Taking the Plunge to Achieve a Dream

Hello, friends! I have a confession, a dream really that seems to have been placed in my heart around a year ago. It is one that I talk very little about and even stating it now makes my fingers tremble.

My dream is to be a published author.

There... I said it! I have been working to write reviews, blogposts, and educational resources. Each one of these have been such an enrichment in my life. Through blogging, I have met beautiful writers and families around the world. I receive feedback from teachers and homeschool parents that have valued my resources. I treasure them all in my heart! Yet, I know that there is a dream that remains unfulfilled, a purpose that has not yet been achieved.

About one year ago, I was given a story. This story is about a young pastor's daughter and her two best buddies. As the story began to unfold, I found myself completely taken with these characters and the events that I see playing out in their lives. They learn lessons from life and each other while applying Scripture in real situations. The passion to publish has grown but I find that fear and intimidation have become a companion. There are so many questions and road blocks! The more I research about publishing, the scarier and out of reach it seems.

How do we fight the fear as we stand on the precipice? From where can we draw the courage to close our eyes, take a deep breath, and take the plunge into the unknown?

Here are my Scripture companions for this season:

• Psalm 25:4-5  "Show my thy ways, O Lord: teach my thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me: for thou are the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."  I know that God can direct and shine light upon the path that I should take. I choose to pray for His direction.
• Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." I may not know the plan but I know Someone who thinks about me and has a place for me. I choose to trust in Him.
• Psalm 37:4-5  "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." God must remain the center of it all. I choose to delight in the Lord.

So, here I go my friends! I am officially beginning the journey. I am a firm believer that we are never too old to learn something new and reach for new dreams. We only have to be brave enough to Take the Plunge!

Review: A+ Tutorsoft Math Software

Good morning, friends! It is a rainy day here in the Sunshine state. In fact, my corner of the world has been covered in green on the weather radar for two days and nights. An ark could be in our future. :)

Today, I want to share with you a new Math resource that might interest you in your homeschool. My adorable third grader has had the opportunity to use A+ Interactive Math Software by A+ Tutorsoft, Inc.

Description

A+ Tutorsoft, Inc is a full Math program that utilizes audio and computer animated visuals to make the subject interactive for your student. There are three options available: CD-Rom Standard Edition, CD-Rom Premium Edition, or an Online Subscription. If you would like to see the similarities and differences of all three, click here! For the sake of this review, I will be focusing upon the 3rd Grade CD-Rom Premium Edition; however, there are definite benefits for whichever option you might choose. The most important feature of all three is that this program does the teaching for you! It is like having a Math teacher sitting at your table. For homeschool parents who do not enjoy this sometimes grueling subject, this might be a great option for you!

This software uses three modes (audio, visual, and text) to teach and reinforce Math concepts. The following  resources are included: 

• Lessons complete with audio and visual
• Interactive quizzes after each lesson to check comprehension
• Instant feedback and step by step instructions should a student struggle with a concept
• Lesson Plans
• Printable curriculum book that correlates with media lessons
• Printable worksheets and exams for further practice and skill reinforcement
• Parental Guides with step by step problem solving instructions
• Progress tracking and reporting for assessment files or portfolios
• Parental controls to keep your student on task
• Certificate of Accomplishments to post and file

Routine

Each day, my Nat would sit at the laptop, plug in her earphones and begin her Math lesson for the day. She would begin by logging in and then clicking on multimedia lessons at the top of the screen. The interface is quite easy to use and a child with some computer skills will have no problems running the program. If your child has no computer experience, they will quickly catch on with parental support.

While working through the lesson, Nat would listen to the teacher as she instructed on course content. Throughout the lesson, there would be opportunities to observe the concept through instruction as well as application. At the end of the lesson, she would then be asked comprehension questions or given math problems to solve that utilized the concepts from the lesson. She enjoyed this part as she was able to click the answer and then receive instant feedback. She was always excited to see the little yellow smiley face with a thumbs up sign! 

After completing the lesson and review, I would have her complete a worksheet to reinforce and review the lesson. To save on ink, I would often have her use notebook paper to record her answers. We would then check her answers together and I would note her progress. Once reaching the end of the unit, an exam was available to track her progress. I could enter all of her lesson quizzes and exams in the gradebook to keep a record of her work for her portfolio.

Good to Know

1.) This program is most suitable for auditory learners. The interactive quizzes are very helpful; however, the students that will excel the most with this curriculum will be those who are able to comprehend auditory instruction. Actual manipulatives and opportunities for questions are not available during instruction. If a student has a problem, they are sent back to listen to the same instruction once again. For my little learner, this was difficult for her. I have never considered her an auditory learner; however, some students are thrilled to be able to get alone, listen to instruction and work through their lessons at their own pace. I was one such learner. Consider your child's learning style carefully.

2.)  The audio on the files could be a bit difficult to listen to at times for my sensitive ears. My daughter did not seem to have much issue with it. For a sample of the audio, click here to watch the demo and an idea for yourself.

3.) If you are running the new Windows 8, the software is currently incompatible.

4.)  For the CD version, you must insert the grades yourself to keep track of your child's progress. The online version will do this for you. 

5.) You can have up to 5 students using the software. This definitely helps those who have multiple children on the same level.

6.) The available grades are 1st through 6th as well as Pre-Algebra and Algebra which is noted for use in 7th and 8th.

7.) Standard CD curriculum is $99.99 while the Premium CD edition is $124.99. The online version can be purchased monthly ($19.99), in three month increments ($49.99) or for an entire year ($124.99). 

BUT, for all of you wonderful readers, Tutorsoft, Inc is offering a 50% off discount through the end of March! Just enter the promotion code: SPOFFER50.

My Thoughts

Overall, I thought this program offered a complete, comprehensive package for third grade. The lesson plans were well taught and the interactive quizzes were fun. The instant feedback was encouraging for my daughter and she always enjoyed sitting at the computer for her Math. I do think that her learning style is better suited for more hands-on learning rather than auditory as she would have to go back and rewatch the lessons at times because she simply didn't catch the specifics of what was taught. Her mind has a tendency to stray. :) However, for those learners who work best at their own pace and excels with auditory instruction, this would be a great option!

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Review: "God's Great Covenant"

Hello, friends!! It is time for another Schoolhouse Review Crew blogpost about a new curriculum that you might want to consider for your homeschool, especially if you are looking for a Bible curriculum that will both challenge and excite your kiddos! I had the opportunity to use God's Great Covenant Old Testament I by Classical Academic Press and I have been so looking forward to sharing this resource with you as it has been such blessing in our home!

Description

"God's Great Covenant" Old Testament I is available in three fantastic components. First, a student workbook is available for each child. These workbooks offer lesson memory verses, important definitions from the lesson, a read-aloud, and worksheet style pages about what they have learned from the lesson. The last page of each lesson includes a Quiz that can be given to check their knowledge retention and comprehension. There are a total of 32 lessons that are broken into five different themes. Two installments are available for the Old Testament and the first, which we used, covers the book of Genesis through Ruth as well as the book of Job.

Student Workbook

The second component is the teacher's manual. I would highly recommend this resource as it is a replica of each page in the student manual, complete with answers as well as comprehension questions that can be asked throughout the reading. It is VERY user-friendly and offers great insight into the reading. One of my favorite parts of this program is that it does not offer simple question and answers that they might already know from Sunday School. This is important to me as my children have been involved in church their entire lives. These questions are not laborious; however, they do challenge and encourage critical thinking. It was also very exciting to see how they linked the studies of the Old Testament to the New Testament. These are skills that many books are lacking and I found it exciting to share this kind of thinking in a lesson atmosphere.

Lastly, there are audio files that are available in MP3 format. This makes it incredibly easy to use on whatever device you have available. The narrator will weave the Bible story and scripture in such a way that your children will enjoy following along! They are purchased and downloaded right from the website! Listen to a sample here!

Routine

Teacher Manual

This program was a great blessing to our homeschool. We had been working on Scripture memorization and reading the Bible together as a family. However, this is more of a systematic approach to studying Scripture that proved to be both exciting and engaging for all members of the family. It dealt with theology on a child's level perfectly. Here is how we used it!

I chose to implement this curriculum as the first item of the day. Each morning, my girls would wake up and head to the table where we were preparing breakfast. While eating, we would begin to open up our Bible lesson and completed one lesson each week. Here is the daily routine:
Monday- Read the cover page of the lesson complete with overview, theme and Memory Verse. We would then read the Bible story from Scripture.
Tuesday- Review important terms and memory verse. I would have them take turns reading the read-aloud to retell the Bible story in an interesting and thought provoking way. You can also use the mp3 audio files here; I simply preferred them practicing their reading. We would also work through the questions and information given in the side bars of the teacher manual.
Wednesday- Review the lesson theme and play a game with their memory verse. Allow them to complete the first half of their review worksheet going back to check answers and increase comprehension.
Thursday- Have them say their memory verse. Complete the back of the review worksheet going back to check answers and increase comprehension. Study all review questions to prepare for the Quiz.
Friday- Complete the Quiz and have them share their memory verse for the week. We would also go back and remember memory verses from previous weeks. I was so pleased to see that they had remembered every one.

Good to Know

1.)  The student workbook is $22.95. The teacher manual is $24.95 and the audio files are $9.95. Though the audio files are not essential for the use of the curriculum, the workbook and teacher manual are critical.

2.)  This curriculum is written on a third grade level but it could easily be used from First Grade with some writing assistance through Middle School. This curriculum should be used with parental involvement. My girls' ages range from three to eleven. We successfully used it with them all. Of course, my three year old did not grasp everything but because we did each part of the lesson in about 20 minutes a day (and she was eating her breakfast during this time) we were able to easily integrate it into our day with all three. My third grader and sixth grader looked forward to Bible each morning and it would get their minds engaged for the day.

My Thoughts

I have been thoroughly pleased with this curriculum and it will be a staple at our homeschool table. Each morning, my children were not just reading over a Bible story but they were systematically studying new terms, greek interpretations, memory verses, and key ideas. Questions were offered that would often launch a lengthy discussion on God, His Son, and His Plan. After completing the first installment, I will definitely be ordering Old Testament II as well as the third installment: New Testament I. It was a success with both my children and my husband, who as you know serves as a Pastor. It is a great addition to our home and I am excited to continue our studies.

If you would like to see samples of this great Bible curriculum, just click here! You can also follow the button below to see how other families have used the curriculum and their thoughts as well. Have a blessed day!

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.