Author: Little Learner and Mom

De-Shaun Jordan is the founder of Little Learners University in Home Preschool and Consulting. She also runs an Online Cooperative. For the last 5 years she has worked exclusively with her son and other children to bring them the joys of learning. With her experience as a Professional Nanny and Homeschooling specialist children have thrived. She exclusively works with Montessori inspired learning and other method that she has found to be enriching. DeShaun holds a BA in Healthcare Management and is Montessori Certified. She is married to her high school sweetheart and mother to their 6 year old son. DeShaun enjoys being a mom, cooking, organizing and helping others looking to homeschool or in need of guidance with early education intervention.
Curriculum, Education, Grammar, High School Grammar, Homeschool, Middle School, Reviews, Writing

Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple Review

Little Learner and Mom

I received the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple from Timberdoodle Co. in exchange for my fair and honest review.

If you have been curious about the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind like I have, this is going to be a great review of the Purple Level. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple is one of 4 books part of the program. The idea is that students should move through all four books by high school. There isn’t a big difference between each text. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind non-sequential grammar program. Therefore you can start with any of the books and work your way through the program. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple is a secular curriculum that follows the classical education model.

From basic through advanced grammar concepts, the Purple Workbook provides clear definitions of rules, repeated examples, and plenty of practice. Step-by-step instructions and regular review help every student succeed

Well Trained Mind

Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple is included in the 8th-grade Timberdoodle curriculum kit. My son is gifted in grammar, so we need to provide a rigorous grammar curriculum for him. We are eclectic homeschoolers and I have been looking for a supplement for our upcoming school year. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple is a 36-week program, there is no hurry to complete a level in one school year. We could possibly do two levels in middle school and the remaining levels in high school.

This innovative grammar program will take your student from the fundamental definition of a noun through a detailed analysis of complex sentence structure.

Timberdoodle Co.

Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple bundle comes with the student workbook, answer key, and core instructor book. The instructor book is to be used across all levels of Grammar for the Well Trained Mind. The purple level is recommended for grade level for students from 5th -12th. In my honest opinion, the rigor in this book would be suited for gifted 5th graders or the spring of the 5th-grade year, but it may be a better fit for a 6th grader. Since we will be continuing this in the fall, I am following the recommendation of just doing 16 weeks and then picking up weeks 17-36 weeks for our school year.

Lesson Layout

Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple as well as the other levels has 3 elements of learning. These levels of understanding are:

  • Comprehension and Memory
  • Examples
  • Practice

As I previously stated there are 36 weeks in the text. Within those weeks there are 4 lessons with exercises per week to complete. Every fourth week there is a review of the previous 3 weeks with 6 exercises. Ideally, high school students should complete one level each year. Younger students can work at their own pace, therefore, completing the 4 levels over a period of time until they completed all four. You don’t have to follow the layout you can work at your own pace and modify as you need.

Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple starts off really basic with nouns and adjectives and provides a hefty amount of practice during the lesson. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple is a mastery program and I am finding that with my son moving into middle school he needs more of a mastery curriculum so he is prepared for high school and college entrance examinations. Students will master all the grammar and writing skills they will need to be successful in writing and speaking.

The text is in black and white which I like because my son and I both are highlighters. Highlighting for him provides him with a key for referencing when he is working on activities. The lesson is instructor-led, but it is not overwhelming, and the instructor guide is scripted. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple can be modified for special learners. The purple level can work for students up to grade 12, they will be prepared for college-level English and writing. If you do decide to move to another level you will find the same concepts covered they will just differ in practice questions and assignments.

You can use Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple alongside your spine curriculum or use it as a stand-alone curriculum. I would just adjust how you use it, so it doesn’t become too overwhelming for your student. You can preview Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple sample pages on the Timberdoodle Co Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple landing page.

My Thoughts

I wouldn’t start Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple with a student earlier than 5th grade. I would also start it in the spring of the 5th-grade year. I also think it is an excellent idea to start Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple or any of the levels in middle school. Starting in middle school gives you and your student plenty of time to work through all four levels. Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple has a fair amount of rigor so I would also be mindful of this and plan according to your child’s needs and learning style. The books provide a fair amount of practice and grammar. Students will also practice sentence diagramming. I do like that they do a review after every 3 lessons and the core instructor text that you can use across all 4 levels is a money saver. My son has solid grammar background and is gifted in this area of his studies I have confidence he could probably do the lessons on his own, but because this a program that is used across years I would still prefer to oversee his lessons.

I completely recommend Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Level Purple for rising 6th -12 graders. It is a great program and provides everything your student needs for grammar.

Until the Next Time,

Mom

Africa, African History, Curriculum, Education, Family, Geography, History, S.T.E.A.M

Teni & Tayo Africa in a Box Review!

Little Learner and Mom

We received Africa In A Box from Teni & Tayo for our honest review!

Normally I start my reviews off with an opener, but for this one, I just have just dive right in for this review. When I tell you I was impressed with Africa In A Box from Teni & Tayo I couldn’t wait to write this review!!!

Africa In A Box is exactly what you get with an interactive history stem box for ages 5+. We felt like we were given front-row seats to the motherland with Mrs. Omobola as our guide. My son was instantly captivated, and his Nintendo Switch was kicked to the curb very quickly. Once he saw me place the box on the table and saw all the goodies he was ready!

Our mission is to help close the representation gap in the products made for kids while creating fun and engaging products that any child can enjoy.

Mrs. Omobola- creator

Our topic of the month was the Ndebele Tribe of South Africa/Zimbabwe. Included in our inspired by Africa box was everything thing we needed to build our authentic home. We received:

  • Detailed written and picture instructions.
  • Markers and pencil
  • Glue
  • Wooden panel with building hardware
  • Battery pack and batteries
  • Wires and LED bulb
  • Twine

Let’s talk about this video it was awesome we watched it twice. We learned about the Ndebele tribe in South Africa and some parts of Zimbabwe. We learned about the language, history, geography, and culture. My son was in awe of the beauty of the countries and people mentioned in the video.

He asked me… Mom why don’t they show how beautiful Africa really is on the news and tv?”

Jai – age 10

As parents, we have always taught our son about the beautiful continent of Africa and let him know he is a descendant of mighty kings and queens. To have a box like Africa In A Box just solidifies everything he has been learning since he was a toddler.

The hands-on STEM activity is wonderful. The instructor walks the children through building the structure. Mrs. Omobola has a natural rapport with the children. I like that she spoke to the children with respect, positivity, and encouragement. Also included in the box is an informational reader about the lesson the kids would be learning.

In the video, the children learn the importance of giving back because they tell the children for every box they receive a certain percentage of the purchase goes to help those in need in Africa and the African diaspora. I love that they are teaching this value because it is so important that children learn to give back.

After finishing his box he started playing with his Black Panther Lego mini figure. His house was the highlight of the day. He found a special place for it in his room. He asked us to get him another box because he enjoyed this one so much!

My son is 10, and he had no problem assembling the project on his own. When he got stuck with the wiring he just went back and rewatched the video and paused where he needed to adjust. My son isn’t big on decorating projects like this but he fully decorated his project and turned on some South African music on Alexa and spent the afternoon coloring. He also spent the evening telling his dad about his project and attempting to do the Ndebele clicking pronunciation.

Africa In A Box is available as a monthly subscription or bundle discount. At the time of this review, the company is offering free shipping on their box subscriptions. The cost starts at $38.99 and they are mailed by the 15th of the month. There is a pop-up on their website where you can save 10% off your first box. We plan to subscribe so we can get the upcoming box on Empress Taytu Betul of Ethiopia. I highly recommend Africa In A Box from Teni & Tayo .

Until the Next Time,

Mom and Jai

Art, Critical Thinking and Logic, Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Reviews

HiGASFY Art History Renaissance Review

Little Learner and Mom

I received the “Have I Got a Story for You” Renaissance Period from Timberdoodle Co. in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Art still remains to be one of those subjects I tend to drop the ball on every year in our homeschool. Now we do some art throughout the year, but it is just not in heavy rotation. We recently were given the opportunity to review the “Have I Got a Story for You” during the Renaissance period. You may be familiar with us writing about this program known as HIGASFY from a few years back, we are excited to review the Renaissance period.

What is “Have I Got a Story for You”

“Have I Got a Story for You” is a downloaded art curriculum that can be done at your own pace. There are 12 fun downloadable videos. The videos are fun, and interactive the HIGASFY team has done a great job of making the videos relatable to younger and older students. Along with the corresponding videos you receive:

  • 40 flashcards
  • Name the Artist Assessment (Powerpoint)
  • Cross-Curricular activities in writing, history, science, and geography

The target grade level is the 1st-8th grade, Mrs. Beth makes art come alive for your student. This program would work great as a family subject the way it is laid out. Gasfy is such a great companion to Mrs. Beth as she takes your student through the wonderful world of art history. Who is Gasfy? He is the cute little green paint drop that helps Mrs. Beth teach the lessons. The videos average about 22-23 mins and the activities are fun and quick to complete. Everything you need is laid out for you all you need to do is follow the lesson and pick your activities and you are all set. I know what you are thinking what about art supplies? You don’t need a bunch of fancy art supplies to complete the “Have I Got a Story for You” Ressinance Period.

“Have I Got a Story for You” Ressinance Period

The “Have I Got a Story for You” Renaissance Period program covers Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. These are all respected artists during the Renaissance period; if your student has never been exposed to these artists this is a great program. Mrs. Beth and Gasfy do a great job explaining the lives of these artists. The lesson plans also include critical thinking questions and advanced student lessons. Students will find the lesson activities engaging. Each lesson also includes vocabulary words and beautiful art visuals for your student.

How We Plan to Use “Have I Got a Story for You”

We are currently working our way through ancient civilization in our current history lessons. In the next few months, we will be moving into the renaissance period and my plan is to use the “Have I Got a Story for You” Renaissance Period on Fridays for our art lessons. My son is familiar with HIGASFY because we have used it previously and he enjoyed it.

If you are looking for a low-maintenance and easy-to-implement art program that your kids would love I highly recommend you check out “Have I Got a Story for You” Renaissance Period. Keep in mind “Have I Got a Story for You” Renaissance Period is a downloadable art curriculum for your family. If you would like to read our older review of HIGASFY please feel free to check out our previous review.

Family, Family Life, History, Homeschool, Kwanzaa, Holidays, Unit Study

What Celebrating Kwanzaa Means to our Family!

Little Learner and Mom

Well, the holiday season is moving fast and there are only a few days until Christmas, but for hundreds of black and brown people, the celebration continues the day after Christmas. Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday that celebrates African culture and its importance in the African-American community. It is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st. Seven core principles are celebrated during this time: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. These principles are essential in helping to promote African culture and unify African-Americans. Kwanzaa is also a time to reflect on the history of African-Americans, honor ancestors, and recognize the struggles of the African diaspora. It is a time for African-Americans to come together to celebrate their culture, traditions, and community. Kwanzaa is a time for African-Americans to find strength, embrace their identity, and work together to build a better future.

The seven principles of Kwanzaa are

The seven core principles of Kwanzaa are Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). These seven principles serve as a guide for African-Americans to celebrate their African heritage and culture and promote unity and self-improvement.

A few years back I wrote a blog about how we celebrated a Montessori Inspired Kwanzaa. You can read about our Montessori-Inspired Kwanzaa here. I have been meaning to update and write about how celebrating Kwanzaa is an ongoing tradition in our home. My son looks forward to celebrating each year and takes part in lightening the candle and leading the celebration. For us celebrating Kwanzaa is a way of life its not just a week, we practice the principles all year. Kwanzaa is not political or religious and it is not something that is celebrated in Africa. Kwanzaa is mostly celebrated in the United States but it was inspired by the South African region harvest celebration of the “first fruits”. I highly recommend that you do your research beforehand and check out the Official Kwanzaa Website.

I pull our Kwanzaa materials out right after Thanksgiving and I set up our area, you can check out our Kwanzaa unboxing on our Little Learner and Mom Instagram. Setting up early allows me to think about our intentions for the upcoming year and it gives us all a full month to think about these intentions. My son spends his time journaling about each principle and reflecting on how he demonstrated those principles during the year. I personally reflect on Umoja ( Unity) and Nia (Purpose) during the month of December.

Kwanzaa doesn’t require a lot of prep as a matter of fact our first kinara was made out of toilet paper rolls and tissue paper, a handmade Mkeka, and one of my son’s sippy cups. The homemade materials were the best because they were made with the principle of Kuumba in mind. We treasured those materials and set them out continuously each year until they fell apart. For our next Kinara we also made ourselves some wooden candle holders. Our current Kwanzaa set is from Kwanzaa Kit. Over the years we have made changes and built off of the previous year. I plan our meal plan for the week ahead of time, I try to include a special dish or dessert each day on the 6th day we have a grand meal that includes recipes from both my husband and my mother. I also have my son pick a recipe he wants to prepare.

Kwanzaa 2022

This year for Kwanzaa we have lined up:

Resources for Kwanzaa

There are several picture books about Kwanzaa, you can find our favorites in our Amazon store. I have also included some resources for games, cookbooks, kinara sets, and decorations. It is not too late to grab some candles (Mishumaa Saba) from your local craft store and you can just use a candle holder and just light your candles. The Kamali Academy Kwanzaa Unit Study has some wonderful printable principles cards you can print on cardstock and laminate. You can do like we did and just make your material, you will treasure these over the years. I have created a Kwanzaa Pinterest board full of ideas you can look over. Here are a few of my favorite Teacher pay Teacher Resources:

The most important thing about Kwanzaa is making the celebration your own there is no right or wrong way to celebrate. Take baby steps at first and enjoy the week learning and enjoying your family. Kwanzaa is an affirmation of African American people’s connection to their African roots and their history, and it is a time to reflect on the importance of self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa is a time of self-reflection and celebration of African American culture and heritage, and it is a reminder of the importance of community and family.

Be sure to follow us on our Little Learner and Mom Instagram as we celebrate!

Until the Next Time,

Mom

This may contain affiliate links for the product discussed, clicking these links is at no extra charge to you!

5th Grade, Curriculum, Homeschool, Math, Middle School Math, Reviews, S.T.E.A.M

Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 Review!

Little Learner and Mom

I received Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 from Timberdoodle Co. in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Hey, homeschool moms, it’s that time of the year when we are slowing things down and just relaxing. Here is the question do we really shut down? We all know the homeschool mom’s brain never shuts off entirely. We are always thinking about the next homeschool year or just reevaluating the current year. Right before we started our school year we were sent Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 by our friends over at Timberdoodle Co. In all honesty, we were still working through our current math curriculum and I wanted to finish it out. We finished his math curriculum in October and we picked up Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 as our review and started our journey.

Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 is being used as a review until we jump back into our spine in February. We received Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 Homeschool bundle that includes:

  • Homes Instructor Guides 5A & 5B
  • Student and additional practice books Grade 5 A & B

We aren’t new to the latest release from the Singapore Math family, we completed Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 4B over the spring/summer as a math review. My son really liked the colorful pages and the flow of the curriculum. If you aren’t familiar with the newest release let me tell you how they differ from traditional books. The new books are published by a different publisher in the US and the curriculum features all new material that aligns with the U.S. common core standards. Through my research, the curriculum is on grade level and will help students who are struggling in math or those who need a quick review. Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 can be used for students on all grade levels, students using grade 5 will transition easily to the next book which is Dimensions Grade 6. teaches the concepts but takes them to a more in-depth understanding.

How it Works

Let’s talk layout each student book has 6 chapters, and within those chapters, there are 1-4 lessons that follow this progression:

  • Chapter Opener
  • Task ( includes recall activity)
  • Learn (Teaches how to solve the task)
  • Activity ( encourages further understanding of a concept through hands-on activities and problem-solving)
  • Learn Together (helps student gain confidence with concepts with parent support)
  • Practice on Your Own (students work independently )

You can find full sample pages, placement test, and scope and sequence on the Timberdoodle Co Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 page.

The recall activity in my opinion is very important for your student to complete before starting the new material. The recall will alert you if your student hasn’t mastered the previous chapters before moving on. I wouldn’t skip this section. The chapters also include a chapter practice which in my opinion is like a chapter test, as well as:

  • Performance Task ( apply chapter skills to real-world problems)
  • Steam Project Work
  • Solve! Heuristic ( helps children learn how to solve problems in multiple ways)

I do like that there is a substantial amount of word problems within each of the lessons. In the student book 5B, the entire chapter 8 is solving word problems. At the end of the chapter practice, students will have the opportunity to reflect on how they fill they did on the chapter. At first glance, you would think there isn’t a lot of practice for the student but I assure you there is a lot of practice and instruction.

The homeschool instructor guide is a new feature for Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 the homeschool instructor includes:

  • Chapters Pathway
  • Singapore Math approach
  • Informative breakdown of the student book
  • Digital Manipulative (you receive this code when you purchase a home instructor guide)
  • Detailed Instructor guide for teaching the lessons
  • Answer Key

The home instructor guide in my opinion is one the most detailed guides I have ever seen, it doesn’t miss anything. It really guides you through each chapter’s lesson so you feel confident about teaching your student. I love all the extra hands-on activities and extra resources they alert you to in the other books such s the additional practice, mastery and beyond, and teacher assessments. The only con I would have would I would like to have the actual lesson my son is working on in my home instructor guide because it is a little bothersome to have to share his book just to see what he is working on. I have the answer key and how to help solve the problems but I would like the actual page.

The chapters average 10-20 days, it all depends on your student I personally wouldn’t recommend trying to cram more into one day than instructed unless you are confident your student has mastery. We are at the end of chapter 2 in 5A this chapter was 20 days and I added 3 days to that because I had him do the additional practice pages for a few lessons. I really like having those additional practice pages because it really let me know that he knew what he was doing. I also noticed while he was working through Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 that he was more confident about his learning and I saw him apply some of the skills he was learning in his lessons when he was playing online math platforms.

My observation these last 2 months has given me a lot of insight into our upcoming term. What I have noticed he is eager to learn and use the textbook. I also recalled these observations during the summer of how much he enjoyed using grade 4 Primary 2022, which has this mom wondering if we need to continue to use this for the rest of the term. Even as I write this review I am thinking more about this decision because I want my son to be excited about what he is learning. I feel like Primary 2022 is helping him review and introducing him to a new way to do the math. I actually printed out the spine curriculum we were going to start in January and compared it to Primary 2022 Grade 5 and I am seeing some of the same concepts being introduced.

I like that the Singapore Math Primary 2022 Grade 5 helps me review what I already know while challenaging me to learn new concepts. I also like that it teaches new ways of doing math!

Jai-10

What I am looking for in a curriculum is not only teaching procedure but also the why and presenting several ways to solve. One great example of this is Chapter 2 The Four Operations with Whole Numbers. I was shocked to learn that he preferred using area models for long multiplication. He told this method made more sense to him than the traditional way of cross multiplication, and he also he better-understood complex order operation problems. Now can I just be completely honest my child has been doing long multiplication since the 3rd grade and it takes him a few minutes to do problems. This kid was running through the problems in record time, I went to start dinner he had 8 problems to do and I was sure he was going to be working on those for 15-20 mins. I looked over my shoulder and he was closing his book in victory!

Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 is a new math curriculum being offered by Timberdoodle Co. If you order from Timberdoodle Co you also receive 100 linking cubes, 250 transparent circles, and fraction circles. The bundle again also includes the home instructor books for both student consumable books 5A & 5B as well as the additional practice books. If you are looking for a more holistic way of learning math that is colorful, rigorous, and multifaceted I highly recommend it. You are getting that same Singapore Math method teaching but redeveloped for U. S aligned common core standards that are also friendly to the homeschooler.

I am still undecided but I think as we work through Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 for the month of January I think we will come to some sort of decision in regard with we are going to continue with Singapore Math Primary 2022 Grade 5 and finish it out or move back to our spine. I am almost sure my son’s vote is to stay with Singapore Primary Math 2022 Grade 5 .

Until the Next Time,

Mom and J

5th Grade, Coding, Games and Apps, Homeschool, Math, Reviews, S.T.E.A.M

Let’s Start Coding: Base Kit 2 Review!

Little Learner and Mom

I received Let’s Start Coding Base Kit from Timberdoodle Co. in exchange for my fair and honest review.

We love technology in our home, and lately, my son has really gotten into coding. He has tried several online programs and has taken online classes for coding. I like having him code things that allow him to be hands-on and interactive. With the fast growth of technology, it is really important that students are exposed to coding early. I am very grateful that many companies like Timbersdoodle Co understand this importance and are including resources such as Let’s Start Coding Base Kit in their curriculum kits.

We were given the opportunity to try out Let’s Start Coding Base Kit which is included in the Timberdoodle Co 2022 Fifth-Grade Curriculum Kit. My son has really enjoyed the Let’s Start Coding Base Kit, he really likes having the storage kit that provides easy access and convenient storage. Even though my son has experience in coding the Let’s Start Coding Base Kit did an excellent job reviewing concepts and introducing new ones.

The Let’s Start Coding Base Kit includes:

  • Storage tackle storage box
  • 12 pieces of electronics including a mini speaker, LED lights, and makers board
  • 50 + Projects
  • Coding Reference Cards

Let’s Start Coding Base Kit is free to install directly on your computer. The process was easy to install and my son was coding away in 5 mins. The project board for the Base Kit has informative videos that I highly recommend you have your student review before getting started. The get started videos cover a wealth of information for the student, just in case they run into problems. After looking over the first set of videos students will jump right into the coding project.

How it works

Let’s Start Coding Base Kit is a beginner’s program for students 8+, so keep this in mind if you have a student who is an advanced coder they may jump right to the challenging part of the project in which they can change the code around. The initial code for the project is already given to the students all they have to do is properly insert the parts needed for the code. I really like that the student has a visual so they are sure they using the correct parts and inserting the correctly. My son is a visual learner and he really appreciated this assistance. The students connect the parts and run the code, but once they have successfully run the code, students looking for more of a challenge can move onto the checklist. I also like the reference cards that are included the cards teach the student the proper coding language and definitions.

My son did an estimate of ten codes during the review process and also explored the challenge checklist. He said the Let’s Start Coding Base Kit is easy to use and he liked how the website gave him a lot more ideas for coding. We plan to use the Let’s Start Coding Base Kit over the holiday for extra coding practice. I personally like how he could independently set up the program and run it. My son keeps his Let’s Start Coding Base Kit on his desk for easy access.

If you are looking to check out Let’s Start Coding Base Kit be sure to click the banner below and don’t forget that Let’s Start Coding Base Kit is included in the Timberdoodle Co 2022 Fifth-Grade Curriculum Kit.

Until the Next Time,

Mom and J

6th Grade, Education, Family, Homeschool, Middle School Math

Brilliant: Premium Subscription!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Ok so I am in the 40+ club and I try to keep my brain sharp by working on logic games and puzzles. So when presented with the opportunity to review Brilliant Premium Subscription I thought this would be perfect for me. Well, I was wrong…my husband who was laying beside me became curious about what I was doing and took over.

Brilliant is a digital way to bring STEM to your family designed to provide daily math courses in areas of

  • Mathematical Fundamentals
  • Pre-Algebra
  • Geometry Fundamentals
  • Geometry 1
  • Algebra 1
  • Algebra 2

Brilliant is designed to help your student think logically in areas of math, science, and computer science. The program is for students in grades 6th – Adult. What is unique about Brilliant is students will move along a learning path as they work on areas of interest. My student is a rising 6th grader, but he really enjoys working at Brilliant. I think what caught his attention was one exercise with balance beam math, he instantly recognized the concept and enjoyed reviewing this in a digital form. I really enjoy the logical parts of Brilliant my husband and I take turns solving them. I also like how Brilliant will send you emails of new challenges and reminders to log in.

Brilliant exercises take about 10-15 mins to complete, if your student needs to break from the course the progress is saved until they are ready to work again. Students can toggle between math exercises, logic, science, and computer science fundamentals. There are over 60 + courses in the Brilliant Premium Subscription which is such a great variety of STEM learning opportunities that your homeschool is covered when using the Premium Subscription. Brilliant is downloaded to all of our Apple devices and we all are working on learning paths. My husband and I are in steady competition over who can complete the new challenges first. Our son has sometimes beaten us to challenges, but it is okay because I love the benefits we are getting from Brilliant.

If you would like to read more fabulous reviews on Brilliant Premium Subscription be sure to check out the Crew’s reviews by clicking the banner below.

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Curriculum, Education, Grammar, Homeschool, Preschool

Reading Eggs Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We have reviewed Reading Eggs previously with the Crew, but this review is a little bittersweet because this is the last year my son will be able to use the online program. I am so sad that my son will be moving on to middle school, but Reading Eggs has prepared him for his next journey in homeschooling.

Reading Eggs has been at the start of our home-learning journey since my son was 3 years old. When we first started the company only had the Reading Eggs and Eggpress. Since then, the company has added, Reading Eggs Junior for 2-4 years to help jumpstart your little learner’s journey to reading with the use of interactive games and stories. Fast Phonics ages 5-10 years helps develop those phonics skills through 20 fun-filled interactive games. Reading Eggs not only features Mathseeds for ages 3-9 but is an award-winning online math program that helps teach your students the foundations of math and problem-solving.

Reading Eggs is an excellent program because it indeed grows with your student through early and lower levels of elementary. No matter what level your student starts with Reading Eggs easy placement test or through the parent dashboard you will find the confidence they will meet your student where they are at. The parent dashboard is comprehensive and gives you full control over your student’s learning path. The parent dashboard also includes a wonderful parent user guide, lesson overviews, a pacing guide, worksheets, and much more. As I am writing this review, I am rethinking what I said early that this may be our last year of Reading Eggs that they also have activity sheets in Spanish those sheets will be a great way to review my son’s Spanish!!! The parent dashboard also allows you to manually change your student’s learning path and or reassign the placement test.

How we used Reading Eggs

So my son is doing a hybrid 5th and 6th grade this year, we used Reading Eggs Eggpress during this review period. Reading Eggs Eggpress is for students ages 7-13, once students complete the original Reading Eggs they move on to Eggpress. Reading Eggpress helps students to learn literary terms, spelling, reading comprehension, and grammar. Eggpress brings that same interactive experience, but at a higher level of learning. Through games and positive reinforcement, students will work on 200 lessons with 220 comprehensive lessons completed with an assessment test. What I really like about Eggpress is that I can adjust my son’s level whenever I would like, but this year I didn’t adjust his year I am letting him rework Eggpress from the very beginning and letting the program adjust for him. I am looking for holes he may have so I can reinforce and review those skills. Reading Eggs Eggpress encourages your students to work on the lessons by giving them targets to hit and earn rewards. The English skills area is phenomenal it not only reinforces grammar it works on spelling. The library section in Eggpress has a nice selection of books on different subjects. My son loves the science section of books, and he is running through the books. Eggpress is definitely for the older kiddos and it just works so well for us and where we are in our homeschooling. I really love the new addition of the journal to Reading Eggs it is great that Reading Eggs is also adding social-emotional learning and mindfulness to the platform.

If you are looking for an online reading program for your family for children ages 2-13, I highly recommend Reading Eggs. Reading Eggs is one of the most trusted learning platforms among homeschooled families. The Crew members have all loved Reading Eggs, so check out the other crew member’s reviews by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingeggsUSCA/community/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/readingeggs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingeggs/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/readingeggs/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/readingeggs

6th Grade, 7th Grade, Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Middle School Math

TabletClass Math: Pre-Algebra Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

As we move through our current school year my mind is always focused on the future of upper-level math for my son. We are pretty much set for this school year for math curriculums, but I have been wondering if we are on the right track for Algebra. I was given the opportunity to review TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra.

TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra is an online math curriculum with pre-recorded lectures. There is a student and parent portal, student portal is where your student will do their coursework. I really do like the parental portal it gives you an in-depth understanding of the curriculum along with answer keys. Once the student completes the course student you can print out a certificate. The parent portal is easy to use and gives you a pacing guide which I really love because it shows you the different levels of pacing from slower, average, and accelerated. Having this pacing guide will allow you to use TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra as it best works for your family.

TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra is a little long and reminds me of a traditional classroom lecture. Mr. Zimmerman opens the class by him teaching the lesson on a whiteboard, I really like this method of teaching because it encourages students to take notes. We are working on taking notes in our other curriculums and I am always on my son about taking accurate notes in his current math curriculum. I like how Mr. Zimmerman uses highlighting as he teaches the lessons, my son loves to highlight. I had my son watch a few of the videos and asked him what he thought of this teaching style, and if would it be something he would like to try, and he did point out to me that lessons are long, but he likes how Mr. Zimmerman writes great notes and teaches slowly each of the steps. I totally agree with his observations, and for this reason, I will pull this out when we are really struggling with a concept.

Parent Portal

How to Complete a Lesson

Students will take notes from the instruction video, I highly recommend you encourage your student to do this. After they watch the instruction video students will then work on the example problems, which are available to print out or students can work in a notebook. Once the student completes the first set of examples problems, they can go to the video that is marked for that section of problems and check their answers or correct the problems they didn’t get correct. I love this self-correcting option because Mr. Zimmerman walks them through the steps of each problem and your student can see what they did wrong and make the adjustments accordingly.

Student Portal

There are sixteen chapters in TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra currently out of those sixteen chapters I can honestly say that my son has had exposure to each of the topics covered. Now I said exposure not mastery, so with that being said will start from chapter one. One of the things I really enjoyed was Mr. Zimmerman’s tone of voice/pace, visual aids, and bits of humor in the lessons. I felt like he was having a conversation with the students rather than talking at them and rushing through the concept. My son watched the first video and instantly caught on to the concept being explained and didn’t feel overwhelmed.

What I found different about TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra is they really concentrate on those pre-algebra concepts that I remember in 8th and 9th grade. If your students don’t have the proper foundation for basic elementary skills, you will know right away once you start TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra. My son is almost 10 years old and works at a 6th-grade math level he had no problem looking over the topics we previewed, so I highly recommend you make sure your student has basic and early middle school math skills nailed.

Overall Review

I really like TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra it gives me that old-school way of learning upper-level math. Notetaking is a huge plus in my opinion because it is setting your student up for success with math and independent learning. The self-correcting alongside Mr. Zimmerman is also a plus because it not only helps your student to see their errors but also allows the parent to help students. The self-correcting also helps support your student with the organization. I don’t know how many times I have to tell my student to show his work in his current curriculum and have to explain why he needs to make this a habit. Mr. Zimmerman wants your student to show their work so they can review and better understand.

We will defiantly be using TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra once we finish our last 10 lessons in our current math curriculum to bridge the gap until we start our new curriculum in January. I would love to fit it into our rotation now, but I want us to finish these last 10 lessons first. I highly recommend this curriculum if you are looking for pre-algebra support. TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra also works well for those independent learners and for those families looking to help transition their students to independent learning. TabletClass Math Pre-Algebra tests and exams are also a big plus for me. I know some homeschoolers aren’t big on tests and exams, but I do like to have something that reflects that my student understands what he has been learning and use these results to help me with lesson plans and for his portfolio.

Be sure to check out the other crew member’s reviews of TabletClass Math by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tabletclassmath
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tabletclassacademy/tabletclass-math/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tabletclass

Critical Thinking and Logic, Education, Family, Games and Apps, Homeschool Family

SmartGames: IQ Six Pro Review

Little Learner and Mom

I received IQ Six Pro from Timberdoodle Co. in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This year as part of our electives I am making more of an effort to work on critical thinking and logic skills. I am so serious about us spending more time working on logic I have made it a family affair. We were given the opportunity to review SmartGames IQ Six Pro to review. Smart Games IQ Six Pro is included in the 2022 Ninth-Grade Curriculum Kit Timberdoodle Co. and rightfully so because this game is great for younger and older students.

SmartGames

SmartGames is award-winning company, that creates educational and inspiring games for kids for all ages. We are no strangers to this company we have owned several of their games when my son was younger. SmartGames work on providing games that children and adults will play and learn. SmartGames target the following areas:

  • Cognitive Skills
  • Social Skills
  • Language Skills
  • Build Confidence

At SmartGames we believe Learning through Play is one of the most important concepts in childhood development. Through play children can learn cognitive, social and language skills, and build the self-confidence needed to navigate challenges in life.

SmartGames

IQ SIX PRO

IQ Six Pro is a compact game, but just because it is small doesn’t mean that it is not mighty. The game comes with game board with a clear lid. Inside the little box you will find the 12 game pieces and instructional manual. The game is for ages eight years and older and includes 120 puzzles and their solutions. There are four levels of gameplay starter, junior, expert, master, and wizard. The game can be played 2D (inside box and on back on the back of box) and 3D. I am personally still working out the kinks with the 3D version. The 2D gameplay has been fabulous for us to play as a family. The instructions are easy to follow, and you will find yourself having to really think about the solutions and the outcomes before placing your pieces.

The gameplay simple your goal is to place the pieces as the challenges tells you and then fit the remaining pieces into the original challenge. Sounds easy right? Well, that’s where the critical thinking comes into play because there is only 1 solution. IQ Six Pro is like a handheld interactive Tetris game and but better.

So, this is how my family used IQ Six Pro Wednesday nights is family logic game night. Like I said previously we are longtime users of SmartGames so we own a few of their compact games. I set our games out and we all grab a game and start playing, but because IQ Six Pro was new, we all wanted to jump in a play. So we set a timer and each person got 3 mins to try to solve the puzzle then we would switch and sometimes we would play the one challenge together taking turns trying. My husband who was super confident he had this in the bag quickly finish challenges we told him he had to do a wizard level. Sure, enough he got stumped and spent a lot of time working the challenge.

My son uses IQ Six Pro as part of his brain breaks and logic learning rotations. He prefers the interactive games over any book logic work. He has worked his way up to the master level. I have noticed he will do previously challenges over and will time himself. We have taken IQ Six Pro on car rides; vacation and he even took it to his summer camp and introduced it to his friends.

We really like IQ Six Pro and I plan to give my mother one for her birthday and send a set to my sister for the holidays. It makes a great stocking stuffer and fits well in a morning basket. Just a few minutes a day your student can work on their critical thinking skills and have fun. What really like about IQ Six Pro is that it is screen free and he really has to work to get the solution.

2022 Ninth-Grade Curriculum Kit Timberdoodle Co.

Smart Games IQ Six Pro is a great compact game for the entire family. We plan to invest in many more of these compact games over the next few months to add to our collection. You can also get your own Smart Games IQ Six Pro from Timberdoodle Co. and it is also included in the 2022 Ninth-Grade Curriculum Kit. I would like to thank Timberdoodle Co. for sending this great game to add to our collection.

Until the Next,

Mom and J