Music has been on our schedule for a while, but it just wasn’t happening, so I made a decision that whatever it takes, we were going to start music this year. Although we don’t have a piano (it didn’t move with us), I bought a piano lesson book so I can start teaching the children how to play. I have not opened it up to use yet because we have instead been using KinderBach which we had the opportunity to review through TOS.

KinderBach is an online program for learning about music and how to play the piano. You can view lessons on your computer, iPad (this made me finally want an iPad), or on DVD. Even though it is nice to have a real piano or electronic keyboard to practice on when you start, it is not necessary for the first several lessons to have either to start using this program. Eventually, you do want to have access to one or the other to continue going through the lessons and to give your child a chance to practice on the “real thing.” Even when considering either one for use, a simple keyboard is suggested rather than one with a lot of features which will allow the child to focus more on what he is learning rather than the “cool features” on the keyboard.

There are 240, student-guided, online video lessons, and 60 weeks of music training which sounds like a lot, but by the end of the course, your child should “At the end of the KinderBach program, your child will “have a strong musical foundation that he/she will be able to use as a springboard to any music instrument,” and also be familiar with the following:

• Know all the notes on the piano by location and letter name
• Be familiar with the grand staff,
• Read some individual notes on staff and all notes by pattern on staff,
• Understand and read rhythms from eighth to whole notes,
• Have improved listening skills so that he/she can interpret rhythms, intervals and patterns heard.
• Play familiar melodies,
• Play hands together or separately,
• Have a working music vocabulary,
• Understand basic composition methods

The child is led through the instruction by Kari and the Piano Pals, animated characters, that make the learning a little bit more fun as they get active along w/the child for promoting participation.

All additional materials (activity worksheets , parent guide, songs, etc.) are available online, so there is not any additional expense for these items. You can print and download as often as you need.

Although the recommended ages of use are 3 to 7, all three of my children (through age nine) enjoyed watching the lessons, but I can see how it is definitely more geared to the suggested age range because many older students may be ready to just start using the actual instrument.

As a reward for their hard work, I took them to our church so they could practice what they were learning on a REAL piano. This was a great incentive (although not needed because they enjoyed the program) to get them to complete the lessons.

You can try out the first two weeks of lessons for FREE which will give you a chance to see how the program works as well as if it is right for your family. Also, take a look at this video that tells you all about KinderBach.

Pricing and Availability

Kinderbach is available monthly for $19.99 or annually for $95.88 (save 60%). You can also purchase single lesson DVDs or DVD bundles. You may also purchase day-passes. Through February 2, 2013, you can use coupon code TOScrew2012 and save 30% off on your purchase. Wow!

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Teaching my children to be virtuous is a daily lesson for them and I must admit that for me, it has been a good reminder of values that I too should practice daily. There are some days when I wonder who is their teacher and if they will ever learn how to be patient and kind to each other and then on other days, they exhibit character traits that would make any mother proud.

We Choose Virtues is a popular character-based curriculum for children (ages 3-11) that inspires them with “simple, positive, and consistent instruction” to help them learn and build Biblical virtues and character traits. The curriculum is the creation of Heather McMillian a mother of four and former preschool teacher and children’s pastor. Heather originally created the list of virtues to use with her children and then began sharing them with her preschool students and others – teachers, parents, and professional counselors.

The Virtues

We had the opportunity to review two new products – Virtue Clues Cards and the Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Book. The Virtue Clues Cards are high quality, double-sided cards that come in a convenient small carrying case so that they can easily go where you or your child goes. Children can use the cards which have “clues” of the virtues you already study together. They are great reminders of the virtues giving your child the right words to say when experiencing different situations so they can “choose virtues” and make the right decision.

An example of text on one of the cards:

On the front…I am Forgiving. I choose to love when others hurt me.

I am NOT…hateful or angry and I don’t stay mad, gossip, or try to get even!

On the back…Choose to go the whole day without staying mad at anyone! Instead say “I forgive you” and “I was wrong, too” Feather Heather knows you can do it!

The black and white coloring book features the Kids of VirtueVille and offers a fun way through coloring for children to reinforce the virtues you study together.

We do Bible study daily and I was able to incorporate a virtue in our study. Since we only had the clue cards, we were not able to get the full experience of the curriculum, but having the Kids Memory Verses, Bible Heroes and Truths was helpful because it lists a Bible character and verse that compliments each virtue.

If We Choose Virtues sounds like it is for your student or family, but you are not sure where to start, then take a look at this product comparison chart that will help you decide which We Choose Virtues kit is right for your family. Also be sure to take the character assessments (student or family) before starting the curriculum to chart your progress.

We Choose Virtues Virtue Clues Cards are regularly $7.95, but are currently on sale for $5.99 and the coloring book is $3.99 and only available as a download.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

I know that movie watching is not exactly something new in the classroom, but ZeeZok Publishing has combined movie watching, history and social studies, and fun all into one educational package by incorporating all of these aspects and coming up with a unique product called a Z-Guide (a.k.a. Z-Guides to the Movies).

What’s It About?
Z-Guides are educational resource guides that walk a student through a historical period in time using a movie and ten activities that “build upon the movie.” The guide begins with a topic overview which gives the student insight into the historical period that is covered in the movie. It is followed with a synopsis so the student will be somewhat familiar with the storyline and be able to better understand how the storyline, the characters, and the theme of the movie all come together. The lesson plan is set up with two activities to cover each day over a five-day period that focus on such academic skills as research skills, writing skills, critical thinking, and art.

The Product
We reviewed the elementary (also available for high school) Z-Guide for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington which is part of the Great Depression timeline series. The elementary Z-Guide for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is prepared for students in the elementary grades, but would also be challenging for students through the 7th or 8th grades. You can take a look at the current listing of available Z-Guides. There are also more than 15 timeline periods to choose from which include Ancient Rome, 19th Century Europe, The Roaring Twenties, and World War II just to name a few. You can also view a sample guide to gain an idea of how the study is presented.

For the Student
The student has (if he or she needs one) an excuse to watch a movie and the bonus is even if he finds the content a little boring, then the activities that are included in the Z- Guide may cause his interest to return.

The student has an opportunity to see the true value in a movie as being something more than just entertainment and may start looking at future films with a more critical eye. Ex: We enjoyed the movie Cars, but what was the director truly trying to say to the audience? Hmm…Don’t worry, movie watching will still be fun after completing a Z-Guide.

For the Teacher
ZeeZok Publishers has prepared everything for the teacher. Although there is definitely teacher involvement required, each day of the five-day activity schedule is planned including at least two activities for the day. The suggested schedule is just that “suggested” and can be adapted to accommodate your daily homeschool schedule.

The synopsis and topic overview are both helpful sections and offer enough information for the student whether or not the historical period presented in the movie is being covered in class. So, you can present the movie and also give the student enough background for everything to make sense.

My Thoughts
Fortunately, my children are in the habit of watching old movies (anything released before 1980 ), so they were not thrown off by this old black and white film. The Z-Guide allowed us to dig a little deeper into this film. They enjoyed the movie and the activities and I enjoyed the writing assignments. Since we are doing more writing in school, I like that the guide presents many writing activities for the student like writing a newspaper article and writing a letter to your senator. I also enjoyed going through activities nine (worldview focus) and ten (critical thinking) and covering the questions for family discussion because it gave me chance to see how my children are thinking. If you are not already familiar with the story-line of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, then you should learn more to share with your children especially as we enter a new presidential election year.

Also, my children gained practice gathering information (research skills) so they could answer some of the questions presented in the Z-Guide.

I like that they use movies that are usually available through the public library or can be found through resources like Netflix or even a few may be found online as part of the public domain and can be found through Internet searches.

Pricing and Availability

The Z-Guides are currently available as an E-book for instant download or on a CD with a single license for $12.99 (add shipping for CD purchase) or co-op/classroom licenses can be purchased for larger groups starting at $49.99. Along with the Z-Guide, the DVD version of the movie can also be purchased separately for each guide they offer.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

I’ll admit that when I first saw the title, I immediately thought of the definition of pride which we all try to steer our children away from: an excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit. The picture on the cover of the book also only led me to think more that the words on the pages were going to be a story about a prideful old woman. Despite that, my interest was peaked enough to look further and I am glad that I did. From experience, I’ve learned that you never get to know the real story unless you look beyond the cover and turn the pages of a book.

Grandma’s Pride takes us back to 1956 during a time of segregation and Jim Crow laws that reigned in the southern states of America. Sarah Marie and her little sister along with their mother travel from their home up north to spend the summer, as they do every year, with Grandmama who lives in the south. For the girls, the trip is full of adventure and fun while riding in the back of the bus in the “best seats” says their mother because they are wide and roomy, and closer to the bathroom. This trip also holds a little more excitement than usual for Sarah Marie because her Aunt Maria will be teaching her to read.

During the long journey, the bus pulls into a rest stop for the passengers to stretch their legs and grab a bite to eat at the store lunch counter. Instead of joining the other passengers at the lunch counter, Sarah Marie and her sister remain on the bus and eat the delicious lunch their mother specially packed for them all to enjoy. After lunch, the bus continues to its destination and eventually arrives where they are greeted by Grandmama and Aunt Maria who are excitedly waiting for them at the bus depot in town. Sarah Maria notices that there are no seats in the waiting room where Grandmama and Aunt Maria are waiting, but quickly dismisses it because of her excitement at seeing them both.

The summer is full of good food cooked by Grandmama, playing in the garden, writing letters to their father, reading lessons for Sarah Marie, and many trips walking to town because Grandmama does not ride the bus. Sarah Marie dismisses that as just one of Grandmama’s “peculiar ways.” One day while in town, Grandmama cautions them about drinking out of the public water fountain because, “You don’t know who’s been drinking there,” and suggests that the girls wait until they get home to enjoy some of her “lemon-mint tea from fresh-squeezed lemons with spearmint out of her garden.”

As the summer progresses, Sarah Marie learns how to read and starts taking in all of her surroundings and enjoying her new ability. With the excitement of being able to read also comes a sadness as she becomes aware of truths that have always been present and ones her mother and Grandmama have been protecting her and her sister from for many years.

Becky Birtha has written a wonderful story that shows a little girl coming into awareness of the times in which she lives. Although the period was full of a lot of hate, there was also a lot of love that so many people gave and experienced and continues to trump racial division even today. There is a moment in the story when you see how Sarah Marie has learned more than how to read but also has learned a sense of compassion, when she cautions her little sister.

The illustrations in the book are also well done by Colin Bootman and are a nice compliment to a good story that reminds one of or introduces one to how it used to be during segregation.

Now when I look at the cover of the book, I see a woman who knows her value as a human being and one who stands for the dignity and equal rights and respect for all people and not just for herself.

*American Heritage Dictionary

I do well with knowing the English language and what little I remember from taking French in high school and in college. Obviously, the English stayed with me, but the French I learned and remember only allows me to read some and speak little – “Je parle un petit peu le francais” or something like that. I always find people who are able to read, write, and have an understandable conversation in more than one language quite interesting.

As I may have mentioned before, I studied French because everyone around me was either taking Spanish or speaking Spanish and I figured I could pick up something from them while also learning a completely new language. Well, that never really happened and every once in a while, I wish I had instead studied Spanish because I would probably have more of an opportunity to use it now than I have had with French. Where I live, there is more of an opportunity to speak with other people who either studied Spanish or are natives of Mexico and I believe that regular conversation/usage of a language is a way to either improve or retain what you have learned.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT
We were offered the opportunity to review R.E.A.L. Homeschool Spanish which is a Spanish (Central and South America) curriculum written by Dr. Karyn Williamson, a homeschooling mother of three boys. Although she has her doctorate in Expanded French Studies, she did not stop there with learning a new language. The only thing is that when she delved into learning Spanish, she taught herself with help from and the experience of her husband who is a native of Mexico.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Williamson has taught both French and Spanish to students – homeschoolers, high school students, community college level, and university level. It was during her experience teaching homeschool students (her children included) that she saw a need for a curriculum that satisfied her desires as a teacher and presented the material to her students to ensure they were learning. She had a vision, but her main concern was not having enough prep-time to put it all together.

THE PRODUCT
R.E.A.L. (relax, enjoy, aspire, and learn) Homeschool Spanish curriculum is one created specifically for homeschool families enabling them to learn the language together – parents and children – while also using it in their daily lives and not limited to only using it while in the classroom. The learning of Spanish is a family experience and while everyone studies together – reading, writing, listening, and pronunciation, everyone is also learning to communicate together through conversation and can practice, when not in school, through real-life conversation.

The study is divided into ten units with 46 weeks of study which will take you through a regular academic school year. Each unit focuses on a general theme on which the study sections are based upon that aid in the presentation of the material. The sections include:

Vocabulary & Home Educator Tips This section presents the new vocabulary words and tips on how to incorporate the usage of the words in your “everyday.”		Ideas for Facilitating Home Learning This section offers suggestions of other ways to further the practicing of the presented material to reinforce learning.
Grammar Tidbits This section offers brief explanations and practice activities of grammar that is used in the lessons.		Audio This section presents the new vocabulary words and sentences to help reinforce speaking and listening skills.
Activity Book This section has various activities to complete which include crossword puzzles, dialogue building, matching, writing, and more that offer additional learning time for the student and a rest for the teacher.		Answer Book This section has the answers to the exercises in the Activity Book.
Culture This is an online resource that is updated every six months and offers links to other Web sites and book resources that show the importance of learning a language and how Spanish is widely used. Access the Culture section.

FOR THE TEACHER
The prep-time that Dr. Williamson could not find has been returned to the teacher with the Daily Curriculum Guide that is included in the study. The guide has a breakdown of each unit, which is between four to seven weeks, and an outline and very detailed schedule that you can choose to follow or develop your own schedule using the blank curriculum planning table (provided) to map out your own week that better accommodates your family. There is even a schedule for weekly prep and then lessons for five days of the school week. All you have to do is put everything together according to the schedule.

OUR EXPERIENCE
We are still enjoying R.E.A.L. Homeschool Spanish and I have finally found a foreign language program that is affordable and walks us through learning a new language at a pace that is manageable for the age range of my children (5 – 9) as well as for me. Even though I am the teacher, I get to share a learning experience with my children and we often find ourselves laughing a lot together when we are trying to pronounce some of the vocabulary words correctly – accent and all.

With the existing schedule, we spent about 30 minutes, four days a week, because I wanted to take it real slow. We will probably start following the five-day study schedule when our new school year starts next week.

MY THOUGHTS
Thank goodness Dr. Williamson found the time to do all of the prep work. It made my preparation for each week a lot easier because of the Daily Curriculum Guide. I did not have to figure out what to cover and when to cover the material and was instead able to just get to work on the lessons. When teaching a new subject, sometimes it is difficult to determine at what pace to work through the material and that was an issue I did not have to worry about.

I found the Tips for the Home Educator section to be very helpful which kind of worked as a “tutor” or support area for the teacher offering suggestions on how to present the new material to the students.

Although I never had to contact her, Dr. Williamson offers E-mail support and is open for any questions you have regarding the curriculum.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
At the time of this post, R.E.A.L. Homeschool Spanish is available for purchase as a hardcopy for $89.95 or as a convenient download for $49.95 with both packages including the book, activity book, answer book, and audio files only. If you would also like the Daily Curriculum Guide (I would suggest you purchase), then it is another $10 ($59.95/$99/95 respectively). FREE shipping is offered on hardcopy purchases. Take a look at some sample pages, the table of contents, and the Daily Curriculum Guide to get a better idea of what this curriculum has to offer. You can also listen to some of the audio files.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

When I started blogging, it was on green/environmental issues not because I was well educated on the subject, but rather because I liked the idea of doing things more naturally whether it pertained to the way I prepared our food or the way I managed our home, or the way we lived our lives. I even went as far as to creating activities that I did with my children to give them opportunities to learn how to care for themselves and their environment more naturally or at least using resources that were already available to us rather than buying more of what we did not need. Although researching for what I wrote gave me a chance to learn more, I also realized that my knowledge was on an elementary level and there were many people out there who had “masters degrees” (were more knowledgeable) on the subject.

Jesse Hawkins, founder of Vintage Remedies, is an example of one of those people who knows a lot more about living naturally and she shares her knowledge with others through Clinical Skills workshops, at conferences, online wellness courses which are fee-based and a FREE Real Foods newsletter program that begins, Monday, January 2 and lasts for eight weeks.

While Jesse has many courses for adult education, she has also taken the time to write a curriculum for children which includes Vintage Remedies for Kids (ages 2-6), Vintage Remedies for Tweens (ages 7-13 – coming 2/2012), Vintage Remedies for Guys (ages 7-13), and Vintage Remedies for Girls (ages 7-13) which we had the chance to review.

Vintage Remedies for Girls is a workbook that can be used one on one with your daughter or in a group environment like a co-op or workshop for girls. Each workbook is an individual course and discount pricing is available if you choose to use the workbook as a group study.

The book if divided into three sections:

Section 1: Food, Nutrition, and Culinary Skills
A few of the topics covered are Real Food, Kitchen Basics, Sweet Desserts, and Local Foods.

Section Two: Health and Body
A few of the topics covered are Beautiful You – Naturally, Immunity and Prevention, Coughs and Cold, and Backyard Medicine.

Section Three: Natural Living
A few of the topics covered are Cleaner Cleaning, Green Gifting, Reducing and Reusing, and A Natural Home.

Since each section of the book does not build upon the other, you can begin in any section or chapter of interest. One of the reasons I wanted to review this book was so we could study Section Three: Health and Body. As old as I am, I am still learning how to not only care about my skin, but to properly care for my skin. I have already introduced my daughter to non-toxic fingernail polish, but as far a beauty products are concerned, we have kept it simple, safe, and natural.

The study is written for the child to be able read through the lessons herself, but it is suggested that there be parental assistance to complete the activities. Because the average parent is not well-versed in natural living, I would really suggest that you take the time to complete the course with your daughter because I learned something new or was reminded of something I may have forgotten in each lesson that we covered. The information you are wanting your daughter to learn from this study are better promoted when she sees you doing the same and you are working together.

Most of the chapters have quizzes to “test” the comprehension of the material, but since I see the material as teaching a way of living, I would imagine that the best way to “test” if your daughter has learned anything is to watch how she conducts herself in the way she lives. Also, if your lifestyle is not already leaning toward a green and natural experience, it may take a while for some of these lessons to be fully learned. The head knowledge will be there, but I believe that Jessie is hoping for the heart knowledge – meaning, understanding, and a desire to live more naturally.

The layout of the book was a bit confusing and I think it could be improved if each section/chapter had the objectives and the materials needed to complete the chapter at the beginning instead of at the end of the chapter and/or the book. I also would have preferred reading a different font than was used in the book, but that is a minor issue and just something to consider for future printings.

The course has a lot of information that provides a well-rounded study in natural living. Even though I consider myself with a heart for the natural, there are some areas that I may never really delve into like aromatherapy or using herbs to make my “medicines.” Regardless, Vintage Remedies for Girls does cover both topics in the workbook and explains how one can benefit from these alternatives to soothing and healing.

This workbook is not for the faint of heart and the only reason I say that is because there is more scratch cooking, more label reading, a promotion of buying organic products, and some other natural living ideas that the average family may not be familiar with and could cause one to stop before they start. One thing to keep in mind is that there are so many ways to live more naturally and to do so does not mean you have to do everything she presents in the workbook. The workbook should be used as a guide for living and not a “do all or nothing experience.” The lessons Jessie presents are for making life changes and as you know, those do not happen overnight. Starting these lessons with your daughter while she is young gives her an opportunity to get an early start on making these changes that will have positive affects on her life as she continues to grow and makes decisions on how to live a little more naturally.

Vintage Remedies for Girls is available for $45 and can be purchased online.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

We like math and we like games. When you mix the two, you get another cool game from Dr. Ron of I see Cards. If you remember last year, we had the opportunity to review Pyramath which is a one or two player card game that promotes fun while also reinforcing or building math skills in the areas of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Fractazmic takes the learning even further and of course there is fun as children have unlimited practice working with fractions at their own level.

Fractazmic is a two to four player card game that comes with a deck of 60 bright and colorful cards with graphics of various fraction measurements to help reinforce learning of the fraction. There are three suits of cards that come in three different colors:

• Red – sixteenth suit (1/16, 1/8, 3/6, 1/4, 5/16, 7/16, and 1/2)
• Blue – twelfths (1/12, 1/6, 1/4, 5/12, and 1/2)
• Green – tenths (1/10, 1/5, 3/10, 2/5, and 1/2)

The variety of card fractions allow the players to be able to combine them in multiple ways to make a hand that equals 1 which is actually the object of the game. When a player adds his fractions within a suit and it equals 1, he has a hand. When any one of the players runs out of cards, then the player who has the most hands is the winner of Fractazmic.

The directions and object of the game are quite simple, but the challenge really begins when you start playing the game. Although the game suggest it is for players 1st through 8th grade, I would suggest that all players have at least a minimum knowledge of how fractions work and a familiarity with converting them. If not, the game will be less fun and more of a chore to play.

River has a good knowledge of fractions, but this game allowed practice for him to use what he already knows and he had to think through playing strategy to combine his cards for creating winning hands. Lily is new to fractions and although she understands how they work, she is still in the learning stages of adding and subtracting them. She played along, but it was more learning so she could play rather than playing and learning.

Fractazmic is a great game to assist in practicing the use of fractions. The colorful graphics on the cards are also a nice visual of what the portion of fraction would look like in various scenarios rather than just using pictures of blocks or the regular pie shape division with which we are all familiar. Players not only become familiar with identifying and writing fractions using numbers but also seeing how the measurement looks for each fraction.

This game was fun for River and Lily to play even though they are on different levels of understanding fractions. I will probably wait and reintroduce this game a little later in the school year so that they both can play with more confidence meaning that they are able to create hands without the need of doing any writing of equations on a side sheet. I want them to rely more on the visuals on the playing cards.

There are also other variations of the game which include Fractazmic Trap and Fractazmic Rummy. If you are just game for Fractazmic, then try this online version and see how well you do. If you score high, then you could win a FREE deck of the Fractazmic cards.

Fractazmic is affordable at just $6.95 a game and can be purchased online. It is a fun and challenging game that will be a nice resource and addition in your math studies.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Alfie, (Alfie Runs Away) on the other hand, has yet to realize how good he’s got it. His mother makes his life rather difficult. I mean really, what kind of mother requires you to take baths, or make up your bed, or even set the table? Well, Alfie’s mother does and he is just plain tired of the “madness.” What finally sends Alfie “packing” is when his mother decides to give away his favorite red shoes. She doesn’t make this decision to be mean, but rather because Alfie is growing up and has outgrown his shoes.

With blanket and pillow in hand, and red shoes on feet, Alfie prepares to run away from home. Rather than stopping him, his mother suggests he take a water bottle in case he grows thirsty. He accepts the water bottle, but is not swayed by her kindness; he is still running away. As the story continues, his mother suggests a few other items Alfie should take to make his journey more manageable. Before he makes it to the door, Alfie has a bag full of “stuff” that is filled with just about everything he “owns” and his mother gives him one last thing to “pack”; a hug.

Determined, Alfie leaves with his heavy bag, but only makes it to the far end of the backyard where he decides to stop and rest before continuing on his journey. After all, he has everything he needs in his bag or does he?

Kenneth Cadow has written a sweet book reminding parents of the “silly” things our children might say to us, but often don’t really mean as well as reminding us of the growing pains they may experience when faced with the loss of treasured items of their childhood. Alfie’s solution at the end of the story and his realization that everything that really matters can’t be packed into a bag is a nice conclusion to this story.

After a period of tutoring some homeschool students, Maria became more aware of some of the similar struggles the students had as well as the inadequate materials they were using to learn the subject. Motivated by her desire to help these students, Maria used her background of a master’s degree in math and minors in both physics and statistics and created a math program that has grown over the years and continues to be improved by Maria. An example of improvements is a new feature where the complete math curriculum for all grade levels are now enabled for annotation which gives the student the capability to complete the lessons on the computer.

THE PRODUCT
We had the opportunity to choose any product from Math Mammoth to review and since I have been considering moving River to another math curriculum, I decided to take a look at Math Mammoth Grade 4 Complete Curriculum. While the complete curriculum is also available in print and CD, we were given the download version to review which was quite easy to retrieve and save to my computer.

The material comes in two sets:

Grade 4-A (see sample)
Part A includes the worktext, part A answer key, tests, cumulative reviews, a worksheet maker, and Soft-Pak.

Grade 4-B (see sample)
Part B includes the worktext, part B answer key, tests, cumulative reviews, a worksheet maker, and Soft-Pak.

You can purchase the sets separately or purchase the grade-4 curriculum as a complete package which includes Set A and Set B.

FOR THE STUDENT
The lessons are non-scripted which means the student can work through the lessons alone without the need of teacher prompting and are written in a manner that speaks directly to the student so they are somewhat “teaching themselves” and learning as they complete the lessons. There is also an emphasis on visual models, but Math Mammoth does not completely rule out the use of manipulatives. Since this is a mastery-based curriculum as opposed to a spiral one, the student completes lessons that cover one topic until he has mastered the material.

FOR THE TEACHER
Each chapter has an introduction stating what will be covered in that chapter. The amount of work pages covering each topic introduced in the chapter are also included which gives the teacher an idea of how she may want to break up the lessons and present them to the student. It is suggested for River’s grade level and this curriculum for him to cover 1.7 pages per day which averages out to about 8.5 pages per week – set on a 200-day school year. That is more of a suggestion because you can pace the lessons to accommodate the learning progress of the student.

Helpful Internet resources can be found in each chapter that aid the student in learning the covered material. Another place to obtain helpful information is on the FAQ page for the Math Mammoth Light Blue Series. After reading through this information, many of the questions I had about the program and using it were answered.

OUR EXPERIENCE
I will admit that having used a scripted math curriculum up to this point, I was first looking for directions on how to present the material to River and also for more detail on how to ensure he understood the concepts so he could complete the assignments. While he was going through his lessons, I always felt like I should be doing something. I found that kind of funny because I have been looking for a math program for him to transition to where he can be more independent in his work and also one that does not require computer use. During his lesson time, I was able to devote more time to the work Lily and Canyon were completing.

MY THOUGHTS
I like the “no-frills,” straight to the point presentation of the Math Mammoth curriculum. As I mentioned before, I have been looking for a new math curriculum to move River to because I think he is past the need for scripted math and ready to just dig in and learn. For my younger children, I am going to continue using our current curriculum because I like the spiral approach for them since they are still learning many basic math concepts.

It has been fun using Math Mammoth and I really like the depth of the material. I even did not mind so much only receiving the download version of the product. Maria’s math background as well as her experience teaching homeschoolers and having first-hand knowledge of some of the issues we face with teaching math gives me a confidence about using this curriculum.

Although I did not review her supplemental materials, I have read some good reviews about them, and for the price of the material and what you get, the price cannot be beat.

If you are considering changing your math curriculum for your student and are looking for a mastery-based curriculum, then I would definitely suggest looking at Math Mammoth. One area on the Web site that I found helpful, even though she did not have a comparison for the curriculum we now use, is the comparisons page which answers questions you may have about your curriculum vs. Math Mammoth. You can also take a virtual tour and access FREE sample downloads.

Let your children take a placement math test to see if he is where he should be in his math studies.

Maria also has another helpful Web site, Home School Math, which was actually launched before the Math Mammoth Web site. Visit and take a look around for some great math resources.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Math Mammoth Light Blue Series Grade-4A and Math Mammoth Light Blue Series Grade-4B are both currently available for $17.50 each or $34.00 for both sets as a download. The curriculum is also available on CD or in print. Check pricing to see what is a better buy for you.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

Gary and Jan Bower are a husband and wife team who have been married for 33 years and are fellow homeschoolers (see how Jan does it – It will make you laugh.) blessed with twelve children. They are also author (Gary), illustrator (Jan) and publishers of more than ten books that are a part of their company Bower Family Books.

One of their popular titles and a winner of the Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award for 2010 is their book The Person I Marry. Gary and Jan wrote the book “as a tool for tenderizing the hearts of our own 12 children, and sparking comfortable conversation about marriage amongst ourselves,” and they do a better job than I on the subject in their book of beautifully illustrated pages of passages and rhyming verse that point out the values and character one should look for in the person he marries.

Words like “faithful, committed, fully devoted, dependable, morally, pure, full of integrity, etc.” line each page of verse and only enhance the message of waiting on God and the one He has prepared especially for them. A few passages that I really liked are the following:

Another thing I really like about the illustrations is that my children were able to see themselves on at least one page of the book.

This book opens the door for parents to begin talking to their children while they are young about the blessing of marriage and giving the child an understanding of the importance of keeping God in the midst of that decision and the standards he should have for his mate, which are God’s standards.

The Person I Marry is a nice read and gave me another tool to share my thoughts on marriage and open discussion more with my children on the person they want to marry. I have two out of three who plan to marry.

We received this book in a digital format and I would have really preferred to have had a physical copy because we are “cuddle readers” who still love finding a comfortable place to read and cracking open a good book. Fortunately, The Person I Marry is also available in hardcover and can be purchased for $11.99.

You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members on The Homeschool Crew Blog.

The product featured in this review was provided to me free of cost by the manufacturer or representing PR agency as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.