I was recently sent a copy of Language Smarts C for my daughter to look at and for me to review. It is sold by the Critical Thinking Company.

My daughter finds this book challenging, and in a way, I think that’s a good thing. For example, in one of the excercises, my daughter has to write directions. Most language arts curriculums don’t make kids figure out how to do things like this. In a section on a certain kind of vowels, like vowel digraphs, kids find the word that has the digraph, then they have to think of one that has their own.

There are a lot of pages in this book… 314. It is a workbook, so it can’t be reused. It sells for $39.99. This book practices a lot of different concepts, from spelling, to writing, to capitalization and categorizing. I’m not sure if I would use it as a complete curriculum, but it might be a fun way to practice concepts that you are learning. This might work for some children as a complete curriculum, but I’m not sure that it’s enough for my child.

We currently use this book a couple of times a week, in place of Switched On Schoolhouse Language Arts, which I don’t plan on using another year. It gives her a little variety, and I like how she has to think “outside the box” when she is doing this. It can be a little frustrating for her, but I think that it’s good for her to stretch her brain every now and then, and it’s not so frustrating that she gives up.

Tektoma uses a program called GameMaker to make it easier to create video games. Younger children, like my daughter, may need help downloading and installing the program, and adding the resource files to the desktop.

My daughter was very excited to give Tektoma a try. She likes to play video games (what seven-year-old doesn’t) and had grand ideas of creating the next Super Mario Brothers. For us, reality was a little different.

The program is good, and as an adult, it is easy to follow along. Tektoma has videos that you follow along on your computer. You open the same files, see (almost) the same things on your screen, and create the same video game features. In the process your child is learning how to create video games. There are basic videos, like learning how to make a race car game or an arcade game, as well as more advanced games.

My daughter had a little trouble with these tutorials. She’s on the younger range of the kids these videos are made for, and that might be why she was having some difficulty. The video tutor used the Pro version of GameMaker, while we had the free version. There were slight variations between what was on the video, and what was on our screen, and I think that it threw her off. I tried to help her, but she was already frustrated.

I think that in a year or two, my daughter would be able to follow along a little bit better, and she would enjoy these tutorials a little bit more. If she expresses an interest in computer programming when she gets older (particularly game making), we will probably take another look at it.

You can try them out for 14 days for free. This would give you enough time to see if these tutorials are at the right level for your child.

I was recently sent a copy of two books by Zeezok publishing: Handel at the Court of Kings and Robert Schumann and Mascot Ziff. This is sold as a pack of two as part of their Great Musician’s Series.

There are many ways that a homeschool family can go about using this book. We have decided to read the book together. I have my daughter read some of the shorter paragraphs, while I read the longer paragraphs. We’ll read the story together, and then we’ll listen to the musical passages in the story.

There are several things that my daughter learns while reading this story with me. For one, she learns how to read longer words. Many of the words are fairly difficult for seven-year-olds, or at least for mine. Some of these words include orchestra, clavichord, conductor, and Medici. She is also able to learn a little bit about the lives of these musicians, and about the times they lived in. It’s done in a way that is not intimidating or difficult. When I asked my daughter what she thought about these books, she said that they were “cool.”

Each book has a study guide that goes along with the books. Each of the four chapters has a timeline in the study guide that lists what was going on in the world at the time, reading comprehension questions, notes of interest, and character qualities that the musician displayed. We haven’t really used these much, mostly because reading the book seems to be just about the right amount of work for my daughter. They would probably come in handy for older kids though.

We are able to do about a half chapter a day. We tried a whole chapter the first day, and it was a bit much for my daughter. Each book is four chapters long.

There are music notes in the book that young piano players, with a little bit of experience, can play. It uses two hands, but no chords. It’s a little advanced for my little girl to play, but would be useful for musicians with a little more experience.

We use these books in music class, but you could also use them in reading class, unit studies, or perhaps history.

Choo Choo! All Aboard the Good News Express! I was sent a copy of The Cheerful Grump to review by the Passkeys Foundation. Just who is the Passkeys Foundation? They are trying to help kids build better character (and don’t we need a little more of that in these days? They offer grants to elementary schools to implement a character-building curriculum, have an essay contest for middle schoolers, and assist with mentoring (which kids undergoing difficult situations at home could really use). As far as I know, they seem to be a great organization, but do they have good products?

The Cheerful Grump is one of four stories from the Good News Express book series. The entire set of four can be purchased by the company for $20, or you can purchase books individually for $7.50. They accept credit, debit, and even Paypal (but not Discover Card).

So what do you get for your money? Well, just taking a look at Amazon.com prices for other hardback books (which is what you get), almost every book costs more than $7.50. Plus, the Good News Express books all come with a CD with the stories and songs. So you’re getting a pretty good deal, especially if you buy four for $20.

But is the book any good? The book is geared towards 3 to 5 year olds, but kids this age won’t be able to read it on their own, unless they’re headed for genius. The book has many two syllable names, and the name of one of the characters, Evangeline, is four syllables long. My seven-year old can read this book, however, and she keeps it in her room and reads it sometimes at night. I read this book to my three-year-old, and it kept him interested. So I would say that this book is something that many kids would enjoy.

Not only is the book good, but the book teaches about having a good attitude, even when things don’t go your way. Even adults can use that lesson from time to time. The main character, Bramwell, is excited for Card-Writing Day, where he could write beautiful cards with rhymes for all of his friends. Unfortunately, he trips and breaks his arm, and can’t write. Although his friends try to cheer him up, he cannot be consoled, because now he can’t write notes.

He ends up talking to someone else who is worse off than him, and he realizes that he doesn’t need to have a grumpy attitude, and that he can still make people feel better, even if he can’t write cards for a while.

The illustrations are cute and the book is generally well-written. The only thing that I would say could be improved in this book is that the six main characters aren’t really introduced well, although a child reading this book over and over again probably wouldn’t need that. I think that this book could use quite a few more than four books in the series too. I really like the concept of these books, and my kids enjoy it.

This book is well worth checking out. I think that kids through elementary school could enjoy this book. You will have to read this book to younger kids, but readers will probably want to take this and keep it with the rest of their library.

A short while ago, I was given the chance to try out Kinderbach for free, in exchange for a review.  My kids loved it!  Even my three-year-old enjoyed it.  If you have a keyboard at home and small children, Kinderbach is an excellent introduction to both music and to the keyboard. Kinderbach is created for children ages 3 to 7… my seven year old enjoyed it as much as my three-year-old, but older children might find the program to be immature for them.

Kinderbach has a schedule with daily lessons for your kids to enjoy.  There are games and activities, coloring sheets, and video lessons to help kids become acquainted with the keyboard and how to play it.

I remember when I was in the first grade, I played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” at a talent show. I didn’t know how to find the starting key, so I played it all in sharps. Woops. It was okay though, because I was six. I didn’t have any formal piano lessons, so I didn’t know that the way that the black keys were grouped together would tell you where to start playing a piece. Kinderbach uses the lovable Dodi the Donkey (who has a house on the piano keyboard) to help kids find the notes that they need, so they can find the right note to start a song like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on.

Some of the games my kids liked to go back to. Like there was a high-low game where you would stand up on the high notes, and squat down on the low notes. My seven and my three year olds love that one!

Music education has been part of our school since Kindergarten. We have BJU Music K, 1, and 2, and by far, I prefer Kinderbach, and so do my kids. Kinderbach isn’t going to teach your kids to be maestros, but they will give them a good introduction. I will probably buy some of the upper levels on DVD for my kids next year, they like it so much. Considering that I pay more than $100 per year for the BJU curriculum, Kinderbach’s DVD cost of $40.45 per 10 week course is a bargain. You can also get the lessons over the internet for $19.95 a month, or $95.88 for a year.

As an adult who sings in my church choir, I know far too many adults that don’t know how to play an instrument, or even read music. If you want your children to be able to read and play music, Kinderbach is a great introduction for small children!

We all know the story of the Tortoise and the Hare… a hare bragged about how fast he was, and decided to race a slow tortoise. Of course, the hare dawdles and then falls asleep in the middle of the race, and the tortoise ends up finishing he race first. Maestro Classics has remade the story of The Tortoise and the Hare to music. Maestro Classics makes quite a few of these CD versions of classic stories to music. Me and my daughter were sent a copy to review.

The story of the Tortoise and the Hare is about 21 minutes long. The CD also comes with additional information about the story and about the music, and encourages you to learn a little bit more about the music that plays in the background. After you listen to the information about the story, you are encouraged to listen to the story again.

While my daughter enjoyed listening to the story the first time, she didn’t really care for listening to it a second time. I think that she would enjoy the story more if she had listened to it for a second time on a different day. Being seven, my daughter sometimes has a low attention span.

These stories could have several applications. They could be used in a music appreciation class, or they would make good stories for preschoolers to listen to during quiet time, at home or in a day care setting. The stories are good for pre-readers that like to listen to books on tape as well.

Each book on tape comes with a little booklet with activities, like dot-to-dots and word scrambles. My daughter loves doing those.

I like how this story has a good moral to it, that it discourages pride, and encourages going on, even when it’s difficult. There are many stories out today that don’t offer these good values.

I was recently sent a copy of Gymathics by Exploramania to review. Gymathics is a workout program that combines exercise with learning math concepts. This video would be great for kids that learn best while jumping around or moving, or kinesthetically. It would also be a great video for kids that need a little extra physical education.

I’ve done a lot of workout videos myself, and this DVD goes through all the different stages that should be present in a good workout: warm-up, the main exercise segment, and cooling down. It takes the kids through stretching… but instead of stretching like a regular exercise program, it teaches lines, circles, and other shape concepts. Kids learn things like place values and patterns while they exercise.

The video features kids of several ages. My daughter was a little upset that they didn’t have a girl that was her age in the video though. I think they could have had a couple of kids that were younger, along with the one adult. The math facts in this video are targeted towards the 2nd through 5th grade age group, but a couple of their kids looked older than that.

Unfortunately, our video had some technical difficulties. We were able to watch the video, but the sound cut out for some reason during the main exercise segments. That allowed us to watch the video, but without sound. I know that most DVDs are not like this, but it did cut down on my daughter’s enjoyment of this video. She is not really a kinesthetic learner, although she does like to color during our history lessons. She goes to gymnastics twice a week, so she really doesn’t need the exercise. I think my nephew would really like a video like this; he loves to move around.

Virginia Soap Samples

Their soap is great. These soaps are real soap, not detergent (which is what most soaps that you buy in the store are). After using these soaps, you will (literally) be squeaky clean. They smell great too. Not only do these soaps smell great, they made my whole bathroom smell great. I enjoyed all the soap scents, and they all did an excellent job of cleaning.

Shampoo Bar

The shampoo bar didn’t work well on me. I have very long, fine hair (I could donate to Locks of Love today and my hair could still reach to my shoulderblades). It was hard to work up a good lather with that much hair; to be fair, I use quite a bit of conventional shampoo as well. The shampoo made my hair feel clean; however, it felt like it was stripped of its oils at the same time. Even after I used conditioner, I didn’t like the way the shampoo bar made my hair feel the next day.

The shampoo bar did work well with my son, who has short, curly hair. I rubbed the shampoo bar over his head, lathered it up, and rinsed it off. He’s three, and it didn’t bother him. His hair felt fine afterwards. I think that the shampoo would work best with normal hair that is not hard to take care of. If you always have to use conditioner when you wash your hair (and 2 in 1 conditioner or the cheap stuff will not do) it may not work for you. I wouldn’t try it on my daughter’s hair; she has to use leave-in conditioner on her hair every time she brushes her hair, and the only conditioner that we have found that works costs $5 a bottle.

Why Should You Buy from Virginia Soaps and Scents?

I’m concerned with all the chemicals that I find in the products I buy. Just this January, I noticed some news articles about High Fructose Corn Syrup containing mercury. Aspartame caused memory loss for me, and of course, even though doctors deny it, there’s that potential connection between vaccines and autism. The problem with chemicals isn’t just limited to the products that we eat or put into our bloodstream, skin creams can be absorbed and the chemicals in them can cause problems too. So buying a soap product that is just soap, and not a lot of crazy chemicals that I can’t pronounce, makes a lot of sense.

Virginia Soaps and Scents is a family-owned company. In a day when nearly everything is made in China and you have no clue whether the person producing your products was working in a sweatshop (or even a prison), it’s good to be able to purchase a product made by good people, and to support workers in the United States.

I was recently sent a copy of Sarah’s Wish by Jim Baumgardner. I have been reading it with my daughter, a chapter a night, on nights that we can find the time. We’ve been so busy, that we’re on chapter 12 or 14 (although I have to admit, I’ve peeked a little ahead). Although we’re not finished with the book yet, we have been really enjoying it.

Sarah’s Wish is a book that is set in 1858. I have read the American Girl Felicity books to my daughter, as well as the Little House on the Prairie books; although these books happen a few decades before or after Sarah’s Wish, the lives they lead are similar, so my daughter isn’t a stranger to the setting. Sarah is an orphan girl looking for a set of parents. She also has a secret: she has helped free slaves along the underground railroad.

I love this book for several reasons. First, it is an interesting storyline. You care about the characters. They are colorful, and the dialogue is interesting. Secondly, I love how it deals with historical topics of the time. Although I do teach history in school, and we are covering the time period prior to the Civil War in our American History portion of class (I spend the other half of our history time covering Medieval History), my daughter is more likely to be more interested in steamships and the underground railroad if she hears about it in a book. This book brings the time period, and some of the issues of the day, to life. I also like this book because it is a book of Christian values: the people go to church, and although the book isn’t preachy, the characters live Christian lives.

My daughter would like the next book in the series, Sarah’s Promise, for Christmas.

While Amazon.com doesn’t list the reading level for Sarah’s Wish, it does list the reading level for Sarah’s Promise, the next book in the series, at ages 9-12. The book is too difficult for my daughter to read on her own, but it is just about right for me to read to her.

So, will Sarah get her wish for a new family? I read ahead to find out, but I’m not going to tell you. You’ll have to read it for yourself if you want to know.

When I was asked to review Nature Friend magazine, I was pretty excited. My daughter loves Your Big Backyard, and my little boy really likes Wild Animal Baby. I thought that a Christian nature magazine would be just perfect for my daughter. My little girl loves getting Your Big Backyard every month, would she feel the same way about Nature Friend?

After reviewing Nature Friend, I have concluded that my daughter is not ready for the magazine. There were some things that she loved about it, but there were some things that were a little difficult for her.

The things that she loved included the vivid photography and the “invisibles” (hidden pictures). The articles were great, but they were too hard for her.

I think that the magazine is great. There are articles about different kinds of animals, pictures and poems sent in by readers, puzzles, a how to draw segment, and experiments that you can do. The issues come with a study guide that help you enhance your learning. In a year or two, I think that my daughter would really like this. Perhaps this will be the magazine that we choose when she outgrows Your Big Backyard, because I’ve heard that Ranger Rick promotes evolution heavily, which is a shame, because I enjoyed it as a kid.

The magazine does not contain advertising, and is about 23 pages long.

I think that Nature Friend magazine would be great if they expanded and created a magazine for younger children, as well as what they are doing now.

If your child is ready for Nature Friend, and you’d like to order a subscription before November 30th, don’t use the Amazon.com link! You can get a better deal if you order straight from the source at Nature Friend Magazine. Use coupon code BLOG93 to save $3 off your order. They also sell a year’s worth of back issues at a time, and between now and November 30th, you can get them for 30% off, on their site, if you use the coupon code HBV30P .