The Quandary

It's April 21st.  Do I take the time to reset the calendar for April, or do I pretend April never happened and just reset when we get to May?

Review: Supercharged Science

Supercharged Science is my latest review for The Schoolhouse Review Crew.  I was given an e-science subscription to review.  This program is the brainchild of Aurora and Al Lipper.  About 10 years ago, they decided to try and make science fun for kids to learn and easy for parents to teach.  The result is e-science.  Did I mention that Aurora is a Real Life Rocket Scientist who has worked for NASA and has a graduate degree in mechanical engineering?  She's now a stay at home mom of 4, and she obviously loves science.

E-science is a hands on, K-12 science program that covers life science, physical science, chemistry, and biology.  It's very easy for parents, because Aurora teaches most of the content in online videos, and the lessons are self-guided, so the parent doesn't have to be very involved.  There are downloadable lesson plans for each unit and downloadable readings for each lessons  There are many experiments for each lesson (many have a video component) along with a materials list so you can plan ahead, and each lesson ends with exercises/questions to see how much your child has learned from the lesson.  You can access a free sample of the program here.

There are currently 19 Study Units, with more coming soon.  The way the program works, when you sign up  (at $37/month for K-8 or $57/month for K-12), you receive access to the first seven units:

• Mechanics
• Motion
• Matter
• Energy 1
• Energy 2
• Sound
• Astrophysics 

You'll also gain access to some extras like "The Scientific Method". Every month after, you receive access to 2 additional units in order.  However, if there is a unit that you're dying to do (like Chemistry, Thermodynamics, or Magnetism), you can email them directly and they will unlock it for you.  If you are already working on another science program, there are conversion charts available to help you line up many popular programs with e-science.

We love Supercharged Science.  We started with the Life Science unit.  The first thing I did was print off the lesson plans and checked the materials list for the unit.  We watched the introductory video and we watched the video on how to create a Scientific Journal.  From there, we were prepared to jump into the content.  We read the provided readings on the topics, watched any videos on the topics, and then worked our way through experiments.

I appreciated the fact I could use this program with all five of the boys (ages 7-13).  Experiments ranged from easily understood by my younger sons (classifying things as living or non-living) to more involved (finding out if a person's thumb or wrist size affected who would win thumb wars).  I was thrilled that my boys were encouraged to keep track of their experiments in a Scientific Journal.  I know we've often "done science", but haven't taken the time to record what we've done or the outcome.

Most of all I loved the fact my boys kept asking to do e-science. It's easy to use, thorough, and engaging.  I think Aurora and Al Lipper achieved their goal of making science fun for kids and easy for parents, and I look forward to continuing to work through e-science.

For more reviews of Supercharged Science, visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Having It All Together

Something has been bugging me lately, and I'm not sure what to do about it.  I've heard it from various women, in various circumstances, and in various venues.

It seems many are discouraged by blogs because they feel less than adequate when done reading.

They feel like their house isn't clean enough; they aren't schooling their children the correct way; they don't cook the right food for their families; their kids talk back and misbehave.  In other words, their life and family aren't as perfect as what they read about online.

I was surprised when I found out that a couple of  people were under the impression that I have it all together.

Me?!

Uh, no.

My laundry falls behind.  My boys misbehave.  I don't cook gourmet meals.  I haven't made breakfast for my boys since they were old enough to open a granola bar wrapper by themselves.  My house gets dirty.  I yell.  Our school days don't go according to plan more often than they do go according to plan.

In other words, I often feel like I'm going between barely treading water and slightly drowning.

And I know I'm not alone.  Nobody has it all together.

But I keep plugging along, knowing that I'm in a marathon, not a sprint.  I know that Christ is with me, and that his grace and mercy will cover a multitude of sins.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Spring Break

At the end of March, I realized we needed a scheduled Spring Break.  I was burned out, and the boys were feeling like school would never, ever, ever end.  I decided that we would take the first week of April off, guilt free.

I think we need to do this more often.

We school year round, mostly, and I've never scheduled breaks other than a week off at Thanksgiving, 2 or 3 weeks off at Christmas, and about 4 weeks off in the summer.  Sure, we take breaks other than those, but they're not scheduled and I'm often left feeling guilty for taking the time off.

This week has been so nice.  I've done some Spring cleaning, I slept in one day, and I've been researching next year's books, all without the nagging voice in my head that incessantly repeats "You should be teaching somebody something."  Not only that, I'm ready to get back to teaching on Monday.

Of course, there was also the dental appointment, the orthodontist appointment, the sprained ankle, the possibly fractured finger, and the head wound.  But somehow these were all easier to manage without that pesky voice in my head.

Because we were so over-booked for the first semester, we'll definitely need to school through the summer. Before we start on Monday, I'm going to sit down with a calendar and schedule some breaks in.  Right now I'm thinking the last week of May and the last week of June.

This isn't a new or original idea--I know many homeschoolers schedule their time off (a common model is 6 weeks on, 1 off year round).  I don't know why I've been such a slow learner.  Before we begin our next school year, I'm definitely going to sit down with a calendar and schedule in some hard breaks to save my sanity.

Review: Computer Science for Kids

Computer Science for Kids has been in business for over 25 years, and they offer computer programming courses for beginning programmers.  The Schoolhouse Review Crew was offered two titles to review:  Computer Bible Games for Microsoft Small Basic  or Beginning Microsoft Small Basic.  These are recommended of ages 10 and up.  We reviewed the e-book version of Beginning Microsoft Small Basic.

Like many children today, Luke has a strong interest in programming.  He's had some experience with different programming languages, and seems to have a knack for it.  When the opportunity to review this program came up, I had Craig and Luke check out the website, and they both thought there would be something to be learned by going through the course.  Luke was thrilled to have "Computer Programming" on his daily school list.

There are 11 chapters (classes) in Beginning Microsoft Small Basic, and in the e-book version are available as both Word and PDF files.  Beginners should be able to complete these at the rate of about 1 class per week, spending about 3 to 6 hours with the material.  The course begins with an introduction to Small Basic, including instructions on how to download and install Small Basic.  From there, the student is introduced to Small Basic programming and begins to create programs.

Programs start out simple (basic number/text output), and the student builds on that foundation until they are able to create programs that run a stopwatch, a loan calculator, and a state and capital multiple choice quiz. The course is self-paced, and the student reads the chapter and works through the examples by typing in the code to see how it works.  You can check out a sample chapter here, and you can view screen shots here.  If a student gets stuck, there are completed program files for every program in the course.

As I mentioned, Luke has had some previous programming experience, though I would still classify him as a beginner.  He's never worked with Small Basic before.  That said, he found this course to be very easy.  He was able to complete the entire course in under 3 weeks without any help from me.  Luke enjoyed working through the program and I was glad to have him work through a systematic course, since much of what he has learned in the realm of computer programming is self-taught.

Both the Beginning Microsoft Small Basic e-book and the Computer Bible Games for Small Basic e-book are regularly priced at $59.95.  However, through July 4th, 2013, they are on sale for $34.95.  If you have a beginner computer programmer in your house, I would absolutely check these books out.

For more reviews of Computer Science for Kids, visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Review: The Discovery of Deduction

About a year ago, I had the opportunity to review The Art of Argument, an informal logic program from Classical Academic Press.  Needless to say, I was very happy to have the opportunity to review their formal logic program, The Discovery of Deduction.  For this review, I was sent The Discovery of Deduction:  An Introduction to Formal Logic ($26.95) and  The Discovery of Deduction Teacher's Edition ($29.95).  This program can be used to teach formal logic to students as young as 8th grade.

You might be wondering about the difference between formal and informal logic.  Informal logic deals with evaluating the content of an argument (fallacies such as ad hominem attacks), while formal logic deals with the form of the argument (symbols can be used to represent an argument).  The content doesn't matter; instead it's focused on the logical steps that are taken and whether they are valid or invalid.

The Discovery of Deduction can be used in a single semester or over the course of a year.  Classical Academic Press has a suggested schedule for each option.

There are four units in this program:

• Unit I:  Introduction
• Unit II:  Propositions and Their Relationships
• Unit III:  Categorical Syllogisms
• Unit IV:  Terms and Definitions

To use the program, I would have Luke and Ezekiel each read through the assigned lesson for the day (download a sample packet here). After the reading was completed, we would come together and discuss what we'd read and answer the questions.  I was thankful that I had the Teacher's Edition (download a sample packet here), because there is a lot of information to remember.  We spent 30-45 minutes on each lesson.  Like other Classical Academic Press products, The Discovery of Deduction makes formal logic as engaging as it can be made.  There are dialogues between Nate and Socrates, some humor, and some cartoon drawings.  The quality of the books are what I've come to expect from Classical Academic Press.  

While we enjoyed this program, we struggled with it.  Formal logic is very technical, and as I mentioned, there is a lot to remember.  I don't think it helped matters that Luke (8th) and Ezekiel (7th) are both on the younger side for their grades (and remember it's recommended for grades 8 & up, so Ezekiel isn't part of the recommended audience).  I knew this going into the program, but we've completed informal logic programs together without issue, so I thought we'd be able to handle this one as well.  We could continue to struggle through it, but I think we'll be best served waiting another year or two to complete this program.

That said, if you have a student who is ready for formal logic, I would definitely give this program a good, long look.  It does a great job of presenting the material, and formal logic is a great tool for training the mind.

For more reviews of Discovery of Deduction (and The Art of Poetry), visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Essentials in Writing Grade 7

I really thought that after homeschooling for for 9 years, I had at least heard of (even if I hadn't obsessively researched) every homeschool friendly writing program.  But boy, did I miss a great option. At $40 per grade level, Essentials in Writing is an affordable writing program that includes DVD instruction for the student.

There are levels available for grades 1-12, and I received the Essentials in Writing Seventh Grade program to review.  I used this program with Luke (13/8th grade) and Ezekiel (12/7th grade).  Luke doesn't mind writing; Ezekiel isn't a huge fan of the process.

The 7th grade level includes (download the course syllabus):

• Review of sentence types and structure
• Grammar review
• Writing personal letters and business letters
• Parts of a paragraph and writing a paragraph
• Compare and contrast essay
• Expository essay
• Revision process
• Research project
• and much more!

This course should take 120-130 days, or up to 150 if you do the grammar review.  At the 7th grade level, the program moves grammar instruction to an  optional review (grades 1-6 begin with grammar instruction).  There are 53 video lessons, and 143 workbook pages.  The video lessons are included on DVD, and the workbook pages (sample workbook page) are provided in PDF format for printing (or you can buy a preprinted workbook for $20).   The first lessons cover clauses, compound and complex sentences, prepositional phrases, and appositives, and then the student moves into learning paragraph structure, mechanics, and figurative language.  Following these lessons, the student transitions into longer writing assignments.

We spent about 30 minutes a day on the program.  If there was a DVD lesson for the day, we watched the lesson together.  Lessons are not long at all, and the teaching is clear.  Luke & Ezekiel would then do the corresponding worksheet for the lesson.  Sometimes there is more than one worksheet per DVD lesson, and we would complete those over the following days.  The lessons are broken down into bite sized chunks, so no one day or project is overwhelming. 

Remember how I said that Ezekiel wasn't a fan of writing?  I noticed early on that he wasn't complaining about this program--not even when he had to write a longer personal narrative.  Not only did he not complain about the program, he gave it a rave review when I asked his opinion before starting this blog post.  He said that the teacher (Matthew Stephens) is the best writing teacher he's ever had.  He also told me that he finally understands how to revise what he's written.  He recommended that I buy the lower levels and use them with his younger brothers, and he wants to keep using the program.  All of this from a kid who does not like to write.  Luke agreed with everything Ezekiel told me--he enjoyed the program as well, so it worked well for him, too.  I liked that it removed me as teacher, that it isn't time consuming, and that I saw real improvement from when we started the program until the writing of this review.

I really don't know how I missed this program over the past several years.  If you haven't yet taken a look at it, you should check it out.

For more reviews of Essentials in Writing (all levels), visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.







Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Reveiw Crew in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Loops of Indecision

You might start to notice a theme here, because the looming 9th grade year is taking up my thoughts.

How can it be that one moment, I'm completely confident in my ability to homeschool high school, and the next moment I'm internally freaking out about some silly detail?  I freaked out about going from the grammar to the logic stage, and we've made it through that.  I know from past experience that once I've got our plan developed and our course charted, the freak outs will diminish.  I also know that I won't freak out going from junior high to high school next year with Ezekiel, or when the other three boys make the transition.  But right now?  I go from obsessing about what our next four years will look like to refusing to think about it because it is too much to process.

I'm not the first person to homeschool high school, and I'm not the first person to freak out about it, so it's not like I'm doing anything original here.

I tend to be overly ambitious, and I need to leave room in Luke's schedule for him to follow his passion (currently computer programming).  I want this year to be streamlined; I tend to add things because they are good "it-only-takes-10-minutes" things, but this is how to quickly burn students out.  Those minutes add up into hours.  I've done better this year, but I think I can do better next year.  I'm currently obsessed about whether or not to continue Greek next year.  I think doing Latin, Greek, and Spanish is too much, but I hate the thought of dropping Greek.  I might have the opportunity to get Luke into a Spanish class, though, so that might trump my desire.  But until then, I'm caught in a loop of indecision about the unknown.

Logical, right?

TouchMath Second Grade

TouchMath is a multisensory approach to early elementary math.  It was born out of the desire of an elementary school teacher, Ms. Janet Bullock, to help her students understand elementary math concepts.  There are levels available for Pre-K through Second Grade, and I was sent the Second Grade TouchMath program to review.

The Second Grade program consists of 4 downloadable units ($59.95 each, or you can purchase all four for $199.95).  Each unit contains 6 modules.

• Unit A focuses on adding and subtracting withing 50, including regrouping.  
• Unit B focuses on adding and subtracting within 100, place value, and understanding multiplication.
• Unit C focuses on adding and subtracting within 1000 along with a review of multiplication.  
• Unit D focuses on time, money, measurement, data, and geometry.

In addition to the four units, I also received the following TouchMath manipulatives to use with the program.  These are all optional, and are not required to use the program.

• TouchMath Tutor Second Grade Software ($99)
• Student Number Cards ($24)
• TouchNumerals with Base 10 ($99)
• Second Grade FlipCards ($19/set, there are 12 sets available)

The idea behind TouchMath is that each numeral is assigned a specific dot pattern (TouchPoints) that ties the concrete value of a number to the abstract written number.  For example, the number 2 has two TouchPoints that the student can see and count, and if using the manipulatives, feel.  Since each numeral has a consistent pattern, the student is able to move from the concrete to the abstract.

I used the Second Grade program with Nicholas.  Since this is a downloadable product, each unit needs to be printed (black and white).  Just to give you an idea of what is involved, Unit A is 239 pages long.  Each of the 6 modules in a unit include an overview, objectives, instructional strategies for the student pages, module review and test, and a monitoring record, along with all student activity pages.  You can download sample activity pages on the website.

It is suggested that you do math daily, and that you spend two to two-and-one-half times your chid's age doing math.  So for Nicholas, who is 7, they suggest we spend 14-18 minutes daily.

For a typical lesson, the teacher uses the Instructional Strategies provided to guide the student through the worksheets.  Throughout the lesson, the teacher is instructed to stop and make sure the student has a firm understanding of the concept being taught.  Then there are worksheets that are completed with guidance from the teacher, and finally there is independent practice.  We spent about 15 minutes a day on TouchMath, and we just worked until the time was up (instead of setting a stopping point based on completing a lesson).  Nicholas also spent time using the software a few times a week, which reinforces what is being taught in the program.  

So far, math seems to come naturally to Nicholas and TouchMath wasn't a great fit for him.  He didn't want to take the time to do math using the TouchPoints; at this point it was just an extra step slowing him down.  He did love the TouchNumerals with Base 10, and really enjoyed making up equations using the brightly colored foam numbers.  

However, I think TouchMath would be a great program for children who are struggling, or for a standard math student if you start from the beginning.  I think jumping in at the end with a student who has a firm grasp of numbers and how they work is why it didn't work for us.

For more reviews of TouchMath (all levels), visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.







Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Reveiw Crew in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Snack Time

We've always had a fairly strict meal/snack schedule here at the Academy.  After seeing this, though, I wonder if I should add an additional snack....