These are just tidbits of what we have found, what we have used, and what we are learning. Our family is blessed to share some of our path with you in hopes of helping other 2E, gifted, Aspie (Asperger's), HFA & ADHD's. We feel life is a mutual experience bettered for all when help is freely offered. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:58:00 -0600 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:58:00 -0600 We have been using materials from Math Mammoth for about a year now. All products can be downloaded, with many being available in print or CD format now also. Our family's preference is for the light blue series, which is sort of equates to a textbook in that it is a worktext that covers everything the child needs to know for a certain grade level. we find the explanations are usually enough for our children to do the work, but once in a while need a little more in the younger grades, but it's very easy to explain with what the author has already laid out. I especially like the links to online games the author has diligently placed for extra *time* with the topic each chapter. We use it as a reward for when the text work is done. There is a dark blue series that covers only one topic per "book" They are very inexpensive and can be used as we did, to work on gaps in the children's education, instead of making them repeat a whole book or grade as we made the switch. These mini worktexts give explanations so the child can really focus and learn the topic. They are a good niche product I think is great! The golden series are just worksheets to use if you want to double-check, for tutoring, or for those "documentation" requirements when your system doesn't provide it, etc. My son told me the algebra ones were reasonable and correctly on level with the math. They are great products, but I'd like to see Math Mammoth keep building the Light Blue series to include worktexts for these older/higher math skills. Overall we were quite pleased to try out Math Mammoth and I think we will be customers now . http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/751030/ Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:58:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/751030/ These are quality notebooking pages definitely worth buying, but great to win for FREE! Click over to Homeschool Notebooking  and check it out. Take a GOOD look around because they are generous with their sample pages and you will really have a feel for the company and style. Best of Luck!                                               http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/731007/ Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:59:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/731007/ Fellow homeschoolers have worked together as teen writer and Mom editor/publisher to bring us some interesting literature through Media Angels Publishing. Our family was happy to read through The Missing Link: Found recently and we wanted to share our opinion. Firstly; I think children (even adults) and books are kind of like turnips. Either the taste of it catches you somehow and you love it, or the flavor of it misses something for you, and you find it lacking.  For this project I was extremely happy we were staying with my sister, or I would not have had the opportunity to see the balance in whom this book reaches. Five children read this book. The eldest two are 14 and one is a 2E child. Both read beyond their 8th grade level easily and both were disappointed in the book. They found the plot slow to develop and the character's uneasy to relate to. The youngest is 7 and also reads well beyond her years. She enjoyed the scientific aspects and facts weaved through the story. but she also could not relate to the storyline. The middle two boys however, are each in their own separate ways reluctant readers and are usually hard to books for. They found the book extremely enjoyable and related to the characters quite easily. They were excited about the book and wanted to know if there were more. Now; if you are like me and have a gifted or twice exceptional child, then you likely already have lists and more lists of books to challenge them. For those children, I might skip these books unless the subject matter appeals to them. What I find special here is Media Angels Publishing's wonderful ability to reach those children more difficult on the reading and language scale. For this reason, I am highly recommending this book and the series to any family with a reluctant reader or a child that generally has difficulty following the average/challenging books. It is so hard to find good quality reading that doesn't talk down to our children. I'm glad to present decent reading they'll enjoy! I understand that they have learning guides to accompany each of the books, so you can certainly make a full literature unit if you like. Right now they are running a special on the book/guide set and the 3 book set. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/648066/ Tue, 20 Jan 2009 17:20:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/648066/ We recently had the pleasure of reading a creatively cute book titled The Little Man In The Map. Our whole family found it to be a delightful read and the children, especially the youngest, are voluntarily choosing to re-read it during free time. This award winning book could be used by ANY age to learn the geographic position and names of the states in the US in just a few easy reads. The illustrations are breathtaking for me as an adult, and definitely captivating for the kids! Obviously child friendly, I will state for my more conservative readers that it does make mention of imagination as magic and there is an elf. The clues the author provides for remembering the states work with ANY map. The price is reasonable at $19.95 and I highly recommend this book to any home that wants their children to learn the states the easy way, homeschoolers or not ;) There is an optional wall map for the same price if your child is younger or has special needs and might need to see the map frequently. You can find everything, including some free coloring pages and a link to the author’s blog at http://www.schoolsidepress.com/ . Have fun! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/642132/ Tue, 6 Jan 2009 19:04:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/642132/ Ever so sorry for the absence. We were moving cross country and we did not have internet access for longer then we anticipated. I didn't even realize I was nominated for the blog awards until it was over :(  - so sad when you don't even vote for yourself! On the positive side though, we are into our new house and almost settled. The kids and I have been playing with loads of new curriculum and we have tons to share with you. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/642128/ Tue, 6 Jan 2009 18:58:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/642128/ Just in case you don't know about the HSB Front Porch, I thought I'd drop a quick note in here today to let you all know that you can link over and enter to win The Quest for Thunder Mountain. This is the first book in the Tales from Terrestria series and sure to be a great read. If you don't want to wait, click on the purple TOS store button over here --> and you can find it at the store http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/615628/ Thu, 6 Nov 2008 15:51:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/615628/ I don't want our blog here to start sounding like a billboard for The Old Schoolhouse, and I PROMISE, we'll be getting you some fine info and special deals on other products in the next few months. However; TOS keeps putting out these great products and deals and I don't want you guys to miss out on. Do you remember that yearly planner I told you about a few months ago? Well, they have monthly themed modules  you can purchase to go along with it. You can get all of them, or just some. You aren't *in the dark* on a module if you haven't purchased any of the previous ones. Each one stands by itself. It works basically like a theme unit that seamlessly integrates with your planner - OR, don't tell them I said this, I found out you can use it all by itself. Our family started using the November module and I was shocked. This month’s planner module isn’t just amusing, it’s amazing. My son is loving the puzzles section and my typically math resistant daughter is begging me to do the *fun* math please Mom. They have sheets to color and fill in for a variety of fun projects, links to do them interactively online, jokes, challenges, answers just in case we moms don’t want to straggle our pour time cramped mom brains for them, and even some of those famous Old Schoolhouse recipes we can make to finish out a few well spent days. Really, mine will be on this for weeks at least, but it’s all a matter of choice. Just like everything in homeschooling. Plus, there's a little something for all ages in here. You can get the Amusing Math November module by clicking the banner above and visiting the planner website. The monthly module will always be found at the bottom Free shipping is always included. Have fun, we did! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/614730/ Tue, 4 Nov 2008 23:15:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/614730/ When I first started dating my dh, one of the gifts I wanted to give him was a proper tea. There are different styles of tea depending on where you live or family originates from, or the tradition or atmosphere you are trying to set and honor. No matter which type of tea you endeavor to make though, a woman or girl should learn to do this as an honor, not as a chore. The gift of tea time has been given to us to celebrate many things. While there are many steps in learning a proper tea, I have chosen to introduce our readers to what our children are learning. The first step - Preparing the "Perfect Pot of Tea". As with many things, my children find natural earplugs when I am teaching them certain things, so I turned to my friend Cindy, who just so happens to be doing a series on tea time right now. Here is an article she sent me, along with information on her upcoming Memory Makers seminar. I hope you enjoy this as much as our family has. Cindy Rushton's Perfect Pot of Tea…                                                   And other Memory Makers for the Season Have no idea how on earth to begin? Don’t even know how to prepare a pot of tea? There are a few tips that make a very real difference in whether a cup of tea is just OK or really great! Let me help step-by-step… Warm your Teapot. I always rinse mine out anyway. Use warm water, let sit with the lid on while you prepare the tea. (“Tempers” the pot so it keeps the tea warmer AND protects the teapot from extreme temperature changes.) Prepare water. Rinse out your teakettle. Fill it with cool, fresh tap water. Bring to a boil. Prepare your Teapot. As water reaches boiling, empty out teapot. Add tea leaves; 1 teaspoonful per cup of tea being prepared and 1 extra teaspoonful for the pot. If using tea bags, use one bag less than the number of cups you will be making. For example, if your teapot holds 5 cups of water, use 4 tea bags OR 6 teaspoons of loose tea. As water reaches boiling, pour water into teapot immediately. Do not let the water “over-boil” or it will go flat. Let steep…put lid on teapot and cover with a tea cozy for 3-6 minutes, dependent upon how strong you like your tea. Small tea leaves take less time to steep than larger tea leaves. Stir once while steeping. Strain off leaves (or remove tea bags) and serve. Don’t forget! Tea BEGS for relationship. Include a loved one in your teatime! About Cindy Rushton...  Cindy Rushton is the hostess of the Let's Make a Memory, her annual holiday fling for mothers around the world. She is recording Preview Chats for the Let's Make a Memory RIGHT NOW! Join her wonderful guests FREE for the next weeks as they count down to the Let's Make a Memory Virtual Seminar (November 7-8--BUT! NEVER ENDING because it is an ONLINE seminar!). Get your ticket NOW and begin to dig into her FREE gifts now! Check out all of the details here. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/613350/ Sun, 2 Nov 2008 01:10:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/613350/ Those cute little tote bags went faster then my kids on candy. TOS didn't want to leave it's new subscribers go here out in the cold this fall season though, so they decided to GIVE AWAY their new Homespun Holidays e-book to everyone that orders by the end of the month. This is a great deal when you add in all the other free gifts they were already giving, and the monthly Teachers Toolbox, my personal favorite. Of course, when I heard about this deal I wanted to let you all know about it as soon as possible. TOS has more information here: Did you ever dream of getting a horse for Christmas? You can get a sneak peek of our Fall issue and see Nancy Carter's first horse! Oh, and she's not the only one sharing her childhood pictures. You'll see photos from the 50's through the 80's. But, you'll need the Fall issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine to go on this walk down memory lane. Plus, do you like to create holiday memories? The brand new TOS holiday E-Book can be yours, too. It's all about the fall and winter holidays - mainly Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it's not even for sale yet. This is your chance to get it first  - for FREE ($12.45 value)! Normally when a person subscribes, their subscription starts with the upcoming issue which can take a while. But, TOS thought about that when they planned their  Fall Special. If you subscribe now with their Fall Special, you'll get Almost 50% off the cover price for 2 years The current Fall issue as soon as it is ready 6 Bonus gifts 12 months of Teacher's Toolbox, which contains a FREE E-Book every month PLUS, the new E-Book, Homespun Holidays for FREE! This is over $250 worth of product for only $39!! I heard tell there are tasty treats shared in the e-book. Just click on the banner above and you can get all these great goodies headed your way right in time for a special Homespun Holiday! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/612112/ Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:47:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/612112/ I think it's about 8 groups now this subject has come up on, so I figured, what the heck, I'd better go ahead and get this blogged. How does your family teach nutrition and good exercise habits? Important medical information? Do the kids track any of their own information? At what age do we start helping them be responsible for how their treating their bodies? DS is a Boy Scout, STAR rank. He is working very diligently on his Personal Fitness merit badge. He read the book, contacted the merit badge counselor, kept his log of activities for 90 days; he even started following his weekly meals at Nutrition Data to make sure he was getting all the appropriate nutrients. He worked with me on the weekly meal plans and helped with the shopping. He finished writing up his experience as Scouts do for all their merit badges and then contacted the merit badge counselor for the final meeting. Before that meeting happened - disaster! For a kid that;s 13 and doesn't like to write that is. He cant find the daily log of exercise now. 90 days and this is mandatory for the badge . After turning the place upside down, inside out and every other way - and I do mean it took him days to clean my house back up, he resigned to the fact that he was going to start over. He asked me if I could help him set up a program to put this info in on the computer so this wouldn't happen again. Surely someone has already thought of this. People do this on diet sites all the time. There must be a freeware program for dieters somewhere or something. So began the search... I didn't think a search could turn up so many nutrition, diet and exercise sites, but Jimminy there were hundreds. I narrowed them down with him and we finally got to just a few. One was the site he originally used for his nutrition tracking. It was great and free (still use it for nutritional info sometimes as Wellness 360 is just starting their database), but if he was going to be serious about this and continue the habit after the merit badge was completed as he indicated to me, there was one site we found that was even better Wellness 360. Before I tell you about their services, let me start with an explanation that anything you choose to do at their site is held in THE UTMOST of confidence and privacy as they are first and foremost a medical site. That means they are bound by HIIPA laws protecting the privacy of patients and clients. Now, they offer a multitude of services, each is opt-in and customizable by YOU. You can track your weight, food intake, and or exercise like a diet site. You can input just a little bit of personal information and activate an emergency medical ID card. I happen to find the card an immensly useful feature. I have two health conditions and cant wear those little ID bracelets. Now I just have this ID card, with it's safety feature to protect me so only medical professionals can access the information, and I can know if something happens to me they will know. You can read up on medical studies or the latest treatment advice for health conditions. There is so much more ! I think my fingers would fall off if I typed everything you can do here. Now for the best part! Everything you do on this website earns you points. Put in what you had for dinner - points! Read an article on asthma - points! Print out an exercise plan for the next week - points! You decide what to do at the site and you earn points. Every quarter you have the option of converting those points into MONEY. Yes, cash for those points you earned for doing what a conscientious person would be doing anyway! I told my son that to help him cement the good habit of continuing tracking his own food intake, exercise, weight and (under certain conditions -medical information), I would allow him to keep any of the money he earned from this process. He is overjoyed at this prospect! So far his progress has been excellent. He is really learning a great deal from this, and hopefully, will be earning a little bit too. One last thing you can earn points/money for: referrals. I was hesitant to include this at first, but; not only do I want to help my son get started off right, but I honestly believe many of you will come to use this site as a regular part of your lives and refer your own friends (and therefore would want to know about this bonus $ opportunity). If you are at all interested in Wellness 360 ds would be ever so thankful if you would use his sponsor code: ahm825602 . Mine is: ahm825093 I hope we have given you enough information to help you see how this site might benefit you, the teens in the family, and your family as a whole. Especially when we or our loves ones have special needs or medical concerns, I feel a site like Wellness 360 can help us bring it all together, teach and protect our family. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/605112/ Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:55:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/brite00eyes/605112/