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.

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.

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.

Our children need to have the ability to express their ideals and beliefs in a way that presents their Christian worldview.  So often writing curricula focus on teaching the mechanics of writing and fail to build the desire to write and express what is real to the student.  Writing is sadly a poorly developed skill in college students and basic mistakes are growing more and more common. These and other issues caused World Magazine to produce Write With World. A two year writing curriculum designed for middle school students.

As a mom of two middle school children, one who desires to be a writer, I was thrilled with the opportunity to test the pilot copy of this program! I was not disappointed.

Write With World comes with a teacher’s manual and a student text. It is recommended that you utilize World Magazine but any magazine will work. Toss in a thesaurus, dictionary and a notebook, and your child is ready to begin.  In September 2012, the program will also include access to a website that will have a teacher’s forum, student publication, writing prompts and other resources.

Write With World  Year One is divided into 4 Units and each unit contains Capsules and that is further broken down into lesson.  The five units are: Developing Critical Readers, Developing Writers: Building Blocks and Biography, Writing Autobiography and Crafting Narratives. You can see a full table of contents of both years of the program.

I appreciated the approach that Write With World takes. Beginning with “low stakes” evaluation to show and encourage the student in finding weak areas and learning where improvements are needed. Plenty of opportunities will be provided for more detailed evaluation but we don’t want to stunt the process before we get started!

My 7^th grader is currently taking a year off from grammar. Well, she was taking a year off. Write With World looked at the most common grammatical errors that college students were making and incorporated them into this curriculum. While you can you  separate grammar curriculum it is not necessary. Here are the common grammatical errors or trouble spots that are covered in Write With World.

The approach and lessons in Write With World are engaging and relevant. They help to spark interest in the student by using current events to promote interest, ideas and writing. Take a look at this sample lesson.

There are two options to purchasing Write With World:

Purchasing Each Year separately is $95 each. If you choose to purchase both years at the same time, the cost it is $165. While at first glance this may seem high, please note that this is a non-consumable product and all you need for each student is a notebook.  As a mother of 8 children who could utilize this curriculum, this is  a bargain. And the quality of the program is exactly what you would expect from World Magazine!

Write With World has produced an excellent writing curriculum that is simple to implement and builds the valuable skill of helping our children express their Christian worldview. Learning to write  is so much more than just forming complete sentences. It is about sharing our beliefs and communicating the Gospel! Write With World understands that crucial skill and makes it attainable.

Please make time to read more about Write With World at LearnWithWorld.com and also see what other TOS Crew Members are saying about this curriculum!

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

We had reached a point in our homeschool where we had finished up a year of study with a curriculum. I was really torn on moving forward with it for another year. After much thought and prayer, I decided I would create my own course of study for history. And then I had the opportunity to review TruthQuest History. God’s timing is perfect,yes? I was thrilled to choose the Age of Revolution II guide. It was almost exactly where we need to pick up in history!

Age of Revolution II 1800-1865

Taken from the TruthQuest Website:

TruthQuest History is a deep and rich literature-based history study…but with a difference. You will not learn the story of mankind; you will learn the lovestory of mankind. You will not focus on the rise and fall of human civilizations; you will focus on the arrow-straight line of God’s unchanging existence, power, love, truth, and plan for civilization. You will not simply ‘meet the culture’ or ‘get the facts;’ you will probe the truths of history so deeply that your students will be equipped to change their world!

The Age of Revolution II might be mistaken for a lovely booklist but that would be such a disservice to this resource! In this guide, this period of time is divided by significant events and important people. For each section commentary is given to help the student (teacher) pull the previous studies in line with what is up ahead, to offer reminders to see and think about how God’s hand is moving and what that means for that time and for now.  ThinkWrite questions are offered with each major section and can serve as great “writing prompts” for the student or a starting point for some in depth family discussions.

Family discussions are an important part of what I desire our day to hold. With children ranging in ages from baby to teenager, I love having the ability to bring us all together and to share in our studies. While that doesn’t work so well in math, it is attainable with history! The Age of Revolution II guide is designed for grades 5-12. However, book suggestions are included for the elementary years. (If your family just has younger learners right now, TruthQuest has American History guides just for them.) While my older daughter may be reading How Should We Then Live and my little ones are cuddled up with a picture book, we are all learning and studying the same part of history. It can make for lively discussion around the dinner table. Maybe more like a race to see who can tell daddy the most information first!

In the Age to Revolution II and other guides, several types of books are suggested. Spine books that provide a steady course as you travel through history. More in-depth, focused books on a particular person or events and even subtopics are provided. Mrs. Miller also includes activity books and movies when applicable.

I know that some will look at the TruthQuest Guides and think “That will never work for me!” , “Why doesn’t it come with a schedule?” or “I can’t buy all those books!” It can seem overwhelming at first glance. Take a deep breath. Here is how I make it work for me:

For me. Very important words. What I enjoy doing is reading a core or spine book aloud to everyone. We are a read aloud family so this flows along with how we spend our time. While I’m read aloud they may be drawing pictures, writing, building with Legos or knitting. I learned early on that if you keep the hands busy, the mind stays engaged so well. Once I’m done with our read aloud, the independent readers will have their reading assignments and can go about their day. Throughout the day I can sit with my younger ones and share some picture books on our topic or person so they are learning as well. (It is not surprising to catch my older ones listening in or reading the picture books on their own. There are some fabulous picture books!)

To enhance our reading, I have the children do other activities as well. I assign them to pick a person or event to write about that week. We may use the Think Write for the writing assignment or just discussion. Some will just narrate to me what they have read or draw a picture of something that they found interesting. It is sometimes helpful to have the older ones search Scripture for issues we see occurring in history.

A schedule/lesson plan isn’t provided so we move at our own pace and I don’t have to feel guilty for spending two weeks studying Madison and only a few days on Lincoln.  I love having flexibility with our learning. It is one of the beauties in homeschooling! as we work through the guide I don’t even attempt to utilize all the books suggested. I am a faithful patron of our local library. While I sometimes can’t find as many books as I desired or just the one I wanted, I usually find just what we need.  There is no way our budget would allow for purchasing a huge bundle of books and it has not been an issue with Age of Revolution II.

Key Thoughts on Why TruthQuest May or May Not Be For You:

*Christian Perspective - this curricula is written clearly from a strong Christian perspective. The purpose behind TruthQuest is to see how God’s hand has moved through History.

*Learning is mainly through living books. By reading a through living books, we learn so much. You can choose to incorporate other methods such as notebooking, geography, timelines, writing, etc but at the core, TruthQuest is about using literature to bring about understanding.

*No Schedule or Lesson Plan. If you like to check off little boxes you will have to make your own. While TruthQuest.com offers suggestions on how to “plan out” a guide, it is completely up to the discretion of each family how they work through the guide and how long it takes.

*Conversational Commentary. Throughout the Age of Revolution II guide, Mrs. Miller’s commentary may come across as “too relaxed” or “simplified”. She is writing to the student and she is aiming it at various grade levels. I don’t care for books that “dumb down” the information for children. By no means, do I think Mrs. Miller has over simplified the information. It is just in a more casual tone. At times, I may chose to summarize it in my own words.

*Supports/encourages family learning. While you could definitely keep your children separate and learning on their own cycle of history, TruthQuest is definitely a curriculum that can work for a wide variety of ages and learning abilities. If you are looking to study history as a family, then check out TruthQuest.

Age of Revolution II is available in two formats.

Print copy -  $29.95

PDF copy – $24.95

Interested?  Take a look at a sample lesson, table of contents and spine information. Be sure to check out FAQ , How to Choose and Families Share for some great information on using TruthQuest.

TOS Crew members reviewed various guides. So if Age of Revolution II (1800-1865) isn’t the guide you need, check out what others are using!

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

Thankfully, Classical Academic Press has made a Logics resource that makes teaching and learning Logic attainable.

Argument Course for the Junior High Student

Junior high aged students will argue (and sometimes quarrel), but they won’t argue well without good training. Young teens are also targeted by advertisers with a vengeance. From billboards to commercials to a walk down the mall, fallacious arguments are everywhere you look. The Art of Argument was designed to teach the argumentative adolescent how to reason with clarity, relevance and purpose at a time when he has a penchant for the “why” and “how”. It is designed to equip and sharpen young minds as they live, play, and grow in this highly commercial culture. This course teaches students to recognize and identify twenty-eight informal fallacies, and the eye-catching text includes over sixty slick and clever, “phony advertisements” for items from blue jeans to pick-up trucks, which apply the fallacies to a myriad of real life situations.

The above was quoted from Classical Academic Press

In Art of Argument, 28 fallacies are presented ; Begging the Question, Sweeping Generalization, Straw Man, Mob Appeal, etc . The text is written in a style that is easy for the student (and teacher) to understand and think through. With each fallacy, illustrations are given to help emphasis the fallacy being discussed.  Each chapter contains the fallacy text, discussion questions, examples and there is an ongoing dialogue with Socrates. There are chapter and unit tests as well. The teacher’s manual contains all the student text plus answers to the exercises and tests.

Along with the teacher and student texts, a DVD set is available. On the DVD, two Logic teachers and four students work through the fallacies. This is really helpful to see how discussions are worked out when you are not able to be in a group setting. Thankfully, I have two daughters who will go through this at the same time so we can have a good group discussion. I liked the DVDs from the teacher’s perspective to help me see how to draw out the discussion.

When I first handed the text to my 7th grader, she wasn’t exactly thrilled. After explaining the purpose of the texts, she was a bit more willing to give it a try. She is interested in learning how to win an argument. I look forward to this course building her argument skills and her confidence in defending her point of view as well. A true asset when it comes to defending her faith!

Classical Academic Press provides samples for the teacher and student text of Art of Argument.

Teacher Sample Chapter.

Student Sample Chapter.

You might also find the Logic FAQ helpful in deciding if this course is right for your family.

Pricing:

Art of Argument Basic Bundle is $88.95. This bundle contains: Student text, Teacher text and DVD set.  If interested in buying the items separately, that option is available as well.

There are many other products available such as Argument Builder that can enhance you homeschool learning!

Other Crew members reviewed Art of Argument or Argument Builder. Take a moment to see what they have to say!

Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made.

K5 Learning was designed to be an online after-school study program for children in Kindergarten – 5th Grade. K5 Learning includes reading, spelling, math and math facts.  K5 Learning uses an assessment that focuses on 8 key skills and places your child at the appropriate level. Placement based on ability and not age and grade makes K5 an excellent enrichment program!

The lessons are engaging and fully independent.  Clear instructions were given and adequate time for response prevented frustration. K5 let’s the child set the pace by having the child select “go on” or “next”.  You can view sample lessons for each area of learning and grade at K5 to see first hand how the lessons are conducted.

K5 Learning is a safe environment for online learning. It does not provide chat, external links or advertising.  Your child can focus on the task and not be tempted to click elsewhere.

Another great feature about K5 Learning is no games, tokens or other rewards need to be “earned” .  It is refreshing to have the creators of an online learning program realize that all the “bells & whistles” are not needed to motivate learning. Learning itself is a great motivator as well as parental encouragement.

And K5 allows parents the ability to track and guide learning. Progress reports are easily accessed and clear in presentation of information.  Parents can also assign which lessons they would like the child to complete or personalize spelling words.

Our Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised with K5 Learning. It is a lovely compliment to our homeschool. I utilized the program for my 6yr old and 8 yr old daughters. During the time that I was working with my older students, my younger girls rotated computer time on K5.  They were having fun and learning at the same time; building basic learning skills. My 8yr old loved the math facts and the reading. My 6 yr old always went for the math lessons first.

As one who is cautious of online programs, I loved K5 Learning. I think  K5 does exactly what it promises. It has been enjoyed in our home.

K5 provides thorough information at K5Learning.com . I recommend browsing the site, reading the FAQ and watching the sample lessons. Then take advantage of the 2 week free trail!

Pricing:

Monthly Subscription:

First Child – $25

Additional Child $15

Annual Subscription:

First Child -  $199

Additional Child – $129

For our family, the pricing is out of our budget. While I think it would be more realistic for families to lower the price, I also understand the cost of running an online program. By not allowing advertising, the cost must fall on the consumer.

Please take time to swing by the Crew and see what others think of K5 Learning.

**Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary 2 month subscription to this product. No compensation was made. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

ALEKS, Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces, is an online mathematics curriculum for grades 3-12. Using artificial intelligence programming, this learning system provides a customized math program for your student.

When you sign your child up for this program, you select the grade appropriate for her. The first step for your child is to complete an assessment. This assessment enables ALEKS to present the topics your child needs instruction for.  Once the assessment is finished, a pie chart shows areas that need to be completed. Your child can chose where she would like to begin.

ALEKS provides clear instruction for the student on how to answer and use the program.  While it may seem tedious for savvy computer users, it is very helpful for younger users. The pie chart also provides an excellent visual so progress can easily be seen and used as a motivator for the student.

As a mom/teacher, I loved the easy access on how my students were progressing. The reports allowed me to see how much time was spent and what was studied.  I also had the ability to control when and how long they could access the games.

One of the favorite features for my children was QuickTables. I often had to remind one child to actually do a lesson and not just QuickTables.

ALEKS can be a valuable resource for the homeschooling family. It provides a complete math curriculum that requires no textbook and can be accessed from any computer with internet ability. There are seasons in a homeschool family where a resource such as ALEKS could be a benefit.

Our Thoughts:

Overall, ALEKS was liked in our homeschool. Of the 3 students who used it, one really enjoyed it. However, she didn’t find it challenging. Due to our learning preferences, I would only use ALEKS as a supplemental curriculum. I think personal interaction is needed. However, compared to other online programs I have used, ALEKS is one I would not mind having in my home. It is a very straight forward program without distractions. Pricing is an issue as well.  I can’t justify such an expense for a math program; especially for lower grades.

The Price:

A subscription for an individual student is:

$19.95 per month or

$99.95 for 6 months or

$179.95 for 12 months

ALEKS also provides family discounts for those with more than one student. You can learn more here.

The best way to really understand ALEKS is to try it! Click below and try ALEKS free for 2 months!!!

Also take time to read through ALEKS.com.  So much information is available to help you understand how this system works .

Other Crew members shared about ALEKS as well. Check it out!

**Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy/use of this product. No compensation was made.

See-n-Spell is a spelling and vocabulary quick reference guide from See-n-Read. When writing, it can’t be a stumbling block to the creative flow to struggle with spelling. See-n-Spell is a spelling and vocabulary quick reference guide that can become a valuable resource.

See-n-Spell contains the correct spelling of over 300 commonly used words in American English. The three alphabatized sections makes easy use of the guide. The three sections provide:

*Most Commonly Used Vocabulary Words

*Commonly Misspelled Words

*My Special Interest Words

While I do encourage my children to use the dictionary sometimes having a quick reference is beneficial. The See-N-Spell is small enough that your student can keep it with her school work and have it readily available. She can quickly find the word that she needs to spell and move on with her writing. This can relieve the pressure a struggling speller may feel when facing a writing assignment.

The See-N-Spell guide is available from See-n-Read for $9.99. When you purchase See-n-Spell, a free See-n-Read reading tool is included. We had the opportunity to review the reading tool last year and it is still used daily in our home. Practical, inexpensive resources that aid in learning are invaluable!

Make sure you swing by the Crew and see what others had to say about See-N-Spell!

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