Review: Kinderbach (Part Deux)

The Opper Clan had the pleasure of reviewing Kinderbach around this time last year. Rather than re-hash everything, I'm going to link to my original review here (which I advise you to read first if you aren't familiar with Kinderbach), and fill you in on all the latest changes to the website in this post. :)

Kinderbach is an online piano program for young children ages 3-7 years. Fun new features include:

• Dodi the Donkey Coloring Book: A 16 page e-book that helps children learn the D note on the keyboard. Very cute story with adorable pictures! (Anyone else remember that old holiday movie, Nester: The Long Eared Christmas Donkey? That's what Dodi reminds me of. :) So sweet!) Dodi the Donkey Coloring Book is available for $3.95.

• Crafts and Games Level 1: This 20 page e-book offers a fun selection of hands-on activities that are perfect for tactile learners (or for those rainy, ants-in-the-pants days!). I tried to get my kids to play with the floor keyboard but they weren't into it. (Sigh) However, the ideas are very fun and super simple to use. (Even for those who are scissor-and-glue challenged like yours truly!) Craft & Games is available for $9.95.

• Levels 5-6 have been activated since my previous post. Therefore, your little one can continue to progress and engage in more musical adventures with Dodi and Felicity the Frog. (Who is still my favorite. I mean...ballerina froggy! Hello?!)
• You can now become a fan of Kinderbach on Facebook or view their video clips on YouTube. How cool is that? ;) They even included a link to the TOS Homeschool Crew off their main page! Woohoo!

The Nitty Gritty (Or How Much Does It Cost?)

A subscription to Kinderbach varies based on the program you choose.
Online Membership costs $19.99/month for 12 months or $7.99/month payable in one lump sum of $95.88 (which saves you 60%). Click here for details.

DVD Packages range in price from $55.95-$222.88, depending upon how many DVD's you wish to purchase at once. Click here for more information.


Conclusion:

I still find Kinderbach adorable and engaging, and recommend the program to those with little ones. Again, if you haven't done so, take a moment to read my formal review here. To read what my fellow TOS Crew Mates had to say about this product, please click here.


*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I was provided with a free trial membership to the online Kinderbach program for review. No additional compensation was provided.*

Review: FactsFirst (Saxon)

FactsFirst is an online math supplement designed to help elementary students achieve basic math mastery. Through the use of colorful graphics, animated characters, and plenty of repetition, students receive instant feedback while developing strong "instant recall" skills. As they work, they're rewarded with Arcade time (games) which operates a bit like online recess. :)

Program Details

To begin, each student creates his/her own avatar, like this: (-->) Pretty cute, huh? I must admit, this part seemed to take the longest for my children. For some reason, they were really fixated on making their "Mini Me" look as close to the real deal as possible.

Once the avatar is created, students can then take a little assessment test which determines the type of facts to be drilled (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Students then work on 2 related facts (like 6 + 3, 3 + 6) in a little "game" over 'n over 'n over 'n over again. Once they have those facts down pat, more facts are introduced. As they continue to progress, facts they have missed previously are thrown back into the mix for extra practice.

When it comes time for the quiz, students then race against the clock (which can be adjusted by the parent if they so choose) to provide the correct answers in the fastest time possible. Huge competition factor here! (And very fun, I might add.)

After each lesson is completed, students gain access to the oh-so-popular Arcade. For a whopping 5 minutes, your students can choose between 5 different games to play. Once the time is up, that's it. Back to class! :)

Parents have access to the Math Matrix, a handy graphic which details the facts your student has mastered, and which ones still need work.

Being the visual person that I am, I thought this was especially cool. :) My son, Ethan enjoyed peeking over my shoulder at his Matrix, then hopping back on his computer to "fill in the empty spaces". Apparently he's a visual person, too. Oh yes. These can also be printed off for your records. Extra handy, eh?

FactsFirst offers over 350 interactive learning games spanning all basic math computations. It was developed by Saxon Math's sister company, Skills Tutor and makes a nice supplement to any basic math program you choose. (It is not specifically designed to coordinate with Saxon Math.)

Our Opinion

The children started out enjoying this program. However, after several minutes of ongoing repetition, they quickly became bored and frustrated. My youngest exclaimed, "Why do I have to keep answering this? I typed the answer four times already!" (Ahem) Not one of her more patient moments, I'm afraid.

I, on the other hand, liked the premise behind FactsFirst. Indeed, the ability to recall your basic facts with finger-snapping speed is a worthwhile skill. However, for some reason the format just bugged my kids too much to continue past our review period.

A one year subscription to FactsFirst costs $49.95 and covers up to 4 students. You can also check out a free demo by clicking here.

To discover how my fellow Crew Mates felt about FactsFirst, please click here.

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free trial of this product for the purpose of this review. No additional compensation was provided and the thoughts expressed are strictly my own.*

Review: MathScore.com

Developed by MIT graduates, MathScore.com is an online subscription service offering students a solid, no-frills approach to sharpening their math skills from 1st grade through Algebra 1. The basis of the program is timed drills/assignments, which parents can adjust accordingly to meet their child's needs. Each student works to earn points; the more points they earn, the higher their ranking. Each new level of achievement is awarded with fireworks and cute little trophies.

MathScore.com can be used as a supplement or as your main curriculum. It's designed to increase your child's test scores and improve their overall mastery. (Hooray!) Your student can work from an assigned list of topics based on his/her grade level, or they may choose to work on specific topics of their choice.

Parents are given complete access to their child's reports. Simply log in and see just how little Suzie or Junior's been doing! Email reports, which I found to be rather nifty, are also provided.

Our Experience:

What's really great about MathScore is that it lacks all those cutesy "extras". Many moms out there complain that most educational websites are just colorful "fluff" lacking real substance. Not so with MathScore!

However, I have to admit that my children did not like it for precisely that reason. They like the extras, the colors, the fluffy, there's-really-no-point-except-to-make-kids-happy. And umm...frankly...so do I. (There I said it.) But this doesn't mean I didn't like MathScore; on the contrary, I found it be excellent for drills and brush-ups!

I loved the fact that the assignments were timed (something we used to do a lot of, but lately got out of the habit of doing), and that I could adjust the time to whatever length was necessary for each child. I was also pleased with how the parent reports were broken down: I knew exactly which problems my child worked on, how long they worked, and where they needed more work.

Price:

If you're in the market for a no-frills online math option, I urge you to check out MathScore.com. A subscription costs just $14.95 per month for the first child, with hefty discounts offered for subsequent family members.

You can also take advantage of a free two week trial by clicking here.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I was fairly pleased with how well MathScore.com performed. Althought it was not my children's first (or second) choice for math, it did provide a nice drill format that I appreciated. We give MathScore.com 1 thumb up. :)

To read what my fellow TOS Crew Members had to say about this product, please click here.



*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I was provided with a free trial of this product for review. No additional compensation was provided, and the thoughts and views expressed are my own.*

"Help! I'm Homeschooling and I'm Freaking Out!"

Yep. That was me about 8 years ago. Fresh out of the "I'm gonna homeschool!" box with absolutely no clue how or where to start. Thankfully, I had a great friend who was not-so-new to homeschooling. She dished out tons of practical advice to help steer me along the right path....

1. First things first: Visit the Home School Legal Defense Association's website. Here you'll find your state's laws regarding every aspect of homeschooling; required subjects, testing and reporting requirements if any, as well as links to local support groups.

2. Research homeschool curricula. A great way to do this is by reading reviews such as those found on the TOS Homeschool Crew's Blog. Our helpful crew has reviewed a ton of great products over the past 2 years, with more coming in all the time. This should definitely be one of your main "go to" resources! (Yes, I'm slightly biased.)

Other things to consider are your ability (or willingness) to teach, your child's learning style, your budget, how many children you have, and how much time you have in the day to devote to homeschooling. The answers to these questions will help you determine which product is right for you and your children. For example, if you're a real hands-on, artsy, craftsy kind of gal then Lapbooks or even Unit Studies might be a way to go. However, if you're more like me and would rather give your child their list of assignments at the start of the day (because whenever you use glue, it always ends up horrendously wrong), then a more structured "school like" program would be better.

3. Ask, ask, ask! Chances are, you know at least 1 other homeschooilng family. We're everywhere! (Great. Now I sound like my husband whenever he talks about The Grateful Dead and his fellow Dead Heads..."We are everywhere!" Ugh...)

But seriously, even if you don't happen to know of any other homeschooling families, there's still the internet and good ol' Yahoo Groups. I joined a few of these in the beginning too, and the support from all those fabulous ladies was incredible! They were such a blessing!

4. Purchase a packaged curriculum. I know...I know. Packaged curriculum is often seen as the "unkosher" way to go; consistently viewed as the enemy of all creativity, the killer of that great homeschool pioneer, rebel-with-a-cause spirit. But can I tell you a little secret? Lean in close...They really do make things a lot easier in the beginning (and even later!). Honestly with this approach, there's no guesswork about which math, or which spelling program, etc. It's all right there in front of you. Easy breezy!

Some places such as ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) or CLASS (Christian Liberty Academy School System) provide grading and record keeping services as well. Granted, these aren't free but they're quite economical versus other complete programs. We used ACE for Kindergarten, as that was what Sierra's private school was using, and then switched to CLASS for the next 2 years. After that, we moved onto the "wing it" approach, which was soon followed by The Jubilee Academy, an excellent online program.

Once you get your bearings and adjust to the new homeschooling lifestyle, you may consider dropping the package deal and just "winging it". However, there is no shame in a little hand-holding at the beginning!

5. Subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Not only do you get some fabulous freebies with your paid subscription, but you receive a plethora of helpful tips, advice, timely encouragement, product reviews, spiritual nourishment, e-newsletters, freebies and more. The Old Schoolhouse magazine is far and away the bestest of the best in homeschooling magazines. (I really do feel this way and have always felt this strongly about it, even before the TOS Crew started. This is not just a shameless plug. So there.)

And there you have it, folks. My Homeschooling 101 Advice, in a nutshell. ;)

To read what my fellow Blog Cruisers had to say, please click here. :) The Blog Cruise is the TOS Crew's first blog carnival, which features fun, helpful and highly informative Q & A's each week.

Review: Christian Keyboarding

As everyone who happens to either own or use a computer knows, typing is an extremely useful skill. Sure you could hunt 'n peck your way around, but to really get your thoughts out fast, you need to know how to type.

Somehow my youngest picked up on typing very rapidly and only partially utilized the "hunt 'n peck" strategy. (Figured she must've picked it up via osmosis.) My older two children didn't use any correct finger placement, nor did they desire to.

Then of course, there's me...I write all the time and live through my keyboard. I naturally wanted my children to learn how to type, but I hadn't found the right program. I didn't want "fluff" and I didn't want "boring". I just wanted something simple and straight to the point.

Enter the following review product, Keyboarding for the Christian School by Leanne Beitel. This program arrived just in time to satisfy my pickiness every requirement. (I love it when that happens!)

Keyboarding for the Christian School is an e-book program that teaches the touch typing technique. The lessons and drills are reminiscent of my old high school keyboarding classes, which I always enjoyed. There isn't anything "fluffy" or "silly" about these e-books at all; just straightforward, honest typing. Perfect!

The e-books come in two versions: K-5th grade and 6th grade and up. However, there is little difference between the two as far as learning the basics and practice drills. In fact, the only difference (at least through lesson 32) was that the elementary version contained color-coded home row keys and the upper level did not.

Now as the title suggests, this program was originally designed for Christian schools. Therefore, you'll find various verses and Psalms included throughout each volume for typing practice.

Both versions contain timed drills (which we really liked!), formatting and enumerated lists. The upper grade version also covers topics such as:

• Writing a bibliography
• Personal and business letters
• Proofreader's marks
• MLA and APA academic reports and more

Keyboarding for the Christian School--Elementary Version contains 87 pages and is available for $12.95. The upper grade version contains 107 pages and is available for $15.95.

However from now until February 28th, the publisher is offering a great package deal: Purchase BOTH e-books for only $22.00! Not too shabby, I say! :)

Try Before You Buy

Take advantage of the free sample lessons by clicking here. (Don't you just love freebies? *Wink*)

Final Thoughts:

We used both e-books over the past several weeks and really enjoyed them. Granted, my oldest still isn't too keen on the whole "keep your fingers on the home keys" but I know it's helping her in the long run. :) Also, my younger two have noticed that their fingers naturally gravitate toward the home row keys without even thinking about it.

For additional practice, I had the children update their blogs each week using the correct finger placement. (Sneaky, eh?)

While I personally would have never even thought to cover such things as a properly formatted bibliography, I was glad to see that at least *someone* was!

Thank you, Leanne Beitel for creating such an easy to use program. :)

We give both versions of Keyboarding for the Christian School two delighted thumbs up!


To read what my fellow TOS Crew Members had to say, please click here. :)

*As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a copy of both e-books for free. No additional compensation was given and my opinions are strictly my own.*

Review: Bertie's War (Kregel Publications)

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. No additional compensation was provided and my opinions--and those of my daughter--are strictly ours.*

Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, "Bertie's War" by Barbara Tifft Blakey tells the story of young Roberta (Bertie), a sweet but overly emotional 7th grader, who always tries to do the right thing but often falls short of the mark. Due to the shaky political climate of 1962 and her own emotional instability that often comes with her age, Bertie has a tremendous amount of fear welled up inside of her. She deals with this by retreating into her own imaginary world as often as possible, which doesn't help her situation at all.

To make matters worse, Bertie's family isn't very open or talkative, but instead are quiet and reserved. Neither her parents or siblings seem to "get" everything that's going on inside of her, nor does the family exhibit any of the compassion you'd expect to see after witnessing another person's emotional outburst or in the midst of grief and loss.

While I understood why Bertie enjoyed this brand of escapism, I didn't see it as being very realistic for a girl her age. To me she seemed very immature and quite the "Drama Queen". My oldest (14) read the book as well and thought it was "Ok" but that Bertie "needed to suck it up and quit whining." And even though I've met a few emotionally reserved individuals over the years, I couldn't wrap my head around Bertie's parents. Their "distance" seemed a bit too distant, if that makes sense.

At the end, Bertie and her strict father--whom she readily fears and truly wants to please--have a breakthrough, which is very positive to see. However, both my daughter and I felt the ending was a bit of a stretch after all the issues Bertie had at the beginning of the story.

However, all personal plot/characterization opinions aside, Bertie's War could potentially make for a decent American history supplement. The author does a good job articulating the country's extreme fear of nuclear war, which segues nicely into the importance of not making fear-based decisions.

Bertie's War is available in paperback from Kregel Publishing for $7.99. Click here for more information.

To read what my fellow Crew members had to say about this product, please click here.

Review: GyMathtics DVD

*As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free copy of Exploramania's GyMathtics DVD for review. No additional compensation was given and my opinions are strictly my own.*


Most of my friends and family know, I'm a big fan of exercise and working out. My daughters are following in my footsteps and can often be found moving through their ballet steps (Abby) or taekwondo forms (Sierra), riding on my stationary bike, or even working out with me. My son? Well...that's another story. Ahem.

When we received a copy of the GyMathtics DVD from Exploramania, we were hoping it would be similar to my other workout videos. The children weren't too keen on the whole "let's incorporate math into our workouts" but they were up for reviewing it regardless. :)

GyMathtics is a 30 minute DVD that provides children in grades 2-5 with a low-impact workout routine while teaching math concepts such as geometry, prime numbers, and skip counting. The program segments include:

• Shape Stretches Warm Up - Stretches cover lines, circles and polygons.
• Counting Calisthenics - This is the aerobic portion of the routine
• Pattern Power - Pattern combinations that get the mental juices flowing.
• Well-Being Wind Down - A cool down routine with a very soft, flowing tone. Incorporates lots of positive imagery and thought processes. ("Eat super healthy foods...", "Relax your body and open your mind...")

GyMathtics seeks to encourage children to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle while incorporating gross motor skills to help solidify math concepts in the brain. Many parents and homeschoolers realize that movement is essential to kinesthetic learners, so the idea behind GyMathtics is great.

Our Opinion

Like I said, the idea behind this DVD is admirable, and we already enjoy and engage in regular exercise. However....my children did not care for this DVD at all. As the opening sequence began, Ethan and Abby stared at the screen. Then, ever so slowly, both of their heads turned toward me, their expressions mirror images of one another. ("Are...you...serious?!") They skipped ahead a bit, hoping there was something they'd appreciate or want to get up off the couch for but alas, no such luck. :o/

While they agreed it "wasn't a bad program", they felt it was "just too babyish" for them. Ethan (11) said it "felt like Barney with a math book" and Abby (9) said "it would be better for little kids--like kindergarten or first grade." (Of course each child is different, so please keep that in mind before totally disregarding this program.)

I think part of my children's dislike for this product may stem from the fact that they're used to adult level workouts. As a matter of fact, I don't think we've ever owned a children's workout video before now.

But while I can honestly say this product didn't work for my children, I can see it being a huge hit with other children I know (who are--yes, younger).

The tone and style of the instructors is very encouraging, and the quality and cuing of the movements are great. The math lessons covered various concepts we haven't even attempted yet, which I was appreciative of. I feel this would make a great phys ed. supplement for younger homeschoolers, while providing them with a fun "wiggle busting routine" during nasty weather days.

GyMathtics is available for $24.99 and comes with free shipping. To learn more about it and view additional screen shots and product information, please click here.

There are additional GyMathtics products such as GyMathtics 2.0 which is designed for older students (something we may look into), as well as Exploracise Floor Mat which is a yoga mat with math facts built in, and Exploracise Thumballs which help reinforce multiplication skills. To learn more about these products, please visit their website by clicking here.

We give GyMathtics by Exploramania one thumb up. :)

Review: AVKO

*As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free one year membership to AVKO.org in exchange for a review. My opinions are strictly my own, and I encourage families to research this and other programs to determine what is right for them.*


AVKO (which stands for Audio, Visual, Kinesthetic and Oral) is a non-profit organization founded by Don McCabe. AVKO "is dedicated to teaching everyone how to read and spell, regardless of their mild to moderate learning disabilities, dyslexia, poverty, or opportunity."

Don McCabe is also the author of Sequential Spelling, a highly popular spelling program among homeschoolers. I've never used Sequential Spelling myself, nor did I have access to it for this review. Therefore, I will only give my opinion on the website itself and its content.

I have to admit that I really didn't think much of this program at first. Wait--let me rephrase that. I didn't feel I had a genuine need for this type of program. However, the more I played around on their site, downloaded their e-books, and listened to Don McCabe's mp3 workshops, my whole attitude changed. Suddenly, a light bulb moment took place inside my head; "Could this be the answer to my son's struggles with reading and writing?"

For years, I just figured Ethan was allergic to pencil and paper. Not literally of course, but I figured since my husband isn't a huge reader/writer and struggled all through school, Ethan was just "taking after Dad". I knew Ethan would learn as he went along, and I never tried to push him beyond what I knew he was capable of. Neither my husband or my son has been formally diagnosed with any sort of learning difficulties, but like I said, the more time I spent on the AVKO website--the more everything started to make sense.

I'd always understood dyslexia to mean flipping letters or numbers around, or reading backwards. However, by reading Don McCabe's book, "To Teach a Dyslexic" (McCabe's personal story that was really interesting, but does contain a few zingers/curse words--FYI), I learned that dyslexia creates difficulty in a number of areas including memory retention, delayed speech (Ethan didn't utter more than "mama" or "dada" until he was over 2 years old), and sometimes math.

Needless to say, this was one review product I was very glad to receive! I learned far more than I had expected, and I noticed awesome changes in Ethan's retention and understanding after following some of the suggested teaching methods. I'm now saving up to purchase Sequential Spelling to see how it stacks up with our current program. :)

An individual AVKO membership costs $25/year and provides access to a multitude of helpful products including:

• E-books aplenty, including all 10 volumes of The Patterns of English Spelling, To Teach a Dyslexic, and Starting at Square One
• Supplemental materials such as word games, puns, and worksheets
• Discounts on all AVKO materials through their webstore
• Access to Don McCabe's mp3 audios (which are very informative!)
• AVKO newsletter and more.

AVKO also offers a selection of freebies, such as sample book pages and articles, that can be found by clicking here.

Overall, I was very pleased with Don McCabe's methods and the selection of products offered through AVKO. The materials are incredibly helpful and simple to use, and I was very impressed with how the tone of voice didn't come across as babyish or "dumbed down" to the student. It was just simple, logical, and to the point.

On a little side note, I did find their website a bit overwhelming at first (there's a LOT of info!), but if you play around with it a bit, you'll find what you're looking for.

If you have a struggling reader--whether dyslexic or not--in your family, I highly suggest checking out AVKO.org. I happily award them with two thumbs up!

Review: Educaching

Whether you're directionally-challenged or not, chances are you have some sort of GPS device planted in your car or cell phone. Ours happens to be a nifty little Garmin, affectionately named "Martha".


Martha's been fairly good to us over the past year or so, helping us navigate through the rugged terrain of the Greater Seattle area. Although most roads lead to the freeway, there's the whole getting off the freeway and finding your way around after that, that's the hard part. Martha may have a quirky panache for taking us along the scenic route, but overall she's been a helpful, "fluent in droning monotone" co-pilot.


Why all this discussion about Martha? Well because without a Martha of your own, you'll have an impossible time utilizing this next homeschool product review, Educaching.

Educaching is a GPS based curriculum that incorporates math, science, and technology. Many homeschoolers are already familiar with GeoCaching, which (for those of you scratching your heads in confusion) involves using a hand-held GPS device to locate various hidden treasures or "cache" (pronounced "cash") in the area. You can learn more about this by visiting Geocaching.com.


Our family had never been Geo or Educaching before, although we do know a few families that have and ADORED it. This was actually something I'd been curious to learn more about but, due to my Swiss cheese brain, never got around to it.


As part of the TOS Crew, I received a digital copy the Educaching curriculum to review. My review is based on my family's experience only, and I received no additional compensation beyond the product itself.



What is it:



Educaching as previously stated, utilizes a hand-held GPS receiver to lead students on a hunt for various treasures or "cache". The cache can be hidden in any number of areas (near a rock, in a mailbox, up a tree, etc). All you have to do is track of the cache's coordinates, plug 'em into the receiver, send your kiddies on their quest, and off ya go!


This 128 page manual is available in PDF format for $32, or in a 3-ring Binder for $32 plus $6.95 shipping. Classroom Kits are also available for $129 and up, containing 1 or more hand-held GPS devices.


The curriculum is broken down into 5 Sections for easy navigation (Ha! Get it?):


Section 1: Teacher Training

• I totally needed this as, like I said, I've never done any sort of Geo or Edu caching before. The section explains in plenty detail just what it is you're trying to accomplish and how your GPS system works (didn't know all that myself!--Ahem).

Section 2: Lesson Plans

• Pretty self-explanatory, really. In this section, you'll find several lessons divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced sections. Also provided is a National Standards List which may or may not be beneficial to you. (I personally don't seek to conform to standards, so I skimmed this part.)

Section 3: Field Sheets

• These printables coordinate to the various lesson plans. Also provided are student and teacher maps.

Section 4: Acquiring GPS

• Information about Grant Writing and fundraising. This section would be most helpful in a classroom or co-op setting, not your average homeschooling family, seeking to add GPS based curriculum to their school.

Section 5: Beyond the Basics

• This section is actually pretty interesting as it contains info about forming your own Geocaching club, incorporating iPod usage into your hunts (Podcaching), races, postcards and more. While many of the ideas are great in theory, I would think they'd require a large group of students to perform properly such as (again) a school or co-op.

My Opinion:


I found this curriculum to be a great introduction to the world of geo/educaching. I appreciated the way everything was broken down, step-by-step, so that even newbies like me could get the gist of it.

Although Martha gave me more than a few fits at first, we soon came to an agreement that if she behaved herself, I wouldn't dump her in the nearest receptacle. (Seems she prefers my husband to me. Ahem.)

The kids really enjoyed the whole process (once Mom figured it out), and are eager to go on more educaching adventures in the very (very!) near future. In fact, my son asked if school could be like this all the time! :) (I told him that'd be fine but next time, Daddy's dealing with Martha.)

To learn more about this fun product, please visit their website by clicking here.

We're pleased to award Educaching 2 happy, snoopy-dancing thumbs up! :)

College Prep Genius: Part One (aka Product Overview)

Instead of a formal review, the good folks over at College Prep Genius have asked that we--the TOS Homeschool Crew-- write an initial product overview, followed by a more detailed review in the coming weeks. So, without further ado, it is my extreme pleasure to present: College Prep Genius: Part One.

College Prep Genius is "The No Brainer Way to SAT Success". The course is designed to teach students "the hidden strategies, profiles and patterns" presented in the SAT which will:

• Eliminate testing anxiety
• Substantially raise test scores
• Improve their chances of obtaining scholarships

The program consists of a textbook, workbook, and 4 disc "Master the Class" DVD set, shown below.

Packed full of practice problems, acronyms and logic strategies, College Prep Genius teaches you everything from writing an essay in 15 minutes, to answering higher math problems without ever using a calculator (an aspect I'm most curious about!).

In addition, program creator Jean Burke (a homeschooling mom of 2 college grads--each receiving huge scholarships) offers a variety of free articles on her website such as:

• 13 Common Myths of the SAT (my personal favorite!)
• Nailing the College Interview
• The Differences Between the SAT and PSAT
• To CLEP or Not To CLEP, and more.

College Prep Genius is currently available for $79, a savings of 30%.

I'm really looking forward to using this product with Sierra. (Even though to be perfectly honest, I never took the PSAT/SAT myself.) In fact, I was amazed at the timing of its arrival. I was just discussing with my husband about preparing her for high school and college when, lo and behold, this ditty of a program arrived. Neat, huh?

I'll be back in a few weeks with my formal review! :o)

Review: Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services

Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services (EDUDPS) offers a host of unique products designed to make the most of your homeschooling efforts. They offer everything from tests and assessments, literature-based writing curriculum, an in-depth college and career planning guide, to a comprehensive vocabulary program that can be used for all grade levels.

Founder and author, Jill J. Dixon "holds a Bachelor of Science in English Education (magna cum laude) and a Master’s Degree in Special Education (summa cum laude)." She's amassed 27 years of teaching experience in the private and public sectors, as well as 16 years homeschooling her own four children. She opened EDUDPS in 1993 to offer "educational consulting, tutoring, and testing services to parents, schools, and homeschool support groups" and presently serves as a "national consultant to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association" among other endeavors.

Our family received digital copies (E-books) of 4 products: Write With the Best Volumes 1 and 2, Roots and Fruits, and The Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers.

Write with the Best Volume 1: Modeling Writing After Great Works of Literature, is a descriptive writing program for grades 3-12. The premise is that in order to become a great writer, one must study great writing. (Works for me!)

This program is broken into nine units, each covering a specific writing aspect (or genre), which is then represented by an excerpt from a classic tale or poem. (No separate book purchase necessary! Woohoo!)

Topics include:

• Writing a descriptive paragraph (focusing on a specific object, place or character)
• Writing a dialog
• Short Stories
• Fables
• Writing a friendly letter (a lost art these days)
• and finally aspects of poetry (rhyming verse and a ballad/narrative poem)

Excerpts from such famous works include Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Vernes' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and more.

Units consist of 10 lessons, which take between 15-45 minutes each to complete. Prep-time is basically "zero" as daily objectives are included (reading the passage, learning the parts of speech, using a thesaurus), with the entire e-book presented in a clear, easy-to-follow manner.

We didn't delve into this book too deeply yet, but so far we're really enjoying it. The lessons and schedule are short enough to implement into our busy day without feeling burdensome.

This terrific resource is available on sale in E-book format for only $14.95 (regular price is $19.95), $22.45 (Pages Only, 3-hole punched, no binder), or as a 3-Ring Binder for $24.95.

To learn more, you can download sample pages by clicking here.

Write with the Best Volume 2 is designed for 6th-12th graders and covers elements of expository and informative writing. As with Volume 1, Write with the Best Volume 2 incorporates excerpts of literary classics to illustrate its eight distinctive units (genres). Each unit provides 10 days worth of lessons, which take approximately 15-45 to complete.

Genres and corresponding excerpts include:

• Poetry - Free Verse from Emily Dickinson
• Business Letters from Helen Keller
• Persuasive Essays from Thomas Paine
• Expository Essays from Francis Bacon
• Literary Critiques from Edgar Allan Poe
• Newspaper Articles from Ernest Hemingway
• Speeches from Marcus Tullius Cicero
• Dramatic Monologues from William Shakespeare (my personal favorite!)

This is a phenomenal program that I was very happy to receive, especially since Sierra loves to write. I love how both Volumes 1 and 2 break down heavier literary concepts, making this program not only effective but enjoyable (for teacher and student alike!).

This volume can be purchased in Ebook format on sale for only $18.65 (regularly priced at $24.95), $27.45 (Pages Only, 3-hole punched, no binder) or $29.95 (3-ring binder).

Samples can be viewed by clicking here.

Next up is Roots and Fruits. This comprehensive vocabulary program for grades K-12 teaches the English forms of Latin and Greek roots and prefixes. In only 15 minutes per day, younger children (K-3rd grade) learn one root per week, while older students (4th and up) learn 2 roots per week with corresponding vocabulary words.

Suggested activities are provided for each weekday and include:

• Writing the roots on a large sheet of paper (the idea is to keep the roots visible throughout the week)
• Looking up the meanings of the roots and vocabulary words in the dictionary
• Using vocabulary words in sentences
• Using provided "games" to test retention

The games are actually pretty neat and were my favorite part of the program. Two of my favorites were "Beat the Clock" (matching game) and "Goofy Sentences" (self-explanatory).

Roots and Fruits is a great way to teach vocabulary in a simple, non-intimidating format. Dixon's writing style throughout is one of a cherished friend, never pushy or over-the-top.

You can purchase this great product in E-book format for only $11.25 (regular price: $14.98), $17.48 (Pages Only, 3-hole punched, no binding) or $19.95 (Comb-binding).


You can download samples of this program by clicking here.

Last but not least is the The Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers. This nifty volume arrives jam-packed with over 200 pages containing a wealth of necessary information to plan your college years with success. Examples include:

• Various assessments and questionnaires
• Job profiles (including those specifically for stay-at-home Moms!)
• GPA calculation
• CLEP and AP tests
• ACT, and PSAT/SAT testing information and a whole lot more.

My oldest daughter, Sierra is developing a passion for cooking and baking (don't know where she gets that from!), so the section on Culinary Arts was especially helpful to us, as were the personal assessments.

This well organized and extremely useful tool is available for $39.95 (softcover) or on sale for $26.20 (E-book). Regular price for the E-book is $34.95.

To get an idea of just how spectacular this product is, please click here to download your free sample pages.

Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of products from EDUDPS. Mrs. Dixon provides an outstanding amount of information in several neat little (and some not so little!) packages. Her prices are affordable and her style is friendly, caring, and supremely helpful. Whether you're a homeschooler, or send your children to public or private school--or are perhaps looking for a way to teach your struggling or disabled learner, EDUDPS has something for everyone.

Their products are fantastic, their customer service exemplary. Visit their website today to learn more about this great company.

We award EDUDPS two Snoopy-dancing thumbs up!

Review: StudyPod

When we first received this doohickey in the mail, I pretty much dismissed it as a "nice idea, in theory." It looked nice enough, borderline chic really, but I just couldn't believe its claims of helping a student "finish their work faster" and be the ultimate book holder. Nope. That wasn't happening. (I'm a born skeptic, what can I say?)

I placed it on my oldest's desk and said, "Here ya go." "What is it?" she asked, turning it over in her hands. She then gave me a quizzical look as she read, "Study...Pod? Seriously?" (Clearly, she's a born skeptic, too.)

I explained what it was designed to do, showing her the little enclosed instruction sheet. She shrugged, made some lunch, then set up the StudyPod on the kitchen table with her paperback-of-the-day, and read...and read...

"Hmm..." said I, "We may be onto something!"

StudyPod by Genio Products is a sturdy, compact, plastic book holder that's actually shaped like a book (portability? Check!).

Designed to prevent having to place heavy objects on your book pages in order to make 'em lay flat (we all know what that's like!), the StudyPod holds virtually any sized book at a comfortable eye level, freeing your hands to write, type, or--in Sierra's case--eat. The StudyPod also eliminates the aggravating neck/middle-of-your-shoulders pain that comes from hunching over a book for longer than two minutes at a time.

The StudyPod also contains a nifty, removable left-side pocket to hold essential study items like pencils, pens, iPod, cell phone, or calculator. On the right is a small, printed rectangle containing inspirational quotes and factoids. (The only bummer here is the fact that the writing is too small for me to read without my eyes going buggy...)

We tested the StudyPod with several different sized books and were pleased with the results. The handy invention successfully held our dinky paperbacks, beefy hardbacks, brick-like Bibles, and flimsy magazines with incredible ease. It even held the oversized books I've been using for work purposes without buckling under the weight! (Something I was sure would happen.)

Page-turning with the StudyPod was a bit tricky at first. Although the video demo below explains how to do this with one hand, I'm partial to the ol' two-handed approach. (Ditto with Sierra!) Ethan and Abby however, found that the one-handed approach worked just fine for them.



StudyPod is available in black, blue, and pink and retails for $19.95 or $16.95 for two or more. As a special bonus to Crew review readers, you can take $5 off your order by entering coupon code: TOSBLOG5 at checkout.

If those colors don't suit you, check out the BookPod (same thing, just marketed as a book-reading tool vs. a study tool), which is available in black, gray, or beige. (We received the black StudyPod, despite my preference for all things pink. Not that I'm complaining...just stating as a matter-of-fact. Ahem.)

The one solitary "con" to this product (per Sierra), is the fact that it leaves slight indentations on the book's pages as it holds it in place. Sierra's of the "keep my books pristine" mentality, and therefore felt that little aspect deserved mentioning in the review. I don't believe the indentations are permanent but rather a temporary "blemish" on an otherwise perfect page. However, depending how long your book was held open (like a week or more on the same page?), it *could potentially* be permanent.

Our family loves the StudyPod and proudly awards it two thumbs up! :)

Review: American Heritage Education Foundation

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." ~ James Madison

Normally this is where I'd mention that "As part of the TOS Crew I was provided with a free CD from American Heritage Education Foundation for the purpose of this review." Which I was--but this time, not only do I receive this freebie but so can you!

According to their website, the American Heritage Education Foundation (AHEF) is a non-profit, non-partisan educational foundation (501.c.3) dedicated to the understanding and teaching of America's factual and philosophical heritage to promote constructive citizenship and Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility among our students and citizens.


AHEF accomplishes this patriotic mission by writing, producing, and distributing FREE K-12 lesson plans to teachers, students, and families in all 50 states and through additional initiatives, programs, and partnerships.

AHEF is inclusive of individuals of every race and creed and every religious or non-religious persuasion. (This means that while their materials do touch on our country's Christian foundation, it's not to be considered a Bible-based program.)

Their CD titled "America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty" contains 4 e-books filled with hundreds of pages worth of supplemental/basic education in American History for all grade levels:

• Elementary (184 pages)
• Elementary (Spanish edition)
• Middle School (182 pages)
• High School (187 pages)

Information for the teacher, such as the length of the lesson, necessary materials, lesson objective, etc. are also included.

The lessons incorporate games, puzzles, discussion questions, information, and plenty of additional activities. However, being that this curriculum was designed to be used in a classroom setting, some of the activities aren't well-suited for the homeschool setting. Several had to be adapted, which was fairly easy to do. But overall, it would've been easier if we'd had more people. (Please disregard that comment if you plan to use this at your local co-op, or happen to have a larger-than-is-typical family.)

In addition, "the elementary lessons meet the nationally applicable Core Knowledge Skills (grades K-6) (national edition). Each middle and high school lesson plan correlates with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards (national edition)." While this fact bears no weight in my final verdict of the product, I did feel it deserved an honorary mention as many fellow homeschoolers like that sort of thing. :)


My Opinion:

I'd been looking for an effective way to cover history with my little brood for some time now. History isn't one of their top five favorite subjects (or even among their top two!), but it's important that they understand their country's foundation and where it is now in comparison.

I loved the fact that every grade was included on one CD, making it easy to zip between my children's respective grade levels. The teacher planning is done for you, which means all I had to do was gather our materials and hit "print".

While like I said, some of the games and such just weren't possible with our little group, the overall gist of the lessons were simple and effective to use. I felt we'd covered more American History in this one brief review period than we have over the past few years. (And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, the materials added a nice bonus to our Colonial America discussions!)

Best of all--everything's absolutely free!

You can download their lesson plans directly from their website in pdf format or request a free CD by clicking here. A printed version is also available for $19.50 per grade level.

To learn more about the American Heritage Education Foundation, please click here.

We give American Heritage Education Foundation's "Adventures in Liberty" CD 1.5 thumbs up. (It would've earned a full 2 thumbs if it'd been a decidedly Christian product. Not too keen on the whole "separation of church and state" thing.)

Review: Nature Friend Magazine

I've never been a huge fan of nature, science or the "great outdoors". When I was a kid, I'd often pout whenever my Mother made my sister and I go outside and play. I would much rather stay inside where it's warm 'n toasty, reading a book, playing with my dolls, or writing something in a journal. (Or pretending I was a rock star, but that was another phase...)

Climbing trees? Didn't happen. Camping? Yuck. Bugs? Don't go there. I like various furry animals (who can resist a bunny rabbit?) but not enough to actually seek them out.

But of course, God has a real snappy sense of humor and enjoys tossing a few pranks my way. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I gave birth to three nature lovin' kids. (I also cast partial blame upon my husband. He's a tree-hugging hippie.)

As part of my participation in the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received both the August and September issues (and supplemental Study Guides) of Nature Friend Magazine for review.

I'd heard of Nature Friend from my fellow homeschooling mommies but never actually read a copy. When the August issue arrived in my mailbox, I opened it up, found some very articulate photos of locusts, shrieked like a little girl, and handed it over to the kids. (Ahem)

But then I remembered that I'm a professional (nudge, nudge) reviewer, and therefore I had to give the magazine a fair shake. Once I "screwed my courage to the sticking place" (Thank you, Shakespeare), I sat down and began to read....

Nature Friend Magazine is a wholesome, Christian publication designed to teach children (about 8 years and up) all about the beauty of Creation in a simple, lovely manner.

Each monthly issue is free of advertising and filled with some of the most lush photography I've ever seen! Everything from locusts (ahem) to bunny rabbits (so cute!) to the solar system is covered in exquisite, rich detail. I found myself literally staring at some of the photos for several moments, pondering their beauty. Even my husband, an amateur photographer, commented on how extraordinary the photographs were. (Check out samples from their Photo Gallery here.)

Additional highlights include:

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  Short stories, hidden pictures, crossword puzzles and word finds,
  
  
  
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  Reader-submitted artwork, poetry, letters and "nature" experiences
  
  
  
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  Articles about a variety of animals
  
  
  
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  and a neat "You Can Draw" art lesson, Science lesson/experiment and of course, plenty of Scripture. Sample issues can be downloaded here
  
  
  

For an additional cost of only $2 per issue, you can receive their amazing Study Guide supplement. Perfect for homeschoolers, this excellent resource comes packed with additional puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, photo critique, research questions, and a detailed writing lesson, designed to reinforce the topics covered in that month's issue. The Study Guide is reproducible, making it a supremely economical and mom-friendly!

A one year subscription to Nature Friend costs $36 (for 12 issues). The Study Guide costs an additional $24/year, bumping your subscription price up to an even $60. While this may be a bit steep for a lot of us (including myself!), I do feel that the benefit of this superior publication is well-worth the price.

To sweeten the deal a bit, Nature Friend is currently offering $3 off the subscription price from now until November 30th. Simply enter coupon code: BLOG93. (New subscribers only.)

I'm honestly very impressed with the quality of Nature Friend Magazine. Although it did little to curb my distaste of nature hikes or camping trips, I do find myself appreciating all that the Lord created just a bit more. My children have enjoyed reading it, filling in the puzzles, and studying the photography immensely. It is without a doubt, one of the best items review items we've received so far!

We proudly award Nature Friend Magazine with the highly coveted two thumbs up! :)

~Check  out what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Nature Friend by clicking here~

Review: Vantage Learning--My Access Home Edition

As you may have already guessed, I really enjoy writing. This is just something I picked up on back when I was a kid and didn't really think too much of it until I became an adult. (Interestingly enough, it roughly coincides with the time various family members began asking me to write their letters to doctors, lawyers and supervisors, or my personal favorite--writing short blips for PTA newsletters. Hey, at least I'm good for somethin'!)

Writing for both enjoyment and "work" purposes makes me feel complete. If I've had a rough day, it serves as my release.

If I've had a great day, it serves as an outlet of thankful expression.

I've kept a journal since I was 10 years old, own a blog, write reviews, and conduct most of my communication in the form of email. So you can imagine how this carries over into our family's homeschool situation.

My children have all enjoyed writing for pleasure at one point or another. They've all written poems or short "books"--some much shorter than others. Abby's story, "Puppy's Birthday" is a prime example: "Today is puppy's birthday. Yum! Thanks for the cake Mom! You're welcome puppy! Woof-woof! The End."

However, when it came to actually teaching the mechanics of writing, I must admit (rather sheepishly) that I was a bit lost. All those years of creative writing and advanced English courses completely flew out of my head. (Whooosh!) Needless to say when I learned that we'd received a free membership to Vantage Learning's My Access! Home Edition online writing course, I did a Snoopy dance for joy. :)

*For the purpose of this review, I received a free membership to My Access! Home Edition. My review is based on my opinion of the product only. No additional compensation was received.*


My Access! Home Edition is a completely web-based writing course that teaches students the mechanics of great writing, directly from their computer. According to their website, My Access teaches students to:

"...begin by focusing on on the process of writing itself: planning, organizing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. They learn how to generate ideas, link them together in meaningful ways, and express them creatively, all while obeying the "rules" or conventions of writing and grammar." From there, the writing process builds as students "learn to organize, clarify, and communicate their thoughts."

Under the My Topics heading, parents choose which topics they want their children's essays to be about (science, history, etc). You can also choose to have your students write from a pre-selected batch of essays or create your own. It's all up to you.
Essays range from informative, persuasive, narrative, etc.

Parents also determine how many points each assignment is worth and can also create a reward for reaching a specific point amount. For example, my kids had to earn 250 points each before they got to pick out a movie of their choice. (Yeah, I'm cheap and only took them to the Redbox machine, but hey---it worked!)

Students are walked step-by-step through the writing process from pre-writing to drafting, revising/editing, to finally--the finished product. The "Tutor" function teaches students how to make their writing better and offers helpful suggestions.

The "Editor" tool works much like your word processing program (such as Microsoft Word) does, which is really helpful.... unless you happen to be writing a bit "outside the box".

In that case, the grammar correction tool goes bonkers. Ditto with spell check. If your student happens to write the name of a person or city that's not your typical-sounding name, it'll knock their point total down due to the supposed "misspelling". Kinda frustrating.

But if you're like me and can look past that, then you're good. :) However, overachievers (like my oldest--ahem!) might find this aspect a bit aggravating as they seek to obtain a "perfect" score.

One last thing; progress reports! Students receive scores such as Below Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced Proficient, and the reports are emailed to parents.

Oops...one "more" last thing: I recommend that parents actually sit with their children--at least in the beginning--while they use My Access. This is to ensure that their children aren't tempted to "beat" the system by doing the bare minimum in order to earn their points. (Ahem...not that ANYONE did that here, right kids?!)

My Access! Home Edition is a great writing tool that I've been most impressed with. I love the fact that the essays can be incorporated into any curricula you happen to be using, and provide immediate feedback to the students.

A one year subscription costs $99.95 for up to 3 students or $129.95 for 6 students. To learn more about the program, please check out their website by clicking here.

I'm pleased to award My Access! by Vantage Learning 2 thumbs up! :)