Schoolhouse Review: 3P Learning -- Mathletics #hsreviews

A few years ago, we had the opportunity to review the online Reading Eggs program by 3P Learning.  This summer, we've been introduced to another member of the 3P Learning family. Mathletics ($59 per student per year) is a supplementary math program that can be used by students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade.  My 8th and 10th graders have been using it as a way to keep their brains engaged and math facts sharp while we are on summer break and not doing formal schooling activities.

Now, let me be the first to admit that math is NOT the favorite subject at Long Leaf Academy. Although it probably should be since the MainMost was a high school math teacher way back in the day, it's never been our strong point and I'm always looking for ways to strengthen my children's mathematical skills. Mathletics provides an entertaining alternative to stoic math problems.

After an easy sign-on process where students log in with a user name and password, there are five different areas that they can choose to work in:  Activities, Problem Solving, Concept Search, Rainforest Maths, and Times Table Toons.  Within Activities, students choose a category to enter and then choose specific activities within that category.  For example, my Eagle Scout could choose from Linear Relationships, Exponents, Functions, and even Quadratic Equations and then explore Fractional Exponents, Multiplication with Exponents, or Exponential Growth and Decay.  Students have the option of choosing something easier or something harder within each activity for individualized learning and challenge.

Within Problem Solving, students work on puzzles to strengthen math skills.  There are 9 different categories (these vary depending on the grade level of math being studied) and solving these puzzles unlocks games that students can play to reinforce skills.  (I wasn't a huge fan of the first game.  An underwater Diver harpoons fish to make the math add up.  Yuck.  But it didn't phase my daughter.) 

Concept Search opens up an animated math dictionary which is great for explanations of hard-to-understand math concepts.  Rainforest Maths offers additional math activities for students in K - 6th grades.  Times Table Toons is my personal favorite.  Here students can learn the multiplication facts in a toe-tapping, fun way through video and song.  As you can tell, there is a plethora of ways to help your child with math through the Mathletics program.  And there's even an app available for iPhone, iPad, and tablet so that students can go mobile -- perfect for trips to the orthodontist or sitting on the sidelines while watching soccer practice.

Not only are there fun math activities to be had on Mathletics, but there are also workbooks specific to each grade that can be downloaded and printed for extra practice.  There are 13 different sections of workbooks divided from early years to middle primary to upper secondary for both students and teachers and each section has 10 - 20 workbooks available.  Student workbooks contain 15 - 20 pages of math problems.  Teacher workbooks contain tests and answer keys.

Parents can manage tasks, check weekly reports, see certificates earned (bronze, silver, and gold), and assign work based on each student's scores.  For example, I can easily tell what the Princess understood and what she needs additional work on by checking the Activity Progress charts in my Parent Account.  Strengths and weaknesses are clearly defined.

Parents also receive a weekly report via email that gives a summary of the time each student participated on Mathletics, shares how many points they earned in math game play, and explains how many gold bars they have attained by receiving a score of at least 85% on any math activity. This helps you to keep your child accountable for time spent on the computer without requiring you sit close by.  You will know exactly how many times each student signed in to Mathletics each week and how long they spent working while there.   The curriculum activities are noted and the score obtained on each is given.

Due to summer activities (we've been to multiple camps, Vacation Bible School, and a DNow), I only required my Eagle Scout and Princess to work on math a few times a week.  Now that we are about to begin our regular school routine, I will be including it in their schedules on a daily basis.  I expect there will be no complaints.  The Eagle Scout told me today that he plans to work extra hard this year in math as he prepares to take the ACT.  Mathletics can only help his quest for improvement.  It is worth noting that although this is a supplemental program for online math practice and not a full-fledged teaching curriculum, animated examples are available for each problem in slideshow format.  This was helpful to both of my children as they worked to remember concepts that we had not studied in a few months.

You can find out more about this online math curriculum through the following Social Media:

Facebook

Twitter

I was given the opportunity to review Mathletics as a member of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: Mango Languages -- Bringing the World Home #hsreviews

We took a field trip last week to visit a college campus and were treated to a behind-the-classroom tour which included sitting and talking with several professors.  The first smile that crossed the face of my Senior came when the history professor brought up Linguistics History as a major.  Combining two of the things she loves most, this was a welcome discussion.  A lover of language, she has taken several throughout her high school career -- Spanish, French, Japanese -- and is currently continuing her studies in French through  Mango Languages online.  What a wonderful way to connect to the world and bring it home.

When our second year of Spanish education unexpectantly fell through, I was just as excited as she was to be able to introduce Mango Homeschool Edition to not only my Senior, but my Boy Scout and Princess as well.  Instruction is available for students from age 6 through adults,  so there is something here for everyone.  With over 60 languages (including multiple dialects for some languages) to choose from that range from your typical high school courses of Spanish, French, Italian, and German to languages like Swahili, Icelandic, and Tamil -- and even include English as a Second Language -- there is much value to be found with Mango. 

Not only does each language include native speakers that offer audio and pronunciation guides, but cultural insights are shared and students can find out the popularity of a given language based on the number of speakers worldwide.  We found this to be of particular interest as we studied missionaries to Persia in our morning devotional.  Learning that only 65 million people speak the native Farsi (less than one percent of the world's population) brought a new element to our prayer life.

Experiencing  hospitality as the Honored Guest in her own home

Studying the 165-page PDF course guide for the Farsi Passport brought the Iranian people off of the pages of our books and into our hearts.  We were able to practice the customary greeting (a handshake or kiss on the cheek between people of the same sex), share the gift of hospitality (Iranian people are famous for their hospitable treatment of guests), and dress authentically (women were a scarf covering for modesty) as we sipped tea and tasted yogurt before our evening meal of rice, beef, and fresh bread hot from the oven.  An added element of our fun was trying to remember to add the verb LAST in a sentence -- and then trying to figure out what we were each meaning to say to one another.  We are acutely aware of the difficulties faced on the mission field and have a new appreciation for those that "go ye therefore" and learn new languages in order to share GOD's love with "all the world."  We're still working on rolling our Rs and clicking our tongues just right, but we're having fun as we study hands-on.

It was thrilling to actually HEAR and emulate real life conversations.  By clicking through an interactive slide show, we were able to quickly learn to say common phrases.   It has been fun practicing our Farsi with one another and I am especially impressed with the pleasant teaching voices used to walk us through each new word or phrase.  Students hear the lesson in its entirety and then have a step-by-step breakdown of the new words.  You HEAR the words, REPEAT the words aloud, and SEE the words which helps make retention easier.  The continual review keeps the words and phrases fresh in your mind as you graduate to new words and phrases and students can replay each slide as much as needed to attain correct pronunciation.  Useful conversation skills are acquired -- instead of learning a list of things you never really need to say when you visit a foreign country.  I appreciate that way to learn.  (Before my first visit to Guatemala, the MainMost and I took a Spanish class intensive at the local community college.  We were supposed to be learning conversational Spanish to help us as we interacted with locals.  Instead, we spent weeks going over numbers and colors -- none of which I ever needed to use in-country.)

Designed in a way that grabs the attention (and keeps it) of the student, Mango Languages is portable for on-the-go learning and students can choose to study as many languages as they want to study.  Mango Homeschool Edition offers unlimited access to all of the languages on site and can be utilized on your home computer AND iPod, iPhone, and Android apps. 

Currently Offered on the Mango Languages Website:

• Over 60 different languages
• Progress Assessments

• Built-in journals, discussions and wikis
• Collaborative learning spaces
• eNote messaging
/chat rooms

• Access to embedded/downloadable content
• Support from other community members
• Calendars to schedule meetings or study groups

What's Coming Soon (over the next several months) to make Mango Languages even more fun:

• Enhanced Tracking and Progress Monitoring - including seat time (for students and parents)
• Goals and Personal Lesson Plans (both stand-alone and tied into Mango courses)

• Resume and Portfolio Builder

The coming enhancements are super exciting and will make assigning high school credit easy for transcript planning. 

Easy to set up and begin use, getting started was as simple as logging in and choosing a language to begin studying.  Through just a few clicks, I synchronized my Teacher Account with each of my children's accounts.  This allows me to log in at any time to see the progress they are making on their individual courses of study OR to watch in real time as they do lessons.  In this way, I can monitor what is going on as my children learn in an online environment.

The current pricing for Mango Homeschool Edition is very reasonable.  I was paying $25 per child per month for language classes locally.  That was a one hour per week class.  With Mango, my children can log in as much as they want to and study as many languages as they can keep straight in their heads.  This keeps them actively practicing and learning -- and that makes the subscription fee even MORE affordable.

1 subscription is $18/month or $125/year total

2 subscriptions is $28/month or $175 /year total

3 subscriptions is $38/month or $225/year total

4 subscriptions is $48/month or $275/year total 

5 subscriptions is $58/month or $325/year total

If there are more than 5 children in your homeschool environment, a special group rate is available to you.  You can contact Mango for friendly help getting your family started on language learning they'll love.  

So, what are you waiting for?  Go ahead and start a conversation with Mango Languages.  

To connect with Mango Languages for even more information, visit these social media links: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MangoLanguages
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MangoLanguages
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mangolanguages/

I was given the opportunity to review Mango Homeschool Edition through Mango Languages as a member of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: Motivated Moms

A list maker by nature -- that's me in a nutshell.  I have even gone so far as to add things to my list just so I can mark them off.  Weird?   Maybe just a little, but effective nonetheless.  True story:  I USED to be super organized.  We still laugh about the time right before my Senior (blessing #2) was born when I had 32 casseroles in the freezer and had my MainMost vacuum out the attic.  Everything had a perfect spot and NOTHING was out of place.  Then she arrived 6 1/2 weeks early and my organized life hit a roadblock.  Not long after that, I blinked and our family of four was a family of six.  There were four children in our family.  Whew!  Bye bye "most organized mom around" status, hello chaos.

During a season of life where I find very little motivation to accomplish even the necessary daily routine (anyone else in this season?), I'm finding Motivated Moms and the Motivated Moms iOS App (with full year server access) to be a lifesaver.  Synced between my iPhone and my iPad, it is easier now than ever to actually get something done around here.

The MoMo app helps motivate me to accomplish small tasks.  I like the satisfaction of checking things off  -- I am more performance driven than I realized.  The tasks are designed in such a way to keep clutter at a minimum throughout your home once you've gotten a grip on the chaos.

I spent our two-week Christmas break cleaning and organizing and then stopped -- because life happens and we stay on the move.  I have SO much that needs to be done and no time to get it all accomplished.  Or at least that's the excuse I've been allowing myself.  Because I am a list maker at heart and find success in marking off a task, Motivated Moms is helping me to make every day count.   Through small, bite-sized tasks lists, I am remembering what it's like to find fulfillment in organization.  I'm finding TIME to clean, organize, refresh.

And the best part of it all?  You can pick up and start whenever you are ready.  It's okay if it's March and you have just decided to begin working on that New Year's Resolution from December 31.  The MoMo app is available to get you on the road to less stress right now -- it's never too late to begin because today's tasks don't rely on the completion of yesterday's chores.

Here's a first-hand look at how my morning starts.  This screenshot shows you just what I'm looking at today.  The ability to color-code tasks makes it easy for me to see quickly who needs to do what before we begin school.  The blue highlights my son's job, the lime green highlights something for me personally, and the purple highlights my Princess' main task.

For the most part, other chores listed are the responsibility of the entire family -- not relegated to just one person.  Each person in the family is required to take their dishes to the sink, rinse them off, and load them into the dishwasher.  Once it is full, either my Senior or I will drop the dishwashing pellet in and turn it on.   We have a field trip tomorrow to a theatre out of town, so each person will lay out their clothes before going to bed tonight -- that will make our morning go MUCH SMOOTHER.  I'll check off "Prepare Tomorrow's Clothes" once I see their outfits and give final approval.

Completely customizable, the MoMo app can be perfectly suited to fit MY individual needs/wants/desires.  I can edit tasks to remove them if they aren't something that fits my season of life (for example, I took  "Clip Children's Fingernails" right off of my list -- my "baby is almost 13 and she gives ME manicures) -- and I can add things that I need to be reminded of (preparing my Bible study lesson for Wednesday night at church).   I made sure to include the Quiet Time and Bible Reading in my screenshot above so that you could see just how detailed the tasks lists are.  The accountability of checking off that I have spent time alone with GOD just helps my days go smoother.  I AM reading through the Bible this year, but I'm not following this exact plan.  I could easily go in and change it to match the plan I am using, but it's baby steps, y'all.  Just seeing the scripture laid out for me reminds me to take time to soak in some JESUS.  I check off this task each night after I have read my chapters.  

Motivated Moms is teaching me how to get stuff done.  Through Daily Tasks, Weekly Tasks, Monthly Tasks, and Yearly Tasks, I am rekindling my love of organization -- and that goes right along with my word for this year.  GOD laid it on my heart to seek ORDER in my everyday, and the Motivated Moms iOS App  helps me to do just that.  It even gives me permission to spend time on ME -- through days of pampering and special crafts.  (And I HAVE to obey so I can check them off my list, right?  That's a WIN/WIN for me.)

Available for only $7.99 a year (I know, right?  That's an AMAZING price.) you can find yourself on the road to clean by downloading the app today.  If you want to try it out before committing to the full year, you can download a two-month access for $1.99.  If you prefer a paper and pen method of organization, you can purchase one of the Motivated Moms Ebooks.  With 16 different pdfs to choose from at only $8 each, there's sure to be one to help you take every moment captive and make every day count.

Join me in making this year the best ever.

For even more information about Motivated Moms, please visit these Social Media links:
https://www.facebook.com/motivated.moms
https://twitter.com/momoplanner


Because This Day Has Great Potential . . .

I was given the opportunity to review the Motivated Moms iOS App (with full year server access) as a member of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: VocabularySpellingCity

Spelling . . . you either love it or hate it.  I really don't think there is an in-between.  I, for one, like spelling.  It bothers me when words are spelled incorrectly.  I always think about pulling out my red pencil (you know the one, right?) and "fixing" those mistakes.  Because I feel so strongly about the importance of spelling, we've focused on spelling lists for several years now.   We had the opportunity to use VocabularySpellingCity last year and have been reviewing the VocabularySpellingCity Premium Membership this year.  As a result, spelling is definitely improving at Long Leaf Academy.  Priced at only $29.99 per year for a family of 5 users, this is a remarkable resource for homeschoolers. 

VocabularySpellingCity is an award-winning program that can be useful for spelling, vocabulary, writing, and language arts.  The game-based format takes the pain out of learning and introduces fun along with a variety of skills to all school-age children.  With special formats and lists for Kindergarten through 12th Grade, there are benefits to be had for all families.  And it's not just spelling skills.  The printable handwriting worksheets have helped my 7th and 9th graders gain extra practice in cursive writing.   (I realize many traditional schools no longer teach cursive writing, but I still think it is a very important skill to hone.)  My Senior has enjoyed the sign language worksheets, as well.  She decided that she would like to be able to sign by the end of this school year in order to help a specific camper at a special-needs camp where she volunteers each summer.  Pretty neat, huh?

Super easy to get started, VocabularySpellingCity allows you to create personalized spelling and vocabulary lists for each individual child and assign gaming activities that teach the assigned words.  It's really that simple.  Training Videos walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know and do to be successful, but it's really an easy process that you can figure out without the videos if you'd like.  Once you sign up and log in, you can easily control what each of your students do and set the timeline for how often they are to work.  At my house, we work on spelling activities Monday - Thursday.  What I especially like about the VocabularySpellingCity program is that after the initial set up, all of the work is done for me.  With my Premium Membership, tests are automated and the grade is recorded.  If they have missed any words on the tests, students are allowed additional practice before re-testing.  

The spelling activities are spot-on and the Teaching Resources are remarkable.  (We've had quite a bit of fun with the Idiom Worksheets.  Make sure you check them out.)  There is a myriad of word lists available to assist you in teaching multiple subjects.  For my Princess and Boy Scout, we've been using the geography word lists of states and capitals as they practice learning the capital and geographical location of each state -- perfect for our American History studies. And VocabularySpellingCity makes it easy to test yourself with the WhichWord game.  Utilizing both visual and auditory learning processes, WhichWord helps students study by having them fill-in-the-blanks of sentences based on the word lists chosen.  After they have correctly done so, the sentence is read aloud for reinforcement.  

The ease with which I can use VocabularySpellingCity makes for a happy momma and teacher.  The Literature Lists (divided by grade level) has been an invaluable resource for both Book Club and Theatre.  The lists are ready for importing and assignments can be made instantaneously.  We went to the theatre today to see The Grapes of Wrath (included on the 9th grade reading list) and my 7th, 9th, and 12th graders all found the vocabulary words helpful in understanding the play.  Words from the list were spelled, sounded out, defined, and used in a sentence for them.  Pretty neat, huh?  I have to admit, there were a few words I was unsure of myself.  It's not everyday that I use the word querulous.  You've certainly got to give kudos to Steinbeck.  

Another of our favorite features of VocabularySpellingCity is the app available to take school on-the-go.  We have each downloaded the free app on our iPhones and iPads.  (There's even a new app available for android platforms and Kindle.)  This allows each of my children to work on the uploaded spelling assignments wherever we are.  After I've set up their word lists and assigned due dates to each activity, they are free to do their work on their own time.  The beauty of this is that the computers are not tied up continually (we share three computers between the four of us) AND there is no excuse for boredom.  The iPhone app is ready to be used as we wait at the orthodontist, at the dentist, in line at the bank, or on the road to our next activity.  

VocabularySpellingCity truly offers so very much for families with students of all ages.  From sight words and lists of months for the little ones to paragraph writing, SAT Word Lists, and science lists for each high school science course for my high schoolers.  It will be easy to justify the purchase of a Premium Membership for your family and offer a bit of respite for your mind.  Enjoy the ease of preparation and wealth of support available to you.  

I was given the opportunity to review the Premium Membership from  VocabularySpellingCity as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review  and  see  what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: Mayan Mysteries by Dig-It! Games

There's a new game to play and it's all about those mysterious Mayans.  You may recall that we reviewed Roman Town a few years ago by Dig-It Games and LOVED it, so we were excited to have the opportunity to play their newest game this year.  Mayan Mysteries is available as an online game where you visit ancient Maya cities, excavate real Maya sites, explore the Maya calendar, and even learn Maya math ($21.99 for a one year, single-user license) or there's even an app for that on iPad ($9.99) if appschooling fun is part of your school plan.  We received the online, puzzle-based game that is designed with students in 5th - 9th grades in mind -- perfect for my 7th and 9th graders.

From Dig-It Games:  Mayan Mysteries is a unique adventure that turns gamers into real archaeologists as they embark on a thrilling expedition to catch a secretive loot-stealing thief. With more than 300 challenges and approximately 12 hours of game play, Mayan Mysteries is perfect for kids interested in a long-term gaming experience. The game is educational, too! Aligned with national education standards, Mayan Mysteries tests for reading comprehension, spatial reasoning, math and science skills, and more, all blended into a seamlessly fun and informative quest.

To begin playing AND learning, students need to simply sign into the online game.  Parents set the user name and password and turn their children loose on an adventure through Guatemala's historical sites and archaeological finds.  Students are invited to begin play by reading through a short comic-strip style story line where they join the detective team of Agent Q to help solve the mystery of an ancient artifact that was thrown through the window of the local police station.  (NOTE:  When welcoming you to the game, Officer Mateo remarks that you have a very special "energy" surrounding you.  He also shares that YOU will be the one to find the Hidden City because he can "feel" you are special.  This is in keeping with the beliefs of the culture.)

It is worth noting that the entire game is reading intensive.  Students will read a good deal of historical information as they work to solve the mystery (Who is stealing valuable artifacts?) and recover the stolen goods.  After reading details from each of the game's characters, students have the opportunity to work through challenges and games that bring history to life.  These questions help students truly comprehend what they are studying.  This reading and then playing helps to solidify what is being taught.  Within each historical lesson there are hyperlinks to be explored for further study.  Hands-on geography skills are improved through the making of virtual maps which include labeling and shading.  (This was the hardest part to me.  My geography skills need LOTS of improvement.)  Interactive play truly brings learning to life.

So how does it all fit together?  Students explore the five different countries that make up the Maya people. In each country, they visit archaeological sites and learn the history of the people group.  A "spirit guide" takes you on a visit back in time to see the people group in their everyday surroundings and students work analytically through a variety of puzzles on their quest to stop a thief.  As they answer questions and earn new artifacts in each country, they complete that level of play with a comprehensive challenge -- a test of all they have been reading and studying.  Once the player answers enough of the questions correctly, they visit the important dig sites of the next country to learn about the people group.  In the process, students gain quite a bit of knowledge of cultural and physical geography.

My 7th Grade Princess has been enjoying her study through Mayan Mysteries and shares this:

I really liked that the game took place in Guatemala because my mom and dad and sister have been there and we are planning a mission trip there in December.  I've seen real-life pictures from Tikal.  I love hearing about the beautiful weavings from the village, too.  My favorite part of the game was the True and False challenges when I was working to stay ahead of the looters.  You had to read and answer questions from what you'd been studying to earn points and keep moving ahead.  If you got the question right, your car would move forward.  There was a marker where you were supposed to end up (your goal for learning in that category) and if you got the question wrong, another car would move in behind you.  You were trying to read and understand all of the correct answers so that the car didn't catch you.  If it caught you, you would have to play again until you got the questions right.  I learned a lot as I read through each lesson and answered the questions about what I read.  I earned points and artifacts as I played and they helped me to solve the mystery for myself.  You should definitely play this game and see if you can outwit the looters from the archaeological dig sites.  It is fun.

Packed with history and geography, Mayan Mysteries gives you a real feel for the Mayan culture and is not for the faint at heart.  I would highly suggest that you take a bit of time and explore the website and play the demo game.  My Princess is enjoying the scope of the game and is learning a plethora of useful information in a way that makes it stick.  I'm thrilled to see her smiling while she learns.  I am also enjoying the game as I love a good challenging puzzle.  Mayan Mysteries is a great complement to your studies.  Enjoy.

 I was given the opportunity to play Mayan Mysteries by Dig-It Games as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of this and other products as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: knowledgeQuest TimelineBuilder iPad App

I'm a timeline mama wannabe.   I've always dreamed of having a beautiful timeline stretched around the living room, filled with historical events for us to look at and talk about as we go about our daily life. I've bought timeline books and printed timeline charts . . .  because that's the epitome of the perfect home school family in  my estimation and I've so wanted to create that atmosphere of learning right here.  And I've failed at creating the image I've so long dreamed of -- I've failed, that is, until now.

Knowledge Quest has a super-easy to use iPad App that has been my saving grace.  It's so very easy that once I downloaded it from the iTunes Store, I turned the iPad over to the Princess and the Boy Scout and had them build a timeline for our current studies.  TimelineBuilder is perfect as a complementary resource for the curriculum that is the backbone of Long Leaf Academy and is a great review tool for the kids as they put together the timeline of what we've studied thus far.

It's important to note that I could very easily have sat down and figured out this App, but . . . I took the {easy way?} most educational approach and had the kids sit down and do that for me.  At 11 and 13 they are techno gurus and always up to a challenge.  {So don't tell them I thought it was a great learning tool for them, okay? Just let them continue to think it was too hard for Mom. ~grin~}  I asked them to create an interactive timeline beginning with the early explorers of America to 1850 and they never batted an eye.  Can I just tell you how much good it does this mama's heart to watch them working together at the kitchen table to get all of the facts straight as they enter each new event and choose the best picture to tell the story?

The Princess decided that the name of the timeline should be "Back In Time" {clever, huh?} and they proceeded to build away.  By clicking on the yellow New Timeline tab (pictured above), they named their new timeline and were ready to begin.  After setting the parameters of time (from 1000 A.D. to 1850 A.D. for this one) and pulling out their history notebooks to refresh their brains, they got to work and didn't stop for OVER an hour.  With simple clicks, students (or mamas) can easily add a new event, details about that event, and a picture to make their timeline unique and personalized.  Inside each timeline, events are added through the simple process of choosing a date, giving the event a title, adding notes (as little or as much information as you deem necessary), and choosing a picture to best represent the event.  Pictures can come from files you have already saved on your computer or from pictures on the internet.  The app itself will allow you to Google pictures to go along with your event.  If your children can click and peck, they can use this app.

After their initial excitement in building the timeline, we've continued to use the TimelineBuilder app on a daily basis.  As we work through our history lessons each day, the Princess and the Boy Scout  take turns adding the main events studied to our Back In Time timeline.  It is always ready for our return as it automatically saves your work upon exit.  Students simply click on the green Open Timeline tab to add new events or study what they've already done.  For example, today we discussed the first Opium War, Samuel Morse and his telegraph AND we added two states to our State Notebooks.  The Boy Scout took the first turn and added China's Opium War (with picture) to our timeline.  Then, the Princess took her turn and added March   3, 1843 -- the day that Congress funded Samuel Morse's telegraph -- to the timeline.  After that, they worked together to add both Arkansas and Michigan according to the dates they received their Statehood.  The kids decided that the best thing to use to represent each state as it joined America was a picture of its state flag.  {I thought that was a very good idea, don't you?}

You are not limited to building just one timeline AND there's even an option to share your timeline with others.  My Boy Scout is currently building a timeline to depict the history of scouting AND the Princess has begun a timeline of our family history.  She's adding pictures of relatives and including special memories of each in the notes section.  We're actually all having so much fun with the Timelinebuilder app.  It's one of our most-used iPad apps and I enjoy seeing the creative ways they come up with using it.  Well worth the $6.99 price, I know we'll be utilizing this app for quite some time.  (Special Note:  You can grab it for just $4.99 in the iTunes store right now.  Even better bargain.  Download yours today.)

There is one thing I should forewarn you about since it caught me completely off-guard.  I usually have my electronic devices on silent -- from iPhone, to iPad, to computer.  Last week, though, when I opened up the Timelinebuilder app, I was startled by the music that started up.  I literally jumped off my chair.  Not bad, just LOUD.  Unbeknownst to me, the Princess had been adding a few items from her reading lesson to the timeline and she had the sound all the way up.  Where I didn't even realize it played music, she had figured it out and had it going full force.  Now, mind you, that's not a complaint -- I LOVE knowing that she enjoys using the app so much that she does so in her own free time.  Just be aware -- there's music in there.  :)

 I was given the opportunity to use and review the TimelineBuilder App for iPad by Knowledge Quest as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.   Knowledge Quest offers a plethora of products on their website and I am positive you'll find something you absolutely love.  My crewmates have been reading books about Sacagawea and using the TimelineBuilder App, too.  You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought as well (or just click on the banner below).   

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Schoolhouse Review: Handwriting Without Tears

My sweet niece visited with us over Christmas and one of her favorite things to do while she was here was "work" on my iPad. She was thrilled with it and enjoyed playing so many of our apps.  iPads really are fun -- but we are learning that they make great learning tools, too.

I've been watching the changing quality of apps through the years -- moving from purely entertainment to quite educational -- and I have been intrigued with so many of my fellow homeschoolers appschooling that we're adding that dimension to our days at Long Leaf Academy as well.

We've long struggled with handwriting {the Boy Scout had a stroke at 18 months and the Princess has never held her pencil correctly} and I've been searching for just the right thing to help them learn to PROPERLY form letters and improve their handwriting skills. After many years of Occupational Therapy and pencil grippers designed to make them hold writing utensils correctly, it's nice to find an app that teaches proper formation BUT is fun for my children.  I don't like tedious work and neither do they.  The new Handwriting Without Tears iPad app brings it all together in a way that is just what this family needs.


Covering both capital letters and numbers, and showing the proper technique to form both, Wet-Dry-Try can be used to improve writing skills by a large age range of students. The Princess and I have been working on multiplication drills and I cringe every time she writes the numbers 2 and 8. She has such an awkward way of forming them both. I am constantly reminding her to erase her 2s and try again -- and her 8s . . . Whew.  What a relief to have her finally learn the correct place to start that number.  Wet-Dry-Try has done wonders for her confidence as well -- as she figures out the correct way to form those pesky 2s and 8s.

The app looks like an old-timey chalkboard slate and students make each letter or number a minimum of four times as they work through the levels.  The first time through, students watch the chalk correctly form the letter or numeral.  Then, students use their fingers as a "wet" sponge to form the letter or number themselves.  Encouraging words are spoken as they form it correctly and they are gently reminded to "keep their finger on the board" if they stop or falter.  After completing the "wet" stage, children use their finger as a "dry" cloth to trace the letter or number and finally they use their finger as "chalk" to write it by themselves.

This Handwriting Without Tears iPad App -- Wet-Dry-Try -- is available for immediate download from the iTunes store for only $4.99.  As easy as it is to get my girl excited about school done on the iPad, this is a great deal in my book.  For the same price as those special pencil grippers, she's ready to "play" and learn -- and she's excited to do so.  You'll want to make sure and check it out for your family AND while you are there, make sure to also check out the other HWT apps available to meet the needs of children in all age groups and skill ranges.

~Disclaimer:  I was given the opportunity to use and review the Wet-Dry-Try Handwriting Without Tears iPad App as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  The opinions stated are mine and mine alone.  I was not paid to share my thoughts and feelings with you.  I received the app in exchange for my honest review. You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew thought of both the App and the Handwriting Without Tears books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
~





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Schoolhouse Review: KinderBach iPad App

It's a musical world I'm living in.  The MainMost is a drummer.  I played clarinet and bass clarinet in high school and college.  We have guitar players and pianists in the house and the Boy Scout drums every chair he comes in contact with quite nicely.  The Princess enjoys picking out songs on the piano -- but isn't so fond of her piano lessons.  I'm determined that she's going to persevere though -- poor thing, both of her older sisters wish they'd never stopped taking piano lessons so by default she's forced to continue.  It doesn't hurt that I know how important music is to the soul -- and to an education.  Studies prove that music helps students perform better in both math and reading and those are areas that can always use improvement.

Last year, we had the opportunity to try out the KinderBach online program (please click on the link to read that review) called KinderBach at Home.  The Boy Scout enjoyed it immensely.  This year, though, KinderBach has a new iPad App and my Princess was all over it.  A classroom app, KinderBach brought a smile back to her face concerning piano lessons. That girl loves appschooling and she loves music, so the KinderBach iPad App was right up her alley.  It was the perfect way to encourage her to practice piano.

A Classroom or School Version app (just in case iPad apps are new to you) is one in which the in-app purchases have been removed.  You pay for the entire app when you buy it and there are no unexpected or hidden costs that come up as you progress through the app.  I downloaded Classroom KinderBach:  School Version to both my iPad and my iPhone which kept the Princess busily entertained.   For only $26.99 you can add a musical component to school and life without ever leaving your home for lessons.  You don't even need a piano or a keyboard as the app supplies one right on the screen for lessons.

iPad view which includes video lesson, supplied keyboard, and further studies.

Now I realize that die-hard music teachers will tell you your child need a real-live piano for hands-on learning, but I daresay that the on-screen keyboard makes for a great introduction.  I have found the Princess sitting at our computer (with the iPad open in front of her) more than ever since we began this review.  The excitement she feels by learning on-screen is making her WANT to practice and feel the ivory beneath her fingers.  In this case, the technology goes hand in hand with the reality and that's a winning combination in my opinion.

The KinderBach app is comprised of three levels with 10 lessons in each level.  Each lesson includes an intro video and 4 teaching videos as well as a link to one of six games used to reinforce the lessons taught.  That's 150 videos (or "private" lessons from music educator Karri Greggor) that begin at the very beginning of music education and teach all of the concepts needed to take your student from listener to performer.  Ideal for children in the 3 - 7 year-old range, KinderBach teaches children to play the piano, read notes, and learn intervals, rhythms and music patterns -- all from the convenience of your iPad.  How simple is that?  The videos are short so students can do more than one lesson in a sitting if so desired OR can watch the same lesson several times if they'd like.  This entire user-friendly curriculum can be tailored to meet the needs of YOUR family.  Perfect, huh?  Now keep in mind, although KinderBach is ideal for children ages 3 - 7, my Princess is 11 and she enjoyed it immensely.  We were able to move quickly through some of the beginning lessons (they acted as great review for her though) and reinforce concepts and music theory.

Our new friend, Dodi

Because your child is meeting new friends as they learn to play the piano, they find it exciting and enjoy continuing their lessons.  With this app, you have a FULL YEAR's worth of music at your fingertips.  When you download a teaching video, it is yours to keep forever.  That means multiple children will have the opportunity to learn and play along.  Our iPad has fast become a family favorite due to the portability it offers.  We can easily load up and take school on the road and as often as we are on the run, that's a big positive for KinderBach with us.  Earbuds plugged into the iPad make piano lessons appropriate anytime anywhere.  There are also coloring sheets and activity pages available to print (a simple thing to do from your iPad if you have installed air-printing) that reinforce each lesson.  That's even more fun for my girl and as you can see in the sample below, these printable sheets act as theory pages, too.  We printed out the pages and 3-hole-punched them for a Theory Notebook to accompany music lessons.

You can purchase the new Classroom KinderBach:  School Version App directly from the Apple Store for $26.99.  The simple downloading process only takes a short while and then your child is ready to begin playing and learning.  It's a brand-new app and steps are already being made to make it even better.  How's that for technology advancement?

~Disclaimer:  I was given the opportunity to use and review the KinderBach App as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  The opinions stated are mine and mine alone.  I was not paid to share my thoughts and feelings with you.  I received the App in exchange for my honest review.  You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Crew thought of KinderBach.~

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