review of Heads Up! frames

http://www.headsupnow.com/

Heads Up! frames are just one of many products meant to help "all kinds of special kids". The Heads Up Now company sells organizational helps (like timers and colored notebook paper for coordinating subjects), memory helps, books on helping distractable children, and books on children with sensory integration issues, speech and language therapy aids, and vision aids such as the Heads Up frames I reviewed.
These are little colored plastic overlays that a student can place over words or problems on a page. They help block in pertinent information on a page while the colors help the student to sustain attention. The frames come in many different colors and sizes. I was happy to get to try these as my son, with some vision problems, seems to need something to put under the lines on the paper he is reading or he tends to lose his spot. So we have tried the frames in different shades and shapes, on and off for a few weeks now. I can tell he reads better and more efficiently when he uses a frame (he prefers blue) but getting him to remember to use is the hard part. The smaller sizes would be a great book marker. I may try leaving one in each of his books all the time so he has them handy.
For children who get overwhelmed seeing what looks like a ton of work to them, especially those math fact sheets, you can help them focus on one problem at a time using these frames. With my children, when they think a task is impossible, they tend to give up before they even begin. Blocking out a few problems at a time makes the task less daunting and much more manageable.

I like the way the frames keep the distractable child on task. Reading is one of those things that my son easily loses his place in. Its no fun to read when you look away from the paper continually and then look back, only to realize you're lost. I was a fairly fast reader growing up; I'll never forget how much I dreaded classroom read-aloud time because I knew not everyone read so fast and I'd be sitting and waiting. I have to admit in times past, reading with my son, I have had that same feeling of exasperation again, not because his reading skills have upset me but because I am upset for him. I really like these frames and I think they will help him to become much more focused, and a much more efficient reader.
I really like the looks of quite a few of Heads Up Now's books. I'll probably be back to order from them at some point.

I have given away a few of the extra frames to friends to try. If you tried them with your children, I'd appreciate your commenting and telling me (and other readers) what you thought of the frames. I have other frames that we won't use for give-away also, so if you'd like some for your class or personal use, let me know. Thanks!
-Lynn

I love it when I have a plan!

I love it when I am briefly organized and have a plan. I always enjoy planning out our next school year. Sometimes I think I like the planning of it much more than actually trying to implement it, but oh well. It always looks so perfect and do-able on paper. I'm sure I'll be tweaking it all repeatedly before the first semester is over.

My plan for next year is to use Blessed is the Man for my oldest son, who will begin 9th grade. I have always loved unit studies but I get a little squeamish thinking about using them for high schooling. Nonetheless, it looks thorough and so we are going to give it a try for 9th grade. We'll add in a complete math program and be done there. In one year, if it is a failure, we'll switch to a correspondence course, online-schooling, or all video-schooling for him.

My two younger children will use Five in a Row together for at least one year. I'll beef it up a little for my 9 year old with additional reading, math, projects, and worksheets, whereas the 4 year old will use it for kindergarten with an addition of only some phonics.

I'd like to hear from those who have tried Blessed is the Man.
Off to search through my FIAR resources! Any local FIAR buddies want to do some activities together next year?
-Lynn

update to Five in a Row, FIAR

I found this wonderful homeschooling site that I can't wait to stay up reading until 2 am!!!
Best of all, it has FREE resources for the Five in a Row books so you can add-in other materials if needed. This is just what I need for my 3rd grader to be able to do FIAR with my preschooler next year!!!! YAY! Not to mention all the other neat stuff. :)

Check it out ladies:
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

review of Math Tutor DVD series

Up tonight on Lynn's homeschooling product review....the MathTutorDVD.com Video Series! (applause) Okay, I know...cheesy intro. I just get tired of saying, "Today's review is about (fill in the blank)." Can't blame me for trying to liven things up a bit. ;)
Let me just get to the review (and if you find teaching mathematics difficult in any way, then reading this review will probably liven your perspective up A LOT).

I am NOT a math loving mom. If you have read ANY of my blogs you must know that. Okay, I like basic math fine, and every now and then a light bulb flicks on in my head on some more difficult grade level math problem, and suddenly I actually GET a concept, and then, for a mere moment, math looks a bit entertaining to me (*side note-I am glad I homeschool; maybe now I will finally learn all those things I didn't learn in public school!). Doesn't it feel good when you see that "ahhh" moment in your children when you know they've finally "gotten it"? But what about those times that they just don't...when no matter what you try, tears flow down little cheeks (or big cheeks) and self-esteem begins to plummet. Ever wish you could hire a really good tutor? Take a peek at what http://www.mathtutordvd.com/ has to offer.

Personally most math gives me the heebies. Anxiety disorder at its worst. Unrelenting flashbacks to that old green chalkboard in Algebra II...standing mortified, as snickers (or yawns) erupted from the mouths of my genius fellow-classmates, who were waiting on me to solve that crazy half letter-half numeric problem. It was kind of like the TV show "Name that tune" with all of the waiting (but none of the annoying elevator music). You know how the contestant stands there, mouth opened slightly, eyes shut tight, grasping desperately at straws for an answer that lies no where in his mind. Yep, that was me in parts of Algebra. And parts of Algebra II. And Geometry.

Now at age 35, I refuse to let my children feel that badly about any subject so long as I can help it. I have vowed to use whatever resources God has provided, even if it means switching curricula with each child, until I find their "fit". Above all else, I want to be certain they never feel nervous or anxious about math, such an important subject which builds upon itself as the years go by. So many kids like myself were passed through classes with C's; why not go for true mastery learning?

If you find your student lacking skills in any area of math, the Math Tutor DVD series can certainly help.

We have used two of the company's titles, Algebra II and Word Problems. My sons, ages 9 and 13, both went through the entire Word Problems video each day as a supplement to their regular math courses. I am glad they did because word problems can be an area where students get easily confused. I watched some of the episodes with them. While I can't say I was enthralled with the subject matter itself, I was excited to see the concepts explained so thoroughly. These videos are lengthy, about 8 hours worth of tutoring, if you will. The author and teacher, Jason Gibson, who holds both a BS and Masters Degrees, stands at a white board and works problems step-by-step, multiple times. It is like having a personal tutor come into your home. He is a very mild-mannered, calm man who makes you feel confident in the material you are learning.

My boys also took a few lessons in Algebra II. It was way beyond anything they have covered yet, so we'll save this one for later.

The videos are not a complete curriculum. Mr. Gibson assumes you have been taught the concepts listed at some point; he will simply go over them again in various ways to practice them and explain them differently. They are all for practice and review.

The problems in the videos progress in their level of difficulty. All the DVD's play in standard DVD players and in computers. The videos I received contained a combined total of 14 hours of in-depth instruction and there are 19 videos in the total product line. The average length of a course is 8 hours and the average cost of each course is about $27! Can you imagine spending only $27 for a personal tutorial lasting 8 hours?

The website at http://www.mathtutordvd.com/ has free clips from each course video. There is also a money back guarantee which certainly makes this series all the sweeter. MathTutor guarantees raised grades or your money back.

What I like most about this series is the thoroughness...this man leaves no stone unturned! Boy, when he covers it, he COVERS it and that's not a bad thing. I think I could grasp even some harder math concepts myself if I had had these videos to go along with my traditional programs in school. Those returning to college would also find these extremely useful for dusting out the mental cobwebs. These videos can be used to teach or refresh any age level.

Blessings,
Lynn

homeschooling co-ops: gotta love 'em!

We SO enjoy our weekly Wednesday mornings at co-op. My kids like picking their classes each semester and being with someone new as a teacher. I like the fact they are having to sit under another Christian parent's feet and learn to obey someone besides mom! And I like getting to teach classes that my children might not enjoy. Our co-op is also a great way to get the kids into some classes that I might not feel capable of teaching well, such as high school level sciences.

Boy, our little preschool co-op class has really grown. We always have about 17 children, ages 2-5, for two hours. They are getting bored inside and I can't wait to get them back onto the playground to burn off steam! Come on, sunshine!

There is never a typical day at co-op either...coffee pots overflow onto floors...kids swing from trees in the survival skills class...preschoolers escape the room...special guests show up as pirates and teach them how to knots (so they can tie up their siblings later on at home, I'm guessing)...kids taste green eggs and ham...science experiments go awry...its just wild but so much fun.

For the next two days both of my sons get the excitement of day trips to hike, rappel and go caving with their survival class leaders and classmates. I am not sure which they are more excited about--the trips or the fact that we can count is as field trips/school days with no bookwork!

I thank God often for our local homeschool group and co-op. These moms and dads work hard to have so many fun and educational activities for their children. I cannot imagine not being part of it all.
-Lynn

review of Bible Story Songs: David

Bible Story Songs presents...DAVID: Shepherd, Psalmist, Soldier, King!


From the Bible Story Songs website:

"This delightful 1-hour length album is a compilation of new songs on David. Thirty-one new songs about the stories of David's training as a shepherd boy, his singing and psalming, his faithful service as a soldier, and his kingship. This is the 6th double-length album from Bible StorySongs, Inc.; a music company started by two grannies who discovered that kids can learn about the Bible easily and effectively by singing!"

This was an easy review to do.

I received the David cd, which is one of many this company produces, such as Moses and Matthew.

I have always used songs to teach preschoolers in our church, VBS, and with my own children. I also learn things easily if set to music and I like to buy all sorts of cd's with educational songs on them. How much time do we spend driving when we could be using a musical cd to sharpen our minds? My little girl enjoys playing in her room solo at times and will stay a bit longer if I let her play her cd's. So I like having useful, good-quality music on hand for her, and its even better if that music is taken from God's word! When we're children with minds like sponges, it is so much easier to "hide His word in our hearts". This one went straight into her collection and she has asked to listen to it often.

It has 31 songs sang by both children and adults. Before each song there will be a little snippet of information pertaining to the song or from the Bible story from which the song is derived. Some songs are originals while others follow familar tunes such as When Johnny Comes Marching Home. The ones I have listened to are simple, easy, and catchy tunes.

The thing I like best about this cd is the website resources that you can get to use with it. http://www.biblestorysongs.com/ has free lyrics for each of their cd's, plus sheet music, song books, puzzle books, projectable lyrics, and more. This would be an excellent way to use music with preschoolers or elementary students in a group setting like a homeschool co-op or church choir.

The costs for the David material are:

David CD - Order $9.99(Free David e-Lyric Sheet)

David e-Sheet Music - Order $9.99

Bundled Set - Order $16.99 David CD plus David e-Sheet Music

DAVID e-Transparencies FileAdobe PDF - Order $4.99

-Lynn

review of Homeschooling ABC's

Whether you are new to homeschooling, debating over homeschooling, or already fully immersed and needing some really helpful hints, tips, and links, we all need Homeschooling ABC's!

http://www.homeschoolingabcs.com/

Homeschooling ABC's is 26 email "lessons" for parents involved in or about to become involved in homeschooling. Each week parents get a new lesson delivered to his or her inbox that will contain basic homeschooling tips, links to great sites, links to free products and curriculum, action plans, and wonderful advice that seems as if it is coming from veteran homeschool friends over a casual cup of coffee. :)

I SO looked forward to each new ABC. I have been homeschooling for about 8 years now but there is always room for improvement and wisdom. Homeschooling ABC's motivated me to think outside the box, try new ideas, and see clearly again just why I chose to homeschool in the first place. If it helped me after being involved in homeschooling for such a long period of time, I can't imagine how much it would've helped me had I been starting out! I spent countless hours searching the net for homeschooling information since way back in 1997 when I first began considering it. These emails contain all you need to know to get started in much less time. Not to mention that you'll get $200 worth of curricula which will be given to you over the course of the next 6 months after signing up for "classes".

Here are some of the topics you'll cover as you work your way through the alphabet:

• Determine YOUR philosophy of education


• Understand your children's learning styles


• Learn the ins and outs of buying & selling curriculum


• Find out how to get and stay organized


• Learn how to teach multiple ages at the same time


• Make the most of field trips


• How to handle the "S" question - Socialization


• How to start each day WELL and keep it going that way


• Get hundreds of dollars of free curriculum

Homeschooling ABC's comes to us from husband and wife team Todd and Terri at http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/. Some of you may already be familiar with other products from this wonderful site such as maps and the How It Really Happened history lessons.

You know what I would like if I were just setting my feet down on this homeschooling journey? A close friend to help me down the road with gentle nuggets of wisdom, exciting websites, and more. Or you could just buy me a subscription to Homeschooling ABC's! The cost to join the Homeschooling ABC's class is only $10 a month for the duration of 6 months. That's only $2.30 per class session.

Kudos to Todd and Terri for finding out what new homeschoolers need and helping them to succeed!

-Lynn