To enter, simply send in as many photos as you can of your personalized schoolhouse. Include captions for your photos in as few words as you wish, or create a photo essay. Be creative, have fun, and get excited! Staff will choose 5 photos on Sept 3rd, and fans will then have until Sept 8th to choose their favorite of the 5. The winners will receive a 1-year subscription to My Audio School and a $15 gift certificate for scrapbooking supplies from Creative Memories.
After the five winners are chosen, TOS will post their submissions to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine Facebook fan page, where fans will vote ‘thumbs up’ on their favorite of the five finalists for the grand prize of a $100 gift certificate to The Container Store.
Grapevine Studies is a wonderful and creative way to teach children (and adults!) about the Bible. I was raised in a strict religion that included reading through the Bible once a year with weekly assignments, I can say without a doubt that this is WAAAAY more fun! (Sorry Mom!)
When I received the ebook I was shocked at the size of the Teacher’s Manual. I expected a couple of pages, maybe thirty pages on the outside. Nope. Not even close. The wonderful creators of this curriculum have left nothing to chance. Even if you have never read the Bible before, you’ll be able to teach your children with the help of the 322 page instructional book. (And that’s no typo!)
Even if you are a biblical expert, the Teacher’s Manual has enormous value. Not only does it explain the way to use the program and the subject structure they also give you every illustration and every explanation to share with your children. I am not very confident in my art skills and the manual makes it possible for me to stop worrying about being an “artist” and just have fun with the subject at hand. I think the stick figure concept is brilliant. Even the worst artist can draw a circle (for the head) and straight lines. And if you’re stuck for an idea for a particular passage, you can always refer to the manual to see what the author’s concept is and provide a starting place for your own creativity.
The Peanut Gallery Says …
Alaya: “It’s great because it’s really fun. You can draw all different kinds of animals. It’s really fun to learn the Bible this way.”
Jade says: “It’s okay. You get to draw pictures. Drawing the pictures help me learn and remember the important things in the Bible like names and dates.”
We are covering the Old Testament Levels 1-2 right now and I am really enjoying it. I am able to do one lesson with both of them without any stress. Jade is 9 and Alaya is 6, but since we’re using stick figures, everyone can join in (including Michael who is 2). At first I couldn’t understand why we created the timeline before starting the actual Bible reading, and thought about not following the directions. Boy, am I glad that I was faithful to the directions because once I got started it all became clear. The timeline provides the framework and when we’re filling in the details, the kids are understanding the bible reading and events much better. So “lean not upon your own understanding” and follow the directions — no shortcuts.
A surprising benefit of this program for me is the way it sets the tone for a much more productive day. The subject matter plus the relaxing nature of the drawing just puts everyone in a better frame of mind. While the children are drawing we’re having more intimate conversations on biblical and everyday concerns. So it’s proving to be an additional tool to create a close-knit family.
And In Conclusion …
The cost for the hard cover editions are $45.95, while the ebooks are available at the low cost of $22.95. The great thing about having the ebook is that you don’t have to print all of the pages at one time. When I teach my girls, I have the Teacher’s Manual open on the computer and give the girls the pages for the lessons that we’re working on. I use the large anti-rip oversized envelopes to help the girls keep track of their work. When we complete our studies I’ll have them bound at OfficeMax so that they’ll have a record of their spiritual journey.
I’m looking forward to completing the Old Testament and journeying into the New Testament. Grapevine Studies has provided a wonderful product that addresses art, literature, history and biblical studies all in one. It’s been an enjoyable experience for all of us and has enhanced our more “hum-drum” bible readings and studies immensely.
And best of all Grapevine Studies is offering a 30% discountto all of our readers. This discount ends September 30th. So, pick out the books of your choice and add the code “crew9” to the coupon line.
Oh, I almost forgot — you can get free samples by visiting their website at www.grapevinestudies.com to get a sneak peek at the treasures inside. And remember the coupon expires on September 30th, so don’t miss it!
Web design is one of the skills that I want my children to learn. Not only is it a great creative outlet for writing and drawing (my daughters love the Paint feature on the computer), but it will probably be a standard skill requirement as they enter the job market. Although I’ve been working on my own website the last six months, I’m by no means ready to explain how it all works, especially since some of it is still a mystery for me! But never fear, because Click Drag Solutions has already provided me with the perfect solution.
If you’re looking for a great introduction to land of HTML, look no further than “Web Design for Kids (and Curious Grown-Ups!)”. This instructional DVD is about 45 minutes in length and normally retails for $40.00, but is on sale until the end of the summer for $19.99. In my opinion this program is definitely worth the price!
One of things I really like about this program is the pacing. The instructor has a relaxed teaching style that allows you to absorb the information as you work. For good typists, there will be no need to pause the DVD. Slower typists may have to pause a few times, but not to the point of being aggravated.
At no point is the training insulting to the children’s intelligence. This was very important to me because when my daughters were in cyber-school they were assigned games to do drill work. They also had programs to teach them about how to use the computer, spreadsheets and word processing programs. And my daughters hated having to log in for many of these programs. The voices were hyper-chipper and annoying. This instructional DVD doesn’t make that error. Parents can be in the same room with this program and not want to run screaming from the house.
The explanations are clear and concise. As he teaches you to build the website, the coding is right in front of you. He explains why each component is necessary and how to do basic troubleshooting. The DVD even has bonus sections explaining how to properly use file directories on a computer and basic file maintenance. I think the bonus section is very valuable because it will make the children’s lives much simpler as they get older and need to start separating their work out for portfolios and other work related projects.
I guess my only complaint would be that I would love to learn more web design, but so far this is the first and only video released. The next DVD in the series is in the works but no date has been set for release.
I definitely give this program a five star rating.
But since this program is designed for kids I decided to ask my daughters to do a short video interview about their experience with the program. I promised them that I wouldn’t edit anything, so you’ll see them in all their messy (and silly!) glory. (Alaya’s eye antics were supposedly caused by “shyness” (not!). Actually I think she’s the budding comedienne in the family) lol!
When I came across Educating for Success, on the recommendation from another homeschooling friend, I felt as if I had found a long lost sister. Rhea’s message has really resonated within me because she has confirmed all that I believed about the current economic situation. It didn’t have to happen.
As is pointed out in one of my favorite books The Puritan Gift, apprenticeship is a vital, yet horribly neglected component, to help our our children to gain skills to support themselves and their families as adults. Not only does it ensure their self-sufficiency, but from that ability to take care of themselves it frees up future generations to create new products, devise new ways of accomplishing tasks, as well as setting new standards of workmanship.
If any of this resonates with you, please take a look at an article that I scooped up about how homeschooling families can ensure their children’s financial freedom in the future:
Dabbling with home businesses gives young people of all ages many wonderful opportunities to experience Entrepreneurial Education. Plus it gives them the experience they need in case they ever decide to work for someone else but need a work history to land a job. Ever wonder how you’re supposed to get a job if you’re just out of school and the company requires “work experience”? Not only does having your own small business incorporate reading, writing, spelling, practical math, and relevant skills into your day but it also helps you think creatively and independently while learning to follow the rules. It seems that so many adults don’t always make wise decisions because of their fear of failure. Our society is so perfectionist-oriented that making a mistake is considered by some as failure. That is not always true. And anyone who is anybody has made more mistakes than their peers. They just learned from their mistakes and continued on when others let one mishap steal their success. Robert Kiyosaki says, “The main cause of poverty or financial struggle is fear and ignorance, not the economy or the government or the rich. It’s self-inflicted fear and ignorance that keeps people trapped.” “We all have tremendous potential, and we all are blessed with gifts. Yet, the one thing that holds all of us back is some degree of self-doubt… Often in the real world, it’s not the smart that get ahead but the bold.” Incorporating home business into your daily school routine helps students learn skills that others never value. They won’t believe how much they have learned while having fun AND while making money! If you want to learn how to motivate your students to strive to develop their potential and learn concepts such as “Passive Income,” find out more about the only live 3-day event of its kind designed to help families develop the mindset of success – Rhea’s Beach Retreat.
I’m trying to make my way down there to learn more about how to ensure that my children don’t start off their adult life with a the same faulty financial education that I did.
What are you doing to teach your children the financial realities of life? I’d really like to know.
I am no neophyte to math software. Long before I became a mother I have been using math software to help my myriads of nieces and nephews. One of my favorite math software providers was Davidson and their really cool “Math Blaster” program back in the 1990s.
But that was then and this is now.
Quarter Mile’s Appeal to My Children
My children have enjoyed my older Davidson games because it had lots of cute songs and animations. So, although my son is a big fan of horses, I wasn’t sure how the girls would feel about The Quarter Mile Math racing game where their only choices are race cars and horses. And at first glance the interface is a lot less flashy than what I’ve become accustomed to with some of the internet-based math games that they kids have played over the years. So, after installing it on my own computer, I started sharing it with the gang.
Now Jade is my up-and-coming diva, so I her reaction was very interesting. When she first saw the splash screen she squealed “Oooh, can I have a red sports car?” Okay, obviously this program does appeal to the young ladies out there. My youngest daughter was immediately happy because she loves animals. So, of course, her “vehicle” of was one of the beautiful horses. Even my 2 year old son loves when the girls play the game — watching the horses running really makes him excited!
Quarter Mile Math offers not only math drills, but it also doubles as a typing tutor as well. My six year old is very good in math, but her typing skills are pretty nonexistent. Since she’s started working with”her” horses, her typing has improved 100%. She’s now is very comfortable with the home key row and her speed is increasing at a steady rate. And she’s now working on her number pad keyboarding as well.
My nine year old has improved her typing and she’s finally enjoying the math drills that she needs to master the skills that are still a work in progress. She really gets a kick out of trying to beat my typing and scores (I type 90 wpm, so I’ve been slacking a bit to give her hope). I actually haven’t seen her this happy about doing her math homework since we used to draw number lines on the kitchen floor to do addition and subtraction.
What Is It?
Quarter Mile Math isn’t your “standard” math program. Most software manufacturers make math programs based upon grades and ages. So, as your child graduates from one level to the other you have to go and purchase more software.
The owner of Barnum Software (the creators of Quarter Mile Math) offers a monthly subscription of — get this! — $2.95 a month or $19.95 per family per year. And if you love the program like I do, then $34.95 might be your best bet since it is a two year subscription. Their pricing really blew me away. I mean even if you get your math programs from those $5 software sites, (like I have done more times than I’d care to admit), you just can’t beat their pricing.
Okay, so what do you get for your money? If you choose to go with the old-school, standard CDs you’ll be paying a one-time purchase fee ranging from $39.95 to $89.95, depending on the grade level. There are six different software packages available, some of which are bundled. Their software covers Kindergarten to 9th grade.
Another cool feature in the software is that you’re able to race against each other in real time or asynchronously by racing against the Top 5 scores that are stored on the computer. How cool is that?
So, What’s the Real Difference Between the Two Software Offerings?
Well, besides the pricing, if you decide to work with the subscription offer, you’ll be able have tournaments from any location since all scores are saved on the Barnum Software computers. So, this allows you to have real life tournaments as well as races at any time that is convenient for the other contestants.
Also, when you purchase the CD version of the software you are eligible for upgrades at the low cost of $5. The Deluxe version allows you to have free upgrades for the life of your subscription. And although the internet connection is necessary for the Deluxe version (to download the scores) your child does not directly access the internet using either program, which can be a big plus if you have small children using the program.
So, I guess the real answer to this question depends on your family’s size and needs. If you have more than 12 children, buying the triple bundle would make more sense since the Deluxe version only allows 12 users. Conversely, if you are only teaching one child, it might be more cost effective to just purchase the software and be done with it.
If you have children of multiple ages (like I do) the Deluxe version makes more sense because all of the children can work on their level without me purchasing different software packages. Also, since my two-year old is in the frisbee throwing mode, I don’t have to worry about scratched (and otherwise) damaged CDs cluttering up my home (which has enough clutter thank you very much).
My Last Three Cents
Cent #1: I think that this is a great addition to my homeschooling math program. It holds the attention of all of my children from the two and a half year old to my nine year old.
Cent #2: This is proving to be a great part of my family’s gaming activity. We have multiple computers so we can race against us each other. It’s actually starting to beat out Mario Kart!
Cent #3: The owners of Barnum Software are very open to suggestions. They are also excellent providers of customer service. Due to the homeschooling community’s increased usage of their software they’ve dedicated an entire page to our needs. So, if you have any questions or ways to make this excellent software even better, don’t hesitate to contact them.
P.S. I was curious about how teenagers would react to Quarter Mile Software, so I asked my neighbor to give it a try. Being sulky and seventeen she did so half-heartedly and — gasp! — started having fun.
She started grinning and actually queued up a couple of extra races without being asked. Of course, once she realized that she was enjoying herself she proclaimed it to be lame and stopped playing. I guess image is everything, right? :-)
However, it does prove my point. Even teenagers can enjoy this great learning tool.
P.P.S. Don’t forget to take advantage of the free demo download that is offered so that you can see for yourself just how much your kids will like it.
VTech, proud parents of the newly launched Bugsby Reading System is hosting Bugsby’s Great Adventures, an interactive contest that allows you and your child to write your own Bugsby story together. Know what’s even cooler? Three stories will be chosen for future publication – your child’s could be one of them!
VTech and TwitterMoms wants to make sure you and your child have a chance to get your story published – so we are giving you another chance to win a prize on TwitterMoms.
How It Works: To participate, visit http://www.vtechkids.com/bugsby and create your own adventure with your child. Then, write a post about your experience you had with your child while creating you personal Bugsby’s Great Adventure story on your blog – including the link to your personalized story. How did your child use his or her imagination? What was the best or most memorable part of the experience? Why do you think your child’s story should be published? Feel free to upload images, photos or video of your experience to better share your experience!
Then return to this discussion page, post a comment below summarizing your blog post, and include an active link directing us to your blog entry. The deadline to enter is August 25th, 2009. Winners will be contacted the week of August 31.
Of course, don’t forget to promote your child’s story by using the share functionality on the contest page http://www.vtechkids.com/bugsby:
– Send the link out to your friends and family through Facebook and Twitter encouraging them to vote for your child’s story.
– Post still frames of your child’s story to the Flickr gallery.
– Post your personalized blog sticker on your blog and encourage your readers to vote for your child’s story: http://www.vtechkids.com/bugsby
So, what do you win? – The first five moms to post will receive Bugsby reading system which includes a pen and story book plus an additional book featuring a well-known kids’ favorite character. [A $45 value]
– 50 moms will be randomly selected to win a 50% off coupon towards the purchase of the Bugsby Reading System – to be purchased here: http://www.vtechkids.com/bugsby. [A $15 value]
– The mom with the most comments on her blog in response to her Bugsby post will receive the grand prize of a new Bugsby and all 9 the available books that accompany it. [A $150 value]
This is a great way to keep your child entertained and still learning over the llloonnggg stretch of summer! Help Bugsby find his newest adventure today!
My friend John is a homeschooling dad with a twist. He’s also an entrepreneur with a passion for helping others to become successful in their lives. He has many projects to further this aim such “BeliefBusters” and “The Mastermind Sesssions” (for his other projects you can visit his website www.johnmiltonfogg.com). The resource I’d like to tell you about today is “The Mastermind Sessions”. John has brought together over 100 successful entrepreneurs to share their road to becoming a success in their chosen profession. During these interviews we learn how they overcame their struggles, maintained a level head amidst victories and other life lessons.
John brings this to you (and more) each and every week in “The Mastermind Sessions”. But general access to these insightful and educational interviews is coming to a close. According to an email I received from John today:
“After midnight (great name for a song) Wednesday, August 12, there will be NO new subscribers accepted to the Sessions. If by chance you don’t know just what a rich resource I’m talking about, you can learn more here:
The MasterMind Sessions have been a labor of love, “best thing I’ve ever done” deal for more than 3 years. And, I’m moving on, and, I can do a number of things at a mediocre level or a couple of things brilliantly and, I’m choosing brilliant. So, The MasterMind Sessions of more than 141 hours of “Conversations with The Masters” stays as is, nothing new will be added (‘cept the occasional “Surprise!”) in favor of all my efforts going to an old dream and new project: http://UplineRadio.com. It’s a Purple Cow.
So, this is my “Final Offer.” Complete access 24-7-365 to all there is (and there’s a ton!) in The MasterMind Sessions from now on and on for $97. No strings. No come on’s. Just a sincere and serious “Come On,” this really is the last chance to get what some people have called “The single most useful & valuable library of Direct Sales, MLM, Network Marketing knowledge & training in the world.”
BottomLine: Subscribing to The MasterMind Sessions will help you build a bigger business, faster, bring in more people and (what we all truly want) make more money.
Remember please, this final offer ends @ 12:00 am Wednesday, August 12, 2009.
Thanks.
I appreciate you!
— John”
I have enjoyed these recordings both as a subscriber and a transcriber and can assure you that you’ll be in for a great learning experience. I’ve used some of these recordings to help the young (and some old) people that I know that were having problems with goal setting, building self esteem, learning what it takes to build a successful business for themselves. You’ll be listening to the stories of Jack Zufelt, Noah St. John, John David Mann, Tom “Big Al” Schreiter, Orrin Woodward, Jackie Ulmer, Len Clements, Dale Calvert, Tim Sales, Kim Klaver, Carrie Wilkerson, Jordan Adler and more! This is truly a treasure trove of information at your fingertips.
So, please, do yourself a favor and check out the Mastermind Sessions.
(And I’d love to hear what your impression is of the Mastermind Sessions.)
I'm a homeschooling mom with six children: 3 human, 2 feline and 1 canine. I'm also the wife of one very patient husband who seems to like the role of ringmaster to our circus. I am a member of the TOS Crew as well as a virtual assistant who enjoys writing, crafts, music and laughter. I hope you'll visit often.
, apprenticeship is a vital, yet horribly neglected component, to help our our children to gain skills to support themselves and their families as adults. Not only does it ensure their self-sufficiency, but from that ability to take care of themselves it frees up future generations to create new products, devise new ways of accomplishing tasks, as well as setting new standards of workmanship.
