Category Archives: TOS Crew

TOS Crew

Salem Ridge Press Books Review

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I recently received 3 books from Salem Ridge Press to review. Salem Ridge Press was started by a homeschool graduate in order to republish classic children’s books. These books are a little different because they are all from the 1800’s and early 1900’s.

These books are pretty good but I feel you need to be careful. One of the books I received was The American Twins of the Revolution. It is a nice piece of historical fiction but it has slavery in it. That doesn’t bother me (it is a sign of the times) but it is something you need to be aware of so that you can discuss the issue with your children. These books were written a long time ago with different issues so I would recomend parents read the books first because kids on the younger side (maybe under 6th grade) may have a lot of questions. The other issue with this book is the slave speak so to say. It is dialogue that is filled with gramatical errors and unclear words (I had to read it out loud in order to figure out all the words). That would be very frustrating to my 2nd grader.

But over all I do really like these books. In the spirit of full disclosure, I think some (if not all) of these books are in public domain but for the price you do get a nicely bound book. So go over and look at what Salem Ridge Press has to offer!

TOS Crew

Spears Art Studio Review

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The magic of homeschooling is sometimes knowing your strength and weaknesses so you can compensate. That said, we all have our gifts but art is not one of mine so I was very excited to try out Spears Art Studio. I got their K-8th art curriculum and it is designed to use with multiple ages at the same time. I love that because it is hard enough to do art but much less coming up with the time for 3 different lessons.

This program is a definite winner! I got the program completely on a CD ($39.95) and it lays out everything! It is set up on an academic year but you can pick and choose what lessons you do. It has a main lesson for everyone and then has broken out projects for each grade level. The program provides graphics to print off and a list of materials needed. It is really easy to follow with or without any natural talent.

Spears Art Studio also has a high school curriculum and a calligraphy program. I highly recommend this art curriculum for anyone but especially those with more than 1 age group.

literature, preschool, TOS Crew

Review: Rime to Read

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I recently received the opportunity to review the Rime to Read program that is made up of 20 online books. It is designed for either early readers or students who are a bit remedial. I used the books with my 5 year old non-reader and my 3 year old preschooler.

These books are purchased online and then placed in your account. You can then read them online and take advantage of the fact you can click on words to hear the sounds on the repeating words (or rimes or word families). Or you can choose to print them out. My issue in that aspect if the fact you can only print them once. With 4 kids, I can say that 1 copy isn’t quite enough if I want them to be able to drag them around and read them. But since they are ran on just a click of the mouse, the kids can go through them with out you. That is always very helpful!

Now what about the books themselves? They are pretty good. They are organized by word families and one of the great things is it forms pattern. The down part is that they aren’t really in full sentences. So my 5 year old is a bit puzzled to make sense out of the books themselves. The 3 year old doesn’t have that problem. But overall I do think they are very helpful in teaching reading.

Then comes the hammer. At $45 you really have to evaluate how much you will use them. But I also have to disclose I am a huge cheapskate. I absolutely love the Bob Books and won’t buy them (I use the library;). That said I am not a great judge if you are getting a dollar to good value but I do like the system.

You can sign up to get a free book as a sample so go check it out and let me know what you think!

gift worthy, Kids Books, literature, TOS Crew

The Missing Link: Found

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I recently read a novel called The Missing Link: Found by Christina and Felice Gerwitz. One of the things I liked about this book before I even opened it was the fact that it was written by a homeschooled teenager with the help of her mom. I also like the fact it is about creationism and features a homeschool family. But now onto a review of the actual book;).

The book is a very easy read that is aimed at preteens and teens but I am thinking that my 7 year old will enjoy it. It is a fast paced action mystery that deals with evolution issues. I found the plot to move quickly and it really draws you in. It is a book that is a fun read that is great for kids who love to read or ones that find it a struggle. I love the fact that it give a great amount of factual knowledge that can even be a jumping off point for research or a unit (There are even study guides that go with the series). I also like the fact that there are 2 other books so far in the series.

The only down side is that there are some editing errors but I have been told it is going to be re-edited. Overall I really recommend this for the pre-teen or teen in your life either as a gift or just because!

gift worthy, Holidays, TOS Crew

One2Believe Nativity Set

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When NerdDad and I got married, broke and straight out of college, I started thinking of getting a nativity set. Originally I wanted one of those real nice porcelain sets but then I realized that isn’t any fun. I wanted something that my kids (whenever they would arrive) wouldn’t break. Now I have kids (boy howdy do I have kids;) and still needed a nativity. Well you can imagine then how happy I was to receive Tales of Glory Nativity Play Set to review.

At 17 pieces I was amazed what a large set this is for only $18 at Christian Book Distributors. My older 3 kids (7, 5, and 3) immediatelyy started playing with it. And when I say immediately, they took each piece as unwrapped and started playing with them. There are enough groups of characters that each one of them could be responsible for a group in the role play. This set also looks great up on my piano.

I know you may be asking about down sides. Some people may have issues with the fact that it is made of pvc and in China but these aren’t issues at all for us (but I wanted to put it out there for the rest of you). My only issue it that there are some pointy party that are hard so I can’t let the 1 1/2 year old play will them. But that isn’t a big deal beacause it is almost impossible to find a good set for under 3.

One2Believe also makes a variety of other toys that kids love. It is nice to see action figures that are Biblical and the P31 dolls are adorable. 1 thing to watch. The nativity set is $24.99 at the One2Believe site and only $17.99 at Christian Book Distributors. I personally go for the deal so don’t shop on their site unless you can’t find any of the other toys anywhere else.

I highly recommend this Nativity Set and I urge you to pop over pick this up for Christmas, the sooner the more play time you have!

gift worthy, pre-preschool, preschool, TOS Crew

And Then Mama Said….

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You know that title has to be the start of something good! I just read the most delightful book to my preschooler and my kindergartner by Gena Suarez.
Little Splish is dealing with the same issue that my kindergarten NerdPie has. He can’t read, others around him can and this makes Splish very self conscious. This wonderfully illustrated book kept both of my young kids enthraled and encouraged them. It was also great to see a book that focuses on a homeschooling family and one that is sweet and caring. You know that it is really special when the mom reading it walks away encouraged and inspired.

When you order this book from The Old Schoolhouse Store you also get a free pdf activity guide. It is 36 pages of different activities that you can use for different grade levels. There is simple copy work(single sentences about the books), more complex copy work (about about frogs and their life cycle), coloring pages, alphabet maze and ant body diagrams.

If all this isn’t enough there is more. Right now when you order you can have the book autographed by the author. You just tell her who to sign it to.

This is a great gift (especially for under $10) to that child you want to encourage and with Christmas coming up……

gift worthy, Kids Books, TOS Crew

A Better Way to Get NerdThings

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For those who haven’t gotten the hint. I like books. No…I love books. NerdDad loves books. A great date for us is dinner and going to the book store (dorks we know). So when I was sent information on Homeschool Library Builder I was quite interested.

This site rocks! They have all kinds of books including many that are homeschool necessities. They also have some out of print books and ex-library copies. The site has a revolving inventory so they may not have every book you want and you need to check the condition (they carry both new and used books) of the books but the deals and customer service make up for it. For example they have a 99 cent copy of The Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens and a 75 cent copy of Caddie Woodlawn in the clearance bin. Also, if they don’t have a book you need just ask and they will go looking for it.

They also have a free membership program where you can get a frequent buyer program and referral program (so if you sign up please use NerdMom as your referrer). They are also very charitable. They have a holiday section where all the proceeds go to the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.

So go check out this great site and maybe get a little bit of your Christmas shopping out of the way for the child you always want to encourage to learn.

math, TOS Crew

Amusing Math Module

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I recently got my hands on The Old Schoolhouse’s November module, Amusing Math. It correlates with their awesome planner (you may recall my review of that back in September) but you don’t need the planner for this 48 page module.

Basically this a lighthearted math unit that would work across quite a few grades. This has sections on math games, multiplication, math jokes, shapes and telling time. It not only has activities in the module but it also has links to other free and fun resources. I love that it even has different levels of copy work and word searches so you could make an entire unit from it.

With the holidays coming up, and the crazy schedules, it is a perfect time to take a little break from the normal routine and spend some fun time learning. Go check it out because at $7.95 it is a deal!

TOS Crew

HelpMe2Teach

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I recently was given the opportunity to evaluate a new learning resource. HelpMe2teach.com is an Internet directory. What makes this special is that this directory has over 2300 different links that have been vetted and organized by subject and age group. It also has a search box that lets you do keyword searches.

So what do I think about it? I think that the Table of Contents feature is really good. She has everything outlined out and you can go pick a subject either to look for a sight/worksheet/activity or plan a whole unit with.

If you are not comfortable jumping into the goo that is the Internet this is a great tool. If you want a safe environment where you know that you will only find family friendly sites, this is for you. If you are very Internet savy and have time to dig through the dregs to find the jewels, then you might be wasting your money.

I think that this site is overall very solid and it will continue to build upon its foundation. HelpMe2Teach has a great price structure that enables you to try this out for a short term or they also have a great sale (through the end of December) of buying 1 year and getting 1 year free with the code TOS. Here is the price structure (not including the sale):

1 year for $29.95
3 mos. for $15.95
1 mo. for $9.95
3 days for $4.95
Price includes Quarterly Newsletters and FREE research for anyone with a paid one year subscription or longer.