Time 4 Learning

I don't know about your children, but my daughters are always asking to play a game on the computer, so when I learned that we would be trying out the Time 4 Learning program, I knew that they would be pleased.

Let me begin by sharing a little bit about Time 4 learning. First of all, it is a computer based program for children in preschool up to 8th grade, and offers lessons in subjects like language arts, math, science and social studies, and includes various lesson extenders and games, not to mention the computer skills that will be learned along the way. You purchase a monthly subscription (prices occasionally change, so check the website for current information), that may be canceled at anytime, and they offer an initial 2 week money back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the program.

Each child has his/her own password to log in, with the younger ones checking in to the lower level and the older ones checking in to the upper level.

One of the nicer aspects of this program is that it is customized to your child's level of ability. Prior to starting the lessons, you, the parent, will select the various skills that your child has mastered, and Time 4 Learning will then choose the appropriate level for them. Additionally, as your child begins to work, if you find that the subject matter is either too easy or too difficult, you have access to one level above or one level below the one you 're using. There is also the option of changing the level permanently should it become necessary.

Okay, so you've logged in, now what does a typical lesson look like? Well, you'll notice a little timer at the upper right side of the screen. For my kindergartener's level, it begins counting backward from 15 minutes. This will help you keep track of the length of your lessons. Your child may pick from the menu of subjects- and there are many to choose from! Highlighted arrows then guide your student through the sequence of events as they complete the lesson. Upon completion of certain subjects, you'll find that there is a quiz or a test to take.

It's easy to track improvement with the progress reports. The program allows you to either check in on the computer, or print them out for your portfolio. You can then see in what areas you need to review, if any, or perhaps increase the level of difficulty.

Some of you may be wondering how to figure out how many activities to include in your school day every week. Well, there are quite a few to choose from, but never fear! Once again, they've done the hard work for us. If you click on the tab for lesson planning, you'll find that by simply plugging in the number of activities per subject, you will easily be able to divide them up for each week.

I would guess that the favorite part of each lesson for your kids- if they're like my own, is the computer games. Time 4 Learning has included a playground section with a fun selection of games to play. A good incentive for them to complete their schoolwork.

Already you're probably agreeing that this resource offers so much, but there's still more! A parent forum is available to meet and share with other parents, ask questions, encourage each other, etc.. If you find that there is an issue or a problem that you simply cannot get an answer for, then Time 4 Learning is available by phone or e-mail to assist.

As with so much of the curriculum and various resources that homeschool parents use, there can be too much information to keep track of, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed or even just forget where to find specific information. To help with this, every time you log in, you'll see a tab called Getting Started. Everything you need to remember may be found here. Also very useful is the Hints and Help tab, for technical issues and program hints.

That should provide an adequate overview, now for perhaps the most important part of this review, our family's sentiments regarding this product.

I mentioned earlier that I knew that my children would enjoy reviewing this product, and did they ever! There has not been a day where they have not requested- many times- to take their turn on the computer. And why wouldn't they? Time 4 Learning offers colorful characters, fun games and songs, "painting pages", stories, all while learning concepts that might otherwise be on the mundane side of things. As for the success of the material, my youngest was spouting off her newfound knowledge of language arts as we shopped for groceries. It's been an effective educational tool for us!

My purpose in trying this out is to provide my honest opinion. So, in light of that, I do need to bring up a few aspects that made using this a challenge.

The programs were child friendly, allowing my kids to work mostly independently. But occasionally there would be a part of the lesson where the directions were unclear, and sometimes downright confusing for all of us. As a result, there were times where my daughter would get an answer wrong, although she did know the material.

Logging out presented another source of frustration. The program did not provide a way to exit without completely getting offline, which posed a challenge when it was the next child's turn, as I had to reboot everything.

I guess the question is, would I recommend Time 4 Learning? My answer would be yes, I would. The issues are minor, in my opinion, and the product has been effective in teaching my daughters material that might otherwise be a bit tedious to learn. Also, the kids have clamored to use it, and make a noise when their time is up, which isn't the worst thing in the world, you know what I mean?

Time 4 Learning

time4learning.com

Phone: 954.771.0914

E-Mail: info@time4learning.com

Age Range: Preschool - 8th Grade

Price: Monthly Subscription - prices occasionally change- check website for current information

Homeschooling is a Labor of Love

Our family's decision to homeschool was made even before our children were of school age. While I knew of a few friends, and even some family members, who homeschooled their children, I knew very little about the subject. So began my search throughout the library, bookstores, and other various booksales to gather as much information as I could to see if indeed, we were being called to embark upon this homeschooling journey. It was at one such bookstore where I happened to come across a copy of The Old Schoolhouse magazine. What? A magazine for homeschoolers? And it's Christ honoring? I was sold!

As I made my way through the pages of TOS, I found myself encouraged, admonished, inspired- what other adjectives can I use? I'm telling you, this magazine has everything a busy homeschooling parent is looking for; ideas for unit studies, encouragement in light of the issues specific to these parents, recipes, so much information on the best and latest curriculum and other resources, contests, and much, much more, and the best part is, that TOS puts its focus on our homeschooling families loving and serving Christ, and teaching our children to do the same.

Without fail, I have felt my spirit lift with each new subscription that I read, and I feel a connection to the other homeschoolers who are walking the same educational path that I am. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, read on...

We know how seriously homeschooling parents take their conviction to homeschool. Our "Labor of Love" subscription sale is a celebration of the committment to homeschool, and we want you to know all about it!

The Old Schoolhouse magazine is extending an extraordinary subscription offer to homeschooling families. Receive a one-year print subscription for just $7.95 or a one-year plus current issue subscription for $12.95. One-year subscriptions start with the winter issue. The one-year plus current issue starts with the fall issue. Only 5000 of these special subscriptions are available from August 31 through midnight on September 15. Once the 5000 are gone, they're gone! Hurry and grab this crazy price today!

http://www.theoldschoolhousemagazine.com/homeschool/Labor-of-Love.htm



* note* - I wrote this post with the intention of promoting The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. In return, I am receiving Fall Expo To Go for free.

Peterson Directed Handwriting

This past month, I was given a copy of the Peterson Directed Handwriting print step 1, 2, and 3, in exchange for my honest review of it. Up until learning about and using this product with my family, I had no idea how much research could go into teaching handwriting- what I assumed was a simple task. This program is not like most of the others available on the market. It goes way beyond providing pages of copywork and pencils or crayons and having the little ones trace away the day. Oh no! I have to admit though, that at first, I was skeptical.Why would going through all of these extra steps produce better results than the handwriting curriculum I had previously used? Well, let me tell you...

Peterson Directed Handwriting includes 4 objectives:

1.) Internalizing the sequence of movements for handwriting

2.) Learning to write smoothly

3.) Improve control

4.) Improve fluency

As I mentioned before, I was skeptical at first, and reluctant to put down my tracing pencil and try this method. Then, I checked out their website explaining the science of handwriting, not to mention all of the research that went into the planning of this program. I would encourage everyone to take a look at it too, before you make up your mind.

http://www.peterson-handwriting.com/Info.html

Moving on now, the main goal here is to produce within your child's writing, smooth, rhythmic movement. You are to begin this process by first "illustrating and describing" as the instructions put it. Print step 1 - and the others too- include color coded pages to demonstrate where to begin, and in what order the writing strokes should be made. So, you begin at the starting dot, and as you make the movement with your finger, you also say out loud the movement. For example, if I was teaching how to write number 5, I would say, "small down, roll around, slide" as I followed the lines with my finger.

The next step is air-writing. I think that is pretty self explanatory. Then comes finger tracing, and only after all of that does the child move on to actually writing the letter itself. You probably understand by now that this resource is more time consuming than a lot of the others out there, and it is. However, if the goal is to provide a strong foundation for the many years of writing ahead, then you may find it is well worth the effort.

I was convinced enough after viewing all of their information on the why's and how's to jump right in with my own daughters. How did it go? Well, quite honestly, I've had mixed results. We all know that kids are not cookie cutters, and what works for one may not for the other, etc... I tried it first with my youngest, who has just started kindergarten. She has been the most receptive of the two, mostly, I think, because she has had really no other instruction. I'm not discounting how her personality factors in to the equation though, because she is more physical and chatty, and therefore took to the verbal part of it all, and the air-writing,fairly enthusiastically. In fact, she really enjoyed the chanting aspect of the instruction, and it did seem to help her internalize what she needed to do when she actually began writing the letters and numbers.

My eldest daughter, on the other hand, was a little more challenged by this new method. Having learned how to write in what is probably the most traditional form, she repeatedly told me that she already new how to write, so why did she need to learn everything again? Well, I did not give up, and she has warmed up to it a little bit. We've used various silly voices as we say the directions out loud together, as well as air-write not only with our fingers, but our feet, noses, elbows, you get it, right? Initially, she wasn't thrilled about the out loud chanting of the instructions either. She tends to be a bit self conscious, but as long as I say it with her, most of the time she's receptive. Really, I think it's good for her to relearn some of this anyway. I appreciate the attention to detail as far as things like the paper position and pencil grip. They're just good exercises in the discipline.

My family has only worked with the print step 1, 2, and 3, but there are other resources available from this company to use in conjunction wh the program. These include pencil grips, sticky backed paper positioning guides and animated letter cards. You can check the website for the various prices.

What really impressed me as I went about learning how to implement these, was the excellent customer service. I cannot say enough good things about Rand Nelson, who created the program, and his willingness to do everything in his power to make this product work for you. He and his team are very accomodating to whatever your particular needs may be. In fact, when you first get on their website, you'll see that there are live meetings available pretty much whenever you need them. They want you to use their product, but more importantly, they want you to succeed in your teaching.

I've been back and forth as we've used this product, but overall, I like it and would recommend it, although I would say that I think it might be best for those children who have had no prior instruction in handwriting. Then you may save yourself the trouble of forgetting old ways of instruction, and learning the new ones. At the very least, I would advise anyone who is looking for a program like this to stop and take a look at Peterson's material, their research, and sit in on a web meeting. It's well worth the time.

Peterson Directed Handwriting

Print Step 1, Print Step 2, Print Step 3 - $19.95 each

Phone: 724.837.4900

Fax: 724.836.4110

315 S. Maple Ave.

Greensburg, PA 15601

Join the Schoolhouse Expo!

It's back to homeschool time and registration is open for the online Schoolhouse Expo, October 4-8. It's 5 days of top homeschool speakers,fellowship, and fun door prizes.

Save $5 per ticket! Register between August 16 and midnight August 22, and you'll pay only $19.99. Plus you'll receive over $200 in free E-Books.

You'll be inspired by speakers including: Zan Tyler, Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, Carol Barnier, Diana Waring, Todd Wilson, Davis Carman, Kim Kautzer, Lee Binz, and many more!

A special teen track is planned--the entire family will definitely want to listen to these special sessions. We've also planned a special focus on a topic that touches every homeschool--writing.Plus, an array of other topics that will inform and inspire you throughout your homeschooling years.

Don't forget, MP3 copies of each session comes with your live event ticket.

Two special preconference shows on August 24 and September 21 with Dr. Jay Wile, Jeannie Fulbright, and Kim Kautzer!

Register starting 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 16.

The theme this fall is "Celebrate Homeschooling!" We're going to celebrate the unique blessings of homeschooling, the beginning of another school year, our families, and the freedom to tailor our children's education to best meet their needs.

If you cannot make the Live event, then the October Expo To Go is just your ticket! You'll reserve MP3's from all of the workshops. This week only, pay just $14.95!

You can visit either of these links to get more information.

http://www.SchoolhouseExpo.com/

or

http://bit.ly/aWHFiL

* Note - I received Expo To Go free in exchange for promoting this event.

It's Here! The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner

Note: As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew for the 2010-11 year, I have reviewed the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner with the intention to promote it.

It was one of those days. You know the kind I'm speaking of. From the moment you wake, you just sense a storm brewing in the day ahead. Actually, saying that I awoke suggests that I had been sleeping, when in fact, our youngest , (who, by the way, has felt from her birth that mommy never needs more than 3 hours of sleep at a time) had once again spent the night traipsing up and down the stairs between our rooms for various "emergencies"- can't sleep, a drink, bad dream, etc.. Anyway, I'd like to say that, as CeCe cheerfully bounced back into the room again at 6a.m., and my dear husband kissed me goodbye to go to work( the lucky duck), I enthusiastically greeted her, made the beds, prepared a delightful and healthy breakfast for both of my sweet angels, tidied the house, threw in a load of laundry, had a meaningful devotional time with them and then dove into an exciting day of learning- a well rounded curriculum including Spanish, history, art, math, reading, and science, with some P.E. thrown in. It's alright, I can wait until you're done laughing. I'm sure you've already figured out that my day DID NOT go that route. Here's how the morning actually played out; rewind to CeCe entering our room, AGAIN. The first thing I see as I open my very tired eyes is my youngest sweetie's smiling face, 1 inch from my nose, asking, "Are you getting up yet?" I mumble a grouchy yes, at which point the little darling launches into random conversation about, well, everything. I make the bed, make my way upstairs where I discover an accident needing cleaning up from our dog, toys strewn about the floor, and scattered bits of chewed up crayons, which aforementioned dog has enjoyed munching. Our oldest daughter sits at a table in her room, coloring. Seeing me, she offers a cheerful "hello Mommy". Walk into the kitchen, where a sinkful of dishes greet me, ( I really meant to take care of those last night). Complaints come my way fast and furious as I set the bowl of cereal ( which they could not get enough of the day before, but now sits untouched and rejected) before them. Hoping for 10 minutes of peace- and distraction- so I can get it together, I flip on the t.v. (for an educational program naturally). So begins the fight between my daughters over which show to watch. The voices get louder, mine included, my head is already pounding, and I look outside (longingly) at the passing schoolbus. Forget the kids, put me on the bus!

But then, the most wonderful thing happened. As I logged on to my computer, there it was, waiting for me, the solution to all of my homeschool challenges, hey the solution to all of my household needs! Oh joy, the new 2010 TOS Homeschool planner! It's here! It was like the heavens opened, and a great light shone into my lowly kitchen onto my computer! Can't you hear the angels singing? Alright, alright, so I'm a bit dramatic, but honestly, I did clap my hands together and squeal yaayy! I also may have jumped up and down, but anyway, let me share with you why this planner has me so excited.

Okay, so you already know that my purpose here is to plug the new 2010 Schoolhouse Planner, so it's a given that I'm going to rave about it. But seriously, it is such a wonderful tool, I promise you it lives up to the hype. Now, with over 500 pages, there simply is not nearly enough room here to share everything. Therefore, I'm picking out some of my favorites to talk about. The beginning is a good place to start, right? There are several years worth of calendars here, with ones that have year at a glance, and then broken down into weeks and days. It doesn't stop there though, because each month includes articles, recipes (including gluten free ones), organizational tips, seasonal activities, and various TOS resources.

Every family differs in the ages and stages of their children, and there are activities and information sheets to meet each specific area. If you have preschoolers, there are alphabet coloring pages, educational activities, and a place to record them. Likewise, if you have high schoolers, there are transcript pages, test score sheets, tracking logs, community service project logs, and extracurricular activities logs. For every age in between, there are bible reading schedules, journaling pages, field trip logs, report cards, progress reports, homeschool requirements for your specific state. That's a lot right there, isn't it? Let's add some more then, curriculum forms, yearly goals and planning, educational objectives - and there is so much more that hasn't been mentioned!

There are around 50 pages of miscellaneous educational info sheets for your printing pleasure. Just a few - 13 colonies, branches of the gov., cloud types, the miracles and parables of Jesus, letter writing tips, U.S. presidents, countries and capitals, various conversion charts. Do you belong to a co-op? The info and planning pages are right here. Going to several homeschool conventions? Here's a place to record all of your important stuff.

Are you sold yet? Wait there's more! (giggle) The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner has so many additional forms for ... everything! Bible memory work? Check. Library due dates list? Check. Attendance charts? It's all here. They've even included a ton of stuff for all of your home repair projects, finances, grocery planning, emergency information, and on and on. Whew!

One of the greatest aspects of this planner is that it allows the owner to customize it according to his/her specific needs. You can print the entire book out, or just those that you need. It even allows you to use it on the computer if your desire is to be paper free. As for me, I'm printing off 3 months at a time, enough for me to plan ahead a bit, plus a few of the daily/weekly schedules, the grocery and budget lists, and I've got my eye on a few of those yummy recipes for the next few weeks. I'm thinking Indonesian Pork, Peanut Butter Cookies, and Cheesy Burger Croissants!

So there you have it in a nutshell, but you really must pick one up for yourself and see why I'm so excited about the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner. The price is right, it's customizable, you simply won't find a better planner around. C'mon, get over to The Old Schoolhouse Store and get it now! Look forward to chatting again soon,

- Laurie

The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine,LLC

Price: $39.00

Phone# 1-888-718-HOME

TRAVEL KITS - A simple way to bless others

Hey again, glad you could join me over here. In case you missed it before, I have the awesome opportunity this school year to be a part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. That means that I will be receiving samples of homeschool resources from various vendors, and, in return, have agreed to review each product - without compensation- and pass that information on to you. So, if you're ready to hear about this month's product, let's go!

The product - TRAVEL KITS - A Simple Way To Bless Others

Price - $12.45

Vendor - TOS

Contact information - http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/index.php

Phone# - 1-888-718-HOME

Recommended ages - All Ages

Upon seeing the title of this product, I was onboard. My initial thought was, gift baskets! ( I love gift baskets, both making and receiving them.) While first glancing through this e-book, I was immediately drawn to the colorful pictures. Each kit is presented so beautifully, and there are seemingly endless ideas throughout the pages. After quickly paging through the material, I was ready for the details. Author Donna Rees has laid out the book in such a way that, depending on your learning style, you may either skim the entire thing and get down to making your own kits, or take your time and enjoy the details - which really is worth it, and for me is half the fun. But, there again, that will depend on your style, available time, etc...

Okay, so what's involved in putting together a travel kit? Well, Donna gives us 6 basic questions to ask, so let's start there.

1. WHO? Who is the kit for? There is no age limit on this one; a travel kit works as well for a grandparent as it does for a young child.

2. WHAT? What do you put in it? Anything and everything, that's what! The best thing about creating these kits is that there's no right or wrong way. You can be as fancy or budget conscious as you need to be.

3. WHEN? When is an appropriate time to use these? Long car trips definitely, but I tell you what, sometimes an afternoon of running various errands works very well for me too.

4. WHERE? This could really be combined with the 'when' question. Really, wherever these would occupy a restless child, whether a long family vacation, or a quick trip to a baseball game.

5. HOW? You'll be planning ahead as you create these goodies, but how detailed is up to you. Your only limit is your own creativity.

6. WHY? The best part (at least I think so), is because it's so fun making these, but seeing the delight of the ones on the receiving end is very cool too. Also, should you choose to involve your little ones, (and the bigger ones too,) you're teaching them the joy of giving and serving others. And as homeschooling moms, we're always looking for the teachable moments right?

Well we've got the basic intro going, now it's time for more details, or, as my husband occasionally says," put the cookies on the lower shelf ". You'll have to plan a bit, thinking about what will best fit the recipient as far as their family size, car size, the cost, boys or girls. I really love the creativity of travel kits myself. You can take it as far as your imagination allows.

I took away several fresh ideas for the presentation alone. Who would think of a flowerpot as a possible container? Or what about those little pillbox containers for each day of the week, filled with little treats? How about an upside down hat, or one of my favorites, an empty, washed out ice cream container from a local ice cream shop?

Okay, we have some containers, so let's fill these bad boys. Snacks, always a good choice. Think healthy, and think neat, meaning it's probably best to avoid sticky gooey stuff. ( Wet wipes would be appreciated with your gift too). There are endless dollar store items, bracelets,toy cars, crafty items, stickers, wikki sticks, and the list goes on.

Another of the ideas that jumped out at me was the section on books. Of course there's a wide range in this category, from story books to puzzle books, to tracing books. What about recording your own audiobooks? Love that idea! So much that you can do with that. Have several different people read aloud a chapter, or different stories. Who knows,you might end up with a cherished family heirloom!

I also liked that you could add little toys or activities that relate to a book theme - like purchasing little plastic farm animals for Charlotte's Web or other animal stories.

For me, one of the best aspects of this resource is the way it adapts to whatever you need it to. This works as well for a grandparent, new mom, or teenager as it does for your preschoolers. And you know, what mom do you know who wouldn't love to be on the receiving end of one of these?

The price is right too. At $12.45, you're not gonna break the bank on this one folks. I'll be referring back to it frequently, I'm quite sure.

The author concludes with a delightfully lengthy list of websites and resources to help you on your way. So now, the only thing left to do is check out this e-book, and make someone a travel kit today!

Thanks for hanging out with me here. Keep checking back for future reviews. Next month, I'll let you know about a cool new handwriting product our family is using. Until later,

WELCOME!

Well hey there! Welcome to Laurie's school days. You know, if anyone had told me even six months ago that I would be writing my own blog, I wouldn't have believed them. Most of my computer skills have consisted of turning the computer on and getting to my e-mail. However, as it became clear that our family was being called to homeschool, I realized that I needed to face my fear and do this thing! As it happened, a wonderful opportunity arose through my favorite homeschooling resource, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. This upcoming school year, I will be participating in their homeschool crew. What is that all about ? Well, I'm glad that you asked! I have the wonderful task of sampling and reviewing a variety of school materials, and then passing that info along to you!

Now, when it comes to all of this, I am definitely a newbie. But, one of the best things about the homeschooling journey is our own opportunity to learn along with our children.( Quite honestly, I know that I learned as much as, if not more, in my first year of homeschooling my kindergartener, now first grader!)So...with a few butterflies in my tummy, and a lot of positive anticipation, I am gearing up for a great year, and my hope is that you will join me in the fun. Later this week, I'll be posting my review for TOS travel kits. Trust me when I tell you that you're gonna love this one! Let's chat soon,