Posted in Home Education

I had a girlfriend years ago that was attempting to homeschool her four young boys.  They were like little stair-steps going from age 11 to 5.  One of her sons had a lot of energy.  Now, here's a little secret about me, I don't believe that all the children diagnosed with ADHD really have ADHD.  But this little friend of mine had her oldest son tested and he was ADHD.  Since she wanted to avoid medication, she got some tips from the experts and one was to put a mini-trampoline, or an exercise bike right where they did their schooling.  When he would finish a subject, or start to get distracted, he hopped on the bike for a few minutes.  It helped him to focus.

This idea of combining book learning with exercise is really intriguing.  That's why I was really interested when I got the opportunity to review the Exploramania DVD "Gymathtics."  Exercise is not a regular occurrence in this household.  I'm embarrassed to admit it, but in the interest of full-disclosure, I have to be truthful.  I was hopeful that this DVD would be the solution to all our exercise woes.

This is an interesting product.  While you are exercising, there are math problems being presented to you.  The math is not difficult, mostly review of common facts, such as simple geometry.  But combining this kind of learning while exercising is a research-proven technique.  I was recently reading an article about a recent research project that showed how much better children who had exercised prior to a test did than those students who did not exercise.  So, I was happy to have this DVD/exercise program in my hot little hands!

The exercise was challenging.  Keep in mind that we are an "exercise-challenged" family.  The math was not complicated, but a great review.  But the commentary of the program was a little youthful for my 11 and 13 year old.  I tried to get them to focus on the exerercise, and not the commentary, but they really didn't enjoy being "talked down" to.   This DVD uses math geared to 2nd to 5th graders.  The exercise is for EVERYONE, including me!   The exercise program included a warm-up, aerobics to keep your heart rate going, and a nice cool down.  During the cool-down the commentary went off of math and onto character.  I couldn't argue with any of it, but sometimes a mom doesn't want an outside product trying to develop character in their child.  The cool-down included some yoga poses.  I love yoga, so I didn't have a problem with that. 

I'm sure I will  be able to force the boys into using Gymathtics again.  I did really like the concept.  Check out their website.  It's colorful and full of interesting products.  The Gymathtics DVD is available for $24.99.  And there is also a second DVD if your children get tired of the same routine each day.

 Contact information can be fund here.  Do check out their products, they are quite interesting.  And don't forget, there are other crew-members reviewing this same product so you can get a wide-range of reviews, here.

Posted in Home Education

Well, this is a really fun review because you don't have to go shopping for this one.  If you like the sounds of it, you can get this CD for free.  I received a copy of "America's Heritage An Adventure in Liberty" CD from the American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc. On this CD are the PDF versions of an American History and Civics course for Elementary grades, Middle School Grades, and High School Grades.  There is also an Elementary Spanish version.

The Elementary version of this curriculum is 184  pages.  The Middle School curriculum is 182 pages long.  And the High School version is 187 pages long.   For today's reveiw, I perused the Middle School curriculum since our two guys are in that grade-range.  Although this curriculum is made for the classroom, most of it can be adapted to the homeschool setting.  There was one game that I think might be a challenge to convert from a 20-30 student classroom to a family, but other than that the activities can be worked as a family.  Some activities called for an overhead machine, which is typically not found in a home, but I think you can adapt by using your PC to enlarge something you need.  The activities in this curriculum are not public school material.  In it you learn about the true heart of our founding fathers and the foundation of this country.  I loved the comparison of the song "God Save the King" to "My Country Tis of Thee."   Here are two songs with the same melody but vastly different meanings.  After completing this activities, your children can't help but reflect on what our country based it's laws upon.  There is a lot of writing activities, so if you have boys, like mine, who are just beginning to embrace writing, you may want to give this curriculum a year.  I believe in a year, our boys will be ready for all that this curriculum has to offer.

As I've said before, this CD can be yours for free by going here.  If you would like to have this curriculum in a printed binder format, it is available to you on this page for $19.95.

If you would like to contact the American Heritage Education Foundation, Inc., they can be emailed at ahef@americanheritage.org.  Pick up your CD on the web here. 

Their mailing address is:

3501 West Alabama

Suite 200

Houston, TX 77027-6035

Telephone:  713-572-3657

And, as usual, if you don't want to take my word for it, read the reviews of my other crew members here. 

Posted in Home Education

Several weeks ago   Bright Ideas Press  provided me with a free copy of All American History Volume I to test and use in order to write this review.  When I received it I was a little worried.  Other than Math, I don't buy curriculum.  All American History seemd to be very curriculum-y.  I thought that I definitely would not like this.  I love creating my own unit studies.  I love reading a great book to the boys and finding cool activities to do around what we've read.  As I looked at a thick hard-back history book, a thick student activity book, and a thick teacher's manual, I immediately judged it as being curriculum and not for me.

Then we started a unit.  I actually started in the middle of the book.  Last year we had spent a lot of time on Columbus and then the early settlers.  At the end of the year I had begun a unit on the American Revolution.  Although All American History Volume I's beginning sections are pre-revoluion, I chose to begin at Unit 3 which deals with the American Revolution.  This group of books, which is really more like a great Unit Study than a curriculum, is easy to get started.  It does not take a lot of mom-prep.  I don't like to spend lots of time reading teacher's manuals and getting activities organized to prepare for a lesson.  You don't need lots of prep time to get started.  And the activities make this so much more like a unit study than a history curriculum.  There are notebooking activities and timeline activities.  In three words...I loved it.  But, what about the boys?  In three words...they loved it.

For the first lesson, I had them read the Student Text.  They don't have a lot of non-fiction reading experience.  They don't have any textbook reading experience at all.  They read it and immediately pronounced it, "Cool."  After reading, they completed the first page of questions.  But they weren't just a question and answer worksheet.  There were pictures to cut out and drawings to make.  It was right up our boys' alley!  They were hooked.

For each chapter there are "for further review" questions.  I had each boy pick a question and complete it.  Our oldest learned about an artist's depiction of the French and Indian War.  He learned about the picture, the characters in the picture, and the time period around it.  He gave a thorough and interesting talk on what he learned and even printed a copy of the painting!  Our youngest, T-bone, chose to take a virtual tour of one of the forts involved in the war of 1812.  He, too, gave a great talk about what he learned.

So, if all curriculum is like this one.  I may  become a curriculum girl!  The boys and I are really enjoying All American History Volume I.  We will definitely be finishing this book, going back to the beginning and catching up on what we've missed.  This is well-organized, thorough, and captivating.  The only criticism I have is that the books don't easily cross-reference to each other.  I don't think this would be a problem if you began at the beginning.  But since we began in the middle, trying to find the right pictures for the activity sheet we are working on is not easy.  They are not necessarily marked easily, as the author just assumes you have moved on to the next picture.  I found that to be a problem with many of the activities and it's been challenging to find the correct pages or items to coordinate to the activites.  The teacher's manual doesn't always say, "If you go to page ## in the student activity sheet."  It just talks about the next activity or the "Steps to War" activity.  It's up to you to figure out what that activity is.  If you're doing this curriculum in order, you won't have a problem.  The next activity being discussed is simply the next activity in the book that you haven't completed.  The next picture to be attached to your notebook page is the next picture that you haven't cut out yet.  But, you know me, I've just GOT to be different!

All American History Volume I is $68.00 for the Student Text, the Student Activity Book, and the Teacher's Manual.  In my opinion all three of these books are necessary to do this history lesson well.  If you want to purchase items individually, the text is $44.95 (493 pages).  The Student Activity Book, which is three-hole punched and perforated, (perfect for notebooks) is $16.95.  And the teacher's manual is $18.95.  The teacher's manual has great suggestions for activities to support each chapter, booklists for every unit, and answers to the worksheet questions in the student activity book.  This curriculum can be used by all ages.  There are adaptations suggested for younger students as well as high-schoolers.  I really think all ages will find challenging activities and reading.

If you'd like to see other items from Bright Ideas Press, check out their website here.  They have a lot to offer.  Their contact information can be found here.  Although all my fellow crew mates did not review All American History, there are lots of Bright Ideas Press reviews here.  And my review is a day late, so with that I will say goodnight until next post!

Posted in Home Education

Posted in Home Education

Our copy of the Amazing Bible World History Timeline arrived on a Saturday.  Our oldest, Big Mac, came running into the kitchen with a long triangular-shaped package.  We were all excited to open it up and take a look at it.  We took out the timeline and immediately put it on our kitchen table with a clear-plastic tablecloth over the top of it.

A few days after we received the timeline, my girlfriend stopped over to the house to drop off her son for a playdate.  When she saw the Bible Timeline on our kitchen table, she stopped and stooped over it saying, "What is this?  Oh how cool!"  That started me thinking that this would make a great gift for a family or friend!  It's a great tool for bible study, and what an encouragement to a growing Christian in your life.

Having The Amazing Bible Timeline on our kitchen table has been a wonderful experience.  It's great to say, "whay was going on at the same time Jesus walked the earth?"  Or "who was alive when Abraham had Isaac?  You can not only compare biblical characters to those found outside the bible, but you can see a chronological  comparison of lots of biblical characters.  I love having this timeline at the ready also because I can not only compare biblical characters but also other times in history.  As we are studying the Revolutionary War, we can look at that time period on the timeline and see other events around the world during the same time period. 

I like the timeline's circular structure.  I don't need a long wall to display this timeline.  I like that it is very colorful and, therefore,  it is also very eye-catching.  I love that the small-ish footprint fits on my table but spans such a long time-period, going from the beginning of the world, Creation, to 2000 AD.  The only criticism I can give you is that I may never get to put a pretty tablecloth on my kitchen table again!  No one wants to cover up the timeline!

The Amazing Bible World History Timeline is available for $29.97 on the company's website .  When you buy the timeline, you also get a digital version of the timeline as well as a downloadable Interactive Maps of the Holyland.   

For additional information about Amazing Bible World History Timeline from Bible Charts and Maps, you can cruise through their website  or they can be contacted by telephone:  877-966-7300 or email .  Or, if you don't want to take my word for it, check out the other reviews at the crew website here.

Posted in Home Education

I'm sad.  I was able to access the subscriber information on ABC Teach for one-month for free so that I could write this review.  My month is over.  I'm sad.

I had a one-month trial with ABCTeach  a few years ago when our guys were smaller.  I remember finding lots of coloring pages and mini-books to use with our studies.  When I learned that we were going to be able to spend some time in ABCTeach this year for the Homeschool Crew I was interested to see if this site would still be useful as we entered our middle-school junior high years.  The quick answer?  It was.

I wish I didn't have to school the children, work my job, write any other reviews, or cook for this family for the past month so that I could have spent all that time on ABCTeach.  I think I could have found a multitude of lessons, supplements, and graphic organizers to use in future studies if I had all that time for review.  With the bit of time that I did have to find things on ABCTeach, I found a great pumpkin seed experiment that we're going to use the Friday before Halloween for a fun-lesson.  I found a LOT of information on Fallacies.  We've begun to be interested in the aspect of critical thinking after reading the Bluedorn's e-zine.  I got alot of great information off the ABCTeach site to continue our study.  I also found several pages that we will use to make an "All About Me" book for their homeschool prortfolios.  The reason these pages were great is that it wasn't too young for our guys.  And in future years these pages will give me a great glimpse back to who the boys were in 2009/2010.

There were lots of classrom-type printables and tools, but most of them would easily translate to a homeschool.  I don't think many homeschools would use the nametag tool, unless you have a real problem remembering your children's names.  But other than that, how cool would it be to use the crossword puzzle generator to make a crossword puzzle from words you just read in your literature reading?  And there are lots more tools like the one I just mentioned.  The mind reels when you think of the many activities you can dream up just to reinforce your child's spelling words for a week! 

And there are worksheets and activity pages on just about every subject you can imagine.  Since I am a make-it-up-myself kind of gal.  I enjoy having a plethora of activities at my disposal to go with a book we're reading or a timeperiod we're studying. 

All-in-all I think someone who is not a curriculum-for-every-subject schooler could get a lot of use out of ABCTeach.  They have items on their site for all-ages, although maybe not Senior High School.  I didn't really look for anything at that level.  I know that pre-school to Junior High are definitely covered on this site.

Check out ABCTeach .  They do have a lot of free worksheets available on their non-member area, but ultimately, I find that the things I really want are available on the membership site.  And if you don't want to take my word for it, look at reviews from other crew members here.

There are various pricing structures available.  You can check them out here.  ABCTeach has lots of options for group-pricing.  So you may want to get a group together from your support-group or co-op and join to get the best price.  If you want to join individually for $40, go tothis page. 

Posted in Home Education

One of the many things that I really like about being part of the 2009/2010Homeschool Crew is that even though I'm reviewing homeschool products, you get a glimpse into our home with each review.  If you read my reviews, you learn a little bit about me, our family, our home and our homeschool.  This review is no exception.  I received a complimentary copy of Sue Patrick's Workbox System E-book so that I could review it for you here.

I am not a manual reader.  I love curriculum that I can just jump into with not a lot of prep or reading required.  So, I really appreciated the section entitled, "How to Use This Book" at the beginning of the book.  In this section I was directed to start my reading at chapter 4, where I would get the workbox system in its entirety.

In general, this User's Guide is easy to read.  The font used is large and there are a lot of color photographs and graphics dispersed throughout the entire book.   I did not print this ebook, because it really was easy to read on my computer screen.  Usually I do print e-books because they are overwhelming to page through on the PC.  But this was not the case with the Sue Patrick's Workbox System User Guide, it was easy to read on-screen.  You didn't get lost while scrolling pages because of the large font.

Unfortunately, I did not find the Sue Patrick Workbox System to be one I could use in our home or homeschool.  This is the part where you get a glimpse into our lives a bit.  We live in a small home.  I can vacuum my entire house without having to move the plug.  We do not have a homeschool room and we do not call our day "school."  We have our lessons at the kitchen table and in our living room.  We have lots of pets, some of them odd, which we care for in the midst of lessons.  We read aloud during meal-times or in the evening.   We complete some lessons with Daddy at night, although not often.  We try to have an atmosphere that school is not a segregated time from 8 to 3 during the day, but a learning is a lifestyle.  I am not an un-schooler, that would be difficult to do and still maintain our state's requirements, plus our boys do well with a certain amount of structure.  The boys have lessons that they do during our morning and early afternoon hours.  So please don't think that we are completely unstructured, but I am also not a rigid, very structured homeschooler.  I don't buy a lot of curriculum.  I use lots of unit studies, lapbooks, and living books to teach the boys.  And, although our boys are 20 months apart and would be 1 year apart in public school, other than math, we do all the other subjects together.

All that being said, the first reason that Sue Patrick's system would not work for us is a space-issue.  As I said, we have lessons in the living room or kitchen.  Using her system as written would take up a big chunk of space in our small living room.  Also, I wouldn't want guests or extended family to have to look at the boys lessons set-up when here to visit.  It CAN be adapted to a smaller space if you work creatively outside the confines of the book.  You would just have to think about how you could make it fit your living space. 

The next reason that I did not find the Workbox System appealing was that it was too much like school.  In one part of the explanation of the system she explains that too many homeschool children talk too much.  To quote her book directly, She has many plans in place so that your children don't interrupt the day with talking and can get your attention in unobtrusive ways.  I understand what she means.  Our boys talk a lot and we might be able to get our lessons done in less time if they didn't tell me their thoughts.  As I watch my children grow so quickly, however, I don't want them to talk to me less.  I want more-more-more because I know that the time when they will be out on their own is approaching faster than I can imagine.  And I will long to hear them share with me, "every thought that enters their mind."  Also, since, quite often, it is the middle-school ages when children begin to clam-up and think that they cannot share everything with their parents, I never want to discourage the boys sharing their thoughts with me, even if they are off-topic.  It is the unplanned times when we've had our best conversations.  I would never want to discourage that.

"I find that there is way too much talking going on in homeschools."  Chapter 4, page 36, under the "independence" heading

Finally, she suggests giving your child a limited amount of times when he or she can ask for help.  I understand that the goal here is independence but I disagree that they have 3 help cards and if they use those they don't get my help any more today.  That doesn't encourage independence, it encourages pride, an "I can do it myself" attitude, and bypasses my role as their teacher.  I know that of which I speak because I'm that person who never wants to call for help.  My husband often asks, "Why don't you just call?"  Pride.  That's why.   I'm a homeschool mom because I want to be part of the boys education.  They are great at figuring out their own problems, but I never want to limit the number of times that they can ask for my help. 

Although I did not find this to be a system that would work in our little homeschool, it may be the solution you were seeking.  Please know that it is a good read with some really good ideas.  We will be incorporating "running" into our afternoons.  But you'd have to read the book to find out what I mean by that.   If you would like to know more about Sue Patrick's Work Box System, you have a few options.  To contact Sue Patrick directly, follow the instructions here although she does say that she is not able to answer all contacts.  Or read more TOS Homeschool Crew reviews here.

The e-book I received, Sue Patrick's Workbox System Users Guide is available on her website for $19.  If you would like to see all of the products that Sue Patrick offers, check out the products page of her website here.  As a matter of fact, check out her entire website.  Once you've purchased her book, you have unlimited access to her free downloads which help you implement the workbox system in your homeschool.  All you have to do is register your purchase on the website and you get access to the downloads that help you bring the workbox system into your home.

Posted in Home Education

Several weeks ago I received a complimentary e-book copy of "Educaching:  GPS Based Curriculum for Teachers" from SDG ltd.  I promptly printed out my copy and put it into a three-ring binder.  The printing was a breeze and I was able to use my favorite printing software (fineprint) which allows me to print two pages landscape on one 8.5x11 sheet of paper.  That way the e-books print on half the paper you would normally use.  I have reviewed some vendors whose printing and downloading software would not allow me to use fineprint, but Educaching gave me no problems at all.

Although the wording and instructions are geared to a classroom teacher, this concept/curriculum is easily adapted to a homeschool.  Many have said that it is condusive to being used with a homeschool co-op, but I really find that this program is great for the individual homeschool.  We have two boys, and I found it to be very useable in our homeschool.

The other thing that is great about this curriculum is that it is very adaptable to whatever you are studying.  Once you're read the book, you could develop your own educaching experiences based on whatever you are working on in your homeschool.  If you have ever made up your own unit study, you could develop an educache once you've learned how from this manual.  Using the concepts in the Educaching handbook, you can make lessons covering a multitude of subjects.  This is not a science curriculum, or a geography program.  This program works just like a unit study covering multiple subjects in one lesson.

We have geo-chached in the past, so we did not have the learning curve of needing to learn to use a GPS.  But if you do, there is an entire section in the book about using a GPS.  Learning how to use the GPS and learning how a GPS works would be a great beginning lesson for your children as an introduction to this new way to learn!

I think the Educaching manual is a great addition to any homeschool.  It gives your students an opportunity to get outside, but truthfully, you could complete a cache activity with only one point inside your house!  In every activity the child will get some exercise, learn about geography coordinates, write, and think creatively or critically.  The rest depends on the activity.  Some of the educaching activities involve history, some involve science, some involve a lot of subjects.  I was just reading over one of the activities available for download on the educaching website and it covered history, art, geography, physical education, language arts, and math!  And that was just one activity!

This program or curriculum can be used with any age.  Small children may need help working the GPS and understanding the coordinates, but this is definitely something you could do with a large age-range.

There are two Educaching products available.  The digital version of the book, which I received, is $32 + applicable sales tax.  The print version is available for $32.00 plus $6.95 shipping and handling.  The print version gives you the educaching manual packaged in a 3-ring binder with a CD of all the printables that you would want to use in your adventure.  There is a Bronze package which includes the printed manual in a binder, the CD and a "Factory Refurbished Garmin* eTrex H Model B/W GPS receiver."  This package is $129.00 plus $9.75 shipping and handling.  The Silver Package contains everything in the Bronze package plus a Cachingbox.com Otterbox all for $159.00 plus $14.95 shipping and handling.  The Gold kit comes with the manual in a binder, with the CD, four Garmin receivers, and four otterboxes and sells for $544 plus $28.75 shipping and handling.  And, finally, there is a Platinum kit that sells for $619 + $33.55 shipping and handling.  This kit includes the complete manual in a binder, the CD with printables, and six Garmin receivers.  If this is all too much information for you to absorb, check out their product page here

If you would like to contact SDG Creations Ltd., their contact information can be found here.  There are very brief opinion- reviews on their web site, but for more detail, check out the reviews of my fellow crew-members here.

I know I haven't really given you the details of the educaching system, but I don't want to give away the plans.  Check out their website.  Get yourself a copy of the book.  And begin an adventure in learning that you and your family have never taken thus far no matter how long you've been homeschooling! 

Posted in Home Education

Vantage Learning graciously gifted me with a one-year subscription to My Access Home edition.  This is an on-line writing course for students of all ages.  One great way to learn about My Access is by viewing the demo videos on their website.  Go here to view these videos and learn more about My Access.

I managed to add my log-in information and add both of our boys accounts with ease.  The website is easy to navigate and use.

I got our oldest son started on his first assignment and when our youngest, T-bone age 11, saw this program he said, "I want to do what he's doing!"  Now, let me tell you, this is NOT a boy who loves writing.  He has not enjoyed writing at all.  He does the bare minimum and ONLY what is required.  Our oldest, is my creative guy.  He will dictate pages to me, and when he gets inspired, fill a notebook with a story that he's dreamt.

Back to our morning with My Access.  Our youngest couldn't wait to get on-line and complete the activities surrounding his first writing assignment.  Both boys really enjoyed the graphics and the activities.  We chose writing assignments from the 11-13 year old category.  I found some of the activities to be challenging.  T-bone was putting paragraphs in order and I couldn't get them right!  There were five paragraphs that had a specific order, but I couldn't see what that order was.  It took us 5 tries before we got the order the program was seeking.

After completing a bunch of these activities, the boys tried their hand at writing their assignment.  T-bone chose to write to the Mayor and explain why he would be the best choice to go on the next mission to outer space.  Big Mac wrote an essay about the need for better role models for youth.  He chose the skateboarding industry as the area from which to pull his need for role models.

You must know that I have not required a lot of writing from my boys up to this point in their education.  They did not enjoy writing, so I didn't push it.  We worked slowly.  Also, they know their keyboards, but are not fast typers.  These two things have worked against us in using My Access Home Edition.  Also, I don't give them grades very often.  I tell them regularly how great I think they are, but I don't give grade letters, or other evaluations of their writing.  If the grammar and spelling is correct, then I think it deserves a glowing evaluation.  Writing is so subjective, I never thought it was fair when my English teacher would grade my poem.   The boys wrote their first drafts and were immediately graded as "below proficient."  This was instant discouragement.  We spent the rest of that week trying to follow the revision directions, but still could not pull the boys grades up past that first analysis.  The grade was shown in a bar chart of sorts, so the bar moved a bit higher, but never got out of that first category.  The boys felt really discouraged by this.

After this first outting with My Access, we decided to try dropping down an age-level.  Big Mac completed the first writing assignment in the 8-10 age-level (he will be 13 in November). My Access offers a writing program for all school-ages.   Instead of typing it himself, I let him dictate his story to me.  He spoke.  I typed.  On our first draft, he received a glowing evaluation.  Currently I can't get into the program to tell you what it was, but it was the highest rating.  The bars did not go the whole way to the top, but he was in that top range. 

All-in-all, My Access writing program is well-developed and graphically interesting.  My family found many challenges in using this program, but it may fit your family well.  We will be writing more this year, and honing those skills.  My Access did show me that I need to keep the boys motivated to write not only fiction but non-fiction in the form of essays.  We spent a lot of time with this program, and it did keep the boys attention.  It is a great option for the homeschool mom who does not feel equipped to teach writing on her own.   

You can learn more about the products offered by Vantage Learning by going to their webiste:  http://www.vantagelearning.com/  My Access Home Edition home page is viewable here:  http://www.vantagelearning.com/login/mahome.html 

It looks like I'm the first to post my review about this product, but in the future, check out the reviews of my other crew members here:  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/721291/

Posted in Home Education

Several weeks ago I received a few e-books from Guardian Angel Publishing to review on my blog.  Now, our boys are firmly entrenched in Junior High/Middle School.  If we were in public school they would be in 7th and 6th grades.  We're WAY beyond picture books right?  Well, I'm not reading the boardbooks we all loved when they were little, but I'm finding that the right picture books can still teach the boys many things.  The five books I received from Guardian Angel Publishing are no exception.  With these, we have much to learn.

Guardian Angel Publishing offers so much material, I just cannot detail it all for you here.  Go to their web page:  www.guardianangelpublishing.com and scrolll down on the main page.  You will see a list of all their books in alphabetical order.  You can easily find the five books I'm going to tell you about on that list.  The website lists that their books are meant for children of all ages, 0-12, but I can tell you that you can get use out of these books even for your Junior High aged student.  Our Big Mac will be 13 in November and I find the five books I received to be useful for him right now.

Guardian Angel's books cover a wide-range of subjects.  This is also evidenced in the books I received.  I received three books that I can fit into a science study, one character-study book, and one that will help us reinforce grammar!  And you do not have to receive all your books in e-book format.  If you would like to have your books in a printed format, Guardian Angel Publishing offers that option to you.  You can get your book in e-book format for $5-12, printed for $10.95, e-book on CD for $6.95-$9.95, and some books are on DVD for $6.95-$9.95!  There is, of course, shipping and handling charges for all of the non-downloadable options.

The first book I received was The Sum of Our Parts, No Bones About It... by Bill Kirk.  This book can be downloaded for $5, but is also available for $9.95 +5.95 S&H as an e-book on CD, or $10.95+6.95 S&H as a printed book.  This is a really neat book about bones.  There is a rhyming text throughout the book, but there are also "factoids" on each page giving a ton of information.  It would take you quite a bit of time to teach all the information contained in this 30-page book.  One of the things I loved about it was that all of the correct names for the bones are listed in this book.  It would be a great tool to teach your junior high-er the anatomically correct names of the bones in the human skeletal system.  The graphics are great and very appealing to our two boys.

Book number two pictured above is Maybe We Are Flamingos by Safari Sue Thurman.  Downloadable for $5, this book is also available for $9.95 +5.95 S&H as an e-book on CD, or $10.95+6.95 S&H as a printed book AND you can get a DVD for $9.95 +$5.95 S&H.  This book teaches your students about flamingos, but there's also a great idea for an art project, and a wonderful character lesson in the end.

Next we received Hamster Holidays.  You're not going to believe this, but it's a grammar book!  This book highlights nouns and adjectives throughout the books; provides you with great definitions of these two parts of speech;  AND there are several activities for your students to complete at the end of the book.  All this runs along a fun story about hamsters who celebrate some very different holidays throughout the year.  For those students who are still challenged by the calendar and months of the year, this book can reinforce learning those as well.  This book can be downloaded for $5, but is also available for $9.95 +5.95 S&H as an e-book on CD, or $10.95+6.95 S&H as a printed book.

 Earthquake!  is another science book, but it also covers safety.  In PA we have to teach safety each year.  This book talks about being prepared in the context of an earthquake, but the preparation tips can be used for any emergency situation and are great for all students to learn.  Again, the graphics are great.  I would suggest that this book be used with older elementary students.  But being able to read and look at graphics that represent the reading on each page really reinforce what's being learned.  If you completed the different ideas and tips for safety at the end of the book, your family will be prepared for anything.  This book can be downloaded for $5, but is also available for $9.95 +5.95 S&H as an e-book on CD, or $11.95+6.95 S&H as a printed book.

 Finally I have to tell you about Stubby.  Stubby's Destiny is an endearing story about a little donkey who wants to be a stallion.  I'm not going to give away the ending.  Just read Stubby and then pray with your children about their "divine destiny."  This book can be downloaded for $5, but is also available for $9.95 +5.95 S&H as an e-book on CD, or $10.95+6.95 S&H as a printed book.  The DVD is on it's way!  It is coming soon for $9.95 +5.95 S&H.

I really think that picture books can be a great little extra to your homeschool studies, but they also can just be a special time with your children.  Contact Guardian Angel Publishing for more information.  Maybe they can direct you to a great book to start your journey.  (sales_staff@guardianangelpublishing.com or customer_service@guardianangelpublishing.com)

If you would like to see what the other crew members are saying about Guardian Angel Publishing, head over here:  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/718692/  I am one of over 100 reviewers, so this is a great resource for you!  Check out these reviews and use them to plan your book and curriculum purchases.  And check out Guardian Angel Publishing.  I'm sure you will find something that can be used in your home.

Posted in Home Education

We have always enjoyed nature walks and nature journaling.  So I was excited when I received a complimentary two-month subscription to Nature Friend magazine, so that I could review it here as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. 

Posted in Home Education

When I was contacted by EduDPS (Educational Diagnostic Perscriptive Services) I had no idea what to expect.  I received four e-books to review:

1. Roots and Fruits, an instructional book about Greek and Latin root words.
2. Write with the Best Volume I, a writing program based on works of great authors.
3. Write with the Best Volume II, the continuation of Volume I.
4. The Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers.  (Called The Career Guide for the rest of this article.)

After getting the download completed properly, I printed copies of Write With the Best, Vol. 1 & 2 and put them in a binder.  I just love printing e-books.  I know that TOTALLY defeats the purpose of an e-book, but it gives me great endorphins to see my ebook in a big white binder.  These are not small books, 109 pages and 141 pages respectively.  The products from EduDPS are not fancy.  It is black type on white paper.  No graphics outside of the border on the cover page .  From a visual perspective, it is not appealing.  But I do love a big thick book, so that was appealing.

We began at the beginning of Write with the Best Volume I and my boys loved it from the very first lesson.  To say that they loved a writing curriculum is amazing because these are not boys that love to write.  Write with the Best uses works of great literature as examples.  Our boys have proved Charlotte Mason's theories about living books over and over again in the 6+ years we've been homeschooling.  They come alive and are extremely attentive with a living book.  Write with the Best uses excerpts from living books to show examples of good writing.  As I read the examples, the boys were rivetted.  The other thing that really appealed to them was the short lessons.  In Write with the Best, each lesson takes only a few minutes a day to complete, usually not more than 15 minutes.  It was hard for me to stick to one lesson a day.  I wanted to move more quickly and pack multiple lessons in a day.  I mean, we were already started, why not turn a 10-day lesson into a 3-day?  But I resisted my temptation to get it finished and stuck to the plan, and the boys really enjoyed it.  At day 10 we had a great example of writing completed and placed in a new writing portfolio for each boy.  Although we have to take a break to review another writing curriculum, we will definitely return to Write with the Best and complete the lessons this year.   It's well laid-out, with great examples, brief lessons, and takes little to no preparation on my part.

Roots and Fruits is a book that teaches Greek and Latin root words.  Compared to other curriculum in this same area, Roots and Fruits boasts the use and learning of many more roots than similar books available to the homeschool community.  This book takes more preparation on the part of the mother/teacher.  You must read the book and plan for games and activities.  It is a very straightforward approach with clear instructions.  I can see how teaching the boys the Greek and Latin root words would be a great advantage to their vocabulary understanding and spelliing, but I just have not managed to fit it into a very full language arts schedule thus far.

Finally, I want to tell you about the last book I received, The Complete Career College and High School Guide for Homeschoolers.  This is a book that every homeschool parent planning to homeschool through high school graduation should own.  It is jam-packed with information.  In it you can find four assessments to help your child determine the future for which he is best suited.  These tell learning style, personality type, gifts, and many other things that will help you determine the best type of college-setting and career for the child.  There is a list of college majors and the middle school and high school subjects that should be covered in preparation for those majors.  This book contains alot of information about highschool transcripts and course selections.  As a matter of fact, I will not ony use the forms contained in this book for our boys as they begin to progress into Junior High, but I will also use it for my husband and myself.  Even at our age, I think we can learn a lot from knowing our learning styles, and our ideal careers.  I really do think that every family should have a copy of The Complete Career College and High School Guide for Homeschoolers.

Write with the Best Vol. 1 is $19.95 for the download, $22.45 for the printed book without a binder, $24.95 printed and in a binder.

Write with the Best Vol. 2 is $24.95 for the download. $27.45 for a printed version not in a binder, and $29.95 printed in the binder.

Roots and Fruits is $14,98 for the e-book download, $17.48 for a printed version not in a binder, and $19.98 printed and in a binder.

The Career Guide e-book is 34.95.  A softcover version is 39.95.  The Career Guide is a lengthy book.  With a hefty 225 pages, you may want to consider purchasing a printed copy of this book if you do not want your printer printing 225 pages at once.

Although their products are very well done, I did not enjoy the method of receiving these books.  EduDPS does not send e-books in the .PDF format that I've received most ebooks in the past.  They use a program called File Secure Pro to download the book.  You cannot access the book without first going through file secure pro.  Also you can print the book twice and no more.  The printing is restricted.  For larger books I sometimes print to another program that prints two pages per one 81/2x11 sheet.  File Server Pro does not allow me to print to anything except my main printer.  I have still not found a way to access my books without first going to the original email and clicking on the attachment which then  launches File Server Pro and then my ebook.  I cannot simply go to "My Documents" and pull up my book as I usually would do.  EduDPS has learned that there are potential problems with the regular way of downloading PDFs, so they use a different approach for protection.  You can read the background behind why they do this here:  http://www.edudps.com/our-story.html I did find this to be very restrictive and difficult to use.  I must tell you, however, that when I did have problems with my first download the company worked quickly to resolve the problem for me.  Just be sure when you download that you are at a PC connected to a printer.  I wasn't and I couldn't transfer the file to my desktop to print.  I had to be issued another download.  I also have not printed The Career Guide as of yet because you must print the entire book at one printing and this is a 200+ page book.  Special notes about their unique file download and printing system can be viewed on their website here.

If you would like to see other reviewer's opinions, check out the rest of the crew's reviews here: 

EduDPS is a no frills company that offers a quality product.  I will be using their writing curriculum for the balance of the year and, hopefully, beginning to learn Greek and Latin root words this year as well.  I will refer to The Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers for the next several years and we prepare the boys for the future to which God has called them.  You can visit their website at www.edudps.com and see all that they have to offer. 

Posted in Home Education

We have done a lot of lapbooks in the 6 years we have homeschooled the boys.  We have made up our own lapbooks.  We have purchased lapbook e-books from almost every company in the homeschool community.  We have used free lapbooks available at several sharing sites where other homeschooling mothers contribute lapbooks they've developed.  Yes, we've done a lot of lapbooks.

A little over a month ago I got the opportunity to download several lapbooks from the company, A Journey Through Learning.  I know that I can seem extremely eager and excited when I review a product, but I am NOT exaggerating here.  Ready?  This is the best lapbook/unit study kit I've ever used.

We were sent several lapbooks to review, but I chose the Amphibians lapbook to complete first with the boys.  We recently picked up two new pet anoles at the Renaissance Faire. (They sold them as "baby dragons.")  So I thought that we might learn about our new pets by completing this study.  As it turns out, Anoles are reptiles not amphibians.  Oops.  I guess we'll complete the reptile lapbook a bit later this year.

The entire lapbook took us about a month to complete.  I wanted to include pictures of our finished project in this post, but the camera is on the fritz, so I'll post them later.  Please check back. 

But, I really want to tell you why I consider these to be the best lapbook/unit study kits I've ever used.  (and remember I've used almost all of them!)

• The mini-books had a lot of vivid colors.  I'm so pleased with the appearance of the lapbook.
• The book was so easy to use because it required almost no preparation.  I didn't have to read several pages of introduction or preparation.
• It was broken into sections with the required reading first and then the mini-books that built on that reading.  I very easily read the boys the section and had them complete the mini-book or books for that day's reading to "chunk up" the unit study.   Some days I handed them the reading and the mini-book and let them work on it on their own. (They are grades 6 & 7.)
• Each page of the mini-book had what we called a map at the top.  The map showed the boys exactly where to place the mini-book in the lapbook.  It used a graphic which showed the folder with a shaded shape representing the mini-book.  The boys just looked at the graphic and knew where to place the mini-book they had just completed.
• Beside the aforementioned graphic were all the instructions needed to complete the mini-book.  I just handed this to the boys and they took it from there.
• When we were done with the last mini-book, all we had to do was glue it into the last open space.  It can be so challenging for the boys to try and put every mini-book in at once and fit it into the folded folders, as we have done with other lapbooks.  We did not have to worry about that frustration here.
• We concluded our study with a "final" test.   I had the boys tell me everything they knew about Amphibians from our study.  This is also called narration.  This came from the recommendation and narration forms found at the back of the lapbook.  Brilliant.

All-in-all I give A Journey Through Learning lapbooks an A+++.  They have lapbooks and unit studies for all ages and in just about every school subject.  Downloadable lapbooks are $13.  Lapbooks on CD are $14, and printed lapbooks are $21 or $20.  I can confidently say that they are worth the price.  They also have Unit Studies and Copywork books available on their website:  www.ajourneythroughlearning.com

If you don't want to take my word for it, check out some of the other crew reviews here.  And then head over to www.ajourneythroughlearning.com and pick up one of their unit study lapbooks to enhance one of your current studies or as a stand alone for a new study.  You could even give an upper elementary student, or older, one of these lapbooks and let them do it on their own.  It is that easy and comprehensive!  And let me know what you think after you've tried one.  I know I'm hooked.  As a matter of fact, I'd better get printing that reptiles lapbook.  Those anoles aren't going to learn about themselves!

Posted in Home Education

When I got the opportunity to download the Nutrition 101 e-book from Growing Healthy Homes I was both excited and anxious at the same time.  I am always interested in improving my family's health.  I have done a lot in past years that has worsen our health.  As a matter of fact, the four of us are all over-weight.  I love to cook.  I also love to feed my family.  I get some emotional satisfaction from watching our boys eat heartily.  And my husband is always so complimentary when I cook a big wonderful meal.  I want to cook for our health, but I am also on a tight grocery budget.  I find it difficult to get everything we need AND buy it all organic and fresh.  As I started reading the Nutrition 101 - Choose Life book I was touched and inspired.

The instructions on-line lead me to read a few pages from the "Getting Started" section before continuing onto the lessons.  As I read that section I came across one of the testimonies of an author.  She explained how she had introduced her daughter to all of her favorite junk foods.  That's right where I am.  Our boys love junk and I'm the one that handed them that junk to eat the very first time and every time after that.  Reading these paragraphs encouraged me that we could start somewhere and learn about healthy eatting and maybe make some important changes in our lives!

The other idea I gleaned at first glance was that this was not a series of lessons to use during the day just with the boys.  This wasn't about checking off the "health" section on our homeschool log.  To even call Nutrition 101- Choose Life a curriculum is a vast understatement.  This is a life-changer.  This is a family-motivator.  We were not going to work through the lessons of this book as part of a homeschool morning.  We were going to complete Nutrition 101 - Choose Life as a family, around the supper table, together, all four of us.  My husband has always been hesitant to move to an organic lifestyle.  He sees the price difference between organic and not organic and says, "NOT!"  And so we continue in this un-healthy lifestyle.  Well, by working through these lessons about how good nutrition affects the various systems in our body, I know it will turn his heart and mind toward better health.  It will turn ALL our hearts and minds toward better health.

So we began at the beginning with lesson 1.  I read to my husband and the boys about the brain and the nervous system.  As I read my husband would interject with comments that sparked lots of discussion about the importance of protecting and feeding our brains.  Although the book suggests making the recipe at the end of the lesson, we made our recipe before the lesson and everyone snacked while I read.  I want to tell you about the recipe, but I don't want to spoil it for you.  Suffice it to say, it was yummy! 

The lessons in the book are well laid-out.  The book is in full-color, which appeals to me as a visual learner.  Although some of the additional recipes have ingredients that I'm sure I will need to visit a health-food store to make, I made the main recipe with all ingredients from our regular grocery store.  The book promises to correct our bad eatting habits, without breaking the bank, which will appeal to my husband AND myself.

I would recommend purchasing the printed book.  This is a lengthy book (448) pages, and you will want to have a printed text.  If you don't mind printing that many pages on your printer, then go for it!  Some of the reading may be a bit daunting if being read to a younger elementary-aged child.  But the authors recommend breaking up the lessons over the course of a week anyway, so there's no reason you couldn't break up the reading over the course of several days as well.  As with everything, no one is sitting behind you making sure you've used their curriculum EXACTLY as they've planned it.  Make it fit your family.

This curiculum can be used by all ages.  For the very young you will need to gude them and scale down some of the exercises.  But the curriculum stands on its own for those in the upper elementary grades and into high school.  Each lesson has lists of additional activities geared to all ages.  You can do one, none, or all of these supplemental activities for each lesson.

Nutrition 101 - Choose Life is available in an e-book format on CD for $79.95.  Having the CD is convenient because you can print each of your children their own copy of the recipes.  When they are helping you cook, they can follow along in their own recipe.  It would also make a great cook book to begin their own nutritional journey.  The book is 448 pages in lenght, so printing can be daunting.  If you would prefer to have the book in printed format, it is available for $99.95.  There would be value in having the printed book and the CD so that you did not have to print the entire document but could still print single pages as needed such as the recipes mentioned above.  Growing Healthy Homes offers a valuable package that includes the CD and the printed manual for $129.95.  If you are ready to purchase, go here to learn more about the pricing plans available.  

 You can find information about the company Growing Healthy Homes here.  A directory of all the products offered from Growing Healthy Homes is here.   And the Nutrition 101 - Choose Life information can be found here.  If you would like to contact Growing Healthy Homes about any of their products, followthis link for more information. 

If you would like to read others' opinions about Nutrition 101 - Choose Life, the TOS Crew website is full of other reviews.  Check them out at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/718679/

If you, like me, need to take a better nutritional path, then try Nutrition 101 - Choose Life with me!  We are reminded in the very first lesson that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made."  Nutrition 101 celebrates that and endeavors to encourage us to feed our bodies in order to strengthen them for the Kingdom of God.  I'm excited about this path on which God is leading.  Want to walk with me?  Check out Nutrition 101 - Choose Life.

Posted in Home Education

When I was given the opportunity to review Aleks math with my two boys I thought, "We always use the same math curriculum.  This will be a quick review and then back our old routine."  Our boys will be in 7th and 6th grades this year.  I've bought the same math curriculum since kindergarten.  As a matter of fact, I own the next three years' books because I got a great deal on them at a used curriculum sale.  I've seen the Aleks advertisements and received emails from them through TOS, but I always ignored it.  I've got math covered...always have...always will.

So, do you want to buy some great math curriculum that I got used at a curriculum sale a few years ago?

Aleks is phenominal.  We opted to do the 30-day free trial.  You can go here to start your 30-day trial.  I created log-ins and passwords for each of the boys.  With the student password comes an instructor or parent password so that you can sign-in and check your child's progress.  I haven't needed to do that as I've been looking over the boys' shoulders when they work each day. 

I was able to choose the level I wanted the boys to study.  I put our youngest in the sixth grade level and my oldest in the pre-algebra level.  There was a tutorial which both of the boys completed to teach them how to fill in the answers and use the tools provided with the lessons.  Upon signing-in the first day, the boys were given an assessment test based upon the level I had chosen.  When they were finished with the assesment test, they were shown a pie chart.  This chart features all the skill-sets that the student will master at this level.  From the assessment, portions of each of the sections were shaded showing how much of the skill that student had mastered thus far.

Each day the boys sign-on to Alex and choose which portion of the pie chart on which to work.  After less than a month, our oldest is almost finished with one section of the pie chart.  It provides a tremendous feeling of accomplishment to see those shaded areas growing across the pie chart.  But even when an area is considered to be "mastered" there may be review questions for them at the beginning of one day.  Just last week, the boys signed-on to their Aleks accounts to work for the day and instead of seeing a pie chart, they were given a list of review questions to complete first.  After they've finished their review, they are then taken to the pie chart to complete their tasks for the day.

So, we're all really enjoying this new way of completing our math and THEN I got two separate emails from Aleks, one for each boy.  They were progress reports!  These were well-organized, detailed reports telling me how much time each boy had spent on-line using Aleks (our youngest is winning in hours); how many areas each boy had mastered (our oldest is winning in the number of areas); and what areas remain to be conquered.  There was even a link to a more-detailed on-line report.  It was so great.  I can print these reports and place them right in the boys' portfolios for year-end review.  There are also quizzes to be taken but we haven't gotten there yet.

In our youngest son's level, he has the option of working "quick tables" as well as his regular program.  In Quick Tables you get to do drills of basic math to hone your skills.  This feature is fun with a robot graphic. 

Aleks is available for grades K through 12.  The higher maths are included such as Trigonometry, Geometry, and PreCalculus.  There are also a few AP courses available.  Aleks has a number of pricing plans available, including discounts for multiple accounts for one family.  Their initial pricing structure can be viewed here.  Family discounts are detailed for you here.

So, I'm ditching the purchased curriculum.  The boys love this new way of dong math.  Being on the PC has definite appeal for our guys, but the graphics are appealing too.  I love that it gives my guys more independence.  Our youngest son got up yesterday and started working on his math before his brother got out of bed.   You can give Aleks a try for 30-days free by going to their web site at www.aleks.com.  You can also email any questions you have to info@aleks.com.  Check them out.  I'm really glad we stopped ignoring the ads and gave Aleks a try.

Posted in Home Education

Our boys have always been good at math.  They can do math in their heads.  They are a few years ahead of their current grade in testing, as well as curriculum.  But they don't have their times tables memorized.  This is a problem.  When they work on their math problems for the day it takes FOREVER because they have to figure out every multiplication problem.  So I decided that this summer we would focus on memorizing those times tables.  I dug out the flash cards, Multiplication Bingo, Multiplication War,  and wrap ups.  I had to get them out of a yard sale box because I thought we were done with times tables!

Let me tell you, it wasn't going well.  They played the games and did the wrap ups but their memorization of the facts didn't seem to be happening.  Then we got a package in the mail from Barnum Software.  Barnum makes a software called "Quarter Mile Math."  Using this software, the student competes against himself to learn math concepts.  It is not just for memorizing facts.  This software can be used to reinforce many different math concepts.  If you are stuck on a particular area, such as fractions, the student can choose fractions from a list of concepts and race against himself to answer fraction problems.

Installation of the software was a breeze.  The Quarter Mile box had a CD in it.  All the codes that I needed during installation were printed on a label attached to the CD sleeve.  This software is able to run on most Windows systems as well as Mac with certain requirements.  Since I don't speak Mac, please read about those requirements here.

After the few minutes it took to install, we were up and running The Quarter Mile Math.  This software way made for our two boys.  As I mentioned earlier, we need to focus on multiplication right now.  So we set both boys up to race by doing multiplication problems, specifically, we began with the 7 times tables.

The boys were entralled with the racing screen which showed six racing cars on a straight track.  There is even revving engine sounds as the race begins.  The first race is against 5 fictitious cars, but after that the student races against himself.  In just a few minutes, the boys were racing against their previous five races.  As their cars were racing up the screen, the boys were typing answers to multiplication problems using the 7 times-tables.  When one race ends, the boys see that current race's time, plus the times of the five previous races.  Then their average time flashes largely in the center of the screen.

Our goal is to get those 7 times-tables under the 10 second mark.  Each boy has managed that once, so now they are doing 7s and 8s!  Not only are they getting those times tables memorized in a manner that really appeals to them, but they are also learning how to use the numeric keypad on the computer keyboard.  My husband once got a job based solely on the fact that he knew how to use that keypad.

Our animal-lover has chosen to race horses for his quarter mile races.  Our oldest is racing cars.  It's really great that the boys have a choice.  The sound-effects change and, of course, so do the graphics. 

The Quarter Mile Math offers six different products in their software line.  You can view those products here.  You can order just the grade level you need.  Or you can order the bundle package that can take you from Kindergarten to Pre-Algebra!  Barnum Software also offers a subscription to a Deluxe version which is downloadable and offers additional tracking reports and features.

With 323 subjects covered in the K-9th grade software I forsee us using The Quarter Mile Math program daily and for years, even after our multiplication tables have been memorized.  Using this program for review and to enforce new subjects will make math much more fun and much less routine for the guys.  I was very impressed with The Quarter Mile Math.  It's a great software to reinforce what was learned, but also to learn concepts with which your child might struggle. 

You can contact Barnum software to learn more about The Quarter Mile by going to www.thequartermile.com or calling 1-800-553-9155.  Their mailing address is Barnum Software; 1910 Lyon Ave; Belmont, CA 94002.  If you would like to send them an email with your questions, send it to mail@thequartermile.com

All in all, you will find this to be a well-done, complete math program that you will use for years to come.  The racing-concept is simple and easy for a child to understand, and yet the math concepts taught are so varied you will use this every day to reinforce what your child learns.  And I promise you, they will not get bored.  Competing against oneself makes for daily entertainment!

Posted in Home Education

A few weeks ago the review crew got a message that we would be receiving a package from "Maverick Books."  I wasn't really sure what products were produced by Maverick Books, so I looked for them on-line.  I was so excited to see that Maverick Books produce the Hank the Cowdog series! 

Several years ago a girlfriend loaned us a set of audiotapes of Hank the Cowdog.  Our boys were pretty small at the time, but we listened to these audios and the four of us laughed out loud.  Then, John R. Erickson, the author of the Hank the Cowdog series was the keynote speaker at our local homeschool curriculum fair.  We picked up a few books and the audio tape of his first book "Hank the Cowdog."  We've listened to that tape several times, each time laughing out loud.  Our family has several catch phrases we've picked up from Hank the Cowdog.

Although the boys read a few of the books, we all prefer the audios to the books.  Mr. Erickson's voices and inflection on the audios cannot be duplicated.  Each audio we've heard is hysterical!  Most of the humor is in his delivery.

So, receiving the package with the "Maverick Books" return address was a highlight to our day late one Friday morning.  And, oh my, what a package!  Here is a picture of what we received:

In this package were a Hank the Cowdog game, a CD, and a book.  We are game-aholics in our house, so our first exploration was into the box containing the Tornado game.  We played a complete game right away.  The game was fun, similar to an older game by a major game manufacturer that we've played for years, but with a few unique features.  The thing I loved most about it was it's portability.  The entire game and all of its pieces fit into the game board when folded in half.  The game is fun, and definitely short enough to keep a young child's attention.  I believe it took us about 30 minutes to play the game.  One great feature of receiving this game is that it comes with an audio tape featuring clips from the book, "The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado."  We listened to the audio while playing the game and giggled as we played.  You can purchase this game on the Hank the Cowdog website for $12.99.

While straightening up the kitchen, I listened to the audio CD we received "Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog."  I'm telling you, Mom, these audios are wasted on the young!  I was in hysterics.  If you need a good laugh out loud on a tough day, get a Hank the Cowdog CD.  This particular CD features excerpts from 10 books as well as songs featured in the books.  Even the songs are funny.  Mr. Erickson's does the voices for all the characters and they are just hilarious.  This CD is very reasonably priced on the Hank the Cowdog website at $3.  It would be a great place for you to begin your Hank the Cowdog journey because it gives highlights of 10 of the Hank books.

Finally, we also received the book, "Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the One-eyed Killer Stud Horse."  This is book 8 of the 54 in the series.   Paperback books retail for $4.24.  Hardback for $12.49. Audio CDs are $17.99 and cassettes are $14.99.  They also offer read-along books with CD ($19.99) or books with audio tapes($17.99).  The five newer books cost slightly more.  You can see a complete list of the books offered here.

Mr. Erickson's books are a great read for early readers.  I remember the sense of accomplishment my boys would feel when they could actually complete one of these books on their own.  They felt like they were moving in a grown-up world of chapter books just like Mommy and Daddy.  My oldest son, who will be 13 in the Fall, asked to be the one to read this book.  So, in our house, these books and audios appeal to those ranging in age from 7 to 45!  The boys began reading Hank books early and are still interested in them. 

Hank the Cowdog books and audios come with the Lydell seal of approval.  For years, they have entertained us and given the boys enjoyable reading.  Now they are offering related items that enhance your relationship with Hank.   Maverick Books are available at www.hankthecowdog.com.  They have a very detailed on-line shop offering lots of fun "Hank" items.  I'm thinking my husband needs a "Head of Ranch Security" T-shirt for Christmas...hmmmmmm...  Check them out, if you haven't yet.  Everyone needs a little hilarity in the middle of the day.

Posted in Home Education

Ever since our boys were old enough to hold a pencil, they have drawn on every scrap of paper they could find.  We have sketch books full of their drawings and a wall in our living room with their framed art.  So when I got the opportunity to review Grapevine's bible studies, I knew it would be a good fit for our family.  You see, Grapevine's motto is "stick-figuring through the bible."  These bible studies give children the opportunity to draw a stick-figure that represents the portion of the bible they've just read.  

Grapevine has bible studies for children as young as Five-years-old. They also have studies geared throughout school age and into adulthood.  Prices begin at single lessons for under $3.00, but even the larger studies like Old Testament or New Testament reviews are under $30.00.  Subjects include but are not limited to The Birth of Jesus, Queen Esther, Biblical Feasts and Holy Days, New Testament Overview,  and Old Testament Overview.  I recently saw a list of the studies they are planning for the near future and even though I can't give you that list, I can assure you it is very intriguing.

I received two of Grapevine's studies in e-book form.  For each study there is a teacher's guide, which I highly recommend.  The student books are so open-ended, that I enjoy having the teacher's guide to give me ideas about how to direct the boys for their drawings in their notebooks.    The two studies I reviewed are Biblical Feasts and Holy Days at the Teen-Adult level (student book $14.95, teacher's guide $12.95) and New Testament Overview also at the Teen-Adult (or multi) level (student book $28.95, teacher's guide $24.95).  We are actually completing Biblical Feasts and Holy Days and when we're finished, it's on to New Testament Overview!

The studies all begin with a timeline overview as the opening lesson.   Of course, instead of writing, you draw stick figures and symbols to represent the items on the timeline.  Then a regular lesson gives several readings from the Bible that deals with the subject and space for a drawing representing each reading.  Each lesson concludes with a series of 5-10 review questions.  As we are completing our studies together around our kitchen table, we take turns reading the scriptures and we complete the review questions orally.  You can make a game, or several games, out of these review questions to keep your child's interest, too.   Part-way through the study there is a  lesson that is just a list of review questions to solidify what each student has learned thus far.  There is also a Final Review at the end of the study with plenty of space to have your student write or stick-figure their answers.

One feature I'm anxious to implement when we begin the New Testament Overview is the "character event cards."  In this study, each section features this rectangle entitled "character event cards."  Because I have two boys, who love trading cards, this will be a huge success!  They will make biblical trading cards as we learn about the New Testament characters.  I'm planning to print the page with the cards onto card stock so that they can build their own trading card collection from their bible studies.

I found this to be a very gracious company.  If you don't know where to start, contact them and tell them the ages of your children.  They will be happy to suggest the right study or studies for your family.  You can visit their web-site here or email info@GrapevineStudies.com.  They can be reached by telephone at 1-877-436-2317 (toll free).  Their mailing address is: 

Grapevine Studies

PO Box 2123

Glenrock, WY 82637

And, if you are so inspired by this review that you want to purchase a Grapevine Study for your family, they have given me permission to offer you a 30% discount on all your purchases made within a month of my blog post.  So, if you would like to take advantage of this 30% discount, use the coupon code crews.  This code expires September 15, 2009, so don't wait too long to use it!

We are enjoying these bible studies so much.  If you are looking for an engaging way to get into The Word with your children, check out Grapevine Bible Studies, stick-figuring their way through the bible.

Posted in Home Education

A few weeks ago I received the Web Design for Kids DVD in the mail from Click and Drag Solutions.    "Learn HTML" has been on our to do list for a year.  So last week, we watched a few portions of this DVD in the evenings as a family.  The day after our first viewing, our boys were begging to watch more!

On the first night, we chose to watch the DVD without being on the PC at all.  But we quickly learned that instant application was the best method for using the DVD.  We watched the first two sections and the boys took notes.  As soon as we stopped the DVD, one boy was on our desktop and one boy jumped onto my laptop.  They had each created a web page within 30 minutes!

As I said in the first paragraph, they were begging to watch more of the DVD.  I had to hold them back during the day because Daddy wanted to watch too.  The boys could hardly stand to wait until their Dad got home from work!  Each night after that we watched 2 more sections and the boys typed into the code for their developing website as the DVD was playing.

Web Design for Kids is less than and hour and a half in length and contains 7 chapters or sections dealing with everything from fonts to backgrounds to adding images to a web site.  Our 11 and 12 year old boys followed the course with ease, and so did their Dad and I.  The web site says that a child as young as eight years old will be capable of following along, and I agree with that.  Of course, it also kept the attention of a 45 and a 42 year-old!

Currently you can get this DVD for $19.99 plus S&H from their website here.  You can also order by calling toll-free 1-866-932-9122.  And you can feel good about ordering from this company.  They are a company with character who gives a portion of their proceeds to one of five charities.  They have also begun the Click and Drag Foundation which focuses on providing DVDs and instruction to at-risk youth in urban neighborhoods.

I am amazed by what my boys are able to do after watching this DVD.  It has sparked their interest in writing HTML to the point where they are doing their own research and learning new code to put into the websites they are building.  Click and Drag plans to release a Web Design for Kids II sometime late this year.  On their website they said they have pushed the date back because they want to keep the DVD very high quality.  As DVD number 1 was ending, the boys were chanting "Buy Disc 2!  Buy Disc 2!"  Our only complaint is that the instructor did not tell us how to put the website we are designing onto the internet.  Right now, it's just there on our PC waiting for a host...or whatever it is we need.  So maybe we'll learn more about that on disc 2.  I can't wait for this adventure to continue!

I highly recommed the Web Design for Kids DVD.  I could not believe the skills my young men were learning.  (and just between you and me...I learned a lot too!)  The DVD is worth the purchase, and the company is worthy of your business.

Posted in Home Education

I am really excited to tell you about this great spelling software that I have started using.  SpellQuizzer is aspelling program for students of all ages.  You can use this from 1st grade through 12th.  In other words, if you purchase this program for your homeschool this year, you will be able to use it until your son or daughter graduates! 

We have two sons who are both NOT great spellers.  Our youngest is an especially not-great-speller.  We have tried traditional spelling methods like the way I was taught a million years ago in public school.  We purchased a curriculum to follow another year.  The boys hated it.  But one thing the boys have always loved is anything computerized.

SpellQuizzer did not disappoint my two technological boys.  They jumped right into using the software the first day we tried it out.  I immediately had visions of them happily learning to spell new words all year!

The initial interface is graphically pleasing and easy to use.  You can see an image of it here.  We began our journey into SpellQuizzer by entering a spelling list for the week for each of the boys.  By using their easy interface, you type in the words on your list.  After you type each word, you are given the opportunity to record the word being spoken.  This way, when your student is tested on the spelling words, they can hear your voice listing the words to be spelled.  You could really have some fun with this, speaking the words in a silly voice.  After I recorded a few words, the boys wanted a turn.  This was so much fun for them!  They really enjoyed being able to enter and record their own lists.  Although I chose the list of words, they were the ones to enter most of them into SpellQuizzer because they thought it was so much fun! 

You can find sample spelling lists at SpellQuizzer's website here.  These lists are able to be downloaded directly into your copy of SpellQuizzer so that you don't have to re-type them.  Another feature I love is that there is a spell checker built into this entry screen, so you can't mis-type a word.

After all the words are entered for the week, we went back to the main menu screen and the boys chose to test themselves on their new words.  As each word was spoken to them, the boys typed the word into the entry box.  They were able to have the word repeated as many times as they chose.  The program told them if the word was incorrect and showed them the correct spelling of the word.

We had the boys take a test on their words and then re-test on the words they missed until they had typed each word correctly.  Using 10 words, the entire testing and re-testing process only lasted about 15 minutes.  My mind was dancing ahead to the rest of the year.  I will be able to put the week's words into the SpellQuizzer on Sunday evening and then the boys will get on the PC each day and use SpellQuizzer to test themselves every day learning their words!  That's independant work and learning, my friends.  To me, that's very exciting.

SpellQuizzer is very reasonably priced at $29.95 for onePC and can be purchased here.  They also offer a family download edition which enables you to download to 5 PCs, and special pricing for homechool groups and schools.  Since the software makes it easy to import and export lists, this would be perfect for homeschool groups or co-ops who can work from the same lists as part of a class.

You can download a 30-day free trial of this software and use it in your homeschool.  I'm sure you will find, as I did, that SpellQuizzer is a spelling software that will give you time and improve the spellers in your home!