Maridel Willer

Clean and Flip books and Times Tales from
www.TriggerMemorySystem.com

Are you children efficient and cheerful about doing their chores? Trigger memory systems has 3 nifty “Clean and Flip” charts that can help your children complete their chores thoroughly and independently. These are sturdy spiral bound books with detailed steps required to perform different chores and responsibility and include illustrations so even pre-readers can follow along. My children were already successfully completing daily and weekly chores when we were asked to review these products, but we had some surprising results when we tried them out.

I handed my 10 year old daughter the Laundry chart and gave her the job of doing a whole load of laundry from start to finish on her own. She glanced through the steps then successfully completed the whole process and has been doing laundry on her own initiative almost daily since. She already new how to do the individual steps from working alongside me, but the book gave her the big picture and motivation to do it without reminding.

My next “trial” was giving her and her 8 year old brother the Kitchen section from the Zone Cleaning book and asking them to try to clean the kitchen by themselves after dinner by following the chart. They were able to divide the work between themselves and complete the whole kitchen cheerfully and quickly. Now they have even asked to take over that responsibility on a daily basis – I am not kidding!

I think what is so appealing about the Clean and Flip concept is that it allows the children to work independently and check their own progress as they go, so it feels like a real accomplishment when they can do the work without your help. Younger children may need you to supervise them if they are not already familiar with the chores, but school age children should be able to follow and check off the steps on their own.

The only thing that I would like to change about the product is that the bathroom and bedroom steps are done in a different manner than the way that I have already trained my children to complete these tasks. I may go ahead and try it the Clean and Flip way to see if we get better results.

The cost for these products is $17.95 for Zone Cleaning (includes Kitchen, Bath and Living Room), $7.95 each for Laundry and Bedroom Cleaning, or $29.95 for all three books.

I have heard about Times Tales for several years, but only recently tried this system to help children learn their times tables. When I looked at the book and instructions, I was a little skeptical because the stories were not logical to me and I thought that using skip counting was a better way to teach the facts. My daughter had already memorized these facts, but my 2nd grade son had not, so he and I gave Times Tales a try. My son is very creative and funny, so he thought that the stories for memorizing the facts were hilarious and kept on asking for more. He learned the first half of the facts in about 30 minutes and seems to have retained them. My daughter was not interested at first, but after she saw how quickly her brother was remembering the facts, she decided that she would like to use them to reinforce some of the higher numbers.

I would recommend Times Tales as a good way to memorize the facts for the first time for young children, or as a help for older children who have not yet learned them. I do think that it is important to also make sure that your child understands the multiplication concept using manipulatives and skip counting before moving on to higher levels of math. The cost is $29.95

www.aleks.com

ALEKS is a web based learning program with artificial intelligence that tracks what a child knows as they work their way through a course on line. The subjects currently available are quite extensive: 3rd through 12th grade math, plus some high school science and a selection of higher education courses. My daughter recently took their 4th grade math curriculum for a test drive. This curriculum is totally on line without any textbook or printable worksheets and it includes ALEKS QuickTables, which is a research-based math fact mastery tool for basic operations for grades 3-12.

After setting up our account, the first thing that my daughter did was complete a thorough online assessment for the purpose of placing her in the appropriate grade level. We found that the resulting report and placement were an accurate assessment of which topics she had mastered and which she still needed to learn.

Then she was able to navigate through the site easily and choose from a customized menu that gave her choices of topics that she was ready to learn. Many of the topics were easy for her to learn from the information that was presented and she was able to quickly master them and move on. However, she did run into roadblocks several times when a more complex concept was introduced and the on line tutorial did not give her enough information to figure out how to answer the questions. When this happened, she was frustrated and needed help from me to move on. Usually, I found that she was really not ready to learn these topics and she would need further personal instruction from me at a future time before being able to do the online problems.

Here is a summary of my review of this product:

PROS:
The assessment tool is thorough and accurate.

The program is easy for elementary ages and up to use.

The parent receives automatic email assessments that show the child’s progress and mastery level.

Most concepts in this course (4th grade Math) were explained well and allowed the child to work independently.

The interface is simple without distracting video or audio. I really appreciated not having to worry about inappropriate humor or material that was filler entertainment.

For the topics that she was ready to learn, my child enjoyed using the program.

The QuickTables fact mastery program is a nice feature.

It is self grading, which saves time for the parent.

It would be great for extra practice used alongside another curriculum, if you do not have tight budget constraints.

This tool may be a good choice for families that need one or more of their students to at least some of the work independently.

I would consider looking at this tool again for higher level math in the future.

CONS:
This is not a totally self teaching program. If the parent is counting on it to be the tutor, they may be disappointed when they find out that the child will still need a person to talk to and explain some topics to them. There will most likely be sections that the child will not “get” from the information presented, possibly because they are really not ready to learn it at that time. This could be to lack of practical experience or the maturity level of the child, or it could be that not all topics are thoroughly explained. (It is similar to using a textbook to teach where there is almost always a topic that the book explanation is hard for the child to understand.)

You do not get a copy of the work that your child has completed, so you do not have a record for your own review or for their school portfolio. Reports are provided to describe the topics mastered and the amount of time the student worked.

I prefer to have close interaction with the topics that my children are learning, so I am not comfortable with using online courses for elementary subjects. One of the joys of homeschooling is the relationship that is built between parent and child. I feel that using the computer every day can be a hindrance to family relationships. I am also concerned about the physical stresses and strains of too much computer time.

This program is somewhat costly for elementary subjects. The cost is $19.95 per month for one student, with discounts for additional students or for pre-paying a 6 month or 1 year subscription. Parents that have time constraints may think that the monthly cost of ALEKS is worth it to save time in making assignments, grading, and have a reduction in some of the teaching/explanation time. The monthly cost of ALEKS may be a better value for the high school and above courses.

If you think that at web based learning system could work for your family, I recommend trying the free 1 month trial subscription to ALEKS at www.aleks.com.

All About Spelling
http://www.all-about-spelling.com/

When I received a big box of spelling curriculum for a TOS Crew review, my first response was to groan audibly. I have to admit that I kept glancing at the materials and putting them back on the shelf over the first couple of weeks before I got up the courage to get started trying it out with my children (who had made it to 2nd and 4th grade without any spelling lessons).

Guess what? We actually liked it!!

Here’s a quick run down of the positives of the All About Spelling program:

1. Spelling is taught in a very practical way, using phonograms and rules in a logical order.

2. The curriculum covers multiple learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.

3. The materials are non-consumable, so the books and other materials can be re-used for additional children.

4. The lessons are short and easy to follow, with minimal preparation time.

5. The series of books is labeled by level, rather than grade, so you can use level one with any age child that is ready to start or with older children who need a review to improve spelling skills.

The only thing that I did not like about the program was the upfront preparation time to cut out all of the materials and to review the book to be able to understand how to get going. Once we got started, the daily preparation was minimal.

Here is how it worked with my 2 children:

My almost 10 year old daughter who is an excellent reader quickly grasped each new concept taught and was able to remember and apply the rules without much review and did not need to do all of the exercises to master them. We are almost finished with level one and plan to continue with the other levels, giving one or two lessons per week from here. I have definitely seen an improvement in her confidence and ability in writing and spelling after completing these lessons.

Her younger brother, who just began reading independently this year, was really not ready to zip through the lessons and did not retain all of the material covered in a previous session. Rather than trudge through this material and risk frustrating both of us at this time, we will set it aside and pick it up when he is ready for it in the future.

The cost for this program is $29.95 for levels one and two, and $39.95 for levels three and four (level five will soon be released). In addition to the books, you will also need to make a one time purchase of letter tiles and phonogram cards. Samples for each level are available online.

It’s the countdown to Christmas week, and when it gets this close, children can get a little crazy! Here are some ideas of things you can do to have fun over the next couple of days.

Give them a couple of dollars to buy gifts for family members at the dollar store, then let them wrap all by themselves when you get home.

Tour a few neighborhoods in your area to look at Christmas lights, then come home for hot cocoa before bed.

Read the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2. Let your children illustrate their favorite part.

Go carolling with another family or two in your neighborhood. We did this spontaneously this past weekend and found that people were really blessed by having children sing carols at their doors.

Checkout a Christmas movie from the libary that you have never seen before. Some of our favorites that are less well known are “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and “A Perrcy Como Christmas”.

Clean out their rooms and closets to make room for new toys.

Let children help choose gifts to donate to a charity that provides presents for dis-advantaged families.

If the weather is nice, make time to go to a park that you have not visited recently.

If the weather is NOT nice, play board games together by the fire.

Puppetools
www.puppetools.com

Creative play is an important part of learning and most parents and teachers can benefit from hearing how others incorporate play into their homeschools and classrooms. One source of ideas is the puppetools membership site.

Access to this site includes extensive research from educator Jeff Peyton on the value of play and how it can be incorporated into a school setting using puppets. Much of this information is geared toward teachers, but some of it is applicable to parents and home educators. The part of the site that was of the most interest to me and my children was the information on how to make easy imaginative puppets out of paper, including a library of patterns and photos. A series of training videos gives how to tips and examples and there is a forum to share ideas with a community of educators.

Puppetools is a secular company, so Christian families will want to take that into account when reviewing the website as not all ideas and information presented align with a biblical worldview. Sample portions of the website can be accessed without a subscription, including a selection of fun puppet patterns that your children may enjoy.

The cost and benefits for a Puppetools subscription are as follows.

1) Trial Subscription: $20.00 Gives individual users $20 complete access to all resources for a full 60 days
2) Regular Subscription: $99.00 Gives a group of up to 30 users full access for one year.

Subscription Details (as described on www.puppetools.com):

* 1 year to train and master Puppetools - the “Language of Play”
* Access Puppetools’ online Educator Work Area
* Access Puppetools’ exclusive practitioner video library
* Access extensive research on play and education
* Access hundreds of puppet images, concepts, and patterns
* Access readings from the 200 page Puppetools Manual
* Access our global community forums - learn with teachers around the world
* Put Puppetools to work in just days–for many it’s just overnight
* Learn fast, flexible puppet design and construction–in just minutes
* Discover how a single paper hinge creates a limitless resource
* Engage playful, energized conversation for lessons and activities /all grades
* Use puppet know-how and techniques without acting, scripts, or theater
* Effectively harness Play and spark motivation, participation, and receptivity
* Discover the deep impact of play on students and teachers

When something really frustrating happens in your life, do you realize it may be a gift in disguise? That’s what happened to me after my less than 2 year old computer died after a power surge during a storm last week.

Try to imagine a day without your computer, then 2 days, then a whole week…

My first reaction was to panic as I had a long list of things that I wanted to get done this week that required computer time. And then… how can I live without email?!

I chose to let God (and my husband, along with our amazing “techie” friend, Joseph Robinson - www.moriahcorp.com) restore my computer resources in His perfect timing.

I received the wonderful gift of a whole week without the “call” of my to do list, email and the internet vying for my attention. My children were blessed with more mommy time, all of my Christmas preparations were finished early and I read alot of good books in the quite hours of the evenings.

And - it only took me 2 evenings to get through the 250 plus emails in my inbox when I was back online at the end of the week.

What a wonderful Christmas gift!

All things do work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes for them.

Crayola Art Studio by Core Learning
www.core-learning.com

We have had the opportunity to review several computer programs and on-line products over the past couple of months. The Crayola Art Studio is one that I can highly recommend. A few years ago, we decided to limit our children’s computer use to “productive” activities only, foregoing any programs or games that are mostly entertainment and time wasters, or ones that have objectionable content. This art program definitely meets our criteria as a creative, versatile and productive tool.

We were pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it is to create professional looking artwork with this seemingly limitless software. It is superior to other drawing programs that we have tried in the past. I really appreciate that it does not have any of the annoying characters or sound effects that are so common in children’s software. This tool is easy enough for a pre-reader to get started creating, but interesting enough for an adult to use.

Here are the features listed on Core Learning’s website:

12 realistic art tools: tempera paint, acrylic paint, watercolor, chalk, crayon, oil pastel, colored pencil, marker Select from hundreds of pre-set colors or mix unique colors on digital palettes
Easy-to-use complete range of drawing tools
Progressive undo and redo features support experimentation
Several Hundred editable art images to supplement artwork and learn digital editing techniques
Customize the interface with selections of backgrounds, icon sizes and tool configurations
A special Begin to Draw level helps beginners learn basic computer drawing skills
The software is pressure-sensitive when used with a mouse pen or stylus

Crayola Art Studio scores high with everyone in our family and I expect it to get a lot of use in our home. I think it is a very good deal for $24.95. You can download a free trial to check it out before deciding to purchase it.

Core Learning also provides other educational software in the following subjects: Math, Art, Health, Language Arts, and Critical Thinking. I took a look at their demos for Math and Language Arts. These were basic but thorough programs that are set up like a textbook with printable worksheets plus tests you can take on the computer. They did not have the games and fancy graphics that some other programs have, but this could be considered a benefit by some families. The Health and Art programs are more visual and interactive. Demos of several of the Core Learning products are available on their website.

Spear’s Art Studio
www.SpearsArtStudio.com

I have been busy with TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine) Crew product reviews this week, so be looking for several posts in the next few days. (I promised to squeeze in more Christmas/Advent celebration and learning ideas in between reviews!)

Spear’s Art Curriculum on CD was something I had never heard of when the box arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago. When I browsed the contents of the CD I was excited about using this product in our homeschool. It is a multi-year (K – 8th) Christian art curriculum that is arranged by month of the year. Each month has 4 weekly “themes”, with at one or more projects per week for each grade level.

This curriculum was designed for use in the classroom or homeschool. It would be great to use for a homeschool co-op group! We enjoy doing art projects that go with the seasons and holidays, so I expect to use this frequently throughout the year.

The mission statement from the Spears website shows you the motivation of Diane Shields Spears, Doctor of Christian Education and author of this curriculum

1. To recognize the hand of God in everything and to give Him glory

2. To reconnect the Lord as the Supreme Artist to the process and excitement of learning for both children and educators through the study and activity of art

3. to provide resources for the Christian educator that:

a. help student make connection between the Creator, creativity, and personal maturity

b. are organized for natural learning progression

c. provide experiences for higher order thinking skills

d. “stretch” academic and manipulative skills

e. Introduce students to famous artists and artworks incorporated into a seasonal and/or art elements/principles arrangement of art and craft production

The contents of the CD starts with a description of the theme for each week, including related scriptures and objectives, an art history section with recommended pictures to study (online or from art books in the library) and a “teacher inspiration” section. The art projects each include scripture verses, vocabulary words, focus, materials and preparations, and a detailed “how to” description with a photograph of the completed project. The supplies listed are common art materials and many of the projects have patterns included on the CD.

My children liked the project selections for November and December. The theme for the first week of December, the Names of Jesus, tied in nicely with the advent devotional we are using right now. The next project we will be doing is illustrating a Christmas Carol, using the notebook page printout from the CD.

You definitely do not need to have an art background to be able to do these projects with your family. There are several sample lessons available for you to download for free to see if this program would work for you. I really appreciate having this source to help me save time searching for art projects and ideas and I think the price of $39.95 is a very good deal for this product. It is also available in hard copy with the CD for $134.95.

Other products offered by Spears include a High School art curriculum, a calligraphy course, and a series of literature guides.

Salem Ridge Press (www.salemridgepress.com), owned by homeschool graduate Daniel Mills, re-publishes old books that have strong moral values and encourage positive character. We thoroughly enjoyed the 3 Salem Ridge Press books sent to us to review as a member of the TOS Crew. Here is a quick summary of the books we read:

Mary Jane, Her Book by Clara Ingram Judson
This is a sweet wholesome book about a 5 year old girl and her family that was originally published in 1918. The suggested reading level is ages 6 to 10, but it would also be a good choice for a read aloud to younger girls. My almost 10 year old daughter first thought the book would be too young for her, but when asked to “review” it for TOS, she read the 183 page book in an afternoon and immediately asked me to order the second book for her. Some of the adventures that Mary Jane has include getting her finger stuck in the wringer of the old fashioned washing machine (my daughter’s favorite part), and many girlhood activities such as picnics, parties, and learning to sew and garden. Two books of this 19 book series have been re-published. I hope that more of them will be available soon.

The American Twins of the Revolution by Lucy Fitch Perkins
I read this book to my children last year while studying the American War for Independence and they always cried, “more, more”, when I ended a chapter. I have a very old set of Ms. Perkins Twins Series and, as they are truly “gems”, I am glad to see them coming back into print. This book is an adventuresome tale that is based on a true story of a brother and sister, who are asked by their father, a general, to help their mother hide a shipment of gold intended to pay Washington’s discouraged troups in Pennsylvania. It is important to note that the family owns slaves, which are referred to as “servants” and are called “aunt” and “uncle” by the children who have a loving relationship with them. If reading aloud, you will have to get used to sentences like ”I reckon I bettah stay right yer now wid de goods, fer if dem Redcoats once gits a smell ob dem hams, dey won’t nuffin hold ‘em”. Some might find the dialect objectionable or cumbersome, but in context it adds humor and realism to the story. The suggested age range is 8 to adult.

Glaucia, the Greek Slave by Emma Leslie
This book was my first introduction to the church history series by Emma Leslie. It is recommended for ages 10 to adult. I chose to read this book myself as I thought the topics where a bit too intense for my children. It is realistic fiction about a brother and sister who are sold as slaves in Athens during the first century at the time that the apostle Paul is in prison. The author well describes the process that the Lord uses to draw many of the characters in this book away from the many gods that they worship into a relationship with the one true God. The book contains a number of unfamiliar words, but their definitions are found at the bottom of the page, helping to increase the reader’s vocabulary. I look forward to sharing this book with my family in a couple of years, and will definitely add additional volumes from the series to our library.

Rime to Read
www.RimetoRead.com

One of the most rewarding things about homeschooling is having the privilege of being the person who gives your child the keys to unlock the power of reading. Rime to Read offers families a fun tool to help during a child’s early stages of mastering the basics of phonics.

Rimes (not Rhymes) are word families that have the same endings, such as cat, pat, sat, rat. Once your child understands the most common sounds of the letters and is beginning to be able to sound out 3 letter words, using simple rimes is a good way to have them build confidence and experience the joy of being able to read “by themselves”.

Rime to Read has created a series of twenty beginning reader books that can be read on-line or printed one time if you prefer a hard copy. The electronic format of the books includes a sound feature that “reads” a word when you click on it. Each book has a simple story using multiple words from a specific word family, such as –at or -it. They are illustrated with nice line drawings that complement the story lines. These books are similar to the Bob Books early readers in their complexity and method of introducing new words.

The books are designed to be read in chronological order, each one building adding to the list of words that were previously introduced. The first book introduces 5 words in the “at” family, plus a couple of simple sight words like “a” and “the”. By the end of the series, your child will be reading over 100 three letter short vowel rimes plus 35 common sight words.

The set of twenty e-books can be purchased for $44.99, or a set of four is $9.99. You can get more information and even download and read the first book for free at www.rimetoread.com.