Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Building Thinking Skills Level 1 with The Critical Thinking Co. ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW 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 FTC Regulations.

Morning friends!

Hope your week is going great! Aah, welcome to summer break! Are you looking for something to combat the “summer slide”? One of our favorites is called Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 from The Critical Thinking Co.™.

If you are long term readers then you already know that The Critical Thinking Co.™ is our favorite critical thinking course to use. So much so, that I am excited to use the Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 (BTS level 1) with my youngest, my son Micah. This course is a complete logic/critical thinking program for grades 2-3.

The Critical Thinking Co. is a family-owned business that has been “empowering the mind” for more than 50 years. They sell critical thinking products/supplements that cover reading, writing, mathematics, science, and history. Instead of rote drilling and memorization, students are encouraged to “carefully analyze what they are learning.” The Critical Thinking Co. is on a mission to develop the critical thinking skills in all children.

We received the softcover workbook for BTS Level 1 in the mail about 6 weeks ago. This is a thick workbook with over 300 pages. Inside you will find activities that will help your child with thinking skills for reading, writing, math, science, and test prep.

There are ten different focus areas throughout the book including:

Describing Shapes

Similarities and Differences in Shapes

Figural Sequences

Figural Classifications

Figural Analogies

Describing Things

Verbal Similarities and Differences

Verbal Sequences

Verbal Classifications

Verbal Analogies

There is a full answer key in the back of the book. It is full color, miniature sized pages of the student pages with the answers marked.

Micah has enjoyed using this book each day as part of our summer learning time. Since the activities are meant to be developmentally sequenced and build upon one another we have just been plugging along in the book completing 2-3 pages a day. Normally it just takes him about 10-15 minutes to complete 2 pages, depending on the activity presented. Somedays he choose to keep working until he got tired and that got no complaints from me.

Overall, this has been a great fit for Micah and I am excited to see him build upon his critical thinking skills as he works to complete this book over the summer and next school year. This curriculum has earned a spot in our Plan of Study line up and I am excited to see Micah reap the benefit from such a thorough critical thinking program.

But, don’t just take my word for it! Thirty-four of my CrewMates also reviewed this workbook and several more, including Building Thinking Skills® Level 2 - Grades 4-6, Understanding Fractions, Percent, and Decimals - Grades 4-6 , Understanding Algebra I - Grades 7-9 , Thinking Skills for Tests: Early Learning - Workbook & Guide - Grades PreK-2 , OLSAT® Test Prep Level A - Grades PreK-K , The Language Mechanic - Grades 4-7 , and Language Smarts Level E - Grades 4. Be sure to click the banner below to read their thoughts.

Company ~ The Critical Thinking Co.™

Product ~ Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 -Grades 2-3 (Ages 7-9)

Format ~ softcover workbook

Price ~ $34.99

Ages ~ 7-9 years old

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https://astablebeginning.com

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Wordless Wednesday

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Tuesday, June 7, 2022

At My Pace Pre-Algebra with High School Math Live ~ a TOS review

Morning friends! Hope your week is going great! Have you already finished your school year? Or are you in the last few weeks or days? Are you looking at courses for next school year? Have you decided on what you are using for high school math? Teaching high school math intimidates many homeschooling parents but the courses in the At My Pace Courses -Pre-Algebra from High School Math Live can make it a bit easier!

High School Math Live (HSML) offers Live and At My Pace (AMP) courses for students in Pre-Algebra through Calculus I. We received the first semester of the AMP course for Pre-Algebra A (first semester) and we tried it out with McKenzie my rising 7th grader.

The beauty of the At My Pace courses are just that, at your student’s pacing. So if your child has difficulty on a particular topic they can spend as much time as needed to master the concept. Students are enrolled in the AMP course until the final exam is taken or for a period of 12 months from day of purchase. I should note that if your student fails to finish the course in the twelve months allotted, they will receive a grade of incomplete.

If your student needs specific instruction on math topics and concepts you are able to purchase each semester individually or as a pair since the courses are divided into two semesters, AMP course A (first semester) and AMP course B (second semester). However, each semester is sold separately. If you need or want accreditation the courses are accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges. If you have a student athlete, you will be pleased to know that all of the courses from High School Math Live are also approved by NCAA!

Once you enroll, an experienced, credentialed educators teach each of the following At My Pace (AMP) courses including:

• Pre-Algebra

• Algebra I

• Algebra II

• Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry

• Calculus I

Each AMP courses 35 lessons are taught by pre-recorded video of the teacher teaching the lesson. Videos are about 30-45 minutes in length and can be stopped, paused, and rewound if need be. Suggested homework problems for each lesson, usually the odd numbered problems, are assigned to check for concept mastery. Students can find the solutions to the odd problems in the back of the book so they can check to make sure they have solved the problem correctly. Seventeen assessments and a cumulative final exam is provided for each course. Each course also comes with 2.5 hours of one-on-one tutoring during the course of enrollment.

Using this course with McKenzie has been a good so far. We are taking it very slowly as I don’t want to overload her. We have been working each lesson over the course of two weeks because we have the time during the end of the school year and summer when we are using this program. The format is different from our normal math curriculum, so that has taken a little to get used to for myself and McKenzie. I myself felt overwhelmed during the first few times we accessed the course. It became easier as McKenzie worked through the program. The setup of the course was a familiar setup for McKenzie as she has taken live online courses this year.

At this point we plan to continue on with this homeschool Pre-Algebra curriculum for the fall. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates think of this program as four others have reviewed the Geometry and Pre-Calculus programs by clicking the banner below to read their thoughts.

Company ~ High School Math Live

Product ~ At My Pace Courses Pre-Algebra

Format ~ online, at students pacing

Price ~ $300.00 per semester

Ages ~ high school level math

Find High School Math Live on these Social Media Links:

Facebook ~ Instagram

https://astablebeginning.com

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Challenging Word Problems with Singapore Math Live ~ a TOS review

Morning friends!

Hope your week is going great! Have you already finished your school year? Or are you in the last few weeks, days? If you are looking for something to keep your children's math skills sharp over the summer I would suggest you looking into the Singapore Math Live and their Challenging Word Problems program. Word problems can be just as challenging for parents to explain as it is for students to complete; that's why I was thrilled to review Singapore Math Live - Challenging Word Problems Level 4 with McKenzie.

We received the Challenging Word Problems Level 4 workbook as well as access to all of the online videos to accompany. The multi-step problems found in this program can help your child in their problem solving and critical thinking skills needed for daily life by using it with your current math curriculum for just 10-20 minutes a day.

In the video course your student will watch teacher Brenda, a fellow homeschooling parent, work out all the solutions on a whiteboard. These videos hep the student see the why and how to strategize and solve the problem. If you have an older student, they can probably watch the videos by themselves as they work through the word problems. Younger students would benefit having a parent with them as they go through the videos.

The Challenging Word Problems Level 4 workbook includes over 300 questions and covers the following topics: ~ whole numbers ~ four operations of the whole numbers ~ mental calculations ~ operations on fractions ~ decimals ~ angles ~perpendicular and parallel lines ~ tiling patterns and symmetry ~ area and perimeter ~ tables and graphs ~ volume ~ solid figures

The math problems in the Level 4 book were just the right amount of push for McKenize. Who is my rising 7th grader. She is strong in math, but some these problems made her think and see the full process of how to get to the solution. I like that she is able to work her solutions in the actual notebook and that she has to show her work. Typically, she is able to figure out solutions in her head without showing her work. It drives me bonkers, so I like that she needs to show her work.

Overall, I have found that this is a great supplement to our main math curriculum. I think these videos will make a great addition to any homeschool and to help your student really master the thought process needed to work through word problems. But don’t just take my word for it! Fourteen of my CrewMates also reviewed the Challenging Word Problems Levels 1-6 so be sure to click the banner below and see what they think of the program.

Company ~ Singapore Math Live

Product ~ Singapore Math Live - Challenging Word Problems

Format ~ online videos and workbook

Price ~ video access $30.00

Find Singapore Math Live on these Social Media Links:

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https://astablebeginning.com

Thursday, May 26, 2022

2022 - 2023 Plan of Study

Hi there friends! We are wrapping up year 13, yet we are looking forward to starting the new school year in August. All three kids made great strides this past year and I am so proud of them all for pushing through and excelling.

image credit

Next school year we will begin our 14^th year of home education and we will have a 10^thgrader, 7^th grader, and a 3^rd grader. This year only Montana will be taking online classes as I jump back into the saddle teaching full time. My break was great and much needed, but now I am ready to get back into the grind of daily teaching and learning with the kids.

We will continue to school 4 days a week for McKenzie and Micah while Montana will do a traditional 5 days for Sophomore year of high school. It may become necessary to adjust our days for McKenzie because of her gymnastics schedule, something we did at this grade for Mikayla. To do this we will add in Saturday school, but for now we are planning on just four days.

Right now our plan is to start our new year on August 1^st. I may have to adjust this since the University girls need to get back to school mid-August but that is what I am planning. I’m also looking forward to going back to our Sabbath scheduling. This year we will school 9 weeks on / 1 Sabbath week off. It might get a little tricky for Montana as she is taking three online classes again, but we will make it work and make sure she gets her rest when needed too.

Without further ado here is our 2022 – 2023 Plan of Study…

Another year of high school is upon us for Montana! She has excelled in the three online courses she took with Veritas Scholars Academy with final grades ranging from 96-99%! We will continue to utilize VSA for three more of her courses for 10^th grade. Montana has narrowed down what she thinks she wants to be after University, either a Veterinarian or a Medical Examiner. She wants to study art on the side and is interested in animation. Now, don’t be super alarmed at the amount of credits she is taking because everything will not be done every single day. I wanted to make room in her course load to include classes she is interested in as well as our required courses. The schedule will definitely adjust if need be, especially if she starts to get overwhelmed. Here’s what Montana will be learning next school year to earn 10 high school credits.

10th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Apologetics, 1 cr:

~ Sonlight Core 300

~ It Couldn’t Just Happen *she will just read this a few times a week

Math, 1 cr:

~ Saxon Algebra 2 with DIVE lecture or OutSchool lecture course

Honors English II, 1 cr:

~ Rod & Staff 9/10, Book 2

~ Composition 2, online with Veritas Scholars Academy

~ Literature: Sonlight 20th Century Classic Literature

~ Article of the Week {current events only- not the writing portion}

~ Vocabulary Virtuoso: PSAT-SAT Book 1

Honors Chemistry, 1 cr:

~ Chemistry, online with Veritas Scholars Academy

Honors History/Geography, 1 cr:

~ Sonlight Core 300 : 20th Century WorldHistory

Honors Foreign Language, 1 cr:

~ Avancemos Spanish 2, online with Veritas Scholars Academy

Music Study, ½ cr:

~ 21 Lessons in 20th Century American Music Appreciation

Art , ½ cr:

~ (2-3) 2D /3D Animation courses on OutSchool

Philosophy, 1 cr:

~ The Discovery of Deduction

Home Ec, 1 cr:

~ Home Economics Household and Personal Management Skills
~ Home Economics Kitchen Skills

PE, ½ cr:

~ Rec Softball {Fall/Spring}

Drivers Ed, ½ cr: (1st semester)

Extras:

~ Montana also works as a Mother’s Helper 5 hours a week

~ PSAT prep ~ 45 minutes/day, 4 days a week

* Just as my older girls have done, Montana will sit for the PSAT in October to get her first look and baseline score as a 10^th grader.

Total credits ~ 10.00

McKenzie has made huge strides over the last year, especially in her reading, Latin, and spelling! For 6^th grade she took two online courses, Apologia General Science and Latin Transition 1 with Veritas Scholars Academy. It was a great fit and the right amount of push she needed. This year she will not be taking any online courses because of timing issues, but hopefully next year course times will work a bit better for her schedule. McKenzie is still interested in being either a Chemist or a Gymnastics Coach/Manager. I’m excited to be feeding her excitement for studying Chemistry this year. Here’s what McKenzie will be learning.

7th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Apologetics:

~ Sonlight Bible H

~ It Couldn’t Just Happen *we are going to use this as a devotional and stretch it to fit the whole school year with the lesson plans I have.

Recitation:

~ Rhetoric/Latin/Math memory work from Classical Conversations

Math:

~ * At My Pace Pre-Algebra with High School Math Live

~ Pre-Algebra with Saxon 8/7 using DIVE

*we are currently reviewing the first half of this math program.

Language Arts:

~ Rod & Staff Grammar 7

~ Rod & Staff Spelling 6

~ Sonlight Literature H

~ Doodle & Do Vocabulary

~ Analogies For Us All from CC Challenge A

~ IEW Structure & Style, Level B

~ Current Events with World Magazine

History:

~ Sonlight Core H

Geography:

~ CC Cartography course from Challenge A

Latin, 1 cr:

~ Latin Alive 2 *we will count this course for high school credit

Logic:

~ Fallacy Dectective

Science:

~ Elemental Science Chemistry for Logic Stage

PE:

~ Level 8 (9) Developmental Program Gymnastics Team, 26 hours/week

Extras:

~ co-op enrichment courses

Total credit ~ 1.00

Micah is moving ahead to 3^rd grade, wow! It seems just like yesterday that he was just going into Kindergarten. Cliché, I know, but nonetheless I am excited that my baby boy is growing up. He is a strong reader (yes!) and doing great in math as well. Years ago I did Classical Conversations Foundations at home with the older girls so I am planning on doing the same this year with Micah. We will be focusing on the memory work for Recitation as we work through Sonlight’s Core C that we dropped for 2^nd grade. Micah is also looking forward to starting his formal study of Latin this year. As of right now he would like to be a baseball player or a military officer. Here’s what Micah will be learning next school year.

3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Apologetics:

~ Sonlight Bible C

~ Thy Ology

Recitation:

~ Classical Conversations Foundations Memory work (at home)

Math:

~ Saxon Math 3

Language Arts:

~ Rod & Staff Grammar 3

~ Rod & Staff Spelling 4

~ Sonlight Literature 3/4 Readers

~ A Reason for Writing, C

~ Writing across the curriculum

History / Geography:

~ Sonlight Core C

Latin:

~ Latin for Children A

Science:

~ Elemental Science Chemistry for Grammar Stage

PE:

~ Fall / Spring baseball

Extras:

~ co-op enrichment courses

~ Cub Scouts Wolf

Thanks for reading our plans! Have you started thinking about what you will use for next school year? I would love to hear your plans! Drop me a note below in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.

https://astablebeginning.com

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

English Communication Skills ~ a TOS review

Morning friends! We are literally just days away from the end of our school year…THE FINAL COUNTDOWN is upon us and it feels so good! But first I wanted to share with you an easy to use homeschool curriculum for your middle schoolers. For the last several weeks my 6th grade daughter, McKenzie, has been using the English Communication Skills from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum to finish out her grammar lessons for the year.

Dr. Johnson and his wife, Nancy founded Paradigm Alternative Center in Dublin, Texas with the mission of producing curriculum with superior academics while building character development. Since Paradigm’s courses are created for independent learning, parents have less prep work to get lessons taught while still being confident that your student is getting a quality education.

We received the physical copy of the Full Course Kit for the English Communication Skills in addition to the digital downloads of each too. The full curriculum kit includes: ~ 5 Text booklets ~ 5 Activity booklets ~ Teacher Resource Kit

This curriculum is a comprehensive course geared for seventh graders, however, it can be used in 7-12 grades if your student need extra practice or a review of these skills. The books are divided up into topics to be studied. Students will learn how to construct sentences, paragraphs, essays, letters, and other forms of communication necessary for successful communication. Each of the 15 lessons are divided into three sections and are designed to engage both the right and left brain hemispheres. There are also activities to complete in the Activity books. The questions asked in the Activity books are asked in chronological order as the student has read in the text. So it is suggested that the student read the paragraph, then answer the questions. After every five lessons the student should then take a section quiz.

The Teacher’s Resource Kit (TRK) includes all the answers to the activity questions, section quizzes, chapter tests. The TRK also includes helpful forms such as a Transcript Planner, Academic Goals chart, and an Academic Contract for the course.

Overall, this has been a great course for McKenzie. She did enjoy that the work was easy to complete each day. She did have to look back in the reading at the beginning to make sure she was reading the questions correctly, but that is a great skill to have. As of right now, she will continue to work through this course over the course of our summer revision. Several of my CrewMates were able to review this and other curriculum from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum, be sure to click the banner below to find out what they thought of this course as well as

Principles and Precepts of Government

English Communication Skills (7th grade)

English Grammar Skills (8th grade)

English 1 Language Skills (9th grade)

English 2 Composition Skills (10th grade)

English 3 Writing Skills (11th grade)

English 4 Literature and Philosophy (12th grade)

Company ~ Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum

Product ~ English Communication Skills (7th grade)

Format ~ physical books and digital download

Ages ~ geared for 7th graders but appropriate for 7-12th grades

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