Teaching Writing with IEW

I love to write but have a hard time teaching writing to my children. We have tried various things over the years---some with success, some not so much. My older kids were at a point where they needed more writing structure and I wasn’t sure how we should proceed. Thankfully, the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) sent the Homeschool Crew various levels to review, and I was given the exact level my older kids needed.

What is It?

It is a writing program for grades 3rd-high school. Andrew Pudewa is the director and gives a nice overview of the program on the IEW website.  (There is a new curriculum called Primary Arts of Language for children K-2nd)

I was given:

Student Writing Intensive B
$99.00

Recorded live, this DVD writing course for students by Andrew Pudewa is comprised of four writing sessions on DVD. Each session presents structural models and stylistic techniques from our TWSS Syllabus. Included with the student handouts are complete teacher notes, source texts, and checklists providing fifteen comprehensive lessons to ensure your student masters each unit before moving on to the next. Since each lesson can take one to two weeks to complete, the entire package can provide 15–30 weeks of writing instruction.

Contains
• Four DVDs
• A binder with dividers
• A packet with the teacher’s notes, handouts, and checklists (about 100 pages in all)

What We Thought:

I had heard about IEW several years ago, went to the site and then was overwhelmed by all the terminology and abbreviations and left. I couldn’t figure out what I needed and it seemed like it was going to be difficult to implement. Now that I have finally had a chance to use the program,I have a totally different view----we love it! (I wonder though, if I was the only one scared away by the product titles and abbreviations?)

IEW: Institute of Excellence in Writing : The main website/program
TWSS: Teaching Writing Structures and Style : a DVD series that teaches the teacher
SWI: Student Writing Intensive: a DVD series plus materials the student needs to complete the program.

Basically the writing program teaches the student how to complete a keyword outline. This was a skill my 12yr. old and 11yr. old needed to know and I appreciated the way it was presented. Using source texts (text included with the curriculum), students were able to practice making keyword outlines and learned how to write from them.  This was a huge shift for my older kids and this concept alone helped improve their writing.

We also enjoyed watching the DVD’s together. Mr. Pudewa has a sense of humor when teaching and that helped keep my kids involved with the lesson. (I found that it is necessary for me to sit with my  kids while watching so that I knew what the assignment was and how to assess the writing). I appreciated that I was not doing the direct teaching but rather just facilitating. Another plus was having all the source texts and assignments already planned for me. All I had to do was hand them out and make sure the children put them in their notebooks. We’ve completed a little over half of the lessons so far---taking more time when needed.

I was also sent a portable wall. It is a specially-designed file-folder of all the IEW terms and lists presented in the DVD curriculum (see the picture above). It is a wonderful reference tool and I found that I used it just as much as the kids.

This writing curriculum filled a need in our homeschool. We needed more structure and a writing plan. IEW provided that for us.  I hope to get my other children started at their levels for this upcoming school year.

If you want to learn more about the products IEW has to offer (they have more than just writing), check out their Magalog (magazine/catalog). It was a ton of information plus freebies linked in the articles and sidebars.

For more IEW Reviews See:
Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

MonkiSee

My family was sent MonkiSee Baby’s First Words and a book to review. MonkiSee is a video series that teaches reading and object recognition to children 3mo – 2yr. old.

The first video in the series, Baby’s First Words, introduces children to 40 different words—from body part names to familiar words like bottle, bath and sleep. Using puppets, music, and poems children are introduced to the various words and concepts. By watching the video multiple times, children will memorize shapes and patterns that make up the words. Children are also able to learn phonics intuitively through this process. Monki See recommend using the video, flashcards, and slideshows daily to get the best possible results.

We also were sent the book, Know Your Monkey to review as well:

 These books are designed to teach babies to read while being read to. These books are specifically arranged to display large text while keeping the illustrations separate, so attention is naturally directed toward the written word.~ MonkiSee website

What We Thought:

I had my 6mo. old, 2yr. old and 4yr. old watch this DVD program.  We did not watch it every day nor did we watch the slide show daily. When we did watch it, my 4yr. old and 2yr. old enjoyed the movie. They enjoy watching programs with singing and puppets, so this was right up their alley. My 6mo. old wasn’t interested in all. She would watch a few scenes here and there and then look for something to chew on. 

I thought that the DVD taught vocabulary more than reading. There weren’t enough written word exposure in the DVD for a child to really connect the written word with the object or action. The slideshow portion of the DVD did a better job at having the words and objects/actions connect. So if you did use this program for teaching reading, you would have to do both portions (movie and slideshow) to see results.

My girls did enjoy having me read them the book too.  We have not used the program long enough to see if it really helps babies and toddlers learn to read. I can say that it is a nice edu-entertainment DVD and book set that does a good job at introducing vocabulary.

Price: $24.95 for the DVD
$11.95 for the book
For more information see the MonkiSee website.

For More MonkiSee Reviews See:

Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I Samuel Bible Study

Earlier this year I was sent a I Samuel Bible Study by Greek ‘n’ Stuff. This Bible Study comes in a KJV and a NIV version. Since it is geared toward upper elementary and up, I had my 12 yr. old daughter use it for her Bible study.

What it is:

A “no frills” Bible study that contains thirty-nine weekly lessons. Each lesson contains a “Think and Pray About It” section, memory verses and additional information fact. The study covered Samuel, Eli, Saul, and David. This study can be used by an older child for independent Bible study, or as a whole family for family devotions. As they state on their site, “The Bible is the only answer key you’ll need.”

What We Thought:

I had my daughter work through most of this Bible study independently. Each lesson is short and to the point. There are usually three questions working sequentially through the book of 1 Samuel. My daughter liked that it was doable and short. She had never worked through a book of the Bible verse by verse, so this was a new way to study for her. At times it was challenging to stick with the program due to the repetitive workbook style nature, but she would just take a little break and then pick it back up again. The Bible study was laid out well and easy enough for her to do on her own, but not too easy where she would get bored. Though she did the study independently, I would periodically discuss how things were going, what new things she had learned and if she had any questions.

King James and NIV Versions available (Sample page available)

$21.95 (US)

Check out the website for the other Bible Study topics and materials.

For More Greek 'n' Stuff Reviews See:

Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Making Music with KinderBach

I believe that letting young children experience music in various forms is a very important part of their development. I do a good job of coming up with silly songs and rhymes to share with my little girls, but I struggle with teaching them formal aspects of music. KinderBach was the answer to my struggle. It is a keyboard-based music lesson series for children ages 3-7.

What It Is:

KinderBach is an online or a DVD music program for young children. Through a series of videos, printable activities, stories, and songs--young children are introduced to musical concepts. For each level there is a printable book plus DVD segment. There are also extra components to supplement the curriculum such as printable coloring books, song cd’s and more.

Each week is divided into 4 sessions. KinderBach uses playful characters to teach note reading, rhythm, singing, and composition.

What We Thought:

I used this program with my 9yr. old, 4yr. old and 2yr. old. My 9yr. old had been asking to take piano lessons, so I had her be in charge of playing the DVD lesson with her younger sisters. I figured she'd learn a thing or two along with the younger kids, but since she was helping "teaching", it wouldn't seem too babyish for her. The DVD segments remind me of  kid programming on Sprout, or Blue’s Clues. I appreciate the fact that all the workbooks were in PDF format so that I could print the pages over and over again if needed.  Though the teaching was via video, the girls were encouraged to actively participate in the lesson doing activities such as clapping, and moving up and down. There were also coloring activities and crafts available too.

My girls loved the program. In fact, my 4yr. old carried around her “music book” and would beg to do more. My 9yr. old picked up quite a few things too and took the responsibility of helping her sisters seriously. I appreciated that I did not have to drive anyone to music lessons---we could do them anytime of the day right at home. Another plus is that you don’t need to have a music background to implement this program. KinderBach does a great job of introducing young children to music and the piano in a fun way.

Monthly Online Option: $19.99
Yearly Online Option: $95.88
Single-level DVD: $40.45
DVD bundle options available as well

There is a free online trial available. I’d encourage you to try it out.

For More KinderBach Reviews See:

Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Go, Go Kobango

I was able to review an online game site that focuses on reading skills for children ages 4-7. Go Go Kabongo is a program that aims to help children develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills that are necessary for basic reading and reading comprehension.

What it is:

KaBongo is a colorful online world where children play and learn at the same time. There are three different habitats: Laughter Lake, Galaxy Gardens, and Twister Top. Each habitat has 3 different games that target specific pre-reading or critical thinking skills.

(Click to see more information on the skills)

Each game has a learning purpose, but yet is presented in a fun, interactive way.
You can sign up for GOGO KABONGO! for free—which will give you access to the Laughter Lake habitat. In order to access the other two habitats, a fee of $4.95 each is charged.
What We Thought:

My 4yr. old and my 9yr. old tested this site out for me. It was above my 9yr.old, but she is always up for playing on the computer :) Both girls enjoyed being able to pick various games to play. My 4yr. old did however, get a little stuck on many of the games and then lost interest. My 9yr. old loved playing though. I’m pretty sure that if I let the 4yr. old try again after a couple of months, she would be more ready for the games.

I liked that I was sent progress reports on each child. You can view a sample progress report here. There are additional helpful resources for parents such as printable activities and hands-on activity ideas. Most of all, I liked knowing that my kids were playing and learning at the same time.

Right now if you sign up you can get Laughter Lake and Galaxy Garden habitats for free!  (normally only Laughter Lake is free). You can add the third habitat for only $4.95 .
For More Go,Go Kabongo Reviews See:
Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Latin for Children

I had never considered teaching my children Latin. I knew learning Latin roots would be helpful and thought we’d hit that eventually, but that was it---just a thought. Then I was given Latin for Children Primer A from Classical Academic Press for review. I will admit, I was not sure what to expect but was looking forward to seeing what Latin was all about.

What it is:

This is the first book out of three in the Latin for Children series. It is geared toward children in the upper elementary grades. Along with introducing vocabulary, students also learn grammar and derivatives.  The goal of Classical Academic Press is to eventually have students able to read original works in Latin.

LFC (Latin for Children) Primer A — Student text and workbook. The foundation of the curriculum

LFC Primer A Answer Key — features the actual text with answers in bold print

LFC A DVDs & Chant CD — offers chapter-by-chapter training by the author with 2 students. The chant cd contains all 240 vocabulary words chanted and sung in both the classical & ecclesiastical pronunciations.

LFC A History Reader — Read Latin stories from history that are geared toward the grammar and vocabulary being learned in each Primer.

LFC A Activity Book! — Play games and puzzles that help students master the Latin vocabulary and grammar from each Primer.

If you would like to see more, check out the sample pages.

What We Thought:

As I mentioned before, I don't teach following a classical model of education, so I had never really considered teaching my children Latin. I had never had any Latin classes as a student, so I was not familiar with anything concerning Latin. I decided to try this program out with my three oldest children: 12, 11, and 10yrs. old.

The first day we played the DVD lesson, we had some participation problems because certain students  didn’t want to chant aloud. After changing some mindsets and having them try again, things went so much better! After listening to the DVD and the CD chants for a couple of days, we were all able to understand what the presenters were saying :) Because we were so new to Latin, we stretched out the lessons to 1 1/2 - 2 weeks instead of weekly lessons.

We enjoyed learning from Dr. Perrin. He would throw in a little humor every-once-in-awhile which kept my kids’ attention. They especially liked the "How the West was Unus" dramas and went ahead to watch them all.  The student textbook did a good job of reinforcing the teaching in the DVD. This program is meaty and requires kids to learn how to conjugate verbs and decline nouns. It presented it in a way that wasn’t too overwhelming though.

This curriculum was an unexpected hit at our house! Even my 2yr. old and 4yr. old can tell you some Latin words and meanings now. If you are new to Latin, purchasing the whole bundle is the way to go. I could not have done it if I didn’t have all the components----that’s what made it easy for this Latin newbie to implement this program with my children. I saw how much my little girls liked learning too, so now I have Song School Latin on my wish-list as well.

Classical Academic Press Homepage

Latin for Children Level A bundle price: $99.95

Free Additional Latin Resources

For More Classical Academic Press Reviews See:

Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Artistic Pursuits

My kids love art. I enjoy creating and crafting. I’ve done a poor job however, doing any formal lessons with my children. I’ve always been overwhelmed and did not know how to start or make lessons connect. When I told my kids that we were going to be trying out an art curriculum, they were so excited and couldn’t wait to start.



I was given Artistic Pursuits Grades 4-6 Book One to review with my children. I decided to use this with my three oldest kids--9yr. old, 11yr. old and 12yr.old. To get started, you will have to purchase some art supplies. There are art supply packs that you can purchase through Artistic Pursuits, or you can gather the supplies via other vendors.  I like that Artistic Pursuits makes getting supplies easy---even putting together supply lists to purchase at other sites. Just scroll down the page on the art supply packs to see your options. I went with Dick Blick and was very pleased with the price and how quickly the supplies came.



The Grade 4-12 books are non-consumable books written to the student. There really is not any teacher preparation. Since I was using it with three children at once, we did meet around the table while I read the lesson.  The older two also could move forward on their own because the material was easy to understand and implement.

 
Each unit contains:
*Focus topic explained in words and pictures.
*American Art Appreciation and History examples showing how masters used the topic in their art.
*Techniques: how to use the materials and tools.
*Application: final project that includes the new techniques and application of the topic.

(You can see sample pages of each of these categories on the product page)



What We Thought:
This has been a wonderful fit for our family. I like that it didn’t require lots of supplies or prep. time. The lessons were simple and easy to understand. To complete the whole program in a year, only 2 lessons a week would need to be scheduled—very doable for us.  This program is not a “how to draw curriculum”, but rather teaches students how to see creatively. I appreciate that there were creative choices given to the students, and I loved that art appreciation was included in each unit. I encourage you to read more about their art philosophy to understand how the curriculum is set up. All my kids love to draw, but I saw my 9yr. old really blossom using this program. She gained confidence in her artistic ability via the lessons. We will continue to use this curriculum in our homeschool. You can see samples of all their art curriculum at their website:

Artistic Pursuits
Price: 4-6 Book 1: $42.95


For More Artistic Pursuits Reviews See: Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Aesop's Fables

Earlier this year I was able to review Brill Kids Little Reader program. As an additional way to promote literacy with young children, Brill Kids has come up with an innovative book-design to help young children learn to read. This series is centered around Aesop’s fables and will have 2 Volumes. I was able to review Vol. 1:

Aesop’s Fables Vol 1 includes 5 titles:

The Fox and the Crow
The Lion and the Mouse
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Fox and the Grapes
The Turtle and the Rabbit.

There are several unique components in these books that are specially designed to teach your young child to read:

    * Text and illustration presented on separate pages
    * More spacing between words to make it easier to see words individually
    * A blank flap extension designed to cover the illustrations as you direct your child's attention to the written text.

What We Thought:

I read this books with my 2yr. old and my 4yr. old daughters. The stories were written at their level and had big, colorful illustrations and rhyming text. The girls were intrigued with the flap covering the pictures because it made the book seem more like a hide-and-seek book. I liked the whole concept and the design of the book.  The books are not graded readers, so if you were using this with a beginning reader, there would most likely be several words they would not know.

The set of 5 books costs $37.50 (normally $50). I personally could not afford that price for 5 non-hardback books. Though my girls loved looking through these books, I would say that they are more of a fun product to have rather than an essential homeschool item.  I do like the concept, but cannot say one way or another if  it really helps kids learn to read better than traditional books.  They are a fun way, however, to introduce the world of Aesop’s Fables to young children.

For more information see:
Brill Kids website Aesop's Fables Vol. 1 books: $37.50 

For More Brill Kid Aesop Fable Reviews See: Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Reading Kingdom

I’m always looking for ways to help my children become fluent and strong readers. When I was offered to try Reading Kingdom with my family, I knew that this might be a good fit for my 4yr. old and my 9yr. old struggling reader.

 How it Works:

Reading Kingdom is an online reading program created by Dr. Marion Blank for children ages 4 –10yrs. This unique program focuses on the 6 skills needed for reading: sequencing, motor skills, sounds, meaning, grammar, and comprehension.

Reading Kingdom contains pre-reading levels, which contains keyboard/mouse training and letter sequencing, and 5 levels of reading instruction. Once the program is completed, the student should be at a 3rd grade reading level. Because this program customizes instruction based on student skill surveys, no two instructional programs will be the same.

What We Thought:

 The 4yr. old:  My 4yr. old knew some of her letters, but not all of them before starting this review. She also was used to using a mouse, but did not know how to use the keyboard. When she first started the program, she took a skills inventory test, which placed her at keyboard and mouse training. You might think, “What does keyboard and mouse training have to do with reading?” Well after 2 weeks of doing only that, I wondered too, but then I noticed how well my 4yr. old was starting to navigate around the keyboard! She knew exactly where the letters were and could successfully type short letter combinations (hunt-and-peck style).  This program ties in reading, writing and spelling—so it’s necessary to have functional keyboarding skills.

My 4yr. old  is currently  in the letter sequencing stage of the program, which helps teach the left-right reading concept. I could actually see her learning this concept via the lessons. The lessons are short enough that she can stay focused and I would have never thought to have my preschooler start learning keyboarding.

The 9yr. old: I still have high hopes with this program for her. She was a little discouraged because she had to start out in keyboarding/mouse training  just like her younger sister, but thankfully, didn’t have to stay at that level long. She is still at the point of the program where you can’t really tell it’s a reading program---more letter sequencing and typing short words. My daughter is not a strong reader and has struggled becoming proficient. I think if we consistently use this program with her (should use at least 4-5 times a week), she will move through the program quicker and feel more confident. Right now it seems too babyish because she hasn’t yet moved on to the higher levels, so it has been a little challenging motivating her to use the program.

I plan on continuing this program with both girls alongside our current reading program. They offer a free 30 day trial, so it’s worth checking it out. 

Subscriptions to Reading Kingdom are $19.99/month.  If you have multiple children using the program, the cost per each additional child in your family is $9.99/month.  See the Reading Kingdom Website for additional ordering information.

For More Reading Kingdom Reviews See: Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Learning Math facts with Math Rider

My kids love horses, so when asked to review Math Rider, I was hopeful that this program would help motivate my three older kids to master their math facts.

What Is Math Rider?:

Math Rider is a downloadable computer game that allows elementary students to practice (and hopefully master) their basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The players ride on a horse named Shadow, and must complete various quests through a fantasy kingdom. Each quest contains 30 math problems and students gain various points depending on how well they did. (You can find even more details regarding how to play this game on the Math Rider website)

What We Thought:

I thought that Math Rider is a creative way to practice math-facts. This is not just a one-size-fits-all computer game, but the program adjusts to each child’s skill level. If a child gets a problem wrong, that particular problem will show up multiple times in the game. Also, if they start having difficulty answering or typing the problem, the program will slow down. Another bonus is that you can have multiple riders each do their own quests. This was a big plus in our household since I have 3 children at various levels and each was able to use this game on their own level.

I had my 12yr. old daughter, 9yr. old daughter and my 11 yr. old son use this program. My older two didn’t mind using the program, but weren’t especially motivated by the program.  My 9yr. old daughter enjoyed the program the most and preferred to practice her math facts via this game. I’ve seen some improvement with my 9yr. old and am hoping that with continued use, she will gain more confidence in math.

Math Rider: Downloadable program $37

 

For More Math Rider Reviews See: Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Curious about Quicksand?

As a kid I was fascinated by quicksand. Was it really real? Did you really sink in it? When I saw the Quicksand Curiosity Files unit, I thought this might be something my kids would be interested in too.

What it is:
A downloadable e-book unit on quicksand. This unit contains over 80 pages of information, projects, activities, copywork pages and more. Though geared for children ages 8 – 13, the materials can be adapted to younger children as well.

How We Used It:
Though this unit could be used for multiple ages, I thought that my son would enjoy it the most. The nice things about e-books, is that you can print the pages you want.  Once everything was printed, I placed it in a 3-ring binder so my son could work on most of this unit independently.
 


We did do a couple of the activities as a whole group. My son was in charge of creating this quicksand experiment (cornstarch and water). Can you see the smile? Yes, he even said that it was more fun than he thought it would be. :)

 
The rest of the kids joined in the fun too. They were fascinated with feeling the “quicksand”.

What We Thought:
I thought the unit was well-planned and had lots of varying activities and projects. I thought it was at the perfect level for my 11 yr. old son. He was able to handle the reading and several activities on his own or with little guidance. I like that the unit included activities for all the major subject areas and included a Bible tie-in. The only downside that I have is that if you choose to print the unit, it uses a lot of ink. The e-book is very visually appealing and the graphic designer did an awesome job with the page layout, but to print, even in grey-scale,  you will use a lot of ink.  These are though, a wonderful resource with topics kids will love.

Check it out for yourself!
You can check out a sample of this unit to get an idea of what is included.

There are currently 9 units in available in The Curiosity Files series. Each unit can be purchased individually for $6.95 or in a bundle for $46.00.

For More Curiosity Files Reviews See: Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Roman Town

I remember when I was a kid, one of the things I wanted to do when I grew up was to become an archeologist. Now I had my chance! I, er I mean my kids were sent a computer game called Roman Town to try out.

 

What is it?

Roman Town is a computer game that allows kids to excavate without getting dirty! This game is geared toward 5th-8th graders, but anyone from ages 8-88 can play. Players need to manage their diggers (those red stick figures in the photos), learn different archaeological techniques, uncover artifacts, and more. While doing that, students are learning about ancient Roman culture.

What We Thought:

At first I will admit that I thought the graphics were a little goofy, but we got over that quickly. My 12yr. old daughter played this game the most. In fact, I had to constantly see if she was actually doing schoolwork or if she was playing this game!  When I asked her what she liked about it, she said, “It’s like a mystery that I get to solve. I like the games and think it is fun.”

Now if you have a child who is a strong reader and likes history, then this game would be a great supplement to an ancient history unit.

Roman Town is regularly $39.95, but between now and February 21, 2011 you can get this game for just under $20.00 with the code TOS2011 .

 

For More Roman Town Reviews See: Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.