Reading Eggs

Over the course of this year we have learned an important lesson. Online schooling is just not for us.  From trying to find enough time for everyone to get screen time at the computer, to not having one-on-one face time, it just isn't for us.  However, there are good programs available for those who do enjoy learning from the computer. One of those programs is Reading Eggs.  It is an online program targeting 3-5 year olds to spark interest in reading through games stories and fun games.



Best is used with a parent, this is a cute place to learn and play. Reading Eggs also offers companion books and writing workbooks to go along with the program. These are optional, but reinforce each online lesson.


Age range:
Reading Eggs seems most suited for children ages 3-5, but their site says it can also be used to reinforce skills for older children. Reading Eggspress is also available for children ages 7-12
Price:
$75.00 for a full year
$49.95 for six months
or a $9.95 monthly subscription
There are three levels, with 40 lessons in each level.
You can also try Reading Eggs for free.

Beth

*** I received a subscription of this product in exchange for an honest review. You can see what the other TOS Review moms thought of Reading Eggs here.***

"Who Am I?"

This is by far the best review product to date. I couldn't be more excited to look through, teach through, and personally work through this particular curriculum.  Apologia had once again hit the ball out of the park.

"Who Am I?" is the second volume in the new series, "What We Believe". The series is written by John Hay and David Webb. Each volume is written to be a student directed course, guiding your child to have a biblical worldview.  In this volume, the student is using the Scriptures as the lens to view Self-Image.

I have not began using this volume with my kids, solely because I want to take them through volume on, "Who Is God?", first.  But going through the book myself, I am in awe. Such clear cut writing, thought provoking questions, and real life application are just some of the reasons we will be using this curriculum.  From the textbook, to the amazing journal, and even the coloring book for younger children, each are a resource we can use individually and as a family corporately. 

Please visit Apologia to look through the three courses, and make a point to start this series.  As a family of 10 on one salary, it is a little difficult sometimes to purchase new curriculum, but this is well worth the price, and sacrifice to add to our families training and education.


Beth

I received this product for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are mine, and mine alone. For other reviews, please check out The Homeschool Crew Blog.

ALEKS

What is ALEKS? ALEKS stands for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces. ALEKS is an online program that acts like a math tutor for children in grades 3-12. ALEKS uses artificial intelligence to adapt the questions to discover what a student knows and doesn't know. ALEKS then has a starting point in which to use to perfectly adapt math lessons for each individual student. As a student spends time on the ALEKS site, they will be periodically reassessed to make sure they are retaining what they've previously learned.

Once your child goes through the initial assessment, you can see something ALEKS calls "My Pie." It is divided up into sections and you can see the concepts your child already knows and the concepts they need to learn. From here you can click on the topics and work through the lessons.

This is a pretty decent online math supplement program.  However, it is not one that fits well with our family.  We just do not use online school programs well.  That being said, I could see how this would be a good product for families that need extra support in math, or for a student that needs extra practice.  It could also help find weaknesses in your child's current math curriculum, or gaps that they may have.

ALEKS is offering a two month trial offer so you can see for yourself if it is a program that matches your families needs!

Beth

I received a free trial of this product for the sole purpose of review. All opinions are mine.  For other reviews, please check out the Homeschool Crew Blog





A Valentine for you.

So, does anyone out there, NOT know it is Valentine's Day?  Today there isn't any sappy stories here. Obviously I am madly in love with my husband of 15 years, and our 8 precious blessings.  It is clear that my love for my parents runs deep and true.  And it's no secret that I fiercely love all whom I call family.  So what am I doing writing a post about this day of love?

Today, it is all about the homeschooling.  When we first started homeschooling 4 years ago, we were unsteady on our feet, and shaking with fear. While our convictions were strong, putting that faith to action was hard.  And the moment I "came out" and told my small little blogging world we were homeschooling, I was immediately welcomed into a family that acted like they were waiting just for me. 

There are days when I don't think I can manage another second. And within moments of posting my distress, I have multiple caped crusading friends flying in to encourage, support, and sometimes just laugh with (or is that at?) me.  Then there are the days that I am able to offer up suggestions to someone else. And they are accepted with thanks and grace.  It really is a wonderful community and family.  And I now have the joy of writing with a tremendous group of women as we share in our triumphs and tragedies that we call our life!

So today I send you a Valentine.  One that is heartfelt, prayed over, and given with multitudes of thanks. 

Oh, and eat a piece of chocolate for me, K?


Beth

KinderBach

Our four year old has been "playing" piano since she was two.  She is not your typical toddler player either. She doesn't just bang the keys. She gets out her siblings piano music, sits at the piano, and patiently "plays" each piece.  She watches the bigs play, then mimics their motions. She also already knows what sounds good together. There are often times that we think our first year player is practicing, to find out it is actually Paulee.  Here is a video of when she first started playing.

She cannot wait until she is big enough for piano lessons.  And then came an opportunity to look at KinderBach.  We have been able to review it, and she has enjoyed it, as well as our five year old. 


I have been impressed with what it teaches. Having four older children that have been taking lessons, I have a slim knowledge of things that are taught. And the program hits right on track with most all that the olders have been learning. And it made the littles excited to know they knew the same thing the bigs know.


They have wonderful worksheets and pages for the kids. However, I am not a fan of having to print of worksheets for them.  Mostly because I get overwhelmed with the paper accumulation around here. With 7 children working on different levels of school work, we get tons of paper, so adding more is a draw back to me.  And it can be difficult running from the computer to the piano.  Paulee would prefer to listen to the instructor and play all at once. But, KinderBach has an Ipad app, so if you have and Ipad, I could see how that would be well worth the money! 

I think the prices are reasonable.  You can get a day pass for $5.95, and access all 240 of their lessons. If you pay by the month, it is $19.99 for the program.  We pay $40 a month per child for the bigs to take piano lessons. If you pay for the entire year, it is a one time payment of $95.88. That works out to only $7.99 a month! 

Is it the perfect program?  Maybe not, but I think it is worth the money!

KinderBach is a great and affordable way to get music lessons in at home and all of us busy home educating families know how great it is to be home and not have one more lesson, activity, or errand to run out and do. And it is even more affordable right now, when you use the coupon code TOScrew2012 which will get you 30% off through February 2, 2013!

Beth

I was given a copy of the product for the purpose of review. All opinions stated are mine alone.  For other reviews, check out other reviews at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Maestro Classics

When our first child was born, we were braced for little sleep, topsy-turvy night schedules, and complete chaos.  But Malcolm was never that baby. He didn't get his days and nights mixed up, he would sleep for 4 to 6 hours a stretch at night, and surprised us all when he began sleeping through the night when he was 3 weeks old.  He was this mother's dream come true!  That is until he was about 4 months old. Then suddenly he couldn't go more than a couple of hours without Mom or Dad, fussing in his sleep even.  And all we had to do was go in his room, pat in on the back a little, speak soothing words, and he would settle down. Until the next time.  One night, when we were all exhausted and at wit's end, my husband marched in his room with radio in tow. He plugged it in, tuned it to a classical station, and left the room.  Malcolm was asleep in seconds, and slept soundly again. The classical station was chosen for it's lack of commercials or questionable lyrics, and the sweet babe was able to calm himself and go back to sleep on his own.

It is now 13 years later, and we no longer have that radio in the room.  But that dear child still lists classical music as his favorite, and jumps at the chance to listen whenever he can.  We recently were introduced to a company named Maestro Classics, and I do believe they have a customer for life.  We listened to Swan Lake on a recent errand run around the city, and the kids and I were captured.  The music is of course, superb. But the narration was icing on the cake. Paulee, our four year old, still talks about the princess and wonders what it is like being a swan.

You can buy the CD for your family or an MP3 version. With the music, you also get a 24-page activity book, and a narrative about Tchaikovsky.  My children absolutely loved this. It is difficult to find things all the ages in our house will like. And Malcolm?  He is sleeping fine, and has downloaded the musical story to his MP3 player!

Beth

*I received this product for the purpose of review. All opinions stated are mine. For further reviews, please visit The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Zeezok Publishing Review

We are huge movie watchers at our house. But we watch nearly all movies for shear entertainment value.  Rarely do we watch them for educational purposes.  As a homeschooling parent, that is something I would like to change this year in our home.  So I was excited when asked to review a movie guide for Zeezok Publishing.

Zeezok offers many different Z-Guides ranging from elementary levels to high school levels.  There are also many different movies available as well.  We were given the Luther guide to review, and so we found the movie and began our review.

We began with a pre-movie synopsis, that basically gets the child prepped for the show. Things for which they need to watch, what to expect, etc.  There are 10 different activities given to be accomplished over a week's worth of time.  There was activities regarding historical setting, research skills, writing skills, hands-on activity, a worldview study, critical thinking skills, and family discussion questions. There is also a section called The Filmaker’s Art activity that helps the student recognize the tools being used to influence the viewer.

This was actually an enjoyable guide.  I wouldn't by a guide for every movie we watch during school, but for those I want to expound upon, I would. The Z-Guide for Luther isn't available until February, but they have many others available now for purchase.

Beth


*I was given a copy of this curriculum for the purpose of review only. All opinions are mine. For more reviews, please see The Homeschool Crew Blog.

REAL Homeschool Spanish

One of the areas I feel least confident in as a homeschooling parent is foreign language. I had two years of high school Spanish, but honestly, I just learned what I had to for the test. Plus that was ***** years ago. If you don't use it, you lose it. I was able to teach my Dad a funny line or two, and know just enough words to impress my sheltered children.

Because of this, I know that I will lean heavily on solid foreign language curriculum throughout school. Whatever my children learn, I will need to learn along side them.

R.E.A.L Homeschool Spanish, by Dr. Karen Williamson-Coria, is designed to teach Spanish to the whole family. The goal is to allow the parent to learn alongside the child. Created for use with multiple ages, the curriculum provides a flexible framework for foreign language learning.

Homeschool Spanish teaches practical Spanish vocabulary and language skills. The goal of the program is to enable you to incorporate Spanish throughout your day, with “Home Educator Tips” and “Ideas” to use Spanish in an immersion environment.  It is fun to point out words and phrases as we are about our day. And the kids always giggle when their Dad doesn't understand what they have said. And that gives them a chance to explain, which further solidifies their learning.

The unit lessons are made up of vocabulary clusters and phrases. There are a total of 33 vocabulary clusters and 15 sections of ideas (3-4 pages each). There are fun and practical ideas for incorporating Spanish into your day.

The company’s website has an excellent selection of online resources, including puzzles, games, songs, recipes, videos, history and culture, and much more. The activity sheets for each lesson make learning and reviewing the vocabulary and grammar fun. This, combined with the practical vocabulary and language selections of the lessons creates a great mix for learning the language.

Pronunciation is always difficult. How are we supposed to know how a different language is actually said?! The audio files were difficult for us. The lists were said very quickly, and it was hard sometimes to really understand exactly what was being said.  But if you have a little background in Spanish, I think you would be okay.

I have found that I struggle with downloaded curriculum.  I just need a book in front of me. But I don't know that I would spend the extra money for the hard copy.

Homeschool Spanish is available as a download or hard copy purchase:

You can purchase the program and read more about all it has to offer here.

You can also read more reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

Disclosure: I received the download package of Homeschool Spanish for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received, and the opinions expressed are my own.

Beth

Our kids love listening to CDs in the car. Recently, we discovered they enjoy listening to books and other audio stories as well.  So when The World’s Greatest Stories arrived, we couldn't wait to listen. Th

e World’s Greatest Stories are dramatized tellings of the Biblical narrative. The text is straight from your choice of the NIV (New International Version) or KJV (King James Version) with nothing added or taken away. They are read by George W. Sarris who desired to increase Biblical literacy in children. He saw the need to produce an auditory Bible that was true to the words of the text, didn’t add characters or remove any of the actual events from the telling but still keep it captivating for children to listen to. 

There are currently six volumes in The World’s Greatest Stories Collection. The Crew reviewed Volume 1 The Prophets; which included tellings of The Blazing Furnace, The Handwriting on the Wall, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Elijah and the Prophets of Baal and The Prophecy of Jonah. Other Volumes include:
2. The Life of Christ
3. Beginnings
4. Joshua and Esther
5. Jospeh and His Brothers
6. Defeating Giants
Each CD is about an hour long so they are great for car trips, to have playing during chore time or to have in as the children are going to bed at night. And at just $7.95 a CD (or cassette tape) they are reasonably priced for just about any budget. If you order six or more items in one transaction, shipping is even free!


Beth

For other reviews, see The Homeschool Crew blog.

College Genius?

My oldest is 13 years old. He has been looking at colleges since he was four years old.  At that time in his life, he was determined to go to Harvard.  Not because Mom and Dad suggested it, or encouraged it, but because while reading in the Encyclopedia (Yeah. At four years old, all by himself) about Boston, he learned of Harvard.  And he read that Harvard had the first established library in the U.S.A., so it had to be the one place in the entire country that had the most books and best books since they had been collecting the longest.  But he did write a letter to Harvard asking that they move the university to Oklahoma because he just couldn't imagine living so far away from home.

Fast forward to now, and the child is still devouring books, and earnestly trying to finish school so he can get to college early.  So when the chance came to review College Prep Genius, we jumped at the chance. We have the College Prep Genius DVD set and he immediately began watching the first of 12 lectures to prep him for the SAT.  The lectures are about an hour in length, and slightly dry to me, but he soaks them all in.  He is normally a very good test taker, but has been very animated after his lecture telling me of new things he has learned, and new test taking techniques.  He absolutely cannot wait to take the SAT so he can see how this program has helped him.

If you would like your own copy, you can get the whole program for $99 (a 25% discount) right now through the College Prep Genius website.

Beth

This product was given to me for the purpose of review.  All opinions are mine. For other reviews, check out the Homeschool Crew Blog.

Salvete mi Amici

One of my favorite things we do in our school, is learn Latin.  I know, that sounds crazy. But it is one of our frivolous extras. Well, maybe not frivolous, we are very science orientated family, but an extra non-the-less. We have been using a simple curriculum from Memoria Press for the last year or two, but were recently asked to try a more in depth program also from Memoria Press.  I jumped at the chance.


Soon, a decent sized box arrived FULL of wonderful learning goodness.  And as I began looking through the workbooks, CD, DVD, and flashcards, I began to panic. There was NO WAY we would be able to handle this!  I borrowed some big girl panties, and dove in head first.

Memoria Press: First Form Latin is actually an easy to use curriculum that a beginner can utilize.  It is a complete beginner Latin course for students fifth grade and older.  I have a fifth, sixth, and eighth grader whom I used this with.  The kids LOVED the DVD aspect of the course, as did I.  Most all of the instruction given comes from me, so to get a different "teacher" was a nice break for them.  I kinda liked it too. I could affirm my thoughts on the lesson, or learn the correct lesson, and I didn't always have to be "on" for Latin.  There are multiple worksheets per lesson, which gives ample practice time for the kids.  And of course they listen to the vocabulary and grammar lessons everyday, thanks to the CD.  They study for quizzes and tests together using the provided flashcards, and I use them while doing laundry or cooking dinner to keep up with what the kids know.

You can purchase First Form Latin for $55.  After having the DVD and flashcards, I would highly suggest paying the $115 for the First Form Latin PLUS.  I know you could make the flashcards yourself, but the DVD really is worth the money. 

And one more silly endorsement; I LOVE the teacher's manual.  It is spiral bound, and TOP FLIP! I'm really not too sure why, but I just like it!  It would have been nice if the students manual was spiral bound, but that may come from my odd aversion to breaking the spine of anything. Book. Workbook. Animal. Whatever.

This is such a great program. So much so, that when we finish up our current course, we will move into Memoria Press: First Form Latin

Beth

This product was sent for the purposes of review.  All opinions stated are mine. For other reviews check out The TOS Homeschool Blog.

E-Mealz

Over the past month, I have had the privilege of reviewing E-Mealz, a resource for busy moms who still want to put a yummy meal in front of their family at the end of the day.

What is E-Mealz?

E-Mealz is like a menu planning central for moms who really need help with planning their dinner time menus. The site provides you with meal plans that are complete with recipes, grocery shopping lists that are printable, and more.

How Does it Work?

You choose the store. They provide the plan! Each week you will receive a brand new plan with a complete grocery list organized by sections. Each meal plan is ONLY $1.25 per week!!

There are over 20 meal plans for you to choose from:

diet specific: low carb. gluten-free, portion control, vegetarian, or a regular diet

shop specific stores: Kroger, Aldi’s, Wal-Mart, Public’s, Ralph’s, or choose any store

They even have plans for just two people!

Here is what a sample menu plan looks like:

While this is a good program, there were a few things that I wish were different.

~There is no way to substitute meals: What’s on the menu is there. You don’t have the option to change out a meal if your family does not like the ingredients. You can leave it off, but if you are new to menu planning, then this might pose a problem. For someone like myself who is a seasoned menu planner, I knew I could just fill it in with a meal from my own base of menu plans.

~You can only change your meal plan option once: This was a little aggravating for me, because I first chose “any store” when I signed up because I live in a very small town–20 or 30 minutes away from most Wal-Marts and Aldi’s. The any store was okay but then I chose the Wal-Mart menu and after that I was stuck with it.

~It just doesn't work for a large family: Unless I double up the family sized plans or go with the special occasion plan, there isn't a working plan for us.  Plus, we don't consume very many processed foods, and I found myself trading many things.

All in all this was an okay program that I think works best for a new menu planner. Like I said, I do wish it gave you the option to switch out each night’s dinner plan with a different dinner plan, but other than that–I give it two thumbs up!

Beth

Read what other reviewers are saying here.

I received a complimentary subscription in order to write my review for the TOS Review Crew. All opinions are my own.

Always Icecream

As much as I would love to tell you that I "always let my kids have ice cream", I actually am writing about a website called "Always Icecream".

This is a website for girls that really has a little bit of everything.  It is geared for 7-12 year olds, with an emphasis on education. It's really a melting pot of different popular kid's sites into one. 

As the "Always Icecream" site says:
  
     With Always Icecream, we’re trying to combine three important aspects of child-appropriate online learning in a unique way:
- Motivation: Girls experience Always Icecream as a fun “play” site, with a friendly community (parents can turn off the social features).
- Learning: Girls practice a wide variety of academic and practical skills in a playful way.
- Rewards and Recognition: Girls earn “$coops,” our in-game currency for playing learning games. This currency can be used to take care of online pets in PetWorld and decorate homes in MiniWorld. Achievements are recognized through medals and special awards as well as progress reports to parents.

My daughter, who is 11, has loved the site.  She has practically begged to play. There are a few features I'm not fond of, specifically the social media part. But the best part is, I can just turn that off, so she's good to go. 



The geography is one of her favorite spots.  She does quite well with it, and has really developed her U.S. Geography knowledge. I love watching her perk up when she hears news and says, "I know where that is!"

Of course, I think EVERY girls absolute favorite section is the pet section.


What young girl doesn't dream of having a pet to care for. And this is Mom's favorite kind. Nothing to clean up after! 

To check out the site for yourself, head to  www.always-icecream.com and see for yourself.  With memberships starting at $4.99 a month, it really is a good deal.

Beth

I was given a membership for the purpose of review. All opinions expressed are mine. For other reviews, please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew website.

Scruble Cube

A new word game has entered our house.  We love word games around here. Malcolm's Kindle is loaded with about 10 different games, there is lots of Scrabble played in our house, as well as BookWorm.  So when the Scruble Cube showed up at our house, it was game on.

If cube is like the love child of Scrabble and the Rubik's Cube. And then it took some steroids.  I cannot even begin to tell you the gaming potential here.  Malcolm enjoys playing by himself, and I often find the other kids playing with it trying to work out bigger words.  It promotes itself as appropriate for ages 8+.  My eight year old gets extremely frustrated with it. He doesn't quite "see" the 3 dimensional aspects of the game, and gets very mad nearly all the words he can find are 3 lettered.  My 10 and 11 year old enjoy playing together. They are pretty well matched in their vocabulary, and if they spell a word wrong, the other one assumes it to be right. Playing with Malcolm, who is 13, and a human dictionary, you better bring your spelling game.  He's like the Spelling Nazi! 

Not only is this a vocabulary builder, but I think it is a fun tool to help those prepping for ACT/SAT, or other college entrance exams.  You are always trying for the next bigger, better word, and is addicting!

The website is extremely helpful, and beneficial. Especially for people who cannot keep up with the rule sheet. *ahem* There are tons of ideas for play and use. Videos to help explain the game, and a place for educators.  You can buy one for your family for $24.95, and I think it would make a great Christmas present. 

Beth

This product was sent to me for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are mine. For more reviews, please check out the TOS Homeschool Crew review site.

It has been a gross week at our house.  All was well. Until someone got sick. I'm not sure who got sick first. But having a two year old vomit all over the breakfast table sure has a way of ruining a day.  But we tried to move on.  There were two sick that day, so off to bed they went, while everyone else got busy working on school work and house work.

We have actually been staying on task the last couple of weeks.  Many lessons have been finished, lots of laughing and learning, and even tons of family game time. We've played Tri-Cross and Apples to Apples. It has really been a nice, consistent schedule. Not overbearing, but productive.

Then Momma got sick yesterday. I'll spare you the gory details, but it wasn't pretty. And of course, the children were only down for about 6 hours, but I was plagued for over 36. And it feels like it was really two weeks. And you would think the kids have had an entire summer off. I can't believe how one day can make such a difference where routine is concerned! So, here are some pictures from the last few weeks, and I'm going to go take another nap.  Where's my 7-UP and crackers?



Can you tell she has older sisters?

Anderson in his mess.



More chore buddies

Chore buddies



Last of the buddies.

Beth

Tricross

Ever since I was a little kid, games have been a staple in my life.  We played all sorts of card games, board games, and video games as a child.  Oh the memories I have playing Atari with my family!  And the first Nintendo system? Get out. We had Monopoly tournaments, Rail Baron marathons, and Mario Extravaganzas.  The board games were stored on the top self of my closet, and I remember I'd get some of them down and play by myself if no one was available. I don't think I ever lost a game of Clue or Life from 1989-1996.  And that counts even when I played with other people!

So I am constantly on the look out for new games to play. With a family our size, it's a must. The kids love to play games with just their siblings, and with the entire family.  We were sent a new game, TriCross, to try out, and the kids were instantly in love.

It comes from the people at Games for Competitors, and is made for kids eight and up.  Our oldest said it's like taking chess and checkers and combining them, and then twisting it.  Honestly, I haven't played it yet. But my husband and children have, and they love it. They were screaming, laughing, and strategizing  Apparently, they all schemed together, and made sure to knock their Dad out of every game played.  It didn't matter which kid won, as long as Dad lost!

Our kids really have enjoyed it, and play it together often.  There is even a travel game, so they are begging for a road trip so they can try it out. It will get to go with us over Fall Break. Maybe my parents will get in on the fun!

You can purchase your own game from Games for Competitors. The prices start at $19.95, and they have a few options.  I would highly recommend the game. It has endless strategic possibilities!

*I received this product for the purpose of review. All the opinions expressed are mine alone. For further reviews, please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

Beth

AIMS Educational Foundation

Today, I have another review.  It comes from AIMS Educational Foundation; a non-profit foundation geared to help teachers give students a firm grasp of math and science concepts.  I cannot even begin to tell you of all the hands on curriculum they offer.  The catalog is just chalked FULL of ideas!

 
We were sent the AREA Formulas for Parallelograms.  It looked like fun, so we began looking through it.  This supplement is geared towards students in grades 6-9.  I have a sixth grader and an eighth grader, so we were excited to try it out.  My son, the eighth grader, wasn't too impressed with the book.  Oh, he liked it. It was okay.  But he is so logical.  He is the child that reads the math book for fun, and rarely needs any further instruction or explanation.  He just "sees" math.  So, while he liked the comics in the book, he wasn't actually learning from them. They were just fun.

My daughter, on the other hand, is COMPLETELY different.  She is the child that has to do 50 math problems before she really masters it.  Repetition is the key.  And being able to manipulate, and put her hands on it.  And this is perfect for her.  Being able to cut out shapes, turn them, fold them in half, put them all together, and make sense of all the formulas that are thrown at her.  This was an AH-HA kind of moment for her.

Our next child is in fifth grade.  He is a artistic, and very visual.  And often draws his own comics.  I can't wait to see how this book helps him.  I can't imagine it will be anything less than a wonderful fit.

The book comes with a CD, and be purchased from AIMS for $9.99.  There is even a sample of the book here.

*This book was sent to me for the purposes of review. The opinions expressed are all mine. To read other reviews, visit The TOS Crew page.

Beth

Before Five in a Row

Schooling isn't always easy.  In fact, many days, it is down right hard.  I have 6 children that are old enough to be in book learning.  And some days, that just is overwhelming.  Copies have to be made, books have to be checked out, workbooks collected and in the right place, papers checked, graded, and recorded. Not to mention making sure all the supplies are ready. Pencils, paper, scissors, crayons, glue, just to name a few.  And add to that, I have a middle school aged child who is doing "real" science experiments and needs a massive research library, it's enough to send this Momma whimpering back to her room.

And it is always difficult to find things to entertain the young ones.  And while I have one in Kindergarten and one in Pre-K, they still need lots of entertaining too. So how do I keep a 1, 2, 4, and 5 year old busy for the day?  Well, lots of ways. I wrote about many of my tricks of the trade at The Homeschool Village.  And I have found another great resource.  It is the book Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert.  This is a wonderful book full of "creative ideas to inspire learning readiness".  Basically, this is a collection of 23 units based on children's books.  It however is NOT a teaching manual.  At two years old, my son Anderson is not ready to sit in a chair and be formally taught all day.  In fact, even if he could sit still that long, this is such a special time in his childhood, I wouldn't want to rob him of this imaginative time. 

BFIAR gives you ideas of how to integrate learning into your everyday life.  One of our favorite books, Corduroy  was part of this treasury, so we worked through many of the activities.  There is a Bible verse with the lesson that we repeated often throughout the day.  We remembered and practiced being respectful like Lisa from the story, and worked on our manners with at home and away from home.  We counted buttons from my button jar, and sorted them by color and size.  Their favorite activity was acting like Corduroy.  I overheard them during their play time jumping on the beds, hugging Lisa, sewing buttons on their stuffed animals, and running "just like Corduroy"!



Paulee and Anderson "reading" Corduroy

I love that this book includes "old" books and new. Some of the books we will be reading through next are, Caps for Sale, Blueberries for Sal, and Goodnight, Moon.This is not a book I will use everyday.  It's not set up to be used that day. But it is a book that is indispensable in our home.  And this is a great book for every parent of young children. Not just homeschool parents. These are things you would be doing with your child either way.

You can purchase your own copy of Before Five in a Row for $35 at Rainbow Resource.  You can also visit the website for Before Five in a Row for more on how this book works.

 

*I was given a copy of this book for review.  All opinions expressed are mine alone.  For more reviews, please visit TOS Homeschool Crew.*

 

Beth

Big IQ Kids (Homeschool Crew Review)

While I am a computer junkie (but not to be confused with a techie), my children are pretty restricted when it comes to computer time and content.  So when I was given the chance to review Big IQ Kids, I was excited and a little reluctant.



Big IQ Kids is an educational website offering to enrich your child's schooling.  They offer programs in Spelling and Vocabulary, Math, and U.S. Geography.  You can sign up for free memberships to these programs, or you can sign up and pay for premium membership and access additional content in the Math and U.S. Geography programs.  There is also a premium membership offer for a Spelling Junior program.  The memberships can be as low as $3.33 a month if you buy a full year at a time, but they do offer monthly rates as well.



So, what did we think?  My kids love the site.  They run through the lessons quickly, enjoy answering the math problems, and shout out state facts to each other as they learn them.  Plus, as they finish lessons, they receive coins that can go to buy "game" time.  The games may or may not be educational, it just depends on the game.  But it is a great incentive to do the lessons.  My kids line up to get time on Big IQ, and are always sad when their time is up.

I personally have things I like and don't like about the site.  I see that it is great for visual learners.  Or for children that need incentives.  The lessons are highly modifiable (Modifiable? Is that even a word? Shhh....I'll look it up before I add it to any vocabulary list in our homeschool), and no lesson can be skipped.  This is a great way to get in extra proficiency work without boring your child to death with thousands of worksheets.  And, with the premium membership, you get updates emailed to you with everything your child did while on Big IQ.

The site is a little hard to navigate around at times.  And the emails get a little redundant after awhile.  You get one for each accomplishment or for each wrong answer. Not a summary of the day.  It can fill up the email box quick.  There is so much that can be personalized, that I often feel we may be missing something. But with time, that may just work itself out.

If your child is not homeschooled, this site is still an asset to your child, and can even be used in a large classroom setting. Overall, the kids are enjoying the site, and it is reenforcing what we are teaching in their core curriculum.  We will continue to use our premium membership for the year as an incentive for good behavior and hard work in school.

Thank you to Big IQ Kids for providing me with two free one year premium memberships to review. All opinions expressed are my own.


Beth

Homeschool Link Up

Last night, I was "hanging" out with friends on the internet, and Steph was telling of her need to find things to keep her younger child busy during the 3rd graders lessons. So I shot her a link to a site I use nearly daily. Wow. I suddenly became her favorite person in the entire world! (Or something close to that)

But she did make an interesting point. We as homeschool parents don't often share little gems like that. I really didn't even think it was a big deal. But when I've been sitting here on this end of it, pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to teach something, it is a big deal. So today is Link-Up day! We are sharing our go-to, free websites we can't homeschool without.  But today, it's not about great bloggers, although many are helpful. But we're talking real, hands on, put this in front of your child today stuff.  So here are some of my favorite places to run for help:

Letter Mazes- My five year old LOVES these!
Color the animal letter- Hugely successful in keeping the 2 yo entertained for a while.
Color by Letter- Perfect in helping learn Capital and lowercase letters
Donna Young- I use this site for many things, but hand writing paper is used most often.
Paper Dolls- For history. My older kids really enjoy these. And I love that kids drew them!

Be sure to go to Education Layton to find more link ups and must have sites for homeschools!

Beth