TOS Crew – Page 3 – Chicagoland Homeschool Network

TOS Crew Review — Speekee

“Adios . . . Adios . . . Adios, my amigo, adios.”

Brooke started it, and soon Nathan and Faith joined in. Blake (13 years old) groaned a bit and tolerated their jubilant singing on the way to gym and swim. Paige couldn’t help singing along even though she hasn’t really watched the videos with them.

And so, Speekee has infiltrated our home. The irresistible jingles and repetitive dialogue are really teaching my kids some basic Spanish, and they are liking it.

Product: Speekee Spanish online learning videos

Details: An online Spanish learning program that includes videos, activity suggestions, and printable worksheets. Ten lessons in all to introduce a child to conversational Spanish.

Price: $7.50 per month

What we loved . . .

Foreign language without tears. We’ve tried so many foreign language program I could almost cry. Each one we either don’t learn from, get tired of, or just plain don’t like. Speekee has brought something new to our home — foreign language learning that kids love, and I do, too.
Full access. With the monthly fee you can watch and rewatch each video as much as you please. Your kids can watch on their own or as a group, with you or without. My kids did a little of all those arrangements. The printable worksheets can be printed out for as many of your kids as needed and you can even reprint their favorites to do more than once.
Likable characters. My kids enjoyed the mix of puppets and real people. The kids spoke clearly and didn’t seem overly scripted or fake. The puppets entertained while educating.
Immersion method. Speekee drops you right into the situations with Spanish speakers all around. There is the option of English subtitles which can be beneficial to some kids.
Nice accent. The actors all spoke Spanish well with a very natural pronunciation. It was easy to understand them and imitate their words.
Enjoyable pace. Not too fast, like some other adult immersion programs I have seen. And, not too slow or mundane like some that don’t seem to really help kids learn to converse. Speekee has a good balance of real life conversation and repetition to help a child learn new words without getting bored in the process.

Some considerations . . .

More for young kids.While anyone from preschool through adulthood could benefit from using Speekee, in our home it was more appreciated by the younger group. My 9 year old was okay with it, but it was the biggest hit with my 7 and 5 year olds.
Spain Spanish. Most of us in the United States would come in contact with Latin American Spanish rather than Spain Spanish. The accent varies slightly and some words and expressions are a bit different. You could think of it as the difference between our English and British English. We can definitely communicate together, but there will be a few differences. Most of the differences in Spanish I don’t think would make a big difference at the beginner level.
Needs repetition. Spanish will never be learned overnight. Kids will not likely watch the videos and instantly remember all the new phrases and songs taught in it. However, my kids did not mind watching the same videos more than once to cement the new vocabulary in their minds.
Helpful if parent watches along. While I was kind of hoping I could play the video and then go work with the older students on something I found that my younger kids absorbed and interacted the most with me right there. For example, Speekee would say, “Y tu?” and expect the kids to repeat the previous phrase. My kids didn’t understand that and were just sitting watching. Of course, they still picked it up and sang the songs with gusto throughout the day, but for them to get the most out of the video it is best to watch along with them.

Learning another language cannot start too young, and Speekee can be a great tool in drawing and keeping the attention of children as they learn Spanish.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Speekee as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Maestro Classics

The perfect cure for cabin fever — something new that won’t let you sit still.

Recently I had just my three youngest at home and we needed something. School goes much more quickly when you aren’t wrestling through Algebra, spelling lists, and creative writing assignments. So, we got to have some extra fun. We built a fort and put this wonderful CD in to listen to. The kids quickly came out of the fort as the music made them fly like birds and then hobble like Grandfather and then skip like a young boy and even prowl like a wolf.

Sergei Prokofiev wrote Peter and the Wolf 75 years ago to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra. Generations have enjoyed this piece and his masterful creation that uses instruments to truly bring the characters to life. This incredible teaching tool took over in our house and my kids were enchanted with the instruments, the music and the story.

Product: Peter and the Wolf

Details: A CD of Prokofiev’s well known musical piece Peter and the Wolf including background information on the music and the composer. Disc also includes narration and two tracks of the whole work. In the package you also receive a small booklet with some information and activities for children to do during or after they hear the CD. It also includes information on Russian folk songs and stories and other related items.

Price: $16.98

What we loved . . .

Great music. Peter and the Wolf has long been a favorite of mine, ever since listening to it as a child on one of those “big black CDs” as my kids call them.
Fun supplements.. The little booklet has some fun goodies in it, and on their site you can even print some simple piano music (and other instruments) to go along with the study.
Memorable. Of course the piece itself is always a crowd pleaser, but the arrangement with the narrator was wonderful. My kids talked about it for days and continue to ask to hear it again and act it out as we listen.
Gets you moving. While it is perfectly okay to sit and enjoy the piece, my kids just can’t. They have to walk around and “scold” Peter along with Grandfather’s lumbering music. They get down on the ground and prowl as the wolf enters the scene. They walk along as the hunters come in and they listen for the big “guns.” They absolutely loved it.
Covers topics we sometimes miss. As homeschoolers we make sure we cover the basics and we also try to throw in lots of extras for fun and good measure. This product helps introduce and create an appreciation for orchestral music. We read, talked about Russian folk songs, did some impromptu acting, and reveled in a high quality musical production.
A great teacher. This could also be a great CD to put in for the kids to listen to when you have something else to take care of, or need to work with one child while keep others productively engaged. Without any effort on your part they cannot help but learn where this piece came from, some of the instruments in the orchestra, and enjoy some orchestral music.

Some considerations . . .

Only one booklet.My kids weren’t too concerned about the booklet, but they did take a look through it. If you have a child that likes to have something in his hands while listening that could be an issue.
That’s it. I can’t tell you much else that I think you would need to consider before purchasing. This is a great product that can be enjoyed repeatedly by a wide range of kids.

Peter and the Wolf is a treasure that kids should not make it through childhood without experiencing. It has so much to teach in a fun way. Listening to it again was like spending the morning with a childhood friend. Such a great addition to our home listening library.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Maestro Classics as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Easy Classical

The demands on homeschool mother’s schedule are many and I enjoy finding products that make our life a little easier. The company Easy Classical has worked to put together a number of schedules to help homeschoolers incorporate more great materials into their school days.

They offer schedules for specific grades, subjects, and topics. Their schedules are thorough and offer abundant information. They do require additional purchases as they do not include the books you actually read, but merely provide book lists that their schedules incorporates. Most of the books you could either view online, order through CBD, or borrow from your library or Interlibrary loan.

Product: Early Modern History Schedule

Details: A thorough year-long schedule including book lists of history texts and read alouds, quizzes, activities, and tips to get the most out of this year of study

Price: $29.95 for downloadable product. Or, $35.95 if you would prefer a physical product shipped to you.

What we loved . . .

Loads of resources. This is far more than just a couple page schedule to get you through the information in a year. They have gathered some great titles and put them into bite sized pieces for an educationally rich year of history study.
Favorite titles. Although I don’t recognize every book that they recommend I do see many familiar favorites and others that I have heard others rave about.
Classical approach. Well, I don’t know if I should say we love this, but I know many others would. I lean more toward Charlotte Mason if anything, but I do see some of the benefits from a classical approach. So, that said, this schedule does build on a Classical educational philosophy (hence the company name — Easy “Classical”), which is a time proven method.
Permission to adapt. One problem I have run into with schedules is my self-imposed need to do it all. This schedule says at the outset that you should not attempt to complete everything that they recommend. They just want to offer enough variety for the many different students and teachers that they are serving. And, they also acknowledge that life will sometimes get in the way and we won’t accomplish all that we had hoped in a given week. That is of course okay, and they reassure you that they expect that in the formulating of these materials.
Age range. It is sometimes challenging to teach a wide age range of students on a daily basis, but Easy Classical is designed to teach kids in grades K-6 and I felt that some of it could be adapted to older kids as well. I would have no trouble using this for all of my learners, pre-K through 8th grade.
Look before you buy. By looking through their website and downloading the samples you can get a good feel for this product and see if it is right for you and your family before purchasing it. Sample schedules could be used to give it a trial run in your homeschool and you just might find this product a great fit for your homeschool.

Some considerations . . .

Would still require some advanced planning. While the schedule is made out, you would need to round up the books and have other supplies on hand. They make it as simple as possible without selling you hundreds of dollars of books to go with it, but you will need to track them down. They do have a wonderful page on their site that links to all of the books and resources that they recommend.
Might not work for everyone. Any time that you find a great product, it will not fit every family. Some kids won’t enjoy the books, some won’t like the writing (which I felt this schedule was a bit heavy on, especially for younger kids). But, you can try it before you commit, so that is definitely not something to hold you back.

I have used schedules in the past from various sources and always get away from them. I prefer book based programs because I get so bogged down and “check-box” driven when I use a schedule. I end up using them more as a book list than an actual schedule. I also prefer oral narration to quizzes, but that comes from my Charlotte Mason bent. That said, I think this is a great resource. It looks easy to use, fits a wide range of ages, and uses top-notch books as its spine. This would be a great asset to any homeschool looking for a quality history program.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Easy Classical as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Math Facts Now

Speed drills are seen by some as a necessary evil in teaching and motivating kids to learn their basic facts. Not so in this day and age. Now, they do still need to practice and memorize, but it doesn’t need to be the palm sweating”upside down paper on the desk until the signal” event of yesteryear.

Math Facts Now has created a program to help kids learn their facts through repetition and review on the computer. Parents can set up the program according to their own expectation and with the specific target areas needed. All that’s left is for the kids to get on their regularly and see their skills improve.

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Product: Math Facts Now

Details: A customizable, computer based program to help students learn their basic math facts

Price: $15.95 for download product. An additional $3.95 if you would prefer a physical product shipped to you.

What we loved . . .

Focus on math not entertainment. Kids can sometimes be distracted by the “extras” that are included in many educational programs. Math Facts Now recognized this and offers a program that allows students to focus on the work they need to do and master their basic facts as efficiently as possible.
Requires them to review their mistakes. They program requires that students who make an error must retype the one that they got wrong at least twice (you can choose to make it more) before going on. This does take some time, but was a great way for kids to review what they missed. When I showed my son that feature he said, “I’m never gonna get one wrong!” Yep, it did motivate him to be extra careful in his work.
Warns them when they are on a tricky one. If they previously missed an answer the next time that some question comes up it will warn them to “be careful.” This could be a bad thing, because for my daughter she just remembered the one she got wrong had an answer of 18, so she didn’t look at the problem itself, just the warning. However, most other time they had multiple ones they had missed, so it was not an issue.
Customizable. I loved that we could set up whatever we wanted the quizzes to be. They could drill them on just “1+” or 1 through 4 or 1through 12 or whatever we were covering at the time. It automatically does 0-12 with whatever numbers you set, so it might not work well for really young kids, but all of my kids are past those early facts so we did not have to deal with that challenge.
Easy to set up. I took the time initially to set up multiple quizzes. I set up each drill set (1; 1-2; 1-3; 1-4; etc.) for each basic operation. Then I set up individual ones as well (just 2, just 3, just 4, etc.) That is a lot of quizzes, but it gave them a lot of options and had all the work from my end done. I also set the time higher on the ones I knew my younger kids were doing so they would not keep getting them wrong just because they type a little slower. If my older ones decided to do the early addition tests I could still see their average time although they would not get it wrong if they answered slow. This kept me from having to set up multiple versions of each test for older and younger kids.

Some considerations . . .

No lock for the changes you make. Technically students could enter the quiz set up area and change the amount of time, questions, or other content. None of mine messed with this, but it is possible.
Can’t pause in the middle of a goal. If you set it for your child to get 50 correct before mastering a test and he takes a break after 35, he has to start again at the beginning the next time. This was a challenge when I made the goals longer, but as long as you keep the tests a reasonable length it should not be an issue
Takes some time to set up. Because this is fully customizable, it does not come with preloaded tests. You will need to take the time to set them up how you want them. It is very quick to do, and I went ahead and set up numerous ones when we first received it so i did not have to continually create new ones. A few minutes at the beginning and they had quizzes to last them for weeks. When you set up one quiz multiples students can use it, so you don’t need to recreate the same quiz for multiple students.

We really enjoyed the simplicity of use with this program and how versatile it was for a wide range of students. The price seemed quite reasonable for the length of time you could benefit from the product, and it did its job in helping my kids improve the speed and mastery of their math facts.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Math Facts Now as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Positive Action for Christ

A few years back I made a conscious decision to incorporate a Bible time into our school day. With many reasons for homeschooling my kids, one of them is to give them a solid grounding in their Christian faith and a clear understanding of how it should impact their daily living. Having this as a priority in our day has really made a difference, and it also keeps me on the lookout for ideas to keep this time fresh.

We received a 6th grade curriculum from Positive Action for Christ which included both a teacher’s manual and a student workbook. These became our Bible time for the last month and we have enjoyed many aspects of these materials.

Product: Positive Action for Christ

Details: A Bible study curriculum that includes a teacher guide and student workbook to direct a time of study in God’s Word.

Price: Teacher’s Manual — $33.95; Student book — $12.95 (or $10.95 each if buying 5 or more)

What we loved . . .

Progressive. The great advantage to purchasing a Bible curriculum is that it will have a flow to it. They have taken the time to lay out the material and make sure that topics are covered and build on each other and that the material is age appropriate. Winning the Race is designed for 6th graders that have been in the program before, but we had no trouble picking up where it was. If your child has a familiarity with key Bible stories and doctrines he should have no trouble jumping in at whatever grade level he is at. There was one reference to “as we learned last year,” but it was something all of my kids were familiar with as well.
A great beginning. These curriculum books came about as one Sunday School teacher shared what he had created and it simply caught on. People knew a good thing when they saw it, and nearly 40 years have gone by since those early days of what became Positive Action for Christ.
Doctrinally sound. It is of course important to me that the Bible curriculum that we use lines up with our doctrinal beliefs. You can take a look at this company’s history and doctrinal statement to see if they match up with yours as well.
Engaging. Even though many of my kids do not enjoy actually writing in workbooks, they do enjoy having something in their hands to look at while I teach or read. They took turns with the student book that we had and followed along as we discussed various Scripture references and character qualities.
Adaptable. Although we received the book for 6th grade I found it easily adaptable to a wider age range. My 1, 4, and 6 grader definitely gleaned some good information from our time together. It was of course a little young for my 8th grader, but still workable and still prompted some good conversations.
Variety. Not just a typical Bible lesson, these units brought up character traits, key verses, life principles, vocabulary, and other activities and teaching strategies.

Some considerations . . .

Maybe a little too broad. As each lesson covers memory verses, vocabulary, character, key verses, Bible characters, doctrine, application, and Bible study it was sometimes hard to see how some of the different components fit together. Sometimes I felt like I was stretching a bit to find the link between the key verse and the main Scripture passage. The week did end up being tied together, but not always as naturally as I was hoping, and the memory verses still seemed unrelated, although we did enjoy memorizing part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Not really enough material for 5 days. Although it is marketed as a daily Bible lesson for 35 weeks, 3-5 days a week, we did not really find enough to keep us busy each day of the week and we ended up going through the lessons in about 3 days and then just moving on to the next one. This might work well if this is a subject that you only teach a few days a week, or if you have other plans for when you finish the book.
More variety in songs would have been nice. I really appreciate that they chose to include hymns in their study. However, when we study a hymn we like to sing it each day that we study it and they only have a new song every 4 weeks. We got a little tired of the same song and moved on much sooner than that.

Positive Action for Christ has put together a quality product with a lot of thought and information. They would probably work well for a student that loves workbooks and discussion. If you are looking for a

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Positive Action for Christ as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — North Star Games

“Why are they called ‘Meeples’?”

“Because they don’t want to call them ‘bets.'”

So began one of our first conversations about the new Wits and Wagers Family board game from North Star Games. Apparently the Meeples come from another game about 10 years ago and have been used as game pieces elsewhere also, and it makes for a cute playing piece that helps you stake your claim and earn points in this one. But, lets start from the beginning . . .

Product: Wits and Wagers Family game

Details: A board game for 3-10 (with teams) people that involves guessing the numerical answer to a question. Each player writes down his best guess and then they are placed in order smallest to largest. Each player then guesses which answer he thinks is best by placing his meeples on the numbers. Points are awarded for each correct (or closest) guess whether written or by placing meeples on it.
Price: Retails for $19.99.

What we loved . . .

Fun for everyone. Even my 5 year old could play this fairly well because it just involves guessing. Some rounds he did better than others, but every round he had fun. All the kids enjoyed this game.
Something unique. I like board games that are new. While this is a new twist on their original Wits and Wagers, it was a very new idea to us. Definitely not the same old, same old. And, with 300 questions you could play for a long time before repeating the same questions.
Easy to learn. The box says two minutes, and that’s just about right. This was a quick study!
Perfect length. Some games are too long, others too short. This one was just right. About 15-25 minutes depending on how good the guess went. My 13 year old rocked it one round and it ended in 10 minutes. So, if you play against a major trivia buff it could go quickly. No problem, just play for the best 2 out of 3. 😉
Might have other uses. Once you have the markers, Meeples, and mini white erase boards you can use these for all kinds of things. Review for upcoming tests (everyone writes down their answer and then all guess which is right), quiz dates from your time line, maybe even use it to brush up on basic math facts. Feel free to think outside the box.

Some considerations . . .

Some questions were really easy. Many of them you would have no idea (How many times does the average person blink in a day?) And, others someone might know exactly (how many feet are in a mile?) Most of the questions fall somewhere in the middle, but all it takes is a couple easy ones and a game can be over quite quickly.
Accommodating the little ones. My five and six year olds had no trouble playing along with the rest of us, but we did at times give them some advantages. They could have an extra Meeple (or two), or we would give them some verbal prompts in writing their guess after everyone else was done. It was very easy to level the playing field a bit.
The answer could be overlooked. Kind of funny how they laid out the answer side of the card. The answer is actually in a lighter gray ink on the side of the card and more explanation about the answer is in bold across the middle of the card. It took us a few questions to realize that the answer was there, we just hadn’t seen it! That made the game a little easier . . .

North Star Games has definitely put together a winner in this game. We really enjoyed it as a family game and a larger group game. I think this one will be coming with us to our family Christmas gatherings as well. It’s a keeper.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through North Star Games as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Master Fractions

$Master Fractions has transparent overlays, makes using fractions easy to see.$

Children unknowingly work with fractions from a very young age. They divide their matchbox cars with a friend. They share an apple with a sibling. They are told to “eat half of your sandwich” before being excused. And yet, so many of them struggle to make connections to those real life situations once the math book is in front of them.

Master Innovations has come up with a variety of visual tools to help keep their learning concrete. It all started with a ruler, and now they help with fractions, telling time, and angles as well. Here is a quick video on their fractions manipulative:

Basically, this handy little tool allows kids to see equivalencies in fractions with the flip of a page. Anything that gives kids a new perception to a problem that has them stumped is of high value, and these innovative “books” can do just that.

$Master Fractions has transparent overlays, makes using fractions easy to see.$

Product: Master Fractions from Master Innovations

Details: Master Fractions books come in a set of three. One illustrates halves (then broken into 1/4, 1/8, and 1/16), thirds (divided further into 1/6, 1/12) and fifths (broken down into 1/10 and 1/20). They also sell a corresponding workbook that helps your child best understand what they are seeing in the various fraction tools. And, they offer a measuring poster that covers a variety of measures with everyday objects to help kids get a better handle on what various measures are worth and how to estimate them using everyday objects (fingers, buttons, etc.)
Price: Set of three books is $17.95, workbook is another $15.95 (reproducible) and the poster is $10.

What we loved . . .

Hands on. This tool is a great visual for kids that need to see it to comprehend it. The workbook offers additional activities and images for making fractions make sense.
Durable. The little fraction books are made of sturdy plastic sheets that can be flipped, reflipped, drawn on, wiped clean, and still look great for the next time around.
Colorful. Visual kids need something that grabs them. These handy math teachers are full of color in the midst of their practical application.
Good for a variety of ages. One problem I often run into with tools that are helpful to reteach topics to older students is that they might seem babyish. Not so with these Master Fractions. The images are good without being overly cartoony and they are appealing to the first grader first learning fractions just as much as they are for the older student trying to master them again.
Incorporates real life. The problems in the workbook do a great job of bringing fractions home with the word problems and with the suggested activities.

Some considerations . . .

Not self-explanatory. When I first opened the box I thought it was a cool little gadget, but couldn’t quite see the application. The workbook helps some, but you do need to spend some time reading the teaching tips and looking it over to see how the tools really help solve problems.
Limited shapes. The workbook covers more shapes, but the tools only show circles, squares, and rectangles. That is good enough to help the student get going, but some students might still struggle transferring the knowledge to triangles and other polygons.

Master Innovations has definitely hit on a unique product with their Master Fractions. While it is isolated to one topic (fractions) it is one that many students struggle with and the products can be used and reused many times making them a good longer term purchase.

For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Master Innovations as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew review — Bright Ideas Press

Last year we discovered the quality products Bright Ideas Press puts out with Mystery of History 3. We all enjoyed it. The projects, the well written book, the graphics, etc. This year we got to follow that up with a start into Illuminations.

Illuminations is to be used in conjunction with MOH 3 and provides additional resources to get the most out of history by tying it in to your other subjects. Through dynamic read alouds and intriguing read alones, the kids can really sink their teeth into the time period more than just the 20-30 minutes a day spent on history. Last year I spent a good bit of time digging around for books that we could enjoy together to correspond with a topic or time period that piqued our interest. Illuminations does the looking for you, and provides in depth study guides to make the most of it.

Product: Illimunations 3
Details : A supplementary guide for Mystery of History users to tie in Language Arts and other subjects to the time periods and topics being covered in the MOH 3 book. We received the materials geared toward 3-8 grade, but there is also a high school level product.
Price : $82.50 for first semester, $165 for full year when it is available (January 2011)

What we loved . . .

Lots of information to get started. Within the product itself there are instructions, summaries, tips to get started, and links to videos and such. There are also a number of online helps including reviews, Yahoo! groups, book lists, and companies to buy additional books through.
All in one, or not. Illuminations includes lots of subjects (mostly Language Arts related), and provides room in the planning pages for those not incorporated into the material. Geography, science, literature, spelling, and of course history are all part of the plan. But, you don’t have to use it all. Whatever you want you use, and if you don’t you can write right into the lesson plans how you plan to change, delete, or supplement the plans they put in place.
Great product. As with just about everything that Bright Ideas Press puts out, they have created a high quality product. This is a great resource that seems to have thought of everything. And, it is huger than huge. The amount of materials, schedules, lesson plans, etc. is a bit mind boggling at first. But they walk you through how to make the most of it. We have really enjoyed the books that they recommended to go along with MOH 3 and the conversations they prompted as a result. And, since we could find them at our library, there has not been an additional expense to enjoy these books either.
Quality study guides. Reading good books is a huge part of our homeschool. But, just to read them and walk away, loses some of the benefit. The study guides help prompt real conversations and grasp the meaning and lessons of these pieces.
Huge time saver. Yes, you could do this all on your own. You could dig through online book lists and your library’s card catalog, and various homeschool curriculum sites and catalogs and find the books. Then you could spend weeks coming up with comprehension questions, digging up background materials, brainstorming activities, compiling copywork passages, and divvying up the work over a school year. You could. But, they have done all that for you, and done it well.

Some considerations . . .

Requires other materials. In order to fully enjoy all that they have taken the time to lay out for you, you would need to purchase some other books. These include read alouds as well as science and English academic books.
You should take some time prepping before diving in. While the schedules and structure is all done for you, it still takes time to get ready to use this product. They give you a handy checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything from ordering materials to setting up notebooks. It will take an investment in time to start this off properly.
Somewhat costly. Illuminations is a massive project. They give you lots of material and ideas. And, they obviously put an enormous amount of work into creating this helpful tool. So, it only makes sense that you would have to put out a good chunk of change for it. However, because it is so adaptable to various ages and is reusable it will likely be worth the investment over time, especially if you plan to use the grammar and science that they have designed their materials around as well.

Even with over a month to explore Illuminations and begin to use it in our homeschool, I feel like I have just started to scratch the surface. I look forward to continuing to read the books and use this in conjunction with MOH 3. If you think this might be a fit for your family, I would encourage you to read some more reviews, and watch some of the videos to see if it will click with your home’s teaching and learning styles. It is an up front time commitment to pull it together, but then is a daily time saver while still providing a high quality education for your kids.

Take some time to read some other TOS Crew reviews on this product, over at the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Bright Ideas Press as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Corps of Rediscovery

With the boom of the computer and information age has come an accelerating slide in the area of traditional crafts. Knitting, quilting, sewing, leather-work, and even baking are not very popular pastimes any more. I try to restore a sampling of those activities in our household. There is something so peaceful about huddling around a sewing machine, reading books aloud to the click of the knitting needles, or laying out quilt pieces with my kids.

Corps of Re-discovery understands this desire to reclaim our history and has put together some special kits to help parents and children in that pursuit. We received a kit that came with everything we need to make a doll size patchwork quilt. We enjoyed working together to construct this cute little blanket, but the jury is still out on who gets to enjoy it — the baby, or the dolls it was intended for.

Product: Patchwork Quilt
Details : A complete kit to create a doll sized quilt — precut squares, yarn, thread, batting, backing material, and detailed instructions. You just need an iron and a sewing machine to finish this project.
Price : currently listed at $11.99, regularly $14.99

What we loved . . .

Complete. Everything you need is in this one kit. We preferred to use our own thread rather than rethread the sewing machine, but even the thread was included in the kit. I love the colors that came together, too. I cannot match colors for these types of projects well at all, so an all-in-one was important to me.
Unit-Study supplement. This project, along with others from this company, would fit easily into a study on pioneer living, Little House on the Prairie, or other studies of a similar era. Helping kids see in a very hands-on way how families worked together to provide for their basic needs. The instructions included some basic background into how and why these types of quilts would have been made in days gone by.
Group project. While an older child could really do this on their own, especially if they have some sewing experience, this was a fun group project. I did a bit of the sewing, and kept things going when they found the work tedious (good thing our livelihood didn’t depend on cranking these out on a daily basis . . .) Each one found a role — ironing, sewing, laying out squares, and seem ripping (yes, there was a little of that, too, despite the clear instructions).
Clear directions. With good images and descriptions of the many steps involved in creating this quilt, we had no trouble assembling it. We did rush ahead at one point and ended up redoing a section, but we slowed down and completed it correctly then.
Beautiful, useful finished product. The blanket is perfect for a baby doll or American Girl sized doll. I’m not sure whose bed it will end up on, but they all agreed it was a beautiful end result. I just might need to order another kit.

Some considerations . . .

Detailed work. This is sewing, plain and simple. If you have a child that struggles with that tedious work, this might not be a great independent activity. It only took us about 2-3 hours of work to put it together, with me doing most of the sewing. But, it could easily be done a little at at time over a few weeks as a sewing class or free time activity. Having the squares pre-cut is a huge time saver.
Pre-created. This was perfect for me, but for those of you that like to pick your own colors, and start from scratch you might not have as much fun with this kit. It comes with pre-selected colors so you don’t have a choice in the matter. They put together beautiful colors and we all loved it, but I know some people like to do their own.

This was such a great project to share with my girls. We have spent a bit of time in the past learning about pioneer days and to really dig into even a small project that represented that era was a real eye-opener. And, now I have my eye on their fringe pouch, coin purse, and corn husk doll. Lots of great stuff, all ready for the making.

Each family will have a different experience with a product (and different people received different products for this review), so I would encourage you to check out some other TOS Crew reviews on this product, over at the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Corps of Re-Discovery as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

TOS Crew Review — Yuck!

With a house full of kids we’ve had our share of yucky stuff — bodily fluids, sippy cups forgotten, old food, etc. But, for the first time I can recall, now we actually have some enjoyable yuck in our house.

Kids often enjoy a mess and Buckets-o -Fun has created some products called Yuck! to cater to that enjoyment. They can mix, examine, stir, and poke to their hearts’ content. This can fill an afternoon or free time for a month.

Product: Yuck!
Details : A polymer (yeah, go look it up, that’s the first school assignment related to this product) that takes on various consistencies depending on the starting form. Can be used for fun or educational purposes, or whatever your creative mind desires.
Price : $16-$20 per pound, or less when purchased in bulk.

What we loved . . .

Hands on. Obviously, this is not a teacher-do, student-watch activity. Everyone got their hands on and in this one.
Flexible. Literally, but that’s not what I mean. This can fill dead space in your day (ha, ha, I know, I don’t have any of that either). It can be done in a short amount of time and discarded, or you can do the activities and then keep the various forms of Yuck on your counter to reexamine in the days and weeks ahead. We’ve had a bucket of chunky and snowy yuck sitting on our window sill for a few weeks now. Every now and then we pull it down, stir it around and mess around with. Add water, drain water, break it up, etc. It is just fascinating stuff.
Amazing. We enjoyed the variety of consistencies to examine and compare. They were each fun and interesting in their own way. Of course the sticky Yuck we had to color green because it looked too much like boogers and my kids couldn’t resist. The sparkles in the snowy yuck was enchanting. The chunky Yuck made us want to eat ice. And, the saucy Yuck has a way of sliding off the spoon that is mesmerizing.
Versatile. Now, this won’t keep you busy for a year’s science or anything like that, but it was a fun break from the norm as we came up with ways to explore its properties and learn more about it. We hydrated it with hot water vs. cold water (the hot worked more quickly), we left it to hydrate for a day and then added more, we over hydrated and dehydrated, we tried to break it up, and we just had plain old fun learning about a substance so different from anything else.
Big plans. We didn’t try this, but I could just envision a kiddie pool filled with this stuff. They send a paper with ideas for sliding into it, hiding toys in it, and other fun and crazy stuff. This product has high-octane birthday party written all over it.

Some considerations . . .

Messy! If you child does no enjoy messes (or if you don’t . . .) this product might not be will received in your home. It is sticky and saucy and everything else it is named. It takes a long time to wash off with soap and water. Vinegar seems to speed the process, but my kids can’t stand the smell and would rather spend five minutes at the sink of running water.
Must be disposed of properly. You do need to be careful with Yuck. Because it absorbs water like nobody’s business, it is harmful if swallowed (by pets or people). You also do not want to send it down your drain unless you miss your plumber. So, just be careful and follow the instructions.
Limited educational uses. While we did have lots of fun with it and it was a nice break in the day, the educational value was limited. We did learn about polymers and conduct a few experiments, but overall it was more fun than learning.

You can get a free sample of the different kinds of Yuck to see for yourself (one per organization or individual — check out the Yuck! page).

This would be great for a summer snow day or a winter boredom buster activity. It is fun and unique and provides a great activity that a variety of ages could enjoy.

Each family will have a different experience with a product, so I would encourage you to check out some other TOS Crew reviews on this product, over at the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free of charge through Buckets-o-Fun as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.