TOS Review: Read Naturally's "Read Live"

Today's review is a program by Read Naturally called "Read Live".  It seems to be designed for a classroom setting, but can be used by homeschoolers as well.  The product website states that the program can be used from first grade through adult.

Read Live is a web-based program which allows you to assess a student's reading level, and then walks them through reading lessons.  The assessment paragraph that Wonder Boy read was based on Hank Aaron.  Baseball (well, sports in general) are not really his thing.  However, when he got to the lesson page, he was allowed to choose from about 12 different animals to learn more about.  He loves reading about animals, so this was right up his alley.  He chose the platypus, partly because there is one in one of his favorite cartoons.  The lessons involve several bouts of timed reading, typing, following along while the program reads out loud, and reading out loud themselves.  I was pleased that I correctly guessed my son's reading level, and he enjoyed the lessons.  I think the nature theme will help keep him interested.  I will definitely have him continue the lessons until my subscription runs out.


There were two things I found a bit problematic with the program:  the set-up, and the amount of typing.  This program is best used by children who already know how to type, as part of the typing portion is timed.  A child who does not know how to type will spend a lot of the allowed time simply searching for the right keys.  Set-up was a little problematic because it is designed for schools, so you have to set up a school, then a teacher, then a student, then assign licenses to all three.  A separate homeschool set-up would remedy this.  Thankfully, you only have to do it once.

Read Live can be ordered by calling Read Naturally at 800-788-4085.  A 12 month subscription for one child is $149, or you can subscribe for 6 children at $299.  Other products include Take Aim! at Vocabulary and Word Warm-ups.


***Note:  I received a trial subscription to Read Live in exchange for my review through TOS Homeschool Crew.  All opinions are my own.

TOS Review: Keyboard Town PALS

Keyboard Town PALS is a program designed to teach children to type in one hour.  A series of eight very short videos (only a few minutes each) feature Sunny and a host of puppets, the inhabitants of Keyboard Town.  The program is designed for children ages 6 to 12.  It is also designed to be non-stressful and easily used by children with learning differences.

From the Keyboard Town PALS website:

"Keyboard Town PALS is a unique method that is equally successful for the gifted child, mainstream child and children with learning differences. By  associating two unrelated items and linking them  in the mind, through story format, your child will easily be able to recall  the location of the placement of keys and  letters on the QWERTY keyboard. In our revolutionary approach, the keyboard is taught “vertically,” one finger at-a-time, and not “horizontally” across the keyboard. Within minutes your child is typing real words and his/her self-esteem soars as success is experienced. Self-motivated to continue, your child quickly and easily masters the rest of the keyboard!"

I like the idea of many of the features of this program.  The delete and backspace keys are disabled and attention is not brought to mistakes.  The font and background colors can be changed to accommodate children with dyslexia.  The program is quick and easy, rather than multiple, repetitive drills.  Keyboard Town PALS was designed and produced by people with many years experience in childrens education, including some who worked on "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood".


However, we had a really hard time getting past the "Sunny" character.  We thought it was a bit freaky looking.  The other issue was that Wonder Boy, at age 11, thought the puppets were kind of babyish.  I would say that this program would be best used by children 8 years old and younger.  I definitely think a child younger than 6 could use this if they are reading already.
 

Keyboard Town PALS can be purchased as either a web-based program for $30 or in disc format for $35.  It is available in English, Spanish, or French.  There are also keyboard stickers, finger puppets, and other optional items to use with the program.

***Note:  I received access to the web version of Keyboard Town PALS in exchange for my review through TOS Homeshool Crew.  All opinions are my own.

TOS Review: Bower Books - The Person I Marry

As the parent of a 10 1/2 and almost 12 year old, I was very interested to see what The Person I Marry, by Gary Bower, had to say to children about choosing a spouse.  I received a link to read the book online, but wish I'd received a physical copy as I'm sure the darling paintings by Jan Bower that illustrate the book would be even more lovely when not on a computer screen.

 

 The Person I Marry was created by the Bowers after 30 years of marriage and 12 children.  They wanted a way to share the desirable qualities one should look for in a mate with their children who had not yet married.  I think it is also a touching tribute to their strong marriage without really being about them specifically.

For the purposes of this review, I had Super Girl read the book.  She took her time reading it, and told me afterword that she thought it would be helpful to her when she is older, and that even though the children in the illustrations are much younger than her, she did not feel that the book was too simple for a child her age.  Between the beautiful illustrations and the rhyming narration, I feel this book is one that can be shared over and over again with your children as they grow.  A very small child would enjoy looking at the children portrayed in the book while a parent simplifies the text for them, and an older child can enjoy reading it with a parent as a segue intend to a discussion about courting.  I plan purchase a physical copy to share with my children - I can envision snuggling up together and enjoying this book.  My one slight dislike with the book is that the rhyme and rhythm are not always smooth - many of the sentences end in the middle of the line.  I think that it would take a little practice to read this book smoothly, as you would want to do if sharing it as a bedtime story.

The Person I Marry is available as a hardback for $11.99 through Bower Books at www.bowerbooks.com.   Some other books from the Bowers include lovely board books entitled Mommy Love and Daddy Love, and a Michigan Kids series that would be great for those homeschooling in Michigan.

***Note:  I received online access to read this book in exchange for my honest review through TOS Homeschool Crew.  All opinions are my own.

BzzAgent Review: Tonka XT Ricochet Trickster

I love when I get new things in the mail to review, but I really love it when the items are for my kids because they get such a kick out of it!  Wonder Boy was thrilled when I told him we'd be receiving the Tonka XT Ricochet Trickster to try out.  When it got here and he had to wait for it to charge, I thought he was going to explode from impatience!  The next day he eagerly took it over to his friend's house to try out.  They had it flying off of the furniture and crashing into things.  One neat thing about the Trickster is that it is reversible - both sides of the vehicle look like the top, but with different designs.  It's almost like two cars in one!

The Tonka XT Ricochet Trickster requires 5 AA batteries which all go into the controller.  The vehicle plugs into the controller in order to charge, which takes about 30 minutes.  Once it is fully charged, you are ready to play and perform tricks for 15 to 30 minutes.  It is meant for indoors, but I know the boys had it outside, too, and it seemed to do just fine.  It's designated for ages 6 and up, and is easy to use.


You can find at Walmart, Target, Kmart, and Toys R Us.  It retails for $24.99, which I frankly think is a bit over-priced for the size of it.  However, I tend to think most toys are over-priced!  That said, I think that most boys that like vehicles would enjoy finding this toy under the Christmas tree!


***Note:  I received the Tonka XT Ricochet Trickster in exchange for my review through BzzAgent.  All opinons are my own.

TOS Review: Memoria Press First Form Latin

Today we are looking at First Form Latin from Memoria Press, written by Cheryl Lowe.  When I received the package of materials, I was surprised at how much was in the box - a student text, a student workbook, a test/quiz book, two different teacher's manuals, a cd, dvds, and flash cards.  I have to be honest - I have never bought an entire brand-new of anything for our homeschooling endeavors.  Opening that box made my head feel a little swimmy - kinda like Christmas, and kinda overwhelming at the same time!

When I was able to sit down and go through the materials, I saw that the teacher's manual actually has lesson plans in it.  That seemed lovely, until I really read through it.  There was a lot of writing things on chalk boards - which we don't have any more - and a lot of very school-room type teaching.  This is just really NOT my style, nor is it my childrens' style.  I was really having a hard time seeing myself using this curriculum at all - and then I remembered those dvd!  They're not mentioned in the teacher's manual at all, so I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with them.  I popped the first one into my computer, and YES! - it is a video of the lessons being taught!

I sat Wonder Boy and Super Girl down with the first dvd and the necessary paper materials.  There are a LOT of workbook pages for the lessons, let me tell you!  The kids didn't grumble about it, but they had problems from the first page.  The first worksheet asks for "sound symbols", but the text does not refer to any.  I had to look in the teacher's manual to figure out what they were talking about.  And, though they were working independently on the worksheets, they misread the same instructions.  Super Girl, who is usually my more attentive student, had a hard time pulling the answers from the text.  Wonder Boy found some of it a little more intuitive, but was a bit dismayed at the amount of bookwork involved.


Overall, I have to say that First Form Latin is not for us.  It could have something to do with the fact that it is based on the Classical method of teaching, and we are definitely more Charlotte Mason style.  The curriculum is designed for either beginners in grades 5 and up (which was us), or those who have had Latina Christiana I.  I would definitely not suggest it for younger students who have not had any previous experience in Latin, unless they are the kind of child that really thrives on bookwork.


First Form Latin can be purchased from Memoria Press at www.memoriapress.com.  It retails for $55 for the texts and cd alone, or $115 with the dvds and flashcards included.  Other materials available from Memoria Press include complete grade level curriculum packages, as well as logic and rhetoric materials.


***Note:  I received the First Form Latin curriculum in exchange for my honest review through TOS Homeschool Crew.  All opinions are my own.

TOS Review: Excellence in Literature

Excellence in LIterature, written by Janice Campbell, is a college-prep literature and writing curriculum with five levels.  I was given the first level, Introduction to Literature, which focuses on Western literature.    I had Super Girl work with this curriculum because even though she is technically in 6th grade, she reads at a higher level than that, and I thought she could handle the assignments.

Preparing the materials for the first unit - short stories - was easy.  I chose to print out the ebook I downloaded.  Next was gathering the short stories.  Wouldn't you know, there were handy dandy links to each of the stories online, right in the ebook!  I was able to print those out, too, which I did, since they were each no longer than a few pages.  I was also pleased to see that the material uses a self-guided method, which is how I tend to teach my children at this level.  The one thing I did not have was the writer's manual that the material suggests, but after looking over the examples in the back of the book, I did not see the need for it during the first unit.

Super Girl was able to take the materials I handed her, read the chapters from the text and the assigned stories, and write an approach paper with very little help from me.  I consider this a success, because she'd never written a paper of any type before.  I think that she could definitely carry on with this curriculum with a little effort.  However, I believe I will space it out over the next couple of years, and then pick it up in earnest in 8th grade.  In fact, this is one of the options the author suggests in the introduction to the book.  The curriculum is designed to be used from 8th to 12th grade, but I think it could easily be used by a younger student that is more advanced and needs a bit more challenge.


Excellence in Literature is sold by Everyday Education, and is available at www.everyday-education.com.  They also sell other homeschool materials such as Grammar Made Easy and Spelling Made Easy.  Excellence in Literature is available in either print books or ebooks, and can be purchased one level at a time ($29 print, $27 ebook), or in a bundle containing all five levels ($139 print, $135 ebook).


***Note:  I received a free copy of Introduction to Literature in exchange for my review through TOS Homeschool Crew.  All opinions are my own.