Amazing Animals By Design, a TOS Crew Reviewhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

In a past life (the one before children), I participated in a whale watch program in Southern California. In order to become a docent on the whale watch boat tours, I had to learn about Pacific Gray Whales. (One of my favorite teachers was John Heyning.) After docents passed the test to go out on tours, we were treated to presentations by experts about other marine life.

Expert after expert detailed for us how specialized each animal is. Here's an example: Birds that feed from fish deeper in the ocean have less fat, which enables them to dive deeper for their food. We learned to identify birds by how much of their bodies sat above the water when they were sitting still. Birds with more fat sat higher, with more of them above the water line.

God created more animals than I can count, and He created them in a way that they eat different food sources and in a way that their bodies are customized, specialized for their environments. There is enough food and space for everyone.

Fascinating! God thought about *everything* when He created all of the animals. Each is highly specialized by design.

I have tried to share my experiences with my kids. I blogged about an experience with an octopus here.

Homeschool mom and TOS Crewmate Debra Haagen has written a book for children that supports my desire to spotlight God's specialization to my children. "Amazing Animals by Design" falls into the category of resources I love.

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The 24 page paperback is priced at $8.99 and can be ordered here.

I like the way Haagen explains the special designs of different animals, and I like the way she defines in younger, 'kid terms' some of the bigger words.The illustrated book is a story, a science lesson, and a vocabulary lesson, all in one. Haagen does a good job sneaking some facts and 'school' into a story in a way that draws us in. I look forward to see what she comes up with next.

Do you know about the caracal? This cat that is featured in Amazing Animals by Design, is a good jumper:

We were given a pdf e-version of the book to review. I did send it to my Kindle in that form. My one complaint is that I'd rather have the paperback to hold with my homeschooler, as she is currently very limited to electronics and even when we sit together and attempt to work at the computer, she is very distracted and wants to leave the e-book in front of us and go do what she wants to do on the computer.

Amazing Animals by Design has a facebook page here.

To read my Crewmates' reviews about this book, please go here.

DISCLAIMER: I was given a pdf of this book at no charge to me in order to review here. I was not paid for this review. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Action Alert; a TOS Crew Review

Our family was given the opportunity to review Action Alert software, an internet safety tool that allows you to monitor use, block sites, and create a "kid-safe PC".

If you've been following the blog for long, you'll know that our new laptop has had problems - a hard drive crash, and I missed a chunk of the review period because the laptop had been returned to the manufacturer for repair.

I had problems downloading and installing the software when I finally was able to try; the safety software identified it as a threat and put it in a "sandbox" on my laptop.

A note to our contact at Action Alert gave me the insight I needed to actually install it and get Action Alert up and running on the PC.

The first thing I saw, I liked. I was able to watch a play-by-play of screen shots of the time I'd spent on the laptop. That means that when my children use the laptop, I can go back and watch where they've been, shot-by-shot. (My kid w/ autism gets herself in trouble sometimes, downloading games that have really handicapped an old laptop; she is not allowed on our 'good' laptop for that very reason.)

As soon as I installed the software, I lost my home page. Action Alert become the home page and the search box. I don't remember having the option to say "no" to that.

And as soon as I installed the Action Alert product, my new laptop began freezing and having to be rebooted. Often. I am not a happy camper. This is the laptop that I use for my work; this is the laptop that my public schoolers use for school; it is the one we agreed to limit, to be careful with, no games, etc, that have the potential to slow it down, mess it up.

My freshman uninstalled the program while doing homework - she was furious to deal with the freezing screen again and again - and uninstalling the program did not fix the problem with the freezing.

Yesterday, in the midst of all the freezing, a message popped up that told me that my copy of Windows isn't real. What? The laptop came straight from the manufacturer. We've not installed a fake copy of Windows on it.

Our next stop - the computer repair place - minimum $70 fee for them to look at it - when our machine was fine before the installation of Action Alert.

There are features of Action Alert that I like, that are very attractive to this mom as her children become more and more internet-savy. But a product that causes problems and a review item that is going to cost me $70 or more is an infuriating disappointment. I suspect that there are more gremlins to work out, and when they get them worked out, I think this will be a good product.

Go here to see what my crewmates' have to say about Action Alert.

Action Alert sent me a download of the Maximum Protection Version ($29.99) to use and review for you, at no charge to me. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Reading Eggs, a TOS Crew Review

Reading Eggs is an online reading program for children. The internet is abuzz about Reading Eggs at the moment. Several internet chat groups are talking about it and are sharing discount codes for subscriptions (and yes, I'm referring to folks outside TOS Crew). Lots of families have fallen in love it Reading Eggs.

Reading Eggs is set up as a web site of games that are fun and engaging to children that build reading skills as children play. The subscription is reasonably priced at $75/year or $49/six months and users can sign up for a free 2-week trial with no credit card required. Monthly subscriptions are available for $9.95 a month. A sample of lessons is available here.

My homeschooler still struggles with reading. We brought our autism consultant to our town to work with us at home for three days in February; she tells us our girl's reading has improved. She still has a way to go, though, to be at grade level.

My girl was able to log in to Reading Eggs once on the "limping" laptop, and after that, we could not get it to load again. (The hard drive on our new laptop crashed and the laptop was returned to the manufacturer for repair during this review period.) Soon after that, our autism consultant recommended we cut off most of our homeschooler's electronic time for now to go through a period of electronic detox because electronics have begun getting in the way of everyday activities and functioning.

In a recent private online discussion about electronics addictions, I typed this: Kids like 'ours' (on the autism spectrum) tend to have developmental delays in the areas they need in order to have balance. Impulse control. Self-regulation. Self-control. Prioritizing necessary but non-preferred activities (has to do w/ executive functioning). Flexibility. Creative problem solving. Effects of consequences. If you have a child who is rigid, has little to no impulse control, no creative problem solving to rationalize they can work now, play later, etc, you can expect to see a bigger "addiction" to the electronics grow. The goal is to grow the areas where the kids are developmentally delayed while simultaneously limiting screen time.

We have more to balance than screen time and the attention it consumes (sometimes past the point of obsession).

We didn't get much of a chance with Reading Eggs due to our technical difficulties. My daughter complained that the Reading Eggs site is too babyish for her. We have a fine line between what she needs, developmentally, which tends to be younger in nature, and what she feels is too babyish for a 12 year old. That balance seems to get more complicated to attain as she grows up while her skills are still delayed.

Sometimes she uses the word "boring", and that typically means something is too difficult. We were not able to utilize the assessment the way I wanted with the laptop problems and the restrictions we imposed during the beginning of her computer detox period (she is still very restricted on electronics - and my house is not a lot of fun to her right now because of it).

When we get through our detox (and I have no idea how long that will take - it will take as long as it takes), yes, I will consider Reading Eggs, and I'll go month-to-month at first. Moms of kids w/ special needs in some of my internet chat groups are raving about it.

To read my Crewmates' reviews of Reading Eggs, please go here.

We were given a short trial of Reading Eggs to use to review for you. Reading Eggs is one of three review items that arrived during the period where the hard drive crashed on our new laptop and we were left waiting for the repair. When the laptop was returned, we were keeping the homeschooler off of the computer during a period of electronic detox. I regret the timing of the hard drive crash and detox time. This is an informational review. We were not able to use the product during the review time period.

K-5 Learning, a TOS Crew Review

K5 Learning is an online enrichment program aimed at children working in the kindergarten-through-fifth-grade level in reading, spelling and mathematics. The subscription is priced at $25 a month for the first child or $199 a year with additional students priced at $15/month or $129/year.

K5 is personalized because the child begins with an assessment to put the child at the right starting point.

If you have a child with special needs, be sure to check out the page about K5 and special needs learners, here. That page states, "Some children, including children with Asperger’s syndrome and high functioning autism, learn better without the distractions of personal contact." While the statement is true, we were advised by our autism consultant that the laptop and other electronics were getting in the way of relationships to the point of an addiction and during this review period began a period of electronic detox with her help.

K5 Learning is another review item that arrived during the period where the hard drive crashed on our new laptop and we were left waiting for the repair. When the laptop was returned, we were keeping the homeschooler off of the computer during a period of detox. I regret the timing of the hard drive crash and detox time. This is an informational review. We were not able to use the product during the review time period.

It looks like a lot of fun. Be sure to check out the introductory video and the free 2-week trial offer, here.

Geometry, something I don't associate much w/ K-through-5 learning, is included in your subscription:

We need to work more on addition and subtraction facts at my house. They never seem to stick like multiplication did. K5 has activities for those important math facts, too.

I am tickled to see that your free trial is available to you without your being required to supply credit card information. Please give K-5 Learning a try. It might be right for your situation. When we get through our detox and are using online learning options again sometime down the road, I plan to do just that, now that our hard drive is repaired and working the way it is supposed to.

To read my Crewmates' reviews of K-5 Learning, please go here.

We were given a brief trial of K5 Learning for review purposes. Due to equipment issues and autism intervention, we were not able to use this product during the review time. This is an informational review.

Beeyoutiful, a TOS Crew Review

Beeyoutiful is a company that offers consumers natural products for your skin and immune system.

Beeyoutiful sent my family two products to review for you: miracle skin salve and orange B.A.L.M. for the lips. I am a shopper who intentionally seeks products that contain no petroleum or mineral oil. And Beeyoutiful delivers. I don't have a lot to say about the products beyond that - Beeyoutiful uses the ingredients that I want in products, they don't have the ingredients that I don't want, and the company catalog continues to grow with more items that appeal to me.

Click the photos to go to the product pages with ingredient info.

I like coconut based products, and the first ingredient of miracle skin salve is coconut oil. My homeschooler and I used the miracle skin salve a lot. The scent is pleasant, too. I have eczema in both ears, and the miracle skin salve was both soothing and reduced the itching. My daughter has some eczema spots on her legs and she uses it on them. She would not continue to use it if it were not soothing to her. miracle skin salve is priced at $15 for 2 ounces.

The other product we received is Beeyoutiful All-Natural Lip Moisturizer, or B.A.L.M. I have to hid lip balms from my daughters if I want to keep them. :) This one is worth hiding from them. We received the orange scented balm, and orange is not my favorite scent/flavor for products (because it reminds me of yucky baby aspirin from when I was a child), yet this essential oil used to scent this balm is nice and the balm does not taste orange-y to me. It makes my lips feel great when they are chapped and dry. B.A.L.M. is priced at $3 a tube.

Please read the reviews of my Crewmates about these and other Beeyoutiful products here.

Beeyoutiful sent me miracle skin salve and B.A.L.M. to review for you. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Apologia: Who Am I?; a TOS Crew Review

I had high expectations for "Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?" from apologia. Everything that I have seen from apologia educational ministries, inc., has been solid, from the visually beautiful layout of the materials to the quality of the information inside.

My expectations are met and exceeded with "Who Am I?".

apologia sent my family a huge package of "Who Am I?" resources to review. We were given the hardback textbook ($39.00); the notebooking journal ($24.00); the audio CD ($19.00); and the coloring book ($8.00).

The textbook is another one of apologia's sturdy hardbacks; 8 lessons (chapters) in 262 pages. Rather than describe each lesson, I will direct you to a sample lesson, here. You will be able to see for yourself the layout, the quality, the reading and comprehension level needed as you think about your homeschoolers' abilities.

The table of contents is here. apologia materials suggest that the lessons are geared for students ages 6-14, quite a large age range, in my opinion, and based on my limited experience, would consider them for mature 8 or 9 year olds or for the older end of the age range.

Who Am I? from the What We Believe series teaches children "what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of a loving God." apologia uses a variety of Biblical translations but uses NIV more heavily than other choices. apologia recommends that families use their favorite translation for scripture memory within this study.

***The first lesson includes a story about a child with a disability.***

I think all of us will relate to the child in the story with some physical differences, and children with a disability will especially relate to this child. Well done.

The way the study is set up allows parents and teachers to go as fast or as slow as the student needs in order to learn.

My first two apologia review items were given to me prior to the availability of apologia's notebooking journals. I purchased one to go with something I received and I will probably purchase two more to go with products that did not have a journal when I was given or bought the text. You simply must have the journal to go with the text, in my opinion. The journal is inviting to look at for the child, it looks fun; of course if follows the text and supports the info in the text with q & a, word searches, fill-in-the-blank, and other pencil and paper and thinking activities. A sample from the notebooking journal is here.

The audio CD (actually an MP3-CD) contains "Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?" in audio format from beginning to end. The audio format will allow parents or children with visual impairments to experience the entire book, and allows children with auditory processing challenges combined with reading delays to play the CD and follow along in the book simultaneously, a strategy that is sometimes helpful for comprehension. Some children prefer learning by hearing over reading, and this audio CD gives that learner an option. (I remember hearing Amanda Bennett tell us at a homeschool convention that her son would listen to apologia science on CD on a portable CD player while he dribbled a basketball outside.) The voice is pleasant and female. I think she could slow her reading pace quite a bit for the learner with auditory processing challenges. Check out the sample here before you buy.

The coloring book is my favorite part of the set because it is the most friendly to my homeschooler with unique learning needs. Too many spoken words, too much text overwhelms her (we've come a long way, but she is not ready for all of the material in this text "as is"). Sample pages are available here.

Other TOS Crewmates have reviewed "Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?" here.

apologia sent me these resources to review for you. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

We Choose Virtues, a TOS Crew Review

We received a really useful and interesting review item for our situation homeschooling a tween on the autism spectrum.

We Choose Virtues is a company that produces materials that assist parents and teachers in teaching character in children. We were given a set of Virtue Clue Cards to review. The 12 clue cards are the size of business cards (but they feel slightly more sturdy than a standard business card); they come in a clear plastic sleeve that velcros closed. The 13th card is the introductory card that asks, "Can YOU use your Virtues the whole day? I believe you can!"

The virtues: obedient, patient, honest, self-controlled, forgiving, diligent, helpful, perseverant, kind, gentle, content, attentive.

I have a lot of thoughts about the little cards.

For typically developing kids, I think they are a creative and fun (and probably quite effective) way to teach virtues, to work on relationships with self and others. You should be able to use them as is, straight from the package. They're priced right - regularly priced at $7.95, on sale for $5.99.

For some children w/ special needs, the little cards need to be used with special care and caution. I sometimes hear (more often than I would like) a parent or teacher telling a child, "If you're good, we'll do X when this class is over." For one little boy, it was to run up and down the Sunday School halls, something he loved to do, and something that gave him enough sensory input to get him through the next activity. What I DON'T hear is a description of what "good" is. And when the child doesn't match the expectations for "good", the child automatically is "bad". A failure. I don't like that.

Some children with special needs have little self-control over themselves at certain times. Mine struggles when she is getting sick, is sick, or when she is hungry (probably a blood sugar issue). Her neurology does not work for her some days. She simply is unable to obey right away or wait with a smile or keep her "wanter" under control.

So we are very deliberately using these cards in a way that they are not "absolutes" (and I do think the cards are intended for this kind of use). We are picking one and spotlighting when my girl does well with one without calling her "good" when she does it and "bad" when she does not. In fact, a lot of the time at my house, these cards are used for a preceding step - for allowing her to acknowledge that she has a choice. It's an awareness piece. A self-awareness piece The behavior piece - the piece that she has a choice - is a second or even third step for us.

I like the way the virtues are listed individually for us and I like the opportunities we have to spotlight them in context in naturally occurring events.

A downloadable coloring book reinforces the info on the cards:

And there is a character assessment for family members to use for the awareness piece. (Click on the picture to take you to the assessment.)  I do not like the chart for the purpose of judging a child.  I would consider using this only as a child's own self-assessment for thinking about purposes (self-appraisal, past experience, forethought).

I was concerned that the virtue cards would create anxiety in my kid in terms of "being good" or "being bad". The parent has the responsibility to keep from labeling the child that way while using these little goodies to turn more responsibility from the parent to the child in terms of thinking about behavior. And I like that.

We Choose Virtues sent me a set of Virtue Clue Cards at no cost to me in order to review here. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

The World's Greatest Stories, a TOS Crew Review

The Prophets. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel. Elijah. Jonah. Powerful stories of faith and courage from the Old Testament. Beloved stories that take me straight back to Sunday School as a child.

Our family was given (to review) Volume 1, The Prophets, part of the CD series from The World's Greatest Stories.

I requested and was given the NIV version. I had no idea what to expect. The description explained that the stories are told straight from the NIV Bible. That could mean really, really good or just plain dry and boring.

I am relieved and pleased to report that storyteller and actor George W. Sarris gives five fantastic performances bringing the stories from the NIV Bible to life with different voices and accents that are quite entertaining. The stories are enhanced with music, sound effects and special effects. Interesting fact: In the FAQ of The World's Greatest Stories website, I learned that Mr Sarris memorizes the performance before he records it.

The stories range in length from 8-14 minutes. The CD we received has five stories, is available in King James or NIV versions, in cassette or CD, and is priced at $7.95.

The audio stories are very. well. done. I would have loved them as a child. I love them now. The stories take me there. The accents differentiate characters from one another in a way that I can keep track of who's who. Music is used effectively underneath the story to add to the emotional component of the stories. When I am listening to the stories, I am there. I hear the fire in the furnace crackling (the sound effects are perfect) and I can almost feel the heat. I hear the seagulls near Jonah; I can almost smell the sea air. I hear the fear in the minds of the men on the boat with Jonah. I see it all in my mind in a way that I have not before, despite reading these passages from the Bible many times over the years.

SPECIAL NEEDS PERSPECTIVE

My big concern (and I chose not to allow my homeschooler hear this CD -yet- for this very reason) is the fact that these stories are scary. Hear me out. My homeschooler developed anxiety around going to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. Her memories are of stories at SS and VBS about Esther, where the king wanted to kill all of her people, or about pounding nails into the hands and feet of Jesus. Scary stuff to a young child or an older child with developmental delays.We had trouble getting her into the church building for a while - she was afraid. Until she is better able to put the pieces of the story into proper perspective, I am not ready to give her an audio story with men being thrown into a furnace or a man being thrown to the lions yet.

I would consider ordering two of the CDs for her. The Life of Christ seems (as I look at story titles) to have less of the scary stuff; Joseph & His Brothers is familiar (a sib was in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat a few years ago).

The pace of the story is faster than I'd like for my child. The speech therapist evaluating her believes she comprehends everything, but her auditory processing speed is slower than typical; she needs more pauses and processing time than the CD allows. She screeches in protest when we talk to fast for her to process. (I would love to see a slowed-down version of this for her. I don't know if that is possible.) If your child has auditory processing challenges, a sample on the World's Greatest Stories may help you evaluate whether these are appropriate for your situation.

As I consider how I could begin to use these CDs with my girl, I think that she would enjoy an audio story of a topic that she already knows well (and that has fewer scary moments). If your child is like mine, needs that strong visual component and has the auditory processing challenges, introducing a CD with very loved and familiar stories may be a successful first step into the world of audio stories.

If you have a child who insists on familiar pronunciations, you may find some of the pronunciations new or different. One is Darius - du RI us vs the familiar-to-me DAR ee us.

Thinking beyond special needs and ahead

The stories contain a lot of 'new' vocabulary, words and terms we don't use every day, words worth logging in a definitions journal.

The CD is something I'd pack in the car for a long or short ride. And it's something to pop in at home while coloring or playing with clay or play dough or building a marble run or with Lego. It's also something I'd consider buying to donate to a Sunday School class. And my nieces and nephews would adore them, I think.

The CD is something I'd consider for a Sunday morning at home. Every have a Sunday where you're snowed in or you're staying home w/ a sick child? This would make a neat home-church option on one of those Sundays.

Among my friends are folks who are from the Jewish faith and some who are atheists. This particular CD (and the other Old Testament stories) is appropriate for families who are not Christian.

Thumbs up - the stories are quite entertaining and a true to scripture. The price is right, too.

See what my Crewmates' think about The World's Greatest Stories here.

The World's Greatest Stories sent me a CD to review for you. I was not paid for this review (I get to keep the CD) and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

One Minute Reader; a TOS Crew Review

My homeschooler, whom I affectionately nicknamed, 'Rella, and I have been reviewing a reading resource called One Minute Reader from Read Naturally.

I'll tell you up front - this is a product that I intend to stick with if it fits within my budget as we go along. (Read Naturally offers affordable options.)

The program is research based. The concept and implementation are easy and uncomplicated. And it is created by a former special education teacher and her husband.
The product package = a book, an audio CD, a timer, a pencil that is blue on one end and red on the other.

The how-to: The book contains audio stories from the book read aloud. Play the CD, read along with the CD, read alone with the timer, mark errors with the pencil, calculate score. Students are to read along with the voice on the CD at least three times, then alone in a timed reading. (Stories are read aloud on the CD three times, so you pop in the CD, locate the first track of the story, hit play, and let it run. No backing up and restarting a track.) The actual steps are here. The stories are non-fiction and come with a page of questions to check comprehension (something we still struggle with at my house) and games and support activities.

The lessons are short, which is a bonus for a child with attention challenges. The recommended half-hour lesson is a bit much for my child with attention issues, although she tends to get to 15 minutes pretty easily. The pattern of reading along with the CD and then reading alone becomes familiar, quickly, also a bonus to a child who doesn't always sense patterns and who needs structure. The stories change; the pattern of the lesson stays the same. Same but different, different but same. There is a sample book available here.

Research-based One-Minute Reader is meant for support at home. In other words, it's not a product marketed specifically to homeschoolers.

The readings are intended to be completed independently; however, I have to sit with my girl when she completes hers. I like to see her reading along with the recordings. My child reads much too fast and I did not realize that until we received this product. The pleasant voice on the recording sets the pace that 'Rella must follow, and I like how 'Rella must slow down for it.

We were given a Level 1 book/CD and a Level 3 book/CD. We began with Level 1. Placement is important. We haven't attempted Level 3 yet. I don't think my girl is ready for it.

IMPORTANT (at my house) NOTE: There is no giant "LEVEL 1" or "FIRST GRADE" printed on the materials. The level number is printed in a rather small font and I had to look for it. My child often balks at working on material clearly labeled for a much younger grade level. If your developmentally delayed reader is sensitive about reading material meant for lower/younger grades, this product is sensitive to those children.

Because the stories are non-fiction, we learn about people, places, things when we read. I had no idea that Big Ben is a bell, not a clock. (Am I the only one?)

I have experimented with the multiple choice q & a that follows each one-minute story. 'Rella can answer the questions with more success an hour or a few hours AFTER she completes the exercise. She needs the processing time. We have also been working on some narration of the stories instead of the q & a.

Short. Sweet. Developmentally appropriate. Research based. Geography, science, famous people, animals, plants, places - the short stories cover a wide range of topics, some that have prompted questions that require a little digging to answer, that gave us an interest to chase. I hope my girl improves her comprehension and reading as we continue to use this resource.

The OMR provides a framework that we have not had before. The brief story is packed with interesting tidbits of information without a lot of 'flowery' or excessive descriptive language. It's nuts-and-bolts, yet interesting. The Level 1 is "just enough" for 'Rella right now - she is growing competence at several levels/layers. I'd like to continue with it. The big concern: I have some questions in my mind about buying the big kits - I hate to waste $ if she moves up a level before we are finished with a set.

The Starter Kit comes with a instructional CD, a book and CD, a timer, a pencil in a binder, priced at $24.95. You may buy the entire level in a bundle for $99.95 (save 14%) or individual book/CDs for $12.95.

Read Naturally has a blog here and a facebook page here.

To read my Crewmates' review of Read Naturally or One Minute Reader, please click here.

Read Naturally sent me a review copy of One Minute Reader at no charge to me. I get to keep the product. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Math Mammoth, a TOS Crew Review

Math Mammoth offers affordable math workbooks and worktexts in both hard copy and downloadable formats.

I have reviewed several Math Mammoth products over the years and have gotten a couple more products in freebie offers. I've seen enough and used enough of Math Mammoth products that Math Mammoth is my priority go-to company when one of my children needs support in math. I like the fact that I can download a specific worktext immediately at an affordable price and go to work with it right then and there. I don't have to buy an entire math textbook or curriculum to work on one area. And while I can choose to purchase a printed product and wait for it to arrive, I don't have to with the downloadable options. Bottom line: Math Mammoth is convenient and saves me time and money.

This time around, I reviewed our first Make it Real Learning worktext:

Make it Real Learning is the kind of math we are moving to, are using more often at my house. This worktext uses word problems that take real-life objects and experiences to practice concepts of mathematics. This particular worktext, priced at just $$4.99, is geared for grades 3-6, which means we didn't use all of it yet, as my homeschooler is working close to grade 3 work.

"The Make It Real Learning Arithmetic I workbook focuses on real-world situations that may be effectively analyzed using arithmetic concepts such as addition, subtraction, estimation, division, bar graphs, and place value with large numbers."

Read about this worktext and what it covers here. A sample from this worktext is available here. Math Mammoth offers a packet of freebies here.

I like the real-life examples and the examples help me create other activities to cover the same concepts. Who doesn't love working with objects we can eat when we are finished with our math?

Math Mammoth's Maria Miller has a wonderful blog, here.

Read about my Crewmates' experiences with Math Mammoth products here.

Math Mammoth gave me a copy of Make It Real Learning (Arithmetic) to review. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Ooka Island Adventure, a TOS Crew Review

Ooka Island Adventure is an online learn-to-read program for ages 3-7. Ooka Island uses online games that are fun for children in that age group or developmental range to teach pre-reading and reading skills. This is a product that I'd recommend for parents and teachers of older children with developmental delays because the computer games are inviting and they don't look like "school" or "work", which lessens anxiety in students who freeze at the sight of anything that looks like "school".

If you're curious about whether Ooka Island is a good fit for your child, consider the free 14-day trial.

The graphics and games are inviting and my homeschooler, a developmentally delayed pre-teen, was happy to dive in. She enjoys computer games and if your child likes and plays computer games, I predict that they will have no problems playing this one.

My child is reading on what I think is a first grade level and I had hoped that the games would help fill in any foundational gaps for her to help her move forward. As she played, the games and tasks were too easy for her and her willingness to play quickly disappeared. If you are not sure about your child's developmental range, utilize the free trial to get a feel for what kind of match Ooka Island is for your child. It might be perfect!

My girl has been sounding out unfamiliar words with more accuracy (she has amazed me several times in recent weeks) and I do think that Ooka Island has played a part in that.

Sometimes, we get a product with a recommended age range that seems too young or too mature for what the company recommends. In this case, I think that the Ooka Island folks are spot on - this is for children who are between 3 and 7 or who are developmentally within that age range. (And I suspect my girl is reading a little bit above where I think she is.)

My one caution is to please check the system requirements against your computer. The download /setup is big and took longer than most downloads.

Ooka Island offers a 30% discount at the moment:

And Ooka Island makes my job easy with this cool graphic that tells you about the pricing:

To read my Crewmates' reviews of Ooka Island, please go here.

We were given access to Ooka Island in a six-month subscription to use and review here. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.