Tuesday, February 14, 2012

TOS Review: ALEKS

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ALEKS, which stands for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces, is a comprehensive, online math program that will assess and teach your child in every aspect of their mathematical education at the level they should be. It is a great way of finding out where your child is in their mathematical skills, comparing them with your state's standards. While I typically don't concern myself with these types of comparisons, it was a nice way to determine how my students stacked up with other students their age.

When beginning this program, each student is given a mathematical assessment test. WARNING: THIS TEST IS LONG, INTENSIVE, AND BORING! (basically Connor's words ;D) However, the information provided by this assessment is essential in placing your child where they should be for the remainder of time you are using this program. The assessment consists of about 60 questions pertaining to all math subjects your state requires public school students to know upon completion of their grade. So it's important to remember that if you are just beginning the school year, or are only half-way through, you should not expect your student to have mastery of all subjects.

My favorite part of the assessment is the fact that ALEKS lets your student work on what they already know, and pass on topics they are not familiar with. If they come to a question they have never seen, they click the button, "I haven't learned this yet." I loved that - there was no blind guessing! Once the assessment is finished, the student receives their pie.

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This chart is broken into a number of pieces representing the different math subjects. Inside each pie, you will see a shaded area that represents the percentage of mastery your student has. For example, in the above graphic there are 62 areas of geometry to be covered at this grade level. The student has mastered 20 of the 62 geometry topics. The pie lets the student see, on a regular basis, what progress he has made. Connor absolutely loves seeing his pie get filled in - it is very satisfying to him.

The great thing about this learning method is twofold.

1) The student gets to choose which topic they work on each day. I required Connor to work on 3 different topics - they could be review or new information - but he chose which topics he would work on. There is also a review page, showing you what they've covered in the past. I required him to review 3 topics every Friday.

2) When the student comes to a new topic, they will hit the button EXPLAIN. They will be taken to a new screen that will teach them how to solve the problem (ie: finding mode and range). They will learn the definition of each process, and they will be taken through a sample problem step-by-step.

"I really like ALEKS," Connor told me. "It's annoying when I don't know how to do a new problem, but I like that it teaches me how to do each new problem. Then I get to see how much I have learned with my pie. And I like working on the computer instead of in a book. It's pretty cool."

As for the parent/teacher, there is so much to this site. You have a master account homepage that lets you check on each student's progress whenever you like. You can set up how often you want them reevaluated, check on how often they are logging in, how much time they spend on each lesson, and a great breakdown of their assessment tests.

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I was very impressed with ALEKS. I liked seeing Connor learn a new topic every day and see him progress through many different concepts in such a short time. There were some great things about this program, but there were also a few things I didn't care for.

First, some of the tools were a little touchy. You have to use an electronic ruler, protractor, and such. Sometimes I would be certain Connor had done a problem correctly, and the computer would say he hadn't. I know it was because he didn't click the button correctly or something minor.

Another thing that concerned me was what ALEKS considered a level of mastery. There were some topics that were considered mastered after getting 3 questions in a row correct. Now in some cases, I would agree that he grasped the concept that quickly and was ready to move on. But sometimes, I believed he definitely needed more practice in a certain area. That is why I required a review day every week.

Subscriptions are available for $19.95 a month, $99.95 for 6 months of access, or $179.95 for 12 months. For families with more than one child, discount pricing is available. However, as much as I liked the program, I'm afraid that it is well over our price range for one school subject. Try it for yourself, though, and see what you think. They are offering my readers a FREE 2 month trial. You and your family may consider it a great value! Click on the button below.

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*Don't just take my word for it! Check out some of my fellow TOS Crew Members' reviews HERE.

**Disclaimer: I received this product via TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review; all opinions stated are mine or my children's.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

TOS Review: See N Spell

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See-N-Read's newest product, See-N-Spell ($9.99), is a 40-page reference guide recommended for anyone Grade 4 or above who needs a little assistance in the spelling department. It is a helpful tool to a student writing reports, practicing creative writing or any other independent writing assignment.

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See-N-Spell is arranged alphabetically, then each letter page is broken down into parts of speech. There are three sections to the guide: 1) Most Commonly Used Words,2) Most Commonly Misspelled Words and 3) My Special Interest Words. The manual is easy to use and holds over 300 of the most commonly used English words.

My oldest is not a confident speller; because of this, he often is hesitant to do independent writing assignments. Needless to say, he wasn't happy when I assigned a few extra this week! :) However, I handed him the See-N-Spell manual, and he was interested. He asked me once or twice what letter a word started with, but that was all he wanted me to tell him. :) He seemed much more confident when turning in his papers this week, and I am sure it was because he wasn't having to ask me for so much help. It proved to him that he could do the work, and it really didn't have to be so intimidating. That made this momma pretty pleased!

See-N-Read also sent us their handy dandy reading tool ($2.99). The See-N-Read is a reading device that is designed to help readers see, focus and remember what they read. It helps readers reduce word- and line-skipping, and it improves reading fluency and comprehension. Now this, Connor is absolutely loving!

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He told me just this morning how much quicker he feels like he is reading. He just started a new book on Monday, and he has already read 80 pages. He said he didn't lose his place as often, and it helps him focus on the words much better. Wow - I can't think of a better selling point than that! Check out their other great products here.

*Don't just take my word for it! Check out some of my fellow TOS Crew Members' reviews HERE.

**Disclaimer: I received this product via TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review; all opinions stated are mine or my children's.

Doomsday Preppers: What's your take?








So the husband has a new favorite tv show - "Doomsday Preppers" on NatGeo channel. Oh, my, what on earth??? I mean, I have a lot of friends who believe and practice preparedness. But these people are on a whole different level!

I have always believed in keeping a well-stocked pantry. I want our children to have the skills to hunt, garden, and live off the land. I want them able to defend themselves and our family (we enjoy martial arts, gun safety and training, boy/girl scouts). But some of these people really have me wondering...

We took a trip to Surplus City today, one of the hubby's favorite stores. He "SAID" we were looking for paintball gear, but the next thing I know, he's talking about making "Bugout bags" for each of the kids for Christmas! wow...

I love that he is such a protective husband and dad. I respect his views on these kinds of things as well. But I sometimes think that people take it a little too far. Aren't we, as Christians, supposed to put other's needs before our own? And aren't we to depend on God to supply our needs and to trust Him in all things? I am not saying we shouldn't be prepared for a natural disaster or anything. But I feel very uncomfortable with the idea of teaching my kids to fend for themselves first - to the point of neglecting someone who has needs the same as or greater than our own. How does that match up to the teachings of our Savior?


Bomb shelters - I think I know what's on DH's wish list...






These people made their HOUSE out of traincars, then shot at it so as to see how secure it was...



I know I overthink things. It's one of my worst flaws. I know some of these people on this show have legitimate concerns...others are truly wackjobs. Regardless of their reasoning, they are all showing us that we may not be ready for the worst. But I'm wondering, how do some of you feel about this show? Where is the line between teaching preparedness and encouraging self-preservation to the detriment of others? And how do we balance these things with our Christian worldview? Is it even possible?

Monday, February 6, 2012

TOS Review: Math Rider

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Mastery of math facts are one of the necessary components for a student to excel in math, but often drilling can be the thing your child struggles with most. So when I heard about Math Rider, a math facts program that ensures to keep your child engaged and excited, I had to try it out.

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Math Rider takes your child on an adventure through mystical lands where they discover elves, magicians and princesses - all while mastering their math facts. You can help them choose between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There are different levels to challenge the younger and older students, containing all facts from 0 to 12. After each level, you can assess your child's mastery. Their charts are set up to show the facts they have mastered in green, ones that are not completely mastered in yellow, and those that need reviewed in red. It gave my children great satisfaction to see their multi-colored chart grow more green with every level.

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When the adventure begins, the character - along with his trusty horse - will be journeying through a land without much scenery. But as they continue and more math facts are mastered, the background/scenery changes and gets more interesting. This is a good way to keep the kids going, because they have no idea what will pop up on their screen next. Every time they get a problem right, the horse jumps a fence. The quicker they are at their typing, the faster the fences appear. Each time a fact is missed, the screen freezes. The problem flashes on the screen, a voice says it out loud, and the answer appears as well. I found this was a great tool for the kids to say the fact out loud and retain it for the next round.

My kids really enjoyed Math Rider. One thing we were disappointed in was the limited amount of story lines. We assumed that when we mastered one set of facts, we would get a new adventure. However, that was not the case. There are only four story lines, one each for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. While the kids were disappointed with that, they still liked seeing their times get better and their achievements be recorded on their charts.

If your child is struggling with their times tables, or any of their math facts, Math Rider could be the program for you. Try it now for a 7 day free trial. For only $37, you will be getting training on all math facts for less than the cost of two hours of professional tutoring. Attention: The price of MathRider is scheduled to increase back to $47 on February 15. It's a great time to buy and see your children succeed in math. To lock in the sale price by February 15, click here. To see if the software will work with your computer, click here.

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*Don't just take my word for it! Check out some of my fellow TOS Crew Members' reviews HERE.

**Disclaimer: I received this product via TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review; all opinions stated are mine or my children's.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

TOS Review: Kinderbach

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Has your young child ever expressed an interest in music? Have you ever heard that learning musical instruments at a young age will help your child in all areas of academics? Have you ever wanted your child to learn an instrument, but felt totally incapable? If you answered yes to any of these questions (or in my case, ALL), then you must check out Kinderbach!

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When homeschooling, you are faced with numerous activities and opportunities for your children. Unfortunately, there is not always enough time, energy or money to make them all work. It often seems that Caleb (my 3 year old) and Canon (my 7 year old) are spectators in the extra curriculars we participate in, or encouraged to try something that the older two are already in. It doesn't always happen that they get to choose something just right for them. That's why I was so excited to be able to review Kinderbach.

Piano Lessons with KinderBach use playful characters to teach note reading, rhythm, singing, and composition. It is geared for children ages 3-7 and gives a solid foundation for all these areas. There are over 240 video lessons, all arranged in a sequential order, that build on one another to keep the child engaged and retention levels high. The ease of the lessons just thrilled me. All I had to do was bring up the site, click on the lesson Caleb was ready for, and let the video play. Or, if it's more to your liking, you can buy all the lessons on DVD. Either way, you couldn't ask for a better deal for someone like me who doesn't have any training in piano.

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Caleb absolutely loves Kinderbach! He would beg for his Kinderbach lessons, and he would often want to do several each day. It was his time to play school, and to have a chance to do something right on his level with just the two of us. Canon enjoyed it a lot, too. He enjoyed the characters, especially Dodi and Frisco!

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The cost is great, too - especially when I have two in this age group that can share the program. Here is the breakdown of prices from the website:

* Access to all web lessons (over 240 sessions!) by computer, iPad, Android Tablet, Kindle Fire or Nook.

* Accompanying downloaded PDF activity pages
$7.99 a month - Billed in a one time annual payment of $95.88
(Great Value! Save 60%)

or

$19.99 monthly subscription - Billed monthly for a year
(12 separate payments)

*And there are tons of specials going on right now. For instance, check out this 40% off deal here. Plus, they have a 30-day, money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.

And don't think that you have to put a lot of money into a piano if you don't have one. These lessons work just fine with a child sized keyboard. Remember, these lessons are geared for 3-7 year olds, so the smaller keyboard is a great option. Caleb would bring his keyboard to the computer and follow along while the lesson played on the computer.

Overall, I think Kinderbach is a great program. The boys and I have enjoyed the time spent together, and I know they will move into the next phase of learning an instrument with confidence and ease, thanks to Kinderbach!



*Don't just take my word for it! Check out some of my fellow TOS Crew Members' reviews HERE.

**Disclaimer: I received this product via TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review; all opinions stated are mine or my children's.