Homeschool Review: CashCrunch Careers #hsreviews #cte #careerpathway #collegeready #dreamjob #careerpossibilities

What do you want to be when you grow up?  What are you going to do with your life?  Those are questions that we begin asking children when they are very small and continue asking through high school and into college.  When I look back, I see that my answers changed from "I want to be a ballerina" (age 4) to "I want to be the first lady President" (age 14).  I started college as a Special Education and Child Psychology double major, thought I'd go to law school and enter politics, and ended with a degree in Political Science and American Studies.  I serve as Preschool, Children's, and Middle School Minister at my church.  There was a lot of emphasis placed early on about what I thought I wanted to do, yet my career path went an entirely different way.  I am of the mindset that we add quite a bit of unnecessary pressure to our kids when we try and force them to decide as teenagers what they want to do for the rest of their life.  Instead, I think we need to help them find a career that best fits their personalities.  I was interested to try out the CashCrunch Careers career assessment program from CashCrunch Games and see what it was all about.

CashCrunch Careers is an online survey designed to help students choose a college and career path that is the best fit for their individual personality.  Acknowledging that we work for over half of our life, creator Paul Vasey wanted to find a way to help students find something that they enjoy doing so that they could excel and be happy.  Utilizing research from the US Department of Labor in order to provide relevant job selections, he designed this survey in conjunction with recruitment tools often used in the corporate world.  For purposes of review, my high school Senior and I both completed the survey.

The survey itself consists of 75 word pairings.  You choose which of the two words in each question best describes you right now.  (I like that you are reminded to choose the word that describes you NOW and not the word that you hope describes you ONE DAY.)  At first glance, the word pairings do not seem to go together.  You choose the word/words that best reflect your personality.  For example, do you select  Daring or people-oriented?  Active or Handle stress well?  Likes People or Trustworthy?   

We found that it was best to answer quickly --  based on your first impression of the word pairings.  We were also very intentional to choose words for ourselves without asking for the opinions of others.  Otherwise, we were subject to overthink and we didn't want to skew the results of our surveys.

I liked that subtle helps were offered in reference to the context of the words being used in the pairings.  My daughter quickly realized that you could hover over the word/words for a definition and that helped her to narrow down her choices.

The entire survey took less than 15 minutes to complete, but the wealth of information that resulted from it was impressive.  Immediately upon completion, an analysis of our core skills set was provided and a report was available to show us how to match our personalities to a career.

The CashCrunch Career Report (4-pages) includes information on your Career Work Style, your Motivators and De-motivators, your Career Attributes, and your Career Match.  This is a valuable resource and can be accessed forever.  After you study your work style, motivators, and attributes, you can spend time searching through all of the different roles in individual careers.  There are videos to aid you in best utilizing the survey to its fullest potential and Mr. Vasey continues to upload helps and information about the educational requirements for each.

I was not at all sure if the word pairings survey would truly be able to read my personality with the way the words appeared, but through a series of word shuffling, I think it was pretty spot-on for both me and my daughter.  Her responses indicated that she thrives in team environments and attracks people with her high-spirited, energetic approach to work.  Although she does not see that about herself, I very much do.  My responses indicated that I actively and energetically strive to achieve ambitious goals and tend not to be satisfied until the task at hand is completed to my high standards.  Yep.  Guilty as charged.

Our Motivator and De-motivator responses were very different -- she's a by-the-book, immediate effects kind of girl and I'm a work-at-your-own-pace, let's see the long-term picture leader -- but we are both motivated by independence and freedom, flexible work schedules, and the opportunity to travel.  Don't stick us in a room without a phone though or feel the need to closely supervise our every move.

We both ranked highly independent and leadership-oriented.  My daughter shows a  deep concern for others with high integrity and I show a high tolerance for stress with a cooperative spirit.  These are the things that will be most helpful in determing career path -- and also offer encouragement in everyday life.

After you have studied all of these things, your best fit jobs are identified.  There are over 20 career categories provided and each one highlights between 7 (Information Technology) and 39 (Architecture and Construction) different job role possibilities. This offers a nice overview of vocations outside of the typically thought of jobs and will help a student plan for the future.  What is most impressive here is that each career category is linked to a description of the tasks and activities that make up the job, the projected growth rate of the career, the colleges where you can pursue the necessary educational requirements/degree to serve in that area, and a video which gives you an overall idea of the tasks, activities, abilities, work values and skills needed for the job.  This is a neat way for students to engage in career counseling right from home.

You will find more information about CashCrunch Careers when you visit the following Social Media websites:

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In addition to CashCrunch Careers, CashCrunch Games offers a board game for ages 5 -12 (CashCrunch Junior) and an online game for high school and college students (CashCrunch 101).  These teach the value of money and money management skills.  They also offer a personal finance course (CashCrunch Bite Size).  Check them out.

I was given the opportunity to review the CashCrunch Careers assessment from CashCrunch Games as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of these assessments by clicking on the graphic below.

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Homeschool Review: Geology and Apologetics (Northwest Treasures) #hsreviews #geology #dinosaurs #apologetics

"Can I trust the Bible?"
"Are the geneaologies and chronologies of Genesis accurate and reliable?"

These are the most debated questions that I hear and the very reason that I requested to review the Geology and Apologetics online course from Northwest Treasures.  We've been "rock collectors" for years, bringing home special rocks from places that we visit as a reminder of where we've been and we've also discussed the age of those rocks and what that means in correlation to what we know about GOD's Word.  I am a firm believer in Creation (and that it happened just like Genesis says it did), but not everyone that I know and love is.  It's what I have taught my children in our homeschool.  I've listened to debate on young versus old earth and "was there an actual Great Flood?" for as long as I remember, and I was interested in learning the science behind Scripture for myself.  Geology and Apologetics is a brand new, six-session course that is helping me understand in my head what I already understood in my heart.



As an extra bonus (and as a great way to lay some foundations before I started working through the class session for Geology and Apologetics), I first viewed Taking the Mystery Out of Geology.  This 20-minute class serves as a great introduction to the science of Geology by teaching from a Biblical viewpoint and explaining basic geological terminology.  This was most beneficial to me as I had no idea what the words vitrophyre, orogeny, or cirque actually meant.   Geology expert Patrick Nurre knows that we might find it easier to "learn some rock types and move on" instead of tackling the frontal assault on what we believe, but he challenges us to realize that Geology is the foundation of all science as noted in Genesis 1:1 -- In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth.  Mr. Nurre encourages us to teach our children Geology and Earth Science from a Biblical perspective, so that they will believe the Word of GOD for their entire lives and not deviate from it.  He says that this is the starting point for setting an unshakeable worldview.  I like this.

The online video lessons present as a series of moving slides (with some absolutely gorgeous pictures from Mr. Nurre's private collection of samples and items found during field study and photos of places he has been) intermingled with personal video.  All of the lessons are narrated by Mr. Nurre.  I find him to be knowledgeable and fascinating.  His lessons are both interesting and refreshing.  I had to continually pause the online lesson as I watched in order to make sure that I took good notes from his teaching.  You can tell from the notes I'm sharing below that I was writing fast and furiously.  Seriously, y'all -- he's good . . . very good -- and he backs up everything he says with Scripture.   His challenge to go deeper in your geology study and grow deeper in your FAITH inspires me to continue studying, digging, and visiting the marvelous places of GOD's beautiful design.  What a perfect introduction to understanding Geology from a Biblical perspective!

Once I completed the Taking the Mystery Out of Geology video, I felt better prepared to begin the Geology and Apologetics course.  The six-part course covers the following topics in lessons that range from 11 - 22 minutes each:

Lesson One --  Knowing the Scriptures in the Secular Geological Age -- The first step in developing apologetics is to know and master the Scriptures.  I LOVE that Scripture is the very basis for all of the teachings in this course.  As Christians, we can stand firmly on the foundation of GOD's Word without wavering.

Lesson Two -- Clarifying the Conflict between Science and the Bible --  Learning the meanings of the words science, history, and philosophy help us to clarify the misconceptions of modern geology.

Lesson Three -- The Genealogies and Chronologies of Genesis, Are They Accurate and Reliable? -- We need to read the genealogies of Genesis as though we have not been exposed to what modern science says about the age of the earth.   The Bible is the critical record of man and I really enjoyed the genealogical study presented in this lesson.  Don't you just love it when you can pull your Bible out to help you learn?

Lesson Four -- Revolutionary Gaps in the Fossil Record, How Serious Are They? --  Actual science can be observed, tested, and repeated.  Scientists must rely on the rocks and fossils that they have to determine the age of the earth.

Lesson Five -- Dinosaur-to-Bird Evolution, the Story that Never Seems to Die -- GOD did not need "transitional creatures" and HE left no "missing links."  Mr. Nurre shares interesting backstories and discusses important dates to clarify this debate.

Lesson Six -- Time and Chronology in the Secular Geological Age --  My favorite lesson of all, Lesson Six explains geochronology (the study of the earth's past history) and challenges me to conscientiously study our Christian chronology.  Without an accurate chronology, my JESUS is not rooted in history.  I want to make sure that I am able to faithfully demonstrate that HE is very real.

This course serves as SO MUCH MORE than just a "science" lesson.  It IS science, but there is a wonderful Bible study element as well that I am enjoying, too.  I appreciate the combination of science and faith.

Another thing that I like about this course is that each lesson ends with a series of questions to be pondered, answered, and discussed.  Many of the answers can be found within the video lesson itself, but some of the questions lead you to study your Bible to discover more.

Did you know that the field of Geology has universally affected every area of science beginning in the 1700s?  If I'm honest with you, I have to admit that I never really understood the importance of Geology before now, but now that I understand that it is foundational to EVERYTHING else, I want to go back and revisit the sciences I've studied to learn more.  My perspective has completely changed.  Mr. Nurre reminds us that "acceptance of an idea is not the same thing as science" and this is exactly what I've tried to convey when involved in the Creation versus Evolution discussions.  It is important that we are able to discern between science, history, and philosophy.  SCIENCE is knowledge.  It can be observed, tested, and repeated.  That "repeat" is key and marks the difference between secular geology and Biblically-based geology.  I stand with GOD's Word.

Now that I've had the opportunity to study through Geology and Apologetics for myself, I would love to share the Northwest Treasures Curriculum Project:  Building Faith for a Liftetime of Faith with my daughter.  This series consists of four semesters of Earth Science taught from a young earth perspective and includes everything you need for a comprehensive high school study -- activities, quizzes, rocks, minerals, fossils, and final exam.  I can't help but think about how fun it would be to add a fantastic field trip to this study, too.  A visit to Yellowstone is on my bucket list and touring GOD's beauty with a Biblically-based expert would be perfect.

Northwest Treasures offers educational kits and a multitude of curricula that are birthed from YEARS of real-life geological studies by Patrick Nurre.  He shares his knowledge and love of GOD through each lesson taught and his passion shines.  Much more than an opportunity to "look at rocks," Northwest Treasures allows us to begin to properly understand geology so that we can begin to fully understand biology, anthropology, earth science, and paleontology.  Mr. Nurre explains that an understanding of these sciences will help us to understand GOD's Word on a deeper, more intimate level.  That is exactly what I desire most for my family.


Do yourself a favor and sit down for a spell with Northwest Treasures.  We have collected rocks from places that we visit for years, but understanding the "why they are where they are" and "how they got there in the first place" questions fascinates us now that we've had the opportunity to delve into geology from an entirely different perspective.  I think you'll be just as fascinated as we are once you spend some time with Northwest Treasures.  You can find out more information by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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I know you'll be glad that you did!

I was given the opportunity to review the Geology and Apologetics online course 

from Northwest Treasures as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this course and others (or just click on the banner below.)

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Homeschool Review: Educeri . . . a division of DataWORKS #hsreviews #educeri #educhat #dataworks-ed

One of the things that I like about reviewing for the Homeschool Review Crew is getting to take a first-hand peek at a wide variety of curriculum and learning supplements.  Educeri . . . Educeri a division of DataWORKS is an online resource for students in Kindergarten - 12th grades with lessons that range from learning to tell time to analyzing informational texts.  For purposes of review, we were given twelve months of access to the Educeri Lesson Subscription Service which includes all lessons in all subject areas for all grade levels.  How cool is that?  There are over 1,000 lessons available for you to use in Math, Language Arts, Science, History, Art, Music, and P.E. and they have all been given the seal of approval by a group of talented educators, grammar snobs, and math nerds (their words, not mine) whose goal is to help teachers by providing stellar educational materials that can be used anytime, anywhere.  Now I don't know about you, but I can use all the help that I can get these days.  I find that each of my children learns in such a different way.  It's great to be able to utilize ready to teach lesson plans that speak to them on an individual level.

While Educeri offers lessons for students of all ages and my Crewbies have been reviewing every aspect of it, at my house we only have high schoolers (did I really just say that?  Wow!  Where did the time go?) so I headed right on over to the high school portion of the website as soon as I logged on.  The folks over at Educeri really do understand that home educators are busy as they multi-task through their days, so they make it super easy to find exactly what you need to make schooling easier at your house.  You can quickly search lesson plans by grade level, subject area, and topic and you can mix and match lessons within the levels to customize study and activities for your family.  Since history is our all-time favorite subject and there's a huge election underway, I was excited to find a lesson that traces the principles of democracy in historical documents.  This series of slides (17 slides with multiple components to each one) is designated a 10th grade level, but was spot-on for both my sophomore and my senior.  It begins with a guided practice that shows students what is important as they read and fill in a graphic organizer.  Students can use marking tools to highlight, underline, write on the slide directly, or erase (marker tools shown below in the pink box in the top right corner).  There are fill-in-the-blank questions to be answered but students are given an opportunity to think through and formulate their responses before the correct answers pop onto the screen (red print in picture below).  The lesson ends with a series of slides that bring it full circle as it points out why this is relevant to us today.  This attention to detail is refreshing as relevance is key for my daughter.  She needs to see that what we are learning has a point in the grand scheme of things.

Another of the subject areas that I found most beneficial to my children is the English Language Arts section.  There are some great reference lessons available for high schoolers here.  From mastering basic punctuation to learning to critique/analyze/interpret/evaluate literary devices such as tone, rhetoric, point of view, and theme, the wealth of information presented in an "easy-to-understand and connect with" manner is simply a treasure trove.  A series of twelve slides helps students learn to Evaluate the Influences on American Literature from 1620 to 1800 which brought about great ah-ha moments for my girl as she begins to grasp the relevance of reading literature through the eyes of the historical period in which it was written.  Pairing that with a lesson on the Contrast [of] Themes, Styles, and Trends in American Literature was priceless as she could see the correlation of books she's heard of and books she's devoured -- a meeting of the old and new, if you will -- through discussion of Brave New World, 1984, and The Hunger Games and how subjects trend in literature.

What makes Educeri particularly interesting to me as a homeschool momma is the fact that I can pick lessons that my kids need/like, set it up for them to begin, and walk away knowing that they are receiving thorough instruction that is completely self-guided.  They don't need me to stand over them to make sure they learn.  I like that and they do, too.  There's definitely a vein of independence that runs through my household.  How about yours?  Another bonus of Educeri is the fact that there is no annoying background music playing and students can focus on what they are reading/learning.

For even more information about how you can best utilize Educeri in your homeschool, check out the rest of the Crew Reviews and visit the following Social Media sites:

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I was given the opportunity to review Educeri Lesson Subscription Service from Educeri . . . Educeri a division of DataWORKS as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this and other puzzles as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: My School Year (Homeschool Record Keeping) #hsreviews #homeschoolorganization

I've tried many different ways to keep our homeschooling plan on track through the years, and I've finally found one that is both simple to utilize and easy to implement.  The My School Year (Homeschool Record Keeping) program by MySchoolYear.com is an online organizational tool that is helping me to become a more efficient homeschooling mama as I work on planning and maintaining our focus for the new school year.  For review purposes, we received an Annual Membership and I am putting mine to good use with Reading Lists, Extracurricular Activity trackers, Field Trip and Event planners, and Class and Lesson Plan schedulers.

There are lots of ways to use My School Year from attendance tracking and class scheduling to recording grades and even creating high school transcripts.  The website is colorful, direct, and easy-to-use and interfaces well on my iPhone. It's a great way to keep everything all together in one place and allows easy access for me to find out the total number of hours both of my children spend in volunteer service, on educational field trips, and out in the workforce.  Although I keep a color-coded calendar of who is supposed to be where when, the My School Year program offers a simple way for me to actually track cumulative hours spent studying, reading, and doing life and makes it easy to transfer those hours directly onto their transcript through reports.  I am not required to track the hours spent in "class" or the number of days spent in formal learning, but I do like to see the big picture of how we spend our time serving in our community and learning about the world around us.

You can see how this works on the Extracurricular Activities report for my son that is pictured below:

For this report, I have been compiling all of the activities that he has been or will be involved in this summer.  Beginning with his stint at Boy's State in May/June and ending with volunteer work with Camp ShadyRest at the end of July, he will be a busy guy.   We can list the start and end dates for each activity, name the organization he is working with and his position for that particular activity, and list the hours he will serve and see a running total of time spent.  This makes for the perfect record for future resumes, as well.  As you can see, for two of his summer activities, we could easily determine beforehand how long he would be involved.  For others, we will edit once the activity is completed and re-run the report so that his hour total is most accurate.  What I like most about this is that My School Year gives me the open-ended option for ongoing activities.

Another of my favorite uses of My School Year is the Reading List.  Of course, each child in a family is different and what works for one or two may not work for all.  I am finding this to be especially true as we enter the home stretch of high school with my last two children.  For my older girls, I was able to prepare lists of books to read and things to accomplish and they methodically worked through those lists.  They were self-motivators who aimed to please.  For my younger two children, this does not work.  The technological distractions found in their rooms make it difficult for them to simply "work through a list."   I have found that although they need and want lists of assignments, they also need tools to hold them accountable to fulfilling the items on their lists.  My School Year offers both.  I can make a Reading List AND my children can be held accountable to read the books on the list.  I like that I can set up the My School Year Reading List in such a way that they know what is expected and they have to report what they accomplish.

Check out the required reading that I've put together for part of my daughter's 10th grade year.  This is a list of books that I want her to read for a Marriage and Family class.  I have chosen eleven books so far, but I have the freedom to edit and add more as we go through the web interface.  To create a Reading List, you add the title and author of the books to be read and assign it to your child.  What I find most impressive here is that my daughter will have the chance to log the amount of time she spends reading and the number of pages she reads at a time.  This will make a great record for us both to be able to check her work against the time she spends in her room.  What a win for accountability. 

There are so many cool ways to use My School Year and each user is able to tailor the program to best work for their family.  I like the unique aspect of making it mine.  I am currently working on creating lesson plans for the next year and determining exactly what all I want my children to accomplish for 10th and 12th grades.  I intend to go into this year with a better plan laid out for all of us and I think that doing so will lessen our stress level since we will all know what is expected.  We want to make sure to cover the core subject areas, but also want to be intentional about scheduling time to enjoy unconventional learning as well.  My School Year is helping me to relax as it removes the worry of "are we doing enough?" and offers my children a stress-free plan of action. You can find out more about how to best utilize My School Year (Homeschool Record Keeping) from MySchoolYear.com  by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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And you'll  want to make sure to visit the Crew blog and read some of the other reviews to see how each family used My School Year.  With so many different features, you're sure to find one or two or ten that you just can't live without.

I was given the opportunity to review My School Year (Homeschool Record Keeping) 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 it as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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Schoolhouse Review: Stinky Kid Math #hsreviews

My kids aren't stinky, because I'm pretty fanatical about baths and deodorant, but for the most part they have all considered math to be a "stinky" subject.  I really don't know why that is -- I was always pretty good in math and the MainMost was an electrical engineering and math education major so he was EXCELLENT in math.  Unfortunately, our kids just don't like it, so I am always looking for new ways to help them excel.

I looked forward to the opportunity to review the new-to-me online math resource Stinky Kid Math and was interested in having my Freshman dive in and check it out.  She is beginning Algebra this school year, so it was perfect timing for us.  Math tutoring that offers algebra and geometry help through video lessons, books, worksheets, and games, Stinky Kid Math is a great supplement for students that fall within the ranges of  Foundational Algebra (Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1), Complex Algebra (Algebra 1 and Algebra 2), and Geometry.

These subjects encompass 339 video lessons and 5 games that are designed to help students make sense of math.  Middle and High School students can choose to watch video lessons for extra help on a topic-by-topic basis or can choose to watch video lessons in order from Pre-Algebra through Geometry.  The short videos (1 - 3 minutes each) are well done and engaging.  The instructor briefly explains the given mathematical concept as he shows how to work the problems on a colorful dry erase board.  He is energetic and encouraging -- a good combination when it comes to teaching math. Simple video games are also included that help make math click.

Each group of lessons has corresponding worksheets that allow students extra practice for the mathematical concepts covered in the videos.  Worksheets are short (2 - 4 pages that can be downloaded and printed) and answers are included (all problems are worked out step-by-step on a dry erase whiteboard).   "Books" are included with most subtopics for students who prefer a hands-on method of retention.   These are actually short chapters that offer a summary of the video lessons in print format.   These can be downloaded to your computer, printed out and compiled in a notebook, or read directly from the screen while online.

While Stinky Kid Math is not a full-blown comprehensive curriculum, it works well as a supplemental educational tool where students can find quality instruction and/or parents can find refreshers on concepts they want to help their children learn.  I have found that the easiest way to utilize Stinky Kid Math is to simply turn the Princess loose and allow her time to explore and study.  After 17 years of homeschooling, we are down to our final two high schoolers.  They no longer require complete monitoring as they study (Yay!) and I have been able to take a backseat as they work and learn at their own pace.  Stinky Kid Math offers flexibility to explore and refresh skills and my daughter has been using it for just that.

After a crazier-than-usual spring semester and an on-the-go summer, she has been able to utilize the Stinky Kid Math website as a fast-paced tutorial of pre-algebra concepts before she begins her Algebra curriculum for the new school year.  She chooses video lessons to watch, skims through the included books, and prints worksheets to complete.  She then self-corrects using the provided Answer Key.  It's a win/win situation as her confidence is renewed and she feels more prepared to begin Algebra.  One of the best components of this tutoring program is that my daughter is in control.  She doesn't need my help to log in or get started.  The simple interface allows complete independence in learning.  I like that and she likes knowing that there are Algebra videos and helps available if she gets stumped in the days and weeks ahead.  What a sure-fire way to take the "stink" out of math.  I love it!

You can find out more about Stinky Kid Math by visiting the following Social Media Sites:

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I was given the opportunity to review Stinky Kid Math 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: Star Toaster #hsreviews

Games, games, games.  We are definitely a gaming family.  Board games, card games, online games . . . we enjoy gaming and I consider it a major win when the games my children play teach as they go.  When we were given the opportunity to review Star Toaster's Orphs of the Woodlands book The Treasure of HighTower, I was excited because it brought the best of both worlds to my family.  An online educational resource AND game, Orphs of the Woodlands has the Princess reading, learning new vocabulary words, improving math skills, AND smiling as she does it all.  That, my friends, is a WIN for not only this mom, but for my girl as well. In order to decide if Star Toaster was for us, I had my eighth grader watch the promo video with me. From the very first introduction, she thought it looked "cool" and was eager to begin.  (As you are well aware, "cool" is the ultimate compliment for a teenager.)  Reading through the chaptered "story" daily, she enjoyes the interactive lessons -- she is actually so engrossed in the story that she forgets she's working on "school."  Another win for us both.  I'm open to all the help I can get in a multi-disciplinary way.  Bring it on!
So, what IS Orphs of the Woodlands, and exactly how is it a multidisciplinary program?  The best explanation for all of this comes directly from the Princess herself.  Here's what she has to say about The Treasure of HighTower (as she waits patiently for book two to arrive):

To begin the book, you must first fill out a Spy Application and tell about your qualifications and willingness to learn.  You have to be accountable to do your best.  As you read through the book, you are tasked with the job of finding a treasure and keeping it safe. Students are introduced to and name their main character (My character is named Rain) and they follow him through a series of  adventures.    This is really kind of like a detective story/mystery/adventure all rolled into one.  When you sign in to your current chapter (I read one chapter a day), your character leads you through the story to find the treasure.  While you are reading, the story comes to life through videos that apply to the task at hand.  Math videos and science videos explain new concepts that apply to what you've just read.  Famous quotes from literature and history are clickable so that you learn who said themand what they meant.  You are able to earn gold stars as read through the book -- and you use the gold stars to feed your orphs and keep them alive.  There are even recipes to try.  

Progress is tracked in a "Top Secret" Journal (pictured above) which lets students know how many Orphs they have rescued, how many jobs they have completed, how many goldstars they have earned, how many projects they have completed, how many plots of land they own, and how many orphanages full of sweet little orphs they have.   

It is worth noting that a typical purchase of the Orphs of the Woodland program gives up to three children access for a two-month subscription.  One month extensions can be purchased as needed. Parents can easily follow the progress of each child as they work through the skills of Math, Science, Language, Vocabulary, Thinking Skills, Character Development, Life Skills, and the Arts by tracking the successfully completed jobs.  Each of these skills can be reviewed as often as necessary so that complete mastery is attained at the end of the fifteen chapter book.

The entire program is user-friendly and offers a  "no parent required" success rate.  My eighth grade Princess works completely on her own each day. Concepts are introduced and taught in a fun and engaging way that keeps her interest and leaves no room for complaint.  As a result, we are all winners.   Orphs of the Woodlands would make for the PERFECT summer reading program.  You'll definitely want to give it a try.  There's even a FREE TRIAL so you can see if it's a good fit for your students in 4th grade and above.


You can find out more about Star Toaster's Orphs of the Woodlands by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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Schoolhouse Review: Mother, Can I Trust the Government? #hsreviews

My family and I had the distinct pleasure of taking part in an eight-week online course this semester entitled Mother, Should I Trust the Government? by FreedomProject Education.  Recommended for students 13 and older, the course itself was simply marvelous and I recommend that you check out all of the 2015 Courses being offered. (The next course starts March 23 and is one I'd LOVE for us to be a part of -- How to Think:  A Crash Course in Critical Thinking.  I could definitely use some fresh critical thinking skills in my life and so could my kids.  How about you?)

FreedomProject Education (FPE)  is an accredited online academy for students in Kindergarten - 12th Grades founded on Judeo-Christian principles.  They offer several courses throughout the year that can be used for stand-alone credit or as a supplement to other coursework.  Using his book Mother, Should I Trust the Government? (184-pages, softcover) as the course text, Dr. Jake Jacobs led a weekly 2-hour interactive seminar of the same title that challenged students to explore the American Government through the pages of the Constitution and begin to think about the government's role both historically and futuristically.  Students were given an insider's look at the Founding Fathers and were asked to explore the government through their eyes.

As a political science major, I have always been enamored with the Constitution and the American Presidency so I couldn't wait to begin this class.  I double majored with an emphasis in American Studies, and I have held fast to the belief that America is a blessed nation.  I believe in the American Dream and have been accused of viewing our country's success through rose-colored glasses.  I believe that we were founded on Biblical principles and that GOD's favor has shined upon us.  I have made it a point to share that passion with my children.

My tenth grade son (15) and my eighth grade daughter (13) were delighted to sit with me to listen to and discuss Mother, Should I Trust the Government?  The Making and Keeping of our American Republic.  We were able to watch the online streaming class each week together and have spent time discussing the ideas presented after each class.  Talk about deep conversations.  Taking a no-holds-barred approach, Dr. Jacobs shares specifics on what he considers failures of the United States government and offers solutions to aid us in a return to what should be.  I found the ideas presented quite refreshing and soothing to the soul.  I am troubled by the condition of our country and am frightened by how far we have fallen in such a short time.  I will never forget hearing delegates boo GOD at the last Democratic National Convention.  My children and I were watching that night as a lesson in democracy and my blood ran cold.  How can we trust a government that mocks the GOD of our ancestors?  I want to make sure that my children are given ample opportunity to explore their personal thoughts and feelings and I want them to make informed decisions based on TRUTH.  Mother, Should I Trust the Government? provides a safe environment for establishing a worldview.   My son was concerned when he read the title of the book and course that it might be a bit "scary" (his words), but he has since determined that it is not at all scary but a necessary read.   Participating with other families that share our same mindset has been most beneficial.  In a world where the Christian viewpoint is often portrayed as oppressive, it is nice spend time among "friends."

Reminiscent of a college lecture class, Mother, Should I Trust the Government? presents in the form of a conversation between instructor and students and gives ample opportunity for an exchange of ideas through real-time chat sessions.  Dr. Jacobs reads the scrolling chat and address questions as they are presented.  He encourages students to share thoughts and ideas and examines each idea through lecture notes, graphics, and historical documents.  Students are immediately put to ease through his laid-back, welcoming demeanor and are made to feel important as he spends time discussing all facets of history.  Mother, Should I Trust the Government? provided tons of "fuel for thought" as we explored governmental history from the death of King George II in 1760 until present time and calls for our society to take BOLD Constitutional Action NOW.    Instead of waiting for the next New Deal, we must learn to stand up for what is correct.  Now, we have a ton of "must read" books on our list and have begun watching the movies recommended by Dr. Jacobs during each lecture class.  I like that students are not encouraged to accept Dr. Jacobs' teachings as the gospel but are encouraged to read and research other books and movies as they solidify their beliefs and take ownership of their ideas and opinions.  We must begin to be the change.

You can find out more information about FreedomProject Education, by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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I was given the opportunity to review FreedomProject Education 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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