As a busy mom of 8 children, finding resources to aid in areas like drilling math facts can be a gift! We recently were able to review a math fact drilling system for the computer.

CapJaxMathFax was created by Jack Fretwell, who has a master’s degree in Educational Technology and has spent over thirty years in education and computers. He has taught varying ages and abilities from elementary math to computer and business skills for executives. Mr. Fretwell has a program that is effective and easy to implement.

CapJaxMathFax can be purchased as a download or by CD. Installations is simple and use of the program can begin immediately. The program covers all four basic math operations, tracking your child’s progress so you can easily see weak areas and mastery.

For the young or beginning student who might not be familiar with the keyboard/number pad, keyboard practice is available to get the child accustomed to using the program. Once they are ready they either go into “practice” mode or begin to “play for rating”.

CapJaxMathFax provides immediate feedback to the student as she drills through the facts. The program is preset for a “three second” response to have “mastered” a fact but the parent can easily reset the response time to allow for longer time dependent on the needs of the child. You could also set a quicker response time for a more advanced driller to get a bigger challenge.

The program really is “install and go”. The parent does not need to preset any quizzes. Each child begins at the same point and will progress at his own rate. Progress reports are provided for the parent and child to keep an eye on progress. Even reports on how many seconds each response took is available. What a great motivator for the child who needs to see his accomplishments.

For the child who might need a bit of an extra incentive or reinforcement, CapJax offers merit badges for $4. These are great to add to backpacks, shirts, hats, etc. There is a merit badge for each basic operation. What a fun reward when mastery is reached!

Why would you want to purchase CapJaxMathFax when there are so many “free resources” available?

• No ads. This is huge. While utilizing free resources on the internet can be beneficial, some of the ads on “kid friendly” sites are not kid friendly. Being able to let my 6 year old get on the computer to drill facts and not be online is a big plus!
• Progress is recorded and simple for me to access. Often to track progress on “free” resources, I have to register and then deal with possible spam. Not a problem with CapJax.
• Simple, no frills program. There are no distractions of working for 5 minutes on drills to earn 20 minutes on online games. Your child’s reward is the instant feedback from CapJax and not a frivolous game that doesn’t deal with math.
• Independent study. My child can just get on and the program picks up  at the level she stopped at previously. I can easily see what progress was made later in the day or week.

How did CapJaxMathFax work for us?

My six year old is the one who used the program the most. She had no problems using the program and enjoyed it. One great thing I love about this program is this: child hits “enter”, a problem appears, the child types the answer and hits “enter”. Then the program doesn’t offer another problem until the child hits “enter” again. Each individual problem is timed. For the child who might get flustered at problems coming quickly, this is perfect. The child can control the speed at which the problems come and still be timed on each individual answers. My 6 year old had time between problems to get her fingers ready and refocus. Love this!

CapJaxMathFax is a very simple, basic program in presentation and at times the screen can seem “busy” and it looks a bit outdated at times. However, it is a solid program for getting math facts drilled and mastery obtained. It is a great program and my daughter will continue to use it to master her facts!

There are two purchasing options for  CapJaxMathFax:

Download Version for Windows or Mac (home license):  $29.95

CD + Download License (home license): $29,95 + $5.95 shipping

A free evaluation is offered at CapJaxMathFaxso you can see the program in action and helpful notes to explain the program are included. Also swing by the TOS Homeschool Crew to see what other families thought of this program.

 **Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a download of this product for the purpose of review. No compensation was made. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

As Christian parents we should take very seriously our responsibility to teach and train our children in the studying, reading, memorizing and applying of God’s Word. Often this responsibility can be overwhelming and we are unsure how to effectively and thoroughly make God’s Word the center of our day. Judah Bible Curriculum is a resource that can aid you in teaching and instructing your child about the Bible.

Judah Bible Curriculum utilizes the principle approach. The principle approach refers to a philosophy of education whose content and methods are designed to build character in teacher and student capable of sustaining liberty. Judah Bible Curriculum’s purpose is to build Bible literacy and through that build Godly character into the student. Young people need to learn how to read God’s word, study it, research it and gain understanding that can then be applied personally and through that make a godly impact.

Judah Bible Curriculum uses the Bible as the textbook. No student workbooks to buy, no teachers manual to check for answers. You and your children will study God’s Word together. Just you and God’s Word. JBC does recommend “notebooking” . Whether it is older students taking notes, jotting down their thoughts as they read or a young child drawing a picture as a reference for what was studied, notebooking can be a valuable learning tool. JBC does not provide the “extras” for “notebooking” and such. This is up to the parent to round up the resources they would like to add. To effectively use JBC, you just need a Bible, concordance, commentaries and a Bible dictionary.

Judah Bible Curriculum is divided in to Five Themes:

• Creation
• The Plan of Redemption Begins
• Kingdom of Israel
• Kingdom of God
• Early Church

The themes are then broken down in to Bible Keys: Key Individuals, Key Events, Key Institutions and Key Documents. Each of these keys is used to help the student see the hand of God, the character of God and how He is moving in history. JBC takes your through the entire Bible each year; each year having different focuses on events and people.

Judah Bible Curriculum is more of a “teacher curriculum” or “teacher training tool” than a curriculum for the student. JBC is helping the parent know how to teach the Bible to their children.  So how does a lesson from JBC work?

Let’s take Lesson1. The weekly theme focus is Creation; you will spend a whole week working through the scripture selected: Genesis 1-2. First pray for guidance on how to study the passage. Read the focal text for the weekly theme. Have your “key sheets” ready for use.  Read the text again,fill out the key sheets. Now build on this study! This is the time to use the Bible dictionary, concordances and commentaries to really dig into the scripture. Check out the cross references and see how scripture will interpret scripture. Take notes, draw maps and create a timeline.

Everyone does this together; as a family. No matter the ages of your children, you can bring them together to study the Word. Naturally the older students are going to  be doing more in-depth studying, but the younger ones can gain so much from the discussion.

Our Thoughts on Judah Bible Curriculum:

We were  going through a weekly lesson and my children observe that, “um, don’t we already do Bible like this?

Yes, we do. Our children all listen to the weekly sermon and those old enough take notes. We study the sermon text through out the week, discussing it, checking cross references, listening to other messages, reading commentary.  We do choose to study verse by verse and not by “event’ or “topic”. We also don’t “notebook” for Bible study although they definitely could if they desired.  Since our family is already in the practice of family worship, JBC is not a necessary resource for us to have.

However, I think Judah Bible Curriculum can be a great tool for a family that is unsure how to implement Bible study in their home. I agree that Bible literacy and understanding the sovereignty of God and governing ourselves according to God’s word is crucial to pass along to our children. Judah Bible Curriculum can definitely aid the parent in that regard.

There are two ways to purchase Judah Bible Curriculum:

Hard Pack – $69 + $5 shipping : Judah Bible Curriculum K-12 Manual, Elementary Notebook Ideas Booklet, Eight Lecture Teacher Training Seminars on CD.

Download – $44  gives you: Judah Bible Curriculum K-12 Manual in e-book format; Elementary Notebook Ideas to view online or download; Eight Lecture Teacher Training Seminar to listen online or download.

There is a wealth of information at JudahBible.com and I would recommend browsing the site to get a good feel of the curriculum.  Watch a presentation, read about the philosophy and learn more about character and freedom.

Also stop by the Crew and see what other families had to say about Judah Bible Curriculum!

**Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of the download version of this product. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Sam’s current favorite song is You are Holy. He is constantly singing while playing the “guitar”. Naturally, he will not sing for the camera.

After singing praises to the Lord, you may need a nap.

Words to You Are Holy

You are holy (You are holy)
You are mighty (You are mighty)
You are worthy (You are worthy)
Worthy of praise (Worthy of praise)

I will follow (I will follow)
I will listen (I will listen)
I will love You (I will love You)
All of my days (All of my days)

I will sing to (You are Lord of lords)
And worship (You are King of kings)
The King who (You’re the mighty God)
Is worthy (Lord of everything)
I will love and (You’re Emmanuel)
Adore Him (You’re the great I am)
And I will bow down (You’re the Prince of Peace)
Before Him (Who is the Lamb)
I will sing to (You’re the living God)
And worship (You’re my saving grace)
The King who (You will reign forever)
Is worthy (You are ancient of days)
I will love and (You are alpha, omega)
Adore Him (Beginning and end)
And I will bow down (You’re my Savior, Messiah)
Before Him (Redeemer and friend)

You’re my Prince of Peace
And I will live my life for You

Homeschool Library Builder is your resource for all your literature needs! Ambleside? Tapestry of Grace? Sonlight? They supply all the books needed in these literature based curricula and more! They provide new and used copies. Yes, new and used! For a family on a tight budget, the opportunity to find used books in good condition is so appealing! What a great way to be able to stretch the budget.

The website is so easy to navigate. From the side menu you can easily browse by genre, age, new arrivals and even vintage/hard to find books.  Age recommendations, book summary, book condition and pricing is clearly stated for each book.

Did you know that Homeschool Resource Library offers sales and promotions each month? A great way to stay informed is to become a member. Membership is free!! Becoming a members gives you: monthly newsletter with sales and promotion information, book rewards program (earn free books!), book search (they will help you find that elusive book) and more!

Want to know about the current May sale? 25% off for the whole month of May! Until May 31st, Homeschool Resource Library is offering 25% off on all orders! Another 25% off an already low price? This is a great deal!! The perfect time to head over, search out a book or ten and save some money while filling up the bookshelves. No coupon is needed; the discount will show up at checkout.

After browsing Homeschool Resource Library, make sure to stop by The Crew!

Disclaimer:  As part of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, I was asked to write about the Homeschool Library Builder website.  No compensation was received.  All opinions are my own.

Critical Thinking Press is a company that provides a variety of materials to aid in building thinking skills in all areas of learning. From math to science to writing, products are available to help students achieve deeper thinking and understanding . I have often wanted to utilize their products but have never followed through.  When a review for Critical Thinking Press became available, I just couldn’t pass it up!

Over the past several weeks, we have been using Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations. In this book, students will build their mathematical reasoning and critical thinking skills. The use of Crypto Mind Benders is simple. There is no prep work needed! Make as many copies of the page as needed for your family. Grab a pencil and let the fun begin! Through a series of three clues, your child will deduce the value of each letter. Once each letter has been assigned a value, the secret code can be broken.

You can view and print a sample page here!

Crypto Mind Benders is a great activity that can be added to your regular studies so easily. We used Crypto Mind Benders as a “fun math” activity on our “fun school day”. At first, my children were not excited about trying this out. However, after the first day, they were loving them. I have four children who have been solving the quotations and it is a race to see who gets the answer first. I must admit, I enjoy solving the quotation as much as the children!

Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations is designed for grades 3-12+ and can be purchased for $10.99.

A second book, Crypto Mind Benders: Classic Jokes is available as well. I think I might need to get this one for my son. Critical Thinking Press has many products for all ages.

Other members of TOS Review Crew have been using other products from Critical Thinking Press. Head on over and see what they are saying!

**Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew,  I received a complimentary copy of this product for the purpose of review. No compensation was made. All thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

God’s Great Covenant is a four part course that takes the student on a journey through the Old and New Testaments.  Instead of choosing a Bible story or event to focus on, God’s Great Covenant emphasizes the importance of a chronological, purposeful study of the whole Bible. Through this type of study, you are able to see how God has moved through His people over time and gain understanding of His covenant. God’s Great Covenant is taught from a covenantal and reformed theological perspective, and rooted in Scripture; just a fact to be aware of in case you are looking for a Bible curriculum without a reformed theological focus.

God’s Great Covenant: New Testament 1 is a course designed for 4th graders and up.  I chose to bring all my children together and we had fabulous discussion! For the course there is a student workbook, teacher’s text and mp3 audio available. GGC New Testament 1 covers the four Gospels; bringing them together to be studied and understood. The course begins with an Introduction sections and will take several days to work through. So much information that really helps create a clear picture of where God’s people are at when the Gospel begins. The Introduction is very helpful if you have not covered the Old Testament.

There are several introductions: Historical/Political, Chronological, Geographical, Religious and Daily Life.  As we studied the introductions it was refreshing to see how much my children were familiar with and enlightening on what we all learned together!

After the introductions New Testament 1 is broken up into four units; each unit contains 9 chapters which include a review of what has been learned. Each chapter has focus texts from the Gospels; pulling parallel text together for a full picture of what is being studied. A memory passage is suggested and key facts are provided. After the reading, there are review worksheets to aid in retention of the material that includes a “think about it” question to help the student apply the Scripture personally.

The teacher text provides the same information as the student workbook but has added in-depths notes for the teacher to use in discussion or even older students could read on their own. The in-depth notes are a wonderful resource of information. God’s Great Covenant: New Testament 1 is a thorough, meaningful Bible study.  It also provides answers to the review worksheets.

In the past, I have not been impressed with various Bible curricula. Either it has been simplified or didn’t match our theological perspective. Classical Academic Press recognizes the ability of our children to study and learn and it shows in God’s Great Covenant. My children and I have had fabulous discussions as we are working through this course. I think that it has worked well to bring everyone together for this study but would have no qualms about handing the teacher’s text to my older children for independent study.

The mp3 audio files were not used for our family study time but work great for the younger ones to listen to during quiet time. The audio files would also be helpful for students who struggle with reading and could better focus having the text read.

One aspect of God’s Great Covenant: New Testament 1 was an issue for our family. The student text is meant to be consumable so copies can not be made of the review worksheets. Each student would need their own text if the review portions were used. Due to our family circumstances, we could not purchase student workbooks for each child. Classical Academic Press publishes excellent products and they are worth the pricing; it just wouldn’t be allowable for our family. We worked around the issue by having family discussion which is our preference.

God’s Great Covenant: New Testament 1 can be purchased as a bundle or the each resource can be purchased individually.

Student Workbook: $26.95

Teacher’s Edition: $29.95

MP3 Audio Files: $9.95

Bundle Option containing all 3 items: $56.95

Take a moment to check out God’s Great Covenant: New Testament 1 and the other products at Classical Academic Press!

Also other TOS crew members have their thoughts to share!

**Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for the purpose of review. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Bubbles!

I have a schedule of upcoming blog posts (and I am behind) but I really wanted to share a couple of cute pics from today. Then I will return to the normal blogging schedule.

The three oldest girls were at a father/daughter retreat for the day so we decided to goof off and enjoy some bubbles.

Not everyone was impressed with the bubbles. We are working through some issues he is having with the great outdoors. Bubbles did not aid in this endeavor.

Sarah loved the bubbles. And the camera. Ready for the many faces of Sarah?

She cracks me up.

I think that was suppose to be a mad face? Giggle.

Adorable.

And Caleb, such a good big brother, pushed Sam around to keep him content.

And he blew bubbles so the girls could chase them.

Simple pleasures!

Little Miss Martha turned 4 months old on April 12th. There are people in my house who think she is growing up just a bit too fast. I agree!!

Martha is around 13/14lbs and wearing 3-6 months clothes. Simple put…perfect!

I was reminded that I was late in posting her 4 month update. In my defense, taking these pictures can be challenging. Other people keep jumping into the pictures.

But such cute little creatures jumping in the shot! This leaves no doubt that Martha is deeply treasured by all her siblings!

Martha loves to share her smiles. Ticklish? Not so far. Many attempts have been made to tickle Martha and get her laughing, but all have failed. She takes after her daddy.

Martha loves to talk to her daddy. As soon as he looks at her she starts to chat away. Always a very serious conversation. She is also making a lovely “mmmmmm” sound. I think she is contemplating attacking my chocolate.

And at four months, Martha’s thoughts on structure and design is highly sought after.

Sucking on two fingers always helps when in deep thought!

Martha Ann is such a sweet blessing!

Happy 4 months, Goose!

After much thought and prayer, I came up with a game plan. They younger students would just enjoy nature, reading books about different science topics and a fun experiment now and then. Once my student was a solid reader we would add in a science course and add in living books as desired. What science course could I use for my 4-6th graders? Bright Ideas Press has a wonderful resource that is working so well!

Over the past couple of years, I have reviewed other  products from Bright Ideas Press. (Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers, WonderMaps) I have always been pleased with a curriculum/product that meets my needs and my student’s needs, is user friendly, and affordable. BIP has always treated me with excellent customer service when needed. When the review possibility for Christian Kid’s Explore Science became available, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. After talking with my daughter that was in need of a science course, we went with CKE Chemistry.

CKE: Chemistry is designed for grades 4-8 but can easily be adapted for studying with multiple ages. This is clearly a Christian course as Scripture is seen throughout the lessons always keeping the focus on the Creator. There are 30 lessons, 5 units each, that cover topics such as: Chemistry Tools, Atoms, Chemical Bonds, Compounds and more. You can see a full Table of Contents.

In each lesson there is Teaching Time which gives information on the topic being studied. Along the side of the text, vocabulary and other information is listed in the margins. The lesson wraps up with a Review It section to make sure the student understood the main points. Then you reach the Hands On portion which always makes for a fun morning in our home. After the Hands On, there are some questions to help us think over what we learned during our “experiment”.  Unit review and coloring pages are also included. If using the course with younger students, the coloring pages are a great way to keep little hands busy and minds focused!

The 2nd edition of CKE: Chemistry now comes with a resource CD. This wonderful resource makes utilizing this curriculum so easy! The resource CD contains: Reproducibles from the lessons (coloring pages, review questions, etc) , material lists, supplemental reading list (love this one!) and  even lesson plans.

Even though my daughter is using this course independently, we still can utilize the lesson plan to help her pace herself through the course and to make sure she doesn’t forget important aspects like vocabulary in each lesson. As a book loving family, adding in some supplemental reading is always high on our list so I was pleased to see this feature on the resource CD.

My daughter is doing well working through this course, learning much about chemistry and not held back by her science challenged mom. I was so impressed with CKE: Chemistry that I am hoping to get some of the other CKE books to use as well. Bright Ideas Press gets another thumbs up from us! Easy to understand and implement, affordable, Biblical worldview and from a company that was started by homeschoolers? Definitely worth taking a moment or two to check out Christian Kids Explore: Chemistry and the other products BIP has available!

CKE: Chemistry – 2nd Edition with Resource CD can be purchased for $39.95! The resource CD makes this product non-consumable so a great price for a family with multiple student!

Swing by and see what other Crew Members are saying about Christian Kids Explore..Biology, Chemistry, Physics…

**Disclaimer – As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review purposes. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.