A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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Archer and Zowie

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DISCLAIMER. I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Archer and Zowie, by Hans Bluedorn tells the story of two intrepid explorers.  Two friends, who are quite different from each other, go on an amazing, imaginative journey into space.  Told in dialogue form you get to “go along for the ride” seeing the world through their eyes.  How much more fun could middle school readers ask for?  What will they learn of friendship and self-esteem as they follow along with Archer and Zowie?

archer and zowie

The Basic details of Archer and Zowie

Archer and Zowie is written by Hans Bluedorn and is all about friendship and self-esteem.  You can hear parts of it being read on the Archer and Zowie page.  These two children are the best of friends, even if they are quite different from each other.  Throughout Archer and Zowie you can observe them using their skills as they imagine a variety of scenarios and extricate themselves from trouble.   They are carefree and very imaginative, and the story is told in their voice…. as if they are talking with the reader.   Written for youth 7-12 years old, and covering 234 pages, most middle school students will have no trouble finishing this book.  Hans Bluedorn has published and illustrated this book himself!  (and he won’t refund your money if you don’t like the illustrations). 

archer and zowie

Archer and Zowie comes in three formats: Kindle, audio and paperback.  I received a paperback copy and found it well made with a glossy cover.  It feels like a book that will last the most voracious reader. 

What do you get?

Mr. Bluedorn’s illustrations fit the theme and characters of Archer and Zowie fantastically. 

You’ll find 18 short and sweet chapters.  Some chapter headings are illustrated, most are not. 

archer and zowie chapter heading with illustration

The dialogue would be about what you expect from 10 year olds.  Funny, quirky, occasionally with some potty talk, and the odd insightful comment.   But that’s children right?  They talk about anything and everything that pops into their heads.  This makes the story real don’t you think? 

It’s not all dialogue though.  It would be difficult I think to write a story that was completely dialogue, you need to have context and description to round out a book well. 

Character development…watching characters grow and develop new thinking patterns, or discover new things about themselves, is fantastic!   Seeing the changes in Archer and Zowie between the first few chapters and the last is part of the fun of reading this story.   Even through imaginative play, children can learn and grow and become something more.  Simply wonderful that. 

Conflict happened.  Children get offended with each other. Danger threatens.  But they get through it. 

archer and zowie

Should you get Archer and Zowie?

Honestly, I initially struggled with reading Archer and Zowie.  The style of writing didn’t suit me.  So I did what I often do with books that aren’t working for me, read the ending first.  That got me intrigued!  Reading through the entire book probably took me an hour once I had the motivation to do so.  🙂   I had to see how they got from point a to b! 

I did hand it over to my lad to get his opinion as he’s 40 years younger than I am. 🙂   So… he’s closer to the target audience. 🙂   So far he says that he likes it. I will update when he is done. 🙂

 Is it my style no?  Do I want to read it again?  No.  But that doesn’t matter… what matters is this: is it suited for the audience it is intended?   Does it have a good story to tell?   Is there meaning to be found?   Do the characters learn anything about themselves or others and become more than they were at the beginning of the book?   If there’s conflict, do they find a way to resolve it? Can they figure out solutions to difficulties they find themselves in?

The answer to all these question is YES!  Resoundingly so.   

So, if your children like quirky, fun reads.  If they enjoy being immersed into the lives of other children’s imaginations, Archer and Zowie will be a fun read for them. 

fallacy detective logo

Social Media Links

For the Fallacy Detective (also a Hans Bluedorn book)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fallacydetective

For Hans Bluedorn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hansbluedorn/

Read the Reviews!

27 members of the crew either reviewed Fallacy Detective or Archer and Zowie. I urge you to check out their reviews.

Hans Bluedorn Brings us Fallacy Detective and Archer & Zowie

The Homescholar LLC – Total Transcript Solution

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DISCLAIMER. I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Did you know that I have an finishing grade 10 student, soon to start grade 11?  He really has no idea what he’d like to do yet as a working adult so we are continuing to offer a varied highschool education for him.  But in the meantime keeping track of grades is vitally important. So imagine how pleased I have been to review Total Transcript Solution by The HomeScholar LLC.   You will love this program with the sheer variety of transcript options. The solid training behind it all will delight you.  🙂 

Total Transcript Solution

The Basics about Total Transcript Solution

The HomeScholar LLC is the designer of several products meant to help homeschool parents pull together details to help their children pursue higher education.  Lee Binz’s speciality is in helping parents homeschooling highschool students. The goal: success both now and in future endeavors.   The product that I am specifically looking at today is Total Transcript Solution.  I have received 6 months access in exchange for my review.   This is more than enough time since you get downloaded transcripts that you can use forever, or use as a template to create your own templates.   

About Lee Binz

After homeschooling her children through highschool, and seeing them into their future endeavors, Ms. Binz decided to expand her consulting business by creating product to share. You can learn about her core beliefs and learn about her low-key method of providing help to others.   Her husband Matt works alongside her, and her employees are also active homeschoolers. 

Total Transcript Solution

What do you receive?

Upon opening Total Transcript Solution I was immediately able to see all the modules available in this course.  

Total transcript solution modules

Not only that, I had access (via the sidebar) of all the available resources.   And boy oh boy you will like these bonuses.  From sample diplomas, to sample grading criteria, there is just so much here!   You should be able to easily be done within a month, and if you need longer (cause face it, life happens) … join the silver training club.  🙂   

You will be able to listen to Lee Binz, either by watching a video or downloading the audio, conduct various workshops.  She has a simple, easy to listen style that immediately makes you feel at ease.   She takes away the angst of making a transcript, while letting you know how important it is.   Every course will come with a handout (varying in size from 2-109 pages), some with slides, and always with audio. 

Did you know that courses can be labeled using a course code, a name that delineates exactly what you taught, or given a generic title?   Higher learning institutions tend to prefer courses be as specific as possible.  So not doing English 1, English 2, but rather something like Writing and Grammar grade 9. It’s the same thing, but the language is clearer (and therefore more desired) by the reader (the college acceptance people). 

With the bonuses, some of them open into a webinar, others into a webpage.  All these helps she provides in order to make our lives easier, and to enable us to complete all the steps that we need to.  Isn’t it fantastic how Ms. Binz has created a homeschool transcript help site that is so complete? 

What do I think?

Oh, I like and appreciate this course. I thought the logical layout and the diversity of material presentation.   For instance….. I would much rather read a book then listen to audio as I can get it done so much faster.  BUT I like listening to audio if I want to fine-tune my learning. The manner in which the material was presented was kind, at times funny, and with heart. 

I was simply delighted by this particular bonus.   Being able to see what I should be looking at for grade 11! Yes, it’s very USA centric, but that doesn’t mean I can’t extrapolate for Canadian needs/goals. 

I adored how Ms. Binz thought about the different needs of families, providing her resources in a variety of formats.   This makes it so easy to just edit materials right on your screen without having to print everything out (unless of course you like printing everything out).   Everyone’s needs are different right? 

The options for the different types of transcripts were great!   I initially started out with one transcript but found it didn’t work well for me, so I switched to a different format which made more sense to me.  I loved the ability to describe or state what product I used, or where the marks came from.   I’ve been considering next year (in the spring) to sign my lad up for courses in London, so then I could use that course description as well as who taught it in the description area. 

Total Transcript Solution

When should you get total transcript solution?  Anytime after elementary school.  You’ll find helps for middle school all the way through to the end of highschool. 

The Homeschooler LLC

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomescholar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thehomescholar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homescholar/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/homescholar/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/homescholar/

Products Reviewed by The Crew

36 members of the crew checked out these products: 

I urge you to check out the reviews today!  

Need Help Discipling Children?

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Need to make a change in how you are discipling your children?  Bethany House Publishers along with Danika Cooley has come out with a really helpful Christian parenting/discipling book.  A book that is full of encouragement and teaching about why discipling our children is SO very important.  I didn’t think I needed to make any changes, and yet I found my self both convicted and compelled to make change.   Come along and discover why eh?  Help Your Kids Learn & Love the Bible will help parents who need help discipling children.

Need help discipling children?

What am I reviewing?

I received a trade paperback copy of Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible written by Danika Cooley and published by Bethany House Publishers.  A short, but weighty read at 198 pages.  You may find yourself reading it straight through, or doing as I did, and reading in short bursts and then pondering.   Her goal, to encourage parents in diving into God’s word together with their children.   Helping children to see the God of the bible in the words that he has given us and how that then impacts our lives.  Simple enough eh?  You’d be surprised.  🙂

You’ll find a solidly constructed read of a size easily tucked into a purse, or to take along to someone’s house to share with them.  One that will not take up a huge amount of room on your bedside table as you take in the encouragement and advice that Ms. Cooley offers.   Honestly, if you want to develop confidence that YOU can disciple YOUR OWN children?  You’ll develop that confidence using the advice Ms. Cooley offers. 

Because it can be challenging asking for assistance when you help discipling children, I want to tell you about Danika Cooley’s new book Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible from Bethany House Publishers.

Learning the details that will help discipling children

First off, the author Danika Cooley. 

I’ve long known of her heart for discipling children.  She creates resources like the Bible Road trip, sermon notebooks and various other resources.  You’ll find her over on her blog Thinking Kids frequently, helping parents find ways to better disciple their children. 

On to the book

The specific book I am reviewing today is entitled Help your kids learn & love the BIBLE.  Three parts, eleven chapters. 

Part One: You’re the Leader

  • Making the bible approachable for your kids
  • A good start to a strong finish
  • Finding time in an age of hustle

Part Two: Faithful Reading

  • Who Wrote this thing, Anyway?
  • Keep the message in view
  • A library of Books
  • Profitable discussion

Part Three: A daily Walk

  • Reading the word together
  • Hide the word in your Child’s heart
  • Praying the word together
  • Study the word when you’re not feeling it

You will also find an introduction, a conclusion, various notes and works consulted.

You’ll find when you pick up this help for discipling children that there are lots of headers.  Sections are short and easily digestable. The headers accurately reflect what will be discussed in the following paragraphs. 

There is little to no adornment, simple chapter headings and good use of white space without being wasteful.  It feels like a nice book to read. Comfortable on older eyes too!  🙂 

What did I discover?

Well, our family has done a number of things over the years.  Various picture books, story book bibles, devotions, family studies etc.  We done archaelogical studies where we unearthed the bible. The lad has gone to Cadets and Youth group.  He’s been well exposed to studies about the word of God.  These are all part of discipling our children into the faith.   This I knew and wasn’t really surprised at.  🙂 

I was delighted to discover a book full of encouragement written in a friendly tone.  It’s rather like sitting down with Ms. Cooley and having a chat about how to make God real to your children. 

What I was convicted of?

Just reading God’s word.  Simple eh?  Just letting God’s word stand alone.  Had I ever done that before? In my journey of discipling my son have I simply just read the bible with him?  

Doesn’t have to be big or profound, but God’s word tells us it will never go out empty, so just taking time to read a chapter or two of God’s word daily (or as often as you remember to do so) matters.  Just read God’s word. 

Then, be open to questions and discussion.  To a lad saying “I want to read that myself”. 

As Danika says “The Bible is necessary for salvation.  It is a gift to us that “the Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteous in the sight of the nations.” Without the special revelation the Lord has given us through his Word, we are without knowledge of our Saviour.”  (p 86)

So what we’ve done?  We’ve started reading the book of Matthew.  I thought about starting in Genesis but the lad and I are going through A Stranger on the Road to Emmaus together and I didn’t want to replicate our reading.  Are we doing it perfectly?  NOPE.  We’ve done three days in a row and we’ve skipped an entire week, but it’s easy enough to just book mark a chapter and then just read the next one. It’s hard when you have a working household.

help your kids learn & love the bible

Information I really appreciated

Throughout Help your kids to Learn & Love the Bible you will find help in discipling your children.  From questions you can help them ask, to reminding them to read the bible in context, and to think about how does this reading further the story of God’s plan of salvation.  Her concrete examples and encouragement make this a tome well worth reading.

I cannot tell you tell how much I love how Ms Cooley was persistent in reminding us to let God tell his own story.  To not make stories become a moral talking point, or make a history merely a listing off of dates and activities.  THIS is God’s word, his story to his people, that lays out his plan of salvation.   At times she drove me to the bible to consider her words and any “moralizing” I may have done in the past.  How could I see God at work in the story of Esther?

need help discipling children

Need help discipling children : Ideas to make history real

One of the other things I loved was how Ms. Cooley wants us to help make history come alive for our children.  And how we can help our teens explore different approaches to scriptural ideas.  How can you help your children understand Egyptian hierarchy, slavery, the differences between goats and sheep, the long hours of a fisherman, and other biblical settings?  When God tells us to consider the flowers of the field can you go out and see the beauty he has provided us with? Maybe even take the time to preserve some of it?  Do a fashion course as well?  How can you make God’s plan of salvation come alive? What an encouragement to think of such things eh? 

need help discipling children

Social Media Presence

I am sharing both the links for Bethany House Publishers and the author, Danika Cooley, for you to share and follow.

Bethany House Publishers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BHPnonfiction
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethany_house
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethany_house_nonfiction/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bethanyhouse
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bethanyhouse

Danika Cooley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanikaCooleyAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanikaCooley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danikacooleyauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danikacooley/_created/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DanikaCooley

#hsreviews #helpyourkidslearnandlovethebible #intentionalhomeschooling

Read the Reviews!

32 members of the Homeschool Review Crew took the time to read Danika’s book.   I invite you to check them out. 

Bethany House Publishers

Highschool Math with CTCMath

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

You know what CTCMath does? It provides bite sized chunks of learning so that even an “approaching her senior years” mama can brush up on her highschool math.  It even allows a high school lad to do his math, but to do it how HE wants to do it.  For instance, he’s been playing around with Pre-Calculus some days, and other days he reminds himself of his Algrebra II skills. I set no expectations for him as he is a rather busy lad and this is a “fit it in if you can” bit of curriculum for him.  I’ll let you know what he thinks later on in this review.  Suffice it to say though, one can do highschool math with CTCMath and excell at it!

Highschool Math with CTCMath

The Basic Facts of CTCMath

CTC covers all your math needs from kindergarten all the way up to grade twelve. You get all the math, for all grades in one package.   Stop and think about that for a moment.  If you aren’t sure what level of math your children are at, you can test out each level until you find one that is a good fit.   AND since it is self-paced, your children can move as fast as they want (or as slowly as they want — or you allow) through the curriculum.  Pricing is reasonable since you get all the math and can take as many math courses as you’d like. 

Diagnostic Tests accompany every grade and chapter helping you pinpoint areas of difficulty, or areas that you already know well. Because face it, not all math programs are created exactly the same. Concepts are taught differently depending on which program you are using.   This online math program helps homeschoolers learn all they need to know with bite-sized lessons that flow logically from one step to the next. 

What courses are included you ask?  

  • Elementary math for Kindergarten to grade Five.
  • Middle school math for grades six through eight. This includes 6th grade math, elementary measurement, elementary geometry, along with basic math and pre-algebra.
  • High school math contains Algebra 1 and 2, Pre-Calculus (including trigonometry), Geometry and Calculus.

How Does CTCMath Work?

Each Student gets their own login information and the lesson opens to where you last stopped. 

As you work through a lesson you have two options.  Video (starts to play automatically) or a lesson summary available as a PDF.  These can be printed off or viewed online. 

As you view each lesson, if you understood the material well you can go directly to the questions.   If you did not, there are worksheets provided so you can practice before taking the test. Worksheets are graded as well, you just need to follow the instructions for doing that. 

Once you go onto the test for the unit, answers are immediately graded, and in the case of an incorrect answer, the correct answer is shown. 

Neither my son or I have gotten far enough in to say if there is a test for the entire unit, or even if there is a final test before closing out each section or course. 

How did we use CTCMath?

How did we use CTCMath?  My son immediately dove into PreCalculus.  He’s not moving fast as he fits a lesson in here and there. I occasionally ask him what he’s doing and he keeps me well-informed.   As a parent/teacher I could also look this information up online as well. I just prefer to get the information directly from him.  🙂 

I thought it would be good to get back into math as I have time so I’ve been working on Algebra 1, PreCalculus and Geometry.  Geometry I’m finding at this point really easy.  I have a personal goal of pulling off 90% in Geometry, I’ll be happy with 80% in Algebra and anything better than 60 in precalculus and later calculus will mean I’ll have beat my highschool scores!  🙂  So far, I’m finding it much easier doing my highschool math with CTCMath. 

I love that I can take diagnostic tests. WHY?  Because it gives me a taste of what is to come and if I do well, then I know I don’t have to do that section of questions.  Why work through something you’ve scored a 90% in? 

Can you do highschool math with CTCMath?

My Thoughts as Adult User:

I love math programs that are flexible in your approach to them.  The fact that you have both video and print options, diagnostic tests, ease at choosing what math program to work through, and automatic grading. All of this makes CTCMath a winner.   

Do I get frustrated at the small bites of information at time?  YES.. in geometry.  When it comes to algebra and precalculus though…small steps are a huge boon!  🙂 

It has been wonderful to see the changes made since I last reviewed CTC Math. The user friendly nature of this online homeschool math program makes it ideal for most families.   Using it now has made me see how easy highschool math with CTCMath can be. It has been a blue ribbon winner with the crew for a while now.

My Son’s Thoughts: 

“I like using CTCMath, I like that it states things very clearly, and I love how the videos are done.  It is easy to use and I like being able to look at the lesson summary as I watch the video.

One of the things I most liked was that as you took tests it would show you the percent mark as you completed it.   Sometimes the questions were too easy and I hope they get harder as I go through my course. But I found the questions and worksheets very easy to find and it’s a well made course. “

Highschool Math with CTCmath

CTCMath on Social Media

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

CTCMath

Read the Reviews

43 members of the Homeschool Review Crew have been looking at CTCMath for the past bit.  Everyone will have their own experiences so I urge you to check them out, get a well-rounded view of this online homeschool-friendly math program.  You won’t regret it.
Online Homeschool Math with CTCMath

Creation to Christ, flexible timeline

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Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Home School in the Woods creates these fantastic timelines I want to take a moment to tell you about.  Timelines that are NOT only good for your history and social studies lessons, but also good if you want to do character studies, or study people who exemplify certain traits you want your children to focus in on.   Characters from the bible are included, so using this set as you do biblical studies is an added bonus.   Today we’ll learn about the Timeline Set: Creation to Christ (Beginning – 100 AD).

Creation Through Christ

The Basic Facts about this Timeline Collection

It has been my privilege to review one of Home School in the Woods (HSitW) timelines before.  My son used the Historical Figures timeline.  Today I am happy to review the Timeline Set: Creation to Christ (Beginning – 100 AD).   This set encompasses history from when the world began through to 100 AD.  You will see such historical figures as Enoch, King Solomon, Pythagora, and Hannibal.  Both biblical and non-biblical figures are featured in this set. 

This set retails for $22.95 and as a digital product you will find yourself using it throughout your studies in the bible, history, character and more.   You will discover 250+ figures in black and white, in four formats.  Two are in wall size one with text description, and the other with just name and date.  You’ll find those same two formats in notebook size as well.     The wall size varies from 2.5 to 4 inches, with the notebook size ranging from1.5-2.75 inches.  BUT one of the things I love about digital products is once I cut and paste, I can make the size anything I want it to be.  🙂 

This set is geared for students in grades K through 12.  The Timeline series contains four sets: Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now,and  America’s History.  There is also the timeline collection and various add-ons you can do. This page will help you check out all those details. 

Home School in the Woods was started by Amy Pack as she searched for better ways to present history to her children.  Timelines seemed the perfect way to do that, and from then on the company has expanded their options. 

How does it work?

Once you download your timeline set it will look like this in your file once you unzip it.  Reading through the intro will give you a good idea how to use each of the file formats. 

History runs throughout the ages, timelines can done in a book format or on a wall, or as a notebook.  And Home School in the Woods has made it as easy for you to approach history how ever you want.  🙂  Size them to your needs, and teach history!

You’ll find the images come in two styles.  Titles and dates, or Titles and dates with a blurb. 

Home school in the woods Creation to Christ

Two sizes, small (wallet sized) or large (notebook size).   Use them at the size given, or copy and paste them and expand to whatever size you need them.   You might choose to do full page images and write on the back of them, in doing so you allow your students to see the name and the image and test their recall.  Over time you’ll have a full binder with interesting people from history, with facts that your students find important. 

I like how Home School in the Woods organizes their materials, making it easy for teachers and students to use.  The variation allows for so much flexibility it is fantastic.  Over the years I have reviewed a number of their products. 

Find Home School in the Woods on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolinthewoods/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/_saved/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKq6iLty2fpB6R6ZpcUb8A/videos

Should you get it?

YES!  I know, you’d expect me to say that eh?  But honestly, if you’ve ever followed my blog you should know that I don’t just blithely say “get this”.  I’m aware that everyone has different needs and different styles of homeschooling.  Some of us our faith based and others not.  One of the things I like about HSitW is that it is geared to all sorts of homeschoolers.  It includes historical figures from the bible and outside the bible.  While faith is behind the makers of this marvellous resource it isn’t the only thing going for it (if you know what I mean).   

These timelines can be used in so many different formats. 

Imagine a co-op that says “we’re going to study different figures of history”, and uses the depictions as colouring pages, notebook focal points, and/or a timeline on the wall.  Faith based or not, these depictions will work!

Or a mom who says, I want my children to have some heros (and maybe anti-heroes) so they can see what true character is like.  People of honour, honesty, faith, shrewdness in battle, or whatever you want to focus on.  

Imagine that you are doing a study on how the world began, use the images to help stimulate discussion and to set your explorations up better.  Or you are looking for truths of gospel revelation throughout history, studying the ancient peoples more indepth, you have the timeline pictures to act as a guide.   There are so many ways to use timeline sets from Home School in the Woods, I urge you to pick up the set that will serve you best today. 

Read the Reviews

You will need to check out the reviews of 47 members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  Home School in the Woods asked us to review the following products: 

Individual Timeline Sets (Grades K-12)

  • Creation to Christ  (Beginning – 100 AD)
  • Resurrection to Revolution (0 -1799 AD)
  • Napoleon to Now (1750 AD – Modern Day)
  • America’s History (Explorers to 21st Century)

Project Passport World History Studies (Grades 3-8)

  • Ancient Egypt
  • Ancient Greece
  • The Middle Ages
  • Ancient Rome
  • Renaissance & Reformation

Time Travelers U.S. History Studies (Grades 3- 8 )

  • New World Explorers
  • Colonial Life
  • The American Revolution
  • The Early 19th Century
  • The Civil War
  • The Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression
  • World War II

Maps Combo-Pak (US & World Maps)

Lap-Pak: Wonders of the World

Activity-Pak: The Old Testament

Activity-Pak: The New Testament

 

Hands On History with Homeschool in the Woods

Words Rock Online by EdAlive

By 6 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

For the past few weeks I”ve been looking at a comprehensive literacy programme by EdAlive.  This Australian-based company creates online programs to help students increase their literacy, math, and reading success.  Words Rock Online allows for two methods of play, thereby encompassing a wide range of student needs.   Let’s learn more eh? 

edalive review

The Basic Details

Today I am reviewing EdAlive’s programme Words Rock Online.  They also produce two other games called Baggin’ the Dragon Maths Online and Volcanic Panic Reading Success Online. 

Words Rock Online is a programme designed with homeschoolers in mind. You can play in game mode, which lets you play one round of a game, then asks a question, rinse repeat.  We did not really use this mode in our home.  Then you have the questions only mode.  This mode gives you 10 questions to answer in each block. 

This homeschool languages art program focuses on reviewing all the different aspects of language arts.  You’ll cover advanced grammar, spelling, vocabulary, grammar along with punctuation.  The set-up allows you to zero in on a particular area, or cover all areas at the same time. 

Pricing is tiered.  The more children you have, the less you pay per subscription.  Their pricing page has details.  Pricing starts at $90/year.  Each subscription is suitable for one child due to the interactive elements. 

As you work through the interactive elements you can say if a question is too difficult.  Answers are provided if you get the question incorrect, but no explanations are given.  It’s a “test your knowledge” program, which allows you to research what you don’t understand. 

Words Rock Online is geared for students age 5-15+.   Some of the questions include easy grammar, fun spelling activities, word smart vocabulary, alliteration excises, as well as a variety of fun games for middle school and beyond.  

How Does Words Rock Online Work?

Words Rock Online has two modes.

Words Rock Online - EdAlive

I made a short video to show you what the game mode is like.   In the video mode you can play against other people, or against the computer.   It breaks up the answering questions with needing to hunt for slugs.  How well you perform your the questions affects your gameplay overall. 

In this household, we didn’t use this format very often. 

And also one to show you what the lessons only mode is like.   Lesson mode gives you a series of 10 questions in a row.  If you have chosen the all content you will get questions of all different sorts.  You can also choose to focus on specific areas to strengthen skills.   This was our predominant method of use.

You get two chances to get the work right.  If you are incorrect it will show you what you should have done.  You do need to make sure you read the question correctly and not miss any steps.  Sometimes you will need to capitalize your words or even though you are technically correct you will be graded as incorrect. 

Occasionally you will be asked a question that you don’t the answer to.  In that case you can say “too hard” or you can take a wild guess!  Most of the time you will be asked questions you can easily answer if you just think the problem through and take your time.  There are no time limits, so no pressure is applied that way.

Some troubles

In this question below the symbol was never defined so I thought the question was unfair.  Unless this is just something people are taught in grammar classes!    Note: I’m not a grammar geek.  🙂   I do wish that for some of the corrections that an explanation could be provided. 

Feedback

I love immediate feedback!  Not only for each question, but also for your overall session.   I also like that you can look back and see improvement if you go to tools and reports. 

If you finish your session you can stop or immediately start a new session.  How long you use the program is completely up to you.  You can finish a game or finish in the middle of a lessons-only series and it does not affect the program’s overall usefulness.  It will start up again when you next log in. 

As you can see it’s really easy to see how you are doing with EdAlive.  Areas that need additional work are easy to spot, as are the areas that your student excels in.  Feedback for student and teacher is very clear.

Should you Get Words Rock Online?

I love the variety of quizzing opportunities available in Words Rock Online.  The fact that you can complete the quizzes in two different formats is absolutely fantastic. Children learn in so many different ways so providing options is essential.   My son would be unimpressed with the game, and would appreciate that he can focus in on a particular type of lesson.  Other children would prefer the games, and/or like to mix up the lessons they get. 

Promoting attention to detail in answering questions was so important, and something I see a real need for in the papers I mark for a high school science class. It’s something I often remind my son to do.  Read the question all the way through.  Write your answer then reread the question to make sure you answered the entire question.   It’s annoying to lose points for not paying attention so I’m glad that EdAlive reinforces that important principle. 

Find EdAlive on Social Media!

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Read the Reviews!

36 Members of the Homeschool Review Crew have examined EdAlive. I urge you to check out their reviews by clicking the image below.   We have looked at Baggin’ the Dragon Maths Online,  Volcanic Panic Reading Success Online and Words Rock Online.

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Dads Teach Teens Important Skills

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The TOS crew has given us a challenge to do a post about fathers.  I have to admit, this is a tough one for me.  Don’t misunderstand me, I loved my dad, but we didn’t have the easiest relationship.  Therefore when I think of dads, that relational difficulty sometimes gets in the way.   I got to thinking though about how my dad affected me as a teen, and what lessons he taught me in those important years.   Dads are so important in the lives of teens, we mustn’t forget that!  Dads teach teens important skills! 

Dad taught me

  • Devotion to God doesn’t have to be perfect.  My dad had a firm faith in the Lord but it wasn’t a perfect faith and he let his children know that.  He served the Lord faithfully, but admittedly was short-tempered, lacking in patience, and more.  YET through that… he served the Lord and taught us how to pray. 
  • To parent better than you were parented.  My dad did not have a good upbringing.  Some would call it abusive.  He made a CHOICE that he would not raise his children the way he was.  The older I got the more understand the choices he made. As I have parented my son I have shown him more grace and patience than I was shown as a child growing up.  In turn, I hope that my son will meld discipline and grace better than I did, with I hope, my eventual grandchildren.  This is a biblical principle as well as seen in Deuteronomy 5. 
  • Work hard!  At whatever it is that you do … do it well and work hard to accomplish the tasks set before you.   It doesn’t matter the job you do as long as you do it well. 
  • Be kind to the critters under your care.  Try to not be impatient with them, be careful with pregnant animals, be mindful of bulls as they can do serious damage, feed the best food you can, and don’t make your animals into soft pets or they will be useless as working animals. 
Dads teach teens important skills

You see, I saw my dad doing all this as a child, but as a teen is when it really started to impact me.  As I starting putting all the pieces together and seeing the choices he made, it made an impact.  Did it make our relationship easier?  No.  In fact we went through tough years, but in the end we came out okay. 

But you know what? 

Teens do this.  They look at their parents critically during their teens years.  They analyze how they were parented, they learn to ask questions, and formulate ideas for their future.  Teens examine, it seems, everything as they push toward being adults.  Dads help in this process as they answer their sons questions and show they how to be stand-up people.  How to live out their faith and how to care for those that surround you.  Even those men of few words!  🙂 

It got me to thinking, what things are there for dads teach their teens? 

Additional Dad taught Skills

  • How to fix things, or to jury-rig a solution, or simply how to use tools. 
  • Confidence in one’s abilities
  • Being fiscally responsible.
  • The importance of a firm handshake
  • Make plans, double-check them, follow through.  Be prepared for glitches along the way.
  • Have a reputation worth having.  If you say you’ll do something, follow through.  Be honest in your dealings. 
  • Learn the basics of taking care of your automobile.  Changing the oil, driving a stick shift and learning what different noises a car makes and what they mean.
  • Learn the fundamentals of math, it’ll serve you well in every aspect of life. 
  • Be willing to change your mind if the situation warrants it. 
June 2021 Social Media Challenge Graphic

NOW… Lest anyone take offense!  Moms have a big role in raising their teens as well and can teach all these skill sets as well… but dads do it in their own way don’t they?  And sometimes, we need each other to reinforce the behaviours needed right?  Two examples are better than one eh?  🙂   Besides… we don’t all have the same set of skills, so having help, broadens the horizons of these pre-adults and that’s not a bad thing right? 

Can you think of anything that I missed? Dads teach teens important skills… but I couldn’t possibly have thought of them all.  What skills did you learn from your Father?   What skills do you see your spouse teaching your teenagers?