Action Alert-TOS Review

This review was something I was really looking forward to!  I've needed/wanted an internet safety program since the beginning of the school year since my kiddos have been spending more time on the internet. 
Action Alert is a company that provides internet safety in many forms, they make the internet safer for all of us and tackle many internet dangers. Their downloadable software offers 8 internet safety tools.

 

One of my favorite features is the ability to get “alerts” to your computer or cell phone via email that lets you know someone is trying to access a questionable site.  You can then choose to disable to computer right from there. Action Alert comes “preloaded” with websites known to host damaging spyware or other unwanted content. You can add others that you don’t allow in your house also. You can even just choose to use just the allowed sites only mode, where you choose the only sites they can visit. There is also a safe search option which filters the search results to family friendly.

The Activity Video Recording, Keystroke Logging & Chat and Email Logging feature records screen shots every couple of seconds, so you can see exactly what your family is doing on the computer online and off.
The Time Allowance feature sets time limits or daily times when the computer can be used. 

 

Action Alert has been featured on television and won awards.  They are the only internet safety solution endorsed by The Child Safety Network.

There are two versions of Action Alert.  

The Free Version  

• Offers everything you need to set up a kid safe computer in seconds.

The Maximum Protection Version ($29.99)

• fully customizable
• offers multiple user protection
• full social network monitoring. 

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Action Alert, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

Progeny Press-TOS Review

Progeny Press is a family-owned company that produces literature study guides, they have been in business since 1992.  There are 100 literature guides for your family to choose from such as The Bronze Bow and Pride and Prejudice(my personal favorite!) just to name a few.

Progeny Press Study Guides are designed to help your kiddos to better understand (and enjoy) classical literature by helping them"understand the process of writing, as well as teaching them the process of literary analysis and its terminology." It's not as scary as it may sound...these guides are awesome (in my opinion of course!). Students are shown how to thoughtfully consider the ideas and themes presented in each story from a Christian perspective, and encouraged to put their own thoughts and ideas about the stories into writing. Every guide takes care to draw the student back to the Bible by examining how the stories connect to Biblical principles, and by pointing out parallels with Bible events and pertinent verses that clarify these ideas.  Another bonus!

These study guides come in four levels: Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Each guide includes a variety of elements, depending on the level of the study. You can see a sample of the types of questions and information contained in the guides at their website. The literature guides are also categorized by both genre and grade-level, making it easy for teachers and parents to choose a book that is appropriate for their personalized course of study. I love user-friendly curriculum! :)

 
There are many options for the study guides, they are very user-friendly and are currently available as a print version, on CD in .pdf format, and via email as a .pdf attachment. Parents and schools can print multiple copies of pages for use with all of their students (perfect for a large homeschooling family!). All of the study guides are now available in a new interactive format which allows the student to type in the answers directly on their computer screen! Progeny Press Guides cost from $10.99 to $27.99. You can check out their online catalog for more information and individual pricing. 

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Progeny Press literature study guides, visit the Homeschool Crew Blog to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.

K5 Learning

“Unlock Your Child’s Potential”

K5 Learning is a personalized online learning program for Math and Reading enrichment.  Just as the name indicates, it is structured to meet the needs of those in grades K thru 5.

It it 4 programs in one and works on the areas of Reading, Spelling (and Vocabulary), Math, and Math Facts.  

This is a breakdown of what you can expect in each area:

 Reading helps kids become strong readers and develop a love of reading. This award-winning program covers phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, vocabulary and reading comprehension.

 Spelling is an advanced vocabulary program which improves language skills one word at a time. We feature adaptive instruction, automatic word generation, an optimized visual interface, and a 150,000+ word database.

 Math is an award-winning program which builds self confidence and a deep understanding of math concepts. K5 Math covers numbers and operations, geometry, measurement (including time and money), algebraic thinking and data analysis.

 Math Facts uses adaptive technology to help kids develop instant recall of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. Progress on each and every math fact is monitored until mastery is obtained.

This is what a 'results' screen would look like:

 

Lessons are assessment based; not generated only by academic grade level.  If a child struggles in an area, K5 will adjust the curriculum to meet the child’s needs. I also found it helpful that the speed could be adjusted for the math facts screen- not too fast and not too slow. It is 100% web-based and available to work in 24/7.

 

The company offers a 14 day Free Trial.
- no obligation
- no credit card needed
- free math and reading assessments
- 14 days of free lessons

Regular subscription pricing is available in Monthly or Annual installments. Please visit www.k5learning.com for more details. To learn more about K5 Learning, check out their website.  And to see what my fellow Crew members have to say about K5 Learning, look here to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.**

Reading Eggs

I am so excited to bring you this review- I just adore the age range when my kiddos are learning to read.  I have lots and lots of games and curriculum for K & 1st grade, mostly because I want learning to read to be fun, fun, fun!  This program is NO exception- we've had so much fun with it! Actually its my 6 year old that has had a blast! Ok, on to the goodies:

Reading Eggs is an online program that introduces children to the world of reading through interactive stories and games with fun characters.  With activities for ages 3-7, Reading Eggs helps to spark a love for reading with everything from alphabet recognition to phonics to early reader stories.  Puzzles, games, and songs are used to capture a child’s attention and make the reading experience multi-sensory.  Reading Eggspress (another part of the Reading Eggs World) is geared for older children (7-13) to encourage fluent reading.

This is an example of what you will see on this online reading program:

This is an example of a reading comprehension test might look like:

And this is what another 'test screen' might look like:

Reading Eggspress offers reporting so that parents can keep track of what the children are learning and how well they’re doing.  Lessons cover Year 2 to Year 6 reading curriculum in an engaging online world that children enjoy.  Stories cover both fact and fiction for a broad range of reading material.  A map aids in navigation throughout Reading Eggs World.  After the completion of each map, there is a quiz.  The results are sent to parents in an email.  Children can earn online game rewards by completing lessons.

Below is a 'map' that is used- our 6 year old daughter loved this program.  The map especially made her giggle (not to mention feel like a big girl because this program was JUST FOR HER!).  

 

Reading Eggs also offers companion books and writing workbooks to go along with the program.  These are optional, but reinforce each online lesson.
There is a 14-day free trial available, so there is no risk with Reading Eggs.  Subscriptions are available in the following options:

• 12 months for $75 (add a second or third child at 50% off)
• 6 months for $49.95 (add a second or third child at 50% off)
• Monthly for $9.95

To learn more about Reading Eggs, check out their website.  And to see what my fellow Crew members have to say about Reading Eggs, look here to read more.

**Disclosure: My review and opinion written in this post is entirely my own. This product was provided to me for free in exchange for my review as a member of the 2011-2012 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew.**