As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received a Student Strengths Report online assessment from PeopleKeys to review.

The Student Strengths Report uses three unique assessments (DISC Personality Style, Perceptual Learning Style, Cognitive Thinking Style) to provide a simple, yet profound, tool to help students uncover their personal strengths, then apply that information to everyday communication and learning situations. The Student Strengths Report will help students recognize their distinctive personality strengths, learning styles and thinking preferences.

 

The Student Strengths Report is for ages 13 to adult. I had my 14 year old, 9th grade daughter take the Student Strengths online assessment. She was a little nervous to take it. She was afraid to get something wrong. I had to reassure her numerous times that there were no right or wrong answers. Once she settled down, she did fine. The assessment only takes 10-15 minutes, depending on your student. It is basically a questionnaire that you answer. Each question has several answers to choose from. The student picks the answer that best describes them. The instructions tell the taker to go with their first answer, not to spend time thinking about the answers.

Here’s the information you will receive with the Student Strengths Report:

Introduction – why learning styles are important
Perceptual Style – how you absorb information
Learning Tips – based on your style
Cognitive Style – how you process information
How you Think – capitalizing on your strengths
Personality Style – strengths and limitations
Communication – improve and strenghen relationships
Action Plan – applying what you have learned

After you complete the test, you will receive an email with instructions to download your report. You really get a lot of information from this test. The report that I received is 34 pages long, in PDF format. The report starts with introducing the personality styles, then describes each one. Then I had two pages with my daughters personality style, including a graph.

The assessment said my daughter is a Communicator. Here is a little sample from my daughters results.

Motivating Goals:Social approval, prestige, recognition, to be trusted
Evaluates Others By:Their verbal communication skills
Influences Others By:Verbal persuasion, praise and favors
Reaction to Pressure:Expresses feelings; may become careless and disorganized
Areas for Improvement:Establish time frames; follow through on projects; control emotions, listen to others
May Overuse:Optimism, flattery, talking

There is so much information in the report, that it is impossible to share it all here. Included in the report are learning styles. And even a section on how to set up your learning area based on your learning style. Something that is very important for all students. But that can really be put to use in the homeschool, where we have control over our learning environments. Even if your child is not homeschooled, you could use this information to set up the students homework area. There is another section on Cognitive Thinking Styles. My daughter is an intuitive thinker. The report includes ways that she can put her strengths to use in groups, or when working alone.

Over all, I found the report to be accurate about my daughter. And I can see her, and myself, using this information for her benefit throughout her high school years. And beyond.

 

The Student Strengths online assessment sells for $20 on the website. There are discounts for buying 5 or more tests at one time. See the website for more information.

 

 

As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received the Rhythm of Handwriting from Logic of English to review. The Logic of English offers a systematic multi-sensory approach to learning how to read, spell and write.The Rhythm of Handwriting, manuscript and cursive, offers an easy to teach approach to handwriting.

 

 

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As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received online access to Time4Learning for review purposes.

Time4Learning is an online educational program for preschool through eighth grade. The curriculum uses a combination of animated lessons, activities and worksheets. I used the 7th grade level with my 13 year old son, Zach. He used Time4Learning as a supplement, not his entire curriculum.

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As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received four online guitar lessons from MacPhail Center for Music.

In addition to the many offerings they have for in-person lessons and activities, MacPhail is now offering online lessons for children in K-12. Lessons are offered on piano, guitar, violin, viola, cello, harp, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion.

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As part of The Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received the America the Beautiful Curriculum Package, the America the Beautiful Student Workbook, and the America the Beautiful Lesson Review from Notgrass Company to review.

America the Beautiful is written for grades 5-8, ages 10-14. The curriculum can be completed in one year, or longer, depending on what works for your family. I am using America the Beautiful with my 13 year old, 7th grade son,

 

 

Notgrass Company is a family business that develops Bible-based, easy-to-use homeschool curriculum that helps you teach the heart, soul, and mind of your child. The offer curriculum, unit studies, and other resources for grades K-12.

The America the Beautiful curriculum includes the following books:

America the Beautiful Part 1: contains 75 lessons beginning with life in America before Europeans came and continuing through the first years after the Civil War. Hardcover. Color and black and white illustrations. 452 pages.You can view the Table of Contents and a Sample Unit on the website.

America the Beautiful Part 2: contains 75 lessons beginning with America’s expansion into the lands west of the Mississippi River and continuing to modern times. It also includes an index to the curriculum. Hardcover. Color and black and white illustrations. 572 pages. You can view the Table of Contents, a Sample Unit, and the Index on the website.

We the People: A collection of 150 original journal entries, newspaper articles, advertisements, poems, songs, letters, short stories, speeches, and other historic documents from American history. Hardcover. Black and white illustrations. 220 pages. You can view Sample Pages on the website.

Maps of America the Beautiful: 30 maps drawn especially to accompany this curriculum. Your child will often refer to a map while reading a lesson in America the Beautiful and do activities on the map at the end of the lesson. 61 pages. You can view Sample Maps on the website.

Timeline of America the Beautiful: An illustrated timeline of American history from AD 1000 to the present designed specifically to include facts learned in the lessons. Some facts are already printed on the timeline, others mentioned in the lessons are added by the student. 57 pages. You can view Sample Pages on the website.

America the Beautiful Answer Key: Includes answers for the Timeline, Student Workbook, Lesson Review, and the vocabulary assignments included in the main text.  55 pages. You can view sample pages from the Answer Key on the website.

Also available separately are the:

America the Beautiful Student Workbook: contains crosswords, find-a-words, matching, codes, drawing assignments, and other activities that review and reinforce the daily lessons. Designed for students in 5th and 6th grades, it’s also suitable for older children who enjoy these types of activities. 150 consumable pages. You can view sample pages on the website.

America the Beautiful Lesson Review: contains daily lesson review questions, literature review questions, and weekly quizzes. Designed for students in 7th and 8th grades, it’s also suitable for younger children who prefer this type of review.  110 consumable pages. You can view sample pages on the website.

There is no separate teachers manual. The America the Beautiful book has a section in the front of the book with all the information you need to get started.

When I opened the shipping box and examined the books my first impression was, “Wow! This is awesome!” My opinion has not changed in the weeks we’ve been using America the Beautiful. It IS awesome!

The many pictures in the curriculum are of great quality. My son loves looking at the pictures. And asking questions about them. He really loves America the Beautiful, it is often his first choice to work on every day.

You can be as involved as you want to be with this curriculum. Each lesson starts with a few pages to read. At the end of that days reading, the lesson tells the child what activities to do. My son works through the lessons on his own, asking me for help as needed. If you prefer to read the lesson with or to your child then guide them through the activities, that will work with this curriculum, also.

Depending on how many activities you do, each lesson will take 45 minutes to an hour and a half. I have my son taking two days for each lesson. On the first day, he does all the reading. On the second day, he does all the activities. I am having him do both the Student Workbook and the Lesson Review book. Doing both of these additional books is not necessary, or a requirement. He likes the activities in the Student Workbook, so it is working well for him. At the rate of 2 days per lesson, it will take my son two school years to finish the curriculum.

I have been thoroughly impressed with the America the Beautiful curriculum. I love everything about it. And my son loves it. Homeschooling is so much easier on Mom and son when you find a curriculum you both love. My son will be continue with America the Beautiful for the rest of 7th grade and 8th grade.

 

The America the Beautiful Curriculum package retails for $99.95 on the website. The Student Workbook sells for $11.95 and the Lesson Review workbook sells for $9.95 at the time of this review.

 

As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received the DVD Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura from Legacy Documentaries to review.

Legacy Documentaries is a company founded by Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder in the Little House on the Prairie television series. He has produced two original documentaries, one of which is Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura.

 

 

Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura is designed for the whole family to watch. Those who are currently reading, or just finished, the books will thoroughly enjoy this documentary. I introduced my children to the Little House series of books when they were very young. We’ve also enjoyed watching the television series, as well as a Little House mini-series that was on television a few years ago. I am definitely a Little House fan.

Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura covers the time period of Almanzo’s life that is told in Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Using pictures and video from the original Wilder homestead in New York (which is open to the public), the documentary follows Almanzo around the homestead. The documentary uses drawings from the Farmer Boy, interviews, as well as live action scenes to tell the story. All of these, the pictures, drawings, video, and live action scenes are all voiced over by the narrator. In some scenes, the narrator is reading excerpts from Farmer Boy, while the drawings are shown on the screen. Other scenes feature the actors, while the narrator reads. There are several interviews included in the documentary that help us to better understand the time period, along with the customs of the time.

 

I watched Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura with four of my children, ages 13, 14, 17, and 18. Actually, I watched it twice, the first time by myself. The kids all enjoyed watching this. I enjoyed watching it twice. Some have requested we go back and watch the television series again. This documentary has renewed their interest.

Dean Butler has done an excellent job of producing a documentary that is true to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s writing, while at the same time giving us more information about Almanzo, his life, and the time period.

Here’s a trailer of the documentary.

 

 

If you or your children loved Little House, you’ll also love Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura.

Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura sells on the website for $21.95.