I Know It: A Math Practice Site Review

My son got a couple of new books of a series he's reading from the library and (as usual) ever since, all he wants to do is read.  I'm not complaining about that, but it does make him even less motivated to dig in to math practice than normal.  It's not that he can't do it, he's just not motivated.  Thankfully, he loves trying new things so when we got the opportunity to try a new math practice site, the gap between his motivation and successful engagement was filled!  I Know It is the newest thing from the creators of SuperTeacherWorksheets.com, a great printable website we reviewed last year.  I Know It is an interactive supplemental math practice site for elementary ages K-5 that provides skill practice across grade levels.  

How It Works
For this review we were given a family subscription that allows for 4 users, of which we used 2.  As the parent/admin user, I choose what skills/assignments each student is to work on including how many problems and they can then complete them in whatever order they choose.  This program is only a practice site and NOT a full math curriculum.  Skills are not taught, but merely practiced.  Each question does allow for a hint, but that is the extent of instruction.  Since miss Z is still learning to read, that is sometimes a hindrance for her with online programs set up for K and older.  However, each question was accompanied by an audio option that would read it to you.

When setting up each user you provide a grade level, but as the teacher I can assign practice skills across any grade.  That feature is one I really appreciate and have not seen in previous math programs we have used.  J really enjoys multiplication and division, but gets weary of multiple digit addition and subscription.  It helps to start him with things he finds easy and work up from there.  That covers 2nd grade AND 3rd grade.  
Each user's homepage features their assignments, but also has access to all of their level topics if they want to explore or practice on their own as well. There is a Progress section that allows the parent to see the students' status in multiple ways, including Recent Activity, Individual Progress, and Assignment Progress.  If, for example, a skill was completed but still not mastered, I can assign it again.

What We Thought

Overall, it was a win for us!  Both kids were able to use it and enjoy it.  During each practice session there is an animated character that reacts to successfully answered questions.  As kids are known to do, they loved this part!  One minor thing that caused frustration was that it would automatically sign us out after we stopped using it and would convert to a trial version, which lets you use it for so many questions or so much time.  This would result in me having to log back in in the middle because their session would quit working.  Not a big deal, but it took us a while to figure out what was going on.
Other than that, this is a great resource for boosting those math skills!

Interested in trying it out?  Right now they are offering a free 60 day trial to homeschoolers and teachers.

Follow IKnowIt on Social Media : 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iknowitcom/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/iknowit_com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iknowit_com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iknowitcom/pins/

Interested to see what other grade level students thought?  Read more of the Crew Reviews below:

How to Homeschool: An Apologia Review

We have a surprising amount of friends (that we had prior to having kids) who are homeschooling their kids.  We also have a lot of friends who aren't.  To those who don't, the hows and whys of homeschooling are often a mystery.  In so many parents' mind there is the thought that "I could never do that." which can also mean "I don't ever want to do that."  Having done it a couple of years now, I do understand the challenge it is for some parents to even consider such a task as homeschooling.  For the parents who might want to, but feel clueless or the parents who think homeschooling is impossible for them, I recommend this video course from Apologia Educational Ministries entitled How to Homeschool with Stunning Confidence, Contagious Joy, and Amazing Focus.  I may be still be young in this homeschooling journey, but through reviewing this course I've seen how important it is to share and learn from our collective homeschooling experiences. No two homeschools will look alike and every one has some wisdom to share.

What Is It?
How to Homeschool is a video course designed to support homeschooling families (and those who would like to be) find success and fulfillment no matter how far you are into the process.  This course comes with 2 DVDs  containing 15 short sessions with Rachael Carman and Leslie Nunnery talking about their myriad of homeschooling experiences and a 70 page book that complements the video conversations, details the personal assignments and provides space for note taking.  The video sessions include topics such as goal setting, curriculum, organization, marriage, graduation, college and everything in between.
Who Is It For?
This course is perfect for someone who has never homeschooled before! It might be even more useful to families who have already begun schooling at home, but feel quite overwhelmed.  
How Much Time Does It Require?
Each video session is less than 15 minutes and each corresponding chapter in the book isn't more than a couple of pages of reading.  Most chapters have a personal assignment at the end for you to complete, sometimes with the help of your spouse.  Knowing that growing families don't have buckets of free time just lying around, the course was designed to be digested in small chunks.  Depending on your needs, it could be very reasonable to spread it out to one chapter a week or for an intensive approach, take 3-4 hours on a Saturday and complete the entire thing.  Either way would prove beneficial.  The assignments especially are something that you could revisit every year to reevaluate your purpose in homeschooling, the students' needs and circumstances in order to best serve the homeschooling unit.

One misconception about homeschooling that still gets stuck in our heads even after we know better is that it is just going to be easy and if we hit opposition of any kind, then it probably isn't for us.  One of the things this course highlights directly is the various struggles you likely will have at one point or another.  You probably WILL have family that don't understand your choice.  You probably WILL have to switch curriculum at some point because it isn't a good fit.  Homeschooling WILL affect your marriage and vice versa.  These are realities that need to be addressed eventually and this course does a good job in preparing you for the best way to walk through it.

Much like childbirth or becoming a mother, the best way to succeed is to seek out others with varying experiences to equip you with wisdom.  Despite how easy it is to believe that no one has ever experienced the difficulties you are facing in homeschooling, the truth is you are not alone or unique in your worries or hesitations.  These video sessions are just like having a cup of coffee with some experienced friends and that is something we could all use from time to time!

Social Media Links: 

• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/apologiaworld    Tag:   @apologiaworld   
• Twitter:  www.twitter.com/apologiaworld      Tag:   @apologiaworld   
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/            Tag:   @apologia   
• Instagram:  www.instagram.com/apologiaworld            Tag:   @apologiaworld   
• Google+:  https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125   
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/apologiaworld   

K5 Learning: An Online Program Review

It is officially Summer and as a parent you might be thinking about where your kids are academically and where you want them to be when Fall hits.  Would your child  benefit from some extra math and reading practice? How about some spelling and vocabulary help?  Could you use some help getting them there? Over the last month or two we've had the great opportunity to try out K5 Learning, an online supplemental math and reading program designed to provide both entertaining and educational lessons to students at home.  With my eventful pregnancy and my little race car's explosion into the world, our homeschool didn't exactly stay on track.  K5 Learning has been a fantastic online tool to fill in some gaps along the way.  

K5 Reading includes:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Sight Words
• Vocabulary
• Reading Comprehension

K5 Math includes:

• Numbers & Operations
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Data Analysis
• Algebraic Thinking

K5 Spelling includes:

• Adaptive instruction
• Optimized visual interface
• 150,000 word database

How It Works:

K5 Learning first provides an assessment for math and reading in Kindergarten through Grade 5.  Students can then begin personalized lessons and custom worksheets at their current skill level, allowing for online and written interaction. Subscriptions are monthly or annual and allows for up to 4 students per account.  Created with busy parents in mind, this program allows the student to work independently on target area lessons until they are mastered and then provides a report to the parents all along the way.  The sequence of  online lessons is controlled by the system so students can't spend all their time on one game and neglect others.   The program's award-winning software provides full instruction which makes it possible for kids to learn a new concept as well as practice familiar ones.  K5 Learning is also recommended for Special Needs and ESL learners due to its individualized, self-paced design and research-based curriculum that meets national standards.  

How We Used It:

I had J take both assessments right away which was easy and provided good information to know anyway.  From there he would start wherever the program started him, which was based on the initial assessment.  The online engagement was impressive and the corresponding worksheets allowed for a good hands-on reinforcement  J enjoyed the short lessons and the creative ways they spent time explaining a concept.  At one point he was working on adding three numbers and immediately balked saying it was too hard.  I talked him through it and in a few minutes couldn't stop saying how easy it was.  This program seems to progress incrementally in such a way that really cannot overwhelm a student for very long.  It has a great mix of instruction and games that don't ever seem to repeat in nature.

This supplemental program can be used throughout the school year as extra practice and filling in gaps or over the summer break to keep their skills up.  Regardless of the time of year, K5 Learning is a great insurance policy when life doesn't go according to our plan!

Keep Up with K5 Learning on Social Media: 

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/k5learning    Tag:   @k5learning   
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/K5Learning    Tag: @K5Learning   
• Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/k5learning/ Tag:   @k5learning   
• Google+:  https://plus.google.com/+K5learning

Thin Stix from The Pencil Grip, Inc. - A Review

With all of the great educational products I get to review, few of them are a great fit for most any family.  With varying ages and differing circumstances, the needs of each family will always be different.  Last year, however, I believe we found something that every family can use and enjoy! We were so excited to discover and review Kwik Stix!  This year The Pencil Grip, Inc. has a new product, Thin Stix 6pk of Classic Colors and we got to review that too!  This is definitely one of our absolute favorite product lines!

Kwik Stix are sticks of Tempera Paint in a solid form that glides onto paper smoothly and dries very quickly.  It's a genius idea and perfect for kids!  When it comes to painting it is hard not to cringe at the request simply because of the mess and clean-up involved.  The solid format and quick-drying aspects make it practically mess free and super easy to clean up! And all the parents rejoiced!!  I have seen them on sale at Target and they are always available on Amazon, with lots of different color options. 

The sticks that we reviewed last year are shaped like glue sticks.  This new product is longer, like a pen and the width of a thick marker, noticeably thinner than the original, hence the name Thin Stix.  The consistency is the same in both products - like writing with lipstick - but with the new thinner tip you can create detail more easily.  Things like writing words or drawing small objects is now possible and adds a different element to the work that can be created with them.  I played around with the Thin Stix myself just doodling, but felt a little limited without original Kwik Stix.  As I contemplated making something more substantial, I went and got out our stash of regular Kwik Stix in order to have both options available.  As I suspected, having both options really completed the tool box so to speak.  Backgrounds and coloring in pictures went faster with the original Kwik Stix and details were noticeably easier with the Thin Stix.  

I think it goes without saying that my kids used them with ease and loved the whole process.  What I find fascinating and convicting is how addicting their use can be to adults.  Anywhere they are placed in the path of adults where they are welcomed to use them and create, people start surprising themselves.  As a society, we just don't freely create as adults the way our brains and bodies enjoy.  Think of restaurants with paper table cloths and crayons lying around.  Most people will pick up a crayon and doodle, at minimum.  It might bring a few giggles (and that's probably good for your mental health too!), but I would love to see after dinner creativity become a thing, like coffee and dessert.  Kwik Stix are the perfect medium to jumpstart it I think! They are easy to use, but the result looks like you've invested some time in painting - very satisfying!

Thin Stix are an excellent addition to the Kwik Stix family and I'll be excited to see what they come out with next!   Follow The Pencil Grip on Social Media: 

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/thepencilgrip/     Tag: @thepencilgrip   
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/thepencilgrip     Tag:@thepencilgrip   
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KwikStixPaint/boards/   Tag: @KwikStixPaint/boards 

Homeschool Rescue: An Only Passionate Curiosity Review

One of the comments I often hear from non-homeschool parents when the topic of homeschooling comes up is "I just wouldn't be good at it."  The trouble with that statement isn't regarding it's truth, but the big fat assumption it is based upon.  Most homeschooling parents didn't choose to do so because they were going to be so good at it!  As much as our kids are learning, we as parents are learning right along with them.  That's why Homeschool Rescue from Only Passionate Curiosity was created and why reviewing it this month for the Review Crew has been such a blessing! No homeschool runs smoothly from beginning to end and often there are times in life when we get off track, especially in our homeschool.  At the end of the day, we're all having to learn how to do this.  Homeschool Rescue is a much needed reset or focusing tool whether you have years under your belt or are just beginning to homeschool.

What is Homeschool Rescue?

How I'm Using It:
As you know, I just had a baby a few weeks ago and his pregnancy before that was pretty wearing on me this time around.  My little homeschool has morphed and collided with life events several times and now with 2nd grade and kindergarten on the horizon in the fall, everything is pretty disjointed.  With a newborn and all of us suffering from changes, I would have a difficult time evening knowing what needs to be improved without just caving and saying all of it!  What Homeschool Rescue has offered me is a self-paced boot camp for my homeschool and household management.  The worksheets (like A Dream For My Child and homework gave me the opportunity to put into words my desires and expectations for my homeschool and let it dictate my priorities, rather than what I believed to be everyone else's expectations.  The specific challenges that I'm facing -like teaching more than one child and time management issues- are all addressed and with lifetime access, I can revisit anything as much as I need.  With my sleep being quite disrupted, revisiting things several times is a way of life for now!  The entire program has a storehouse of practical help and resources, but what I found the most helpful was all the different ways it communicated that my homeschool, with its challenges and strengths, is normal.  Struggling, worrying and celebrating along the way is common and in most cases downright healthy.  There is no perfect homeschool and the need to revamp and revive it is normal and healthy.  I see revisiting Homeschool Rescue at least yearly to note what needs to shift and change.
Is It For You?
Are you inspired by the concept of homeschooling, but sometimes fall short in the doing?  Have you been homeschooling for a while and are just about ready to throw in the towel?  Have life circumstances drastically changed what your school even can look like? Wherever you are on this spectrum, sitting down and reevaluating things will be so useful to enhancing your homeschool and your management of things.  

Keep Up with Only Passionate Curiousity on Social Media:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/OnlyPassionateCuriosity/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/opchomeschool
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/OPChomeschool/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/onlypassionatecuriosity/
Goggle+:  https://plus.google.com/b/110290451358830656260/+OnlypassionatecuriosityHomeschool

The Gospels: A Drive Thru History® Review

One of the major advantages to living in the digital age is how much knowledge we have access to.  Media definitely has its burdens and flaws, but it also has the power to embolden our faith!  Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” is the latest project from Drive Thru History® with Dave Stotts and one of those tools that can be used to teach and build up our family and friends toward a better understanding of the Bible.  One of the first questions a person might ask when introduced to the gospel is usually about how we can trust the Bible to be true.  This entire series touches on many ways to answer that question.  This has certainly been one of those reviews that the adults benefit just as much as the kids!  Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”  is a series of 18 30 minute episodes over 3 DVDs where Dave Stotts travels to all the locations mentioned in the gospels that housed Jesus' birth, life, death and ministry.  There are over 50 ancient sites he visits and utilizes history, archaeology, geography and art to bring the story to life.  As students of the Bible we all picture in our mind what events looked like, but at best come up short with a good visual because we just weren't there.  Visiting, albeit virtually, the places where these things really happened sets our understanding on a whole new level and certainly builds up our faith. 

Also included in this set is a study guide corresponding to each episode that can be used in a variety of ways.  The study guide provides a summary, recommended scripture reading, discussion questions, beautiful graphics and bonus information under the heading 'Side Road' for each episode.  The recommended age of this series is 5th grade to adult, but families are encouraged to watch them together too.  Since the children in our family are 6 and under, we simply watched episodes together and not as a specific study.  However, when using the study guide, this quickly turns into a massive bible study tool.  For homeschooling families, this could supplement a major history, geography or Bible study.  It could also be useful for church groups or even just studying with your friends and neighbors.   Drive Thru History® provides a great springboard opportunity to discuss all aspects of the gospel with others from a unique perspective.

As a parent and teacher of small children, I'm excited to have this in my library.  Almost like a digital encyclopedia, this set provides multiple layers of information to be dissected and used.  It's been fun to watch now, but it will also be useful to pull from as my kids get older and much of it becomes more relevant to their own understanding.  Drive Thru History® sure did a great job!
Follow Drive Thru History® on Social Media:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/drivethruhistory/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/drivethruhistory

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/drivethruhistory/

Check out what other Crew Members thought about Drive Thru History:

Colorado: A By the Way Book Series Review

Being a parent can be one of the most stressful and worrisome jobs on the planet! Just keeping them physically safe is a huge task, but when you consider their emotional and spiritual well-being too, some days it can feel too much.  One of the ways to truly influence our children's spiritual lives, a way that is not only instruction from the Bible (Deuteronomy 6:7) but also professionally documented to be effective, is to share our Christian faith with our children in all facets of our day.  By The Way Book Series has provided a great way to do just that!  We were given a copy of  the book Colorado ~ By The Way to read and review, which gave us a chance to explore deeper one of our favorite places!

Author Joy Budensiek has created a series of books where a particular geographical region or state is highlighted through the lens of scripture and God's creation.  Each book is a story book that also contains interesting facts about wildlife, history, weather, and popular visitor attractions.  These books are hard back books of 50 pages with fun illustrations of the story's characters and great photos of the animals and places they visit.  The author's goal is write 100 books, beginning with all 50 states and spreading out from there!  In addition to Colorado, she has already published Ohio State, Pennsylvania State, Smokey Mountains, Treasure Coast,  and Washington State.  New York City, Ireland, Idaho, and Indiana are due to come out some time in 2017.

Mr. Butler and I love Colorado and have vacationed there before kids and later with kids so of course it would be my first choice in something like this!  We had fun pointing out places we had been and learning about some new ones too.  While this book is and should be classified as a story book, we didn't feel compelled to treat it like one all the time.  There is a story with specific characters who travel around experiencing the nature, landscape and sites of Colorado and their experiences certainly enhance a child's understanding of some of the information.  However, it could also be used like an encyclopedia or informational stepping off point.  It is 50 pages long with a lot of dialogue and information so finishing it in one setting before bedtime might be daunting for some attention spans.  Still, with all of the pictures and scriptures, it is easy to pick a few and have a great learning experience and discussion using only those.  Either way, our experience certainly fulfilled By the Way Book Series' intent of 'discovering Biblical truth in every day life.'
Whether you are looking for a supplemental resource for geography and state history or simply could use a great method to connect with your kids through nature and a Biblical worldview, By the Way Book Series is certainly worth adding to your book shelf.
Follow By the Way on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bythewaybooks/?fref=ts
Like I mentioned above, they have published several other books and my crew friends are reviewing those too! Check out what they thought about other states' books as well by following the link below:

Accountable2You: An Internet Accountability Program Review

Do you have children?  Does anyone in your house have a history of addiction - to anything?  Is there a history of even a hint of unfaithfulness in your marriage?  If any one of these even sort of applies, it would be wise to consider some kind of accountability program in your household.  The dangers of internet deception are real and the health of our family is worth every investment.  Last month we were given the chance to review Accountable2You, an internet accountability program for any or all devices you have that could be a great tool and resource for managing your family's relationships with the internet.
Right off the bat, a very versatile part of the program is the different plans they offer.  Individual, Family, Church & Groups, and Business plans are all available.  We have several homeschooling families that we attend with or know through our church family so we decided to try out the Group Plan.  If you have a group of people who have a similar goal or concern, this is a great way to tackle it with help and support from others.  One person manages the group of households, but that person does NOT have access to all the reports of each household.  No one has access to reports unless you make them an accountability partner.  

Just about any device or platform is supported, making it usable on everyone's internet access points.

As far as internet protection programs go, I'm fairly familiar with filtering type programs that will prevent inappropriate content from reaching your screen.  However, that is not what this program does.  Accountable2You is an accountability program which keeps record of all content that is obtained and this record is sent to the accountability partner(s).  This allows the user to act responsibly  knowing their actions are being recorded and the accountability partner to be aware if/when there is a problem to be addressed.

Favorite Features

In my group, we have families with different circumstances and children of different ages.  Since my children are still younger, getting their feedback has given me a good picture of how I will use this program in the future.

-Time Limits: You can set time limits or curfews on device usage.  If the time limit is exceeded, the accountability partner receives a notification.

-Key Word or Questionable Words.  Of course, there are standard levels of inappropriate words, but you can set any word to be notified about.  Want to know every time your address is entered somewhere?  Does your child have a friend you're concerned about? Is there a topic you want to know is being discussed?  Even something as simple as a time waster in the form of their favorite toy being searched for can be set to alert you.  

-Text Alerts. As soon as a time limit, questionable word or any specific crossing of a boundary occurs, the accountability can be alerted through a text message.  

-Report Frequency.  Each accountability partner receives regular reports of all activity.  You can choose to get this daily or weekly for each device.

In many cases, we are parents trying to effectively manage and protect our children from dangerous situations and this program has proved to be a great tool for that purpose.  The reality is, many people (not just men) are finding themselves drowning in an unhealthy online relationship or pornography addiction.  As uncomfortable or dysfunctional circumstances can get in these cases, this type of program could be your best friend for a while.  Whatever your needs, we highly recommend considering this program for your internet accountability needs!

Keep Up with Accountable2You on Social Media:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/accountable2you

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/accountable2youllc

See what other families on other plans had to say about Accountable2You