Economics Online Course Bundle from Boundary Stone – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

If you are looking for a self-paced homeschool economics course, I suggest checking out Boundary Stone’s Economics Online Course Bundle. Our youngest son has been looking at college requirements for the degree he wants to pursue and discovered economics provides credit for one of his choices. So we decided this course bundle would provide an excellent taste of what economics looks like as a course. This Christian economics course deserves your exploration. Families have access to the hardback textbook Basic Economics, A Natural Law Approach to Economics, four edition along with online access or 12 months to the course, a PDF of the 128 page Teacher’s Guide and access to a Budget Mini Course.

Boundary Stone provides a Christian based view of economics, which pleased my husband myself. Having a Christian viewpoint provides one of the first requirements we have for most curriculum. Having a Scriptural backed view of economics serves as something we wanted our son to experience.

This course includes lessons online, reading assignments, and quizzes. Students may repeat the quizzes as needed, except for the very first diagnostic quiz. The textbook includes reading assignments and study guides that provide identification (words to define essentially), review questions, activities, along with suggestions for activities for further study.

Topics covered in the course include: 

• The Framework of Economics
• The Production and Distribution of Goods
• Politico-Economic Systems

Within those topics, students examine subjects such as Government, Society and Morality, Property, Scarcity and Economy, How We Get What We Want, Failed Attempts to Control the Prices, and more.  Having experienced the Coronavirus and its effects on the world’s economy and the availability of goods and services, I feel this course provides an excellent examination of our experiences since March.

Having gone through two economics courses in college–macroeconomics, and microeconomics, I knew what he could expect. However, I have to say these two courses provided two of the worst experiences of my college career. So I prayed his experience would be better. Because most of this course occurs online, a high-speed Internet connection along with a copy of the textbook fills the largest requirements.

Dr. Paul Cleveland founded Boundary Stone.  Having worked as a professor for over 35 years, he studied and pondered the issues of political economy.  Using ways that even include story-telling to make the elusive concepts of economics to students. His background also includes writing and travels extensively lecturing about political economics along with many other activities.

I appreciate the self-pacing of this course. Families can adapt the schedule to fit their needs. As my son began the class, he felt like too much Biblical content overshadowed the actual economics portion. But he also felt like the textbook did an excellent job of explaining the material. In fact, the textbook provided his favorite part of the course. Written by Clarence Carson and Paul Cleveland, the textbook provides reading assignments, quotes, points of emphasis, a summary, a glossary of terms, and more.

Students watch videos, whose length seems reasonable.  The quality of these videos appears to be excellent.  The quality of the sound is excellent.  Few distractions appear to be present.

An optional budget project provides students with excellent instruction, information, and experience with constructing a budget.  My husband and I find this optional section to be valuable.  Families may elect to work on the budget project one day a week.

You can find Boundary Stone on Social Media at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrPaulCleveland
Twitter:https://twitter.com/DrPaulCleveland
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4qWz28QJO80oB-aanH9Sw

I feel compelled to say how much I appreciate how this course examines the political effects on the economy in the United States.  I fervently wish for my children to stand for Biblical and conservative values along with fiscal responsibility.  I feel this course provides an excellent framework for those ideas.

So if you are looking for a Christian high school economics course, I suggest exploring the self-paced homeschool economics course, I suggest checking out Boundary Stone’s Economics Online Course Bundle.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew share their thoughts over on the blog this week. So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #boundarystone #basiceconomics

Python for Beginners: Learn Coding at Home – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

If you are looking for a homeschool computer programming course, I suggest checking out Python for Beginners: Learn Coding at Home from Homeschool Code Academy. As a blogger, I am always desiring to learn more about coding so I can do more with my blog; I appreciated the opportunity to review this online product. This course lived up to my expectations. This online course requires a computer, downloading the Python program, a good Internet connection, and probably some patience will help.

Ideally, I wanted to work on this course three times a week. Unfortunately, my schedule did not always allow this. But I completed at least two days a week. The structure of the course requires students to work through the lessons in order. So students who already know a lot about computers may find the first few lessons tedious.

Matt Bohn provides the instruction for this course. With over 18 years of profession experience, he presents the material in a straight-forward and clear manner. Being self-taught prior to getting his degree allows him to talk to those with little or no programming experience. I also feel the presentation of the material ensures parents do not need to have coding experience themselves.

Within this course, students learn:

• the basics of computers
• working with output
• Working with variables and keyboard input
• Doing Math with Python
• Lists and Tuples
• Turtle Graphics
• Writing Programs that Make Decisions
• Loops – Writing Code that Repeats and Counts
• Reusing Code with Functions
• Getting Unpredictable with Random Numbers
• Space Game Code Along Project

Once students complete the introductory materials discussing the basics of the computer and its various components, students dive right into coding exercises and challenges. I think one of my favorite things about this course comes from Matt’s demonstration of both correct coding and incorrect coding. I also appreciate how he breaks each section into smaller pieces. So children with busy schedules can complete work in ways that fit your family.

If my children were doing this program and were younger, I would probably elect to have them complete one small chunk in between other subjects in order to give them a break. Between the lessons and the challenges, I found this course extremely enjoyable to complete.

Providing directions for shortcuts to help code quicker impressed me. However, I have one desire for this course. I wish instructions for both PCs and MAC computers for the download. When installing Thonny (the program used to create the Python code) Mr. Bohn only provides the instructions for PCs. MAC users need to figure it out for themselves.

When he presented the challenges, I appreciated the PDF downloads being given. Another recommendation given, I strongly urge families to use comes from having two screens. Because I have both a MAC desktop and a MAC laptop, I had the videos open on my desktop (which has a larger screen) and completed the coding on my laptop. An alternative to two screens would be to use a split screen feature.

One of my favorite activities in this course was creating code to take text and have it spoken out loud. Here is a video of it.

You can find Homeschool Code Academy on Social Media at the following links: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

So if you are looking for a Homeschool Computer Programming course for your family, I suggest you check out Python for Beginners: Learn Coding at Home from Homeschool Code Academy.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts on this product this week. So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #codingforkids #teachkidstocode #homeschool #pythonprogramming

Bible Unearthed from Drive Thru History® Adventures – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

Because we love Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History® Adventures, we were super excited to receive Bible Unearthed to review. Over the past several years, our family reviewed several courses and products from Drive Thru History® Adventures. Dave Stotts brings history to life, especially in how it relates to the Bible. While the Drive Thru History® takes viewers on a journey through history, Bible Unearthed goes. behind the scenes and involves Dave Stotts, his friend, and expert, Titus Kennedy, PhD, along with longtime travel companion and Drive Thru History® writer, Randall Niles, to explore archaeology, the Bible, and History. Our family appreciates how finds in the Holy Land and archaeology weave together to illustrate proof for the teachings in the Bible.

When you log into the course, a series of background items appear including the Course Guide, an explanation of how to use the worksheets and answer guides that accompany each lesson, and how to use the community and additional articles that are available. Families may use the course guide to create a schedule for the course that works best for individual needs.  So this means if your family has a busy week, you could just watch the videos.  If you have more time, you could become more involved in the additional material.  Adjust requirements based on the ages and abilities involved to create the perfect course for your family.

The videos take approximately 15 minutes to watch. The quality of the picture and the sound provide an excellent viewing experience. We loved how the three men interacted. It seemed like they really enjoyed working and talking together.  We also appreciated how we learned about the life of an archaeologist and how they approach doing their jobs.

The videos weave together Biblical references, archaeological discoveries, archaeological processes, and scenes from episodes of Drive Thru History®. After each episode, reading material appears under the video along with downloads for the worksheets and answer keys. 

For those families with younger children, your family could watch the video together.  For families with slightly older children, elect to fill out some questions on the worksheets or discuss them together. For older students and adults in the family like ours, watching the videos together and then reading the material on the screen along with the additional articles plus reading the worksheets and answering the questions on the worksheets provide the perfect level of involvement.

For our family,  we elected to watch the videos together and then discuss them.  I allowed everyone to decide whether to answer the questions and read the extra articles for themselves.  I elected to add the worksheets to my tablet so I could work on them while at appointments or other places.  Plus, it eliminates paper clutter around our home.

You can find Drive Thru History® on social media at the following links: 

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

This course resonated with our family because it combines the Bible, History, and archaeology together into a meaningful, informative, and interesting package.  So if your family desires to learn more about how the Bible intersects with archaeology and history, check out Bible Unearthed from Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History® Adventures.  This course provides information and entertainment while potentially creating an interest in archaeology at the same time.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew share their thoughts and experiences on this program this week on the Home School Review Crew blog, so click here or on the graphic below to read more reviews.

#hsreviews #bibleunearthed

THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED GEOMETRY – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

Thinkwell Homeschool overs online courses such as Thinkwell’s Instructor-Led Geometry . As a student, I loved math and excelled at it. However, the math genes appear to have skipped my children. So I am always on the look-out for math programs for our children. Our daughter especially seems to struggle with math. So I wanted her to try an instructor-led program for Geometry from Thinkwell Homeschool. However, our daughter was not ready mentally for this program. Plus, I felt it best to go through the program myself first to see if I believed she could handle the pace and activities of this online course.

Thinkwell Homeschool offers a variety of instructor-led courses including THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 1, and THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 2.  Placement tests are provided to ensure students enroll in the correct class for them.  Another advantage of these courses rests in the fact the courses are NCAA approved. 

With this program families get:

• An 18-week, online subscription to our 1st semester Geometry course
• Emails weekly that contain courses assignments as well as lesson plans
• Regular student progress reports
• Instructional videos that are detailed
• Automatically graded assignments with step-by-step answer feedback
• Downloadable and printable course worksheets, and answer keys
• Illustrated course study notes – great for referring back to
• Section quizzes that are automatically graded
• Chapter and Practices Tests, a Midterm, and a Final Exam
• Animated interactive activities and more

HOW IT WORKS:

Families purchase the course through their online store. Then you create an account username and password in order to gain access to the online course on the start date. Students then follow the assignments, which are emailed out weekly. The work is automatically graded and tracked in real-time. Virtual office hours provide additional help and interaction. Upon request, transcripts, grade reports, and certificates of completion may be provided.

Each week we receive an email telling us what the requirements were for each week. Here is an image of an email.

Each week, a warm-up is the first activity students complete. I found the warm-ups to be reasonable in scope and detail. Here is a completed warm-up.

Dr. Edward Berger provides the actual instruction in videos. We aimed to complete videos, worksheets, and warm-ups, and quizzes and tests three days a week with the other two days geared towards the office hours provided for additional help. Here is a sample of a Course Notes page.

Students may take part in office hours twice a week. They conduct these sessions on Zoom. Instructor Julie Welch & T.A. Sarah Flood provide ample opportunities to check on students’ progress, answer questions, and provide time to interact and even to play games.

Because the end of the grading period is Friday, October 23, this week we received an email telling us that they would send progress reports out next week. As a parent, I can see the grades for tests and quizzes on the website for those activities which have been completed. I appreciate how immediately after completing a worksheet, quiz, or test, the course provides immediate feedback on the submitted work. Students see what questions they answered correctly or incorrectly, but also the explanations for the answers. Another feature I love is they may repeat how most if not all activities multiple times. Because I believe students need to master mathematics to move forward, this feature resonated positively with me.

I firmly believe students should have a firm foundation in math before attempting this course.  I also believe students struggle with math may or may not be successful with this course.  I think it depends on the dedication of the student.  I definitely feel like the instructors will provide all help needed for students to thrive in these courses.

You can find Thinkwell Homeschool on Social media at the following links:  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

So if you are looking for an instructor-led math course for your high school students, check out Thinkwell’s Instructor-Led Geometry for yourself.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts and experiences with this course as well as THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 1, THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 2, So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #thinkwellhomeschool #mathonline #onlinehomeschooling #homeschoolalgebra #homeschoolgeometry #onlinemath #algebrahelp

NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

If you favor a relaxed homeschool science approach, you’ll want to check out NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from NatureGlo’s eScience. With selections covering topics ranging from math in Art to Marine Biology to sharks to geology and more families should find everything they desire for Science. Combing short unit studies with only one to a few lessons, 3 week courses, and 6 week courses, selections suit every family’s needs.  Because the learning occurs online a reliable, fast Internet connection must be available.

Gloria Brooks started teaching/facilitating numerous homeschool and unschooled students around the world.  She holds a bachelors’ degree in K-12 education along with certifications from the Wilderness Awareness school.  She also has over 20 years of eclectic teaching and student self-directected learning experiences in both private schools as well as online courses through NatureGlo’s eScience (which provides a one-stop e-learning center for students ages 10 and up that is nature-based)

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My daughter and I appreciate the flexibility of being able to pick and choose from a variety of courses to create the perfect learning experience.  We have the flexibility to select from courses with only a few lessons to ones that are 6 weeks in length.  Because we elected to take a relaxes approach to science, she found this site perfect for her needs.

All lessons include a mixture of instructional videos, activities, additional resources including downloads, online quizzes, websites to visit and more. As students move through the courses, they mark the lessons as complete. Once families log in to the site, tabs are available to select the dashboard, their courses, their grades, achievements, certificates, notifications and more.

On the grade page, students can track their progress and see their grades.

For this review, our high school daughter elected to begin with courses on Leonardo da Vinici.  She has studied him in the past and wanted to learn more about him, considering she loves art.  The Life and Mathematical Art of Leonardo da Vinci consists of two lessons. The lessons focus on a pre-lesson about The Mona Lisa, a main lesson that includes videos, websites to visit, and suggested activities, along with a second lesson focused on da Vinci’s Platonic Solids and his notebooks.  Given that our daughter has accumulated a number of notebooks filled with her drawings and artistic endeavors, she appreciated this course.  She completed an online quiz about what items da Vinci drew actually became.  Some of the answers included a tank, which she liked since her dad serves in the military.

Another course we elected to review consisted of a 3-week course on snowflakes.  This course includes the examination of types of mathematics found in snowflakes such as symmetry, types of lines, hexagonal prisms and more.  Our daughter appreciated the pace of the videos, the depth of the explanations as well as the printouts and slides available to download. The lesson explores geometry in snowflakes such as angles including right angles with an activity to complete.

With journaling activities, art activities, short answer questions and more the downloads in these courses provide connections and opportunities to branch off on rabbit trails to allow students to explore what interests them.

Other courses available include a 6-week Marine Biology course that examines Oceanography, Marine Plants, & Invertebrates.  The course explores the 5 major oceans, the ocean zones, waves and currents, Marine Algae and plants, Marine Diatoms and more.

Another course students may study is MathArt: Polygons and Patterns in Nature Online Course.  This course explores topics such as finding polygons and polyhedra in your own backyard, Interactive Polygons, Art connections, literature connections, the 13 Archimedean Solids, among other topics. Our daughter desires to draw manga and works consistently on this endeavor, so she was excited that one of the activities was a comic version of the story of Archimedes.

You can find NatureGlo’s eScience on Social Media at the following links.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@natureglo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natureglosescience/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/
YouTube: youtube.com/user/1hasc

So if you are looking for a relaxed homeschool science approach, you’ll want to check out NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from NatureGlo’s eScience.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts on this bundle this week. So click here or on the graphic below and read more of their reviews.

#hsreviews #homeschoolscience #homeschoolmath #homeschoolmarinebiology #homeschoolunitstudies #unitstudies
#onlineunitstudies #hs

Coding For Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

If you are looking for a homeschool computer science curriculum, I recommend checking out Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding. As a blogger, I recognize the importance of learning how to code, so when I saw the opportunity to review this product, I was excited. I wanted to review this product myself.

According to their website, Simply Coding provides, “A self-paced interactive online curriculum that teaches youth how to code their own computer games, websites, and apps through the correct structure and environment.” However, it is not a drag and drop formula. Instead, the site teaches coding through games and code in an actual text editor and how to host their creations online through github.

The site provides four different learning pathways including Simply Coding, Simply Media, Simply Tech Essentials, and Simply Tech4Kids. The Simply Coding pathway includes courses for: Intro to Websites, JavaScript Game Design, and Minecraft Mods in Java. Although more courses are available for purchase. Simply Tech Essential includes courses for Microsoft Excel, Microsoft OneNote, how to build your own computer and more. Simply Media includes courses for Digital Photography, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Gimp, Camtasia, and more. Simply Tech4Kids inlcudes courses in Intro to Programming: Scratch, Google Applications 4Kids, Tux Paint 4Kids, and more.

Each pathway then includes a variety of courses the student can elect to complete in whatever order they wish. Each course contains a syllabus that lays out the additional items that are required, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom for the media pathway. Students select the course they wish to begin with by clicking on it. Then, they complete the lessons in order using videos and text on the screen.

I began my journey with the Simply Coding pathway and elected to begin with “Intro to Websites”. The one caution I have about using this site concerns having two different ways of navigating through the sections. Grey arrows allow students to move to the next page in a section, while a gray button at the bottom allows students to move onto the next section. It is important to recognize these differences. At the end of each section/module students must pass each quiz with at least 80 percent to move onto the next section. These quizzes allow the students to retake them.

As a mother of four, I strongly urge watching the videos first and then reading the xt. I know personally I would need the notes to answer the questions. When the students complete all the portions of a course, they have a test to take. My concern about this test results from it being timed and students having only one opportunity to pass it.

I have to say I found the videos to be engaging and worth watching. While I can read the text fine, listening to the instructor made it easier to follow the steps. I love how hints are provided for each action I had to take in the coding. Some parts of coding are complex, making them difficult to determine exactly what steps I needed to take. But with he hints, I could do what was necessary. Here is a sample of coding I did and what that coding turned into for me.

My next pathway I am working on the Adobe Photoshop CC: Part 1 course in the Simply Media pathway. As a blogger I recognize the importance of images, so I feel this is an excellent path to go through now. I also plan on going through part 2 of the Photoshop course and the Lightroom course. From there, I plan on starting the Simply Tech4Kids section.

Even though I am an adult, I find the information presented valuable and definitely understandable. So whether someone is just starting out or trying to improve their skills, this online computer science program has a lot to offer.

You can find Simply Coding on Social Media at the following links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplycoding/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SimplycodingOrg/featured

So if you are looking for a homeschool computer science curriculum, I recommend checking out Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts about this online product, so click here or on the graphic below.

CTCMath 12-Month Family Membership – A Review

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

 

My son loves the math lessons in CTCMath’s full math curriculum and I love that he has access to all grade levels with the 12-month Family membership.  Several years ago, we decided to explore the option of using CTCMath for our math curriculum for our youngest two.   I love how we have access to all grade levels, limited work or effort is required on my part.  The videos and exercises are relatively self-explanatory at the high school level.  Plus, all grades are essentially collected for me.  For this review, our son was completing his Geometry course and beginning Algebra II.

The Algebra II course begins with:

• Linear Sentences with One Variable
• Segments, Lines, and Regions
• Linear Sentences with Two Variables
• Polynomials
• Factoring Polynomials
• Rational Expressions
• Relations and Functions
• Polynomial Functions
• Radicals
• Quadratic Equations and Systems
• Conic Sections
• Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
• Sequence and Series
• Matrices
• Extensions

Some of the key benefits of this online curriculum is that it is for children in grades kindergarten to twelfth grade.  It goes all the way through Calculus, so for students who require higher level math it is the perfect fit.  It is perfect for students who need to catch up, or need to just keep up, and even for those who want to move ahead.  As a former math teacher, I love how students are allowed to learn at the their own pace rather than someone else’s pace.

Each lesson contains a video that includes sample problems, online problems to complete as well as a worksheet.  The material is broken up into units, which is then broken down into lessons.  Our son appreciates having the ability to go through lessons multiple times since I require mastery rather than speed to move through the lessons.  As a former math teacher, I know math builds upon itself, so it is important to ensure understanding.  As students work through the online problems, once they press the enter button they know immediately if they got the question right or wrong.

Another feature I love about this program is that it shows the students step-by-step how to work out the problems.  I require our children to work out their problems on paper so they can easily find where they made any mistakes at if they get the problem wrong.

Parents have their own login information and can monitor what their children are doing.  Each week, I receive a detailed report that shows what my children have done during that week.  Depending on the child’s scores, they can earn award certificates that they can print off to keep.  Also, notification of these awards are able to be emailed to the parent when the award is earned.

Here are the Social Media Links for CTCMath:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctcmath/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctcmathofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctcmath/?hl=en
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/ctcmath/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWn5e6974bpIEAe46VnovZw

So if you are looking for an inclusive Homeschool Math curriculum for your family, I suggest checking out CTCMath’s full math curriculum and their 12-month Family membership.  It is definitely worth looking at for an online Homeschool Math program.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts and experiences with this program this week.  So click here or on the graphic below to read their reviews.

#hsreviews #CTCMath #Homeschool #Math #Curriculum

HelpTeaching Pro Subscription – A Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

My daughter has been using some of the online lessons and worksheets included in the HelpTeaching Pro subscription from HelpTeaching.com.  We are using it as a way to supplement her learning in various subjects.  Since we have been homeschooling for a number of years, I recognize the importance of having supplementary materials to help fill in any gaps in our children’s learning.  As the mother of 4:  three sons ages almost 24, 21, and 19 plus our daughter who is 17, I recognize the value of this site.  All a family needs to get started is a computer and a high-speed Internet connection.

Offering lessons, worksheets, and even game activities, this site provides a lot of resources.  Whether you have students in Kindergarten or ones in high school, you will be able to find something for your family.  The site allows you to use their pre-created activities or you can create your own.  With just a couple of clicks of your mouse, you can select a subject, a grade, and even specify keywords if you desire to help create the perfect worksheet or test for your student.  Our family previously reviewed this site, and you can check out our review by clicking here.

As a military family who tends to travel, I love the flexibility of being able to either complete assignments online or on paper.  So for those times when we are away from home, I can just have our daughter do things online.

As a parent/teacher, I can create classes, assign lessons, and more using the dashboard.  With a couple of strokes of my keyboard and a couple of slides of my mouse, I can complete several activities at one time and then invite our daughter to complete them.

One of the activities I really wanted her to focus on this time was vocabulary.  So I had her complete one of the worksheets already completed on the site for 100 SAT words.  Here is an image of her completed pages as well as the answer key that I was able to print out.  I love how the answer keys can either be viewed on the screen or printed out based on my preference for individual assignments.

When completing assignments online, when available, students have the opportunity to check their answers as they are completing each question.  I love this immediate feedback.

Covering everything from Language Arts, Science, Math, History, and even life skills, everyone should be able to find something for your family.  Whether your family needs Graphic organizers, social studies activities or tests, art and music activities, vocational activities, early childhood education, or even physical education activities, you will be able to find something on this site.  There are even mid-year and end of the year activities available.

With the test generator and worksheet generator, I have the ability to customize the information to be exactly what our family needs.

You can find HelpTeaching.com online on social media at the following links:

Facebook: facebook.com/helpteaching
Twitter: twitter.com/helpteaching
Instagram: instagram.com/helpteaching
Pinterest: pinterest.com/helpteaching
YouTube: youtube.com/helpteaching

So if your family is looking for a way to supplement your homeschool materials, check out the HelpTeaching Pro subscription from HelpTeaching.com.  I am sure you will appreciate it as much as our family does.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts about this program this week.  So click here or on the graphic below to go read more about this site.

#hsreviews #elearning #onlinelearning #teaching

 

 

 

 

Spelling Shed & Math Shed – A Review

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

If you like to add digital learning to change up your homeschool, let me tell you about Math Shed and Spelling Shed.  For this review, we received a 12-month subscription to both Spelling Shed and Math Shed.  Both programs are designed to be used online and provide learning while having fun.  This review is strictly from an informational standpoint of me, the teacher in our home.

These programs are aimed at students in elementary school.  Both programs include a Teacher Hub, the ability to create individual student logins, tracking, and more.

Spelling Shed provides activities on different levels and different difficulty standpoints.  As the person reviewing this product, I was able to access the games from the Teacher Hub.  Families also have the ability to pick what stage a child is in and what level of difficulty the child needs.  So for example, you could have a child in Stage 3 doing an easy level of difficulty.  Or you could have a student in Stage 1 working on the extreme level of difficulty.

The Spelling Lists for each stage are meant to correspond with the grade they are in school.  so for example, Stage 3 would be for second grade.  But the wonderful thing about this program is families can adapt it to their needs.  For example, when our children were younger I had some that had a hard time with spelling.  Because this program does not use actual grades on the screens the students see, I could set my child up for the level they would be successful at without being concerned about them feeling bad about their abilities.

Weekly objectives, word lists, learning activity sheets, and practice activity sheets are all included. Phonics also helps students learn sound recognition while the stages help students learn to read words on sight. I also appreciate how teachers have the ability to create custom lists as well.  In addition to the normal spelling lists, bonus games are also included which include the Bee Keeper game in which students try to save the bees by spelling words correctly – think Hangman, as well trying to spell a missing word.

Spelling Shed provides an excellent way of combining vocabulary and spelling together.

Math Shed includes practice in addition and subtraction, Number Bonds, Times Tables, Powers of 10, and more.  Once again, families can select from various choices for different activities.  As a former math teacher, I love how the same question may be asked in several different formats to help ensure students actually know the math facts. Students even have the opportunity to work with negative numbers.

With both of these programs, one of the features I love the most is how instant feedback is given in most situations.  This feature allows parents and students to see what areas may need additional practice.

I feel these programs would be best suited for students who enjoy colorful scenes, computer games, or those with good motor skills.  Of course, having a good Internet connection is also a necessity.

Because apps are available, I feel Math Shed and Spelling Shed would be excellent for families on the go.

You can find Ed Shed on Social Media at the following links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdShed-US-113476190342149/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdShedUS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spellingshed/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJKXC4Rd29eQQWPbSdITLhw

So if your family is looking to add digital learning to change up your homeschool, check out  Math Shed and Spelling Shed for yourself.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts on these online learning opportunities, so check out their thoughts by clicking here or on the graphic below.

#hsreviews #Spelling  #Phonics #Math  #Math Facts #Homeschooling #iPad games #literacy #homeschool

Review of Pilgrim’s Rock, LLC’s “The Unbreakable Faith Course”

Disclaimer: I received a FREE 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.

 

If you are studying Christian apologetics you will want to be sure to check out The Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim’s Rock, LLC.  As the wife of a Primitive Baptist preacher and the mother of three sons ages 23, 21, and 19 plus a daughter who is 17, I am always on the lookout for new Bible Study materials to help solidify our family’s faithand our children’s worldview ideas.  So when our family had the opportunity to review the Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim’s Rock, LLC, I was thrilled.

For this review we received online access to the Unbreakable Faith course along with physical copies of two books: God the Reason: How Infinite Excellence Gives Unbreakable Faith and The Box: Answering the Faith of Unbelief. According to their website, “The Study explores the infinite excellence of God’s perfections, exposes unbelief as irrational, unscientific, and blind faith, and demonstrates the impossibility of all things without God.” Unbreakable Faith encourages a comprehensive look at achieving a Biblical worldview while strengthening faith in Christ..  Completing this course will provide 1 unit of high school credit.

Videos, readings, and quizzes comprise the majority of the course.  Our family found the videos were easy to understand and enjoyable to watch.  We enjoyed listening to what the instructor had to say.  As a teacher, I appreciated how everything was clearly laid out and easy to follow as far as what item needed to be done next. Also, the course requires that each item be done in order and the student cannot move onto the next item until the previous item is completed.

This course is perfect for high school credit, to do as a family, to do in a homeschool co-op setting or even to be done by a Church or a ministry.  I love when our family is able to do something like this course together as a family.  We decided to watch the videos together as a family and then everyone was able to read the books on their own time at their own speed.

God the Reason: How Infinite Excellence Gives Unbreakable Faithand The Box are available as either physical books or ebooks  God the Reason: How Infinite Excellence Gives Unbreakable Faith provides sound theological information about how God is perfect in every way.  We found the book straight forward and easy to read.  One of our favorite sections of the book that we have read so far is how we owe God everything and He owes us nothing.  Given that our family just moved from Texas to North Carolina courtesy of the military, we have watched God’s hand on everything concerning our move.  And this book just helps emphasize this point.

The Box: Answering the Faith of Unbelief presents a dialogue between a Christian and an atheist.  As a parent, I want my children (even our adult children) to be able to logically discuss their faith and why they believe what they believe.  This book does an excellent job of helping them formulate answers to possible questions or ideas that make come up in general conversation.  One of my favorite quotes from this book examines how we as humans have limitations, but God has no limitations. This book illustrates God’s infinite excellence and the infinite excellence of God’s perfections

You can find Pilgrim’s Rock, LLC on Social Media at the following inks:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube

So if you are looking for an excellent course on Christian apologetics and to help strengthen the faith of your family, check out The Unbreakable Faith Coursefrom Pilgrim’s Rock, LLC.  I am sure your family will be glad you did.

Other members of the Home School Review Crew are sharing their thoughts this course on Christian apologetics this week, so click here or on the graphic below to read more of their reviews of this excellent course.

#hsreviews #ChristianApologetics #ChristianWorldview #GodIsCreator #PresuppositionalApologetics