101 Doodle Definitions is a Hit!

It is always so much fun to review for Timberdoodle Co!  I mean, have you seen their catalog?  They carry solid curriculum and so many fun "extras,"  we have a wish list a mile long and the boys are always adding to the list!

We recently had the opportunity to review 101 Doodle Definitions which is part of the 5th Grade Curriculum Kit but can also be purchased separately.  This cute little book packs a punch with learning vocabulary.  There are 101 vocabulary words presented, hence the name, that are often found on tests.  With a word on each page, the student is given the part of speech, definition, and a sample sentence of how the word could be used.

After that there is a picture to correspond with the word, and step by step instructions on how to draw the picture.  A space is provided on each page for your drawing.  The concept is ingenious- "Don't just memorize, visualize."  By using the first letter of the word as the first step in the picture, the picture is then completed in about 3 to 6 additional steps.

Here is an example-

bombast(noun)- exaggerated speech that sounds like more than it actually means.

You begin by drawing a lower case b and then continue from there.

Pretty cool, huh?!

So how have we been using this?
As always, the timing was perfect for this review as we were stuck in an AirBNB for 3 months awaiting our move and had not brought enough school work to keep us busy!  When 101 Doodle Definitions showed up, we stared immediately with my 6th grade son.

Each day we would cover two words, reading through the word, part of speech, definition and sample sentence.  Then we would take turns trying to draw the word picture.  Of course, that usually turned into Colby drawing it while I looked on! ;)

An unexpected blessing is that he got so excited about learning new words and definitions that we began to quiz the family each night to see who else knew the definitions.  Colby takes great joy in knowing words the rest of the family does not, such as Bombast!

To make it even more fun, there was a large mirror behind the kitchen table at the house we were staying at, so we began to draw the words on the mirror in the evening to show everyone what we had learned that day.  Now that we are in our new house, it is back to a white board, but still fun.

 I LOVE this book and the way it teaches.  Let's face it, when learning is fun, more knowledge is often attained.  In addition for all those visual learners out there, me included, this is a great way to make learning easier.  While I think 5th graders and up are probably the best bet for this book, if you have a kiddo who loves art or is a lover of words, I am betting they would do just fine with 101 Doodle Definitions.  You may have to help them with pronunciation occasionally, as some of the words are not commonly heard ones.

This would also be a great way for an older teen to review vocabulary before an ACT or SAT test.  You just never know what words will show up on those things!

Be sure to check 101 Doodle Definitions out, as well as all the other fun stuff you can find on Timberdoodle Co's website.  You won't be disappointed and I bet you can come up with a wish list just as long as mine!

Blessings!

Home Art Studio- Review

I am going to be honest and just tell you up front I am not an Art person.  I am not good at it, therefore I do not enjoy teaching it.  I also may have a slight neat freak thing going on, so lots of random (and sparkly) art supplies make be break into a cold sweat.

For the sake of one of latest reviews, you will be happy to know that I put my fears aside and forged ahead.  Of course it helped that the art program was taught by someone else.  All I had to do was pop in the DVD and cheer from the sidelines.  Yay me!

Yay Home Art Studio!  Home Art Studio, taught by art teacher Mrs. Lindsey Volin, is all about teaching children to "problem solve, think creatively, and truly see the world around them."  Mrs. Volin, a certified art teacher and mom to 2 boys, offers DVD instruction for Grades K-5th, each one focusing on a specific theme. She recommends doing one project per week to allow your students time to complete the task at their own rates.  Lesson plans are included and can be printed out for easy reference.  Though each lesson builds upon previous knowledge, they can be used as a stand alone lesson if you so desire.  Art project instruction covers various mediums from paint, to chalk, to modeling clay.  Mrs. Volin has conveniently teamed up with an art supplier that lists each of the supplies needed according to the grade you use, making it easy to obtain any art supplies you do not currently have.

Because I wanted to allow not only my rising 3rd grader to use the program, but also encourage his older brother to participate, we decided to review the 5th grade video.  I knew the theme is A Journey Under the Sea would at least spark some interest in the boys, who miss the beach!  I am also involved in a co op, and wanted to see if I felt we could use these videos for a class that has a broad age span of children.  There are 13 lessons in A JOurney Under the Sea that cover over an hour and a half of instruction time.

Here's what we found and loved!

Mrs. Volin is fun!  Her easy going attitude and her endless encouragement just make the class non threatening, even to those of us who are afraid of art! I loved that she encourages creativity and individuality.  We have run into the problem in previous art instruction that if "our" project did not look exactly like the teachers, then "we" were frustrated. Mrs. Volin mentions this very early on, encouraging children that everyone's project will look different, and even encourages them to use different colors and such if they so desire.

The projects are fun and easy to follow!  Directions are well presented and the projects vary enough to capture any child at some point.  Even though we were working three grade levels above Colby, he was able to participate with very little help from me.

Lesson on shading from light to dark

The supplies needed are not obnoxious!  Yes, I want my kids to have fun with art, but I will have to tell you, I do not have time to search for hard to find items.  Many of the items needed we already have, and with the supply lists already out together by Jerry’s Artarama, it makes life so much easier.

This program can be used my multiple ages.  My personal recommendation would be to buy a year in the middle of your ages group.  So, if you buy 3rd grade and want to use it for multiple ages, use it for 2-4th.  You CAN have younger students do projects at higher levels with some supervision, I just believe this is the best fit.

There are FREE lessons on the Home Art Studio website!  Not sure you are ready to take my word for it?  Go on line, choose a grade and try a project out.

The lessons are not too long.  Each lesson is about 15 minutes long from start to finish.  We did pause the video frequently to try out a technique or follow an instruction, but the shorter length helped my son not lose focus or get bored.  This shorter length also lends itself well to co op classes where your class time is more limited.

Mrs. Volin takes you outside the Art Studio!  Tucked within the actual art instruction are also great teaching moments of art history and fun as well.  In A Journey Under the Sea, students get to visit an artist's studio as well as an aquarium!

While we have thoroughly enjoyed A Journey Under the Sea, we are now eager to go back and get the 3rd grade volume for our upcoming school year.  With the theme, Be Creative, I think it will be right up Colby's alley!

In addition to the K-5th grade DVDs, Home Art Studio also carries a Holiday Arts and Crafts DVD.  Now through September 15, if you purchase 2 videos, Mrs. Volin will give you the Holiday Arts and Crafts one for free!

*I received a free copy of A Journey Through the Sea in exchange for an honest review of the product.  All opinions are mine!

Blessings,

2012-2013 Year in Review

We are done with school!  Well, as done as one can be when you school year round.  But we ARE done with the lessons for the "school year".  This is our week off and then the following week we will plunge back in the with our summer schedule.

Summer usually consists of math and reading, plus a few child specific subjects on a much lighter schedule.  For the youngest it will be mostly reading, for the 5th grader we will add typing and the 9th grader will be studying for the biology CLEP test.  We also have a few fun TOS Reviews in the works that I am very excited about.  In the middle of all that we have to move, set up a house, and work on our summer bucket list!

For now, I am taking a breath and thinking back on our year.  It has been a good one.  CJ learned to read like a champ and settled into '"real" school better than I anticipated.  SCP finished 5th grade with a  happy heart.  That is saying a lot for a 5th grade boy!  It was a much tougher year and one to ready him for much more independence next year.  He came through with flying colors.  The 9th grader did great!  9th grade is one of our favorite years to study with Sonlight and in addition she wrote her first novel.  Revision is one of the things she will be working on this summer, but it is done- all 19,000 words of it and I must say I am very proud of her.  I will talk about her school year in detail on Wednesday, but for now here is a review of our Kindergarten and 5th grade years...

Kindergarten

Scheduled-
-Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
-Saxon Kindergarten Math
-ABEKA 1st grade Science and History Readers
-Christian Liberty Press Workbooks

Our favorite review products-

PAL (IEW’s reading program)- I am CONVINCED this is what has made my son such a strong reader!  He learned quickly and loved every minute of this program.  He developed a love of reading early and I could not recommend this product enough.  Yes, it requires some set up time, but it is worth every minute.

Phonics and Reading with McGuffey – As you have heard me say before, I did not think I would encourage iPad apps.  I changed my mind.  We are still using this app almost daily and I still say if you only buy one app this year for your beginner reader, BUY THIS ONE!

ABeCeDarian- This program has taken us to the next level of reading.  Though completely different from PAL, it appealed to my son as well and challenged him to the next level.  We will continue to use it!

Touch Math- This program came to us right as we were finishing up our scheduled Math.  It was a great transition for us.  It got challenging pretty quickly, but with the help of the software you can buy, it is still a favorite.  Because we reviewed 1st grade, we will be able to continue using it in our new school year.  Hands on curriculum works for us!

Song School Spanish-  LOVE LOVE LOVE!  Catchy songs, puppets and easy games kept us having fun.  Short manageable lessons for the younger grades make learning fun and not a chore.  While my son was familiar with most of the vocabulary in the book (he was born in Guatemala, remember) this program allowed him to use Spanish with no reservations or fear.  The songs alone are worth the price!

Speekee TV- This silly little pur9ople guy won our hearts and CJ could watch those videos all day if you let him.  They are finishing up production of a new set and we cannot wait.  Again, a natural way for younger children to love and learn Spanish!

5th Grade

Scheduled-
-Sonlight- Reading, History, Bible
-NOEO Science
-Spelling Power
-Teaching Textbooks

Our favorite review products-

Apologia’s Who Is God? Bible Study-  We were able to review the third book in this series and loved it, so we decided to go back and start at the beginning.  I would recommend using the four for 5-8th  grade!

Computer Science for Kids- This is one my husband and son do together, but I love watching them.  It is fun to see the two guys work together and get excited about things I will never understand!

Spanish for You!- We are currently using this one and it is my new favorite Spanish program for 3rd-8th grade levels.  Easy to use, affordable and great audio tracks!

Essentials in Writing- Honestly, writing is NOT my son’s thing.  He does not enjoy it and therefore it is not fun to teach him.  I was blessed by this program because by video, someone else was teaching him and took the pressure off me.  I love the smaller, more manageable lessons and I love that my son got to have a male for a teacher for a change.

The Pilgrim Story and Sacagawea, - Two different approaches, but GREAT History!  These are at the top of my son’s list for sure!

There were many other products we reviewed that we liked and once again I am reminded of how blessed I am to be a part of such an amazing group of men and women who love what they do.

I am also reminded of how thankful I am to be able to homeschool my kiddos.  Every minute may not always be fun, but every minute is always filled with love.

See you back on Wednesday to talk about HIGH SCHOOL!

 Blessings,

This post is linked with Amy at Raising Arrows!
We  are also linked up at Hearts for Home blog hop!

We are also linked up with The Homeschool Village Blog Hop!

TOS CREW Review- A Journey Through Learning

A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks is a delightful company created and owned by two best friends, Paula and Nancy.  Started on a whim to fill in the gap of much needed hands on materials for their own children, this company has since grown to include lapbooks, notebooking pages, copywork practice sheets and unit studies that support Apologia, Veggie Tales, Truth Quest History and more.  Between the $1.00 Quick lapbooks, a $5.00 lapbook of the month, and tons of amazing, reasonably priced lapbooks and unit studies, you can teach your children for years to come! 






For the past four weeks we have had the privilege to review FOUR of A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks using the downloadable versions.  The downloads are easy to use. Just download the product you chose, copy the pages on white or colored paper and go! New to lapbooking? You will need two to three file folders to make each lapbook. All it takes is a few easy folds, which are illustrated in the printed material for those who need a little guidance.

What we received-

Letters, Numbers and Shapes is intended for early learners.  This lapbook includes letter and number recognition, counting and shapes.

  Instant download-$13.00

  Printed-$20.00

  CD-$14.00

  Assembled-29.00

 

The Earth, a lapbook for grades 1st-4th, covers the Earth- from the layers of the earth to the layers to the atmosphere to everything in between.

  Instant download-$13.00

  Printed-$21.00

 

Knights and Castles, our favorite lapbook, is for grades 2nd-7th.  Here you will learn about the middle ages, and the knights that lived them.  From what they wore, to the weapons they carried, your child will soon want to become a knight!

  Instant download-$13.00

  CD-$14.00

  Printed- $21.00

 

Astronomy and Space Unit Study is a little different as it is not an actual cut and paste lapbook.  Instead it is a unit study intended for grades 2nd-7th, including sections to read followed by questions to answer.

  Instant download-$13.00

  Printed-$21.00

  CD-$14.00

 

How we used these products-

I was not sure we would use the Letters, Numbers and Shapes once we got the downloads, but since CJ had never done a lapbook before and because he wanted to do one like his older brother, we jumped in.  I am so glad we did!  Though he is on the upper age limit for this particular lapbook, we had such fun with it.  Each page provided an extra opportunity for him to review concepts he already knew, but they also gave him the opportunity to practice his cutting, gluing and coloring skills.  No small thing for a 5 year old BOY! 

One of the fun things about these lapbooks is that they come with several additional resources.  For Letters, Numbers and Shapes there were finger plays,  game suggestions and other related activities, recommended book lists and an A-Z list of things to do with each letter.

 

How do I know he liked it?  Once he was finished, he wanted to show everyone!  Now that we are done, he pulls it out frequently to look through it by himself.

 

For my 11year old son, currently a 5th grader, we tried out the Knights and Castles lapbook as well as The Earth.  Because of the higher levels these lapbooks are presented a little differently.  Each day you have a page or so to read teaching you the lesson for the day.  Then the child notebooks the facts learned into various little books which they will then cut out, assemble and glue into their lapbooks.  I love notebooking, but have found in the past that it can intimidate my son.  He just seems to look at a large piece of notebook paper and freeze up.  By having a smaller scale "book" to write in, he was more easily engaged and complained a lot less!  Yea!  The Knights and Castles Lapbook was, by far, his favorite, but we enjoyed doing both.  I even noticed that he had pulled out many of his knights books in his room once we began this study.  There is no doubt that the lapbook fostered a desire to know more and therefore could be used easily in a unit study.  Included also in these lapbooks are additional book lists and resource guides as well as additional activities to do to take your learning to the next level. 

Now that we have completed the first three lapbooks we have decided to continue on, starting today, with the Astronomy and Space unit study.  Again, I just printed out the study but this time bound it so it would be easy to use in a book form.  Why do I love this study already?  The very first thing you will see when you start is Genesis 1 quoted and then copy work using Genesis 1:2!  Trust me from experience when I tell you that finding a science program of any kind that teaches Creation is hard!  I was thrilled to find it in a unit study!  From the first lesson, your child will read a section of information and then answer a few questions about what they learned.  Some readings are followed by a fun activity such as making a diorama of outer space or making Sun S'mores.  Throughout the study are underlined vocabulary words that can be defined in the back pages of your study, resulting in your own little space dictionary.  There is also a book report template, with versions of it for older children as well as younger children.



So what do we think?
We have done a few lapbooks in the past with my two older girls, and quite honestly, I was not sold on the concept.  But, hey, a girl can change her mind, right?  I love this company!  I love their lapbooks!  I love that they have ones to go with holidays, historical events and other popular homeschool companies.  For my girls, I think we got to caught up in the artsy side of things and got distracted from the learning.  But this time around I found that the lapbooking helped my boys focus in on the lesson and what I was reading to them.  The smaller scale of notebooking in the mini books intimidated them less and allowed them to really enjoy what they were learning.  The cutting and pasting even encouraged them to slow down and pay attention to what they were doing!  The only complaint my oldest son had was that he thought the pictures on the mini books were a bit babyish for his age group. We would have loved to have seen more museum quality pictures, rather than cartoon type ones.

Will we do more?  You bet!  I already have a growing list of the ones next on our agenda!


   
 

CREW REVIEW- The Essentials of Writing

  Essentials in Writing is a complete language arts curriculum, with an emphasis on composition, taught by former teacher, now homeschooling father, Matthew Stephens.  Offering levels from first to twelfth  grade, we had the opportunity to review the 5th grade level which includes 2 lesson CDs. With each level you order, an email will be sent to you with a PDF file for access to the printable workbook.  If you prefer you can order a pre-printed workbook instead.  Essentials in Writing is divided into two pretty distinct parts, the first 34 lessons concentrating on Grammar, and the following lessons focusing on the writing process.   This was an easy product to review.  Because of the CD format, you just pop it in and click the lesson you are on.  At this 5th grade level, each lesson is only a few minutes long so as not to overwhelm the student with too much information at once.  Following the lesson there is a corresponding worksheet for your student to complete.  Answer keys are included in the printable files.     For the purpose of the review we did a few sections of each part of the program.  The grammar part is pretty standard, with Mr. Stephens reviewing parts of speech and sentence structure.  These lessons are fairly short and on occasion we did several at one time.  Once we started into the writing portion of the program we did slow down to one lesson per day.  Each writing assignment is broken down into sections to include: Organizing Thoughts, Draft, Revising, and Edit/Publishing.  At the end of each writing assignment you will find a checklist to help your child and yourself as the teacher evaluate the work done.  Topics we encountered were-   Narratives Descriptive Writing Friendly Letters/Invitations Persuasive writing,  Comparing/Contrast Summary Writing Informational Reports (including how to write a Bibliography) Figurative Language and Poetry   While most can be completed in a week or so, the Informational Report is more detailed and thus will take more time to complete.    Our Thoughts- Unlike my older girls, my 5th grade son has not had the opportunity to do any classes with this type of video instruction with a teacher.  One of the things that drew me to the program, quite honestly, was that the teacher was a male.  I think that all too often our boys never get to see a male teacher, and I liked that Mr. Stephens provided us that opportunity.  The short lessons were a plus for us as they did not drag on and on.  With his humor and laid back approach to teaching, Mr. Stephens kept my 5th grader engaged and interested.  While writing is not his favorite nor his strength, he did do the lessons with minimal moaning, the persuasive paragraph being his favorite so far.  Each lesson is presented step by step with each step being modeled on a whiteboard, so you get that true classroom feel.  Mr. Stephens does interact with students, but you never see them.  Another part we liked about this program was the fact that the worksheets were self explanatory.  Often, my son and I worked together, but this is a program that could be done by a student at this age independently with no problems.  It is quite simple- watch the video lesson, complete the worksheet.   Negatives? Not really.  A few times "last year" was mentioned and I worried that we might be missing something, but never did we find that it hampered our ability to understand a concept.  Because my son is 11, I do think he could have easily kept up with the next grade level, especially in the grammar portion.  Make sure you review the topics covered in each level when making your grade choice.  If in doubt, I would say go to the higher level.   I have to say, for the low cost and comprehensive content, this is a writing program I anticipate us using for years to come!   Pricing- Essentials In Writing, 5th Grade- $40.00 Pre- printed workbook- $20.00         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.
 

CREW REVIEW- ARTistic Pursuits

ARTistic Pursuits is an everyday name amongst most homeschoolers.  I know why!  Their simple, but effective approach to teaching art makes it approachable to the average homeschool mom or dad. 

Let's face it, art intimidates a lot of people.  Art intimidates me!  And therefore, it is often conveniently by-passed in this family's day.  That is why I was so excited to have the opportunity to review the newest and expanded 3rd edition of ARTistic Pursuits, Elementary 4-5 Book 1, The Elements of Art and Composition.  Though written for 4th and 5th graders, we were able to use it for the 5 year old and 9th grader as well, a huge plus in my book.


Covering 16 Units, this book gives a good overview of not only the how to's of specific art concepts, but also exposes students to Master Works in American art.  Lessons include:
Space
Line and Shape
Texture
Form
Form Using Value
Local Value
Contrast
The Shapes of Natural Forms
Edges
Balance
Rhythm
Overlap
Depth
Proportion, the Face
Movement

                                                           

Each unit is divided into four lessons, making it easy to break into a four day schedule.  Day one introduces the topic and encourages the student to explore that area in their own world.  The second lesson focuses on American Art appreciation, introducing a selected art piece and artist and includes details about the time period.  The third  lesson focuses on technique, the real "how to's" and the last lesson is the final project day.  The schedule can be modified to fit each family's needs: if you do art only twice a week this book will take a year to complete.

How this worked for us:
Again, the target age for this particular book is fourth and fifth grade, but we invited the siblings to join in.  Four days a week we gathered at the kitchen table to read the lesson together and then proceeded with the assigned art project for that lesson.  My favorite part became at the end of the lesson when I would have each child show what they drew and then tell us about their picture. I loved doing this as a family, but want to note that a child in 4th or 5th grade could very easily read the lessons independently if you so chose. Obviously the concepts were above the head of the 5 year old, but perfect for the intended student.

Drawing Legos- what else?!

One of the things that worked out perfectly for us is the fact that my high school freshman is currently doing an separate art appreciation class.  Several times the subject of the week in ARTistic Pursuits was an artist she had read about.  It was fun for her to be able to then put her reading knowledge to the test with actual drawing practice using the same concepts used by the artist.  I am a firm believer that anytime you can add layers to teaching-the reading and the doing-true learning takes place.  Plus, in this case, it is just more fun!

Project from Unit two


What we loved about this program:

It is user friendly! Each lesson is clearly marked and self explanatory.

It can be used for multiple ages and levels. 

It includes Art Appreciation, while showing Master Works in American Art. 

Spiral bound, quality paper and simply beautiful! Hey, it's the little details that make a difference!

Reasonably priced.

Supply lists are given.  Most supplies can be easily found at your local stores if you decide to not buy the complete art kits from ARTistic Pursuits.

Our Bottom line-
We really are enjoying this program and will continue to use it to completion.  I am now also planning to order a new level each year to use with the kids, as I have seen that when the art is planned out for me, I am more likely to insert it into my day.  I would much rather have a well laid out, easy to follow curriculum than to be trying to plan random art activities, and boring ones at that, into my childrens' day.  Call me lazy...or just call me smart!  Either way, I highly recommend ARTistic Pursuits!

Pricing-

Elementary 4-5 Book 1, The Elements of Art and Composition. $47.94

Complete Supply Kit $45.00

CREW members reviewed a variety of levels of this program.  Click on the banner below to read more reviews!

  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.

CREW Review- Math Made Easy!



Math Made Easy, created by Glenda Brown James, puts a whole new spin on learning math facts.

  A GOOD SPIN!

Children learn addition and multiplication facts without counting on their fingers.

Mastery of facts in 6 weeks.

Only 36 facts to memorize!

Here are the basics:  Mrs. James explains that most kids know or can see quickly that they know the 0, 1, 10 and 11 facts! Show them how easy they are and get them excited about what they know already. Then show them how those facts are the same regardless of which number comes first! THEN, mark all of those facts off a fact chart and show them they only have 36 facts left to learn...6 a week for 6 weeks! 6 RANDOM facts. Each week, with the help of included fact cards, your child practices the facts out loud and then does a quick worksheet to solidify that learned knowledge. Each sheet is labeled for the week and day you are to do it. An organized, my kind of lady! Love her already! That's it! Repeat with week 2 through 6 - six new facts and the worksheets will also review the ones from the previous week. In addition, Mrs. James has included several games in the back of the book to cut out and use to further reinforce practice. OK, yes, my oldest son was a little old for this program, but I LOVED it anyway. Let me tell you why! He learned skip counting at the time he first learned his multiplication facts. A common way to teach. You know, 7, 14, 21, 28.... And he is pretty good at that. But, that is where his knowledge stopped. Ask him 7 x 8 and he has to stop and think or skip count his way to the answer. It may get him through during the normal day, though not efficiently, but it is a horrible problem when testing time comes! So he needed this practice! By teaching facts in a random order, it forced him to learn each fact again, non-dependent on the one before or after it in a number family. Viola! KNOWLEDGE!  We have already seen a HUGE improvement on not only his knowledge, but also his confidence. The worksheets have been understandably under his level as a 5th grader, but no doubt would be just fine for a child just learning their multiplication tables THIS WILL FOREVER CHANGE HOW I TEACH MULTIPLICATION! Really!  The next time around, I assure you we will be skipping the traditional lessons and using Math Made Easy for learning basic math facts!

 This Homeschool Multiplication Package can be ordered at Math Made Easy for $24.95.  Classroom editions are also available!

 To read what fellow CREW members had to say about this product as well as the addition version click on the banner below!

  Disclaimer:  We received a copy of Math Made Easy, Multiplication in exchange for our review.  Opinions expressed are our own, and were not influenced by the company in any way.