Week 10 - 12 .. The Fair Season Begins....and then the Whirlwind season is over

So we found out last week that Ms. Caty won an Outstanding Award for her Nutrition Project at the State Fair.  She was very happy!!  This is her first time entering projects at the State Level.  She had done county and enjoyed that, so she is happy to see that trophy sitting there for her!

We helped set up our 4H Clubs booth at the fair.  The kids went with a Minecraft theme.  Our little club is a great group of kids.  We had a very high percentage of county awards, considering we have only around 22 members.

On Monday the older kids had a shift at the 4H Milkshake Barn.  Joey is allergic to dairy, so I didn't let him work.  Caty wasn't old enough this year.  So it was just Lydia and Brayden.  They both had a really good time.  I knew Brayden would love it there.  He is a budding foodie.

Tuesday we met some friends at an area park.  They are home for a few short weeks and moving to Chile.  We love reading about all their new adventures and were very excited to see them again.  The boys had plenty to talk about since they play Minecraft together on the server.  We heard a lot of Minecraft exchanges while we were there.  It was so much fun!

We came home and started back on our light summer school load.  We are finishing our last couple states for our US Geography and the kids are working on getting their projects ready for Open Class at our county fair.  They are also working on some review so that I can verify their progression.

Caty though has started her first food history study.  I recorded some episodes of American Eats.  We are learning about the history of cookies this week.  She created her own cookie recipe, studied the history of the cookie, what materials are important to cookies and did some cookie baking experiments.

We had a few schedule changes, so we only really did two full school days this week.  I intended on three.  But we'll catch back up easily next week.

I really did find it hard to stay motivated and keep them going.  I have been in pain for several months now.  I went to the chiropractor finally and she discovered what appears to be a bulging disc putting pressure on a nerve.  So I am going through treatment, but the last treatment didn't seem to help much.  I worked on adding back in walking on the treadmill since I haven't been able to run since my injury.  I was in a lot of pain on those days.  I need to keep moving though.  Even if I am hurting.

Caty  worked hard on her Cookie project.  She practiced measuring and learning how important measuring is in baking.  She also invented the bacon chocolate chip cookie.

 All the kids participated in the 4H bake off this year.  Lydia got 2nd place for her pumpkin doughnuts

Joey got 1st place for his peanut butter-less cookies.

Joey found his name on the Wall of Fame.  He placed first in the county for his Exploring Ponds project.

Here they are walking their baked goods around the arena during the baked goods auction.

Joey got to go to State for judging.  Joe took him down while I took the girls to their cheerleading competition.  Brayden was excited that he got Rock-It's autograph this year!

The girls and I met Joe and the boys at the State Fair.  Caty earned a 1st place award with one of her Girl Scout projects in Life Skills.

Caty was very proud accepting her award.

They got to sit in a Columbus Police cruiser.

Caty with her bacon on a stick.

Enjoying the model trains.

I was joking that his milkshake was as big as his head.  He took me literally.

Then we came home and some gracious and generous friends began replacing our back deck.  The whole deck was rotting on top.  That took a few days and it was a lot of hard and hot work.  They did an awesome job!

This whole time we have finished 4H Fair, then we finished up State Fair projects, and then it was on to our own County's Open class projects.  Yep...that's right...I was sucker enough to let them enter 3 different fairs this year.  My living room looked like this for a few days while we gathered the projects and tagged everything.

Brayden's veggies from his garden.

Caty's decorated cupcakes

Joey's decorated cookies

New to us this year...Flowers....Caty entered her marigolds that she grew from seed.  In the first show she earned honorable mention because they looked nice, but I didn't leave enough leaves on what we cut off.  The second time she earned 2nd place for both her entries.  She was very proud.

Joey earned 3rd for his cookies.  He entered some drawings also, but they didn't place.  He did a wonderful job on his OverWatch art Manga though.

Caty earned 3rd for her decorated cupcakes.

Our county fair holds a cheerleading competition and our cheer squad takes part in it annually.  This year it was SOOOOO HOT!!  We struggled to keep everyone cool and hydrated.  We were very fortunate.  Other squads not so much.  There were many cheerleaders sick.

Our team placed 1st in Spirit division.  They were so happy!!  Lydia got to go up and get the trophy this time.

Caty is loving Raddish Kids.  This month was Brazil.  We were having company over, so she decided to cook up her new recipes.  She was getting the meat ready for the marinade here.

Then she and daddy made the lemon bars together.  She needed his strength to squeeze out the lemon juice.

We had a very busy fair period.  I won't post all 54 projects....but they did wonderful.  I entered photographs, and so did the girls.  We also entered sewing this year, a pillowcase that Lydia made.  They collected quite a stack of ribbons from all the fairs.  Lydia even earned Best of Class and Best of Show for her Recycled bird feeder.  She was very proud of those rosettes!

We also walked with the cheerleaders in the fair parade and handed out candy.  The kids enjoy this every year.  They have so much fun!  The kids had two friends over and they walked with us.  I gave in and broke my fair rule of not riding rides.  They had so much fun together.

Now we are taking a fair break and going to start planning for next season.  I think a plan of action is going to help us soooo much.

I have our lessons planned and we are starting this week with a new format.  We'll see how it goes.  It will definitely keep me a lot  more busy in some aspects, but give me more peace of mind about what they are learning.  Now to just keep up and get my motivation going for starting!

Hope everyone is having a great August!  Stay tuned for Regular school programming soon!

Enlivenze LLC - Rainbow Pencils FlipStir Puzzle Review

Puzzles are so much fun.  But they are not very portable for the kids when we are out running errands.  So I was very excited to hear about a new kind of puzzle.  We were privileged to get the opportunity to try out the FlipStir Rainbow Pencils puzzle from Enlivenze LLC.

The FlipStir Rainbow Pencils puzzle ($24.95) contains 10 puzzle pieces that are self-contained.  It is a beginner level puzzle, that is made for ages 7 and up.  Each puzzle container contains the pieces, and also a special flip-stir wand device to help move the pieces.

I will admit, I just sat staring at the Rainbow Pencils puzzle for several minutes.  I mean....HOW?!?!

It took me a little while to get used to using the FlipStir wand.  Everything is sealed up, so there are no lost pieces.  You must move the pieces using the wand.  I have found the FlipStir Rainbow Pencils puzzle to be a great critical thinking skills challenge.

You shake up the puzzle.  Then get started.  It's not a quick fix.  Caty got very frustrated quickly, since she couldn't move the pieces around with her fingers.  She also couldn't lay them out on the table to look at.  That is where the critical thinking skills come into play.

It does take a little bit of time to get used to using the puzzle wand.  I took a video of myself using the wand, but unfortunately Blogger would not allow me to upload it.  So I got a few pictures.

The wand is designed with a "hook" style end that allows you to pick up and move the pieces around inside the tube.

Each puzzle piece is designed to allow the wand to move it freely.

I did get the puzzle back together.  This takes some time to learn how to put the puzzle together.  Your spatial relation skills are really put to the test.  I discovered that I have some major issues in this area...lol

A friend of ours really enjoyed playing with this puzzle.  She played with it several times.  And each instance the puzzle was put together a bit differently.  I was wondering if this puzzle would get old.  The girls do not always enjoy putting together the same puzzles over and over again.  So would the FlipStir puzzles be worth the expense.  Considering the pieces fall differently every time that you shake it up, the combinations that you need to figure out keeps the puzzle new each time.

I definitely would recommend the FlipStir puzzles for families.  The Rainbow Pencils puzzle has been great for using in the van and even just sitting and killing time at home.  I wouldn't recommend using it during story time or when listening to audiobooks.  I sometimes pull out puzzles when listening to our textbooks on audio.  Not a good idea in this case.  There is noise involved with no only the shaking, but also the plastic pieces flip and hit against the plastic container.  So it does get a little loud then.

We will be adding more FlipStir puzzles to our travel bags for road trips.  They will be a great addition and take up very little space.

The FlipStir Puzzles have received many awards including:

• 2015 Dr. Toy Top Ten Best Active Toys
• 2015 Creative Child Magazine "Puzzle of the Year"
• 2015 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center
• 2015 Family Choice Awards Winner
• 2014 Tillywig "Brain Child" award
• 2014 Creative Child Magazine "Game of the Year - Puzzle Games Category"
• Toy Man News & Reviews - The Toy Man "Seal of Approval," The Toy Man "Award of Excellence," The Toy Man "Editor's Choice," The Toy Man "Award of Recognition," The Toy Man "S.T.E.M. Award," The Toy Man "Mom Approved" Award

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were given the opportunity to try out the various FlipStir Puzzles from Enlivenze LLC.  Take some time to check out how these unique puzzles worked in their homes.

Foreign Languages For Kids By Kids - Beginning Spanish - Starter Set 1 Review

Teaching a foreign language is not always easy.  It can present a challenge for not only the student, but also for the teacher who is working with the student.  I haven't taken Spanish since high school, so I remember "un poco".  Definitely not enough to fully teach the kids.  We recently had the opportunity to review the Beginning Spanish Starter Set 1 from Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids.

The Beginning Spanish Starter Set 1 includes a full 20 week curriculum.  This exciting program includes a DVD with the 3 videos that match up with the 3 workbooks for extra practice.  This includes:  Basketballs Aren't for Breakfast, The Little Magic House Part 1, and The Little Magic House Part II.  A sticker set for each episode.  Flashcards that include a picture and word for each video.  Teacher's Guide to walk you through helping your child learn beginning Spanish.  We also received a fun card game called Go Squish!

This program has been designed for use by elementary aged students just being introduced to Spanish.  The DVD includes kids teaching kids.  It's not just an adult "teaching".  The kids are using the language to immerse your child fully during their watching period.  The phrases are used repeatedly and in different situations to show your child appropriate usage.

Here is a sample from video #1:

The Teachers Guide is broken down into lessons for each video.  Each video is a different level.  There are 3 levels included in Beginning Spanish - Starter Set 1.  The teacher guide is a great addition for parents.  It lists out what you need to do and materials that you will need for each lesson.  It also gives you an estimate of time for each lesson to help with your planning.  A full list of the words being used in each video is provided.

You are not required to watch each video in it's entirety for each lesson.  You watch each video in segments.  Discuss the words that are introduced and practice saying them together.  I really liked that the Teachers Guide reminds parents that you do not need to understand each and every phrase used in the video segment.  You might be learning right along with your child.  Learning a new language can become very frustrating for kids (and parents).  So take your time learning and watch the videos for understanding.

Also included in the Teacher's Guide are short geography lessons.  This is where your workbooks come in for each lesson.  DVD 1, which is where we are, is a lot of geography of South America.

Beginning Spanish - Starter Set 1 also includes wonderful stickers that you can use around your house to label items.  This provides a wonderful visual for your student to become immersed in a new language throughout their world.

The Workbooks are a full-color addition.  The lessons included encourage children through fun crossword puzzles, multiple choice questions, and even their responses back in Spanish.  All the materials are in Spanish.

Our experience so far has been positive.  Caty is struggling to use the words, but she is recognizing them.  She has a language delay, speaking Spanish is hard for her since she struggles to get out her English.  So we did not emphasize speaking the language.  But recognition was the key.  

I thought Foreign Languages for Kids By Kids did a wonderful job putting together a child friendly Spanish Program.  There seems to be a lot of components to put together, but there really are not.  It has been very user friendly.  The main items used are the Teacher's Guide, DVD, and Student Workbook.  The flashcards and games are used also each week.  

The amount of time spent on lessons is minimal.  Some days was roughly 15 minutes, other days lessons were a bit longer, up to 30 minutes with games.  You as the teacher can easily gauge your student's involvement level and attention span each day and can easily adapt the program to what your child needs.

Beginning Spanish - Starter Set 1 can easily be used by students who are also enrolled in public school.  If you are seeking to have your child start learning a foreign language prior to middle school or high school, then this is the program for you to use.  The lesson length will not heavily increase your student's workload.  Many public school systems have started to adopt this program from Foreign Language For Kids By Kids.  It is definitely a wonderful introduction to the world of the Spanish language, without cartoon characters.  

The Beginning Spanish - Starter set 1 can be purchased for $140.25.  That can be a bit pricey for some budgets.  But if you like what you see, you can also purchase the DVDs and workbooks by each level to break the cost up in your budget.  

We will keep chugging along with our Beginner Spanish - Starter Set 1.  I can't wait to see what other materials that Foreign Language For Kids By Kids releases.  

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were given the opportunity to review the Beginning Spanish - Starter Set 1 from Foreign Languages For Kids By Kids.  Take a few moments to read how they used this program in their homes and what worked for them.

Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy Review

We recently had a chance to try Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy online program by Talking Fingers, Inc.

Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy program is great for both emerging readers and struggling readers by combining both visual and fine motor skills.  It was created for Grades preschool through kindergarten. Children are able to see how the letters and words they are hearing appear in print.  They can interact by drawing the letters, putting together the words by sounds, have the new words read to them, and then read them on their own.

I really like that the letters are embedded within a picture of the sounds.  This feature allows the child to easily associate the sound and the letter together.  It also helps them to remember the shape of the letter when it comes to writing it.  Check out the letter C above in the shape of a cat.  Multiple learning styles are promoted in one activity, and it allows those who need to have further connections put together...connected.

Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy program provides step by step learning.  It was created to introduce all 40 speech sounds and the letters that make them in a fun and interactive way.   

First the child can listen to the fun stories read to them.  

The next activity encourages proper letter formation.  Multiple letters form words as they advance.

Spelling is another activity.  This was fun.  As you can see, letters can be dragged to the area to spell the words.  The pictures of the letters, as you can see are designed to helped the children remember the shape/form of the letter and the sound.  

The last activity encourages the reading of the words that they have heard, drawn and spelled out.  

We use the Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy program a few times a week.  I would definitely recommend this program for educational and fun use.  The cost is definitely reasonable and Caty has been enjoying the cartoon characters in the lessons.  

I really like that the program reads the books to the child, which is great for early readers and those who may be struggling.

I like that I don't have to sit over her shoulder and can allow her to work independently with this program.  So it's great for when I need to work with another child and yet keep Caty on track for her reading progress.  

Another favorite feature is that if you child tries to open another window to play a game in while listening to story, they can't.  Caty has a tendency to get distracted with multiple windows open.  This program will not continue to play if it is not in the open window.

The lessons can be brief or as long as you would prefer.  It has been working well along with our reading program that we are currently using.  

Check out this review from the Talking Fingers, Inc. Youtube Channel:

Several members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were given the opportunity to try out Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy program.  Still not sure if it's right for you?  Take some time to visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog and see how the other families used it in their homes.

CTCMath - CTCMath Homeschool Membership Review

Product:  CTCMath - CTCMath Homeschool Membership

Age Range:  K - Grade 12

Cost:  $118.80 for 2 or more students 

I am very nervous about teaching math.  It's not the add 1 and 2 and get 3 problems.  It's the more advanced stuff.  Some days it's really hard though working with the simple addition.  It's usually days where the kids want me to be mom and not their teacher.  They do not want me to be "teaching" them anything.  So I have been looking for a little extra help in math.  I was excited to get the opportunity to try the CTCMath Homeschool Membership from CTCMath.

CTCMath is a online math program that provides extra help for students who may be struggling in various areas of math.  It offers video instruction which can be repeated as many times as the student needs.  Each lesson includes quizzes to reinforce and provide practice in the skills that your student needs extra help in.

CTCMath can be used as a supplement to your current curriculum or as your whole math curriculum.  It allows students to work at a pace that encourages them to master a skill, not just learn it.  The videos are short and yet are full of information which helps those with short attention spans.

CTCMath provides:

• Almost 1,400 math videos and interactive lessons
• 57,000 interactive questions
• Diagnostic tests
• Instant feedback for both parents and students
• Help with higher level math such as algebra, trigonometry and calculus
• Math lessons are available for students in levels from kindergarten through high school

We have been using CTCMath Homeschool Membership for a while now.  For some of the kids it is a supplement, while the others we use it as their whole curriculum.  The boys do not use book math very well at all.  So for them, we use it as their whole curriculum.

The boys like the short length of the lessons.  They can tell me how they did right away.  I can then determine if they need to repeat any of the material they were just learning or if they can move forward.  But with my parent account, I can adjust their passing level to what I feel is acceptable and feel that they are understanding that topic.  

The girls have been using CTCMath Homeschool Membership as a supplement to go along with their current math curriculum.  As we study topics, they can practice their math skills more online.  The video instruction is very well done and most times does a better job explaining it than me. They are grasping those harder topics and getting a lot of practice for those that they are already getting a grasp on.  

The printable worksheets encourage children to work out with pen and paper.  Something that online programs do not encourage.  We are in the world of technology, but there are many times where I need to quickly figure a math problem without my calculator.  Pen and paper math is still very important!!

One of my favorite things about CTCMath.  The simple videos.  My kids like playing math games online.  But sometimes the flashier the program, the less they learn.  The videos on CTCMath are simple and to the point.  They give a great explanation.  I found one or two videos that confused Joey just a bit, but after watching them a couple times he was able to grasp the basic concept.  So it was more the concept that he was trying to grasp.

Parents get their own login, where you can assign your students work and track their progress.  You can also print the certificates that they are earning for their portfolios and even print grades if that is what you need to meet your state's requirements.  I can also print out a summary of the lessons so that we can refer back to them if we need too.

We did use the CTCMath Homeschool version, but this program could be used by any student who is struggling with math topics.  This is a cheaper option than visiting some of the tutoring facilities that are opened now.  Even if you are in public school, CTCMath is a great option for students to use.

The ease of use for myself in helping the kids with their math education is priceless.  We are definitely at a busy spot in our lives where CTCMath came in at the right time and is able to help our family.  Here  short video so that you can see how the program works:

Several members of the Schoolhouse Members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were given the opportunity to try out the CTCMath Homeschool version.  Take some time to see how this program worked out in their homes by visiting the blog below.