Review: ACT Inc. Explore & Plan Assessment Tests

Attending college was never really "tops" on my Things To Do When I'm an Adult" list. I understood the reasons why some of my peers were working themselves into a frenzy over their SAT or ACT exams, but it just wasn't a priority for me. (After all, you don't need a degree to become a ballerina or a wife/mother, which were my goals at that time.)

As a homeschooling mom, college still isn't high on my list but I realize that one--if not all three--of my children may eventually want or need to attend college, based on their career choices. Enter the Explore & Plan Assessment tests from ACT Inc.!

The Explore and Plan Assessments are handy tools for parents to determine whether or not their child is on the right path for college. By taking either assessment, students gain valuable practice for the actual ACT exam, while parents are alerted to any potential learning gaps or holes that need to be covered in the process.

The Explore assessment is for 8th-9th graders, while the Plan assessment is designed for 10th graders to use as a pre-ACT exam. Each exam assesses your student's skills in four core subject areas:

• English
• Math
• Reading
• Science

Both assessment packets are available for $22.95 and contain:

• Testing booklet titled Sample Test Booklet and Answer Sheet
• Using Your Explore (or Plan) Results brochure—a brief overview of score results and the process
• College Readiness Standards handbook—a handbook that provides ideas for progress in each subject to prepare students for college or the workforce

While I may not be a huge pro-standardized testing, pro-college person, I did enjoy using the Plan test with Sierra. It didn't tell me anything I wasn't already aware of as far as her skills were concerned, but it did provide her with a helpful visual aid at this stage of her academic career. She also didn't seem to mind the testing process at all (especially when I told her it was just a "give it a shot" thing and not a "If you flunk, you have to practice saying, "Do you want fries with that?"). I'm actually looking forward to using the Plan Assessment in another year or two to see where she's improved.

If you've got a college bound student, are curious to see where you student's skills reside on the grand college scale, or simply want to brag about your skills as a homeschool teacher (Ahem! Not that any of us actually do that...), check out either the Explore or Plan Assessment Packets from ACT Inc. Click here to visit their website and learn more.

We give this handy product 2 thumbs up! :)



*As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received free copies of both the Explore & Plan assessments for the purpose of this review. No additional compensation was given and my opinions are strictly my own.*

Review: ACT Inc. Discover Career Planning Program

Some of us are born knowing what we want to do in life, while others haven't a clue. In junior high and high school we're given a series of tests that measure our skills and interests, in hopes that we find *something* suitable to make us productive members of society.

I remember those tests. They always said I should be a teacher, writer, actress or doctor. (Ahem) The last one's pretty funny, considering I faint at the sight of blood. However, I did enjoy taking those tests even though I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted out of life.

Since my children are obviously homeschooled, I wasn't sure these types of tests were open to them. Lo and behold, they are! Sierra and I were pleased to receive access to the Discover Online Career Planning Program by ACT Inc. for review.

The Discover Career Planning Program walks students through a battery of tests that measure their interests, strengths, weaknesses, work place ethics, and values. The tests and website are both very user-friendly, and the results were surprisingly accurate. The site lists all the various skills and college requirements of each chosen career path, and even offers a list of colleges by state that cater to those programs. The Discover Program also provides a list of related military careers as well.

Student's results can then be stored in their Discover Portfolio, which can easily be printed and referred to later in the school year.

With the Discover Online Career Planning Program students will:

•Assess interests, abilities and job values.

•Explore occupations, majors and schools.

•Build an education plan that relates to career plans.

•Improve job-seeking skills and develop a resume


Sierra's tests revealed that she would be best suited for a career in culinary arts (no big shock), a career in writing, teaching, or working outdoors in an engineering or construction field. (Talk about your variety of vocational pursuits!)

I really liked how it allowed her to see which area colleges were best suited to her, how much education each vocation required (2 years, 4 years), what sort of classes she'd need to take (more math, science, etc), as well as the information about scholarships and financial aid.

Sierra appreciated the welcome "break" from school work and liked how it listed career options she'd never thought of before (like owning her own bakery or running a hotel restaurant).

The Discover Career Planning Program is available for $19.95 for a 3-month license or $24.95 for a 6-month license. It's a great tool for students planning their high school courses, as well as high school students in their junior or senior year.

I was really pleased with the way the Discover program worked and all it had to offer. Therefore, I proudly award it 2 thumbs up. :)

To learn more about this or other great ACT Inc. programs, please visit their website by clicking here.



*As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received free access to this online program in exchange for review. No other compensation was received. My review is based on my personal opinion only, and should not be considered a substitute for investigating the program yourself prior to purchase.*

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: College Prep Genius (Part Deux)

My first post about this product can be found here. This post serves as my formal review.

About the Program:

Created by fellow homeschooling mother Jean Burk, College Prep Genius is a PSAT/SAT prep program designed to teach students several helpful tricks, strategies, and acronyms to improve their overall SAT scores, thus paving the way to receive a free college education. The program consists of a textbook, workbook and 4 disc DVD set.


Using the Program:

My 13 year old daughter initially read through the entire textbook (in one day!--and not a my suggestion, either) to familiarize herself with the program. From there, we discussed how it would/not work for her, and her initial impression.

(I did not have her take the practice SAT exam. I instead selected random questions from the test for her to work through, while I gauged her overall approach and answers.)

While reading through the book, she found the amount of acronyms completely mind-boggling and overwhelming. In fact, she wasn't sure how they'd help her ace the SAT in the long run, as she was having a hard time memorizing them to begin with. (Memorizing the acronyms is a crucial aspect of College Prep Genius.)

Then it was my turn to read through the material. Oh boy! Let me tell you...I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out of their sockets. The sheer volume of information you're asked to retain is incredible!

Even after all that, we weren't about to give up without a fight. :) We were going to tackle this whopper, head-on!

After clearing our heads a bit, we decided to watch the DVD's together. This seemed to create a "light bulb" moment for us. Suddenly everything we'd read in the book made much more sense. Although the acronyms were still hard for Sierra to remember (like I said, there's a LOT of them!), she found the DVD's far easier to understand vs. simply reading the textbook. (The whole visual-learning thing in action, I suppose.)

We then worked through several sample math problems and practice essays, utilizing Burk's strategies. The results were amazing! I was so impressed with the whole "use logic to solve math problems without ever using a calculator" method, that I found myself (proudly--very, very proudly) solving algebraic equations with no difficulty, whatsoever. Sierra too, found herself understanding these normally "over her head" concepts with great success.
Now, I'm a huge proponent of finding a trick to solving problems. Back in school, one of the ways I learned my spelling words was to set the letters to a sort of "beat" with accompanying movement. (F-R-I...shoulder shake...E-N-D.)

Yes, I was a pretty weird kid. (And an even weirder adult!) However, I found the College Prep Genius method to be somewhat similar, albeit much more logical, in approach.

Details:

The overall key to SAT success, Burk stresses, is that the SAT doesn't measure what students already "know". It instead tests their ability to think logically. Also, there is no penalty for taking the SAT more than once, therefore students are highly encouraged to take the test multiple times in order to achieve their desired score.

The DVDs feel like a bit like a company Power-Point presentation with Jean Burk's kindly voice reading and explaining the text on the screen. Everything is presented in a "follow the bouncing ball" manner, with no frills or hype. Students are encouraged to follow along in their workbooks throughout the duration of the DVD's.

The textbook is a 178 page gold mine containing a wealth of information on everything from transcript information, reminders for getting enough rest, suggested hours of study (150), scholarship information and more.

Ok, back to the 150 hours of study....These should not be completed in a few weeks or even a couple of months! Rather, I would highly suggest that students take their time when working through this program. Otherwise, they may quickly become frustrated and begin reciting acronyms in their sleep!


Conclusion and Final Thoughts:

College Prep Genius is a very "meaty" course. Especially designed for the college-bound students, it's very detailed and extremely thorough. Even if your child doesn't necessarily want to attend college, this program would still prove beneficial due to the powerful test-taking strategies.

Like I said, Sierra was very overwhelmed at first. But later, she discovered she actually enjoyed the program (imagine that!), despite the fact that she hasn't officially decided on college yet.
I too was taken aback by its "beefiness" at first, but I'm now looking forward to using it with all three of my children later on.

College Prep Genius is available for a limited time for only $79. This is a great bargain considering the cost of tutors, or all the time and frustration associated with "going it alone". The website also provides several helpful articles on all aspects of college and SAT prep. Click here to learn more.

We award College Prep Genius with 1.5 thumbs up.