Standard Deviants Accelerate Review

I love using online learning options in our homeschool as a way to put something exciting and different into our daily homeschool routine. Recently as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was selected to participate in a review of Standard Deviants Accelerate which offers online learning in these Homeschool Courses for your kids in grades 3-12:

• Arithmetic (grades 3+)
• Fundamental Math (grades 4+)
• Earth Science (grades 6+)
• Nutrition (grades 6+)
• Biology (grades 7+)
• Algebra (grades 7+)
• Chemistry (grades 9+)
• English Comp (grades 9+)
• U.S. History (grades 9+)
• AP Biology (grades 11+)
• AP Chemistry (grades 11+)
• AP U.S. History & Politics (grades 11+)
• AP English Comp (grades 11+)

Standard Deviants has been offering top notch educational videos for over 20 years in core subjects. They have taken their newest online educational videos and coupled them with lots of activities to create Standard Deviants Accelerate, the perfect curriculum supplement for your homeschool!

How We Used Standard Deviants Accelerate

I used a couple of the Homeschool Courses offered in Standard Deviants Accelerate in our homeschool with my son. Since he is delayed in math, I chose to focus on the Arithmetic and Fundamental Mathematics modules.

The Arithmetic module contains lessons on the following math concepts:

• Whole Numbers and the Number Line
• Addition and Subtraction
• Multiplying Whole Numbers and Word Problems
• Dividing Whole Numbers
• Understanding Decimals
• Understanding Fractions
• Lines, Shapes, and Sizes
• Measurement
• Patterns and Graphs
• Subject Review

There are 2-3 lessons for your student to complete under each concepts. Instructions are clearly noted at the top of the screen for each lesson.

You'll notice in the picture above that there are tabs listed at the top of the page.

The Video tab contains the teaching video and written transcript of the lesson. The entire lesson can be watched on the video which is great for a mom who doesn't feel strong teaching math to her kids.

The Vocab tab contains the vocabulary words from the lesson. The math vocabulary word definition is listed as well as a sound icon where the student can hear the word and definition.

Next is the Diagram tab where a math puzzle, etc. is given for your student to work.

The Quiz tab has the lesson's quiz for your student to complete. I love that these quizes are automatically graded for me! If your student misses a question, the correct answer is given in a video. There is a "see video" button that your student will press in order to see the correct answer and how to arrive at the correct answer.

The final tab is the Written Answer tab. Here a question is given relating to the theme of the lesson. Also listed under that main question is a couple of other writing prompt questions that you can have your student answer in written form. You can get a notebook for your student to keep these questions and answers in. 

The lessons are presented in both written and video format. You are given the option to print out the full transcript of the lesson too.

The setup I've described above is the same setup for Fundamental Mathematics. Lessons included in this math module were:

• Beyond Multiplication and Division
• Working with Fractions and Decimals
• Measurements and Ratios
• Angles, Polygons, and Circles
• Coordinate Geometry
• Gathering and Understanding Data
• Problem Solving Skills
• Subject Review

The young adults that are used in the video lessons do a great job at presenting the lesson in a fun and engaging way. I love that we can go at our own pace too.

If you're looking for an online learning option for your homeschool to help out with teaching subjects that you don't feel comfortable teaching, then you need to check out Standard Deviants Accelerate.


You can follow Standard Deviants Accelerate on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Pinterest

You can read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

ASD Reading - An Online Reading Program for Austism Spectrum Disorder

Reading Kingdom is an online program that teaches your children in the following six areas of Reading:

1. Phonics (Sounds)
2. Sequencing
3. Writing
4. Meaning
5. Grammar
6. Comprehension

For this review, I was given ASD Reading (Autism Spectrum Disorder Reading) to use for a year with my son who is on the autism spectrum with Asperger's Syndrome. This fun and easy to use online reading program teaches students with Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) how to read, write, and comprehend.

Based on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Marion Blank, ASD Reading is unique in that it offers instruction methods that you don't find in other programs.

• It requires no prerequisite skills (even non-verbal children can use this program).
• Graphics, audio, and animation are used extensively in order to reinforce meaning.
• Written and spoken language are linked together so that one mirrors and reinforces the other.
• Instruction is customized so that it adapts to each child's specific needs and skills.
• A child's skills are systematically assessed helping them to overcome difficulties and error patterns.

"ASD Reading is based on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Marion Blank, a world-renowned literacy and language expert who developed and served as Co-Director of the Columbia University Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program for Autism and Related Disorders."

About ASD Reading

ASD Reading is a completely online reading program. You will need a computer with a mouse or a tablet. You will also need an internet connection.

The lessons are short enough to complete in one session. You also have the option to pause the lesson if needed. Once the lesson is completed, your child has the option to continue on to the next lesson or stop for the day.

At this screen, your child can continue on to the next lesson or stop for the day.

The dashboard enables parents to see each child using the program, the subscription status, when the child last used the program, how many days per week the program was used, their current level within ASD Reading, and the percentage completed on the level they are on.

Throughout the ASD Reading Program, your child can score points that will open up their passport. There are 5 different levels in the program which your child will work through. Stars are placed on the passport as points are earned for their completed work.

How To Use ASD Reading

The first thing your child will do when starting the ASD Reading Program is take a placement test. They are placed in the reading program at their level according to the results of the placement test. Once the placement test is completed, assignments are generated and ready for your child to use.

Until your child becomes familiar with how the program works, you'll want to supervise them when they are using ASD Reading.

To ensure success with ASD Reading, it is suggested that your child uses the program at least 4 days a week.

My Opinion of ASD Reading

One of the wonderful things about this reading program is the clear instructions given along the way. My son was able to use ASD Reading without my help. Also, I loved the encouraging sounds and phrases spoken that were very motivating for my son. The lessons have colorful pictures that are fun and engaging. It keeps his attention which can be hard to do.

Overall, I am very happy with ASD Reading! I appreciate the progress reports I receive in my email that let me know if my son needs my attention for anything he's struggling with. There is also the dashboard where I can go anytime to get an update on my son's progress within the program and how he is doing.

If you have a child on the Autism Spectrum Disorder, I highly recommend taking a look in ASD Reading. You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial. They also have a Scholarship Program for families who cannot afford to pay for the program that will allow you to use it for free with your child. You will need to sign up first for the 30-day trial and use it with your child for a minimum of 4 days per week for 3 weeks, then you can fill out their form for the Scholarship Program that is on their website.


You can connect with Reading Kingdom on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

You can read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew simply by clicking on the image below.

Super Teacher Worksheets Review

Today I'm sharing with you a review of an amazing online worksheets printables resource called Super Teacher Worksheets that will benefit both public school teachers as well as homeschoolers! As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was given an Individual Membership for an entire year to use in our homeschool.

Introducing Super Teacher Worksheets

There is an incredible amount of worksheet printables for teachers and homeschool parents to use for children in grades PreK-5th. You'll have access to over 10,000 printable worksheets, activities and games! Math worksheets, grammar worksheets, printable maps, map skills activities, reading comprehension and so much more is available at your fingertips with Super Teacher Worksheets!



This online printable worksheets site has a huge list of homeschool printables in these categories:

• Math
• Reading and Writing
• Phonics and Early Literacy
• Handwriting
• Grammar
• Spelling Lists and Worksheets (Grades 1-5)
• Science
• Social Studies
• Holidays
• Puzzles and Brain Teasers
• Teacher Helpers
• Pre-K and Kindergarten
• Make-Your-Own Worksheets

Printable Reading Books

Fun Math Worksheets

Holiday Fun

Telling Time and Clock Practice

Multiplication and Division Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

How We Used Super Teacher Worksheets

I absolutely love Super Teachers Worksheets! I used the math worksheets and the reading comprehension worksheets with my son in our homeschool as a way to reinforce weaknesses in his learning which is delayed due to his special needs.

I used the worksheet generator to create my own math worksheets for my son so he could practice his subtraction facts. I will be making more worksheets to use as practice for addition, multiplication and division. I love that I can save all of my worksheets that I create and reprint them at any time. This will be a great time-saver for me! Especially if there is a particular worksheet that my son might struggle with and we need to go over again.

The reading comprehension worksheets were very helpful to use with my son to build his comprehension skills.

I'm using the spelling lists in our homeschool as well. You can print off the list of spelling words each week and use the worksheets that go along with them for practice work during the week. I had my son write out the list of spelling words on Monday and quizzed him on Tuesday. Any words he missed on the spelling quiz were assigned to write again on Wednesday and Thursday with the final spelling test on those missed words taking place on Friday.

I love the filing cabinet that I can use to save the worksheets I've used. There is a handy icon at the top of the menu bar that you can simply click on to save the worksheets you find and use on Super Teacher Worksheets.

My Opinion of Super Teacher Worksheets

As I stated earlier in my review, I love using Super Teacher Worksheets! There are so many printable worksheets available with just the click of my mouse. If you're looking for printable worksheets to use in your homeschool, you will definitely want to check out Super Teacher Worksheets! This is a completely online program so you will need a computer or laptop, internet access, and a printer.

You can connect with Super Teachers Worksheets on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest

To read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew, simply click on the image below.

A+ Interactive Math Review

Homeschool math is a subject in our home that I am always looking for something new to use to keep my son's attention and interest peaked. So I was very excited to be chosen to participate in a TOS review for A+ Interactive Math, an online math program. For this review, I received a six month subscription to A+ Interactive Math Curriculum: Family Math Package.




I love that A+ Interactive Math offers freebies for homeschool families to try out what they offer before making the decision to purchase. It's a great way to discover if their online math programs are a good fit for your children. Two of their most popular freebies are the Free Math Placement Test and the Free Family Math Package. Check them out today! I think you're going to love A+ Interactive Math as much as we do!

Great news! A+ Interactive Math is having a 40% to 50% off sale on their Family Math Package and their Adaptive Placement Testing with Lessons from Monday, May 4 through Monday, May 18.

They also offer these popular freebies:

• Free Software Download
• Free Single Grade Level
• Free eBook

How We Used A+ Interactive Math

We used A+ Interactive Math: Family Math Package weekly in our homeschool.

My son has math learning gaps due to his special needs, so I was thrilled to discover that I can change his grade levels in the parent admin panel. In each grade level, topics of math study are listed for each chapter of math learning. This was beneficial to me because there are some math concepts that my son has not learned yet so I was able to skip over those topics until I'm ready to let him begin learning them. I love the flexibility of A+ Interactive Math!!

My son listens to and watches the video math lesson before any of the online math lessons are completed. These video math lessons are short and clearly presented through a teacher's voice while visuals of the math lesson are presented on the computer screen. After viewing the lesson, he then completes the Interactive Q&A and is guided through five practice problems that are covered in the video math lesson. If he answers the practice problem incorrectly, the teacher shows how to get the correct answer. Once the practice problems have been completed, there is a Update Lesson Status button on the top right of the computer screen that he can click on that will mark his lesson as being complete. On my parent admin panel, I can keep up with how many lessons my son has completed.

The math lessons can be done online after the practice math problems or they can be printed off. I chose to print off the math worksheets for my son because he works better with paper and pencil for math. If you choose to use the online worksheets, those are graded automatically for you. That's a great benefit if you have a child who likes to do their math work online! It's a winner for you too because all the grading is done for you!

I love being given the choice of either online or printable math worksheets!

The parent admin panel has a very helpful record keeping system that is every homeschooling parent's dream! You can see everything your child has completed online...the Interactive Q&As, worksheets, and exams.



For more information about A+ Interactive Math, read 12 Reasons to use Family Math Package program and 12 Reasons to use Adaptive Placement Test & Lessons program.

You can connect with A+ Interactive Math on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

To read more TOS Reviews, simply click on the image below.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 

GPALOVEMATH ~ An Online Math Program

GPALOVEMATH is a completely online math program for homeschoolers with children in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade provided by GPA LEARN. Recently I was given the opportunity to review GPALOVEMATH from Great Parents Academy in our homeschool. This is a great online math help that I have enjoyed using with my son in our homeschool. It's like having a math tutor online for my son!

Setting Up Our GPALOVEMATH Account

I created my account in 4 easy steps. After confirming my account, I set up a user name and password for my son. GPALOVEMATH is completely online and is compatible with  a PC, Mac, iPad and Galaxy Tab on most all browsers.

Information About the Lessons from GPALOVEMATH

Every lesson has 3 sections that includes small bite-size pieces of knowledge and should be completed by your child in one sitting.

Section 1 teaches the child the skills for the lesson.

Section 2 contains practice problems for the child with feedback from the character guide.

Section 3 is the only section scored. The child works independently in this section which is introduced only when your child shows that he/she is ready from their work in Section 2.

If your child is a beginning reader, all problems can be read to them by clicking the words on the screen.

You can see all attempts your child makes on each of their lessons at any time. Viewing missed problems is a great way to detect any learning gaps so that you can review with your child on these lessons.

The Parent LEARN video tutorial is very helpful, quick orientation. Check it out by clicking on the video below.

How We Used GPALOVEMATH

We used GPALOVEMATH in our homeschool to help cement math concepts my son needed more practice with. I loved the way the program is set up so that he couldn't move on to section 3 until he showed that he could do the work in section 2. This aspect of the program assures me that there will not be any gaps in his math learning. This is very important to me since most math concepts build on each other. A firm foundation in every concept is very important in my son's math education.

I love how GPALOVEMATH is set up so that small pieces of math concepts are taught at a time. My son can get easily overwhelmed with math if too much to thrown into a lesson at one time. We can take our time with each lesson in Section 1 before moving on to Section 2 and so on. I also love the motivational system that is available for parents to use to encourage their children with the work they complete. Reward ideas are provided or you can come up with your own. I receive an email each time Caleb completes a lesson, and also at the end of the week I receive an email with all of the lessons he completed and the grade he made on them.

Caleb loves his "learning coach", Abacus, who guided him through each lesson. Every grade has a different learning coach. This is a fun part of the GPALOVEMATH!

GPALOVEMATH Learning Coaches make learning math fun!

If you are looking for an online math program to put some excitement back into your child's math learning experience, then I highly recommend GPALOVEMATH. Your child will truly love learning math again!

You can connect with GPALOVEMATH on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Walking in His Grace, 
Laurie
 

Check out other TOS Reviews by clicking on the image below:

Standard Deviants Accelerate Review

Standard Deviants Accelerate is an online educational teaching tool available for use from ages 8 to adult. I received a full annual subscription for this review to all of their courses in the Standard Deviants Accelerate Homeschool Courses to use in our homeschool.

There are fourteen courses available for grades 3 and up:

• Arithmetic - Grades 3+
• Fundamental Math - Grades 4+
• Earth Science - Grades 6+
• Nutrition - Grades 6+
• Algebra - Grades 7+
• Biology - Grades 7+
• Chemistry - Grades 9+
• English Composition - Grades 9+
• U.S. History - Grades 9+
• AP Biology - Grades 11+
• AP Chemistry - Grades 11+
• AP U.S. Government & Politics - Grades 11+
• AP U.S. History - Grades 11+
• AP English Composition - Grades 11+

You and/or your child will need an email account to set up an account with Standard Deviants Accelerate. This homeschool resource is entirely online so you will need an internet connection and either a computer, laptop, or ipad.

The cost for regular courses is $99 per year or $24.95 per month for one student. AP courses for one student are $14.95 per month.


You can connect with Standard Deviants Accelerate on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google+

How We Use Standard Deviants Accelerate

I used the Arithmetic course from Standard Deviants Accelerate in our homeschool four days a week with my son. This was a terrific supplement to our math lessons!

I loved everything that was available to use:

• Video Lessons
• Review Activities
• Quizzes
• Tests

My son can watch the lesson and do the work assignments freeing me up to get ready for our next subject lesson. I love how the material is broken down into manageable pieces so that it does not overwhelm my son. Each lesson takes between 15-30 minutes to complete. My son loves the fact that he can do his math work online! The online instructors are young adults who present the lessons in a fun and humorous way through the online video. This is also a big plus in my opinion because it keeps my son's attention in a subject that can be "boring" to him. Another plus is that my son can watch the videos more than one time if he doesn't understand a concept and needs to review it again.

There is a student portal as well as a parent portal within this online educational teaching tool. Navigation is very easy for both the student and the parent. I love that the grading is automatically done for me!

Great news! You can get a 6-month FREE trial for full access to all 14 courses from Standard Deviants Accelerate. Sign up now for a parent account with up to 4 students! This offer is available until November 15.

Please click on the image below to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew for Standard Deviants Accelerate.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 

Essential Skills Advantage Review

Essential Skills Advantage is a complete online program for Reading and Language learning ideal for children in grades K-6, but it can also be very helpful as remedial work for your older students. As part of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was chosen to do a review of this program and have been given a one year subscription to their premium plan which I've used with my 13 year old son, so we fall into the category of remedial work with older students.

This online program for kids has been a great addition to our homeschool! My son loves to be on the computer, so why not let him learn while he's at it! It's also provided a break from the usual book learning that we've been using in our homeschool. More importantly, it has enabled me to go back and fill in some gaps in reading and language concepts with my son. We love the variety of concepts that we can choose from as we log in to our online education provided by Essential Skills Advantage. The wealth of learning activities makes me happy as his teacher, and it makes my son happy because he doesn't get so easily distracted and bored. There is always somewhere else within the reading program for him to go in order to keep learning.

I love that I can track my son's progress in the Parent Portal. The student information sections allows me to see what programs my son is working on. Next to each program, I can see more detailed information such as date and time stamps, his number of attempts at answering, or if he's mastered a concept. My son likes to see his progress too, and can do this by selecting the star button displayed on the screen to view his scores. He also has the progress bar that is displayed to show his overall progress within the unit. 

Want to learn more about Essential Skills Advantage for yourself? Well, I hope you'll keep on reading to find out more and plus, you'll find two different huge savings offer at the end of this post!

Meet Essential Skills Advantage

Essential Skills Advantage has thousands of activities that are fun and engaging to help your child build their skills in reading comprehension, sight words, phonics, spelling, grammar, - everything your child needs for reading and language learning! You'll find fun writing activities, sight word activities, reading comprehension strategies, and so much more in this complete online learning program.

Here's their mission statement:

"To make a difference in eduction by providing affordable, technology-based solutions that motivate students, build their confidence, and allow them to achieve success."

You can connect with Essential Skills Advantage on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Google +

System Requirements for Using Essential Skills Advantage

This program is entirely online. You will need internet access for your computer that is Java Script enabled, Flash Player 10 or higher, and volume. At this time, ESA's programs are not compatible with iPad or Android tablets.

The Price for Essential Skills Advantage

ESA offers a 14-day free trial, then after that it is only $9.99 per month for their premium plan.  They are generously providing a 50% coupon code for the monthly membership fee on the premium plan for my readers.

The coupon code is TOS50 and will be good through October 1. This 50% savings will stay with you as long as you are a premium member, making your monthly fee only $4.99 per month!

I'm excited to share with you that they have started a sponsored version of their program that is completely free! I appreciate this so very much because every little bit helps for homeschooling families - most of who, like us, are a one-income family. Go to www.ESAlearning.com to start your free subscription today.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

Click on the image below to read more TOS Crew Reviews!

Online Learning Palette Review

What began as a 4th grade teacher's desire to help her students quickly learn their multiplication math facts, has blossomed into a full website of Learning Wrap-ups resources. Marion Stuart, the original creator of Learning Wrap-ups continues to closely supervise the addition of new products, such as the Learning Palette which originated in Germany, and has been adapted to fulfill the needs of young students here in America.

I was very interested when the opportunity arose to review Learning Wrap-ups. I was selected to review the full online family subscription to LearningPalette.com, an online product of Learning Wrap-ups.

What You Need to Know about LearningPalette.com

• Fully online educational program (You'll need an internet connection and computer.)
• 35 math titles
• 20 reading titles
• These titles provide a total of 7,920 questions.
• Correlated to the Common Core for Math and Reading (This factor is unfortunate to those of us who do not agree with Common Core standards.)

The following price options are available for a one year subscription:

• One user is $25.00.
• Up to five users is $60.00.

See the price list and order form for more information about signing up for your family. The company is offering a 20% discount for homeschooling families through May 31, 2015. Just use the coupon code HOMESCHOOL to get your discount! Nice!

Learning Palette has a free online demo that you can use to experience for yourself what it has to offer your child.

The recommended grade levels for use of the online Learning Palette are grades K-5.

Screenshot of the demo.

You can connect with Learning Wrap-ups on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Twitter

How We Used the Online Learning Palette

It was so easy to use the Online Learning Palette alongside our homeschool reading and math lessons. I thought it was a fun way for my son to test his knowledge of reading and math concepts we had been working on. We logged in to our online learning palette 3-4 times a week to get a break from our regular reading and math lessons.

The reading palette grade levels ranged from basic to level 3 palette options that we could freely move through. We also could move through the different grade levels on the math palette which ranged from basic to level 5. There are progress reports available for the parent that show the average score per card, the average time it took to complete the card, and the total cards completed. This was helpful information to me that assisted me in preparing review lessons where needed. Immediate results on the actual card showed my son's correct/incorrect answers with the opportunity for my son to fix any incorrect answers. I love that we could go through the cards as many times as we needed to.

On each grade level of reading and math, you can click on the "Common Core" link that will bring up a PDF file containing all the concepts that will be covered on each card for the palette. We don't align ourselves with the common core, but this information was helpful to me in choosing what cards I would have my son work on. Some of the concepts, especially in math, we haven't covered yet so I didn't make him use those cards.

My Opinion of the Online Learning Palette

My son and I enjoy using the online learning palette. It fits fine with our current curriculum and in my opinion would work alongside any curriculum you are using. The online learning palette is a great addition to our homeschool that helps me see my son's progress in our reading and math lessons. It's a nice change for him that is visually stimulating and keeps his attention better than pencil and paper exercises that I normally use to test his knowledge of material that's been covered in our lessons.

The online learning palette would be a great option to use in order to keep your child's reading and math skills sharp over the summer too. It's non-threatening, gaming feel will help capture your child's attention on skills that matter and that you don't want them to lose over the summer break.

Click on the image below to read over reviews from the TOS Review Crew.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

 

K5 Learning Review

I am excited to bring this review to you today for K5 Learning! I received an invitation from K5 Learning to use their online learning program for free during a 6-week period in exchange for an honest review. We used the K5 Learning website as part of our homeschool day and enjoyed our experience which I'd like to share with you now!

Introducing K5 Learning

Developed in 2011, K5 Learning is an online reading and math program with over 3,000 online tutorials and activities for children in grades K-5.

K5 Learning is an online learning option for:

• After-school study
• Summer study
• Homeschoolers
• Special Needs
• Gifted

These are the four areas your student will work on in the K5 Learning online program: 

1. K5 Math: Covers numbers and operations, geometry, measurement, time, money, algebraic thinking and data analysis.
2. K5 Math Facts: Basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are learned for mastery. A progress chart is maintained displaying your child's progress of math facts that have been mastered and those that need review for mastery.
3. K5 Reading: Phonemic awareness, phonics, site words, vocabulary and reading comprehension are all the skills your child will use to become strong readers in this online learning program.
4. K5 Spelling: This advanced vocabulary program features adaptive instruction, automatic word generation, and a database of 150,000+ words.

You will need a computer and internet connection to use K5 Learning in your home.

There is a log-in area for the parent where you will find the parent dashboard that has links to view reports on your child's work, assign reading and math lessons, add spelling words to the lists provided by K5 Learning, and change the spelling settings. There is a separate log-in area for your child to use to complete their lessons.

K5 Learning provides a Free Worksheet Center on their website containing the following free printable worksheets for download:

• Math Worksheets for Grades 1-6
• Preschool and Kindergarten worksheets
• Reading Comprehension worksheets for Grades 1-5
• Grammar Worksheets for Grades 1-3
• Cursive Writing Worksheets
• Math Flashcards 
• Reading flashcards

K5 Learning also has a bookstore where you can buy downloadable workbooks that they recommend for home study.
 

You can connect with K5 Learning on the following social media outlets:

• Facebook
• Google+
• Twitter 

Pricing Options and Free Trial

A monthly subscription to K5 Learning is $25 for the first child, and $15 for additional children. An annual subscription to K5 Learning is $199 for the first child, and $129 for additional children.

K5 Learning has a 14-day free trial offer to try out their online program. You will get 14 days of free lessons and free math and reading assessments. Simply click on the image below to sign up for your 14-day free trial.

Click on this image for your 14-day free trial offer.

How We Used K5 Learning

We were able to use K5 Learning alongside our current curriculum in our homeschool. It was a nice switch for my son on the days where we chose to hop on the K5 Learning website to work in these subject areas offered through their online learning program.

There are reading and math assessments available which I requested from the parent dashboard. There is also the option to change levels within the subject areas. You will find this request as well on the parent dashboard. You have to contact the website in order to request either of these options. Once the assessments have been scored, your child will be placed on the appropriate levels in each area.

In the reading and math section, there were lessons to complete each time my son logged in. Or, I could manually assign lessons from the parent dashboard.

My son practiced his math facts for addition during our review period. Speed and accuracy count in this part of the program, which had a negative impact on my son who would accidentally hit the wrong numeric key on the keyboard since he was trying to go so fast. I finally decided to let him call out the answer and I hit the number on the keypad for him. It was just asking too much for him to process it all so fast. I know already how well he knows his addition math facts, so when I saw that the speed and accuracy requirement was causing a problem for him, I made this simple adjustment.

I had to adjust the level for the spelling section to get him at the level he needed. There is so much to love about K5 Spelling!

Watch this video to learn more about the wonderful Spelling section on K5 Learning:

Our Opinion of K5 Learning

My son and I really enjoyed our time with K5 Learning! The website for K5 Learning is very colorful and user-friendly.

I loved the math facts area most of all because my son needs the practice. Mastery of the math facts is my top goal right now in our homeschool so this area was a welcome addition to our math studies. I love the chart that keeps up with his progress. It's a great visual encouragement for him too!

My son loved the game time that was offered between each lesson. I appreciated this part of the K5 Learning website that allowed my son to relax and have fun while learning. It was a great motivating factor for him to complete his lessons as well!

I would suggest to K5 Learning the idea of giving the parents control of changing the levels within the program and having access to the assessments for their children. I've used other online programs before with these features at my fingertips when I need it.

I highly recommend K5 Learning for any homeschooling parent who wants to add some variety and excitement to their homeschooling schedule! Your kids will thank you for it!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

Free Resources for Homeschoolers

Homeschooling for free is entirely possible thanks to the all of the wonderful, talented homeschoolers who create free resources to share out of the goodness of their hearts as well as other providers. I've been on a quest to pull together for you a list of free resources that you can use in your homeschool so that you can save money wherever possible. I'm happy to share this list of free resources for homeschoolers with you today!

Free Curriculum

• Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool
• Lesson Pathways
• Ambleside Online
• All-in-One High School

Free Math Worksheets

• Homeschool Math
• Time for Time 
• The Teacher's Corner

Free Language Arts Resources

• Spelling City
• Aesop's Fables
• English Banana

Free Ebooks

• Amazon Kindle (Amazon has an app for computer users who don't own a Kindle.)
• Project Gutenberg

There are so many free resources available online to use in our homeschools. I'll be adding to this list, so stay tuned for more links to free resources for homeschoolers!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

   

SchoolhouseTeachers.com Yearly Membership Option Review

I am super excited to share this review with you today as part of the TOS Review Crew! I received a free yearly membership option to www.SchoolhouseTeachers.com in exchange for my honest review. Trust me when I say you'll want to grab yourself a cup of coffee or tea, get in a quiet room alone (as hard as that is for us moms to do!), and spend a few minutes here with me as I tell you about my experience so far with my yearly membership option at SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
 

What's Included with the Yearly Membership Option?

The yearly membership option to SchoolhouseTeachers.com includes online access to daily, weekly, and monthly lessons for over 50 courses which include core subjects as well as electives for your Pre-K through High School homeschool students, access to teachers if you have questions about any of the classes or content, a free online record-keeping system, monthly reading lists, checklists to track the courses you are using with your kids, special needs units, family nutrition lessons, downloads and links needed to complete the lessons, and so much more! You can go to www.SchoolhouseTeachers.com to find out more about what's included in the yearly membership option. You'll also find a site tour on their website which I highly recommend viewing.


Just look at all these extras that are included with the yearly membership option!

• TOS Family Discount Codes (special savings from an amazing line-up of homeschool companies)
• Monthly Bonus E-books to add to your homeschool library (monthly e-book bundles; a total of 149 titles)
• Schoolhouse Expo Video Recordings (listen in the comfort of your home at a time that is convenient for you)
• Schoolhouse Planners (5 different planners to choose from: regular, special learners, primary, middle and high school)
• The Old Schoolhouse Magazine subscription (and back issues you may have missed)

What's the Cost?

A yearly membership option for SchoolhouseTeachers.com is only $139 which includes access to Pre-K through High School content. In my opinion, this is an awesome deal considering all of the quality content, downloads and links for lessons, and teacher access I will have at my fingertips on a daily basis for a whole year. Don't forget about all the extras that come with the yearly membership option as well.
 

What I Love About SchoolhouseTeachers.com

Oh my goodness, this could take a while! But I know how busy you are, so I'll try not to keep you too long. {smile} One of the great benefits of the yearly subscription option for SchoolhouseTeachers.com is that you will have access to grades Pre-K through High School. If you are homeschooling multiple children this yearly membership will be a tremendous savings for your family because you will have all of the core subjects and electives you will need to homeschool all of your children! They provide all of the downloads and links needed to complete the lessons - truly making my job as a homeschooling mom a little bit easier. I also love that all the lessons are archived at SchoolhouseTeachers.com so that there are always plenty of quality lessons to choose from in addition to the current month's lessons. So if what has been planned for the current month isn't something you or your child want to use in your homeschool, then you can go into the archived lessons to find something different to use instead. What I love most about SchoolhouseTeachers.com is the fact that I have access to the Pre-K/Elementary section as well as the Middle/High School section. This is a tremendous benefit to me because my son has special needs so it takes him longer to catch on in certain subjects. For example, although my son is in the 7th grade, he is on a lower level in math so I have to take that into consideration when planning his math lessons. With the option to go up and down grade levels on the SchoolhouseTeachers.com website, I can meet his particular needs in the subject of math. That makes me very happy!

How We Used SchoolhouseTeachers.com 

In order to give you an idea of how we used our yearly membership option for SchoolhouseTeachers.com, I went through all of the core subjects and electives and picked a couple of lesson choices for us to use in our homeschool. Since we are in the Christmas season, I chose one lesson that reflected the season that I knew my son and I both would enjoy. Here is what we did during our first week using our yearly membership option for SchoolhouseTeachers.com:

Lapbook for The Gift of the Magi 

Everything that I needed for this lesson was found on the SchoolhouseTeachers.com website under the Lapbook heading in the Middle/High School section. I printed off the story from my computer so that Caleb and I could cuddle up together on our cozy reading chair. I had some green and purple card stock that I used to print the mini-books on. I also printed off the instructions for each mini-book. With all the necessary components printed, I grabbed our scissors, glue stick, and stapler and we headed off into our schoolroom. We took our place on our cozy reading chair and Caleb listened intently and followed along as I read The Gift of the Magi. The ending of the story really surprised Caleb, but the moral of putting others before yourself was not missed by him either. Once we finished the story, we headed to the desk to work on the mini-books for the lapbook.

The first mini-book Caleb worked on was for vocabulary words from the story. I downloaded and printed the vocabulary list that was provided. Caleb doesn't like to write because his hands tire after writing for long periods of time, but these mini-books were enjoyable for him because they didn't take that long for him to complete.

Caleb was very proud of how his first mini-book turned out for this lapbook project. Don't you love his pose here holding his completed vocabulary words mini-book!

Once this mini-book was finished, we moved on to the next one in The Gift of the Magi lapbook, which was listing the character traits of Jim and Della who are the main characters of the story. The directions that were provided told us to go back through the story to find clues to their character traits. As we found them, I wrote the character traits for Jim and Della on the whiteboard. Then I had Caleb copy the character traits to the mini-book I had printed off from SchoolhouseTeachers.com.

There were a total of six mini-books that Caleb made throughout the week to go into his lapbook for The Gift of the Magi. Caleb learned some great new vocabulary words from the story, he persevered through the writing that was involved, and created a beautiful lapbook that he was so proud of (and this moma was proud too)! We both enjoyed this wonderful Christmas story reminding us of the importance of putting others before ourselves.

Science: Paper Plate Optical Illusion Experiment

Jason Lindsey aka "Mr. Science" with Hooked on Science brings the weekly science experiment lessons on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. This was an amazing experiment that used a paper plate to explain how the optic nerves in our eyes send signals to our brain, which then interprets what we see. Included in the downloadable PDF instruction file for this science experiment were science safety precautions, ingredients list, and instructions for completing the science experiment. I printed off the instructions and read aloud the science safety precautions, Caleb gathered the items needed for the experiment, and we followed the instructions that were given for the paper plate optical illusion experiment. This was a fun experiment that both Caleb and I enjoyed! After we completed the experiment, we watched "Mr. Science" explain the optical illusion in a YouTube video link posted on the Science lesson page at SchoolhouseTeachers.com.

Schoolhouse Planners

Remember the 5 different Schoolhouse Planners I mentioned as one of the great extras that come with the yearly membership option? Well, I chose to download the Special Learners planner to use since my sweet Caleb fits into that category. I love everything that is included in this lovely planner: articles written by mothers of special learners, calendars, planning pages, homeschool individualized IEP, medical and therapy forms, weekly food and behavior diaries, household organizational charts, and my most favorite - task analysis cards to help teach life skills. I am really going to enjoy using this planner that was so well thought out!

My Opinion of the Yearly Membership Option for SchoolhouseTeachers.com

I could not be more satisfied with my experience with the yearly membership option for SchoolhouseTeachers.com! I am totally amazed by the high quality content available for Pre-K through High School homeschoolers, by the wonderful team of teachers who provide the lessons, all of the downloads and links, and the affordable price of $139 for the yearly membership option. I absolutely LOVE SchoolhouseTeachers.com, and I'm so thankful to have the affordable yearly membership option that I can use for our homeschool! My son has really enjoyed the lessons I picked for him. The variety of choices available will ensure that he never complains of being "bored" again in our homeschool. SchoolhouseTeachers.com has been a blessing to us, and we will definitely enjoy having the yearly membership option! 

Don't miss out on this amazing and affordable option for your homeschool! The yearly membership option is only $139. Visit SchoolhouseTeachers.com today and see for yourself. I think you'll be just as amazed as I was!

 
Until Next Time Friends,
Laurie 



Be sure to check out what others on the TOS Review Crew had to say about SchoolhouseTeachers.com