TOS Crew Review - Pitsco Medieval Machines

 

Pitsco is a company that specializes in educational, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) products and curriculum, including products specifically designed for homeschoolers.  For this review, I received the Medieval Machines Pack, which included a Trebuchet Kit, a Catapult Kit, a Siege Machines book, and counterweights for the Trebuchet. 

The entire kit, as packaged.

Catapult

Trebuchet

This pack is specified for Middle School ages and up, so Isaac (5th grade) was just on the younger side for this pack, but he and I had no trouble putting the kit together.  It would have been more of a stretch for my younger kids, however, so the age designation is very appropriate (unless you have a younger child who is very into and experienced with models and kits).  The instructions were detailed and thorough, but not difficult to follow.  The hardest part was waiting for the glue to dry on each step!

Unfortunately, because we were out of town for over a week during Thanksgiving, we did not complete the Trebuchet at the time of this review, but we did complete and use the Catapult.  It is a huge hit!  The pack comes with clay to make little launching balls out of, and the kids enjoyed seeing how big or small the balls had to be in order to fly the most effectively.  The Catapult is quite sturdy and has held up to use in this household of boys!  I full expect the Trebuchet to be the same, and we are looking forward to trying it out soon.

Here are two videos of our first tries with the Catapult.  We did it outside just in case, but we have since used it inside very safely!  The first one hit something and didn't go far, which is why we did a second video - hopefully between the two of them you can get a good feel for the Catapult!





The Siege Machines book includes a history of each machine, and then various experiments to try with each one, as well as space to record observations and results. Science concepts that are taught include Mass, Tension and Torsion, Force and Motion, Gravity and Levers, (plus more) and Mathematical concepts such as averages, metric conversion, and prediction.  I, personally, love how so many topics can be covered by playing with a fun toy that my boys love!

The Pitsco Medieval Machines Pack is available for $21.95. To build the kit and utilize some of the activities, you will need basic household items such as glue, scissors, and a ruler.

Also available are Teacher's Guides for both the Trebuchet Kit and the Catapult Kit that include multiple hours worth of STEM activities and lessons.  For added savings, you can get everything included with the Medieval Machines Pack, plus the two two Teacher's Guides and extra clay in the Trebuchet & Catapult Pack for $64.95.  Be sure to check out many of the other Science, Technology and Mathematical products Pitsco has available for Homeschoolers! 

Also see what my other Crew Mates thought over at the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

Not-Back-to-School Blog Hop - 2011-2012 Curriculum Plans!

I'm joining in with Heart of the Matter Online's "Not-Back to School Blog Hop"!  Week 1 is Curriculum Week, so here's a look at what our plans are for the 2011-2012 school year!

We've officially completed our 180 days of school, as required by our state.  Since we prefer to school year-round, we're jumping right into another "year", starting next week.  We still have odds and ends of our 2010-2011 curriculum to finish up, here are our plans for the upcoming year for each of the boys!

I've mentioned this a ton of times, but our main source for Bible, History, and Read-Alouds will be Sonlight's Core E.  We also do Science as a family, and once we've finished up Apologia's Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology, we'll be switching gears and studying electricity, inventions, magnetism and magnification with Sonlight's Science E.  This will be our first year away from Apologia and trying something new, so I'm excited to see how it goes! 

Isaac is 10, and technically be starting 5th grade!  (That's so weird to me, because I have very vivid memories of my 5th grade year, how is it possible that I have a child there now?  Is this how old people feel all the time?)

Here are the subjects he'll be studying in addition to the above:

• Math - Math-U-See's Epsilon, as well as ALEKS for supplementation, and drills using MathRider or Math Facts Now (his choice)
• English - Rod & Staff's English 4 - I have found Rod & Staff's English to be rigorous enough that even though it's technically "behind" his grade, it's quite sufficient.
• Writing - Writing Tales (finishing up Level 1, moving on to Level 2)
• Spelling - All About Spelling, Level 2 and beyond - so far, he's been able to breeze through a couple lessons a week, but I'm sure as we progress, it will slow down some, so I'm just following his lead for now!
• Bible - Core E includes an independent Bible Study, which he'll be using. If need be, we will supplement or switch out with studies from Quiet Times for Kids.
• Spanish - Rosetta Stone, Level 1
• Computer Programming - I purchased KidCoder from the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op for a great price, and Isaac is so excited to get started!

I won't be having him do any more formal handwriting, as his subjects include enough written work now that he gets plenty of practice through that.

Ezra will soon be 9 and is considered a 4th grader now!

He's actually doing almost all of the same things as Isaac, except the levels are different, of course!  Here are the adjustments... everything else is exactly the same:

• Math - Math-U-See Delta, along with ALEKS and drills with Math Facts Now
• English - Rod & Staff English 3
• Reading - along with Core E Readers, he'll also be doing Rod & Staff Reading 3.  This is the last year of formal reading instruction with Rod & Staff for him
• Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears Cursive - this is doing wonders for him! He would previously struggle through handwriting in tears... this curriculum definitely lives up to it's name!  He loves it and his handwriting is much improved!

Joel is 6.5 and is now officially on our Attendance Form!

I consider him going into 1st grade, so he's got a little bit more "real" schoolwork, but not much.  As I've mentioned before, I prefer to keep things light in the younger years, so they have plenty of time for imaginative play and exploration.  Here's what's on his plate this year:

• Reading and Phonics - he's going to start Rod & Staff's Grade 1 Reading!  He's also chugging along with Reading Kingdom online.  He doesn't particularly care for it anymore, mostly because it is a challenge for him... which I consider a good thing!  Our subscription for that is up in February, and I'm not sure if we'll do anymore online programs after that.
• Math - Math-U-See Alpha
• Handwriting - A Reason for Writing, Book A
• We might venture into All About Spelling, Level 1... depending on time and need
• He'll also be joining in with Nathan's Kindergarten plans (listed below!)

Nathan is 4.5 and sort of Pre-K-ish, I guess?

He spent last year sitting in on Joel's K activities, which has put him a little ahead of the game.  While I don't push a lot of academic stuff at this age, I do love getting into their world through lots of reading aloud and fun activities.  I have to admit, Preschool and Kindergarten are my favorite years to "teach"! Here's what my (very flexible) plans are for Nathan:

• Sonlight P 3/4 - we did this at the beginning of last year with Joel and Nathan, but it's so good it's worth repeating!  We all enjoyed it very much!
• My Father's World Kindergarten - I won't be using the phonics portion, but the Bible and Science activities are lots of fun, and nice, light learning.  Both Joel and Nathan will be joining together for this!
• He'll be starting Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons!  He's almost finished with the Get Ready, Get Set, Go! for the Code books, so he'll be ready very soon.   He's also been doing Click N' Read Phonics (another great buy from the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op) online, and I am very pleased with this program for beginning readers.  He's having a lot of success with it!

The great thing about homeschooling several children is that I didn't have to buy anything except the Code workbooks for Nathan, and his subscription to Click N' Read (which is a lifetime subscription, so it will be used for all following children!).  If I were trying to afford everything I just listed above in one purchase, it would easily be close to my entire year's homeschool budget!  But I've picked all of them up as we've gone along over the years, and he, being child number 4, is reaping the benefits (as is our bank account!)

Judah is 2,

and will be working on potty training!  Honestly, I think potty training is my least favorite parental duty. But, once it's done, it's always good.  So I have to bite the bullet and get it done!  He's definitely ready now!  He's also at the age where he's into everything (did I say everything?  I mean everything!!),  so we'll be spending our days keeping his little hands and mind busy.  Lots of stories, drawing, music, blocks, outside time and attention!

Rachel will just be doing her thing - growing, learning, eating, sleeping, and getting lots and lots of love!

We're so excited about the upcoming year!

If you are curious to see how this all falls into place during a typical day, be sure to check out my post, "Fitting It All In" - where I explain!  If you're interested in seeing how I organize everyone's assignments, I've got a post on my homemade homeschool assignment sheets, too!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great 2011-2012 homeschool year!

TOS Crew Top 10 Round-Up

My final review for the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Crew was posted last week! What a fun and busy year it's been! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Crew and share my thoughts on such a variety of interesting products.

In order to clean up the blog some, I've made a page just for the reviews I've done over the past year - just click on the 2010-2011 TOS Crew sidebar picture to go to it! I've organized them all by category, so hopefully it will be easy to find what you may be looking for.

To finish up the year, I wanted to recap my top 10 favorite products... and like any good countdown, I'll work my way down to my favorite!

#10 - Maestro Classics
The kids and I really enjoy stories on CD. Set to music, they're even better! We love our Peter and the Wolf CD, and hope to get more of their "Stories in Music" in the future!

#9 - Download N' Go - Expedition Australia
While this one was my "trial review" before I was officially signed on board the Crew, I really enjoyed this product, so I included it on the countdown! I am not a good "Unit Study" homeschooler, but using this e-book made it easy to become one. It was timed perfectly for when we were studying Australia on our own, and it enriched our studies immensely!

#8 -Illustrated Bible Dictionary
We have pulled this resource our countless times to look up useful bits of info - I've been pleased by the ability it gives us to look up the sometimes random questions kids can ask about the Bible!

#7 -Positive Action for Christ
A high quality Bible Study curriculum - I appreciate how easy it is for my oldest to use independently, but it isn't just busywork - he's learning and retaining what he's studying!

#6 - Nutrition 101 - Choose Life!
My review really says it all - an excellent family resource, not just for hoemschoolers, but anyone interested in nutrition - young and old alike!

#5 - Wits and Wagers Family
A fun family game we still love to get out and play together! Some of the questions are so funny!

#4 -Math Facts Now!
My review sums up pretty well why I like this product so much. The interesting thing is, my children have come to enjoy it, too! Awesome!

Now, for the top 3 of the year....

Math Rider
We bought this after our review trial was over - the kids couldn't stop talking about how much they loved it, and my sweet husband said "If it works, and they love it this much, why don't we just get it?" 'Nuff said!

ALEKS
I love this online math program! I really appreciate that it is designed for the student to use independently, but also adjusts to the student's strengths and weaknesses, to ensure that the student is really mastering the problems, not just assigning preset worksheets. The super user-friendly parent's page is great! We actually ended up purchasing a year's subscription for the boys to use alongside their regular math curriculum.


and, my Number One favorite product of the year.....

Writing Tales!
As I mentioned enthusiastically throughout my review, Writing Tales has been the perfect fit for our family, helping my oldest to overcome "writing phobia" and start to feel more comfortable in creative expression. The ease of use and the effectiveness of Writing Tales makes it my #1 favorite review product of the year!

TOS Crew Review - MathRider

MathRider is an computer "game" that helps children master their math facts in a fun and adventurous way! While children learn, practice, and eventually master math facts for all four math functions, they also enjoy riding their horse Shadow through mythical lands on a Quest from the king to rescue the princess. Along the quest, they gather magical flowers, precious gems, and other rewards - eventually finding the princess and being awarded a castle!

Each math operation has three levels - easy, medium, and hard. Each level takes the child on a different quest, however, for each operation, the quests are the same (ie. the quest (or storyline) for easy addition is the same quest for easy division), however, the rewards vary which kept the boys motivated. The program is designed to keep track of the child's progress and present problems that they've struggled with more frequently, until each problem has been mastered. Once the child achieves mastery (100%) on an operation, they rescue the princess and their final reward is a castle!

To actually play the game, there is a horse and a series of 30 jumps. Under each jump is a math problem, and to get their horse to clear the jump, the child must answer the problem correctly.


If they answer it incorrectly, the horse stops and the jump and they have to try again. After clearing all 30 jumps, the child is awarded points based on accuracy as well as speed. There is also a graph that shows how well they did on each problem and how fast they answered it. As they progress through each quest, their progress is shown on a map, like this:



This was actually part of the fun for my boys, they loved to see how far their line would move along the map after each round.

For me, I enjoyed being able to see at a glance how well each boy was doing, as well as which problems they were struggling with the most, on the Statistics Page:



This year of being on the TOS Crew has brought us the privilege of exploring many different math products, including several that teach and drill math facts. MathRider, by far, has been my boys' favorite! They are given 15 minutes a day to "play" it and are always asking for more during their free time. Something about horses, castles, quests, fantasy, and rescuing a princess is right up their alley - go figure! ;-) Their math skills were sharpened, and I appreciate that they aren't looking at math practice as drudgery!

MathRider is available for instant download for $37. Here is their video demonstrating the program, so you can get a better feel for what I've tried to describe!



Be sure to check and see what other reviewers thought by visiting the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Times Alive

Times Alive! by City Creek Press is a fun and creative way for children to learn their multiplication facts. Teaching the 0-9 tables, it incorporates songs, fun activities, repetition practice and short animated videos to help children of all learning styles become more proficient at multiplication.

This review is for the downloadable version of Times Alive, however, City Creek Press also offers books, CD-ROMs, activity sheets and music CDs that can be used in similar ways to help achieve success in multiplication. The price to download the Times Alive program is $44.95 and the download can be used by any number of students - each will be able to sign-in with their own login information, which tracks their lesson progress.

For each lesson, a new multiplication fact (or sometimes several) is introduced through a short animated video and a song, tying the new fact into a play on words or easy to remember rhyme. Then, the student is asked to practice the fact taught through a few simple activities. Each lesson lasts about 8-10 minutes. Once a few facts are taught and practiced, there are "Progress Checks" which cover not only the newest fact taught, but ones that were taught in the previous lessons, to ensure that the previous lessons are still reinforced. Parents can view and/or print progress reports showing each student's progress very easily.

The two children in my house who enjoyed this program the most were Ezra (age 8, 3rd grade), and Joel (age 6). Ezra had learned about half of his multiplication facts through our regular math program already, and using Times Alive helped him not only cement those facts more firmly into memory, but also introduce and familiarize him with facts he hadn't learned yet. At the beginning of the program, each student takes a pre-test, just to demonstrate what the student already knows. Ezra's initial score on this test was low, as I expected - he scored a 57%. After going through the program, at the end, there is a post-test - on this one, he scored a 96%! What an improvement! That spoke volumes to me about how well this program can work!

Joel, being just 6, didn't know any multiplication facts, but now can easily remember the answer to, and tell me the story behind, facts such as 6x6, or 8x4. Even though he doesn't understand exactly what multiplication is yet, I think having those already tucked into memory will help when the time comes!

The only drawback I could find about this fun program is the login process is a bit tricky. I assigned each child a login name (which, to keep it simpler, was just their first name). However, instead of a drop-down menu or other way to choose their login, it had to be typed - and if the child typed it incorrectly (say, with all caps, or all lowercase), the program would still open but with none of that child's progress showing, as if they were a new student. That caused a bit of panic a few times until we figured out that they had to login the exact way I had signed them up! A small detail that doesn't change my opinion of the effectiveness of the program, but one I wanted to mention nonetheless.

Overall, I think Times Alive is a good program, especially for students who are more non-traditional learners who don't do well with typical memorization methods (such a flash cards or timed repetition). The price is comparable to other similar math products, and an especially good value for families who have several children who will benefit from it! If you'd like to see some samples for yourself, be sure to check out the Time Alive YouTube Channel to get a glimpse of some of the videos and songs in the program, and to learn more about City Creek Press and their other products - they offer many other quality math helps for all ages!

Of course, be sure to check out what other reviewers thought by checking out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - TenMarks

TenMarks is an online supplemental math program, for grades 3 - High School. At just $10 a month for each student, it is an affordable way to help your child in areas of math that he or she might need some extra work in.
After enrolling, the student is assigned a designated number of "worksheets" each week. Each worksheet consists of 10 problems based on whatever the concept being taught that week is, and the goal is for the child to get 10 out of 10 correct (hence the name of the program!).

If the child needs help, the program offers video lessons, as well as 3 hints per problem. However, the more hints a child uses, the lower his or her score goes - this helps the child to not rely on the program to do all of the thinking for him or her, but instead, get help when it is needed and figure out as much as they can by themselves. If the child requires too much assistance on a worksheet, or scores too low, they program requires a "do-over" before progressing to the next topic, ensuring that the child is getting a good understanding of the topic being taught.

Once the score for the worksheets is given, the child can go back to the problems they missed and try them again, or walk through the video lessons and hints to get more help figuring out the correct answer.

Parents can set up external rewards to be given once a certain learning requirement is met, and the program also offers the incentive of games that can be played. After a certain number of worksheets are completed, a new game will open up, maintaining motivation for the child to continue working.

The program also generates tests after each concept's worksheets are completed. The tests are timed (30 minutes) and have 20 problems each. After a test is completed, it can be retaken if the score demonstrates that the child is still struggling with that concept.

Both Isaac (age 10, 4th grade) and Eara (age 8, 3rd grade) were my "testers" for TenMarks. We had some mixed feelings about the program, so I deecided to condense my thoughts into a pros and cons list:

Pros:

• The video instruction is great for students who need audio/visual help when learning
  
• The kids love the games - they were very good incentive that kept them asking to do Ten Marks!
  
• Excellent customer service - response time to a question I emailed from the website was just a few hours!
• The curriculum is customizable - subjects to be covered can be arranged in preferred order

Cons:

• No minimum work requirement before games are able to be accessed - I had to set limits. While I monitored the children to make sure they meet my required limits, if left to their own devices, a child could easily play games the whole time instead of do their worksheets.
  
• No time limit set on games - again, if not monitored, a child could spend quite a bit of time just playing games.
  
• While tests happen to be assigned after each album is completed, there is no formal notification of when tests are available, so parents could miss them, or children could skip them.
  
• The program does not give immediate correction while doing the worksheets - the student has to finish entire worksheet to see what they got wrong. I prefer immediate correction so that the problem is still fresh and the misunderstanding doesn't continue in other problems.
• Parental notification was limited - while I received an email everytime new worksheets were generated for each child, I was not notified of their progress, scores or available/taken tests. Logging into the website with my login showed me all of these things, but I found the parental part of the website not as easy to navigate as I would have liked.

To be honest, this program met with mixed reviews at our house. The kids enjoyed it, mostly because of the game incentive. The asked eagerly to do TenMarks everyday! We are a family that does not allow a lot of internet/computer game time, so having the chance to play everyday was a easy trade off for a few math problems. However, because of the various reasons I listed above, I found the program lacking in some areas.

As I always mention when I share a review that is not the most positive, please remember that just because something didn't quite fit with our personal homeschooling goals does not mean it won't work for your family! I encourage you to explore the TenMarks website, watch their videos, and try their free trial, to see what you think for yourself! As always, also be sure to check out what other homeschoolers thought by visiting the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Math Facts Now!

Math Facts Now! is a computer-based flash card program designed to help students with speed and recall and long-term retention of math facts, from addition to division.

Math Facts Now! offers both a CD-ROM that you can order, or a down-loadable program that can be instantly installed on your computer. This review is for the down-loadable program. The download was easy to install and use, and takes up very little memory space (with our ancient computer that can slow down if an ant crawls on the mousepad, that is a big plus!). I had no problems at all with it slowing things down or crashing.

Once installed, the program walks you through adding students and creating lessons for all students or each specific student. When creating lessons, you get to choose which problems you'd like the student to review, how many problems they'll review during each lesson, how much time they have to answer each problem, and how many times they repeat incorrect answers. You can also choose to have a reward announced at the end of a lesson in which they've gotten all of the problems correct. I love this ability to customize! Ezra (8) is just started his multiplication facts, so I was able to create a multiplication lesson that includes only the facts he already knows, and I can edit the lesson and add more facts in as he learns more. Each aspect of the lesson creation was really easy and quick to do!

After you've created lessons for each student, they can get started! I'm going to be totally honest (that is the purpose of a review, afterall)... while I absolutely love Math Facts Now, my boys do not like this program. :-( You know why? It makes them THINK! If a problem is answered incorrectly, or in not enough time, instead of just moving on to another question, the student has to type out the entire problem at least twice - helping them retain the problem! They hate this part, but I love it!! Then, the program incorporates the problems they've struggled on more frequently throughout the lesson so they get more practice at them. It also gives a little hint by showing the warning "Be careful!" when they come to a problem they missed previously.

There are no flashy games, sounds, or entertainment - which I never consider a bad thing, either - they get plenty of "entertainment" everywhere (and that's a whole 'nother blog post!). However, they dutifully do their assignment each day and are no worse for the wear - in fact, I know for sure they are better off for it! In my opinion, it is a good lesson in "sometimes we have to do things we don't think are "fun" in order to grow and learn", something I believe is a very important aspect of growing into a mature adult (again... a blog post for another time!). Depending on how they do, a lesson takes anywhere from 3-10 minutes a day - really no big deal at all.

It is simple for me to gauge their progress by logging in under their name and clicking "View or Print Progress Report". The progress report tells me the overall percentage of problems done correctly, incorrectly, as well as too slowly, and how long they took to complete each lesson. It also tells me which exact problems they've struggled with! I can easily see how they are improving as time goes on! In just a few weeks time, both boys have significantly decreased the number of problems they miss, as well as answer too slowly. The program works!!

I know some homeschoolers balk against formal drilling or flash-card type teaching for math, but I have found it really is the only way to help cement those facts into memory and help them come up again quickly. Math Facts Now! serves just this purpose, and wonderfully so!

At just $15.95 for the download (which can be used for any number of students) or $19.90 for the CD-ROM (that includes shipping), I consider Math Facts Now! a great value, both monetarily as well as educationally. I know we will be using it in our homeschool for years to come! You can give it a free trial run online or by downloading a free sample by going here. Also, be sure to check out what my fellow Crew Members are saying by checking out their reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - ALEKS

ALEKS is a complete online math program for grades 3-12. ALEKS stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces. It is designed to be used independently by the student, and acts as a personalized "tutor" - taking the stress of teaching math off of the homeschooling parent!


Both Isaac (age 9.5, 4th grade) and Ezra (age 8, 3rd grade) used ALEKS as their exclusive math program during the month we had for review. Before starting, both took an assessment which helped personalize their programs to their own skills and weaknesses (super cool, in my opinion!). Their lessons were broken down into two main parts - the "My Pie" page, and "QuickTables".

"My Pie" gives the student the freedom to choose which topics they'd like to cover each day, and also supplies a visual on how far they've come in various areas of math (such as Geometry, Fractions, Algebra, etc). The "pie" is basically a chart with different color wedges, with each wedge representing the different areas that their assessment showed them as ready for.

The student clicks on whatever topic they're interested in, and then given a practice problem to try. If the material is new to them, they simply click on"Explain" to have the concepts for the problem explained and the problem itself walked through step-by-step. Then they can go back and practice similar problems. After a few correct practices, they've "mastered" that particular topic and their piece of that portion of the pie grows to show progress.

The boys loved the visual of watching their pie pieces fill in! They also liked being able to choose their own topics to study each day. The one struggle they both had was that the explanations are only written - there is no audio. Occasionally, they would get stuck on something until I came and read or re-explained the problem to them, and having that auditory assistance helped things "click". So for students that are highly auditory, this might be a drawback to the program. Otherwise, they were generally able to "master" 1-3 topics in a 15-20 minute lesson time span.

The "QuickTables" were their favorite part of the program. ALEKS recommends doing QuickTables about 3 times a week, but I allowed the boys to do them every day. Afterall, if they enjoy it and it is reinforcing good math skills... why not? :-) QuickTables is basically like flashcards, only much more than just flashcards. To start, the student takes an assessment so the program can determine which math facts are mastered and which need work, as well as how fast the student can type. Then they are presented with a color-coded chart that shows their progress.

With math facts that have not been mastered, the student can pick which ones they would like to practice, and after a few practice tries, are given a timed round to see how quickly they can recall the new facts, as well as ones that were previously covered. This method of recall really works wonderfully! Again, the visual nature of the color-coded chart really inspired my children to keep trying to fill in as many squares as they could, by mastering their math facts! After a set time of practice in QuickTables, the student can then play a few games, which are determined by how far along in their QuickTable they are. This time can be set by the parents - I required 10 minutes of QuickTables practice before a game was allowed, and set the time limit of games to 5 minutes. The games themselves are really just another version of quick math-fact recall, but the kids still thought they were a lot of fun! I saw tremendous improvement in both boys' math fact skills in the month that we used QuickTables, which is awesome!

Now, on to my portion of the ALEKS website - the Master Account, which is the parent's account used to monitor the child's attendance and progress, create Quizzes, and set controls such as the time limit I mentioned above in QuickTables. Honestly, I have never come across a parental monitoring website that is SO user-friendly as ALEKS Master Account. I had been nervous about the boys doing math all by themselves, picking whatever topics they wanted to cover, without any input or involvement from me. How would I know what they decided to learn each day? How could I tell if they stayed on task? How were their QuickTables going? The ALEKS Master Account made it incredibly easy for me to find out all of these things and more. Here is a screen shot of the main Master Account page to give you an idea of how uncomplicated it is to navigate:

And here is an example of the student's attendance report generated from the Master Account:

By clicking on each topic, I could see what the boys attempted each day, which topics they actually mastered, and which they needed to work on a little more. Through the Master Account, I was also able to view their Pie chart, their QuickTables, request new assessments, and create and track Quizzes. Creating a quiz was really easy - since ALEKS keeps track of all the topics the child has mastered, a quiz based on what they've learned was easy to generate in just a few clicks. The next time the student logs in, their quiz is ready and waiting for them. The parent can put a time limit on the quiz, and the results of the quiz are emailed to the parent as well as links to the incorrect problems and the student's attempted answers! Even though ALEKS made math very "hands-off" for me, I never once felt like I was unaware of what my children were learning and how well they were doing in their progress. The Master Account made this connectedness very easy!

I know this review has been a bit long-winded, and for that I apologize. However, I felt it was difficult to do a program this comprehensive justice in just a short snippet - I wanted to be sure to give as many details as possible. We all really enjoyed reviewing ALEKS!! If your brain went numb from trying to read everything I've written, to make it a little easier for you, here's a quick 2-minute video tour of ALEKS.

I do have to say, however, that the one downfall for us was expense. Here is the pricing chart:

• $19.95 per student, per month
• $99.95 every 6 months
• $179.95 for one year
• A Family Discount (for multiple children) is available

Since each student needs to have their own account, and there is no "reusable" aspect to this program (as there would be with a more traditional text book or computer based math program - of course, it is difficult to compare ALEKS to a more traditional math program, since ALEKS is very personalized to each individual student.), for a family our size, right now, unfortunately, the cost is prohibitive. My one wish is that access to QuickTables was available to purchase separately, because we really loved that portion especially.

However, the good news for you is that just by reading this review, you can have a FREE one-month trial to give ALEKS a try! Free is always a good place to start, and then you can determine for yourself if ALEKS would be a valuable asset to your homeschooling! Just click on the banner below to get started:

To see what other members of the TOS Homeschool Crew thought of ALEKS, be sure to check out their reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Master Ruler

Master Ruler is a unique ruler that combines several rulers into one, making measuring and learning fractions easier! Created by Master Innovations, the Master Ruler is made up of several see-through layers of rulers, including an inch, half-inch, quarter-inch, eighth-inch and even one that shows sixteenth-inch segments. Students can easily see how measurements can be broken down into specific, tiny parts, and also visualize the concept of fractions and how fractions can be reduced, added, subtracted and used together.

For our review, I received not only the Standard Ruler, but also the Metric Ruler, the Master Ruler Workbook, (which can all be purchased together in the Master Ruler Starter Set), as well as a Marvels of Measurement Poster.

The ruler is fun - even my "littles" (ages 5.5 and 3.5) enjoyed playing with it and measuring the pictures in the workbook. It was a great introduction to measurement for them! My olders enjoyed it as well, and I felt that it challenged them in several ways - for one, they learned that when trying to make accurate and precise measurements down to the tiniest fraction, lining things up and counting correctly is very important! They were also challenged by the pages in the workbook that deal directly with converting and reducing fractions, as well as visualizing equalities. We haven't formally covered fractions yet in our normal math program, and I feel that having the Master Ruler around not only offered a good introduction, but also will be helpful when the time comes and something both visual and hands-on is needed. It also proves that, yes! You will need to use these things "in real life"! ;-)

While the ruler by itself is an excellent tool, I feel to really get a good idea of how useful it is, the workbook is also necessary. Thankfully, while the workbook is consumable, there is permission to photocopy pages for your own family's use, which makes it more economical for families with several children, especially if they are at different levels of learning.


The Marvels of Measurement Poster that we received is not essential to using the Ruler, but I love it anyway! Both myself and one of my children often have trouble remembering conversions, especially cooking ones, and this poster makes it easy to see and understand how various measurements can be broken down (ie. gallons into pints, pounds to ounces, etc). This will be hanging on our wall where we can all see it!


Priced at only $9.95 for the Standard Ruler, and $15.95 for the Workbook, I find the Master Ruler to be a great value monetarily as well as educationally!

Also be sure to check out other creative products by Master Innovations (inlcuding Master Clock, Master Fractions, and Master Angles), and see what other Crew Members thought of these various products by checking out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Pyramath

Pyramath is a card game created to help enforce basic math skills (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication). It can be used with just one skill, or all four, depending on the levels of the players. It was created by BrainyAttic, who also offer several other educational card games (Fractazmic - for learning fractions and measurements, PrimeBomb - for learning prime numbers, factors and multiplication skills, and I See Cards - for language and reading skills).

I was really excited when these cards arrived in the mail! Michael and I played a game before we let the cards loose with the kids. I'll admit, the instructions are easy, but playing is challenging! We definitely had to use our brains - but it was fun! By the end of the game I could tell that it was getting easier to "think" math - which is why its such a great game! I felt it was an excellent drill and reinforcement for the basic math facts.

I let Isaac (9) and Ezra (8) play, but only using addition and subtraction facts, since Ezra is only beginning multiplication. When Isaac plays with Michael or I, we include multiplication facts, as well. The kids love this game! (Shhhhh... I'm not really sure they think it's "math"!) They'll play a quick game at the table while eating breakfast, play a few rounds after dinner, and then some in between, too. It is amazing to me to think that they love it so much, and at the same time it is reinforcing and strengthening their mental math. Awesome!!

The boys playing a round

Isaac surveying his options

Ezra being goofy, as always

I was even able to modify it for Joel (5.5) - I'll give him 8-10 cards, and have him put them in numerical order from least to greatest, or vice versa. With Nathan (3.5), I am using them to help his number recognition skills. I love that the whole family can enjoy and benefit from such a simple and inexpensive card game!

There is also free online version of the game, and it, too, is a alot of fun! It is timed, which makes it a tad more challenging that the physical card game, but that only forces you to think even faster! I've mentioned before how competition is a big motivator in our family, so between Michael, Isaac, Ezra, and me... there's definitely some motivation happening ;-) We don't use the online version too often, though, simply because we limit computer usage. So we're very happy to have the physical cards to play with!

For only $6.95 for a deck of cards, I'd say Pyramath is definitely worth the price! It was fun and educational, just as it promises! Try them for yourself and I think you'll agree :-D

Be sure to check out other reviews for Pyramath at TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - America's Math Teacher (Math Essentials)

America's Math Teacher is an online version of the curriculum offered by Math Essentials. It is meant to be used as a supplement to a full math curriculum, or as extra help for a struggling student - it is not a full curriculum within itself.



We had a bit of trouble doing this review, since my oldest child (Isaac, 9.5) is on the younger side of who this program is designed for. This program is meant to be used by children in late elementary-level math all the way through algebra-level math. The "Basic Math" section covers multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division - which we have covered in our current math curriculum, and then moves on into fractions, decimals, ratios, probability etc., which we have not covered yet. Since America's Math Teacher is meant to be a supplement, not a lot of time is spent explaining each and every process of a problem, so we couldn't use it past what we've covered ourselves.

That being said, what we could use, we liked. The lessons offered a good chance to review skills, and were very straight forward and easy to follow. We would watch a video, and Isaac would do the lesson on paper as we watched. We could pause and discuss any questions he had or if he had come up with a different solution than the video. Then Isaac would do a worksheet that corresponded with the lesson, which are available to print from the website. Each lesson took 10-15 minutes to watch and complete the worksheet, although, it would probably take longer if the student was really struggling and you needed to go over concepts more.

There are several parts to the website:

• the Learning Center, which is where the lesson videos are found,
  
• the Evaluation Center, where quizzes and tests are located - including an initial Evaluation Test that is recommended to help find what level your student would be, and
  
• the Resource Center, where the printable worksheets are found, as well as a lesson list, answer keys, and one more thing we enjoyed - the Speed Drill feature.

The Speed Drill is a simple, timed exercise for the student to answer drills. You can choose either addition, subtraction, or multiplication, and hit "Start" and get your fingers ready! Now, my children are perhaps weird (or maybe typical boys?) and really enjoy competition, especially if its timed. So both of my older boys were able to use the Speed Drills to help their addition skills, and to keep it fun and interesting, they competed against eachother to see who could get the best time. Its always a plus for me when something that could be boring (such as math drills), is made in a way so that my children are eager to do it and do their best at it!

The price for AMT is $195/year, and the program can be accessed from any online computer, and can be used with several students. That averages out to less than $17/month for one child, less if you have more using the program. If you are concerned about your math curriculum perhaps having "gaps", or if your child is struggling with mastering certain math topics, or math in general, I'd suggest giving America's Math Teacher a look to see if it will fit your needs! To really give it a feel, check out their selection of free videos and worksheets!

Be sure to check out what other reviewers thought of America's Math Teacher by visiting the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

An Update

Its been a while since I've been posting or even visiting many blogs. My resolve to stay off the computer more has been blessed as I went to the Lord for His assistance (isn't it amazing how much we try to do in our own strength, but only when we realize how utterly hopeless and weak we are and turn to Him do we actually achieve victory?!) I have found my days more full than ever, especially with the onset of spring and the desire to be OUTSIDE!! :-) So please forgive me for not being as "social" as usual.

I did want to stop in and give a general update on things, for those who are interested!

• Joel is chugging along with learning how to read! That boy was READY. He's on lesson 20 of "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and loves it! He begs me to do several lessons a day, and I usually oblige. When it comes to learning how to read, I'm all about allowing the child to go at their own pace - fast or slow - because I know its what works best. He's also working on Math-U-See's Primer, which he really enjoys, as well.
  

• Judah started taking his first steps last weekend, and while no actual walking has ensued, he loves the attention it gets him and is always happy to show off his new skills for some applause! He's also trying to talk up a storm - he's always chattering away, and sometimes there's actual words we can understand!

• I fell off the running wagon for about 2 and a half weeks because of a rough chest cold I had gotten. This week I've started back up again, and also decided to alternate days with the "30-Day Shred". I think I need to be building more muscle. This morning I had sleep envy as I looked at how comfy Michael looked, sound asleep, in our dark, cool room, while the glaring red numbers of my clock showed 5:05 am. But overall I really do prefer getting up early and having the time I need to exercise and be in the Word before my busy day begins.

• We've been using Core P3/4 and P4/5 (the preschool Cores) from Sonlight with Joel and Nathan for a few weeks now, and I looooovvvveee them. The boys do, too! They always want MORE, even after we've sat on the couch reading for 45 minutes. 45 minutes! For a 3 and 5 year old?! Yes, the stories are that good. Even the older boys rush to finish their independent work so they can sit on the arms of the couch to listen in. I've also been reading through the books we'll be using once the older boys start Core 3 at the end of the summer, and I have alot of confidence we'll be loving it, as well.

• Speaking of homeschooling, we're just about to wrap up another year! We'll be done with all of our LA and Math by June, and our Geography (My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures) will take a little longer. Its been a fun year, but we took too many "little" breaks here and there and now I'm feeling like its dragged out a bit too long. But that might just be spring fever talking ;-)

I think that's about all the news that's fit to print here at the Robinson Household! I hope everyone is having a blessed Springtime!

Why We *Heart* Math-U-See

We've used Math-U-See for our math curriculum since the beginning of our official homeschooling years (3 years ago, now). We requested the free demo DVD from their website - I believe now instead of getting a DVD, you can watch it directly on their site. When it arrived, Michael and I sat down and watched it together, and by the end, Michael said "Wow, I might have actually been good at math if it had been explained to me that way. Let's use it!"

Admittedly, there was a period of a few months when I was tempted by the color of the grass elsewhere, and tried something different. Those few months of math were filled with frustration, tears, and discouragement, on both the part of the student and the teacher. It was a very short-lived jaunt to the other side of the fence, and one that won't be repeated!

Needless to say, we are Math-U-See fans through and through! As I was going over math with the boys today, I thought I'd go ahead and expound a little on why we like Math-U-See so much.

• The most obvious reason - it works. The boys get math. They are challenged, but are learning, retaining, and mastering.

• The older boys (9 and 7) are already able to do their math independently. Of course, I check their work and meet with them over any difficulties they might be having, but overall, they watch their video, do their lessons, and it doesn't take up alot of my direct time and energy. Always a plus in a large family homeschool!

• We're able to schedule the lessons however works best for us. Usually the boys do a lesson a week, watching the video on Monday and taking the lesson exam on Thursday. If they've had some struggle with a concept, we can stretch it out as long as we need to until they really grasp it.
  

• The littles can be entertained with the blocks, too! Are they toys? Are they school materials? The blurrier that line is, the better, sometimes!

• Mr. Demme is the father to 4 boys. I feel like he knows what our days are like, lol!

• The super-duper handy resources available on their website. We frequently use their online drill site as well as their worksheet generator. The drill site is great for making sure they have the basics down, and the worksheet generator is perfect for when they need just a touch more practice before moving on to their next lesson - and they're both so easy to use! There are other resources, too, but I haven't used them yet.
  

• The boys love the videos, and think Mr. Demme is really funny. We'll hear about his jokes at the dinner table. Even Michael (king of all corny jokes, besides my dad) tells the "Unique Rabbit" joke frequently, or at least his numerous variations of it.

• I only recently stumbled across Steve's ministry blog, "The Family That Stays Together..." but after reading it and listening to and watching his messages, I am thankful all the more that we support his company. Hearing his personal testimonies about raising up sons in the Lord is so encouraging! His wisdom definitely extends beyond just the math realm.

(Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this glowing review... in fact, Math-U-See doesn't even know about it! ;-) The only true reward I can claim is children who enjoy math, and that's a pretty good one, if you ask me!)

Organization, How I Love Thee

Its so much fun getting organized and finding "a place for everything and everything in its place". Especially when I don't have to put much brain power into it! Let me back up a little to share a fun story. Fun for me, anyway... maybe fun for you, too, if you like stories about organizing. ;-)

We use Math-U-See for the boys' math curriculum. We love it! But there's always been an issue of how to store their manipulative blocks. Now, Math-U-See does offer a beautifully segmented wooden block holder just for this purpose... but its a little...well, pricey for me. So this is how we have been storing our blocks up until today:

Contained well, but perhaps not very aesthetically organized, as well as causing alot of digging around and dumping of blocks when they are in use.

But then, this blog post changed all of that. Do you see the beautiful compartments? Do you see how delightfully portable it is? The little labels, marking a spot for everything? And everything in its place? I was instantly in love!

So I went online to The Container Store and found the fun little box. This is where it gets even better! There is a Container Store in downtown Atlanta, about 25 miles from me. However, I am a little intimidated to go, for several reasons. One, I might be tempted beyond what I could bear if I actually dared to go into that store. Really. My husband actually came close to forbidding me to go. I like containers, um... a little. Two, trying to drive downtown with all of the boys and find my way there was a very scary thought for me. I stick to happy suburban roads and try to avoid city life as much as possible.

However, my wonderfully sweet friend Callie said she'd be more than happy to go for me to pick up the box, as she lives a bit closer, is more comfortable with city traffic, and has no little ones to have to worry about.

Then, I noticed that The Container Store has this cool option on their website, called "Click and Pick Up". I was able to order the box, pay for it online, and they had it set aside waiting for Callie when she got there. Wow! It was so easy it was unbelievable! She then gave me the box when I saw her at church, and now....

Do you see the beautiful compartments? Do you see how delightfully portable it is? The little labels, marking a spot for everything? And everything in its place? I AM in love!

Thank you so much to Callie and the wonderful blogger from Satori Smiles for the help and inspiration! Even if nothing else in my upcoming school room is organized, I can be happy because at least our math blocks are! :-D Every little bit counts, right?

Homeschool Ramblings

I thought I'd go ahead and update how our new year is going along! Ezra is using My Father's World 1st Grade, and we are really loving it. Isaac is weeks away from finishing Adventures, and then, for him, we're not going to jump straight into the next program (which would be Exploring Countries and Cultures (ECC), a year long focus on World Geography and Missions). Instead, I'm going to go back to a more eclectic style, until Ezra is done with 1st. Once Ezra is done with 1st (probably around January, or so) we are excited to start ECC!

For Isaac, some things we'll be using are 3rd grade Rod & Staff Reading (I really love how Bible centered Rod and Staff curriculum is!), Apologia Elementary Science (finishing the Astronomy we started last year), continue math with Math-U-See Beta and Spanish with Rosetta Stone, and also introduce some logic and typing skills! We'll also be getting some United States geography games to help hone everyone's skills in remembering states and capitals. While I'm looking forward to moving into ECC, I'm also excited to have a little time to do our "own" thing outside of the curriculum "box".

This was something I wrestled with for a while. I really enjoy My Father's World curriculum - I like how its entirely focused on learning about and serving the Lord, helping children and families become mission-minded. The lessons are wonderfully age-appropriate, short for young attention spans, the activities are fun but not overwhelming to prepare for, and overall, very enriching.

However, being the perfectionist I am, I really struggled with "marking off the boxes" - feeling pressured to get it "all" done, and if I somehow got thrown off schedule, trying to fit everything back in - while the daily schedule is a wonderful guide, my perfectionism has struggled with it and feeling like I have to do it all "just so". I also struggled with juggling two programs (first, Kindergarten and Adventures, now 1st and Adventures) for the same reasons - I didn't want to leave ANY of the wonderful learning opportunities out, which leads to a very full (and sometimes overwhelming) day!

I definitely feel this is an aspect of my personality that I need to tone down some in order to be a better homeschooling mom! So I freely admit its *me* and not the curriculum itself. That being said, I am both excited for some time "out of the box" and also looking forward to returning to that structure when both children can be in the same program together!