Poker Face

Poker Face? Yeah . . . right!

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TOS Crew Review -- Ray's Arithmetic

"Teach one thing at a time and teach it thoroughly."
~Ray's Primary Arithmetic 1877


Math is one of those core subjects that our children must master to the best of their ability. And, it is also a subject that has changed over the years, not necessarily for the better. Many new math curriculums have moved away from the basics no longer requiring students to learn their basic facts (after all, this is the computer age -- cash registers and calculators can do that for them, right?)


When I chose a math curriculum for my kids I wanted something a little old fashioned. Something traditional. Something that expected them to master the basics and then apply them to real life.


Recently I had the opportunity to use Ray's Arithmetic, and have found myself quite impressed with what they have to offer.



Product: Dollar Homeschool -- Ray's Arithmetic
Details: A complete math curriculum (K-12) that was used as the standard text in many United States schools from 1865-1915
Price: $59 for the complete set on CD. This includes 38 books (including answer keys and teacher texts) Click over to this complete listing of each of the books along with a brief description. Everything from Primary Math to Physics!

What we loved . . .

• Complete. You could easily buy this set and educate your child(ren) from preschool through high school.
  
• Focus on the basics. The first year focuses almost solely on counting and basic addition and subtraction facts up to 100. At the same time, it encourages hands on math with manipulatives and visuals. They definitely teach a topic thoroughly before moving on.
• Designed to progress toward independence. If you picture the original backdrop these texts found themselves in, you would recognize the need for independent study. With many children living in frontiers or small towns, parents did not have much time for teaching because just living took so much of their day. Once a child can grasp the basics and reads well, they could work through these books with little adult assistance if desired.
• Time tested. For 150 years these texts have taught "Johnny" how to do math. Many great leaders used these exact books to learn arithmetic.
  
• Flexible. They aren't marked with hard and fast grades, but progress gradually, so you can plug your child in wherever they fit best and move from there, at their pace.
• Affordable. Fifty-nine dollars for all the math you ever need to buy? It doesn't get much better than that.
• Yahoo! There is a Yahoo group of Ray's users. It is not a very active group, but if you have a question or want to get another Ray's Arithmetic family's opinion, you can get in touch with people there.
• Intense focus on one topic at a time. While there is debate in the education community about the better approach to math, I like that Ray's lays a foundation one rock at a time. Focus on one group of math facts until they have them down, then move on. It starts out slow moving, but that makes for a strong foundation for later years.
  

Things to consider . . .

• This is a CD. You can print whatever you would like from the CD, but it is not as convenient as having a text that you simply open and get to work.
  
• May seem too dry for some. If you or your child is used to a program with all the bells and whistles and colorful pictures, this may not meet your expectation. There are graphics, but everything is in black and white.
  
• Higher level books don't have many problems to solve. As you approach the higher level books (geometry, calculus, etc.) the books are more a teaching tool and do not offer exercises for the student to solve for additional practice.
  

If you need a solid, affordable math curriculum and don't mind working from a CD or self-printing as needed, Ray's may be a great fit for your family. Even though we already have a core math program, I appreciate having this on hand for ideas, extra work as needed, and some of the unique extras that come with it (surveying, book keeping, physics, logic, and astronomy to name a few). I look forward to putting this curriculum to good use for many years to come.


For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This math curriculum was provided to me free of charge from Dollar Homeschool as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

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Reading fun with my little ones

My four and six year old have worked diligently at learning to read this school year. They have definitely shown greater interest than any of my older kids did at this point.


But, that doesn't mean we still can't mix it up now and then with some fun.


For most of our daily lessons I use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. All of my kids have successfully learned to read with this book, and I cannot recommend it enough.


We do like to supplement with other fun pre-reading, phonics, and reading activities. One of our favorites involves letters on the floor.


First, write out all the letters that they know on separate pieces of paper and spread those papers around the floor (once you have written them, the kids can spread them out):


Then, you call out letter sounds and the kids hurry to put their foot on the paper with the corresponding letter. I say, "b, b" and they both hurry to the "Bb" paper. Then "Sh, sh" and off they rush to that one.


Perfect for just one or two children. With two kids they encourage each other and often one remembers a sound that another forgets and vice versa. In the process, they both learn a little bit and have a lot of fun.


In the summer this works great with chalk letters on the sidewalk. If it was not below freezing, we would definitely take this outside.

After we finish, the kids pick up all the papers and they store neatly in a folder until the next time we play. And, you can easily add new sounds as you learn them.

Some other simple variations:
- Instead of saying just a sound say a complete word and have the child stand on a certain part of the word. This way you can work on beginning sounds, ending sounds, and vowel sounds.
- Say a letter name and they have to say the sound as they find it.
- Have the child say a sound and you have to go to the paper. Obviously this doesn't help them too much, but they usually get a kick out of seeing you run around, too.
- For more activity, have the child hop or crawl or baby step to the letter they need to find. The letters can be more spread out around the room or multiple rooms for this if you would like as well.

Be creative. I often find myself improvising on the fly with activities like this. Once you have a simple idea to work from, it can have a variety of uses and applications.

Phonics fun . . . definitely works for me!

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Homeschool Showcase!

Another great episode of the Homeschool Showcase is up over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. You'll find lots of great hands on activities to help spruce up your homeschool day whether you have preschoolers or much older kids. Check it out.

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TOS Crew Review -- The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling

Apologia has gained a significant reputation in the homeschool community for their top-notch science books and resources.

However, Apologia offers more than just science for the homeschooler. They also offer great books and general homeschool helps as well as online classes each school year.

Newer homeschoolers as well as those looking for a boost of encouragement and vision can benefit from hearing from those that have gone before them on the homeschool journey and have now taken the time to record their experiences, both their mistakes and their successes.




Product: Apologia's The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling (newly revised and updated) by Debra Bell
Details: A comprehensive guide for homeschoolers with over 500 pages of information, advice, resources, and tips from a seasoned veteran in the homeschool community.
Price: $20.00


What we loved . . .

• Definitely "ultimate" -- This book covers just about everything:

1. Is homeschooling for you
2. Choosing curriculum
3. Organization
4. Preventing Burnout
5. What to teach (when and how)
6. Homeschooling teens
7. Computers in the homeschool
8. Creative solution
9. Measuring success
10. An encouraging pep talk
11. A 60 page collection of resources
    

• Experience -- This book has already shown its usefulness as its popularity has brought it up for revision and a renewed application for another round of homeschoolers.
• Personal -- Full of personal experiences to give you real life illustrations about how to face challenges and capitalize on strengths. You will hear about what has worked in real life, not just hypothetical situations.
  
• Variety -- Author Debra Bell has a lot to share about homeschooling her four children, but she also shares information that she gleaned through research (and where she did her research) because she recognizes that no two families are identical, and many kids will not respond in the same way her children did.
• Encouraging -- While I could easily skip over some sections, having homeschooled for a few years already, I found great encouragement in her ideas and personal insight.
  
• Resource rich -- Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is the lists she includes of favorite books, websites, curriculums, ideas, etc. My reading list has grown significantly after reading this book. She summarizes some of what she has learned and points you to where you can dig into more if a certain topic grabs you.
• An easy read -- Although long, the book is easy to read and navigate if you choose to skip around. I would recommend reading it through for the most part to begin with. Then, this is a book you will want to keep on hand to refer to in the years ahead.
  

Some considerations . . .

• Long -- A comprehensive guide is going to be big, and this is no exception.Information packed, but not something you can read through in one sitting.
• One perspective -- Homeschooling is a very individualized journey and as much as this book tries to share different perspectives and approaches it is still written largely from one person's perspective. Your experience will vary, but likely you will still benefit greatly from all that Debra Bell has to share.
  

Kind of like a homeschool convention on paper. This book can bring encouragement, knowledge, information, and help for those considering homeschooling as well as those heading into the high school years. You can definitely find answers to your most pressing homeschool questions in the pages of this fantastic book.


For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge from Apologia as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

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Verse of the week -- Luke 22:42

Do I dare pray the Lord's prayer? "Thy will be done."

Of course, whether I pray it or not, His will will be done. But, in praying that I indicate agreement with it, and am I really ready for that?


I want God's will when it involves blessing in my life. Spiritual growth through meaningful quiet times, healthy babies, a wonderful marriage, financial provision, children walking in His steps, all that we consider good from our finite, human perspective.


However, as we sang a version of "I surrender all" this weekend it struck me anew that I need to surrender on His terms, not mine. As I talked with my husband about this later he pointed out that surrender is never a "good" thing for the one surrendering. It is giving up, laying down, losing one's identity and control. It's not just what I want to give up or receive.


Incidentally, it is interesting how many versions of "I surrender all" are floating around by contemporary artists. So eager to sing these often emotionally driven words, but how willing are we to really mean them on a daily basis?


In Luke 22:42 Jesus prays, "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." It wasn't about what he wanted, it was about God's will. He lived a life of complete surrender.


I want to be there. Even if I don't want to surrender my future to God, I make that conscious choice. He might choose to use suffering in my life to bring Him glory. He might choose heartache to better equip me. He might choose pain to keep me humble. He might choose to bless someone else. My will might not be willing, but I truly do want His will done in and through my life.


Not just at the altar call, but in response to His daily call.

Saying, Father, if thou be willing,
remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

~Luke 22:42~

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TOS Crew Review -- Presidential Penmanship by Zeezok

A few years ago I realized that my handwriting method just wasn't cutting it. I have never had great handwriting, but when I take my time I can still model it properly. Well, I wish I had had this product in my hands back then.




Product: Presidential Penmanship from Zeezok Publishing
Details: A handwriting program for all ages. You pick the style, and they send you a CD with pages of handwriting practice that incorporate quotes from Presidents and quotes on character.
Price: $39.99 for a complete handwriting program on CD. First Grade through high school.



What we loved . . .

• Complete -- This one CD contains all you need for your kids' handwriting program. Print as many copies as you need, and just keep one little CD around with everything you need right on it.
• Quality content -- Kids will not just copy meaningless sentences or phrases. They will spend their time reading and copying quotes of great Americans and other quotes that reinforce quality character traits.
• Sample pages -- try before you buy with the sample pages for each of the styles.
• Instant download -- The CD will come in the mail, but while you wait, at checkout you receive a code to download the pages so you can get started right away. Talk about convenient!
• Need more work? Print the page again -- Sometimes my kids would rush through a page in their book. I could always have them rewrite it on another sheet, but having it all on CD I simply print a new page for them to redo the work if necessary.
  

Some considerations . . .

• Decide carefully which style of writing you will choose. I didn't get a choice and was sent one that I am not particularly fond of (after the style that Bob Jones' uses). I love the program itself, just not necessarily the style I received.
• For kids just learning to write they may need a little extra help learning how to write the letters. The program does come with pages perfect for first graders with letters to trace over and large lines to write on. But, for a very new writer they might need some extra direction to form their letters correctly and establish good writing habits.

All in all, I really liked this product. Especially if you have quite a few children, this is a very cost effective way to purchase handwriting materials. I probably spend over $15 each year on handwriting books for my five kids. In a little over two years this product will have paid for itself with a lot of years of usefulness yet ahead of it.


For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: This web based program was provided to me free of charge from Zeezok Publishing as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.

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