Molly's Money-Saving Digest Nov. 2009 (Review)

I was given the chance to review another one of Molly's Money-Saving Digests, and I jumped on it! I love her frugal advice. The upcoming November issue is all about family photography, so get out your cameras!

I love to take pictures of my daughter. She has inspired me to learn more about photography and for a little while, I had dreams of doing that for a living. Of course, homeschooling has taken precedence for now, but I still enjoy learning new tricks of the trade! I need all the help I can get, especially when it comes to what to *do* with all these digital photos I have on my computer!! If you enjoy taking pictures of your family, but need some inspiration that won't break the bank, this issue is for you.

If you enjoy scrapbooking, you will appreciate the article on the subject that shows you how to save money while preserving precious memories. I have dabbled in making scrapbooks and have even made a few digital pages, but all too often, I leave all those great pictures on the computer without even developing them! This article will not only give you pointers on making scrapbooks, but it will also help you to get organized and start printing out all those great shots you got of your daughter's first soccer game (oops...sorry - I was talking to myself there, lol!).

Since I have not printed many of my digital pictures, I have not added any new framed pictures to our walls in quite a while. But, now that I have read the article by Aubrey Lively, entitled "A Room with a View", I have been officially motivated! She gives instructions for a very creative project that involves one of those room divider frames and a poster-sized print. You'll have to get Molly's Digest to find out what happened when she put those two things together! :)

There are some wonderful tips on how to take better pictures of your family in the article by Becky Emerick. She will help you figure out the "who, what, when, where, why, and how of taking pictures of your own kids". Above all, she advises you to get out there & practice! Make sure to take your camera with you wherever you go (I need to heed that advice!) and take pictures that truly show the personalities of your children (through what they're wearing and the activity in which they are participating). I am going to be referencing this article a lot during the upcoming holiday season.

As always, Molly leaves you with plenty of links to follow so you can continue learning about how to take better pictures, store them more efficiently, and print them out without spending a chunck of money. Included in this issue are articles on couponing, remembering to keep the joy in the joyful season ahead, and turning something old into something new. You will also find several recipes that will keep your slow-cooker running full-force this Fall! Please stop by The Old Schoolhouse Store to get your copy of Molly's Money-Saving Digest for just $4.95.

Dreams and Designs E-Book Now Available!

I told you about this wonderful e-book in this post, but I wanted you to be aware that the title of the book has changed. The new title is "Dreams and Designs: Homemade Supplies to Compliment Your Homeschool" by Donna Campos. It is now available at The Old Schoolhouse store. Just click on this link to find the e-book for only $12.45!

Big Dreams Creative Designs E-Book (Review)

I have had the chance to review another e-book for The Old Schoolhouse magazine. It is called, "Big Dreams Creative Designs" and it is written by Donna Campos. This new e-book offers many ideas for creative learning opportunities, even if you're on a tight budget.

In this 54-page e-book, Donna shares with you some of the ways she's used inexpensive items to transform her homeschool. The first section of the book gives you several ways to use something as simple as a three-sided science fair display board! From just this one item, you can make an adaptable calendar, a puppet theater, a scrolling story board, personal partitions (for those of you who are homeschooling more than one child), and activity center partitions! Donna doesn't just show you how to make each of those things, she also shows you how each one can be used in different ways with pictures and detailed directions.

The next section of the "Big Dreams Creative Designs" e-book deals with organization - specifically, how to keep your school supplies/books/posters/etc. organized for daily use. Donna converted an old computer desk into a multi-use educational center that can be wheeled around in your house so you can take your "school" with you! I love this idea and would love to incorporate it into my home at some point. If you don't have room for such a large piece, Donna tells you how to recycle items you might not have thought about using for school storage.

After reading this book, I started to think about organizing my own school area. This afternoon, I did some rearranging with great results. I found an old crate that had been in the garage for quite some time that I dusted off and am now using as a shelf to hold my daughter's collection of coloring books on her desk. Her desk had been quite cluttered with all of her art supplies, so I found creative ways to store those as well. This e-book was just the nudge I needed to get myself in gear!

If you buy this wonderful e-book, you will also learn how to use file folders to create timelines that don't take up a whole wall and index cards to design a variety of activities for use in your homeschool. Donna Campos is very creative and invites you to think outside the box (literally!), while providing you plenty of help and direction along the way. This new e-book will be available very soon at The Old Schoolhouse store. I will post again when it has been released!

Molly's Money-Saving Digest July 2009 (Review)

Though I am no longer part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am so thankful that my friends at The Old Schoolhouse magazine have decided to keep me on the list to review some of their e-books. I recently received an early copy of Molly's Money-Saving Digest for July so that I could look it over and let you know my thoughts! This resource can be used by everyone, not just homeschool moms, so read on if you're interested in ways to save yourself and your family some money!

The July issue of Molly's Money-Saving Digest is all about Frugal Fashion. Every article relates to ways that you can save money on clothing for your family. As you know, I have sewed a few dresses for Ella, but it has been difficult to make myself get back into the sewing room lately. The articles I read on sewing for your family have encouraged me to get back to it. These days, it is harder to save money by sewing because the cost of fabric (plus thread, buttons, etc.) is so high, but my favorite article ("A Mama Who Sews" by Aubrey Lively) in this issue reminded me to look at the savings in a different light. I need to see how I'm saving special memories for my daughter by creating items that are made specifically for her. I need to remember the look of pure delight on her face when I was finally finished with the dress I made her last summer. These are precious moments that cannot be bought with a cheap shirt from Wal-Mart. Here's the pic of Ella in that dress and a link to the post I wrote about it: Feelin' Crafty



Molly's Digest for July has a great article from Jennifer Schmidt, entitled "Looking Your Best - For Less!". She gives you wonderful tips for hitting the thrift stores to find fashionable clothing for yourself. I, for one, need to take these tips and run with them! My wardrobe could use some touching up since most of my clothes are comfy t-shirts and capri pants to be worn around the house and running errands. I would love to add a little pizazz, but don't really need to spend the money right now. I know a lot of you can relate! Jennifer actually shows you some of the complete outfits (with accessories) she has put together for only $10-$15, simply by shopping thrift, consignment and yard sales. Not only did I love her article, but I also love her blog (I got the link from Molly's Digest...you can, too!).

This issue of Molly's Money-Saving Digest also includes articles about how to save for the future, how to donate to charity and help friends when money is tight, how to show hospitality without blowing the budget, along with simple ways to help your children learn how to become more frugal themselves (hint, you have to show them by example!). I really enjoyed reading through my first Molly's Digest. You'll soon be able to find the July issue (and a new issue each month, plus archives) at The Old Schoolhouse store for only $4.95! You can also find some wonderful advice, freebies, coupons, and tips on Molly's blog, Econobusters.

Memoria Press - New American Cursive & Copy Books (Review)

Memoria Press was kind enough to send me not only their New American Cursive book, but also Copy Books I, II, & III for review! Since my daughter is not quite ready to learn Latin, these books will serve us quite nicely as we work on writing in English for now.

Founded by Cheryl Lowe in 1994, Memoria Press is a family-run company where the goal is "to help promote and transmit the classical heritage of the Christian West through an emphasis on the liberal arts and the great works of the Western tradition." The company produces classical materials for use in home and private schools. They offer a full Latin curriculum as well as studies in French, Logic & Rhetoric, Famous Men throughout history, and the Bible.

Ella has shown some interest in writing in cursive, so I decided to start working in the New American Cursive (NAC) book right away. Her print is actually pretty good for her age, but she still mixes up the problem letters (b, d, p, q) and I have heard that learning cursive can help with those issues. The NAC book seems perfectly geared toward children of Ella's age/grade level, but can be used for first grade and up. A cute little character named Mr. Meerkat "teaches" your child the correct way to write each letter. The book begins with Mr. Meerkat illustrating the way to hold a pencil, position the paper, and how to form the basic lines used in cursive writing. Ella was a bit unsure at first about this new book, but Mr. Meerkat quickly put her mind at ease (especially with his British accent - added by me, lol!). We got right to the lesson for letter "A" and she worked through the exercise with ease. At the end of the lesson, Mr. Meerkat showed her how he "exercises" on the letter (reinforcing the lines taught in the lesson). She seemed to really enjoy learning how to write a few letters in cursive and we will continue working on this book as she is interested! Here are a few pictures:




The Copy Book Set will be great for practicing Ella's manuscript skills. This set of books teaches "penmanship, basic grammar, spelling, literature, accuracy, attention to detail, and memory--all through the simple skill of copying." I really love the idea of copywork and will incorporate this into our homeschool during the coming year. The great thing about this set is that each book includes 35 or more passages of Scripture and poetry for grades K-2, which increase in difficulty over the three years. One thing I'll mention is that the Scripture passages come from the King James Bible. That may or may not be an issue for you, so just take note! Though we use the NASB for Scripture memory, I see the value in learning the poetic language used in the KJB. The Copy Books each include the memory passages, copywork practice and drawing pages.

Memoria Press is a great resource for homeschoolers, especially for those using the classical method. Even if you are not interested in the classical approach, you need to take a look at all of the books offered from this company to see if there is something for you. The quality of their books is superb, and you can't beat their customer service!

The New American Cursive book is available for $22.95. You can find samples of the book HERE. The Copybook Set is $39.95, or you can order the individual Copy Books for $14.95 each. Once your child has learned to write in cursive, there is a Cursive Copy Book also available for $14.95. You can find samples of these books HERE.

As always, please stop by the TOS Crew blog to find out how they felt about these and other products from Memoria Press, by clicking HERE!

**Just a note...this was my last review as part of the TOS Crew. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Crew and am very grateful for the items I received for review! A new Crew has been enlisted and they will continue to post reviews on the TOS Crew blog. If you have not yet, please bookmark that site so that you can continue to receive reviews from real homeschoolers about the latest and greatest products on the homeschool market! Here is the blog link again: TOS Homeschool Crew. Thanks for sticking with me even if you're not homeschooling and I will now return to my "regularly" scheduled (well...you know that's not true!) blogging! ;)**

Tapestry of Grace (Review)

Tapestry of Grace is a homeschool curriculum, printed by Lampstand Press. Since I am new to homeschooling, I had not heard much about this curriculum prior to receiving it for review. I now know that Tapestry of Grace (TOG) has been used and loved by many homeschoolers!

TOG uses the classical approach to Christian education. It is a unit-based curriculum that is centered around the study of world history. History is studied in chronological order and is set on a 4-year cycle, meaning that you will go through the entire program 3 times during your child's 12 years in school. The foundations are set out for the younger children and built upon with each cycle. It is written for children of all levels, so that a large family can use it with the same success as a smaller family. The units are broken down by level (using the classical labels of lower/upper grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric) so that you, as the teacher, can easily find activities for each child. All of the humanities (history, church history, literature, geography, fine arts, government, philosophy, and writing & composition) are covered through TOG, which leaves out phonics, science, math, grammar, spelling, and foreign language.

I received the new digital edition of the first unit of Year 1. Each unit is comprised of 9 week-long lessons that can be taken at your own pace. There are 4 units in each year's plans. The year-plans are as follows:

• Year 1: The History of Redemption (From Creation to the Fall of Rome)
• Year 2: Between the Ancient & Modern (From Byzantium to the US Constitution)
• Year 3: The 19th Century (From the Turn of the Century to 1889)
• Year 4: The 20th Century (From Dawn of the 20th Century until Now)

I chose to spread the first 2 weeks' worth of lessons over the period of 3 weeks. I was a bit overwhelmed at the sheer volume of information contained in each lesson. But, as I delved into it and gave myself some time to read through everything before getting started, I felt much more comfortable. I LOVE unit studies, so I may be a tad biased on that end. The great thing about this curriculum is that literally everything is provided for you. It takes the work out of preparing unit studies. The Loom on the TOG website contains links to even more activities, links, and hands-on projects.

I do want to say that if you are just teaching younger children, the vast amount of information provided to you may be a hindrance. I found myself having to wade through all of the plans to find the few items that pertained to my daughter. So, instead of spending my time gathering resources for my unit (which I actually enjoy doing), I spent a lot of time stripping the units down for my daughter. I realize that the curriculum is primarily used by larger families and it is a great asset for them to have everything contained in one place. I just want you to know that this was a bit of a disadvantage for someone like me, with just one child.

Another facet of the program that I am not completely sold on is the classical approach. I have to say again that I am still new to homeschooling. I have not had the time yet to try out each method to find out which one works best for us. I have done a little bit of reading on this approach and I would like to find out more, but right now, it just doesn't feel like our style! Of course, my daughter is also very young and we are really not even getting into history to the depth that TOG reaches. What I do know about Ella so far is that at this point, she learns best through stories. She does not like to be read dry facts. In each of the first 2 weeks, there was only one story book to read that went along with the lesson. I did some more digging and found a few more books to add to our lessons. I rarely used the core and in-depth history books that were recommended. We wound up mostly reading stories, doing the hands-on projects, and finding some fun things through The Loom that really brought the history home for Ella. In my opinion, I would not be able to get my money's worth from the curriculum at this time. That is not to say that others could not find much more value in it, especially when homeschooling children of various ages. (I want to note that all of the extra books that are used alongside the curriculum will either need to be purchased separately or checked out at your local library, which may not have every title you need.)

As you can see, my opinion about TOG varies based on your approach to homeschooling, how many children you are working with, and how much money you are able to spend on a core curriculum (that leaves out several crucial subjects). I see definite advantages to using this program for a wide range of ages because I think it will ultimately save you time and money. I also see advantages for those of you who have incorporated the classical style into your teaching methods. This is why I am having a difficult time giving it a whole-hearted recommendation. On this particular product, I strongly urge you to read all of the reviews written by the TOS Crew, posted HERE. You will get a wide variety of opinions so that you can make an informed decision before investing your money into something you may or may not love in the long run.

The cost of the Tapestry of Grace curriculum varies according to the resources you decide to incorporate (like the core history books I mentioned earlier). I did receive the Year 1 Unit 1 Lapbook to review and found it to be a nice addition to the curriculum. If you use lapbooks, you will like the clean graphics and the way the lapbook is presented. The pricing on the extras can be a little bit confusing, so I am going to direct you to the TOG website. You really need to spend some time there with pencil & paper to figure out the best deal for you and your family (look at the bundles for bargains). The website is also rich with samples from each year-plan. I highly recommend doing some extensive reading there! The Community will be especially helpful!

The basic curriculum for Tapestry of Grace Year 1 is $170 for the Digital Edition versus $225 for the printed version. You can also add $100 to the price of the digital version to receive a printed copy as well. If you are looking for a history-centered core curriculum that is based on solid biblical principles and follows the Classical approach, this may be the curriculum for you!

WriteShop Primary Book A (Review)

As a big fan of the WriteShop StoryBuilders I was able to review earlier in the year, I was so excited to hear that I was going to review another one of WriteShop's products! I was sent the print edition of WriteShop Primary Book A, a part of the WriteShop's new series for younger students.

As a new homeschooling mom with a kindergartener, I hadn't even really considered broaching the subject of writing yet. We have used the StoryBuilders here and there, but we have done nothing formal in the way of writing. I thought that I would wait until Ella was a more fluent reader before I started the process. The WriteShop Primary book has given me the ability to teach writing now instead of waiting!

WriteShop Primary Book A has simple lesson plans to follow and a relaxed schedule so that you can go at your child's pace. Each lesson begins with Guided Writing Practice sessions that contain prompts you give to your student. You are to spend 5-10 minutes on this activity. You can sit next to your child and write on a tablet or use an easel with chart paper. This helps your child begin the creative process of thinking about a story before putting it on paper. This is a great way to teach brainstorming! If your child is young and unable to write or spell (like Ella), she can dictate the story for you to write down. The picture below is the result of our first WriteShop lesson. You can see that we used a white board with colorful markers to spark Ella's interest. I've included a few other pictures of Ella's writing samples throughout this review.


After your Guided Writing Practice has been written down, you read through it several times with your child. I read it 2-3 times out loud to Ella, then she was able to repeat it back to me by "reading" it herself. What I love about this part of the lesson is that it not only engages her in what she has written, it also helps to encourage her reading! Ella begs me to do this book with her! She loves making up stories and WriteShop has helped her to find a focus in her writing. As a result of using this book, she wants to write every day!


As your child progresses through the book, she will be introduced to more writing concepts, such as sentence structure, grammar, different brainstorming methods, and how to edit, revise, & publish her work. There are also ideas for writing across the curriculum. I highly recommend the WriteShop Primary Activity Set Worksheet Pack for Book A that you can purchase separately. The worksheets are intended to reinforce the skills learned in the WriteShop Primary book. I am impressed by the quality of these worksheets! The graphics are very cute and the activities are a fun way to extend your child's writing skills.


WriteShop Primary Book A is for grades K-3, but I believe you could also use it with older elementary-aged children who are struggling with writing. The print version of the book can be purchased for $26.95, plus $5.00 for shipping. You can save $7.00 by getting the e-book version for $24.95 and skipping out on the shipping! The Activity Set Worksheet Pack is $4.95 for the print version or $4.50 for the e-book version (both versions are reproducible).


Please go on over to the TOS Crew blog to check out the other reviews of this fabulous product by clicking HERE!

Apologia Science (Review)

I am excited to tell you about the science books offered from Apologia. I received Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day by Jeannie K. Fulbright. Here is a blurb from Apologia's website about their curriculum:

Apologia provides fun and challenging K-12 creation-based science curriculum specifically designed for the home school. Written by a former university professor and homeschool parent, our courses provide college-preparatory science in a way that is both clear and challenging. Our texts are readable, easy to understand, and full of engaging experiments that can be performed at home. We even provide a FREE help line to answer any questions or problems you may encounter and a money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied.

The textbooks from Apologia are completely different from any I've ever seen. I have to admit that I am not a textbook teacher. When I taught in the public school system, I worked with students who had learning disabilities and we never even cracked open a formal textbook when they were with me. I moved on to a private school and taught 2nd grade, where we mostly concentrated on unit studies to cover science and social studies. I now almost bristle at the thought of using a textbook, but Apologia has changed my opinion (at least about their textbooks!).

Ms. Fulbright has done an outstanding job of writing the elementary science books in a conversational style, fully engaging the reader in the subject matter. The pictures in the book are incredible, giving you a full-color, close-up view of tons of flying creatures. The Zoology 1 book covers everything from birds & bats to dinosaurs & insects!! Interspersed in each lesson are wonderful projects, experiments, notebooking activities, and opportunities for narration (where the student is asked to retell the information she just studied). Most homeschoolers will recognize these methods from the Charlotte Mason approach to teaching children.

The elementary books take the immersion approach to learning science. This means that the child will focus on one subject each year so that she can more easily retain the information she has learned. Being immersed in one field of science helps your child develop a love for the subject being studied and helps him think more critically about his environment.

A list of all of the items needed for each lesson is included in the introduction of the Zoology book. Most of these items are common household items that are readily available, which is a big plus because you won't be spending a lot of extra money on supplies! There are book extras on the Apologia website that can be accessed using a password found in the textbook. The resources found here are amazing! There are notebook pages and flash cards you can print out to use as you go along. So many links are included for each chapter that will help you expand each topic even more!

The most wonderful component of Apologia curriculum is its biblical foundation. Each textbook is written from a Christian perspective - such a rare find in the science field! Scripture is woven seamlessly throughout the lessons and your student is constantly reminded of God's artistry in creating each and every creature.

The elementary books are geared towards grades K-6. I would have to say that most of the material covered (at least in the Zoology 1 book) is a bit above the Kindergarten (and possibly 1st grade) level. After reading over the book, I decided not to use it with Ella for now. She is still a bit leery of me reading books that don't sound like stories to her, so I'm going to wait until she can fully enjoy what she's hearing. As I've read through the other TOS Crew reviews, I've found that older elementary students love to read the science books on their own! I don't know of any other textbooks that appeal to children that way! I can't wait until Ella can read on her own and discover the treasures awaiting her in these science books.

Apologia's elementary science books are extremely affordable! Each book is only $35.00 (which includes the resources on the website). Apologia also offers curriculum for the upper grades as well as CD-ROMs, audio CDs, and lab equipment. Please go over to the Apologia website to check out samples of each book!

Don't forget to check the TOS Crew blog to find reviews from other members of the Crew by clicking HERE!

Schleich Toys (Review)

I was not familiar with the figurines from Schleich until I received a few of their animals to review. This company has been around since 1935, with the first figurines being produced in the 1950's. Schleich now offers over 500 toys & accessories. At Schleich, you can find an eclectic mix of realistic figurines, including farm animals, wild life, forest animals, sea animals, dinosaurs, elves, knights, and historically accurate figures from the American Frontier...just to name a few!

At our house, we were so happy to open our box from Schleich to find that we had received the following animals:

Swabian-Hall Boar


Duck


Haflinger Horse


Bald Eagle


African Elephant (Male)


White Tiger Cub


Aren't they incredible? The detail on each animal is amazing. All of the figurines from Schleich are hand painted! These models are very sturdy - though the tiger is small, you don't feel like the tail will tear off, for example. Ella has thoroughly enjoyed playing with all of these animals, but she is especially fond of the horse, whom she named "Thumper". We found several Schleich figurines at Target recently and just had to buy the Frisian Foal to add to Ella's growing collection of horses. Her horse obsession is going to cost me, I can tell! But, thankfully, most of the Schleich toys are very affordable! :) (By the way, it looks like many of the figures offered at Target are on sale right now!)

I strongly encourage you to visit the online catalog for Schleich, found HERE! You will most likely need a few hours to look over all of their wonderful products! :) These toys are sure to stir the imaginations of your children and inspire them to create many new worlds in which to play!

As always, please be sure to check out all the other reviews from the TOS Crew - HERE!

One2Believe - Noah's Ark

You may remember that I reviewed a Nativity set from One2Believe back in November. Since we loved that set so much, I was thrilled to find out that we would also receive the Noah's Ark set from the same company! Like the Nativity set, this set is also from the Tales of Glory series of figurines from One2Believe.


Ella loves to use figurines and dolls in imaginative play. I will often hear the sound of all sorts of "voices" coming from her room as she creates her own little make-believe world. She was so excited to add the characters of Noah's Ark to her collection! As each animal came out of the box, she "oohed" and "ahhed", but the ark was truly the most celebrated item! It is HUGE and it actually opens up so that you can store your animals inside! There is even a ramp so that the animals can "walk" up to the ark. Once Ella added this group of animals to the others from the Nativity set, she had a whole parade lined up in the living room. :) We haven't tried it out in the bath yet, but I have heard that the ark actually floats. That is an added bonus!

As I said about the Nativity set, these figurines are so durable and well-made, I know they will last a very long time in our house. I have been so impressed with One2Believe and will continue to shop with them for quality, Bible-based toys.

The Noah's Ark set includes 14 animals (7 sets of 2), Noah, the ark, and a ramp. You can find it at the One2Believe website for $29.99.

Please remember to check out the other TOS Crew reviews for this product by clicking HERE!

SpellQuizzer

SpellQuizzer is a unique way for your child to practice their spelling words. This spelling software is easy to use and makes spelling fun!

When you buy this spelling program, all you have to do is download and install it. The program basically walks you through the simple process of adding your child's spelling list. You click a button to create a new list, then input the words you want your child to practice. The neat thing about this program is that it allows you to make a recording of each word. You can also put in a sentence or reminder phrase to help with the word (or if you just don't want to record it). Once you've added and recorded your words, your child can select the list to work on without assistance. The program will prompt your child to click "Play Word", which plays your recording of the word. Your child then types the word into the box provided and clicks "Check Spelling". If the word was spelled correctly, the next word is given. If the word is spelled incorrectly, a box pops up that alerts the child of the correct spelling. When the quiz is complete, your child has the opportunity to go back and be quizzed again on the ones he missed. If all the words are entered correctly, your child gets a big round of applause!

I really like how easy SpellQuizzer is to use. I also love how customizable it is to your needs. You can enter any spelling list from any curriculum. You could get other family members to record the list in order to mix things up a bit. You can record the spelling words in funny voices and accents (Ella loves English accents at the moment, so this would be fun for her). Your child can even record the words if he/she speaks clearly enough. Most kids love hearing their voice played back! Another advantage to SpellQuizzer is that you could also use it for vocabulary words, sight words, math terms...the possibilities are endless!

There are a few other notable features of SpellQuizzer. You have the ability to change the sound effects for correct/incorrect words (go crazy...make it fun!). You can import or export lists, which is useful when you know other people who have the spelling software. For example, the leader of a homeschooling co-op group of kids who are working on the same words could send out the list to each student!

The SpellQuizzer website is very helpful. It includes video demonstrations that guide you through each step of setting up your spelling list. If you aren't sure if the program will work for you, you can download a FREE 30-day trial! There are also free spelling lists you can download for the holidays and sample lists for each grade level. SpellQuizzer is a great bargain at $29.95! Go to the SpellQuizzer site to order it now!

If you are interested in hearing what other members of the TOS Crew had to say about this software, click HERE!

Artistic Pursuits

I am so excited to tell you about the book from Artistic Pursuits that I was privileged to review! I was able to choose the level I needed and selected Grades K-3 Book One, An Introduction to the Visual Arts.

Brenda Ellis has done a fantastic job putting together this complete art curriculum! Each lesson contains an introduction that explains the concept your child is to learn, a reading selection about a work of art by one of the masters that shows the concept in practice, and a project to be completed by your child. With this curriculum, you & your child will learn about what artists do (things such as imagining and observing), what artists see (shape, form & color), and you will explore other forms of ancient art (learning that art is more than just a painting on a wall!).

I love the clean layout and beautiful, full-color illustrations in the book! It is so nice to not only read about a painting, but see it right there in print after a concept has been introduced. The instruction is so well-suited to the book's audience of kindergarten to 3rd graders. Ms. Ellis uses a conversational style of writing that is so appealing to younger children, yet her curriculum never "talks down" to them (nor does it go over their heads!).

Art is one of my passions, but I absolutely hated my art humanities class in college because it was so dull & boring. I firmly believe that the Artistic Pursuits curriculum will teach children how to love beautiful works of art as well as how to produce them on their own! Now, you can't say that of too many other books out there!

Ella was hesitant when I first brought out the Artistic Pursuits book. She normally shuns my reading of anything that sounds like a lecture, so she was pleasantly surprised when she listened to the first lesson because it didn't lecture her...it lured her in! As I've said before, she wants to be an artist when she grows up, so this book absolutely speaks to her on that level. I have tried to get her to look at paintings online before, but there is something about seeing the painting by itself on the page that draws her to it. She has really studied the pieces of art we have looked at in this book, instead of just giving them passing glances. My girl is always up for an art project, so this book hits the spot in that area, too! She loves being able to do something new and she has thoroughly enjoyed the different mediums she's been introduced to through Artistic Pursuits. We've learned that Ella especially likes watercolor pencils!

So, if you are looking for a great way to teach your child not only about various art forms, artists, and mediums, but also about techniques she can actually use, this is the art curriculum for you! The K-3 books (there are 3 in this series) are $42.95 each. The books are non-consumable, so you can use them over & over again with each child you homeschool! Artistic Pursuits has books for every grade level, so if K-3 is not what you're looking for, go over to their website to look over their extensive catalog! There are plenty of sample pages of each book on the website so you can get a closer look before you buy.

As always, please stop by the TOS Crew blog to view the other Crew member reviews, HERE!

Math Mammoth

Math Mammoth is a company that was started by Maria Miller, who has been offering her math curriculum at affordable prices since 2003. Her Blue Series e-books cost between $2.00 and $5.50 each so that you can buy the exact practice pages that you need for a very low price!

Since Ella is on a 1st grade math level, I decided to review the Lightblue Series in e-book format from Math Mammoth. This series is a complete curriculum for each grade level (grades 1-5). This curriculum includes 2 workbooks (with answer keys), tests & reviews, and a worksheet maker so that you can make extra practice sheets when needed. The 2 student books cover addition & subtraction (0-10), place value (tens & ones), and basic geometry, measurement, and clock skills. These books are mastery oriented, which means that each book focuses on a few skills, spending long amounts of time on those skills in order to produce mastery. This is a great way to learn something like math where each new skill builds on the one before it. So many math programs out there give the student just a little time to understand a topic before skipping ahead to the next thing. This aspect of the program is a huge selling point in my mind!

I have to tell you that I have not yet purchased a complete math curriculum for Ella. I have mainly been using workbooks found at local stores. When we've come to a topic where we've needed to spend more time, I have searched online and found supplemental material or just come up with my own way of reinforcing that topic. This has worked well for us so far, but as she gets older, she may need more structure to her math program (and I may need more help!). I was so excited about the Math Mammoth books because I hoped they would be the solution for us. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Because Ella was used to big, colorful printed workbooks, she had a very hard time adjusting to the style of the Math Mammoth sheets I printed off. I have discovered that she gets overwhelmed with too much print on the page and these sheets just simply have too much for her eye at this time. One glance at one of the worksheets, and she would shut down. It just "looked" too hard...not that it was too hard. In fact, most of the concepts introduced in the 1st workbook were things that Ella already knew how to do. She just could not get over the different format. Not to say that she won't be able to use them in the future - I really hope she will! She may just not be developmentally ready for this kind of workbook. Keep in mind, though, that Ms. Miller designed her books for first grade and up, so it makes sense that they would not work as well for younger children (for instance, one of the problems we had was that there was not enough space in the blanks for Ella to write her answers because she still writes things fairly large!).

Though we did not have the best experience with the Math Mammoth Lightblue Series, I have to say that I truly believe that Ms. Miller's curriculum will be very useful for most students. I am so glad that I have the e-book so that I can print off sheets as we need them (and hope Ella gets more used to them!). I would like to try the Blue Series in the future.

You cannot beat the value of this product! The complete Lightblue Series downloads can be purchased for $29.70, or you can get each workbook separately for $15.50 each. You can also buy the printed versions of these books. Math Mammoth offers the Blue Series I mentioned earlier, as well as 2 other series intended for grades 3-8, and a new series for grades 7-12. You can check out samples of each of the Math Mammoth workbooks and sign up for a free newsletter (that includes over 280 free worksheets) at the Math Mammoth website.

Please, please go check out the other review from my fellow TOS Crew members, HERE! Most of the Crew had a very positive experience with Math Mammoth, so I hope you'll check out their opinions!

Heads Up!

As a former teacher of students with special needs, I know how wonderful it is to find something for your classroom that helps your students focus. Through the TOS Crew, I was able to receive some products that do just that! If you are homeschooling a child who struggles in any area, you need to check out the company called Heads Up! This company sells many items that are designed to help special kids. Here is a quote from their website:

Heads Up! is a company designed to provide expert information and products for special needs children. Our items have been selected to accommodate various learning styles and strengths, regardless of curriculum used. These special needs products have been found to be especially helpful for children who are distractible or hyperactive.

Our goal is to provide materials and information for homeschooling families, occupational therapists, speech therapists, teachers, and specialists who work with children who have developmental delays, learning disabilities, or other special needs. Professionals, as well as parents and families interacting with special needs children, need materials and teaching tips that will be effective in promoting successful learning experiences while reducing frustration for children, teachers, and parents.

Some of the products I received are pictured above. These are all different colored "frames" that your child places on her reading material in order to highlight the text to be read. This keeps your child focused on the task at hand! We tried them all out, but the Heads Up! Top of the Line (pictured on the top right) was most helpful for Ella, especially when we were still using "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". The pages in that book contain alot of extra text for the teacher to read (in red letters, no less) that can be very distracting to some children. Ella found those pages to be overwhelming. The Top of the Line strips are designed to block out anything under the text your child is reading and highlight the line of text to help your child keep her place. This tool was very helpful for Ella. Once we get back to reading longer pages again, we will definitely pull these back out! Heads Up! has many different colors and types of reading strips to choose from and they are listed on this page. The reading strips and frames are all priced at $1.00 each!! Such a great deal!

Please go to Heads Up! to find out more about their wonderful products. And, head on over to the TOS Crew blog for links to more reviews, HERE!

Math Tutor

I had the opportunity to review some of the Math Tutor DVDs from MathTutorDVD.com. Jason Gibson teaches these videos to help students with all levels of math. There is a cute sign on the front of each DVD that says, “A+ CAUTION! The use of this DVD will cause increased understanding of Algebra 2 (or whatever level you happen to be studying) and will lead to higher grades.” I was given the Algebra 2 video and the Basic Math Word Problems video to review (both are 2-DVD sets).

The videos are the same in format. Basically, Mr. Gibson stands in front of a white board and teaches your child (or you) about math. He reminds me of my high school algebra teacher, except that he doesn't make annoying jokes and he actually makes sense! Mr. Gibson speaks clearly and seems to communicate the skills he is teaching to his audience. I think that any student watching these videos will gain a greater understanding of math. Of course, I couldn't try these out on my student, since we are definitely not doing algebra yet, and we're still working on just the basic operations of addition and subtraction (not so much word problems yet!). So, I don't know how Ella would respond to this format. It seems a tad bit dry to me. It really is just straight-forward lecture like you would get in a college class. Mr. Gibson explains how to do the problems and shows several examples on the white board. If this type of method works for your child, then you will love these DVDs!

The best thing about Mr. Gibson's approach to teaching math is that he breaks it down into very simple, easy-to-understand steps. I really like the fact that these lessons are on DVD, so you can go through them at your own pace. You can also watch sections over and over again until you "get" the concept. This gives you the feeling of having a real tutor in your living room, going over concepts until you are comfortable with them.

Please take the time to go to the Math Tutor website. There are many different DVDs offered. Most of the courses only cost $26.99 (including the 2 that I reviewed) and the average length of the videos is 8 hours. This is a great value, considering that you would most likely pay $30/hour for a personal tutor (adding up to a whopping $240 for 8 hours of instruction!). I highly recommend that you preview some of the sample videos at MathTutorDVD.com (links are on the left-hand column) so that you can see Mr. Gibson's teaching method for yourself!

If you would like to read some other reviews of this product, please go on over to the TOS Crew blog for the links!

Homeschooling ABCs from Knowledge Quest

Are you thinking about homeschooling, but aren't sure where to start? I want to tell you about a wonderful e-book designed to take you step-by-step through the process of getting your homeschool off the ground. As a new homeschooler, I have found this resource to be invaluable! It is called Homeschooling ABCs and it is written by Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest.

Terri has written this course of 26 lessons (each lesson begins with a letter of the alphabet) from her own experience as a homeschooling mom of 5. Her writing style makes you feel like you are talking to a good friend. Not only do you receive her seasoned advice on virtually every topic related to homeschooling, Terri has also put together a ton of bonus resources (freebies!) that amount to over $250 worth of curriculum!

When you sign up for the e-book, you will receive one lesson per week in the form of a link sent to your email. The link takes you to a page that contains all the downloads you need for that particular week. Each lesson is in PDF format and is short and sweet - usually only 10 pages or so (but chock-full of information!). You can save each lesson to your computer and print it out if you desire. I have to say that I even like the fonts and size type Terri used. Some e-books I have received have been so difficult to read on the computer. I didn't find that to be the case at all with Homeschooling ABCs. Each lesson contains links and reading recommendations, plus ideas of how to incorporate what you've learned into your own school day.

Here are just some of the topics covered by Homeschooling ABCs:

• The basics of homeschooling (beginning with the Bible as your foundation)
• Establishing your own philosophy, with a thorough explanation of the 5 most popular teaching methods used by homeschoolers
• How to organize your materials as well as your life around homeschooling
• How to make math fun (great ideas along with lots of links!)
• Nature study and science exploration

And SO much more! There really is enough material here for those of you just starting out as well as those who have been homeschooling for years.

The best part of this great tool is the price! You only pay $60 for this 26-week course. That is just $2.30 per lesson. Considering all of the help you will get out of studying this course, plus the MANY fantastic freebies, plus the time you will save by not having to find all of this information on your own, Homeschooling ABCs is well worth the $60. You need to sign up now! There are only 585 memberships left. You should be one of them! And, to convince you that you need this course, click HERE to sign up for a free mini-course.

The Critical Thinking Co. - Building Thinking Skills

Before I get back to the CPSIA, I have another review for you! The Critical Thinking Co. sent different levels of their Building Thinking Skills series to the TOS Crew members. I received the Primary Level book (Grades K-1). This particular book contains 272 pages of descriptive question and answer strategies. Students using this workbook will work on similarities/differences, writing skills, describing, number sense, & geometry (just to name a few of the skills covered here!). The skills learned in the book help to reinforce language arts, math, science and social studies.

We have used our Building Thinking Skills book for the past several weeks and it has been such a fun learning tool! Ella feels like she's getting a little break when doing this book because she enjoys it so much! The pages are full-color and the graphics keep her interest. The Critical Thinking Co. has found creative ways to cram so many skills into 1-2 short pages! For instance, yesterday, we worked not only on shape and color recognition, but also on shape, color & position words (first, second, third, etc.). Ella had to identify the position of different shapes, color them, and then match the shape names to their correct position and color words. She also had to trace the position and color words. A lot of thinking that took just a little time! Here are some sample pages of the workbook.

You can buy a set of attribute blocks ($20.99 for 60 pieces) to go along with the Primary Building Thinking Skills book. I chose to make my own using thin craft foam. Interlocking cubes ($11.99 for 100 pieces) are also available for activities introduced later in the book (we have not gotten there yet!). A teacher's manual ($19.99) can be purchased separately as well, if you wish to have lesson plans to help you present the skills.

The Primary Building Thinking Skills book itself is $29.99. I truly consider that a bargain for the great variety of skills offered in one book. The Critical Thinking Co. has over 200 different books & software that "sharpen the mind as they teach standards-based reading, writing, math, science, and history". All of their products are guaranteed to work or you get your money back - you can't beat that! Go to their website now to order one of the Building Thinking Skills books (and be sure to check out the extensive catalog while you're there!).

Please go to the TOS Crew blog to check out the other reviews for The Critical Thinking Co. by clicking HERE!

WriteShop - StoryBuilders

WriteShop is a company that has been helping junior high and high-schoolers with writing skills for several years. The company has some new products for younger students that may appeal to you as you seek to teach your children to become creative writers. I got a copy of the World of Animals StoryBuilders and World of People StoryBuilders e-books to review and I absolutely love them!

These e-books mainly consist of StoryBuilder cards that feature 4 sections: character, character trait, setting, and plot. There are 192 printable cards in black print (for printing on colored card stock) and 192 of the same cards in colored print (for printing on white card stock). There are also instructions and ideas along with 48 blank cards - perfect for adding your own touch!

You will want to color code each section to easily identify each stack of cards when printed out. I printed mine on colored card stock. Ella was so excited to get the cards printed out. She had no idea what we were going to do with them, but she couldn't wait! After cutting out the World of People cards, I stacked the 4 decks in front of her and asked her to pick a card from each deck. Of course, I had to read the cards to her, but she was happy to find that she'd picked an amusing astronaut in an abandoned warehouse (she also picked "becomes an animal", but she chose not to use that in her story). She wanted one more character & character trait and she picked an angry soldier! These cards are meant to be a spring board for creative stories when your child has difficulty coming up with something new. With these elements of the story already chosen for her, Ella was able to be much more inventive in her writing (or in our case, dictating!). She usually just writes her own version of stories she's heard before or about her friends/stuffed animals, so this was a good exercise for her. Here's the story she wrote:

An astronaut met an angry soldier. The astronaut said, "Where are you going?" The soldier said, "An abandoned warehouse. What are you doing?" "I am going to my spaceship." So he went to his spaceship. His spaceship was broken. The spaceship had many buttons. Then the soldier came and said, "Why does your spaceship have many buttons?" "Because I bought them," said the astronaut. "You are amusing," said the soldier. The soldier got very angry. Then the astronaut got in his spaceship. The soldier went away. Then he came back. "1, 2, 3," said the soldier. "Is 1, 2, 3 real?" said the astronaut. "Yes," said the soldier. Then the astronaut said, "Climb aboard!" So the soldier climbed aboard. Then they went into the deep sky.

Though she's not old enough to make her story make a lot of sense just yet, I still consider this an improvement on the other stories she's written. I think what I love most about the WriteShop StoryBuilders is that they will broaden Ella's vocabulary. She didn't know what "amusing" meant before this exercise and she now knows the meaning of "abandoned warehouse". Knowing Ella, she will begin to use these words and phrases in everyday conversation after this one activity in which she had to use them in context.

We can use these cards on long trips in the car and we can all get involved in the story-telling. My husband and I can also use them when we have trouble coming up with bedtime stories!

The cards in the StoryBuilder sets can be used alone or interchanged with other StoryBuilder decks. In fact, your child's stories will become even more interesting when animals and sports are added into the elements from which to choose. There is even a Christmas set and more sets are going to be added in the near future. Each StoryBuilder e-book is only $7.95 and you can now get the Christmas set for just $3.95. Because of the e-book format, you will pay no sales tax or shipping.

Be sure to check out all of the TOS Crew reviews on this product by clicking HERE!

All About Homophones

I have had the chance to look over the e-book called All About Homophones by Marie Rippel. This book is designed to help students in grades 1-8 with these sometimes confusing words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

**Since Ella is not reading much other than simple CVC words, this material is not age-appropriate for her and would not be much help for kids under 6 or non-readers. Though I could not test it out on her, I did read through it and would like to tell you what I found.

The book presents a different set of homophones for each grade level. For example, the homophones for 1st grade students are "be/bee", "see/sea", and "to/two/too". Ms. Rippel has included 6 blank graphic organizers that you can use with your child to help him define each word, then write a sentence using the word. These organizers can be great tools for review when you have completed each unit. Each set of homophones has it's own worksheet so that your child can fill in the blank with the appropriate word. There are also crossword puzzles that correspond to the homophones from each grade level.

While all of these items are wonderful tools for teaching your child, my favorite part of this e-book is the list of games that can be played using the homophone cards that you can print out from the book. Once you have printed the cards onto cardstock (and laminate them!), you are ready to play 6 different games such as Go Fish and Old Maid! Once your child has learned new homophones, you can simply add new cards to the games. I know my little game-lover is going to really like this aspect of All About Homophones!!

If all of that wasn't enough, Ms. Rippel has also included a reading list, student record sheets (so your child can write down all of the words he's learned through the book), and several cute tongue twisters, riddles, and puns that include the homophones. Everything is well-explained with instructions on various ways to use each component of the e-book.

This product looks like a fun way for children to learn about those pesky words that can cause trouble! If you would like to look at some sample pages, click HERE. I am so excited that the price of the printed book has been lowered to $29.95, so if you would like to have a physical copy, this is a good option. The e-book costs $27.95. But, guess what?? Right now, you can get $10 off of any product at All About Homophones! That means the printed book will be $19.95 and the e-book only $17.95!! All you have to do is enter the code "FUN" in the customer code box at checkout. But you'd better hurry! This deal is only good through Feb. 2! While you're over at her website, be sure to also check out the Homophone Machine. There are more free games on the Articles page.

Please head over to the TOS Crew to read other reviews of All About Homophones by clicking HERE!

Online piano lessons with Kinderbach!

This review is not just for homeschool moms - it's for all moms with kids ages 2-7, so I hope you all will check it out!


I am so pleased to tell you about online piano lessons from Kinderbach. There are 60 lessons which are each intended to be completed in a week - with 4 parts to every lesson. You can do all 4 parts in one day with an older child (I did this with Ella), or choose to spread them out over the course of a week. The lessons also include printable PDF activities that reinforce skills along with games that can be played online. Your child is not required to know how to read to use this program, which makes it all the more valuable. Most piano teachers will not teach your child until they are reading.

Ella has absolutely loved this program. The characters presented in the videos are cute and colorful. The program not only teaches your child how to play the piano, but it also teaches various aspects of music such as movement, rhythm, notes, intervals, & music patterns. Ella especially liked the parts where she was able to tap out rhythms with sticks (you can use any objects that make noise!). It made her feel so good when she was able to find notes on the keyboard and play them by herself! Since Ella loves to sing, she also enjoyed learning some new songs. I cannot say enough how much we both like Kinderbach!!

One of the wonderful things about Kinderbach is the price! For the online lessons, you can pay a monthly subscription fee of $14.95. The best deal, though, is a one-time payment of $85.95, giving you access to all 60 lessons! What a GREAT value! In my area, piano teachers charge $20 per 30-minute session on average. If I paid for 60 weekly lessons, it would cost me $1200! The other advantage of this program is being able to do it in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace! You save on gas and the time it takes to get your child to and from their lesson.

If you have a dial-up connection, or would simply like to own the DVDs, you can purchase all the lessons for $217.75. The set includes 6 DVDs, activity e-books, & activity audio CDs. You also get 4 e-songbooks and 4 corresponding audio CDs. As you see from my example above about hiring a piano teacher, this is still a really good deal! If you so choose, you can also purchase smaller sets.

You can try out 2 free lessons and I highly encourage you to do so! With Kinderbach, there is a 30-day money back guarantee, so you really can't go wrong. And, as always, if you'd like to get some other opinions, check HERE for more TOS Crew reviews.