Now, I have enjoyed my chocolate but surprisingly I have enjoyed my DVDs from MathTutorDVD.com!! Amazing!

MathTutorDVD was created by Jason Gibson, an electrical engineer who has worked for Texas Instruments and NASA, but now is focused on MathTutorDVD.com. You can read more about Mr. Gibson here.

The first DVD I watched was for the TI 84/ TI 83 Graphing Calculator

It is possible that you heard me groan when I opened the case. In my avoidance of higher math, I never had to personally use a graphing calculator. I was not looking forward to this video. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I actually enjoyed this video! Stop laughing. I did. Mr. Gibson presents the information in a clear, easy to understand manner. The screen allows you to view the calculator as he walks you through the different functions and features. It made me wish I had a graphing calculator so I could practice what I was learning.

The 3 set DVD is broken up into sections so you can pick and choose what you need to learn right now. You don’t have to watch two hours and hope to hear what you need. Need to know about finding the min and max of a function? Section 9 of DVD 1. I think the DVD is also great to have on hand for a refresher on using the calculator. Maybe toward the end of your calculus course, you can’t quite remember how to use a certain function. Grab this DVD, select the section you need and get that math done! Also, I know for me, sometimes I catch on a bit quicker if I see something in action as opposed to just reading a black and white manual. If you have a visual/audio learner, then this DVD would be a great asset. I know I will definitely be keeping this DVD on the shelf for use in a couple of years.

Important Information:

TI 84/TI 83 Graphing Calculator is $26.99. It contains 8 hours of instruction on using the calculator. You can scroll to the bottom of this page to view a video sample of this DVD.

The second DVD was for The Pre-Algebra Tutor: Volume 1 .

On this one, you may have heard my daughter groaning. Poor girl. We received a pre-algebra dvd at the same time she was starting her pre-algebra book. I previewed the DVD before handing it to Rebekah so I could help her out on any difficult sections. Once again, Mr. Gibson does a fabulous job of presenting information in a clear, easy to understand manner. He has a very relaxed manner of presenting information that I think students will find refreshing. I will be honest that my daughter didn’t walk away begging for her pre-algebra book but she was a bit more confident. The only thing she had issues with was that Mr. Gibson tells you to just listen, not to write anything down, just watch and listen. Rebekah would have preferred to write as she watched; there were times where I think writing would have helped her to focus a bit more. I later told her to write if she felt she needed to.

This DVD will definitely be kept on the bookshelves as I know Bekah will be using is throughout this year when she might hit a rough spot in pre-algebra. I can see myself using it to refresh my mind on areas I might need to explain and teach pre-algebra.

Important Information:

The Pre-Algebra Tutor: Volume 1 is $26.99 and covers real numbers, number lines, integers and more. It is 5 hours of tutorial videos. There is also a Pre-Algebra Tutor: Volume 2 available. There is a video sample of the Pre-Algebra Tutor: Volume 1 DVD available here.

Fully understand the TI84/TI83 calculator? Your students are beyond pre-algebra? Still head over to mathtutordvd.com! There are DVDs for geometry, calculus, physics and more. Your child struggles with word problems or basic math? There are DVD courses for those as well.

Again, math can be a bit scary, but Mr. Gibson does a great job showing how easy it can be!

Make sure head over to TOS Homeschool Blog and see what others are saying about MathTutorDVD.com!

**Disclaimer: I received this product for review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew. I received no compensation for this review.

I admit that I had let handwriting fall down the to-do list. I admit I had two children who really needed handwriting to be near the top of the to-do list. The timing of this review was perfect for us! So, sit back and let me share a bit with you.

Peterson Directed Handwriting is a company that has been around since 1908. They offer handwriting kits for classroom and homeschool, distance learning, supplemental items and the e-workbooks, which I reviewed. They also offer excellent customer service; I was greatly impressed by Mr. Nelson’s desire to answer my questions and assist in making this product a success for my students.

I was able to review the following e-workbooks:

Print Step 1 (Kindergarten)- $19.95 – Individual License

Print Step 2 (Grade One)- $19.95 – Individual License

Print Step 3 (Printing Fluently)- #19.95 – Individual License

(Individual license means for one teacher)

I used these products for 3 of my children; 4yr old who had never had official handwriting instruction, a 7 year old who formed letters incorrectly and an 8 year old who needed work on legibility. Here’s a little secret; I had all three of mine start with Print Step 1. With the issues the oldest two had, I felt they could benefit from starting at the beginning and I am so glad I did! Since I print the practice pages from my computer, they had no clue it was “kindergarten” work. I think, depending on the needs of your child, it could be use regardless of age. And they all looked forward to handwriting each day.

There are four steps to Peterson Directed Handwriting; this method focuses on training your muscle memory to make the strokes instead of visually guiding the strokes:

1. Illustrate and describe: the letter strokes are shown in different colors and there are word phrases to indentify the stroke. Such as small down, roll around and slide; that is for the number 5.
2. Air Writing: Use the arm to make big strokes and write the letters/numbers in the air while talking out the strokes.
3. Finger tracking with chant: With the printed page, the child writes with their finger, while letting the chanting of strokes guide them instead of relying on visual.
4. Write and Say: The page is broken into two parts; unlined and lined. The child practices first on the unlined then moves onto the lined where he/she can practice control.

The program is very easy to use. I just printed out the page I needed for the day, we would go through the four steps and that was it. I was concerned that my children would find the chanting a bit tiresome but it was a huge help to them. They would get into a rhythm quickly and I could tell a big difference in the handwriting very quickly. I found that my 7 year old was catching herself on incorrect letter formation during other work and making the necessary corrections. Fabulous!

I have to say that Peterson was such a blessing for my 7 year old. She often starts her letters at the bottom instead of the top and I always thought something was a bit off but could never figure out what. Her grip was all wrong! The way she was holding her pencil caused her to curve her hand to form her letters so it was easier to form them incorrectly.

There is no teacher’s manual included with the e-workbooks but that is not an issue at all. Peterson’s website has a plethora of information on their method and it is a simple, yet effective, method. For a mom of 7, being able to print as needed from the e-workbooks is a blessing to my homeschool budget. It is also nice when a child may need extra practice and I can just print out more for them.

Peterson’s offers supplemental products such as pencil grippers, triangular pencils, alphabet cards and more. There is also a wealth of information on the website that is so helpful even if you are not using the Peterson Directed Program.

Now I must share the not so good stuff.

Peterson-handwriting.com can be a bit difficult to navigate. There is a wealth of information there, but sadly it can be confusing to find it. Honestly, if I had not been given this to review, I probably would not have used it as the website would have been a huge turn off.

The pages print in color. I do not have a color printer so the coloring of the strokes was not useful for us.

Personally, I dislike the three-lined handwriting pages. My children seem to do better with two lines.

Overall, I think Peterson Directed Handwriting is a great program worth taking a look at. If you have any questions, you can go here (click on meet live) to talk online with Rand. Or check out this 20 minute overview. You can even take a look at the e-workbook pages.

Make sure you check out what the rest of the crew has to say about Peterson Directed Handwriting.

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

IndoctriNation Trailer from IndoctriNation on Vimeo.

Then you need to head over to Hip Homeschool Hop and enter their giveaway today!

Can’t wait to see who wins!

Don’t forget to join in the Hop!

Gathered around the table today, we were discussing our current week of history. We are chatting about vocabulary words; as I read one if they already know what it is, they tell me. Nice and simple, yes?

Anyone know what a Sentry is?

Child left un-named to protect her mother: Oh, that’s easy. 100 years.

Wise, college educated, refined mother: Um, that would be a century, goofball. (said with deep love and respect. I promise, I wasn’t laughing. Really.) This word is sentry.

Child still left un-named to protect her mother: Oh, that’s a soldier. *giggle*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A bonus episode brought to you by FYI, Inc.

You can make your daughter’s head explode by talking about transitive and intransitive verbs, verb inflections and reflexive pronouns. We did make a breakthrough. Reflexive pronouns seem to make sense when I told her to just think of “I hit myself” and then to hit herself on the head. I had her practice a few times to make sure it clicked. Laughter is better than tears, right?

Is keeping track of four different math levels a bit stressful?

Having trouble keeping track of who read which book?

Over-scheduling your day?

Need a more organized grocery list?

Enjoy a short, encouraging read?

Want all of this and more in a neat, little bundle?

If you said yes to any or all of these questions, then you will want to take a look at the TOS 2010 Schoolhouse Planner!

You must check this planner out! Do not let the name “schoolhouse” mislead you. This planner will help you organize more than just your homeschool.

Here are just a few of the things offered:

Weekly planners of various forms

Daily schedules

Menu forms

Grocery list

Emergency information

Bible study notes

Things to memorize

Monthly articles

Recipes to try

Forms from preschool to high school

Homeschool law information

Curriculum planning

And so much more! Over 120 forms and more than 600 pages!

So what is the price of Mom’s Brain Backup? Only $39.00 for the e-book download!!! I know! Amazing price for a backup! You should head over right now and check out the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner.

If you would prefer a CD copy of the Schoolhouse Planner it is available as well.

***Disclaimer…As a member of the TOS Crew, I wrote this advertisement while participating in The Old Schoolhouse advertising campaign, making me eligible to receive a prize. A free copy of the planner was given to me to facilitate the writing of this blog post….

This week there is a giveaway for SpellQuizzer!

Take a minute and join this week’s hop.

I have loved finding new blogging friends! Join in the fun!

Everyone:

Bible – we do this together; first thing. We chose a book from the Bible to focus on for the month. We read a chapter or two daily and discuss. Scripture memory is done daily as well. We have a mix of longer passages as well as shorter ones. Catechism questions are included in the memory box as well. I love this part of our day!

Read alouds – Books are a big part of our life. We love to read! I am thankful that all of my children still enjoy being read to so we daily snuggle up together and read.

Older 3 (sometimes 4)

Tapestry of Grace Year 2 – this covers history, geography, literature, church history, writing…

Rebekah, 11, grade 6ish: (I really need to decide what grade she is in, yes?)

Saxon Math 7/6 – she only has about 10 lessons left and Pre-algebra is waiting on the shelf

Rod and Staff English 6

Copywork/Dictation – generally use Scripture but toss in literature selections from time to time

English From the Roots Up – Vocabulary; Greek/Latin roots

Mary, 10, grade 5ish: (Yep, need to decide for her as well.)

Saxon Math 6/5 – about 14 lessons to go and will be grabbing Bekah’s book

Rod and Staff English 5

Copywork/Dictation – generally use Scripture but toss in literature selections from time to time

English From the Roots Up – Vocabulary; Greek/Latin roots

Caleb, 8, grade 3:

Saxon Math 5/4 – just started and going well

Rod and Staff English 3

Copywork – current Scripture memory

Lydia,7(in a few more days), grade 2:

Saxon Math 2

Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Reading –(learning to read has not come easy so math and reading will be her focus)

Pathway Readers Grade 1

Copywork – current Scripture memory

Hannah, 4, Pre-K

She is dying to get started. I, however, am not ready. Her older sisters are great at spending some time with her “doing school”. I will address some other things for her later in this post.

Sarah and Sam hang with us and I’m sure learn more than I could imagine.

So what’s missing? Science. We have previously used Exploring Creation Series by Jeannie Fulbright but it just isn’t a good fit this year. We are going to read some living books, do some experimenting and writing and call it good for the year. For example, Caleb will be reading War Inventions. I’m sure he will learn much and enjoy it tremendously. We will also enjoy nature study.

This year has been an interesting one with job loss and moving, so the homeschool budget is a bit low (aka non-existent). But God is so faithful! Being a part of TOS Review Crew is helping to round out our curriculum needs. I am reviewing a handwriting curriculum, a math program and another item for review is on the way. All items that will add to our homeschool and needed for some weak areas! God is good!

I am also working on emphasizing writing a bit more. The children will be letter writing, blogging and journaling in an effort to strengthen their writing skills. Shhh, I haven’t told them yet!

So I’m still working on this list. The beauty of schooling year round. It all just flows together. Am I missing anything else?

Make sure you head over to Heart of the Matter and check out the Not Back to School Blog Hop! Join in the fun!!!

Are your suitcases pack? Passport is ready? Let’s travel around the world!!

Sounds too good to be true? Actually you and your children can travel around the world and never have to worry about missing luggage and strange foods.  This wonderful unit study from The Old Schoolhouse will help you Travel the World.  

Travel the World is a e-book module add on to The Schoolhouse Planner but can also be used as a stand alone unit study.  I used it as a stand alone unit study with four of my children and we all enjoyed our travels.

There is so much wonderful information packed into this unit study! We studied our map, visited al the continents and studied God’s Word. My children love to use the computer and Travel the World was full of links to check out online. Here is my trick to handling computer links and several children.

I created a folder on my desktop for each continent and then added the links I wanted them to visit. This way their computer time could be “independent” because I had already screened the links. One of the favorite links was finding Hannah using latitude and longitude coordinates. My Hannah found this extremely entertaining.

Included in the unit study/module are print outs for lapbooking. One of the activities was to pick a country you would like to visit, research it and create a lapbook. There are also print outs for a crossword puzzle, wordsearch, word scramble, and more. (My two girls were quite stumped on the word scramble. Who knew mountain was such a tough word to unscramble?) I love the copywork provided! We use Scripture often for our copywork and I was delighted to see it used in this unit. My only issue with the copywork is we a handwriting program that doesn’t used the dotted line and that threw a couple of my children a bit off. Nothing we couldn’t work around. I will say that I love that almost all the printouts were black and white. I know I live in the dark ages but I don’t have a color printer. I love when black and white printable are available!

All of us have enjoyed this unit study; from the preschooler to the 6th grader. There was something for everyone to do and learn. My older children had a great time helping the younger ones with certain activities. A High School Expansion is included with this unit so it can be utilized for K- High School.

If you want to find out more about Travel the World June 2010 Module, please visit The Schoolhouse Store to buy a copy for your family. This wonderful resourse is only $7.95! So much information that you can use with all your children as a stand alone study or enrichment to whatever you are currently using. They also offer many more modules….Beloved Bible Stories, Insects Galore, Wonders of Flight….all for a great price!

Disclaimer: I was provided a  complimentary copy of Travel the World by The Old Schoolhouse to be reviewed as a part of TOS crew. No financial compensation was made to me.