4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Education, Family, History, Homeschool

Beautiful Feet Books: Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State Review!

Little Learner and Mom

(Gifted)

Little Learner and Mom were once again given the honor of showcasing more of Beautiful Feet Books History and Science History curriculums. Our family was sent the Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State. I was very impressed by the selection of picture books and equally impressed by the books included in the rabbit trails and library recommendations.

When you think of history does California come to mind? Probably not, because when teaching US History we traditionally think about the eastern coast of the United States first and don’t usually venture further west until after the Civil War. Well while the east coast history plays a significant part in US History Beautiful Feet Book Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State brings the excitement about the West Coast.

Beautiful Feet Books curriculums are a Charlotte Mason-inspired. The company creators are homeschoolers themselves and have been inspiring families for 30 years with their beautiful illustrated literature.

To help homeschool parents ignite wonder and connect with their kids through the best stories and guided lessons.

Beautiful Feet Books History and Science History curriculums

Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State starts its journey through California’s rich history with the Ice Age. Students will embark on learning about animals during this time period and natural disasters. My learner and I spent time researching the La Brea Tarpits and the weather conditions of the world during the Ice Age. I thought of some fun movies (Ice Age animated series) and suggested documentaries suggested in the lesson guide. Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State covers history, geography, nature study, culinary history, and art study. Each lesson is estimated to take an hour for grades 4-6. You can find a complete scope and sequence on the product page.

Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State includes:

  • Teacher Guide
  • 80 Multi-Sensory Lessons
  • Blank Notebook
  • 17 Books
  • Downloadable timeline sheet

What is intriguing about Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State is the inclusive diversity of lessons presented. I was very pleased to see the inclusivity of African Americas and Asian Americans in the later lessons. Indigenous studies were included throughout the lessons as well which were done respectfully and with attention to detail. The selection of books was broad and packed with beautiful illustrations that held my 5th grader’s interest.

My son enjoyed the relaxed feel of learning about California he really spent time writing his journal and adding to his notes. We spent time painting, reading, and engaging in discussions about animals, culture, and global perspectives of California. We visited the story Kalifia as a rabbit trail we went down. He really enjoys geography, art, and culture.

Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State is meant to be covered in a complete school year. I can see how one can make this their entire year’s history because it is so much you can do that will combine other historical information about the US in this one curriculum. I hope that in the near future that Beautiful Feet Books will add more states because there is so much to unpack in US History.

What I did notice is when it was time to do the lessons we set up the environment. My son cleared our table and prepared a light snack, set out the materials, and turned on the diffuser with little lavender essential oils. I always made sure there was something art relative for us to do while I was reading the literature for that lesson. He did art, snacked and we talked. I don’t know what it was about setting up the environment this way but it made our lessons enjoyable and special.

We will be stretching this curriculum over the next 2 years and it will become our special interest history. I want to take our time with this one because along with what the curriculum provides I want to be able to include more historical information during certain time periods.

Library finds we added to our studies

At the time of this review Around California with Children’s Books Pack: A History of the Golden State cost is $252.95.

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Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Math, Middle School Math

Unlock Math: Unlock Math Foundations Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary Product Received!

I have 2 words to say FRACTIONS AND DECIMALS!!! Talk about a major panic button hit for this mama. My son LOVES fractions, but we started moving into higher-level fraction lessons and I started to panic. Just as I am panicking I look over the coming lessons and BAM DECIMALS!! This mama was a nervous wreck until the Squad was offered the opportunity to review Unlock Math!

What is Unlock Math

Unlock Math is an online multi-sensory math curriculum for 6th-12 grade. Unlock Math was created by a fellow homeschool family, which is a major plus in my opinion. If you are like me I am also refreshing myself while my son is working through the lessons. We are working our way through Unlock Foundations. Unlock Math covers six math discipline areas and a foundational course. The five areas of courses offered are:

  • Foundations
  • Pre-Algebra
  • Algebra 1
  • Algebra 2
  • Geometry
  • Pre-Calculus

Students are engaged from the start Unlock Math provides interactive questions with a continuous review for long-term retention. All review questions, as well as tests and quizzes, also provide links for your student to review if needed. There are step by step guidance for each solution if they respond incorrectly. The parent dashboard is comprehensive there is auto-grading, pacing guides, reports, and parent resources. The student dashboard is detailed with guides and a printable math textbook. Unlock Math has fabulous online customer service and math tutoring at no additional cost.

My son is working his way through the Unlock Foundations curriculum. The Unlock Foundations is perfect for us at this time because it is preparing him for pre-algebra and finding gaps and making sure he has a solid foundation of fundamentals skills he needs in order to be successful in Pre-Algebra.

How Does It Work?

Unlock Foundations is divided into thirteen comprehensive units and within those units there are six to thirteen lessons depending on the unit. What I really liked about the Unlock Foundations is that the lessons include an introduction and printable reference notes. As the students begin the lesson they will work through 6 steps:

  • Warm-Up (Material from the day before)
  • Instructional Video (Introduction to new concept)
  • Practice Problems
  • Stay Sharp Exercises (Covers previous lesson concept practice)
  • Challenge Yourself (Stretches their math knowledge)
  • Quiz, Review Test ( Every 2-3 days 5 question quiz, then unit test and midterm)

Our Experience with Unlock Foundations

My son is working his way through the Unlock Foundations curriculum. The Unlock Foundations is perfect for us at this time because it is preparing him for pre-algebra and finding gaps and making sure he has a solid foundation of fundamentals skills he needs in order to be successful in Pre-Algebra. At the time of beginning Unlock Foundations my son was working on decimals in his math curriculum so we started with unit ten decimals. My son has some experience working with decimals but I wanted to see how Unlock Foundations Unit 10 Decimals would measure up with my son’s math curriculum so I had him work on the Unlock Foundations unit 10 decimals lesson first then the next day we worked in my son’s math curriculum. I was pleasantly surprised that my son instantly did really well and used several of Unlock Foundations terminology while doing the lesson. He had no issues with the concept and when comparing the two curriculums Unlock Foundations went deeper into the concept than my son’s curriculum when we got to a certain area in his math textbook he nailed the concept.

For the earlier units in Unlock Foundations, I had my son complete the quizzes first after I reviewed the concepts topics because I didn’t want him to have to work on concepts he had previously mastered. At the time of this review my son has worked on 16 lessons and will continue to work through Unlock Foundations.

In Conclusion

Unlock Math is a comprehensive math curriculum that can be done digitally, hard copy, or a combination of both. You can also use it alongside any math curriculum as well as a supplement. Unlock Math’s multi-sensory approach really appeals to my learning, it is not overly distracting for him and it is to the point and easy to follow. I have used it personally to refresh my math skills so I can better help my student. If my student finishes foundations earlier within our 1-year subscription we can move to another Unlock Math curriculum at no extra charge.

The cost of Unlock Math is $299 per student for the year and you need to select which curriculum works best for you. We will continue to use Unlock Math over the summer for our summer math enrichment as well over the Fall. I highly recommend Unlock Math for homeschoolers and if you have a student who is entering middle school Unlock Foundations is a great way to ensure they have full mastery of skills before moving on to higher-level math.

Until the next time,

Mom and J

Curriculum, Family, Homeschool, Spanish

Whistlefritz: Educator’s Spanish CollectionReview!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: Complimentary Product Received through the Homeschool Review Crew!

When my son was younger I had a bad habit of speaking Spanglish to him. While I do speak Spanish fluently my son still has a bad Spanglish habit. The Crew was given the opportunity to review Whistlefritz Educator’s Spanish Collection and Educator’s French Collection and we choose to review the digital Educator’s Spanish Collection.

My son already takes 1:1 Spanish classes with a wonderful Maestra who is located in Columbia. He meets with her 2 days a week for an hour. She is the real deal and we love her no English in her class is permitted. While he meets with her 2 days a week and she assigns homework. I wanted to also reinforce what he was learning in class and that’s where Educator’s Spanish Collection digital comes in.

Educator’s Spanish Collection is a fun at home Spanish program for kids preschool to early elementary they provide DVD or Digital language learning videos, music, and lessons plans. They also offer a free home educators guide for homeschoolers. The Educator’s Spanish Collection comes with:

  • Detailed Lesson Plans
  • Digitals Videos
  • Digital music
  • Matching cards

Whistlefritz is a language immersion program, your students are immediately introduced to the language. I personally prefer a total immersion approach I feel students pick up the language better. I also like that music is included in the program because when learning a new language it’s important that you not only immersed yourself into the language but also into the culture. It is was nice that the program has a native speaker doing the videos.

Los Animales with Spanish subtitles
Los Animales with English subtitles
Total Immersion all Spanish no subtitles!

Whistlefritz Educator’s Spanish Collection is geared towards ages one to seven years old. I wish I had this program when my son was younger because I probably could have avoided his Spanglish habits. Now we used Educator’s Spanish Collection a little differently from how it was intended. Since we are Spanish speaking family I was more interested in my son working on his ability to and write Spanish. The 174 page educators guide was perfect for this practice. I decided to take the lessons and write them on our big board and he needed to fill in in the blanks in his notebooks, I also did dication practice and he had to write down what I was saying in his notebook and use the correct the vocabulary word.

Educator’s Spanish Collection videos are colorful and packed with tons of vocabulary. The use of puppets and children of all ages and ethnic backgrounds is a huge plus. The fun songs are easy to learn and enjoyable. I didn notice that the digital version only came with 4 sheets of the matching card game, but I am thinking this may be and error because there are suppose to be 50 cards. We used those cards we did have for vocabulary and I plan to reach out to the company to get the other cards.

I highly recommend Whistlefritz Educator’s Spanish Collection for younger students, the program provides a solid spanish beginning foundations. I love how the instructor speaks in Spanish naturally and at the correct pace. Some may find this difficult but this immersion stops the unnatural flow of the language. The progma is engaging and the 40 lessons provide parents with helpful ways to teach Spanish. Whistlefritz Educator’s Spanish Collection is geared to younger learners, but it works well for older students for learning a second language.

I did have my son watch a few of the videos that were in Spanish only. I did this because he is familiar with Spanish only and I am I trying to break those habits of Spanglish.

Be sure to check out the other Crew’s reviews of Whistlefritz Educator’s Spanish Collection and Educator’s French Collection by clicking the banner below.

Grammar, Homeschool, Language Arts

Institute for Excellence in Writing: Fix It! Grammar Level 4!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew!

It is so great to be able to review the revised editions of Institute for Excellence in Writing Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan grades 6-8 and Fix-It Grammar Cards. If you missed my previous reviews of Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse and Level 3 Robin Hood be sure to check out those reviews here. So let’s jump into Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan.

Just like levels 2 and 3 Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan received a revision. Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan also include:

  • Scope and sequence
  • Table Contents
  • Proofreed Marks
  • Vocabulary Chart
  • Grammar fixes checklist
  • Writing space

What I really love with Fix-It Grammar curriculums is they continue to build off of each level. So if your student has done the previous levels they will easily transition into the next level. Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan don’t disappoint it follows the same setup as the previous levels. Even though my son is still working his way through Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse and will start Level 3 Robin Hood in the Fall, he was more than capable of completing the first few lessons in Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan, because it starts off in my opinion with a review and then it continues to build. With that being said my son has a solid foundation in grammar and is working his way through a rigorous spine grammar curriculum. I would recommend that you check out the scope of a sequence of Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan before selecting this level. I would also recommend that if your student has not worked in a Fix Grammar book you select the level below.

Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan builds on concepts taught in previous levels and presents a thorough explanation of additional punctuation rules, essential/nonessential clauses, complex sentence patterns, transitional prepositional openers, and more.

IEW

Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan follow the characters from Jungle Book. Okay, let me admit I had no idea who these characters were until my son told me. Once he told me I was like oh wow really I remember that movie. So the kids will read the sentences and then fix all the grammar, punctuation, and writing mechanics. Students also have daily vocabulary words to review, as well as rewrite the passage. Students complete one lesson per day which should take about 15 mins. The “Learn It” section which starts the week’s lesson off will review the concepts the student will be identifying over the course of the four-day lesson week. There are 30 weeks of lessons and I highly recommend you follow the daily schedule especially if you are using another language arts as your spine. In the back of the book, students will find the completed story and Fix-It Grammar, glossary, and more.

The Fix-It Grammar Cards are an excellent resource to use to help your student review the concepts and help them do the lessons. There are 30 durable colored cards that come complete with a digital list of games and activities. Be sure to check out the other Crew’s reviews by clicking the banner below.

Family, Geography, History, Homeschool, Unit Study

Celebrate States: Colorado Review !

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary Product Received!

Looking for a great way to explore the United States without leaving your home? Have you been interested in visiting a state and would like to get a glimpse of that state before leaving your home? If you answered yes to those questions then Celebrate States is a great way to bring a monthly state to your home.

Celebrate States is a monthly box subscription that features a new state every month. You will get a chance to learn about the history, geography, landmarks, and some of the local favorites.

We received the Colorado box for the month of March. Inside our guide we received:

🗺Colorado travel Guide and map.

🍬Sweet and savory treats from local shops.

🧼Lovely artisan scented soap.

🌲Beautifully crafted Aspen candle holder from the Rocky Mountains.

After going through the Celebrate States box we decided to dig deeper into some of the things he found of interest from the included travel guide. We watched a PBS documentary about the Rocky Mountains. The PBS documentary was very informative we learned about the:

  • Sicangu Lakota Oyate
  • San Luis Valley
  • Indian Boarding Schools
  • Gold Rush
  • Black in Denver Art Exhibit
  • Homesteading
  • The Railway
  • Natural Resources

We enjoyed the Colorado box it allowed us to have a connection to the state. The Celebrate States is a wonderful way to explore the United States with your family. This will make a great complement to homeschool geography lessons.

As you can tell we took the box and ran with it. It was nice to give my son a peek into the beautiful state of Colorado. This is a great addition to our study this upcoming year. I am going to reach out to the company and ask if we can get the Georgia box.

Until the next time,

Mom and J

Family, Games and Apps, History, Homeschool

Grandpa Beck’s Games: Antiquity Quest Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary Product Received!

We have been gaming it up with games sent to us from Grandpa Beck’s Games. This mom knows how much fun game schooling can be for us in our homeschool so we have been enjoying the Antiquity Quest card game.

Antiquity Quest

Antiquity Quest reminds me of the classic game Skipbo where you have to order your cards into sets. Antiquity Quest is for 2-8 players ages 10- up, gameplay averages 30-45 mins. Antiquity Quest can be played individually or as a team. The rules of the game are simple to follow and there are several how-to-play videos on Youtube. The object of the game is to score the most points by collecting the most sets. If you have a budding archaeologist Antiquity Quest is perfect for them as they go on the hunt to collect they try to make perfect collections of gems or antiquity cards.

Players can collect perfect collections but collect a perfect set of antiquity and gems cards from 1 to 5. You can also score with standard or mixed collections, but watch out because other players can wreck habits on your building collections by adding an odd number card to your collections. Antiquity Quest is a multi-play game so you will have to draw, play, and discard. There are special cards that can turn the game around.

Antiquity Quest cards are durable and colorful, the antiquity cards feature real pictures of ancient civilization artifacts. I do wish that a little background information was given about the artifacts as well as the different gems I think this little information would have added an educational component to the game.

Antiquity Quest is fast pace paced fun game that is great for family nights, co-ops, reunions, and game schooling. If you want to purchase a game use MelanatedGold15 to save 15% off any games you purchase.

Until the next time,

Mom and J

Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Writing

Memoria Press: Classical Composition I Fables!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary Product Received!

Classical Composition I: Fable

We are on a journey to find a supplement for our 5th-grade writing curriculum, so I have been considering a few options. The Squad was given the opportunity to review Memoria Press Classical Composition I: Fable Set for grade 4+.

Memoria Press is considered to be one of the leading companies in classical Christian education curriculums. The creates a curriculum that follows the classical education philosophy of liberal arts, quality literature, and the great thinkers of the western tradition. A great deal of Memoria Press curriculums contains Christian values and biblical scriptures. I personally didn’t find the Christian additions overwhelming or indoctrinating and I have reviewed several of Memoria Press‘s curriculums.

Classical Composition I: Fable Set

Classical Composition I: Fable Set comes with a teacher and student guide. The set we received came with the DVD but the company also has a streaming option. I will be reaching out to the company to inquire about receiving the streaming service because we don’t own a DVD player. I was able to find some helpful videos on the Memori Press Youtube channel.

There are 20 lessons to be completed each lesson is broken down into 4 pages. The Fable stage covers the first 14 steps to mastering writing. In the Fable stage, the students learn 3 plot components:

  • Recogintion – teaches to look parts of the story they can relate to.
  • Reversal – teaches to students identify the characters and see when their character roles reverse in the story.
  • Suffering – the conflict.

The students then move on to the variation section in which they have to come up with 3 synonyms for the words listed and then use the words they come up with in sentences. I highly recommend having a thesaurus or dictionary handy when doing this activity especially if you don’t have a student who has yet tapped into their creative writing. In the outline portion of the lesson, students will summarize the fable.

Paraphrase the students will rewrite the fable using anemographic, dendrographia, and ethopoeia . I know what you thinking WHAT, trust me when I say I was right there with you on this one. The teacher’s guide is a lifesaver with this curriculum you need this don’t skip it. Students need to use their online and variation part one to complete this part. Then students will need to rewrite the fable by reduction, meaning they need to pull out key details and leave out the extra details in their writing. Lastly, there are Variations part 2 which is a direct repeat of the Variations part 1, but with different words.

Our Review

Okay so I know I said a mouthful above and trust me if you have the opportunity to look over Classical Composition I: Fable Set you will get a better grasp of the flow of the lessons. You can also check out samples of lessons on the Classical Composition I: Fable Set product details page. At first a little unsure about this type of writing because it isn’t how I learned to write and I thought my son wouldn’t be really interested in the flow. After reading the teacher’s guide and looking over the lessons I started to really understand the flow a little better and how this really works for a student who is a creative or logical writer. My son doesn’t love to write but I think because this guided writing he isn’t left to just figure it out himself. While I know you may be thinking wouldn’t this just be the student copying another person’s work? In reality, they aren’t copying the work they are rather enhancing it and putting their own spin on it. I do like that it encourages the use of outlining because this is something I am very familiar with myself.

Classical Composition I: Fable there is parent involvement needed especially in those first few lessons. The DVD/Streaming is of great need for this curriculum, I wish I would have had access to the live streaming. If your student has not had any formal mechanics in writing lessons I highly recommend you review these skills before starting. I would recommend looking at Memoria Press Introduction to Composition. Classical Composition I: Fable will help your student learn how to organize writings and encourage some creative writings of other’s works which will hopefully translate into their own writings.

Classical Composition I: Fable is a contender for our upcoming 5th-grade writing curriculum. It would be used as a supplement to our spine for creative writing and switching things up.

Until the next time,

Mom and J

Education, Grammar, Homeschool, Language Arts, Writing

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW): Fix it Grammar Levels 2 and 3

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary product received!

When I was in school I didn’t love grammar, but since I have been homeschooling my son I have learned to love it. I am not the best at it but I am relearning along the way with him. We were sent Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse for grades 3-5th and Level 3 Robin Hood for grades 6-8th.

It was such a coincidence that I was getting ready to start my son on the older version of Level 2 Robin Hood when Institute for Excellence in Writing released the new books. I like the old books but I LOVE the new books. The redesign of the new books is super exciting. I love how the company added another book to the Fix-It Grammar lineup. The new Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse is a perfect bridge from Nose Tree.

We are very familiar with Institute for Excellence in Writing we have used Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level A Basic and the original Level 1 Nose Tree. I have really liked using both of the above mention products so I was really excited when I was asked to review the newly released Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse and Level 3 Robin Hood.

The new revised edition upgrades still feature the read it, mark it, fix it patterns which can be done in any order. The revised also includes:

  • Table of Contents
  • Proofreading chart
  • Scope and sequence charts
  • Weekly Vocabulary chart
  • List of Grammar Fixes
  • Indiviual daily pages
  • Writing space

My son has a strong grammar foundation and I was looking for a program that I could add as a complement to our current spine grammar curricula and Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse are perfect. Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse and Level 3 Robin Hood is 30 weeks of comprehensive incremental grammar lessons. There is a detailed scope and sequence on the Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse product detail page under the samples tab. Students will cover lessons that cover:

  • Parts of Speech
  • Captialization
  • Commas
  • Clauses
  • Homophones
  • Stylistic Techniques and much more.

The Level 3 Robin Hood also covers the same items of targeted grammar and mechanics. It reviews the concepts of the previous level while adding:

  • Additonal Comma Rules
  • Various phrasel/ Clause Concstructions
  • Quotations
  • Indefinite/ Demostrative/ Reflexive Pronouns
  • Much more

You can also find a sample of the scope and sequence of Level 3 Robin Hood on the product detail page under the samples tab. We haven’t started working in Level 3 Robin Hood as of yet because we started in Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse. We did however start working on the older version because that was originally the next level after the older version of Nose Tree. The company inserted the new Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse so now Level 3 Robin Hood is the 3rd book in the series. The insertion of a new level 2 is a great bridge between level 1 and level 3. I did feel like the old level 2 of Robin Hood was really heavy coming from Nose Tree.

I started my son in the Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse because we are working on a rigorous grammar curriculum and I wanted to use Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse as a way to lighten his load 3 days a week. We are currently on week 7 and he has really enjoyed working the lessons. At the beginning of each weekly lesson I sit down with him and go over the grammar instruction and for the rest of the week, he works on the lessons independently. Students only have to complete 4 days of lessons. So how do lessons go:

  1. Students learns or reviews grammar concept at the beginning of the week
  2. Check the bold vocabulary word (learn defination)
  3. Search for the grammar concepts in passage and correct puncuation
  4. Rewrite passage with corrections

The new design of the Fixt Grammar Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse and Level 3 Robin Hood is perfect because all of his work can be completed in the student book. Each day has its own page, unlike the old version where each sentence from the passage was to be completed on one page on a small line.

How We Do a Lessons

At the top of the lesson page, students have a list of what grammar concepts they need to search for and how they should identify them. I put little highlighted dots next to each one and I tell my son to check off each one he has found. The very top line of the rewrite area my son uses that for his vocabulary word definition. The Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse has primary lines for writing and Level 3 Robin Hood has regular lines with plenty of room for those students that like to write large.

Both of the levels include a downloadable vocabulary list that you can download and retrieve from your files on IEW. We also received the new Fix-It Grammar Cards I LOVE THESE!!!! You have no idea how much I love these cards we use them across our spine grammar curriculum. It is so hard to find grammar cards that are high quality and comprehensive. The great part is that the Fix-It Grammar Cards can use alongside all 6 levels of Fix-it Grammar books.

Looking to check out the other levels of Fix-It Grammar check out the other squad’s reviews by clicking the banner below and if you are curious out Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level A Basic review click this link here. Institute for Excellence in Writing Structure and Style for Students series is a great complement to Fix It Grammar levels. Be sure to be on the lookout for our upcoming review of Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan.

Until the next time,

Mom and J

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Education, Homeschool, Math

Educo Learning Center Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew!

Over the last few weeks, we have reviewed Educo Learning Center. Educo Learning Center is an online math platform for grades 1st-8th grade. Educo Learning Center our family received a one-year subscription for up to three students and a corresponding physical workbook for each student registered.

Educo Learning Center provides a comprehensive common core math program. The program provides students with questions that correspond with the workbook. If your student isn’t familiar with common core math, there may be a little of a learning curve for your student. We received the 5th-grade level and my student is familiar with many of the concepts but the concepts were taught differently. The 5th grade level of Educo Learning Center covers:

  • Real Numbers Systems and Operations on Numbers
  • Factors, Multiples, Exponents and Fractions
  • Decimals
  • Measurement
  • Ratio, Rates, Percents and Financial Literacy
  • Basic Geometery and Geometric Measurments
  • Patterns and Symmetry
  • Data Handling

During our review period, we worked on Chapter 6 Basic Geometry and Geometric Measurements. We choose this section is because this is the section we are currently working on in our math curriculum. This section was a great supplement to our math curriculum because it took our current lesson to a more in-depth learning lesson. Educo Learning Center gave us deeper instruction in two dimension shapes, triangles and quadrilaterals.

Educo Learning Center math workbook offers over 3000’s questions, with illustrations, tutorials, reviews, and critical thinking questions. The Educo Learning Center is a printed version of the online program. The online program provides great practice of what is covered in the workbook. The online tracks your student’s progress and times the students as they move through the practice.

One of the things I wish the program offered was the ability to toggle between grade levels. It would have been nice to be able to use the 6th grade online as well as toggle through the 4th grade just as a review for some concepts. I do believe the book and online are on grade level, but I do think there needs to be some flexibility in the toggling between grades. I think because I did see some concepts that are taught in unfamiliar presentations it would be to the benefit to look at other grade levels. The parent dashboard only allows you to see your student’s activity. There is no way to assign assignments or adjust grade levels. Educo Learning Center does have a brief orientation video, but I did find it hard to follow. My son and I both ran into some technical issues while working on the platform.

Educo Learning Center does require that your computer meet their software requirements. When logging your system is run through their diagnostic to check for compatibility. We were not able to use Educo Learning Center on our mobile devices, which was disappointing.

Overall I think Educo Learning Center may be a helpful resource for parents who are looking for more common core math practice. My son prefers the workbook so we will add it to our resources. The company does offer a trial for parents to try out before purchasing. Be sure to check out the other Crew’s reviews of Educo Learning Center by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EducoLC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/educoLC

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/educolearningcenter/

Education, Family, Games and Apps, Geography, Homeschool

SimplyFun: Dish Em Out and Eagle Chase Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary Product Received!

I have always been curious about SimplyFun Games for our homeschool, so we were given the opportunity to check out Dish Em Out and Eagle Chase I was excited to be a part of this review.

About SimplyFun

The company was launched in 2004, their unique educational games are designed to help students master skills through play. The games promote character building, educational skill development, cooperative play opportunities, and fun. With the growing rate of use of screens, SimplyFun brings fun to board games.

SimplyFun games are for kids ages 3 – 12+, and 2-5 players. The games are divided into 4 categories when purchasing:

  • Reading & Language Arts
  • Math & Stem
  • Social Science & Studies
  • Life & Thinking Skills

I really like how SimplyFun games accommodate all children learning and playing needs. When you select a game on the website the company gives you details on how to play, educational standards, skills, special needs, students with autism, and extended play. I know many parents will find this information handy when selecting games and it is also offered as a free download. There are also instructional videos for each of their games, this is a major plus.

Instead of simply teaching kids to play, could we create games that help them thrive?

Simply Fun

Dish ’em Out

Are you a fan of the game Dinner Dash? If so you are going to love playing Dish ’em Out. Dish ’em Out is a fast-paced game of logic and critical thinking skills. Your student is given the opportunity to run a breakfast diner, but the catch is you have to use your critical thinking skills to make sure you select the correct items to cook in enough time per each turn because some items have a faster cook time. The gameplay was super easy and my son enjoyed playing as if we were in a real diner cooking. I noticed my son spent time carefully deciding on what items to cook first, but also learned from his mistakes when he picked the wrong items and had to discard them and lose points.

Dish ’em Out is for 2-5 players ages 8 & up the game is all about strategy in order to gain the most points. Gameplay is about 30 mins but I can see it going 45 mins when you are first learning to play. I did use the videos on the SimplyFun website to learn to play. The cost of Dish ’em Out is in heavy rotation for family game night and when we just need a brain break from homeschool lessons.

Eagle Chase

Eagle Chase is a United States geography and history game, players will travel across the country learning about the states. Sound easy right? Well, it is not that easy some of the geographical/historical facts students may be familiar with and some you and your kids may not know. I again used the video on the SimplyFun website to learn to play. The objective of the game is to chase the wooden eagle around the board to win points. You have to play your location cards and chase cards as you move on your turns. You also earn points on locations you visit in your hand. The Chase cards can work to your advantage depending on what you choose to do. My son LOVED Eagle Chase because he really loves history and geography and let me just tell you we played this game every day for 2 weeks straight. I won 2 games and he won the rest.

Eagle Chase replaced our US geography lessons for 2 weeks and I welcomed it. The game is still in rotation we are averaging 2 plays a week. Eagle Chase is for 2-5 players ages 10 up with 30 mins of gameplay. He has learned more US geography/history these last few weeks than he has learned in an entire school year. He has always known his state’s locations but sometimes would get a few confused when looking at the map now he knows all 50 locations and flies around the Eagle Chase board with his token.

My overall impression of the company is very positive, they come across as family-friendly, dedicated, and provide quality products. The gameboards are beautifully designed and durable game pieces. I appreciate that they have games for older students and the game prices are reasonable. My goal is to try to purchase 1-2 games a month to use in our upcoming school year. Some of the games I am looking to purchase are Word Bits, Cash Out, Vinculum, Eye to Eye Bundle, and a few more on my wish list.

If you are looking for some educational games that your student will enjoy I highly recommend SimplyFun Games and the games mentioned in this review. At the time of this review Dish ‘em Out is $34.99 and Eagle Chase is $39.99 a great investment for your homeschool or home!

Until the next time,

Mom and J