TOS Crew: Ideal Curriculum

We are now pulling into the port of call known as Ideal Curriculum. What is Ideal Curriculum you ask? Ideal Curriculum offer all inclusive Preschool/Kindergarten Curriculum Here is how the describe themselves;
   At Ideal Curriculum we're passionate about educating children. We are constantly researching the best, most effective ways to teach, so that we can provide you with up-to-date information, how-to's and products.

Let me start by saying this is not a curriculum that I could use. It is a preschool curriculum and my youngest child is 10 years old. So this review is based on my opinion after looking through the program.

What were we sent? I was sent a free monthly kit, ( I received Month 1, transportation) for the purpose of this review. This was a via a file to download. When purchasing the kits, you have the choice of the print version of the download version. The download includes, Teacher manuals, music files, print files, read files and overview and introduction. I listened to all the music files and reviewed all of the material.

Who would benefit from this program? If you are brand new to homeschooling, and have absolutely no idea how to teach your young child, this may be a good fit for you. It explains step by step how to instruct the child.
The kids would probably enjoy the music files.

However, I must note, that this does not match how I would teach my young children. It seems very cold and disjointed. Much of what they have put together I feel like you could put together on your own from the library and the internet at a fraction of the cost.  However, again, if you are brand new to homeschooling and have no idea where to start with your very young child, Ideal Curriculum, definitely will map out the course for you.

You can purchase kits monthly, the download is available to $30. The print version is available for $55. You can order 3 months at a time for $85.50 and you can order 9 months for $240. As of the posting of this review, only the individual print versions are available for all the months. And the Month 1 download. May and June of 2010 are listed as release dates.

Please visit the crew blog to see what my crew mates are saying about Ideal Curriculum.

TOS Crew: Beeyoutiful

Over the last several  years I have been struggling with my health. During that time, I have done plenty of research on supplements and healthy eating. While researching I remembered about a company that I had heard through the homeschool world. And that is Beeyoutiful. I believe I first heard about them from the Pearl family from No Greater Joy.   Here is how Beeyoutiful describes themselves;

At Beeyoutiful.com, we believe that each individual is responsible for their own health. It is not a doctor's responsibility to keep you in good health. Instead they are a tremendous resource, especially for those times when urgent care is required. But, they are only one of many resources. And the tools they use, while powerful, are not the only tools available. But a tool is worthless unless one knows how to use it.

We have found a lot a tools that have worked very well for our families, and made Beeyoutiful a repository for those tools, as well as the information to effectively use them. As we learn more, we share more. Our goal is to eventually carry every natural product that we use. We're not there yet. We may never be as we are constantly being exposed to new and great products. As much as is in our power, we want to aid others in obtaining and maintaining good health.

Back when I was in thick of not feeling well, I looked into their product line and sure enough that had a long list of things that I needed. I began to take their SuperMom , Pure Chlorella, Liquid Chlorophyll, Cod Liver Oil, Digestive Enzymes, Bee Immune, Bee Strong and Super Mom.  And, my health did steadily improve!

I have to tell you, that I have found their products to be of high quality! And their customer service has been superb! Their catalogs are a wealth of information as well!

When I heard that Beeyoutiful was on deck for the Crew Reviews this year, I was thrilled! And the best part, I was able to try a product that I had not tried yet!

As a member of the crew, I was sent a free Tension Tamer. It could not come at a more perfect time. In fact, the day it came in the mail, I was dealing with a headache! Which is what Tension Tamer is designed to help! It is a roll on that you roll on your forehead, neck and wrists. You can get your own Tension Tamer for $11.00.

Not only did it help my headache that first day. It has helped every time I have used it! I even was battling a cold, and was having sinus pressure and a sinus headache. It used it through out the illness and it was always beneficial.

If you are interested in taking the health of your family into your own hands, please visit Beeyoutiful! They can help you get started on your journey!

Please visit the crew blog to see what my crew mates have to say about Beeyoutiful.

TOS Crew: Lesson Planet

Our next stop on the Homeschool Crew voyage, is to another planet.. Lesson Planet that is. As part of the crew, we were givin free access to a member account on Lesson Planet, in exchange for our honest opinion.

So let's start with the basics, what exactly is Lesson Planet. Lesson Planet is a website that makes it easy for teachers and parents to search over 225,000 online lesson plans and worksheets that have been reviewed and rated by teachers.

With Lesson Planet you have the ability to search both lesson plans and worksheets on any subject, from Art to Science and everything in between.
They also give you options to narrow your search by grade, and teacher ratings.

You can watch a quick one minute tutorial on how to use lesson planet by clicking here.

Judging by the time I spent on Lesson Planet, it appears to have been designed for the classroom teacher. At this stage in my school year, I am not creating a unit study, or planning for the new year at this very moment. So I did not have a project in mind as I searched. So, I first started by searching very general topics, such as; Math, Language, etc.. and then narrowed them down based on the results I would get. I found a few things that were useful.  However, I had to sift through many websites before I found something that would be useful in my homeschool.

Many times, the results were on Company websites, and the lesson plans were to accompany their books, books that I do not own. Or they are from a school district, and the names of the books used were not listed. Within in those, there were at times links to other pages that may have some useful information.  For example, while clicking through the links I was able to find some math worksheets to use for a student in my homeschool group. However, I had been researching for about 15 minutes before I came across something useful.

I also did searches on some specific topics; gardening, the civil war, civil rights, astronomy, etc.. While there were some interesting things along my journey. However, what I found was not always relevant to my homeschool. And each search took a good chunk of my time.

This is not a service, that I think that I would pay for, for our homeschool, however, what is good about Lesson Planet, is they are offering a 10 day free trial. I would recommend that you sign up for the free 10 day trial and check it out for yourself. It very well may be a perfect fit for your homeschool style!  If it is you can become a member for $39.95 per year.

Please visit the crew blog, to see what my crew mates are saying about Lesson Planet.

2010 Schoolhouse Planner

I wanted to clue you into to one other promotion that The Old Schoolhouse magazine is offering. That is on their 2010 Schoolhouse Planner.
I have used the planner for the last 2 years, and it has been such a blessing! Each year they tweak it and add new forms and new info, so you are not purchasing the same thing over and over. The popular forms are still there from year to year! The planner is chock full of not only planner pages, but homeschool resources, household helps along with those forms.
I have used mine so much this year. I actually printed out 3 different copies of the calendar! And have used it for all of my planning needs this year.
Check out the special they are having right now!

Home and school organization made easy! The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is available and ready to help you plan your best homeschool year ever. With over 120 forms and 600 pages for home and school, everyone in the family can stay organized. You can even use the pages to make personalized organizers for each child. Plus, they've included recipes and helpful articles from homeschool experts.


If you order before midnight on April 30, you will receive a free gift--E-Book: The 2009 Planner Useful Excerpts--packed full of articles and recipes.

There are so many features, and this link has all of the information and the link to a 40+ page sample! Get organized now and receive the bonus E-Book!


http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com//TO...lanner.htm


Happy Planning!!!!

FREE Tote Full of Goodies from TOS!!!!

Hey everyone,
I have been a long time fan of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I have been an on going subscriber since 2005! When my TOS magazine arrives in my mailbox, it is almost like Christmas!
The magazine is filled with stories of what other homeschoolers are doing, how to stories, unit studies, and product information. And what is best about it, is that it is an unashamedly Christian magazine! You will find articles that will help you on your Christian walk, as well as, helping you along your homeschool journey.
Another awesome thing about the magazine, is they really are in the 'business' of helping homeschoolers. And their current promotion reflects that! If you subscribe right now, at regular price, you will receive a tote full of goodies!! Read about it below!!!

http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/ho...-Promo.htm

You can have a free Homeschooling with Heart tote bag. The above link will show you a picture, and give you all the details on how to get yours. You'll also receive some free E-Book resources worth over $70 when you subscribe--shipping is FREE to the U.S. Plus, you'll receive the Spring issue free! Hurry, there are a limited number of bags--when they're gone, they're gone!

The FREE tote is made of poly-canvas with snap closures and shoulder-length handles. It's perfect for the library, a field trip outing, support group meeting, or homeschool convention! Its versatile design makes it the perfect bag to just throw over your shoulder and go!


Click here to get the details!

I hope that those of you who have yet to subscribe will take advantage of this awesome offer!!!

TOS Crew: Super Star Speech

As a homeschool group leader, I am often asked about homeschooling children with Special Needs. I was thrilled when I heard that I was selected to review Super Star Speech, by Deborah Lott M.Ed  Speech Language Pathology.

As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I was sent a free copy of Super Star Speech, Speech Therapy made Simple.

This manual is designed to help those children with mild articulation errors in their speech. It is not designed to correct physical problems that may cause speech issues.

As a mom with children who have had professional speech therapy, I can tell you that they would always show the most improvement when we the family, would work with them everyday, in between their speech therapy sessions.
This program builds on that principle. Deborah Lott saw the same results in her practice.

What I really liked is that they had an articulation test within the manual, as well as, the instructions on how to administer the test. And how to score the test.

The manual also includes blank lesson plan forms, blank games and flash cards. They do not have pre-made lesson plans, as each child will need a tailored plan to meet their specific needs. However, you will have at your fingertips, words lists and instructions on how to teach each sound.  This is invaluable. Often times, parents will know where their child needs help, but does not know how to help them. This manual will help them do that.

What is great about this program, is that Deborah Lott, is a homeschooling mother, and Speech and Language pathologist. She understands what homeschoolers need.

If you have a child who is struggling with articulation errors, or other speech issues, please visit Super Star Speech and see what they have to offer.

Super Star Speech is available in  Spiral Bound for $18.95 and Ring Bound for $22.95. You can also purchase an E-book version for up to 40% off.

Please visit the crew blog to see what my crew mates have to say about Super Star Speech!

TOS Crew: Alphabet Beats

The TOS Crew ship is docking at our next port! We are visiting with Alphabet Beats. As a crew mate for the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a free copy of Alphabet Beats lower case to use with my family, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Because of our families history of special learning needs, I am quite familiar with the idea, of marrying movement, or song, and hands on activities and visual learning in order to help facilitate learning. And most important retention.

So what exactly is Alphabet Beats? Well, it is a DVD handwriting program.
It is geared for kids ages 2-8, however, I tried this out with 2 of my children. My extremely special needs child and my 10 year old.  Both of them could write, however they both needed help with formation, and they both tend to tend to write only using capitals. 

We sat down and watched the DVD as instructed. I watched along side them. It really is indeed geared for the younger set. When you are watching it, there is lots of reinforcement of letter sounds and letter recognition. The presentation of these letter sounds is not at all 'sing song'. It is very straight forward and distinct. While the Alphabet Beats videos are not designed for special needs kids, the way the program is designed will be very beneficial for your special needs student.

So what is so special about Alphabet Beats. Well, it's all in the song!  Well not just the song. In the Alphabet Betas videos they use;

1) Visual:  Most children are visual learners and tend to retain more when taught visually

2) Auditory/Rhythm: Children like rhymes and rhythm-it's a great way to learn. Most children learn their ABC's for the first time by singing the ABC song!  We always incorporate catchy songs and chants in our videos that children will remember and which will help guide them through motor planning the desired action later.

3) Repetition: Children enjoy and learn through repetition! How many times have you read the same book to them at bedtime?

I can tell you that the little jingles they have come up with really did help with my kids. Both. They sing it to them selves if the forget. Or if I correct their formation, they go back and will use the song to help them along with the correction. Also, you can watch the 'TV Teacher' write the letter correctly as she is singing the jingle. Great reinforcement, as well as, using audio and visual learning styles!  I can tell you that I have seen a marked improvement in both of my children's handwriting since they have started using Alphabet Beats.

 

If you have a little one just beginning to start handwriting, then this would be an awesome tool to have in your arsenal.

There are 2 DVD's in the Alphabet Beats Family, one for Uppercase and one for Lowercase. Each one is available for $35. What I thought was handy, was the fact that they have workbooks to go with it. 2 workbooks for each level, a beginning and advanced. The beginning books run for $4.49 and the advanced is available for $4.99. You can purchase these items by visiting their website.

My fellow crew mates have posted their thoughts about Alphabet Beats on the crew blog. Sail on over and check out what they have to say!