GyMathtics

Exploramania sent me a free DVD to review. GyMathtics has won several awards, including Dr. Toy's 10 Best Active Products. We were pretty excited to check it out! Not only is GyMathtics a fitness video, but it has a mathematical twist as well! When we first popped in the DVD, it took the boys and me a few minutes to get into the groove. It was pretty difficult to read the menu on our t.v., but when we finally got going, I started "working out" with Ms. Carrie (hey, great name!) and her on-screen helpers.

The program includes

Shape Stretches Warm Up

Counting Calisthenics

Pattern Power

Well-Being Wind Down

Babyman really enjoyed watching and dancing with GyMathtics. It took Butterbean (8) and Middleman (4) a while to get up and take part! Normally they love active videos, but they both thought this one was a bit silly. Since the program is geared for 2nd-5th graders, I thought it would have been nice to have more of that age group appearing in the video (it looked to me like just one was of that age). I found the screen to be a bit busy at times, with the exercise portion shrunk down, and math-related graphics appearing. In my opinion, the exercise and math weren't as cohesive as they could have been. I felt at times they were disconnected with each other. I also felt the Wind Down voice-overs had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the DVD!

Exploramania has a really cute website, so be sure to check it out! You can view a snippet of the GyMathtics video there. I think the overall idea was great, but our family, as a whole, didn't enjoy it as much as some families might. You can order your GyMathtics DVD for $24.99.

Don't just take my word, see what other reviewers have to say!

AVKO

"AVKO is a non-profit, 501(C)3 membership organization that focuses on the development and production of materials and especially techniques to teach reading and spelling, handwriting (manuscript and cursive), and keyboarding. AVKO is dedicated to teaching everyone how to read and spell, regardless of their mild to moderate learning disabilities, dyslexia, poverty, or opportunity."

I had the opportunity to review this company as they have given me a free one year membership to their website. I find the website to be a bit overwhelming. It seems like it would be helpful to own AVKO's Sequential Spelling in order to really get into the site. However, I did enjoy perusing the oodles of free Ebooks! With your $25 a year membership, you will receive these Ebooks for free:

The Patterns of English Spelling (All 10 Volumes) with Word Families in Sentence Context
To Teach a Dyslexic
Starting at Square One
The Teaching of Reading & Spelling: a Continuum from Kindergarten through College.
The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words

You will also get access to the member's section, discounts on AVKO materials, Don McCabe's (AVKO's Research Director) workshop recordings, pretests and placement tests and supplemental materials (which is why it might be helpful to own Sequential Spelling).

I recommend you check out AVKO yourself and see if the membership works for your family!

To read what other reviewers have to say, click below!

American Heritage

American Heritage Education Foundation sent me a free CD to review titled America's Heritage an adventure in liberty. My CD included lesson plans for Elementary, Elementary in Spanish, Middle School and High School. As my oldest is technically a third grader, I will focus on the Elementary level for this review.

The Elementary curriculum contains fourteen units including (but not limited to!) Colonial America, Thanksgiving, The Star Spangled Banner and The Pledge of Allegiance and Creed. The units contain exerpts from speeches of famous Americans, poetry, and activity suggestions for teachers and students focusing on the four themes of American Heritage; freedom, unity, progress and responsibily.

The worksheets & memorization tools, games & puzzles, read-alouds and even creative dramatics practically ensure fun learning of our important past. Our children also had the opportunity to brush up on our patriotic voices, as lyrics to many beloved songs are included. (hmm, maybe we'll remember the words when Mommy sings our National Anthem at the Pinewood Derby next year!)

There are some fantastic printables in this neat packet. I particularly enjoyed the President cards (hey, we need a current one, though), and The Star Spangled Banner unit. We plan to use the Thanksgiving lesson as a miniature unit study in the coming couple of weeks.

I think both teacher and students are bound to learn something through this all-American curriculum. It would be a great companion to any study of America.

Now for the best part. The CD version of this outstanding K-12 Teacher Lesson Plan Resource is FREE! If you'd like a printed bound edition, you'll need to pay just $19.50. We cannot wait to delve into it further!

To read what others think, check out our Crew Blog!

Bright Ideas Press - A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers

As part of being a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I received a free digital copy of A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers from Bright Ideas Press. "This course provides a close-up look at famous composers, their music, and their times, with special attention to character traits and Christian testimony..."

I have been looking forward to receiving this study so that I might incorporate more classical music study in our homeschool days (and because I LOVE to listen to it!). For years, I have used classical music in my preschool classrooms and in my home to promote calmness and healthy brain activity. A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers has been a great addition to our growing knowledge of music past and present.

Throughout our test run of A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers, we learned about composers from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary Periods. We read about Vivaldi, Haydn and Mendelssohn, to name a few. We read about the lives of these great people, and were provided with lots of resources to reinforce what we learned.

Bright Ideas Press includes tons of hands on activities in their appendix. So although I thought the reading sections were a bit above my boys' heads, we enjoyed the time lines, coloring pages, composer cards and suggested listening links. As we grow, we will definitely take advantage of the note taking pages, Student Review Questions, maps and quizzes.

My primary goal has been to introduce a variety of classical music and the names of the great composers. Over time, as we study more about these musical masterpieces, this composer study will prove to be a great asset.

To find out more, please check out the Bright Ideas Press website. To purchase your A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers (recommended for grades 4-8) for just $29.95 for the CD-ROM version or $34.95 for paperback, you can do so here.

Want to know what other reviewers thought? Click on the banner below!

Babybug

Yeah, I finally got Babybug's (my 10 month old niece) dress done! Here she is in all her ladybuggie cuteness!

ABC Teach

Before I was officially a homeschooler, and was teaching preschool, I frequently searched the internet for themed activities to involve my little charges. My hubby had been using the net at work one day and called home to tell me about a cool website he'd happened upon.

In the free part of this website alone, there are 5000+ printable pages to choose from! The school subject categories are numerous, and they include (but are not limited to) Art, Handwriting, Math, Music, Science, Social Studies and Writing. There are printable flash cards, center ideas, and sections for Early Childhood, Elementary, Junior High and High School! My favorite is the Theme Units. There are worksheets for every theme imaginable! I recently used printables from Native Americans, Piligrims and Pumpkins. Hey, I just noticed there is a section on the Kentucky Derby! Very cool. See, no matter how much you go to the site (or how long you stay!), you'll find something new!

Now, those are just some of the things you'll find in the free section. Those 5000+ pages are pretty amazing. But can you imagine 30,000 more!? That's right. When you become a member for $40 a year, not only will you get over 35,000 printable worksheets, but you'll be able to create fully customized worksheets with the advanced worksheet generator, you'll see new activities every week, you'll have access to a huge clip-art collection, and you'll be able to talk to customer service reps about any concerns! You can check out abcteach's video tour here to learn more!

I try not to use too many worksheets in our homeschool. But when we do, I typically want something fun, with a theme. abcteach is just the place to find what I need!

If you'd like more info, click here.

If you'd like to read more reviews, click below.

I Beat Mommy in Chess... It was Easy!

How I got roped into playing a game of chess with Butterbean today, I'll never know! There is something about strategy and me.... we just don't get along! But I'll tell you, after today, I certainly understand how he earned his chess belt loop in Cub Scouts! You know something is strange when your 7 year old tells his 4 year old brother "We have to go easy on her. She doesn't really understand how to play!"

Virginia Soaps and Scents... Yummy!

Virginia Soaps and Scents sent me a package full of handmade goodies to review. When the box full of bed and breakfast-sized Handcrafted Olive Oil Soap bars arrived, my two littlest men (4 and 23 months) literally had a mini quarrel over it! You should see them in the bathtub when I let them loose with a bar. They love it!

The boys should be glad I even let them touch this deliriously yummy stuff. I mean, the way it smells it oughtta be edible! I received three soaps... Oatmeal, Milk & Honey; Fresh Orange and Coconut Lemongrass. The Oatmeal, Milk and Honey is my favorite! Typically I'm not much of an herbal smell girl. My allergies can't usually handle scents. But I wasn't bothered a bit by Virginia Soaps and Scents! If you'd prefer unscented, however, they make them too!

These gorgeous family-crafted bars, are made from "all natural ingredients with no added chemicals for hardening or lathering properites." They are also made with a generous amount of coconut oil, which is probably why I didn't have to use a ton of lotion after my shower like I typically do. They lather up wonderfully on my little bath puff, and they leave skin feeling soft and smelling delicious!

I also received a Ginger Lime scented shampoo bar to try out. Since it contains no fake lathering chemicals, it didn't lather up for me like I'm used to. But from what I understand, that's a good thing! The first time I used it, my hair felt different, but after using it several more times (which I didn't have to do every day like my normal shampoo) I realized that it was moisture. My hubby said my hair looked great, so for me, that's all that matters! I tried out the shampoo bar on Middleman and Babyman too. Babyman's uncut locks were left so soft and beautiful. Middleman wasn't so lucky. We apparently didn't rinse it out well enough, because his hippie hair looked pretty oily! We've done a better job since. I've also used the shampoo bar for shaving. It left my legs smooth, soft and silky!

I have always wanted to make my own laundry soap. But I thought the process would be a bear. With Virginia Soaps and Scents' laundry kit, it was a breeze. They sent me everything I needed for a half-gallon size jug of laundry soap. Now mine didn't gel up like it was supposed to, but that could, of course, be user error! My kit was unscented, so after each load, I got a whiff of nothing but pure clean clothes. And I mean clean. Even Hero's paintball cammos came out spickety span!


My family and I love the products we got to test out for Virginia Soaps and Scents. We highly recommend you check them out. They would make great gifts!

Be sure to check out Virginia Soaps and Scents' website. They have oodles of scented as well as unscented soaps in their varied product line. You can get your own hand-cut 4.5 ounce soap bar for just $4.50. The 5.5 ounce shampoo bar is $5.50 and also comes in an oily hair/clarifying formula (which I'll probably order!). You can get the laundry soap kit for $4.95 and it makes a whopping two gallons of gel! They have tons of other items to choose from. If you want to read what the other reviewers had to say, click here.

Bible Charts and Maps

Bible Charts and Maps sent me a huge World History Chart to review . I thought this 35" x 45" card stock poster of world history would be a great chance to see all of history thus far. I put the chart under a clear table cloth on our kitchen table. Our table wasn't quite wide enough, so I trimmed the chart up to the border.

The World History Chart begins at Adam and takes its studier up through the year 2000. I'm not sure why it doesn't come a bit closer to present day. It uses color coding to denote races and religions of people groups. It's cool to be able to see that Confucius lived at the same time as Nebuchadnezzar. There is a lot of stuff on this chart that I had never heard of. Of course, that is to be expected. No one knows all of history! But after hunching over the table to study more, I discovered some data was gleaned from religious sources other than the Bible. I did wonder why they are included. Since I try to use Bible based history sources, that would have been confusing for my boys, if they had noticed it!

I am not a history buff, but I am trying to learn with my children. I am not sure if I was more confused before or after I received this timeline. It definitely provoked debate, questions and thought, which, as a homeschool mom and teacher is a good thing!

I'm not sure if I'd purchase the chart, although parts of it have definitely been interesting! To check out more for yourself, go to the Bible Charts and Maps website. You can purchase the chart for $29.97.

To hear what other reviewers have to say, check them out here.

Sue Patrick's Workbox System

Sue Patrick and I must be kindred spirits of a sort. For years teaching preschool, I have used management systems to have children "clock in and out" of learning centers. I have organized materials into little boxes for them to complete in a certain order. I have used picture symbols since I was a child, helping my mom contact paper and velcro her speech and language educational materials.


Ms. Patrick has created an educational organization system that should fit all types of homeschooling families. It's called Sue Patrick's Workbox System. In fact, I think even classroom teachers could use this system to some extent. Even if I weren't homeschooling, I would use this system with my home childcare and preschool.

When I first heard of the Workbox System through homeschool blogs and yahoo groups, I thought the idea sounded familiar. When I saw Ms. Patrick's name on our list of The Old Schoolhouse reviews, I said "oh, please, please, please, let me be chosen for that review!"

Imagine how thrilled I was to open my inbox and see a download for Sue Patrick's Workbox System! This system of organizing a child's schoolwork into clear shoeboxes is detailed in Ms. Patrick's User's Guide.

Some of the chapters are titled
The Benefits of Homeschooling, How a Day Works, Breaking Down a Curriculum for Success and Life Skills Foundations. There is also has a fantastic section on creating centers. I had not thought of using posters as centers, and I cannot wait to make some!

The Workbox System uses a specific physical structure that enables children to see the work that they are accomplishing. Although I plan to purchase clear shoeboxes for this purpose (in KY I have yet to find them for cheaper than $1 apiece, and I refuse to spend $36 on shoeboxes!), we have a little wooden shelf that holds 16 colored boxes that have worked just perfectly. As my hubby would say "Why buy something, when you can use what you already have!" We have two shelves, so as soon as I find the space, we'll separate them. But for now, Butterbean has the top 8 (yellow and blue) and Middleman has the bottom 8 (red and green).

Having taught preschool for many years, and using Circle Time as part of my homeschool/home childcare routine, I have tons of little calendar numbers in varying and seasonal shapes. To make things more appealing to the boys, I have used those cut-outs for the numbers on our boxes. Everything is personalized and I will probably change out the numbers every month or so!


The educational philosophy presented in the System allows for organization, well presented school materials, peace and independence. We have found in our house that it does just as the book suggests in regards to discipline. Butterbean is excited to get to work each day, and he doesn't get bored and frustrated. Middleman gets so excited to see what fun things are in his workboxes each day. He loves to find play-dough, stringing beads, lacing cards and dry erase boards for printing practice. We have even set up a little box for Babyman, who loves to do his "wookbock." I know he will do well when we have the larger system set up for him!

I could probably go on for days talking about Sue Patrick's Workbox System. I love the idea, and I hope to continue using it with all three of my boys. I think it might even work with my childcare with a bit of variance! Overall, I highly recommend this book. I am so glad I had the opportunity to review it!

Now if you're interested in finding out more about Sue Patrick and her fabulous Workbox System, you can check out her website. She has the basic forms you'll need to download and they're free once you order the book ($19.95 print, &19 ebook). There are also several different packages available for purchase, including the Starter Kit that includes the basic forms already laminated and velocroed (velcro can be used as a verb, right?!).

If you'd like some more opinions, check out The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew blog.