REVIEW: Multiplication Teaching and Learning Made Easy by Math Made Easy

We had the fortunate opportunity to review Multiplication Teaching and Learning Made Easy by Math Made Easy.

From the Website:

Children learn the multiplication facts without counting on their fingers

 Mastery of facts in 6 weeks

Only 36 facts to memorize

 

Cost:  $24.95

Our Experience:

Haylee, my 8-year old daughter, has really struggled to memorize her multiplication facts.  Despite having just started 4th grade math, she still has a tendency to count on her fingers.  It really drives me crazy!  Memorizing math facts is such an essential skill to master with both accuracy and efficiency before reaching higher math.  So when I was given the chance to review this product that promised to help her master this skill in just 6 weeks, I jumped at the chance!  

There is an initial pre-test and then a general lesson that helps the child to realize that they know so many of the facts already.  By showing them that they only need to work on 36 facts, the whole process becomes less daunting for the child.  Haylee was really encouraged when she looked at the chart that showed her how much she already knew and which facts were left to be learned in the program.  

Then there is a daily worksheet for 6 weeks, flash cards for practice, and some games and activities printed on cardstock that give extra practice.  While I was initially a little put off by the prep work involved (you have to cut up the game pieces and flash cards and laminate them before using) and the absence of directions for the Indian game that was included, I will say that they were fun for her to use, and she enjoyed the novelty of having math games for practice.

She has completed 5 weeks of the program so far.  I can honestly say she is eager to complete the lessons!  The activity worksheets are honestly a lot of fun for her, and she begs to work ahead.  The repetition of working with the facts in a variety of ways has really helped her to get them down.  I have already seen improvement in her timed math drills in her primary math program, and I’m not seeing her count on her fingers now.  She can recite the answers to me pretty quickly, and I must declare that it has truly worked for her!  

An added bonus is that you are allowed to copy the materials for use within your own family.  It comes with spiral comb binding, so it’s easy to take apart and copy and re-bind, especially if you have a binding machine like I do.  I like that the worksheets are not distracting…there’s no color or useless illustrations to take away the child’s attention from the task at hand.  It’s simple and straight-forward and fun!   

When Haylee finishes the program this week, she will take the post-test to see how well she’s mastered her facts.  But it’s easy to see that a substantial improvement is on the horizon for her!

At $24.95 with the ability to be used by all of your children, this product is a solid investment to ensure mastery of the multiplication facts.  It is a wonderful supplement to whatever math curriculum you might be using.

Take a look at what the other Crew Members had to say by clicking the banner below.
 

  I was provided with this product free of charge for purposes of this review.  However, all opinions are mine and reflect our honest use of the product.

REVIEW: How to Teach the Paragraph by Create Better Writers

I had a chance to take a look at several products from Create Better Writers:

1.  The Homeschool Writing Action Plan 
2.  How to Teach the Paragraph  
3.  How to Teach the 5-Paragraph Essay

These are 3 in a series of products offered by Create Better Writers that together are designed to help you teach writing skills from 3rd grade through high school.  One set of products = complete writing program for your homeschooling years.

From the Website:

The Home School Writing Action Plan

1. Your entire writing plan, from grades 3 through 12, is summarized.
On 6 pages, you will see your entire program laid out before you in fifteen steps. Hang it near your desk or keep it handy as a quick reference. If you see a lesson you like from your current language arts program, make a note on this summary so you’re sure to teach it at the appropriate time. This summary will also tell you what resources to use. It will recommend our curriculum or point you to your current language arts program. Of course, we believe that our curriculum is the best. However, if you like what you have, you are free to use it. Either way, you will know what to teach and how to teach it. In six pages, you’ll see your entire plan from grades 3 through 12. Start at anytime and be confident that you will cover all the major topics. Pacing charts for elementary, middle and high school students.
2. A Pacing Chart:
The second section offers three plans for pacing the fifteen steps of this writing plan. If your child is ready to write a paragraph, he/she is ready to begin the program. The first pacing guide is for elementary students. This guide starts slowly and helps you give your student plenty of time to master each of the fifteen steps.
The next pacing guides show you how to pace the fifteen steps for your middle or high school students. Because they are older, they can master the concepts more easily. Just follow the pacing guide and your child will have a solid foundation in writing well before they graduate.
3. The Road Map:
Some steps in your writing program will require detailed lesson plans. This is not the focus of the book. This book’s focus is to act as your writing consultant. The Road Map (Part III) will tell you what to look for in each step. It will outline the requirements for each step to the extent that you will be able to do two things: 1. Write the lessons yourself or 2. Find the lessons within your current language arts curriculum. Of course, this web site has each lesson plan you will need. When you’re ready to teach one of the steps in the writing plan, come back here to find the high quality, low cost plans you need. This book is your consultant for all things writing.

How To Write Strong Essays
Your students will know exactly how to start, how to work through the writing process, and how to produce an excellent essay.
How To Write Research Reports
Students will have the confidence to know that they can research, organize their ideas, and produce reports up to ten pages and beyond. A great skill to have for future college students.  
How To Write Great Stories
An understanding of the elements of a story and how to use literary devices such as foreshadowing and character development will help your students write excellent stories.  
Well Developed Vocabulary
Vocabulary development never ends. Your students will know how to become life long vocabulary learners.  
How To Write Intelligent, Descriptive Sentences
Students will be able to write with a variety of sentence structures. Therefore, not only will their reports, essays, and stories be well organized, but the sentences within them will be extremely well written.  
Completely Prepared for the SAT/ACT College Writing Exam
Many college entrance exams require a timed essay which becomes a significant part of their overall score. Your students will be confident that they can generate an outline and produce a strong essay in the very limited time given for this task.
- $15.95 - $19.95

How To Teach the Paragraph:
Writing instruction does NOT need to be difficult. If your student can write a paragraph, your student can write anything from an essay, to a research report, to an in-depth story.
It all starts with one simple trick. Teach this trick in minutes, have your students practice it several times, and your students will have a solid grasp for writing paragraphs. Use this trick to write stories, summarize stories, write reports, and more. No assignment is too difficult.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly even reluctant learners can grasp this concept. Watch this video for a demonstration of the one simple trick. Order the lesson plan to get step-by-step directions, assessments, writing topics, and how to use this trick all across your curriculum.
Recommended Grade: Grades 3 and Up.
Cost: $7.99 eBook Only (Free with the purchase of How To Teach the Five Paragraph Essay or The Complete Writing Program)


How To Teach The Five-Paragraph Essay contains a step-by-step plan for teaching the five-paragraph essay. Teachers will be able to show their students how a simple outline will help students master one of the most important skills a student can acquire.

The format of this book leaves nothing to chance. The teacher is given everything needed to help students master essay writing. Students will be able to organize their ideas, then format and write a five-paragraph essay in about an hour. Every student will be prepared for any class, district, or state writing test.


List of Steps
See the entire process at a glance. The teacher will receive a list of steps on one page to help see the "big picture".

Pacing Chart
How long will it take to teach your class to write the five-paragraph essay? It all depends on the age and ability level of your students. Use this pacing chart to help keep your class on track. Feel free to slow down or speed up as needed. Following the steps on the pacing chart will keep your class moving through the process at a pace that is just right.

Detailed Lesson Plan
You will receive a detailed explanation of each step. Use the detailed lesson plan to learn how to teach the five-paragraph essay. Once you feel comfortable with each step, the pacing chart is all you will need. You will only need to use the detailed lesson plan to serve as a reminder when you need it.

Plan for Mastery
What are the chances that some students will struggle mastering the essay? All teachers know that every class has its quick learners. This book will show you how to help high achievers create outstanding essays while showing the teacher how to help slower students achieve full mastery of the five-paragraph essay. Parents and administrators will be impressed beyond words at your diligent instruction of the essay.

Bells and Whistles
Not only will your students be able to write a strong five-paragraph essay, they will be able to do it with style. Show your students how to write college level essays by adding spectacular "bells" and "whistles" to their essays. Your students will be able to write Interesting Introductions, Classy Conclusions, and Terrific Transitions. Be prepared to amaze parents, other teachers, and administrators with your students' amazing essays.

The Next Level
This book leaves absolutely nothing to chance. Your students will learn to write the five-paragraph essay using one simple, basic format. Once they have mastered this format, taking their essays to the next level is easy. Writing essays in all domains of writing is amazingly simple. Your students will be able to write essays on topics such as Problem-Solution, Cause and Effect, Autobiographical Incident, Persuasive Argument, and much more. All forms of writing become easy once your students have mastered the basic essay format.

Order Now and receive this Free Gift:
How To Teach the Paragraph ($10 value) Order How to Teach the Five-Paragraph Essay
and your students WILL master the five paragraph essay!
Note: How To Teach the Five Paragraph Essay is free with the purchase of The Complete Writing Program. How To Teach the Five Paragraph Essay eBook
Price: $17.95
(download version)

Our Experience:

I read through the Homeschool Writing Action Plan.  While it gives you a good idea of what the steps to teaching writing involve and how much time to plan to spend on each step, I think you could probably get by without this.  It does break it down by grade levels, as well, so you get a realistic starting point and action plan for each of your children at their own level.  However, I didn’t like how each step involved your purchasing yet another product from this company, or substituting another book instead.  When I buy a program, I want it ready-to-go…not tell me there’s still more stuff I need.  If you’re like me, then you’ll either want to skip this product altogether to avoid that frustration or else buy the entire program kit they offer that includes all the other little parts.  Truthfully, purchasing one writing program one time that will last you from 3rd to 12th grade for all of your children for just over $100 sounds pretty good to me!  If I had it all to do over when my oldest was in elementary school, something like that would have really appealed to me, but I don’t get a do-over! 

Haylee, my 7-year old daughter, was the recipient of this trial, and since she just started 3rd grade and is only a beginning writer, we focused only on the How to Teach the Paragraph book.  The book on writing the 5-paragraph essay will come further down the road for her.

I have to say I was impressed with How to Teach the Paragraph.  It is very simple and straight-forward, giving snapshots of the paper setup and what it all should look like.  Although it gives suggestions for motivating a classroom full of students and is clearly written for a classroom teacher, it’s easy enough to skip all the nonsense and get right to the step-by-step process that’s laid out for the student to follow.  Haylee loved answering the “what is the purpose of a paragraph” question over and over and getting the answer right, and she caught on pretty quickly to memorizing the 5 essential steps in laying it out.  I liked the paper setup trick.  I also liked how it had the student write their first paragraph about “how to write a paragraph!”  LOL.  Great idea for reinforcing the memorization of the steps and seeing it to its fruition on the paper!  I was amazed at how well that first paragraph turned out, and how it helped her to see the connection between the initial setup and the actual written paragraph…that transformation from a main idea and simple phrases to an orderly and well-written paragraph with complete sentences and good punctuation. 

I look forward to continuing our work with this product.  It made the whole process a little less intimidating and perhaps even a little bit fun, although I doubt Haylee would admit it…she is fond of saying that writing is hard!  But I have confidence that with continued use of this product, it will help to shift her attitude about writing into a more positive one where she has confidence when she sits down to begin a paragraph.  We’re going to stick with it, because her older brother is in 8th grade and is downright terrified of writing.  He would rather pull out his toenails than complete an essay.  So my plan is to try to ease him into using this product, as well, starting slowly and working it in, to help build good writing skills for him, too.  I don’t want Haylee to feel the way he does about writing, and I’m hoping this product is just the ticket to turning things around for both of them!  I anticipate the How to Teach the 5-Paragraph Essay book will be just as good as this one.  I would definitely recommend them to anyone who needs an action plan for teaching good, solid writing skills.

Take a look at what other Crew members had to say by clicking the banner below.

I received these products free of charge for purposes of the review, but all opinions are my own and are derived from our family’s actual experiences with these products.

My baby girl is 8!!!

Yesterday was Haylee's 8th birthday!  She had quite a fun-filled day.  I made her an omelet with ham, Vermont white cheddar, onions, and peppers, along with babycake hashbrowns and turkey bacon.  Then we went to Sonic to get her free Wacky Pack Meal for lunch, which she ate on the way to the mall.  At the mall, went in Barnes & Noble to get her free chocolate chunk cookie from the cafe, and she ate that while we walked to Build-a-Bear.  There she used her $5 birthday coupon to buy a pretty purple shirt for her new bear.  Then we ran into Wal-mart for frosting and TRU for crayons and hit Chick-Fil-A for a few minutes so she could play while I scarfed down a sandwich (it was 3 PM and I hadn't had lunch).  Then we swung by home to grab the boys, and we all went to The Chille Ice Cream Shoppe so she and Hayden could both get their free birthday scoops with toppings.  Then we headed home so I could work some more on her birthday cake. 

I recently snagged a Big Top Cupcake silicone pan set at the Goodwill Outlet for mere pennies.  I researched at the time and found a 3-part video tutorial on YouTube about how to make a chocolate patty pan (a chocolate shell that is shaped like the bottom of the cupcake to set the cake down into), bake the cake, and assemble and decorate it.  I made the chocolate patty pan while we were out, leaving it in the fridge to harden.  Then when we finally arrived back home, I popped it out of the mold and left it in the fridge while I baked the cake.  It took two cake mixes! 

She had a funfetti cake with whipped funfetti frosting and sprinkles.  It took forever for the cakes to cool because they were SO big.  The fridge helped that process along some.  I trimmed the cakes on the tops so they could be joined together, trimmed the bottom half so it would fit inside the chocolate patty pan, and then frosted the top and added the sprinkles.  Word to the wise...if you ever make one, be aware that the chocolate melts FAST at room temperature!  Shortly after I finished it, the sides of the patty pan started to crack from the weight of the cake inside.  I should have put the cake in the freezer for a bit so it would cause the chocolate to melt, but I was running out of time. 

Anyway, we gathered everybody together just in time to sing and take pictures so we could slice the darn thing before it disintegrated right before our eyes!  LOL.  But seriously, it was a GORGEOUS, and ENORMOUS cupcake!  She looked so small behind it.  Everybody's eyes popped out at the size of it.  The chocolate patty pan is a fabulous idea.  It really gives the whole thing a realistic look and adds to the flavor of the cake, as well.  Who doesn't like chocolate with anything, much less cake?!? 

Anyway, it was delicious, and there was plenty to share with the neighbors, too.  It was the equivalent of 48 cupcakes!  Crazy stuff.  Holden declared that it was the biggest, best-est cupcake ever and that he wanted one for his birthday, too!  LOL. 

The festivities ended at about 9:15 PM, and my feet were killing me by this time.  We didn't get much school work done, of course, but I think it was a birthday to remember for her.  I tried not to think too much about how behind we were getting with school because there is always another school day, but the 8th birthday only comes once.  :)  I *do* get to just be mom sometimes and not just the teacher.  I have to remind myself of that every now and then.

  Fun times!

May your wishes come true, baby girl!

REVIEW: SchoolhouseTeachers.com

I had the opportunity to review the totally revamped subscription website from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine at www.schoolhouseteachers.com.

From the Website:

You might have heard about Teacher’s Toolbox in the past, and this new membership site is a massive expansion on the old. Just wait until you see what The Old Schoolhouse has in store for you!
SchoolhouseTeachers.com is bigger, better, brighter, and easier to navigate for you. Membership is yours for the first month for just $1! You’ll have full access to daily, weekly, and monthly assignments for your students and tons more material for you. Every month after the initial one, it keeps coming—new daily, weekly, and monthly lessons—all for the price of one fancy coffee ($5.95 each month).

Log in every day—come do your homework with us!

Spend time with the biggest names in online and home education: Kim Kautzer (writing), Diana Waring (history), Terri Johnson (geography), Adam Andrews (literature), the Hands of a Child team (lapbooking), Malia Russell (home economics), George Escobar (filmmaking)—and many more. Each month, new teachers in new subject areas will join the SchoolhouseTeachers.com team.
immerse yourself into the world of TOS Schoolhouse Planners – all YOURS with your membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com!

Point, Click, Teach!

Our Experience:

There are so many resources here, all in one place, that it would be nearly impossible to go through all of them! But what I want to do is summarize the resources available there and then highlight a couple of things I liked best for my family.
The website is organized into 4 main sections of material with lots of subsections in each:

1. Schoolhouse Teachers
   • Career Exploration
   • Chemistry
   • College Choice Guidance
   • Economics
   • Figures in History
   • Filmmaking
   • Geography
   • High School Math
   • History
   • Home Economics
   • Lapbooking
   • Literature
   • Music – Voice
   • Reading Lessons
   • Special Needs
   • Technology
   • Writing
2. Schoolhouse Dailies
   • Summer Olympics
   • Daily Grammar
   • Daily Math
   • Daily Writing
   • Ditch the Desk: Hands-On K-5
   • Everyday Easels
   • Everyday Explorers – Canada
   • Everyday Explorers – USA
   • Pre-K Activities: Read and Play
   • Summer Shakespeare
   • This Day in History
   • This Month’s Menu
3. Schoolhouse Extras
   • The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
   • TOS Back Issues
   • Monthly Bonus E-Books
   • Free E-Book
   • Schoolhouse EXPO
   • Schoolhouse Planners
4. Schoolhouse Library
   • Copybooks
   • Homeschool Life
   • Monthly Theme
   • Reading List June
   • Reading List July
   • Reading Lists Summer
   • Teacher Lesson Archives
   • Art Shelf
   • Craft Shelf
   • Homemaking and Housekeeping Shelf
   • Nature Shelf
   • Spelling Shelf

Shew! That’s a lot of stuff! And the best part is that it’s expanding all the time. New material is constantly added and changed. There are so many lesson plans and printables here! If you’re a “boxed curriculum” type of family that already has a full schedule, you might find this much “extra” stuff a bit overwhelming to add in, but it’s simple enough to pick and choose the things your kids might enjoy. The site is so well-organized that it’s a piece of cake to spot something you’d probably like. For the eclectic homeschooler or one that likes the unit study approach, you’ll love having all of this stuff gathered together for you in one place. 

 

I know a lot of homeschoolers enjoy making lapbooks, and there are plenty of those, as well, complete with a tutorial on how to prepare them!


Now for my favorite resource: The Schoolhouse Planners! There’s such a wealth of planning pages, forms, and record-keeping materials, plus organizational ideas…I spent days just perusing the pages and sparking all kinds of ideas in my head! It inspired me to reorganize my school room and all of those supplemental materials so they could actually be accessible and easy to find and GET USED! It led me to organize my office area and have a log of our electronics, warranties, etc. I was in a frenzy of getting things in order, all because of the planners! There is a Schoolhouse Planner, Primary Schoolhouse Planner, Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner, High School Schoolhouse Planner, and Special Learners Planner. Each planner is filled with hundreds and hundreds of useful articles and forms to get you and your students as prepared as they can be for the school year and beyond! They are downloadable .pdf files, so you can browse them and print only the pages that you find most helpful. You can also type right onto the pages before you print them, which makes the lesson planning pages especially neat and useful. I loved how they had various versions of the planning pages to help you organize all of your children on the same page, whether you have one or five. I also loved the planning pages for the high school years…everything from planning out required credits to creating transcripts. I feel so much better prepared to tackle this period that had brought me such anxiety and trepidation up until now. The Schoolhouse Planner is a resource beyond words! It will literally organize every aspect of your life at home and at school. I *LOVE* it! This alone would be reason enough to join the site!

My 7-year old daughter's favorite resource was the Everyday Explorers: USA. Each month focuses on another state in a period in history. In daily lessons throughout the month, the student gets to explore places and people related to that state and time period. It provides lesson plans, online links for research, and leveled activities for various grade levels so you can have age-appropriate learning for multiple children studying the same topic at the same time. This is great for larger families! She got to make a travel journal and learn all about New York. She enjoyed it very much!

I have also enjoyed reading the digital issues of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. They are easy to navigate and to view just the articles that interest me most, right here on my computer. They also contain Schoolhouse Review Crew product reviews and ads that led me to discover homeschooling materials with which I was previously unfamiliar. I even made a purchase after seeing an ad in one of these issues!
You can join the first month for just $1, a monthly subscription is $5.95/mo., or a 1-year subscription is just $64.26 and saves you 10%! You can cancel at any time if not completely satisfied. Read about the benefits of membership here. To view samples of the various types of lesson plans and planners, take a look here.

In summary, this PK-12th grade resource is a one-stop shop for tons of teaching materials and supplementals to add some excitement and variety to your homeschool!

Check out what other Crew members had to say about this awesome website by clicking the banner below.

I was provided with a subscription to SchoolhouseTeachers.com at no charge for the purpose of completing this review, but all opinions are my own and reflect my family's honest use of the product.

REVIEW: No-Nonsense Algebra + Geometry Workbook from Math Essentials

I had the opportunity to review No-Nonsense Algebra as well as the Geometry Workbook by Math Essentials. 

First, let me tell you about No-Nonsense Algebra, which was the main product for this review.  With No-Nonsense Algebra, you get a workbook with lessons and practice and a code in the back of the book that you enter on the website in order to access free online video instruction for every lesson.  This is a complete Algebra I program and costs a mere $27.95.    

 From the Website:

No-Nonsense Algebra

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Necessary Tools for Algebra
Chapter 2 Solving Equations
Chapter 3 Graphing and Analyzing Linear Equations
Chapter 4 Solving and Graphing Inequalities
Chapter 5 Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities
Chapter 6 Polynomials
Chapter 7 Rational Expressions (Algebraic Fractions)
Chapter 8 Radical Expressions and Geometry
Chapter 9 Quadratic Equations
Chapter 10 Algebra Word Problems

Also included:

*A “How to Use This Book” Section
*Chapter reviews
*Final Exam
*Solutions for all Problems
*Glossary
*Resource Center

Each Easy-To-Understand Lesson Includes:

       Each topic is clearly explained in a way that the student can easily understand.
       A Helpful Hints section
       Examples with simple step-by-step solutions
       Written exercises
       A short Review section that ensures that the student will remember what has been learned

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Includes free online access to video instruction!
Each lesson in the book has a corresponding video lesson taught by America’s Math Teacher, Richard W. Fisher
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       No Fluff!
       No Distractions!
       Short, concise self-contained lessons
       Each topic is explained in way that the student can easily understand
       Lots of examples with fully explained step-by step solutions
       Review built into each lesson to ensure mastery
       Chapter tests and a final exam allow students to measure progress
       Dramatically Improves Test Scores!

UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE

Use Rick Fisher's Mastering Essential Math Skills for 20 minutes a day as directed. If you don't see what you feel are dramatically improved math test scores, send us a note saying so. You'll receive a prompt, complete refund - no questions asked!

THERE IS NO RISK!

Our Experience:

I simply can’t say enough good things about this program!  My 12-year old son, Hayden, totally bombed Algebra I using another program last year and had planned to repeat it this year.  Right off the bat, we both noticed that No-Nonsense Algebra’s video instruction was more concise, easy to understand, and had a very conversational tone that kept your interest.  Often times, this type of instruction can be monotone and difficult to follow…high on the boring factor.  But not so with this program! 

Each morning, he has gotten up and waited eagerly to watch the online video so he could get right to his math.  Gone are the days of putting off math until the end of the day.  We both found the practice to be just enough to make sure he understood the application fully, but not so much as to become overwhelming.  He even got 100% on 3 lessons in a row!  That did wonders to restoring his confidence in his ability to do his math.  As you can see from this photo, he has a genuine smile of pride while showing off that first 100%!

It has continued to be a great success for him.  Enough so that we ditched the other program and have switched over to this program for the rest of our school year.  He even gladly used a week off to play catch-up on the lessons so it could take the place of the other program we were using.  That speaks for itself!

While he tells me that it’s getting gradually harder, he says he still feels he “gets” the material.  And each lesson offers a set of “practical tips” for understanding and applying the concept.  The tips may be simple, but truly very practical and useful for the student.  One such tip early on was to determine the sign of the answer and write it down before working on the actual computation of an equation with integers.  This happened to be something my son overlooked often that led him to get his answers incorrect.  Marking the sign before doing the computation ensured that he didn’t forget this important step.  It really helped him!

I have already recommended No-Nonsense Algebra to a number of friends who have students struggling with Algebra, including both homeschooled and public-schooled children. 

I can’t honestly think of any negatives to this program.  Its concise but effective layout never devotes more than 2 pages to any given lesson, which in itself appears less daunting to the student before they even begin.  Every lesson includes just a few review problems from previous lessons to ensure mastery and retention.  I did notice one error in the answer key…for lesson 1.7, question 5, the answer should be 625, not 225.  I contacted the company about this error, and they assured me that this was the first printing of the program, and any errors would be corrected in subsequent printings.  Our communication was a positive experience, and the error was duly noted for correction.

The only thing I’d like to suggest to the vendor is to make the answer key a separate document instead of including the answers in the back of the student’s workbook.  I’m ashamed to admit that Hayden was so frustrated with Algebra I last year that he was caught cheating a couple of times.  I’d rather not provide the temptation by having the answer key at his fingertips.  My concern prompted me to separate the answer pages from the rest of his book and make them inaccessible to him.  Beyond that, though, I can’t think of anything I’d change about this program!  It’s literally a success story waiting to happen!  I’d recommend it for children and adults alike!

You can read more about the program on the vendor’s website at http://www.mathessentials.net/algebra.html.   No-Nonsense Algebra includes an unconditional money-back guarantee if you don’t find dramatic improvement in your student’s test scores after using the product as directed for 20 minutes/day.  There is no risk involved!  You just can’t go wrong with a guarantee like that!

 The Geometry Workbook:

Now let me tell you about the supplemental Geometry workbook. 

This product is intended to be supplemental practice.  There is no online or DVD instruction available for this product.  It’s priced at $11.95.

From the Website:

This book will provide students with all the essential geometry skills. Vocabulary, points, lines, planes, perimeter, area, volume, and the Pythagorean theorem are just some of the topics that are covered. There is plenty of practical, real-life problem solving that shows students the importance of geometry in the real world.

You can view the table of contents here.  You can view sample lessons here. 

Our Experience:

This is a super thin workbook containing 29 lessons plus final review and tests with answer keys printed in the back of the book.  The "helpful hints" section of each lesson is essentially a couple of lines of extremely concise instruction and examples.  This is the only included instruction, and this is why I would say this book is supplementary material only.  It addresses the heart of the concept very briefly with no video instruction and no additional written instruction beyond that tiny "helpful hints" section.  These are generally 1-page lessons.  While the workbook addresses the essential geometry concepts, it certainly isn't enough material to be used for a high school credit by any means.  However, it is great practice in geometry.  My plans for this product are to schedule it in at the end of our school year when we've completed No-Nonsense Algebra, as there will be sufficient weeks remaining in our schedule to complete this workbook, as well.  Personally, I'd like to see a year or a semester of Geometry material offered with accompanying video instruction like with the algebra program, but that's probably because we were so spoiled by the excellent instruction included with the algebra!

Read more of the Crew reviews of these and other great products from Math Essentials by clicking the banner below:

 

Math Essentials provided me with these products free of charge for review purposes, but all opinions expressed are my own and reflect my family’s honest use of these products.

REVIEW: Jeepers Peepers Glasses Game by Super Duper Publications

Recently, I had the opportunity to review a great game called the Jeepers Peepers Glasses Game by Super Duper Publications. 

From the company:

     Am I a monkey? A hamburger? An astronaut? How many questions will it take to find out?

That’s the question on everyone’s minds—or glasses—in Jeepers Peepers, The Ask and Answer Question Game that builds questioning skills, describing skills, categorizing skills, problem solving skills, and more! Have one student put on the glasses. Place a photo card in the Peepers slot without showing it to the student. Have the student face the other players and ask yes/no questions to find out what he/she is! Then, have everyone play!

This game can be played with up to 6 players.  The instructions provide you with a number of variations of how to play.

You can watch a video of how to play here.
Everything is ready-to-go when you open the box…no initial setup is required.  That's a big selling point in my book!

Jeepers Peepers is recommended for grades K and up, but I feel it could even be used with preschool-aged children with some modifications.  I would suggest giving preschool-aged children clues as to their identity on their turn rather than having them ask the questions.  This way, they could still have the opportunity to use deductive reasoning skills to figure out what they are supposed to be, and in time, would perhaps learn to ask their own questions with some practice.

My 12-year old son, Hayden, and I played it the first time through.  We didn’t have a lot of time to play on this occasion, so we selected a simple version of game play.  We each wore a pair of glasses and placed a photo card in each other’s glasses so only the other person could see it.  

Using the Photo Cards as a guide, we devised questions to ask each other to help us narrow down the possibilities.  As we narrowed the gap of what the choices could be, we began to use our turns to guess what we each were.  This is where it got really fun for us, because we each knew the other was getting close to guessing the right answer!  We were able to finish this first round in about 15 minutes, so that was great.  We had some laughs and really enjoyed the sense of competition with each other.  I’m sad to say that he beat me!  It was close, though.  Maybe next time!   J

The photo cards include 5 categories: Animals, Food, People, Things, and Transportation. There are 101 photo cards within those categories that indicate the possibilities of what you might be.


 $29.95 includes:

*  6 pairs of Jeepers Peepers glasses

*  "My Cue Cards"

*  101 photo cards (4" x 5")

*  Spinner and bingo chips

*  Instruction booklet

Additional add-on cards can be purchased for $15.95, as well as an extra set of 6 pairs of glasses for $11.95.

Overall, I think this is a really fun game that builds great skills in deductive reasoning through a process of elimination, doesn't require a lot of time to play, can be played a number of different ways, and is one of those rare games where players of all ages truly can actually play together and still have fun on their own level. That makes this game a winner for my family of 5 that ranges in age from 4 to 41!

And although there are 101 photo cards that you would eventually exhaust and might at some point become bored with, you do have that option to expand the game with the add-on pack, and that certainly extends the life and interest factor of this game. The parts are sturdy and should last a long time, making it a good investment.

Right now, they are offering you a wonderful discount of 30% off for Jeepers Peepers with coupon code BLGJP30 through 08-31-12, so be sure to take advantage of this awesome opportunity to add this game to your family's game night!

Super Duper Publications specializes in products for special education needs. However, many of their products can be used for regular education, as well. It’s worth taking a look at their products to see what might work for you. My 7-year old daughter tried the free trial of the HearBuilder software on the website, and she enjoyed it very much. I can see how it could help build listening skills in young children, regardless of their level of education.

Additional coupons are available for the other Super Duper products that The Crew reviewed, so be sure to read more reviews of these fabulous products from Super Duper Publications by clicking on the banner below.

    I was provided with this product at no charge for the purpose of completing this review, but all opinions are my own and reflect my family's honest use of the product.

Getting Ready!

My plunge into the world of the product reviewer has kept me busy!  It's great, though.  I'm loving every minute of it.  Sometimes one of the kids is REALLY excited about a particular product, and sometimes it's a chore to get them involved.  But in the end, I think we're all enjoying it.  Already, we've switched math programs for Hayden for this year because of a product we're reviewing that seems to be working better for him than what we had planned to use.  I'll get into that more when the review comes up.

We accomplished our first week of the new school year in mid-June and took these last two weeks off to polish some rough edges in our plans for the year and to complete our preparations for the school year.  I always like to have a little "false start" and then take some time to fix anything I failed to copy, print, order, prepare, schedule, etc.  With 3 kids in the school routine now, there's bound to be something I've overlooked, particularly since we go right from one school year into the next without a noticeable break!  Sheesh!  During our brief break, I had to cart Haylee back and forth the first week to her cheer and tumbling camp.  She had a blast!  She enjoyed it so much that I signed her up again in August during our scheduled week off for that month.  Here's a little video they put together of still photos from her week at camp.  She's in at least 4 of the photos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YrVQ64GBfE

I think we're in a good place now and ready to hit the ground running.  However, we have quite a busy schedule this week.  Tomorrow evening, we're going to a Tides game where they'll be doing a fireworks display afterwards.  It's our family tradition to go every year.  Tuesday, I'm taking at least Haylee and maybe the neighbors to see the Virginia Symphony play a patriotic Symphony By the Sea concert at the Oceanfront.  Then Wednesday, of course, is the 4th of July.  We always go see the fireworks display at Mt. Trashmore from a nearby parking lot that's easy to get out of when it's all over.  Steve will be off that day, but it's still a school day for us.  We'll have to see how that goes!  So as you can see, it will be pretty tough to stay on schedule with school this week.  The kids will have to be at the top of their game to finish on time every day.  Good luck with that!  LOL.

We were late doing our family end-of-school year celebrations, so we took this weekend to wrap up some family fun.  We went out to dinner (a rare treat) at Mi Casita on Friday night, as we do every summer when school comes to an end.  It's the kids' favorite place to eat, and mine, too.  I gained 2 pounds from dinner, even though I split an entree with Hayden, which is what usually happens when I eat out. DARN! 

Then Saturday, we went to the 3-D indoor blacklight mini golf place at the Oceanfront.  Afterwards, I waded in the ocean with the kids while Steve sat and waited for us.  Fuddy duddy!  LOL.  We seriously had a blast.  The kids have always lived here and were born in this city, and yet it's the first time I've ever taken them all to wade in the ocean!  How sad is that?!?  Truth be told, not a one of us can swim, so that's my reason for avoiding all things involving water.  Some kid mowed us down on a boogie board and I scraped my leg on the sand.  Another little girl mowed Hayden down, and he sat in his shorts in the sand and water laughing his behind off!  LOL.  We really had a blast.  Hayden said he had the time of his life and couldn't wait to go back and do it again.  He said the feeling of the waves taking the sand out from underneath his feet was so weird!  He's never felt that sensation before.  We all had such fun!

Hayden and Holden still had a little school work to wrap up, so we got that finished up this weekend, too.  Hopefully, everyone will be on board and ready to get into a full schedule tomorrow!  Game on!