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TOS Review: Math Rider

I will always give honest reviews, and the reason most of my reviews this year have been good is because I've really liked most of the products I've reviewed.  And then, every once in a while, a product comes along that you not only like, but that really fills a need at just the right time.

That happened to me with Math Rider.  I was reading and listening to the information about this fun math facts game, and I thought, "Yes. . . kids who are very bright but hate math. . . understand mathematical concepts but need more repetitious practice. . . don't want to do it because it's not 'fun'. . . tried math games but they don't work. . . yes, yes, he is describing me and my kids!"  I am the flash-card queen, with stacks of flash-cards for everything from the alphabet to sight words to math facts to music notes.  They work for a while, especially with incentives like candy, but the kids get pretty tired of them in short order.

Now we are playing Math Rider, the computer math facts game where you and your horse, Shadow, must ride through the magical Mathlands and complete the quests.  The faster you can answer the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts, the faster Shadow can run the course and jump the hurdles.  There are four different quests, and in each you may choose an easy, medium, or hard level.  You may also do Practice Runs in which you may concentrate on one particular number or group of numbers in your equations.  The Practice Runs are coming in very handy for my 1st grader, as I can have him run a race in which he just adds "1" to each number, then a race where he adds "2" to each number, and so on, before mixing up all the numbers.  The program "learns" what your child can do well and what he still needs to master, and it adapts.  You may also choose a timed game.

From the website:

--You will know when your child has completely mastered an operation. And more importantly, your child will know it, too!
--This is the fastest way to mastery of all four math operations. The artificial intelligence rehearses what is needed most, at a rate that is tailored to each player.
--The game recognises and rewards math improvement, not just perfection. This builds confidence and propels children naturally towards complete mastery.
--Noble quests exemplify positive values such as family, caring, honesty and kindness.

The game was designed for any elementary age children.  I am using the easiest levels for my 1st grader, the whole game for my 4th & 6th graders, and I'm even having my 8th grader play it for review and to increase the speed at which he can complete basic equations.  When these facts come to mind very quickly, upper level math will come much more easily.  Finding educational games that are interesting to the boys has always been a challenge for me, and this one is a keeper.

I have also been very happy with this company's customer service.  Everything has been explained very well in tutorials, and the program is very user-friendly.  If there is still a question, the software developer is accessible and helpful.  Version 3.0 is the current version, and anyone who has purchased previous versions gets a free upgrade.  That is customer service!

You may purchase your copy of the MathRider game - for Windows, Mac OSX, or Linux -  for just $37 here.  It will be available for instant download.  That could be less than the price of paying a professional private tutor for one hour to raise your child's math grades!

Find other TOS Reviewers' opinions of MathRider by clicking here.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of the MathRider game in exchange for a fair review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

TOS Review: KinderBach

Music is a big part of my life, and it has always been important to me to include plenty of music instruction in homeschool.  I regret to report that while I used to give piano lessons regularly to others, I have failed miserably at teaching my own children to play piano.  They do, however, play band instruments and sing.

For this reason, I was very happy to review the KinderBach program for my younger children.  Perhaps it will give us a good foundation so that I can do a better job teaching them piano than I did my older children.  After all, anything with "Bach" or "Beethoven" in the name has to be good, right?  And if it's not "Baroque," don't fix it!  (OK, I stole that one from Disney's Beauty & The Beast.  It's a good line!)

KinderBach at Home is an interactive online program to be used along with a keyboard to teach the basics of piano and music theory to children ages 2-7.  Since the ideal age to start actual piano lessons is around age 7 or 8, this program is an excellent introduction for younger children.  If you would like to expose your early elementary or preschool-age children to basic music theory or see how they will like piano before starting lessons, this program would be great for you, whether you homeschool or not.  You do not even need to purchase a piano, as an inexpensive keyboard, even a toy keyboard, will work fine.

In each lesson, there is a video where children will learn basics like notes, rhythm, and composition while playing games with fun characters.  You may watch the videos online or on DVD.  Some lessons are accompanied by worksheets that you can print out from the website.  You will need some sort of playing keyboard on which your child can play the notes.  You do not need to have any musical background yourself in order to do this program.  Soon, your child will be playing simple songs!

My first grader is really enjoying this program and the chance to have his very own music lessons, since his older siblings have been playing musical instruments for some time.  I believe it is giving him a good foundation to start his own piano lessons in a year or two.  As a piano teacher, I will recommend this program for parents of younger children who are interested in starting their children early, or who are wanting to find out what their child's interest is before purchasing a piano as opposed to a keyboard.

KinderBach at Home has several packages available to meet your needs, starting as low as $7.99 per month, or if you prefer a one-time fee, you may purchase a DVD package, which includes the accompanying activity sheets on CD.  See all pricing here.  Before you head over there, though, I have more good news.  Although KinderBach's New Year's Clearance Sale just ended, they are offering a special coupon for our blog readers!  The coupon gives 30% off ANY order from their website, and it is good for one year!  That is a great deal, so please take advantage of it!

The coupon code is:  TOScrew2012.

To see what other TOS Crew members thought of KinderBach, click here.

Disclaimer:  I received free online lessons from KinderBach in exchange for a fair review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

"Falling In Love" by Dandelion Dust Designs

It is February, the time for Falling In Love!  Dandelion Dust Designs has released a kit that is aptly named, full of hearts and ribbons and some nice dusty pinks and purples that are as perfect for scrapping pictures of a friend or a pet as they are for that special valentine!

"Falling In Love" is available exclusively at ScrapDelicious.

I have two Quickpages for you today.  Click images below to download from MediaFire.  PU only.

Happy February!  :)

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of "Falling In Love" by Dandelion Dust Designs in exchange for layouts.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

Stuff To Scrap February Road Trip: All You Need Is Love

Hello, friends!  I am SO SORRY that I did not get this up on the first.  Here are my gradient papers to match the gorgeous palette for the February Road Trip with Stuff to Scrap!  Click on image to download from MediaFire.  PU/S4H/S4O.

You probably came here from Let Me Scrapbook!. The next travel stop is Stuff to Scrap

Here are the rest of the travel stops:

DoubleTrouble Scraps
CutieFruity
Just For Fun Designs
Busy Crafting Mommy Designs
JMC Designs
Scrappin Serenity
Joyeuse Pagaille
The Digi Scrapping Mama
Flower Pot Designs
A Fish Design
SnickelsCorner Scraps
Ponytails Designs
Mommy Made This
Queen Wild Scraps
Cami Jo Designs
PizazzPixels
Lisa's Scraps
lmcdesigns
scraphannah
Growing Pains Scrapped
The Scrappy Kat
Saphira's Scraps
Kandiced
Sweet Maple
Junfunkie Designs
Let Me Scrapbook!
Note-able Scraps
Stuff to Scrap

Happy Scrapping!  :)

My First Book!

And now, Ladies & Gentlemen, is the moment we have all been waiting for!  Well, you may not have been waiting as anxiously as I have, but I have been waiting, anxiously, on the edge of my seat, with great anticipation.  My first children's book, Amazing Animals by Design, is published and available for purchase!

The road to this moment has been fun, and I hope to repeat it with other books in the future.  If you have thought about writing a book or getting one published and are curious about the process, check out my other blog at http://www.amazingbydesign.blogspot.com.  I've taken my readers through the whole process, from choosing a publisher until today, the day my book is available for sale!


Amazing Animals by Design is a storybook written to introduce the concept of Intelligent Design to young children.  Illustrated by Jesse Blythe DeFriese, it shows children some familiar and some not-so-familiar animals while explaining that different animals were designed with different characteristics to help them to live in their environment.
Amazing Animals by Design is available now in paperback at Tate Publishing for $8.99.  The official release date for national retailers is April 3.  After the official release, it will be available from Amazon and national retailers like Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble.  I will be doing book signings at those places then.  Until then, I will be doing local book-signings and pre-release events, getting the word out!  The audio book and official website will be ready closer to the release date.  I will be posting a schedule of book signings on the Amazing By Design blog!

I will give away one free PDF version of the book from each blog.  If you are interested, please leave a comment below to enter the drawing!  I will draw one name on Friday, February 3.


Have a great day!

TOS Review: We Choose Virtues

Most of my homeschooling friends agree that one of the most important things we can teach our children is Character.  One of the great benefits of having our children with us most of the time during their growing-up years is being able to instill and demonstrate consistent values, which we hope will serve them for a lifetime.  I am always looking for products that share our values and worldview, so I was excited to have a chance to review a few products from We Choose Virtues.

We Choose Virtues does not offer a curriculum or unit study to be used as a stand-alone subject.  Instead, their products can be used ongoing from year to year, as a supplement to your curriculum.  Their goal is “Simply Inspiring Character That Lasts."  The products I reviewed are for elementary and early childhood ages, but the company also offers products for teens.

We Choose Virtues uses fun characters like Feather Heather, Oboe Joe, and Hat Matt to teach Virtues such as: Obedience, Forgiveness, Helpfulness, and Self-Control.  There are 12 Virtues in all.  For each, the children learn a catchphrase and the antonyms.  These help children learn how to demonstrate the Virtues in their lives, and how to answer someone who tries to get them to do wrong.  The fun, brightly-colored Virtue Clue Cards illustrate the Virtues, the catchphrases, the antonyms, and the characters.  These are great for carrying from place to place in a purse or schoolbag so that you can review them at any time.  I must confess, however, that although my children love the cards and the bright colors, I have a hard time keeping up with them and have lost them several times!

The downloadable products are much more useful to me.  They are always accessible on my computer (or my iPad when my husband buys it for me!), and I can print them when I wish.  I received a downloadable Teacher's Guide, with excellent ideas for teaching the Virtues to different ages; a Family Character Assessment Chart, of which I can print out multiple copies so that we can track our progress over time; a Kids Coloring Book, which is wonderful for my youngest to use while the older ones are discussing the Virtues; and A List of Memory Verses, Bible Heroes and Truths to go along with the Virtues, which I found most valuable.  Together, these items make a great package that I can use every day with my children, or a few times a week as our schedule allows.  They could also be used as reinforcement along with a character program that you already have in place, and they could be tied into unit studies on character, Bible heroes, or the Fruits of the Spirit.  They are very versatile to be used as a stand-alone or in conjunction with other curriculums.

We Choose Virtues also has posters, charts, flashcards, stickers, and other classroom helps for the homeschool or classroom.  They can be purchased separately or in packages conveniently assembled for homeschool, Sunday School, faith-based school, or community school.  You may even want to use a pack of the cards or a poster for family discussion if your children are in a school that does not use them. See their website for a complete list of products and prices.  For a limited time, there are several items on SALE:  

• 2011 Kids Virtue Poster $9.75 (from $14.99, 35% savings)
• 2011 100 Days of Virtue Chart and Butterfly Stickers $11.99 (from $14.99, 20% savings)  
• 2011 3 Rules Poster $7.75 (from 11.99, 35% savings)

There is a CLEARANCE category on the website only while supplies last.

 

Also, The Virtue Clues are $5.99 (from $7.95).

We Choose Virtues products are welcome new pieces of my total curriculum.  You can find more information on their website at http://www.wechoosevirtues.com/, and "Like" their Facebook page here. To see what other TOS Crew Members thought of their products, click here.

Disclaimer:  I received free products from We Choose Virtues in exchange for a fair review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.