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Firstfirst is an online math program by the famous Saxon Math (which is what we currently use with two of our children). We have used Saxon because they are proven to be very thorough and focus on mastery and repetition (although this program was not designed specifically to accompany Saxon users). While I have had the privilege of viewing several supplemental math programs online, this one so far is my favorite, especially for the elementary age. As you can see, the program is colorful and engaging. Each child can have their own separate account that is specific to them.
 Once logged on you begin by designing your own miniature “you”, which all the kids greatly enjoyed. Some of the options are quite humorous, so this really drew them in to the program.
Once in you can choose from the following topics:
* Addition
* Subtraction
* Division
* Multiplication
Once you make your selection you begin with a Welcome Lesson, and you have designed your miniature “you,” you can begin practicing Math Facts, which will score you based on accuracy and speed. The nice thing about this is that the system senses if you have trouble with a particular area and will generate simpler problems if needed. Conversely, if it senses the problems are too easy, it will prompt you to skip ahead if necessary. After your drills, there is a quiz and ends with a display of your overall scores. Parents can even log in to check scores as well as adjust time it gives for student to answer the drill questions. The chart displays areas of mastery as well as areas that need work, so it is a nice checkpoint for parents.
 I like the fact that this program is very colorful, not just boring black and white drills like you typically see with these types of programs. There is a human element to this, with designing your own person, as well as many word problem type questions incorporated into many of the quizzes. More than 360 activities accompany this to help children master the concepts, and you cannot move on to the next unit until you have achieved that mastery of skills in the current unit.
Factsfirst can be purchased for $49.99 for one year, which includes up to four student profiles. Try a demo today here.
I was given access to this membership site in exchange for my honest opinion.
 As part of the TOS Crew I received the above mentioned ebook for review. I have to be honest: Upon first glance I felt irritated . After all, a written book? Aren’t there like hundreds of virtual typing courses available that are more fun? I remembered my own elementary days, zipping through the typing computer games at school and achieving the highest scores for speed in the class.
Then I began scrolling through the pages and it all came back to me. My high school keyboarding classes, the teacher in the front of the room going through the typing drills. Oh yeah! Those computer games did not teach me to type, they taught me to peck type quickly. So I ate humble pie and have to say – this is a great keyboarding book. I enjoyed its simplicity and directness. No frills or distractions, just good practical explanation and drill. The book is broken up into 32 quick and easy lessons that can teach even young children to develop proper keyboarding techniques. The ebook downloads for $12.95. They also have a high school version available, or a combination special of both. Check out their website here.
I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion only.
 I received a copy of Bertie’s War, a novel written by Barbara Tifft Blakey. In the fall of 1962, the world went crazy – and took a young girl with it…This is a story about a 12-year-old girl who is basically afraid of EVERYTHING. She kind of seems pathetic after awhile, having so much fear about so many things in her world. However, I enjoyed the author’s descriptive writing style. She captures well the plight of many “tween” girls who are struggling between growing up and staying a little girl. This is something we are currently experiencing in our own home, so could readily identify with this.
Most of the book is painful as you go through experience after experience of Bertie’s fear and keen ability to run into trouble. However, the book ends on a great note, with Bertie discovering important truths about herself, so I encourage you to read all the way through the book if you choose to start it. Although I probably would not have purchased this book on my own, it is a nice historical fiction book focusing on the days of the “Cold War”. It seems a little strange that this is historical fiction, since I was born in this era! The book sells for $7.99 at www.kregel.com.
 This Young Minds Numbers and Counting DVD was phenomenal! We greatly enjoyed receiving this product to review. This particular DVD is for early learners and focused on counting from 1 to 10, counting animals and other everyday objects. The child’s voice in this is adorable, the photography used in the production was beautiful and the music so soothing and relaxing and included work by:
Bach
Beethoven
Mozart
Chopin
Brahms
Vivaldi
My 6-year-old stayed completely captivated throughout the entire DVD and counted along with the numbers floating across the screen. We loved the pictures and stayed totally focused. At the end of the video he announced, “That was boring! It only counted to 10!” Well, I was pretty impressed that he stayed with a video that was really for a younger audience, and it made me want to try out their other videos to suit his age and grade.
Math Tutor has DVD’s to suit every stage of math, so check out their website and find what works for you. Click here to see a sample video. This DVD sells for $19.99.
I received this DVD in exchange for my honest opinion only.
I received an entire set of the Eclectic Education Series from Dollar Homeschool. Remember the McGuffey Readers? Well, I don’t actually remember them personally (I’m not that old yet), however, these books were the standard in education from 1865 to 1915. These readers as well as other materials, such as Ray’s Arithmetic, were designed so thoroughly, to teach that generation as much as possible in the short amount of time they would be in school.
In Shortly after World War II John Dewey, then the head of the Teachers College at Columbia University, launched a campaign to reform education. He believed the school system should be the “state established church” and thus made it his mission to remove God, patriotism, and traditional values out of the school system. As you can see from our schools today, he was the beginning of a very successful campaign. Not only have these important values been removed from our schools, but our kids have been gradually “dumbed down”. I was particularly aware of this fact as I began to read “Harvey’s First Lessons in the English Language.” This very first lesson had words and concepts throughout that I’m not sure kids in upper elementary grades today could answer.
I realized, in reading through some of this material (I have not gotten through even half of it, there is so much here!) that what our grandparents and great-grandparents were capable of learning then, our kids are capable of learning now! We have been so conditioned not to think, not to process or retain information, that I am embarrassed about how little I actually know.
This material truly is for the eclectic style homeschooler. If you are following a traditional formal curriculum, you may not know where to even incorporate this material. However, if you want to challenge your child this would be a great way to do it! Also, this type of material is a teacher to student style, so it does require one-on-one teaching, which I enjoy, but not everyone has time to do this every day. It is for K-12, so if you are looking for an inexpensive option to homeschool your family, with a greater challenge to your learners, you really should check out this material.
The disappointing aspect is that the material, of course, is in black and white, so the McGuffey Readers in particular are not aesthetically pleasing to the child and spacing not that great. The original pictures were beautiful but over time no longer very clear. However, if you have time to devote to the material, it may be just what you are looking for.
You can purchase the Eclectic Education Series right now in its entirety for only $159. This includes Ray’s Arithmetic, Science, History, Grammer, and the famous McGuffey’s Readers. This is an astounding amount of material! Check out Dollar Homeschool to learn more, or to watch the video for more information.
I was given the above curriculum in exchange for my honest opinion only.
 I received this book by Apologia, a homeschool industry leader in Science curriculum. While I have to admit I was a little disappointed that I did not receive a Science product (because I have heard and read that they are spectacular), I had to laugh when I saw this book. This is by far the easiest product review I have ever done!
When I made the decision a little over a year ago to pull my 3 children out of public school and begin homeschooling, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell was the first book I purchased. I know I would have floundered completely without this book. I have since read dozens of books on homeschooling, but none come close to comparing in value to this one.
I not only read this book from cover to cover in a few days (although that is only because I am OCD – it has 509 pages), but it has also been a guide for me for the past year. In many ways I have floundered trying to find my place in the HS world, my teaching style, my children’s learning styles, yet this book has offered a continual source of encouragement throughout this process.
Debra delves deeply into so many subjects, such as curriculum choices, organization and planning, how to teach, teens, computers, creative solutions and measuring your success. She actually explains in the book how to plan an entire school year for your child and offers her own yearly goals as an example. This was particularly helpful when I had no idea where to start. Her knowledge of different curriculum choices was also helpful in her Resource Guide. Need help motivating the reluctant learner? Chapter 31 is looking a little worn out in my book. You will read it over and over for encouragement, advice and valuable information that will keep reminding you why your family has set out on this journey in the first place!
You can purchase The Ultimate Guide To Homeschooling for $20. Have fun!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion only.
 KinderBach is an online music curriculum for preschoolers (geared for children ages 2-7). The only items needed for your child to learn the piano is an inexpensive keyboard or piano, computer with high speed access, and craft materials (paper, scissors, crayons, etc).
I am very impressed with the quality of this program. The website is colorful and easy to navigate. Lessons are laid out in such a simple format and lesson times are short and sweet. Four lessons are given each week. Lots of visuals are used to plant the concepts into your young learners mind, including “Frisco”, a cartoon boy, and teacher instructor “Karri.” The videos have a bit of a “Blues Clues” feel, which is captivating for young children. Dancing, singing, coloring and of course, piano playing are all incorporated into the program. I believe I am hooked!
The cost seems very reasonable at $7.99 per month for the online subscription (if you pay a year in advance for $95.88), or you can just pay monthly at $19.99, billed monthly for one year. Watch a free video by KinderBach here. If you prefer to purchase the program by DVD, these packages are also available for $40.45 each on their website.
I was given a subscription to KinderBach through the TOS Crew in exchange for my honest opinion only.
I was given a two week trial membership (as part of the TOS Crew) of Math Score to try out with my three children. Math Score’s purpose is to use an online system to help improve your child’s math scores as well as ability to grasp and retain math concepts (grades 2 through Algebra 1). They begin with a recommendation for your child to practice basic keyboarding skills so that they can master typing in their answers without looking at the keyboard. This helps greatly in their progress in using the system.
You set up the account and enter your child’s name and age so you can customize their level of skill. Then you choose where you want to begin. For instance, for a third grader, here are some of the topics, beginning at the easier scope of skill sets:
Fast Addition
Fast Subtraction
Understanding Multiplication
Fast Division, etc.
The worksheet drills are timed, so they are to type in the answers as quickly as possible. The system keeps track of their time as well as their answers, and the questions get more difficult as mastery is achieved. On the other hand, it can be slowed down if it is not giving your child enough time and you can always back up to a less difficult topic should you jump ahead too quickly.
What I do like about this system is that these worksheets are very similar in nature to the daily drills we do with our Saxon Math program, only it is more exciting to do it on a computer that grades you, gives you online trophies for accomplishing mastery of the goals and so forth. I also like that each worksheet comes with an option for a Mini Lesson. This is really nice because it will explain the concept if your child doesn’t quite understand what to do. While I would not use this system as a stand-alone for math, I do like that it has my back on the teach side, in case my explanations aren’t getting through.
What I do not like about the software is that it is pretty bland. My kids do not clamor to use the software (although they prefer this to math drills on paper). There are some worksheets that utilize color, but mostly it is just black and white problems. I wish they could “spice it up” a little to make it more visually interesting to the child, especially with some of the word problems and younger grades, too.
All in all, if your child enjoys computers and you are looking for a supplement to your math program emphasizing on math drills, I think your child would enjoy Math Score. They do have a free trial available. Definitely check this out and try it with your kids. The cost once you sign up is $14.95 per month (per child), with discounts for additional children.
Math Score provided me a free trial through TOS in exchange for my honest opinion about their product.
I was thrilled to receive a packet including a DVD, booklet and instructions for Volume 1. My son got a guitar for Christmas but had no idea how to use it, so this has come in handy! Jean does a superb job of teaching via DVD instruction. She has a very gentle mannerism and easy pace for kids and adults alike to learn (even those of us with no previous musical experience!). It is important to me that my children learn to play an instrument, but with all that we have going on we have not had the time to get formal lessons anywhere. This guitar class can be done in the comfort of your own home, or even in a group.
The Volume One DVD includes:
Introduction
Parts of the Guitar
Tuning the Guitar
Lessons 1-7
Practice Session
Language Selection (English and Spanish)
You will learn to play a worship song with each lesson, including:
1. He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands
2. My All in All
3. More Precious Than Silver
4. Take My Life
5. Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
6. This is the Day
7. I Love You, Lord
 I highly recommend this program because it is so simple and allows you or your child to learn at their own pace. If you are a part of a homeschool group, this could also be a great idea for co-op classes. While Ms. Welles particularly focuses on guitar, she also has voice, drum and piano classes available as well. Her website is well-done with videos, and you can even watch the first lesson right on her web site. I have to give this product a total thumbs up, for presentation, ease of use, convenience and price.
You can purchase Level 1 Worship Guitar Class for $29.95, or if you want the whole shabang, the entire 4 pack Worship Guitar Class sells for $99.80. You will, of course, need a guitar for these lessons. If you don’t have one, they do have packs available that include the guitar, so check that out.
All products were given to me in exchange for my honest opinion only.
Tektoma is an internet site that teaches children ages 7-17 how to make their own video games online. They have racing, arcade, platform and fantasy adventure games available. You can play games already programmed or they will step you through making your own. If you have an avid gamer in your family with a bent towards programming, this is a total fit for you! Their are multiple tutorials, a message board as well as file sharing included in your monthly membership of $14.95 per month, or $140 per year. They do have a 14-day free trial, so I definitely recommend checking this out if you are interested. It is nice that you can build at your own pace and interest level, and new tutorials are added to the site monthly. I also like that they are committed to safety and monitor their site to be sure it stays “kid friendly.”
My 6 year old was eager to try Tektoma out but found the programming part tedious and uninteresting. I guess programming isn’t for everyone. He did, however, enjoy the pre-programmed games. I would not purchase the membership just to play these games as you can get these types of games for free. The magic is in the creation. Since this was not of interest this program is not a good fit for us. However, if in the future he starts building new Microsoft programs I’ll know he is ready 
You can run the programs on Windows XP or Vista only, so you MAC users will have to wait for future versions to come out. Also, be sure you have a broadband connection. Check out Tektoma’s site to learn more about their services www.tektoma.com.
I was given a free trial membership of this product in exchange for my honest opinion only.
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