TOS Crew: Apologia Chemistry and Physic’s Review

 

 

We LOVE science in this house! I mean, like really love it! So when we got offered the chance to review Apologia Educational Ministries, Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics.

 

First off I have to tell you that I really love Apologia. They have amazing science curriculum. I was not disappointed with this new one either.

 

Apologia Educational Ministries is really well know in the homeschooling community for their curriculum. They have a great education with the focus on God, and how it all works.

 

 

 

We got a 280 page hardcover text book, with 14 lessons to be spread over the course of a year. Their recommendation is that you do what is best for your family. Depending on the ages of your children you may want to spread the lessons out over a longer period of time.

 

How we used this. . .

We chose to do a lesson a week. That way we spread the reading, activities, and experiments out over the week. The book is very well written, and things are very clear. I usually read half the chapter to my kids, and then we would do some of our notebooking. The next time I would finish the rest, and we would do the activities.

 

The hands on activities are the most favorite among my kids. We made our own lava lamp, and so much more!

 

 

I have two kids. . . one in 3rd grade, and one in 6th. It is really nice to be able to just use two different notebooking journals, and teach the same subject. This saves me so much time! I love it!

 

 

Each notebooking journal is around 237 pages, and spiral bound, so it is easy to use, and stays together nicely. Great for flipping back and forth during your lesson! I used the junior one with my youngest, and the regular one with my oldest. In the front of the journal is a suggest daily schedule, you can follow if you like. I usually look at it, then use it as a guideline.

 

Our thoughts:

My kids love these science books! They are already asking me what one we are going to use next! They love that they are so full of facts, but have great hands on learning to go with it.

I love that I can let them go read the lesson, and its not to hard for them. Each one has their own notebooking journal so they can work at their level. All while I teach one subject from one book! This really helps me cut down on our school time, and the amount of prep I have to do.

We really love Apologia, and will continue using them for a long time to come!

 

Cost:

The textbook is $39 and each Notebooking Journal is $24. Really a great deal for such a wonderful curriculum!

I have priced many, and this is by far the best deal I have found yet!

 

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about this curriculum!

 

 

TOS Crew: French Essentials Review

 

 

 

 

I remember my French class back in the day. I had such a hard time remembering the words. I was not very good at pronouncing them either. My kids love to learn new languages, its great to see them succeed so well. We have been doing a bit of Spanish the last year, so we were excited to review French Essentials. Where I received the Full Access Online Program for one year.

 

How it works:

French Essentials is an online-based program developed by French teachers. This program is designed for the home learners of the world. You download lessons to teach, which is all in step-by-step plans. You don’t need previous knowledge of French. Which was great for me! All and all it really covers all types of learners as well with audio, video, and writing.

However, there are some system requirements for this:

Mac:

• Adobe Flash Player
• Adobe Reader

 

Windows:

• Quick Time
• Adobe Flash Player
• Adobe Reader

 

*You can download all of the above for free.

 

They do recommend that your child is in third grade before they start the program. There currently only 5 Modules available.

This is how it goes:

• Grades 4/5 – 7/8 – Modules 1-5
• Grades 8/9 – Modules 5 & 6
• Grades 10/12 – Modules 7-10

 

My two kids that are in 3rd and 6th grade both started from the beginning and they did great! We have made it to lesson 8. You can have your child take a placement test, if you want to see where they should start.

 

This is all straight forward when it comes to purchasing. Not hard at all. After you have purchased it, you can log in and start. I downloaded all the lessons and worksheets for the first few lessons. I also printed a check list to keep us on track. You can also download the answer key.

 

 

 

 

Overall Opinion:

 

I really liked this program. I think that is very straight forward, love that they have the audio, so my kids can hear how it is pronounced. That really is a huge help when your kids are doing a foreign language. Both my kids really have succeeded well with this program.

 

 

 

I think this was a very well thought out program, and we are anxious to continue.

 

Cost:

 

For 5 modules that make up this program, you can purchase them individually for $69.95. You have 90 days to download the lessons and workbook. If you purchase the full access you save over 50%, that can be done for $149.95. This gives you access to over 90 lessons, and you have a year to download all modules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about this program.

 

 

TOS Crew: IXL.com review

 

 

 

 

Anything that helps bring learning alive is helpful right? Well, this past month we had the opportunity to review IXL.com which is an online math and language arts practice site.

 

 

 

What is IXL:

This is an online program, that is very easy to setup your account with. Once your account is setup, and ready to go. You log your child in and pick what grade level you want them to work on. I used this on both my kids, so my youngest started with 3rd grade math and language arts. The language arts is only available up to 4th grade right now. My oldest who is ahead in math, went straight to the algebra.

You can set how much time you want them to practice each day. I typically had them work on it for about 20 mins each day. They set goals for them to reach, and they get rewarded by printable certificates and such.

 

 

The language arts is a new program that has been added. Like I mentioned before it is only available for 2nd through 4th grades right now. My daughter really enjoyed the language arts program.

 

Each parent has their own account to log into to see what your child has been doing, and how long they spent on it. I really like this, cause it shows me the areas we need to spend more time on. This also has a section where you can see what the State Standards are, including common core curriculum.

Our thoughts:

 

This is a great supplement program, but not meant to be a stand alone. My kids really enjoyed using it. It has been a great help with getting extra time with math in. My youngest has also really improved with the help from language arts. I think that will benefit her more this year. I put this in as part of their daily routine. So, while they liked it they certainly were not asking to use it out of school.

 

The one thing that we did not like was there is no instruction given for the problems, so my youngest had a bit of trouble with that.

 

Things that we really liked:

• That it shows you parent reports
• You can access it anywhere (yes even while on vacation, haha)
• You can adjust grade levels as needed

 

Things we didn’t like:

• That they stick more to standard core
• Harder for kids with disabilities

 

 

Cost:

You can pay this in a couple of ways.

By paying $9.95 a month for each subject or $15.95 a month for both subjects.

This is for one child, but you can add an additional child for $2 each.

 

Otherwise…

You can pay $79 a year for each subject or $129 for both subjects.

Then pay an additional $20 per child for each extra child.

 

 

Be sure to stop by and see what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about IXL.

 

 

TOS Crew: Away We Go Media Book Review

 

 

 

 

 

When learning about other countries I always find it good to get books to help with the feel of it. Its hard to explain a country and its culture with out being their don’t you think? Recently we had the opportunity to review Away We Go Media by Carole P. Roman. 

 

 

About the Author:

Carole P. Roman is an award-winning author. Who loves to share her stories of history and culture. The new books she has written are geared for kids Pre-K to 8 yrs old. However, my son still enjoyed looking at them with us, and he is 11yrs old.

 

The Series:

 

In the “If you were me series” you will find the following titles.

• If You Were Me and Lived In Mexico…
• If You Were Me and Lived In France…
• If You Were Me and Lived In South Korea…
• If You Were Me and Lived In Norway… (this is the newest)

 

 

 

What you will find in the books:

The books are very well illustrated. The pictures just pop right out at you. Your child will learn where the country is located, and its capital. Then the author gives you a “tour” from a child’s point of view of what life would be like for you if you lived there. Such as what you would eat, games you would play, what kind of toys they have, what they would call their parents, types of money used, etc. This book is great for a beginner child looking at foreign countries.

They really bring it alive for the child.

 

 

 

How we used the books:

We are doing geography this year, so we decided to incorporate them into our learning each week. We discussed what the country was, things that we had in common, things that we did differently, etc. Then I had my daughter read the book to me. We learned about the maps, flags, and currency. We really enjoyed using them. She thought it was really neat to learn more about France. This also tied in well, cause we are learning French right now.

 

Our Thoughts:

 

Little Monkey really liked the books. They are a nice soft cover book, easy to flip through. Not to much information, with only 20-30 pgs per book. My daughter is 8 yrs old, and really loved them. She has gone back to reread them numerous times.

I really like the way the books are done. They really make the learning come alive for the child, that might otherwise be bored. I like that the illustrations are really nice and pop out of the page. I really think that Carole P. Roman has done a great job with these books, and we look forward to seeing more in the future.

 

Cost:

 

You can purchase the first 3 books in the series in two formats. You can get them on the Kindle (.99Cents) or Paperback ($8.99 each).

If You Were Me and Lived In Norway…  is available on the Kindle $1.99 or $8.62 for Paperwork.

 

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about it.

 

 

 

 

TOS Crew: Rosie’s Doll Clothes Review

 

 

My girls love their dolls that are very much like the American Doll. They each have one, and it goes almost everywhere with us. Therefore, when we had the opportunity to review Rosie’s Doll Clothes Patterns, I jumped on it. My girls are still just getting into sewing, and learning about it.

 

 

 

What is Rosie’s Doll Clothes Patterns:

 

Rosie’s Doll Clothes is a video course that your child can watch to help teach her how to sew clothes for her American Girl Doll (or similar size).  If you have online access, you can get 12 months of over 130 videos teaching you how to sew. This program is targeted towards children 8 and up. I wouldn’t say just girls, as my son has started using it to, to make a few clothes for his sisters dolls for Christmas presents.

When you purchase the program you receive 8 downloadable patterns with videos to go along with them, and a pdf.

Each video is fairly short, around 5-10 minutes. Which is great for the child, that can’t sit and listen for long periods of time. The course is six weeks long with six or seven videos per week.

They start with the basic’s of setting up your sewing room, how to work with fabric, and even how to use a serger.

 

 

 

How we used it:

My youngest did this course the most. She is 8 yrs old, and not a lot of experience with a sewing machine. Therefore, I started her out everyday with watching the video, and then she would practice some skills on scrap fabric. When she got a little further along, myself or my mom would sit and help her with the machine.

I think that Little Monkey has really learned a lot over the last few weeks using this program. She can do a lot of basic sewing without to much help now. I really enjoyed watching her learn how to go from a pattern to a finished product. The first time she finished something she was so excited, and she could see her mistakes, but we just learned from them, for the next thing we tried. She has made pants, shirts, and dresses. She is anxious to try more new things!

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

I found that the videos were really good. I really liked how well they covered the things they needed to know. They were clear, and the sound was good.

I love that this gave my girls a spark to be more imaginative, and wanting to try and do more things.

They are very excited to keep trying to make new things, and to make Christmas presents for each other.

Sadly my camera got dropped and isn’t working now, so all my photo’s are gone.

 

The Cost:

For a full year of access to 130 sewing videos, 8 patterns with instructions, and PDF’s that you get to keep. It is $48 or you can get the DVD"’s for $67.23

 

You can find Rosie’s Doll Clothes on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

 

 

TOS Crew: Bridgeway Academy Review

 

 

As a homeschooler you are always trying to find the best way to teach your child. Sometimes you think having more interaction would be good for them. Recently we got the opportunity to try a  learning lab, by Bridgeway Academy.

What we took:

Little Monkey took their Magic Tree House: Through the middle ages class which is designed for kids in 1st –8th grade. This class was taught by Kathy Thomas. Each class was Monday afternoons from 1-2pm.

Here is some of what was covered in this class. . .

• Overview of the Middle Ages
• Life on a Medieval Manor
• Life in a Medieval City
• Knights and the Crusades
• Castles
• The End of the Middle Ages
• Art & Music

 

The whole class is a total of 8 weeks. Each week Kathy assigned them homework, which usually didn’t take to long to do. Then they had one large project to do.

 

I’m sure you are wandering how they did a class online. They used what was called Jigsaw Classroom. It is a place where the kids can log into a “classroom” and have face to face time with the instructor via webcam, and can take part with a microphone. It is divided into four sections on your screen with a spot for presentations, a white board for notes, a spot for links for assignments and what the teacher is showing. Very similar to a powerpoint presentation really.

The first class or two Little Monkey was rather confused. It was a bit overwhelming to get figure out how to get around. Then she got the hang of it. Unfortunately due to a few last minute appointments for me (I have been having medical issues) she missed a few classes. However, most classes are recorded, and when she couldn’t do that she made sure to have an option for them. Then she would be sure to email after the class, to send any additional links, or papers they needed to do for homework.

 

Our Thoughts:

We thought this was a very interesting way to take a class. I’m not sure it was really what Little Monkey needed. She seemed to have a hard time with it sometimes. She is more of a physical class child. I think that it was fairly well put together though. I was really impressed with the teacher. She did a great job keeping the kids engaged, and giving them assignments.

Overall this is not something that I think I would do for her, but maybe for my older child. A great option for some older students. I think it brings a whole other part of learning in that is good for the kids.

 

Cost:

Learning Labs by Bridgeway Academy are 9 week long courses. They use Jigsaw classroom software, which is a few program to use. You do need the use of headphones, a microphone, and webcam to participate in this class.

For the 9 week course it costs $145

 

 

Check out more reviews from the rest of the TOS CREW.

 

 

 

TOS Crew: VocabularySpellingCity Review

 

 

 

 

Do you enjoy spelling? I’m not a very good speller really. I struggle with some of the words that our crazy language spells not like it sounds. My kids are the same way. They always spell a word, just like it would sound like it spells.

I had the chance to review VocabularySpellingCity Premium Membership, by VocabularySpellingCity.

 

What is VocabularySpellingCity?

 

It is an online program designed to help your child with their spelling. You can import spelling lists, or you can add in your own spelling lists.

You can have multiply children on an account. It is designed for children ages K and up.

VocabularySpellingCity has so much to offer. It is very easy to set up. You just open an account, and put in your user information. Once that is set up, you can add your students.

When your students are set up, you can go in and add a list, or import a list. It will go to a general board, until you decide which student to assign it to. Once it is assigned to a student, you can go in and give them assignments.

For my kids, I chose to give them 4-5 assignments a week, and had them do them in order. They have to complete the first activity to go on. They also have a due date to get the whole weeks assignments done by. This way they can do more than one day at a time if they choose too.

 

Premium Membership Vs. Basic:

The premium membership has a lot more to offer. These are things you can get from a premium membership.

• Student Recordkeeping
• Unlimited access to vocabulary content
• Premium learning games and activities
• Writing practice
• The ability to create assignments for each student
• No commercial ads

 

While the free version is nice, and can be very beneficial I really think that the premium version is worth the money.

 

Here are some of the games and extras you can find on VocabularySpellingCity.

• Printable Worksheets
• Handwriting practice
• Lots of games, like. . . LetterFall, Matchit Sentences, Sentence writing Practice, Read a word, Flash Cards, and so much more!

 

What the Monkey’s Thought:

Monkey man who hates spelling really loved this program. He wasn’t a huge fan of the sentence writing, but he is coming around. His favorite game is pictured below, which is the LetterFall.

 

 

I really saw a big difference in his spelling this week, because it was reinforced with the games he plays. I also love that he can learn the meaning while he is learning to spell them.

Little Monkey also really enjoyed it. She to really struggles with spelling, but I have seen a big improvement with hers as well. She doesn’t really have a favorite game, as she likes them all.

 

 

I really am impressed with this program, and think that it is really worth the money.

 

How we used it:

Since I really don’t have an actually spelling program for the kids this year yet. Still working on that. I have been looking online for a few list that I could go by for there age/grade. Once I find a set of words I want, I go in and add the list to each child. Then I go under assignments and pick out 5 things for them to do a week. Monkey Man gets a few tougher ones, such as writing sentences since he is older. After I assign them their work, I set the due date for the last day of the week for them to get them done.

This has really helped a lot with our spelling work. I can already see a great improvement in Monkey Man’s spelling!

 

Cost:

 

As I stated before, you can use VocabularySpellingCity for free and utilize a lot of the features. If you wanted to do that to give it a try and see if it was for you.

However, the Premium membership is only $29.99 a year for up to 5 family members. I really find that reasonable for the amount of options you get.

 

 

See what the rest of the TOS Crew has to say about this program!

 

 

 

 

TOS Crew: George Washington- True Patriot Review

 

 

 

I have always been a history buff, so when my son started to enjoy history I was thrilled. The past couple weeks we have been reviewing George Washington: True Patriot by Janet & Geoff Benge through YWAM Publishing.

 

I received the PDF versions of the book, and Unit Study Guide. Did you do Unit Studies with your kids? We haven’t done a lot of them, but there are quite a few that I really have enjoyed.

 

About the Book:

 

 

 

George Washington: True Patriot is a great book jammed packed with lots of information about his life. Going back to the younger days of him, all the way through to his death. The book is 19 Chapters (146 pages), and has no pictures really.

We have studied about George Washington a bit already in the last year, but this really gave us a better look at him. It talks about him growing up in Virginia, and his part in the French and Indian War. His life as a president, and the final days of his life. (I don’t want to give all the details away) This book is very good!

 

About the Unit Study Curriculum Guide:

 

 

The book also comes with a Unit Study Guide. Which I must say goes great along with it. This has 64 pages,  and is divided up into chapters.

• Display Corner
• Key Quotes
• Chapter Questions
• Student Explorations
• Community Links
• Social Studies
• Related Themes to Explore
• Culminating Event
• Appendix A
• Appendix B

 

Here are some of the highlights of the Unit Study:

• A factual question from the text
• A question on student’s level of comprehension
• A vocabulary word
• An open- ended question

 

The guide provides more than enough activities to choose from to make the book even more fun. Along with mapping activities, timelines, and fact sheets.

 

What the Monkey’s Thought:

 

They really enjoyed this. We chose to read the book aloud together, and the two monkeys took turns doing that. When they would finish a chapter, I would ask them to write down the vocab word, and define it. Then we would do an activity.

They really got a lot out of this Unit Study, and have asked to do more of them in the future.

 

My Thoughts:

I was thoroughly impressed with this book and Unit Study. I can’t tell you how good the book was. The kids and I really loved reading it, and we love when we can all sit and learn together.

There are a great amount of activities to choose from, so the kids would always choose a new one, whether it was a craft, or play.

I will absolutely be picking up a new one for us to read and learn from soon!

 

Cost:

 

You can get the Unit Study for $7.49 here.

You can purchase the book for $6.99 here.

You can purchase the book as a PDF, ePUB or Kindle.mobi and the unit study comes as an E-book in two PDF files.

 

 

Check out what the rest of the TOS Crew has to say!

 

 

TOS Crew: VideoText Interactive Review

Anyone who knows me, will tell you I am NOT a math genius. I struggle with most math, and always have. I had to have a tutor to pass math in high school. So, it is a good thing that I married a math genius since my son is obviously going to take after him.
A math curriculum that is the right fit for your child is the hardest thing to come across. When we were offered the chance to review another math curricula I was excited! We received Geometry: A complete Course from VideoText Interactive.

What is Geometry: A complete course :
VideoText Interactive approaches math in two ways. Through a inquiry-based video format, and by not using shortcuts, tricks, rules, or formulas. With complete mastery being the end result. Developed by Tom Clark a teacher of Mathematics and Science with 46 years of experience. He worked with all levels from elementary to adult! You can read more about him here.

What is included in Geometry: A Complete Course :
I like to have the physical product, so we opted for the books and Dvd’s instead of doing it online. I was super excited when the box arrived, Monkey Man not so much! We received modules A and B.
Each module comes with:

• Student Worktext
• Course Notes Book
• Solutions Manual
• Progress Test Book
• Teacher’s Instruction Book
• 3 lesson DVD’s

We got all of that with each module A & B.
When it arrived, I cracked right into the box to check it out. I was anxious for him to get started. He just finished Algebra, and I was just doing review with him the past few weeks.

How VideoText Interactive works:
Your child watches a 5-10 minute video lesson. As the instructor you can watch it with them, and then you should discuss what you learned and make sure they understand the concept. I like for Monkey Man to take notes as he is going, but it is stated NOT to take notes. They are only to watch the video, and after that is finished they can go back and take any notes.
When the video is finished your child is then to complete the student text assignment to help reinforce concepts. You can give them either the odds or evens to do. If they get any wrong, that is where the solutions book comes in. They use that to figure out what they did wrong. I tried to have Monkey Man go back over the ones he got wrong to see if he could see what he did wrong first. Sometimes, he caught his mistake, and others I had to show him, or daddy had to go back over it with him.
After you finish a lesson, you can use the progress test book to give quizzes to make sure they are understanding the concepts. We found that taking the quiz for the lesson they learned the day before was the best way to go. Then we knew he really understood the concept. It was also noted to remember that if they miss 2 or 3 problems that doesn’t mean there is a lack of mastery.

Our thoughts:
Monkey Man is a hard child to find math for. . . being that he is in 6th grade, doing 9-10th grade math. Most curriculum is to boring for him, or even to easy. When we received Geometry: A Complete Course he was not excited at all. While he is really good at math, he doesn’t like it when I get him more. 
However, after the first few lessons he began to complain less, and do more! He really thought the instructor was awesome. He liked how he presented. He also likes that he doesn’t have to wait hours for daddy to come home and help him with a problem. Since I am not the math genius, and can’t really help him as well now. Now, he only has to wait if he gets stumped which isn’t very often.
We use the curriculum three times a week, cause that is what works for us. He has been doing really well with the concepts that I can tell. His work is good, and his quizzes have been better than he thought they would. While I don’t think he will ever admit to loving math, VideoText Interactive ranks right up there as one of his favorites!
Of all the curriculums we have tried, this one has been a bit more teacher intense. However, since this is really the only subject I have to be a bit more involved with, it has worked out fairly well. I am trying to get Monkey Man to be mostly independent, so I can focus on Little Monkey. He is really improving on this, this year.
As a homeschooling parent, I am always concerned that I can’t teach enough or good enough. My beliefs are challenged everyday, so that is why I think I really stress about that. After much stress and thinking, I discovered that this may be true, but I have the option to find the best fit of curriculum for my child. Does a public school teacher have that option? If he was in public school would they be teaching him 3 grades ahead? Probably not, so I love that we have that freedom. Having great people like Tom Clark, who love and create such great curricula really helps us!
Overall, I really think this program is a great product. The lessons are great, but short enough not to bore your child. The books are broken down very nicely, you know right where to look when searching for something. They are very high quality materials.


Cost:
I have to admit, the cost is rather high.
If you purchase all the modules you would receive:

• 8 Units
• 176 Video Lessons

For Geometry the complete online course costs $299 this is for licensing two students. If you need more it is an extra $49 for each extra student.
and the printed version of the whole course will cost you $529.
You can also purchase modules A-B-C or D-E-F for $279 each.
You can purchase all modules separately if you choose.
Online geometry module A costs $59.00 or for the printed version it is $99.95.
Keep in mind that if you purchase the online version you do get 3 years of access.
Also each complete course can count as 2 to 3 credits for High School Math.  You would be completing Geometry, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus.
While this is high, and I am the first to say I couldn’t afford to pay that for a math program. It is worth a couple math credits, so that helps justify the cost. I have a very tight budget myself, but I would absolutely consider this program for my kids.

You can find VideoText Interactive here, Facebook, and Twitter.

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about VideoText Interactive Products.

TOS Crew: The Presidential Game Review

 

 

 

 

Is there really anything better than playing a game, and learning at the same time? I have always found that my kids learn so much more by playing games to get information. Anytime, I find a game that could be helpful to this we pick it up.

 

 

This past month I was offered the opportunity to review The Presidential Game through the TOS Crew.

 

What you will find in the Game:

• Game Board
• Vote Cards (1 Democrat & 1 Republican)
• 300 Chips (Red & Blue)
• 6 Dice (Red & Blue)
• 40 Write your own Politics cards
• 80 Politics cards
• Score Card
• Electoral WebMap Calculator Access Code

 

 

About The Presidential Game:

 

This game is geared towards children ages 11 and up.

It teaches you the ins and outs of politics. (Which even I could use help with) The game is played in teams of Republicans and Democrats, once you chose which your going to be, you need to decided whether you want to campaign or go fundraising. Tough decisions even as a game! However, teaches the children how the whole process works. This game also teaches really good strategizing.

Once you figure out what side your going to be and if your going to fundraise or campaign, you roll three of the dice. Whatever number you get on the dice is how many votes you get. This is where campaigning or fundraising comes in. If you are campaigning you choose which states your going to place your votes on. If you are fundraising, you have to place half of your votes on one of the 4 fundraising states. Then choose where the rest will go. Once finishing that you have to pick up a politics card.

 

The Politics Cards are cards that give you what the media is saying about your election. On the card it will state something like “Add 4 more votes to (some state)”.

 

Another feature you can do is the Electoral WebMap Calculator. That is what the access code is for, like I mentioned above. You can play using it, and the computer will keep track of the votes for you. Otherwise you have to use the scorecard. We have played both ways.

 

Our thoughts:

We really couldn’t wait for this review to arrive. We are always about playing new games, and I especially love when they are super educational. Not just for my children, but for me as well.

After reading the instructions which were a bit overwhelming at first with my kids excited to play and pulling everything out, we got to playing. The game is really easy to understand after you sit and play it a couple times.

The first time we played by campaigning. The second time we tried the fundraising option. It is nice that you can play either way. My oldest who is 11 really enjoyed it and thought it was neat. He enjoyed racing me to see if he could become president. Seeing how all the voting plays a huge part in how things go, he really started to understand the process better. When we have watched the presidential campaigns in the past, we have been confused by all the information that is thrown at you. I think we will have a better understanding of the electoral map next time. My youngest teamed up with daddy, and while didn’t always get what was happening enjoyed playing it, and learned about republicans and democrats. So it had an educational value for everyone that played.

This will absolutely be a new game we put in our “favorites” pile.

 

Cost:

You can purchase The Presidential Game for $35 plus shipping.

 

This would be an excellent addition to any Government or History class!

 

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about this game!

 

 

TOS Crew: PeopleKeys Review

 

 

As part of the review crew, you never know what your going to get to try out. This past month we got the chance to try out The Children’s Profile, by PeopleKeys.

Do any of you try to sit and figure out what personality traits from your kids are like your husband, or yourself? I am always comparing our children to either of us. I like to see where they get things from.

This profile was fun to do for that reason.

 

 

 

 

About The Children’s Profile:

This is designed for ages 9-13. DISC assessments point out insights of how people operate. (Which I have to say, is something I have always found interesting)

The assessment was really easy to understand, and easy to complete. It only takes minutes to finish.

Some of the things this could help with:

• Getting along better with siblings, friends, and classmates
• Communicating tips
• Get strengths of your child
• Helps children to grow and communicate better with people

 

How we used this:

 

I used this on my 11 yr old son, and my 8 yr old daughter (even though she was slightly under suggested age).

Monkey man did his assessment pretty quickly, but I think he was almost right on! He was a (IC personality). The ones that certainly stand out to me, are the “Unorganized”, and “Sensitive”. Some of the interacting with an “I” child tips, have really helped me so far. I never really thought of it the way he did.

He found it really interesting to see it kind of tell him what he had for personality.

 

Little Monkey on the other hand took a few more minutes to complete her assessment, but she understood it alright. She was a hands down (S personality) child. Like that is her dead on. The traits that just screamed her were “Easygoing” and “Kind Hearted”.  Little Monkey is always looking out for others, and just goes with the flow! I have also been using some of the tips with her as well.

She really thought this was interesting as well.

 

My thoughts:

This was really neat to do. It is great to see what makes people tick! It has been a fun review in our house. Now that I have used it on them, both kids think that we need to do the assessment on all our family members!

We really enjoyed this!

 

Using PeopleKeys would really be helpful in your homeschool, if you are trying to see what kind of personalities your children possess. Then you can help them to have better relationships with there friends and peers.

 

Price:

You can purchase The Children’s Profile for $15. If you enjoy that, you can also look at some other great products from PeopleKeys.

 

Check out what other TOS Crew members are saying about their products!

 

 

 

TOS Crew: Logic of English Review

 

 

 

 

You know truth be told, I don’t write proper cursive. I have never really. I remember learning it in middle school, but it just didn’t stay with me.

So recently when I got the chance to review, Rhythm of Handwriting, by Logic of English I decided it was a good time to teach my youngest. With my oldest, I never really spent a great deal of time on learning cursive. I figured it wasn’t really widely used anymore, does he really need to learn it?! (Yes, bad parent that I am)

Truly though, how many of you still use cursive writing?

Me, I only use it when I am signing a document, and even then it is half cursive, half printing.

 

 

 

What was included in my review:

• Logic of English Cursive Workbook
• Laminated Tri-fold Cursive Chart

 

About Rhythm of Handwriting:

Out of the 174 page book the first 10 pages of the book are like a “teacher’s guide”. Gives you steps to teaching handwriting, then handwriting tips, suggested schedules, and ideas for practice.

I have to tell you, I never really thought about this before but the book suggests to teach your child cursive first. It lists 6 reasons, but the first one being “It is less fine-motor skill intensive”. That certainly makes sense to me! Another thing that I did backwards with my oldest, was teaching him the capital letters first. They suggest learning with the lowercase.

The suggested schedule depends on the age. My Monkey was over 6, so the recommendation is to do 2 letters per day, or 4 letters per day, starting with the lowercase. We chose not to overwhelm her, and start with 2 letters per day.

 

 

 

If your child is younger than six, they suggest only doing one letter per day, but going a bit more in depth with the lesson. Such as sounds, and how to write it, and practicing letters previously learned.

While we didn’t do the 6 and younger suggestion, I did do the practicing of previously learned letters, to help her remember them.

 

How we used it:

This was put into Little Monkey’s daily school lessons, and she had to complete two letters per day, plus practice the previous days letters in a notebook. We only did this 4 days a week, because we take Friday’s off. She really did well with this, and only got frustrated a few times. I think it was easier for her to learn this, than with her printing. Many of those letters she would always get backwards.

With each letter you write, they give you a small, medium, large and extra large space to practice. At first I let her choose the line she wanted to use, and then I challenged her to use the next line down to see if she could do better.

She really seemed to excel with this. We also used a few of their handwriting practice ideas. She really enjoyed Blind writing, and sandpaper letters.

 

 

 

 

The laminated tri-fold chart came in very handy too. If she was struggling with a letter she was practicing, she could refer to the chart to tell her how to do it. It gave very good instructions on how to start the letter and follow through.

My thoughts:

While this program does not stand out above others with looks. It is a pretty general run of the mill book. No pictures, cartoons, or extras, it really drills the point home.

I was especially happy when Little Monkey didn’t make it an ordeal each day we had to do it. It keeps her interest, and she really enjoys it.

She is anxious to finish it now!

 

Price:

The Rhythm of Handwriting Cursive Workbook is $15 for the printed or PDF book.

The Cursive Handwriting Quick Reference chart is $10.

 

Now be sure to swing by the TOS Crew to see what the rest of them are saying. You can also read about a few out products by Logic of English.

 

 

TOS Crew Review: Time4Learning

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not a huge believer in using a lot of computer programs for school. Mostly because I don’t think that all my children’s learning should be done by a machine, or that they need that much screen time. However, sometimes we do need to have a bit of extra help, or that extra push they need to learn more.

So, when I was offered a chance to review Time4Learning, I decided to give it a whirl. We have looked at it a few times before. When my son did attend public school in Florida, they used this program in his classroom. This time around we reviewed the 3rd grade homeschool curriculum from Time4Learning.

 

 

About Time4Learning:

This program is a technology based online program. They primarily do preschool and go to 8th grade, but have added in a few high school classes. They combine their animated lessons, with activities, and worksheets. You can use it for either a full curriculum, afterschool help, homeschooling, summer school, or just a supplement curriculum.

They cover the subjects of Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. If your child excels in one area, but not in another, you can move their grade level up in that subject.

To use this program, you need to be able to access the internet. It will work with either a Mac or PC. It is very easy to setup. Once you fill out the information page, and setup payment you are good to go.

 

 

As a parent you have access to a parent page which offers:

• Detailed reporting for your record keeping
• Extensive lesson planning
• Teaching tools
• Spelling words
• Supply lists
• Reading lists
• and More!

 

Another great tool is the Odyssey Writer. I really think this is a great addition. I am not the best grammar teacher in the world, so this helps with getting them to work on writing. You can have a writing assignment set for whatever the subject they are working on. Inside the writer, it gives them all the major steps for writing. At the end they are graded by a Rubric, and shows them what they missed or need to work on.

There is also a playground area for them. Where they play games while also learning. I have Little Monkey’s time limit set to only 10mins a day for that part. However, it is enough for her to get some playing in!

 

 

 

Little Monkey’s Thoughts:

 

 

She really has enjoyed using this program. She loves to get on everyday and work on more of her subjects. She will usually get on for about an hour, and work on whatever she can get done in that time.

Everyday she begs to get on and do her work on this program. I never have to fight her to do it. “Its super fun”, she says!

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

Like I stated before I am not a huge screen time advocator, so this was hard for me to get used to. However, she has picked up a lot in the math, and language arts part of the program. It is really a great boost to her work she is already doing. I like that it is pretty self explanatory, so she doesn’t need me to sit and help her along they way. I can put her on there, and walk away to get my things done.

I LOVE the parent part of the program where I can print off lesson plans. Get any extra words, reading lists, or things she needs. I print of the extra worksheets ahead of time, so she has them ready to go.

Another great feature is that  you can go in and set a schedule for your child. If you want to use it for a whole year, you choose that and what subjects you want them to work on. If you want to only use it for a half year, you pick the time frame, and choose the subjects you want. Either way, in the end it calculates how many classes you need to have your student work on for the week. I did this for my daughter, and then I printed out her schedule. Every week I print a progress report (more on that in a moment) and check to make sure she is on task with her assignments. This also gives her a bit more flexibility for her to choose how much she wants to work on in one day. She could do all once subject one day, and another the next, or she can just evenly space out the assignments for all.

 

Back to progress reports. . . These are a great asset I think. I love to print hers out each week, and see how she is doing. If her test scores, are really low, I can have her go back and redo the lesson (to reinforce the learning, and try again). They also tell me what has been completed. This is also a great thing for homeschoolers, since we can print them out and add them to our portfolio's.

Overall, I really do like this program. It is setup well, and works good for what we need right now. I would recommend it to anyone looking for that extra help they need, or if you just want something to help with what you are already teaching.

 

 

 

Price:

The cost starts at $19.95/student per month. For each additional child it is $14.95/month. For the PreK- 8th. There is no contract, so you can cancel at anytime.

Or the New High School Student $30/per month for 4 courses.

**You have a 100% money back guarantee, in the first 14 days. If you try it and you do not like it.

 

Your membership gives you 24/7 access, and costumer service.

 

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about Time4Learning.