It has been about 10 years since our last formal family picture. Tonight we all got dressed up and drove one hour to our church to have another one made. Then they wanted $170 for 8 5 x7s. That's more then $40 per sheet! We just cannot afford that! Of course, now I have to get everyone all dressed up again and drive an hour in the other direction to Penneys. With my coupon at Penneys, I can get 52 portraits for $7.95. Or, I can pay $3.95 per sheet. Either way, $170 nets me a ton more photos. The problem is, we probably won't get around to doing it. I thought maybe if I posted about it on my blog I would have some accountability to actually getting the job done.
Everybody who homeschools has their own style, and yet it all comes out okay. This is the message I got from The Old Schoolhouse' newest e-book titled How I Homeschool. That's a pretty encouraging book if you are looking for some affirmation on your homeschool journey. (And aren't we all?)
In this book, 12 homeschoolers describe a day in their life. Some of these ladies get up at 5:30, some of them get up some time between 8 and 9 a.m. Some of them work for extra pay at home, some do not. Some of the ladies use the classical method, some unschool, some love Charlotte Mason.
What I found most fascinating about this book was the number of times the women mentioned being called to homeschool even before they had school-aged children, or any children at all, or in one case before they were even married! I found this fascinating because it mirrors my own story. I first heard about homeschooling in 1994, a full 4 years before my first child was born. I thought it was a great idea; but God had a little convincing to do with my husband!
At any rate, if you are looking for some encouraging insights into the homeschool lives of other real moms this will be a great read.
I have had my eye on these activity packs for a while, so I was perfectly delighted to receive this beautiful set for review. You can already tell I am not pulling my punches on this one right? If you like lapbooking with your children, and even if you don't but you enjoy special and easy projects occasionally -- you are going to love the activity packs from Homeschool In The Woods.
What's Included? This particular pack has 17 projects including projects that cover Christ's Lineage, Birth, Miracles, Parables, The Last Supper. Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension, The Beatitudes, The Fruits of the Spirit, The Armor of God, Prophecies fulfilled by Christ, The Twelve Disciples, The Pentacost, Paul's Missionary Journeys, Paul's Letters, and a New Testament News (paper) activity. 15 of the 17 projects are part of a lapbook. The downloadable version of this product is $18.95.
What I like: I have come to expect excellence from Homeschool In The Woods through using her timeline figures; and this product is no exception. I was excited to find that many of the lapbook pieces could be used independently during our Resurrection study. I will likely pull out the Christmas pieces in the same way, and use the other pieces as we study those particular sections. The drawings are fantastic. i believe I have seen or used lapbooks from every vendor currently marketing them and I have to say Homeschool in the Woods is my favorite lapbook vendor!
What I Don't Like: My chief and only frustration was the fact that this set was not in one big organized pdf. Instead, the set is broken down into smaller pdfs which are easier to download and yet harder to find what you need quickly. This is probably just a personality thing for me but I prefer to have one big file to scroll through.
I completed a review of the One2Believe Nativity back in November, and after my negative reaction to the set I was quite surprised when they sent me another set to review! I will admit that I liked the Noah's Ark set significantly more -- mostly because there was no weirdly shaped baby Jesus in this one :).
I did think the figures in the Noah's Ark set were cute -- especially the animals. However, the quality just does not compare to Shleich animals! My children do enjoy playing with this set and I feel I ought to mention that. I have several frustrations with One2Believe. One is the lack of quality material for the figures. Another frustration is the little tiny books that come with the product ore inaccurate. Specifically with the Noah's Ark set, my children were greatly disappointed that the ark itself did not open so that Noah and the animals could not go in.
What's my bottom line? For my money, I would rather purchase the Fisher Price Noah's Ark set (which we have) or the HABA Noah's Ark set (which we also have) or just collect Schleich animals and have Daddy build a boat!
As I write this review, I am very torn between two polarizing views of this product. Let me explain. On the one hand, I really appreciated the content of this recording. Summarization of the Scripture story of Moses is interspersed with lively songs which fill in the details of his life. I found the content to be accurate and compelling. I felt that this content is needed -- families need these kinds of methods to fill their children's minds with Scripture. I was impressed with the depth of content available from Bible Story Songs on-line and I am sure that sheer amount of work that has gone in to the planning, composition and performance of these songs is tremendous.
On the other hand, as a trained musician, with over ten years of private voice lessons, a Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance and over ten years of teaching experience I was not impressed by the quality of the music on this cd. First of all, the recording quality is clearly amateur. The pianist is amazing, however the piano tone is lacking and the piano does not translate well to the recording. Secondly, the vocalists for several of the soloists are not just amateur, in some cases it was actually difficult for myself and my children to listen. Thirdly, while the choral parts were fairly well done, the children often sing with slightly closed soft palates -- giving a falsely mature sound sort've like putting a hand over the top of the sound and pushing down or squeezing the sound. And, I found I could often hear just an adult voice mixed in, however it wasn't consistently present, didn't blend or stand out and compliment -- and seemed very accidental.
What's my bottom line? While my children will enjoy this recording from time to time; I will not be putting these projects onto my priority list for actually spending our precious homeschool budget money.
A few years ago, my Dad started bringing home these funny little farm animals from the John Deere Tractor Store. He brought home a pig, and a chicken or two and before long he had a sizeable collection of these little plastic, perfectly real looking farm animals to go with his toy John Deer Tractors and an old toy barn. Of course, when we arrived for a visit at Papaw's house -- these were the first thing that my children found and just about all they played with. It wasn't long before little farm animals started showing up in their packages at birthdays and Christmas -- to go with the little John Deere tractors and wagons they each owned . In the meantime, I had purchased my children several small, cheaply made packages of plastic animals from Wal-mart, the Dollar store and Toys R Us. It wasn't long before I noticed that the animals my Dad bought were of significantly higher quality and appearance! Those cheap animals got legs broken off, paint rubbed off, or just generally looked horrible. The Schleich animals kept their paint and legs in tact and looked realistic! After a while, I started noticing these little animals at Target and was a little startled at the price tag -- some were as much as $6 for one animal. However, I found I could add one or two animals to my cart each time I visited Target and really stock up when they ran clearance. Before long, we had a nice farm collection from my Dad and a nice zoo collection from Target and the old cheap animals had gone the way of cheap toys. We even bought my husband Daniel a Lion, Lioness and four Lion cubs for Father's Day one year -- and guess what he got for his birthday this year? Twin lion cubs that look totally alike and yet completely different from the older four cubs! He keeps them on his desk at work.
I wish now that I have had my sixth child that each toy we had invested in would be of top quality and higher price. I have found whether it is wooden blocks, plastic animals, or legos -- only the best quality will make it through more then two children. I am so glad we have a nice collection of Schliech animals for Peter and Joshua to grow into! My children love to play with these and make up entire animal stories with kings and queens or act out whatever story we are reading with the animals. It's pretty amazing how much fun these little animals can be!
I know this is a bit different then my typical review -- as you can probably tell -- when the TOS Review Crew was told we would be receiving Schleich animals to review there was much rejoicing in my house. When the package arrived, I had to go to great lengths to even see the animals we received. Not surprisingly, they were gorgeous. Take my advice and buy one or two at a time and ignore those cheap bags that tempt you from the competition.
What Is It? Heads Up is a small company catering to the homeschooling community and special needs. Since I have a little girl who has some special needs, I was especially interested in perusing their on-line catalog. I found many speech related resources that were exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for. I filled my cart with over $100 worth of products the first time I visited! The specific products I received were a variety of colored films to help those with visual problems read correctly.
What I Like: The color films come in six different colors, so that the parent can buy any of the products she needs in the specific color that helps the child. They have large overlays, small overlays, bookmark type single line overlays, and double line overlays. They are durable and good quality. The price is extremely reasonable.
What I Don't Like: If you have a need for these products, I can't think of a single thing I don't like.
My Bottom Line: I will definitely be keeping an eye on this company and ordering from them when I have funds. If you have a special needs child, check them out!
May. 13, 2009 - Product Review -- Christian Studies II by Memoria Press
Product Review
Christian Studies
by Cheryl and Leigh Lowe
Published by Memoria Press
What is it? Christian Studies II is a fairly in-depth Bible study for elementary students, designed to start in approximately third grade. The study material is based on The Golden Children's Bible. Each week, students complete five lessons designed to take 15-20 minutes each. On the first day, students read the selected reading for the week and discuss it with Mom or Dad if desired. The second day, students study and drill the Facts to Know section which includes information about people, places and things mentioned in the story. Essentially, these are vocabulary words and can be used as spelling words if desired. The next section is a weekly memory verse and a few questions to go with the verse covered on the third day, although it is recommended that you start learning the memory verse on day one. The fourth day the student answers several comprehension questions. Finally, on the last day students complete any mapwork, a picture review with their teacher (going through the pictures in the Bible and answering questions about each one...), completing any research projects and reciting any memory work required. Each level includes approximately 25 lessons plus five comprehensive review lessons and covers approximately 1/3 of the Bible. Maps, Timelines, and Tests are included.
What I like: Christian Studies as a series offers an in-depth study of the Bible which can be done independently for the most part. I personally never touched the teacher's guide last year in level one, however in looking it over for this review I can see the benefit of using the picture review each week and the extra suggested readings included which connect the day's reading with other related passages of Scripture. I'm really excited about the volumes of information my children are learning and memorizing as they use Christian Studies.
What I don't like: At times I am frustrated with Golden Children's Bible and prefer to use the actual text of a Bible. However, reading Joshua 1-6 in the Golden Children's Bible is much more attainable for my 10 year old then actually reading the full text of Joshua 1-6 from her Bible. Overall, it is a really good story Bible.
My Bottom Line: This is my preferred Bible curriculum for the upper grades.
What is it? You might be fooled, as I was, by the title of this series. When I agreed to review this set, I expected that I was receiving an elementary level Latin program. Instead, what I received was a complete elementary level grammar program (3-6th grades) with an very basic introduction to Latin included. The book is divided into three sets of exercises. The first set of exercises teaches material such as noun, pronoun, subject, predicate, etc. The second set of exercises teaches sentence diagramming. The last set of exercises teaches Latin derivatives and Latin vocabulary by breaking English words into prefixes, suffixes and root words. The root words are all Latin vocabulary words! Each of these sections are covered several times throughout each week; so the student is learning a part of speech, learning how to diagram that part of speech, and learning something about Latin vocabulary. The idea behind this curriculum is the Latin Centered Curriculum, in which everything taught ties back to Latin.
What I Like? For our family, we had already invested in First Language Lessons for learning grammar. However, If you are planning to use a classical curriculum with your children, this program is excellent and certainly worth considering equally with First Language Lessons -- especially because it is covering two subjects in one. I love the way Latin vocabulary is introduced with over 400 English vocabulary words. I also find the focus on diagramming sentences refreshing! I have always loved diagramming sentences (don't shoot me!) and I have been so frustrated to see a move away from this in most grammar programs. The training and discipline that diagramming provides makes it so easy to rearrange sentences and vary the sentence structure in your essays later on. Certainly, I found that advanced diagramming techniques improved my writing skills.
What I Don't Like? I find the marking system with different colored pencils, used to teach parts of speech in the first set of exercises to be a bit cumbersome. It feels like busy work to me, even though my students like it. If you are familiar with Kay Arthur's Precept Upon Precept Bible studies, it is a similar system. Circling the noun, double underlining the verbs etc. Specific colors are used as well. I believe this would work great for a visual student, but as the teacher I was a bit overwhelmed. I am also a little put off by the price. $139 for the Bridge level is designed for only one year of study in Latin and Grammar. Lastly, I was not impressed by the accompanying videos which claim to teach both the teacher and the student. No way was my daughter going to watch those videos!
What's My Bottom Line? I believe the logic learned from a careful study of Latin is invaluable; and I certainly agree that a Latin Centered Curriculum is an excellent choice. This curriculum kills to birds with one stone, giving students a solid grasp of grammar concepts while also introducing a large number of Latin/English vocabulary words. In spite of the price, Bridge to the Latin Road is a serious contender for grammar instruction to our family. It was a privilege to review and use this product!
Apr. 9, 2009 - Product Review -- Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day -- Jeannie Fulbright of Apologia
Product Review
Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
by Jeannie Fulbright
I wasn't sure if we were going to like this book. Seriously, so many people rave about this series of elementary level science books published by Apologia. Yet, when we tried Astronomy and my children were 7 and 5, we were sorely disappointed. Now that I have had the opportunity to work through a second book, with much older children at ages 10 and 8, I have a completely different opinion of the Jeannie's material and I am so thankful for this opportunity!
What's Included: Each book in this elementary science series published by Apologia has about 12 or 13 chapters designed to be completed over one year. I have found that by working each day, we can complete a chapter of Flying Creatures in one week. The books include notebooking questions and projects or experiments in each chapter. Each book focuses on a different area of science and treats that subject in depth.
What I Like: I appreciate the lively tone of these books, as the author "talks" to the student. Mrs. Fulbright does an excellent job of communicating and is clearly passionate about science from a creationist point of view. I really love the extra hands-on projects and experiments and notebooking prompts. We had a lot of fun creating a birdfeeder in chapter 2 and still keep them full and track the birds we see at them. (Both children created one!) Projects such as this are helping keep the interest of my daughter, who was pretty skeptical about this new book before the first project came up. The cost is very affordable at $24.95 per book as well.
What I don't like: I have heard these books referred to as "living books" and I don't think I would go quite that far. They still have a textbook feel to them from my persective, but given the subject I have come to suspect that is necessary. I think this is why my daughter struggles to get into the book without the projects to tie her interest.
My bottom line: This will not be the last book we use by Jeannie Fulbright! This series is very valuable to me because it teaches science from a creationist perspective in an engaging way. I believe using this series with only younger students is not a good idea.
When the good people from Artistic Pursuits e-mailed me and asked which book I wanted to review and gave me a choice between the Grades 1-3 book, the Grades 4-6 book or the high school level book; I replied and asked for both of the lower level books with the agreement that I would write a review for each book I received. I was quite shocked when they agreed and I can tell you that I am so glad I asked. My review for the Grades 1-3 book will be coming in a later post and this post will focus on the Grades 4-6 book, subtitled "The Elements of Art and Composition" by Brenda Ellis.
What is Artistic Pursuits? Artistic Pursuits is a complete art curriculum from preschool to senior high.
What I like about The Elements of Art and Composition: Starting with the Grade 4-6 level, students are expected to read and complete all art projects on their own. This is a huge bonus for me, especially since I just birthed twins, and spent the last two months barely able to move, much less teach. Thank goodness for Grandmas coming to help! At any rate, I handed my two older children (ages 8 and 10) the book, and the necessary supplies and told them to start working through it. My son has enjoyed the lessons so far, which include a reading section on history, method, and appreciation. My daughter would prefer to just skip from project to project and not complete the reading material so I have to watch her a bit more closely. This particular book focuses entirely on the medium of pencil and marker; while working through the various aspects of composition such as shade and form, while focusing on American art for examples and appreciation. My son is on the younger side of the age recommendation, and I can see how he would benefit from using the material again at an older age -- however he has a very high interest in drawing right now; so the timing is perfect for his first time through. I really appreciate the inclusion of author bios and examples of real art included in the book. Also, I think the price is fantastic! The book includes 88 pages, 16 units and 4 projects per unit for $42.95.
What I don't like about The Elements of Art and Composition: I do think you will have to watch older children who are less motivated to make sure that they are doing their work, but that is the joy of homeschooling.
What's my bottom line? It is such a relief to see art getting done every single day, without my direct involvement. I think the price is right and the material is comprehensive. I love this art curriculum, I plan to order future levels if my children continue to benefit as I have seen.
Mar. 11, 2009 - Product Review -- Write Shop Story Builders -- Animals and Sports
Write Shop
Story Builders -- World of Animals and World of Sports
What are Story Builders? Story Builders ebooks are each an engaging set of games designed to encourage your reluctant writer. Each book includes four sets of cards in the categories of Character, Character Trait, Plot, and Setting. Students use various game scenarios to draw one card in each category. From these cards, the students can create crazy (or not so crazy) stories. Each ebook is approximately 65 pages in length, and includes instructions, game ideas, and the necessary cards to print in either color or black and white. The price for each e-book is $7.95. Here is an example of a story written with Story Builders World of Animals.
Once upon a time, a small bear lived with his mother and father in a cave at the edge of Farmer Joe's vegetable garden. Each day, the mother and father would wake up early and go help Farmer Joe plant vegetables and work in the garden. Small Bear and his friend Mighty Turtle would go along and play near the edge of a brook that ran through the middle of the garden. Mighty Turtle was a good friend. Small Bear liked to be in charge of every game they played, and sometimes Mighty Turtle got a little frustrated. He thought Small Bear was too bossy. One day as Small Bear and Mighty Turtle played near the brook, dark clouds began to gather on the horizon. No one noticed. The Mighty Turtle was happily obeying each of Small Bears instructions. "Let's jump across the brook on the rocks." "Let's make mudpies." Let's climb this tree." "Let's collect leaves and rocks and pretend to make a campfire." "Let's go wading in the water." The boys took off their shoes, but as they waded into the water's edge; a sudden storm erupted all around them. Gallons of water poured into the brook, splashing on the rocks and creating great waves as lightning struck a tree nearby. Farmer Joe and Small Bear's parents came running to where the boys played in the water. "Get out! Get out!" they cried. But now was revealed a problem. The boys could not walk in the turbulent water and kept falling over into the rising brook. Farmer Joe, who was Mighty Turtle's father, had to wade in after them and help them to safety. Finally, the boys reached the dry ground and the families rushed to the safety of the garden shed to wait the storm out. The End.
What I like: Story Builders are fun and engaging. They will keep your students laughing and writing at the same time. The price is very reasonable, and because the cards can be used in any combination the story ideas are endless.
What I don't like: I'm not a big fan of products I have to print myself and cut; however I can make this work just because my son has so much fun.
My Bottom Line: Story Builders are a great idea for your struggling writer or for any child who needs to put a little laugh in his homeschool.
Feb. 22, 2009 - Product Review -- Building Thinking Skills Volume 2 by Critical Thinking Press
Building Thinking Skills Volume 2
Critical Thinking Press
It is only fair to warn you as I start this review that I have been using Critical Thinking Press materials for years, and I *love* them. So it will come as no surprise that I am highly recommending this product.
What Is Critical Thinking Press? This company has been around for a very long time, and yet continues to create cutting edge materials designed to get your students thinking both inside and outside the box with products that target specific learning modes.
What is Building Thinking Skills Volume 2? This book is part of a series which starts with Primary for Prek-1st grade, then Volume 1 for 1st -3rd, etc. Each book builds on the previous book, however Volume 2 could be picked up by your student in 3-5th grade and used without any prior experience with the series. I believe this is the route commonly recommended by those using a classical method of education. The first two books in the series use manipulatives, and my children enjoyed those books very much. Of course, they also enjoy this one!
What I Like: I love the function and goal of these books. Developing thinking skills is one of our number one goals for our children, and all of the books we own which are published by Critical Thinking Press help us accomplish that goal. I also love the fact that we can finally! put away the manipulatives... All the books are reproducible for your classroom, and that makes them a great value.
What I Don't LIke: Hmmm. Well don't say I didn't warn you... I pretty much would like to have everything this company produces.
My Bottom Line: If teaching your children to think on their feet and for themselves; you can't go wrong with Critical Thinking Press. Seriously, I was so excited they sent me a product that wasn't already on my shelves!
Amy's Favorites from Critical Thinking Press: Can You Find Me PreK and K, Thinkerdoodles series, Mind Benders series, Revenge of the Riddler Spider Software, Building Thinking Skills series, Visual Skill Building series.
When I saw that Alphabet Alley was sending the TOS Crew a second product for review, I never dreamed I would be on the list to receive something again. Imagine my surprise when I opened up the package and discovered the New Baby magnet playset. How appropriate is that? At 32 weeks pregnant with twins, I was very excited. So were my children. I opened up the package with all the children hovering around me and the disclaimer that my older children were not going to enjoy this product. The first thing out of my ten year old's mouth was -- I want to play with it first! Of course, I gave the three year old first dibs. I also took pictures which I will post in a few days.
Who is Alphabet Alley? Alphabet Alley is a company producing Christian themed games, toys, puzzles, and of course magnet playsets. We previously reviewed the Noah's Ark Memory Game, and the Noah's Ark Go Fish set and were quite delighted with the quality.
What is the New Baby Magnet Playset. Each magnet playset includes a thick magnetic backdrop, with lots of cute magnets to create a scene and tell a story. These are great car toys, quiet toys, and perfect for building verbal skills. This particular magnet playset is the scene of a baby's room, complete with Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Baby, and lots of furniture and accessories.
What I Do Like: As always, this Alphabet Alley product is high quality, durable material. The magnets were super thick, and the backdrop was well-laminated. I love the fact that Alphabet Alley concentrates on toys that actual assist with learning, and the New Baby Manget Playset is no exception. My children also absolutely loved this product, in fact they went to bed bickering a bit over who gets to play with it tomorrow.
What I Don't LIke: I was really dissappointed this time in the shipping/handling. The product I recieved was bent on all four corners (the backdrop) and it also appeared that the post office tried to bend it in a place that was not supposed to be bent. Our preivous products were shipped well, so I am guessing this is not a common problem with Alphabet Alley.
My Bottom Line: I love the products from this company, and recommend them to my in-laws for birthdays and Christmas.
**** The company has had to pull the magnetic playsets from their line because of new lead/pthalate requirements. However, they have many othr very nice products from which to choose.
What's Included? This new homophones book is 225 pages long and includes everything you need to teach homophones from 1st to 7th grade. It is written by the same author who wrote the fabulous All About Spelling series I reviewed earlier here.. Specific types of pages included in All About Homophones include grade appropriate worksheets for 1st through 7th grades, word lists for adding additional homophones to your spelling practice, crossword puzzles to review all of the homophones taught through the worksheets, game ideas, activity cards, puns, jokes and riddles, graphic organizers, and lots of lesson plan ideas to help you pull it all together. I reviewed the ebook edition, which costs $27.95; however for only $2 more I would spring for the print version if I was going to buy this book. A current $10 coupon is available. To receive
the discount, visitors to the site need to enter "FUN" in the customer code box during checkout. The coupon code is good for one week, through February 2, 2009.
What I like: I do appreciate the fact that this book is organized into graded level learning. One book teaches everything needed for many years, and a ton of teaching material is included. My son really enjoys completing the worksheets and crossword puzzles. I feel like homophones and the spelling of homophones is one of those subjects that is easy to slip through the cracks in a homeschool setting. This book makes a great supplement if your spelling program does not cover homophones.
What I don't like: I am surprised at the organization of this book, as it seems to jump all around when compared to the layout of All About Spelling where every lesson is spelled out for me in one place. I would love to see this material integrated with All About Spelling, or somehow organized in a way that makes integration easier and daily lesson planning simple. I would never buy this book in ebook format. It is terribly difficult to navigate on screen, and printing it out is costly. Especially since the print version is only $2 more! It will cost significantly more then $2 just to print the ebook. Therefore, if you are interested in this book I highly recommend the print version. I think the regular price is cost prohibitive, and not consistent with the pricing for All About Spelling, which is a fantastic value. My oldest daughter does not prefer workbook style learning, so the worksheets are a waste on her. I think if I could navigate the ebook more easily, we would make much more use of the activity cards, games, etc. included with her. The material is available for any learning style, its just not easy to find.
My Bottom Line:All About Homophones could make a fantastic supplement for Moms worried about filling this gap. I am unaware of any other similar product, and we will continue to use it in our homeschool. If I had a chance to really look at this book at convention, it is probably not something I could justify buying -- especially at full price. I really love Marie's products overall and expect future revisions of this product to improve! More organized Moms probably would disagree with my assessment... you can read other reviews at the TOS Crew Blog.
What is Kinderbach? Kinderbach is music education, either on-line, via dvd, or in the classroom. We were provided with a five month trial of Kinderbach Online. Kinderbach is designed to be preschool piano lessons.
What is Included? Online lessons, printable activities, games, and sing-along songbook.
What I like: My preschool-aged children, ages 2 and 5, absolutely adored Kinderbach Learning Center (online). The price is very reasonable. I can definitely see how this program might have value for a Mom with no musical background who is not ready yet to step out and define her own curriculum.
What I didn't like:
Hmmmm. Maybe I should preface this section with some background information. I have studied private music for well over half of my life, and in fact graduated in 1996 with a Music Performance degree. I took private piano lessons for 12 years, and have so far taught private private lessons in piano for five years. I have very strong opinions about what music education and piano education should look like!
I did not like the quality of the recorded videos. The sound was very poor, the quality of the sound recording was very poor, and without extra speakers we could barely hear the teacher. With extra speakers, we experienced distortion. The picture quality was clearly entry level, the "blue screen" effect of an outline was visible around the teacher. The animated characters were not inspiring. The teacher was stilted and in-experienced with video acting. The songs themselves were repetitive and annoying; and in some cases seemed to just be time fillers. All of these faults might be fixed in later upgrades.
I am not a fan of video learning for music. Music is to be experienced. Music heard is enjoyable, music felt (physically or emotionally) is powerful, and music created is exhilerating. With video learning, you can only reach the first step at best.
What's My Bottom Line: Any parent of a preschool child can provide a better introduction to music education through the following cost-effective methods:
purchase used or borrow a variety of classical music cds and dance together
listen to Classics for Kids podcast for free on your computer or in the car or play the games on-line at http://classicsforkids.com/
download free classical music from http://www.classicalarchives.com/ (up to five songs per day free)
create some rhythm instruments and play with them. Copy each other's rhythm. Some ideas include sand blocks (sandpaper on blocks), rhythm sticks, (short dowel rods), pans, lids, and wooden spoons.
take your child to child-oriented concerts. Check your local university or orchestra venue for times and dates of the concerts for school children. These are often free, daytime events and the venues do not reach out to home educators; but are happy to provide tickets for homeschool groups who ask. If you live in a rural area, be willing to drive a couple times a year; though you might be surprised at what is available near you!
put your child in a (low stress) children's choir at church or through a local venue
wait until your child is a just a little older to start actual piano lessons.
What I recieved: Grade 3 complete from the light blue series.
What is It? Mammoth Math is a collection of Math workbooks (pdf) organized into four different series. The light blue series is complete Math curriculum organized by grade levels available for grades 1-4. The blue series is individual workbooks arranged by topic for grades 1-5. The golden series is topical subjects for grades 3-8, and the green series is complete math curriculum purchased by grade level for grades 3-8.
What's included: Prices vary depending on what you are purchasing. All material is in PDF format or can be ordered in cd/softcover books. Both blue and light blue include explanations and problems, while green and golden only contain problems. Blue and Light Blue are the same exact content, just organized differently -- blue can be ordered one workbook at a time to work on just the topic needing review or extra work. Light blue is ordered as a package.
What I like: I think the individual workbooks by topic. I think these are perfect supplements for areas where children struggle. I like the prices! One supplemental workbook only costs $3.95. Complete curriculum packages are only $27!!! They are pdf reproducibles -- so you only need print what you need. I found the material to be very thorough in practice problems; but somewhat lacking in teaching/explanations. The website indicates that this material is self-teaching. Since we are already using a complete math program; I was using this more as a supplement; so I could not see the self-teaching part. This might come from using the full curriculum as stand alone. I love using this as supplemental material for or weak spots!
What I don't like: The pdf files were a bit difficult to navigate -- it seemed hard to scroll through and find what I was looking for. The pages were very small print for a younger child. I am using the 3rd grade curriculum (in pieces) for my 7 year old; and really would prefer about half the problems on each page with larger print. The small print makes it a great value -- except for the eye strain. Older students should have no problem. No hands-on explanations are included, and it seems very "classroom" in style as curriculum.
My Bottom Line: I am excited to have this for my children to work on areas of weakness, such as using the multiplication section for drills (what we are doing now) and letting my advanced son explore some topics on his own (like geometry). I will almost certainly order individual workbooks from Mammoth Math in the future. (I personally would not want to use this as my main curriculum, but I am still about to become a customer because I can use the supplemental stuff!)
You can sign up for Maria's newsletter and get 280 sample worksheets!!!! This is a fantastic idea to see if this material will work for you!!!!
Jan. 7, 2009 - Product Review -- Update: Times Tales
Now that I have more time, I am adding these personal anecdotes to my Times Tales review. Day One: My daughter (age 10) hated Times Tales, thought it was for babies, cried, pouted, and resisted each step of the way! Day Two: My same daughter flew through the flashcards at significantly improved speed without one whining session. When we had gone through the flashcard one time; I said to her "Wow! You are doing these a lot faster today, what made the difference?" Her reply? "I don't know Mom, I just look at the card and the whole picture of the story just pops into my mind and I know the answer -- it's all right there." Day Three: Rapid-fire procession through the flashcards with the story pictures, plus decent speed on the reverse side without the story pictures. (just numbers instead of numbers embedded in pictures...) Continued Progress: Increased speed and transition to no dependence on the story pictures!
This is how Times Tales works! This is right brain learning at its finest!
I have been so excited to complete this product review! We have been using All About Spelling for over a year; though inconsistently. When I found out we would be receiving all four levels for review I was thrilled!!! Talk about a true blessing from God! Even with inconsistent use of the first level, I noticed a huge improvement in my daughter's spelling. I am happy to say that consistent use yields even better results! I am excited to start the 2009 using this with my seven year old son as well. (We get back to school on Monday!)
What is All About Spelling: All About Spelling is a graduated spelling program that works with beginning readers or with remedial spellers. All About Spelling is based on the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching spelling, and is by far the easiest implementation of this method I have ever seen. All About Spelling provides a multi-sensory approach, flashcards, oral repetition, visual/kinesthetic work with letter tiles. I have many friends using All About Spelling, and I don't know anyone who has been disappointed!
What's Included: Each level includes a teacher's guide and a packet of necessary flashcards for $29.95. Letter Tiles are available separately for $9.95.
What I like: I love the incremental approach to learning spelling. You start by learning all of the sounds each letter can make, and then gradually add letter combinations like vowel combinations and the sounds they can make and consonant blends. Rules are taught along the way in each level. I even learned a spelling rule I did not know in Level One! I have always been a natural speller, and even won spelling bees growing up; so I was pretty excited to find information about spelling that I did not know. I was also astonished by how much my daughter learned from Level One. She is a great reader (high school level); but she did not know some of the most basic alternate sounds for vowels as taught for spelling.
What I don't like: What I have not like in the past was that all of the flashcards (100s) have to be cut by hand. I am thrilled to report that Ms. Rippel has ordered perforated cards and they will be available for sale soon!
My Bottom Line: After trying several different spelling methods with my oldest daughter, this is what we are using. I would not choose any other spelling program for my children.
If you have a preteen interested in computers (and I don't know many who aren't!) your child will enjoy this book. Written for the 8-12 year old, this book walks older children step by step through the process of creating a website.
What's Included: 60 pages of text with exact instructions and plenty of screenshots -- designed to be your student's first look at html coding using a very,very simple free internet software trial. Instructions are included for designing a basic webpage "interview" of someone, and even walks you through animating some graphics! Currently this book is available for an introductory special of $19.99.
What I Like: For the most part, the instructions in this book can be followed entirely by the student -- that's a big plus for me! I think I had to step in one time (the book said, go get your parent :).) The book is written to the student, and is very engaging while still being very thorough in the instructions. The screenshots are plentiful and very helpful. This is something students really enjoy!
What I Don't LIke: I think this book would really benefit from a glossary. I do not like having to run my MAC in Window mode for anything, but I do make exceptions :). Other then that, it was great!
My Bottom Line: I think this is the perfect "extra project" for children in the target range. This is the kind of thing I don't mind my children doing on the computer :).
What is It? PuppetTools by Mr. Jeffrey Peyton is a company offering a website membership for the purpose of encouraging the use of puppets as self-directed learning aids for children.
What's included: For the price of membership ($99/year), you have unlimited access to the website including the puppet hinge pattern (one pattern) samples, forums (inactive), videos, and articles written by the author/creator. The hinge pattern included is simply a method to create a puppet for your hand without the paper sack -- using either cardstock or construction paper. Puppets made with this patented hinge construction and cheap paper do not hold up to use. Heavier construction paper or cardstock is desirable.
What I like: My children could be endlessly creative with this one puppet hinge pattern. They will certainly get lots of use from that idea. I have very artistically inclined children -- give them a box of construction paper, blue, scissors and colored pencils and they will sit and create for two hours or more. (All four of them!) This will give them one more option for crafty creativity.
What I don't like: $99 for a puppet pattern and endless articles full of rhetoric about evolution of the brain through puppet play and the need for educators to get out of the way and let children play? I don't believe in evolution, and one of the reasons I homeschool is so that my children can study less and play more. I really, really did not like the evolutionary content and "new age" content in the articles on this site. I think $5 for the puppet pattern, and maybe $11 for the pattern, some samples, some ideas for implementation -- all in one ebook *might* be reasonable. (I wouldn't pay for it myself though!) You can purchase a two month subscription for $20; I don't recommend anyone pay more then this.
My Bottom Line: This membership site is not worth the price of membership or trial membership to me, others might disagree. If you are even thinking about buying, purchase the trial first. Here are some great examples of how others are using puppettools in the classroom. Sunday School teachers, cooperative groups, and others *might* enjoy the full year subscription if the cost is being split between many educators if you don't mind supporting the evolutionary content included in Mr. Peyton's science of play material.
Dec. 19, 2008 - Product Review -- Core Learning Crayola Art Factory plus Math, LA and Health
From the folks who brought you the "What Your __________ Grader Needs To Know" Series; comes a whole series of educational software products for on-line learning for elementary and junior high grades.
Of the products I received, one was the complete Crayola Art Factory program. This program is certainly fun; but I am not sure of the educational value for art. Children even as young as my two year old boy enjoy playing with this enhanced "paint" program for the computer. Older children can actually create animated characters using the Core FX section. I can see how this program could be very useful to learn basic computer graphic arts and animation. I don't consider it to be a complete art program for elementary age children.
What Crayola Art Factory Does: Users can choose any variety of "medium" such as oil pastels, water colors, crayons, markers, etc. and complete art projects on the screen. Projects can be printed or saved for later use. Drawings can be animated simply. Cost is $24.95.
What I like: My children have tons of fun with programs like Crayola Art Factory. The animation feature is pretty cool.
What I don't like: I'm just not a fan of my children spending tons of time on the computer. If they are going to spend time on the computer, I want them doing highly educational things like math, spelling, or Spanish. Each child already has 30 minutes of free time on the computer each day; and I could see my daughter choosing Crayola Art Factory, but my son prefers game software. I like to give my children lots of time actually working at the table using real art medium on real paper, canvas, or wood -- creating real projects. And yes, making messes. For me, art creation on computer just does not have the same effect.
My bottom line: My children will be able to choose this for their free computer time because we have it, but I would never spend money on something like this.
Core Learning Math, Language Arts, and Health
If you are looking for complete computer based curriculums, these might work for you. Basically for LA, students follow along as someone else reads the text that appears on the screen. Pacing of the material can be adjusted for comprehension. For math, the lesson is taught as the student follows along reading text, and then practice problems, quizzes and tests can be completed by the student. The health cd was actually animated cartoon characters which held a bit more interest. Not enough to convince me that I want to use Core Learning products in my home. I was not impressed with this series of learning software at all. Caviat: I only recieved demo cds, not the complete set so my perception is based on somewhat limited data. You can read more about Core Learning educational software here.
Finally, an on-line curriculum I can start and walk away from without worrying about content. That was my first thought when we started a 30 day trial of ALEKS for my children for the purposes of this review. This curriculum is just math; no excessive graphics, no animation or oral presentation of material, no jokes or character interaction; just math education. I would like to mention that I have completed a 30 day trial of this program in the past; so I was already familiar with the basics when we started.
What's Included: ALEKS is a web-based (all on-line) comprehensive math curriculum from grades 3 through college level. Each student starts with a level you assign, which can be altered as necessary. Then each student completes a comprehensive entrance exam to determine what material on that level they have already mastered (if any). At the end of the entrance exam, the students can view a pie chart revealing exactly how they scored in each section. Students can then choose which section of the pie they want to work on; or allow ALEKS to choose for them. Beyond this, students can also use Quick Tables for memorizing multiplication facts. Both of my children (ages 7 and 9) are in level 3 (which also happens to be the first level, and corresponds to grade 3), and topics included multiplication, division, addition, subtraction, fractions, decimals, estimation and place value, and geometry. Cost is $19.95 per month; and you can get a discount for purchasing 6 months or a year at a time. You can get a one month free trial here.
What I LIke: I really like the fact that this is all straightforward content. I don't have to worry that when I walk away, my children are going to encounter anti-Christian content. I think the content is very well-organized and comprehensive. My children love using ALEKS, both the first time we tried it with my oldest, and this time -- when in the first sitting my seven year old boy worked for 2 hours and completely lost track of time. I will normally limit that to 45 minutes by the way :). I like the fact that ALEKS is for the most part completely independent once your children get used to the system.
What I Don't Like: A few things. One, the program starts with an explanation at the beginning and then from problem to problem with no teaching. If your child is struggling after the very first explanation, they really need to stop and click on a link for more explanation. My children did not get this on their own; and kept trying to just power through material. This doesn't work, and if they do finally get the material correct this way they move on even if they haven't learned. It doesn't take much to explain this to children though; so I don't consider this a huge problem. I just needed how to explain how the system worked. Two, while the material is comprehensive, the programming itself is not overly intuitive. My daughter, for instance, had no idea that she could click on the pie and choose which subject to work on. She wanted to work on multiplication, ALEKS told her to work on something else, and she got frustrated very quickly. As soon as I explained to her how to choose for herself, she was very happy with the program. Three, ALEKS requires a great deal of reading; which is mostly how the material is taught. A non-reader ready for 3rd grade level math would struggle to use this program, and I often have to remind my children to read the material -- not just start with the problem. They try to start working the problem and then get frustrated when they don't understand it! For these three reasons, I would not use ALEKS as my main Math curriculum. Which brings me to my final dislike -- Price! I cannot fathom paying $20 per month for an on-line curriculum to supplement my current math curriculum.
My Bottom Line: I am definitely planning to purchase a month or two of ALEKS when the twins arrive so the older children have some independent learning, we are all truly enjoying the free trial, but I cannot see it working for us long term as our main math curriculum or as an overpriced math supplement. If the price were cut to 1/3 of the current price, I would start considering it for full time use as a supplement. I can see how it would work in some families as the only math curriculum; especially with older, highly independent children who can self teach and figure programming and material out from reading and experimenting.
Dec. 17, 2008 - Product Review -- Clean N Flip Charts -- Trigger Memory Systems
Clean N Flip Charts
Here is another great product from Trigger Memory Systems. This product is perfect for the family just starting chore training, or struggling to teach chores. I can see how this system would streamline the process, and the visuals are very helpful for younger children. For our family, we already had a system in place we use and enjoy.
What's Included: Three Flip Charts on Spiral Binding: Zone Cleaning, Laundry, and Bedroom Cleaning. One Dry Erase Marker. Each flip chart has step by step instructions for completing the chore. Zone cleaning has instructions for the Living Room zone which included gathering and putting away various types of items (toys, books, etc.) or cleaning different zones in the house such as the bathroom and kitchen. I thought it was very convenient that each child could have their own zone. Bedroom Cleaning is similar to the living room zone, but includes things like making the bed. Laundry has instructions for sorting, washing, drying, and folding the laundry. You can see some samples on the website. Cost is $29.95 for the three, but Bedroom charts are cheaper so that each child can have his own ($7.95 ea).
What I Like: These Flip Charts are cute, very visual, and provide thorough, step by step instructions. Even non-readers should be able to use these charts with a little coaching at the beginning. The cost is minimal for a chore system; and the chores are streamlined.
What I Don't Like: I do have one small thing I didn't like, which was the necessity of buying five different laundry baskets to use the chore system. While it made perfect sense to me, this was not an expense I wanted to add for our chores. I suspect you can pick these up cheaply at the dollar store; if you have one nearby. We do not have a dollar store that is safe to shop. Also, I think it is important to note that one of the flip charts was not laminated for dry erase use. I didn't consider this a negative, but some did. As long as you are aware, it should not be an issue. The other two charts had places for the child to checkmark his progress.
My Bottom Line: If I were just starting out with chore training, or struggling to get cooperation in this area I would consider this a good investment. For our family, our current system works great.
First of all, I need to warn you that I am really, really excited about this product! If you have a right-brained learner or a struggling learner, or an older child who hasn't mastered the multiplication tables; you are going to want to order this product. It even works with younger children who aren't struggling... My younger child is five years old, but I have heard of even four year olds learning their multiplication facts before they had any concept of the meaning.
What's Included: The main thrust of the product is a really high quality flip chart; with a set characters designed around the numbers; and then mathematical "nonsense" stories involving the characters. When you first look at it, you wonder how in the world it will ever work! But, the ladies who designed are right when they say "Don't try to figure out how it works." Just do it. It works. Also included is a thorough teacher's guide with complete instructions, flash cards, pretests and tests. All of these are reproducible so that you can use them with multiple children in your family. The cost is only $29.95. I should mention that the new version includes multiplication facts 3x6,3x7,3x8,3x9,4x6,4x7,4x8,4x9,6x6,6x7,6x8,6x9, 7x7,7x8,7x9,8x8,8x9,9x9. The older version I believe is still available with a supplement to add the 3's and 4's. The new program also reverses the process to teach division.
What I like: Well, this works. It only takes about an hour in the first sitting, and a few minutes of review for the first week; and then periodically. The second set of facts is introduced in the second week in the same fashion. Day One: My daughter (age 10) hated Times Tales, thought it was for babies, cried, pouted, and resisted each step of the way! Day Two: My same daughter flew through the flashcards at significantly improved speed without one whining session. When we had gone through the flashcard one time; I said to her "Wow! You are doing these a lot faster today, what made the difference?" Her reply? "I don't know Mom, I just look at the card and the whole picture of the story just pops into my mind and I know the answer -- it's all right there." Day Three: Rapid-fire procession through the flashcards with the story pictures, plus decent speed on the reverse side without the story pictures. (just numbers instead of numbers embedded in pictures...) Continued Progress: Increased speed and transition to no dependence on the story pictures!
This is how Times Tales works! This is right brain learning at its finest!
What I don't like: Once again, I am stymied. I can't figure out anything I don't like about this product. I really think anyone struggling to teach multiplication tables should give this a try.
My Bottom Line: We won't be giving this one away! Great job Trigger Memory!
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
. In the meantime, I had purchased my children several small, cheaply made packages of plastic animals from Wal-mart, the Dollar store and Toys R Us. It wasn't long before I noticed that the animals my Dad bought were of significantly higher quality and appearance! Those cheap animals got legs broken off, paint rubbed off, or just generally looked horrible. The Schleich animals kept their paint and legs in tact and looked realistic! After a while, I started noticing these little animals at Target and was a little startled at the price tag -- some were as much as $6 for one animal. However, I found I could add one or two animals to my cart each time I visited Target and really stock up when they ran clearance. Before long, we had a nice farm collection from my Dad and a nice zoo collection from Target and the old cheap animals had gone the way of cheap toys. We even bought my husband Daniel a Lion, Lioness and four Lion cubs for Father's Day one year -- and guess what he got for his birthday this year? Twin lion cubs that look totally alike and yet completely different from the older four cubs! He keeps them on his desk at work.
Joshua
Peter
together in the regular nursery (Joshua on the Right)
