Review: Homeschool In The Woods

As part of the Homeschool Crew review team for The Old Schoolhouse magazine, we received a New Testament lapbook activity-pak from a great company called Homeschool In The Woods. The kit is designed to teach the life of Jesus, His death, and then His ultimate resurrection and ascension. It arrived in the form of a .pdf ebook and included an introduction to the lesson, lapbook templates, assembly instructions, and a photo gallery of a completed lapbook. There were also directions and templates for two bonus activities: "The New Testament News", where your child becomes a reporter and creates a newspaper about the life of Jesus Christ, and "The Armor of God" poster, an interactive activity that teaches your child how to put on God's spiritual armor.

When we first began homeschooling 4 years ago, my son was in kindergarten and we completed several lapbooks. We both enjoyed the hands-on approach to learning and it is still fun to pull out those projects and reminisce about the time we spent putting them together. They will also make great lessons to pass down to his younger siblings and they will enjoy the games and puzzles that are tucked inside. However, since more "formal" academics began in the first grade, we hadn't completed any other lapbooks, so it was exciting, and a bit nostalgic, to embark on the New Testament one we received.

This kit from Homeschool In The Woods was very comprehensive and simple to use. It was easier than our previous lapbooks since we had always created our own from scratch, which is not ever an easy task! We enjoyed having all of the pieces ready to assemble, after printing them out, and it gave us more time to enjoy the study and the process.

The lapbook included 15 different projects, but 3 of them were lumped together, so we completed one each day for 13 days, and then spent another couple of days reviewing and enjoying the activities and sharing them with younger siblings. We also spent a 4th week using our newfound knowledge to complete the newspaper activity and the "Armor of God" poster. My son is an aspiring writer, so the "New Testament News" was really fun for him and sparked his imagination in many other areas as well. He ended up learning way more about the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ than I ever knew as a child...actually, more than I ever knew as an adult! I was amazed at how much I learned as well.

My son's favorite part was the last project, called "Postcards from Paul". In this activity, you make a "mailbox", complete with a hinged door that closes with velcro. Verses from Paul's letters are chosen and written on index cards and can be placed inside the mailbox. We used these as memory verses and copywork practice.

The actual assembly was made simple by the easy-to-follow directions and the photo gallery included in the kit. Even if this is your first lapbook project, you should have no problem with the implementation. It's also a great opportunity for your children to practice their paper-folding and cutting skills - great for fine-motor development.

I wish I could have taken pictures of our lapbook to show you, but my camera cord needs to be replaced and I cannot transfer any photos right now. I will try to come back and do that in the future, but for now, if you would like to see pictures of this particular lapbook, you can visit the product page HERE.

If you enjoy implementing hands-on activities into your lessons, including notebooking, lapbooking, or other projects, you would probably really enjoy the products from Homeschool In The Woods. Their activity-paks can be purchased in .pdf format for $18.95 or on CD-rom for $19.95. In addition to the New Testament, the company also offers Old Testament, Composers, and Artists. They offer many other products as well, including timelines and complete studies in early American history.

To read more about Homeschool In The Woods and to see a complete catalog of the products they offer, please click HERE.

To see other reviews for this product from the TOS Homeschool Crew, please click HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: The Latin Road

If you splurge on one curriculum product during your entire homeschooling experience, let me recommend The Latin Road to English Grammar by Schola Publications!

This is absolutely the best and most in depth English language program that I have ever used with my kids. I have to tell you, I have learned things I would have never learned in school and after completing several weeks of The Bridge to the Latin Road with my 3rd grader, I realized how "dumbed down" my public school education really was!

There are 3 levels to this program: The Phonics Road (for young children/early readers), The Bridge To The Latin Road, and The Latin Road (Volumes 1, 2, & 3). The website states the the Phonics program is a COMPLETE K-4 curriculum, focusing on reading and spelling, but also covering writing, composing, speaking and grammar. Bridge is a one year introduction to Latin and how the English language has derived from it for Grades 3-6. Bridge has an excellent review of English grammar so that you may not have to use the Phonics program first.

We excitedly received "The Bridge" for use in our homeschool and I have been so impressed that I don't think that we will ever use a different program! In fact, I will be purchasing the Phonics program for my littles and continue with my oldest through The Latin Road volumes.

Included in our package was a Teacher's binder, including DVD instructional lessons, and a Student binder. Since my son seems to learn well from videos, I decided to let him sit in on the DVD lessons, so we literally learned side by side from the very beginning. In fact, sometimes if I was confused about something, he remembered from the lesson and taught it to me!

We both really enjoyed the binder format. It keeps all of the work in one place and organized it so it can easily be found later. I do admit having a hard time finding some of the worksheets in the beginning, but once I figured out the system, it was a cinch!

Another aspect of the curriculum I really liked is that we didn't have to do separate handwriting exercises. I encouraged my son to use his best handwriting when completing the different exercises and so we easily killed two birds with one stone. Also, the lessons usually didn't take more than 20 to 30 minutes per day, and they would have taken much less time if I had watched the video lessons ahead of time.

Let me stress this point: You DO NOT have to have ANY background in the Latin language to use this course! I was so intimidated to begin a latin program, but my fears were unjustified. You will learn right alongside your child and it will enrich your understanding of and appreciation for the English language. What a joy to have the depth of understanding that you will have after just a few weeks of this program!

I highly recommend this comprehensive and highly effective curriculum for your English student!

For more information, you can check out The Latin Road website HERE. You can even download a free sample of the curriculum.

To see other reviews for the product, click HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: Math Tutor DVD

I happen to really like math...that is, I really like math when I "get it". I love it when everything just kind of clicks and I know that I found the right solution and I understood how to get there. It's very satisfying!

But, I have to admit, I didn't do very well in math when I was in high school. I had one really great teacher who had to spend so much time disciplining that she just never had much time for teaching. And then I had one really horrible teacher who no one dared to "act up" around but whose endless hours of "teaching" just didn't hit home very well. In fact, I don't remember too many of the kids in my class getting good grades in math and frustration was a frequent topic of conversation!

So when I decided to homeschool, teaching math became a little intimidating. Because my son is only in 3rd grade, we haven't ventured out of the simple math problems that I am comfortable with...yet! But the day will come...

So, I'm glad we had the opportunity to try out MathTutor DVD's. This is another resource that I am glad to have in my teaching arsenal! These DVD's have been a tremendous blessing in our home. My son and I have learned so much in such a short amount of time with next to no discomfort at all!

I have to admit that I was "on the fence" about this one at the beginning. My first impression was that it was way too "lecture-y" and way too much like being in a classroom. In our home, we like to keep learning as casual and self-directed as possible, so these characteristics were not a plus for me! However, as I watched my son intently viewing The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor and working out the problems along with the instructor, I realized he was "getting it"! I could literally see concepts "clicking" in his brain!

Okay, so maybe this format is not so bad!

In fact, he enjoyed the program so much that he asked to keep watching through the next segment on that first day and in a very short time he had a good understanding of Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers with word problems. The next day, he completed Adding and Subtracting Fractions. A couple of days later, he wanted to watch the Adding and Subtracting Decimals sections. After completing each section, I gave him some practice problems to work out on his own and he did a really great job on them all...the comprehension was great!

He's not quite ready to start moving into the Multiplication and Division sections, but I'm confident that when he is, he will cruise right through them like he did the easier segments.

I decided that I would watch the Algebra 2 Tutor on my own and see if I could learn anything. WOW! And, it was even fun! I worked through all 6 hours over a one-week period of time and learned things I didn't even learn in my college algebra courses! The instructor has a real gift for teaching in a way that you can understand. I'm even thinking about getting the more advanced courses just so I can become a better mathmetician and teacher, and so I can use them with my kids later!

You can visit the MathTutorDVD website to watch sample videos of their 15+ different DVD sets. Most are 6 to 8 hours of instruction for only $26.99, a real value for such great instruction.

You can read other reviews for this product HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: Schleich Action Figures

Okay, I have to admit: I was wondering at first why we were receiving these Schleich action figures as a homeschooling review product. Most of the products we review are curriculums, programs or websites directly related to homeschooling. But we have received items in the past that would fall under the "educational toy" category, and as I got a little more acquainted with these figurines, I understood that this is exactly where they fit in.

We received what I can only call a "goodie box" in the mail full of these little animals. My kids were so excited as they unwrapped, one by one, a horse, a turtle, a chicken, a cat, a panda, a baby lion, and more. I couldn't believe how much my 8- and 2-year olds "oohed" and "ahhed" over these little guys!

You've probably seen Schleich action figures before. You can find them in toy stores, Toys 'R' Us, and Target. This company began in Germany in the 1930's and they make many different categories of figures: just about any animal you can think of, including dinosaurs, knights, cowboys, indians, and even The Smurfs! Remember those guys?

I don't have much experience with collectible figurines, but these look very well-made. The details are exquisite and the quality and durability are top notch. There is no way my children could destroy these (short of flushing them down the toilet!), so that is always a plus in my book!
As far as the educational value goes, these toys definitely promote imaginative play! My kids have added them to their Fisher Price farm, a Noah's Ark toy from another company, and have even used them to create their own circus! My son has done still-life drawings of the turtle and horse and has become interested in learning more about pandas.

I highly encourage you to check out Schleich and all of the products they offer at their website HERE.

To see other reviews for this product, click HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: Before Five In A Row

If you've been homeschooling for any amount of time, you've probably heard of the literature-based curriculum called Five In A Row. With this program, each week is based on a great children's book, which you read to your child 5 days in a row (hence the name, "Five In A Row"). Then, each day that week you focus on one subject area as it relates to the book you're reading. It's sort of like mini-unit studies.

I used Five In A Row with my oldest when he was in Kindergarten and 1st grade. We both loved it so much! We had a new adventure to go on each week and we couldn't wait to see what was next! Besides, we love to read...I mean, we really love to read! You can usually find us curled up with a book on the couch, reading at the breakfast table, and even walking across the room with our noses buried in the pages! My hubby, an adament "non-reader" thinks we're crazy...

So, imagine how excited I was to receive Before Five In A Row (for ages 2 to 4) to use with my daughter! We couldn't wait...we dove right in with a book I happened to have on a shelf. She was so happy that she was going to have her own "school time" built right into the day!

Don't you just love when you see your kids learning all kinds of valuable stuff, but they're having so much fun they don't even know they're learning? That's what happens with the Five In A Row programs!

I'll give you a quick rundown of what we did the first week so you can see how fun and easy it is. You don't have to do the books in the order that they occur in the program, you can jump around as much as you wish. So, since we happened to have The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss, that's what we started with.

Monday Bible/Character: We discussed patience and we read some verses in the Bible about the importance of this virtue. We talked about never giving up and always trying to do a good job.

Tuesday Art: We looked at the pictures in the book and laughed at the expressions on the boys face. We talked about the colors (mainly orange and brown) and then she drew her own picture of a boy with a carrot. She wanted to use orange and brown crayons, just like the book.

Wednesday Science: Even though it was still winter, we decided to try to grow our own carrot seed! I had some left over from last summer and we had a red heat lamp from when we had baby chicks, so we planted that seed in a deep pot and waited...this was the real lesson in patience! In the meantime, we looked at pictures in books that showed how a seed grows and what a carrot looks like under the soil. To our surprise, the seed actually sprouted and we can't wait to pick that one carrot plant very soon!

Thursday Language Arts: I wrote the word "carrot" really big on a piece of paper and we talked about the letters and what sounds they make. Yes, she's a little too young for reading, but she was very interested in repeating the sounds after me and trying to copy the letters. I think this was her favorite day!

Friday Life Skills: We decided to spend some time in the kitchen, so we made carrot cake! Yum! For lunch, we (actually, I) cut up carrot sticks and for dinner we had carrots and peas. Wow, a lot of carrots for one day!

We made up some of our own things to do on a couple of the days. The "curriculum" is actually a book of suggestions. There are 24 books listed and activities for each are detailed by subject. I'm sure you will have plenty of your own ideas after reading their examples.

There is als a section in the book that gives creative ideas for "reading readiness". We try to implement some of those from time to time as well.

Notice that we spent less than 30 minutes each day (except Friday) with the book and the activity. Each "lesson" is just an expansion of the book itself. You probably already do a lot of these things with your kids when you read to them! It's natural and fun and so simple. In my opinion, preschool shouldn't be fussy, it shouldn't take a whole lot of prep work, and it shouldn't feel like work! Before Five In A Row is the perfect preschool product if you're looking to enhance your little one's day. I can't say enough great things about this product!

Five In A Row also offers Beyond Five In A Row for older students.

To see more information about the Five In A Row company and its products, you can visit the website HERE. Make sure you check out the "articles" section for some really great information.

To see more reviews for this product, go HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: The Critical Thinking Company

I love to supplement my children's regular coursework with extra logic exercises. I think it's so important for them to not only be book smart, but to also be able to think for themselves and to solve problems on their own. The books published by The Critical Thinking Company are perfect for this purpose.

I received for review a book for preschoolers, ages 3 and 4, called Beginning Mathematical Reasoning, a Bright Minds book which is part of the preschool Core Curriculum series. My daughter, who is only 2, has been wanting to "do school" with her brother, so this book became the perfect opportunity for her to have her own "work" during math time.

My first observation was that this book is colorful and fun, perfect for keeping the attention of little ones. It is also not overwhelming. The cartoon drawings are large and the activities on the page are short and playful. I don't believe in subjecting a young child to a "curriculum", so this book allowed my daughter to learn the basics without even knowing she was doing so. She just loved to see which "fun page" I would give her next!

My favorite part is that there is a chart at the beginning of the book that lists the skills and what pages they are on. This is helpful for navigation of the book. The skills covered are the following: counting, identifying, matching, ordering, position, comparing and estimating, addition, and patterns.

The catalog for The Critical Thinking Company is extensive, including products from every subject and for every grade level. And it's not just workbooks. They offer really great games and software products. The products are all designed to help your child think on a deeper level than what is usually expected of them, expanding their brain power and helping with thinking and problem-solving skills. I will certainly be buying more products from them in the future!

To see all of the wonderful products they have to offer, please click HERE.

While you are at their website, check out their Free Printables section for samples from their books and various software demos. Also, the Articles section is an excellent resource!

To read more reviews for this company, click HERE.

Happy Homeschooling!

Review: WriteShop Storybuilders

I realize that some of you are going to hate me when I say this, but I have to risk it as a preface to this review!

My 8-year old son LOVES to write!

Seriously. He would do nothing but write (and eat!) all day long if I didn't require him to complete some chores, play with his siblings, and practice math problems! He is a self-professed "author" and I do believe it's his "calling"! To date, he has completed 3 chapter books and is half way through writing a fourth. He has an entire series planned out called "Monster Town" and has already illustrated the covers of all 60+ volumes!

I know, weird, huh?

Even though I don't have to coax him to write, the Storybuilders e-books that we received from WriteShop were still fun for him and encouraged him to expand his imagination! The concept behind Storybuilders is so simple, but I think it's brilliant!

We had the opportunity to try out 2 different Storybuilders products: World of Animals and Christmas Mini-Builders.

The idea behind Storybuilders is to inspire creative writing by providing your student with random prompts. There are cards for different story elements: Characters, Character Traits, Setting, and Plot. The student chooses a card from each category and builds a story around those specific elements. It's really interesting to see what they come up with!

We printed the cards onto colored cardstock, laminated them, and then filed them by category into a plastic index card box. This makes them durable and very easily accessible. I also had my son come up with several cards of his own to add into the mix...this was a really fun project for him and he came up with some real doozies!

The e-book includes many fun ways that the student can choose their cards. We started out by blindly picking a card from each category, but there are some great games suggested that make the process a lot more fun! Also, there are suggestions for different types of writing assignments, such as poetry or timed writing.

These e-books include:
• 1 deck StoryBuilders cards, black print
• 1 deck StoryBuilders cards, colored print
• Blank cards for writing your own story elements
• Instructions and ideas

These books are very affordable at $7.95 for the Storybuilders and $4.95 (currently on sale for $3.95) for the Mini-builders.

I highly suggest checking out the WriteShop website. They also offer complete writing curriculums for different grade levels and other writing products. While you're there, make sure you check out their Support section which includes extra tools for parents and kids, tons of online resources, and even a forum for WriteShop users.

See other reviews for this product HERE!

Happy Homeschooling!