The Cow Queen

Yesterday's Classics eReaders

I remember that as a child I would watch movies that had the big mansion with the "library" in it. The books were floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. That always seemed like a fancy house.

We just had a bookshelf.

Do you have a library at your house? We do. Up until recently, it was also known as the "throne" room.

Then, we got Yesterday's Classics to review for The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. Yesterday's Classics sent us 225 (yes, 225!!!) ebooks to review. I think that would constitute a library.

Title: Yesterday's Classics

Vendor: Yesterday's Classics eReaders

Target Ages: ages 4+

Format: e-books

Price: ~~$149.95 in EPUB or Kindle format~~ --- On sale through May 31 for $99.00 -- the complete set of 225 eReaders

Now, I am not one for a lot of gadgets. I keep my calendar on the wall. My "To Do" list is a spiral notebook that usually gets lost amongst a bunch of other clutter.

Since I am not into gadgets, I didn't have an eReader device on which to read these files. However, through the great network of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I found that I could download FREE reading software and read these files on my computer.

This set of ebooks includes:

225 titles
with illustrations -- if the original book had quality illustrations, they are here
with table of contents -- not all ebooks have this
in 22 different genres -- including History, Nature, Reading, Poetry and more
without Digital Management Software -- you can use it on as many devices as you want
with ability to print some -- using certain eReader software on your computer
with email support -- who doesn't like that??!!

Find out more about this offer here. You can even download a sample book here (scroll way down to the blue box). While you are there, you'll notice there is a No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee!!!

The Queen's Assessment:

We really enjoyed these books. There were many that we could use in our history lessons this year. We will be learning about countries and cultures next year. These books will fit right in. I can already see that we will be using these through high school.

The Nature books were great for science this year and will be referred to in years to come. Upper level science books will definitely come back out again.

Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends are always a hit around here. Anything that makes books "cool" is always a plus with the prince. Legends usually fit the bill.

The Reader genre in this collection was great for the prince. He enjoys gadgets and really wants us to get an eReader device. After investigating some, I found that reading test scores are improving with students who use technology in learning. So, we may have to look into this more.

So, I don't have the big library with floor-to-ceiling books. But, I'm not complaining. All of these books are in one REALLY small stack, that can't be scattered around, and ... I don't have to dust all those shelves.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received the files for free with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Latin's Not So Tough -- Review

Title: Latin Curriculum -- Latin's Not So Tough!

Vendor: Greek 'n' Stuff

Target Ages: early elementary students, especially ages 6-7

Format: workbook, audio cd, and answer key
Price: The information that I received for review had a $32 retail value. Prices will vary based on levels and options chosen.

Greek 'n' Stuff provided Greek and Latin curriculum for review by The Homeschool Crew. We were fortunate enough to get the Latin's Not So Tough Level 2 curriculum. As the company wrote to me,

"Level 2 focuses on a thorough review of the Latin alphabet, diphthongs, and special consonant sounds (taught in level 1) followed by a core vocabulary of 50 Latin words."

We received the workbook, "Answers Only" Answer Key, and pronunciation CD.

The Queen's Assessment
I had some concerns about receiving this item for review. I thought the prince needed to have a better grasp of the English language before embarking on a foreign language ... just to avoid confusion of the two. I also thought it would add frustration to his learning day because we were starting with Level 2 and not Level 1.

Was I ever wrong!

The prince loved this curriculum. He often asked to do it before his other subjects.

The lessons started with a review of the Latin alphabet, diphthongs and special consonants. By lesson 5, we were learning Latin words! By lesson 7, my "puer" was calling
his dad an "agricola." (That would be my "boy" calling his dad a "farmer.")

The worksheets had matching, fill in the blanks, activities, and puzzles to re-inforce the new words and review the previously-learned words. You can see samples of the workbook pages here. The flashcards were really great for helping the prince to remember the Latin vocabulary words. He loved to see his stack of "correct" cards grow.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free trial of the program with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, April 29, 2011

See the Light Shine -- Review

Title: Art Class -- Volume 1

Vendor: See the Light Shine

Target Ages: Grade K - 8

Format: DVD
Price: $99.00 for the complete set of 9

For this review, we received Volume 1: Art Lessons 1-4 of the Art Class DVDs. This DVD was entitled "The Basics."

The DVD case tells us that

"Each lesson provides kids with progressive, hands-on tools to learn everything from basic art skills like perspective and shape before tackling tougher challenges and more advanced topics and techniques."

The first lesson was about the basic tools needed to draw.

The second lesson taught about the basic line and how lines are different.

The third lesson was on training your eyes and hands to work together to create contours.

The fourth lesson was on drawing what you see, not what you know. Just because you know a table has four legs, it doesn't mean you should show them all in your drawings.

The BONUS lesson was the chalk artist drawing a scene from another DVD from the same company.

The Queen's Assessment:
I really thought the prince and princess would enjoy this product. They have both been tapping into their creative sides for the past three or four months. They were really excited to see that we got an art video for review. We watched the promotional DVD together and they were ready to start!

For the first lesson, they followed along and assembled their tools. The second lesson involved drawing the contour of an apple. They tried drawing the apple during the video session. However, they didn't want to practice enough to perfect their skill. The princess drew some more apples, but not by using the instructions given. The prince just gave up all together.

I think that if your child is really interested in drawing and learning to draw better, this video may be helpful. For the child who likes to draw and just be creative in their own way, it may be challenging to do as the instructor says.

I really liked that the instructor wove Biblical messages into the lessons:

"FOR WE ARE GOD'S MASTERPIECE" Ephesians 2:10

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, April 22, 2011

Science Weekly -- Review

Title: Science Weekly

Vendor: CAM Publishing Group, Inc.

Target Ages: Grade K - 6

Format: hardcopy worksheets
Price: Individual Rate: 15 issues - $19.95 per student per year (less than 20 subscriptions)
Classroom Rate: 15 issues - $4.95 per student per year (minimum order 20 subscriptions)

From the Science Weekly website:

Science Weekly is a curriculum supplement that offers an interdisciplinary and inquiry approach to enhance teachers' knowledge and skills in teaching science and literacy.

Each issue of Science Weekly ascribes to the national science standards. Each topic is written at six reading levels (K–6) in diverse science content that provides the opportunity for students to exercise their curiosity about the world around them.

The Queen's Assessment:
We received a Composting edition of Science Weekly for this review. We received Levels Pre-A through Level E which correlates to Grades K-6. The princess completed lessons Pre-A and A. The prince did Levels B and C.

Each unit had age-appropriate lessons in math, vocabulary, language arts and science. The labs in the units for older children was more involved than those in the lower units. The teaching notes made it easy to give students background information and work through the lessons.

The prince and princess really enjoyed this review. They spent several days talking about what could go in the compost and what could not.

I liked that everything was together. The materials to be read were not far from the materials on which to be written. (That can sometimes be a problem around here.) In addition to the materials presented, there were internet links for further study.

We enjoyed this lesson. You can take a peek at a sample and see what you think.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: This was a review of my experience with the product described. I tried to give a complete and honest assessment. In order to review the product, I received a free trial of the product with no additional compensation. This in no way influenced my review of the product. The opinions expressed are my own and were not affected or edited by anyone prior to publishing.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, April 8, 2011

Big IQ Kids -- Review

Title: Big IQ Kids Website

Vendor: Synergy1 Group, Inc.

Target Ages: Grade K - 8

Format: on-line
Price: free or fee-based based on programs options
You can learn about the options here.

From the Big IQ website:

BigIQkids Programs

Spelling: With a over 30,000 word dictionary, SpellingTime comes pre-loaded with 40 lessons for K-8th grade appropriate word lists. Or, as a parent or teacher, you can easily enter your own word lists and SpellingTime will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes and tests around your own list with the goal of achieving 100% on the Friday spelling test.

Math: You can set up a child's lesson to mirror what they are doing in their current curriculum. For example, if the child is on double digit addition and single digit multiplication, the program can focus on just these two areas providing invaluable practice and reinforcement that is certain to provide them with the tools to ace their next test. Or, BigMathTime can automatically generate grade specific and subject specific lessons as per your requirements.

Vocabulary: With an extensive library of elementary through SAT prep words, BigVocabTime comes pre-loaded with word lists OR, as a parent or teacher, you can easily enter your own word lists and the program will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes and tests around your own list with the goal of achieving 100% on the week’s vocabulary test.

U.S. States: Every elementary student will be confronted with the need to know their US State facts to mastery. BigStatesTime is the ultimate tool in learning the state's location, capital, spelling, abbreviations and general state facts. The program allows parents/teachers to add additional facts which will be included in the child's lessons and the program culminates in a “State Mastery Exam” that, if passed with 100% mastery, awards the child a State Master Certificate.

The Queen's Assessment:

We used the Math, Spelling, and U.S. States portions of this site as a supplement to our regular curriculum.

In the math section, I was able to customize the worksheets. I determined which percentage of each operation, which fact family to work on, and how many problems were on each sheet. While doing the online worksheet, the student is given an immediate feedback as to whether the answer is correct. If incorrect, the correct answer is given. The prince liked doing these worksheets. He liked to watch the "thumbs up" signs to indicate a correct answer. I liked that the ability to customize the sheets. I would have liked to be able to work on more than one fact family at a time. The prince would even groan if he had what appeared to be all of one fact family.

The spelling section was great. Again, it was customizable. As the teacher, I was able to delete the built-in words and add words that were in our spelling plan for the week. The prince really liked the spelling. He liked the little cartoon characters that popped up between each question. I thought it was really interesting that no matter which words I chose to enter, BigIQKids had example sentences at-the-ready to use with the lessons.

The U.S. States was another part that the prince liked. Our history lesson has been an overview of U.S. history including trivia about each state. This gave a review of what we were learning already and an intro to what we have yet to learn.

Another area that is customizable is the rewards section. For each lesson completed, the student can be rewarded with coins to play the available games. I say "can be rewarded" because this can also be turned to a "weekend only" option or turned off all together. I found this as a great motivator for the prince to finish his lessons. He actually had some days where it was all we could do to stay focused to get through the lessons. (He is a 7-year-old boy, after all.) Imagine his surprise to come back and find that he had 9 coins saved!!! I found some of the games hard to understand, a few were just weird, and one had a naked guy on a bicycle. Granted, ""Naked Guy" was a cartoon and you couldn't tell if he was anatomically correct. BUUUUT: he was still there, and I thought you should know.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, March 25, 2011

I See Sam -- Review

Title: I See Sam Little Book Reading Program

Vendor: Academic Success for All Learners

Target Ages: Grade K - 3.6 reading level

Format: books
Price: $150.00 or priced separately

The Early Childhood Reading sample pack includes:

Little Books Sets 1-4 (91 different books)
Little Books Instructor's Guide
Little Books Placement and Assessment Manual
Four Little Books Set Holder
Tracking Sheets and Completion Certificates

The Instructor's Guide and YouTube video will help to guide you in using this reading program.

Each short book begins with practice of sounds and words that will be used in that book. After the story, there are words to practice before moving on to the next story. In certain books, there is also a "Looking Back" assessment that will review sounds and words from previous books. Each book also has margin notes to remind the teacher to give positive praise and to ask questions to make sure the student is understanding the passage he read. You can get a free sample book here.

The Queen's Assessment:

Having never used a formal reading program, I didn't know what to expect with this review.

It was very easy to use. The placement and assessment manual was very helpful in helping us determine with which set of books to start. The prince originally tested lower than I thought he would. After a couple of books at that level, I re-assessed him and placed him higher.

We both loved this program. The prince enjoyed the stories, and I enjoyed watching him read without complaining. We made it part of our regular school time and not something that we would get to later in the day. Many times, he would choose to do reading as his first subject of the day. I've also noticed that he is attempting to read bigger words in everyday life ... without being prompted.

The prince did not like the "Looking Back" assessments. I think this had more to do with his not liking "timed" events. He could read fine and often finished before the allotted time with few or no errors.

I'm already thinking about when to start the princess on this program. Right now, she is learning some 3-letter words and trying to read books and papers that are meant for much older students. I think I feel a summer school project coming on!

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Monday, February 28, 2011

Math Rider -- REVIEW

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Title: Math Rider Computer "Game"

Vendor: Math Rider

Target Ages: anyone needing to learn or sharpen basic math facts

Format: downloadable program
Price: $37.00 with a 30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

I have been looking for something that will give the prince some math practice without being all worksheets and flash cards. I was so glad to get the chance to review Math Rider. This fun computer-based game gives students a chance to practice basic facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The game is set up as a student riding a horse through the MATHLANDS on a quest for various things. In the way, are hurdles that must be jumped. Each hurdle has a math equation attached to it. For the horse to successfully navigate the jump, the rider has to solve the equation before the rider gets to it. The computer responds to the student. If the student is answering quickly, another hurdle will appear. The faster the student answers, the more points he receives. There are bonus points for answering a certain number of equations in a series and for answering all questions quickly.

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The Queen's Assessment:
Like I said, I was really looking forward to this review. I thought the prince would jump at the chance to do "computer games" instead of worksheets.

Our first attempt at Math Rider was met with excitement. We tried for one session. He made it through 2 parts of the first quest. Remember how I said the computer responds to the speed of the answers given? Well, once the horse reaches the hurdle, the next problem is presented. This proved to be a challenge for the prince. During the third part of his first quest, the computer actually suggested that he ask for help. I think he gets a little anxious about timed events. Add to that a struggle to get the right answer, and he was frustrated.

So, we took a break for a couple of weeks and focussed just on getting the basic facts right with worksheets, flashcards, and a homemade game. I studied the simple user's guide for Math Rider, and found out how to re-set it to start at the lowest level. When the prince came back to Math Rider, he was much more confident and was able to continue. He found that he was getting extra points for answering quickly and that made it all the more fun.

A report of progress is listed at the top of each quest as you go. In addition, as each ride is completed, a series of bars is presented to show how the student did. The green bars are for problems completed with no problems and red bars are for problems missed. The student can click on the red bars to see which problems they should work on. By just rolling over the bars, a window will indicate if you were slower than your previous time answering that problem.

At the starting point, there is a map of how far the rider has gone on the present quest. There is also a cue for practice runs, and a progress report. Again, parent/teacher and student can see which problems need more practice.

When our review period is over, I will seriously consider using this for more math practice. We do have subtraction, multiplication, and division to get to.

You can find a video of the game here.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, February 25, 2011

Reluctant Reader & Kid Scoop Review

Title: Reluctant Reader Solution & Kid Scoop

Vendor: Kid Scoop

Target Ages: 2 - 8 years old

Format: download
Price: $97.00 for Both
$15.00 per year for just Kid Scoop News (classroom-size orders are also available) THIS IS A SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE

Both come with a 365-DAY

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

Are you still waiting for your child to fall in love with reading? Well, the Reluctant Reader Solution is here to help. It is 365 fun-filled pages of activities, games, puzzles, and more to get your child excited about reading. Included in the Reluctant Reader Solution, is Kid Scoop News. Set up like a child's newspaper, it also offers profiles, activities, games, and more to pique your child's interest in the written word. Many sections of the newspaper offer correlations to standard benchmarks in education.

The Queen's Assessment:
The Reluctant Reader Solution is a pdf download. It is full of great mini-lessons to get your child interested in reading. Each lesson is 5-7 pages long and will give you 365 days of fun learning for your child. There are a wide variety of subjects from holiday, critters, sports, health, animals, and more. There is something for everyone! I plan to keep these handy for this summer. We won't be on our regular school schedule. I think these will help to keep the prince doing some educational activities without thinking he is "doing school."

Kid Scoop News was our favorite part of this review. You can see a black and white sample here. This comes as part of the Reluctant Reader Solution or can be purchased separately. Kid Scoop News can be viewed online in its entirety, but should probably be printed off to make it easier to complete the activities.

The jokes and games really appealed to the prince. He loves mazes and word searches, and there were plenty to keep his attention. At a special introductory price of $15 for 12 issues per year, this is a great bargain to keep the "I'm bored" whines at bay!

Another handy component of the Kid Scoop website is the email sign up. You can get 30 FREE exercises and ideas to make reading fun. You will receive one tip per day directly in your email box.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, February 18, 2011

Dig It! Roman Town Review

Title: Roman Town

Vendor: Dig It! Games

Target Ages: 8 - 88 years old

Format: CD
Price: ~~$39.95~~ You can use the coupon code TOS2011 to get Roman Town for $19.96! This coupon expires on February 21, 2011.

Do you have a boy who likes to dig in dirt? Have you ever wondered if maybe you had a budding archaeologist on your hands? Now is your chance to hone those skills. Dig-It! Games has created a great computer game that lets students be archaeologists while learning about Roman life.

We received a downloadable version of this game for our review. The prince has wanted to play it ever since!

In the game, you are invited to go on a dig with the professor. He gives you tools and manpower to dig the site. He marks the dig sites with little flags. As each man finds an artifact, he sends a signal. You click on the signal and use a "click and drag" motion to remove the final layer of dirt. Then, you read an explanation of the item you found.

When you have excavated the entire site, you have to sort it in the lab. You then do various tasks to compare, reconstruct, tour, play and report on your finds.

The Queen's Assessment:
As I mentioned, the prince loved this "game." tee hee hee I thought the subject matter was going to be over his head, but he stuck right in there and was even explaining some of the artifacts and terminology to Prince Charming the first evening of the review.

The reading was too much for him. Granted, the target audience is 8+ and he is only 7. There were some big words and some knowledge of Latin pronunciation is helpful. I think this would have worked a lot better for us if there were a voice-over in the program to read the text. In the lab portion, where he has to file a report, the text is more of a script font and I think would be hard for most younger children to read.

Just for the record, the princess loved this program too. She would sit right beside the prince and get so excited when he found something.

Other Homeschool Crew Members reviewed this product. Be sure to find out what they thought at The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The grass is green. It’s good to be

Friday, February 4, 2011