RSS

Category Archives: Online courses and programs

Review of Math Rider

If you need a resource to help build your child’s accuracy, speed, and confidence in calculating math facts, Math Rider may be what you are looking for. math rider logo

We downloaded the program for this review to our PC desktop quickly and easily. Kenny took to it like a duck to water. He has used it every day as speed drill practice to increase his recall of math facts- addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of numbers 0-12. Seeing his progress on the map, riding over obstacles, watching his score and a graph of his increasing improvement has given him a much needed proficiency boost. As the youngest child, he has to deal with discouragement at times that his older siblings have mastered so many skills that he is still trying to conquer. Math Rider has helped him increase his speed and accuracy of recall and mental calculations, and I can see his confidence rise every time he plays.

Math Rider, which can be used with up to 8 students on a single license, has a broad appeal as well. Both boys and girls will enjoy riding their horse Shadow through the varied terrain of Mathland and completing tasks such as finding a flower that cures a virus, returning a diamond to the elves, and, of course, rescuing a princess. It is recommended for ages 6-12, but would be a great resource for an older child struggling with math mastery.

$math rider screen shot$

The background music is calm and pleasant. There are no weapons, nobody dies, and nothing blows up. Even so, Kenny enjoyed the fantasy background and the noble adventures, as well as the instant feedback of rewards for answering correctly and completing the quests. The scenes of the Land of Ray are beautiful and provide an interesting backdrop for the journey.

math rider product picture

The controls are simple- type the correct answer and press ‘enter’ to jump their horse Shadow over various obstacles. This means the student can focus on calculations and recall instead of handling complicated controls. At the desk that Kenny uses, we have a computer with a wireless keyboard that doesn’t have a number pad, so we are either going to get a new keyboard that includes a number pad, or just add a wireless number pad to our set up to make entering numbers a bit smoother and easier.

For the parent, Math Rider makes it easy to track progress and spot trouble areas. Graphs are provided that show not only correct/incorrect answers, but how quickly the child is calculating and recalling math facts. The game uses intelligent software that senses what the student has mastered, and focuses on the areas where they need more practice. The four operations are separated into their own quests so that students can work on a particular area and master that first before moving on.

math rider screen shot

We used Math Rider on our Windows Vista desktop, and it also works with a Mac. It uses Adobe® AIR™ runtime, and requires a screen resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. You can read about the specific system requirements on the Math Rider website.

Math Rider is a one-time download with free updates for life for $47. It is backed by a 30-day Satisfaction Guarantee. Or you can go to the Math Rider Home page, enter your email address, and receive a 7 day trial registration key and instructions to download Math Rider so you can try-before-you-buy.

Others on the Schoolhouse Review Crew used Math Rider- click on the banner below to check out what they had to say

Leave a comment

Posted by Susan Raber on April 24, 2013 in Math, Online courses and programs, Schoolhouse Crew Reviews

Tags: download math software, increase math proficiency, intelligent software, math games, math mastery, multiplication and division

Review of Supercharged Science

14 Apr

Regardless of your student’s learning style, the e-Science Online Learning Program by Supercharged Science will grab their attention and have them diving into science after just a few clicks.

I have to admit- the first thing we did was watch a boatload of experiments, performed and explained by Aurora Lipper. She has an incredible background in science, and you can sense her expertise in the way she explains the process. She displays excitement and joy in her presentations which keeps kids riveted to the screen. The variety of experiments was astounding- over 800 to choose from. I had to drag the kids away so we could make lunch.

Oh yeah- the television. We hooked up one of our laptops to the TV with an HDMI cable, and were able to read lessons, look at charts, and watch experiments on a great big screen together. Totally cool. What is more fun than seeing the kids learn about science while sacked out in a recliner?

doing Supercharged Science

I have said many times that I am not a big fan of textbooks. But with science, it is difficult to get away from the traditional process of reading the text, memorizing terms, and answering the end-of-the-chapter questions. We feel like this is the only way to make sure they’ve adequately covered the material. But this process tends to suck the life out of science. Science is not just about definitions, conversion charts, formulas, and graphs. It is about the discovery of how and why things work the way they do.

So – I was very pleased as I examined the Supercharged Science website. Beginning with the Getting Started page, I started working my way through the recommended steps of watching the Introductory videos, looking for the area of study that coordinated with where we were in our current science program, and then jumping in with our first lesson on the periodic table of the elements.

periodic table of the elements, supercharged science

But we couldn’t resist skipping around to perform experiments with items we had in the house. As soon as they saw the Plasma Grape, they ran upstairs to raid the fridge. We are in the process of growing crystals with borax, sugar, and salt. And what kid doesn’t want to make a fruit battery?

As Aurora states on her Getting Started page, teachers and parents often head right into the text and try to get our kids to learn the facts first before doing any demonstrations or other ‘fun’ stuff. But sparking curiosity is the best way to get a student motivated enough to immerse themselves in the material on their own. In spite of my perfectionist tendencies, where everything must be 1-2-3 with i’s dotted and t’s crossed, I wasn’t in the least disappointed with our plunge into experimentation, and the resulting curiosity that propelled us into the video lessons and text.

We finally settled down and watched the introductory videos, “New to e-science?” and ”Unit Zero: An overview of e-science”, all the way through, after which we had a much better feel for the program. Then we began discussions about how to implement it. The first decision, especially for my high schoolers, was whether or not to use it as a supplement to our existing curriculum, or as a replacement. The vote for ‘replacement’ was unanimous.

Each unit is composed of several elements:

Getting Started
Lesson Plans
Lessons
Highlights
Introduction
Reading
Experiments and Videos
Exercises (answers included)

We were already into studying Matter, so we started with Unit 3: Matter (Atoms, Density, Solids). We listened watched the introductory video, and listened to the teleclass (available to play online or download as an MP3 file) with the highlights and introduction text up on the big screen. The text is written in the same conversational tone as the audio and videos, both narrated by Aurora Lipper. Then we did the Lesson 1 reading, and chose a couple of experiments in the unit that we hadn’t already done. I made notes for myself on what pages to go ahead and print for my kids’ science notebooks.

Important note: Do not feel that you must do all of the experiments. While most can be done with normal household items, there are literally hundreds of experiments on the site, and you will go bonkers if you try to buy everything on the provided shopping list before planning which unit you are going to use. The list is simply there so that you can see at a glance the kinds of things you will need to do the experiments. Most of them you will probably be able to mark off as items in your cleaning closet, junk drawer, bathroom, and kitchen!

While doing experiments, one of the ways to help kids internalize information is to pause between steps and try to guess what will happen when you:

add vegetable oil to a large jar of water? Or dish soap? Or paraffin?
microwave Ivory soap?
stick a filled balloon in the freezer overnight?

Then when you see the results of your experiment, it’s fun to see if you were right or wrong, and why.

Other units available with a monthly subscription are:

Mechanics
Motion
Matter
Energy 1 & 2
Sound
Astrophysics
Chemistry 1 & 2
Light
Magnetism
Electricity
Alternate Energy
Thermodynamics
Electronics
Life Science 1 & 2
Biology 1 & 2
Earth Science is coming soon
Award Winning Science Fair Projects
Mathemagic
Science e-Camp
and a page of parent resources.

This program could easily be self-directed, especially for older students. The content and goals of each lesson, as well as most experiments, are in audio and visual formats. The lesson plans help you decide how to put this program to use, with a brief unit description, key vocabulary, materials list for experiments, and exercises with answers. However, there aren’t specific guidelines of the sort that tell you how much time to spend on each lesson, or how many lessons to do per week. It is totally up to you how you integrate Supercharged Science in your homeschool schedule.

Many experiments require adult supervision, but this is not a curriculum that requires any scientific knowledge from you, nor will you have to hover, poke, or prod most kids into using it. It is also great for teaching multi-age children, as the K-8 content is included as a free bonus when you sign up for Grades 9-12.

A particularly helpful section on the site is the detailed explanation of how to create and use a scientific journal for keeping track of material covered, experiments performed, questions to ask, and how to write a science journal report.

If you want to use Supercharged Science as a supplement, conversion charts are provided for:

A Beka
Apologia
Bob Jones
God’s Design
Real Science 4 Kids
The Noah Plan
K12.com Online Course
Alpha Omega Switched On SchoolHouse and Lifepac Series
Considering God’s Creation
Science of Physical Creation
Noeo Chemistry Curriculum
Christian Kids Explore Creation
Secrets of the Universe by Paul Fleisher
Rainbow Science
Classic Science: Physical Science
Science: A Closer Look
Singapore Early Bird Books (1-4)
Science Foundations
Prentice Hall Physical Science
REAL Science Odyssey (Life)
Saxon Physics Curriculum
Noeo Physics Curriculum
Science Mastery

For parents concerned about how evolution/creationism is handled, the simple answer is- it isn’t. The focus is facts and inquiry, how to record data and take measurements, use scientific equipment, etc… The parent is left to teach evolution/creationism in any way they see fit.

Homeschoolers love to Try Before We Buy, so if you want to check out Supercharged Science, you can have full access to the program for 30 days risk-free with a money back guarantee. If you discover that this is a program you can use, remain enrolled for only $37 per month. You still have the option to cancel any time.

What did the rest of the Schoolhouse Review Crew say about Supercharged Science?

Leave a comment

Posted by Susan Raber on April 14, 2013 in Online courses and programs, Schoolhouse Crew Reviews, Science

Tags: learning styles, multi-age science, online science curriculum, science experiments

Review of Lone Star Learning – Target the Question

05 Mar

Motivating students in the morning is sometimes the most difficult part of the day. Want a great jump start activity to get mental muscles warmed up for school? Among the many educational products offered by Lone Star Learning, we were given Target the Question Digital to review, and found it to be an enjoyable way to engage our brains and enhance our thinking skills.

Target the Question Digital is an online program geared to systematically practice and strengthen problem solving skills using real life scenarios. It isn’t enough that students have memorized math fact families, or learned to add, subtract, multiply, and divide – they need to know when and how to apply these operations.

After you choose the desired grade level (from grades 1 through 7) and purchase the subscription ($59.99 for one year), you have access to your dashboard which shows your subscription and the date it expires. You can also view your assigned product licenses and basic account settings.

We worked with the 4th grade level of Target the Question Digital. The program itself starts with the Problem of the Week screen, with boxes numbered one through forty, one for each week.

It is important to work through this program in order, as each week the problems increase in complexity. Choose a week, and you will see the question and the menu for the week.

At the top of the screen the basic problem is presented, based on every day activities like monetary transactions, or calculating time or distance. Also included is a visual, such as the receipt pictured for Week #23, as the basis for the questions. Others may have a chart, graph, or map to illustrate the Problem of the Week.

I learned a long time ago not to take for granted that my kids understood common terms just because they heard these words on a regular basis. Each Problem of the Week makes a great little vocabulary lesson. For the above question, we talked about the parts of a receipt and the purpose it serves as a record of your transaction. We also noted the way items are described and packaged- as gallons, jars, loaves, by the dozen or the pound.

At the bottom of the screen are the days of the week. Choose the day and a question appears highlighted below the problem graphic.

Another feature of the program is the ability to ‘draw’ on the screen itself, or use the ‘drawing pad’. We used a mouse or touchpad to sketch out the process of finding the solution, or work relevant math problems. Above, on Monday, the question was “What is the cost of 1 gallon of juice?” You can see on the receipt that 4 gallons of juice were purchased for $12, and as we discussed how to solve the problem, we drew it on the virtual pad on screen. We could also use different colors of ink to work out different parts of the problems. It’s a great way to show how to think through a problem step-by-step and discourage guessing.

On Wednesday the question involved working with time, and we examined possible ways to find the solution. You can see how we chose to work out the answer. Then on Friday we again focused on the information we needed for this particular problem.

If you or your student have questions about how to use the Problem of the Week screen, the Help button creates a graphic that shows the purpose of each feature of the menu.

Even though we used Target the Question Digital for the 4th grade level, it was fun to talk about the different scenarios together, or have my older kids coach their younger brother through the various problems presented. Each week became more challenging, with complex problems and situations to work through. Programs like this offer a unique opportunity to evaluate your child’s critical thinking skills in small daily doses that only take about 10-15 minutes to complete. We used it as an opening exercise for school, but it would also serve as a great warm up before using one’s regular math curriculum.

There were a few days that the kids just wanted to keep going and work through the whole week’s problems. When kids say “More!”, I say “Why not?”

To see other reviews of educational products from Lone Star Learning,
click on the banner below.

Leave a comment

Posted by Susan Raber on March 5, 2013 in Math, Online courses and programs, Schoolhouse Crew Reviews, Thinking skills

Tags: critical thinking skills, online math programs, real life math, Schoolhouse Review Crew, teaching math concepts

Review of A+ Tutorsoft Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH

22 Feb

A+ Tutorsoft Multi-Sensory Interactive Math had me at “time saving”.

We are currently homeschooling three children – two of which are in high school – which means some subjects must be self-directed to a significant degree. Math has always been the subject for which I focus on finding a curriculum that requires little parental involvement. However, math mastery is an essential skill, so it isn’t a subject that parents can get scrimpy about.

Kenny is at the 4th-5th grade level in math, and the only curriculum I had for this grade level was a very tired textbook/workbook, worn to a frazzle by three previous students, and not as self-directed as I would prefer.

Enter A+ Tutorsoft, Inc..

I received the CD 4th grade level program for A+ Tutorsoft MATH to review, and installed it on my Windows Vista PC without a hitch. The Start Up Guide explained the process step-by-step with lots of clear screen shots. However, if you are familiar with how to install basic software and set up profiles, the process is fairly intuitive and self-explanatory.

I set up a profile for Kenny and a parent profile for myself. The parent profile gives password protected access to the admin panel that allows you to input grades for your student’s quizzes, worksheets, and exams. You can set parental controls so that the student does/does not have access to solutions for worksheets and exams, or the program’s calculator.

When the student wants to use the program, they log in with their profile with one easy click. To access the admin panel or parent profile, the student logs out, and then the parents logs in with their user name and password.

Since we planned to use this as our main math program, I approached it in the same way as I would have any other curriculum. Kenny began at Lesson 1.1, but was able to very quickly do the quizzes and exams until he reached a lesson that contained material with which he was not as familiar. It always helps to use beginning lessons to familiarize and become comfortable with a program. Not only does it allow the student to focus more on challenging material when it is presented, but it also helps the student become accustomed to any particular vocabulary or methods used to explain various concepts.

A+ Tutorsoft offers complete math curricula for grades 1st through 6th, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra 1. We reviewed the 4th grade level CD program, which has the capability of tracking five students. Using multimedia lessons composed of audio, visual, and printed onscreen instructions, Interactive Q&A, worksheets, and exams, the program is indeed multi-sensory and comprehensive. To determine which grade level your student should start with, A+ Tutorsoft offers free placement tests.

The multimedia presentation of each lesson explains math operations and concepts in an understandable manner with several examples. The lesson presentations so far have averaged between 10-15 minutes in length.

$Fullscreen capture math lesson$

Each lesson is followed by an Interactive Q&A, with some multiple choice and some type-in answers. On multiple choice questions, choosing the answer automatically submits it – there is no opportunity to change the answer first. The student has the option to view the solution for review of wrong answers (or right answers for that matter, especially if child is unsure and guessing). On type-in answers, the student must click the ‘submit’ button on the frog’s stomach to submit answer and see if it is correct.

We had a moment of confusion over one question on an Interactive Q&A. Kenny had quickly chosen an answer that was correct, but the program said it was wrong. We went back and looked at the quiz questions, and realized that all of the choices were correct, so he should have chosen “All of the above”. This showed him the value of reading all the answers first instead of jumping on the first one that looked right.

For even more practice and review, the parent has access to worksheets for each lesson, usually with 10-15 problems that focus specifically on the concepts covered in the lesson. This is a great way for kids to reinforce and demonstrate what they’ve learned by working problems with pencil and paper, and showing each step of the solution. After all the lessons have been covered in the chapter, there is an exam (printable) with 25 questions.

Another bonus is the curriculum book that is included- an ebook version containing every lesson that you may print or your student may view onscreen.

I kept track of the number of answers Kenny got correct on his Interactive Quizzes, worksheets, and exams to enter into the Progress Tracking fields in the Admin Panel, as this is not done automatically in the CD version. This does, however, maintain a record of all his scores and calculate his percentages. The parent can also reward their student with Certificates of Accomplishment.

Some parents balk at having to print papers out for school because of the cost, so here’s a helpful hint: Invest in a printer that uses separate cartridges for each color and for black, does automatic duplex (2-sided) printing, and plan ahead to purchase inexpensive replacement cartridges in bulk from reputable online sources. This not only makes printing pages easy, but also economical. However, if you do not have the ability to print quickly and cheaply, you can order the workbook, which is the worksheets and exam pack, from A+ Tutorsoft MATH.

We have quickly and easily adapted to a regular schedule with A+ Tutorsoft MATH each morning. Kenny is very comfortable with it, and is progressing quickly. I’m free to oversee my Algebra students… or do the laundry.

All of the features and different formats available make this program very flexible. The colorful interactive lessons, curriculum book, quizzes, worksheets, exams… the ability of the parent to track and reward student progress… you can see that they thought this program through, making it comprehensive but user-friendly. Other than setting up the program and profiles, doing some printing, and entering scores, this program was entirely self-directed for Kenny. All traits for which homeschool parents are often looking for in their curriculum choices.

A+ Tutorsoft Interactive MATH on CD Standard Edition is $99.99 per grade level. The Premium Edition is $124.99, and tracks up to five students for each grade level. But right now you can REQUEST A COUPON CODE for 50% off the regular price. An awesome deal for any homeschool family. (This offer expires at the end of March 2013).

A+ Tutorsoft also has an online version of this program with a few different features. Use the link below to read more reviews about the CD version, as well as the online program.

1 Comment

Posted by Susan Raber on February 22, 2013 in Math, Online courses and programs, Schoolhouse Crew Reviews

Tags: homeschool math program, interactive multi-sensory learning, online math programs, Schoolhouse Review Crew

Review of Samson’s Classroom

26 Oct

News flash for homeschooling parents: Each child is different.

Oh wait- that’s probably not news to you. But what you do often wonder as a parent is how to find resources that will fit your individual child’s educational needs, while still remaining within your school budget. Especially important to homeschoolers is a solid foundation in core skills- reading, writing, and math.

Samson’s Classoom is an online language arts program that focuses on three building blocks of language: sight words, spelling, and reading. With fun graphics, a continually encouraging reward system, and comprehensive tracking for parents, Samson’s Classroom meets the spelling and reading practice needs of students from K-5th for as little as $30 a year.

Sight Words with Samson is comprised of 28 word lists broken down into 4 levels with 7 lists in each level, and 8 words in each list. Each list is presented in 4 steps for the student to complete. First, they learn the words by seeing and hearing them spoken and spelled out on the screen, as well as used in a sentence. The second step is to build the words by clicking on the correct letters in a short list of letters to spell them out. Samson the dog is there cheering your student with every correct answer. The third step is to identify the words, after they are spoken, from a list. The child can click the “Hear again” button if they need to. The final step is to spell the words out by choosing the letters from a display of the entire alphabet. If they answer incorrectly, they have the opportunity to try again, but they must get each word right before receiving a star for that list. When they have completed all the lists in a level, they are awarded a ‘belt’ and then progress to the next level.

The parent can check the scoreboards to see how many lists and levels were completed, and their child’s score shows if they received a perfect score, or need improvement.

Spelling with Samson offers two options for spelling lists- parent created lists, or default lists by Knowledge Wand. After you’ve chosen a list, you can print it, or have the student click on each word to hear it said, spelled, and used in a sentence. Or both. Then there are three games for students to play to give them spelling practice. In Missing Letters, the child chooses the missing letters for the word being shown, and Samson will karate chop the piece of wood over those letters. An incorrect guess will give Samson a severe headache as he attempts the karate chop with his head instead of his hand. In Spelling Scramble, Samson runs through a field of letters gathering them up while avoiding Terrence the tarantula that stays on his tail, then uses those letters to spell the words. Each time a word is said, it is used in a sentence. If Terrence catches Samson, Samson gets cocooned. Crunch Time finds Samson waiting on an ice floe until the child spells the words in time to jump to the next ice floe before Wally the Walrus can chomp through. If a word is spelled incorrectly, Samson falls in and becomes an ice cube himself. By the time the child has played each of these games until they get all answers correct, they will know very well how to spell each word on the list.

Reading with Samson involves reading a few short paragraphs and then answering comprehension questions about cause and effect, chronology, details, and the main idea. Each correct exercise completed rewards the student with points toward a game where Samson gets to play Hammer Swing. When an answer is incorrect, the passage containing the correct information is highlighted and the student is given a chance to answer the question correctly.

Samson’s Classroom also includes some great supplemental materials. Under the Resources tab, you can download reward certificates for different sections and levels that can be printed in color or black and white. Click on Lesson Plans for flashcards, as well as printable game cards and instructions for Sight Words games like Bingo, Baseball, and Memory Match. There are also printable worksheets for practice with capital letters, consonants and vowels, word scrambles, filling missing words in sentences, and building words with missing letters.

Our Experience

+ Kenny enjoyed all aspects of the program. The beginning lists were very easy for him, so he progressed quickly. He liked seeing the scoreboard of all the levels he had completed, and winning the belts. As he continued and some of the lessons were more challenging, he was motivated enough by the games to persevere. He did want to skip the ‘study’ part of the games, but to see and hear the words spoken, spelled, and used in a sentence was too important. Typical boy. I’ve found that starting the school day with games like Samson’s Classroom is a great warm up for school.

+I’ve watched him continually improve in phonemic awareness, sight word recognition, and reading comprehension. I could sign in and check his progress – how many answers were correct/incorrect, the date he used that part of the program, and how long it took him to complete the game. I always make notes of the words that he has trouble with while reading, and used those to compose my own spelling lists, which the program incorporated into the games (the program contains a word bank of about 7000 words, so it is unlikely that the spelling words on the level of the average elementary student won’t be available. If they are not, you can request they be added).

–Navigating Samson during Spelling Scramble was a bit difficult at first. It may take time for kids to learn to control Samson’s movements on that particular game.

But don’t just take my word for it. Watch videos that show the program’s various features. Play a demo game. Request their newsletter.

Subscribing to Samson’s Classroom is quick and easy. There are several pricing options, but the plans most likely to be used by a homeschool family are Home (1 user) $30/year or Family (4 users) $50/year. Samson’s Classroom is PC and Mac compatible and requires an internet connection. Pop-up blockers should be disabled so that the program can open new windows. We used Samson’s Classroom with Windows Vista, Firefox, and Google Chrome browsers without any technical issues.

Want to know what the rest of The Schoolhouse Review Crew thought about Samson’s Classroom?

Click on the banner below.