Math Facts are Fun!

A good foundation in math is as important as a good foundation when you are building a house.  Learning basic math facts is the backbone of every math operation.  Any and every student can benefit from learning and/or reviewing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.  As important as this drilling is, it can be very boring.  That’s where Math Rider comes in.  Math Rider is a fun math facts game geared toward children ages  6-12.  It could be appropriate for children outside that age range depending on their math level. 

We were able to use and review this game both last year and this year. We have enjoyed it both times and have been able to see improvement in the game with the newer version we are using now.  The basic concept of Math Rider is simple.  The player is a rider on a horse.  The player rides the horse through different fantasy quests, solving math facts over the course of the quest.  The quests become more challenging as the player becomes more proficient in the math facts.  Parents can choose the math operations covered on the quest, as well as the difficulty of the facts.  From the Math Rider website:

“A lot of otherwise good games suffer from quirky controls or from making the game-play itself too difficult. It is incredibly sad to watch kids fail a math game, even though they know the correct answer, because they mistimed their spaceship’s shot, or because jumping over that ledge is just too hard. These things have nothing to do with math, so why put hand-eye coordination requirements into a math game?

In MathRider we specifically designed the controls such that they will not get in the way of practising maths. If you can do the math, you win, simple as that. All the player needs to do is key in the correct number and press ‘Enter’. The game does the rest. Sound effects, animation, riding speed and so on are automatically controlled and adjusted. In this way, your child can fully focus on practising their math while still enjoying a highly entertaining game.”

If you have a horse lover, or a fantasy story (think King Arthur type fantasy) lover in your family, this is definitely the math game for them!  Installation is easy and fairly quick.  Setting up players for quests is very easy to do, and the quests automatically gauge student’s progress for you.  Math Rider is available on the Math Rider website for only $37 (instant download access) until February 15.  After that, the price increases to $47.  Math Rider is a very easy to use and effective math facts game.  To read other reviews of Math Rider, visit the main TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

**I have received no compensation from TOS or Math Rider in exchange for this review.**

Observing the Heavens

Jay Ryan has published a new volume of Celestial Almanack and it is beautiful.  Have you ever looked at the stars and wondered what you were seeing?  I can sometimes find a couple of constellations; but, typically I don't know where to look (or if I am looking at the right thing).  Celestial Almanack, available through CurrClick, is a fascinating day-by-day guide to the goings on in the heavens.  We have been able to use this second volume for purposes of review and have been greatly impresses.  I wish the cloud cover would be a bit more cooperative at night so we could actually see more!  Celestial Almanack is a monthly publication, published by Classical Astronomy.  It highlights lunar events, solar events, and other seasonal events with the stars.  This book is written in an old world type font making it appear to be an ancient almanack.  It is really fun to look at and full of more information than one could possibly digest each day.  We are looking forward to learning more about our universe as the month of February progresses.
     Celestial Almanack is available as a downloadable product for $3.00 at Currclick. Quite a bargain for the amount of astronomical information included!  You would be hard pressed to find more current information in any astronomy textbook.  To read about what other TOS Homeschool Crew reviewers have to say about Celestial Almanack, check out the main crew blog.
     **I have received no compensation from Classical Astronomy or TOS in exchange for this review.**

Kinderbach

Kinderbach is a fun, computer-based, introductory music program geared toward kids ages 2-7.  Oh, how I wish this had been around when my kids were small!  The folks at Kinderbach have designed over 20 hours of engaging piano / music lessons.  Students learn through video lessons and optional activity pages.  I especially appreciate the forward thinking of Kinderbach.  The first lesson is available to use on some mobile devices and other lessons will be available soon in the ‘app’ format.  Kinderbach is simple to use and, for these introductory lessons, even a toy keyboard will work for practice. After completing this program, students are well prepared to move on to more advanced piano studies.  Students are exposed to rhythm, note reading, fingering patterns, and melody, just to name a few of the topics covered in this program.  Each lesson is ‘taught’ by an animated character who is very ‘kid-friendly.’ The lessons are short enough for a young preschooler to stay on task yet challenging enough for the older preschooler / young elementary student to remain interested.  Most of all, the kids stay interested because they are playing music.  What child doesn’t love music? Kinderbach is available for home study (the version I tried and reviewed) and classroom use.  I have already recommended the home study version to my oldest daughter (who works as a nanny to 4).  She is excited to try it with the preschoolers. All in all, Kinderbach is a thorough program that is spot on for beginning music studies.  It will spark music interest in even the most reluctant child.  There are many free supplemental resources available on the Kinderbach website.  These are optional, of course.  Kinderbach is very affordable when compared to the cost of private piano lessons.  The online version begins at $7.99/month and the DVD/CD version (great for slow internet connections) begins at $40.45/month.  Right now, for readers of the TOS Homeschool Crew blogs, Kinderbach is offering a 30% discount by using the coupon code TOScrew2012.  This is good through February 2, 2013! Wow!  You can even sample the program online for free!  To read other reviews of the Kinderbach program, check out the main TOS Homeschool Crew review blog.

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

Family Check-up Time!

Check-up on our virtues, that is!  Teaching good virtues to our children is not something that can be done overnight.  Our society has dimmed the lines between right and wrong so much that virtues such as self-control, respect, and obedience have been replaced with narcissism, disrespect, and disobedience – all without consequence.  Heather McMillan, creator of We Choose Virtues, has created a fun, easy-to-use, and effective method of instilling life-long virtues in our families.

We were given the virtue cards, the Kid’s of Virtueville coloring book, the Teacher’s Guide, the Family Character Assessment, and the Kid’s Memory Verses, Bible Heroes, and Truths list for purposes of review.  This is a beautifully put together program.  Twelve virtues are covered in We Choose Virtues.  Heather’s program is designed so families can go through it more than once.  This is such a plus since character / virtue training cannot be done overnight – it is an ongoing process.  The products we reviewed were geared towards kids ages 3-11.  We did think the characters and coloring pages were a little young for kids who are 10-11 years old, since most kids that age have promoted into some type of ‘youth group’ at church.  I would have preferred the more youth oriented products for that age group, as would our daughter.  She still enjoys coloring and pretend play; but, she does like to have more ‘grown up’ looking graphics on things. However, for preschool and early elementary this curriculum is spot on!  There are so many products available on Heather’s website!  I have to admit, I got a little greedy looking at all of the goodies available.  She offers both a faith-based program and a non-faith-based program.  She offers options for younger children as well as youth up to age 18.  I led a group of kids through a character study a few years ago and had to put all of my own material together.  How I wish I had known about We Choose Virtues then!  The complete kits for homeschool, classroom, or church are amazing and contain all of the materials you need for a great study of character traits.  We will be using these materials over and over.

Many products, such as the Family Character Assessment, are available as supplements free of charge.  The coloring book is available for a nominal $3.00 charge as a download.  Check out these updated and special pricing options on some of the products (straight from the website):   

• Kids Virtue Poster now $11.99 (from $14.99)
• 3 Rules Poster now $9.99 (from $11.99)
• 100 Days of Virtue Chart with Butterfly Stickers now $13.99 (from $14.99)

CLEARANCE SALE!

• 2011 Kids Virtue Poster $9.75 (from $14.99, 35% savings)
• 2011 100 Days of Virtue Chart and Butterfly Stickers $11.99 (from $14.99, 20% savings)
• 2011 3 Rules Poster $7.75 (from 11.99, 35% savings)

There is a CLEARANCE category on our website only while supplies last.

Also, The Virtue Clues are $5.99 (from $7.95)

I highly recommend the We Choose Virtues products.  They are quality products at great prices. Heather offers even more tips about teaching virtues and parenting on her facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/wechoosevirtues.  Head over and ‘like’ her page to get some great info!  You can check out the ‘We Choose Virtues’ website, and purchase materials, here.  To read other reviews by TOS Homeschool Crew Members, visit the main crew blog, here. 

**I have received no compensation from TOS or We Choose Virtues in exchange for this review.**

 

 

The Story of Swan Lake

Let’s face it, exposing children to symphonic quality classical music can be expensive.  Listening to straight recordings does give them some exposure, but what do they glean from it?  Maestro Classics has blended the best of classical music with quality teaching material in their c.d.’s. We were given their c.d. The Story of Swan Lake for purposes of review.  I must say I have been impressed with the quality and the content.  The c.d. contains over an hour of listening material that is sure to engage even the most reluctant classical music student.  There are seven individual tracks on the c.d..  The first track is a combination of the orchestral version of the music from the ballet, Swan Lake, with a powerful narration of the story overlaying the music.  It makes great listening material for riding in the car.  Even if a child hasn’t seen the ballet, the mixture of music and narration is sure to spur their imaginations to picture this beautiful story.  The remaining tracks include things such as information about ‘Who is Tchaikovsky’, a brief explanation of some of the musical elements (like the waltz), and a cute song that the kids can learn (called ‘Tchaikovsky Wrote a Great Ballet’). We love to listen to stories, so this was right up our alley!  Children of all ages will enjoy these recordings.From the Maestro Classics website:

A 24-page activity book included with the CD contains a biography of Tchaikovsky, information on acoustic and electric guitars, sheet music and words for a sing-along song, explanation of major and minor keys, puzzles and more. MP3 download from Maestro Classics website includes a PDF of the activity booklet.

Maestro Classics has many other classical music/children’s story c.d.’s available.  I hope to be able to explore more of them.  You can even preview each of the tracks on the c.d.’s on the website.  Their website has some fun links to homeschool lesson plans that cover a myriad of topics and links to other activities. 

The Story of Swan Lake is available for purchase through the Maestro Classics website.  The c.d. version is $16.98 and the mp3 download is $9.98.  Also, check this out: 

***JANUARY SPECIAL: Order a Swan Lake CD or MP3 download, and Maestro Classics will automatically send you an additional  free MP3 Swan Lake orchestral version!***

If you, or your homeschool group, are planning a field trip to the symphony anytime in the near future, Maestro Classics products would be a fabulous introduction to the symphony.  Both you and your child will love these quality recordings. To read other reviews of The Story of Swan Lake, click here.

**I have received no compensation from TOS or Maestro Classics in exchange for this review.**

Z-Guide to the Movies

Are you looking for an easy way to incorporate movies into your study of history?  Zeezok’s Z-Guide to the Movies is just the ticket!  When I was in school (let’s not even go to what year that was), it was such a special treat to be able to have a movie day.  My kids are the same way.  When they ask “what are we doing in school today,” and the answer is “watching a movie,” the reaction is pure delight.

We were given the Z-Guide to accompany The Great Escape.  This is an older movie set in World War II.  It is one of my son’s favorite movies.  The Z-Guide for this movie is geared toward high school age children.  It contains background information about World War II, vocabulary to investigate, and a study through the movie.  This is not a study that can be completed in one sitting.  It is very thorough and actually takes a few weeks and a couple of viewings of the movie to be able to complete it thoroughly.  I must say, Z-Guides greatly enhance both the viewing of a movie and the study of history.

While perusing the Zeezok website, I found that they have a history timeline on the left sidebar.  If you click on a time period in the timeline, the Z-Guide(s) appropriate to that timeline will be displayed.  Talk about convenient!  No more searching through movie databases wondering what movie would be appropriate for a study of ancient Rome or the Great Depression.  This takes the guesswork out completely.  There are studies available for many ages, and some samples are available on the website.  Each Z-Guide is sold for $12.99. on the Zeezok website. We have used the downloadable product and have had no issues at all with it.  It was a simple download and I love being able to print the pages I need when I need them. 

Overall, we are enjoying the Z-Guide to the movies.  This is the second Z-Guide we have had the pleasure of using.  I think we will be using more of them.  To read my review of the first Z-Guide we used, click here.  To read reviews from other TOS Homeschool Crew Members, go to the main crew blog, here. 

**I have received no compensation from TOS or Zeezok in exchange for this review.**

Spanish for Families

Real Homeschool Spanish has been a great find for us.  We received the complete book bundle (download), including the curriculum guide, for purposes of review.  I was a bit skeptical because I have a real mental block about learning Spanish.  My kids, however, have always dabbled in learning Spanish words and seem to have a real affinity for it.  This year, my daughter, who is in the sixth grade, wanted to really learn Spanish.  She is in a Spanish class at our homeschool tutorial, but it is technically for older students and she hasn’t been picking up the language like she should.  With Real Homeschool Spanish in place, this is changing.  She loves worksheets and activity pages, so this is right up her alley.

      Real Homeschool Spanish is designed for real families who are homeschooling.  It is geared toward kids up to around 8th grade (and a high school supplement is in the works).  This is an easy to use curriculum.  The bundle came with mp3 audio files to be used with the lessons, an activity book (worksheets, puzzles, review, etc…), a textbook, an answer guide for the activity book, and a daily curriculum guide.  It is so thorough and well put together that anyone could follow it, even us Spanish illiterates.  I will say that our general school year is 36 weeks and the curriculum guide runs for 48 weeks.  We are moving faster through the curriculum so it can be finished by the end of the school year.  With a younger student, I can definitely see where the 48 week (basically year round) schedule would be effective for retention purposes.  Students learn a huge amount of vocabulary, but it is very practical vocabulary.  Some of the words learned are words for common household things, family names, greetings, foods, etc… The curriculum guide gives lesson suggestions and activities for five days a week.  The activities can be chosen based on the age range of your kids and level of interest.  I have never seen a language curriculum like this.  It is completely family friendly.  It could easily be used by a family as a group study.  The Real Homeschool Spanish website is another plus.  Samples from each of the different books can be downloaded so you can examine before you buy.  There is a great section on the website entitled “Free Culture Links,” which is a huge selection of links to various Spanish cultural sites or activities. This would be an awesome place to begin a Spanish ‘webquest.’

     Ranging in price from $49.95 to $99.95, this is one of the most affordable curricula for language study that I have seen.  I recommend the download for families because the activity guide and textbook could be printed for each child, if needed.  To purchase Real Homeschool Spanish, visit their website at www.realhomeschoolspanish.com.

     To read other reviews of Real Homeschool Spanish, visit the main TOS Crew Blog page, here. 

**I have received no compensation from TOS or Real Homeschool Spanish in exchange for this review.**