The ramblings and adventures of a SAHM

Kindergarten Science.... Taste

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:23:00 +0000

For Ryleigh's Kindergarten the last couple of days we have been working through the 5 senses (1 sense a day)... Here is a fun (quick) experiment/ lesson that we did. I took little cups and filled them with: salt water, sugar water, lemon water, unsweetened cocoa, and cocoa with sugar mixed in.... Braeden also partook in the lesson.... that is why there are so many cups! They did not know what they were tasting beforehand. By the end we had discussed: sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Ryleigh taking a sip of the salty I think...

Hilarious! And by that... I mean for me....

Braeden didn't like the taste either...

There were lots of giggles during this lesson... and I believe Braeden laughed so hard he got hiccups and tears... which made Ryleigh laugh equally hard.

Overall, Ryleigh liked the experiment... but was not interested in repeat tasting...

To see what others are up to this week, check out:

http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/category/weekly-wrap-up/

Baby its cold outside... winter crafts

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:05:00 +0000

Ok, so here in Long Island its not and hasn't been that cold yet... but... winter crafts are always fun :-) Here are a couple of highlights from this weeks classes...

My Preschool class made these cute water/ juice bottle snowmen....

we filled them with cotton balls and decorated with buttons and felt.

I got the idea from here.

They were very serious filling the bottles with the cotton balls...

We made pizza... with some garlic, tomato and motz cheese.... always a fan favorite...

Thank you Pampered Chef for the recipe :-)

Sprinkling on the cheese...

The finished pizza...

Frequently I hide alphabet letters around the room... that the children have to go and find... and put in alphabetical order... these are foam letters that are meant for the bathtub... I think I got them from Walmart... or a similar store...

We read My Red Mittens (I really like this for the preschool age... its short, its cute and it has fuzzy mittens)... After reading the kids put their hand-prints on the red mittens that they glued to black construction paper...

Braeden painting some snow flakes...

An example of our finished Mittens...

To see what others are up to this week, check out:

http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/category/weekly-wrap-up/

What's in the Box.... Kindergarten... January

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:10:00 +0000

Ryleigh is currently in her Kindergarten Year.... and I thought I would share some of the things she works on each day.... because I like seeing what others do for their school day :-).... We are using the work-box method... and some of the subjects rotate in... some things that Ryleigh frequently works on but are not "featured" in this post are: McRuffy Press Science (Kindergarten), Sequencing workbooks, Maze and drawing Workbooks, Geography, Fun reading books, Seasonal Crafts and Projects, etc. ...... she also attends preschool with Braeden so she gets plenty of arts and crafts, fine motor and baking done there :-)

All About Spelling Level 1...

First Grade Singapore Math...

we started with Math U See.... but this is a much better fit for us!

Kindergarten Handwriting without Tears...

All About Reading, Level 1... Ryleigh is midway through the 3rd reader...

so I will move her to Level 2 Mid semester...

A hidden pictures page... for fun...

Sight Words... She is halfway through the Primer Dolch Words...

this day she did a graphing project from The Moffat Girls..

We usually pick a couple of pages from the Big First Grade Book,

if there is time at the end of our school day....

The picture of her Spanish flashcards did not show up...just a bright glare...

so I took a picture of the Binder that holds the cards ;-)

Enjoying the perks of homeschooling... doing her sight words comfy style.....

Posing for a picture...

Working on her Spelling.... Braeden is helping...

We use this board for both All About Spelling and All About Reading...

http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/category/weekly-wrap-up/

Our First Week back in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:22:00 +0000

We always start the beginning of the week putting our alpha pictures in our books... and going through our letter bin...

To celebrate the start of Winter .... school ended before break before Winter really started... We read The Mitten.... our craft to go along with the book was to lace up cardstock mittens...put all the animals inside the mitten... and then decorated them with glitter....

The finished mittens...

We made these yummy Snow Shovel Cookies... recipe found here... They are chocolate chip cookies...with pretzels...dipped in white chocolate...

Our Letter of the week "l".... we made "l" is for "l"ollipops!

We did an experiment to see which solution would do the best job to clean a dirty penny. I got the experiment from here. We used vinegar and salt (1/2 C vinegar to 2 teaspoons salt), water and soap, and water.

Turns out the vinegar and salt made the pennies shiny and new looking.... but make sure to rinse them off... or they turn green!

See what others are up to this week:

http://www.weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com/category/weekly-wrap-up/

Wordless Wednesday ~ My Mini Me....with Her Mini Me

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:24:00 +0000

Ryleigh was very excited to take McKenna to her Daisy Meeting.... in matching uniforms.....

Meet Henry.... Our Elf on the Shelf....

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:52:00 +0000

So... our elf has been very busy this year.... below are some of my favorites... Henry showed up the day after Thanksgiving... and then left Christmas Eve.... side note... things get much more entertaining if you hack your elf (put in wire... add velcro).... the scenarios are endless....

Henry had some Dunkin coffee...and didn't bring me any....what's up with that?

He ended up with the sniffles... don't worry.... it only lasted one day!

Took a marshmallow dip...and snacked on a miniature chocolate bar...

Snowball fight....

Took a shower with a rubber ducky...

Moved some presents around...

Worked on a construction project...

Got stuck in the gold fish....guess he was hungry?

A little wrapped up....

Took Barbie for a spin around the Tree...

Did a Zip Line... and used a pot and wooden spoon to navigate it...

A little light reading...

Traversed down the tree....

Tried to save Rapunzel....

Candy Caned our house.....

Found some wine...

Did a coloring sheet...and started counting down the days until Christmas....

Watched the kindle while snacking on a lot of sweets!!! (The Mini Ice Cream Cone has a Marshmallow on top if it)...

Did some cooking on the grill...

Some fishing in the kitchen...

And made a mini Gingerbread house out graham crackers, frosting....and candy corn...

Until he returns next year....

Thanksgiving... and Black Friday....

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:52:00 +0000

I am sooooo far behind with blogging that I really need to just jump back in...... so some of the posts may or may not be in sequential order.....

Our Holiday Thanksgiving Picture...with matching Gobble shirts....

Usually for Black Friday I am one of the first people inline for the sales... this year... I was already done shopping... having found amazing deals during the fall... so.... we dressed the kids in their Gingerbread Shirts...went to a local Nursery to take our Holiday Cards...(Their trees were already up and decorated)...

Happy Holidays!!!

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Samson's Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 03:34:00 +0000

Samson's Classroom is an online program for sight words, spelling and reading that is aimed for children grades K-5. They have the children play engaging games to master the words. Samson is a loveable dog :-) Also on the website are worksheets and lesson plans.

I have been using a fantastic Reading Program with Ryleigh that we are very happy with... I plan to use the same program for spelling. That being said, I used Samson's Classroom to review what we have learned... and add a bit of technology to the lessons. Ryleigh enjoyed how easy it was to use... I liked the material it encompassed...and the ease of tracking her progress.

When Ryleigh used it she mainly focused on the sight words.... which uses the 224 most used words.... Ryleigh is only 5...so... although she knows the entire pre-primer dolch list.... that is only a small portion of the program... Lots of room to grow!!!

Sight Words with Samson - Identifying words on a word wall

The Reading portion is designed to help the student grow in their analyzing and comprehension of what they are actually reading. These games are engaging and keeps the students interested and excited to keep moving forward!

Reading with Samson - Students get rewarded for answering questions correctly by gaining extra time in the carnival.

We have not done a lot of spelling with Ryleigh yet... she can spell some of her sight words and a lot of the CVC's...and some of the blends... she did seem to still enjoy the spelling section.... but I think she will like it more once we get a little further.... (and she gets a little older)...

Spelling with Samson - Gathering letters and putting them in the proper order

You need to have complete mastery to move on to the next game... so it would be good if the teacher could set what "mastery" was... instead of it being 100%... sometimes Ryleigh would get 7/8 consistently.

Pricing:
Home - 1 user $30 per year

Family - 4 users $50 per year

Classroom - 30 users $80 per year

Grade Level - 150 users $250 per year

Small School - 400 users $500 per year

Large School - 1,000 users $1,000 per year

You can try out Samson's Classroom free demos by clicking here.

To see what other crew members thought go here
Disclaimer: I received this product, and no other compensation, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Field Trippin.... Pumpkin Pickin...

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:00:00 +0000

To end our unit study on "Farms" and begin our Fall theme, Sarah Beth Academy (What I named our school )... went Pumpkin Picking to a Family Farm.... The kids ages ranged from not quite 3 months to 3rd Grade....

Before the tour began the kids got out some of their energy...

Braeden ran around in circles...

The first activity was to go on a tractor pulled wagon ride....

Ryleigh and Abby in the Wagon...

Braeden looking at the cornfield as we passed it...

Andrew... pointing to the cornfield....

The kids were excited to pick their own pumpkin off of the vine...

They were also allowed to each pick radishes...

Ryleigh with one of hers....

Braeden....in the pumpkin field...

The kids also got to see newborn bunnies... still in their next in the ground...

The kids got to learn about the life cycle of a pumpkin....

and that a pumpkin is a fruit.... (go figure!)

and that the ridge on the outside of the pumpkin is called a rib...

They also learned about the parts of corn...

Ryleigh listening....

Picking String Beans....

At the end they got to play in the very awesome playground... here Braeden is on an actual Fire Truck (Slide off the back)...

Ryleigh in the giant pumpkin...

Braeden climbing up a giant stack of hay... he did not want to come down... I actually had to go up and get him...

To see what others are doing this week or for school check out:
Tot School with 1+1+1=1
Preschool Corner with Homeschool Creations
Weekly Wrap-up with Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Our Classroom this year.... Fall 2012

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 01:08:00 +0000

This summer I spent a lot of time organizing (with some help!) our school room.... this year Ryleigh is in Kindergarten and Braeden is doing Preschool (I have 6 for his class....half are 3... the other half are 2...so some tot school aspects)... I always like to check out what other peoples rooms look like so I thought I would do a post on mine....

Starting from the edge of the couch (which is the "divider" between the school room and the other half of the basement)... Wire shelves hold "dirty bin"- where we put the dirty paint brushes, etc., trays, tabletop pocket charts, individual games, tot school hands on learning felt alphabet, cones and bean bags.... then the closet that holds my school supplies and curriculum... perhaps a post on that later.... pocket calendar... directly under that curriculum we are currently using, my supply 10 drawer system, and Ryleigh's 10 drawer workbox system...

Calendar (as described above, bulletin board for circle time, flag, storage pencil cases (from the dollar store) that hold weather, number, shape, letter, etc. velcro pieces. under that is where our themed sensory bin lives... and under that is the bin cubby for the kids to keep their supplies in... they have their names and decorations on them... the door in this picture is another closet (not school related)...

For circle time: weather, seasons, days of the week, sight words, letter, shape, number, letter of the week...

Wide view of the corner of the classroom... includes Braeden's All About Reading Pre-Level 1 posters...

Posters, stairs... file folder games.... white door is laundry room (very convenient to throw loads in between directions!)

Another view of this side of the room...we use carpet pieces from Ikea for our circle and story time...

The other side of the room.... door is the laundry room... then book area...manipulative storage (more on that below, number pocket chart, sight word pocket chart, Map of NY, Ryleigh's board for All About Reading... Tables for the kids...

This one includes a view of the Chica Chica Tree...and the USA map.... next to the Chica Tree is a bathroom... very handy for the little ones... and great when they need to wash hands after painting!

A close up look of our bookshelf... It holds the pencil sharpener, alphabet box, Ryleigh's shoe to practice tying, the mailbox for postcards... underneath it holds music instruments, math manipulative s handwriting without tears, fine motor skill manipulative s... and our science test tubes...

To see what others are doing this week or for school check out:
Tot School with 1+1+1=1
Preschool Corner with Homeschool Creations
Weekly Wrap-up with Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Beeyoutiful Makeup

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 02:28:00 +0000

I was recently given some mineral makeup to review from BeeYoutiful Skin.... I was excited... and hoped that I would be able to review it adequately... I am going to be completely honest... I know very little about makeup... I hardly ever wear any.... and when I do- it consists of some eye-shadow and mascara...the end... I have tried to use it before... but have found the whole process very complicated and over whelming... so I usually take the easy route and avoid it.

In my review package I was given, a big brush (the softest brush I have ever seen!), a smaller 2 sided brush, eye color, lip color and foundation and a DVD with details on HOW to use the make up (the same instructions are available on the site.... the make up that I was sent was only a small portion of the amount you would receive if you purchased it.

To start I got to pick three foundation colors that I thought might work for me, and they sent me the 3 samples... and I picked the one I thought was the closest... I then chose the two colors I wanted to try for my eye color and lip color (the colors are actually interchangeable). When I first received the above package it looked like it would last for a couple of applications at best... (I did myself a favor and actually watched the DVD before applying any...and found that such a small amount was actually needed to use properly)...that it has lasted several weeks!

The makeup is made of all natural 100% pure minerals and are also gluten free!

Overall I love the makeup- its easy to apply and wears well! The DVD did say to use a toner first... I don't know what toner is...so I don't have any... but... the makeup goes on and stays on without it just fine! (I spritzed the brush with a little bit of water). After the initial try, it was easy to mix the minerals with a little liquid for easy application. I think the whole "routine" took me maybe 5 minutes... including moisturizing... and explaining to the kids what I was doing... :-)

My Before and After Pics.... in the "standard" facebook pose....

Prices:

Foundation Brush – $11

Combo Brush – $6.50

Foundation – $25 for 3.95 g

Eye Color – $10 for .55 g

Samples – $1 each

If you have any questions about their products or to place an order, call 1-800-556-0967 or email them at customercare@beeyoutiful.com

Beeyoutiful also offers skin care products and other natural products. To see what other TOS Crew member thought of the Beeyoutiful Skin and other products, click here.

Disclaimer: I received the above products as a member of the TOS Crew in return for my honest review. All thought, opinions and photos are my own.

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Music Together

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:18:00 +0000

I have taught a Mommy and Me Music program for the last 4 years... I first started teaching it out of the house....and then Moved the classes to a nearby Dance Studio... When I was given the opportunity to review Music Together Family Favorites I was ecstatic because I have been interested in learning more about it for awhile (but never got around to it...due to lack of free time)!!!

Music Together is an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for children from birth through age 7—and the grownups who love them. First offered to the public in 1987, it pioneered the concept of a research-based, developmentally appropriate early childhood music curriculum that strongly emphasizes and facilitates adult involvement.

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

After researching Music Together in connection with my TOS Crew review, I have found that it incorporates the same philosophies that my program does.

Basic Principles of the Music Together Philosophy

I. All children are musical.

II. Therefore, all children can achieve basic music competence, which we have defined as the ability to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm.

III.The participation and modeling of parents and caregivers, regardless of their musical ability, is essential to a child's musical growth.

IV. This growth is best achieved in a playful, developmentally appropriate, non-performance-oriented learning environment that is musically rich yet immediately accessible to the child's-and the adult's!-participation.

The Teacher book that I was given goes through how to use the songs, which instruments you can use, and the philosophy behind it. It was a great pairing to the CD and very informative. The CD I was given has 19 of the Music Together family favorites on it..... from the Hello Song that they start each class with to the Goodbye (wind down) song. One of my favorite songs on the CD is Stick Tune... we frequently play with Rhythm Sticks and this was a fun new way to use them. The kids really enjoyed it!

We happen to have all the instruments for this program already (and then some :-))... however, if you don't have a lot of instruments around your house, you can obtain them inexpensively...or MAKE THEM!! :-) The fun is not in what brand of instrument...but the music itself.

We mainly used the CD during free time...to dance around with and enjoy... the songs are very catchy...and before long your kids will know all the lyrics...(as will you!) Overall, this is a great program... whether you are homeschooling... or public/private schooling!

The Music Together Family Favorites Songbook for Teachers is$29.95 or you can purchase the combo with the CD for $39.95. ($5 savings!) Music Together is also offering an additional $2 off with the coupon code “Schoolhouse” at the check out.

NAPPA Gold Award winner
A Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award winner
Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award Winner

See what the rest of the TOS Crew is saying about Music Together...

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine.

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Family Time Fitness

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:54:00 +0000

Between Dance, Swimming, Gymnastics and Soccer my kids are physically active (scheduled....lets face it...mine run around the house all day long) 6 days a week. I try and do a Zumba class 3-4 times a week.... overall our house is very physically active. I was thrilled to get Family Time Fitness (its for the whole family!!) to review. We were sent Fitness 4 Homeschool Core 1... through computer download. I downloaded the lessons and put them in a binder.

The Fitness 4 Homeschool Curriculum allows homeschool parents to teachphysical education without previous knowledge of physical education and athletic development. Our program, designed by experts in fitness training, nutrition and body movement, is designed to suit every age and ability level while affordably fitting into your budget. Our program combines flexibility and fun with a comprehensive curriculum to give your children a foundation for strong bodies and minds. Best of all, you get all this for only $57 dollars for all your children!

The 260 lesson plans utilize repetition, but they are also progressive and sequential. The program is designed for all age levels and abilities, and because we believe that the learning process is most valuable with family engagement, the lessons are designed so that the whole family can join in the lessons.

A great part of this program is that there are not a lot of supplies needed... we actually had them all already anyway... hula hoops, cones, balls, jump ropes, etc.

I loved pretty much everything about this program. So much information was included! We received in depth lessons.... that are very easy to follow...but should you have questions, they also have video clips of the activities. They also have a one page summary- which is great to go back to refer to. They also provide assessment tools and nutritional guides.

If you do the entire lesson...its about 60 minutes of activity.... Because my kids are involved in a scheduled physical activity that ranges from 1-3 hours a day....I didn't feel that it was necessary for us to do the whole lesson.... not to fear!! The lessons are easily broken down into 15 minute intervals... which was (and is) perfect for us at the start of our school day.

I plan to continue to use this awesome program, even now that the review is over. It is really so easy to use and a fun way to start the day!

The Fitness 4 Homeschool Curriculum is $57. There is also a FREE two day trial you can sign up for. Go check it out!

Click the banner below to see what other Crew members thought of this site.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine.

TOS CREW REVIEW Speekee TV

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:09:00 +0000

Ryleigh (age 5) has been studying Spanish for the last year or so (at a slow pace)...and during this time Braeden (age 3) has started to pick up some of the Spanish words and Phrasing... so I was very interested to see how he would do with a program that I used geared toward his age.... he Loved it!!!

Speekee TV is fun and and the songs repetitive... there are 10 episodes that take your child to a different location (Park, Cafe, etc.). Included with the subscription (which is great for homeschoolers!!!) is the Speekee Fast Track Program... which provides daily activities to help you get the most out of your children's Spanish Education.

From the Website:

What is Speekee FastTrack?

Speekee FastTrack is a 40 week plan that maximises every child's Spanish learning. Every week we've suggested 4 activities for you, with corresponding video clips, worksheets and other downloads. Taking just a few minutes, each activity accelerates understanding and use of Spanish.

* Please note that the Speekee Program is Spanish from Spain...not Latin America... ( I am using Latin America Spanish with Ryleigh....so there are some minor differences)...

8 reasons to choose SpeekeeTV for Spanish

Spanish acquisition without effort. Just watch and play!
HD video streaming of Speekee and friends teaching...
...concise, essential Spanish, with lots of repetition
100% in Spanish (subtitles available)
Virtual friendships with real Spanish children...
...in real Spanish locations...
...in real time!
Spanish songs that really ‘stick’

Pricing for their online program: Speekee offers the first two weeks free and the monthly fee is $7.50. A year subscription is $60.00. You can cancel your membership at any time. You may view pricing information here.

Disclaimer: As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a subscription to this program for free. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Math Made Easy...Addition

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 02:13:00 +0000

I was given the opportunity to review the Home School Package of Math Made Easy: Addition. Ideally this is for 1st and 2nd grade...however, I used it with Ryleigh who is doing Kindergarten. The idea behind this is that the children learn their addition facts without using their fingers...in 6 weeks.... There are only 36 facts that they need to learn.

Home School Packages: $24.95/ea

		Home School Addition Package:
		Lesson Plans PreTest Six Weeks of Daily Activity Sheets

		Post Test Games Flash Cards

This nifty book comes in black and white so it is super easy to make copies (for home use only!). At first glance this book looked a little dull...HOWEVER, I could not have been more wrong.... The lessons are short and to the point...There are games to re-enforce the facts learned....and by having the student learn 6 facts a week...it is completely doable! The reason that there are only 36 facts to learn, is that the 0s and 1s are eliminated...as are the duplicates...leaving 36 to learn.

This is a very straight forward...and EASY approach to learning your addition facts.... Ryleigh took to this right away and loved all the activities that were included... this would make a great addition (hahaha) to your homeschool math library!!!! I was very impressed with her progress in such a short time.

Math Made Easy also makes a Multiplication book...To see what other crew members have to say about Math Made Easy check out the School House Review Crew Blog!!!

Disclaimer: I was given this product for free for my honest review...all opinions are my own!

Tie Dye and Sand Art ~ Messy Summer Fun Week 3 2012

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 02:32:00 +0000

During the Summer I hold Messy Summer Fun Classes/Workshops/Camp-days...on Mondays. Each session includes a sensory tub, messy craft, ice sculpture to melt, messy gross motor activity and snack....This week for our Tie Dye and Sand Art Messy Fun, I had 22 Children... however, everyone worked together and things stayed pretty organized...and everyone got to make both projects.

Some of the kids in their finished shirts...

This week's ice sculpture had dice erasers inside...

With so many kids this week... the 3 sculptures were melted quickly...

Playing with the water sensory bin....sea life themed...

Shaving Cream Balloons...

Relay/obstacle course/ free for all.... shaving cream balloons, hippity hop, hula hoop...lots of mess!

Hippity hops are fun...but running is faster and means twice as many balloons...

It actually stayed pretty organized...

Sand Art.... half of the kids did Sand Art while the other half did their tie dye shirts...

then they switched... a very organized chaos....

The kids had 12 colors to choose from....and chopsticks to make fun designs...

Some of the finished bottles...

Meanwhile at the Tie Dye table.....

Ryleigh working on her shirt...

Ryleigh went with a giant swirl method....

3 of the finished shirts....

We finished off the day with homemade snowcones for snack.... yummy on a hot day!!!

For more fun projects check out ABC and 123... . and Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations;

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Zane Education

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:15:00 +0000

I was given a subscription to Zane Education to review for TOS CREW...we don't school year round technically...so I thought this program would be great for some summertime review (although with the year subscription, I will use it throughout our school year)...
What is Zane Education? .....
Zane Education promotes visual learning using the world's largest and most comprehensive library of fully subtitled educational video currently available online. Zane Education provides a highly effective and unequalled online visual learning solution using curriculum-based video, interactive quizzes, video study tools and free lesson plans.

Nearly 2,000 curriculum-based education videos and a quiz database of over 23,000 curriculum-based multiple-choice questions provides online learning for 11 different subjects and more than 260 curriculum topics for K-12 grades. And more material and resources are being added all the time.

I really liked how you could print out lesson plans for the videos (optional)... it made doing a "mini lesson" nice and easy. The videos have the option of closed caption running with them which I liked.... but as Ryleigh has only just turned 5...does not read well enough yet to keep up with them yet :-) They also have lots of quizes with the videos which are useful to make sure that the material is grasped.

I did find that the site in general overwhelmed me with how many things were available...if it is possible to offer too many videos.... overall though, I was impressed with how vast the categories were...from Science to Music....

I previewed all videos shown to Ryleigh before she saw them, just to make sure the content was ok for our house...and depending on the guidelines in your house, you may want to do the same :-)

Zane offers several membership levels:

Basic Membership that provides demo videos and free math videos.
Gold Membership—includes all videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and many bonus materials ($17.99/month or $197.89/year)
Silver Membership—includes all videos for an age/grade level plus quizzes and lesson plans ($12.99/month or $142.89/year)
Bronze Membership—includes all videos for a subject ($8.99/month or $98.89/year)
Topic Taster Membership—includes videos for a single topic plus lesson plans and quizzes ($5.00/month)

*Through August, 2012, Zane Education is offering a 35% discount on any Gold, Silver, or Bronze 1-year membership with the coupon code, ZE395HSM

To see what other crew members click here: Disclosure/Disclaimer: I received the above product free of charge for review purposes. I am only expected to give an honest review.

TOS CREW REVIEW ~ Super Duper Publications

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:38:00 +0000

We got to review an awesome program from Super Duper Publications: Hear Builder (Following Directions)....

From their website:

Webber HearBuilder Following Directions is the all NEW innovative, evidence-based, interactive software program that gives students a systematic way to improve their auditory and following directions skills. At the same time, students will learn how to become Master Toy Makers while building their own Toy Central factories.

It is geared towards children ages 4-9... in Grades PreK-3....and retails for $69.95 (however there is a 30% off coupon below)....
Children learn to Follow increasingly difficult directions and Show knowledge of 40 basic concepts in five areas

Basic Directions
Temporal Directions
Sequential Directions
Conditional Directions
Quantitative and Spatial Directions

We found this game to be a lot of fun.... with minimal set up...or parental involvement. Ryleigh is 5 and starting Kindergarten, so she fell right into the target audience....She was able to navigate through the game pretty easily- so there was no frustration there. I really liked that to get to the next level, the current level does not need to be completed (allowing game browsing)....

I would recommend this game for fun as well as to help build listening skills... I will also use this game with Braeden (almost 3) when he gets a little bit older to practice following directions...

If you would like to try a demo- go check them out....

I also had a lot of fun browsing the Super Duper Publications website... there are SO MANY neat things on there :-)
Some awesome coupons that are good until the end of August on Hear Builder and some of the other products available:

Jeepers Peepers

http://www.superduperinc.com/products/view.aspx?pid=JP350&stid=

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HearBuilder Following Directions Home Edition

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HearBuilder Auditory Memory Home Edition

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Save 30% Expires 8/31/12

To see what other crew members click here:Disclosure/Disclaimer: I received the above product free of charge for review purposes. I am only expected to give an honest review.

Messy Summer Fun Week 2... 2012

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 02:57:00 +0000

It's the return of Messy Summer Fun!!! .... I run a 5 week program during the summer which includes fine motor, gross motor and lots of sensory activities... all of which are MESSY!!! This year I have 23 kids ranging from 9 months to 7 years.... here's what we did this week:

We had an ocean life sensory bin.... with water...

blue stones from the dollar store... a couple of ice cube trays...

some fish and dolphins.... some containers....and a sponge for diversity...

Our messy craft this week was ice cube painting- I mixed a little bit of water with some washable paint and froze it in an Hawaiin ice cube tray. This is always a big hit.... and so messy....

The little ones...showing their messy hands...

After the paint ice cube melted... the paint remains...

I made ice sculptures with numbers frozen inside..in layers....
the kids tried to see who could get to the numbers first....

Melting the ice sculptures....

Our relay race this week included hippity hops, water balloons, and the sprinkler...

The kids had to transfer the water balloons from one bucket through the sprinkler to the other....some made it...and some just threw them... either way... good times...

Sprinkler....

For this week's snack we had home made snowcones...

For more fun projects check out ABC and 123... . and Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations;

TOS CREW REVIEW - Keyboarding for the Christian School

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 04:29:00 +0000

I recently got the chance to review Keyboarding for the Christian School ~ Elementary Version. The Elementary Version is for children in grades K-5. There is an older Version for children in higher grades. They come as a PDF download, however, a bound book is available for an additional cost.

Initially, I thought that Ryleigh was too young to learn proper keyboarding...and to be quite honest... I was very daunted by the task of having to teach her. I remember taking keyboarding in highschool... although I do not remember a time when I could not "type"....it's definitely useful... especially in bloggy world... :-)
I was so relieved and excited to find that this is such a great method to teach keyboarding. It typically only used a couple of letters per lesson... so it does not overwhelm the student. I found for us that it worked better having it printed out (I kept it in a binder).
The lessons are straight forward and easy to follow. This review was Ryleigh's first introduction to actually typing on the computer... and finding the letters. I really liked the format and I will be continuing on with the lessons this fall for her.

Keyboarding for the Christian School Elementary Edition is available as an ebook download for $12.95. Use code SUMMER2012 to get 20% off your purchase through 8-29-12.
To see what other crew members click here:Disclosure/Disclaimer: I received the above product free of charge for review purposes. I am only expected to give an honest review.

Messy Summer Fun Week 1 2012

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 02:16:00 +0000

Jello Sensory Bin...I made two kinds of jello (with some expired jello)... added in some ice cubes to keep it from melting instantaneously..... some beads, ice cube trays and some dishes to play with...

The kids loved the sticky icky mess!!!

For our messy craft we made "Elephant Toothpaste"... I got the recipe from here .... In a liter bottle mix a drop of dish soap, a drop of food coloring and 1/2 cup Hydrogen Peroxide (I used the normal 3% and it worked great!)... in a separate cup mix 2 Tablespoons of warm water and 1 Teaspoon of Yeast... then pour the yeast mixture into the bottle....

The toothpaste slowly climbing out of the bottles...

Out of the bottle... a big foamy mess...

This was also a hit... especially as the kids could touch it...

For our frozen ice sculpture, I themed it with little plastic fish from the dollar store and some pretty beads (and food coloring)... froze it in layers in a big tub... and let the kids try and melt them in the kiddie pools...

The older kids figured out the process right away....

Braeden liked playing with the bucket...

A close up of a half frozen sculpture...

Our gross motor activity was a race/obstacle course/free for all with sponge transfer, shaving cream balloons, lots of water, and the sprinkler...

Sponge Transfer...

To make the shaving cream balloons, I used the foam shaving cream in a can (gel is not going to work)... put the balloon up to the nozzle... and they fill really easy....

Mid Race...

The shaving cream makes a delightful mess....

Some of the kids for Messy Summer Fun...

We finished up the morning with a Pink Lemonade Cupcake snack....

For more fun projects check out ABC and 123... . and Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations;

TOS Review- Professor B Math

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:23:00 +0000

I am always looking to supplement our Math Curriculum to keep things interesting. Luckily I was asked to review Professor B Math... on online elementary math program. It is a very straightforward, no nonsense approach to learning math. I really liked the depth of the program. Ryleigh seemed to enjoy the "Professor" Bee...

When teaching math, I typically use a lot of different kinds of manipulatives... we are very hands on and don't use many worksheets. I used Professor B Math to enhance our lessons. I was thrilled that although not included, our manipulatives worked extremely well with this program. The only thing that Ryleigh found a little distracting was the timer..however... questions I could get correct as fast as I could.. :-)

From the webpage:

Our program, "Mathematics Power Learning," have thoroughly structured the content of arithmetic as a developmental, contextual flow (like a story). This allows children's minds to assimilate its content more quickly (in the same natural way they assimilate stories rapidly) without any gaps in their knowledge.

By activating children's mental computers for maximum efficiency in the learning and retention of mathematics, we eliminate remediation and rote learning.

There are three levels of the program covering Pre-K through 8th grade:

LEVEL I	Pre-k though 2nd graders and remediation of older learners. Introduction to Addition/Subtraction Facts - Counting to One Hundred - Lower Addition and Subtraction - Higher Addition and Subtraction - Place Value Fractional Parts & Order - Time - Money

LEVEL II	3rd grade through 5th grade and remediation of older learners. Multiplication/Division Facts and Problem Solving - Introduction to Fractions - Fractional Equivalence - Addition and Subtraction Fractions

LEVEL III	6th through 8th grades and remediation of older learners. Multiplication/Division of Fractions - Decimals - Percents

Definitely go check out the program on the website.... http://www.profB.com/

Price: Monthly subscriptions starting at $20/mo for 1 level. The best deal is $100 for 3 year's access to one level... Call 678-765-6655 or email at info@profb.com.... See website for discounts on additional levels. You can also see sample lessons here.

This program worked great for us not only as review, but to introduce new topics as well. Ryleigh and I both really liked the Bee Professor...he was very cute. I liked that he wasn't animated or video game like. I appreciated that this program was meant to still be taught to the student...and not have the child just sit in front of the computer.

To read other Schoolhouse Crew reviews of this product click here.

Disclosure/Disclaimer: I received the above product free of charge for review purposes. I am only expected to give an honest review.

TOS Crew Review ~ Homeschool Spanish Academy

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:39:00 +0000

We had the opportunity to review Homeschool Spanish Academy... it is unbelievably great and I plan on signing Ryleigh up for our "Fall" semester. The lessons are 1 on 1 over Skype... so there is an actual Spanish Speaking Instructor for the session. Because the lessons are set up this way, they are easily tailored to your child.... moving at their pace.

We have done some Spanish here (Numbers, Colors, basic phrases)... and Ryleigh was very excited to learn more (as was Braeden...who has popped in from time to time if I couldn't get him down for a nap/quiet time).... I have to say that I have learned so much also (I knew pretty much NO Spanish ;-))... we have covered greetings, numbers, fruits, vegetables, vowels....

So far we have completed 5 out of our 7 classes... and I could not be more pleased. Our instructor Nora, emails me the lesson (which I then turn into flashcards for Ryleigh- they don't tell you to do that, but Ryleigh likes flashcards)... and the homework for us to go over. If I am being honest...which is the whole point of the review... we have yet to formally complete the homework and turn it back in... Ryleigh is only 5.... If I was to do the homework, we can email it back in and they will grade it for us... how nice is that?!?! .... we do go over the homework verbally and it is quite surprising (at least to me) how much Ryleigh retains from each lesson...(mainly because she cannot yet read the Spanish/English words and is doing it from memory)...

More good news- these lessons are super easy to schedule... before you start you receive a tech call so they can check your speed and make sure you are compatible computer-wise for the program.. then... you schedule online... you can choose your instructor and the time that works your schedule... what's even better is that it is just as easy to reschedule (24 hours in advance).

From the website ..
"Wouldn't it be great to have each Spanish class tailored to your child? Well, with HSA's 1-on-1 sessions, your child learns from a professional instructor every class with material, exercises, and content tailored just for him or her. We are the immersion Spanish experience online! Reduce your child's fear of speaking in front peers. Have all of your child's questions answered during class. Get the most out of your class time. Go beyond "how to learn Spanish," see your child actually use it! Because classes are individually tailored, move as fast or as slow as needed. Summer online classes are also available! With the HSA 1-on-1 experience, your child will learn Spanish in the most effective way possible!"

Homeschool Spanish Academy offers several levels of instruction, from early learning (age 5 and up) to adult. The Early Learning sessions are 25 minutes long, while the Middle School, High School, and Adult sessions are 50 minutes. You can sign up for a FREE trial by going to http://homeschoolspanishacademy.com.... it is most definitely worth it!!!

Pricing for the Early Language 1 on 1 is as follows:

To Check out what other crew members thought of this awesome program go HERE....
Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine.

TOS CREW Review- Dive Into Your Imagination

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 02:05:00 +0000

The Dive Into Your Imagination series entertains and educates children about the amazing natural world in the oceans. I received Dive Into Your Imagination's : What Makes a Fish a Fish.... an awesome DVD and PDF Teacher's guide from Annie Crawley. Annie Crawley traveled the world as an underwater photographer, dive instructor and boat captain for more than 15 years. Annie wants children and their parents to fall in love with all the animals of the sea, because we protect what we love.

Both K4 and Tot School were very excited to test out this fun DVD... and I incorporated it into our Sea Life Unit. (Which we concluded with a trip to the Aquarium)....

This DVD was so good- it was like being right up next to the fish...the children were immediately engaged with this series. I cannot wait to purchase the other DVD's in this series: Who Lives in the Sea and Dive into Diversity.

What Makes a Fish a Fish? contains 8 different segments.

What Makes a Fish a Fish
Sea Anemones and Their Friends
Hide and Seek on the Reef
Frogfish are Funny Looking Fish
Bath Time for Fishes
Don’t Be Afraid of Sharks
Dinner Time for Fish
Fishes, Fishes, More and More Fishes

Direct from the DVD: What Makes a Fish a Fish? "teaches children about astounding fish from around the world. How do fish take a bath? Learn the truth about sharks. Play hide and seek on the reef. The underwater realm provides boundless opportunities for parents to learn and laugh with their children. An upbeat original score celebrates the ocean and brings it to life."

The Educator PDF guides that we received were choc full of information.... our guide had 298 pages!

The price of the DVD is $19.95 and the PDF form of the teacher’s guide is $69.95 For the months of May and June, shipping is FREE!!!

Be sure to visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read more reviews of Dive into Your Imagination.

Disclosure: I received a DVD and corresponding educators guides for free in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ryleigh Turns 5!!

noreply@blogger.com (sbswtp) — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Ryleigh Turned 5 the end of April.... and we had a gymnastics party to celebrate the occasion..... here are a few pictures from the event....

Standard Birthday Picture.... "I am now 5!"

Notice the adorable shirt and bow set.... Thank you Missy Prissy Bow Boutique!!

Warm ups....

Stretching....

Some forward rolls...

Braeden getting ready to do a forward roll...

Most of the kids in the foam pit....

Going down the obstacle course slide!

Mid Air...

Picking out the candles for her cake...

Happy Birthday Ryleigh Rae!!!