TOS Review ~ See -N-Read

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     Do you have a child just learning to read or one that has trouble staying focused?  Do you sometimes get a bit distracted while reading yourself?  Well,  See-N-Read may just be the product to help you out.  See-N-Read has been researching for over three years in the fields of reading, dyslexia, and visual and cognitive processing and has created  a special tool to help the reader stay focused and on task. 

The See-N-Read has a clear window to help readers see and concentrate on one section of reading at a time without loosing their place. This helps to eliminate the frustration in new readers and old readers alike and also helps to increase fluency and comprehension. I was able to use the See-N-Read with my preschooler while reading to her. It is a great tool to separate the words so she can begin to recognize the sight words we are learning.

Do you frequently make marks or notes in books?  See-N-Read also has a  Memorymark tool made from the same material as the reading window,but it has a reading window that is cut out. This cut out makes it perfect for highlighting or underlining text in a nice, neat fashion.

See-N-Read and Memorymark are both available in two sizes:

• $2.99 for a book sized 3 1/2” x 5” ~ for small books and chapter books
• $3.49 for a document sized 3 1/2” x 8 1/2” ~ for large books and documents

The company also makes an  eSee-N-Read for use on the computer. It sells for $29.99 and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Vista 64, and Windows 7 operating systems.  There is also a Mac OSX version coming soon.  All products can be found at the  See-N-Read website.

We enjoyed this tool and I foresee many years of usage from this product as my two youngest learn to read in the years ahead.  To see what other members of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew thought, click HERE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~             I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew and as such received a copy of See-N-Read in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but are not influenced by the company or the free product provided .

 

006 ~ 365 The red nosed reindeer

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On our way to co-op this morning we were greeted by this GIGANTIC Rudolph. I literally pulled the van to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. I don't think this picture does it any justice, It was as big as the house!  Now the girls have decided this Rudolph needs to grace our front yard… ummm NO!!!

005~ 365

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TOS Review ~ Math Facts Now

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Do you have a child who struggles with their math facts?  I do…I have tried many of things to get those pesky, yet important facts engrained into her brain. We have done flashcards, sticker chart, you name it. They just haven't clicked for her, until now. A few months ago I received an email to download a new computer drill program called Math Facts Now to review.

  

Math Facts Now is a program available by download or CD-ROM that is used to drill your children on their addition, subtraction, multiplication or division facts. Think digital flash cards, only  better!  It’s fully customizable so you can drill the facts that your child struggles with. There is also an option for you to mix all the numbers from 1-12 and work those facts. There are progress reports that are available for printing and the program  keeps track of the problems that your child missed  and repeats those problems several times throughout the lesson. You get to decide how long the student has to answer each problem, how many problems you would like in each set, or  how many times they have to re-enter incorrect problems; it's completely under your control.

The price is just right at $15.95 for either the downloadable version or the CD-ROM (shipping for the CD is $3.95).  Want to try it out, you can by clicking here.

The Math Facts Now program has a simple goal of teaching children to commit math facts to memory. This is their take on how to do it:

Unlike popular math programs that rely on cartoon characters to entertain children rather than educate them, "Math Facts NOW!" relies on solid and time-tested principles for the development of exceptional speed of recall and long-term retention of math multiplication tables ("times tables") and all other basic math facts.

We are HOOKED! I have both my elementary aged girls using this program daily and we are starting to see quicker response times and fewer errors and that makes this homeschool Mamma happy!!! To see what other members of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew thought, click HERE.

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I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew and as such received a subscription to Math Facts Now in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but are not influenced by the company or the free product provided .

004 ~ 365 Peanut shaped potato chip

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Madison found a peanut shaped potato chip at lunch today. She was pretty excited about it and saved it for last.

TOS Review ~ Positive Action, 4th Grade

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A few weeks ago we received a package in the mail from Positive Action for Christ. Just who is  Positive Action? They are a Christian publishing company that started way back in 1969, specializing in educational material for students from Kindergarten to High School. Upon opening the box I discovered the Grade 4 Bible curriculum with a teacher’s manual and student workbook and squealed with joy. Our current bible curriculum for Madison was just not quite working for us and I was praying about whether or not to stick it out or change things up, so this arrival was a welcome change.

The 4th grade curriculum ~ Building Life Castles, is an in-depth study of the New Testament. While working through this curriculum students focus on the life of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the life and writings of the Apostle Paul.  The scripture memory system is different than what we have been used to.  Students learn a passage of scripture over a couple of weeks instead of learning a new verse each week from different areas of the Bible. A  review week is built in so that mastery of the passage is gained before moving on to the next passage. Madison and I enjoyed this as it gave her a deeper understanding into passages of the Bible, rather than just a few verses here and there.  Six passages are memorized in the Building Life Castles curriculum:

• 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
• Ephesians 6:1-9
• Psalms 1:1-6
• Philemon 4:4-9
• John 1:1-18
• Psalms 23:1-6

The teacher's manual which sells for $33.95, is a complete resource that includes:

• 35 lessons (one per week)
• Target truths (objectives)
• Teaching strategy section
• Weekly character traits
• Practical applications
• Interesting stories
• Ideas for puzzles, skits, artwork, buzz groups, and discussion
• Plans for 3, 4, or 5 day Bible class schedules
• Completed student's manual answer key pages
• Reproducible weekly quizzes with answer key
• Scripture memory program

Take a sneak peek at the introductory section of the Teacher’s Manual with several lessons HERE.

The student workbook which sells for $12.95, encourages students to hide God’s Word in there hearts. It includes:

• Vocabulary sections
• Words for songs in music curriculum
• Puzzles, artwork, and maps
• Life application sections
• Attractive full-color format
• Various levels & thinking skills
• Material usable with any Bible translation
• Scripture memorization sheet
• 160 pages

Click HERE and have a look at 16 pages from the Student’s Manual.

Do you like digital editions? Positive Action also offers digital editions of the teachers manual on cd for $19.95. A Hymn and Chorus cd is also available for $9.95.

Madison and I will continue to use the 4th grade curriculum for the remainder of the school year and I have already placed the corresponding grade levels for my other girls on our wish list for the 2011-2012 school year. I would  hands down recommend Positive Action's For Christ  Bible curriculum to any family seeking an in-depth study of God’s Word for there children.

To read what other members of the TOS Crew had to say  go HERE (all elementary grades are being reviewed). Looking for a  Middle or High School level review, come back after January 14th to this LINK to see those TOS Crew members reviews.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2010-2011 Crew and as such received a subscription to Positive Action for Christ in exchange for a thorough and honest review.  Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of cash for my reviews.  The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but are not influenced by the company or the free product provided .