Day 5 Of Five Days of Favorite Freebies (Music and giveaways, inspiration)

 

Happy Friday to you! Wow~ what a fun and crazy week!

Did you have a favorite blog post from our 60+ bloggers participating in the blog hop? I have a reason for asking, but more about that later~ :) 

Now on to *my* post for the day~ 

We've talked about finding free electronic applications, unplugged freebies and activities, ebooks, and  curriculum/worksheets/downloadables. Because today is FrIdAy, and Friday's are FUN, I thought I would offer some places to find some free music. This is a big deal to me because here in most of New England we don't have the benefit of a decent local Christian Music radio station. Pretty much the only way to know what is new is via the internet.

Music

NewRelease Tuesday is the place I check most often. It is a great website with videos, interviews, and yes, those free downloads I mentioned. I have been introduced to some new artists here (I heard Francesca Battistelli for the first  time on New Release Tuesday), as well as being a good place to find out about favorite artists' new releases. Sometimes they offer an new release entire album to  listen to (not download), which is pretty cool in my book. :) In order to download from NRT you must register on their site or "like" them on facebook. This week there are songs from Shane & Shane  and Darlene Zschech on the free list. :) 

Side-note: There are songs to suit most tastes offered here~ some of which don't coincide with my own taste. I like that I can preview them by clicking on the MP3 link, which opens the song in a new window, rather than right clicking and saving. I am pretty selective about what I download. :) 

(Hey, I just noticed that you can earn points for free merchandise or something, although their "point store" is currently closed~ so if you choose to sign up through my link, I get some points and so do you. Even more Freebie stuff on the horizon??) 

FreeCCM.com   I have to admit that I just spent more time than I should have listening to some of the songs being offered for free from this site this week (Sara Groves has an interesting video posted here that I listened to as well....). Some aspects of this site aren't totally updated (The giveaway isn't current), but by and large, there is some great music to be had here. :)

HearItFirst  is a media rich website, with videos, news, and free contests. In order to access the free music downloads you have to subscribe to their newsletter which contains the download links. You can explore for a bit.

Giveaways

I'm guessing that many of you have noticed the huge number of giveaways offered on the web these days. The vendors consider it a form of advertising, and you have the chance to win something cool for nothing more than a bit of your time.  I'm going to post a couple of sites that offer giveaways on a regular basis, and then... wait for it.... I have a giveaway of my own to offer to you today! :)



Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies has new offerings every week, mostly homeschool related, but sometimes there are other offerings (like the Kitchen Aid Mixer I found listed there! I don't have one... I'd sure like one, especially in sunny yellow!). Currently I see a "Simplified Dinners" ebook giveaway, and a $3000 books and curriculum giveaway sponsored by Media Angels.



 Hip Homeschool Moms offers weekly reviews and giveaways of product on their site, and they also host linkys for individual bloggers to list their homeschool-friendly giveaways. I generally post my giveaways on this site. It's a fun place to check things out.

Inspiration

I have a couple of extra freebies to mention that didn't entirely fit any of my previous categories, and they are offered by our very own Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

First~ this one really did fit in with the apps, but it is it's own category. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is now available for free as an electronic magazine. You can read it from your computer or you can download the itunes or adroid apps and read it on your device.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine also offers free monthly expos, which are online webinars with special speakers. This month's is in 4 days, on May 22 and features  Heidi St. John, Todd Wilson, and Deborah Wuehler. 

Alrighty then, I hope that this week has given you some inspiration and ideas for this year as well as planning into the next, and I hope that the resources I shared will help you make your homeschool budgeting a little easier this year.  now, on to my giveaway~ I have a brand new copy of Critical Thinking's Crypto Mindbenders Quotations which I reviewed last month. I was sent an extra copy and am delighted to be able to give it away! Check out the Rafflecopter form for instructions on entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blessings~

Go Science! The Object of Science

 I've been a member of Library and Educational Services for years, and appreciate the prices they offer on so many different educational materials (Just a note, in order to purchase from Library and Educational Services you need to create a wholesale account as a homeschooler, but there is no obligation to purchase, you just have the opportunity to save!).  The number of products offered is rather large, and portions of it change regularly, so it isn't surprising that my next review item was one I hadn't seen before.
As a member of the TOS Review Crew, I was offered my choice of 2 DVDs from the  Go Science DVD series, distributed by Library and Educational Services.

The titles in this series are:
Vol 1: Motion and the Laws of Gravity
Vol 2: Simple Machines, Sound, Weather
Vol 3: Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering, and Design
Vol 4: Chemistry, States of Matter, Life Sciences
Vol 5: Air, Flight
Vol 6: Water, Space, Solar System

Because we've reviewed Chemistry and Physics items this year, I thought that Vol 2 (Simple Machines) and Vol 4 (Chemistry) would be good choices to reinforce some of our learning.

Ben Roy, who teaches science methods at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga is an energetic scientist who engages the younger ages with dramatic demonstrations of scientific properties.

I particularly appreciate his key "Catch Phrase":
"Every Time we learn something about Science, we learn something about our Creator God!"

Ben's background in science enables him to show some simple as well as some rather exciting (Don't-do-this-at-home) experiments that each serve as an object lesson for a spiritual application. This is a very cool idea. A good object lesson will endure in a child's memory for a very long time.

My initial expectation was that these videos would demonstrate and explain scientific principles from an academic standpoint. That particular expectation was not entirely met. The format that has been chosen for these videos (About 3-4 minutes for each episode), does not leave time to fully explain the how or the why of the experiments, but does provide enough time to create some interest in the topic which can be captured for further exploration. There is also a certain "Wow" factor for the younger set in these videos.

Here's a sample video for you to check out:


Demonstrations on the Chemistry/States of Matter/Life Sciences DVD(With our quick thoughts):

• Chemical luminescence (nice "Wow" factor~ but don't know "how" it was done)
• Exploding Bottle (Very cool.... my Littlest's favorite)
• Exploding Balloons (Also impressive)
• Flash Paper (pretty exciting)
• pH (great visual. We did something similar in our general science class last year)
• Root Beer Float (This one is a fun party trick... ;))
• Liquid Nitrogen (This one is definitely not a home trick....)
• Single Cell (life science discussion about ostriches/single cells {eggs})
• Optical Illusion (Obviously  talks about senses~ another good object lesson that can be replicated at church)
• Lycopodium Powder (I thought this one was cool, and good application as well)
• Camouflage (This one can be done at home with polymer crystals... great object lesson for AWANA or children's church!)

Demonstrations on the Simple Machines, Sound, and Weather DVD:
The demonstrations on this DVD had more explanation that the Chemistry DVD, so they met my initial expectation a little more. Most of these experiments could be fairly easily replicated, and a few of them would make good science fair demonstrations. Hurrah!
(I've added a few comments for some of the experiments here as well)

• 1st Class Lever  (Each of the lever and the incline plane experiments could be done as object lessons fairly easily)
• 2nd Class Lever
• 3rd Class Lever
• Incline Plane
• Pulleys (Mechanical Advantage ~ can you guess the object in this lesson?)
• Trebuchet ( great go-along for David and his sling)
• Singing Glasses ( love this one!)
• Singing Rods (impressive)
• Sound Waves (Fun!)
• Singing Pipes (this one is a little more dangerous~ but neat to watch!)
• Making a Cloud (Requires dry ice~ cool)
• Weather Balloon
• Tornado Tube
• Air Pressure

Nitty Gritty ~
Library and Educational Services Go Science DVDs
Recommended Ages: 5-11 (The back of the DVD says 6-14, but I think Library and Ed pegged the age just right!)
Price: $8.97 individually or $47.95 for set of all 6 DVDs

Be sure to visit the TOS Review Crew Blog and see what others had to say, particularly if you are interested in a specific title, as all 6 were reviewed. As always, I hope that this review was useful to you as you choose 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 Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Day 4 Of Five Days of Favorite Freebies (curriculum, worksheet, and "practice" sites)

 

Well, the week is winding down~ Have you been having fun reading all the posts being put out by the TOS Review Crew team? I sure hope so! Remember to click on the banner/button at the end of this post to visit many more blogs. :) And to catch up on my posts on Favorite Freebies, you can visit the following links:

Day 1 Favorite Freebies: Apps (iPad, iPhone/touch)

Day 2 Favorite Freebies: Summertime fun 

Day 3 Favorite Freebies: Books and More Books

Today I'm going to highlight some of my favorite places to pick up free curriculum, and various "practice" sites. 

• Homeschool Share ~ Literature-based unit studies/ lapbooks ~ LOVE my friends who run this site. What an awesome resource they are for the homeschool community! 

• Currclick~ every week there is a new free download~ great way to "test-drive" products from a variety of vendors. 
• Ambleside Online (Charlotte Mason learning~ schedules and booklists)  
• Kahn Academy  math, science and humanities tutorials~ (Not from a Christian worldview 
• e-learninglinks is a huge resource page with all sorts of free resources for homeschoolers. One of my favorite finds there are the Apologia Science resources (Found under the "Science" tab).

 I am also a huge fan of The Handbook of Nature Study Outdoor Hour Challenges. What a great inspiration to get outside!

The  Learning Page ~ Free worksheets with themed graphics for Pre-K through 3rd Grade. These worksheets cover math, language arts, and Science. I have been using these since Eldest (14) was in K or 1st grade~
Here's an example of a page from the science pack on Black Holes.

• Crayola ~ Lesson Plans and Printables 
• Classics for Kids (Music and Lesson Plans K-5~ podcasts as well!)
• Dick Blick  ~Lesson Plans ~ Including videos like this

Dance-Mat Typing ~ a goofy cartoon keyboarding program hosted by the BBC~ This is a fun typing program, and it works pretty well! My kids loved it, although the dancing hippos were a little odd. (Ages 7-11) 

Guest Hollow ~ This page links to their American History 2 page, target grade 2-8. There are other (history, science and math)offerings as well, but this was the one I was most interested in.  

Chem4Kids ~ I love the periodic table on this site~ click on each element to see a rebus of the name~

I know that there are MANY more resources out there, but I thought I'd lighlight some of *my* favorites ~ it's amazing what is on the World Wide Web, and I applaud those who freely share their creativity and work.

Blessings~

Day 3 Of Five Days of Favorite Freebies(books and more books)

 

Hey, Hey, I'm back again! If you missed my first posts in the series, you can find them here:

Day 1 Favorite Freebies: Apps (iPad, iPhone/touch)

Day 2 Favorite Freebies: Summertime fun

Have you read anything new and exciting? Are you always looking for a new book to read, something for your voracious reader, or something for your struggling reader? 

Today I am going to quickly highlight some of my favorite places to find free reading material. Other than the obvious "Visit your local library," most of my resources today will be of the electronic variety. 

I mentioned the local library for actual hard-copy books, but many libraries now offer "Rentals" (for free) of electronic books. My daughter just recently downloaded the apps necessary to borrow books from the library, and has enjoyed reading a few mysteries via the OverDrive Media Console™ app. A bonus with these electronic borrowed books is that they are automatically "returned" to the library once your time is up.... no late fees! :) 

One of my very favorite things these days (I never thought it would be possible a couple of years ago.... either that I would own one, much less like reading from one), is my iPad. I use the Kindle app extensively (love the ability to read at night with the lights out... DH has a different schedule than the rest of us, and this way I'm less likely to disturb his sleep). 

However, even if you don't have a wireless device, there is something you need to know: You don't need a Kindle to read a kindle book! You can download a Kindle app to your desktop or laptop, and away you go(You can also "store" them in the Amazon cloud until you want to read them)! 

Various Kindle books are offered for free for a limited time.  My favorite places to find them are the Pixel of Ink family of blogs/facebook pages (I'm going to include some thumbnails of books that are free as I write, but they may not be free tomorrow...).

Pixel of Ink:Somewhat hit or miss, but I've found quite a few great books highlighted here... be aware that there is a fair amount of junk, but it doesn't take very long to peruse the lists each day (Pixel of Ink posts about 3 times a day on average). Looking forward to this continuation of Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice~ I'm curious about Mr. Collins' wife! :)

Inspired Reads: This is one of my favorites~ Generally speaking the books appearing here have a higher likelihood to be my cup of tea(From publishers like Bethany House and Abingdon Press). BTW, in addition to those books that are self-published, and apparently not edited, there are some first class books being offered at each of these sites, ~ Siri Mitchell's new historical novel, just published in paperback last month showed up here!

Pixel of Ink~ Young Edition: A variety of books show up here, from young adult fantasy(And be prepared to sift through a bunch of vampire novels.... sigh... lots of dross), to middle school chapter  books, to early readers.... This is a great page to subscribe to so you don't miss anything. :)

Power Reads: Non-fiction~ memoirs, biographies, and more. I haven't gotten too many books from here yet, but it's a fairly new focus.

Dining Downloads~ Cookbooks anyone? Same here... I haven't gotten too many books from here just yet, but I do have a few that I need to check out!

Another option is to simply search Amazon for free Kindle books. There are loads of the classics to be found there (Including a bunch of Henty books!). You can overwhelm yourself by just going to the Kindle Store and "sorting" price from low to high, or you can browse by age or category, and THEN sort by price~ Slightly less overwhelming.... ;) 

Moving on, Project Gutenberg and The Baldwin Online Children's Literature Project were my original "Go-to" sites before we had the lovely little electronic devices in our house. The Baldwin Project includes a Ambleside index, which is very nice.  Eldest was very pleased to find a bunch of Laura Lee Hope titles (Think Bobbsey Twins) some time back on the Project Gutenberg site. 

Another site to check out is ManyBooks.net There are almost 2500 "Young Readers" available, including Tom Swift stories, Burgess books, Mark Twain, and so much more!

The American Literature Library features classics from American and around the world.

And if you have an audiophile, You could check out Lit2Go, which is a free online collection of stories and poems in mp3 format. MyAudioSchool offers about 20% of their classic books, old-time radio theater, historical radio and television broadcasts, and more for free. There is some neat stuff in here! :)

Well~ This should keep you going for awhile~ Let me know if this was helpful (When you get a chance....) And don't forget to go visit my TOS Review Crew friends who are participating in this 5 Days of Blogging Hop by clicking the banner below.  

Blessings~

Judah Bible Curriculum (Principle Approach)

Have you ever heard of "The Principle Approach" to education? What is it?

I will try to answer this question, as I discuss the Judah Bible Curriculum (A "Principle Approach" to studying the Bible), which we were recently sent for review.

I think the first order of business is to define "principle":


principle |ˈprinsəpəl|
noun
1 a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning. ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French, from Latin principium ‘source,’ principia (plural) ‘foundations,’ from princeps, princip- ‘first, chief.’


So a Principle Approach Bible curriculum that is based on the fundamental truths, the foundational source of Christianity must clearly take as its text.... the Bible.

Understanding this definition makes it easier to understand that the Judah Bible Curriculum is less of a curriculum, and more of a method of study. Bill Burtness, author of the Judah Bible Curriculum is clearly concerned with the prevalence of "Glossy, Sunday Christianity" and the lack of Biblical literacy not only in our general culture, but sadly in the church as well.

An overview of the Judah Bible Curriculum Philosophy  can be found at this link. The extremely basic, and short version is that your philosophy of Government will influence your philosophy of Education, and vice versa. The contention is presented that there are 3 basic philosophies of government or sovereignty: Individuals Reign, the Government Reigns, or God Reigns. 

• If the individual is sovereign there is no government and anarchy reigns.
• If the government is sovereign there is a loss of freedom, and socialism and tyranny reign.
• If God is sovereign, the individual is governed internally, based on their faith, and Liberty and Law reign.

The Judah Bible Curriculum splits the Bible into 5 basic themes:

1. Creation
2. The Plan of Redemption Begins
3. Kingdom of Israel
4. Kingdom of God
5. Early Church

Each theme is covered more in depth each year, with a focus on different "Bible Keys" each time. 

Now that I've covered the concept a little bit, what exactly was included? 

• Judah Bible Curriculum K-12 Manual, e-book format to download: This includes an in-depth overview of the principle approach, the themes and schedules(Scope and sequence can be seen here), as well as some sample, filled-out "key" sheets. The appendix includes many of the visuals that are referred to in the Eight Lecture Teacher Training Seminar.
• Elementary Notebook Ideas booklet to view online or download~ This is not a "print-and-go" sort of document, but rather a compendium of completed pages and projects that others have used to fill out their notebooks when using the Judah Bible Curriculum. 
• Eight-lecture Teacher Training Seminar. listen online or download. These lectures follow the curriculum and the manual to some degree, but not precisely. There is a "Teacher walk-through" on the website, available once you purchase, which is useful to check out as you listen to the Seminars, and the appendix in the manual is also useful (However, the page numbers referenced throughout the seminar do not match the manual, so be aware of that). There are also figures and illustrations referenced in the lectures that will throw the visual oriented teacher for a bit of a loop (The series would be very well done as a video vs audio, in my opinion). 

A key portion of this study method(For upper elementary and high school ages) is the Key Sheet. There are "key sheets" for events, people, and institutions. The concept is to choose the appropriate sheet for each "Key" you are studying, and fill out each section. For instance, the basic Key Event sheets ask 4 basic questions

• Cause and Purpose of the event
• Key Individuals
• Principles of Civil Government
• Historical Significance

There are some sub-questions for each category, and the student will hopefully be able to answer those that are applicable. This was a bit of a problem in our house, as I *do* have industrious children who want to fill in the answers to ALL the questions, and then get frustrated when they can't find the answer because the question doesn't apply to that particular event, person, or institution.

The Judah Bible Curriculum is intended for use from K-12 (With cyclical studies, similar to a Classical Approach). I would say that it is very teacher intensive, particularly in the younger years, as it is advised to have each child compile their own notebook, with a page for each topic studied. This could be as simple as a drawing or narrating what they remember (If your children are used to the Charlotte Mason methods, this would fit right in), or creating a little poster or mini-book. There is also a recommendation for "Quizzes" and "Assigned Essays." However, those are not supplied, so it is once again, up to the teacher. If one is used to creating their own Unit Studies, this aspect will certainly be appealing.

Regarding the Teacher Seminars, I felt very much like I was sitting in on a bunch of sermons vs. teacher lectures, but that could be based on my Preacher's Kid background. ;) These audios remind me very much of my father's style of preaching/teaching, which is very thorough and inductive. Each lecture is intended to give some information to the teacher which can then be discussed with the students as they fill out their key sheets. These could be very helpful for someone who doesn't have an extensive background in Bible Study. However, the teacher still has to distill the information they want to impart to their students, this is not a "plug-and-play" curriculum.

I wish that I had been able to spend more than 6 weeks trying to wrap my head around the basic concepts~ I have the feeling that I am making things more difficult than intended (I like to "answer all the questions" just as much as my kids, which can sometimes be a problem!). I totally appreciate the concept being taught, but call me lazy, I would be much happier if there was just a bit more work done for me (ie, handouts, coloring pages for the littles, quizzes, and essay questions).

Nitty Gritty~
Company~ The Judah Bible Curriculum
Ages~ K-12  (Classical approach)
Purchase ~ Electronic version~ $44   Hard copy~ $74 (inc. shipping)

Because we are all coming to the table at different seasons of life, and from different backgrounds, it might be very useful for you to check out some of the other TOS Review Crew blog posts, and see what someone with a background similar to yours thought (With 100-ish of us on a review, we should be fairly diverse).

As always, I hope that this review was helpful as you choose where to most wisely 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 Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Day 2 Of Five Days of Favorite Freebies (Summertime fun)

 

Thanks for stopping by again! I hope you enjoyed my post yesterday with information on finding free apps. Day 1 Favorite Freebies: Apps (iPad, iPhone/touch)

Today we'll focus on something non-electronic~ Free Summer activities~ 

Things to do at home (OK, some these are more "Frugal" than "Free," but I was inspired  :) )

• Sidewalk Chalk drawings~ 
• Some just for fun
• "sundial" silhouette
• Peter Rabbit!  

• More Sidewalk Chalk~
• This time it's Hopscotch! 
• "The Story of Ping" inspired
• Use wet chalk, or "paint" with water over your drawings to make the smooth areas

• Rock Art~ 
• Have a collection of pebbles?
• Beachcombers in the family? 
• Try making a rock drawing with your finds.

Summer Reading programs

Check with your Local Library~ Almost all libraries run one during the Summer

• Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program (earn a free book)(grades 1-6) (information for this year's program is not up yet)
• TD Bank Summer Reading Program (Earn a $10 deposit)
• MTA/ Red Sox Reading Matters (chance to win tickets!) (K-8) (Do a search for "baseball reading" and your local team to see if you are eligible in your area)
• Scholastic Reading Challenge (PreK-12th!)

Free Bowling

• Kids Bowl Free ( 15 and under 2 free games/day all summer. Shoe rentals extra)  
• AMF Bowling (16 and under 2 games free w/ shoe rental~ check for location) 
•  (Both of these programs include an option to purchase a pass for the grownups in the family as well, for a very reasonable price)

Free Movies

• National Amusements Bookworm Wednesdays Free Movies (Check for participating locations: Combo reading and movies)
• Regal Cinema's Summer Movie Express check back for times and locations

Summer Music Concert Series

Do a search "Free summer concert series 2012" and see if there is anything in your area. You can also add your town or city's name in the search if you don't find anything with the general search terms right away. I always check the surrounding towns to see where the music will be all summer long.

State and National Parks

Get the kids involved in the National Parks near you~ There are many that do not charge admission, so check the specific park to see what their policies are.

Local Libraries often offer free or discounted admission to state parks, museums, and other attractions, so be sure to check that option out as well.

Miscellaneous Activities

• Creative Kids at Home
• Target Arts and Culture (Free and reduced admission~ check for locations)  
• Discover Insects (Fact and activity sheets)

I hope this gives you some good ideas to get out and have some free fun this summer! Now, if you have a minute or two, go visit my friends, by clicking on the graphic below~ you might find something you are interested in! (If you have a minute, I know that comments are appreciated by all)

Blessings~

Day 1 of 5 days of Favorite Freebies~ apps (iPad, iPhone/Touch)

 

My first "Favorite Freebie" topic this week is one of our most recent favorites~ Free apps for the iPad or iPod touch/phone. Once the big bucks are paid out for the hardware, it is time to start loading it up with apps(although, if you only have 8G, you will find that the apps quickly fill up that space!). While many apps are inexpensive, I know that those pennies keep adding up, so I'm happy to share with you how I find free apps for our devices.

The first thing to know is that there are many places to find worthwhile apps that are free for a limited time, so if you see one you are interested in you should download it right away, as it will probably be full price tomorrow....

On to the finding of those apps. There are a few free apps that offer free apps (I feel like I'm being redundant here, but bear with me!)

FreeAppADay offers 5 free apps/ day. There is more dross than gold to be found here, but every now and again you'll find a gem. :) 

FreeAppMagic offers 3 apps/day. Sometimes there is a requirement to check out another app in order to see the third app, but I've never had to actually purchase or download anything I wasn't interested in.This has been a great place to find neat photography, art and word game apps.

There are blogs dedicated to highlighting those apps that are currently free or discounted. If you are on facebook, it's handy to "like" their pages, so that you get regular notifications. Some of these blogs (And often the developers themselves) offer giveaways and "Code Tosses." 

Code Tosses are interesting events. Generally they take place on facebook or twitter. The blog or developer will announce in advance when they will have a code toss (Sometimes it's "in ten minutes," and at other times you have days of advance notice). Regardless of when it is, here are the steps you need to be successful in catching a tossed code. 

1. Be at the specific page a few minutes ahead of time (you might even want to refresh the page a few times).
2. Be sure you are logged in to your itunes account on another page.
3. Find the "Redeem a code" link and click on that so that you are ready.
4. When you see the list of codes posted, quickly copy one of them and paste it into the box on the "Redeem your code" page that you have open in itunes.

If you were fast enough, you will get a notice that you were successful and that the app is downloading. 

I have gotten a few great apps this way, but I only do this if I have the time to spend, and don't mind  if I miss out. There are some folks with extremely quick fingers out there! :D 

OK now, on to the sites:

AppsforHomeschooling is one I check daily. Jennifer highlights free and discounted educational apps, and she also runs frequent giveaways and "Code tosses".

Iheartthisapp is another of my favorites~ there are a number of categories~ adult, children, and educational. You have to check carefully for the free apps amongst the discounted apps, but I have found some great gems here.

Momswithapps is  "a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families." They sponsor AppFriday , a weekly online event that highlights new, promotionally priced and free apps each Friday. The promotions generally last until 8 PM, PST, unless extended by the developer. This one is worth setting a weekly reminder for! 

I know there are many more sites out there that are similar in scope, but these are my favorites, and since there is a limit to the amount of time I should be spending online, I tend to stick with them.

Last but not least, it is worth taking a little time to peruse the app store. I have found this to be easiest on the iPad~ 

Type in a search request  (I just did "history" for the fun of it) There were 2409 returns. Yikes! However, on the iPad, I can refine that search easily: 

• First, I'll click "See All", then start refining. 
• Choosing the category of Education brings back 1098 returns
• Next I'll click a Customer rating of 3+ stars, which gives me 259
• A price of "Free" shows 96 options~ 
• at this point I might refine the customer rating to 4 stars which gives me 53 apps to check out.
• Depending on the amount of time I have, I'll probably go through the 96 options to see if something strikes my fancy.

This has been a productive way for me to find some great full version apps, as well as some "lite" versions which give me an opportunity to check the app out to see if the full version is something I might be interested in. Mileage has varied on how comprehensive the lite versions are, but some of them are adequate for my purposes, and the full versions are not necessary.

Now, just to give you an idea~ here are some of the apps that we have been able to get for free using one or more of the above mentioned links/methods(Please note that the vast majority of these are not currently free, I'm just including this list to show the calibre of apps that *can* be gotten for free if at the right place at the right time):

Nostalgio   Nifty photography app that I often use for school project collages

Biblesaurus Memory verse game

Alphabet Freeze Tag

Bust a Sound (Phonics game)

Adding Apples (Currently Free.. love this one, and the others by this developer!)

Rocket Math (one of my favorite "lite" apps!)

Tea Party (Miss Spider.... Currently free!)

The Oregon Trail

My Brushes (Neat paint program)

Arches National Park Geology Tour

Around the World in 80 Days Game

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to find some great free apps for your device.

Be sure to visit my friends by clicking the banner below~ There are some great topics being talked about this week!

Blessings~