Math help is on the way!!!

Drilling math facts can be such a drudgery! I think it ranks right up there with reviewing spelling words as far as my kids are concerned. Timed tests and drills get so boring after doing them over and over. Math Rider is a great, downloadable, innovative game to help kids drill math facts without realizing they are drilling. Here is a little description from the Math Rider website:
Ride your horse on noble quests through the magical MathLands. MathRider combines fun game play with a highly sophisticated question engine that adapts to your child. The game propels your child to mastery of all four math operations using numbers 0 to 12.
I would compare the fantasy/quest elements of the game to something along the lines of King Arthur tales or Lord of the Rings type tales (very much scaled down). There is no violence in the quests. Children navigate their horse through the quests by correctly answering math fact questions. It took my daughter a few minutes to get used to navigating her horse and to get her timing down, but, once she was acclimated she really excelled. I have seen a great improvement in her speed and accuracy since she has been using the game. Parents have access to statistics to track their child's progress. Math Rider is available currently for $37. It is a download product. Multiple children can play games once you have downloaded the software. The download was really simple for me. Computer system requirements are listed on the Math Rider website. I would recommend this game to any child who needs extra drill and review of their math facts. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts from 0-12 are covered in the program. There is even a video preview on the Math Rider website. For more information about the Math Rider program, go to http://mathrider.com/. To see what other TOS crew members have to say about the program, go to http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783766/.

**I have received no compensation from TOS or Math Rider in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

Teacher's Toolbox Released!!!!

Just released!
The subscribers-only Teacher’s Toolbox membership is
ready for visitors!
Here’s a small list of what you’ll gain with your Teacher’s Toolbox membership:
• Access to EVERY digital issue ever created!
• Access to a special password-protected section of the TOS website available only to subscribers, containing article after article of inspiration and support.
• A month’s worth of recipes—one for every day of the month (recipes will change monthly).
• Monthly calendars featuring “This Day in History” activities and lessons for each day.
• Frugal tips with Molly!
• Guest “speakers” popping up to inspire us. Think of it as a homeschool seminar at your fingertips!
• Free E-Books, crafts, printable content, unit studies, and so much more!
Not a subscriber yet? Why not subscribe today?

From the outstanding content in each issue of The Old Schoolhouse® to the bonus content and monthly encouragement between issues, the benefits of subscribing now are fantastic!
Whether you are seeking motivation, encouragement, creative learning adventures with unit studies, art activities, or a scriptural foundation relevant for your day, you will find these and so much more in the nearly 200 glossy pages of TOS.
You will treasure the compassionate encouragement from homeschool experts you know while enjoying a growing community of TOS subscribers who share in the excitement and benefits of home education. TOS is so much more than pages in a magazine!
Grab your subscription TODAY!
We’ll look for you in the Teacher’s Toolbox, where inspiration builds education.
Click on the Teacher's Toolbox button to go directly to the Teacher's Toolbox page.

Help for reluctant readers!

KidScoop's Reluctant Reader Solution is a creative set of 365 small unit-type studies. Also available on KidScoop is a beautifully laid out "kid-friendly" newspaper. The newspaper is available to read online and print as desired. A cool feature of the newspaper is that students can choose to have the computer read to them. This is great for the younger reader who is struggling with word recognition.
The Reluctant Reader pages are engaging and full of activities. My eleven year old daughter was the perfect age for these sheets. She is not always the most enthusiatic reader. These sheets allow her to practice reading without realizing she is doing so.
On the KidScoop website, you can also sign up for "30 Days of Reading Fun." This is a series of thirty e-mails you receive, each containing a unique reading idea. I'm all for anything to make reading fun.
This is a view of the opening page of the latest issue of the KidScoop News. It is colorful and packed full of really fun and interesting activities. Do you know how lead gets into a pencil? I didn't, until I read the KidScoop News! Most of the activities are geared toward middle-late elementary ages. There are a few activities provided for a younger reader. I did not print the KidScoop News. My kids viewed and read it online. (Only because my colored ink was running really low!) The Reluctant Reader Solution pages are in black and white. They are quick prints and would be great to keep on hand to supplement any reading curriculum. I could really picture myself keeping a few sets handy to grab for that unexpected long wait at the doctor's or dentist's office. The only supplies neccessary are the worksheets and a pencil (or, for my dd - colored pencils).
For $97, purchasers have access to downloadable packets of worksheets covering almost 60 topics that are kid and parent friendly and a monthly 20 page online Kid Scoop newspaper in full color. If you have a struggling reader, only you can determine the value of this type of program. KidScoop does offer a unique 365 day money-back guarantee. I think this type of customer service is greatly appreciated.
I did find their website a little difficult to navigate - partly because there is so much available on the website beyond the Reluctant Reader Solution and the KidScoop News.
To see what other TOS Crewmembers have to say about KidScoop, go to http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783761/

**As usual, I received no compensation from TOS or KidScoop in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

Cicada -killing Wasps?

Are you looking for something to liven up your studies? I know a lot of folks around the United States have had many snowbound days this winter. Those days are fun, to a point, but there comes a time when the cries of "I'm bored" must meet with a new activity. The Curiosity Files are just the ticket!

The Curiosity Files are nine new exciting unit studies being offered through The Schoolhouse Store. I was privileged to explore the "Cicada-killing Wasp" study. Each unit study is available individually through The Schoolhouse Store for $6.95; however, the most economical product is the nine study bundle available either by a 2-C.D. set for $49 or a download for $46. If you do the math, that is a savings of around $10 over buying the studies as single e-books.

The "Cicada-killing Wasp" study contains 88 pages of information and activities geared towards children ages 8-13. The study lends itself to adaptation for either younger or older children. The graphics/pictures are beautiful! Many internet links are provided to enable further study. This unit study is very thorough. Subject areas covered include math, Bible, penmanship, statistics, grammar and writing skills, spelling and vocabulary skills, science discovery, arts and crafts, and cooking. There are activity sheets provided and answer keys for those activity sheets.

I must say this study is very interesting! I have taught science for years and had never heard of cicada-killing wasps. Looking at the other titles in the series, I can see where kids would really enjoy these studies as supplemental or stand alone. Kudos to the authors! You have done a great job.

To see what other homeschool crew members have to say about Curiosity Files, go to: http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783746/.

**I have not been compensated in any way by TOS for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

Vocabulary can be fun!

VocabAhead's SAT Vocabulary Cartoons, Videos, &MP3S is a unique approach to helping students learn vocabulary. This particular book uses cartoon association to help students retain definitions. Antonyms and synonyms are also associated with each vocabulary word. After ten word pages, a brief review is provided. My reluctant spelling/vocabulary child is very spoiled to this method of learning vocabulary words now! The fun thing about this product is that the cartoons are very entertaining and cause your child to "forget" he is learning. This particular version comes with a code to enter on the VocabAhead website to enable the purchaser to download free videos and MP3S to support and enhance the book. The download is a rather large zip-file. If you do not want to go through this type of download process, there is a c.d. /book combination also available. There are sample videos located on the VocabAhead website: http://www.vocabahead.com/This version of the book is available both on the website: http://www.vocabahead.com/ and at http://www.amazon.com/VocabAhead-SAT-Vocabulary-Cartoons-Videos/dp/0984313516/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1290146133&sr=8-3

At $12.95, I really think the content is worth the price. This is a book that can be used for many children and will be enjoyed by almost anyone! I even learned some new words myself. So, if you want to bolster (page 206) your vocabulary, your child's vocabulary, or prep for a standardized test like the SAT, The VocabAhead SAT Vocabulary: Cartoons, Videos, &MP3S is the product for you! To read more reviews of this product, you may go to: http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783745/.

**I have not been compensated in any way by TOS or VocabAhead in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

Can you Dig-It?

Roman Town: (click on the caption or picture to go to the Dig-It Games website!)

The world’s best Interactive Archaeology Computer Game for kids ages 8 to 88
Have all the fun of a real archaeological excavation without getting your hands dirty!
◦Dig in and participate in a full excavation from start to finish
◦Find authentic artifacts at a real dig site
◦Learn about Roman Daily Life – accurate, historical information
◦Replay for hours of Archaeological fun and learning
◦Fun for the whole family – from 8 to 88 years old

Roman Town is an interactive game where kids will be able to explore ancient Roman culture and civilization. The game is currently available as a c.d. program. There is also a multi-use version for teachers and a parents guide available. The game is actually reasonably priced right now to TOS readers because Dig-It games is offering a discount to those readers. While Roman Town is regularly $39.95, between now and February 21, 2011 you can get Roman Town for just under $20.00 with the code TOS2011 (I believe the final price is $19.96).

This game is ideal for a homeschool family that is studying ancient cultures like Rome or for the family studying archeology. I did make one mistake with the game and that was I loaded mine onto my laptop instead of our p.c. Manipulating the game would be much easier with a regular mouse rather than a touchpad. My son got frustrated after a while of playing when using the touchpad to control his actions. I think that if we try attaching a regular mouse to my laptop, the frustration would be ended. He did say that, to him, the game was a little slow. Now, I don't know if that was because he is used to the video gaming system games that are popular today or because it was really slow. I think the mouse issue may have been the root of the problem, honestly.

Take some time and explore the Dig-It Games website. There are some interactive computer games and activities to even further enrich your Roman Town studies.

Roman Town is an educationally enriching experience. To see what other reviewers have to say about Roman Town, take a look here: http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783744/.

**I was not compensated in any way by TOS or Dig-It Games in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are my own.**