I am always on the look out for good Spanish programs. I have used great programs in the past, but was still looking for one that
would work better with kids.
I was asked to review Spanish for You! I chose to use their Estaciones (“seasons”)package with my children. The program covers vocabulary & grammar for weather, seasons and calendar. The package I recieved included the Spanish for You! e-book, an audio download, Lesson Guides, worksheets. It all can be downloaded in PDF format and is recommended for grades 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. I spent my time using the material for grades 3-4, because of the age of my children.
This program was a great addition to our daily routine. I loved that it required very little preparation from me. It was very self-contained. All I had to do was just go throught the lessons with my children. The games and activities were a great way to incorporate my younger children. My older children (grades 3 &4) were able to go through the lessons indepependentaly. The audio files were also a great resource to help them listen to the pronunciation, without needing me to say the words out loud for them.
I am fluent in Spanish and would feel comfortabe going through the lessons and sounding things out for them. What makes this program great is that I don’t need to! This makes it work for a busy household, like ours, with kids of all ages! It also makes it possible for anyone, regardless how much or how little they know Spanish, to use this program to teach their kids a second language!
MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Spanish for You! is a year-long program with 24-30 weeks of lessons.
It is suggested you use it 4 times a week.
We loved using the flashcards (with pictures), games and activities. These complemented the lessons very well. It also gave the kids the chance to interact with the language and use it with each other. These also made Spanish class fun, especially for the younger ones!
We used the worksheets daily. These were very age-appropriate and did not require a lot of time. It took my kids 20-30 minutes, depending on the day.
I have used other Spanish programs that I have really liked! What sets this one apart is how kid-friendly it is! Learning a language takes discipline and discipline can be boring sometimes for young children. Spanish for You! does a great job at making this process fun and even, a family experience!
When ordering, you can either get the book or the electronic download. Estaciones is for kids grades 3-8. You can get the whole package for $64.95.
Other families in The Crew tried other Spanish for You! packages! Click here to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew!
My kids will do almost anything if it involves adventure and conquest! Even chores!
Learning math facts for my boys feels like chores to them sometimes, but it’s something they have to get through. I love finding ways of making the process fun for them.
We were asked to review Math Rider, an online game for children ages 6-12. It retails for $47 and includes free updates for life! Internet connection is needed to download the program to your computer. Once downloaded, internet connection is not needed to use.
Math Rider takes my boys on a horse, through magical lands on different quests to save a princess! All of this while practicing all mathematical operations (addition/subtraction, multiplication/division) on numbers 0-12. Each mathematical operation has 4 levels of difficulty and the program adapts to the student’s ability. As problems are missed or answered incorrectly, they are presented again through the quest, assuring mastery!
As each child register their own account in the program, it keeps detailed records of their progress for my review. It also personalizes each child’s experience. Each license allows for 8 users!
My 6 year old son spent more time using the program. When we first started using it with him, I set his games for addition of
number 0-5. He would use Math Rider after his regular math lesson, for 15-20 minutes. Every other day I would review the additin facts with him using flash cards. In the few weeks we have been using the program I have noticed progress very soon. He is already on the second level of difficulty on number 6-10. What’s best of all is that we are enjoying getting through his memorization of math facts with no resistance. He asks me to do his Math Rider lesson, and I have to set a timer to make sure he only uses it for the alotted time.
Math Rider is a great supplement to the math curriculums my boys are using now. What makes me like Math Rider most of all is that the boys love using it!
Visit their website and use their free 7 day trail and see how fun your kids will find it!!
Other families from TOS Review Crew reviews Math Rider, too! Read their reviews here!
If you have been looking for a science program that captures your child’s interest and curiosity your search may be over! Supercharged Science has been a program that has kept my children excited about science and best of all, peaked their curiosity!
Supercharged Science is an e-Science program developed by NASA rocket scientist, University professor and mom Aurora Lipper. Her passion for teaching and helping children fall in love with science has led her to create a program that will have your child “doing science” completely differently to what most of us are used to!
Based on her experience as a scientist and teacher, she encourages parents to teach the subject from the inside out! The child starts lessons with an experiment or two and then lets his/her interests and questions guide them into the text to dive deeper into the concept learned.
The boys made their very own glow-in-the-dark slime!
After using Supercharged Science and seeing how my children respond to it I look back at the science classes I took when I was younger. It’s made me think: it’s no wonder so many children miss out on learning science as an adventure and often times find it boring and irrelevant. Most science classes spend much of their time reading pages and pages of text and do 1 or 2 experiments. The way Aurora Lipper has my boys learning science seems so much more natural and encourages thinking, and best of all, asking questions!
The online program includes over 1,000 videos on hundreds of science topics. The videos are of Aurora explaining concepts and taking the child, step-by-step, through hundreds of experiments!
The units covered include:
The Scientific Method
Mechanics
Motion
Matter
Energy
Sound
Astrophysics
Chemistry
Light
Electricity
Magnetism
Alternative Energy
Thermodynamics
Electronics
Life Science
Biology
The units give you the opportunity to go wide and deep! They each cover:
Introduction where Aurora talks about the concept and theory that will be covered in the unit. The text also goes into a bit of the history and theory. Very short and general.
A link to a recorded live tele-class on the topic.
A lesson plan providing the parent a bird’s eye view of the material in the unit including:
key vocabulary words
materials needed for experiments
objectives of each lesson in the unit
and much more!
Text the child can read for more information and to go deeper, especially after doing the experiments!
Exercises and Quizzes you can use to review the material. Answer to these are included in the parent’s lesson plan.
All of the components of each unit has the option of being viewed as a PDF file. This is an excellent option for older children that may want to keep a binder, highlight text, keep notes, etc.
Our Experience
My children always prefer hands-on learning. I follow Aurora’s recommendation for younger students and always spend more time on experiments. When we first got the program and I asked my children what experiments they wanted to try first they of course, asked to do something “gooey and slimy!”. So we tried the “Glow-in-the-dark Slime” (see pic above). I had happy scientists that day!! This experiment set the tone for the next few weeks
My boys tried several other experiments, including:
Presidents Underwater: Finding out how many drops of water a penny can take without overflowing.
Magnets: We made a couple of magnets dance! We also learned how water is diamagnetic!
Pendulums: 3 Pendulums of different lengths. How many swings does each take in 10 seconds.
The boys and Papi started making a hovercraft…still missing a key component. We will be posting up a video as soon as it’s done!
Click on image below for more information on our experiments!
We learned about magnetism!
The boys started working on their hovercraft with their dad!
We used the scientific method as we found out how many drops of water a penny can hold!
Isaiah prepares the balancing grapes to learn how water repells both sides of magnets!
We have used Supercharged Science in the past, and our favorite experiment so far was when we crushed a pop can, using only water!
In the past few weeks we spent some time going over the material in the unit study covering “the Scientific Method” and tried to use it during the experiments that we tried.
It was fun having the boys reason through the experiment, put their hypothesis into words and even share different things they think they should try to make the experiment work better. I could see their brains working!
Pros
The curriculum covers a WIDE range of topics and gives you the option, depending on the age and interest of the child, to go as deep as you would like!
Aurora is sensitive to the different learning styles and developmental abilities of each child. She makes the program flexible so that it fits every child and suggests alternatives. An example: If your child is too young to write and keep a scientific journal, she suggests drawing and/or recording verbal thoughts. She encourages me to stay focused on my main goal, which is to introduce my kids to science and make it fun!
Customer service is EXCELLENT! For each lesson and experiment you can post questions and comments. She responds with answers and great suggestions, making her program very interactive! I CAN TELL SHE LOVES TO TEACH!
The site can see overwhelming, but there are a lot of parental resources (i.e. videos, articles, lesson plans) to walk you through and make sense of it.
The program is great for families. The classes are age-inclusive. I was able to include my three older boys in the activities.
Cons
Though the program is through and robust, the cost of the program can be prohibitive for many homeschool families.
We have been using Supercharged Science in the past as our main curriculum and sometimes as a supplement. We loved getting the chance to review it and share with other families how much we enjoy it! This is a program that is worth trying!
Do you want to see how this awesome program works for your family? Aurora Lipper has made it possible for me to offer my readers a free mini-program! This is a small sample of science activities and projects taken from her e-Science program. Try it free and let me know how you and your kids like it!
follow Aurora on Pinterest, where you will find videos!
and finally, subscribe to her channel and see her videos on YouTube!
We received a one-year subscription to the complete K-12 program. The K-12 program is a month-to-month subscription that retails at $57/month, and can be canceled at any time. If you have younger children you can order the K-8 section for only $37/month, and can cancel at any time!
When you first subscribe, you get access to the first 7 units, and every month thereafter, you get 2 additional units. If for any reason you would like to try a later unit, you can simply send an email and it will be made available to you.
Other families on the Crew were also blessed with the opportunity to review this program. Read about their experiences here!
My search for good books for my boys to read is never-ending, especially for my 9-year-old. I don’t like it when he reads just because I tell him to. I want him to love reading and discover the insatiable pleasure of good literature!
Today we starting reading White Fang by Jack London. The boys (9, 8 and 6) LOVE the action and the suspense! When I hear them begging me to “read one more chapter” I know we found a great book! In fact, they love it so much my 9-year-old took it to his room and told his brothers he would read them the following chapter! I LOVE IT!! He doesn’t even realize he’s reading because he is so caught up in the story!! These are the type of books that can get a boy hooked on reading!
Come to find out, this book is actually a classic! Disney made of movie of it! See the trailer and the movie online!
Another book we read that got similar reactions from the boys was The Cricket in Times Square. Read more about our experience with this unforgettable book by clicking here: We Lost a “Best Friend”.
What good books have you read with your children? What book did you read when you were little that was most unforgettable?
I love exposing my children to different activities and experiences. A wide range of exposure helps them explore and discover their God-given talents and passions.
Like many kids his age, my oldest son LOVES technology and gadgets. He is also looking for ways to start his own business.
As I look for ways to help him think like a creator/inventor/business man and not just a consumer, computer science sounds like just the thing we should try next!
The tutorial is designed to be used by teachers, homeschool parents and children that have little to no experience. The language is simple and easy to understand, and uses clear step-by-step instructions.
After using the program the child/student will be able to develop his/her own applications and computer games using Microsoft’s Small Basic Development Environment for Beginners.
Computer Science for Kids’ tutorials are appropriate for early middle school, high school and adult students.
Computer Bible Games for Microsoft Small Basic contains a total of 13 lessons (click to see Table of Contents). Depending on the age of the child and his/her prior experience, each lesson is expected to be covered in one week. To fully grasp the material it will take the student a total of 3-6 hours of time to complete each lesson (click to see a sample Chapter Preview). The tutorials are self-study and self-paced and the times are just recommendations.
As soon as 10 weeks into the program your child can be programming and playing his/her own Computer Bible game! The games he/she will learn to program include:
Noah’s Ark
Daniel and the Lions
Elijah and the Ravens
The Good Shepherd
The Prodigal Son
The Lost Coin
Bible Scamble
Our Experience
The lessons are written in simple language, easy to understand, regardless of your or your child’s level of prior experience. Though the exercises and practice assignments can be performed by a child that is 10 years old, I found the reading material to be above an average 10-year-old’s comprehension level. This did not stop Isaiah from being introduced to the world of computer programming!
I would read through the lesson the day before and work through the practice programs. At this point I felt comfortable enough to walk through the assignments with Isaiah, and would have him do the practice assignments. If he asked or if I thought necessary, I would explain some of the theory or definitions from the book to him
I would not go too much into the technical wording and theory with my son. I would give him as much as he asked! I would answer questions, or explain when he asked me to. My purpose is to expose him and let him have fun with computer science and let his questions drive the experience. The technical jargon made him lose interest quickly!
My Thoughts
Challenges
I found it difficult to keep track of the terms and definitions. It would be helpful to have, at the end or beginning of a lesson, a list or chart of terms and definitions. This would be especially helpful as one moves further in the program and the lessons are more lengthy and involved.
The lessons are downloadable and are available in Word format. PDF would be much easier to navigate.
What I Liked
The program is a great introduction to more complex computer languages (i.e. C++, Java).I would especially recommend it for students 12+. If your child is interested in technology, it is also a program a parent can go through with him/her.
The program was well-organized, starting out simple and gradually getting more complex, making it easy to follow and keep up. The theory was explained in clear language, making the world of computer programming reachable to anyone!
The lessons do not just teach the computer language and program design, but also good habits! When the student gets the opportunity to design their own programs, the text explains and encourages important practices to keep, like:
keeping notes in your program, making future changes and collaboration with others easier.
good planning skills
building your program in stages…otherwise, errors compound.
I enjoyed how this program made teaching computer science not just possible, but fun!
You can order Computer Bible Games for Microsoft Small Basic at Computer Science for Kids! You have the option of ordering Beginning Microsoft Small Basic Tutorial (the same as the one reviewed, with secular games to program).You have the option of ordering the paperback textbook Plus E-Tutorial Digital Download for $59.95 (free shipping in USA) or the digital e-download, ON SALE NOWfor only for $34.95!
I am a mother of 4 boys and a baby girl. My goal in homeschooling is to raise Christians that are leaders in their generation. I hope to raise them so they live a life where they set their own standards, being men and women of integrity with strong convictions and who march to the beat of their own drum. Educating them at home is the most rewarding and at the same time most challenging experience I have ever had. I am an educator at heart and love to share resources with other homeschoolers. Join the discussions and feel free to share your own ideas!
