Wonderland Math
https://www.wonderlandmath.live/
Grades 2- 5
Special Offer to Homeschool Magazine readers: Go to this website, https://try.wonderlandmath.live/homeschool-magazine/ and use the code HOMESCHOOL when you order the Trial start for $49 and get it for only $1!
Assessed by Joseph Grayhaim
Wonderland Math is an interactive, online, real-time math program that combines enjoyable math games with a make-believe adventure story that helps students develop their love of math and maintain it for life. Once a week, for 60 minutes, math concepts and problems to solve, are presented in an environment of fun that allows the child not to think about “learning” as drudgery, but to enjoy the adventure of the story and playing the math games. Students win points from playing the games that they can exchange for real-life prizes, too.
Each child chooses a character from four possibilities to be his/her icon in the online story. The four characters participate in the story adventure and complete math problems to move through the story.
With Wonderland Math, the solutions to the problems are thoroughly explained, so that the child actually develops an understanding of the concepts – not merely to get the right answer, but to know “how” and “why”. The student is online, live, with the same instructor and 3 other students, week in and week out. This small class size develops a bond among the children that enhances their learning experience. Many children enjoy Wonderland Math so much, they wish they could meet more often! Parents report that their children experience an increase in confidence and improved self-image – especially as “math people”. Working math problems improves overall thinking ability and brain development for life.
Wonderland Math offers features that other math-teaching programs do not — such as its online platform that allows your child to study math right in your home and the game-based format that kids love! Plus, it is affordable – only $99 per month for the subscription, and a trial subscription available of four 60-minutes sessions in a month and the materials to go with them, for only $49 (remember the code HOMESCHOOL to get it for $1)! Visit the website and see for yourself what benefits Wonderland Math offers your child. Ω
Tags: Online math, interactive math curriculum, Special Trial offer $1, homeschool math, online home school math, home education math,
Quality Science Labs, LLC – Science Lab Kits for Middle to High School, including AP
Age Range: 7th grade to AP High School
Cost Range: Middle School Topics: $124.95 High School Topics: $137.95 to $249.95
Subject: Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Physics, Life Science
Location: Lake George, CO
Website: www.qualitysciencelabs.comE-mail: website form
Phone: 866-700-1884
By Staff
Science can be among the most challenging subjects to teach in any setting — public schools, private schools, and especially in a homeschool environment. Most of us cannot afford the thousands of dollars in equipment and technology schools spend to outfit their science labs. However, even well-funded schools may lack laboratory resources for many subject areas, most prominently AP science courses. The dismally small number of students interested in AP science courses means the interests of those few advanced students are sacrificed; however, nearly all schools maintain science labs. And without those high-quality lab tools, easy access to biological specimens, or a degree in science, most parents simply make do with found materials, homemade scientific instruments, and a “can do” spirit. Although this may work while children are younger, it can become increasingly overwhelming as students study more advanced content. Thankfully, Quality Science Labs offers laboratory kits that are the ideal solution for every homeschool science curriculum.
Developed by science instructors with more than 133 years of instruction in both high school and college courses, Quality Science Labs offers a wide variety of laboratory kits for homeschooling families. Each one makes teaching science accessible to every parent — empowering them with the tools and knowledge they need to be successful. The kits include all of the tools and science resources you need, developed to turn any clean table into a real scientific laboratory. The entire kit is compact and well-organized (two priorities in overcrowded classrooms), made of high-quality, durable materials. And because the kits are designed to enhance traditional science textbook learning, QSL coordinates the kits to many of the most popular homeschooling science courses. Most importantly, all of the kits are accompanied by step-by-step manuals that are written in plain English. These guides are a breeze for kids to use in the lab, providing the directions and questions students need to address during their experimentation process. Every experiment is detailed, including the goals, background review, materials and equipment preparation, procedures, and the results.
Students can find kits in Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Biology, AP Biology, Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Physics, and Marine Biology. Kids will want to dive in head first as soon as their QSL kit arrives! Each one explores scientific topics in-depth, providing a year’s worth of labs that solidify the content your students cover in their textbooks.
The Earth Science Lab Kit offers students more than 30 different activities that cover 10 major areas, including volcanoes, tsunamis, making fossils, and much more. Another 30 experiments are provided in the Quality Science Labs Life Science kits, from cellular reproduction to flower reproduction, and everything in between. The 2nd Edition of the MicroPhySci Kit is now available, accompanied by a 207-page guide and 36 lab experiments that address every topic in your current Science textbook. QSL Biology kits cover all the classic labs, including mitosis, osmosis, photosynthesis, and the memorable specimen dissections, including a cow’s eye, a fetal pig, and a frog. The AP Biology kit plunges kids even further into science exploration, including biotechnology, mathematical modeling with genetic databases, and data analysis. And the award-winning MicroChem Kit offered by QSL is one of their best-selling products; after it arrives it is easy to understand why. Based on the Microscale method, a complete chemistry laboratory arrives to your doorstep in a small, carefully packaged box. No need for fume hoods and other expensive safety equipment! The QSL Physics kit is a must-have for all students of Physics, bringing abstract concepts to life and allowing kids to “play” with these concepts using hands-on experiments. But the Marine Biology kit from QSL is arguably the most transformative of all the products — literally bringing the ocean into your classroom or home.
Plus, QSL lab kits are the most cost-effective way to offer your students a real laboratory experience with a fraction of the prep time that is traditionally required. All of the experiments have been repeatedly tested to reduce the time, confusion, and money that is so often wasted by well-intentioned, homemade science experiments. This overwhelming preparation is eliminated by the QSL kits, allowing parents to join their kids on the journey of scientific discovery. And a disappointing number of science curricula have now switched to a “virtual laboratory” setting. Despite the heightened realism and attention to detail, these programs lack the hands-on experiences that are an essential part of being a scientist. With a few simple household items, parents can use Quality Science Lab kits to unleash the natural scientific curiosity inherent in every child. These kits are so well designed, they are virtually foolproof.
For more information, including pricing and custom lab kits, please visit their website at www.qualitysciencelabs.com. Ω
The Happy Hollisters — 33 Classic 1950’s Adolescent Fiction Books & a Swell Book Club
Mystery/Adventures
Publisher: The Svenson Group, Inc. on behalf of the Hollister Family Properties Trust
https://thehappyhollisters.com/
In Deluxe Hardcover, Paperback or e-Book format
2990 Northfield Drive, Tarpon Springs, FL 34688
727-945-7002 * support@thehappyhollisters.com
by Michael Leppert
The story of the 33-volume Happy Hollisters fiction series is fascinating. In 1953, Andrew Edward Svenson began writing children’s fiction, intended for ages 4 to 12 – the ages of the five Hollister children of the stories – Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly and Sue, as well as their parents, pet dog, Zip, and cat, White Nose. The Hollister family is perennially happy and spreads happiness to others through fair dealing, thoughtfulness and respect. Their lives reflect a positive point of view of life and other people.
Mr. Svenson used the pen name Jerry West for the Hollister series and modeled the characters on his own offspring. Each book was carefully crafted to draw the reader in immediately – either with a mysterious occurrence or beginning in the middle of an in-progress adventure. Svenson’s intention was to nurture a love of reading in his young audience and parents came to appreciate the value his books had on their children’s literacy development. He had his characters always able to bring happiness out of disappointment or trouble and therefore, gave his young readers the way to do the same.
It is no coincidence that Andrew Svenson’s books were similar to the Hardy Boys — he wrote or outlined 30 of them under the name of Franklin W. Dixon. They, too, reflect the values and culture of the times – 1950s and ‘60s – and had the youthful main characters always getting into some mystery or danger of some kind. The Happy Hollisters speak slang of the times and the website has a tab “Talk Like a Happy Hollister” that demonstrates words that will be familiar to anyone who grew up in that era – “dungarees” were blue denim pants worn by girls instead of skirts when on outings and activities that required modesty. One of my favorites is “gizmo”, an all-purpose word when you can’t remember the word for something – or don’t know it in the first place. “Hand me that gizmo over there.” For instance.
A few of the soft cover Happy Hollister books, with black & white illustrations by Helen S. Hamilton, are:
The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort, 175 pgs,
This book begins with a large steam shovel coming down the street on a flatbed truck. The reader’s interest is immediately piqued with the question “What’s going on with this machine? Let’s investigate!” Another benefit of these books is the vocabulary that Svenson used. Words like “ruefully” and “dismounted their bikes”, which are rich and descriptive, but not uncommon. Seeing such words in print helps the young reader add them to his/her functional vocabulary.
The Happy Hollisters, 187 pgs.
This is the flagship volume in the series. The Hollisters are moving to a new house in a new town. They encounter a variety of people – some good, some not so good – and interesting adventures – even some danger — in this relocation.
The Book Club
To introduce your family to the Happy Hollisters via their Book Club, the publisher will send your first volume for only $.10 (free shipping within the U.S.). If you choose to remain a member, they will send you two volumes per month for the low price of $15.95 for Deluxe glossy Hardcover or $9.95 for softcover and shipping is always free within the U.S. You can cancel your membership after you receive Volume 1, but keep the book with their compliments.
If you already own a number of Happy Hollisters volumes, but would like to join the Club to fill out your collection, e-mail them at support@thehappyhollisters.com or call 727-945-7002 and let them know which titles you have and they will send you a suggested plan to consider.
Finally, you can read a sample chapter of a Happy Hollister book at their website so your family can see what’s in store! For older adults, these books provide a nostalgic reminder of the 1950s and ‘60s and allow us to breathe deeply of the smell of paperbacks and freshly-mowed grass. For children of Today, they provide a glimpse into a bygone era that was simpler and less electronic. Ω
Tags: Adolescent Fiction, 1950’s fiction, nostalgia, Adolescent Book Club, Andrews Svenson, Jerry West, Hardy Boys, Franklin W. Dixon, 1950’s America, Classic pre-teen novels, pre-teen fiction 1950’s, Happy Hollisters,
Movies as Literature – Complete One Year High School English Course
408 Victoria Avenue Wilmington, DE 19804
Phone: 1-800-965-2719
Movies As Literature, is part of the hugely-popular Design-A-Study series. It offers a complete, one-year high school English course, based on films. The goal is to help students understand the elements of a good story – whether on the screen or in print. Because movies are a simplified version of the storytelling process, the course uses classic films to introduce high school students to the structure of storytelling in a variety of genres.
Students study the elements of literary analysis through 17 lessons which include thought-provoking questions. You will be amazed how the lessons can lead to interesting discussions for the whole family. In addition to the discussion and composition questions included in each lesson, the student workbook contains a glossary of key terms and the space needed to take notes during each film. Parents will appreciate the simplicity and organization of the student workbook, allowing students to keep all their coursework contained in one place.
Every parent will be confident in teaching the course with the help of the teacher’s guide/answer key. There are plot summaries for each film along with ideas and teaching methods to address the unique needs of your child. Also included are suggestions for evaluation and assessment of your student’s compositions – even the final exam is included. And parents will rest easy knowing the movies are family-friendly and many are adaptations of classical books. In learning how to discern the message and identifying the techniques used to elicit emotional responses, your child will be less likely to be among the mindless audiences being brainwashed by Hollywood. As we become increasingly connected to our electronic devices and spend more and more time online, it is especially important that we teach our children to be critical consumers of media.
The whole family can enjoy the 17 films together, which include: Shane, Friendly Persuasion, The Quiet Man, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Music Man, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Maltese Falcon, Rear Window, Emma, The Philadelphia Story, The Journey of August King, To Kill A Mockingbird, A Raisin in the Sun, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Henry V, A Man For All Seasons, and Chariots of Fire. Students will learn to analyze literature and uncover the meaning of the message, rather than simply sitting down to passively absorb the story. Your entire family will be engaged in the interesting discussions that arise from these great lessons
For more information on pricing and sample pages from the student workbook, please visit their website at www.designastudy.com. Ω
Tags: story telling with films, cinema, film literature, movies, English course, elements of a good story, English lessons, English composition, Design a Study,
The Joy of Knowing How To Learn, Languages Skills Series
All books are 8.5” x 11” soft cover
Spelling – 173 pgs ISBN: 9781545100196
Vocabulary Level A – 266 pgs. Gr 1-3 ISBN: 9781089137252
Vocabulary Level B – 190 pgs Gr 4-6 ISBN: 9781093239065
Author: Dr. Joyce McPeak Robinson
http://www.joycemcpeakerobinson.com/
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Assessed by Michael Leppert
Dr. Joyce Robinson has been a classroom teacher and administrator. She holds Masters and Doctoral degrees from Boston University. Her series of books is inviting and attractive.
The underlying premise of Dr Robinson’s method is that the first question about learning is: How, not What. If children are taught how to learn, they can take in much more information before they might require aid from a parent or teacher (which many children are reluctant to seek in the first place).
Modern brain research has demonstrated that spelling improvement relates positively to learning other language skills – particularly, reading. Spelling was largely overlooked by the Whole Language Method in the 1980s, which supported an approximate spelling approach. Children who were burdened by this “think” method grew up having difficulty unlearning the approximate (incorrect) spellings of youth. Recent studies have shown that correctly writing out spelling words activates four different sensory receivers. This means that spelling positively affects reading, writing, speaking and listening on a neurolinguistic level.
Joyce Robinson offers a method based on proven educational and psychological research, which include testing of knowledge of material presented; small increments of information; correction; repetition; learning words in context improves spelling; frequent feedback; copying/handwriting – these activities have been shown to improve spelling by 50% and the neural systems connected to reading and memory are also improved by writing the words.
The book begins with the 100 Most Misspelled Words and then following that, are 100 Study Sheets, each one focused on one of the 100 words. The page has 10 Steps relating to the subject word: Using the word in a sentence; having the word written, defining the word, filling in two missing letters from the word, etc., making it easy for the child to remember the word’s definition and use in context by the end of the work page. After the 100 Study Pages are 10 Pre-Test pages for groups of 10 of the 100 words and an Answer Key so the parent can easily check for errors or no errors. Next, are 10 Post-Test pages for groups of 10 each and the student has the opportunity to improve his/her performance from the Pre-Test.
In her two Vocabulary books, Dr. McPeake Robinson follows a similar method as in her Spelling Book.
The 100 Often Used Words are divided into working groups of 10 and are listed in the Pre-test section. There is a Study Sheet that corresponds to each word. The student takes the Pre-test for Group 1, which consists of matching words in one list with their meanings in a second list. Once the student corrects his/her list it’s time to turn to the Study Page for each missed definition to delve more deeply into the meaning and uses. The Study Sheet offers the opportunity to write the word, which provides a deeper connection than merely reading it. It also show syllabication – the act of breaking a word into its syllables, providing another way to see and think of the word, repeating it on the brain.
A large, well-oiled vocabulary is one of the most significant tools a person can possess. Your speech and writing will clearly communicate your thoughts to others and will also aid your mental organization. Knowing more than one word for a concept and being able to pick just the right one is like building muscle in your body – it affords you complete autonomy and enjoyment in writing or speaking tasks.
Visit Dr. Robinson’s website and order her books for your child. They are easy to use and enjoyable! MjL
Easy Grammar Systems – Grammar texts & Videos for grades 2-12
P.O. Box 25970
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Email: jenny@easygrammar.com
Phone: 800-641-6015
Reviewed by Staff
Easy Grammar Systems has developed a series of texts and video lessons for students that finally make the English language approachable for everyone. Struggling students, English Language Learners, accelerated students — all children can benefit from using this innovative approach to grammar instruction. In one study, conducted of 282 students using these texts, 85% increased their test scores between 20% and 61%. The results were amazing! This is most likely due to the strong emphasis on content mastery found throughout the Easy Grammar Systems series.
The key feature of the Easy Grammar texts is author Wanda C. Phillips’s use of the “prepositional approach” and encouraging students to engage with grammar “hands on.” While she not the original developer of the prepositional approach, Dr. Phillips immediately understood how to translate it into a classroom environment. By combining this innovative approach with various ideas and strategies that she found effective in her years as a teacher, Dr. Phillips developed a series of texts that ensure that every student will master the concepts and will succeed in grammar.
Students in elementary school are introduced to the basics of grammar and guided step-by-step in building upon knowledge. Second graders begin with 180 daily lessons that present content in a fun and friendly format. Lessons are limited to 10-15 minutes and include review of previous materials, ensuring young children are not overwhelmed by new content and long lessons. Students in Grades 3-6 can find an Easy Grammar text to correspond with their grade level or learning level. Each text introduces new prepositions for students to learn and then leads them through the process of deleting those phrases to simplify their language. It is through this process of simplification that even struggling students just seem to “get it” by using the Easy Grammar texts. Because each text includes reviews and assessments—both unit and cumulative—parents will be amazed at the resulting increase in mastery that produces an increase in test scores. Parents may visit www.easygrammar.com and click on “Placement Tests” to help determine a suggested starting level. Otherwise, Dr. Phillips recommends starting children at grade level.
Easy Grammar Plus is a non-grade level text, but it is often used for 7th graders. This is also a great text for older students who continue struggling with the basics, or who never learned the foundational building blocks for the English language. Maybe your high schooler has never fully grasped proper capitalization, or learned English as a second language—even older homeschoolers (and many parents) will benefit greatly from the content. If you are unsure of where your older child should begin, this is a great text with which to start.
In addition to these texts that deliver grammar content in units, there are corresponding Daily GRAMS by grade level. The Daily GRAMS provide content for student review and are designed as daily lessons, unlike the Easy Grammar texts, which are organized in larger unit. There are 180 daily, 10–minute lessons reviewing capitalization, punctuation, parts of speech, correct grammar usage, sentence types, synonyms, analogies, root words, spelling, combining sentences for improved writing, and more.
For grades 8-12, students can continue with the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series by grade level. Each grade includes 180, 10-minute teaching lessons, combining grammar with history, music, nutrition, and more. The concepts are presented cyclically and expanded/reviewed throughout the year to enhance mastery learning of every concept. At each grade level in the series, students work on capitalization, punctuation, proper use of grammar and vocabulary, as well as improving student writing through higher level sentence structures. Parents already using another teaching series can supplement the curriculum with a revised Daily GRAMS: Junior High/Senior High.
Dr. Phillips helps students to develop higher-level sentence structures and sentence variety using an easy, step-by-step format in Easy Writing. Two levels in this text guide both upper-elementary and high-school students in improving their quality of writing. More than just a review of writing formats, students learn the skills needed to be successful writers.
Dr. Phillips’s latest book, Easy Grammar’s Guide for Parents: Improve Your Grammar in Minutes, helps adults determine—in 2 five-minute assessments—if they make grammar errors. This is not a do-every-page workbook; she guides adults only to a page that explains their particular concept.
For more information regarding any of the Easy Grammar Systems products, including free pages, a product catalog, a “Scope and Sequence” for concepts covered, etc., please visit the website at www.easygrammar.com. JN
Tags: 10-minute lessons, analogies, curriculum, Daily Grams, Dr. Wanda Phillips, Easy Grammar, Easy Grammar Plus, Easy Grammar review, English, Grades 2-12, English grammar video lessons, English grammar, English Language Learners, grammar, homeschool English, homeschoolers, homeschooling, improved writing, Language Arts, parts of speech, review of Easy Grammar, root words, SAT Prep, Scottsdale, spelling,
Up-Words® Reading Program – Great Approach & Clear Lesson Plan Instructions
Created by Alan Delk
upwordsreading.com
info@upwordsreading.com
160 High Bluff Court
Johns Creek, GA 30097
Ph: 678.521.2160
by Valerie Schuetta, M.Ed
Up-Words® Reading is an excellent program in 3 Levels, for any teacher of grades K-3 or 4, with children having alphabet familiarity. Also, it is an especially perfect tool for any Reading Specialist trying to help students with reading difficulty.
The first thing that is noteworthy is that the sequential Lesson Plans have clear instructions and are easy to use. All of the teachers I know will love that time-saving feature. Each of 3 levels contains everything you need for a literacy-rich program in five components: Teacher’s Manual, Student Workbook, Decodable Reader Series, Resource Kit, and Progress Manual. These are all components of a cutting-edge reading program, teaching phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, sight words, and reading comprehension. I attribute this to the fact that Up-Words was developed by a Speech Pathologist and a Reading Specialist.
Decodable readers are especially important for beginning readers who are just learning to put together sounds to make words. This is why phonemic awareness is so crucial for beginning readers to master. If young readers have the ability to play around with sounds, that is, delete sounds and substitute with new sounds, recognize rhyming words, add sounds to word families, and truly master the ability to recognize the first, middle, and ending sounds, they are well on their way to becoming successful readers. Decodable readers are a very useful tool and can only enhance these skills. They give children that well-deserved pat on the back that says “Yes! I’m a reader!”.
The format reminds me of how I actually prepare my own lesson plans, showing the different activities in easy-to-read columns for Monday through Friday. For example: Phonemic Awareness: 1. Rhyme Time Activity. Phonics: 2. Determine the Letter of the Week 3. Handwriting Practice 4. Auditory Discrimination. 5. Scavenger Hunt 6. Playdough letters Sight Word Work 7. Introduce New Sight Words 8. Literature and at the top of each lesson it tells you what new letters are coming in the lesson. All of the skills are listed vertically, below each day, and the learning activities that correspond to each reading component. It is all in an easy-to-read format that anyone would find easy to understand, including a substitute teacher. The best part about the easy-to-read format is that there is no instructional time lost trying to figure out the lesson. Just looking at the lessons made me feel enthusiastic about actually teaching it!
Each lesson has 8 activities, but all begin with a phonemic awareness lesson, which is a crucial skill for a successful reader to acquire early on – for instance, “Monday, Level 1, Rhyme Time Activity” and when you turn the page, you see the instructions for exactly what that means for the activity. The instructions guide you to page one of the work-book, where you will find the Rhyme Time Activity. The work-book activities are meant to be used as master copies and there might be 5 activities for Phonics. Up-Words® covers all of the learning styles, too. For tactile learners, there are activities using colorful sand and play dough; for auditory learners, the teacher reads a piece from the Literature section and then has the students read themselves. This is a thorough and complete reading program that any teacher will find exciting and useful. VS
Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple (RSPS)
Published by Real Reading Company
280 pages, wire bound
(432) 213-0383
http://www.realreading.com
E-mail: reading@suddenlink.net
by Emerson Sandow
Reading is the most important academic skill we can possess, tied with Critical Thinking. Today, many children have problems processing letters, sounds and words and special teaching is required. There must also be special books written to address problems with reading.
Such a book is Reading and Spelling Pure & Simple: Phonics-Based Lessons for Teen, Elementary and Adult Students by Deede Hinckley Cauley. Ms. Cauley wrote RSPS to be used in teaching children with dyslexia and/or who have trouble with reading and she has repeatedly had children who use her book go from being non-readers to being accomplished readers in 90 lessons. No special teaching training is required; anyone who can read, can teach reading to another, using this book.
In 1999, Deede began working with children, after 20 years of working with teens and adults. She specially wrote lessons to help the younger students succeed and that is RSPS today. She states that there was nothing like it then and there still isn’t. The student learns the 48 sounds of the letters and the spelling of them and once s/he has solidly mastered the contents of the book, s/he can read virtually anything. There are no pictures and no storyline in RSPS, so the student cannot guess the words, but actually has to read them. All 90 lessons are written in the same format, keeping teacher preparation and planning to a minimum. Lessons 1-23 of RSPS contain all sorts of focused teaching tips for professional teachers and parents alike. Each of the 90 lessons come with one page of easy-to-understand instructions for the teacher.
Lesson 67 introduces diacritical marks to the student. These are the marks that show pronunciation, accent a syllable or separate a word. One example of a diacritical mark is the horizontal line above a vowel, meaning it has the long sound. This mark is called a macron. In this lesson, Deede suggests using a dictionary that features diacritical marks so the student and teacher can be sure of word pronunciation.
After the 90 lessons, there are many pages of reference or supplemental material, such as an Index of Letters and Sounds to make reviewing easier and a set of Completion Charts to mark the student’s progress.
If your child is having trouble with reading, no matter what the cause, please visit the website, http://www.realreading.com to see videos of a child using RSPS and a teacher discussing its value. There is a section for Classroom Use and another for Homeschool Use, so you will gain plenty of information to see how Deede’s excellent book can help you solve the problems.
Tags: adult reading, Deede Hinckley Cauley, elementary reading, Emerson Sandow, high school reading, homeschooler, homeschool, homeschooling, Michael Leppert, middle school reading, phonics, reading, remedial reading, thehomeschoolreview, Real Reading Company,
Bad Wolf Press – Musical Theatre Curriculum K-9+
Phone: 888-827-8661
Fax: 650-285-6291
Email: contact@badwolfpress.com
216 Mt Hermon Road Ste E372
Scotts Valley, California 95066
by Emerson Sandow
Bad Wolf Press has created a series of clever musical plays that teach basic concepts in an imaginative and fun-inspiring way. Not only is academic information delivered via the plays, but the cast members practice important social skills, such as camaraderie, public speaking, teamwork and cooperation.
One example is the musical play “Character Matters”, wherein the (recovering) Wicked Witch and others, help in character-building issue — Cinderella with anger management, the Big Bad Wolf learns the Golden Rule, etc.
Because the scripts are not preachy, audience students pay attention to them and acting students can enjoy playing the roles.
“Character Matters” is typical of the packages offered:
$39.95 buys you everything you need for a successful production! (Buy 2 or more plays and get each for only $30.00.)
- Illustrated script (with the right to make copies for your students/actors)
- CD with rehearsal music and performance music – On the recording you’ll first hear our singers demonstrate all the songs, then just the musical accompaniments to each song so you can hear and perform the shows. You don’t have to sing or play a note!
- Teacher’s Guide: 10-15 pages of how-to suggestions
- NO performance royalty as long as no tickets are sold
- Lifetime performance rights!
Bad Wolf also offers licensing packages that make it affordable to bring a performing arts curriculum to a grade level or entire school.
Because what we learn in enjoyment lasts for many years, Bad Wolf’s approach to communicating a variety of ideas and facts in an enjoyable way, makes it very effective and powerful.
Since 1995, over 150,000 Bad Wolf classroom productions have been staged, world-wide, proving it is a powerful resource for homeschool support groups and others. Visit the website for complete information. E.S.
Tags: acting programs, acting resources, Arts, Bad Wolf Press, bullying lessons, bullying plays, Character building, drama packages, drama resources, elementary school drama lessons, Emerson Sandow, Language Arts, middle school acting classes, middle school theatre arts, Musical Theatre curriculum, Public Speaking, scripts for middle school, Theatre Arts, Theatre Arts packages
Japanese From Zero – a Witty & Effective Way To Learn the Language!
5 Volumes; over 700 free videos
120 lesson-integrated videos
https://www.fromzero.com/
10624 S. Eastern Ave, Ste A769
Henderson, NV 89052
By Emerson Sandow
Japanese can be one of the most daunting of foreign languages to learn for one an American English-first speaker. George Trombley, a professional corporate interpreter of Japanese for many years, and his Japanese wife, Yukari, developed their language learning series, Japanese From Zero to aid anyone who wishes to learn and appreciate this ancient and rich language.
George’s teaching lessons and accompanying videos are intelligent, humorous and witty, and a pleasure to watch and repeat. He begins right off in Lesson Zero by explaining the three writing systems of Japanese and some of the pronunciation issues you will encounter. Next lesson covers preliminary numbers and counting – clearly. The From Zero! Method is thorough and detailed! It is obvious that Mr. Trombley worked in the hands-on environment of interpreting for many years. He does not offer a textbook-only method, but an alive instructional approach. He makes it clear that making mistakes is of utmost importance in learning Japanese or any other language foreign to you. The fear of incorrectly speaking a word or phrase to another person who is a native speaker or ahead of you in learning, will make you NOT speak and therefore, NOT grow. You may build an impressive inner voice in Japanese but will never exchange ideas and speech with others until and unless you overcome this fear. Most people are proud to help you learn their language and they appreciate your efforts and dedication to their mother tongue. A little bit of faith in them and you, goes a long way!
The From Zero! Method stresses that they want to teach you the words you need – not every single word in Japanese. This streamlined application makes the learning process easier and much more powerful. If you learn a language by immersion, you ask where there is a hotel – not what the history of hotel architecture is! George also humbly suggests (tongue-in-cheek) that he may not know what he is talking about, so don’t “trust” him or any teacher until you know why and what to trust. No one teacher knows everything and what is taught is the teacher’s opinion or experience of necessity that s/he is imparting to you, so learn from multiple sources.
Despite such a disclaimer, Japanese From Zero seems to cover everything – the five vowels sounds, consonants, the forms of written Japanese, multiple pronunciation examples, counting, how to say your age, simple sentences, greetings, adjectives — positive and negative, and much, much more! The program also features a sidebar Study Mode, which allows the student to test his/her knowledge of previous material learned. The student can simply click to compare the English phrase to the Japanese counterpart, after having covered the information already. This reinforces learning and sheds more light on the understanding of Japanese. Every lesson of every course has a corresponding video lecture to deepen the instruction considerably and there is a quiz at the end of each lesson and games to strengthen your grasp of the material covered in the lesson. You can access all of the videos for free, with playlists for easy access, to see if the From Zero Method’s teaching style works for you — http://YouTube.com/@JapaneseFromZero.
I believe you will enjoy the casual teaching style; George’s knowledge and love of Japanese language and culture will inspire you to achieve your goals in Japanese learning, whether for business, study, communicating with Japanese friends or purely personal enrichment. Please check out https://www.fromzero.com/ and see what From Zero! has to offer you in your exploration of Japanese From Zero! Ω
Tags: Japanese, learning Japanese, Japanese from Zero, George Trombley, Online Japanese lessons, Japanese language lessons, self-paced Japanese lessons, homeschooling Japanese lessons, foreign language learning, homeschool, homeschooled, home education foreign language,
The Art Sketch Books – Natasha’s Sketchbook Series – Ages 15-adult, 8.5” x 8.5” softcover, ringed binding
Natasha Gray is an accomplished Fine Artist with many years of University and private study in Mexico, New York and Paris. She traveled the Southwest U.S. in a camper with her art supplies for 8 years, to concentrate on studying light and color in real-life settings. Ultimately, Ms. Gray began teaching art in her high school alma mater, the Delphian high school and this led to her collaboration with Heron Books to develop this beautiful, exciting and easy-to-understand series.
Natasha’s extensive series consists of 7 volumes:
A Glossary of Art Terms – 300+ definitions of terms – a perfect introductory volume for art study
Line, Shape, Value, Color, Texture and Form, which includes a thorough study of Perspective.
Natasha covers every element of art that the beginning-to-intermediate art student will need to practice to achieve success at that level. Further practice and study will allow the art student to rise to higher levels — this is the ideal years-long beginning.
Heron also publishes a Learning and Life Skills series of interesting books that cover Ethics, Critical Thinking, Learning and helping other students to study and learn. The teaching of these important Life topics is too scarce in public schools, and homeschooling families have the perfect opportunity to teach them. Heron’s series will give you the perfect tools.
Every homeschooling parent owes it to visit the Heron Books website and take an hour or two to see everything they have to offer. These books go beyond mere “learning” to actually enriching and expanding the entire family’s consciousness. You can have some great dinner-time discussions after you being to use Heron Books! Ω
Back end Tags: homeschool art curriculum, homeschool curriculum packages, homeschooling critical thinking course, learning and life skills courses, homeschool, homeschool FREE downloads, expanding consciousness, home education art books, exciting home education art curriculum, beautiful art instruction books,
Art Studio Drawing Series – Real Art for Real Children
3-volumes by James Watt:
Basic Drawing – 72 pgs
Basic Drawing II – 123 pgs
Scaling & Perspective – 115 pgs
All are 12” H, 9” W, soft cover
Less than $25 each
See sample pages at the website and more information about the series – https://www.backfencepub.com/artstudiobooks/
Assessed by Michael Leppert
Art and geometry in one program
James Watt has been teaching art classes to students from 1st grade to adult for 25 years. This series contains a lot of words because he explains many aspects of drawing that other books lack. Often, artistic ability is called “talent” when, in fact, it is understanding of principles of drawing and how to perform them. He emphasizes that these are not “little kid” books – but real, art instruction books.
He also recommends his series to adults who want to understand how the techniques of art actually work. These books also make excellent homeschooling texts for drawing. His goal is to make children (and parents) relax about their drawing, so they can be free to make whatever they want and have confidence in their abilities. No judgment, no criticism, just fun and knowledge gaining!
In Vol. 1, Mr. Watt provides a Glossary of Terms, with illustrations, where needed. He provides “Secrets of the Universe” sprinkled throughout the volume, such as “Secret #1: There are only 2 types of simple lines, curved and straight.” “#3, the bottom of an object tells you where it is; the top tells you how big it is.” The subtle value of these tips is that, as incorporated into a system of thinking in art, they form a foundation of habits. The basic lesson of volume 1 is to learn how to draw a person and avoid all the mistakes that kids frequently make regarding body proportions and ‘weird hair’.
Mr. Watt teaches geometry along with art, so that his students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between them – both studies of the Universal Form, as the Ancient Greeks said. In Vol 3, “Scaling and Perspective”, he gives easy-to-follow instruction on Geometric Drawing. In that same volume, he shows a very enlightening lesson about drawing a corral with a horse in it, with perspective. There is an illustration showing the error that little children make when drawing this scene and then the correct way to avoid the error and have the drawing look right. Because children draw the rails first, they are confused and put the post in last at a slant. He says to draw the posts first and vertical, just as the farmer would have placed them in real life. Then, put the rails in straight and they will be accurate. Good art is imitating how the universe really works.
The drawings throughout the three books are cartoon illustrations. This is because children love cartoons and also draw in cartoon form, whether they know this or not. This makes it easier to make pleasing drawings from the start, while learning the genuine basic techniques and concepts, which once-learned, can easily be expanded into more complex images. The series is a must-have resource for any serious art student or art instruction class. Ω
Tags: #Art for Homeschoolers, #Art instruction for Homeschoolers, #Homeschooling art, #Drawing series, #Art instruction series for home teaching, #James Watt, #Art teacher James Watt, #cartoon illustration, #teaching art to children, #art and geometry, #Back Fence Publishers
Heron Books – Ideal for Homeschooling — Plus Free Downloads!
PO Box 503
Sheridan, OR 97378
www.heronbooks.com/
Ph: 503-843-3834
by Michael Leppert
Heron Books is an ideal provider of quality homeschooling learning materials and advice. Heron offers an extensive line of colorful books for learning a variety of topics designed with homeschoolers (or classrooms) in mind. There is no lesson planning necessary, making it easy to homeschooling parents to teach without stress.
Adventerra Games – Respect & Stewardship for the Planet Is Fun!
10 Putnam St, Ste 2
Boston, MA 02128
https://www.adventerragamesUSA.com/
By Michael Leppert
Adventerra produces well-made, excellent games and puzzles to raise consciousness about our ecologic responsibility to planet Earth. All are produced from recycled and recyclable materials – no plastic. Whether one believes that the Earth is a creation or a biological by-product, good stewardship by us is necessary to preserve our home planet. Adventerra products provide a fun and easy way to educate your children about the importance of conservation awareness and practices. We are currently featuring 4 “new” products to provide you with an insight into Adventerra’s offerings and their high quality.
Ecologic Puzzle – Saving Water
Ages 2+ 24 hard board puzzle pieces arranged in 6 boards, 4 pieces each.
These attractive little puzzles come in pairs of pieces, each 3-5/16s square, making them easy for a small child to re-assemble by observing the matching pairs – a small whale rinsing a sink full of vegetables and the same whale washing the vegetables in a bathtub – without the running water of the sink. Another pair is a whale squirting a kitten with a hose or washing the same kitten in a tub full of suds. With the narrative help from parents, the child soon understands the gist of each pair’s story and the concept of water awareness unfolds. All it takes to realize the importance of water conservation is to live in a drought-ridden area for a year or two. The threat of water-rationing over daily life is sobering.
Ecologic (Concentration) Memory Puzzle – Animals at Risk!
Ages 3-6 32 hard board puzzle pieces arranged in 8 boards, 4 pieces each.
This puzzle set is a variation of Concentration. Players must match the piece showing a mother endangered animal with the piece showing the mother and baby animal together. The background illustrated habitats offer clues as to the matches as well, providing more depth to the knowledge imparted to the players. Play begins with all cards turned face down on a flat surface. Each player turns two cards over per turn. If the pair match, s/he takes another turn; if not, the cards are returned face down and play moves to the next player. Young children can enjoy this puzzle game and with a little narrative from parents, they can learn about the endangered status of the animals as well.
Hungry Bins Memory Game – Learn To Recycle
Ages 3-6 34 hard board pieces: 4 different funny-faced recycling bins & 32 tokens of items to dispose of – recycle or garbage – apple core, watermelon rind, glass bottle, plastic bottle, cardboard box, etc. Play begins with placing the tokens face down on a flat surface. A player turns over 2 tokens per turn. If the tokens match, s/he places one in front of himself/herself as a score counter and places the other token in the appropriate bin. To make it easier, the edges of the tokens are color-matched to the correct bin. The winner is the player who correctly sorts the most tokens by game’s end.
Polar Adventure – Disappearing Ice
The last Adventerra game in this Review is the most elaborate. It is recommended for ages 4-6.
It consists of 2 heavy hard boards that fit together on a flat surface, depicting a sea route, dotted with ice floes; a wooden die and stickers to put on the 6 faces of the die; a big iceberg of heavy board and 4 mini icebergs; 4 wooden animals – a polar bear, a seal, a penguin and a snow rabbit. Each player chooses an animal and places it at the beginning of the route on the playing boards. There are ships and the mini icebergs to block your forward progress, but strategies allow you to unblock your path during the game. The ice is melting and some of the elements on the die contribute to this situation, allowing for the players to become aware of the connection between factory or auto pollution and melting ice or the planting of trees to prevent the melting of glaciers.
The youngest player goes first, rolling the die and moving his/her animal forward only, according to what is shown on the die. The first player to complete the route, bringing his animal to safety, is the winner. This game serves as an introduction to ecological awareness and can provide a springboard to further study and discussions of the dire state of the earth at this time in our history.
The WaterGame – raising water conservation awarenesss
3-4 players · 7 years old and up · 20-40 mins playing time
The board for WaterGame is colorful and bright. It depicts a river flowing from the background to the foreground. The description from the Rule Book “Players swim down the river, picking green and red cards that gain or lose water. The winning player arrives at the river mouth with the most water, but nobody wins if one or more of the players arrives with less than 10 gallons of water!” This concept of team playing and what “winning” really means is very novel to me and illustrates what true water conservation requires. There is a Community Cistern section on the board that is filled by all players and that can be used by players in trouble who have lost too much water
Players roll a die and move their playing tokens along the river according to the number rolled. The green and red cards that a player can land on allow movement forward or backward, corresponding to water loss or water saving. A player may draw a card with a question mark on it. S/he then takes a card from the Question deck and asks the player to the right to read it aloud to him/her. The answerer has 10 seconds to answer the question and then follow the instructions on the red or green card, depending on a correct or incorrect answer. A question from the game: “What elements beneficial to the human body are found in water? A. Minerals salts; B. Sugar; C. Calories” – the correct answer is A. Mineral Salts and the card then lists what they are specifically and what their health value is.
The end of the game is when all players have reached the river’s mouth. The first player to do so earns a bonus of 25 gallons; the second player to arrive earns a bonus of 10 gallons. The winner is the person with the most water after bonuses. Remember, the catch is that if any player arrives at the mouth with less than 10 gallons, everyone loses!
The WaterGame is an excellent way to bring water conservation to the awareness of everyone. Once a child or adult becomes reminded of the importance of saving water in meaningful (and often painless) ways it is hard to ignore – to the benefit of all of us – just like the end of the game! MjL
Tags: educational games, environmental games, environmental awareness, ecological games, ecologic puzzle, disappearing ice, animals at risk, saving water, conservation, Adventerra, water game, water awareness,
AceReader by AceReader, Inc.
AceReader, Inc.
619 Main Street
Grand Junction, CO 81501
www.acereader.com
AceReader is a classroom-proven Reading Improvement software program that increases comprehension, speed and fluency for ages K-college. The AceReader technology is patented and proprietary, making it superior to other similar programs.
AceReader has over 20 years of successful use by students who increased their reading dexterity to high levels. Many colleges and academies use AceReader two to three times per week and 60 to 80% of students realize a 20 to 40% improvement in their reading rates, while maintaining a 75% or better comprehension. That equals reducing 10 to 20 minutes off of every hour spent reading.
These schools achieve this success by having students complete one or two-course levels in a semester. Students can monitor their progress and Teachers can generate progress reports. Teachers have a hotline to the company for support: E-mail: support@acereader.com Ph: 800-ACEREADER ext 2
Homeschoolers have also experienced the same level of reading improvement and satisfaction with AceReader. The program is offered with 3 different licensing options: Educational edition for schools, the very affordable 2-8 user Family edition and the single-user Personal Edition. Each edition consists of the same award-winning, easy-to-use software that is easily accessed by your web browser on any device – no installation necessary!
AceReader is enjoyable to use and Its screens are attractive and a breeze to navigate. It provides a two-prong value in that it offers a large number of themed reading exercises to gradually build a student’s reading speed and comprehension. The themes provide content to the student while s/he builds reading speed and comprehension, covering American History, Earth & Space Science, Fun Facts, Famous People and the SAT/ACT Prep. This latter feature is very significant in itself. Reading speed and comprehension need to be robust to make the most of one’s SAT/ACT opportunity. A high score can not only ensure admission to one’s desired college, but can also open doors to financial resources and scholarships for college expenses.
The brain can take in sight information much faster than we allow it to. Better reading involves allowing the brain to function as unrestricted as possible. In AceReader’s program, a device called a tachistoscope displays or highlights words or phrases on the computer screen and gradually speeds up, so that your eyes and brain work a bit faster. As you make a habit of this faster processing, it becomes permanent. The user also learns to see more of the text at a time, aiding in the speed increase. It is exciting to see one’s reading fluency increase in a very short time and know that this will be a lifelong improvement. Visit the website and consider adding AceReader to your homeschool or school’s curriculum. Ω
Tags: reading comprehension, reading, speed reading, brain improvement, reading program, homeschool reading improvement, homeschooling reading, homeschool language arts, SAT/ACT prep,