
Our modified system worked well for us, although it wasn't as easy for the children to see what was ahead of them. The folders aren't clear, but they are easily peeked into from above. Each morning our kids woke up and looked into their folders to see what I had assigned, and what surprises were included. The grid on the outside helped them see how close to being finished they were. Completed work went right back into the folders, so it was all in one place for me to check after school. In order to help me when I had "workbox block", I created a list of activities to put in the workboxes for older children and younger children.
That's a basic overview of Sue Patrick's Workbox System and how we modified it for our family. As you read on, you will find:
- pros and cons to the system
- additional purchases required
- thoughts on why you should buy the book
- our family's review after using the system for several weeks
- price and purchase details
Pros of the Sue Patrick Workbox System:
- Children can see what they need to do for the day, even those who can not read
- Children are encouraged as they see their own progress through the boxes
- Children can be inspired to work quickly to get to the more fun items
- Mom is handling the child's work each day, helps stop the grading procrastination
- Moms are digging through all those educational items they rarely use ... and using them!
- Moms are getting out of a rut, and using more hands-on methods and games
- Moms are more involved than just "do the next page in your workbook"
- Provides structure for families that are struggling
- Can be modified to fit different situations
Cons of the Sue Patrick Workbox System:
- Takes a lot of room to do it as prescribed
- Can be expensive to set up initially
- Does not solve all problems, but can give parents a place to start
- Requires daily preparation time, as well as weekend planning time
- Some families do not desire such a structured environment for their learning
Purchases needed in addition to Sue Patrick's $19 User Guide e-book:
- card stock
- laminating (or you can use clear packing tape laid carefully in overlapping strips, as I did)
- adhesive velcro dots, or velcro tape that you cut in small strips
- a metal shelf/cart for each child (or a container of some sort)
- 12 shoe boxes for each child (or smaller containers to go in a larger container)
- a metal ring to hold the schedule strips
So, why should I buy the book?
If you've heard about Sue Patrick's Workbox System, then you are likely aware that there is a LOT of discussion and explanation of the system all over the internet. Some people are gleaning from that information and running with it. But they are missing out on the philosophy and heart behind Sue Patrick's system. She designed it to help her autistic child succeed in school, to help him become more independent in his lessons. When you read her User Guide, you understand the logic and purpose behind the steps she lays out in her Workbox System. If you are considering implementing her system, then you really should read what she has to say about it.
Did I agree with everything in her book? No. Sue Patrick is coming from a different situation and background. We have a different family size, different school space, different educational needs in our students, and use different methods of education. Her educational philosophy is different from mine. I found it interesting that some people see the book as bringing a classroom-setting into the home, yet others see it as encouraging more hands-on, fun learning in their traditional textbook methods. It will totally depend on the direction you're coming from. I know an unschooler who is loving Sue Patrick's workbox system, as well as some more traditional homeschoolers ... because it is meeting a need in their family.
Although Sue Patrick believes that her method and system is best when used exactly as she describes it, it can be modified for other situations. We do school around the dining room table, as well as spread out in the living room. We do not have a desk for each child, so we can not set up a shelf on the left and a stack of empty boxes on the right. In addition, as I stated earlier, we did not have room for 5 shelves in our house at all. Don't let space or the inability to follow her system exactly turn you off. With a little creativity, you can find a way to make the system work for you and your family.
Cautions:
Sue Patrick's User Guide is often dogmatic, making very strong statements about Sue's beliefs and preferences in her school. I definitely recommend that you follow the advice I received in La Leche League -- "Take what you can use, and leave the rest." There is much to learn about her Workbox System in her book, although it will be different for each family. Each family will relate to and discard different sections of the book.
What did our family think? Will we continue to use Sue Patrick's Workbox System?
My 5, 8, 10, and 12 year old children really enjoyed the workbox system. They enjoyed it so much that they'd look at me expectantly and wait for me to fill the boxes in the morning if I hadn't yet done so. One day, when my 1 year old had the flu, my 12 year old decided to fill the boxes for me.
However, after the initial excitement wore off, I no longer saw the benefits of the children moving through their work quickly. They returned to their tendency to be distractible, to dawdle, and to procrastinate. We even had the occasional magic disappearing child act. The workbox system didn't solve that problem long term; it still requires ME keeping my children on track. It is an organizational tool, not a magic pill. For some families, it will be the answer they've been looking for -- but for others, it's just another way to accomplish the same thing they're already doing.
Implementing the Sue Patrick Workbox System has shown me areas that are my problem, not just the children's problem. It has helped me break out of the rut of just progressing through our curriculum one step at a time. It has encouraged me to look at the supplemental resources I own, but haven't been using. However, it didn't solve all our problems. To really make this work, we would need to re-structure when I do chores and other work, not just re-structuring our school with the workboxes. I'm not sure that I can do that at this time. I'm still trying to decide if I will continue with the workbox system, or not.
We already had a plan that worked fairly well for assignments in our home. I filled out a chart for each child on the weekend, listing what I expected them to cover in a week. The older 3 would move through their chart each day, checking things off as they finished them. If they skipped something one day, they added it into the next day. The greatest benefit of the Workbox System seemed to be for my younger children who were not yet reading well. They could more easily move through their boxes than follow a chart. In other words, my oldest 3 were already working independently, so the workbox system was not really necessary for them.
If you already have a system that's working for you, that's great! You don't need to jump on the Sue Patrick Workbox bandwagon simply because others are loving it. Sue is hoping to help others organize their school and reduce their planning time. I know that it does just that for some people. For me, it actually seemed to increase my work and planning time, because I already had a plan that worked for our family.
Price and Other Available Products:
Sue Patrick's website sells the e-book download for $19, the printed book for $19.95 plus shipping and handling, specialized consulting, supplies, learning centers, and starter kits. When you buy the book in either download or printed format, you can register the book and receive access to helpful files on the website. Book purchasers can download free templates, charts, and a typing curriculum.
I was given a copy of Sue Patrick's User Guide e-book in exchange for this honest review. All other supplies were purchased by my husband and I, and we received no further compensation for this review. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 22, 2009
Educaching: using GPS technology in the classroom
Last year Steve gave himself a GPS (Global Positioning System) for Christmas. It was one of those Black Friday specials that he couldn't pass up. And then it sat in its box for 8 months. We didn't use it until we took our big vacation this summer. We named it Gertrude Penelope Smith and called her "Gertie", which was appropriate since she spoke to us in a female voice. It didn't take long before we all fell in love with Gertie, and we began talking to her, as well.
Gertie was a hit with the kids. They loved her, and argued over the chance to hold her and play with her features. It started a family feud when my 14 year old secretly changed the language from American English to British English. Gertie was replaced with Guinevere (Guinnie), and the kids revolted! We let Guinnie visit for awhile, but we were all glad when Gertie returned. She was a good traveling companion and helped break up the monotony of a long trip.
Jason Hubbard, the author of Educaching knows that children love technology. He knows that GPS fascinates kids, and he wants to help parents and teachers capture that interest and use it in the classroom. His goal is to make learning more fun and meaningful to children, by involving the technology they love in their education.
When we were first offered the chance to review Educaching as part of the Homeschool Crew, I had to check to see if "Gertie", our GPS unit, could be used for geocaching. After an internet search, I concluded that although it wasn't ideal, it could be used for geocaching. Our family was excited and looking forward to educaching.
When I downloaded the Educaching e-book, I read through the e-book. The concept sounded great -- making learning active and hands-on. I was glad the e-book included lots of ideas of HOW to use it, because that is often the most frustrating part of applying a new idea to your homeschool.
The Educaching curriculum is designed for a classroom setting, but it can be adapted for use in homeschools or homeschool groups, as well. The book explains what educaching is, gives introductory lesson ideas, field sheets, as well as suggestions on how to use educaching across the curriculum. Since it is written by a public school teacher for that setting, there are sections on winning over a school board or principal, and applying for grants to buy GPS systems that don't apply to homeschoolers. Although my husband wished we could get a grant to buy a few hand-held GPS units, I doubt that would work. It might work for a homeschool group or co-op.
As I stated earlier, this is a very interesting way to take your lessons outside, and make them active and hands-on for the kinesthetic learners. But, it is a very time-consuming process. You have to plan your lesson, go out and hide the educaches, set your coordinates in your unit, and then complete the lesson with your students. Allow extra time for unforeseen problems to arise. A family that is already geocaching will find this a breeze to implement in their education plan.
It will help if you make yourself very comfortable with your GPS unit and its instructions in advance. I was comfortable using ours in the car for driving, but had not attempted to use it in a geocaching capacity before. We've never geocached, so this was all new to us. Unfortunately, we've had the coldest first half of October on record, so we hadn't tested this yet. We had a few days of warm weather this week before rain and cool weather was expected to return, so I knew this was my last chance.
We live on 7 acres, and I figured we had plenty of space to educache on our own property. I improvised cache containers using gallon-sized freezer bags with small cans of soup inside to weigh them down. I hid my caches, which included math questions and trivia questions to solve before advancing, setting coordinates as I went. I made two mistakes. I didn't make a list of my locations in order to refer back to, and I didn't mark the caches with their number. You'll see why this is important in a minute.
After I had set the coordinates in my favorites, I tried to find them and be led back to them. It took me awhile to figure out the correct settings to use in this capacity. It also took me awhile to figure out how to know which way to walk. (I guess my third mistake was not reading my GPS manual more carefully.) The little marker didn't always point the direction we needed to head, so we'd start walking and find out we were going the wrong way, then try to correct our path. This was hard to do on our GPS unit, with only two streets to use as reference points. They were also far enough away that they didn't show up all the time. I finally thought I had it figured out and brought the kids outside.
I put my 12 year old in charge of "Gertie", and we followed her. Unfortunately, we discovered then that the GPS couldn't factor in buildings in our way, or other obstacles like barbwire fences. It tried to take us on a direct path to the next hiding location, which wasn't always possible. We also realized it wasn't as accurate as I'd hoped in leading us to the exact location. (Now this could be my 12 year old's issue, but she walked past the location a few times and I had to stop her.)
Then things got even more crazy ... I am not sure if our GPS unit is just not set up to work in this capacity, if it was user error, or if the trees were interfering with the satellite system ... but we found the wrong caches at times. I thought they were far enough apart, but apparently not. Since they weren't marked and I didn't have a list, I just went with the flow ... having this vague sense that we were out of order. It wasn't until later that we realized we had definitely messed up. This confusion only lengthened our educaching hunt, and by the time we found caches 10, 11, and 12 my 8 year old had completely lost his ability to focus on the puzzles inside.
Important notes to remember:
- Read your GPS instruction manual in advance.
- Test out its ability to locate coordinates and lead them to you on foot in advance (or else buy one designed for use in the wilderness instead of on roads)
- Number your cache containers
- Keep a list of the order of your hiding spots (Having a teacher map was included in the Educaching curriculum, but I skipped that step. My fault!)
- Don't make your hunt too long
After all that, what do I think?
I like the concept of educaching, although the preparation time involved will keep us from doing it very often. I will be re-reading my GPS manual, and I will head out to the nearby pasture for my next attempt, where there aren't trees, fences, and buildings to interfere with the process. I definitely think the Educaching e-book is a helpful resource to show teachers how to utilize this method of education in their classroom, and is easily adapted for homeschool use. My children did enjoy the hunt, and are looking forward to future hunts if we can figure out the problems we were having with our GPS unit. Hopefully future educaching experiences will take less time.
The Nitty-Gritty Details:
The Educaching e-book is sold as a PDF download for $32.00. You can also buy a printed version for $32.00 plus $6.95 shipping/handling in the USA. This book contains all the instructions you will need for beginning to educache with your students, but it does NOT include a GPS unit or cache containers. They also sell a variety of kits, which do include GPS units.
If you're curious to see what educaching is about, or would like the chance to try before you buy, you can view a few sample lessons.
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, the Educaching e-book was given to me free, in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 21, 2009
Jim Baumgardner offering special on his Sarah Books
If you read my review of Sarah's Wish earlier this week, you might be interested in this special offer from the author, Jim Baumgardner. He is not offering this on his website, but it is a mail-only offer.
Here are the special prices he's including, AND he isn't charging shipping and handling to the Crew blog readers:
Sarah’s Wish – (126 pages) $8.50 (retail: $10.99, save $2.49)
Sarah’s Promise – (245 pages) $10.50 (retail: $14.99, save $4.49)
Sarah’s Escape -- (304 pages) $15.50 (retail: $21.99, save $6.49)
Extra special offer: Purchase all of the items above and add a second copy of Sarah’s Wish for $4.
To see the letter/offer from Jim Baumgardner, and to print a form to use to mail in for this offer, click HERE. Enjoy!
Trusting In Him,
April
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Oct. 19, 2009
Sarah's Wish of the Sarah Books by Jim Baumgardner
A Homeschool Crew Review
When we received Sarah's Wish in the mail, I was first drawn to the beautiful butterfly on the cover. I then noticed on the back cover that the author, Jim Baumgardner, is from Kansas! Although he is from Kansas, the book is set in Ohio where his family originated. One of the characters in the book is Jim's great-great-grandfather.
Sarah's Wish is a Christian historical fiction book centered around the Underground Railroad. Sarah and her mother are conductors on the Underground Railroad. When tragedy strikes, Sarah has to carry on with the secret task alone. But trouble is lurking and she may not be able to keep her promise to her Mom.
This book was very enjoyable! Before I could read it, my 14 year old ran off with it. She stayed up late to finish it the same day she started it. I read it the next day, and found it to be interesting and enlightening. Sarah's Wish has moments of sadness, suspense, and joy. It pulls you into the story and the middle of the 19th century, helping you understand the time.
Sarah's Wish is an excellent book to read aloud as a family, or for 10-15 year olds to read on their own. I believe it will appeal to boys and girls alike. Jim Baumgardner handles the issue of slavery and the Underground Railroad gracefully, without glossing over the issue. Sarah's Wish also shows the diverse nature of conductors on the Underground Railroad. It is an excellent way to help your children understand the Civil War, the issue of slavery, and the role of the Underground Railroad in American history.
Sarah's Wish retails for $10.99, but is available from the author for $9.99. It also includes a code for a free copy of the audio-book download. This is a 125 page paperback book, and it is the first in the Sarah Books series. Sarah's Promise and Sarah's Escape are also available from the author, although they are each longer, so they cost more. You can read excerpts of the books at the website.
Sarah's Wish is an excellent book, and I'm thankful I was introduced to the author, and this series.
This has been a TOS Homeschool Crew review. As a member of the Homeschool Crew, we are given homeschool-related items and asked to write honest reviews. The items are provided to us by the companies, but we are not paid for our reviews. There are over 125 Homeschool Crew members, with different homeschool methods and family situations -- providing different opinions about the products. Click HERE to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 16, 2009
Virginia Soaps & Scents -- a homeschool family's business
Last year we jokingly told the Homeschool Crew leaders we needed to review some luxurious, pampering spa items to give us a break from some of our heavier reviews. Then we started offering suggestions like chocolate, teas, candles, soaps, and lotions. You can imagine how pleased we were this year when we saw Virginia Soaps & Scents on the list. Ahh, hand made all-natural soaps! Everyone was excited -- on the Crew and in my home.
 click to visit Virginia Soaps & Scents
First, let me tell you about Virginia Soaps and Scents. It is the family business of the Spargur family. Roy and Richelle Spargur didn't set out to create a family business. Their soap-making ventures began as part of a homeschool unit study they explored with their children. It soon became a hobby, and then a business. Roy and Richelle have 9 children, although from their brochure it appears that only 8 of their "cheerful unpaid staff" are still living in the home. (I like that phrase. My unpaid staff need to work on the cheerful part a bit more.)
As part of the Homeschool Crew, we received 3 items to review from Virginia Soaps and Scents:
- a sample of three of their soaps (fresh orange, coconut lemongrass, and oatmeal milk & honey)
- a sample of their shampoo bar (ginger lime scent)
- a sample of their laundry soap kit
Virginia Soaps & Scents Soaps
I love hand-made natural soaps. I love how pretty they are with their colors and swirls, I love how they smell, and I especially love the way they clean without drying out my skin. The Virginia Soaps and Scents website has an explanation of how soap differs from detergents and why most of what is sold as "soap" is really detergent. One simple difference is that soap includes glycerin and detergent does not. If you're wondering what that means, WiseGeek states that glycerin is a humectant that "attracts moisture to your skin."
When we first received the soaps, I was glad to notice that the scent was not too heavy. I get headaches from really strong scents, but these didn't bother me. The scent was pleasant and light, although they do have an unscented line for those with sensitivities. The second thing I noticed was the unique shape of their bed and breakfast sample size, which resembled a mountain on top. I quickly placed a soap bar in the shower, and one at each of our sinks. I wanted to see how my family's hands and body reacted to the natural soap.
We have minor skin sensitivities in our family. My face leans toward oily, but the skin also dries out easily if I use anything too harsh on it. This is even more of a problem in cold weather. My husband's body gets dry and very itchy if he uses harsh detergent-soaps rather than true soaps. Lastly, my children get dermatitis on their hands from many "hand soaps" (really detergents), especially in cold weather.
No one in our family had any reactions to the VSS soaps at all. My husband used it in the shower, and didn't get itchy. I used it on my face without drying out my skin, but I still needed a light moisturizer afterward. The whole family used it on their hands without problems -- and we always came away smelling great. The other plus is that the glycerin in the soaps is great for shaving, as well. You soap up your leg, and the razor slides smoothly over the area you need to shave.
Virginia Soaps & Scents soap bars are 4.5 ounces in size, and are sold for $4.50 each. You can save money by buying 3 for $12.00, buy 4 get 1 Free, or buy 10 for $35.00. There are also gourmet soaps, Christmas soaps,and the All-in-One body bar available.
Virginia Soaps & Scents Shampoo Bar
I've tried a commercially-produced shampoo bar before, as well as several natural shampoos. I could only use them a couple times before I needed to use a regular shampoo on my hair. I confess that I was hoping to fall in love with the Virginia Soaps & Scents shampoo bar ... and I did! I knew that there is often a transition phase to get through when switching to a shampoo bar, so I didn't expect much from my first few attempts at using the shampoo bar.
That was a good thing, because my first two washes weren't that great. My hair seemed heavy and was oily very fast. Then I read the instructions. Oops! Rub the shampoo bar ON YOUR HAIR ... not your hands. My third wash made all the difference, when I rubbed it directly onto my hair instead of trying to suds up my hands and transfer it to my hair. Finally, I got out of the shower with clean-feeling, light bouncy hair ... and a new appreciation for reading directions first. After doing it correctly, there wasn't a transition phase at all.
I have fine, thin hair. It gets weighed down easily with products, and it's fragile. Once I started using the shampoo bar correctly, my hair wasn't weighed down. I was also able to use it without a conditioner, although I occasionally used a vinegar or lemon juice rinse after shampooing my hair. I suppose one caution of switching to a VSS shampoo bar should be that you might end up cutting 4-5 inches off your long hair as I did when you finally see it CLEAN and not coated in plastics from your conditioner. Once mine was truly clean, I saw so much damage and split-ends that I decided to trim it.
My hair also tends toward oily, but my scalp gets dry and flaky easily. I thought I might have to shampoo more frequently with the shampoo bar, but I didn't. In this Fall season, I am still able to skip a day washing my hair. My scalp flakiness hasn't totally improved yet, but an occasional vinegar rinse helps. I suspect that continued use of the moisturizing shampoo bars will help, but that I may get soap build-up occasionally instead. Vinegar rinses, lemon juice rinses, or baking soda scrubs should easily resolve soap build-up if it occurs -- or a wash with a commercial liquid shampoo instead.
The biggest surprise is that I really am able to go without conditioner. I didn't imagine that would ever be possible, but it is. One day I tried using conditioner, but it didn't seem to cling to my hair very well, because the natural oils in the soap were already conditioning my hair. A couple times I took a very tiny dab of 100% shea butter, rubbed it on the palms of my hands, and scrunched it into the ends of my wet hair like gel. It provided the prettiest waves for the rest of the day, until I brushed it that night. (Of course, overdoing the shea butter can cause an oily look, so be careful.)
The secret benefit of the shampoo bar that I'm sure the Spargurs weren't expecting is that it also cuts through deoderant buildup in your underarms for easier shaving. I know I get frustrated often when trying to shave my armpits and the razor has to scrape off the deoderant the "soap" left behind before it can cut the hair. I'm not sure what possessed me to try my shampoo bar on my armpit one day, but I was surprised at how easy it was to shave afterward. So if you use the shampoo bar for a couple weeks, and then decide it isn't for you, save it for your underarms ... although I strongly recommend giving it 3 or 4 weeks before giving up.
Both myself and my 14 year old daughter feel that we have more body and wave in our hair when we use the VSS shampoo bar. I have even used it on my 12 month old son and his little baby fluff hair. (Virginia Soaps & Scents does sell an Oily/Clarifying shampoo bar for those who need deeper cleansing.) I am so glad that I have finally found a natural shampoo, free of harsh chemicals, that actually WORKS for my hair!!
Virginia Soaps & Scents shampoo bars sell for $5.50 for a 5.5 ounce bar, or 2 for $10.00. It is larger than the soap bars, and square. A shampoo bar should last as long as a 24-30 ounce bottle of shampoo, and many people are also able to quit using conditioner. The All-in-One body bar is a soap/shampoo bar to simplify things when you travel.
Virginia Soaps & Scents Laundry Soap Kit
I've made my own laundry soap before, but it's been several years. When we used to make our own, we often had to buy our ingredients from 3 different stores. The actual process of making the laundry soap was easier than finding the ingredients. I know others have had the same experience I had trying to find the ingredients for many of the online recipes. Virginia Soaps & Scents is making it easier.
Not only are they providing a natural and gentle soap bar to use in the kit, they are also providing the other ingredients, so you don't have to track them down in 3 different stores yourself. The sample kit that we received had the soap pre-grated. All I had to do was follow directions, measure some water, and stir!
This is a low-sudsing soap, so it's great to use in front-loading high efficiency washing machines. We have a top-loading washing machine, with hard water, but it's also working well for us. The laundry soap gelled up nicely, smells fresh without a heavy scent, and is cleaning our clothes well. It's inspired me to start making my own laundry soap again.
Note -- if you use pocket cloth diapers with a fleece or suede-cloth inner lining, you should NOT use a soap based laundry product. It will coat the fleece or suede-cloth and keep it from wicking away moisture. In our home, we buy a detergent for our diapers when we are making our own laundry soap for our clothes.
The laundry soap kit is sold with pre-measured ingredients and instructions for you to make it yourself. It will make a 2 gallon batch of laundry soap, which should wash 64-72 loads of laundry. The kit sells for $4.95, which costs less than 7 CENTS per load. You can buy 6 kits for $25.00 to save money, or you can buy the 9 oz. cleaning bar alone for $3.95 if you'd rather buy your other ingredients locally. The soap bar will make two batches of laundry soap.
Do we recommend Virginia Soaps & Scents?
YES! I enjoyed everything we reviewed for Virginia Soaps & Scents, and they worked well for our family. My favorite item was the shampoo bar, because it was the first success I've had at using a natural shampoo with my hair. Virginia Soaps & Scents is a great family company selling wonderful products. They even have lotions, lip balms, shaving soaps, and pet shampoos. Their prices are reasonable, and they have a variety of samplers and gift sets for Christmas gift shopping!
In addition to their great products, they're very friendly people. They had a great response to my silly posting earlier this month about my children's reaction to their company logo. When I admitted I was embarrassed they found my remarks, they even emailed me to tell me not to be embarrassed. It was nice to interact with them personally.
Our family gives Virginia Soaps & Scents a big "thumbs-up"!
This has been a TOS Homeschool Crew review. As a member of the Homeschool Crew, we are given homeschool-related items and asked to write honest reviews. The items are provided to us by the companies, but we are not paid for our reviews. There are over 125 Homeschool Crew members, with different homeschool methods and family situations -- providing different opinions about the products. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April
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Oct. 14, 2009
Passkeys Foundation -- Good News Express books
Have you ever picked up a book, glanced through it, and had some doubts as to whether your kids would enjoy it? That's how I felt when I received the book, The Special Wish, from Passkeys Foundation. It had colorful pictures, and the story was cute, but it seemed to be long for the intended age of 3 - 5 years old. I was surprised when I sat down and read it to my 3, 5, and 8 year old children. They did enjoy it, and have asked me to read it to them several times since then.
The first time I read it, my younger children were all listening, asking questions about which pictures fit which characters, and making guesses about the outcome of the story. When I finished the story, my 5 year old took the book and continued to look at the pictures with the 3 year old. They asked me to play the accompanying CD and tried to follow along with the story in the book.
The Good News Express books are written for preschool - kindergarten aged children. The desire of the author and the founder of Passkeys Foundation is to encourage the development of good character in our children and our country. It's a noble purpose, but it is a secular non-profit organization. Teaching character without also teaching about God, His Word, and His gift of salvation falls somewhat flat. Good intentions that are missing the mark.
I admit that I was disappointed in the book, not only because it is coming from a completely secular (and generic) position, but also because the story seemed bland to me. It's a cute story, and my kids enjoyed it, but it certainly isn't great literature. It is obviously a story written expressly to make a point about friendship. Rather than an excellent story that also makes a point ... it is simply an okay story that makes a good point. I'm afraid this would fall in the category of twaddle for those Charlotte Mason families.
Despite my disappointment with this particular book, there is nothing objectionable about it. The Good News Express appears to be a series of safe books to give to your preschool and kindergarten children. They do teach good values, even if they don't address any Biblical reason for those values. The pictures are colorful and cute, and the hardcover book is well-made. My 3 - 5 year old crowd enjoyed the songs and story on the accompanying CD, although I felt it needed a "turn the page" signal for the non-readers trying to follow along with the book.
The Good News Express books are reasonably priced at $7.50 for each individual book with the accompanying CD. All four Good News Express books (with CDs) can be bought as a set for $20.00. Passkeys Foundation also sells additional character-building books for older children, and adults. Some of the other Homeschool Crew families received different books in the Good News Express series, and you can find their reviews HERE.
This book was provided to me free by Passkeys Foundation to be reviewed. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. Thus ends the required public service announcement per the new blog review regulations.
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 13, 2009
Review: Amazing Bible Timeline from Bible Charts & Maps
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I was sent a copy of the Amazing Bible Timeline to review. At first glance, I was thrilled with this large, circular historical timeline. We don't have a wall timeline, so I was looking forward to using this one. We placed it under our clear vinyl tablecloth on our large dining room table. It is 38" x 46" and may not fit on other dining room tables, but it barely fit onto one end of ours.
Upon further examination, I found that the chart itself contained references to the Book of Mormon that weren't cited as one of the resources in the bibliography at the top of the chart. These references are in the section on Native American history. I chose to use a black Sharpie marker to mark through some of the references, since I do not agree with these theories. (You can see the five areas I marked through at the bottom of the chart.)
Additionally, this timeline basically skips over African history, and simplifies the 20th century into a 2 inch segment. While I realize this is simply what happens when you condense all of history onto one chart, I would prefer a more complete timeline. I also found it hard to differentiate between the three colors of pink and purple used to represent Catholic History, Reformation History, and Japhethite History (one of Noah's three sons). My children found it hard to read the tiny print, stating that attempting to read the chart hurt their eyes. Unfortunately, we do not own a magnifying glass to make this easier.
I still love timelines and I didn't find the circular style difficult to manage, as long as I could lean down over it to read the fine print. (This may explain why it was harder for my kids, who are shorter than I am so can't get as close to it without climbing onto the table.) The timeline is not laminated, but it is sturdy. This timeline could benefit those who have limited wall space for a traditional linear timeline, but it is not one that I would recommend. My older children have asked more than once if we can take it off the table yet.
You can see a close-up of the timeline at the Bible Charts And Maps website. Those who purchase a copy of the Amazing Bible Timeline for $29.97 will receive two free downloads, as well.
This has been a TOS Homeschool Crew review. As a member of the Homeschool Crew, we are given homeschool-related items and asked to write honest reviews. The items are provided to us by the companies, but we are not paid for our reviews. There are over 125 Homeschool Crew members, with different homeschool methods and family situations -- providing different opinions about the products. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 12, 2009
Review: Guardian Angel Publishing
I love to read, and my children love to read as well. Books are some of our favorite gifts. We have seven overflowing bookshelves, some of which are double-shelved. Although we simply love to snuggle up on the couch with a book in our hands, we're obviously running out of room for physical books. Which makes the fact that these books from Guardian Angel Publishing arrived as e-books an additional blessing. Guardian Angel Publishing produces e-books, paperback books, and books on CD for children, ages 1-12.
 click banner to visit Guardian Angel Publishing website
 click to view Stubby's Destiny
Stubby's Destiny by Dixie Phillips has been awarded the Literary Excellence award for 2008's Best of Children's Animal category. With warm illustrations by Kim Sponaugle, Stubby's Destiny tells the story of a donkey who longs to be used in the service of the king. Trying to be tall and regal like a thoroughbred stallion, he repeatedly faces failure as he compares himself to his stallion friend. Stubby learns that although he is a humble donkey, he can still be used in the service of the king.
This was a cute story, that ends with Stubby serving the King of Kings during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It's available in four formats: download, CD, DVD, printed paperback. Prices range from $5.00 for the instant download, through $10.95 + $6.95 shipping for the paperback version.
 click to view No Bones About It
The Sum Of Our Parts: No Bones About It by Bill Kirk takes a children on a rhyming tour of the body, learning the names of all the bones in the body. This book is full of factoids, helpful rhymes, and mystery bones to identify. It is illustrated in a pen and ink style by Eugene Ruble. My 8 year old son loved this book, although my 3 and 5 year old children felt some of the pictures were gross. It's a fun way to learn about the human skeleton!
This book is only available in 3 formats: download, CD, and printed paperback. They are priced the same as the previous books.
 click to view Rainbow Sheep
Rainbow Sheep by Kim Chatel is a darling book! It is the winner of the 2009 Children's Fiction Eppie Award. I loved the wool fiber art illustrations!! My daughters were as fascinated with the unique artwork and vibrant colors as I was. The book closes with a four page tutorial on wool felt fiber art. This whimsical tale of a shepherdess, her sheep, and a sad rainbow is written for children age 4-10.
Prices vary, beginning at $5.00 for e-book download, up through $10.95 + $6.95 shipping for a printed paperback copy. It is also available on CD or DVD.
 click to view Gifts From God
Gifts From God by Cynthia Reeg is filled with photography art by Mary Sue Roberts. When I first started reading this to my children, only the 3 year old and 5 year old seemed interested. I categorized it like a children's board book for toddlers and preschool because of that. But then my 8 year old beginning reader wandered over to listen. He soon jumped in and began reading the pages to my 3 year old, and the book gained a new classification by me -- a beginning reader book.
Each two page spread has a Scripture on one side, and a simple line of text on the other side. The artwork is a mix of children and nature. This book is also available in 3 formats: CD, download, and printed paperback. The PDF download is sold for $5.00, and the paperback copy is sold for $10.95 + $5.95 shipping.
 click to view Earthquake
Earthquake by Susan J. Berger won an Honorable Mention in the Wild Card Category at the 2009 Green Book Festival. Earthquake is illustrated by Eugene Ruble, and contains scientific and historical information about earthquakes. The book includes experiments and emergency preparedness information for a fun addition to your science curriculum.
Available in 3 formats (PDF download, CD, and Printed Paperback) for $5.00 for the download through $11.95 + $6.95 shipping for the paperback copy.
 click to view Hamster Holidays
Hamster Holidays by Cynthia Reeg, has charming illustrations by Kit Grady. This educational book includes fun rhymes about how hamsters celebrate their unique holidays, while teaching children to differentiate between nouns and adjectives. Nouns are always printed in blue ink, and adjectives are always printed in red ink. Other words are printed in black. The book concludes with 8 pages of related activities and grammar lessons.
This is a fun book that is enjoyable on its own, as well as for a grammar lesson. The creative illustrations hold everyone's attention. Hamster Holidays is available in 3 versions (PDF ebook, CD ebook, and paperback print book) -- prices range from $5.00 for the downloaded ebook, through $10.95 + $6.95 for the paperback.
Our favorites?
Of the six books that were sent to our family, Rainbow Sheep, No Bones About It and Hamster Holidays were our favorites. You can see sample pages from each of these books by clicking on the picture of the book covers above. You can also see other books published by Guardian Angel Publishing at their website, including some FREE e-books and coloring pages.
Guardian Angel Publishing pledges that your books will be free from error or they'll send a new copy to replace it. They also promise that their books "will delight, tweak curiosity, teach and inspire your children!" Their mission is to provide a safe and fun environment for children to learn and grow in, creating "a Christian and healthy attitude of learning, sharing, and caring."
This has been a TOS Homeschool Crew review. As a member of the Homeschool Crew, we are given homeschool-related items and asked to write honest reviews. The items are provided to us by the companies, but we are not paid for our reviews. There are over 125 Homeschool Crew members, with different homeschool methods and family situations -- providing different opinions about the products. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 6, 2009
Nature Friend -- Helping Families Explore the Wonder of God's Creation
 
Click a magazine cover to visit Nature Friend magazine.
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, we were sent two free issues of Nature Friend magazine with the supplemental Study Guide to review. I've never had a chance to read Nature Friend magazine before, so my children and I were thrilled to be included in this review opportunity.
The first thing I noticed about Nature Friend when it arrived was the wonderful nature photography on the cover. Then my kids took it and ran off with it -- I had to ask for it back later that week. We have seen other nature magazines, and although my children enjoy the photographs, only my oldest daughter ever reads the articles. Nature Friend is written for the entire family, and the articles are small enough not to intimidate them. The children can (and do) read the articles.
Magazine Features include:
- Pictures and Poems from the readers
- You Can Draw art lessons from nature
- Invisibles -- hidden picture puzzles
- Stories to learn more about creation and build character
- Puzzles from readers
- Scavenger hunts
- Learning By Doing
- Creation Close-Ups -- nature photos taken by readers
- The Story Behind The Photo (how those stunning photos are captured)
- Nature Trails for each month
- Caption This contests
One of my children's favorite features was the You Can Draw tutorials. When each issue arrived, they all gathered their supplies and sat down to try drawing the black bear and the sunflower. They studied the examples of children's artwork from previous tutorials, rating them and pointing out the ones they liked best. They hoped to get their own art included in the magazine, as well.
Although the magazine has fun features itself, there is even more in the supplemental Study Guide. The study guide included two more puzzles, a writing lesson, a true-false quiz, ideas to research further, instructions for a guided nature discovery walk, and a great photography lesson. The September study guide also had an additional art challenge. Parents can use these lesson ideas in their homeschool each month.
I didn't incorporate the study guide into my lessons. I just considered them as more opportunities for delight-directed, discovery-based learning. My children enjoyed the magazine enough that I didn't feel the need to assign it. It wasn't an educational magazine to them ... it was a fun magazine on a subject they enjoyed learning more about. Delight-directed learning at its best!
Nature Friend is a Christian magazine. The cover of each magazine says "Helping Families Explore the Wonder of God's Creation" under the title. God is proclaimed as the Creator, and the magazine praises His awesome design and plan for the animals. It's a relief to not have to correct or teach-over a more worldly viewpoint of mother nature, improbable chance, and even evolution.
As a Charlotte Mason style home educator, I am always encouraging the exploration and study of nature. I encourage my children to take nature walks, notice the changes around them, and to keep nature journals. I collect nature guides and identification books so we can learn more about what we see around us. We are not perfect and I'm afraid our nature journal entries are rather infrequent, but that is our goal and my heart for our homeschool. Nature Friend magazine fits so nicely into that goal and our educational philosophy.
Several of my children have become interested in photography, and the nature shots in Nature Friend are inspiring and challenging to them. The tutorials in the Study Guide would be helpful for furthering their skills in photography. Each month, they include photos that children have sent in, and they critique them -- offering tips and suggestions for improving the shot. I can see my older daughters looking for just the right nature shot to enter in The Photo Critique each month.
Nature Friend subscriptions cost $36.00 for 12 issues (1-year subscription) or $68 for a 2-year subscription. The supplemental Study Guide costs an additional $24.00 for 12 issues. The Study Guide sells for $2 an issue, and you can choose how many Study Guides you want to buy with your subscription. There is a coupon code for $3 off a NEW subscription. The code is BLOG93 and it expires November 30, 2009.
At first glance, I find myself thinking that $36 is high for this little magazine, and $60 for it with the study guide is really high. But when I break it down into monthly issues, it's only $3 an issue ($5 with the study guide). It isn't a quarterly magazine, but a monthly one! When I divide that $36 or $60 out between the number of children I have, it seems like an even greater value. I have 7 children, 6 who are preschool-aged or higher. That's only $6 per child for a year of Christian education on God's creation ($10 per child with the study guide).
I hope we can subscribe to the magazine for our family soon. If all my children were younger, I'd probably skip the study guide. But with my older children I think it extends the educational value of the magazine -- encouraging their writing, their study of nature, and their interests in photography and art.
We love Nature Friend magazine and I do recommend it! Because money is tight for many families, I suggest buying it as a Christmas gift to all your children, or making room for it in the curriculum budget. It would also make a great family-gift idea from Grandma or other extended family members. I personally don't feel guilty about buying educational items for gifts, as long as it is fun or encourages an interest. I don't gift-wrap math workbooks -- but art supplies, educational magazines, or quality books are fair game, as far as I'm concerned.
Don't just take our word for it ... you can read some of Nature Friend's articles at the website, as well as view sample issues of the magazine, and sample issues of the study guide to see what a great family magazine it is. You can also see samples of some of their featured articles and art lessons HERE.
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Oct. 1, 2009
College Prep Genius -- My Final Review
As I explained earlier in my introductory review, the College Prep Genius course is designed to teach our students strategies to help them improve their SAT scores. Jean Burk, the creator, wants to help others achieve a full-ride to college by raising their PSAT and SAT scores. She does this by providing acronyms and test-taking strategies students can use to understand the SAT test patterns and manage their time well when taking the test. This product is not just for homeschooling families, but for all high school students.
When this product first arrived, I was completely overwhelmed by it. I looked it over, seeking an explanation of where to begin and how to implement the system. The list on page 8 of the textbook suggested we read the textbook through 2 - 3 times as a beginning step. I flipped through it and saw all the complicated acronyms and test-taking tips that a student is expected to memorize and groaned. It seemed to be too much. I gave it to my 9th grade daughter to read, but that backfired on me. She was even more overwhelmed than I was.
We both began to dismiss this program as just not being a good fit for us. We didn't see the need to spend hours each week studying these acronyms. It seemed stifling and boring, to be honest. We have always been a relaxed literature-based homeschool. We aren't completely delight-directed, but we certainly lean that way. The College Prep Genius course seemed to be exactly opposite of our usual method of learning.
But then I picked it up and read it again. I read the chapters before and after the acronyms, and found such helpful recommendations for SAT test-taking, for scholarship applications, and for college interviews. I realized that the best way to use the College Prep Genius set in our home would be to have my 9th grader take a practice PSAT or SAT test first. After she has seen what the book is referring to, and we see her weakest area, we can focus on JUST that section of the test-taking tips and acronyms. Rather than expecting her to read and memorize all the acronyms, we first need to assess where she needs the most help.
There is so much information in the College Prep Genius set. A person could spend hundreds of hours learning it all, or they can just glean from it the information they need the most. If a student takes several practice tests, several PSAT tests, and the SAT itself more than once ... they can focus on a new section of the College Prep Genius after each test.
Taking the tests multiple times to achieve the best possible score is exactly what the College Prep Genius author suggests. Realizing that my daughter doesn't have to memorize all the College Prep Genius tips before her first test was such a relief! It took an overwhelming product that actually scared us both and turned it into something manageable.
Since I found the instructions for how to use this program rather overwhelming, I have my own recommendations.
- Read the Introduction and Part 1 of the College Prep Genius textbook first.
- Watch the first DVD in the "Master the SAT Class".
- Read the rest of the College Prep Genius textbook, without focusing on memorizing acronyms. It gives helpful information on each section of the SAT.
- Take a practice test.
- Begin to study the acronyms that will help with your weakest areas using the DVD, textbook, and workbook.
The College Prep Genius program includes the "Master the SAT Class" DVD set, a workbook, and a textbook. In addition to this set, it is recommended that you purchase practice SAT tests to help you practice the patterns, strategies, and acronyms that College Prep Genius teaches you.
This curriculum is designed for the person who is very serious about earning the best score they possibly can on the SAT. Whether it is to gain entrance to a college with a higher SAT score qualification ... or whether it is to earn a full-ride scholarship to college. To implement the system as designed will require a minimum of 2 hours of practice each week, and even more on the weekends preceding a test.
It is an excellent list of test-taking strategies, but the list of acronyms to memorize is overwhelming at first. It will take a motivated student to complete this course on their own. I definitely recommend giving credit for this course on your student's transcript if you homeschool.
The College Prep Genius set is currently on sale for 30% off, only $79 for the whole set.
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Sep. 28, 2009
A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks
 Click the banner to visit A Journey Through Learning
When my girls were very young, 8 years ago, I learned about lapbooks at a homeschooling conference. I bought a book that taught me how to make the mini-books, and went home to begin making lapbooks with my daughters. We made 4 lapbooks to go along with our Five In A Row unit studies, and my creativity ran out. The girls weren't old enough to do any of the work themselves, so I was thinking of the mini-books, creating the mini-books, and filling them in for the girls. All they did was color them for me.
Thus ended our lapbooking life until I found a free Christmas lapbook online two years ago, which we created as part of our holiday schooling. That was my first introduction to prepared lapbooks. We've since created a few of the prepared lapbooks, and I appreciate that I don't have to come up with all the ideas myself -- I just have to follow the instructions. Of course, I also appreciate that my kids are now old enough to do more of the work themselves.
 Click to view lapbook
We usually rush our way through lapbooks, completing them in a week or two. We can't do that with the Desert Lapbook we received from A Journey Through Learning. It is so full of information that we are taking it much more slowly. I love how it is set up with a page of information, followed by the corresponding booklets, and then another page of information, etc. It's easy to grab just what you need for that day's lesson. You can cover 1 page of information, two pages, or more -- depending on your children's abilities, attention span, and interest. My children prefer to only do 1 or 2 pages at a time.
Paula and Nancy have created lapbooks for a variety of subjects: history, science, seasonal, Bible, and literature. There are lapbooks for students in preschool, up through 9th grade. Most of these come with a study guide, so you don't need to gather additional information unless you want to. While the Desert Lapbook has all the information we need to study the desert, it is much more enjoyable when paired with colorful, interesting books about the desert When taken as-is, the lapbook information is somewhat dry.
My kids have been enjoying their Desert lapbook since we recently visited the desert. The Desert lapbook is designed for grades 2 through 7, and I am using it with my 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade students. We've chosen to take this one more slowly, completing 1-2 sections per day, about 3 times a week (in addition to their regular science lessons). Although lapbooks are not our usual method of learning, we occasionally use them for a change of pace. My children love to review their old lapbooks, as well as share them with others.
We have been using this lapbook as a group, but it could also be given to an older student, with the supplies and a list of corresponding books to read. My 5th and 7th grader could have completed it on their own. The instructions are very clear, and we had no problems completing any of the mini-booklets.
 My 7th grader reading sections to younger siblings
 5th grader reading more information aloud while 3rd grader colors title page
 Searching for desert plants and animals to place on our title page
 Still in the process of completing our Desert lapbook
And now, let's talk about the details. When you purchase a lapbook from A Journey Through Learning, you choose between the instant download, the CD-ROM version, or the printed version. With the instant download or CD-ROM version, you'll need to print the lapbook components yourself. We usually just print the entire lapbook onto white paper, and then color in our mini-booklets after they're completed. It's more time-consuming and costly if you print the booklets onto colored cardstock, but it makes a nicer lapbook. This requires taking the time to print sets of pages differently.
Once you have printed your lapbook, or received your printed version, you'll need 3 file folders to place the booklets in. These will be glued together to create one large lapbook. You can see an example of a completed lapbook on this page at A Journey Through Learning's website. You will also need glue, scotch tape, possibly clear packing tape to reinforce your lapbook, stapler with staples, and probably some brass paper fasteners. This list will vary with each lapbook, but most lapbooks require these basic supplies.
Lapbook prices vary according to the size of the lapbook, and the version you choose. For instance, the Desert Lapbook is available in three formats:
- as an instant download for $13.00
- on CD-ROM for $14.00
- in a printed format for $21.00.
However, the Shakespeare lapbook starts at just $10.00 for the download, and the printed version costs only $17.00. While it is tempting to purchase the printed lapbooks to save paper and printer ink, then you miss out on the ability to re-use the lapbook at a later time. With the electronic version, you are able to re-print the lapbook at a later time. (Pages may be copied or re-printed for other members of your family only.)
Our family gives a to A Journey Through Learning lapbooks. We're looking forward to completing the Autumn lapbook next.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Sep. 24, 2009
Growing Healthy Homes -- Nutrition 101: Choose Life!
Growing Healthy Homes has created an amazing resource in their Nutrition 101: Choose Life! curriculum. We received this curriculum in their e-book format, and IT IS HUGE! This is a 448 page book!! The first 283 pages are the textbook, which includes recipes and activities. After that, there is the answer key, and 31 appendices which are a wealth of additional information for the entire family!
Nutrition 101 includes six different units, with four chapters in each unit:
- The Brain and Nervous System
- Digestion and Elimination
- Respiration and Olfactory
- Muscular and Skeletal Systems
- Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
- Endocrine System and Emotions
I set out to use Nutrition 101: Choose Life! with all of my children. As I read aloud, I found myself simplifying information for the younger children, which meant my older daughters were missing out on the depth of this study. Rather than continue to simplify the material, I chose to assign it to my 9th grade daughter as a nutrition/health course instead. In a situation like mine, with a wider age-span between children, a mother could teach a simplified version to the younger children and assign the older students to work through it independently.
My 14 year old daughter, worked through the material in Nutrition 101 on her own. She enjoyed learning more about the human body, its systems, and how to keep them healthy with good nutrition. Several times she heard me talking about a health issue or concern and she'd voluntarily share something beneficial she'd learned in her nutrition course. I intend to continue using this course with her as either her health credit, or as part of a nutrition and cooking elective credit.
What I like best about this book, though, is the appendices. There is so much information in there: how to select properly ripe and fresh veggies, kitchen safety rules, fiber-rich foods, protein-rich plant and animal sources, calcium-rich foods, sugar alternatives, and common household toxins. Those are just a few of the topics covered in the back of this book. It makes an excellent reference for the Mom as well as a text for our students. I love the charts that list food sources for different vitamins and minerals! This is not your typical health textbook!
PROS
- versatile curriculum -- can serve as Jr./Sr. High health class or be adapted to include elementary students
- Christian curriculum
- hands-on activities
- healthy recipes
- science experiments
- re-usable and non-consumable
- colorful, attractive, and well-designed book
CONS
- some people may not agree with the authors' views on health, diet, and safe products
- some people may not agree with her Choose Life! food pyramid which differs from the standard FDA food pyramid
- very large book to print for your family's use (although there are ways to make this more manageable)
I'm thankful we received this curriculum to review. It will be a blessing to our family as we bring our children up through high school, and as we teach them about healthy nutrition and lifestyles.
Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is available as an e-book on a CD-ROM for $79.95. The printed book can be bought for $99.95, and the book and CD-ROM can be purchased together for $129.95.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Sep. 15, 2009
Wondering what Homeschool Crew reviews are coming up?
If you're looking for my past homeschool curriculum reviews, you can look at the Homeschool Crew Reviews link in my sidebar.
If you're wondering what other reviews are coming up, here are my due dates so far:
9/25 Growing Healthy Homes: Nutrition 101
9/28 A Journey Through Learning lapbooks
10/2 College Prep Genius
10/7 Nature Friend Magazine
10/13 Guardian Angels Publishing -- 6 e-books
10/15 Passkeys Foundation character quality picture book
10/19 Sarah Books' Sarah's Wish
10/23 Educaching
10/26 Sue Patrick Workbox System
10/28 Amazing Bible Timeline
10/30 Vantage Learning: My Access
11/6 Bright Ideas Press (Mystery of History 3 and All American History 2)
You can find more information about each of these companies and links to their websites at the Homeschool Crew blog while waiting for my reviews (and those of other Crew members).
Trusting In Him,
April
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Sep. 9, 2009
College Prep Genius -- my wake-up call!
College Prep Genius is one of the products I'm currently reviewing with my oldest (14 year old 9th grader) for the TOS Homeschool Crew. The College Prep Genius course is designed to teach our students strategies to help them improve their SAT scores. It includes the "Master the SAT Class" DVD set, a workbook, and a textbook.
I admit that I entered into this with the misunderstanding that the SAT was a test of knowledge. I took the ACT when I was a senior in high school, and I really don't recall much about the PSAT I took my junior year. I didn't prepare for either, other than to work through the practice book the school gave me when I signed up for the test.
In reading the College Prep Genius textbook, I was surprised to learn that the SAT tests a student's logic skills, their ability to manage time, and even their writing skills ... not just knowledge. I fell for one of the 13 SAT Myths!
Jean Burk was a homeschooling Mom living on a single income when she began to prepare her own children for the PSAT and SAT exams. She designed these strategies and formulas to help her own children test well to earn scholarships to college. Once she had successfully prepared her own children, she compiled the information into College Prep Genius and began to share it with others.
College Prep Genius teaches a student to pinpoint their weak areas and learn acronyms to help them improve their test-taking abilities. It helps students overcome their fear and weaknesses -- learning what the test will look like, and how they can manage their time and use logic to score well. You can read many helpful articles at the College Prep Genius website.
I'm just beginning to look through this with my 9th grader. I'll admit that I naively wasn't really considering the SAT yet. It wasn't on my radar screen at all. In my mind, that was something to worry about in a couple years. I'm so glad that I am reviewing this ... if for no other reason than to enlighten ME about the test .. and to remind me that my children do need to begin preparing for college entrance exams.
I'll be posting a full review later, but I did want to mention that the College Prep Genius set is currently on sale for 30% off, $79.99 for the whole set.
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Sep. 8, 2009
TOS Crew Review: STUDYPOD book holder
I tried to sneak this latest TOS Crew review item into the house. I knew that it would be something the children fought over, and I wanted to try it out first. I failed. It arrived as we were heading out of town, so I looked it over and slipped it into my review basket. Within 5 minutes my oldest daughter had snagged it, looked it over, and set it up in her school area. She's had it ever since, although the other children keep asking for a chance to try it out.
If you're wondering what item held so much appeal to her, it was the STUDYPOD book holder by Genio, LLC. The STUDYPOD is a plastic book stand that folds up to the size of a book so you can slip it into your tote bag and take it with you. When you are ready to use it, you turn the back support to the side, open the folded stand, lock it open, flip down the book rests, and adjust the page-holders. It's really fast and simple to use.
But the best part is that it works. It holds your book at a nearly upright angle, making it easier to work. You aren't hunching over a book, or trying to look at a flat page far away from you. In our home, we love that it saves table space. It allows the 3 older girls to have a little more room when working from textbooks around the same table. I'd love to borrow it and use it in the kitchen with my cookbooks, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get it away from my girls.
Note: There is a slight learning curve involved in turning pages without tearing them. But the STUDYPOD comes with instructions on two different methods for turning the pages, as well as instructions on setting up the STUDYPOD. It just takes a little time to practice and adjust, but I wouldn't recommend using this as a music stand where you'll be turning pages quickly and frequently.
The STUDYPOD is sturdily built, compact, and lightweight -- although I wouldn't recommend letting your youngest ones mess with it much. I'm sure given enough time my 3 year old and 5 year old could find some way to break it.
As a book support and study aid, it works wonderfully. My 14 year old daughter said, "It's WICKED COOL! We each need one, Mom! They're only $20!!" (Actually they're less than that if you buy more than one at a time.)
The STUDYPOD is available in blue, black, and pink. The BOOKPOD (same product, different colors) is available in black, gray and beige. They retail for $19.95 each, although if you buy two or more, there is a discounted price of $16.95 each (you can mix STUDYPODS and BOOKPODS for the discount).
In addition, the STUDYPOD company is offering a $5.00 discount for a limited time. To use the $5.00 coupon, you must order from the STUDYPOD website, and enter the code TOSBLOG5 when you check out.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 29, 2009
A second look at Aleks.com -- the master account
Last December, I reviewed Aleks online math program, and how it worked for my 13 year old daughter. (You can read that review HERE.) As a member of the Homeschool Crew, I was asked to take a look at the changes Aleks has made to their master account system and how parents can use that in homeschooling. I didn't really cover the master account at all in my last review, so this follow-up will focus solely on the master account.
In the master account, you can change your student's course levels, create quizzes for them, and view their quiz results. The quiz feature is a new option that allows you to either create a customized quiz where you select each type of problem that will be included, or let Aleks create a quiz from recently learned material. You can set a date for the quiz, edit the questions, and choose how many problems will be on the quiz. After your student takes the quiz, you can view their results.
There are progress reports you can view (and print) that show the hours per week your student is spending on Aleks, the items they are learning per hour, and the hours or weeks expected before they reach their goal. You can also receive your student's progress report by email. Printing the progress report provides proof of the grade your student is earning, their progress, and their completion of the math course.
The master account also allows you to view their pie chart which shows the topics they should be learning and what percentage of each topic they have mastered. It also shows what percentage of the total course they have mastered, and how many hours they have spent on the course. This is the same pie chart that your students can view while they're working in Aleks. My daughter loved seeing her progress on her pie chart!
The attendance chart is great for tracking the time spent working on Aleks each day, the topics they've attempted that day, and the topics they've mastered. For those who are required to track hours or days of school, and especially for those required to turn in paperwork -- this is a helpful feature. You can print a monthly attendance sheet for each child.
The Quick Tables feature is a great resource for students in grades 3 and up. It is a tool for basic math facts mastery: addition facts, subtraction facts, multiplication facts, and division facts. When students master another 20% of their table, they earn an interactive math game to play. Parents can set the level of facts they want presented to their child, and assign a new assessment or worksheet. The Quick Tables chart shows you the hours they spend on each section of math facts, and their progress.
The costs of an Aleks subscription vary, based on subscription length, and the number of students. The cost for one student is $19.95/month, or $99.95 for 6 months (one month free), or $179.95 for 12 months (saves the most money). There are family discounts available if you have more than one student.
If you'd like to try out Aleks with your student, or see how the master account works for you, you can sign up for a one-month free trial of Aleks. While my daughter enjoys Aleks, and I'm impressed with the new features they've given to the parents in the master account, it is still not an affordable option for our family.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 29, 2009
30% discount on Grapevine Studies Bible studies
I forgot to add this in my Grapevine Studies review, although I did edit my review to add this today. I didn't want it to be missed by anyone who had already read my review, so I'm also posting it here.
Grapevine Studies is offering a 30% discount to my readers through September 30, 2009. The discount code is crew9, but remember it expires on September 30, 2009!
Trusting In Him,
April
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Aug. 28, 2009
$5 off Quarter Mile Math from Barnum Software
Aug. 27, 2009
Grapevine Studies: Old Testament Basics Catechism Course
My kids and I love to doodle and draw, so I was looking forward to trying one of Grapevine Studies Bible studies with my kids. After all, their motto is "Stick figuring through the Bible!" They have a large variety of Bible studies for all ages of children and even adults. I wanted a multi-level study that would allow us all to work together, so I chose the Old Testament Basics catechism-style course.
The Old Testament Basics Bible Study covers 225 questions (and answers) to review the Old Testament facts and truths about God. Each page contains two questions, and students both draw and write the answer into their workbook. After each question, a Bible reference is given to locate the answer. The teacher's manual includes the written answer, as well as an example of what the students should draw. The teacher is to draw the stick figure drawing on a chalkboard or white board for the students to copy into their workbook.
Grapevine Bible studies encourage the use of colors and symbols to represent different things. For instance, a purple triangle represents God ... purple for royalty and a triangle for the Triune Godhead. So children will need colored pencils or crayons in addition to their workbooks. If you want to draw a demonstration stick-figure picture for your children, you will need colored dry-erase markers, colored chalk, or even just a large pad of paper and colored pencils or markers.
Since each child is to draw the answer in their workbook, you will need a workbook for each child. In our case, we used the student e-book so we could print as many copies of the workbook as our family needed. We can even return to the study at a later time, printing new student books.
In our home, I allowed the younger kids to just draw the answer into the workbook. Waiting on them to copy the written answer from someone else or spelling it out to them word by word was just too tedious ... for them and us. Since I don't have a chalkboard or white board, I usually just showed the children what they were to draw straight from the book ... covering the other three pictures on the two-page spread. In hindsight, I wish I had drawn it onto paper, setting an example that I was also willing to stick figure my way through the Bible.
Old Testament Basics was designed to be a simplified study that can be used in a church setting or in the home. The lessons are intentionally doctrine-free, so parents can teach their own doctrine to their children. Since our children have attended Sunday School regularly, and we have studied the Old Testament history in our curriculum, they felt the material was too "familiar" and "simple" at first. We had to remind them to wait until after we read the Scripture to answer, even if they thought they knew the answer. This eliminated all the guessing and brought it back to a more focused Bible study.
One of the other Grapevine Studies would have probably been a better choice for us than this catechism-style course. We enjoyed the Old Testament Basics study, we just felt it worked better for our family to tweak the lessons a bit. Rather than just beginning to ask questions about the life of Joseph, our family would prefer to study the Scriptures first and then complete the questions together. It seemed to flow better when the questions were asked after the Scripture was read. It will work very well as a supplement when we return to Old Testament history in our curriculum.
Overall, my children enjoyed the process of filling in their workbooks with their stick figure drawings. Even though I showed them the sample drawing, each of their drawings reflected their own personality and creativity. The process of drawing the stick figures helped them remember the answers and understand them. Drawing the stick figures helped my kinesthetic learners remember what we discussed, and it helped my distractible, wiggly kids stay focused. One of my daughters is a visual learner, and this method works great for her, as well.
The Old Testament Basics catechism course is available from Grapevine Studies in two formats, printed softcover book or e-book. The teacher's manual is $24.95 for the printed book and $19.95 for the e-book. The student book is $19.95 for both the printed book and the e-book. At the moment they have some "dent and ding" student books for $15.95. You can download a sample of the teacher's book HERE.
Grapevine Studies has Bible studies on Old Testament Overview, New Testament Overview, Esther, Biblical Feasts and Holy Days, Birth of Jesus, New Testament and Old Testament timelines, and more. They also have affordable e-lessons, including a currently FREE e-lesson on Ruth in Moab. You can sign up for their newsletter to receive updates on new studies as they are published.
Although we tweaked the Old Testament Basics catechism course to suit our preferences, we do recommend Grapevine Studies for their multi-sensory and hands-on approach to Bible study.
Edited to add: Grapevine Studies is offering a 30% discount to my readers through September 30, 2009. The discount code is crew9, but remember it expires on September 30, 2009!
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 26, 2009
Barnum Software: The Quarter Mile Math -- Standard Level 1,2,3 Bundle
My kids love computer games -- so I love educational computer games. If it's on the computer, they're thrilled to do it. A writing assignment is tackled with less complaining if they can type it into a word processor, and reviewing math facts is a drag unless they can do it on the computer.
The Quarter Mile Math is a software that allows kids to review their math facts in a fun game. The best part is that they're not competing against the computer, but against their own previous best scores. They can either choose to "drag race" with cars or watch "riderless horses" run through a meadow. Each time they sit down to play, their current horse or car is on the left side, and their 5 previous best scores are running to the right of them.
We had never used The Quarter Mile Math before, although I've heard about it and have seen ads for it before. We received The Quarter Mile Math Standard - Levels 1,2,3 Bundle as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We asked for the standard version because our kids' computer is currently having internet problems, and the parents' computer is too busy to really let the kids spend time on it. The standard version does not require internet connection to operate.
The Quarter Mile Math software is a supplemental math program for the whole family. It is not a stand-alone curriculum, but is designed to help our children master their math facts and develop greater speed and accuracy. They recommend at least three 15-minute sessions of review per week for each student.
The Quarter Mile Math can benefit Kindergarten students through early high school students. The Level 1, 2, 3 Bundle covers a large range of topics -- basic addition and subtraction, multiplication, fractions, division, squares, means, estimation, pre-algebra, and more. Parents can assign half an hour of fraction review, 15 minutes of estimation review, and 15 minutes of multiplication review for their 6th grader for the week. There is also a Printable Progress Chart in the Homeschool section of the website that parents can utilize in their school reports.
My kids have always resented math facts review and they have especially disliked flash cards. But they enjoy using The Quarter Mile Math computer game to review their math concepts. My kindergartener, 3rd grader, 5th grader and 7th grader have enjoyed spending time on it. With the Levels 1, 2, and 3 bundle, all of my children were able to use the same software for math practice. Not only is The Quarter Mile Math more fun than flashcards ... the kids don't need YOU to take them through the flashcards.
The Quarter Mile Math Standard CD (Levels 1, 2, and 3 Bundle) retails for $89.95. It is a one-time purchase that your children can use for years to come. The standard version is also sold in different levels and combinations of levels. The Deluxe version is available as a download, or a CD (an additional $5), and requires a monthly subscription. The monthly subscription is $2.95/month for an entire family, $19.95/year family subscription, and $34.95 2-year family subscription. You can see the differences between the Standard and Deluxe versions HERE. If you need to stop your subscription to the Deluxe version, you can resume it again at any time.
If you're tired of flashcards stacked on your school shelves, and you keep forgetting to make time for math review in your homeschool ... The Quarter Mile Math may be the solution! While the kids happily review their math, maybe you can find time to read a book, paint your toenails, or just enjoy a quiet cup of cocoa alone.
EDITED FOR SPECIAL SALE PRICE! Barnum Software is offering a special $5 off for TOS Crew Review readers! If readers use the Referral Code 7H7K7, they'll get $5 off any product--Standard or Deluxe. There is a place to input this code on the order forms. This Referral Code will be good until September 30, 2009.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 20, 2009
Web Design For Kids ( ... And Curious Grown-Ups!) DVD
One of the fun parts of being on the Homeschool Crew is receiving supplemental products for school electives to review. It wasn't in my year-plan to teach my kids to build a web page, and I wouldn't have known how to teach them, either. Thankfully, we were able to review Web Design For Kids (... And Curious Grown-Ups!) ... and I didn't have to teach it myself.
Web Design For Kids (... And Curious Grown-ups!) is a DVD course created by Brian Richardson, the founder of Click Drag Solutions. In this DVD course, he teaches children (and curious adults) how to create a basic web page using HTML. An internet connection is not required for this class, although it can be helpful for finding images. The web page is built using Notepad and Internet Explorer ... no special software involved.
Brian teaches directly to the student, demonstrating on-screen each step in the process of building their own web page. He doesn't just tell them what to type ... he shows them what each line of code DOES on their web page. Brian also shows them what happens if they make errors in their HTML code, and how to fix the problem.
The DVD is recorded in a class-room setting, with Brian teaching two middle-school aged children how to build their web page. The children ask questions that our children may be wondering, and they make mistakes they have to find and correct. It's not full of complicated technical jargon, and it moves through the process slowly, one baby step at a time.
This DVD is simple to use and implement. My 12 year old daughter walked my 8 year old son through the course, helping him create his own web page. He told her what to type, and she typed it in for him. Then my 12 year old and 14 year old daughters took over, creating several web pages each. They enjoyed playing with the colors and content of their web page. They only asked me for help twice, and one of those times was in setting up their Web Design folder since we were using a different Windows product than the DVD showed.
I've been using HTML to edit my blog template for a couple years now. I've had to figure it out bit by bit, myself ... learning by trial and error largely. I enjoyed watching the DVD and learning some new HTML tricks, like marquees.
My daughters (12 and 14) thought the DVD was "talking down" to them at times -- but they did learn how to build a web page using HTML, and they enjoyed the process. They each built their web page in a couple hours, and then expanded on the lesson to create more web pages. I'd say that's a successful DVD course!
Since this DVD teaches directly to the children, it would be a perfect project to save for a day when Mom is under the weather ... she's present to offer help as needed, but with minimal effort from Mom. HTML lessons weren't on my school year plan, and they may not be on yours at the moment. But computer programming (or coding) is a skill that will be helpful for our children in the future.
Web Design For Kids ( ... And Curious Grown-Ups!) covers the following material:
- Ten Basic Lines of Code
- Sandwiches and Colors
- Making the Subject Stand Out
- Stand Alone Tags
- Downloading and Saving Images From the Internet
- Designing Backgrounds
- Fonts and Paragraphs
- Including Pictures in Your Web Page
- Bonus Segment: Managing Computer Files
This particular DVD does not cover how to upload your web page to the internet, but that information will be included in the second volume when it is released.
Web Design For Kids ( ... And Curious Grown-Ups!) is currently 50% off -- available for $19.99 + $3.99 shipping for a limited time. It also comes with a money back guarantee, and a portion of the sales are donated to five charities. Of course, since it is a DVD course, it is completely re-usable and can be used with each of your children.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 20, 2009
Family Fun From Maverick Books' Hank The Cowdog
The history of Hank The Cowdog in our family ...
Eight years ago, I was introduced to Hank The Cowdog at a homeschool conference. Diana Waring was talking about how much her family was blessed by reading Hank The Cowdog together, enjoying the laughter and memories it created. If Diana Waring said it was one of the best things that ever happened to HER family, then you KNOW that I was going to read them aloud to MY children, as well.
I quickly bought a couple Hank The Cowdog books and read them to myself. I thought they were hilarious, and sat down to read one to my kids. Except, this was 8 years ago ... and my oldest was 6. The children didn't understand the references to country living, and they certainly didn't catch any of the puns, misused words, or circular logic that Hank and Drover are famous for. I was disappointed and set the Hank books aside.
As my oldest grew older and began looking for new chapter books to read, I handed her a Hank the Cowdog book. She loved it, and read every Hank the Cowdog book we (and our library) owned! She was old enough to appreciate the humor at last, but we still didn't fully understand the country life references. The other children weren't interested in reading them, although we both tried to convince them.
How the Homeschool Crew revived our love of Hank The Cowdog ...
I was pleased to be able to review 3 items from Maverick Books for the Homeschool Crew this summer. Since I was first introduced to Hank The Cowdog I had learned a little bit more about the author. John R. Erickson is a Christian, a former cowboy, and ranch manager. He lives on a ranch in Texas, and the stars of his books (Hank and Drover) were real dogs that he once worked with. I'd been meaning to try reading the books aloud again, and the Homeschool Crew gave me the push I needed.
When our package from Maverick Books arrived, I started reading The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse aloud to the kids right away. I was thrilled to find that I now had an appreciative audience! The 14 year old, 12 year old, 10 year old and 8 year old all enjoyed listening to the book. The 5 year old and 3 year old listened in, but I know they were missing the point of many of the jokes. The children begged me to read "just one more chapter" before bed!
Now that we live in the country, with a family dog, and a neighbor dog, and chickens, and barn cats ... and a septic tank ... there are parts of the story that are so much funnier than they were when we lived in town. I didn't even understand just how nasty it was that Hank enjoys lying in the septic tank leak until we had our septic tank pumped out last year. Now I understand why Sally May dislikes Hank so much!
As we've been enjoying reading about Hank and Drover, our dog and the neighbor's dog have taken on new personalities to me. Now, I admit that MY dog is smarter and classier than Hank ... a bit ... but the neighbor's little dog that follows our dog around all day ... he's Drover for sure! Every time I see them harassing the cats, scaring the chickens, running through my garden, or guarding the road ... I see Hank and Drover.
I will say that there are words in the Hank stories that I just don't say (gosh, darn, dang) so I skip them as I read aloud. I don't mind my older children reading those words in the chapter books because they know we don't repeat them, but I don't want the younger kids to hear Mom saying them ... even if they are in the book.
Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog CD
The other day our family was out shopping the yard sales on a Saturday, and I put the Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog CD into the car CD player. We enjoyed listening to the story excerpts from 10 of the Hank books, and 9 original songs ... told (and sung) by the author himself. It is hilarious to hear John Erickson telling his own story, with voices that I have tried to replicate, but just can't quite manage. Of course, it leaves you wanting to read the books to find out the rest of the story! Two of the songs on the CD are from the book we've been reading, and it's fun to hear the tune that goes with the printed words in the book. It helps to bring the story alive, and I'm sure when we read the book again we'll be singing the songs instead of just reading them.
We first played this game with four children (including two young ones), but it seemed like everyone was getting sent back to the beginning far too often. The younger children had not played a game like that before and found it very frustrating. The solution to that problem was to have two players instead of four, and keep working on character issues like good sportsmanship.
As you can tell, our family enjoys Hank The Cowdog, in all his forms. I know that some families feel the language is not appropriate for their home, and others don't care for the rude name-calling between the animals ... but we enjoy the books for their unique humor. It's just fun to read these light-hearted books aloud as a family, or to yourself. Of course, you do have to be careful ... if you laugh too hard, you might choke on something.
You can find more books, stories on CD, toys and games available at the Hank The Cowdog website. The books are available individually as paperbacks for $4.24, or also in hardcover, and in sets. The Tales and Tunes sampler CD is available for only $3.00, and audio-book CDs are available as 2-book sets for $28.99. The Tornado Game is sold for $12.99.
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Trusting in Him,
April
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Aug. 19, 2009
Sense & Sensibility Girls Apron E-Pattern and E-Class
My girls and I were thrilled to see Sense & Sensibility Patterns on the new Homeschool Crew vendor list, and we were quick to volunteer when they asked who was interested. We've drooled over Jennie's website and patterns for years! Although I have sewn dresses for my little girls in the past, I'm not the best (or most detailed) seamstress. I've always chosen very simple patterns, and the Sense & Sensibility patterns looked complicated to me.
We received the e-pattern for the Girls Edwardian Apron, and the Girls Edwardian Apron e-class. I've never used an e-pattern before, and I admit that I put off the process of taping it together for awhile. After a couple weeks, I finally got out my card table and started piecing it together. Lining up the pieces went fairly quickly, although I had to work harder in a few areas and not expect a perfect match all the time. Sometimes I would have to tilt one paper a little to line up in multiple places, but in the end it didn't affect the cutting or sewing at all.
The e-class was helpful in walking me through the steps of sewing the apron, although I opted to buy packaged bias tape instead of creating my own. The pattern was actually very simple, and I was able to sew it together over the course of one evening (after the kids went to bed) and a final half hour the next morning (before the kids were up). I was able to surprise 10 year old C with her apron as soon as she woke up.
We had chosen a 100% cotton print fabric from my fabric collection, but I would love to sew another apron from a light denim or twill fabric instead. I am planning to make my 3 year old daughter a matching apron, and I think I have enough fabric left to do so. Next time, I'll use it to teach my daughters more sewing skills.
10 yo C loves her apron. She wore it all day that first day, and she still puts it on before helping to make lunch for herself and her siblings. Although I feared the pattern would be complicated, and I had never used an e-pattern before, it was actually a simple pattern. We love the feminine princess seams and the pockets! I think we're going to have to buy the adult Edwardian Apron pattern so the older girls and I can each have one, too.
If you haven't used an e-pattern there are a few different ways to use them. Once you print them from your computer, you piece together the papers and tape them. At this point, you can either use the pattern as is, cutting to the size you need ... or you can trace the pattern onto interfacing, creating a re-usable pattern like you would buy at the store (folding to the size you need.) I cut the pattern paper to the size 10 for C, and will cut down from there for my younger daughter ... getting two uses from the same printing.
The positive side of e-patterns is that you can print them over and over, and you don't have to store them in a box somewhere in your house. Also, if a pattern starts to wear out, just print a new copy. The downside is the process of piecing the pattern together after you print it.
E-patterns also save you money. The Girls Edwardian Apron e-pattern is $7.95, which is $5 less than the printed pattern and doesn't cost anything additional for shipping. The Apron E-class is available to download for $19.95, or with the e-pattern for $24.95 (saving money on the e-pattern, as well.)
Sense & Sensibility's website declares this is an easy and forgiving pattern, perfect for beginning sewers or teaching daughters to sew ... and it is! I wasn't disappointed at all, and I'm looking forward to trying more Sense & Sensibility patterns (like the Beatrix walking skirt.)
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Trusting in Him,
April
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