Simply Schooling Reviews

Tom's wicked fresh toothpaste

2010-12-01T16:49:00.004-07:00

I was recently sent a tube of Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh toothpaste through BzzAgent to try and review. The toothpaste is peppermint flavored which got mixed reviews from my family. I personally liked it and it reminded me of candy canes and Christmas. My husband hated it, and the kids were split. Basically they either loved it or hated it. The toothpaste retails for around $4.19 for a 5.2 oz tube. I would probably buy it with coupons, but I generally don't pay more than a quarter for a tube of toothpaste, no matter how much I like it. :) On the other hand, it is all natural and doesn't have any artificial ingredients, which is a plus. One thing I really liked about the company was that each employee can spend 5% (12 days) of their employee time volunteering. I like companies that give back to their communities.

Factor Tree

2010-12-01T16:38:00.003-07:00

I was given a free trial of thefactortree.com a new online math program through BzzAgent. As a homeschool mom with lots of kids, I was hoping this would be something wonderful for math like Readingeggs.com has been for reading. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. The program is boring, like a bunch of worksheets that never end. Even my worksheet, busy working daughter was bored. I've tried lots of programs to motivate kids to learn, and this is one I would avoid! Unless they add something engaging and fun to motivate the kids, I'll stick with worksheets. At least then they get a sticker.

Another math site that is pretty good is ALEKS.com, but it only starts with 3rd grade. It is also problem focused, but at least gives the kids some choice about what topics to cover!

Dolphins Unit Study

2010-08-01T21:17:00.001-06:00

Dolphins are one of my favorite animals, so I was excited to get the chance to review a Download N Go unit study/lapbook on dolphins through The Old School House. Download N Go packets are the perfect resource for times when school is stagnant and mom just needs a break from the daily routine, but you don't want the kids to stop learning. We don't use unit studies in our everyday school, so these are a nice change of pace. They are geared to ages K-4th grade, but can easily be adapted to include older or advanced kids. At the end of the week you have a fun lapbook where the kids can review what they've learned or have something special to show grandma and grandpa.

This particular lapbook introduces kids to dolphins in general, different types of dolphins, lots of facts and information about dolphins and more. It is creation based and has some creation based activities included. There are lots of link, activities, and fun things to do as you follow the week long lesson plan. The Download N Go kits are $7.95 through The Old Schoolhouse and come in many topics. You can find other topics here.

Molly's April Digest

2010-04-01T18:22:00.003-06:00

Are you looking for ways to keep the kids busy during the rainy days of spring or the heat of summer? Molly's April Digest has some fun, easy, inexpensive projects that should keep your kids entertained and learning for hours. I was happy to see that most of them were activities we have not done in the past and that I think my kids would enjoy. I also found several yummy recipes in the menu section, one is cooking right now, and another will be made this evening. There was also an interesting article about frugality and attitude. I also found a new holiday we HAVE to celebrate (No Housework Day on April 7th) and several others that will be fun. Molly's Digest is great for sparking ideas of cheaper ways to do things and giving frugal tips for homeschooling mamas!

I was given a preview copy of Molly's Digest to review from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I was not paid for my review, but did receive the April Digest for free.

Automatic Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner

2010-03-30T13:41:00.000-06:00

I have one little tiny box shower for 7 people and I was constantly fighting mildew and soap scum. It never really had a chance to dry out good between showers. I bought an Automatic Shower Cleaner with a coupon and hung it up. It seemed to slow the build-up and times between a good scrubbing, but doesn't completely eliminate the need to clean. When I use my last refill, I am going to try filling the bottle with a vinegar/water solution. The spray seems to get most of the shower, I'm not sure how well it would do with a larger space and a shower curtain. One thing to beware of is that you have 15 seconds to get the shower door closed before it sprays. With a shower curtain, you might get spray outside of the shower, but for box style it works great. I wish it could be hung higher. You could see a faint line above where the spray didn't get. The batteries lasted a long time.

It seems really loud when my husband would use it at 5am, but we didn't notice the noise at other times of the day. We also had problems at first with the kids wanting to peek through the door and watch it not realizing it sprays out.

I have bought one in the past and just received another through BzzAgent in exchange for my review.

Farraday Road and Swope's Ridge

2010-03-18T19:03:00.004-06:00

I just finished two of the best suspense, murder mystery books I have read in a long time! Farraday Road and Swope's Ridge by Ace Collins. Both books combine a modern murder mystery with historic events like World War 2 and September 11th. I received these books to review awhile ago and didn't realize they were a set. I started Farraday Road while I was in the hospital waiting for Lincoln to recover from RSV. This is one of those books you can't put down, and I finished it at 2 in the morning. I loved the story in Farraday Road, but was frustrated with the ending. . . . until I realized I had a 2nd book! You will want to buy both books because I guarantee that once you finish Farraday Road, you'll want to keep going!

Swope's Ridge was just as engaging and well-written, and I ended up staying up late to finish that one as well. Another wonderful thing about these books is that they are completely clean and free of the junk often found in mystery novels!

These books as a set are fabulous and I think they would make a great movie someday, especially if you like ones like "National Treasure." Buy both and you won't be disappointed, buy one and you'll be wanting more.

Exposure

2010-03-18T16:20:00.000-06:00

Exposure by Brandilyn Collins published by Zondervan

Summary: Someone is watching Kaycee Raye. But who will believe her? Everyone knows she's a little crazy. Kaycee's popular syndicated newspaper column pokes fun at her own paranoia and multiple fears. The police in her small town are well aware she makes money writing about her experiences. Worse yet, she has no proof of the threats. Pictures of a dead man mysteriously appear in her home-- then vanish before police arrive.

This murder mystery suspense novel had me confused at first. I had a hard time following the different story lines and almost set it aside. I'm so glad I didn't! The ending tied everything together perfectly. If you can keep track of multiple storylines, I'm sure you will enjoy this book. It's not one you can pick up and put down because you would lose track of what you know, but it also only 272 pages, so you can easily tackle it over a weekend.

I will be looking for more books by Brandilyn Collins for a fast, relaxing read.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Fit to be Tied

2010-02-18T19:25:00.003-07:00

Fit to be Tied by Robin Lee Hatcher

From the cover: It's 1916, and Idaho rancher Cleo Arlington knows everything about horses but nothing about men. So when charged with transforming English aristocrat Sherwood Statham from playboy into cowboy, she's totally disconcerted. So is Statham, who's never encountered a woman succeeding in a 'man's world.' Their bumpy trot into romance is frustrating, exhilarating, and ultimately heartwarming.

I enjoy a good romance story, but they can be hard to find. This Christian romance story is sweet, clean, and fun to read. It is nice to find a good romance story without all the trashy stuff in regular romances. This is a book I would pass on to my sister or daughter or friends. I especially enjoyed the historic descriptions of Boise, having grown up in Idaho. This is a nice, easy afternoon read.

I am looking forward to reading more of Robin Lee Hatcher's novels! Hopefully they are all nice and clean. (If you have read any of her's and would like to share your thoughts, please leave a comment.)

I received a copy of this book free in exchange for my honest review.

General Mills Movie Cash

2009-12-01T12:58:00.002-07:00

Have you seen the cereal boxes with movie cash coupons on the front? They are on General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Trix, and Reese's Puffs. You only have to buy 2 boxes to get a free movie ticket-- and with the price of movies in my area, that's like getting the cereal free-- or better than free if you use coupons and sales to buy the cereal. (The movie cash is good for up to $12 and can be used on ANY movie, even ones that say no passes). I was sent some of the movie certificates from General Mills through myblogspark and they worked like a charm. It was basically like using a check made out to the movie theater. There are not names on them, so you can give them as gifts or use them for yourself. Mine didn't expire until Sept 2010! I plan on watching for these specially marked boxes of cereal-- and will post an update if I see them around here.

In addition, I get to give away one packet of 4 movie tickets. If you are interested, post a comment, here or on Facebook or email me: simplyfun123 @ gmail.com (remove the spaces) Tell me your favorite movie memory or the first movie you remember going to in the theatre. Mine is Harry and the Hendersons.

The winner will be selected on 12/15/09

Hope of Refuge

2009-08-22T18:54:00.003-06:00

The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall

Summary:

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

This book is a sweet story that draws you in. I loved getting a glimpse into an Amish community. The author does a great job of tying together several subplots and creating real, engaging characters. This is a relaxing book, perfect for lazy summer days. I have a copy to give away, so please send me an email if you are interested.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. You can find places to purchase the book by visiting http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400073962

I love Crayola

2009-08-21T11:54:00.001-06:00

I love Crayola products. They are the only crayons I buy because they are so much better than the other brands.

In addition to the basic crayons, markers, and colored pencils, Crayola has introduced some other fun products that I had not seen before. The MyBlogSpark, I was able to test some of them and I'm impressed. (One lucky winner can win a Crayola Creativity pack this week.) See details below.

The Crayola Creativity Pack includes the back-to-school list staples like 24-ct. Crayola Crayons, 10-ct, Crayola Markers and 12-ct. Colored Pencils and some of the new, innovative, affordable variations on these classics:

24-ct. Crayola Crayons, the quintessential back-to-school tool that kids love for their vibrant colors, and moms and teachers choose for superior quality and value

10-ct. Crayola Markers, with an array of consistent, true colors to complete any task

12-ct. Crayola Colored Pencils, which come pre-sharpened with thick, strong lead made to tackle touch projects and art activities

Crayola Pip-Squeaks Colored Pencils and Glitter Glue, which give children big color in a small size and are perfect for jazzing up art projects with bright, bold, shimmering colors

Crayola Window Crayons, to help let your little ones transform glass surfaces into instant decorations with bright colors that lay down smoothly, dry quickly, and wipe clean with a damp cloth

Tadoodles Washable Crayon Buddies, which are colorful little characters that hold a triangular-shaped crayon that twists up when the tip wears down - perfect for little hands!

Crayola Color Explosion Black Extreme Surprises, which comes complete with a stencil sheet and two Broad Tip Color Explosion clear ink markers that reveal a different surprise design as they´re colored on 18-page tablet

Crayola Color Switchers, which are dual-ended markers that allow kids to magically change the colors of their drawings with a swoosh of the "color switch" tip

My kids favorites are the Crayola window crayons and Crayola Color Switchers. They have had some much fun leaving messages on the windows and mirrors and making changes to their pictures. Adam has enjoyed the crayon buddies (and really, all of his older siblings did as well). He has shown more interest in coloring and is so proud of his creations.

I love Crayola and back-to-school time. I loved getting a new, fresh box of crayons at the start of the school year. And while the 24 pack is great, you really need the 64 pack with the built in sharpener or the 120 mega-pack with every possible color.

To enter the drawing, please leave your name and tell me what your favorite Crayola product is and why you like it or email me. I will draw a winner on Wednesday.

There is also a twitter event, use #gno, sponsored by momitforward.com on Tues, Aug 24th that will be giving away free items.

Molly's Money-Saving Digest for July

2009-06-26T15:41:00.002-06:00

Molly's Money-Saving Digest this month features how to save money on clothing, landscaping, and decorating. There were several ideas dealing with thrift stores and sewing, and hints on how to build a classic wardrobe on a budget. My favorite section was "Parenting that Pays." It focused on gratitude and teaching that trait to our children. I think that is especially important when money is tight and our initial response may be to complain or focus on the problems instead of the blessings. Molly's digests are a great resource for families new to the frugal lifestyle. It is helpful to glean ideas from other frugal moms and to know you are not the only one pinching pennies.

I've also found that when I regularly read something about saving and taking care of finances, it keeps my focus on that aspect of my life and helps me avoid impulse purchases. I think of it like scripture reading. When I keep the Lord in my life everyday, my spiritual body is nourished and spiritual things are at the front of my mind. While finances are not as essential in the eternal perspective, they are important temporally and keeping my priorities straight is a blessing to my family.

Molly's digest can be purchased as a e-book through The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Stealing Home by Allison Pittman

2009-06-05T20:08:00.002-06:00

Stealing Home gets a thumbs up from me for being a sweet, well written romance story without all the shady scenes found in many romance novels! I enjoyed reading this story and would be completely comfortable sharing it with my 16 year old sister or having someone pick it up off the table to read a few pages.

It’s 1905 and the Chicago Cubs are banking on superstar Donald “Duke” Dennison’s golden arm to help them win the pennant. Only one thing stands between Duke and an unprecedented ten thousand dollar contract: alcohol. That’s when sportswriter David Voyant whisks Duke to the one-horse town of Picksville, Missouri, so he can sober up in anonymity. He bides his time flirting with Ellie Jane Voyant, his unofficial chaperone, who would rather hide herself in the railway station ticket booth than face the echoes of childhood taunts.

Ned Clovis, the feed store clerk, has secretly loved Ellie Jane since childhood, but he loves baseball and the Duke almost as much–until he notices Ellie Jane may be succumbing to the star’s charm. Then there’s Morris, a twelve-year-old Negro boy, whose only dream is to break away from Picksville. When Duke discovers his innate talent for throwing a baseball, Morris might just have found his way out.

I have 2 copies to share, so if you would like to read it, email me or post a comment and I will choose 2 lucky readers. Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you comment. Drawing will be 2 weeks from today. I'm noticing a 2 theme, so please share your 2 favorite summertime books as well!

Saints in Limbo by River Jordan

2009-06-05T19:59:00.002-06:00

Saints in Limbo is an easy, gently moving novel for summer. Written with descriptive language and imagery, it's a relaxing book to read on lazy days.

Ever since her husband Joe died, Velma True’s world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her home outside Echo, Florida. When a mysterious stranger appears at her door on her birthday and presents Velma with a special gift, she is rattled by the object’s ability to take her into her memories–a place where Joe still lives, her son Rudy is still young, unaffected by the world’s hardness, and the beginning is closer than the end. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma wonders if it’s possible to be released from the past’s deep roots and find a reason to hope again.

I have one copy to giveaway. Please post a comment or email me if you are interested. The winner will be selected 2 weeks from today.

Night Watchman

2009-05-29T18:40:00.000-06:00

The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir

Summary:

Ray Quinn is a tough, quick-witted homicide detective in love with his partner, Trisha Willis. She gives Ray something to live for—something to hope in. Until a barrage of bullets leaves Trisha murdered and Ray crippled.

Struggling with his new physical disability and severe depression, Quinn turns to whiskey, scorn, and a job as a night watchman to numb the pain. But when a pastor and dancer are found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, the pastor’s sister approaches Quinn for help.

Reluctantly, Quinn takes the case and is plunged into the perilous Orlando. Soon he discovers that, not only was the pastor murdered, but the case may be linked to his and Trisha’s ambush.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, this one will pull you in and keep you turning the pages. It is well written, with interesting characters and plenty of twists to keep you guessing.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. You can find places to purchase the book by visiting http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590529355&ref=externallink_mlt_thenightwatchman_sec_0414_01

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

2009-05-28T16:05:00.003-06:00

This little book is small enough in size to slip into a purse, but filled with enough insight to ponder throughout the day. It is set up with a devotional thought for each day of the year. The passages are written as though Jesus is talking to you, encouraging you to trust Him and find peace through Him. Each passage is only a few paragraphs, so it can be the starting point for a more in-depth study or a quick thought to ponder throughout the day.

I tend to hit-and-miss with a daily book, so I ignored the dates and read the messages as time allowed, some days were missed, some days I read several. I found many treasure thoughts to highlight and ponder. None of the messages are "new" information, but reminders of promises Jesus has already made to His followers. There are also scripture references at the end of each day for further study.

I enjoyed leaving the book in my car to read while I was waiting for children. It is easy to pick up and enjoy when you only have a few minutes or to read for longer times while you wait. I also liked the small size, about 4 inches by 7 inches.

Hero and Giveaway

2009-05-21T12:43:00.005-06:00

Hero: Becoming the Man She Desires is written by Fred and Jason Stoeker. It is directed at young men and talks about the importance of leaving the girls they date better, instead of worse, for having known them. It talks about many of our cultures' lies about intimate relationships and why physical relationships prior to marriage hurt both men and women, but especially women. It examines several different "myths" about physical relationships before marriage.

My boys are still young, so I don't know what age, if ever, I would just hand them this book to read. It is pretty straight-forward and open about the p*rn and garbage that the media portrays as normal. I do think it's a good book for parents or leaders of young men to read. There are many points in the book that I think are valuable for teaching, and that could be beneficial to a discussion. I liked how it teaches young men that women want a "knight in shining armor," a hero who will love, honor, respect, and protect her. There are several good analogies and personal stories/journal entries that make the book (after the first few chapters) read more like a story and less like a lecture. There is one section of about 3 paragraphs that I skipped. The authors warn you that a graphic list of garbage found in some current, popular PG-13 and R movies is coming. I would black that section out with a marker because we don't allow those in our home and I don't want the descriptions here either.

I think the message in this book is essential. We need more young men and women to take a stand for purity. Here is a link to the Random House website with options for purchasing the book online: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400071098&ref=externallink_mlt_hero_kef_0403_01

I have two copies of this book available as give-aways, so if you are interested, please leave a comment or email me. I will do the drawing 2 weeks from today.

What Does the Bible Say about That?

2009-05-12T21:31:00.001-06:00

The Bible is filled with advice about all aspects of our life, but finding which scriptures apply to a given situation can be a challenge, especially for kids who are new to studying the scriptures.

What Does the Bible Say about That? is a charming book by Carolyn Larsen, that covers over 300 topics like patience, kindness, jealousy, planning, and even homework. Each topic has a simple one page summary with scripture references, commentary, and a daily goal related to the topic. This book, published by Crossway Books, is written for 8-12 year olds, and deals with issues that are important in their lives as well as topics that apply to all ages.

By taking everyday topics and relating them to scriptures, this book is a gentle way to teach children how to study the scriptures and apply the teachings to their own lives. I have been using it with my 8 year old. Each morning we read a topic together, then look up the quoted scriptures in our KJV (the book uses the English Standard Version). This is helping my son learn WHERE to find the quoted scriptures. We then compare and talk about the versions. We are LDS and have also been looking for related scriptures in the Book of Mormon.

I would recommend this as a book for parents to use with their children. From an LDS perspective, I only noticed 3 topics that don't match up exactly with LDS doctrine, (Hell, Salvation, and the Trinity) and they were presented close enough that it was easy to explain and expand.

Some of the topics are very similar to another, like Honesty and Integrity, but the commentary is different even when the quoted scriptures are the same. Even with 300 topics, there are several important ones missing, like Baptism, Jesus, and Savior, but that is probably because different denominations would present those topics differently.

Overall, my son and I have enjoyed the book and will continue using it for our morning devotion time together. It has been a good way to show him how the Bible can answer his questions and that it has important information on almost every topic.

You can find more information about this book at www.crossway.org/blog

Famous Men of the Modern Ages

2009-04-30T17:46:00.000-06:00

I received the "Famous Men of the Modern Ages" from Memoria Press. I have other versions of the "Famous Men" series (Greece and Rome) and love how they bring history to life by bringing the people of that time period to life. Memoria Press takes their text even further with beautiful illustrations to compliment the written stories.

Famous Men of the Modern Ages starts after the fall of Constantinople with Lorenzo the Magnificent. Here is a direct link to the table of contents. I love these books because I have many gaps in my own knowledge of history. It was really sad how many of these famous men-- from only the last 500 years-- I knew nothing about. Some I remember memorizing, probably along with a date that I have long since forgotten. This book has interesting details about each person that make history more interesting.

Memoria Press also has student and teacher guides to go along with the text. The guides turn an interesting book into a year long study of the given time period. There are 33 lessons and 6 review lessons. They include quotes, vocabulary, comprehension questions, and activities, like timelines and mapwork. The teacher guide is the same as the student guide, but with the answers filled in. The Famous Men of the Modern Ages text is $16.95 and each of guides are $17.95 or you can buy the set of all 3 books for $39.95. My son is in 3rd grade and dislikes writing, so we did many of the comprehension questions orally. His favorite way to use the book was for both of us to read the text silently, then "have a contest" to see if he knew the answers better than I did.

If you are a classical homeschooler or would like an enjoyable way to fill in the gaps in your own knowledge, The Famous Men books are a great starting point. I think anyone would benefit from the text. I would not consider it a complete history curriculum, but it is far more interesting than any of the history texts I had in school and I expect my son will retain more from this book and study guide than I did from the "complete" curriculums to which I was exposed.

Memoria Press Latin

2009-04-30T17:36:00.000-06:00

Salvete, amici Latinae.

I can read that now! And I know what it says! Latin was always something I thought would be good to teach the kids, (because smart people know Latin, right?). However, since I had no background or experience, I was apprehensive and probably never would have gotten around to it. Latina Christiana I by Memoria Press has taken away the fear. I received not only the student and teacher guides, but the Instructional DVD's that go through each lesson in the books. The DVD's are directed to the student and my kids enjoyed watching them. All of the kids sat and watched and I was surprised how much even the little ones picked up. We have taken it slowly, repeating rules and lessons until it is understood.

It has been nice to just sit and learn along with the kids. I did have a little bit of Spanish in college which has helped with understanding the grammar and helped me pick up on some things faster, but I think you would be fine without any foreign language background. The teacher book seems well laid out, and could probably be used without the DVD's, but for me the DVD's have changed Latin from a fearful subject to an enjoyable one. I have used the teacher's guide more as a supplement than as the main resource.

Memoria Press has many other interesting items, and different members of the Crew reviewed different items, so check out what my fellow crewmates had to say here.

The Noticer by Andy Andrews

2009-04-27T16:10:00.000-06:00

This book is A MUST READ!!! It is one of the best books I've ever read, and I read a lot. This book is based on an amazing true story and has the potential to change your life!

The story follows an old man, Jones, not Mr. Jones, just Jones, who manages to show up in Orange Beach, Alabama just when someone's world is falling apart. He gently shares his wisdom and perspective and changes the struggle into a moment of growth. I kept thinking this is how the Three Nephites from the Book of Mormon or the Apostle John would minister while they waited for the Savior's return.

It has the qualities of a classic and I know I will read it over and over again, especially at those times when I'm discouraged or worn down by life's trials. I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn't put it down. There are so many gems of truth and wisdom in the pages of this book. Andy Andrews makes you feel like you are living the story along with him. I have already recommended it to many friends and will be buying more copies as gifts.

Molly's Money-Saving Digest for May

2009-04-27T15:27:00.002-06:00

Molly's digest is known for money saving hints and tips, but my favorite part of the May digest are the reflections on mothers. It's the little things that matter most and the examples we set for our children that will be remembered far longer than the academics we teach them. As Mother's Day approaches, it's easy to see the things we don't do "right" and to focus on the mom we wish we were instead of the mom we are. This reminded me that it's who I am that matters more than what I do.

Tapestry of Grace

2009-04-22T17:01:00.004-06:00

Tapestry of Grace is one of those curriculum's that I have heard mentioned and raved about often. It is a literature-based history (and more) curriculum that cycles through a 4 year rotation with different assignments and books for children of various ages. The advantage, especially for a large family, is that all of your children can be studying the same time periods at the same time, but working at their own levels.

This program is overwhelming at first. There is just SO much there. I found it to be VERY mom-intensive, at least at first, but there are quite a few supporting resources and groups to help figure it out. I would recommend that you download and try one of the samples programs on the Tapestry of Grace website. You can try the first 3 weeks of Eygpt or Journey to the New World for free. I think in 3 weeks you will be able to get a feel of the program and if it will work for your family. Be prepared to spend some time figuring it out before you present it to your children.

My oldest child is 8, and the program didn't work very well for us at this time. He was the only one who could really do the curriculum. However, I will put this program on the back burner to reconsider down the road when I have several different ages to homeschool, I can see how beneficial it could be then. I would recommend this program for large families, especially those who homeschool using Classical methods. I would wait to start until your oldest child is 11 or 12.

I received the DE (digital edition) to review, and I would consider buying the print version as well unless you have an inexpensive printing option at home. I am a hands on person and had some trouble navigating to where I wanted to be in the DE. I also didn't like feeling chained to the computer and ended up printing out quite a bit on my own. I liked most of the recommended books and my son thought they were interesting, although some were hard to find through interlibrary loan. You can look over the recommended books for each level before buying the curriculum. Buying all of the books does increase the cost of the curriculum, but if you are using it with multiple children and repeating the cycle later with the younger ones, the cost is reduced.

The DE curriculum itself costs $45 per nine-week unit, or $170 for one year. You can buy printed versions as well for an additional printing charge. One big negative for me is that the curriculum cannot be resold. The policy stated on the website is as follows:

"When you buy Tapestry of Grace DE, you are not buying a copy of the curriculum. You are buying software which grants you the permanent right to use (and print) copies of the curriculum for your family's personal use. LockLizard is controlled by a computer-specific license that you purchase.

Thus, DE products are non-resalable and non-returnable, so it's important for you to read the EULA and play with our Samples before you buy. For no additional charge, network licenses are also available should you desire to have Tapestry DE running on several computers in your home."

I also recieved the lapbook for the Unit I reviewed and it seemed well put together and was easy to use. I see it as a way to better involve your younger children in what they are learning.

If you are LDS, I have written a separate post on Tapestry of Grace presents LDS doctrines here.

You can read reviews by other TOS Homeschool Crew members here.

Tapestry of Grace and LDS doctrine

2009-04-22T16:43:00.002-06:00

I have previously considered Tapestry of Grace as an option for my family, but could not find any information about how it dealt with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), my religion. When I was given the option of choosing a unit to review, I deliberately chose Year 3, Unit 3, which covers 1825-1850, the time when the LDS church was restored. I went carefully through this unit and asked other reviewers to check theirs, and found nothing that prevent me from using this curriculum with my family. The LDS church is only covered in a 3 week study of the Mormons at the Rhetoric, or oldest, level of the curriculum. I would probably substitute LDS written church history books for one lesson is this unit and possibly expand it to cover LDS history more completely during this time period, although most LDS youth will probably already be quite familiar with those events by that age.

While the LDS church is presented fairly, Tapestry of Grace does include phrases like "Joseph Smith CLAIMED he saw" and discussions about polygomy with typical misconceptions. One activity has the student basically go through the Articles of Faith and evaluate each statement based on what the Bible says. I feel this would be a valuable activity for Rhetoric aged students to examine how other churches perceive our beliefs and to learn how to defend them.

My complete review of Tapestry of Grace as a curriculum can be found here .

His Name is Jesus by Max Lucado

2009-04-19T22:48:00.000-06:00

Max Lucado has a gift for bringing the gospel to life! "His Name is Jesus" takes you on a stroll through the Saviors life, with stories taken from the scriptures, poetry, and commentary. My first reaction when opening this book was WOW!!! It is a beautiful, gift quality book, with a hard-cover slipcase for protection. The artwork and images of nature are a wonderful compliment to the text and bring a peaceful feel to the book. The text is inspiring and thought-provoking, a compilation of Lucado's past writings and new reflections on the Savior's life. There were several times I was tempted to reach for a highlighter or add notes in the margin, but felt the book was too nice to "mark up."

This book was a nice starting point for my bible study and devotional time each day as I reflected on a few pages and read the associated scriptures and cross-referenced them with my King James version. I plan to read through this book with my children, one story or segment at a time, and would recommend it to others.

I am a part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program. You can get more information here.

WriteShop Primary Book A

2009-04-09T15:56:00.006-06:00

My boys struggle with writing, so I was excited to review WriteShop's new Primary Book, Level A. I reviewed WriteShop StoryBuilder cards here and my boys have continued to enjoy them.

Level A is geared for K-2nd grade with 2 more books coming soon that will extend the program through 3rd grade. It assumes you will be doing much of the physical writing for your child. I found the book to be very adaptable and have been using it with 3 of my children.

Jeanisha is an advanced 4 year old, working at a PreK or Kindergarten level. As written, with mom doing most of the handwriting, the program is great for her. The reproducible worksheets (that you buy separately) are probably closest to her level, but I didn't find them very useful. They are fine as a supplement, but I wouldn't consider them essential to the program, especially if you are using other handwriting or phonics program that involve writing. We are following the three-week schedule per lesson for her.

The 2nd child I used it with is Tyler, who is working at a solid 1st grade level. We would do the activities as outlined and then I would have him copy his story from my handwriting into his. We are following the two-week schedule for him that will cover Book A is 20 weeks.

Ryan is in third grade and is older than the program is geared toward, however, he is not a strong writer and is benefitting from the program as well. We are moving at a faster pace, about one week per lesson. I am requiring him to do all of the handwriting. He is also extending the guided writing activities by adding 2-3 additional sentences that are related to the topic.

WriteShop Primary Book A sells for $26.95. The recommended reproducible worksheets sale for $4.95. Both are also available as an e-book for slightly less, plus no shipping. You can see a full sample lesson which should give you a pretty good idea of how the program works.

You can also read other crew member reviews here.

Apologia Science

2009-04-09T13:38:00.003-06:00

I was sent Apologia Science Exploring Creation Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, an incredible science program for elementary-aged kids. Flying Creatures covers Animal Classification, Birds, Insects, and Bats.

This book is BEAUTIFUL. The book itself is a large, 240 page hardback. The pictures are wonderful, the text is clear, interesting, easy-to-follow, and engaging. When it first arrived my husband picked it up and spent the evening just browsing through it. Flying Creatures doesn't have the dryness that is often found in textbooks. It reads more like an interesting, non-fiction book. It is interspersed with just about the right number of activities and experiments, most of which only require things I have on hand or can collect easily. There are also notebook activities and activities for older students at the end of each chapter.

It is written clearly enough for my 6 year old to understand as we work through it together, or for my 8 year old to "pick-up-and-go" without much mom support. I like how it uses real scientific vocabulary, with pronunciations where needed. Ryan (8) likes all of the specific examples. He loves sharing what he read and learned each day and tends to read much more than I've assigned just because it is interesting. Often when I would read part to Tyler (6), he would say, "I already know that, Ryan told me." In fact, most of the time, Ryan would tell the whole family! This is one that I expect will be read numerous times at our house!

There are wonderful, on-line supports and resources for the Elementary Apologia books as well. There are lapbooks, schedules, and resource additional links. Each book has plenty of material for a full year science curriculum.

This series is one we will be continuing with and I can't wait to order the other books. Each textbook costs $35.00 and is made for independent study, so there is no additional teacher text needed. In addition to Flying Creatures, Apologia has elementary level books for Astronomy, Botany, Swimming Creatures, and Land Animals. Two more books, Anatomy and Physics and Chemistry are due out this summer. You can read more about the author, Jeannie Fulbright on her website here. I think you will be impressed.

If you want to learn more about Apologia's upper level courses, click here to see what the other crew members have to say.

Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure by Max Lucado

2009-03-31T22:08:00.002-06:00

I love Max Lucado and how he presents gospel principles using fun, memorable stories. In this hour long movie, two mosquito brothers are sent on a treasure hunt by their dad. Along the way, they learn that no one is perfect and that it's okay to be different and that it is important to work together. This led to some great conversations with my boys (6 and 8) who have different interests and talents and sometimes have problems with sibling rivalry. My younger kids (2 and 4) also enjoyed the DVD and wanted to watch it over and over. (You can buy it through Amazon.com for $12.55 right now).

The cute, animated characters and fun, lively music were hits with the kids and I loved the message it shared. I loved how the brothers had to work together and learn that God gave them their specific talents for a reason. Skeeter portrays an important message in a way kids will remember. This DVD will be well used at our house!

I am a part of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program and I'm happy to be able to share about this wonderful DVD. You can get more information here: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Relationships Book by NavPress

2009-03-31T20:59:00.005-06:00

My relationships with my family and friends are my most precious possessions, but it's easy to let the most important things in life slip to the back burner in the midst of the busyness of life. It takes a conscious effort to get things balanced again. "Bringing Jesus into My World Relationships" by Ralph Ennis and others does just that. More than just a book, it's a Bible study, journal, and small group discussion guide.

Published by NavPress this book was enjoyable to read and caused me to reflect on my relationships with my children, my husband, and my friends. This isn't a book to be rushed through, but rather one to read slowly and savor. I enjoyed reading one short section with my morning devotional and thinking about it throughout the day.

"Bring Jesus into My World Relationships" uses the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) and I prefer the King James Version, so I often pulled out my Bible and read both versions of the listed scriptures-- which led to some additional great insights.

The book can be purchased for only $8.79 from the NavPress website and contains 10 chapters of well selected scriptures and thought-provoking questions. If you want to improve your relationships, the real way, through Jesus Christ and His plan, this book is a good starting point.

Action Figures for All Ages

2009-03-30T20:08:00.001-06:00

We recently received a set of animal figures from Schleich to review and I am SO impressed. These are collectible-quality, hand-painted figures!!! Schleich figurines have been around since the 1950's and have stood the test of time. We received the Swabian-Hall Pig, the Swabian-Hall piglet, the Indian Elephant, the lying down lion cub, the Two-Humped Camel, and the Percheron Foal. One thing I loved was that the animals are correctly scaled-- no more pigs the size of elephants!!! The piglet was our smallest figure 5x3x3 cm, and the African Elephant was our biggest 16 x 5 x 11 cms. The detail on these figures is AMAZING; the foal has little tiny horseshoes and you can even tell the gender of your animals.

My kids fell in love with them instantly and they've been played with every day since. They have taken up residence on top of the piano and they are cute enough that I don't mind having them in our more formal living room.

My two-year-old has been hovering around as I type this, pointing to the pictures and saying, "That mine, that mine." They are his favorite toys.

Along with our animals we received a little catalog showing the different animals Schleich makes and it is starting to become dog-earred as the kids try to choose their favorites and droll over the different animals. Schleich also make knights, elves, dinosaurs, Smurfs, historical figures and others. You can browse their selection online and order online or buy them at local Target stores, Amazon.com, or specialty toy retailers. Prices range from $2.49 to $6.49.

These animals are keepers and I'm sure we will be adding to our collection shortly as the kids have each already made their wishlists of animals they want to collect. These animals are collector quality, but kid friendly, perfect for all ages!

Critical Thinking Company Math

2009-03-23T17:14:00.005-06:00

I have long been a fan of The Critical Thinking Company. We've used their Mind Benders Series, Building Thinking Skills, Language Smarts, and Science. I was excited to be able to review Mathematical Reasoning Level B for 1st grade. Each grade level workbook is $32.99 and is a full color consumable workbook. The one I received contained 264 pages.

I was quite impressed with the number of skills covered and the varied activities and how the topics were connected to the NCTM standards in a chart at the front of the book. My son liked that the topics changed from day to day and he didn't get bored doing the same type of problem everyday, but each skill was repeated soon enough that he didn't forget what he had learned. He was also eager to do several pages every day and most pages were self-explanatory enough that I didn't have to stay right next to him the entire time.

Mathematical Reasoning included all of the skills I expected to be covered in a 1st grade level math book and a list of the skills in each level can be found on the company website. There are also several sample pages. My sons favorite pages were "mystery pictures." First was a page of regular math problems followed by a "dot-to-dot" type activity where instead of going from 1-20, you connected the dots in order of your answers. Not only were these great motivation (he would often keep going to get to the next one), they were somewhat self-correcting. If the answer he got wasn't in the puzzle, he knew he needed to try again.

I was pleased with the amount of word problems and use of visual manipulatives to help make concepts concrete. I felt like it was a very complete math program, easy to use, and kid friendly. The only negative I found is that it is consumable, but so are most math resources for this level. Also, the authors recommend using online virtual manipulatives, but you may want to add a physical set of manipulatives as well.

Overall, this is a product that lives up to my expectations for a product from The Critical Thinking Company.

You can read reviews of other levels at the Crew website.

Great Easter gifts

2009-03-20T18:31:00.001-06:00

Easter was always a fun holiday growing up and hunting for Easter baskets is a tradition I wanted to continue with my kids. At the same time, I wanted to keep the focus of the day on the real meaning of the holiday. In December, I posted about Alphabet Alley a company that sells Bible based toys and games. I was sent a magnetic playset to review, but as a result of the new U.S. laws, they are not selling the magnetic playset until they can determine if they meet the new standards set by the U.S. government. The company pays strict attention to quality and I would recommend that you visit their website and see what fun gifts you can find for Easter.

You can read my previous review or visit their site here.

New Testament Activity Pak

2009-03-20T17:53:00.002-06:00

Have you caught the lapbooking bug yet? Lapbooking is a fun project based way of learning material. You create several "mini-books" that are then glued together into a file folder creating a "lapbook" that your kids will want to look at over and over, painlessly reviewing the material.

I was given a copy of the New Testament Lap Book Activity Pak from Homeschool in the Woods to review. This is one of the most complete lapbooks kits I have seen. The suggested ages are grades 3-8, so some of the activities were a little advanced for my younger kids, and we ended up doing a "family" lapbook. This particular lapbook contains 15 activities, and each one can be used as the basis for a Family Home Evening Lesson or Sunday activity. The instructions are extremely well written, with pictures, to help you create the mini-books. Mini-books are also pretty easy to adapt to fit the needs of your family-- we simplified the Beatitudes book with a brad fastener and made it a "fan" book. My only negative about this lapbook is that it doesn't use the King James Version of the Bible, which is our preference.

One of our favorite activities was making the Armor of God Posters using individual pictures of the kids for the faces. The boys LOVE war and battle stuff right now, and the poster was a fun way to let them build a "paper doll" version of themselves with the Armor of God.

All of the pictures are clear and contain a great deal of detail. Homeschool in the Woods also offer History Through the Ages Timeline Figures that we have used. These are also high quality pictures that will enhance your study of history.

You can read additional reviews here.

Sale

2009-03-16T17:48:00.003-06:00

Here's a chance to save up to 80% on products from some of the companies I've reviewed this year! It's the March Madness sale in the Schoolhouse Store! They have unit studies and copy work to help round out this school year or for fun summer activities. Almost 200 items are on sale from vendors such as Auralog, Trigger Memory, Draw and Write Through History, American Schoolhouse Readers, and MANY more.

Noah's Ark

2009-03-11T20:33:00.004-06:00

The kids and I were all very excited when I found out that I was going to get to review another product made by One2Believe. The kids loved the nativity set we reviewed before Christmas that they still ask to play with it even with Christmas long passed. (That review is here.)

I love the idea of giving the kids Bible and scripture oriented toys to play with and reinforce those stories. Unfortunately, we had a few problems with our Noah's ark. Ours came with a missing lion and an extra monkey. I emailed the company and they said they would send a replacement lion, but it never came. The ark does open to hold the animals, but it is too hard for my kids to open and close it on their own.

One thing my kids DID really like about the ark was that it really floats. They are making plans to float it down the little ditch behind our house this summer. Adam (2) really liked all the animals and even started taking an ostrich and a camel to bed with him. He carried the elephants around all the time too. The older boys liked the ostriches and monkeys, but were a little turned off by the elephants--ours were purple and they couldn't see past that.

Another concern as Noah's staff, which comes out and could pose a choking hazard. I just removed it. My kids did spend a good amount of time playing with the set. They pulled out all the other animals they could find and created quite the animal parade to the ark. I liked that One2Believe had some less common animals, like ostriches and camels, included in the set.

Overall, this is a fun toy for in the bathtub where the floating aspect makes it a winner, but it's not the easiest for the kids to use on their own.

SpellQuizzer

2009-03-09T21:04:00.002-06:00

Spelling came easy for me, but I remember my mom drilling my younger brother on his spelling words every night over and over. I'm sure would have LOVED a spelling program that would do it for her. That is basically just what SpellQuizzer is! It is a simple spelling software that lets you (or your child) enter in the list of words to be studied, along with a sentence or phrase using that word (either typed or verbally through a computer microphone). The child then practices their list over and over. If they misspell a word the correct spelling pops up in green and the spelling they typed in red. After going through all the words, it re-quizzes them on words they missed.

I used this program primarily with Tyler (age 6). His lists included mostly phonetically standard words or "challenge" words that he commonly uses in writing, like "love" and "said." When I recorded the sentences, I tried to make them fun because I knew if they were silly he would think it was a game. He thought the personalized sentences were hilarious! Many of my sentences requested an action. dog: Can you bark like a dog? mom: Stand up and say, "My mom is the best."

Later, I let Ryan (age 8) enter in a list and sentences. The software was easy enough that Ryan could do that without problems. I didn't give him a set list, but told him any 3 letter words that were easy to sound out would be fine. He had fun making the list for his brother and then made one for himself using words he misspelled in his writing.

My 3 year old also wanted a turn, so we recorded letters for her. b:buh, boy and she would have to type the letter. She thought it was fun and it was good practice for hearing the sounds.

In addition to practicing spelling words, there are side benefits to this program as well. It is helping my younger kids become familiar with the keyboard, keeps the 3 year old quiet while I'm putting the little ones down for a nap, and it can be used for lots of things besides spelling. It can basically be used to practice any quiz information as long as the child can spell the answer.

It is not a flashy program, there is nothing to distract from the task at hand. It's easy to use and my kids thought it was fun. I would recommend it for kids who struggle with spelling and need the drilling. You can try this spelling software free for 30 days, or buy it for $29.95.

You can also get it free two different ways: (I suggest option 1 if you have a blog).

1. Use the contact form on the website and tell the owner Dan Hite that you would like to write about the software on your blog, like I did. Anyone who has an established blog can get a free license by posting about SpellQuizzer. There are no conditions on whether or not the post is positive or negative.

2. Through a service called TrialPay where you sign up for goods or services from qualifying companies and get a free license for SpellQuizzer for doing so. Some of the offers cost nothing (signing up for a Discover Card, agreeing to a free trial for a service like FreeCreditReport.com, etc.). You can check it out at http://www.spellquizzer.com/PurchaseByTrialPay.htm.

Artistic Pursuits

2009-03-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

These are one of the best art books I've used! I love how they have everything collected that I need. I have used the K-3 level books 1 and 2. Artistic Pursuits also carries books for Preschool, Upper Elementary, Junior High,and High School. I am NOT talented with art. I know the names of some famous artists and recognize a few famous works of art, but I sometimes struggle with the amount of prior knowledge art curriculum expects the teacher to have. With Artistic Pursuits, I am able to learn right along with the kids. The lessons follow a See, Learn, Do format. Book 1 (K-3) covers what artists see, what artists do, and early art (such as cave art, greek pottery, stained glass).

Book 2 introduces students to the stories of artists and their art. First we read and talk about an artist, we see an example of their work, and then the student does a project connected to what they learned. My kids have really enjoyed the projects and tried the techniques they learned again later on their own. You can find samples on the website.

The only negative I have for this program is that it recommends REAL art supplies, which can be expensive. There are links to discount art suppliers on the website, and for some projects we used the lower quality items we already had on hand. The teacher notes help you know exactly what to have on hand with which lesson and keep prep time to a minimum. I like that it includes art history and hands on projects. It is not too time consuming or in-depth for young students.

If you want to read reviews of other levels, please check out what other members of the TOS Crew have to say.

Math Mammoth

2009-03-05T17:12:00.001-07:00

Update: Free Sample of the Blue Series Clock Worktext this week only: HERE

Have you ever wished you could find a good math curriculum that focused just on clocks or geometry or money? Have you ever wished you could just erase the whole page and have the child try again when you had THOUGHT they understood what you were asking them to do? Math Mammoth does exactly that! And for a very good price too!

Math Mammoth worktexts (blue and light blue) and workbooks (green and orange) are downloadable math programs. You then print the worksheets (and text style explanations) you want from your computer. They are packaged a variety of ways, so you only have to pay for what you need. They are also non-consumable in that you can print them off again for another child or for extra practice.

The Blue series are topical worktexts for grades 1-5 that range in price from $2 to $5. Each book covers one topic for one grade. These would be perfect if you have a student needing practice with time or money. They are a great supplement for other math programs or a stand alone introduction to a topic.

The light blue series books are a complete yearly curriculum for grades 1-5. They come in 2 parts A & B for each grade and cost about $14 per part. This is the program we tried. We used 2A with Tyler. One thing I really liked was that this program does not "spiral" but is organized by topics. While some topics have to be presented in order because they build on each other, others like time and money don't and can be presented anytime.

When Tyler is presented with new material there are times that it doesn't seem to stick and both he and I get frustrated. I've found that if I move onto a new topic and give the first time to "simmer" in his mind, it often clicks easily when I come back to it a couple weeks later. Many math programs won't allow this because future lessons have review problems covering exactly what they child was struggling with. Another thing I really liked was the list of internet resources at the beginning of each topic. It directed me to free resources and suitable games and activities online. The sites were all kid friendly and safe. Tyler loved bouncing a ball along a number line to land on and squish flies. Even Jeanisha who is 3 caught onto the concept of a number line with this game and enjoyed it.

The Math Mammoth books come in 2 additional formats, green and golden, which are geared for grade 3-Algebra 1. These are simply a collection of worksheets, arranged either topically (green) or grade level (golden). These would be perfect for tutoring or for extra practice.

The only cons I could see with Math Mammoth were the printing costs and the possibility of lost pages (it's easier for my kids to lose one worksheet than a whole book). One other possible challenge is figuring out which series is best for your child because the books can be "packaged" several different ways, but the author, Maria Miller is very approachable and willing to help!

I recommend going to the website and requesting the 280 free worksheets at the bottom of the page. These will give you a good idea of what the curriculum entails!

Five in a Row

2009-03-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of basing learning around good literature, which is exactly what Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert does. The basic idea behind the Five in a Row books it that you read the same selected book every day for five days in a row and do an accompanying activity or two each day. There are 4 volumes of Five in a Row for ages 4-8. I have used volumes 1 and 3.

Through Five in a Row we've been introduced to some really sweet and fun stories that we would have missed otherwise. My kids love hearing the same story several times and these books often become favorites. The teacher manual has a variety of activities for each story. For example after reading Henry the Castaway, we talked about birds and Scottish Terriers, river currents, and explorers. We made flags and looks at the water in the paintings.

Five in the Row also introduces kids to some pretty advanced Language arts concepts, allusion, onomatopoeia, analogy, simile, and so on. I've been impressed with what my boys have been able to remember and how they are able to incorporate some of these into their writing.

One downside of the Five in a Row book is that some of the books are hard to find, we were able to get quite a few through interlibrary loan, but there were a some that are out-of-print. I would suggest looking over the booklist before selecting a volume. You can use any of the first 3 volumes in any order (volume 4 is geared to older kids as are Beyond Five in a Row.) You can also use the stories in any order, we generally just did whichever book came first through interlibrary loan.

Five in the Row is a fun literature based curriculum. I would use it more as a supplement than a full curriculum, but it is easy to use and enjoyed by the kids. Each teacher volume is $25-$35 depending on the binding type you choose.

Prairie Primer

2009-02-28T18:53:00.001-07:00

I've always been intrigued by unit studies, but never been brave enough to try one. When I received The Prairie Primer by Caldron Creek Publishing I was amazed, and a bit overwhelmed, by how many activities it offered. The Prairie Primer is a very comprehensive unit study based on The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The softcover book is over 330 pages, broken into sections for each book. You could cover one book per month to complete the series over a school year, or take it more slowly. It is intended for third to sixth grade, but many of the activities were easily adaptable to my younger children, even my 3 1/2 year old enjoyed them.

The Prairie Primer includes activities for Literature, Science, Writing, Living, Art, Bible, Manners, History, Character, and even a little Math. While it isn't a complete curriculum, it does a great job integrating a wide variety of topics into your learning and is a very in-depth literature study. There is a section of the Caldron Creek website where you can see lots of samples, like the planning guide and study guide for the first week and a list of topics covered. You can find it here.

At first I found the huge list of activities overwhelming. I had to remind myself that we don't have to do them ALL. I picked only a couple of activities per day and sometimes even handed the book to Ryan (my 8 year old) to choose the activities for the next day-- although he usually wanted to do more than I had time for.

We only did activities from the first book, the Big Woods and only did 2 days a week instead of 4. Unit studies are not my style of teaching and I had a hard time incorporating everything I wanted to while still doing reading lessons, taking care of the little ones, keeping the toddler out of trouble, and keeping the house presentable. I think it could be a great resource/study guide if my kids were a little older-- my oldest is a third grader, so we were at the young end of the recommended age range.

I did feel it had plenty of "boy" stuff included to keep my boys interested. There were also activities for all different learning styles and plenty of hands on activities that the kids will remember.

Pros:
1 This book has a TON of activities and ideas.
2 It is from a christian viewpoint with a healthy dose of Bible activities mixed in.
3 It includes comprehension questions if your child is reading the chapters on their own.

Cons:
1 Some of the activities weren't practical for us, even though they would be fun. Like collecting sap.
2 You have to collect or buy books and items for each chapter. This was sometimes a problem for us as our interlibrary loan can take awhile and I would sometimes forget to request things early enough. (This is more a mom issue than a curriculum issue, but if you are used to pick-up-and-go, it can cause problems.)

Caldron Creek also has literature based study guides for the Narnia books and the Anne of Green Gables books. The Prairie Primer sells for $50.

Math Tutor DVD

2009-02-19T22:20:00.003-07:00

This is what Ryan (age 8) reported to his dad after watching part of the Algebra 2 Math Tutor DVD's I was sent to review:

Dad: "What did you learn today?"
Ryan: "I learned algebra. Well, actually Algebra 2. And it was easy."

He then had me write him some equations, like y=4X-6, so he could demonstrate how to graph a line.

Then, Ryan: "And there's only 15 parts on the movie, so I'll learn all the rest in, oh, about 2 weeks."

Wow!!! Any math program that can make Algebra 2 interesting and understandable to an 8 year old is amazing. Not only did Ryan LEARN how to graph a linear equation, he remembers it and is excited about it. He also asked me to buy some of the other ones for him to watch and learn "for fun."

I received two Math Tutor DVD's to review: Basic Math Word Problems and Algebra 2. The word problems DVD covers adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, fractions, and decimals, plus sections on percents and ratios. Ryan has always been good at math and he sat on the floor playing with magnetix while the instructor worked explained the problems. Then when a new problem was introduced, he would sit up, figure the answer and go back to playing. He was so excited to get it faster than the instructor. I had only planned to watch one section at a time, but Ryan kept asking for more. He watched several sections, including topics we haven't covered as much and was able to follow along and understand very easily. This one DVD covers most of the topics students learn through elementary school and would be great for kids struggling with word problems.

Pros: I would recommend these for students who are struggling with math or students who are gifted in math and would like an early introduction to advanced math topics, but still need practice on skills like long division. They are only $26.99 for 6 to 10 hours of instruction, much cheaper than a regular tutor. These would also be a great refresher course or introduction to go along with any public school or university math program.

Cons: If a student is already strong in an area (and not needing a tutor) these would probably be boring and the repeated explanations would be overkill. The DVD's are also not real exciting visually, basically a white board with a voice explaining how to work the problem. (This is also a plus because my son wasn't distracted and could focus on the math instead of cute visuals.) Also, this is not a complete curriculum and there are no practice problems on the DVD, however, worksheets are available at several levels that would make it more complete.

Overall, if you have a student struggling with any level of math, I would give these DVD's a try. They go through advanced calculus and advanced physics. I plan on buying more for Ryan to watch and learn from "for fun" so that when he reaches that level of math it will already be familiar to him. It also helps show him "WHY" it is important to practice the basic math skills.

There are several sample videos on the website.

Heads UP!

2009-02-19T20:34:00.004-07:00

If you have a special needs learner, an wiggly learner, or even just a regular active child, you need to check out Heads Up! They have some AWESOME products!!!

From the company website: Heads Up! is a company designed to provide expert information and products for special needs children. Our items have been selected to accommodate various learning styles and strengths, regardless of curriculum used. These special needs products have been found to be especially helpful for children who are distractible or hyperactive.

I was sent several products to help with reading. Top of the Line and Double Time are reading aids with a highlighted strip (Blue or yellow) on top of a grayed out area. This lets you focus on one (or two) lines at a time. They are $1 each.

Colored frames come in a variety of colors and help focus the eyes on a certain area of the page so it isn't as overwhelming. They come in two sizes and are also $1.

The final product I was able to test were Heads Up! readers. These are about the size of a regular bookmark, with a highlight strip of color between two strips of gray. They come in 6 colors or clear and are $1 each.

These products were especially helpful for my son with sensory integration disorder and possible dyslexia (but both of the boys liked using them). In the past, he has complained about his eyes burning when he reads or that the letters are "moving." Depending on the light different colors worked best, but he seemed to gravitate toward the blue and red/pink colors and away from the yellow.

I have also gleaned several other great ideas from the Heads Up! website and have several items on my wishlist for the future. If you have a child who is struggling to read or dislikes reading, I highly recommend trying some of these readers. (My fluent reader liked them also).

Homeschooling ABC's

2009-02-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

I know so many families who would love to homeschool, but find the idea overwhelming. Others who have jumped in with both feet and are just trying to stay afloat. If either of those descriptions fit you, OR if you are an experienced homeschooler who would just like some encouragement/support/advice (and lots of free curriculum to try), check out Terri Johnson's Homeschooling ABC's. It's like having a personal homeschool tourguide as you navigate this exciting new world!

Terri Johnson has been homeschooling for 11 years and has written a series of step-by-step weekly emails to help you set up your homeschool and figure it out. This is a subscription service and it is $10 a month for the 6 months, or about $2.50 a week. She includes weekly freebies that would cost over $200 if you bought them from the publishers. She also has a 60 day money back guarentee, so you can give it a try and see if you think it is worth it. I honestly think that after the first 5 or 6 weeks you will have a pretty good idea of the program. There is a 5 lesson mini-course that is free here that you can try first.

This program is geared towards families with elementary age children, especially families with more than one child. But, I enjoyed the articles and freebies even though I've been homeschooling for 4 years. When we decided to homeschool, I read every book I could get at the library, visited over a hundred websites, and spent a good deal of time researching. Terri has done a lot of that for you and broken it into bite-size pieces that aren't overwhelming and can be referred to again later. Each week you are given "homework," an idea to implement into your current homeschool along with resources to do it. I'm a cheapskate, but if this had been around when I started, it would have sure been handy.

And even though I've been doing this for awhile, I collected quite a few ideas and enjoyed the lessons I've received and read. Initially I felt like I would want it all NOW instead of waiting patiently week by week. However, getting the whole kit-and-caboodle dumped at once would be so overwheming I wouldn't get as much out of it. This way you can focus on one area and idea at a time.

I would highly recommend this for anyone just starting to homeschool or struggling with homeschooling (especially families with multiple children)!!!!

Rocket Phonics

2009-02-04T21:13:00.002-07:00

Rocket Phonics is AWESOME!!! This is a reading program with "helpers" so kids can become confident readers without guessing. My "reluctant" reader is now asking to read and even picking up the book to re-read the lessons when I can't work with him!

Letters that follow the rules of phonics are in blue, others are in gray and have helpers underneath them, so the child doesn't have to guess when a word doesn't follow the rules.

The readings consist of riddles, games like Simon Says, and silly kid sayings.

I have an 6.5 year old (Tyler) who is reading at about a 1st grade level and an almost 4 year old, (Jeanisha) who has been wanting to learn to read very badly. She has just learned most of her sounds with Letter factory and bingo. We've been playing the bingo game regularly and she loves being the "caller."She has been SO excited as she's been able to read words. The first few times, she would jump up and down and give everyone in the room a high five when she figured it out. It was so much fun to watch. She asks constantly for more reading lessons and walks around the house with a book all day "practicing".

Rocket Phonics includes a supplement with over 20 games just for learning letters, sounds, and beginning blending. The games are fun enough that ALL the kids want to participate, but easy enough that my 8 year old can facilitate and they can keep playing long after school time is done for the day.

Reading for Tyler has been more of a struggle. He has many of the signs of dyslexia, his eyes "burn" after he strains to read (the blue and gray text used in Rocket Phonics seems to be easier). He is a very active, yellow personality---motivated by fun and silliness, but hard to keep focused--boy. We used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and additional books by the same author plus lots of other readers. He does fine when the words follow the rules, but struggles otherwise. He would read with me each day because it was just part of school and he would spend a lot of time looking at books making up his own stories, but didn't initiate reading lessons/practice very often. I introduced this book as a book of reading games. We started with the "new" sounds playing bingo and he enjoyed that.

For the thinking games in Section 1.4, I called them hidden pictures and he liked reading the word and finding it in the picture. The next group had sentences that were either true or false based on the picture. This was great because he couldn't just guess at the words based on the picture. I called these trickers and told him that they had hidden some wrong sentences and it was his job to be a detective and figure out which ones didn't match the picture. He loved this! He thought that was hilarious and that "the people who wrote this book are so silly."
We started section 2.1 which I had told him had jokes and games. And he kept asking to read more! Usually he is asking "how much more do I HAVE to read." Tonight he was saying, "Please, just one more, just one more."

I'm excited to see what the next few weeks bring, but I am extremely pleased so far! I will be posting follow-up reviews as I continue working through this program. The program sells for $160 at www.rocketphonics.com and is so much better than other phonics programs I've looked at for a struggling reader or an older reader who needs practice.

PS. If you are local, I'd be happy to meet you and show you the program.

WriteShop

2009-02-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

If you've ever heard the words "I don't know what to write about," the WriteShop StoryBuilder Cards might be the solution for your kids. Appropriate for kids k-12, the StoryBuilders are printable cards in four categories, (characters, traits, setting, and plot). The cards are sold in an e-book format that you print on cardstock and cut out. Different colors are used for each type of card (either different colored paper or different colored font). There are four different sets, Animals, People, Sports, and Christmas.

I received the Christmas and Animal sets. The Christmas set has 92 cards (all non-religious things like snowman, reindeer, old woman) and the Animal set has 192 cards, plus some blank ones to add your own words. We used the cards several different ways. Sometimes we drew cards from each deck randomly, sometimes I let the kids look through and choose different story elements. Sometimes we wrote out the stories, sometimes we told them out load, and a few times the boys even worked together to make a story and tell it to us with puppets.

These have been great for getting the creative juices flowing and helping my boys branch out from the same story elements that they use over and over (like someone getting shot with a bow and arrow or eaten by a dragon). As we've used them, I've noticed Ryan (8) pulling some of the character traits or ideas into his writing from previous days or taking his story in a completely different direction. His favorite story was supposed to use boa constrictor, daring, forest, and learns to fly. You can read it here. This is great improvement for a boy who thought 50 words was a lot for a story back in September. (This one is 126 words.)

You can access Writeshop's store here where the StoryBuilders are sold for $7.95 for the animal, people or sports set and $3.95 for the Christmas set. The sets are completely different and can be combined. However, I found that one set gave us plenty of ideas to work with.

All about homophones

2009-01-26T08:49:00.003-07:00

My kids and I LOVED All About Spelling, so I was excited to receive All About Homophones by the same author. In case you've forgotten what homophones are, they are those tricky words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

I/eye
they're/there/their
idle/idol

So many kids (and adults) have trouble knowing which word to use when. All About Homophones makes learning them easy. They've broken all of the homophones into general grade levels and provide graphic organizers, worksheets, crossword puzzles, and games for each group of words. There are fun riddles and plays on words sprinkled throughout. My 8 year son did the 3rd grade words and then wanted to keep going because they were fun. The 6 different card games make practicing and reviewing fun and the right usage gets cemented into the brain.

I also liked the mega-list of homophones at the back of the book (6 pages with 4 columns per page) and how each word in the book is indexed telling you what pages it is used in. So if you are having trouble with assistants/assistance, you can look in the appendix and see exactly which pages will help practice those words.

The softcover book is $29.95 and the ebook is $27.95. (But for the next few days, you can get $10 off by entering the coupon code "FUN" in the customer code box during checkout. The coupon code is good until Monday, February 2, 2009.

And if you just want to have some fun with homophones, try the Homophone Machine. It's free and I'd love to see what crazy sentences you can come up with.

Spears Art Curriculum

2009-01-10T12:03:00.003-07:00

I am not talented at art. I took one art class in school for 8 weeks in junior high. I walked through the art museum a good bit in college because it was a shortcut home. I do have pictures of Christ, temples, and scripture stories throughout our home, but that's it. As a result, most of the art my kids have been exposed to is through co-op classes or just free exploration with the art supplies here at home. Teaching art was too intimidating and time consuming.

Then I received the Spears Art Studio to review. The entire K-8 curriculum comes on a CD-Rom with different levels of projects for different ages. The projects are laid out by month, which gave me a place to start. Each concept has project ideas for different ages and abilities. We used the K level project for our snowmen and used some oil pastels I was given several years ago for the first time. I liked that it gave me step-by-step instructions to follow. I had the kids follow the instructions the first time, then they could do another will any changes they wanted to make. The snowmen turned out cute. Another project had you trace 7 circles on your paper over lapping randomly then color each section with a different color or pattern. The boys really enjoyed this one too.

I feel like these are projects that are doable. I did have a little difficulty finding the art images it references. I would like to just have a set of postcards or a website with them all compiled for me, but that is just because I am so lacking in art. I didn't even have a clue where to start looking for a given painting in books at the library, but there are some nice samples on the Spears Art website and most projects show a sample of a completed project.

Spears Art Studio K-8 costs $39.95, shipping included, and can be used year after year with children at different ages/abilities. They also have a high school level art program.

Try some free lessons here.

Kinderbach--online piano lessons

2009-01-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

I want my kids to learn to play the piano, but lessons are SO expensive, especially when you multiply that by several children. (especially if they don't practice regularly, like me growing up.)

One of the programs I was given the chance to review, Kinderbach, is a realistic solution. Kinderbach offers 2 years, or 60 weeks, of online music lessons for children ages 2-7. We've completed the first several weeks of lessons and I'm impressed so far. Jeanisha, who is 3 1/2, has started recognizing beat and it thrilled to be able to play a couple of songs on the piano like her big brothers. Tyler is 6 1/2 and loved the lessons. This was the first time he had shown ANY interest in the piano. Ryan is 8 and the only one who has had piano lessons. Having the other kids wanting time at the piano also made him want to practice more.

The lessons are short, cute, and interactive. Each one has something for the kids to do along with the video. It may be a coloring page you print out, or using rythum instruments to count out the beat, or a song to practice on a keyboard or piano. My kids loved this and learned a good bit. We tended to do a weeks lesson in one sitting, instead of breaking it into 4 parts. When I would start it, all of the kids, including Ryan who knows how to play the piano would want to watch.

The program is reasonably priced, at $14.95 per month or $85.95 for a year (which is only $7.16 per month, cheaper than one weekly lesson in my area). And one subscription is all you need for your whole family, just keep track of which lesson different children are on.

Check this one out, you can try the first two weeks of lessons for free here.

Peterson's Handwriting

2009-01-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Peterson's Directed Handwriting is a handwriting program with a lot of promise. It would probably work very well for many children, but it didn't work well with my boys right now. I was given Level One printing and Level three cursive to review. The program has a well written teacher's manual which breaks learning handwriting into bite-size pieces. I liked how it broke the strokes down by color and you knew the order was always green, black, red.

Tyler liked the finger tracing but struggled when it came to writing the letters. The student book is a separate book that you put above your paper and copy from. Tyler has many of the characteristics of dyslexia and really struggled with transferring the letters from the book to his paper. Letters tend to swim and move and having to move his eyes that far was challenging. He ended up frustrated and discouraged. He did much better with our other handwriting program where the letters were on the same line, on both sides of where he was supposed to write. It wasn't as hard for him to transfer his eyes and write the letters.

I started working with Ryan on the level three cursive book and realized he had developed several bad habits with his printing. Like starting at the bottom or doing the strokes in a backwards order. As I started introducing the cursive strokes he tried to add them into his regular writing and it became unreadable. So I had to put Peterson's aside and refocus on his printing. I should also note that this year I am requiring a lot more writing from him instead of narration, which could also have contributed to his resistance.

I didn't find the Cd songs or CD-Rom with animated letters helpful either. We have some ABC DVD's that show the same thing as the animated letters and they move from one letter to the next by themselves. The songs were annoying to both me and the boys. The full kit with the CD and CD-Rom is also quite expensive for handwriting, $38.55. The basic kit is $15.05 and both are non-consumable.

While the program didn't work for us, and will probably never work for Tyler, I plan on trying it again in a few months with Ryan and saving it to try with Jeanisha. She love's writing pretend notes now and I think the color and rhythm with work well with her. She also loves to try copying things and doesn't seem to have the hand-eye issues that Tyler does.

If you are looking for a handwriting program, I would suggest you read some of the other reviews here.

All About Spelling

2008-12-31T17:33:00.003-07:00

Spelling has always come easily for me, so when Ryan (8) just didn't grasp it, both of us were frustrated. We had tried several different spelling programs and while he would learn the words for his test, they wouldn't stick and he would misspell them in his writing even days later. Spelling made him feel like a failure at writing and he started to hate writing of any type.

Fast forward to last night. We finished his spelling lesson and he asked if we could do keep going and learn another rule. He then said spelling is now his favorite subject! This is coming from a kid who would offer to do any chore, even clean the bathrooms, to skip spelling for the day!

I love that his spelling has improved drastically in his everyday writing as well. The way that All About Spelling introduces the rules and emphasizes them has really made them stick! And when he does misspell a word that follows a rule that he has learned, I just remind him of the rule and he can find the error and fix it himself. Best of all, he is now much more confident in his writing and spelling.

We have only been using All About Spelling for about 5 weeks, with a break when the baby was born. We started with Level One and have worked through it quickly. I would recommend starting with this level-- even I have even learned several spelling rules I didn't know. There are 4 levels currently with 2 more coming out in 2009 which will take you all the way through high school spelling. Each level is $29.95 and is non-consumable, so you can use them with more than 1 child. Although if you have 2 children the same level, they will each need a student packet. You can see the scope and sequence and samples here.

I have found the company very good to work with. My packet was missing the audio CD and it was sent out very quickly. This is the only component of the program I didn't find useful. Instead, buy the Phonogram File Folder games, we've been using these for several different subjects.

This program is a little more time intensive for the teacher than others I've used. Instead of just a pre-test and a post-test, I end up spending about 15-30 minutes a day on spelling. But the program is so well laid out, an older sibling could easily teach it. It was also time intensive to cut everything out at the beginning, but the company has fixed that and now offers perforated cards.

Overall, I give All About Spelling an A+. The difference I've seen in my son is remarkable and my younger son (6) is asking when he gets to start.

Even if you are happy with your current spelling program, I would recommend you check out the articles on the All About Spelling website. They have some great ideas that can be used with any spelling program.

Alphabet Alley

2008-12-31T16:46:00.003-07:00

Finding well made games for little hands can sometimes be a challenge, so I was excited to get to review 2 games by Alphabet Alley. The two games we received were Noah's Ark Two by Two Matching game and Noah's Ark Go Fish. Jeanisha who is 3 1/2 loved them both!

We played the matching game by putting all the animals face up first because we hadn't played memory with her yet. She loved the cute animal drawings and actually spent a good bit of time just arranging and rearranging the animals to board the ark.

The boys wanted to play with her and set it up basic memory style and I was surprised at how well she did. (Other than being a little possessive about "her" animals.) The cards are a very thick, sturdy cardboard that have held up well. There are 12 pairs, 11 animals and the arks. I have even let Adam (21 months) play with them, lining them up and "marching" them onto the ark. They are the perfect size for little hands, the drawings are cute, and I'm sure we will get hours of use out of it. The Two By Two matching game sells for $10.99.

The Noah's Ar k G o Fish game has also been fun. The cards are durable, the animals and Noah are cute, and I like that they have numbers and words on the cards as well. Jeanisha thought it was fun to "Read" what the different animals were. This game retails for $5.99.

These games are a fun way to reinforce Bible stories during play. Alphabet Alley also carries other Bible story magnet and sticker sets.

Puppetools

2008-12-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

I was excited to be able to look over the Puppetools website because I LOVE puppets. They are such a fun, non-threatening way to communicate with kids and even teenagers. The site shows you how to make a paper hinge that you can then use to make a variety of puppets. I has a lot of examples of puppets made by teachers and by students and videos showing how to make different puppets. It also includes 37 puppet templates. A yearly individual subscription is $20.

The paper hinge is handy, and the kids loved making and playing with the puppets. Ryan (8) liked the templates and having it all set out for him (he hates making mistakes), but Tyler (6) was annoyed and we ended up just making his freehand. (He wanted his dragon to have specific features that the template didn't have.)

While I strongly support and recomend the use of puppets and play in homeschool and everyday settings, I honestly didn't feel the resources offered by the site were that useful. However, if you need examples of puppets other people have made and ways to use puppets, the site might be valuable for you. It might also be useful for a homeschooled student who doesn't have the opportunity to look at the creations of his or her classmates to get new ideas.

Let's Be Scientists

2008-12-28T14:13:00.002-07:00

The December Module from The Old Schoolhouse is Let's be Scientists. My boys love science and I am always looking for more fun activities to do with them. This e-book has lots of fun science recipes for chemistry, fun human body experiments, worksheets (about 3rd grade and up), crossword puzzles, coloring pages, and copywork pages of the creation story from Genesis.

These modules are the perfect starting point for a unit study or in this case, a couple of unit studies. It includes 3 pages of other resources to flush out any of the topics your family is interested in learning more about. An older internet savvy kid could explore all of the links and topics on their own, my son, 8, only needed a little assistance but did quite well exploring the links while I made dinner. All of the pages we linked to were kid friendly and understandable and was a fun activity to do this week when we didn't "have school."

Turning Points

2008-12-28T13:27:00.003-07:00

I had a chance this week to read a new E-book that is going to be published soon by The Old Schoolhouse called "Turning Points." Over 25 families share what led them to start homeschooling and what keeps them homeschooling. As I read about their "turning points," I was able to reflect on my goals for our homeschool and how God brought us to this point. It was reassuring to feel that I'm not alone with the struggles and frustrations that come with homeschooling and to be reminded and remember all the joys of homeschooling. Any book that lets you reflect on God's hand in your life and present situation is a blessing, having one focused on my role as a homeschool mom was a double blessing.

The only negative I saw in the book was one section where virtual public schools were put down. The first time I read it, I felt pretty frustrated because that option has worked well for us and I felt like she was saying I wasn't really a homeschooler-- a battle/arguement I have seen tear apart homeschool groups-- but I also know the freedom I have in my program isn't found in many states. The second time I read it, I was less defensive, and I could see how she was saying it just didn't work for her family. (And really, with 26 different viewpoints being shared, the fact that there was only 1 that I didn't agree with is pretty amazing.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this e-book and it has motivated me not only to reflect on my family's turning point, but to want to write it down. It has inspired me to evaluate again what is working and what is not and redefine (again) what I want our homeschool to look like/be like.

You may also want to keep an eye out for other e-books that The Old Schoolhouse is putting together that let other "regular" homeschool families share their stories. I always enjoy reading about others who are living a lifestyle similar to mine.

Crayola Art Studio

2008-12-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Another fun product that I have been able to review is Crayola Art Studio by Core Learning. This is a very easy to use art program that has lots of features. There are 12 different brush types including crayons, paint brushes, colored pencils, markers and more. There are stamps and a wide variety of tools. The boys (6 and 8) have had lots of fun creating pictures on their own and Jeanisha (3) has been able to with help. They are really enjoying making new creations and I'm happy it is easy enough for them to use on their own.

This program is a wonderful way to add art to your day and I know my family has only just scratched the surface of what it can do.

ALEKS

2008-12-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

ALEKS is an online math program that is aligned to general state standards for 3rd grade and up. We used it last year with Ryan and he enjoyed it. It is best for review once or twice a week and for making sure you haven't missed something they should have learned, like acute and obtuse triangles. :) The student has a pie graph that fills in as they pass off different topics. Ryan really liked watching his pie fill in and he liked that he didn't have to do a ton of problems on things he knew before it filled in. Where we only used it about once a week, he was asked to reconfirm that he still remembered the things from past sessions each time, which he got a little frustrated with, but would be helpful if you have a student who doesn't retains things well or if you were using this as a primary math program.

On their website, ALEKS offers a free 48 hour trial, but if you use the following link, you can get a free one month trial. Enjoy.
http://www.aleks.com/webform/eb3-104

Trigger Memory Systems

2008-12-16T21:24:00.003-07:00

Do your kids have trouble remembering their times tables? Trigger Memory Systems has a wonderful TIMES Tales program that makes remembering them fun and easy. I bought this program 2 years ago when Ryan was learning his multiplication facts, but I wanted it to be fun, not just drill. It was a wonderful program then and even better now, as they've added the upper 3 and 4 multiplication facts!

"Times Tales is a creative, innovative mnemonic-based program that makes it fun and easy to memorize the upper multiplication facts. Times Tales uses cute, simple stories to provide students with a "memory peg", allowing them to quickly recall otherwise abstract facts."

For example, 9 is shown as a tree, and the page for 9X9 is below. You teach the kids the characters, tell them the stories, have them retell them to you and then move to the flashcards with the pictures, and then the flashcards with only the numbers. It is a fast and easy way to learn the "hard" upper multiplication facts. It took us about 30 minutes on two consecutive days for Ryan to learn them all. After that, I reviewed the stories occasionally, but usually just verbally quizzed him on the facts when we were waiting somewhere or driving in the car.

With Ryan, I noticed for awhile he would have to think of the story, but then the facts became automatic as he used them more. And he knows if he ever gets stuck, he just has to think of the numbers as children, snowmen, or trees and he'll have the memory trigger to recall those facts.

The program is non-consumable, so you will be able to use it with all of you children.

This is by far the easiest way to learn those tricky multiplication facts that I have ever seen. The program doesn't teach the concept of multiplication, it just helps you get the facts memorized faster. Kids will still need to be taught why you multiply, but having the facts ready for instant recall makes actually doing it much easier!

Clean and Flip the House

2008-12-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get tired of going over the steps for cleaning a room again and again? My boys know what needs done and when they inspect the other person's work, they are ruthless, but when they are sent to clean alone, they always seem to "forget" something. Clean and flip charts from Trigger Memory Systems are a fun solution.

There are 3 different charts that I was given to review. First up was Zone Cleaning for Kids. This one worked great for us. It takes kids through the steps of cleaning the bathroom, the kitchen, and the family/living room step by step. It is laminated and they can check off the steps as they work through the zone. I have liked that it is a list nagging them instead of me. I can just ask if they've done all the steps instead of having to ask about each part of the job.

Ryan enjoys racing me to go through the steps in his zone faster than I can go through the steps in mine. It's been a great little tool for reminding them what to do and making them accountable.

The second book was Bedroom Cleaning for kids. This one is not laminated and the first time we tried it, it was a disaster. Step one is to go around the room and move everything into a big, messy pile into the middle of the room. (You then sort and put things away.) Well, the boys did step one with gusto, pulling everything out from under the beds and under the dresser and collecting a lot of little random junk. At this point the "big, messy pile" was completely overwhelming. Plus, they had found so many forgotten and lost "treasures" that they were totally distracted. I ended up helping/doing the cleaning that time. BUT once the room was relatively clean, the chart has been great, especially for Tyler. When the "big, messy pile" is only 10 things, it is easy to sort and deliver. We don't have the laundry baskets suggested in the chart, so he uses our little shopping cart to make his deliveries to other rooms. It makes cleaning his room into a game!

The third chart was Laundry for Kids. This was the only one I didn't test with my kids because my washing machine and dryer can be temperamental and the kids already have laundry jobs. (Jeanisha collects and sorts, the boys transfer it to the dryer and then the couch, I fold it and they put it away.) But, if you were at the stage of teaching a child to do the whole process themselves, this could be useful as a step by step instruction manual-- so you aren't always the one doing the reminding.

Overall, my kids seem to like the charts and "flipping" the house clean.

Historical Fiction Anyone???

2008-12-11T16:08:00.005-07:00

I love historical fiction. There isn't an easier way to learn about life in a different time period and get a feel for what it would have been like to live then. One of the products I was asked to review was Salem Ridge Press, a publishing company “dedicated to bringing back quality children’s books of the 1800’s and early 1900’s for a new generation of readers.” They republish historical fiction, adventure stories, allegories, and clean, wholesome literature for young readers.

From the publisher’s web page:

The underlying philosophy of Salem Ridge Press is found in the Bible: "Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8)." Daniel firmly believes that what we read matters and what we take into our minds is a major factor in forming our ideas and character. His goal is to be a blessing to others by providing reading material that fits the qualifications outlined in the Bible. While not every title that Salem Ridge Press publishes is explicitly Christian, all of our titles have strong moral values and encourage positive character.

I was sent 3 different books to read and review. The first was Mary Jane Her Book by Clara Ingram Judson. This was a cute story originally published in 1918 about a five-year-old girl and all of her adventures. It makes a great read-aloud for kids of all ages and transports you back in time. Mary Jane is a busy, little girl with lots of imagination and you never know what she will do next. This book is a great peek into life 100 years ago and we were able to talk about some of the differences between living now and living then.

The 2nd book I was sent was The American Twins of the Revolution by Lucy Fitch Perkins. This book is a fast-paced story based on real events during the American Revolution. Twins Sally and Roger are asked by their father, General Priestly, to help hide a shipment of gold which will be used to pay the American soldiers. The twins, their mother, and two of the family's servants have to transport the gold to George Washington without being intercepted by the British. Some of the words are a bit old fashioned, but most of these are defined at the bottom of the page, another nice feature added by the publisher.

The third book I was given to review was called Glaucia the Greek Slave by Emma Leslie. This book is set in Athens from 59-64 AD and is part of Emma Leslie's historical fiction series about church history. This was an interesting look into a time period that I'm not very familiar with. The book was well written and easy to read. I liked having unfamiliar words defined at the bottom of the page. The story follows Glaucia and her brother Loan as they are sold into slavery after the death of their father. Glaucia is sold to a wealthy Roman family who then goes to Athens. Through the course of the story, you meet Paul and other early Christians (fictional) and see some of the struggles the early church faced during this time. I am looking forward to reading some of the other books in this series.

All of the books published by Salem Ridge Press are available through Amazon.com and you can view a complete listing here. If you scroll down that page, you will also see a list of the historical fiction titles by time period, a great help in matching them to your current studies. Another great thing about this company is that the first chapter of the books is online for free, so you can preview before you order. I am planning on ordering more books from this Salem Ridge Press and encourage you to check them out.

Rime to Read Review

2008-12-09T18:21:00.002-07:00

Rime To Read is an on-line reading program that teaches by using stories that use the same type of words (IE: cat, sat, rat-- words that look and sound alike). This program is for a beginning reader, who knows letter sounds and is starting to blend sounds together. The program comes with 20 books in the complete set. The books are online and can each be printed ONCE for a hard copy. Each reader is 10-12 pages. Online, most words are clickable, allowing the child to hear the word being read and helping them feel like a successful reader-- which is half the battle in learning to read. I think the program works well for kids who are just learning and want to read "real" stories. The fact that it is on the computer may also be a draw for some kids. It was too hard for Jeanisha (3) to navigate herself, but Tyler (6) was happy to help. The stories were too easy for him, but still good review. The stories captured their attention and interest.

Rime to Read costs $9.99 for a set of 4 vowel books or $44.99 for all 20 books. This is a ONE time fee (lifetime) and the online readers can be used for other children in the family, but each book can only be printed once. The program is supplemental, not a complete reading program, but it might be the perfect thing for instilling confidence in a new reader.

Click Here to visit their Website.

Splish: Learning to Read

2008-12-02T14:01:00.003-07:00

I was given the chance to review another fun book. It is called "And Then Mama Said...It Takes Time to Learn to Read" by Gena Suarez.

It is a sweet story about a little homeschooled frog, Splish, who is having a hard time learning to read. His mother is so sweet and patient as she reminds him that if he keeps practicing, it will all come together in time. I have a 6 year old who is a lot like Splish and has struggled with learning to read. It was encouraging for him to read about someone else in his shoes who DID finally learn to read and was able to enjoy the wonderful world of books! My children loved the colorful fun pictures and I liked the way all of the characters showed respect and kindness, especially the momma.

An Awesome US geography book

2008-12-01T16:04:00.005-07:00

It's not often that I find a homeschool book that Stephen gets excited about!!! And to find a geography related one that he likes is even more rare. (He majored in geography and loves maps, but thinks most geography books miss the magic and fun in geography.)

Then "The Little Man in the Map" by E. Andrew Martonyi made his appearance. This book is a gem!!! I started to read it and soon had two boys learning in front of me to see the pictures, so I told them they could read it first. They looked through it together and then Ryan took it into the family room where Stephen was watching football. Stephen asked to look at it, then started reading it, and didn't give it back to Ryan until he'd finished.

Ryan (8) and Tyler (6) read through it a few times just for fun. Then at dinner, Texas was mentioned. Tyler pipes up, "I know where Texas is, it's the chair," and he turned around to the map on the wall and pointed it out. Then he added, "And this one is Oklahoma." Both boys then started pointing out different states and telling us what they were called and why they were important to "the man in the map". I hid the book for a week and then asked Tyler again about some of the states and he still remembered most of them by name. I was very impressed-- it had been so easy, no drill or practicing and he'd learned basic US geography!!

The "Man In the Map" is formed by five states down the middle of the United States - Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. (Once you "see" him, the US will never look the same!) All of the other states are given roles that connect them to the man in the map. The story is told with simple rhyming verses and bright, lively illustrations. The US map is broken into regions - Midwest, Southeast, Southwest, Northeast and West that would be easy to elaborate on for older students.

The book is sold through Schoolside Press http://www.schoolsidepress.com/ for $19.95. They have free shipping and the author will sign and inscribe your book for free as well. Get it for a Christmas present and your kids won't even realize they are learning!!!!

Time 4 Learning: Part 1

2008-12-01T15:19:00.004-07:00

I was recently given a trial subscription to www.time4learning.com and I have been extremely impressed. Both boys have enjoyed it, but Tyler has really taken off with it. He is constantly asking if he can work on math and phonics and has done many of the science modules more than once and recites facts he's learned regularly. Some of what I've had them do is review, some of it matches what we are doing in our other work, and some of it is new. I've been impressed with it for all three types of learning.

Basically, Time4Learning (http://www.time4learning.com/) is an online homeschool curriculum for Preschool through 8th grade that covers math, language arts, some science and some social studies using games and animation to teach and reinforce concepts. My initial reaction was that it was quite expensive for an online resource ($19.95 for the first child, $14.95 for each additional child), and since I limit my kids computer time, I wasn't sure if it would be a good value. But the timing has been nice, coming just at the end of a pregnancy and when we are adjusting to a new baby. It has been really nice to just let the boys "play" on the computer and know that they are learning and doing school. The program is set up so you can subscribe one month at a time, so in my case, I think it will make a great supplemental resource for times when life is a little crazy.

The sign up process was easy and both boys seemed to be placed at the correct level. Ryan did think some of Tyler's activities looked more fun and wanted to do Tyler's level too. The program is set up to have learning time followed by playground, or game time. Tyler's lessons were engaging enough and fun enough that he never went to the playground. He especially loved the activity where he got to shoot a spaceman at the sight words. For Ryan, his lessons were a little more work, so the playground was a fun break. (And it was fun to watch him learn to play PacMan).

Homeschool Library Builder

2008-11-17T21:25:00.004-07:00

If you love browsing used book stores, I have a website you'll love: http://www.hslibrarybuilder.com/index.php

They have books for as low as $1 and lots that are 75% off the new price. It is a great way to build your home library without growing broke. However, if you are like me, and books are your weakness, beware, you may end up needing another bookshelf. :) I love good books and while we use the library A LOT, I think it is important to have lots of good books available to just pick up and read.

I tend to take the booklists from Sonlight, Winterpromise, Veritas Press, and LOGOS and then add in my own favorites to make our literature list for the year. I used to hate having to read one chapter or part of a book in reading. If the book was good, why couldn't we just read the whole thing? Of course, I loved reading and hopefully all my kids will too.

One other thing that is nice about browsing online is that I can check my book shelves before I order and make sure I'm not getting any duplicates. (Am I the only one who has bought a book I already own?)

Help Me to Teach

2008-11-10T21:38:00.001-07:00

Help Me to Teach (http://www.helpme2teach.com/) is a subscription website for homeschooling parents, or other teachers, who would like a very comprehensive list of the websites. I felt like I was being given a very organized, experienced homeschool mom's favorites or bookmarks. Many of the sites were ones I have bookmarked in my own, mile long list. I just don't have them neatly organized and easy to sort through. There were also a lot of interesting sites I've never ran across before. (There are over 2500 links). If you enjoy and are good at internet searches this site might seem like a waste of money, but if you want to have someone do the legwork for you-- especially if you are new to homeschooling, this site would be a bargain. Right now is the owner of the site is offering a great deal of 2 years for the price of 1, $29.95 which makes the overall monthly cost very minimal, only $1.25 per month. (Use discount code TOS).

I've also seen during this review process how willing and even eager the owners of the site are to make it very user friendly and to fill in categories that are user suggested with great links. There is a lot of stuff already there, and they are constantly expanding and adding more categories and resources. Each link is also coded Primary, Elementary Student, Secondary Student, or Teacher, which makes it easy to find what you need. I found it easier to just browse through the categories listed than try to do a search. I would also be comfortable turning an older student loose to work through the sites.

Fun Children's Nativity Set

2008-11-03T18:38:00.006-07:00

I love Nativity Sets and have collected several over the years, including a couple that I would let the kids play with, but none of the" play" sets even compare to the one I was sent by www.one2believe.com

It comes with 17 hard plastic (PVC) pieces ranging in height from about 5 inches for the stable to 3 inches for the people. It includes Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and a manger of hay, 3 wisemen, 2 Angels, 2 Shepherds, a camel, a donkey, male and female sheep, a stable, and a palm tree. The box says it is for ages 3+, but Adam (20 months) has really enjoyed playing right along with and the older kids (8,6,3). Jeanisha and Adam have spent hours playing with it and it is probably their favorite toy at the moment. Ryan and Tyler are much more accurate and specific about acting out the story, even sending the wisemen clear across the room to slowly work their way over to the stable.

The included story book is pretty lame, it's only about 1 inch by 3 inches with only text, no pictures. But for us, that hasn't been a big deal because we have several other books telling the nativity story and the kids know the story very well anyway. Our Joseph does tend to fall over if you stand him up on carpet, so he always has to stand propped in the stable and the top came off our tree and needed glued back on. Other than that, the playset is very well made and very sturdy. The only other piece that I think could possibly come off and be a choking hazard is the star above the stable, but ours is very firmly attached. The figures are fun and their are enough that several of the kids can play together.

I'll post some pictures of mine too, but here is a picture from the company website.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-92329296945469_2016_1137526

So, if you are looking for a fun, kid-friendly nativity, I would highly recommend this one. It has defidently passed the "kid" test.

Novel: The Missing Link: Found

2008-11-03T18:12:00.003-07:00

"The Missing Link: Found" is the first book in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series written by Christina and Felice Gerwitz. It is published by www.MediaAngels.com, a company that publishes Christian oriented fiction for teens. "The Missing Link" was written by a homeschool mom and her daughter and the kids in the book are very strong Christian homeschooled kids.

The book is a mystery story with a subplot about finding a fossilized man who provides the missing evolutionary link between apes and man. Both viewpoints of creationism and evolution are thoroughly discussed and explained. There was so much of this discussion in the first/middle part of the book that I felt it was overdone. The storyline seemed to be bogged down for awhile, but picked up again after that. There was nothing in the book that went against LDS doctrine, but there was a fair amount of evangelism and there several references to coffee and tea that you wouldn't find in an LDS novel.

Overall, I think most homeschooled Christian teenagers would enjoy this book and read it quite quickly just as a fun, clean novel. It could also be used to springboard a discussion about evolution and creationism as both viewpoints are presented quite well.

The Old Schoolhouse Preview and New Promotion

2008-11-01T15:17:00.003-06:00

Did you ever dream of getting a horse for Christmas? You can get a sneak peek of TOS Fall issue and see Nancy Carter's first horse! Plus other childhood photos from the 50's through the 80's.

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/12_Days/Day12.html

Plus, you can create great holiday memories with a new TOS holiday E-Book that comes FREE ($12.45 value) with a new subscription!

Normally when a person subscribes, their subscription starts with the upcoming issue which can take a while. But, TOS 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,and the new E-Book, Homespun Holidays for FREE!

This is over $250 worth of product for only $39!!

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW!

http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_60&products_id=190

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

2008-10-04T18:23:00.000-06:00

The first product I get to review is the Old Schoolhouse Magazine itself. It is available in both digital ($16.95 a year) and printed ($25.00 a year) formats and is printed quarterly. It is a Christian based homeschool magazine filled with well written articles, practical ideas, and reviews of homeschool products. There is also a complete homeschool unit study in each issue-- the Summer 2008 one was on flight. I don't tend to buy a lot of magazine subscriptions, but after looking through the free online back issue from Summer 2007 on the website, I decided to subscribe a few months ago. Here's the free back issue: http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php?main_page=product_inf...

I went with the print magazine because I don't have a laptop and one of the pluses of a magazine for me is being able to haul it with me to the park or keep it in the car for those waiting times when I have a few minutes to read. I was very impressed with the Summer 2008 issue. I liked the Christian focus and didn't find anything that conflicted with LDS beliefs. I grabbed it out of the mailbox on the way to the park and ended up letting the kids play for almost 3 hours while I read most of it. It's sat near the computer since then as I've looked up some of the advertised products that I flagged. The one con is that I will probably find some fun new curriculum and end up spending more money. :)

My favorite thing about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is reading about other families who are living the same lifestyle we are and getting practical ideas and advice for the lifestyle we've chosen.

Right now, they are running a Fall Special. For $39, you can get two years of the magazine, 6 physical gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!

It's one of the best deals I've seen on it and if you are one of the first 1000 to subscribe, you get a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote bag (valued at $13.95). About half of them are gone, but you will get all the other freebies, even if you miss this one. Here's the link if you are interested: http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/US_Promotion.php

Homeschool Reviews

2008-10-03T18:09:00.000-06:00

I found out a couple weeks ago that I get to be a part of the focus group for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine testing and reviewing new products. So as part of the focus group, they will be sending me new products from a bunch of different vendors to review-- up to 50 over the next year-- and giving me the chance to do some giveaways.

I am really excited to get to try a bunch of products, several are things I've considered, but not wanted to buy without seeing or reading more about. My husband says that in the long run, it will probably just end up introducing me to more companies and costing me money, but it will be fun. :)

If you are interested in the everyday aspect of my life with kids, things like birthdays, accidents, and the funny things they say, you can find those on my other blog: http://simplyschooling.blogspot.com/