As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew I received Science Vocabulary Pictures, Set 1 cards from Lone Star Learning

Lone Star Learning offers math, reading and science learning aids for kindergarden through eight grade. Lonestar has been offering their products to schools and is now starting to offer them to homeschoolers. In fact, there is no mention at all on the website about homeschooling, everything is geared to the public school classroom. I also saw no references to private schools of any kind.

The vocabulary cards are to supplement your curriculum. As you can see from the above picture, they are colorful and entertaining. There are a few different sets of cards available, I was sent the Science 1 cards.  The cards are coated, so they can be handled by kids without too much scuffing. The Science 1 cards are for grades 3-8.

These vocabulary cards can be used in many different ways. The set comes with an idea sheet to help you. Here are a few of the ways I used them with my 12 year old 6th grade son. We used them as flash cards, first. Going over any that he missed. The set comes with an answer key, however, it would have been much more convenient if the definitions were on the back of the cards.

I hung the simple machine cards on our school room cabinet. That way there were in front of my son all the time, and he would ask questions when he thought of them. At 5.5″ by 8.5″ Lone Star Learning cards are nice and big, making them easy for kids to handle, and to hang on the wall.

Another way we used them was to have my son sort the cards out into categories. For example, here’s the season cards. The cards are bright, colorful and fun, with pictures that depict the definition of the word. However, some of the pictures can make the words hard to read. I, the teacher, had to look to the rest of the word to find out that the fish on the carnivore card was a “c”. While working on the review, I asked my son if there were any cards that he had trouble reading, or if he could read them all with no problem. He said, “Yes, the one with the mice.” The Mammal card below. I asked him if there were any other cards that he had trouble with, and he picked these cards. You might look at these cards and think “I can tell the raindrop and line are a “d” in the word flood.” But it’s the kids who have to be able to read the cards. Like I said, most of the cards can be read easily. These are just a handful that my son had trouble with. Overall, my son had fun using these cards and learned a few new words. The Science vocabulary card set contains 40 cards and sells for $29.99 on their website.   *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a this set of cards for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received online access to the Going to College and Paying for it Online Videos and Workbook from College Common Sense. Going to College and Paying For It is available in two formats. Dvds or online access. The DVD’s and workbook sells for $50. One year of Online access with the workbooks sells for $25. If your starting with younger students or using College Common Sense for several students in different grades, the DVD’s are a more economical choice. Denise Ames, the founder and writer, is very friendly in the videos, and uses a friendly tone in the workbook. She is very encouraging to the parents, that they can help their children go to college, even if they never went to college themselves. Going to College and Paying for It includes six videos: The Big Picture How Financial Aid Works All About the Free Money The System that Works You in the Process Pull it All Together   It is suggested that the parent watches the video themselves first before introducing them to the students. It also is suggested to watch the video first, then do the workbook sections that correspond to each video. I found it worked better for us to have the workbook printed and each student have their own copy while watching the video. It was easier to follow along and take notes while watching the video. There are a lot of activities in the workbook. You’ll have to pick and choose which activities will work for your child at the stage there in. For example, in the first lesson, one of the activities is going on a tour of a college. If you’re working through this will your elementary or middle school students, you might want to wait for the tour. Some of the topics covered in the course are: What to ask before applying to a college, steps to take when applying to colleges for financial aid, what to look for and questions to ask when on a tour of a college. There are worksheets to calculate how much it will cost to go to college and where the money will come from so you can see where you stand with your finances, and what else you have to do to be able to go to the college of your choice. The student will learn the differences between scholarships, grants and loans. What to look for and what to stay away from, how to make a binder to keep track of everything college related, how to apply for scholarships, how to write the required essays, how to research and use the internet to find scholarships. The last section of the workbook deals talks to the students about making good choices and their future. There are also notes for the parents, including don’t send your child off to college with large monthly bills. The course recommends repeating the videos and workbook at least once a year. I think this would be especially important when starting in the elementary or middle school years. There is so much information and so many activities included in the workbook, that you’ll want to take more time to work through them. If your child is a junior or senior, you can work at a faster pace. The course is designed for the parent to work with the child. I do think a highly motivated junior or senior would be able to do the course alone. I used College Common Sense with my two 12th graders, and my 8th grader. My two 12th graders liked it better than my 8th grade daughter. She asked why she had to do it when she didn’t even know if she wanted to go to college. The more time she spent working on the workbook, though, the more she started talking about what she might like to do after she graduates high school. That is one of the points of the course, to guide your child while they make decisions about their future. It really got her thinking. This course also got me thinking. I always thought you had to wait until high school to seek out financial aid. I didn’t know that many scholarships are awarded to children as young as six. That information alone will pay for the course as you start applying for scholarships for your students. While College Common Sense can be used by any student, it is an invaluable tool for the homeschool parent that has to also act as guidance counselor. College Common Sense also offers a free newsletter, as well as emailed lesson plans. The lessons plans have additional activities, not included in the workbook, and are broken down to elementary, middle school and high school levels.   If your high school student is talking about going to college, or if you want to start getting scholarships now for your younger students, College Common Sense’s Going to College and Paying for It will help you reach your goals.     *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received online access to this course for review purposes. I received no other compensation. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was sent Classical Academic Press God’s Great Covenant, Old Testament 1. I reviewed New Testament 1 last year and I was glad to receive the Old Testament 1 to review. My son was excited, too.   There are three parts to God’s Great Covenant. The Student book, $22.95,  the Teachers Edition, $24.95, and an Audio Book Download, $9.95. That page also has a sample of the audio you can listen to. The audio book includes all stories from each lesson. While the audio book is not necessary to complete the course, it is nice to have.  Zach loved listening to the lessons. You can see samples of the Student Book, the Teacher Book, and a Suggested Schedule. Old Testament 1 contains thirty two chapters divided into five  units, covering Genesis to Ruth. Unit I: In the Beginning -God’s Power Unit II: By the Patriarchs – God’s Promises Unit III: Out of Egypt – God’s Redemption Unit IV: Through the Wilderness – God’s Provision Unit V: In the Promised Land – God’s Faithfulness It is suggested that one chapter a week be completed. Each chapter includes the story, a worksheet, and a quiz. Also included are a memory verse, vocabulary words, and key facts to remember. There are several appendices and maps in the back of the of the book, as well as a glossary for further student study.

I used God’s Great Covenant Old Testament 1 with my 12 year old, 6th grade son.  This course is written for grades 3-6. My son, Zach, enjoyed the lessons. The lessons were challenging enough to keep him interested. There is a review chapter at the end of each unit. These include extra puzzles and activities. My son loves puzzles, so these are perfect for him.

We did not follow the suggested schedule exactly. I prefer to allow my children to work through their Bible studies at their own pace. So that is what my son did. He would listen to the story one day, and work through the workbook pages over the next few days. He liked that he could write in the book, making it less cumbersome than using a separate text and notebook.

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The teachers edition has every page of the student edition pictured, with all the answers filled in.  Every page also has a full page section of lines for teacher notes. You can see this on the sample pages linked above. This is very convenient when planning your lessons. This would be especially helpful if you’re going to use this course with more than one student over several years. You can refer page to your notes right on the page to see what you did last time. In addition to what is covered in the student text, the Teachers Book has more information on the history, geography, culture, and theology introduced in the text. I am a firm believer in scripture memorization and God’s Great Covenant puts emphasis on this, too. This course also contains Catechism for Children Questions in every lesson. While I think the $22.95 price for the student book is high for a consumable, it is a quality Bible study book for this age group.     *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I received no other compensation. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received Vocal Coach Singer from Vocal Coach to review. Chris & Carole Beatty, the creators of Vocal Coach, have taught and coached thousands of singers. Vocal Coach Singer is a 12 disc singing system, also available as an mp3 download like I received. Vocal Coach Singer works for youth and adults a like, beginners and singing professionals.  Vocal Coach also has a program for 5-12 year olds, Teaching Kids to Sing. I used Vocal Coach Singer with my 14 year old daughter who sings on the youth praise team at church.

Included in this course are the following: 7 Training CDs: Getting Started Complete Breathing Complete Warm-Up Complete Tone Complete Expanding Your Range Complete Diction Complete Performance 4 Workout CDs: Daily Workout High Voice 1 & 2 for the tenor/soprano range. Daily Workout Medium/Low Voice 1 & 2 for the bass/baritone/alto range. Additional educational tools: Guidebook – Full-size Instructional Guidebook to ensure success Printable Lead Sheets – each exercise in our course, plus track lists Personal Singer’s Journal (Getting Started Journal & Workout Journal) to track your progress as you become a better singer Vocal Coach Song Evaluation – Evaluation form to enable you to make more thoughtful song selections   Since a strong, well controlled speaking voice is an important part of public speaking, teaching and coaching, Vocal Coach Singer is great for teaching the speaking skills needed for corporate leaders, teachers, actors, salespersons, voice over talents, lawyers, and more. Public speaking students will learn how the voice works, how to find your best sound, how to control breathing even when you’re a bit tense or nervous, how to be expressive in presenting your message, and more.

The mp3 files download all into one file on your computer. When your ready to use them, you open the file, inside there you will find the different lessons, open a lesson folder, and a list of mp3s is inside. You just start listening, top to bottom. Listen to as many or as few as you want in each session. You just have to remember where you left off each time. Not a problem, really, either keep a note in the singers journal , or a note on the computer. My daughter didn’t have any trouble keeping track of where she was in the course.

“It was cool, I didn’t like that fact that I had to actually sing…OUT LOUD! It was terrifying!! I also didn’t like that it didn’t tell me what I could do to warm my voice to sing in church in the a.m’s. One thing I did like was how it had me doing some exercises.” – Abby age 14 She can get up in front of people and sing, but found singing the lessons in our living room terrifying. lol I guess singing “me me me me” and the other exercises in front of your siblings would be terrifying. lol As far as her saying that they didn’t tell her what she could do to warm up her voice, I think she was looking for tips such as drink warm tea, like I told her to. She has to sing at 9 o’clock in the morning, and that makes it hard on her voice. She didn’t like filling out the evaluation sheet at the beginning of the course. It’s to write down what they know about their voice, singing, and to help them track their progress.  Having never taken any voice lessons before, she didn’t know what was meant by a lot of the questions. You fill out another one after the course, so I think she’ll do better with that one. I have been very pleased with what she is learning with this course. I noticed right away how the lessons on breathing and posture helped her, for example. I anticipate improvement in other areas as she continues this course, as well. With doing one to two lessons a week, she is almost through with the 7  training cds. I will have her finish this course, and offer it to my other kids, even though they don’t sing in public on a regular basis. Vocal Coach Singer is great homeschool music course. You can work at whatever speed works for you, making it perfect for families. I think this would also be really good for homeschool co-ops. (I have searched the website, and can’t find anywhere that says you can’t use it in a group setting.)   Vocal Coach Singer is available for $119.99 on CD and $99.99 for mp3s. *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these mp3 downloads to review  in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received two volumes of the Growing Up Wild DVD series. Each volume contains three episodes.  Growing Up Wild Volume One contains  Home Sweet Hut, Supply Trip and Sun & Water. Growing UP Wild Volume Four contains the following episodes,  Amazing World Around Us, Adventures in Culture, and Tribal Calling . Each episode is about 15 minutes long.

I set out to watch these videos with my 12 year old son. At first he didn’t want to watch them. After he watched the first one, however, I didn’t have to tell him to watch the rest of them. He put the dvd’s in of his own volition and watched them, several episodes in a row. He liked it that much!

Growing Up Wild follows the Wild family, full time missionaries in living in the jungle of Indonesia. Mom, Dad and four boys!

Mom and Dad narrate the videos that follow the four Wild boys. The family spent three years making these videos as a way to introduce children to the foreign mission field. The videos are very well done, entertaining, and educational.

The Growing Up Wild dvds are not just for boys, but for the whole family. These are a great way to introduce kids to international missions and other cultures. http://vimeo.com/32123255   Each episode explores one aspect of the families life and gives activity ideas for children to do at home.  There are 4 or 5 activities per episode.  Some of the activities are field trip ideas, writing assignments, some are science or Bible exploration, etc.   Each DVD has an activity guide for the teacher. You can view a sample Growing Up Wild Activity Guide. “I didn’t like when they pierced their nose with a piece of wood. That was disgusting. I really liked the Lego lift. Their cat, Phineas is cool.” – Zach, age 12 I enjoyed watching these dvds with my son. Although, I admit to covering my eyes numerous times when they were showing creepy crawlies and snakes! I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of their hut, and how they made everything work for them. I also was intrigued by their supply trips. I thought stocking up was hard for my family!   The Growing Up Wild dvds sell for $18.99 each. There are 5 volumes available. I plan on purchasing more of these dvds for my family.   *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received two dvds to review  in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”