Greek n' Stuff Latin Edition "Latin is not so Tough"

This is a very well researched, well laid out program. It is easy to follow and very adaptable. I used it with my 3rd and 5th grader. The first 2 lessons are a review of Book 1. Lesson 3 reviews diphthongs, Lesson 4 is consonants. The Lesson 5-17 introduces new vocabulary. I really enjoyed using the program. I suppose the major pros of Latin is not so Tough is that it really takes very little time to do, and it is relatively inexpensive. Also, one can work pretty much independently. There isn't much instruction required. I do feel that memorization and drill are needed for the vocabulary instruction. I think for our introduction into Latin it was a good fit because my children are young and I just wanted a small taste of it for them. It has peaked their interest and I think we will do great when we get into more serious Latin study. The only complaint is with myself. I really had a hard time using it consistently. With my 3rd grader we were concentrating on her multiplication tables. With my 5th grader we are working on geometry.

 So... the only suggestions I can make are more consistency from Mom.

The Greek n' Stuff  Company offers a complete line of six levels of Latin Instructional Texts and other language aids.

Latin Level 2 can be purchased individually: student workbook $18.95, Answer Key $4.00 (answers only), Pronunciation CD $10.00, short set $36.45 , complete set $51.40.

Level 2 focuses on a review of the Latin alphabet, diphthongs and special consonant sounds that are introduced in Level 2. The target for this level is early elementary (6-7 years). The key to success with this program is use of the flashcards. Tips for use of the flashcard are located in the back of the workbook.

http://www.greeknstuff.com/latin.html


Greek n Stuff
PO Box 882
Moline, IL 61226-0882
309-796-2707

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Writing Tales: Level 1 and Level 2

Checking out this product was a really great opportunity for our family. While I love reading and feel comfortable with discussing literature and encouraging the love of reading in our studies I have to admit I feel grammar is a dry subject. Writing Tales Level 1 and Level 2 really addressed this issue for us in a fun, interesting way.

My DD grade 3 reviewed Level One which is geared to grades 3rd-4th.
Student Workbook is $19.95 188 pages, TE $24.95 388 pages.
We enjoyed all of the stories that range from fables to fairy tales. For instance, my DD liked the Princess of the Pea the best! Of course she is really into princesses right now. I have to say I really like the font in these books. It is large and spaced well which really helps her with her reading.  Each story works on copy work, vocabulary, grammar and composition. This level was right on for my 3rd grader. Each story is divided into about 10 lessons which introduce the skills mentioned above and then these skills were reinforced in her composition and practice/review pages. The practice pages are nice in that there are usually up to 7 problems to work on. The Princess and the Pea also worked additionally on the skill of use of quotations. Each story reinforces and different grammar concept like; 4 rules of sentences, capitalization noun, etc. WE liked that all of the skills were addressed without overwhelming her or giving her so much work she stopped trying. This was a hit for Mom and DD!

 My DS and I reviewed Level Two which is geared to grades 4th-5th.
Student Workbook is $24.95 294 pages , TE is $32.95 472 pages. My DS is a strong reader. He likes to narrate but he hates to write and grammar is a weakness. So while the set up of this workbook is the same as described above we focused more on learning the rules of grammar such as Memorize: An adverb is a word that "decorates" a verb, adjective or another adverb, this is an example from Aesop's The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  In this chapter we also focused helping him develop his outlining skills and then use them in composition. Then rewrite the story using his practice lists of synonyms, so two skills introduced and reinforced in his composition. He wrote a rough draft, used the writing checklist to review his draft and then was able to complete a final draft in simple, easy stages that were very manageable while still widening his skills. I have to say in all honesty that my son does not get excited about school books but this has been a hit for us too.
30 Lessons-30 Weeks-15 Models Studied-30 Stories Written!  Check out their sample pages too!

Contact Info: Amy Olsen
 info@olsenbooks.com
http://www.writing-tales.com/

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Science Weekly Reader

Science Weekly Love it, Love it, Love it. This is the type of product our family really enjoys. It is adaptable to both my children grade 3 and 5, has pertinent science information presented in a way that my children do not think is "babyish" and it is packed with information, experiments and game like activities but not overwhelming to the kids to read. We examined Volume 27, No. 03 on the Flu. The newspaper/newsletter format has 6 levels Pre-A through E for grades K-6.
You can subscribe to issues that cover Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science and Technology. Some of the current issues cover pulleys, scuba diving, the science of movies, caves, teeth, green building, composting and many more...
There are even free interactive issues available on five different science subjects.

Science Weekly is an excellent supplementary instructional tool for parents to help their child enhance his/her higher-ordered skills in science‚ math‚ reading and writing.*


Order here with an individual subscription of 15 issues for 19.95 per student.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Go Go Kabongo: An Online World for Brain Boosting Games for Reading

 I really appreciate the opportunity that GO GO Kabongo offered to my family as a member of the TOS crew. This program is geared toward ages 4-7 to help build pre-reading and reading cognitive skills. In other words their program is set up to help child develop the skills needed to become confident readers.
Kabongo games do not teach with “right” and “wrong” answers. Instead, they guide children toward better thinking by using exciting, engaging game design. Children use a wide variety of critical-thinking and problem-solving strategies to play and progress, including these essential skills for reading:

Attention and focus.
Working Memory.
Processing.
Successive processing.
Visualization.
Planning.
Comprehension.

Go Go Kabongo accomplishes this through engaging characters and three different habitats that your child visits and works on these skills in game form. Each habitat features three different games that teach skills that aid knowledge of the alphabet, focus, memory and comprehension. You receive a detailed report that tracks your child's progress through the habitats.
My daughter age 8, slightly behind in her reading skills, really liked the games and enjoyed earning prizes. I sat with her at the beginning levels and watched as she played. The game is very visually stimulating. After she played the games for a while she actually turned off the sound because she did not like the constant talking. A smaller child with less reading skills would find this helpful in my opinion. I liked getting the reports because, frankly many times I did not pick up on the educational factor of the game she was playing. After playing through the habitats she did lose interest in the games. Ultimately, I feel this is just a type of educational program you need to check out for your family. Kabongo makes this very helpful by offering a free trial. The website has informative information for parents. There is a section of printables and a parenting/informational blog.
If your children do enjoy learning by means of online educational games there is even a program designed for older children.

By email
support@kabongo.com

Kabongo offers a free trial of two habits and six free games to boost reading. That is a wonderful opportunity to see if the product is the right fit for your family.

GO GO KABONGO! gets 4 to 7 year olds geared up for reading by developing reading readiness skills.
Your child can start playing GOGO KABONGO! today for free--at no charge, with full access to Laughter Lake’s brain-boosting games and activities. You can expand the learning with two additional habitats – Galaxy Gardens and Twister Top which are $4.95 each. SPECIAL OFFER: SIGN UP NOW AND YOU GET THE GALAXY GARDENS HABITAT FREE! This offer is only available for a limited time.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Zeezok Z-Guide "The Scarlet Pimpernel"

  Zeezok Publishing's Scarlet Pimpernel was a hit at our house! Zeezok Publishing’s Z-guide to The Scarlet Pimpernel is a great way to incorporate media into your study of the French Revolution. Or in other words with Zeezok guides you get to watch TV for school! How great is that!  We chose to examine the Scarlet Pimpernel because we just finished discussing the French Revolution in our studies. This made for a very enjoyable review. We found the movie (movie version is suggested in the guide) from our local library.
The Scarlet Pimpernel Z-guide is 31 pages that contain a topic overview, movie synopsis, and ten learning activities based on this fascinating film. Complete a chronology of the French Revolution, define some French vocabulary, summarize changes produced by the revolution, design your own rescue plan to assist the condemned prisoners, draw a Wanted! poster for the Scarlet Pimpernel, and discuss your personal view of civil disobedience based on Sir Percy’s actions. Probe the director’s mind with “The Filmmaker’s Art” activity, and engage the student’s siblings with the “For Family Discussion” section. A brief bibliography lists suggested resources for additional reading.
Our personal favorites were the Topic Overview that summarizes the events that led up to the French which was helpful for my DS.  Activities 1 Movie Review Questions, Activity 3 Major Events of the French Revolution, Activity 5 Fun with French, and Activity 8 which reviews Sir Percy's Rescue Plans were highlights for us. We did not really delve deeply into the subject of civil disobedience and preservation of innocent life but there is some very meaty material here that we will revisit, this guide is directed to high school age. We adapted it to our advanced 5th grader.
Zeezok produces a wide variety of Z-guides that cover key moments in history. Check out their most recent products to custom fit your history needs. The guide contains everything need to complete the study and can be covered at your pace. The movie can be obtained from the library or from Zeezok.
This particular guide would be appropriate for middle-high through school students. Z-guide The Scarlet Pimpernel is $12.99 and can be purchased as a CD or downloadable e-book here. Check out this great company and add their products to your homeschool, you will really be glad you did!

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.