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[Homeschool Review Crew Review] Weigl Publishers

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We got the chance to review some books from Weigl Publishers, which were published in digital format. Here is our review, if you would like to see:

About the Books

The company has a roster of of interactive books — I believe, the titles clock in at 1800, which is practically a whole library. They are made to engage the child to help learn various subjects like math, history, and animals.

The books work when you enter a code, which once you do, allows you access without expiration. You can use the links that pop up which lead you to additional materials like puzzles and maps.

The books come in PDF format. They can be used on a tablet, laptop, or even your phone. To gain the full effect, like the sound effects, you will need Flash or Javascript.  About 20 years ago, this would be unheard of! Do you remember when the computer had to prompt us to download Flash? Or even way back, when we had to wait for the dial up to connect before we could access the internet? Those days are long gone, thankfully, and we get to experience a different layer to learning through materials like these books.

On the Experience

I have to admit that it took me a while to get on board using screens when it comes to schooling. While screentime is not exactly banned in our home, I do try to keep them in the “privilege” category. But, it is exactly materials like these books that help me relax when it comes to using screens as a way to learn.

A Lions World, Review, #hsreviews, #AV2Books, #MediaEnhancedBooks, #digitalbooks, #digitallearning, media enhanced books, AV2 Books, Digital books
A Lion’s World turned out to be a favorite for my son.

A Lion’s World is an easy read. It is a short, zippy, and uses words appropriate for young learners. It is complemented by videos as well as narration, when you code in at EyeDiscover.com, which really brings the story to life.

Glaciers Earths Water, Review, #hsreviews, #AV2Books, #MediaEnhancedBooks, #digitalbooks, #digitallearning, media enhanced books, AV2 Books, Digital books
Science comes alive through videos and narration.

Glaciers is a bit longer at 15 pages in PDF format. The best part about this book is that it follows the curiosity of the child by providing links to other facts about glaciers. There are other activities like videos and worksheets.

There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant, Review, #hsreviews, #AV2Books, #MediaEnhancedBooks, #digitalbooks, #digitallearning, media enhanced books, AV2 Books, Digital books
It made my naturally skeptical daughter laugh. Score!

Who doesn’t love a silly story? There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant was a delight to experience because it came with sound effects that my kids loved. Writing-wise, it has the style that most children’s books follow. It is a bit sing-songy and of course, had a zany plot. It’s a winning formula.

On Our Thoughts

The disadvantages that I attributed to these kinds of books (distracting, too stimulating, and other screentime-associated fears) turned out to be unfounded. All it took for me to remove that bias is to actually try and use these books. These are lovingly written, with beautiful and well-made illustrations and pictures. The narration took a bit of getting used to at first, but they were a pleasant addition to the experience. (You can also turn them off, if you want.)

It turned out that they were a great way to keep the kids engaged and learning. The kids liked the multi-sensory approach in that they can see and listen at things at the same time. Parents, like myself, are assured that they’re not being fed junk. The books that we got to read are smart and are excellent takeoff points to more learning activities.

Multimedia Digital Books {Weigl Publishers Reviews}

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homeschooling

[Homeschool Review Crew Review] Help Teaching Pro

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help teaching pro hands
If you look really closely, you can tell that we use the Pacman method for the greater than/less than lessons. That’s the best way to teach it, right?

HelpTeaching.com is a wonderful resource site chock full of lessons, practice sheets, and other things you might need for homeschooling your little one — or not so little one — since they have materials from preK-12. I had the chance to review Help Teaching Pro and here are my thoughts if you would like to see.

Do I need This?

At the start of our homeschooling journey, a little less than a year ago, I was so diligent in making everything from scratch. I was writing original compositions to help H with reading, making our own worksheets, and doing little math makey-do projects. But that phase lasted a few weeks since (a) I realized how time-consuming it was and (b) there are so many helpful resources online I can take advantage of.

Help Teaching Pro is like a cupcake that you don’t actually need, but will definitely want once you get a taste for it. It is such a great assistance for busy homeschoolers since it takes a large chunk of prep time and does the job for you.

A key feature of the site for me is the Test Maker, which allows you to generate your own exams, which in our case, we used as practice sheets. You can easily search for the questions you like by filtering questions from their bank by topic and grade. Just mark the questions that pique your interest and the site will the create them into a test for you. You can edit the test later on, by adding other questions or reshuffling the questions you already have.

You can print save this exam in your content tab for future reference and also print it. One of my favorite details about the site is that it provides an answer key, which is really convenient. As the parent of a kindergartner, I should be ashamed of myself if I find the questions made for her tricky, so this is not an immediate gratification thing for me. I can just imagine in the future, when we’re doing calculus and other higher level content, that this would be a welcome and often-used feature.

Using the Site

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Whether you are a member with limited access or a Pro user, the content you need is easily searchable by level or subject.

HelpTeaching.com tackles the major subjects of English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. It also provides content for pre-school all the way up to the 12th grade. To find the items you want, the site divides its information by level and subject matter. All you have to do is click on the link you want.

Since the site is basically click-and-go, you can use it intuitively. The advantage of this site is that is not cumbersome to use at all. It is literally as easy as one, two, three since I counted three steps before we got to use a worksheet. First, go to the site; second, click on the questions you want; third, print it out. See? Like do-re-mi. That was a Jackson Five reference, by the way, in case you youngsters were wondering.

Additional Content

helpteaching2
Regularly updated with good content? Sign me up!

HelpTeaching.com also runs a blog that has topics that has a wide range of relevant topics. As expected it has learning-related articles like 15 Educational Travel Activities for Kids but aside from that, the blog also runs content on personal growth like How to Encourage Positive Social Media Use for Students.

The blog is a good read and there’s something heartwarming about a site that invests in more than just the maths and reading aspects. The more cynical side of my personality wants to say, “c’mon, it’s just a blog” — which in many ways is true, because you’re definitely not going to outsource topics like kindness and social responsibility to a website — but, the site definitely earns some points by taking the time to do this. It gives a resource site, usually a very business-y visit, a more personal touch.

General Impressions

help teaching

I really liked Help Teaching Pro and found it to be a good supplementary tool to our homeschooling lessons. It’s certainly not going to replace the good old method of parents preparing for the subject at least the day before. But, it does provide a solid means of cutting down the grunt work, so that parents can focus better.

The things that I thought could have used improvement are really small. For example, I thought that the graphics that came with the lessons and test questions looked a little dated and clipart-y. The fonts were also a little too small for me. But these are minor quibbles and does not take away from the usefulness of the site.

I am thankful that I got the chance to use Help Teaching Pro would recommend it to other parents who are looking for a reliable site to assist them in educating their children.

To learn more about HelpTeaching.com, visit their site or the following social media links:

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homeschooling

[Homeschool Review Crew Review] If You Were Me and Lived In… Carole P. Roman Review

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The If You Were Me and Lived in… series is a collection of books by Carole P. Roman that introduces the different cultures from around the world to its readers. She is an established author who has written an large collection of books. It is aimed for the younger set, from 4-9, but it is definitely not limited to that age group.

To say that these books piqued my interest is a bit of an understatement. I may or may not have whooped out loud when I received them in the mail. I will neither confirm or deny. But suffice to say that I have a very keen interest in these books.

I am the worst traveler in the world. I am severely scared of plane rides and I have vowed to never step onto a ship. When I’m in a different country, I stay close to the hotel and basically rely on my companions to do the adventuring and just kind of tag along. I’m terrible. But, I am determined not to pass my travel anxiety to my kids. This is why geography plays a big role in our daily lessons.

On South Korea

The first book we read was If You Were Me and Lived In… South Korea. H was particularly interested in this one, because she feels a strong connection to South Korea because of the food. She loves Korean food. While kids generally drag their parents to McDonald’s or some other fast food joint, H will do cartwheels just to eat at her favorite Korean restaurant.

caroleromansk

H zeroed in on the details given by the book about family life in South Korea. She was amused that their word for mom (omma) and dad (appa), which are very similar to the more familiar mama and papa. It kicked off a great conversation on how people can have a lot of things in common, even if they are different from each other.

To reinforce what we read in the book, we tried to play ddakji, which is a traditional Korean game using folded pieces of paper. It is similar to the game pogs, although H enjoyed the paper folding experience more than the actual game.

On India

The second book we read was If You Were Me and Lived In… India. When I had the chance to choose which books to review from the collection, I picked India because I thought it would be a fun lesson to conduct. India has such colorful traditions and is so steeped in history that it would be hard to distill everything to make it palatable for a five-year old and a three-year old.

indiacaroleroman

I was ready to talk about the Taj Mahal and Holi and was very excited to show the kids pictures I pulled from the internet (“Gooble”, as H says.) The book talked about cricket, the sport, and how popular it is in India. When the kids heard the word “cricket”, they immediately associated it with the insect. We ended up using the book as a takeoff point to talk about the animals in India. I’m always so amused at how lessons can take such unexpected turns.

On China

If You Were Me and Lived In… China rounded out lessons with these books. Coincidentally, I was just cleaning out some drawers and found some mementos from earlier travels. I found a few coins and some refrigerator magnets that made for great visual aids when we read the book.

caroleromanchina

The book on China was unique because it featured an actual picture of the Great Wall of China in addition to the usual illustrations. The kids were very curious about the wall so we spent some time learning more about it together.

I went to China when I was younger and even got to see one of the terracotta soldiers the book talked about. I told them it was a lot bigger than I expected. The kids were more invested in my story than they usually were. I suppose it’s because they had just read about it in a book, so it made it more magical.

On the Series

The books follow a general formula. It first introduces the physical aspect of the country, showing the shape of the country and its position on the earth. It shows a glimpse of everyday life, like the common names of people and what they eat. The books also mention famous landmarks, like the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal.

I like that the books include proper pronunciations of the words written in the local language of the country being discussed. It’s such a small detail, but I thought it was very respectful of the culture and also very considerate for the one reading.

It was also nice that the book discussed these countries in the modern setting, since most books I’ve encountered usually dwell too long on the history of the country. While the past is interesting, it’s also important for books to make the point that these countries have developed and modernized as well.

These books are a great addition to any library and I would definitely be looking into getting some more. They are quick reads but packed with sharp details that make each country come alive for kids.

Find Carole P. Roman on social media:

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parenting

Navigating the Rapids of Parenting Review (Parenting Made Practical Review)

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When I heard that there was a chance to review something called the Navigating the Rapids of Parenting, I jumped at the chance. First, because is there another metaphor that perfectly captures raising tiny humans? It does feel like being swept away by water sometimes. Also, did I mention that I have a huge fear of boats, boat-ish and boat-like vessels? For some people, parenting is instinctive. For me, it often feels like I’m flailing around in the void. I’m happy to receive any help I can get.

Parenting Made Practical goal is to raise “obedient, respectful, and responsible” children.

The video is by Parenting Made Practical and led by parent-educators Joey and Carla Link. Their expertise stems from 30 years of experience. It examines the different stages of parenting, from babyhood all the way up to the college years.

The video is chock full of information about the phases kids and their parents go through. It is similar to other parenting videos or books in that it goes into detail about the whys and whens of typical behaviors at each stage. What stood out for me the most though is that the video makes the point that some behavior issues take years to work through.

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H is turning six next month. Already, we can feel like she’s saying goodbye to her baby-ness.

In the first part of the video, the focus on young children and the expectations of their behaviors. In our case, we have a very clear picture of  how we want H to behave. Of course there are little details, like asking to be excused before standing up from meal or learning how to share her toys without grumbling. But, our goal for her at this stage in life is distilled into one rule: do unto others what you want them to unto you.

The video goes on to talk about how important it is to have independent thinkers, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I’ll be a parent forever, but my child is only a child for a short time. The things I teach my children should allow them to think for themselves. Hopefully, the way we raise them now will lead them to making the right choices in the future.

Parenting videos are tricky, since what counts as gold for one can be eyeroll-inducing for another. There are just so many schools of thought when it comes to parenting that it’s hard to wade through the information. But this particular video has such sincere, practical advice it’s hard to disagree with. Please note though that the video does make use of passages from the Bible when making certain points.

The video itself is well-made. You can tell that this was not a haphazard production. The sound quality is good and the visuals are not distracting. The pace is just right, so that you don’t get lost in unnecessary examples of ramblings. You get what you came for when you watch this video.

All in all, Navigating the Rapids of Parenting is a good purchase for those who are looking for guidance (or even reassurance) when it comes to parenting their kids. It’s a good purchase for families with younger kids since it gives you the advantage of knowing things before it actually happens. For those with older kids, the company also has other products like Dating, Courting, & Choosing a Mate… What Works?

To learn more about the products and Parenting Made Practical, you can connect with them through their social media accounts:

 

 

Parenting Made Practical {Reviews}

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homeschooling

Homeschool Review: The Art of Cursive

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This is my usual handwriting. I am a huge fan of cursive.

I went to school at a Catholic school that required us to learn a particular kind of penmanship. It’s so distinct that alumna of the school can spot each other just from our handwriting alone. Cursive was so important in my education — the teachers would not check your papers if you didn’t use the required handwriting — that I am floored to learn that some schools don’t even bother teaching penmanship anymore.

Fortunately, this kind of snub is not absolute. I was recently given the chance to view the CursiveLogic Online Seminar on how to teach cursive. My kids are lucky, because my idea of penmanship class is to have nuns hovering over me, barking out, “pointier, pointier!”

cursivelogic
The CursiveLogic Online Seminar is a 48-minute long video that teaches practical techniques on how to teach cursive to children,

This video by CursiveLogic is presented by Linda Shrewbury and goes through practical methods on how to teach penmanship to students. The video is a complement to the CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack, which contains a 112-page workbook divided into 10 lessons. The company also offers the Art of Cursive, a book for older students who want to learn, or improve, their cursive handwriting.

 

The method makes use of a multi-sensory approach to teaching writing.

After watching the video, a big takeaway for me is that certain letters have similar ways of being written out. Using the CursiveLogic method, the letters are grouped by shape and connected by letter strings.

cursivelogic3
The orange color is not a random. Color is used to help students remember the lesson.

For example, the letters A, C, and D have similar oval shapes. Teaching these letters as a group makes it easier for the child to grasp. It’s simple and logical and a complete eye-opening experience for me.

My kids are very young so we’re at the early stages of writing. H is working on improving accuracy and neatness while R is working on his grip. When teaching them, I’ve always introduced the letters sequentially following the alphabet. Now, I realize that there’s really no need to do it that way. It makes more sense to introduce by similar shape, even when working on print letters. Thanks to this video, I’ve restructured our lessons to make use of these logical groupings. Also, “over, back-trace” has become a staple chant around the house.

Another benefit to using this grouping system is that the kids are able to practice the same movement even when working on different letters. For instance, when they write “C”, they are following the same shape as “A”. They are using the same strokes and patterns. It works to reinforce knowledge. When they get better at writing one letter, they get better at both!

Another technique used by CursiveLogic is the use of multi-sensory tools like color, verbal, and movement to emphasize the lessons. For example, the video uses “over, back-trace” as a chant to help kids remember what to do. This is particularly helpful for younger children, who might find the repetitiveness of handwriting practice a chore.

I mainly use the Montessori method when teaching the kids. Interestingly, cursive letters are introduced first in Montessori. The reasoning behind this is that kids tend to scribble first. It’s more natural for them to use connected letters that use the spacing needed in print letters.

Using the techniques taught by CursiveLogic reinforces this idea that learning how to write should cater to how the mind processes things naturally. In many ways, CursiveLogic lives out the expectations set up by its name. It truly is logical. This smart, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that approach makes teaching penmanship much, much easier.

You can connect with CursiveLogic’s Facebook page here. In addition, if you are interested in trying out this method, CursiveLogic is offering a 20% discount on the CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack this month. It features access to the webinar and one workbook. Please use the code CREW2018 upon checkout.

 

 

 

homeschooling

UltraKey Bytes of Learning Review

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Since I am a writer, I am pretty fast at typing. But, I confess, I actually don’t type properly. My fingers are all over the place. When there was a chance to review UltraKey Online Family Subscription from Bytes of Learning, I was pretty pleased. Not for myself — I’m a dinosaur and set in my ways. I wanted H to be exposed to using the keyboard properly.

A few caveats before anything: first, H is only five. We used this program with the idea of exposure rather than mastery. Second, H is only five. We are still learning how to spell so typing is a definite challenge for her. Third, she’s only five.

On UltraKey Bytes of Learning

UltraKey Online Family Edition
Want to learn how to type better? Look no further than this product!

The program is a comprehensive lesson on using the keyboard properly. It covers the basics such as posture and finger positions to mastery exercises. There are 12 lessons in the program and primarily uses video to teach. The recommended starting age is eight, although it can be used by younger children, as in our case.

Bytes of Learning lets you set up an account with several users, making it available for different family members. Each user can customize the settings, such as being able to use the backspace function or how to move from one lesson to another.

 

On Our Positive Impressions

One of the best things that I liked about Bytes of Learning is that it is self-paced. This makes it more flexible, allowing my daughter to use it even though she’s about three years off the recommended age. That was really impressive to me — what I thought would be a disadvantage for her turned out to be a non-issue.

H was able to enjoy the program, even though she was not the intended audience. She was able to sit through and learn from the videos. The most specific example is the one of the first ones, which is the video on posture. H diligently followed, because the instructions were clear and concise. The graphics complemented the audio and that allowed her to see what she should do.

Another thing that I liked from Bytes of Learning is that the challenges has a logical progression. You first had to learn individual letters and then words, and then sentences. H was able to use the proper keystrokes for the letters and some words. Sentences were, not surprisingly too advanced for her. But gosh, I was so proud to see her even try.

There was another benefit to using Bytes of Learning that I didn’t anticipate. A lot of the activities or games had H copying words she saw on the screen. Since she was sounding it out as she was copying, H’s spelling and reading skills were practiced as well.

On The Graphics

bytesoflearning
The interface is easy to use because of the clear icons. 

The graphics has a throwback feel to it. The colors shun the minimalist, subdued shades favored by recent trends. The smiling computer character also reminds me so much of Clippy, the helpful paper clip from the early version of Microsoft Word. By nature, I resist change to I was very much charmed by it.

But, aesthetics are only secondary to how effective the interface is. When it comes to that, I’m going to again emphasize that my daughter is — pop quiz! how old? — and she was able to navigate the program easily. The icons are front and center and easily identifiable. So easy that even a — one more time for the people in the back — five year old can handle it.

We did experience a few issues the first time we tried the product. The audio kept on repeating itself in some sections. We had to reload the page each time that happened to continue using the program. However, that only happened on one day so it could either have been problems with our internet (We’re from the Philippines. Ranked as having one of the slowest internet in Asia. Yay, us.) or a temporary glitch. It was a one-day thing so it’s hardly worth mentioning.

I would say that Bytes of Learning is a welcome addition to a family’s must-try educational sites. Even kids younger than the recommended age can benefit from it. Knowing how to use the keyboard properly is considered a basic skill, since almost everything is done using computers. Bytes of Learning is a straightforward, no-fuss way to develop or improve this skill.

Bytes of Learning on Social Media

Find their Facebook page here.

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