CrossWired Science Review - Sound, and Fluid Dynamics

We recently had the opportunity to review a new online science program, Sound, and Fluid Dynamics from CrossWired.  This great approach incorporates online work with literature to help multi-sensory students learn better.

Designed for students 4 - 18, Sound, and Fluid Dynamics allows students to study scientific topics in a way that not only introduces them to what is being explored, but continues to help the student to grow in understanding as they explore the topic each time.  

If a child uses CrossWired elementary through high school level, they will study core scientific topics a minimum of three times, with each learning experience deepening their level of understanding for the topic.  Using this learning method, complex topics can be absorbed much easier at even a younger age.

CrossWired is an online program that you create a login for.  Setting up the account was extremely easy and user friendly.  Once logged in, I was able to easily see our lessons.  

CrossWired is still releasing levels and science topics.  Currently we have access to 'First Timers' level and 'Second Timers' level.  The Core Topics are Fluid Dynamics and Sound.  Under each of these topics includes lessons on flight, sound, bones, bats, elephants, ocean animals, sonar, engines, and even big cats.

Each topic is broken down under the Core topic.  The extremely easy to use format is literally point and click for students.  

The main lesson is a fun and engaging video lesson.  Not just a boring documentary, that a child would lose interest in quickly.   As your child grows though, the same topic will be explored at an older level with more content included.  Comprehension worksheets can be printed to use with some videos, or your student can answer questions also online.  They are listed right underneath the embedded video.  The "quiz" is graded for you, if you chose to answer the questions online.  All the number and information saved under and account for your child.

Suggestions are given to help you to plan out how to cover each topic in your lesson plans. 

If you are not quite sure how to expand on each study topic, under the main general topic, CrossWired science has plenty of tips on how to plan your lesson calendar and gives possible suggestions on field trips even. 

There are created reading lists put together for you, or you can create your own.  CrossWired recommends that you spend at least one day a week doing chapter book/book reading to enhance your studies and science knowledge.  The list is extensive and includes easy readers through chapter books and even some textbook suggestions to look at.  I really like that they even give you a format to create your own list.  As part of the online component, as your child reads the assigned books, they can record the information in an online form that saves their summary under their account.

Extra images and information is at a click of a button also.  The illustrations and labels graphs are an excellent resources as you study bones in First Timers and Second Timers.

CrossWired can be used as a Christian based science program also.  Included also are devotionals.  This information is not embedded into each video, but separate under a devotional link.  It is divided by age also.  These Gold Digs or Digger Deeper topic levels are meant to show kids (or remind them) about all the beauty that God has given us.

CrossWired really is a full science curriculum that has several different components that make it perfect for multi-sensory teaching.  You have entertaining videos that keep a student's attention, and seem to be the perfect length almost every time.  Hands-on experiments are suggested that include anything from building paper airplanes and suggestions/experiment sheets even for dissection suggestions.  Literature suggestions will help to incorporate a new level to science studies.  But you can also use CrossWired as a supplement a program that you are already using.  

All of this information at a very budget friendly price for families.  Your entire family can learn science for one low fee.  You can check out a sample of what CrossWired has to offer your families by visiting the Sample Unit section.

I really like all that CrossWired has to offer families.  We have been watching videos and verbally answering questions for a few weeks now.  So far we have been using CrossWired as a supplement to our current science studies, since the girls are in a science co-op.  We love watching the videos.  The videos are entertaining, and educational.  The girls enjoy not just being talked at by the person doing the video, but seeing the examples that they show.  We are working in both the First Timers and Second Timers sections, and finding that the videos are really the perfect length for kids with short attention spans.  We compared videos from both sections and saw the additional information that would deepen understanding of the student as they cover a topic again.

We plan to continue using CrossWired throughout the summer as we continue our supplemental learning.  CrossWired really has created a science curriculum that can arm parents to allow their student to lead the way in their understanding and deepen their love of science.  

Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review various levels of CrossWired, Sound and Fluid Dynamics.  Click on the link below to see how they used this product in their homes and what they thought of it.

Complete Home Learning Suite - Essential Skills Advantage Review

Essential Skills Advantage is an online game platform that allows students to practice essential educational skills.  These includes practice in reading, math, geography, spelling, science, and language arts & grammar.   It helps reinforce their abilities and build their confidence.  We were given the opportunity to try review the Complete Home Learning Suite the last few weeks.

The Complete Home Learning Suite from Essential Skills Advantage is an online program that allows students in grades K - 6 to practice their educational skills.  They offer 43 individual programs, 998 learning units that means over 14,000 interactive learning activities.

Skills are practiced in a fun, game-like environment.  The activities and students progress is tracked for you, and you can easily print certificates and reports for your records.  You can view a full list of grade level and subjects offered by visiting the Essential Skills Advantage website.

We have been using The Complete Home Learning Suite from Essential Skills Advantage for a few weeks now.  Caty has been struggling with attention and doing any book work.  It's her learning delays that are causing frustration.  So the Complete Home Learning Suite has allowed us to take a step back from the typical book work and given us a chance to work through and practice skills that she is trying to master.

Her login is very easy, and typically I help her log into her account and she works independently.  I listen if she needs me, but generally she does not.  The independence allows her to build confidence in her skills, and the stars she earns also makes her feel good about the work she is doing.  If her attention span is short that day, then she works for as long as she can and can easily start up where she left off later in the day or the next day.

Caty has been enjoying playing the Complete Home Learning Suite.  I have been enjoying the game-like feel that it provides.  Sometimes when I let Caty play online learning "games", she doesn't really learn anything.  She spends the entire time distracted by characters or changing clothes on characters instead of learning.  All of that type of distraction is very bad for someone who has ADHD and can not concentrate because they are constantly having their attention pulled by a different light or sound.
The Complete Home Learning Suite offers such a wide variety of subjects in all grade levels.  You can have confidence that there is something for every child's grade level.  Because of this, the Complete Home Learning Suite can be used by students during their summer break even to help them from losing any of the progress that they made during the school year.  Lessons typically are short and you can control how long they are on.  If they need a break, they pick up right where they left off.

The Complete Home Learning Suite is very affordable for families, It is $7.99 per month for one student, $0.99 for extra students each month (under the same parent account).  A 6 month subscription is $39.99, extra students are also $0.99 per month.  A Year long subscription is $69.99 for one student and extra students are $0.99 per month.

We are going to continue using the Complete Home Learning Suite as a review time each week.  I am also going to add the boys into the mix so that they can reinforce skills that they are struggling with.  I can see them benefiting from the additional practice, non-textbook style!

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were given the opportunity to try out the Complete Home Learning Suite from Essential Skills Advantage.  Please take some time to read what their experiences were like.

Science Shepherd - Homeschool Introductory Science - Level B Review

We recently had the opportunity to review the Introductory Science - Level B program from Science Shepherd.

Science Shepherd Introductory Science - Level B is a complete science curriculum for Ages 9 - 11.  There are daily video lessons that are watched online and then a short workbook page can be use to reinforce what was just introduced in the video lesson.  

Science Shepherd Introductory Science includes topics such as meteorology, geology, biology, astronomy, oceanography, and even a session on creation. You can find a full list of the Scope and Sequence by visiting the Science Shepherd website.

Science Shepherd Introductory Science also has a more basic level for younger students, Level A.  It is written for students ages 6 - 8

The Introductory Science video course is $35.00, and the workbook is purchased separately for $15.00 (for Level B).  The video course gives you 12-month access to this level, so you can move as quickly as you would like or go slower through each one of the topics.  35 weeks of material are included.  Many homeschoolers do not follow a "typical" school year, so a full 12-month access gives you plenty of room to move through at your own speed.

The daily videos are only around 5 minutes a piece.  The Introductory Science course starts out with a full two weeks of lessons discussing Creation by God.  The nice thing we found first thing, was the short lessons and reinforcement pages could quickly be completed.  Joey was able to finish off 2 days in one.  I felt that this was a better pace with review material for him.  

As he has been progressing, he has been able to keep this pace except through certain topics that I wanted him to review more in depth under the meteorology category.  

Scattered throughout each lesson are many experiments.  Most require basic materials that you already have at home.  But Science Shepherd does provide you with a full list of materials that you need for each level.  

Each experiment is very basic, but gives your hands-on student a better understanding of the topic being learned.  

You can see from this example how the pages are easy to use and really add nothing extra to your classroom day, but are great for reinforcing the material that was learned.  

In fact, I have been having Joey do the workbook pages the next day after he has watched the videos.  He has a short memory, so this forces him to recall the material from the previous day.

Science Shepherd is a Christian, Bible-based curriculum.  The videos do reinforce a Bible-based way of learning about science.  But you are looking at Science.  I felt the videos were well written and expressed a clear view of God and science.

Joey has been doing very well, and speeding through science right now.  He seems to be enjoying the video approach that Science Shepherd Introductory Science offers.  As he finishes up this level, I will be ordering the Life Science level for both he and Brayden to start next.  Although I do wish that the videos did continue into the higher level.

If you are looking for some help with teaching basic science, Science Shepherd is definitely your helping hand.  With everything already planned out, including experiments, it takes the extra work out of a homeschool families weekly planning schedule.

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were given the opportunity to try out Science Shepherd materials in various levels, including the Biology and Life Science.  Take some time to check out the Review Crew blog and see how they used these materials in their homes and how they enjoyed it.