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Computer Science Review

By Heather on April 8, 2013 in blog, Review Crew, Reviews

Computer Science for Kids offers a great way for your tech minded children to learn computer programming. I do OK with the day to day end of the computer, but when it comes to the more detailed information we need some help. I wanted to try this with my oldest kiddo. He loves to work on his computer and I thought Beginning Microsoft Small Basic would be a great program for him.

The program takes you through step by step how to do things. However, your child needs to have a basic understanding about how to do things on the computer. Such as rebooting, and accessing the internet. To be completely honest it was a bit over my sons head on some parts. We will most likely shelf this for a while and try again when he is a little more ready.

The suggested schedule is that students work on one lesson each week for ten weeks. The tutorial is 500+ pages and has 11 chapters that walk them through step by step. Learning the language of computers while they are young is so important, especially now. Everyday computers are becoming a bigger part of our lives.

Beginning Microsoft Small Basic is recommended for ages 10 and up.

Instant Internet “Download Only”
Digital E-Book Edition
Single User License
Item #111-DL $59.95
Retail $59.95 on Sale Now for $34.95
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Essentials in Writing Review

By Heather on March 20, 2013 in Review Crew, Reviews, Reviews & Giveaways

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We were given the opportunity to review Essentials in Writing. I chose to review the 4th grade edition with my oldest son. The curriculum has 2 sections. The grammar portion and then the composition portion. We worked through the grammar portion first for a bit before moving on to try some of the composition portion. I had never heard of Essentials in Writing, and I am always looking for ways to make language arts more enjoyable for my oldest.

EIW

The great thing about these DVDs is getting to watch the lesson for themselves. Then getting to work through the assignment to apply what they have learned. My son has his own laptop for school, so I would set him up with his headphones for his lessons. He stayed attentive throughout each lesson. I was very impressed with the quality, and my son really enjoyed the lessons.

What I loved about this curriculum is that it is an all in one language arts program. Grammar and writing are best taught together and this program meshes the two perfectly. The design is for you to use this 7 days a week with your child. Essentials in Writing has a section on their site to show you the breakdown of how to do your lesson planning.

From Essentials in Writing:

In Fourth Grade, your child will learn: detailed sentence structure, additional grammar, additional capitalization/punctuation rules, proper use of a friendly letter, using the writing process to compose narrative, descriptive, and expository writing (including formal paragraphs), effective writing skills , multi-paragraph composition, the process to complete an information report, other forms of written communication, and other topics.

Each grade level costs $40.00 and includes the DVDs with lesson by lesson video instruction, printable worksheets, and the answer key in PDF format. You can also purchase the worksheets already printed for an additional $20.00. We reviewed grade 4, but they have have every grade starting at 1st available with 12th being released this summer.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

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TouchMath Review

By Heather on March 17, 2013 in blog, Review Crew, Reviews, Reviews & Giveaways

Since joining the Crew, I have been patiently (well maybe not patiently) waiting to get my hands on this curriculum from TouchMath. I have always tried to explain to my husband how I learned math as a child. He had never heard of the touch method. I have looked for this method for several years for my kiddos and haven’t found it until now. We chose to review First Grade since the twins were almost finished with their kindergarten work.

TouchMath Review

To get going with the program I started by printing off the PDF file for unit 1. I am a very hands on person and it was easier for me to have the instructions right in front of me. Keep in mind though the files for this program are huge. Printing off everything is optional though. It would be just as convenient to have your laptop by you during the lessons.

TouchMath is a multisensory program. This works great for those who have hands on learners. Though the manipulatives are not required for the program, they offer a very fun element into your homeschool. The twins thought the foam numbers were so fun to be able to learn with. I know for my kids, things just seem to click a little better when you have a lesson with multiple facets for them to grasp. The foam numbers come with touch points to add to them. This helps them to get a visual of counting with the points. Our first time using the numbers, I set out the student cards so that they could get an idea of how to set the numbers up. The student cards are even a great way to display the numbers on your board for reference. They are very colorful and the kids liked getting to use them.

Another great manipulative for this curriculum is the awesome flip cards. These are a great visual for getting the numbers and math facts to stick in their minds. Repetition is always a great way to learn math facts. These were no exception. They are made of nice card stock so they will last throughout using them with your children.

I really liked the layout of the curriculum, the worksheets were very well done. My twins had fun getting to work on the computer with the software that we received. My kids are very tech savvy and love any opportunity that I give for them to be on the computer.

We were sent the First Grade curriculum that is $59.95 per unit or $199.95 for all 4 units.This curriculum is a PDF download and comes with the following: