Classical Legacy Press~ "The Great Latin Adventure"

The last "large" review item for the 2009/2010 TOS Crew Year was The Great Latin Adventure curriculum by Classical Legacy Press. I don't feel like we really had enough time to really dig into the program, but I will give my initial thoughts and feelings.

Before I get to that though, I want to make sure that you are aware of all the information that is available on the Classical Legacy Press website regarding The Great Latin Adventure.

The Great Latin Adventure home page is the base from which you can explore product details pages, frequently asked questions pages,  when to start pages, and there are extensive sample pages for you to check out.

So, what exactly IS The Great Latin Adventure?  This bit from their website is a quick introduction:

The Great Latin Adventure is for Latin beginners in grades 4, 5 or 6. It's easy to teach, exceptionally complete, and absolutely no Latin background is required!

The program features in-depth grammar coverage, lively translation, and an extensive derivative component which is very popular with users.

From "mom's" perspective this is a very interesting program so far.

Apologia, Debra Bell

I'm guessing that we are all familiar with Apologia as the provider of science curriculum, but did you know that Apologia Press offers resources for homeschooling parents? One of them is a book that they have republished, an updated version of Debra Bell's "The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling" $20.00

Now, I have to admit, that this resource is new to me, so it's interesting to read it, as someone who is not new to homeschooling..... ;)

Kregel Publishing (Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure)

The "extreme bookworm" in our home was pleased that we received another book to review for the TOS Crew. This time it was a paperback "historical western", Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure a Circle C adventure by Susan Marlow, intended for ages 8-12.($7.99)

Here's the description for this book from the website:
When innocent horseplay temporarily lands Andi and her friends in jail, they decide that a trip into the mountains will leave their troubles far behind. Accompanied by big brother Mitch and armed with a map showing old gold diggings, they can't wait to strike it rich. What could be better than two weeks of camping and horseback riding?
But instead of gold they find heaps of trouble -- trouble that leaves Mitch gravely wounded. Andi needs help fast. But who can she trust? And what good is a bag of gold when her beloved brother lies near death in the middle of nowhere?

I immediately handed the book over to my bookworm, and off she went.

Lobster Network~ Free "Barter/Borrow/Buy" site

 One of the more unique products the TOS Crew was presented with this year has been the Lobster Network, brain child of TOS  Crew family, the Lussiers. Now, living in New England, Lobster is one of my family's favorite things (especially with a husband of Newfoundland descent), so when I hear Lobster, I think food. If you share that idea, well... hold that thought, and let me send you down another path~ :)

• Have you ever had something that you have had hanging around your house, waiting for "just the right time" to use it, but wished that you could lend it out in the meantime, so that someone else could be blessed by it? like say.... a lobster pot?... (See, I can't quite get that off my mind! ;) )Or how about that "Charlotte Mason Companion", or the reading program that you figured you'd need in a few years when your "surprise package" is ready to read...???)
• Have you ever made a purchase that didn't "work out", and wished that you could have "Tried before you bought? Think~ curriculum that just didn't fit, or even the piece of kitchen equipment that you thought you'd be using every day, maybe even every week, but it's only come out 1 time in 2 years!
• Have you ever SKIPPED making a purchase that might have been the perfect fit for your family, just because you weren't SURE? hmmm.... certain curriculum or manipulatives, or games or....I could go on...
• Have you ever loaned out a book, clothing, curriculum, etc... and then lost track of WHO you loaned it out to? yup! I still don't know where my Strong's Concordance ended up... thank heaven for online concordances now!
• Have you ever BORROWED something from someone, but forgotten to get it back to them in a reasonable amount of time?  ummm.. guilty... :\
• Does your homeschool group have a library, but no one borrows from it, because they don't know what is in it?  for sure!

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might just be interested in the LOBSTER NETWORK. (Oh, and did I mention that it is free?)

Cerebellum AP Writing: English Language and Comp. Test Prep

Well! Nothing like being prepared well in advance!  :) Towards the end of the school year the TOS Crew received a variety of "Light Speed" AP Exam Prep DVDs. You will want to be sure to check out the rest of the Crew reviews, to see what they thought about the DVDs that they received.
 
I received the Light Speed Writing AP English Language and Composition Exam Preparation DVD. 

Now, keep in mind that I don't have a student of an appropriate age, and when I was in high school I was aware of  the CLEP tests,  (and took) the PSAT and the SAT, but AP courses and tests were not something with which I was familiar.

Having done a little bit of research, I am now a little more prepared for when my children reach the age of AP exams. As I understand it, students can sign up for AP exams (on a yearly basis, in the spring) for courses in which they feel they are adequately prepared.

One benefit of taking the exams appears to be that colleges may look favorably on those who take the exams, as they are an indication that the student is serious about their studies. In addition, if the student scores well on their exams, many, if not most colleges and universities will award the student credit for those scores(I checked Harvard University, and they give credit for certain tests), and/or place them in higher level courses than normal for first year students, which all boils down to saving a little bit of $ on College tuition. There is also the opportunity to qualify for scholarships and/or awards, based on the outcome of the testing. For more AP Exam info, you may find this link helpful.

Now that I've explored a little bit about what AP exams are, let me tell you a little bit about this test prep DVD set that we received.

The DVD is a fast moving video with a variety of engaging and pleasant youths giving tips and pointers to the prospective test-taker. I say fast moving because they take 30 essential topics from the exam and spend a minute on each one. Wow! Talk about cramming!! But I think it is very effective "Cramming", particularly if the DVD is viewed more than once, and a few pieces at a time. Light Speed offers test taking advice (ie: how many minutes to alot for each part of the test, and for each part of the writing process in the composition portion... good stuff!)You can see a sample of the video on the AP Writing product page.

There is an additional CD with a Digital Workbook for extra practice. The workbook reinforces the concepts gone over in the video with an outline and notes on the video, practice questions, games and quizzes. This also increases the effectiveness of the DVD, and while I mentioned "cramming" above, I think it would be reasonable to use the Video and the Digital Workbook as a light "Course" (I wouldn't put it on a transcript... this would be "homework", in my opinion) over a few weeks or even a few months, to prepare for the AP exam.

Cerebellum Corporation and Standard Deviants are offering TOS Crew readers a 20% discount off of ANY product purchased online through the rest of the year with code OSH20 at checkout. Many products (Including the LightSpeed line) are currently on sale for approximately 25% off, AND a code FREE for free shipping on orders over $25 showed up in the checkout area (I tried it, and it appears to stack with the TOS code mentioned above! Excellent!)

This is one of those resources that I didn't know much about, but was very happy to have been exposed to. Again, check out the other TOS Crew reviews, and hopefully this review, coupled with the others will help you to determine where you'd like to spend your homeschool dollars.
Blessings~



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Ideal Curriculum Preschool

One of the more recent products the TOS Crew was given to review was the 1st month module of Ideal Curriculum's Monthly Preschool program, "Transportation". If you are just starting out on your homeschool journey, and are looking for a structured "program" to use with your children,  you may be interested in the following information.

Ideal curriculum was written by a team of people dedicated to "Education", and an interest in translating the latest education research into products that can be used by a variety of educators.

Each monthly kit has a "Theme", and is available as an e-product download(Which is the format the TOS Crew received), or as a printed version.  The download version comes as a zip file with a number of folders and files.

• A "Read This First" pdf that really SHOULD be read(I often skip those... oops!), containing information on how the curriculum is organized, and what pages to print when, and how many to print.
• A folder that includes 3 Teacher's Manual files(Literature, Math, and Science)
• A "Read" folder with 4  interactive Book files (Following the Math, Science, and Literature themes) meant to be read on the computer
• A Folder with those files that I mentioned above for printing. Each one is its own PDF file.
• A Folder with mp3 music files to use throughout the month, as required.

I personally would prefer the print version, as I found jumping around the different folders and files within the folders to be a little too cumbersome. This could be abated somewhat by printing all the files, but at this time that isn't an economical choice for my household. However, if printing isn't a problem, I would recommend printing and collating all three manuals week-by-week into one cohesive manual, and possibly having it comb bound at an office store.

 So, on to the actual curriculum~

What is it?

• Ideal curriculum is very formatted and formal, with very in-depth and precise directions for the instructor. There are explanations for the reasons behind each concept and activity, and each week includes goals and assessments for the teacher. 
• The month is split into weekly segments within the theme. There are those colorful books to be read, activities that cover the gamut from dramatic play to science experiments, phonological awareness to letter shapes, as well as basic counting, ordinal numbering, etc...most within the given theme.  In our Module, "Transportation", the literacy unit seemed less "Themed", and more basic literacy learning. The Math unit used "transportation props" as interest-getters (pictures of bikes and rocketships, and exploring fast and slow, elevators and floor levels, etc...). The science/Oral Language unit seemed to me to follow the theme most closely, with axle and wheel experiments, transportation inspired art projects, and story sequencing to name a few of the activities.

What do I think?

• This could be very useful for a new homeschooling parent, who is very unsure of their ability, or extremely scheduled, and concerned that they might forget to touch on a particular area of development with their young preschooler. 
• In my honest opinion, I think it is more directed towards productive daycares and preschools with groups of children~ Some things just work better with a few more children. This could perhaps lend itself to a co-op style setting.
• My personal style of homeschooling, particularly with a preschooler, is rather free and relaxed.  I very seldom follow a "Theme", although I have thought about it upon occasion. ;) I have had books on my shelves for years that are preschool "themed", and while I have used portions of them, I am not the scheduled sort of person that will follow through with them on a regular basis. If yours is also a more "eclectic" or "relaxed" homeschool family, this product may not be a good fit for you.
• Also, just a quick note, that at 2+ my littlest isn't quite the right age for this sort of program, so these are my opinions, based on my looking the material over, and only using portions of it with him. In a couple of years it is possible that I could find this much more adaptable to my "schooling" methods for an older preK child. :)

Remember that these are my opinions, based on where my family is now. You can see for yourself, by signing up for a free newsletter that includes specials, coupons, and information on new products, as well as a free two week trial. If I were looking for a very formal preschool program, this is an offer I'd probably accept, as I always appreciate the opportunity to try before I buy. ;)

There are a variety of purchasing options but the basic rate is
Monthly kits: $30 for downloads, and $55 for printed. There are discounts for 3 month purchases as well as a complete 9 month purchase, and individual units may be purchased as well. For the month of  May, Ideal Curriculum is offering TOS Homeschool Crew followers a 10% discount on a first purchase by using the code: welovekids

As always, I hope that this review will help you decide where to best spend your homeschool budget, and what will work for YOUR family. For more TOS Crew opinions on Ideal Curriculum's Preschool program, head on over to the TOS Crew Blog.
Blessings~




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Beeyoutiful Baby Body Lotion

The TOS Crew once again has received a product that is not DIRECTLY homeschool related, but IS related to teaching our children about healthy living, and living with a more "Natural" and "holistic" outlook.

The crew received a wide variety of products from immune system stimulators to more typical "health and beauty" products like lotions, cleansers, soaps, and hair sprays.  Be sure to visit the CREW page if these are products that interest you, to find out more about each one.

I received the Baby Body Lotion, which is paraben and formaldehyde free, scented with Lavender and Chamomile.

The lotion itself is light and soaks in rather nicely. I thought I would be very happy with the scent, since I am a fan of Lavender, and use Lavender essential oils, and natural lavender products on a regular basis. However,  this (could be a particular batch?) lotion's scent was overpowering to my sensitive nose. There was also a "Tone" that I, personally, didn't care for (Could be the chamomile, I'm not sure. I know I don't like Chamomile Tea, so it could be that Chamomile is the scent my nose objects to....??).

I wanted to get some other opinions, as I am known to have an ultra sensitive nose, so I brought the lotion to our last homeschool support group meeting, and asked the opinions of a number of the moms there. Their reactions:

• Somewhat overpowering
• Smells like laundry detergent or cleaner
• Too strong for a baby
• Makes my eyes water
• Nice "Feel", but not a baby scent
• No one else had the same "tone" reaction, so that must be a quirk of my nose

My thought is that perhaps I had a slightly "off" bottle, or that the recipe could use a little "tweaking" to be more baby-friendly(less strong scent), but that overall, the lotion itself is a very pleasant product.

The Baby Bee Lotion sells for $13 for a 6 oz bottle. If you are a fan of Lavender, you may wish to check it out yourself. (If you're local, just ask me, and I'll gladly let you try a sample! :D )

As always, I hope that this review will help you decide where to best spend your budget.
Blessings~


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lesson Planet~ The Search Engine for Teachers

Thanks to the TOS Crew, here is another "teacher resource" that we were given to review.

From the company:
Lesson Planet makes it easy for teachers and parents to search over 225,000 online lesson plans and worksheets that have been reviewed and rated by teachers. Lesson Planet has a 10 day free trial to allow teachers and parents to try the site with no obligation. After the free trial, membership is only $39.95/year.

Lesson Planet does have an incredible number of lesson plans and worksheets that you can search by keyword, grade level, and "rating", as well as the option of browsing by subject. The site includes 24 "guides" on a variety of subjects~ from math and music to homeschooling and school counselors. These folks write articles (Some have as little as one article at this point) around their area of expertise, and point out some of the top worksheets and lesson plans that relate to their topic.

As someone who is very proficient at using search engines to find material for my homeschool, generally within a few minutes, these are my Impressions:

Pros:

• The previously mentioned "Guides" may be useful to some
• The site maintains a Curriculum Calendar with Lesson Plan Ideas by date. For instance, April 15 is listed as Leonardo da Vinci's Birthday, with links to search for lesson plans relating to him. I printed off a nice 5 paragraph passage with comprehension and vocabulary questions, as a quick "Today In History" lesson. So for those who like to tie things in that way, this could be a convenient tool(as long as there are actually relevant links...)

Interesting~ Exploring a few days in the month of April on the Curriculum Calendar~

• 537 Earth Day worksheets and 8711 Earth Day lesson plans to weed through
• 758 Easter Worksheets, 513 Easter lesson plans (Which BTW, DID return hits for the Easter Story, and Lent along with the Easter Bunny, Eggs, and Easter Island....) 
• 17 da Vinci worksheets and 191 da Vinci lesson plans...
• 244 Civil War worksheets and 3999 Civil War lesson plans
• 65 Revolutionary War  worksheets and 894 Revolutionary War lesson plans available
• 31 Civil Rights Worksheets and 1707 Civil Rights lesson plans

Just wondering about the "Balance" here...

Cons:

• With so many links, it must be difficult to update regularly. In my first 15 minutes of searching, on two very different topics, I came up with 3 of the 10 or so promising links that went nowhere.... {sigh} I also ended up with a number of "dead" links on subsequent searches.
• On another day, a search for 4th grade music worksheets claimed 11 possibilities~ in reality, only one of them was music related and all of the rest of them were language arts worksheets.... ??? I didn't find this a good use of my time.
• When searching for a lesson plan on Henry Hudson, the only return that was intriguing enough for me to click on it was actually a McGraw Hill lesson that I could find for free myself.

All-in-all, I feel that there may be some "Gems", but as is true with mining, you may have to really dig to find them. Personally, as a search-engine-happy homeschooling momma, I seem to be wired for Google and Dogpile. Lesson Planet just didn't "Click" for me.

For someone who is just starting out, and/or is less excited about using those search engines, I suggest you take advantage of the free 10 day trial and see if Lesson Planet fits your search style.

As always, I hope that this review will help you decide where to best spend your homeschool budget.
Blessings~

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Super Star Speech and Educational Games

Speech Pathology is something that has caught my interest since being exposed to two wonderful speech pathologists who worked with the children I cared for as a nanny in my pre-mommy days. I have so far not required such help with my own children (Thank heaven!), but I was delighted as a TOS Crew member to be able to check out Debbie Lott's Super Star Speech program. (Debbie is a liscensed speech pathologist with a Masters in Education/Speech Pathology who has homeschooled her own 4 children) 

 I was especially interested because JDP2 has been what friends call my "Hawaiian baby"... he started speaking with correct syllables, and lots of vowels, but very few consonants! Since then he has added a number of consonants to his vocabulary, but I was still interested/concerned to find out if he was really on track.
 
I am pleased to say that after going through a set of diagnostic "tests" with him, he appears to be developing well for his age, just not an early "Elocutionist", like his siblings. 

The test simply amounted to asking him the names of pictures and determining if he was hitting the target sound, a modified version, replacing it, or not at all. He mostly enjoyed "playing this game", although I would recommend doing it in two parts if you have a particularly young child that you are working with. (These are really recommended for ages 3+, but I was curious, and he WILL be 3 in July... ;) )


If I had determined that there were specific sounds that he was lagging behind on, Debbie has included, in her main Super Star Speech manual, general instructions on how to apply the therapy sessions that she outlines next. 

• There are tips on producing each sound(Physical and visual descriptions of how the sound is produced, and how to physically help your child make that sound)
• Picture cards to use in "Drill" and games
• A section with suggested activities and games to make speech therapy a fun part of your child's day. 
• There are also sheets included for your convenience in "lesson planning" and assessment of progress. 
• Word lists for each sound with initial, middle, and final placement in the words. 
• Printable pages with general activities, games and different "progress" charts that will work with any sound, so that the child can "own" their work. (There are a wide variety of pages with activities for both younger and older students... from "Color in" or "play a game" pages, to "Write the sound", and "Fill in the blank" pages.)

Here is an example of a physical description for producing the sounds "f" and "v":
F and V are produced by touching the upper teeth to the lower lip. F is produced by passing the breath between the teeth and lip. V is produced in the same way with the voice “turned on.”

If you find that there are specific sounds that are not coming easily with the activities and instruction included in the basic Super Star Speech manual, Debbie  has provided extra materials in ebooks with even more games and activities for specific grouped sounds... currently available: (S, Z, and Sh) (R and L), and (Ch, J, and Th). 


From what I have seen "in action" and going through these materials myself, I am very impressed with this reasonable alternative to the usually expensive option of private speech therapy. 

You can see for yourself how the material is covered by checking out some of the free tips and resources available on the Super Star Speech website.

Super Star Speech is available in a variety of formats:

• You can purchase hard copy versions of all the books (except the (Ch,J,Th) ebook) directly from Super Star Speech (average price:$18.95 for spiral bound)
• There are "bundle" options in both spiral($38.95) and and ring bound($49.95) versions
• Debbie would like to offer you, my readers, a 20% discount on books from Super Star Speech The discount code, which will be good until June 30, is "TOS."
• Shipping is flat rate, $3.95

Alternatively, for an even cheaper option you can purchase (*non-resaleable) ebook versions at Currclick.

The individual titles are currently each available for $12.95 each:

• Super Star Speech, **
• (S, Z, SH), **
• (R, L), **
• and the newest addition, (Ch, J, TH) **

The Super Star Speech 3 book bundle ** of the main manual+ (S,Z,Sh) + (R,L) is $27 

(BTW, the Currclick pages have some excellent "preview" pages, so that you can get a better idea of what is offered... :) )


Super Star Speech gets two thumbs up for me for both content and cost! 

*NOTE from Debbie Lott and Super Star Speech: If your child has many articulation errors, or another type of speech problem such as a language delay or stuttering, or if you are not able to commit to working with your child and his speech regularly at home, please seek the assistance of a speech-language pathologist. Likewise, if your child has a physical problem that affects his speech, such as a hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, or cleft palate, this book does not attempt to address those more complex issues.


Now~ on to the Educational Games~ 

I am a fan of file folder games, and Super Star Games are a great way to add some interest to a variety of topics while hammering down some of those basic facts and concepts that can be a little dry at times. Debbie Lott has taken all the work and done it for us with these games. Here are the available titles ~
 
 

    

    

BTW~they aren't listed as "file folder" games, but they are very suited to that format. I print up the "Cover" and paste it on the the front of a file folder, print up the "Board" which is usually 2 pages, and glue those to the inside of the file folder, print up the rules, and paste those to the back of the folder. Any cards or playing pieces get printed up on card stock and stored in a ziplock bag with the name of the game written on the outside. The whole thing then gets stored(bag inside folder) in a larger filing system. Very handy! :) 


Each title is available individually from Currclick as a download for $3.50. There are also bundles available for these, check out all the options**.. :) 

I appreciated the option to tell my kids to go play the Silly Snail Game to work on their parts of speech recognition. It was easy enough to copy the answer key, put into two colums in a word doc, and print it up so that they could play independently without mom having to be there to oversee the answers. I am looking forward to checking more of these games out, from the history and geography to science... great! 


I hope you will check out the TOS CREW blog for other opinions, and as always, I am hoping these reviews will help you make the best decisions for YOUR family, and how to best spend your homeschooling budget.

Blessings~
 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
** Currclick affiliate link

Time4Learning Pre-K

 

Time4Learning is an online educational curriculum that utilizes interactive "cartoons" to teach across multiple subjects. Last year I reviewed the Elementary and Middle School programs with the TOS Crew, and this year we were given 30 days' free access to the Preschool program for the purposes of review.

While I had mixed opinions for the older kids'  section last year, I am quite pleased with the preschool program.  Now, keep in mind that I have a 2 year old, not "quite" the target age, but he enjoyed using the program with "Mom"  or his big sister helping out (with mouse~work, mostly).
The Time4Learning Preschool Curriculum is split into 2 levels
Level 1 has 20 "units" with 83 total activities, and
Level 2 has 21 "units"with 92 total activities.

Want to check out the scope and sequence? This is a very comprehensive look at what the PreK curriculum encompasses. I'll give you a quick synopsis here of the basic set-up. Each "unit" starts with a "Story" or "Show", which frequently ends with a little interactive activity. There are 3 or more activities that follow, relating to the concept being introduced.

We enjoyed spending time at Time4Learning, with the "Story" or "Show" being a big hit, and the "Match it",  "Which one is it", and "Memory Match" activities being high on JDP2's list.
There are also "Parent Reports" that you can access right from your child's page, to see where your child is spending their time (If you aren't actively spending your time with them, like we were)...

Here is a random screenshot of a portion of my report area: (These were all in the "Alphabet" Unit)
  Icon~ Name of activity, with description~ x's started ~ last date ~x's completed


Speaking of parental "Control", you have the ability to change the amount of time spent on the activities or lessons, as well the amount of time spent on the "Playground"(More about the Playground in a minute...)

The Lessons can be set for a "Minimum" time of 0-59 minutes, and the Playground can be set for a "Maximum" time of 0-59 minutes as well. We were a little surprised the first time that we started playing, and couldn't check out the Playground. The second time we had apparently completed our minimum amount of lesson time, and were able to access the Playground, but we were again surprised when our playground time abruptly ended mid-game.
Two suggestions here:

• It would seem to be a good idea to have a "Maximum" time allowed for the Lessons as well as the Playground
• It might be nice if the playground timer would remove access to the playground, but allow the current game or activity to be completed. 

I promised a little more information about the Playground. It is composed of MANY "places" to play. Lots of them are sites that you can visit online yourself, like PBSKids.org, and others may be unique to Time4Learning. I certainly didn't have time to check them all out! I am also guessing from the variety, that the playground is not strictly for the Preschoolers, because there were a number of "Games" that would be more appropriate for older children. Can't quite see a 4 or 5 year old playing PacMan, which is a choice... as well as Air Hockey and some other "Arcade-style" games in addition to educational games, two-player games, "Puzzlers", and "Activities.

• One more suggestion would be to limit the playground games/activities to the appropriate age, more to avoid frustration when a PreK child's time runs out while trying to navigate the wealth of activities in the playground.

Some Personal Thoughts:

• PreK curriculum is well set up and organized (Scope and Sequence is great!)
• Nice little video introductions for the kids to topics~ Very appropriate to the age.
• Simple "Games/Activities" to reinforce the topics, and a limited number of games, so that it isn't too complex for a Preschooler~ Right on target there.
• The ability to keep track of what your little one is watching and doing with the "Reports"
• The Parents forum has become much more active since last year, and there are a lot of good ideas to check out. :) 

• The Playground? ~ I'm not making too much of a judgement call~ It IS handy to have all those activities from various sites in one spot, and to have the ability to "limit" the amount of time there, since this isn't the "main" part of the curriculum, but it does seem a little funny to be paying (through the subscription) for many things that can be accessed for free online. You be the judge there, for your own family.

Of course, we all know that preschoolers learn best by taking part in that thing we call "LIFE", getting messy and dirty, being active, reading lots of books and generally interacting with family and friends,  etc.... so, keeping that in mind,  if you are looking for an online, fairly well rounded, age appropriate "curriculum" for your preschooler to spend a few minutes per day with, OR if your "Little" has been begging to "Do math"(etc...)  on the computer like the "Bigs",  this could be a good choice for you.

Assuming that I've caught your interest, you may wish to check out the lesson demos to see the program in action. The link brings you to a 60 second "Tour", and then you can click on "Try the Lessons" or "Try the Playground" to get a feel for what Time4Learning offers.

Time4Learning's current pricing is $19.95/month for the first child in a family, $14.95 for each additional child.

As always, I hope that this review will help you make the best use of your homeschooling budget. For other reviews and viewpoints, please visit the TOS Crew Page and see what my Crewmates there had to say about Time4Learning. :)

Blessings~


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

All About Reading Beehive Reader#2 **

Marie Rippel of All About Spelling ** sent the TOS Crew an "Advance Reader Copy" of her 2nd reader from All About Reading. (You will be able to purchase it at the AAR website soon.)

(BTW, the first reader, that I reviewed earlier has had a name change. Rather than "Beehive Reader #1" it is now titled "Cobweb the Cat".) 

This second reader is titled "What Am I?". This book follows the same sequence and word lists as All About Spelling Level 2, Steps 1-14, for those that use AAS, but this book also stands on its own as a very pleasant  and diverse reader.

There are 10 stories. Here are the titles, with my comments, and a few sample pages :)

• The Bench~Very sweet little piece about a slice of life at a bus stop
• An Elf in the Alps~ Cute visit
• Broken Robot~ Just wait till your child reads this lament... ;)

• The Bake Sale~ Inspirational story that gave ME goosebumps when I read it.
• Matt the Musk Ox~ A Fable

• Skunk Hotel~ Made me smile... what would YOU do if a skunk set up in YOUR shed?

• Champ~ Pleasant story about a girl and her horse.
• Pine Tree Pet Shop~ Eeewww.... Snakes! (A little adventure....)
• Just for You: Poems for Fun~ Oh dear, the 1st one is "Jake the Snake"... (I don't care for snakes, but there are those that do, so I won't let my dislike for snakes color my opinion about the book...... ) The next is "In My Backpack", followed by "Rub-a-dub-dub" (Not what you might think... cute!), and "The Picnic". These are certainly poems that boys will enjoy. :) 
• What Am I?~ A series of riddles, with the first illustration giving a small hint. Very nicely done.

Once again, these contain lovely pencil drawn illustrations, as you can see above, and the book is a beautiful hardcover, worthy of gift-giving for your favorite beginning-to-read child. ($19.95)

If you are interested in other TOS Crew Member opinions, please check out the TOS CREW blog. As always, I am hoping these reviews will help you make the best decisions for YOUR family, and how to spend your homeschooling budget.

Blessings~



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
**AAS Affiliate Link

The Terrestria Chronicles

My avid reader, RJP, was very pleased that the Crew received some books from Ed Dunlop ministries for review. Some members received books from the Tales From Terrestria series, and others received a variety of books from the Terrestria Chronicles.

We were sent Books 6 and 7 in the series, "The Golden Lamps" and "The Great War".
I was a little concerned with receiving the books at the end of the series, not having read the first books, but was relieved that we were able to pick up book 6 with no trouble, although to get the full benefit of the story, it would be best to read the series in order. 

My daughter realized fairly quickly that the story was allegorical in the fashion of Pilgrim's Progress, although set in a more "realistic" medieval time-period. It is action-packed from the very start, with adventure, trials, and lessons to be learned. Although I wouldn't have intuitively picked these up for my girly-girl, she thoroughly enjoyed them. In fact she would like to read the rest of the series, so I guess you can't ask for much more of a recommendation than that. :)

I would recommend these for ages 12 and up, although if your kids don't flinch at fighting and descriptions of typical medieval warfare, then you could presumably start them earlier, because the lessons to be learned are applicable for all ages. (My kids are on the more "sensitive" side, so take my recommendation with that knowledge)

Please check out the rest of the Crew's reviews, and if you're interested, visit Ed Dunlop's site to purchase them, if you would like to support him directly. Each book retails for $7.99, but you can purchase the entire set of 7 for $39.99

As always, I hope this review helps you to find products that are a good fit for your family.
Blessings,


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Critical Thinking Co. ~ Balance Benders

I have a number of The Critical Thinking Company's workbooks, so I was pleased that the TOS Crew was given the chance to review a couple of series. While other Crew members received a book from the Language Smarts series, I received the "Beginning" book in The Balance Benders series.

Balance Benders are logic and algebraic reasoning puzzles, utilizing the concept of a "balance", and a variety of geometric shapes. The purpose of each puzzle is to correctly identify the 3 true mathematical statements for each "equation" in the balance.

The "Beginning" book is rated for grades 2-6. My 4th grader fit right in. The puzzles in the beginning of the book are fairly simple, but they become more complex as you go through the book, so be aware that the younger students may find it quickly becomes rather complex for them.

However, there is help included in the book. Towards the back, there are 10 "Balance Tips" that explain the algebraic concepts used in the book. If your child is stumped on a particular problem, they can go over the "Tips" and then see if the problem makes more sense, and is "Solvable" for them.

I used this book for my 4th grader, and he enjoyed working through the puzzles. I think that this will help to give him a bit of a foundation for when HE starts in Algebra. His big sister joined in, and was challenged with some of the more complex problems. It reinforced some of the work that she was currently engaged in, and the "Visual" aspect was a great addition.

The "Nitty Gritty" Balance Benders, Beginning Level (Grades 2-6), $9.99
The other books in the series are Level 1 (grades 4-12), Level 2 (Grades 6-12+), and Level 3 (Grades 8-12+). Each book is $9.99, with reproducible pages for your family's use. This makes these books an especially good value for those with multiple children. :)

Be sure to check out other Crew-mates' reviews, and see what they had to say about this latest series from the Critical Thinking Co. as well as the Language smarts Series.

As always, I hope that this review helps you to find the products that will most benefit YOUR homeschool, as you determine where to spend your homeschool budget.

Blessings~


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Family Mint Website

My kids get an allowance... but the actual "distribution" of the allowance has been haphazard, at best. This has a lot to do with the fact that we've become semi-cashless ourselves, so don't always have the correct coinage on hand. So we have moved into a "figure it out 2 or 3 times/ year" method, but that is time-consuming and not very accurate.

Imagine my delight (And that of my kids... well, "Delight" might be a little strong to describe their feelings...) when the TOS Crew members were introduced to Family Mint. Family Mint is a free online program that has great potential to help teach your children about money management.

The concept is that we, the parents, are "The bank", and the children are our "Customers".
You can set up an account for each child with multiple options:

• "direct deposit" (for their allowance, if you wish)
• Regular deposits (for other cash, gifts, etc...)
  
• Withdrawals
• Goals (like charity, gifts, big ticket items, and "Spending money")
  
• Transfers (Between "Goal accounts")
  
• Savings Plan (Automatic deposits of specific percentages)
• The ability for the "bank" (That's us...) to motivate our kids to save by paying interest, and/or by "matching" a percentage of the funds being saved for a certain purpose or "Goal"
  

To start off, your kids could collect their hard-earned (or "gifted") cash, and give it to you to deposit(In your sock drawer might be an idea...so that you don't accidentally spend their funds in your checking account). Every time they get money, they bring it to you to hold on to, and then enter that as a deposit in the Family Mint. When they go to the store and ask to buy something, you can agree, if they use their money. You can pay for it yourself, and then when they get home, they make a withdrawal from their Family Mint. (If you've kept their cold, hard cash, this means you have some more cash for your wallet now.:) , if not, it just keeps virtual track of the money they have available.

Talking about the "Goals" section~

JDP1 wants to spend what he has, most of the time, but he did manage to save up for a professional skateboard, with our previous, haphazard, "enforced" savings allowance method. Now, he wants to save up for an ipod or an itouch. Having the Family Mint keep track of his allowance for me (So that I don't have to go "figure it out" on a regular basis), AND allocate a specific percentage to the itouch category is great! Then, when Birthday and Christmas gifts come in, he can add those directly as well(those cash gifts are a great thing, too, because if he had to rely on his allowance it would take him YEARS to save up for a big ticket item). There is a nifty little tracking bar that shows how much has been saved in each goal category, which is helpful for them to actually SEE their progress.

Now he can check on a weekly basis, and hey, if he has the money "in the bank", sure... he can spend it on gum... OR he can decide to put that bit towards his goal, or towards some other option(like charity..) It just puts it out there in black and white. The great thing is that I don't have to do the figuring, and keep it in a safe, but accessible place. Family Mint does that for me. :) (we just have to remember to make the "withdrawal")

So, FamilyMint can help my kids

• Organize their finances
• Create Goals
• Plan for the future
• SEE their money at work for them

I can see that this will be a helpful too for educating my children about "Grown-up" finances and budgeting as well.

If your family is like mine, it is also a grand way to keep track of those "phantom allowances", and make sure that your kids' spending hits THEIR pocket books, not yours! :)

Be sure to check FamilyMint out, and also my fellow Crew mates' reviews. Some of them used FamilyMint as a very CREATIVE tool! :)

I hope that this review of FamilyMint.com's free program will SAVE your homeschool budget a little, AND give you a useful tool in teaching your children how to budget wisely.
Blessings~


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Galaxy of Education Math Programs

As part of the TOS Crew "Math Immersion Experience" this year(smile), we were given the opportunity to try out the math packages offered by Galaxy of Education's Math Galaxy.

Math Galaxy offers K-12 :

• Interactive "tutorial" math programs, with topically complimentary "motivating" games,
• Worksheet Generators with unlimited problems, and the option to add "Riddles" to the worksheets (Over 500 Riddles available... if your worksheet has one you've seen before, you can ask it to choose another one before you print the page!)
• 2 "Ebook" versions of the riddle worksheets for Fractions and Whole Numbers that include 130 of the 500 available riddles, for those who prefer that format.

The math programs range from basic math (Adding and subtracting, telling time, etc...) all the way up to algebraic equations. You can get a feel for how the programs work (and their "Teaching style") by checking out some of the limited free features available on the website.

The "interactive"/tutorial portion is like a textbook program, that explains the given mathematical operation, and gives examples, then lets the student solve the problems.

There are two options for solving the problems

• "Step-by-step", where each numeral in the answer is keyed in a separate step, or the
• "Final Answer only" option, where the student can choose to solve mentally, or on paper, and then key in the final answer.

I found that my 9 year old benefited from the step-by-step option when working on 2 or more digit multiplication problems. It helped him to figure out the process by prompting him to remember to carry, and later on to add. I can imagine that it will also be useful when we start long division, with the multiple steps required there as well.

On to the "Motivation" aspect of the program, the games... The labyrynth maze kind of reminds me of vintage computer games.... and my boyo "goes" for that sort of thing, so that's good. If your kids are more into glitz and glam, and outrageous graphics, they might be quite as inspired.....

The Word Jumble is kind of a "Wheel of Fortune" type game, with a scrambled word, and math problems for each letter~ Here's a partial game screenshot:

The Riddles require you to do a math problem for each letter also~ Here's another screen shot;

In Bridge the Swamp, you are trying to get from the top of the mountain, across the swamp to your respective color, by selecting the numbers that work with the operation to give the answers in an adjoining space~ I'll show you the game just starting, and then almost finished:

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few other things:

• I did find the program, and the "Vintage" look to be a little difficult to "navigate"
• It took a little getting used to the way the "Step-by-step" answers were to be filled in (although once we "Got it", it made perfect sense, and I appreciated the way it worked...)
• My "older" attempted to do some of the Algebra problems, but was having a hard time "interfacing" with the product....Maybe she just wasn't ready? I'm not sure~ It could be that the "Text-book" wasn't as clear as it could be...
  
• My monitor is an old 15 inch, so on the rare occasion, there may have been a line of "tutorial" cut off~ I didn't run into anything that would cause us significant trouble, tho'.
• While the labyrinth game is "Self-limiting" because the kids have to earn robots in order to play, once they become adept at the game, one robot life (Which means one math problem....) can last FAR too long! Need a timer on that thing!
• The "Tutorial" aspect is a little dry on its own, but with a parent/teacher overseeing the first bit of screen time, I think it works out fairly well.
  

I really like the worksheet generator (For when my kids WANT worksheets... because regardless of MY preferences, sometimes that is their desire...), and the riddles make it more fun!

The "Math Galaxy Word Problems" program has a nifty feature, in that it can be a "game" for up to 4 players. Each player's math problems can be chosen, individualized for their ability and the topics they are studying, so that the 7th grader can play the 4th grader, and it's "equitable". :) I like it! (The game follows a board, with "caves" that are similar to the Labyrinth mazes, but the "play time" is limited, in that there is only one cave available per turn. This might be a good idea for the regular labyrinth maze as well.... one maze per problem. :) )

Math Galaxy System Requirements: Windows 98 or later or Mac OS X.

• The ______ Fun programs are $29.95
• The Worksheet generators are $29.95
• The Riddles e books are $14.95

All have free shipping

If you are interested in a different math program with a lot of potential, and don't mind working with a "Vintage feel" in both style and graphics, this might be just what you (or your child) are looking for! Moral of this story in MY family~ 9 yo who didn't care for other programs seems to really enjoy this one, 12 yo who LOVES other programs wasn't all that enthralled....

For other views and experiences, please visit the TOS Crew, and see what other families thought.
As always, I hope that this helps you spend your homeschooling dollars wisely. If you have any questions about our experience, feel free to comment. :)

Blessings~

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."