Algebra for Breakfast (Elementary Age Review)

Youngest has just about finished his math program for the year, so the timing of our latest review, an algebraic math supplement from Algebra For Breakfast was pretty good. Let me tell you a little bit about it.

Bob Hazen has produced a number of video lessons for grades 3/4 and 5/6 to introduce them to algebraic concepts and help them to work comfortably with the unknown. Each lesson includes the video (sometimes as short as a minute or two, other times closer to 10 minutes in length), and more often than not a worksheet as well. You can see what the dashboard (where lessons are accessed) looks like below, and further down are some screenshots which also show where worksheets can be downloaded in each lesson.

There are 45 lessons that can be accessed in the 3/4 level (Which is the one we received to review). The lessons cover basic concepts such as identifying (or naming) known and unknown numbers and end with trinomial factoring and polynomial addition using the manipulative blocks included in the full membership pack. The blocks enable young children to experience the symbolic work of algebra in a concrete manner.  You can learn more about the topics included  and how it works directly at the AFB (Algebra For Breakfast) website. 

There are some definite plusses to this program~ *I* actually learned how to utilize skip counting songs (Which have baffled me from the very beginning of my homeschooling career~ I had never seen the value in them until using this program! What I missed all those years! :) ). 

The concrete expression of these algebraic functions using blocks should make doing algebra later on more accessible and successful. The progress in the 3/4 lessons is fairly incremental (slow).

A couple of cons to this particular program, which are more superficial, but I feel they should be mentioned. One of the benefits to homeschooling is the ability to complete lessons swiftly without "crowd control" and the negativity that tends to bring to the classroom. Unfortunately, because these are videos of a "live" class, much of that comes through. Bob repeats his instructions three times for almost everything he says in every lesson (Which is wearying to *me* although I admit that it could be helpful for a child who processes more slowly), and he often calls out kids in the class (who aren't even really misbehaving that I can tell) which makes all of us watching uncomfortable. This could easily be remedied if the same material were taught simply to the video audience, and not to an actual live class. I believe that would greatly enhance my overall impression of the program. However, another option is to watch the videos yourself and teach your student the material. 

An additional thing that might be an problem for some of those children with auditory processing disorders is that the classroom of children using manipulative blocks on plastic desk surfaces creates a noisy, squeaky background which could be more than simply annoying, if your student has a sensitivity to sound. Again, this can be solved by simply watching the videos yourself and teaching the material to your child. 

Other than the matter of the live class video negative, based on the lessons we used (and some that I skipped ahead to check out before teaching the concepts to my son), this seems to be a very solid program that has the potential of showing great benefit in later math studies.  

Oh, and one of the fun things that is part of the program is the inclusion of math games utilizing math dice. The games are fairly simple, but are a great way to practice moving numbers around in a variety of combinations while having fun. 

Not So Nutty Nitty Gritty 

• Company: Algebra For Breakfast
• Product: Algebra For Breakfast
• Ages: 3rd-4th grade (5th-6th also available)
• Price: 
• Complete Member Package $122 first month (For materials included below), $22/month thereafter
• 164 piece Math Manipulatives
• Skip Count CD 
• Math Dice
• Reduced Membership Package $42 first month (For materials included below. This package assumes that you already own the Mortensen Math Manipulatives) $22/month thereafter
• Skip Count CD 
• Math Dice
• Content only package $22/month (This package assumes that you own a skip count music of some sort, the math dice, and the Mortensen Math Manipulatives, as they are all required to use and complete this course) 

You can visit Algebra For Breakfast on Facebook.

Please click the banner below to visit the TOS Homeschool Review Crew and see what others had to say about this as well as the 5th-6th grade package. As always, I hope that this review was useful to you as you choose where best to spend your homeschool budget.

Blessings~

#hsreviews #mathsupplement #mathenrichment #algebrareinforcement

Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” (A video series review)

This spring we were able to review a product from a company that I have heard about for years, Drive Thru History®. We were sent their latest product, Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”.  This special edition package comes in a nifty book-like package that incorporates holders for the three DVD's as well as a full color study guide. The three DVD's contain 18 episodes (perfect for a half-year of weekly Bible Study for a youth group or homeschool co-op!) filmed on the ground in Israel, covering the territory where Jesus lived, walked, and taught. 

The episodes are hosted by Dave Stotts, who reminded both of my teens of a typical "good" youth pastor in manner and speech ("solid" with just a little goofiness thrown in). The videography is extremely well done, and really brought to life the locales we read about in the Bible. 

 

Sprinkled throughout the live portion of each episode are computer graphics (sometimes portraying what cities and structures may have looked like before they were ruins, timelines, and text over video to name a few), as well as various works of art that relate to the topic at hand. You can view a trailer below to get a feel for the series. 






This walking ( or driving) through the Gospels includes Historical information, Biblical Geography, and a sharing of the Good News directly from the Word. David Stotts also incorporates word studies, going back to the original Greek and Hebrew to shed light on some of the language choices. Throughout each episode there are many Bible passages included for recommended reading, as viewers are encouraged to pick up their own Bibles to read for themselves. The Study Guide includes Discussion Questions, Scripture readings, and Side Roads that offer some background information on personalities, customs, and historical archaeological finds.

The Episodes are as follows:
Disc 1
The Historical Landscape
The Announcements
Jesus is Born
Jesus Grows Up
Jesus Starts His Ministry
Jesus Returns to Galilee

Disc 2
Jesus Begins His Miracles
Jesus Teaches with Authority
The Sermon on the Mount
Jesus Travels the Sea of Galilee
Jesus Travels North with His Apostles
A Final Trip to Jerusalem

Disc 3
Jesus Arrives in Jerusalem
The Last Supper
The Trial of Jesus
The Crucifixion of Jesus
The Resurrection of Jesus
Who is Jesus?

Because of the presentation of the Gospel, this series could be a great introduction to youth who aren't familiar with the Good News of the Bible, in addition to being very interesting for those who are more familiar with the Scriptures.

  

Just a note about the artwork~ be forewarned that the very first episode deals with Adam and Eve in the Garden, and there are some Medieval/Renaissance works of art with semi-naked figures shown. This may not be an issue for you, but it could be for others, so I felt the need to mention it (as my 9 year old was watching with us...). Other episodes were not quite as startling... :)  In general, I do recommend keeping with the recommended age range~ 5th grade at a minimum, but focusing on 7-12th grade.

If you have students who have highly sensitive visual personalities, they may wish to avert their eyes through some of the later episodes that include snippets of video and artwork that are a little more graphic (yes, we are that family that doesn't watch a lot of the newer movies/TV shows, as they are much too graphic for me/us). There is a disclaimer on the video itself about the graphic nature of the episode that covers the crucifixion, suggesting parental guidance. Given that I did not watch Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," I will admit that I did not watch this particular episode either. However, I also recognize that my sensitivities are not the norm. ;) 

Not So Nutty Nitty Gritty 
To sum up, I believe that Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” is an excellent production that is a great fit for Jr. High and High School viewing, and is well suited to a Sunday School or Youth Group setting. It is also appropriate for a homeschool Bible class.

• Company: Drive Thru History®
• Product: Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”
• Ages: 5th grade to adult with Middle-High School being the main target age
• Price: $89.95

Visit Drive Thru History® on their social media pages:
Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram

Please click the banner below to visit the TOS Review Crew and see what others had to say. As always, I hope that this review was useful to you as you choose where best to spend your homeschool budget.

Blessings~

#hsreviews #drivethruhistory #thegospels 

Creating a Masterpiece (Fine Art Instruction Review)

This is turning out to be an "artsy" year for us! Creating a Masterpiece allowed me to have art projects to explore with all of my age groups for this review, with access to many techniques, media, and levels through a Monthly Plan subscription.

About the Program
Sharon Hofer offers detailed video classes in a wide variety of media. I meant it when I said there was something for everyone! There are lessons in:

Acrylic, Batik, Block Printing, Conte Crayon, Copper Tooling, Glass Mosaic, Ink, Oil Painting, Oil Pastel, Pencil/Charcoal, Sculpture, Silk Painting, Soft Pastel, Watercolor, and Wood Burning

Each level offers eight or nine projects. The Beginners Level projects are completed in one lesson (which is broken down into smaller segments) and can be done by children as young as 4 years of age!  Level 1-5 projects take three to seven lessons to complete, and the complexity increases with the level. Again, each lesson is broken down into smaller segments, and should take around an hour to complete.  There is also an Art in History level offering seven projects. Some are suitable for younger children, others are more advanced.

Our Experiences With Creating A Masterpiece

Aren't these pretty??? So many shades!

We sampled a few different projects, with multiple students/artistic levels/abilities.
The first one attempted was the free sample project offered on the website. Youngest and I pulled out our old chalk pastels and some black construction paper and... well, we discovered that sometimes using the cheap stuff really isn't the best. Time to purchase some black "pastel" paper and some "soft" pastels, which are a little different from chalk pastels.

*Side note: Sharon Hofer definitely suggests using the best supplies available that you can afford, and she maintains links for the supplies required for each lesson to Dick Blick Art Supplies on her website. I will note here that Dick Blick generally has some of the lowest prices around for quality merchandise if you are looking to purchase online ~ Having an art education major in the family next year, I've been checking out resources, and Dick Blick is great! :)

OK, on with the review~
Youngest angsted over his work as he frequently does, but second time through, using the new paper and pastels I set him up with the lesson on the ipad and left him to his own devices (this particular day I was getting ready for an outside activity, taking a shower, running around like crazy, and didn't have time to offer him "at his elbow" support and guidance). Although there were a couple of shouted questions through the bathroom door, I didn't really do a thing besides offer encouragement.
I was delighted by the end result and so was he:

He was so incredibly proud of his work, and insisted that we go purchase a frame to hang it on the wall immediately. :) (I have to admit that I was pretty proud of his accomplishment as well!)

His other project was in a medium that I really don't have much technical experience with, watercolor painting.

I think that perhaps his paper wasn't quite as wet as was recommended (hard to judge these things through a video), so he will be trying this another time, but even so, it turned out alright.

Pencil in hand to sign his masterpiece...

I do need to note that I did assist a little on this one, as he needed guidance in how to hold and use a flat brush, so some of the strokes are mine, or guided by my hand. Again, I'm interested to see how this turns out on a second go around.

I fiddled around with this project as well: 

Middlest tried his hand at wood burning (handy that I had a wood burning tool from a project I undertook decades ago~ less handy that the tip broke part-way through... again with the quality tools?).  Even with the snag, I think we've finally hit on an artistic endeavor my 16 year old enjoys and may continue. I do have to note that he chose not to do the actual project (a lion), but went with something he loves... fish...

I will note here that if you have a dedicated school space, or art space that would be ideal for some of these projects. My upstairs hallway smelled like a campfire (a nice campfire smell, not a stinky campfire smell, but a campfire smell none-the-less...). However, my home is old and has weird air-flow, and I expect that your experience will be different than mine. ;)

A couple of things to mention~ Sharon does speak through the early lessons to the 4-6 year old crowd (she may come off as "talking down" to an older child), so your older students might be a little put off by her tone but the instruction is solid, so I recommend that this be a lesson in being attentive even if one doesn't care for the tone. I did find that it changed in the higher levels, although Sharon still maintains her cheerful encouragement, which in and of itself is a good thing. :)

I also want to address the cost. I seldom mention anything about cost, as every homeschool family has a different financial structure. I just want to mention that if one were to spring for a local art class for one student it would $15-$17.50/ one hour class (price-checked in my area today). Ten weeks of classes run $150-$175/ student. While these video classes remove the feedback of in person classes, and are not "inexpensive" they *are* an economical choice when considering art classes for just one child, and even more so if there is more than one in the family.

This isn't your run-of-the-mill video art instruction. I feel your children really will create their own "masterpieces" that they (and you) will be proud of, and will want to share if you choose to use Creating a Masterpiece as part of your homeschool art instruction.

Not So Nutty Nitty Gritty 

• Company: Creating a Masterpiece
• Product: Monthly Plan
• Ages: PreK-Adult
• Price: $39.99/month (Alternate plans are available, $349/year, individual level access starting at $119/year, and group membership plans) 

Visit Creating a Masterpiece on Facebook

Please click the banner below to visit the TOS Homeschool Review Crew and see what others had to say. As always, I hope that this review was useful to you as you choose where best to spend your homeschool budget.

Blessings~

#hsreviews #artinstruction #homeschoolart #onlineartprogram

Greek and Latin Roots with Dwane Thomas~ FUN times (and learning, too)!

Compass Classroom offering a new course in Greek and Latin Roots

With one of our favorite instructors, Dwane Thomas of Visual Latin 

Download 2 free lessons now and/or order with the special introductory price of $9.99

These look like so much fun! :) 

Blessings~