God's Great Covenant-- TOS Review

 

I was very pleased to have been chosen for this review!   God’s Great Covenant is a new Bible study curriculum produced by Classical Academic Press for children in 4th grade and above (with an emphasis on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy).  Children will learn about the four different aspects of Christ; the Son of Man, God’s Servant, the Messiah, and the Son of God.  This course consists of 4 units containing 36 weekly chapters.  Each chapter includes a Memory Page, Story Time, Review Worksheets, and a Quiz.  At the end of each unit is a Memory Passage section, Worksheets, Devotional Guide and final story to be used as a review. This section was one of our favorites because it really tied things together for the kiddos and reinforced everything they learned.

 

 The Student Edition is in a consumable workbook format with large print for easy reading.  The Teacher’s Edition (below) is identical to the Student Edition but includes answer keys, notes to help with comprehension and teaching and also space to include your own notes. I found the curriculum very easy to understand and straight-forward to use.  My kiddos enjoyed all the questions and discussion that was encouraged through the student worksheet pages. We made a binder for each child so they could keep their work organized and in chronological order. Being able to go back and see their work also reinforced the things we learned at the very beginning. For our first-grader we simply wrote out the scripture reference and let her draw a picture reminding her of the story. I reinforced what she learned by asking some of the questions off the student worksheet. She also participated in memorizing the scripture (on a more simple scale).

 

An audio download is available for the course which contains a recording of the Story Time section for each chapter read by Christopher Perrin.  The 3 hour audio file is in an mp3 format and can also be burned to a disk so you can listen anywhere. We put this on our iPod and used it not only at home but in the car. I didn't let the kids listen ahead on the lessons but we did go back and re-listen to the previous Story Times. After listening again, my kiddos really enjoyed discussing the things they'd previously learned.  They also challenged each other to try and remember the previous memory passages.

Example of Student Book pages:

 

 

 Classical Academic Press has also published God’s Great Covenant Old Testament 1 and 2 and God’s Great Covenant Old Testament Timeline and Map Set to help you teach the Bible to your children.  With the Old & New Testament curriculum combined, your kiddos will be on their way to being bible scholars!  

 To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about God's Great Covenant, 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.

Amazing Animals by Design-- TOS Review

 

We've got a group of extreme animal lovers over here...so this review was right up our alley! Amazing Animals by Design is a book that fills in the gap of teaching about Creation and Intelligent design (that's typically geared towards older children). Amazing Animals takes those concepts and shares the scientific reasons but at an elementary level.

Why is a giraffe’s neck so tall? Why do zebras have stripes? Did all of these things happen by accident? When John and Sarah visit the zoo, they ask these questions and many more. Their parents and the zookeepers keep using the word design, but what does that mean?

 

The book is designed for children in the elementary age range (preK-3rd grade). The book (24 pages)can currently be purchased as an ebook (pdf file) for $7.99 or a paperback for $8.99. The book will officially be released on April 1st at which time it will be available at other retailers.

 

Because this book is written in story-form and not just presented as 'facts,' my kiddos were all the more intrigued.  Even the older ones sat down to listen as I read this book.  I'm planning on printing this out to slip into sheet protectors for my little ones to be able to flip through again and again.  We also really enjoyed the illustrations, my 3 year old was captivated (she already has a love for animals).

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Amazing Animals by Design, 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.

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.**

Real Homeschool Spanish

This curriculum is designed for the whole family to enjoy!  *And you don't need to speak Spanish in order to have fun learning the language with your child. The motto of the curriculum is RELAX, ENJOY, ASPIRE, LEARN SPANISH and REAL Homeschool Spanish strives to make this a reality.  Here are some examples:

1. Spanish is learned through conversation and all new vocabulary is first taught through speaking it and getting replies from your children (audio files are included so that the teacher/students can hear the language spoken).

2. Learning the language is incorporated into the day. Material that is learned is relevant in a homeschooling environment and can be used not only in “class” but throughout the day.

3. With the ideas section and games from the activity book your student will have fun learning the vocabulary in a variety of exciting ways.

4. The curriculum comes with a planning guide and daily planning chart so that you can be organized in presenting the material to your family and fitting in as part of your family’s educational journey.

5. Emphasis is placed on a relaxed learning environment. Here’s more from their website on why:
“We believe that a relaxed environment encourages positive language learning. Too much grammar and too much emphasis on perfectly correct speech hinders the enjoyment and progress of learning. Slow and steady practice promotes correct speech over time. For these reasons, we have limited our grammar sections to a minimum and stress communication and enjoyment first.”

  I reviewed (the download-able version) of REAL Homeschool Spanish.  It included the book (featuring 10 units, 55 vocab clusters and 15 idea sections of ways to further your learning), a 179 page activity book featuring all kids of activities from word searches, to crosswords, to word scrambles and lots in between, all the audio files you need, an answer guide and the daily curriculum guide/planner.
There are number of different options for buying REAL Homeschool Spanish from instant downloads (with or without the daily planner) to hard copies with books and CDs. Check out their purchase page to find out more about products and prices. Currently the download-able versions sell for $49.95 and the hard copies sell for $89.95. There are also many samples available on their website- check them out!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Real Homeschool Spanish, 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.

World's Greatest Stories-- TOS Review

 

Anything that helps me is a worth-while commodity.  Wholesome things that make my 'Mom-job' easier are almost as precious to me as chocolate...ok, well maybe.  I do hold chocolate in the highest esteem.  And coffee.  And things that make me laugh.  ANYWAY...

We received the NIV audio version of The World's Greatest Stories.  Since we travel up north (a lot!) to visit family, this was a perfect addition to our travel necessities.  Along with chocolate.  And my travel mug full of coffee.  :)

  The 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 six volumes in The World’s Greatest Stories Collection. We 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. Joseph 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!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about World's Greatest Stories, 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.

Vintage Remedies--TOS Review

I was totally excited to get this review material- this subject matter is of my own heart.  'Remedy' should be my middle name...and Vintage...well that just screams 'wealth of knowledge' to me.  :)

Over the years I've learned (and dabbled in) herbs, tinctures and simplistic cooking/living.  I received Vintage Remedies for Kids to review- and how appropriate- did you know I have a multitude of kiddos?  I admit, they tend to be my test-subjects.  Anyway...onward to the good stuff!

This book is geared for young learners ages 2-6, both boys and girls.  Kiddos learn how to identify healthy foods and have a hand in creating healthy snacks for their families.  Each of the 18 chapters has a brief introduction for the parents, a section to read to the children, followed by hands-on activities perfect for littles (that's what I call my younger crowd).  There are also sample schedules included for use at home or in a playgroup setting (and convenient shopping lists).

This new workbook is packed with projects covering every aspect of natural living including wellness, nutrition, immunity, natural body care, and the conservative use of valuable natural resources - in terms they will understand and remember!  The workbook is flexible and can be used also as a fun family project. Children at this age learn best with active lessons, so this isn't a sit and read style picture book! It's a guide for parents that is packed with hands on activities that are perfect for little hands, but fun for all ages. You can pick up a copy of this book for $25, here.

To learn more about Vintage Remedies and the large selection of health and wellness books and curriculum they offer, be sure to stop by their website.  Their story is quite fascinating as well, so have a look at their About Us page!

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Vintage Remedies, 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.

I See Cards--TOS Review

 

When children play Fractazmic, they know they're having fun, and you know that they're learning!

Fractazmic is an interactive & fun lesson in fractions that gives your child (unlimited) practice at their individual level.

Each brightly colored card displays fractions, along with eye catching graphics, to reinforce what your child is learning. Players will quickly identify the fractions on their cards and calculate their way to fun and learning! Fractazmic teaches fractions, numbers and measurement, students from 1st-8th grade can benefit from this learning game.

Fractazmic Decks Include:

• 60 Math Learning Cards
• Each card clearly numbered
• Each card clearly labeled with the fraction and reinforcing graphic.
  

What makes Fractazmic Decks Special:

• Quickly learn to convert and add fractions.
• Reinforces relationship between fractions and measurements.
• Shows real world use of fractions.

 

The Rules:

The cards can be used in various ways to fit best with where your child / student is at from using the individual sets of cards to first familiarize the child with the different fractions to playing the different games. Fractazmic can be played by 2-4 players, but also be used individually by the student.

The aim of the game is to combine the different cards in a suit to make 1(a hand). The player with the most ‘hands’ wins.  

 

These are fun, educational card games which retail for US$6.95 per deck of cards.

Fractazmic’s amazing creators can be contacted for support or advice through their contact page HERE.

To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Fractazmics, 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.

Artistic Pursuits Books--TOS Review

We were sent ARTistic Pursuits, Grade 4-6, Book 1: The Elements of Art & Composition for review.

4-6 Graders can learn technical skills while creating original works of art. Book one provides an overview of drawing, covering the elements of art and composition. These books are 'non-consumable' so they can be used for the entire family! I was very pleased to receive this product for review because art always seems to fall to the way-side in our homeschool.  We do seasonal type projects and special things for the holidays but I can safely say we've never had a curriculum for art.  NOW WE DO!  What an awesome and user-friendly (or should I say mom-friendly?) curriculum!  At first glance, I observed that this book gives students their first in-depth look at the elements of art (in an easy-to-understand text)with illustrations in pencil, marker, and scratch art, the media they will be using. The 'elements of art' and composition are explored through American art.


Here's a breakdown of what you will find in this book:

Unit 2, Lesson 1

ILLUSTRATED VOCABULARY: A definition is given in both words and pictures at the top of the page.  OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the 'Explore your World!' section are listed and color coded to clarify the purpose of the creative assignment and for easy grading using a grading system on page 87.

 Unit 2, Lesson 2

ART APPRECIATION PAGE: Students see how the topic of the unit is used in a work by a master artist. When they see a concept in artists' works, they are more able to use it in their own work. Illustrations accompany the work, helping students see what is being discussed in the text. Arrows point to the places in the artwork that are discussed in the text so students can't miss seeing it. 

 ART HISTORY PAGE: Students gain a larger context to view art in as they learn about the artists and the times in which the art was made. 

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: A biography of the master artist familiarizes students with major artists and their works. Students learn about painters of the American Revolution, the first painters of the Native Americans, Wilderness Explorers, Cowboy Painters, Quakers, miniatures, American Impressionists, Realists, and Regionalists. 

THE TIMES: Students learn about American history. They will see what Americans were doing, thinking, and discovering during the artist's lifetime. 

MAKE AN OBSERVATION DRAWING: Students gain skill in working from observation, memory, or imagination.

Unit 2, Lesson 3

TECHNIQUES PAGE HOW TO: Students learn technical information. How to use a medium such as pencil or pen and a variety of ways for using each medium are introduced. Techniques for drawing and exploring certain subject matter are shown. This page introduces some basic ideas about seeing to help the student begin to observe more closely. 

SOMETHING TO TRY: Students practice with the techniques shown, completing a project.

 Unit 2, Lesson 4

FINAL PROJECT PAGE: Instructions are given for a final project in which students assimilate the information from the unit and do a work reflecting their interests or particular interpretations. 

YOU WILL NEED: A materials list is given in the right column. 

REFER TO THE FOLLOWING WHEN DRAWING: Suggestions for what to use as a reference is given in the right column. Once students go through the book they will have used all the references available: photographs, direct observation, their imagination, etc. 

STUDENT GALLERY: Students see how others their own age interpreted and successfully used the element of art. A range of skill levels is shown to encourage different approaches to art. 

LOOK BACK: Students evaluate the success of the finished work by answering the questions. Parents can use the color-coded stated objective for easy grading.

Media Introduced: Ebony pencil, white pencil, black markers with point and wide tip, scratch art paper and silhouette.

Contents: 1. Space 2. Line and Shape 3. Texture 4. Value 5. Form 6. Form using Value 7. Local Value 8. Contrast 9. The Shapes of Natural Forms 10. Edges 11. Balance 12. Rhythm 13. Overlap 14. Depth 15. Proportion, The Face 16. Movement

4-6 Book One (ISBN 978-0-9815982-4-6), made in the USA, Price: $42.95 

  To see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Artistic Pursuits Books, 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.