Classical Academic Press~God's Great Covenant (Old Testament)

Classical Academic Press is a familiar company among many homeschool families.  All of the items they offer are "classical, creative, relevant, and easy to use."  I agree with that statement completely.  We have had the honor of using their curriculum before.  Each time we have used their books I walk away amazed at how they challenge my children to think outside the box.  They are learning to think for themselves. 

We have been blessed with the opportunity to review many homeschool products.  Nothing compairs to this company.  So without further ado I bring you our latest review for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew.

God's Great Covenant, Old Testament 2 written by Claire Larsen.  The suggested grades for these books are third through sixth.

We were sent the Student Book, teacher's edition and the MP3 audio recordings.  The student book is available for purchase on the Classical Academic Press' website for $22.95.  The teacher's edition book is $24.95.  The MP3's are available as a download for $9.95.  We were sent a CD for review purposes only.  A physical copy of the CD is not available.

Each chapter has an introduction page known as the Memory Page.  Here you get an overview of what the chapter will cover including:

Lesson Scope (Scripture passages)
Read to Me (Scripture to be read)
Theme (What the lesson is trying to show)
Memory Verse (verse relating to the theme)
Key Facts (things the student needs to remember)
Message from the King (How to relate to God in their own lives)

The chapters are a perfect length for kids of many different learning styles.  This is where the MP3's are a great resource.  While many children can just read and remember the content, many children cannot do so.  Our daughter Hannah needs to use all of her senses in order to remember.  She enjoyed listening to the lesson on MP3 while reading along with the text.

She was even more excited to see this study covered her favorite book of the Bible, 1 Samuel.  I know she knows that story forwards and backwards so I challenged her to pick another book of the Bible to learn about.  She chose the book of Daniel.

The lesson is broken up into nice bite sized chunks where a child can learn what needs to be learned.  The chunks are not so large that a student becomes bored with it.  Depending on your child the lessons will only take a short time to complete.  Our daughter was completing a section of the lesson a day.  Sometimes we caught her

The lesson starts out with the Memory Verse.  I love the way this is done.  The student is required to fill in the missing words from the verse.  We have found this way to be the way our daughter learns best.  We have her read and re-read the verse.  Then we give her the worksheet and have her fill in the blanks.  It also helps that the verse is a nice sized one and not too long. 

The key facts portion of the worksheet were very instrumental in helping our daughter remember what she learned in the lesson.  She was encouraged through this section to think for herself.  She wasn't given the information to fill in, she had to think about what it was asking. 

The next part of the worksheet is the Story Facts, where the student has to fill in the facts learned from the story.  I allowed Hannah to fill this in while listening to the story.  This is the best way for her to learn and retain the information being taught.

Hannah was often asking to do more than the one section I was asking her to do.  She loves learning about the Bible.  How can a parent say no to that?! 

I would often find her kneeling in the window with her book and Bible open working through the lesson.  Many times I had to make her slow down so she had time to comprehend the materials.  At that point I would have her read the story again in the Bible.

In the back of the student text is the Appendices and maps.  It is here you will find the memory verse summary, Pictures of Christ, How to use the Psalms, How to understand the Proverbs, Kings and Prophets, Reigns of the Kings of Israel and Judah, Intertestamental History, Glossary and Quizzes.  It was here we really started talking in depth about the Bible.  It brought tears to my eyes to see my daughter, who has many learning disabilities, finally Get it!  It's like a lightbulb goes on and the Scriptures come alive for her.  That in my book is a successful curriculum!!

If you want to see what the other crew members are reviewing from Classical Academic Press visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.

 

Disclaimer~ I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Crossbow Education~Reading Rulers

 

Homeschool Crew Members were given the opportunity to review for Crossbow Education.  They offer a wide array of learning tools for multi sensory learning. 

 

We were sent the Eye level reading rulers to try here.  They came in a package of 10 all different colors.

The colors they come in are:

Yellow

Celery

Grass

Jade

Aqua

Sky

Purple

Magenta

Pink

Orange

 

Each of the reading rulers has 2 windows.  Each of the reading rulers have duo windows.  One of the windows is 1/2 inch wide and the other window is 1 1/4 inch wide.  The smaller window will "highlight" one line of a large print book, or 2 lines of a small print book.  Readers will most often find it easier to focus with these rulers.

 

These rulers can be purchased at the Crossbow Education Website.  The rulers are available in a pack of 10 (one of each color listed above) for $16.95.  It is a good idea to get the 10 pack.  That way your child can try out each one and see what works best for them.

 

My husband even used these.  He has cataracts in his eye and finds it hard to see certain things.  These helped out a great deal with this.  He used the "grass" colored one.  Crossbow even has a virtual overlay for the computer I plan on looking into for him.

 

Our kids found them very helpful when reading books that have pretty small print.  Especially our daughter Hannah, who has trouble focusing on things when the page is very "busy".  She will often complain of a headache after reading for a certain amount of time.  After using the "purple" ruler for a few weeks, she hasn't complained once!! 

 

Our son Andrew tends to lose his place while reading.  The "sky" ruler was what helped him.  He was able to focus on the words he needed to read.  He didn't loose his place as often as he has in the past. 

 

 

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS review crew we were sent this product free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are mine or my children.

 

 

Box of Ideas~Salt

 

Box of I.D.E.As is just what it says.  It is a box of ideas on a particular subject or topic.  We were sent Salt to review.  Although we did not get an actual box, the study itself was great.  Who knew salt could be so interesting.  This study can be used for all ages.  But it is suggested for ages 9-16.

 

The study consisted of:

The history of salt

Science of salt

The salt march

The geography of salt

 

The unit is divided into ten different modules.  Each module is full of fun activities to help your child learn about this particular subject.  We are unit study lovers here.  We learned so much about salt and everything it is used for. 

 

We enjoyed the timeline cards.  The kids tried to see how fast they could put them in order.  This study is so easy to use you can use it in the car or on the go.  Our favorite module was "the science of salt".  Here we learned all about what salt does.  Living in Western NY we see a lot of snow.  So learning how the salt actually helps on the roads was a lot of fun.  Now we can't wait for the first snowfall.  I'm going to try and get a field trip to our highway department so we can see the trucks up close.  That was something I really liked about this study.  There are so many helpful ideas within the study. 

 

We did an experiment on how fast a particular type of salt melts and returns back to it's original form.  It was VERY interesting.  Did you know that China produces the most amount of salt?  You too can know these great facts on this topic.

 

The Box of I.D.E.As is available on their website for $49.00 for the PDF version.  The physical box sells for $79.00.

 

You can see what other crew members had to say about this review by visiting the Crew Blog.

 

 

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS review crew we were sent a PDF download free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

 

 

 

 

Raising Real Men~A Cry From Egypt

 

A Cry From Egypt is an amazing book written by homeschool graduate, Hope Auer.   This book is written with children ages 8 and up in mind.  This book is not yet published but you can get an advanced reader copy on their website for $12.50.  The book is being published by Hal and Melanie Young of Raising Young Men.

 

I have reviewed a lot of books in my blogging days.  But I must admit it has been a long time since a book has captured my attention like this one.  Perhaps it is because we are going through the book of Exodus in church.  Hope's words just draw you into the story like you are right there.  You can feel the dust under your feet.  Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave in Egypt?  I mean really feeling what it was like?  I've read the stories from the Bible about Moses.  But never have I felt what it was like to be there.  Until now! 

 

Meet Jarah, her and her family are slaves in Egypt.  Throughout the story we experience what it was like to actually be there when the plagues were sent.  Seeing Aaron and Moses, hearing them tell Pharaoh to "Let the people go".  I cannot describe the feeling that came over me while reading this book.  You must get this book and read it with your children.  They will be talking about this for days to come.  Our children begged for another chapter to be read.  I've been reading this book to them before bed.  Yes my children are teenagers but they still love our nightly reading time.

 

This is the first book in The Promised Land series.  I cannot wait for the second book to be done.  I will be stalking visiting the website often waiting for it to be finished.

 

You can see what my fellow crew mates have to say about this book by visiting the Crew Blog.

 

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Review Crew we were given a copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.

 

 

Time4Writing~TOS Review

 

Time4Writing is an online writing course that provides one-on-one writing lessons.  Courses are 8 weeks long and are for elementary through high school levels.  The courses are available at the basic, intermediate, and advanced levels.  If you are unsure what level your child is at in writing there is a course placement tool to help you.   Each course is available for $99.00 and is 8 weeks long.

 

After you sign up for the course of your choice, your student works through the assignments.  They then submit their assignments to the teacher and they grade them.  You receive updates on how your student is doing half way through the course and also at the end.  At the end of the course you will receive a certificate.  You can take a tour of the program as well.

 

The Time4Writing website has other resources available to you as well.  If you are not 100% satisfied with the course you can select another one or cancel your membership within the first 14 days.

 

:::OUR THOUGHTS:::

The course we tried was Middle School Mechanics.  This is a basic course and gave me a good heads up on what my children need to really work on.  While this is a very good course, it just was not a good fit for our family.  Our children need more time to learn a particular subject.  There just wasn't enough time allowed for that learning.  This course is geared toward those who are pretty comfortable with writing (this is my opinion).  For example, proper sentence structure vs. fragment sentences.  Our children need more than a day or two before they start to comprehend a lesson.  There just isn't enough time allowed within the 8 weeks to fit that extra in.  That is why we enjoy homeschooling so much.  What works for one family might not work for another.  That includes what doesn't work for a family.  Please go to the Time4Writing website and look it over for yourself. 

 

You can also visit the Homeschool Crew's blog and see what the rest of my crewmates said.

 

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Homeschool review crew we were given a subscription free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.

 

Mr. Pipes and The British Hymn Makers

 

Popular author, Douglas Bond, has written 20 books geared toward both adults and children.  The series Mr. Pipes is a children's series for those in grades 7th through 10th grade.  This series introduces children to the background of the hymns we still sing today.  These stories cover church history, biographies of hymn writers.  Annie and Drew are two American children visiting their mother, who is working in England one summer.  The children meet, David McCallum, better known to the children as Mr.Pipes.  He gives them a summer to remember by taking them on a journey.

 

 

One of our favorite things to do as a family is learn the history of hymns.  We enjoy learning about where the writers were in their lives when they wrote the hymns.  This book was very enjoyable for all of us.  Sometimes when we read through the history of anything the kids tend to get a little bored.  But when a story has children around the same age the kids can relate to them.  This book is very well written.  It is easy for every type of learning style to understand. 

 

Some of the writers we read about were:

Thomas Ken

Isaac Watts

Charles Wesley

 

Also included in this study was a chapter on Scottish Hymn writers.  This is something that was near and dear to me, because my Grandfather was Scottish.  He loved hymns from all over.  He was always whistling hymns. 

 

The hymns are so profound.  I urge you to stop and just read the words.  Take the time to ponder what the writer is saying.  We will never just sing a hymn!  We will forever be reading the words to the hymns.

 

These books are quickly becoming a fast favorite of our family.  The books in this series from

 

Christian Liberty Press are:

Mr. Pipes and The British Hymn Makers

Mr. Pipes and Psalms and Hymns of Reformation

Mr. Pipes Comes to America

The Accidental Voyage

 

All of the books listed above can be purchased at the Christian Liberty Press website.  The cost is $8.79 for e-book and $9.89 for print.

 

You can also purchase the whole set for $38.99.

 

We are going to purchase the whole set when the budget allows.  These books will be a favorite of your family, I promise you that!!

 

If you want to see what the other Homeschool Crew members are saying go on over to the blog.

 

 Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Crew we were sent an PDF copy of this book free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Home Learning Weekly Wrap-Up

We have successfully finished our first week of homeschool.  It went very well. 

Monday~

This was a day of adjustment for us.  This is our first summer living right in the village.  We've been the hang out house since we moved in.  We politely told the children that we have started school and please don't come over until after 2pm.  This was at 9am.  Que the telephone at 9:45am...can I come over now?  Grrrr. 

Tuesday~

We ended up having a group study time.  As the saying goes...if you can't beat them join them.  So we gave the neighborhood children schoolwork to do.  LOL!  Today went very well!!

Wednesday~

We are getting our groove on now.  The kids got up at the assigned time and did their morning chores.  Then they hit the books.  We are in the middle of review right now, so it's pretty easy.  We are focusing on a lot of reading this year.  Our main curriculum is called "Prairie Primer".  This utilizes all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.  We started this when we started homeschooling, but never finished.

Thursday~

Finished up our assignments.  The kids had their spelling tests and did very well.  Next week we start "Little House in the Big Woods".  We will being doing a lot this week.  Saturday is Laura Ingalls Wilder Day at the Genesee Country Village and Museum!  So we will be learning and doing many of the activities we will learn about this year.

King Alfred's English~TOS Review

King Alfred's English: A History of the Language we Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We Do written by Laurie J. White was written to bring the history of our English language to children in grades 7th thru 12th. 

Have you ever been reading something and wondered where the word came from.  I've often wondered where a certain word came from.  I've also wondered why we say the certain things we say.  This book has answered many of our questions and much much more. 

Laurie also has a website The Shorter Word, where I found so much information.   For the teacher I found worksheets, tests and extra resources.  I really enjoyed this section.  I've mentioned before that I like curriculum where the work is done for me.  I just don't have the time to do the lesson plans.  There is also a section just for the students.  Here you will find images, articles, resources and videos related to each chapter.  Everything is right there on her website.  It is very easy to find what we needed.

We are really enjoying this book.  I honestly thought it was going to be a boring book.  But the minute I opened the cover I was hooked.  Then there was the task of getting the kids excited about it.  The worksheets really did help us out a lot.  Which is really surprising to me!  Most of the time our kids would rather go to the dentist than do a worksheet.  We are going to go through her movie selections as well.  I just need some more time to make sure they are appropriate for our family.

If you are interested in learning more about this book the table of contents can be found at Laurie's website.

If you want to purchase this book you can purchase it in many different places.

The Shorter Word~$16.95

Kindle~$5.95

Christian Book Distributor~$14.95

This is not only an English book but a history book as well.  If you want to see what my other crewmates are saying about it click on the banner below.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Review Crew we were sent this book free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are that of myself or my children.

Create Better Writers~TOS Review

Create Better Writers sent us 3 of their amazing ebooks for download.  So what is Create Better Writers?  They are a company that claims to make your K-12 student a better writer.  I have to tell you, writing is one of those things my kids complain about doing.  I hear everything from, "I'm tired", "my hand hurts", and they even go as far to say, "can I do math now?"  So you can only imagine how "thrilled" they were when I told them about this review.

So then I told them that this was more of a product for me!  Que the cheers from the crowd.  This is an ebook on how I (the teacher) should be teaching writing.  Teaching it so they understand it.   There is a whole ebook on how a homeschool parent should be teaching.  This is called "The Home School Writing Action Plan" $15.95.  I love this!  I am all about planning and putting that plan into action.

Sometimes as a homeschool parent I don't feel qualified enough to teach a certain subject.  Writing was not something I enjoyed.  So this ebook has been like having a personal professor in this area.  It was like he was speaking just to me.  This has given me the confidence I needed for this school year.

We were also sent the

How to Teach a Paragraph $7.99and

How to Teach the Five Paragraph Essay $17.95.

In just the short time we have been using this, I can see a huge difference in the way our children write.  This is all because I now know how I should be teaching this.  It's like a light bulb has gone on in my head.  At first I was a little upset, thinking I had wasted all this time teaching them wrong.  But I know that no time spent with my children is wasted time.  This has been a big success so far, I look forward to learning and growing with my children this year.  Thank you David Dye!

To see what my other crewmates are saying click on the banner.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew we were sent the 3 ebooks free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own or my children.

Schoolhouse Teachers.com~TOS Review

As homeschool parents we sometimes feel very inadequate...at least I do.  I often wish there were some kind of support and training available to me.  Well I don't have to look any further!  SchoolhouseTeachers.com is all that and more!

This website is the latest "baby" to come from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.   This site is full of things for homeschoolers in all stages of schooling.  This is written for homeschoolers by homeschoolers.

There is something for every grade, Kindergarten thru high school.   This website is jammed packed full of articles, lesson plans, lapbooking ideas, monthly reading lists, and resources for those with Special needs.  All of these things are reasons why I fell in love with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine 7 years ago when we started homeschooling.

So I'm going to take you through a tour of this website.

After I sign in I usually head right to the "Schoolhouse Dallies" tab.  This section has daily writing activities, this day in history, monthly menus and more!  It's great to just be able to go to the website and grab a quick lesson or two!! 

Then we come to "Schoolhouse Teachers" section.  Here we find lessons on every subject under the sun!  From history to science, careers to home ec and much much more!

With a membership you also get access to extras!  Like a subscription to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (current and back issues), monthly E-books, access to the Schoolhouse EXPO and ALL of the planners the magazine publishes!  That is over 800 pages of planner goodness!  I love these planners.

Then we come to "Schoolhouse Library".  This is where you find yet MORE information.  Things like copybooks, homeschooling articles, monthly themes, reading lists and SO much more.

You can take a virtual tour through the website by going HERE.

Schoolhouse Teachers is available for $1 for the first month!  Less than a cup of coffee!!  Each month after that is $5.95.

Click on the banner below to see what my crewmates are saying.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Homeschool Review Crew we were given a membership to Schoolhouse Teachers.com in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Mastering Essential Math Skills~TOS Review

Math Essentials was developed by Rick Fisher.  This was taken right off their website, " Rick has developed a highly functional, successful mathematics teaching system that produces amazing results. Results that he shares in his books, Mastering Essential Math Skills in both elementary and middle grades versions."

As a member of the TOS Review Crew we were given the choice of his books.  The book we chose was:

Mastering Essential Math Skills: Book 1

Grades 4-5

This book is more that just a math book.  It is more of a systematic approach to teaching math.  Each lesson has 5 parts to it:

(1) two speed drills

(2) review exercises

(3) teacher tips

(4) new material

(5) daily word problems

In the particular book we chose there are chapters covering:

whole numbers

fractions

decimals

ratios, proportions, percent

geometry

number theory and algebra

integers

charts and graphs

probability and statistics

word problems

review

Included with the book is a DVD.  This was very, I mean very well done!!  We used this during the review period with each of our children.  Our daughters are delayed in math.  Rick's teaching approach was so easy for them to understand.  There was not a bunch of bells and whistles.  Meaning it was just a white board with the problem on it.  Something that really makes it difficult for our daughters to concentrate, is a page full of numbers.  Our son on the other hand really likes math and is right on track with it.  He enjoyed it as well, because he could work at his own pace and not feel rushed.  Or if a section was easier for him, he could move quicker through it.

I love the DVD teaching!  If one of our children was having trouble with one problem or section they could just watch it again.   Other DVD curriculum have really been out of our price range.  This course is very inexpensive for what you get.

Mastering Essential Math Skills: Book 1

Purchase as a set for $33.95 (Book and DVD)

Purchase separately for $15.95 (Book) and $24.95 (DVD)

You can read the Table of Contents HERE.

You can view sample pages HERE.

We are going to continue with this for our math program this year.  We are going to order 2 more workbooks to get us through the school year. 

When you hear from your daughter "just one more pleeeeease???" And she isn't talking about a cookie, it is a VERY good day!!

I LOVE this program so much I can't wait to introduce this to our fellow homeschoolers!!

We were also given a choice of another one of their products.  We chose Mastering Essential Math Skills: Fractions.  We have not really had a chance to go through this.  But it looks really good at first glance.  There is no DVD with the fractions book.  This book sells for $11.95.  You can see more information about it on their website.

Like always, don't just take my word for it.  Click on the banner below to see what my fellow crew members are saying.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS I was given this product free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are that of myself or my children.

IXL~Math~TOS Review

IXL.com is a great online website for your students (Grades Pre-K through Algebra) to get in some extra math practice.  As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew we were given a subscription for up to 3 children.

IXL.com is easily adaptable to use with any math curriculum.  This curriculum is so easy to use, anyone can use this website.  All it takes is a few minutes to get it set up and away you go.  One of my favorites is that it's a website, so there is nothing to install.  Not only will children learn math facts, they will learn how fun it can be.

As my children worked their way through the lessons they earned virtual awards.  We loved the charts, the kids could actually see their progress.  Math is all about practice, practice, practice.  Math is one area my kids will kick and scream about.  Especially if they think it will take a lot of time.  That is what I've loved about IXL.com.  They can work as long or as little as they want. 

Once a week I would get progress reports on how my kids are doing.  It also has been very helpful in planning for next year.  I can see where the kids need more work and those areas they are doing very well in.

There is nothing shameful about your children needing more practice in math.  It took me many years to stop questioning myself and my ability to educate our children at home.  Every child learns at a different pace.  IXL.com definitely gave our kids the confidence they need to succeed at math.  Math is no longer a bad word in our house.  Our children really struggle with math.  IXL.com has really come to the rescue for our family.  Our children enjoy the bright colors, easy operation and fun they have in practicing math.

To sign up you can go HERE and visit their website.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Homeschool Review Crew we were given a family subscription free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are those of myself or my children.

Dive Into Your Imagination~TOS Review

Dive into your Imagination was created by Anne Crawley or as she is known on the videos as "Ocean Annie". 

Ocean Annie has changed the way people look and think about the Ocean.  She has worked and lived around the ocean for many years.  She has worked as a scuba instructor, sailor, underwater photographer and cinematographer.  With all of that experience she has started her own company, Dive Into Your Imagination.  Here you will find a number of great resources to better your understanding of the ocean and the animals that live there. 

One of the products available are the wonderful DVD's that are aimed at preschool and elementary age children.  These DVD's are full of beautiful photography, colorful sea creatures.  Members of TOS Review Crew were sent one of the following DVD's:

What Makes a Fish a Fish?

Who Lives in the Sea?

Dive into Diversity.

The DVD's are about 35-45 minutes in length.  Each contain 8 different tracts and bonus features.  Each DVD includes an Educator's guide.  There are two different age groups for each as well.  You get PreK/K and grades 1-3.  They feature background information, activities including, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies and Science.

You can purchase the DVD's at the Dive Into Your Imagaination website. 

Each DVD sells for $19.95.

As a member of the TOS Crew we were sent the DVD:

What Makes a Fish a Fish?

We were also sent a lesson plan to go along with the DVD.  Let me tell you it was not just a couple of pages...it was over 300 pages of teaching tips, worksheets and more.

Although the DVD's are made for younger children our daughter Hannah loved it.  She has been asking to do more of the worksheets that go along with it.  The DVD's spoke her language.  I've mentioned before that she has many learning disabilities and learns differently than most children.  Just getting her interested in the ocean was a success in our book.  So don't let the age deter you from looking into these DVD's for your children.  If you have been looking for an interesting way to get your student interested in science these are the way to go.

To see what other crew mates are saying go on over to the Homeschool Crew blog.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS review crew we were sent the above DVD free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are that of me or my children.

Heritage History~TOS Review

Heritage History CD's sell for:

$24.99 individually

$99.99 for the entire 5 volume set.  A $25 savings.

Heritage History has put together an amazing set of historical books.  Each collection has a time era of study.  These CD's will give your student a well rounded history education that begins in 4th grade and goes all through High School. 

The titles offered are:

British Empire

British Middle Ages

Ancient Rome

Ancient Greece

Young Readers

As a member of TOS Review Crew we were given the choice of one.  The one we chose was British Empire.  We loved this review product!  This was the first time we had ever heard of Heritage History.  We have fallen in love with them.  Not only do you get the CD, but you can put all the books onto any electronic divice.  But do not get rid of the CD!!  There is a ton of materials on the CD.   Including instructions on how to put the materials on your electronic divice.  This is something I was VERY thankful for!! 

Not only did we have access to 57 books...but we had access to 50 plus maps!!  I don't know about you, but maps bring the story to life for our kids.  They are able to see exactly where the story is taking place.  They even included a curriculum guide for a years planning.  We loved the stories.  Everyone was engaged in the stories.  Taking turns reading the stories.  It gave us a great love for this time period.  We are looking forward to getting more.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS review crew we were sent a CD free in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are that of myself or my children.

To see what my other crewmates are saying go on over to the Homeschool Crew Blog.

Write Shop~TOS Review

Write Shop is a writing program for Kindergarten thru High School.  The programs walk your student step by step through the writing process.  Write Shop is not a complete language arts program but it does offer added help with vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and spelling. 

The lessons will teach the student the four most common kinds of writing:

Descriptive

Informative

Narrative

Persuasive

Each lesson uses:

Brainstorming

Writing

Editing

Revising

The above building block list teaches the student the steps for writing. 

The teachers manual is the heart of the program.  This is where you will find the best ways to teach writing to your student.

Write Shop can be purchased directly through their website.  Products offered are both e-books and print copies.  Prices are between $4.50 - $39.95 it all depends on what you purchase.

As a member of the Crew we were able to pick one level to review.  The level we chose was:

Write Shop Junior (Book D)

Our children do not like to write.  When I even mention the word all we hear is groans and moans.  We have been homeschooling now for 6 years.  Never have we found a writing curriculum our children liked.  I must admit it did take our children a couple of days to get into writing.  This program really made it fun.  It wasn't the same old boring writing.  I had trouble keeping up with them.

What I liked the most was that there wasn't a lot of teacher preparation for the lessons.  When I read that the teacher manual was the heart of the program it really scared me.  I immediately thought I was going to have to spend a lot of time preparing the lesson.  That was not the case at all.  Everything is laid out for you (the teacher). 

We are putting this on our schedule for next year.  The "Fold-n-Go" folders are the favorite activity in the lessons.  By the end of the book the children will have 10 of these.  They are put into file folders where they can open them up at anytime to review.

I could go on and on about this curriculum!!  It is by far one of our favorites.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Review Crew we received a free download of this product in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are those of me or my children.

To see what my other crew mates are saying go on over to the Homeschool Crew blog.

CapJaxMathFax~TOS Review

CapJaxMathFax is a computer program to help students with math drills and practice.  The teacher can set up parameters for the students.  There are nine levels for addition and subtraction as well as ten levels for multiplication and division.  The teacher can set the amount of math questions that is asked in each session.

No longer does the teacher have to set up math drills.  All the work is done for you.  As the student completes the levels they earn badges.

It is suggested to start the student at a lower level and let them work their way through.  This not only allows them to become familiar with the program, but gives them the confidence in math. 

CapJaxMathFax is available via download for $29.95.

Visit CapJaxMathFax on YouTube for fun math videos.

You can use this with any age group that needs more work on their math facts.

Our thoughts:

At first try I wasn't real impressed with this program.   It seemed too fast for our children.  Until I realized we could turn the timer off.  Also, the program adjusts itself to the child's skill level.  Our daughter has a lot of trouble with her math facts.  She also has trouble with her keyboard skills.  This was stressing her out.  She was getting frustrated at not being able to play the game.  But over the last couple of months she was actually able to successfully complete the game.  As she completed the different levels, she became more confident in her abilities. 

I really wish the screen had just the math problem on it.   The screen shot is pictured above.  This was one complaint our daughter had.  She has learning disabilities, so screens and papers with a lot of items on it makes it hard for her.  That is really my only complaint with this program.

To see what my other crew mates had to say about this program visit TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer~As a member of TOS Crew, I was given a free download of this program in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are those of me or my children.