Review of We Choose Virtues

I was excited to receive We Choose Virtues' Virtues Clues cards,downloadable coloring book, the teacher's handbook, an assessment, and verse sheet free in exchange for my review.  As hard as my husband and I try to raise kids of character, we can always use some outside reinforcement! 

While the kids immediately grabbed the cute Clues cards, I was most taken with the handbook, as it provided many ways to reinforce character with your children.  The best tip I read was to reinforce virtues with positive statements, rather than with negative.  I will readily admit that I tend to speak negatively, so this kind of advice is most helpful to me.  In other words, saying "tell the truth" is more effective for children than saying "don't lie."

I have to admit, though, that the real star of this set are the Clues cards.  Peopled by "the Virtue kids," these cards are full-colored, glossy, and adorable.  

Each card features one of thirteen virtues, and includes a catchphrase (ex: I choose to love when others hurt me) with antonyms (so kids know what a particular virtue is *not*, along with what it is) and a challenge.  The cards are adaptable in so many different ways! As a family, you can choose a card from the deck and focus on that virtue for the day.  Alternatively, each of your children can draw a card and really focus on practicing that particular virtue for a day, a week, or any period of time.

Although the cards are intended for elementary age children, older children will likely still find them both cute and useful (at least this older child did!).  All four of my children loved the cards and were enthusiastic about practicing their virtues using them.  The idea of virtue is not new to my kids: we have a new virtue about which we learn and which we practice for a month at a time.  They loved the cuteness of these cards, though, and the way they so clearly elucidate an individual virtue in a concise way.

The Virtues Clues cards are available from We Choose Virtues for $7.95 (although as of this writing, they are on sale for $5.99!).  The cards come in a plastic pouch with a velcro closure and would make a perfect gift!

We Choose Virtues has many other cute and useful virtues products, such as the above poster.  To view all of their products, including the cards I reviewed and loved, see their website.  For others' experiences with the Clues cards, see the Crew blog.

Review of Maestro Classics

When my daughter found out that we were receiving Maestro Classic's Swan Lake free in exchange for our review, she was thrilled.  At ten, she is months away from earning her pointe shoes; she loves ballet.  She also loves going to the symphony with one grandfather and to the ballet with her other grandparents.  Could any product be more suited to her?

The Story of Swan Lake, with music composed by Tchaikovsky and performed by the London Philharmonic, is an all-around delightful listening experience.  The story of Swan Lake should be familiar to many.  A prince loves a princess whom an evil magician has turned into a swan.  The prince's love breaks the spell.  This CD is so much more than just the story and the music, though.  When you buy the CD for $16.95 or the MP3 download for $9.99, you receive the narrated story of the ballet interwoven with the music.  You also receive the following: a 24 page booklet (or PDF download for those who choose the MP3) containing a biography of the composer, sheet music, information on both acoustical and electric guitars, and much more.

Further, we all know that homeschoolers love curriculum guides.  It is so much easier to implement a great product when the company gives you maximum information.  Maestro Classics has done that here.  Find everything you need for the cross-curricular implementation of this great musical curriculum, including historical background, science, language arts, and geography.   

This is one product from which every single homeschooling family can benefit.  Once you go to the website and see all of the products and additional information available, Maestro Classics will find its way into your home.  With so many choices, my only decision about Maestro Classics is which CD to purchase next.  Since my daughter is studying the early 20th century, and since my boys love "Casey at the Bat," I think that's likely the one!

Our family loves Maestro Classics.  To read other opinions, please visit the Crew blog.

Review of REAL Homeschool Spanish

Since my husband is a native Spanish speaker, I was very excited to get this program free in exchange for my review.  Although my plan is to give my children years of Latin before I introduce a Romance language, I am happy for the chance to teach them little bits along the way.  REAL (Relax Enjoy Aspire Learn) Homeschool Spanish is a great way for me to be able to do this.

If you follow the day-by-day schedule provided by REAL Homeschool Spanish, the program covers a 48-week period, even longer than a normal school year for most families.  This makes it a great buy.  Further, the author of the program, herself a homeschooling mom, provides numerous tips to adapt this program.  She offers tips for teaching multiple children, ways to slow the program down if it moves too quickly for your family, and many other ideas for implementing this program successfully in multiple homeschool settings.

For $49.95, you can download the text book, activity book, answer book and audio files.  For an additional $10, you will also get the 50 page curriculum guide (for schedule-challenged parents, this might be the best $10 you will spend this school year).  If you prefer hard copies mailed to you, the program, including all components, is $99.95.  I have to say that if something is available as a download, I always choose that option.  First, it saves space.  Secondly, it saves money (at least I'm told it does.  In my world, it just means that I can buy twice as much curriculum!).

REAL Homeschool Spanish covers ten units:

Greetings
Colors
Fruits and Vegetables
Family
Face
Clothes
Faces
Animals
Sports
Verbs

Within each unit, vocabulary is introduced (along with audio pronunciations in your audio download), short phrases or dialogues are taught, and a multiplicity of activity ideas are suggested.  These ideas make this program a good one for even the youngest learners for whom memorization is much easier than it is for older learners.

I really like this program for two reasons: first, it looks just like the way I learned Spanish I in 7th grade.  The vocabulary lists and the short dialogues almost could have *come* from my 7th grade textbook.  I find this to be an effective way to teach Spanish.  Second, whereas my children have not been fans of other Spanish programs we have tried, they really liked this one.  They enjoyed it partially because they were learning short phrases to try out on their Spanish speaking grandparents, but they also liked it because the activities (both in the activity book and the suggestions in the text) made learning feel like anything but learning.  They have been having fun!

My children and I recommend REAL Homeschool Spanish to any family wanting to begin Spanish I with their children.  To read other opinions of the program, visit the Crew blog.

Review of The World's Greatest Stories

When I received this CD free for my review, I was expecting to love it.  My kids really enjoy Bible stories, and I loved the thought of them being able to listen to them in the car or on their MP3 players.  Unfortunately, this CD received the support of only one of my four children.

The World's Greatest Stories are stories read word-for-word from the Bible (either KJV or NIV) by George Sarris.  What makes them different is the dramatic way in which they are read.  There are currently six CDs available; my family listened to The Prophets.  For only $7.95 per CD, you likely won't be disappointed if you choose to buy these recordings, but they are not for everyone.

I have always been of the opinion that the Bible (with the exception of some of the "begats" and the Laws) is exciting reading in its own right.  It doesn't require dramatization.  I have never had to urge my children to listen to Bible stories, and they have never (I don't think!) found them boring.  The problem with this CD, though, is that the reading (the actor actually memorizes the stories before recording them) is so over-the-top that my children actually laughed too hard to hear it.  Stories that they knew suddenly became almost farcical.  I understood why they laughed, but I was sad that that was their reaction. Only my 7 year-old son enjoyed the CD.

The best thing to do if you're interested in the CDs is to listen to samples of them on the website.  That way, you can be sure that they are right for your family.

Hey, my opinion is just that: mine.  To hear other opinions (and a ton of people really love this product!), read the Crew blog.

Review of I See Cards - Fractazmic

I was thrilled to receive a copy of I See Cards' Fractazmic free in exchange for my review for several reasons.  First, I See Cards' Pyramath was the first Crew review I read last year (I didn't review the product).  Based on the Crew reviews, I bought Pyramath.  I have since gifted it multiple times.  When I saw a new I See Cards game, I knew it would be one my kids would love.  I was right.

I don't know what it is about fractions, but they seem to cause problems for so many kids.  Children who previously loved math find themselves hitting a wall.  Fortunately, the people of I See Cards completely understand this problem, and have come up with a marvelous solution.

Fractazmic cards (the set comes with 60) each display a fraction and an associated graphic.  The visual reinforcement really helps the concept of the fraction stay with the student.

The rules for playing this game are very straightforward, but as with other I See Cards games, there are many more ways to use the cards than just playing by the rules.

Children can play with the cards individually, using them to create multiples of one, or using them to create equivalent fractions.  These are only a couple of things my kids have done with the cards in the last month. Best of all, the quality of the cards is wonderful! They are of a heavy plastic and can withstand plenty of play!

Fractazmic is available for only $6.95, and can be purchased through I See Cards.  If you only make one math purchase this year (and if you have a child who either needs to learn fractions, or has had trouble learning them), Fractazmic should be it.

That's my opinion...to read others, check out the Crew blog.

Review of Pitsco

When my family received Pitsco's catapult and trebuchet kit free in exchange for my review, all five of my kids were really excited.  Five?! Did I have another baby? No, in this case the 5th kid is my husband.  Here was a review he could really sink his teeth into!

Pitsco has an amazing array of products in the area of STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) technology. Through the building of everything from rockets to planes to race cars, teachers can expose their children to engineering in a dynamic and fun way.  For homeschoolers, the opportunities are irresistible: build a rocket with your kid and have it count as science *and* math? Yes, please!

For this review, we received the materials and instructions necessary to build a catapult and a trebuchet.  Although my children were thrilled with the project, my husband ended up doing most of the actual work.  *He* was extremely impressed with the thoroughness of the instructions and the way that complex principles of physics were explained so that children could understand them.  The kids just loved building a catapult! They were, however, able to explain to me how it worked, so some of the lesson stayed with them past the excitement of hurling small pieces of paper.

The component pieces of Pitsco's trebuchet and catapult kit are very well-made.  Everything you need to complete the project is included, with the exception of Krazy Glue.  My husband actually found that Gorilla Glue worked better for this particular project.  The instructions are very complete, and everything you need to make a lesson out of the project is included.  I cannot speak highly enough about this company.  In fact, the following pictures are from their website.  I would hate for the product to be judged on my pictures!

The only thing I would note is that the kit, while actually quite small, came packaged in a huge box.  There was a ton of extra cardboard and paper.  I don't know if, in fact, it is necessary to package these kits in so much material in order to protect them.  It did not seem so to me.

After building one project from Pitsco, I would have no hesitation in ordering more.  While the projects seem expensive on the face of them, it is very important to realize how much material they actually cover.  The instruction books are more like small textbooks, and you can easily stretch even the smallest project over several days.  The kit that we received retails for $21.95.  I'm definitely coming back to Pitsco!

If you're interested in finding out more about Pitsco, be sure to visit both their website and the Crew blog.

Review of Artistic Pursuits

When we were selected to receive one of Artistic Pursuits art instruction books free in exchange for our review, I was so excited.  For combining art instruction and art history, there is no one who does what Artistic Pursuits does.  Offering art curriculum for all grades Pre-K through 12, Artistic Pursuits' books follow almost the same format, regardless of level.  Book 1 of each set (we used 4-6 grade) is an overview of drawing, including art and composition.  Book 2 is an overview of color theory and composition.  Art history is incorporated in both volumes.

Why is Artistic Pursuits superior to other art curricula? Several reasons immediately come to mind.  First, the program is written to the student.  Through a series of 64 lessons at each level, your children can learn both how to draw and how to create art.  Art instruction appeals to some parents, but is terrifying for others who still have nightmares of paper, scissors, and Elmer's Glue from time to time (too personal?).  We all want our children to have some art instruction, often for different reasons. For fans of classical education, art is very much a part of a well-rounded humanities course.  For parents who want their children to have a school experience similar to the public schools, art is not even an option: you have to have it.  Some parents think it is necessary just to have art as a part of their child's permanent record or transcript, while some states require art instruction.  Artistic Pursuits is the answer to every one of these parents' prayers.

Artistic Pursuits is different from other curricula for the following reasons, too (taken straight from the horse's mouth - or their website): 

1. Students do not do art activities in a vacuum.  That is, there is no drawing of cubes, cylinders, etc. Students draw real things.
2. Students don't learn just one type of technique.  They learn to create art the same way that artists do: by *doing* it.
3. Students use larger sketch books that mimic the way artists actually sketch - using the whole arm.
4. Students do not sit in front of the computer or TV.  They are fully engaged with the world around them, which helps them learn how to see what they want to create.

Best of all, and this is not taken from the website, but from my own experience, Artistic Pursuits actually does teach your child to draw! My own daughter is too shy to let me post her work here, but she loved seeing the improvement in her technique without even being aware that it was happening.  She got to create art using a variety of media, and she had a blast doing it.

Artistic Pursuits has a curriculum for you, regardless of your child's age.  Their instruction books retail for $42.95 and can be purchased through the website.  You can also purchase all of the art supplies that you need for any level.  Prices vary based on the needed supplies.  

At first glance, Artistic Pursuits may seem expensive, but when you factor in that you can reuse the curriculum with each of your children, the price goes down dramatically.  Best of all, though, is the fact that art-phobic moms don't have to teach it themselves! For more information, visit Artistic Pursuits online, and check out the Crew blog.