Latin's Not So Tough Level 3 Review

As part of my role as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received Level 3 of Latin's Not So Tough!:  A Classical Latin Worktext by Karen Mohs, the Level 3 Full Text Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD.  The Latin's Not So Tough series uses classical pronunciation.

The Latin's Not So Tough series is designed for students to simply work through primarily independently by completing a worktext page (or more) each day and spending time reviewing the flashcards.  The flashcards are included in the back of the student worktext.  

The flashcards are a vital part of the program and are essential to success and retaining the information in the course.  The flashcards need to be cut out ahead of time.  I suggest adhering the front of the flashcard to the front of an index card and the back of the flashcard to the back of the same index card.  Preparing the flashcards in this way will make them more durable.  As well, if more than one child will be using the Level 3 flashcards over time, I would take the extra time to laminate them.  If you don't want to go to the trouble of preparing the flashcards, you can purchase the flashcards already prepared (though not laminated).

As the student works through the text, he or she will add more flashcards to their review stack of flashcards as new Latin words are learned.  For example, after completing page 11, students begin their flashcard work with four flashcards, the Latin words for girl, I call, boy, and I give/grant.  Flashcard tips are included in the Full Text Answer Key.

Although the worktext is designed for students to progress page by page with flashcard review, the author does break the worktext up into 36 lessons for the teaching parent who would like to be more involved in the course.  The lesson structure and teaching tips are found in the front of the Full Text Answer Key.  This information is not included in the Answer Key only option.  Also included in the Full Text Answer Key are:

•  English derivatives
• Charts of declensions (nouns) and conjugations (verbs) with arrows showing what the student is learning at various points in the program
• Suggested resources for more information

One of the questions that is often asked about a Latin program is if the program uses an Inductive or Deductive approach to teaching Latin.  Given my limited knowledge of teaching Latin, here is the author's answer to that question.

Latin grammar is introduced in Level Three of Latin's Not So Tough! This third level uses an inductive ("parts to whole") approach, which provides an easy introduction to Latin grammar for the young learner. Paradigms in the appendix of the third level are available for those who want to see the "whole" picture for the endings taught in the workbook. In addition, the teacher resource section at the beginning of the "Full Text" answer key provides "The Big Picture" charts with further explanation. Level Four then transitions to a deductive ("whole to parts") approach.

The student worktext has a wide variety of workbook pages for the student to complete, all in black and white.  You can view the entire Table of Contents for the Level 3 book here.  As well, many sample pages are available to view for all levels, including sample pages for Level 3.

The Appendix to the student worktext includes much helpful information for the student including:

• Latin-English Dictionary
• English-Latin Dictionary
• Latin Alphabet
• Special Sounds Chart
• Word Order
• Moods of the Latin Verb
• Voices of the Latin Verb
• Gender and Case of the Latin Noun
• First Conjugation
• First Declension
• Second Declension
• Second Declension - ius
• Index
• Flashcard Tips    

Now, I have absolutely NO background in Latin and due to time constraints in our schedule this year, I simply handed the worktext to my 8th grade daughter and had her work through the book at her own pace.  If the student is working independently and is older, I would recommend purchasing the Quizzes/Tests book to make it easier to assess the student's progress in the course.  I did not have the Quizzes/Tests book and do wish that I had purchased it for my daughter.  

At least at my daughter's age, I think Latin's Not So Tough is a great course to simply hand over to one's student and have them complete through independent study.  My daughter has decided that she wishes to study Latin for her high school foreign language requirement.  Given my complete lack of knowledge of Latin, though, we have decided to continue with Latin study using a Latin tutor.  For another family, though, the entire series of Latin's Not So Tough may be a perfect fit for both young and old students.

Latin's Not So Tough is available for purchase at the Greek 'N' Stuff website.  As there are many different combinations of resources available for purchase, it would be best to check the prices at the website.  The complete set of Level 3 including:

• Student workbook
• Full Text Answer Key
• Quizzes/Exams
• Flashcards on a Ring

  is available for $58.40.  The pronunciation CD is $10.00.

I received the Latin's Not So Tough materials in exchange for my honest review of the product.  No other compensation, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for my review.

See the Light Art Class on DVD Review

As part of my responsibilities as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the first DVD in the nine DVD set of video art curriculum focused on drawing from See the Light.  The complete set of 36 lessons on 9 DVDs is available for $99.99.  Each lesson is 15 to 20 minutes in length which is direct instructional time.  Only basic art supplies are needed as stated in the material that was provided to me and the art lessons focus on drawing.

Based on information from the vendor, the art lessons are appropriate for a wide range of ages, grades 1 and above.  Based on my own opinion, I would recommend the art lessons for upper elementary and above.  While I did not have access to the entire DVD series, from what I saw, the series could be quite instructional for older children, teens, and adults.  Nothing in any of the lessons that I previewed was babyish and, at least my children, would not have been ready for the drawing instruction given in the DVDs in the primary grades.  With an added art history paper, I would feel comfortable using the DVD course as a high school elective in drawing.  

Detailed information about the contents of each lesson can be found here.  The first four video art lessons focus on:

• Tools of the Trade - Learn the basics of what makes a drawing.
• It All Starts With A Line - Learn about drawing different line qualities and the most essential skill of drawing, contour drawing.
• Contours & Composition - You'll learn some tips to place items in a drawing to get the best results.
• Draw What You See - You'll take a common everyday item - a shoe - as your subject for a completed contour drawing.  

Before I go any further in my review, I wanted to let my readers know that you can request the exact same DVD that I'll be talking about in my review FREE of charge from See the Light.  Just follow this link to request your FREE DVD of the first four lessons on DVD.  If you are even considering offering a DVD art class to your children, I would highly recommend that you request a free DVD and check out the classes for yourself.  As well, you can check out previews of the first three lessons immediately here.

In previewing the first four lessons, I was very impressed with the quality of the video, the upbeat personality of Pat Knepley, and the obvious artistic talent demonstrated in her drawings.  The drawing instructions were quite clear and I also felt that the pace of the videos was not too fast and not too slow.  One of my very favorite aspects of the DVD that I previewed is the seamless integration of biblical truth into the art lessons.

I was completely enchanted by the bonus chalk art lesson included on the first DVD (the DVD with the first four lessons).  I literally sat mesmerized and watched chalk artist, Gloria Kohlmann, create an amazing chalk drawing of the three crosses on a hill.  Since Easter is right away around the corner, I decided to focus on this art project with my children.  While they have had a great deal of work in drawing basics in their art class, chalk art was completely new to them.

Their chalk art projects were amazing!  I absolutely love how their chalk art projects turned out!  They are beautiful!  Best of all, my children enjoyed the process of making their art projects and were thrilled with the results.

Mason (12)

Duncan (9)

 

Amber (14)

After my children worked so hard on their chalk drawings with such fabulous results, I wanted to be sure that their drawings would last.  I read on the back of our pastel chalks that a fixative can be used to preserve chalk drawings.  Mason learned in an outside art class that hairspray works well as a fixative as well so I sprayed their finished chalk drawings with hair spray.

Overall, I was quite impressed with this DVD art curriculum.  My review is only based on the first four lessons and the bonus chalk art lesson, though, so that must be kept in mind when considering my review.  As a homeschool mother concerned with having the needed materials on hand and keeping good academic records, I have a few criticisms of the art program.  Again, please keep in mind that I only had access to the first DVD - perhaps these issues were covered in one or more of the later DVDs.

• I would like to have a printable list of ALL of the art materials needed for the entire course.  This would make planning and budgeting for supplies easier.
• I would like to have a printable list of the scope and sequence/art concepts/skills/art history topics covered in the class for documentation purposes in our yearly portfolios.
• Examples of student art would be motivational for younger students.  Realistically, the drawings of most children will not reach the artistic standard as shown in the videos.  I think showing finished drawings/projects completed by children of various ages would allow for a more realistic expectation for many children.

After the positive experience we had with the chalk art lesson, I may purchase The Gift of Love Deluxe Gift Set.  The three Christmas-themed art projects included on the DVD would be perfect for our art classes in December.  As well, the drawing course is a course that I may consider for my extremely artistic son who would like to be doing even more work in art.  The complete set of 36 lessons on 9 DVDs is available for $99.99.

I received a copy of the first DVD in the See the Light Art Class DVD set in exchange for my honest review of the product.  No other compensation, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for this review.

Science on a Tracking Expedition Science Kit Review Posted at Curriculum Choice

One of the issues I’ve struggled with over my years of homeschooling is the desire to do hands-on science projects with my children and the time/effort/inconvenience needed to gather all of the materials to do so. While I adore doing hands-on projects with my children, I do not enjoy gathering up all of the needed materials, running out at the last minute to purchase that one thing I thought I had but I actually don’t, and realizing that I can’t do the desired project because I just can’t find or purchase a required object. Therefore, all in one hands-on kits have always greatly appealed to me!

To read the rest of my review, please join me at The Curriculum Choice today.

Christian Kids Explore Physics Curriculum Review

As part of my TOS Crew curriculum review responsibilities, I recently reviewed Christian Kids Explore Physics which is part of the Christian Kids Explore Science series published by Bright Ideas Press.  I was very pleased to be able to do this review as I am already familiar with several curriculum resources published by Bright Ideas Press.  I have personally used in our homeschool Christian Kids Explore Chemistry and Mystery of History Volume 1. 

As well, I have had the pleasure of hearing Maggie Hogan speak several times at the MidWest Homeschool Conference.  She is an intelligent, witty, organized woman with a heart for God and her family.  Several of her most popular seminars are available for purchase at the Bright Ideas website.

The Christian Kids Explore Science series is designed for children in grades 4-8, though I think the materials could be adapted for children slightly younger or older.  The Christian Kids Explore Science Series is great for multi-level teaching as the curriculum can be used with multiple grades together.

For the purposes of this review, I was given a copy of Christian Kids Explore Physics.  All four books in the Christian Kids Explore Science series are arranged in the same way so once one is familiar with teaching from one book, it is a very easy transition to use the next book in the series. 

Christian Kids Explore Physics has a total of 30 lessons divided into 6 units:

• The Foundations of Physics
• Matter
• Mechanics
• Matter in Motion
• Energy in Motion
• Electricity and Magnetism

A detailed list of the individual lesson topics within each unit can be viewed here.  Each lesson should take about a week to complete.  As suggested in Christian Kids Explore Physics, each lesson can be completed during a 60-90 minute time block twice a week. 

The basic lesson plan is the same for each of the 30 lessons:

• Read the lesson.  Older students can complete the reading on their own, while younger students or less proficient readers can listen to the reading during a read-aloud time.
• The child completes the Review It questions at the end of the lesson.  These questions focus on the key concepts of the lesson.  As well, a very handy set of all of the printables in the text is available from Bright Ideas Press for $12.95.
• Each lesson ends with Hands-On Time.  The hands-on activities reinforce the concepts that were learned during the lesson.  A full list of all of the materials needed for Hands-On Time is included at the beginning of each unit.  All of the needed materials are basic household items or are easily purchased at a craft store or large department store like Wal-Mart or Target.
• A Unit Wrap-Up quiz is included at the end of each unit that could be used simply for review or evaluation purposes.
• A lovely coloring page is included for each unit.  I think they would make lovely cover pages for each unit is a student notebook.

Two sample lessons are available on the Bright Ideas Press website.  A lesson focused on Projectile Motion and Momentum are both provided.  Given the materials that are available on the Bright Ideas website, one could actually complete two lessons in Christian Kids Explore Physics to better evaluate if this curriculum would be a good fit for one's family.     

One of the aspects of the Christian Kids Explore Science series that I particularly like is that each year of the series focuses on a different discipline in science.  Over a four year span of time using this series, a child would receive excellent knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Space and Earth Science in order to prepare the child for high school level science courses.  I have a daughter who is taking Biology this year in 8th grade.  While we engaged in a WIDE variety of science activities in her first through seventh grade years, I realize now that most of our science studies were focused on life science and nature study.  Therefore, the chapters in her Biology text that focus on chemistry concepts have been particularly difficult for her as the information is completely new to her.  If I could go back and re-do her science education, I would make sure that the science topics were a bit more balanced.  Using the Christian Kids Explore Science series would be a great way to make sure that all areas of science are covered in the elementary years. 

I also really appreciate that unit objectives, vocabulary words, and needed materials are clearly listed at the beginning of each unit.  Additionally, the homeschool parent will find many additional teaching helps in the appendix of Christian Kids Explore Physics.  There is a glossary, copies of the coloring pages for each unit, answers to all of the Review-It and Unit Wrap-Up questions, and an index.

Also included is an incredibly helpful Book and Resource List that can be used to extend and enhance the material covered in each unit.  Resources such as additional books, videos, and science activity kits are suggested to coordinate with each lesson or unit.

Christian Kids Explore Physics is available at the Bright Ideas website for $34.95.  If you are looking for a thoroughly Christian, multi-level approach to science that focuses on one scientific discipline per year, the Christian Kids Explore Science series is definitely worthy of careful consideration.

I was provided with a copy of Christian Kids Explore Physics in exchange for my review of the curriculum.  No other compensation, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for this review.   

KB Teachers Website Review

As part of my job as a The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew member, I reviewed the subscription website designed for teachers and parents, KB Teachers.  KB Teachers has a wide variety of educational worksheets which can be printed for home or classroom use.  While there are quite a few free worksheets available on KB Teachers, access to all of the worksheets can be gained for $29.00 for one year or $49.00 for two years.

KB Teachers clearly organizes all of their worksheets into easy-to-navigate categories.  Worksheets are available in all of the following categories:  English Language, For This Season, Math, Science, Biology, Social Studies, Dinosaurs, The Four Seasons, Visual Arts and Crafts, Clipart, and Mixed Basic Skills. 

There is also a large clip-art library which can be used to make your own printables or can be used on your own blog.  Throughout the website, I thought the images and clip-art were attractive.

English Language

• 7 worksheets for each letter of the alphabet in color or black and white which are perfect for early learning
• Cursive worksheets that can be customized with your own words
• Sign Language and Morse Code worksheets
• Most of the grammar and writing worksheets are geared for children in grades 6-8 but there is a section on homonyms for grades 3-4.  Topics include homonyms, synonyms, superlatives, descriptive writing, parts of speech, punctuation, and multiple writing worksheets.

Math

• Count to 5, 10, and 20 using images in color worksheet generator - you can print an endless variety of different worksheets for the early learner
• Counting money with coins, bills, or both - you can print an endless variety of different worksheets with the worksheet generator
• Addition, multiplication, and division worksheet generator
• Telling time worksheet generator including U.S. Time Zone and World Time Zone worksheets
• Seasonal math pages for the early learner
• Additional worksheets on counting, addition, place value, multiplication, decimals, algebra, and orders of operation

Science (Grades 3-5)

• Astronomy worksheets (Solar System, planets, stars, humans and space)
• Geology worksheets (mineral, rocks, Earth, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes)
• Weather and Climate worksheets (clouds, storms, climates, biomes, world forests)

Biology

• Human anatomy, nutrition, marine biology, plants, microbiology

Social Studies (Grades 7-12)

• Ancient Civilizations
• World Countries
• World War 1
• Post War Europe
• The Cold War
• Early American History
• Medieval Europe
• Global History
• China

Dinosaurs

• There are over 40 multiple page research packets on different dinosaurs available in color or black and white.  The dinosaur worksheet pages would be perfect for a unit study on dinosaurs!

Visual Arts and Crafts

• 21 different arts and crafts projects are available for pre-school through grade 10

In addition to all of the above, there is a section that changes for different holidays and seasons, "For This Season."  Right now, in this section, a teacher or parent can find a wide range of printables for the Thanksgiving and Fall season including mazes, coloring pages, and early education worksheets.

Each month, there are different Webquests posted.  I did have trouble with some of the links included in the Webquests but the problem was very quickly resolved when I contacted Customer Service.

Lastly, there is a very large library of clip-art images (over 600) that are available to use in your own printables or on your blog.  For example, since I'm the homeschooling swim mom X 3, here is a clip-art picture of a pool from KB Teachers.  

My only criticism of KB Teachers is the lack of a Search function.  The website is incredibly easy to navigate, though.

Since my children are older, I don't look for printable worksheets nearly as much as I did when they were younger.  Particularly for the early education to 3rd grade teacher or homeschool parent, I think KB Teachers would be helpful.  There are worksheets geared for older children as well, though, so the website is versatile for those with older children. 

As I was reviewing the website, I kept thinking how I would have loved so many of the printables for when my children were younger.  I thought the graphics on the worksheets for younger children were delightful.  All of the worksheets can be previewed and there are many free resources available on KB Teachers, so you can learn more about what KB Teachers has to offer at their website.

I received a free 2 year membership to KB Teachers in exchange for my review.  I received no other compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for my review. 

New Review Posted at Curriculum Choice - Teaching the Essay by Analytical Grammar

My oldest child is in 8th grade this year and is taking a Literary Analysis class for the first time. The class involves writing many literary analysis essays. Rather than dive right into the Literary Analysis class, I thought it would be prudent and fruitful to first teach her how to write a literary analysis essay. Even though I feel confident in my own writing, I wasn’t sure how to go about teaching her how to write this specific type of essay. Therefore, I was completely delighted when I attended a presentation about Teaching the Essay by Analytical Grammar at last year’s MidWest Homeschool Convention......

To read the rest of my review of Teaching the Essay by Analytical Grammar, please join me at The Curriculum Choice. 

Our Land of Liberty Review

One of the most exciting parts of my job as a reviewer for TOS Review Crew is the opportunity to learn about curriculum that is new to me.  Recently, I was delighted to review Our Land of Liberty which is a one year American History curriculum targeted for 5th - 8th grade students.  Our Land of Liberty is published by Our Land Publications.    In addition to Our Land of Liberty, Our Land Publications also publishes state history curriculum for Illinois, Texas, California, and Indiana.

Our Land of Liberty is designed to be a one-year American history curriculum covering the years 1497-2001.  This curriculum is quite unique in that, instead of a textbook, the student reads a 4 page newspaper each week of this 32 week course.  Each week focuses on different dates so the chronological flow of history is clear. 

As stated in the Our Land of Liberty Teacher's Manual, there are several key benefits to a newspaper structure:

• Children are used to seeing newspapers and they are easy to use.
• The curriculum supports newspapers as a good place to go to for current event information.
• The "headlines" are a great way to make the most important points stand out to children.
• The information is broken into articles which are easier chunks of reading materials to manage for children.  
• The newspaper format is more relaxed and informal therefore leading to a friendly presentation of the material.    

Our Land of Liberty is written at a 5th grade level and is targeted for 5th - 8th graders.  After carefully reading through the Teacher's Manual and several of the student newspapers, I think the program could be adapted for younger (perhaps 4th grade) or older (perhaps 9th grade) children.

Of particular concern to me as a homeschooling mother is the possibility of bias in the history curriculum that I use with my children.  According to Our Land Publications, their history curriculum is not revisionist and politically correct.

• "History is history.  It is the record of events past.  Interpretation is subjective.  Our Land Publications do not interpret history for the homeschool teacher or student.  Like revisionism, political correctness is inappropriate to a solid study of history.  We study the past not to judge it, but to learn from it.  Our Land Publications do not attempt to make history fit contemporary needs, but do provide a solid base on which to understand the past and build a better future for our students and nation." 

Our Land Publications are not specifically Christian curriculum but they do "recognize our Judeo-Christian heritage and include a strong and consistent emphasis on the traditional values vital to spiritual understanding."  In reviewing Our Land of Liberty curriculum, I encountered nothing that I would feel uncomfortable having my children read or that conflicted with our Christian values.

To best utilize the many resources included in the Teacher's Manual, Our Land of Liberty is not a curriculum designed for a child to complete independently, though much of the work could be completed independently, depending on the age of the child.  The Teacher's Manual is a treasure trove of additional information, activity ideas, and teaching resources.  Included in the Teacher's Manual are:

• Answers to the discussion questions found at the back of each issue of the student newspapers.
• 2 tests and answer keys.
• Chronological Lesson Summary including topics, key players, and a summary of main points for each newspaper.
• Suggested daily lesson plans for each week.
• A full set of "headline cards" are included in the appendix.  These "headline cards" would be great for review, making educational history games, or as a basis for notebook pages.
• Priority numbers are given to the different parts of the lesson, therefore if one was pressed for time, only the most important articles in the newspaper could be covered.
• Vocabulary words are given for each newspaper.

Looking more specifically at an individual lesson, I chose to look in-depth at Issue #29 - America Goes Crash! (1929-1941).  Overall, I had a very favorable impression of the newspaper format and the helpfulness of the Teacher's Manual. 

• In reading through the newspaper, I did think that the headlines really helped to key in to the most important points of the reading.     
• Reaction Time! questions at the end of the newspaper require thought and a bit of outside research to complete.
• A copy master is included for this newspaper in the Teacher's Manual, "Climate Zones of the U.S." which ties in directly with the discussion of the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. 
• The Teacher's Manual included the suggestion of pretending to buy stocks and then follow them for 2 weeks to better understand the stock market. 
• I particularly liked the section of the newspaper titled "Other News Bulletins of 1929-1941."  Since each newspaper is structured in the same way, this section allows for independent research or ideas for additional topics to study or read-alouds.

In our homeschool, I enjoy studying history with my children using a wide variety of read-alouds, hands-on activities, lapbooks, and educational videos.  I think Our Land of Liberty would make an excellent core resource for a year-long study of American history.  Using the Teacher's Manual, newspapers, and "Other News Bulletins" included in each newspaper, other resources from the library could easily be added to the curriculum to make it even more hands-on. 

Of course, the curriculum could also be used just as is, though I would recommend adding some library books for pictures.  While there are small pictures included in the newspapers, given the format, the pictures are minimal.

Our Land of Liberty is available online for $65.00 for one complete set of newspapers with tests and a teacher's manual.  An additional set of newspapers is $19.90.

I received the Our Land of Liberty combination set in exchange for my review and personal opinions on the product.  No other compensation, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for this review.   

Digital Field Trip Series DVD from Digital Frog - Review

As part of my review obligations for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I recently had the pleasure of reviewing The Digital Field Trip Series DVD from Digital Frog.  The Digital Field Trip Series DVD is an amazing resource for life science and geography study - it is definitely not just another educational computer game!  The Digital Field Trip Series DVD is an absolute treasure-trove of interactive information on rainforests, wetlands, and deserts.  The Digital Field Trip Series DVD is primarily designed for 6th - 12th grade students but can be adapted for younger learners as well. 

Due to the fact that there are so many resources and so much information included within each of the three digital field trips on this computer program, this review simply cannot cover all of the great learning material on The Digital Field Trip Series DVD.  My purpose in this review is to give a brief overview of each of the three digital field trips (rainforest, wetlands, desert), and share a bit about our own experiences with the product.  To learn even more about The Digital Field Trip Series DVD, I would encourage you to download your own demo version of any or all of the three digital field trips included on this DVD.

One aspect of the program that I found particularly valuable was that each digital field trip includes a printable Teacher's Guide and Student Guide.  The Teacher's Guide for The Digital Field Trip to the Desert is 65 pages long and includes learning objectives for each section of the program.  A special section is included in each Teacher's Guide with ideas for how to use the program with younger students

As well, a Student Guide is included for each of the three programs. The Student Guide really extends the learning opportunities available for the programs.The Student Guide is most appropriate for junior high and high school age students given the complexity of the questions and the reading for research involved in finding the answers.  The Student Guide is an incredible unit study tool or component of a science course.  The Student Guide provides an abundance of questions, organized by section of the program, to keep a teen working through the CD for an extended period of time -perhaps a week or more in each section.  


The Digital Field Trip to The Wetlands

In The Digital Field Trip to The Wetlands, the student takes a virtual field trip to Cloud Lake in Algonquin Park, Canada.  In addition to the field trip in which one feels as if he or she has actually stepped into a wetlands area, there are four other major sections of The Digital Field Trip to the Wetlands:

• Wetlands Types - information about swamps, marshes, and bogs is compared and contrasted
• Study of a Bog - information about how bogs form, the plants and animals that are common to wetlands, waterlands food webs (including a food web game), and photosynthesis
• Mechanisms of a Wetland - information about how wetlands work including nutrient cycles, erosion, and flooding
• Our Endangered Wetlands - information about conservation, pollution, and the importance of wetlands during migratory routes

The Digital Field Trip to The Rainforest

In The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest, the student takes a virtual field trip to the Blue Creek Rainforest Reserve in Belize, Central America.  In addition to the field trip in which one can almost feel the humidity, there are four other main sections of The Digital Field Trip to the Rainforest:

• Rainforest Study - plant and animal characteristics and the interdependency between the plants and animals of the rainforest, botany
• Rainforest Types - comparing and contrasting temperate and tropical rainforests
• Mechanisms of a Rainforest - processes that keep rainforests alive including succession and tree fall gaps
• Our Endangered Rainforests - biodiversity, the benefits of rainforests to the environment, threats to rainforests, and measures taken to protect rainforests

The Digital Field Trip to The Desert

In The Digital Field Trip to the Desert, the student takes a virtual field trip to five deserts in North America (Painted Desert, Big Bend, Saguaro West, Black Rock, and Death Valley).  In addition to the field trips, there are four main sections on The Digital Field Trip to the Desert:

• Desert Types - definitions of desert, Aridity Types, deserts of the world
• Desert Study - adaptations, homeostasis, plants and animals that live in the desert, Build-A-Desert game
• Mechanisms of a Desert - climatic influences, landscape formation, water availability
• Human Impact - how humans shape and damage deserts, importance of deserts to the Earth, threats to deserts, and measures taken to protect deserts

For the purposes of this review, our family focused primarily on The Digital Field Trip to The Desert.  The majority of my positive comments about The Digital Field Trip to the Desert apply to the other two field trips as well since the three field trip programs are structured in much the same way.

To try out the Digital Field Trip to the Desert, one of the activities that my two sons (6th grade and 4th grade) and I completed was to take a desert animal treasure hunt.  Using the Teacher's Guide which is included on the DVD for each of the field trips, I knew the animals we should find in each desert.  We found the scorpion in Black Rock and the rattlesnake in the Painted Desert.  We found the coyote, peccary, vulture, and pronghorn in the Saguaro West.  We were unable to find the animals that were supposed to be in Big Bend, though.

While my older son enjoyed the activity and even clicked on the various cacti to learn more about them, my younger son became frustrated and lost interest.  Given my younger son's reactions and the complexity of much of the information included on the computer program, I do agree with the recommended age ranges for the product.

The Build-A-Desert Ecosystem game was a big hit with my older son as well!  The goal of this highly educational game is to build a balanced desert ecosystem.  My son could instantly see how adding a plant or animal impacts the ecosystem in terms of food and water available.  The Build-A-Desert Ecosystem game also includes saved games which can be explored to answer various questions regarding the impact of the different animals on the ecosystem.  The questions are included in the Student Guide.

Positive Aspects of The Digital Field Trip Series on DVD

• The program is very easy to navigate, with multiple options for exploring the program and help available on every screen.
• I really liked that I could click on the plants and animals and be taken to a new screen with more text about the plant or animal as well as a short movie for many. 
• During the short movies, the text of the movie is displayed below the movie screen.
• Definitions are available by clicking on the word for almost every word used throughout the program.
• Scientific or technical terms include spoken pronunciations.
• Teacher's Guides are included on the DVD for each of the three programs.  The Teacher's Guide for The Digital Field Trip to the Desert is 65 pages long and includes learning objectives for each section of the DVD.
• A Student Guide is included for each of the three programs.  The Student Guide really extends the learning opportunities available for the programs and is divided into five sections with extensive questions to complete for each section. 
• A special section is included in each Teacher's Guide with ideas for how to use the program with younger students.
• Many of the silhouette graphics for the plants and animals are available to print from the program.
• The program is an excellent tool to use for research reports or as part of the overall curriculum in a science or geography course.

The only negative aspects of The Digital Field Trip Series DVD is the price and, depending on your family's values and beliefs, the evolutionary stance taken throughout the program.  The Digital Field Trip Series DVD is an excellent learning tool, but it is an investment at $125.00.

I am looking forward to using The Digital Field Trip Series DVD in the years ahead as we learn about deserts, rainforests, and wetlands in our science and geography studies!  The Digital Field Trip DVD is available for $125.00 at Digital Frog. 

I received a copy of The Digital Field Trip Series DVD in order to complete this review.  No other compenation, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for my review.

Salem Ridge Press Review

As part of my job as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received one physical book and two e-books from Salem Ridge Press.    Before receiving the books, I was not familiar with Salem Ridge Press.  After learning a bit more about Salem Ridge Press, I learned that the founder, Daniel Mills, is a homeschool graduate himself!  The mission of Salem Ridge Press is:

• "bringing back the very best children's books of the 1800's and early 1900's for a new generation of readers.  We strive to republish books that are wholesome, exciting, and well-written."

As of the time of this review, Salem Ridge Press has republished 28 books which are available for purchase in several formats - e-book, softcover, or hardcover (not all books are available in all three formats).  Twelve of the titles are in the Emma Leslie Church History set.  Titles are also available in the topics of American History, World History, Adventure, and Allegory.  There are also titles specifically appropriate for younger readers.  Salem Ridge Press takes the job of providing quality, wholesome books very seriously.  More information about how their titles are chosen can be found at the Our Books page at the Salem Ridge website.

For the purposes of this review, I read From Bondage to Freedom by Emma Leslie.  The Church History series by Emma Leslie is one of the major offerings from Salem Ridge Press.  Salem Ridge Press asserts that these titles are particularly valuable for learning about the early Church and the great works of God because they are:

• Told in an interesting and memorable way
• Inspirational
• Appealing to both girls and boys.

After reading From Bondage to Freedom by Emma Leslie, there are many positive comments that I can easily make about the book.

• The physical book itself is of a high quality.  The pages are of a good thickness, the font is pleasing to the eye and easy to read, and the binding is tight.  The cover art is attractive and the artwork included throughout the book added to the interest level and historical understanding of the story.
• The Historical Notes were very helpful to me in understanding many aspects of the story.  Sadly, I am not particularly well-versed in early Church history so I found the Historical Notes invaluable to aid my understanding.  I think the Historical Notes would be very helpful for a young person learning about early Church history.
• Difficult or unfamiliar words were defined at the bottom of each page.  I found this immensely helpful to my understanding of the book as I'm sure any young person would.
• I think this book would be an excellent addition to a young person's study of Early Church History.  The dramatization of the rise of the Islamic religion and the doctrine of purgatory would add emotion and depth to a historical study of these same events.
• The book was clearly written for an evangelical Christian audience.  The most admirable character in the book has a close relationship with Jesus which influences her life greatly for good.  Her salvation is based solely on the saving grace offered by Him.

While there are many more positives to the book than my few criticisms, I did have a few areas in which I struggled at times with the book. 

• Much of the dialogue is true to the time period and is written with words like "wouldst, thou, thinkest."  Such dialogue might prove to be a stumbling block for some readers in their understanding of the text.
• While the Historical Notes were invaluable, I would have also appreciated a list of characters with descriptions.  There were quite a few characters in this book, many with unfamiliar names.  I think a list of characters and descriptions would aid understanding.
• At times, some of the relationships between characters seemed a bit shallow.  While I completely respect the need to maintain the highest standards of purity, I found myself surprised when two characters were married.  I simply did not recognize that they had profound feelings for one another, deep enough to lead to marriage. 

To get a better idea if this title would be a valuable addition to your family's library, you can read the first chapter of From Bondage to Freedom at the Salem Ridge website.  From Bondage to Freedom by Emma Leslie is available for purchase in softcover for $14.95, and in hardcover for $24.95.  Depending on your family's values, Salem Ridge Press may be just the publisher you are looking for to provide quality, wholesome, God-honoring literature for your family.

I was given one physical book and two e-books in exchange for writing this review.  No other compenation, monetary or otherwise was given to me in exchange for writing this review.      

Favorite Curriculum By Subject

This week's TOS Blog Cruise question is "What are your favorite resources for teaching the ages/grades that you are teaching?"  Since homeschool moms (me included) love to talk about curriculum, this topic is a fun one!  We are definitely eclectic homeschoolers using a wide variety of different curriculum.  For the 2010-2011 school year, my daughter, Amber is in 8th grade.  My sons, Mason and Duncan, are in 8th and 4th grades respectively.  

Math
My very favorite curriculum for math is Teaching Textbooks.  We've been using Teaching Textbooks for four years now and I definitely plan to stick with TT through the high school math courses.  This year, Duncan (9) is using Math 5, Mason (12) is using Math 6, and Amber (13), is using Algebra 1. 

Teaching Textbooks is designed for the student to work independently.  Each program includes a textbook and computer CDs.  My boys don't use the textbook at all.  They watch the lesson on the computer and then they use a math notebook to solve the math problems and answer the questions on the computer.  My daughter prefers reading the lesson over watching it on the computer. 

All three of my students find the program motivational.  My boys enjoy the little animated buddy that perches in the left corner of the computer screen during their lessons.  They can choose the buddy from a wide variety of choices and it cheers them on during their lessons.  My daughter particularly likes that many of the word problems are funny, often in a quirky sort of way. 

Math concepts are clearly explained and there is quite a bit of review built into the programs.  A huge benefit for busy homeschooling moms is that Teaching Textbooks is self-grading up until Pre-Algebra.  Nobody ever complains about doing math here and all of my children are doing well in their respective levels.  Teaching Textbooks is a definite keeper for me!     

Grammar
My favorite resource for Grammar is a very non-flashy program called Growing With Grammar.  We've been using this program for several years now and it has been an excellent fit for two of my children.  To read more about Growing With Grammar, you can read my full review of Growing With Grammar at The Curriculum Choice. 

Art
My favorite resource for Art is Atelier Art.  I LOVE this program!  Atelier Art is a video-based program designed for homeschoolers.  I so wish I had discovered Atelier Art at the very beginning of our homeschool journey.  To read more about Atelier Art, you can read my full review of Atelier Art at The Curriculum Choice. 

History
Prior to this year, I have always put together my own unit studies in history and science.  This year, for a wide variety of reasons, I am using Winter Promise Quest for the Ancient World.  This program gives structure to our history studies without being overwhelming. 

Following the reading schedule outlined in the weekly guide keeps me moving along through different historical topics.  For example, without a schedule to keep me moving through the ages, I could easily spend our whole school year exploring Ancient Egypt!  With only five years left before my daughter goes to college, I want to make sure she has a good overview of Ancient, Medieval, Early American, and Modern American history before she enters college.  To make sure that happens, I can't spend months on a single topic as I sometimes have in the past.

In addition, I really enjoy the hands-on project suggestions and the video suggestions given in the Winter Promise teacher's guide.

Of course, I always have to tweak the plans given by Winter Promise a bit!  My favorite history resources that can easily be added to an existing curriculum are History Pockets by Evan-Moor.  I've used them in many history unit studies in the past and am currently using Ancient Egypt History Pockets as independent work for my boys to go along with our Winter Promise study.

Foreign Language
While we are just beginning to study foreign languages in our homeschool, my favorite resource so far is La Clase Divertida.  My two boys and I are taking this course and we are all enjoying it (particularly me).  We are working through the video-based Level 1 Spanish class and I so enjoy the enthusiasm of the instructor.  One of my favorite aspects of the class is that cultural and history information about Spanish-speaking countries is integrated throughout the program and hands-on activities are included.

Science
Up until this year I have taught science to my children in unit studies using a wide variety of resources.  This year, my daughter is taking Biology using Apologia Biology which I think is excellent.  My boys are currently working through Chemistry Level 1 from Real Science 4 Kids.  So far, I have been quite impressed with this curriculum as well.  Using textbooks for science is new for me, though!

I have also really enjoyed the hands-on project kits from Stratton House and the science units from TOPS Science.  We have also used Great Science Adventures:  Discovering the Human Body and Senses from Common Sense Press as our spine for a unit study about the human body last year.  You can read my full review of Discovering the Human Body and Senses at Curriculum Choice.  

Writing
I adore Ancient History Writing Lessons from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.  This is our first year with this program and I absolutely love it.  My boys are improving in their writing skills in ways that I completely didn't expect.  My boys are both writing without complaining and the lessons integrate perfectly with our history studies.  I love it!  Again, I wish I had started using IEW materials years ago.  The lessons are clear and my boys enjoy knowing exactly what they need to do in order to do well on their writing assignments.  The resources from IEW have given me a lot of confidence in teaching my reluctant writer boys to write and enjoy writing. 

Literary Analysis
This year, my daughter is doing most of her writing through her Literary Analysis course.  My daughter is definitely a natural writer and has been writing stories since before she should even form letters properly.  I remember her "pretending" to write stories and then bringing a page full of scribbles to me when she was a preschooler!  I am using Skills for Literary Analysis from For Such A Time As This.  So far, I really like this course and enjoy the clear directions and thorough overview of major literary concepts.

Spelling
While my daughter is a natural writer, she is NOT a natural speller.  I have used many different spelling curriculums over the years but I think I have finally found something that is working well and is not too painful for any of my children.  My boys have done well with all of the spelling programs that I've tried so my continued search for a good fit has been for my daughter.  This year, all three of them are using The Phonetic Zoo from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.  This is an auditory, independent program through which children progress at their own pace.  So far, the program seems to be a good fit for all of my children.  I think after years of searching, I may have found a keeper!

Sewing
My daughter and I are working through a wonderful beginning sewing course this year from Sew Teach Me.  I decided to add this to my daughter's schedule at the last minute and I am so glad that I did.  It's definitely one of her favorite parts of this school year.  You can read my full review of Sew Teach Me at The Curriculum Choice.

If you would like to read more about some of my favorite homeschooling resources, you may enjoy the following links.

• 2010-2011 School Year Curriculum with Reading Lists     
• Favorite Educational Games    
• Favorite Non-Curriculum Homeschool Resources

New Review Posted at Curriculum Choice - Sew Teach Me Curriculum

I have a new review posted over at The Curriculum Choice about the sewing curriculum I am using with my daughter this year, Sew Teach Me.  Check out my review over at The Curriculum Choice to read more about it!

My Access Home Edition Review

I have had the pleasure of reviewing My Access Home Edition as part of my duties as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew.  My Access Home Edition is an online writing program that is designed to work with any writing curriculum.  While My Access Home Edition is not an independent writing program in and of itself, the program is designed to come alongside any writing curriculum and actively enhance the writing instruction.  My Access Home Edition is like having a writing tutor available for your children at all times.  My Access Home Edition is available for $99.95 for a one year's subscription for up to 3 children from the same family or $129.95 for up to 6 children.

Getting Started with My Access Home Edition
I found it VERY easy to set up an account on My Access Home Edition for each of my three children.  I even set up an account for myself as a student so that I would be able to explore the program without impacting the progress reports of my children.  Multiple demonstrations are available at the My Access Home Edition website that are quite helpful for learning more about the program.

• Setting Up Student Accounts Demonstration
• Managing and Creating Assignments Demonstration
• Reporting and Progress Demonstration
• Student Account Overview Demonstration

My Access Home Edition offers help to the homeschooling parent in many ways.  One way that My Access Home Edition can help with writing instruction is by offering 93 different writing assignments that are organized by age (8-10, 11-14, 15-18) and type of writing (narrative, persuasive, informative).  As the parent, you can choose to make all or only some of the writing assignments available to your student. 

My favorite part of the program, though, is that My Access Home Edition allows the homeschooling parent to enter their own assignments.  Therefore, it is quite easy to integrate My Access with many writing assignments in many different subjects.

So, how exactly does My Access Home Edition work?  To better understand the program before my children started using it, I decided to create a student account for myself and actually write an essay.  To help you better understand how the program works, I will walk you through the writing and revision process of my essay.  I chose the Ancient Civilizations writing prompt:

• Think about an ancient civilization you have studied.  What was life like?  How was it similar to life today?  How was it different?

Before starting my essay, I worked through part of the Informative Writing Course for Module 1.  My Access Home Edition offers writing instruction which can easily be accessed before or after completing a writing assignment.  During the Informative Writing Course, I was greeted as part of the Daily Access News Team.  While I thought the information in the course was very good, the student must read all of the information and the graphics are relatively simple.  While this may be excellent for some students who are easily distracted by bells and whistles, other children might enjoy a bit more excitement in the writing course.
The particular Informative Writing Course lesson I completed was about the 5 parts of the writing process.  Afterwards, I completed a short quiz.

After writing my essay, I was very pleased to find that I scored proficient on all 5 writing traits.  Once an essay is submitted, the essay is immediately graded and a score of 1 to 6 is given.  Essays are scored on 5 writing traits.  The following information was taken directly from the Parent User Guide:

1. Focus:  The extent to which the essays establish and maintain contolling ideas, address the purposes and audiences of the tasks, and complete the assignments.
2. Organization:  The extent to which the essays demonstrate unified structures and use transitional devices.
3. Content and Development:  The extent to which the essays develop ideas fully and creatively using specific, accurate, and relevant ideas.
4. Language Use:  The extent to which the essays demonstrate an awareness of the audiences and purposes of writing through effective sentence structures, sentence variety, and word choices.
5. Mechanics and Conventions:  The extent to which the essays demonstrate control of the conventions of English, including paragraphing, grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules.

Essays are instantly graded using IntelliMetric which is an artificial intelligence scoring engine.  Interestingly, the score given by IntelliMetric and the score given by an expert human scorer agrees 97-99% of the time.

My first score was 3.9 (I wrote the essay quickly!).  After revising the essay using the list of revision goals that were given to me, I brought my score up to 4.3.  Even though my score was in the proficient range, I wanted to earn a higher score, so I revised my essay some more and ended with a score of 4.9.
 
Here is my finished essay, after revisions, to give you a better idea of what a proficient essay might look like as graded by IntelliMetric in the 8-10 year old informative essay category:
Have you ever wished you could travel back to the grandeur of the time of pyramids and pharaohs? Of all the ancient civilizations, ancient Egypt is filled with the most intrigue. Powerful pharaohs, pyramids, and intricate burial rituals; there is much to fascinate one about ancient Egypt. While there are some aspects of life in ancient Egypt that are similar to today, much about life in ancient Egypt is different from life today. Ancient Egyptians were different from people today in three areas which are discussed in this essay: educating children, burial rituals, and attitudes towards cats.


While parents in ancient Egypt loved their children and held family life to be important, just like most parents today, many aspects of raising children were different in ancient Egypt. One significant difference is that ancient Egyptian children rarely attended school. Today, compulsory schooling is the norm in the United States and many other countries. Not so in ancient Egypt. While some boys went to school to become scribes, most learned the trade of their father, such as farming. Girls did not attend school and were taught to be homemakers by their mothers at home. This system of education worked very well for the ancient Egyptians, though, as they maintained a stable and rewarding way of life for over 3,000 years. While differences in educating children exist, differences in how the dead are treated also exist.

Ancient Egyptian people mourned their dead and buried their loved ones, just like people today. On the other hand, much about the burial process was quite different in ancient Egypt. Mummification was common in ancient Egypt whereas today dead people are not mummified. For Pharaohs, in particular, the burial rituals were extremely detailed and significant. We are still learning about the elaborate tombs built for pharaohs in pyramids. The artwork, treasures, and sophistication in these ancient tombs still amazes us today.

Lastly, people in ancient Egypt and today revere cats as pets. Cats were particularly valuable to the ancient Egyptians in that they protected the precious grain supply from mice and other rodents. In ancient Egypt, though, cats were often worshipped as gods. Cats were so important to many ancient Egyptians, that some even had their cats mummified after death!

There are many differences between ancient Egyptian culture and today's culture including differences in childrearing, burial practices, and our attitudes towards cats. Few ancient cultures fascinate us as much as ancient Egypt. It is likely the mystery and marvels of ancient Egypt will continue to fascinate and astound future generations as well.

Revision Goals
The help offered to me in revising the essay came in two forms, My Revision Goals and My Editor.  My Revision Goals are keyed to excellent writing and based on the submitted essay.  They are not, though, specific to the particular essay and topic.  For example, one suggestion for me was to "Give your essay a good introduction" which was followed by clear and specific ways to accomplish this task in general but not for my particular essay.

My Editor
On the other hand, My Editor offers proofreading advice which is completely specific to the particular essay.  The suggestions go way beyond a simple spell checker.  My Editor finds and suggests ways to fix grammar errors, spelling errors, and awkward phrasing.

Publishing the Essay
After I was all done revising, I was given the option to publish my essay.  I was able to choose a color style (Ocean Blue) and my published essay looked like a newspaper story.  I was also able to e-mail the essay which I thought was a wonderful feature for students who are working on laptops without attached printers.  As well, the option is available to simply print the essay in a normal fashion without the newspaper format.

Activities
My Access Home Edition offers much more than assignments and essay grading.  In addition to the aforementioned Writing Courses, the program also offers Activities which can be completed in order to earn Activity Points.  Activities are short, interactive worksheets regarding all aspects of the writing process.  For example, one activity that I completed was a short passage to read  followed by three questions regarding:

• where a comma should be placed
• the best way to combine sentences
• the best place to add a sentence.

Activity Points
Activity Points are earned by the student for completing and revising essays, taking writing courses, and completing activities.  As the parent, you can set the point goal for your children and specify rewards for meeting the point goals.  So, for example, you might specify that a child needs to earn 500 points to gain the reward of a trip to the ice cream shop to pick out the treat of his or her choice.

Writing Helps for the Student
When writing essays, students can find a wide variety of writing helps available at the click of a mouse including:

• the rubric used to grade essays
• writer's models
• writer's guides
• outline help
• focus checklist
• word count
• thesaurus.

Progress Reports for the Parent
Lastly, as the parent, My Access Home Edition offers easily accessed tools for you to view the progress in detail of each of your children.  As the parent you can view:

• the specific feedback given to your students
• the revision goals for any essay submitted
• overall progress on a below proficient to advanced proficient scale
• Activity points earned
• scored essays in detail
• how many essays have been completed.

Overall, I think My Access Home Edition would be extremely helpful for many homeschooling parents, but particularly those who do not feel confident grading their children's writing.  The goal of My Access Home Edition is certainly not to take the teacher out of the writing process, though.  Even with this program, a parent will still need to be quite involved in the writing instruction of one's children.  In working with the program, my children have found it difficult to achieve "advanced proficient" in all five writing traits.  Therefore, my goal has been for them to reach the Proficient category in all five writing traits.  From my experience, if an essay is given a "proficient" rating by IntelliMetric, the essay is what I condider to be very good writing. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will answer any questions based on my experience with My Access Home Edition.

I received a one year subscription to My Access Home Edition for the purpose of reviewing the product.  No other reward, monetary or otherwise, was given in exchange for this review.

Language Arts - Additional Curriculum Resources

When I posted our curriculum list for the 2010-2011 School Year, I didn't include the Teaching Resources books that I will be using in the twice weekly "Special Language Arts Topics" time with my 4th and 6th grade boys.  The "Special Language Arts Topics" time that I have planned is devoted to learning about lots of different language arts topics that we have discussed over the years in various contexts.  While we have touched on these topics, we haven't focused specfically on them, therefore, I wanted to be sure to do so with my boys as I feel they are all important to better understand and appreciate literature. 

More specifically, the following topics will be covered:

• Similes
• Metaphors
• Onomatopoeia
• Alliteration
• Hyperbole
• Personification
• Poetry
• Idioms
• Literary Elements:  Character, Plot, Setting, Theme
• Review of various language arts and grammar topics through games.

Creating a time schedule for our school days has helped tremendously to make sure that I actually accomplish everything I want to accomplish.  At first, I didn't think I could fit a "special topics" time into our school day.  I have found that the reality of homeschooling is that I just can't do everything I would like to do with my children.  But, by looking at our schedule closely, I was able to fit in two 30 minute sessions a week to cover additional language arts topics in a concentrated, dedicated fashion.  While two times a week for 30 minutes doesn't seem like much, over the course of 36 weeks, that's 36 hours.  I can cover a lot of material with my children in 36 hours!

So, what am I going to use to help me plan these lessons for my boys?  Most of the books that I will be using are from Scholastic Teaching Resources.  I've collected most of these books over time from PaperBackSwap.

• It Figures! Fun Figures of Speech by Marvin Terban
• Language Arts Bingo
• Poetry Projects with Pizzazz
• Teaching Literary Elements with Favorite Chapter Books
• 20 Hands-On Activities for Learning Idioms
• Fill-In Flip Books for Grammar, Vocabulary, and More.