Family Movie Night~Game of Your LIfe

Walmart and P&G (Proctor and Gamble) have once again teamed up for a great movie that is family friendly~Set in the mid west, Zach Taylor is a promising game designer who has won a chance to make it big...but his values are tested~HOW WILL Zach pull it all together?  Will he be able to be true to his family AND his team??...This film will appeal to boys who are into computer games as well as girls.  It's totally family friendly with a great plot and outcome.  It's set to air Friday, Dec 2nd 8/7c on NBC~You will want to have the whole family gather for this one~

I really enjoyed Game of Your Life, but I couldn't get my almost 16 yr old boy interested.  After viewing it, I believe he will really want to watch it b/c he's such a gamer.   Maybe he'll tune in on the second~I think it's GREAT and most kids will like it.

I received a sneak peak in exchange for this review from Propeller for my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

Thanks so much~ENJOY the trailor and catch it on NBC, Friday Dec 2nd 8/7c~;-))

REVIEW: Alethia Writing Magazine for Christian Teens

Alethia Writing Magazine
Price:  $26 year
Ages:  13-19
Website:  HERE!
I say: Nice for writing teens!

Alethia Writing Magazine Fall 2011 edition was received for review without monetary compensation in exchange for my opinions as part of the TOS CREW. My opinions are my own.

We got a full color beautiful magazine of quality production from the USPS. I gave this magazine to my writing daughter who said, "This is nice!" And so we began pouring through it.  Inside you will find well written short stories and poetry from teenagers who are writing with a Christian worldview point. This is so refreshing! There is encouragement for writing teens as well in a Writer's Challenge with a biblical proverb and a picture of which the teen can chose to write either a poem or a story that shows the proverb as true. This edition's proverb is Proverbs 11:8.  Submission deadline is Oct 15, 2011 to submit to writealeithia@gmail.com~be sure to put "Writer's Challenge Fall 2011" in the subject line.  Also include which challenge!

Also this mag has little advertising which is refreshing to see so that teens are not over stimulated but rather articles concerning authors and illustrators. I loved seeing the art work of other teens and reading their works!

Wanna see a previous issue?  Here ya GO!

You can subscribe to Aleghia Writing Magazine Creativity for Christian Teens by clicking HERE. Subscription is quarterly.  We liked this for our writing daughter~she liked it too!

Go HERE to read what the Crew is says!
Blessings,
SisterT

REVIEW: The Insitute For Exellence in Writing~Teaching Writing Structure and Style AND Student Writing Intensive C AND Portable Walls

IEW: Teaching Writing: Structure and Style

IEW:  Student Writing Intensive Group C

IEW: Portable Walls

Website: HERE!

Ages:  9th GR and up (High School)

Price: $239.00

I say: STANDING OVATION!

I received IEW: Teaching Writing: Structure and Style and IEW:  Student Writing Intensive Group C as part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Crew review group in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

Writing is one of those subjects that it takes some pretty strong know-how to pull off UNLESS you have a solid  curriculum behind you.  Having worked over the years on my own writing and then just shuddering when trying to convey the needed information and skills to my own children, I have honestly tried and RETRIED so many things to end them in unneeded frustrations. 

When I received the Institute for Excellence in Writing's complete curriculum for teaching Student Writing Intensive Group Level C (SWI~LC)writing I was so excited! In truth, it has been a dream come true.  I was sent the text and dvd lessons for this level~there's A, B and C available.  Included was the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) as well as the Portable Walls.  Of course, when I opened the box from IEW, I was so excited, and in looking it all over I noted how beautiful it is too: each part of the product is colorful and appears well made.  The Portable Walls is sturdy wipe- coated professional full color tri folding 11.5X14 paper.  All these are used in coordination to teach the high school level of writing.

What's really cool is all the resouces IEW has available for homeschool parents to teach our children.  There are teacher dvd in a seminar just for us to help us teach and guide our student into developing their writing to a much higher potential! Hearing Andrew Pudewa tell how IEW came to offer such wonderful resources really makes sense to me~that a college professor saw a GREAT need in his students as they struggled to write for him...it just grew from there as other professionals joined in and then IEW's teaching writing seminars were developed and designed. EVER WISH you could be taught to teach writing? This is the FANTASTIC THING about this curriculum...and as in my instance, your kiddos can learn this too~LET THEM watch it if they are older for sure! WHY STRUGGLE? I mean, I've certainly struggled, and SisterT won't 'go there' to include all the names of the writing products I've used over the years! NO I won't, but you have to know that this IS the best of the best! I believe this!

I don't  believe you will find a better writing curriculum for your up and coming writer! After working through and listening to this systematic program I found that writing really wasn't as hard to teach as it has seemed. With the teacher training and student focused program, The Institute for Excellence in Writing materials literally taught themselves! HOW cool is that?

Not only does IEW have three levels: the Elementary Level A; Middle School Level B and High School Level C, there are continued studies available as well as additional resources! I LOVE that there are FREEbies on the 
Site
such as a weekly webinar and even free download eBooks or mp3 downloads! You can't go wrong..even a Yahoo group! There is LOADS of support to help us teach our children the valuable skill of writing.

There's more~Mr. Pudewa is funny and engaging! NO BORING stuff here! Everything is done very well and laid out in an easy to follow format.  Each part comes in a 3-ring binder that really makes the materials user friendly! I like this too~


I highly recommend this curriculum to teach your child. IT'S GREAT!

The CREW has reviewed various levels from the Elementary, Middle and Upper grades.  You can read those reviews HERE!

REVIEW: Christian Pop Artist Robert Pierre WOOT!

No secret, SisterT rocks! Rock of Ages and pop, rock and soul...

I received this download as a Propeller Review opportunity with no money and my opinions are my own.

Robert Pierre has is a young NEW Christian artist and has written most of his album, sung and even done his own back up vocals~woot! NOT just talented, he's a looker too! Believe it or not he's graduating HS this month too~WOW! I'm impressed dude! THANKS for sharing your heart from God!


I got to download and listen to four of his songs as a preview for the coming CD~and I loved two the very best..but there was a third I liked too for its message mostly~yeah, I'm ole school! LOL
YOU can DOWNLOAD too!Here's the lineup AS I like 'em:
Jesus
Breaking My Heart
Idenity
You Hold Me Now
It's coming out soon~BE ON THE LOOKOUT~WHOOT~I'll be reviewing his CD AND having a GIVEaWAY too boot! ;-))!  Head on over and *LIKE* his facebook page too~ Robert Pierre Music

REVIEW: Yesterday's Classics~Ebooks for EPUB or KIndle

Yesterday's Classics

Website! 
PRICE: Sale going on $99 until 5/31
AGES:  preschool-HS
I say: I adore these books!! ALL 225 of them!

I received a download of the books offered by Yesterday's Classics and given instructions on how to download a reader for PC as part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew review team in exchange for my honest opinion without monetary compensation.  My opinions are my own.

I LOVE the older books~the books written well and for the classical child's mind and heart!  I've long been an advocate of the free online classic books through Baldwin Children's Literature Project mainlesson.com and also Project Guttenberg as well~love them and we've used quite a few titles over the years for our homeschooling to add to our history studies. Okay, here's a plug for Librivox which has free public domain audio books available.  I especially loved This Country of Ours, and we read this one in our US history studies~my kids loved the read aloud and they were upper elementary school at the time.  Let me say that the free version was hard to keep track of as far as not being able to mark our place.  Also I had my daughter read a good deal of it and it was difficult reading it online.  But if we could have had a printed version it would have made it easier to follow~Yesterday's Classics offers printed books as well as beautifully format EPUB and Kindle Ereader versions!  We're hooked!

Let me tell you what these books will do for your homeschool.  If you are a history lover or want your children to love history so much more than we all did growing up, then finding the books written for children with historical background and context is the way to go.  I definitely used these books to teach my children in ways that were interesting and productive! There's ancient history, Roman history, Middle Ages and more~it's awesome, and if you are like me with bulging book cases, you will see that an easy on the go eBook version will work very well~it's amazing how much space this will save ...AND THE CLEANING! woot! You all KNOW SisterT isn't about 'cleaning'! LOL...

Inside credit of one of the books~

Yesterday’s Classics is the publishing arm of the Baldwin Online
Children’s Literature Project which presents the complete text of hundreds of classic books for children at www.mainlesson.com.

These are out of print, hard to find children's books from 1880 to 1920 with many titles available! New titles are published regularly.

You can find books listed by subject, author or title~

World History
Greece
Rome
England
Faith
Hero tales
History
Literature
Legends
Nature
Poetry


IF you have to have printed books this is about the print books from the website:

All our titles are offered in high-quality paperback editions, with text cast in modern easy-to-read type for today's readers. The illustrations from the original volumes have been included except in those few cases where the quality of the original images was too low to make their reproduction feasible. Except where noted, color illustrations in the original volumes are rendered in black and white in these editions.
 

But for those who want freedom from shelf maintenance, the eBook is the way to go~An easy download is all you do plus set up for a free EPUB reader as well which I easily got from the web and installed. ;-)) Here's the link for the one I used:
Adobe Digital Editions

Customer service is excellent as well! You won't go wrong in exposing your children to such great titles. You can check out what they offer by subject!

Read what the crew is saying            !

REVIEW: SCIENCE the FUN Way~

Science Weekly

Website 
1-800-4-W E E K L Y
PRICE: Subscription Prices: <20 $4.95 yr per child/>20 $19.95 each per child
AGES: PreK, K, 1,2,3,4,5-6th
I say: Very well done and informative~AWESOME!

I received a sample topic of all the age levels of Science Weekly as part of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's TOS CREW in exchange of my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own. 

 Wanna MAKE DIRT?? Okay, silly question, I know! But I received the Science Weekly on Composting and  it's pretty neat how it broke down the topic into the age groups ~made it interesting and easy to understand but thorough! Reminds me of a kid newspaper on science each child can have! Fun! There are activities and as well as information~I especially liked the teaching material which is the adult version of the material~

Looking for a neat way to reinforce or teach various aspects of Science? Consider Science Weekl!

Want to see a sample? You can ck out every level and the teaching notes! 
The sample is on the Coral Reef~pretty cool!  You'll wanna ck them all out!

We enjoyed Science Weekly and I used it when planning our garden and compost this year~Head over to read what the CREW is saying             !

REVIEW: Zeezok Film Guide: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

And it might be a SURPRISE who actually sits down with us!

It's been 40PLUS years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? came out and its subject matter is LOVE, humanity, connection~all riding in the vehicles of interracial relationships/marriage showing WHAT'S REALLY important in life in a masterful way~ I was given a choice over a good list of film choices for a Zeezok Film Guide review through The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's TOS CREW review group, and I chose Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? with my children in mind.  IS today really different from the day this film came out?  I believe my teenagers could benefit from this film experience.  We had many choices in some wonderful films You can see them here! There are over 25 to choose from and more being added!
Film is an excellent way of learning, discussing, and experiencing different subject matter for homeschooling~everything from social studies to history and literature!

If you have young children, this film will certainly be lost on them entirely...but for the parent with an older, more mature child who you are guiding to understand the important things in life, the things that transcend time, culture, race and relationship~I recommend a careful and thoughtful view/study of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?  In fact, I won't spend much time here discussing this FILM Reviews!!~if you've not seen it~be prepared to find yourself ringing in on the side of love, human-ness and ultimate beauty!

Preview the film yourself and also get the Zeezok Film Guide~Included are wonderful features to help you navigate the themes of the film in a well organized and meaningful way~There are activities and questions~it's a real guide to knowing and understanding~TRUE appreciation for this what some may feel is a controversial topic~Do people still think this? I know 'back in the day' it was considered~OUT THERE in some circles! I find absolute pleasure in the idea that people of every race, color, tradition and creed can find happiness TOGETHER~I see it as something THIS SIDE of heaven! Zeezok Publishing treats the subject matter with respect and thoughtfulness~the only "uncomfortable" area I have is in the intro where Dr. Prentice is described as a 'Negro' which is an older outdated term, and  I'm not sure others will feel that this is acceptable or not offensive...


Here's the trailer:  (You can purchase the dvd HERE $22.95) 
READ Film REVIEWS HERE!


Here's the link to the Zeebok Film Guide HERE!
I recommend both as a good addition to your high school modern studies of the 1960s and United States culture.

The TOS CREW was given opportunity to pick their own film to use a Zeezok Film Guide~Head HERE to see what we picked and are saying~

Leave me a comment. What do you think? Has the world changed? Are we still facing such racial and cultural divisions and challenges as are shown in this film? Thanks for coming by!

REVIEW: Math Rider~FUN WAY to LEARN and RETAIN MATH! Woot!

Galloping horse on a mission to save and defend~speed and agility~All connected to math skills~Your kids will love Math Rider!

I got a download of Math Rider as part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review program in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

From the website:

Latest Generation Math Game, using Artificial Intelligence

Ride your horse on noble quests through the magical MathLands. Math Rider combines fun game play with a highly sophisticated question engine that adapts to your child. The game propels your child to mastery of all four math operations using numbers 0 to 12.
Math Rider was developed from personal need, because we wanted to help our own children who were struggling with fundamental math.

I enjoyed this interactive game. First it's for math fundamentals: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The faster you can type in your answers the faster the horse will run~and what's more is that you can set up an account for multiple children~all for the one low price~$37 normally $49 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE~woot!.

Features of the game (from the site)

• You will know when your child has completely mastered an operation. And more importantly, your child will know it, too!
• This is the fastest way to mastery of all four math operations. The artificial intelligence rehearses what is needed most, at a rate that is tailored to each player.
• The game recognises and rewards improvement, not just perfection. This builds confidence and propels children naturally towards complete mastery.
• Noble quests exemplify positive values such as family, caring, honesty and kindness.

I like the full color animation that plays in Adobe Flash~which is a free internet download. In just a short time, your child will love playing and increase his mental math skills~THESE are so essential and WHY fight over them or DRILL and KILL with flash cards?

Check out that sale HERE!  I say mostly elementary school kids, but youngers like preschool and kindergarten could play it if they already have mouse/keyboard skills and then some jr highs would love it, but others find it not action enough~Mine weren't challenged, but I say, they're just fuddie duddies in teen suits! LOL...

The Crew is talking about it              !

You won't go wrong when learning IS FUN!

Thanks for coming by, leave me a kind word~how's your math skills?

Review: Eternal Encouragement 's Newsletter~Encouraging Moments

MOTHERHOOD IS NOT for the faint of heart~nor the cowardly~NOR the profane...
SMART MOUTHED~Disrespectful~UGLY talk~RUDE~DISOBEDIENT~HURTFUL CHILDREN~and so on...are in a family's future IF some action isn't taken early in a young child's life... I ought to know...I have TEENAGERS~YIKES!  As a mom of two, I am living today the results of the upbringing and socialization of my precious children~do dare I admit they can be such?  Oh course, they can. But am I thrilled? NO.  In fact, honesty, purity, sweetness, obedience, grace and more are what I hope to have given them...but did I?  I tried.  I did.  But I haven't been perfect either~and while I have great kids, perfect they are NOT...but they are blessings to me...and they do soo try to do what is right, which pleases me, their father and our Lord.  

Since motherhood is totally TOUGH, along the way I've needed...sooo needed encouragement and HELP! HEEELP! When they were littles I listened to a radio program that discussed all things Christ-like womanhood and mothering that was a local pastor's wife in the area where we used to live...and I have found another source of support for today~Encouraging Moments~Our Moments Are Short and Sweet, the official newletter of Eternal Encouragement Magazine~formerly TEACH Magazine HERE. Yeah, for sure, my moments ARE so that~in fact...WHERE did time go?  Where DID the little babies go and bring me these great BIG adult sized children?  Life is marching by...and I desire support and some salve for my soul...a reprieve for my weary days~

Sweet kids...

Encouraging Moments won't take loads of time to dive into for you to gain that needed little nudge to keep you going. These E-newletters that are easy to join are concise timely nuggets designed for a quick pick-me -up to brighten and spur us onward in the ways of Christian mothering and womanhood.  Topics are around spiritual areas with Biblical emphasis and instruction.  This is some amazing stuff~and if you desire MORE than a weekly nudge, then you can subscribe  to the magazine Eternal Encouragement.  Mrs. Lorrie Flem is the publisher and has the depth and heart to show us Christ as we walk to do our roles in our homes~she's a wife, mother and has also homeschooled. 

Sweet kids again...

Inside you will find (from the website):

• Encouraging you with wisely spoken words.
• Convicting your heart as He refines you into His image.
• Challenging you to continue to strive for improvement.
• Touching your spirit with heart-warming stories.
• Entertaining you through life-learning lessons.
• Inspiring you to immerse yourself in the holy promises that are yours.

Each issue of TEACH covers a specific topic, topics that are relevant and revealing for homemakers and homeschoolers. You will love the tips and advice from our team of wonderful writers, or should we say experienced wives and mothers, ladies just like you?

All the sweet kids a few yrs back!

Who wouldn't WANT what this stuff? I certainly do! AND I sooo need it too~everyday...

When I received the Encouraging Moments newsletter, I found that the segment on teaching children obedience to be very good~some moms may not know how to do this in a positive way, especially if their mothering didn't model these kinds of things~The fact that it is multimedia presented Chick Flicks For Mom in a short film format made it interesting and sincere.  For their own sake, children must learn to do well in their heart which ultimately effects their actions.  Beginning now, with Encouraging Moments teaching and encouraging godly Christian character training and motherhood to we moms, our children have a better chance at life and pleasing the Lord in their future.  Christian family life and womanhood ideals are areas that Encouraging Moments is keen on, and you will find a wealth of all things from that perspective HERE!

I just had to post up a pic Maxine~as far as I know, she isn't a mom~but boy~howdee...I wonder about HER kids??!! ;-))  I definitely want to AVOID that trap...being a good wife and mother is very important...

Head over HERE to sign up for Encouraging Moments and give your spirit some support!  

Wanna know more? Go HERE to see what the other Gabby Moms are saying too! 

Thanks for stopping by~Leave me a shout out to let me know if you signed up~HUGS!!          

I am reviewing Encouraging Moments as an official member of The Gabby Moms blogging program for Eternal Encouragement magazine.  I did not receive compensation for this post and all opinions are solely my own.

REVIEW: VocabAhead One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos & Mp3s

VocabAhead~One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos and Mp3s

Lafazi, Inc
Website:  HERE!
Ages: Jr/Sr high school-adult
$24.95 @Amazon.com 
I say:  Great resource for anyone who desire increased vocab!

I was given VocabAhead~One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos & Mp3s as part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew review team in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation.  My opinions are my own.

It's important to ck out a good solid vocabulary program to increase their word usage and communicate effectively no matter the age of your child and VocabAhead is a neat tool with loads of cartoon pictures to link meanings to words~This DVD employs the learning for a visual learner and an auditory learner~what a boost!  I like these cartoons that are well done and the little short film or narrative includes a word usage sentence with an explanation.  I think all kids will like this, but for the child who needs a picture, you won't go wrong.   
Here's the VocabAhead widget:



This DVD set of words number 1179 and it's amazing how great these are! Your child could actually enjoy vocabulary building, but this isn't really for a young child. The definitions employ a larger vocabulary than a young child might have and I didn't really like all of the definitions to some of the words or words used, like abase and burlesque.  Really? Is it necessary to include such?  The cartoons while appealing do present the words in a somewhat extreme manner.  The videos are short and direct~about 55 sec long~We liked that!

I checked out the website and it's got some really neat features that go along with the word videos~The Study Room has many of the videos for FREE as well as word building flashcards and quizes~the words are laid out alphabetically and you can customize your list~all for FREE~and you know, SisterT loves FREE! But if you'd like to record these videos on the Mp3 to carry around, then you will want this DVD...and it's got more words~Amazing teaching method!  You can access the site and there is a Teacher Area's area as well as a sign up to receive a vocabulary cartoon each day. 

I like this learning tool, but I'd be more comfortable if the content was consistent for the higher road in life, and I'm just not sure that unless you want to download the audio that the purchase price is worth it~like I said, SisterT loves FREE!  There's a lot to get on the website FREE, and it appears that it's just words albeit there are 1179 on the DVD~that Study Room is appealing!  Since I collect FREE resources, I am adding VocabAhead to my list.  

We like VocabAhead~Hope you will check out what the rest of TOS Crew is saying                 !

REVIEW: ROMAN TOWN: THE PREMIERE ARCHAEOLOGY INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GAME FOR KIDS (CD)

ROMAN TOWN: The Premiere Archeology Interactive Computer Game For Kids (CD) 

Website:  HERE

 Ages:  K-6th grade

Cost: $39 (COUPON CODE: TOS2011, but you only have until February 21, 2011 ACT FAST!)

I say: Fun game for elementary children!

I received a download of Roman Town by Dig It! Games as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew review team in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

We're one of those families that must be weird because we never had a game system~we didn't need one~we have our computers! It all began years ago, almost twenty in fact when that first computer came into our house, and they've never left~WE LOVE THEM~and today the computer is our communication, our schooling, our working AND OUR FUN~We LOVE computer GAMES!



Roman Town is an interactive computer game for children with colorful animated pictures that provide interest and fun to learn about ancient Rome after the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in A.D 79.  It features different games that can be played and all increase the knowledge of artifacts related to that period of history.  Wish that I had this when my kids were much younger. I will say that as teens, Roman Town is no challenge for them, but I can see that a child who has pretty good reading skills such as about 3rd grade although a younger child would enjoy pieces of it such as the dig part where the tools and workers are employed.  There is a good bit of reading required, and I'm afraid that a child who would enjoy the types of skills employed in this game system would find it too difficult to really enjoy the FULL educational value because they couldn't read the words, but an older child who could depending upon their games knowledge/skill just might not like it so much. While I like the animation, there is little multimedia effect in it~it just moves some...I'd like to have seen MORE! 



I played these games in my version of this system and found that it was challenging especially the 3-D puzzles and 2-D puzzles and the matching, but again if a child isn't a reader, while they would like the colorful graphics and appeal of the these kinds of activities, the reading ability and amount would most likely frustrate that same child. I had such a child with low reading ability who was average and above in other skills, but the challenge to find engaging activities that also increased knowledge was pretty difficult, just like finding good solid easy to read story plots in literature. Imagine teaching a teen to read with Dick and Jane!  Soo while I like the features of the information provided, the colorfulness of the program and that the content is addressed to the child in a fun storyline, I have doubts about ALL that reading.  But don't get me wrong, the information is good and informative. I would have liked to have seen a timer on the puzzles or some other kinds of challenges built in~dunno what would make it more interactive, but for a child old enough to do all the reading, it might not hold his attention for very long. For the younger child, the eye hand coordination will be worked well in using the mouse or touch screen with these games and if an adult or an older sib will help with the reading it will be a good fit.

All in all, wish Roman Town had been available just a few years ago with my kids~they would have loved it b/c they were soo into archeology at that time and dug up our back yard~woot!

The CREW is reviewing Roman Town and don't just take my word for it~Head             to ck them out!

REVIEW: TenMarks Math Online Learning

~Strong Foundation 
Strong Future
Website:  HERE
  
Ages: Elem 3rd gr-HS~Alg 2 and Geometry
Cost: $10 mo subscription
I say:  Useful and Helpful

I received a subscription to TENMarks online math learning website as part of The Old Schoolhouse CREW review team in exchange for my honest opinions with no monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

I'm the GAL with math terror~remember ME?  Well, it's been my quest to find the perfect program that will really teach math to my kids and lesson the burden placed upon me~something about just looking at numbers and my palms sweat, heart races and my brain TURNS TO MUSH~Soo when we were asked to review TENMarks, I sighed...oh no! NOT an online math program~HOW AM I GONNA do that? AND can I get my kiddos intrested~DID THEY inherit this dreaded math terror? ? ?

Well, as it happened, Boy Thing One (God bless him!) got finished with his preAlgebra studies with our current math program and so we had some time to work TENMarks and give it a go~  I set the program up for him and each day reminded him to do lessons~

Here's what the site says:

TENMarks is the only online math program that helps students refresh, learn, and master math concepts - in their own time, at their own pace. Each child receives a personalized curriculum to help them master the concepts quickly.

Here's some of the features of TENMArks:

• Online learning~
• Math videos that can be played over and over~
• Hints available while working the worksheets~
• Customizable learning~parents can assign topics~
• REWARDS~kids get to earn online games as they complete work~AND certificates of completion which are pretty cool if you'd like to print them for your child.
• Email reminders to do worksheets with the assigned dates to parents~
• A PLACE ON HOLD button for stopping the worksheet generator progression if you need to slow it up~
• Testing throughout as well as initial Assessment for placement~

Okay~sooo HOW did this grumpy, attitudinal TEENAGER do given he was just coming out of preAlgebra and had never truly seen some of this stuff~First, he seemed to like that it went fairly fast~he could do a lesson in 1/2 an hour or less.  As a parent, I'm not sure how effective this was~and if he had found some loopholes~he's prone to do that...but some lessons he scored the TEN and others he was less~I PUT into place that he needed at least a NINE to progress...sometimes he didn't make it, but I also noticed that he wasn't watching the instructional videos either.  I had to go back and remind him and literally insist.  Perhaps they ought to play ANYWAY whether a kiddo thinks he needs them or not and THEN be available for a re-run!  This Mama thinks so! But he did end up earning some certificates, which I did print and are pretty cool looking~but as for the games, they were a wash. I have no real way to ck this behind him~it's set up pretty independently, but he says he played the racing game and the warehouse game. Okay, just so you know, there are games that are earned as lessons/worksheets are completed. But for a teenager~particularly THIS BOY, they were...well....ineffective as a motivator. I quote:  "I can play them in my sleep!" Oh brother! I have no way to know this either~but IF it didn't motivate him, it just didn't.  Okay, he also said that he has 'these' games on a disk..dunno...really don't..but either way~it didn't motivate him at 15...BUT for a younger kid, they would most likely work to play the games~sooo if you are push pull tugging and towing a teen, just know that the games may or may not be a motivator~but kudos to TENMarks for attempting to MOTIVATE~I like this a lot!

I am thankful for this opportunity as it has helped my son prepare and practice. I am unsure that TENMarks would adequately teach my son Algebra I, but for sure that it did give him some introductory information and practice~I guess I've just become a believer in text books and loads of paper and pencil power~

Another positive is that I like the pricing. Of course, SisterT advocates shopping the market for any product, but I like the subscription pricing~YES I DO~this could work for my budget whether I used TENMarks for the full coursework OR supplemental~LOVE IT!

Thanks for stopping by and go            to ck out the CREW about TENMarks!

CSN Stores HAS COOL Stuff~

Sister is extremely excited to review some neato stuff from CSN Stores~Did you know they have loads of EVERYTHING you may want or need right at your mousey-fingertips? You can get cute cookware, cool  fitness equipment, stylish ceiling fans, fun outdoor playsets, and more! I am B L O W N A W A Y by ALL they offer in their 200 online stores~You don't want to MISS this review~COMING SOON!

Review: Virtual Nerd

VIRTUAL NERD

~Real Help in Math and Science

Website:  http://www.virtualnerd.com/
Ages: Jr/Sr High School
Cost:  $49 mo subscription/$5 one day use/ $19 1x wk use

I say:  Awesome!  Very helpful!

I received a trial period of Virtual Nerd as part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew review group in exchange for my honest opinions without monetary compensation.

Math is just not my long suit and Virtual Nerd is a gem! If you have a child in PreAlg, Alg I or II or even Intro Physics who could use a little help or additional content, then give Virtual Nerd a try~and you can try it for FREE HERE~They offer a FREE  2HR TRIAL to their basic service for anyone~woot! Their subscription premium is $49 a mo or other pricing as I listed above, but you can check it out to see if it's a good fit for your child without obligation first~even purchase a one day pass if necessary~this is a win-win situation! Of course, I think Virtual Nerd makes great supplement to our regular math curriculum~my daughter taking Alg I used it to review some concepts and my son as well~The videos are GREAT! They are modern young adults who definitely teach to the student with great persona and energy as well as THEY ARE SHORT and to the point! Nobody but nobody wants to listen to ... 'uh, well...first you...and then ...and...uh...' from ANYBODY who is teaching~B O R I N G~but not so with Virtual Nerd~it's very engaging! No dumbed down kiddified teaching techniques or routines~WOOT!

Features Include:

New Dynamic Whiteboard
Multimedia presentations
FAQs, terms and definitions
Personalized interaction and control

Robust search capabilities
24/7 Access

For subjects:

PreAlg
Alg I
Alg II
Intro Physics

Go check out that 2 HR trial  HERE!

See what the rest of the Crew says HERE!

Review: Wits and Wagers Family Edition!

Wits and Wagers Family Edition

Ages:  Age 8 & up
Price: $17.24-$19.99
ToysRUs
Amazon.com 
I say: Really really fun!

I received Wits and Wagers Family Edition as part of The Old Schoolhouse Crew review program in exchange for my honest opinions without any monetary compensation.  My opinions are my own.

Whoooooooooooooot~THIS IS ONE FUN GAME! Let me tell you~I have 'reluctant' family gamers...my teens are NOT easily impressed with board games...in an age of internet and online games, pulling out the board games can have them moaning, 'been there, done that!' in their attitudes~BUT Wits and Wagers is different.  First, I introduced it as a TEST game...LOL..but you won't have to pull this little ploy if you have WILLING participants..LOL...but so you know how I went about gaining cooperation...AND then, I also said, lets play this with the Youth Group at church...okay, so far~so good.  They like their friends at church..and playing games is something we do a part of our activities...okay...soooooooo,,,yeah. It went so well that I was amazed...THEY LOVE IT!

Wits and Wagers worked so well on several levels.As a family we could easily play it with just a few players~me and one other...and then we hauled it to church...it was a hit there as well with the 'more sophisticated' publicly schooled bunch...LOL...(like kids are ALL that different...LOL) and it was so fun..we had to TEAM UP in twos to play...You know, it was really fun...really really fun! AND another thing..we also pulled it out when our friends, the Johnsons came over with their family~big group playing...all homeschoolers...and the educational value can't be underestimated either...little known facts had the lap tops coming out...for MO research..oh, man oh man! You cannot beat a GAME that inadvertantly..okay...sneakily TEACHES! THAT IS FUN!

How it works:

Wits and Wagers has a scorecard and some 'meeples' who are used as tokens to place the 'wager' on which answer the player or team of players believes to be correct~whether it's their answer or not...oh this is the most fun~~~I found myself going with other's answers more often...just b/c I doubted my own insights and/or I realized some of the players might KNOW the answer while I was guessing...THIS IS FUN!  First team to score 14 WINS~and the heat was on...it was loaded with healthy fun competition...and amazing fun!

I found this~

AND...

You will want to read what the CREW is sayn'          too, but TRUST ME, it's a keeper...gonna haul it out tonight for mo fun with the youth...they will be THRILLED!

Review: KB Teachers (Web Learning Teacher's Resources!)

KB Teachers~Free and Premium Worksheets, Activities & Printable Pages

Ages:  Preschool-10th grades
Web: HERE!

Cost: FREE Trial then $29 yr or $49 two years

I say: Great resource for teachers! Love the FREEbies and Premium pages...

Did you know that today is Gettysburg Day and that tomorrow is...are you ready?  Peanut Butter Fudge Day? Okay, seriously! Can't you just imagine a day LIKE THAT where you just *might* make some of that stuff and study the scientific process...uh...yeah, it's science, right? No, seriously! KB Teacher's has a monthly webquest for you to draw resources from to teach the kiddos~all kinds of topics~like:  today's topic with a short narrative on the subject and some links~MINI-UNIT STUDIES of sorts or the bones to one~a little more creativity and there you go! The opportunities are endless to use this kind of compilation of information! I can really see that a family who does unit studies could draw from the monthly calendar area and really dig deep with what has been compiled.

There are over 10, 000 worksheet available on many subjects~On the left sidebar you will find the seasonal  activities called For This Season.  Underneath are categories of language arts, math, science, social studies and more~WHATEVER you are looking for, KB Teachers will more than likely have it!  There are free resources, and you know SisterT loves FREE, but within the area of the Premium are loads more resources for you to use in teaching your children.  What's even cooler is the FREE trial (10 days of unlimited access~whoohoo!)you can get when you sign up as well as a FREE newsletter! This is awesome!

I like the way the site is set up with categories, but I really wish it had a search engine.  Call me old fashioned or just "trained" lol!  I really like the vast age range that is presented with the materials and that the worksheets have the answer keys right with them~no hunting down answers by flipping to another page on the website or downloading more stuff!

I will be using KB Teachers to enhance our education especially the Medieval materials right away! I like to use worksheets on occasion as my kids are older and benefit from this experience.

You can go read the Crew to see what they think               !

I received a membership from KB Teachers as part of the TOS Crew in order to do this review.  My opinions are my own and there was no monetary compensation.

Review & GiveAway: Carmex Healing Skin Care Prize Pack THIS IS A QUICK ONE~HURRY!

It's that time of year when we're all cracking and drying up much like the autumn leaves~and who wants to feel like that? Our skin is so important for many reasons and keeping it moisturized is a challenge this time of year!  My hands were purely chapped until I began using the Carmex line...whoohoo! I love the NEW Carmex Healing Cream and Healing Lotion!  Carmex Skin Care is the newest line of Carmex products! It's no longer just lip balm, but they've taken their healing properties and formulated them for the skin.  I received a beautiful travel bag (black polka dotted with the Carmex logo) and one each of the Carmex line.  This is some wonderful stuff~ABSOLUTELY fantastic~I've been using it on my cracked dry heels and hands~Let me go over each product:

Carmex Healing Lotion~5.5 oz tube
1.  How does it work?  This is a lighter lotion with no greasy feeling.  It's cool and clean feeling.  You apply it to your skin WHEREVER you need some moisturizing: legs, arms, neck, trunk...anywhere you are wanting to apply some lotion to make and keep your skin nice!

2.  The quality and feel of the products: This is very nice stuff~it doesn't feel or leave an oily residue at all! I would say Carmex Healing Lotion feels like very nice department store lotion with the convenience of the local pharmacy.  You can purchase this at Walgreens, walgreens.com or drugstore.com!  Here's a $2 off to try it all out!
3.  Scents of the products: This is an area that I didn't really care for because to me it has a mediciney smell. I'd like to see a scent free product or something a little milder.  This scent doesn't really compete with my perfumes, but I would sooo love to see something in a different scent!

4.  Thoughts on the product packaging: The packaging is a nice tube with a dark red (one of my fave colors) pop lid.  It has yellow overall on the tube and red/black writing with a green band telling me it has Aloe and Vitamin E~this is wonderful news because it's so healing and makes my skins feel wonderful.  Often when I've used lotion on my legs in the past they would itch, but not with Carmex Healing Lotion! This is so exciting for me!
 
I also received:
Carmex Healing Cream~4 oz
1.  How does it work? This is a heavier cream that will leave some oily feeling at first but within a few minutes will go away fast!  It all dried quickly with no after residue leaving my driest, roughest and cracked areas~elbows and heels feeling soft and supple!  I think dry crusty elbows and heels are areas we need to keep looking nice!  When I rubbed Carmex Healing Cream on my areas they quickly began to improve looking much nicer! whoot!


2.  The quality and feel of the products: This is another very nice product.  It is heavier than the lotion so you will want to be sure to use it on your driest thickest roughest skin.  It will compare to thicker creams designed for the driest of the dry areas on our bodies. Living in a blustery cold climate will definitely be a good cause for use of Carmex Healing Cream!

3.  Scents of the products: I'd like to see a scent free product.  I believe that the scent was a little stronger in the cream than the lotion, but about the same in smell...mediciney to me! It's not prohibitive to my taste as far as odor, but it is definitely a little stronger.


4.  Thoughts on the product packaging: Carmex Healing Cream comes in a tube that is more slender than the lotion packaging but has purple instead of the green box which says: "9 healing ingredients."  This is a comfort to know that quality ingredients grace this product as well as fine packaging! 

Also included are 3 lip balms:
1.  Strawberry
2.  Cherry
3. Original

3 lip tubes:
1. Strawberry
2.  Cherry
3.  Original

3Moisture Plus Ultra Healing Lip Balms:
1.  Sheer Pink Tint
2.  Sheer Peach Tint
3.  Clear Satin Gloss Finish


2 Carmex lip pots:
1.  Cherry
2.  Original

This is a very nice prize package that will be so useful for one of you and is for me! I get to give ONE Carmex Healing Skin Care Prize Pack to some fortunate reader~all you have to do is...

Ends Nov. 18th 11: 30PM EST...a little EARLY and a VERY fast GiveAway!! You will want this one!

1. Leave me a comment telling me WHICH Carmex product you love (1 entry.)

2.  Leave me a comment telling me WHICH Carmex Healing Cream or Healing Lotion you want to try (1 entry.)

3.  Leave me a comment each entry (worth 5 entries) with the link to your blog post telling your readers about my giveAway! (5 entries)

4.  Leave me a comment each etnry (worth 5 entries) with the link to your blog where you've grabbed my button (worth 5 entries.)

Thanks so much for coming by, and HURRY~Contest is ending soon!! SPREAD THE WORD~this is really very nice~$52 value!

Review: Collectorz Books! Imagine Cataloging ALL Your Books~COOL!

Book Collector~Collection Database Software

Collectorz.com

Get it HERE!

Price: Standard: $29 Pro: $49
Ages: HS-Adult
I say: Useful!

I'm a book nut.  We have loads of books~954 PLUS (not all are entered..YET!) and one of my biggest challenges is FINDING THE ONE I need! Have you ever looked and searched~hunted down a book you needed in your own home because it wasn't just where you "thought" you'd left it? I have! And now Collectorz has a solution~organization with online cataloging!

I have to confess that I've given this software to my BIG book collecting daughter who in her 16 year old collection has wayy more Manga and young adult fiction than I can to know about, but she also has collected quite a few classics~whoot! woot!

Okay, to tell you about Collectorz~There are several things you can organize:
Books
Music
Movies
Comics
Photos
Mp3 downloads

Using Collectorz is easy.  With a simple download (literally SECONDS!) you can im-put your ISBN numbers or author or title into the system and it will remember it for you! I played some using just titles and it took a little longer and gave me a list to pick from, but it did show me that typing authors wasn't absolutely necessary!  There are loads this system will do.  You can print a simple list of your books.  You can mange your loans so they come BACK! You can know what you own, so you won't purchase duplicates. You can talk to others about your library of books.  You can create a wish list.  Your list can be put on I-Phone or I-pod Touch!  This is soo way cool for a book addict like me~please head over to ck it out!

If you want you can set up a TRIAL version with a limit of 100 books~such a neat way for your child or yourself to see if you like it~and for your teen to track their books!

I think this is neat because you can SEE your book covers and also have a handy list~all in one place totally accessible anytime! Did you know you can sort by author/year, author/title, ISBN, year purchased, or number of pages.  Who wants to keep up with paper copies of their organized and cataloged books?  We first printed a hard copy of all our entering and organization when we put our books in our bookcases about a year ago.  Very shortly the list came up missing~With Collectoz you never lose it! WOW!

There's a manual for rough spots! And tech support along with a FAQ section.
Head over HERE to see what the CREW is saying!

I received Book Collector in order to write a review and give my honest opinion without monetary compensation. My opinions are my own.

Review: The Old Schoolhouse High School Planner

The 2010-11  High School  Old Schoolhouse Planner ~Making a Plan For School and Home

Ages: Grades 9-12 (possibly incl 8th gr)

Format:  Immediate Download pdf format 
Planner: 293 pages. Parent Pack includes 14 pages.
Get It HERE!       
Cost: $29.00
I say: I LOVE IT!

It's hot off the presses and just what every highschooler needs! I have two teens, and before we were blessed to review the planner, we needed a little something to bind our days into our goals and other pieces of the puzzle we call life: home and school.  The High School Planner is geared to provide the tools for a teen to become highly focused and organized in all they set out to do.  There are so many ways to apply the planner with a variety of formats offered.  There's a way to help your teen become ready for college life.  As a mom, I have worked so hard at building independence in my kids so when it does come time for them to fly the my nest, they will soar~this planner is exactly what we needed.

Printing out just what we could use and reading the parent's section gave me some needed insights~don't we ALL worry that we're doing the very best for our kids? I mean, isn't there a little voice that creeps in sometimes? I have it, and have come to realize that guilt and worry accompany motherhood~

Please, if you need a planner to help your teen get ready for college life and work more independently by learning goal setting, time management and pace setting~head on over HERE to pick up your very own copy! Right now there is a bonus unit study offer for a  JUST for getting your planner!Purchase the planner and you get The Curiosity Files™-MRSA-Explorations with Professor Ana Lyze—Expert in Outlandish Oddities-A FUN unit study~a $9.95 value~FREE!

Don't wait~head over to get your high school planner~we LOVE it!

I received a copy of The 2010-11 High School Old Schoolhouse Planner~Making a Plan For School and Home from The Old Schoolhouse Store in exchange for my honest review without monetary compensation.

GiveAway &Review: Old El Paso Taco Seasoning & El Tacodor Family Dinner FUN Night!

Now that school is in full swing, WHY NOT have a fun treat and establish Family Dinner Taco FUN Night? Getting together and enjoying each other around the dinner table is soo fun and a way to built wonderful family bonds, and Old El Paso has just the thing to make it memorable~El Tacodor Family Taco Dinner FUN Night!  Imagine gathering the kiddos with wonderful Old El Paso dishes like tacos,  or enchiladas or even some Spanish rice thrown in for dinner and giggling your way through as the games are played from the El Tacodor activities...soo what night will it be? Set it up for once a month! Your kids will have a blast.  Consider all the good nutrition Old El Paso offers in its products.  Yum and Fun~on Family Dinner Taco FUN Night!

Fixing some good eats will begin with Old El Paso good eats! I love this kind of food~oh yeah! AND it's soo fun to get together and have some games and laughter~

I received:

Cactus serving chip plate w/sauce holder
3-Red chili pepper plates or serving pieces
 Old El Paso Taco Seasoning (Regular)
$10 Card to purchase other supplies for El Taco Family Taco Dinner FUN Night
Downloads to fun and games for the event.HERE!

This was so much fun! I love nothing better to eat than Old El Paso tacos and other wonderful foods such as salsa and chips.  Last night was our El Tacodor Family Dinner Taco FUN Night which we held beginning with the youth group at our church.  I had invited the teens to participate with us in having some snacks and wonderful treats!  They enjoyed using the serving pieces which made it more festive.  It was great. 

The games were fun~ El Tacodor games, fun, certificate and more!

My teens were goofy by putting a tortilla chip in their teeth and dipping (FROM THEIR OWN PLATES) to eat~ohhh how funny!! Everyone was cracking up! (You can even upload YOUR family pics and silliness to the site to share in the fiesta!)  Go HERE!

When the kids and I got home, we had taco salads using the Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, and all the fixings:
lettuce (shredded iceberg)
tomatoes (vine ripened fresh from our garden chunked)
onions (white onion chopped fine)
black olives (sliced black olives)
pinto beans (drained)
refried beans (Old EL Paso Fat Free beans)
mozzerella cheese (shredded)
sour cream (fat free/lower calorie)
taco meat (ground turkey/Old El Paso Taco Seasoning)
Salsa (homemade from our garden tomatoes and peppers)
tortilla chips (restaurant style corn chips)

WoooLA LA~this was soo good! And such a treat! Everyone loves this cuisine on taco night!

GOOD NEWS~here's a coupon for all of us for 60 cents off two Old El Paso products ;-))...read on...lol...it gets better....
CLICK HERE for a 60 CENTS off coupon!
NOW the GREAT NEWS~
I have an identical gift pack for one of my readers~sooo let's have a contest, ok??

Here's the rules:

First Mandatory Entry: Leave me a comment telling me about HOW you are going to make your El Tacodor Family Night special with your family!  (Mandatory first entry) Worth one entry.

Second Entry:  Worth FIVE entries. Be sure and number each one! Post my giveAway on your blog and leave me the link!! 

Third Entry:  Follow me on Google Friend Connect~Worth 1 entry

Fourth Entry:  Follow me on Networked Blogs~Worth 1 entry

Fifth Entry:  Tweet this giveAway~Worth 1 entry

Sixth Entry:  Facebook share this giveAway~Worth 1 entry

Seventh Entry:  Worth 5 BIG entries~GRAB my button for your blog and leave me the link. Be sure to number those entries.

Eighth Entry:  Tell me your fave food...;-))  Worth 1 entry.

Drawing will be Wednesday, October 27th 11:59PM EST.
PLEASE, leave me a way to find you~HOPE you win!!

Thanks so much for coming by!

Old El Paso provided me with the products, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark in exchange for my honest review with no monetary compensation.