What’s the answer, then?

Have someone else guide the drill. Or in this case, something.

There are many options for computer-based math fact drill. I’ve recently been given the opportunity to review one that I was unfamiliar with: CapJaxMathFax.

CapJaxMathFax is a simple computer program designed to drill students on all 4 mathematical operations. It allows students to master their math facts in a systematic progression. There is immediate feedback for the student and reporting capability for the teacher. It allows children to study math facts independent of the teacher, freeing up the teacher for other tasks.

The program is very simple to use. There are no distracting graphics and sounds. The problems are presented in a large font. Both horizontal and vertical problem orientation is used. The mouse is not used during the drill time, only the number keys (or keypad) and enter key. The student is challenged to not only get the fact correct, but to earn a SUPER rating on every math fact. The default setting for SUPER rating is answering in under 3 seconds. The student can practice or play for rating. Students build their rating over time and their progress is remembered in subsequent sessions. A bar graph is built on the screen allowing the student to visually see their progress.

I had my 10 year old son test serve as my main tester of this program. He has some learning difficulties and is behind in math, so he does need to work on his facts. He specifically needs to work on memorizing his multiplication facts, so that is where we started. I changed the Super Seconds from 3 to 6 for him. That is still tough for him. It just takes time for his brain to process what the problem is, then think of the answer, and then type in the answer. His progress on multiplication has been slow. Thinking that maybe the 6 seconds was an unrealistic target for him, I tested him with addition facts. I discovered that he can do the addition that fast because he knows it well. That definitely gives me hope for the multiplication!

He doesn’t love the program, but he doesn’t hate it either. (I know that doesn’t sound complimentary, but it actually is. He hates most everything that has to do with school. We’re really struggling.) I think that the program does exactly what it claims to do – helps students to master math facts. It is an ideal program for students who are easily distracted by games and sounds.

CapJaxMathFax is available to purchase through their website. A 12 month license is available for $29.95.

Visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read more reviews of CapJaxMathFax.

Disclosure: I received a 6-month license in order to review this program. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

We really don’t get along.

It all started in the 9th grade when I caught the towel on fire in the lab. I seem to have struggled with science labs ever since. And I’ve taken a lot of lab classes. I don’t know what it is about me, maybe I’m just bad luck in the lab. But failed science labs seem to follow me around.

What’s a homeschool mom to do though? I don’t want to skip science! As my kids have gotten older, I have them do more of the experiments. And I’ve learned how to identify the sources of experimental error over the years.

But sometimes it is nice for my kids to see how the experiment is supposed to work.

And now I have found a great resource for doing just that.

Go Science!

Go Science videos include science demonstrations by Ben Roy. He performs these demonstrations with a live audience of students in elementary and middle school. Not only does he perform the demonstrations, but he also explains why they work. And he always points the child back to how science demonstrates God’s power and creativity.

There are 6 titles in the series.

1. Motion and the Laws of Gravity
2. Simple Machines, Sound, Weather
3. Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering, and Design
4. Chemistry, States of Matter, Life Sciences
5. Air, Flight
6. Water, Space, Solar System

I received 2 DVD’s from Library and Educational Services to review.

Volume 3 includes fun demonstrations such as an electromagnet, making a compass, and a Tesla coil. In Volume 5 there are the Egg in the Bottle experiment, Can Crush, Cartesian Diver and many more. Each of these videos is between 45 minutes and 1 hour long.

We own a lot of science videos, but none are like these. Most of the videos we watch are documentaries. Some do include demonstrations, but these are the first I’ve watched that contain just demonstrations.

Ben Roy is very excited about sharing science with children and it shows in these presentations. My 10 year old son really enjoys these videos and will watch demonstration after demonstration. That’s not really the way the videos were designed to be used though, because the segments are a bit repetitive when watched one after another. My 5-1/2 year old daughter insisted that she was NOT going to like these videos, but I noticed that she didn’t leave the room when they were on. Later she admitted that she actually did like them after all. Even my toddler was entertained.

On the other hand, my 14 year old son and 12 year old daughter were not very fond of the videos. The suggested age range is 6 to 14, so they are at the upper end of the target audience. And my older 2 children are very no-nonsense type of kids. They have never liked programs in which they felt they were being talked to like… well, like children. That’s just how they are. I didn’t mind Ben Roy’s enthusiasm myself. I do think that since these are videos of live demonstrations, some of his volume and excitement would be better suited to being in the audience than it is for the video. It’s kind of like the difference between actors on stage and film. Stage actors speak loudly with exaggerated movements, while film actors act like you’re right there, because the camera is.

This sample is a good representation of the rest of the videos.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

I think the demonstrations are excellent and the science is well-explained, but some students may be bothered by Ben Roy’s style.

I received these videos from Library and Educational Services. They are a wholesale distribution company that sells books and media to resellers,  libraries, and schools. Homeschoolers are included in the schools category! I have purchased from them in the past, and their prices and selection are fantastic. The Go Science videos are only $8.97 each, or you can order all 6 for $47.95.

Be sure to visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read more reviews of Go Science.

Disclosure: I received these videos free for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

There are several things that are absolute musts for me:

I will not use an over-simplified fill-in-the-blank type Bible program. These might be useful for teaching Bible facts, but I’ve found them to be unnecessary busywork in our home. And the very last subject I want my children to associate with boring busywork is the Bible!

It must be doctrinally sound. Obviously there are differences of opinion among Christians about what sound doctrine is. But that’s one of the benefits of homeschooling. We have the freedom to train our children in the Reformed doctrine that we hold to. Other families are free to train their children in their own doctrinal beliefs.

Finally, I want a Bible curriculum that is serious. By serious, I don’t mean it has to somber and boring, but I do not like Bible studies for children that are silly to the point of irreverence. I also don’t want to have much pop culture in our Bible study. My children aren’t very familiar with it anyway so it doesn’t serve the purpose of helping relate the Bible to things that my teens understand.

You can see why our Bible study method has been pretty straightforward. We read, or more often lately, listen to, a passage from the Bible. I often, though not always, ask a question or two, and point out something I noticed from the passage. We are also memorizing (very slowly) the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

When the opportunity to review the Judah Bible Curriculum came up, I knew it was something I wanted to review, even though I am so particular. One of the reasons I wanted to try it is that it uses the Principle Approach. I enjoy learning about the various homeschooling methods and have written articles about Classical, Charlotte Mason, Unit Study, and other methods. But I didn’t know anything about the Principle Approach and wanted to explore it.

Then I read this description on the Judah Bible Curriculum website:

What is the Judah Bible Curriculum?

A Principle Approach curriculum for Bible class.
Develop a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible.
Build strong, Godly character in your children.
Study the Bible together.
Study the hand of God in the lives of individuals and nations.
For homeschool, Christian school, Sunday school.
Teach your children living Biblical principles to guide their lives.
Apply God’s word personally in every area of life.
The Bible is the textbook.

Wow, that even sounds like it might meet even my criteria for a Bible curriculum!

What does the Judah Bible Curriculum include?

• K-12 Bible Curriculum Manual
• Elementary Notebook Ideas Booklet
• Eight lecture teacher-training seminar

So I started where I always start when I get new curriculum – with the manual. But I have to confess, I was confused. Even being the visual learner that I am, I needed the teacher-training seminar to figure this program out. I completely understand why this curriculum comes with the audio training sessions. They are a vital part of the program, not just a nice bonus.

So after listening to the first training videos, the fog began to lift. The basic premise behind the program is that the Bible is divided into 5 chronological themes for study. These themes are:

1. Creation
2. The Plan of Redemption Begins
3. Kingdom of Israel
4. Kingdom of God
5. Early Church

Every year, these same 5 themes are covered. In each of those themes the student will study Bible Keys. Those keys include key individuals, key events, key institutions, and key documents. Older students will perform research on each of these Bible keys while younger students will be more directly taught by the teacher. You can read a much better explanation of the process here on their website.

What I like -

The Bible is the textbook for this curriculum.

There is a strong emphasis on character development.

It encourages independent Bible study habits that will last a lifetime.

What I have problems with -

Note: I didn’t title this What I don’t like. Truthfully, these are issues for implementation in my own family and are therefore very subjective.

There is a lot of teacher preparation. But shouldn’t there be a lot of teacher preparation for a Bible curriculum? I don’t want to put this down as a negative, because it really isn’t. But yet it is for me. Just figuring out how this program works was a challenge. I fear that implementing this long term just would not happen.

But the real problem is that something just doesn’t seem right to me about the underlying assumptions of the program. At first I really didn’t get it at all. The emphasis on the Philosophy of Government is very confusing to me. However, as I listened to the teacher training, I did gain some understanding of what they meant by self-government, and I can sort of understand it now. But something doesn’t seem quite right with the choice of themes and how they relate to government. It seems that they focus more on that than on Christ and his redemptive work.

I’m still undecided about this curriculum. I want to like it, because I want the things that it promises to develop in my children. I want those things in myself! I’m going to listen to the training again and see if I gain more understanding. One thing I want to emphasize is that Judah Bible Curriculum is really more of a Bible method than a Bible curriculum. What it looks like in one home will look very different from another.

The Judah Bible Curriculum is available for purchase from their website. It includes the manual, audio training, and note booking ideas. It is available in both a hard copy version ($74.00 including shipping) and a downloadable version ($44.00).

Disclosure: I received a downloadable version to review as a member of the Homeschool Crew. All opinions expressed are my own.

Be sure to visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read more reviews of the Judah Bible Curriculum.

I would like to share with you about  a super website that is a combination library sale, used-curriculum sale, and on-line bookstore! Homeschool Library Builder offers new and used books at discounted prices. The website is easy to use and divided into convenient categories. You can search for books by age, geographical, or curriculum. They’ve also grouped books by topic like science or classic literature. There is even a used curriculum section.

For the month of May, everything is 25% off! They also offer a special membership program that allows you to earn book points for all your purchases and your referrals.

Homeschool Library Builder offers great books, great discounts, and you can even shop in your pajamas. Because everyone knows that homeschoolers like to wear pajamas all day.

Disclosure: As a member of the Homeschool Crew, I was asked to share this site with my blog readers. I was not compensated for this review. You can read other reviews at HomeschoolCrew.com.

By the way, my stereo-typing of homeschoolers was meant to be humorous. If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that you can’t make a general statement about all homeschoolers! I do not own a denim jumper and I don’t homeschool in my pajamas. (at least not often!)

My older daughter is finishing up the 6th grade and has almost completed the Singapore Primary Mathematics series. She’s done very well with it and is anxious to begin algebra next year. I’ve been waffling a little over whether she is ready for algebra or if she needs a pre-algebra course. Needless to say, I was very happy to receive Balance Math Teaches Algebra! by The Critical Thinking Company to review.

Balance Math Teaches Algebra! is part of the Balance Math series. I have not seen any of the other books in the series, but I have used several different products from The Critical Thinking Company, and I’ve been impressed with them all. Balance Math Teaches Algebra! is no exception. Like the other products from Critical Thinking,

• The lessons are short and focus on understanding.
• The pages are reproducible for your family or classroom.

Balance Math is a fantastic way to introduce basic algebraic concepts. I love the way it demonstrates visually how to manipulate equations. But it also explains how to move from the visual balance concept to the using variables and adding and subtracting from both sides of an equation.

Here is a sample page so you can see what I mean.

I am really impressed with this resource. My daughter enjoys it and thinks it’s almost like a puzzle.

Is it a complete algebra curriculum?
Absolutely not.

But it is a wonderful introduction so that the student can begin algebra with confidence, not fear. I feel this is just the bridge that my daughter needed before beginning an algebra curriculum.

Balance Math Teaches Algebra! is available from The Critical Thinking Company for $14.99.

Be sure to visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read more reviews of Balance Math Teaches Algebra! and other products from The Critical Thinking Company.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Balance Math Teaches Algebra! in order to complete this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

“A Weekly Schedule works for me.”

or

“Using a clothesline works for me.”

I didn’t get it at first. It just seemed like a pragmatic saying. It may not work for you, but it does for me.

It took me a little while to realize that those blogs were using the phrase because they were participating in Works for Me Wednesday (WFMW), a very popular blogging meme hosted by We Are THAT Family.

It took me even longer to get up the nerve to link up to WFMW.

But I found that participating in WFMW helped me to develop a schedule for my blog. (I really need to start participating again!)

I always tried to visit some of the other blogs that participated in the meme, and I found some great blogs to follow that way.

But there was rarely a theme on WFMW. And there are a lot of posts to sort through every week. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’d be interested from the short link title. And forget about finding an old post by searching through the list of links.

So unless I bookmarked that great tip, I probably wouldn’t be able to find it again.

Until now.

Kristen Welch, the blogger behind We Are THAT Family, along with freelance writer Jennifer De Groot have put together an e-book with all the best tips collected from WFMW. The result is That Works for Me!

This is no ordinary e-book. It has all the tips arranged in categories like baby, blogging, organization, marriage, kitchen, holiday, and laundry. From the list in the front of the book  you click on the title and it links directly to the a more thorough description of the tip. But that’s not the best part. From the tip, you can visit the blog post where the tip is explained. I love it!

You will love reading all the great tips in this e-book. I’ve been trying to decide on my favorite tips from the book and there are just too many to narrow it down. I love the 9 Frugal Things to Hang on the Wall and Rain Gutter Bookshelves. And I can’t neglect my tips that were included in the book: Creative Dusting Tool and Vacation Packing Tip.

In addition to receiving a copy of the book to review, I also get to give one away. Please follow the instructions below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t worry if you don’t win. You can purchase the book for only $8. (and if you use SAVE1 in the Discount code, you can save $1.)

Disclosure: I received a free copy of That Works for Me! in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this review. This post contains affiliate links. 

WORLD magazine is entering the curriculum business, and what could be more fitting than with a writing curriculum? This paragraph from the introduction is a great summary of why. Read the complete introduction here.

Write with WORLD aims to produce young writers who love writing, can write effectively, and intelligently share ideas, beliefs, and their worldview. We hope to support a generation of young believers who aspire to use their writing skills in the service of God’s Kingdom and explain effectively the reasons for their beliefs.

Write with WORLD is written for middle school students. It comes with both a Parent/Teacher manual and a Student text. The entire student text is included in the Parent/Teacher manual along with introductions and teaching tips throughout. The curriculum is divided into 4 units. Each of these units is divided into 4 lessons, which are further divided into 5 capsules. If one capsule were completed every week day, the entire curriculum could be completed in 16 weeks, though this is recommended as a full-year curriculum. There is a wide variety of writing assignments used in the text with journaling playing a major role. Many lessons require the use of either WORLD magazine or God’s World News, though you could probably substitute if necessary. Basic grammar lessons on common writing errors (like its and it’s) are also included in the program.

Our thoughts:

The organized structure and layout of this program is fantastic. It is easy to plan (i.e. takes next to no planning time) for a busy homeschool mom. I love the broad scope. I also like that it could be completed in 1 semester if you wanted to a focus on writing, or used for an entire school year. I agree with the overall vision of the program, and what the authors hope to accomplish.

But it is not a very good fit for my 8th grade son. He is a very literal thinker. He needs very concrete instruction. The journaling is something that he is completely uncomfortable with. I knew we were in trouble when the very first lesson has the student write what questions a picture (in the text) brings to your mind. He does not do well with those types of assignments. He simply cannot come up with legitimate questions. I personally find the process of guiding him through the questions exasperating. He also has a very strong grasp of English grammar and found the grammar assignments too easy.

These issues may be ones that we should just push through. Obviously, I can’t let the fact that I am frustrated trying to teach my son be the deciding factor on whether or not I use a curriculum, because it’s not really an issue with the curriculum. It’s an issue with me and my son. I have been thinking about how I should make curriculum choices. I am not of the mind to let my children be completely self-directed. And sometimes (often) we don’t like things because they are hard. (I have found this to be especially true for bright, perfectionist students like my son, and myself.)

The basic point I’m trying to make is that even though we may not continue to use this curriculum, I would still recommend it to others. It is definitely one to be considered when choosing a middle school writing curriculum, especially if you have a student who is not a reluctant writer and is eager to write about his thoughts. And this may be just the thing to teach a student who is not comfortable writing about his thoughts to become comfortable. I just can’t say that at this point, because we haven’t made it far enough into the program to make that determination. I think that when the time comes, this might be perfect for my 5 year old daughter. She is very eager to express herself and doesn’t let a thought go by without sharing it. (Literally, the child talks to herself all the time!)

The curriculum will begin shipping this summer. The course includes the student text, the teacher guide, plus on-line access for $95. You can place your order on the website.

To read more reviews of Write with WORLD, please visit HomeschoolCrew.com.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the student text and teacher guide in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m going to begin this review in an unconventional way. I’m going to begin by telling you who should not use TruthQuest History.

You should not use TruthQuest History if:

• You want a daily schedule with exact pages to read.
• You want a weekly plan with a list of suggested books.
• Your student does not enjoy reading.
• You are looking for lots of hands-on-projects.
• You are looking for worksheets or discussion questions to accompany your reading.
• You are easily overwhelmed by an excess of resources and feel obligated to use them all.
• You do not wish to teach history from a Christian perspective.

I received Age of Revolution III to review. This program is designed for students in grades 5-12 and covers the years 1865-2000. This really could not have come at a better time for us. We were just finishing up our study of the Civil War in our current history program. Truthfully, we have been limping through history for some time. I just can’t seem to make our current curriculum work for our family. My 8th grade son hates history and doesn’t want to do much reading, while my 6th grade daughter loves history and spends her free time reading historical fiction. And my other 2 students… Well, big confession. I haven’t even been doing any history with them. So my “family” history program is just not happening here. I knew I needed to look for a different option for next year, but as it turns out, I didn’t have to wait for next year.

There are different methods of monitoring including putting the computer in a public place, sitting with a child while they are on-line, and various internet protection products. I recently had the opportunity to try Action Alert.

Action Alert has FREE Parental Control Software that includes the following features:

I am impressed by all the Action Alert has to offer for free! They also offer their Maximum Protection Plan for $29.99. That plan includes all of the above features plus allows for multiple user protection, is fully customizable, and includes social network monitoring.

I installed Action Alert on my “old” laptop. (It’s amazing how quickly computers are “old”! I’m calling it old in this case because I have a new one, and that laptop is now used mainly for the children.) Microsoft Vista 64-bit is its operating system. Its default web browser is Google Chrome. Action Alert was simple to install. I received notifications from Action Alert via e-mail as was expected.

However, Action Alert really didn’t work well on that computer. First, I should mention that this computer wasn’t running particularly well to start with. And Vista is an almost universally despised operating system. Maybe the problem was with the combination of Google Chrome and Action Alert. But running Action Alert seemed to cause frequent shutdowns of Google Chrome. Since it was the kids’ computer, it wasn’t a huge problem. It would have been unacceptable on my own computer, however.

I wish it had worked better for me, but I still think it’s a good option for anyone looking for parental control software. Since the basic program is free, there’s no risk in trying it out and seeing how it works.

Since I wasn’t able to test this product as thoroughly as most, please be sure to visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read other reviews on Action Alert.

Disclosure: I received a free trial of Action Alert Maximum Protection in order to write this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

That puts me in a somewhat unusual position as a homeschool mom. I do not fear teaching advanced math and science to my children, but literature and other liberal arts studies frighten me! Thankfully, I do not have to design a literature program myself. Nor do I have to determine what questions to ask my students. There are people who do understand literature and how to teach it who have written curricula for parents just like me. Two of those people are Michael and Rebecca Gilleland, the founders of Progeny Press. The Gillelands began homeschooling in the early 1990′s and immediately discovered the lack of quality literature studies available to homeschoolers. So they decided to write them. The rest, as they say, is history, or in this case literature.

Today Progeny Press offers over 100 literature guides for students in elementary through high school. Each of these guides includes not only the basic nuts and bolts literature questions, but goes further, challenging the student to think deeply. They also emphasize Christian principles throughout the studies.

Their company mission statement provides an excellent description of how the tenets of the Christian faith are intertwined in these studies of great literature.

Our purpose is not to bring you only “safe” fiction, but to teach literature that is well-written and that will help students develop and refine how they deal with man’s philosophies in relation to God’s word. Progeny Press examines literary terminology and technique in good, cultural literature to equip students for understanding the craft of writing and to enhance their joy of reading. With these things in mind, we promise to bring you good literature, provide good literary analysis, and measure it by the light of scripture.

I recently received an interactive pdf copy of the study guide for Across Five Aprils to review. This guide is designed for students in 5th-9th grades. I have had my 6th grade daughter working through the guide. She absolutely loves historical fiction, and I felt that she would be a great tester for this product.

She has very much enjoyed this study guide. She has not completed all the writing assignments that are included in the guide because she had other writing that she was working on, but the questions have helped her to understand the book much better. They have made her read more carefully and critically. There have been very few that she was unable to answer, but thankfully the guide does come with a key. You can view sample pages here.

Ideally, I would read the book too and go through the guide with her. But I just don’t have time in this season of my life to do that. Flexibility is one of the benefits of homeschooling. I love that there are companies like Progeny Press that produce high quality curricula that students can use independently if necessary, or with as much parental involvement as desired. I will definitely consider purchasing more of the Progeny Press guides.

The study guides are available in several formats. I received the e-mail attachment pdf, but they can also be purchased as a booklet, a CD, or both. The e-mail attachment is the least expensive option at $16.99 for the study guide I received.

Visit their website to see their entire selection of literature guides. Be sure to visit HomeschoolCrew.com to read more reviews of Progeny Press literature guides.

Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.