IXL Learning: A TOS Crew Review

IXL Learning


We are so excited to tell you about IXL Learning!  We have been enjoying the Full Annual Membership in all subjects - Math, Language Arts, Science (grades 2-8), Social Studies (grades 2-8) and Spanish.  We have been long time fans of this online, comprehensive learning program (read our past review) and are impressed with how the program has developed!

Let me tell you how this amazing program works.  It's entirely online, with lessons for grades Prek-12 in core subjects, including Spanish learning.  IXL isn't core curriculum, but a very valuable supplement to your studies for review and mastery. This is truly unique to find a program that can work with all my children.  My three testers love it - grades 4,5 and 7.

It's very easy to use, simply set up your family profile and create a unique avatar and secret word for each student.  I love that it is one easy login for all of us!  Here is a quick peek at ours -

Here is where the program gets truly amazing.  IXL has 2 main sections - Analytics and Learning.  Inside Analytics - you can use the diagnostic tools to determine exactly where your student should start, or you can pick and choose what skills and topics you want to work on, even across the grade levels!  This is the perfect tool for pinpointing and developing the skills your student needs most.

Inside the Analytics section,  you can see your student's usage at a glance.

Monitor their progress and improvement.

Even get detailed information on the types of questions your student needs help with.

As a parent, the Analytic section is my favorite.  I can keep up with what each of them is learning, and I'm just a geek for graphs ;-)  In addition, I get weekly progress emails delivered in my inbox.

The main section of IXL is the Learning. When your student logs into their account, they immediately see program recommendations, base on their past use.  But, your student can also choose what skills they want to work on.

For my testers, we set up a weekly schedule with Math and Language arts practice each day, and Social Studies, Science and Spanish three days a week.  My testers were so excited -they did all this with ZERO complaining!  They even asked to do more than I had scheduled...win for mom!

Here is a quick peek at what the lessons are included.  Your child can work in any grade level or by topic.  The program allows you to sort the skills either way, so you can jump around to skills they need most.  The amount of lessons included is mind-boggling. 

I like to give my testers the opportunity to select the skills they want to practice.  Of course, they go right away to things they have mastered...shhh, don't tell them we call it "review".  But, frequently, I will assign a particular lesson that needs more attention.

So let's look at a lesson.  Each lesson pinpoints a particular skill.  Your students answers the questions, and the program keeps track of progress. The adaptive technology adjusts questions to your student's progress.  Meaning, when they get a question wrong, it will be reintroduced until they master it.  Immediate feedback is given for correct and incorrect answers.  Incorrect answers include an explanation for the student.

All the lessons are aligned to your state standards too.

As each skill is mastered, your student earns rewards.  This is hands-down the favorite part of the program for my testers!  Who knew online stickers, and collections could be such positive rewards?

Math rewards look like this -

A checkerboard with stickers that are uncovered as your student masters skills.  So simple, but so effective. My testers will work extra time just to see them.  Rewards are given for mastery, number of questions answered, and time spent.  I like that all my testers can earn rewards, even if they are struggling for mastery.

Language Arts rewards are collections.  What child doesn't like collecting?  Here's ours -

You can also print out certificates for you student, either as a record of what they have accomplished, or as a reward.

We are huge fans of IX.  It is so easy to use, and my testers give it a hearty six thumbs up!





Find IXL Learning on Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/IXL
Twitter: twitter.com/IXLLearning
Pinterest: pinterest.com/IXL
YouTube: youtube.com/IXL

Hashtags: #hsreviews #ixl #iloveixl

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Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum: A TOS Crew Review

Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum

Language Arts is one of the truly vital components of a quality education. Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum is a comprehensive online language arts curriculum that will help you make sure your students are well prepared.

The online membership offers 6 different sequential levels for Prek-approx 5th grade reading levels (name by color, instead of grade - I love it!).  Each level has a full 36 weeks of daily lessons in reading/literature, writing, vocabulary, handwriting, computer skills, word study, poetry and our favorite - the interactive notebooks.

The program is very well organized and super easy to use.  Simply login, create profiles for each of your children and you are ready to go.  I was given a subscription for 4 of my children.  After using the program, my oldest discovered it was below her level, but still enjoyed the reading sections.  My other testers are 3rd grade (Green level),  4th grade (Blue level) and 6th grade (Indigo level).

For the first approx. 8 weeks - you can use all the levels for your child to discover the proper place for them before selecting the level.  I love that you have the flexibility to find exactly where they need to be.  You can see their progress on the dashboard.

The lessons are organized by Month and Week.  Each day has multiple activities designed to appeal to all learning styles.

They include over 60 instructional videos - including videos of the book being read to your student, and direct instruction on different topics.


There are downloadable review games, printable worksheets and hands-on projects like creating craters or jackdaws.

 In addition, you can upload your child's work to create an online portfolio.

This is a quick peek at a typical day.  Each section expands to include a link for any worksheets or videos that are included.

Best of all, the planning is done for you!  Each week begins with a detailed lesson plan, so you know exactly what to have ready.  Book lists are given, and all the month's handouts can be downloaded in a single PDF to print.  They have made it so easy!

I love this program - Here are a few of the components that really stand out for me.

• The book choices are wonderful!  Each level and month share a common theme, my students loved discovering new books.  We got all the selections easily at our local library.
• The Word Study - the Blue and Indigo levels we used included fabulously done word root study.
• The Writing Checklists - both in a list and a visual format.
• The Review Games and Graphic organizers - the program is filled with multiple approaches that you can pick and choose from.

I printed what we needed, and kept our review games ready to go on a file-folder everyone could use.  

Our favorite  component was interactive notebooks!  These are included in the lessons - or can be purchased individually (approx. 18 titles are currently available).  They are an in-depth book study.  These are the ones we used -

• Level Green: Ahyoka and the Talking Leaves
• Level Blue: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
• Level Indigo: Holes

Each interactive notebook is a downloadable PDF of mini-books, questions, vocabulary and beginning literary analysis.  You print them out and then cut out and glue into a notebook.  Since my students aren't big fans of cutting (they are all left-handed!)  I cut them out and put them into the notebook for them.

Your students can follow along in their daily lessons, or you can use these notebooks separately.  After reading, your student completes the exercises directly in the notebook.

 I am so impressed with the depth of this program.  It truly covers all areas of language arts.  It is well designed, and so easy to use.  I wish they offered more levels!

Be sure to check this one out!


Find Home School Navigator on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolnavigation/
Pinterest: Home School Navigator
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolnavigator/

Hashtags:#hsreviews, #readingsuccess,#readingstrategies, #makinglifelonglearners

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Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level C from Eclectic Foundations: A TOS Crew Review

Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level C from Eclectic Foundations

Language arts...how many books and programs do you need?  We have found our new FAVORITE curriculum, and it's all in one place! Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level C from Eclectic Foundations is covering reading, handwriting, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and even poetry study. This level is intended 2nd-3rd graders who already know cursive and can read. 
This is a one year curriculum designed with 36 weeks of 4 lessons each.  It's written from a Biblical worldview and uses the historic (and effective) McGuffey's Reader. Best of all...my children LOVE it!
My tester is in 3rd grade.  She has always struggled with language arts. This program doesn't "look" impressive at first glance, it's all black and white, the font is big and "seems" simplistic.  However, once we started - I realized it's ANYTHING BUT SIMPLISTIC!
Each daily lesson is short and directed.  The Teacher Guide is a must have, and tells you everything you need to know.  Your student works in the Student Workbook.  You do need a copy of the McGuffey's Second Reader (which is available free online)  The program includes a Phonics Practice laminated sheet and cardstock Word Cards.
Are you familiar with McGuffey's?  Check this out from the Eclectic Foundations website:

• The McGuffey Readers were part of the Eclectic Education Series and were widely used from 1836 until the 1960’s.  The Eclectic Education Series was the most popular collection of textbooks before educators secularized the public school system.
• During this shift in education, the Biblical teachings of these textbooks were no longer allowed in the public school system.  Authors of the Eclectic Education Series knew that it was impossible to teach morality apart from Christ. 
• Educators of that time also had their pupils ready for college after completing the 8th grade.  William Holmes McGuffey began teaching public school at age 14.  The McGuffey’s Revised 6th Reader, however, is considered to be a college senior reading level by today’s standards. 
• Teachers of that time had the freedom to teach without government bureaucracy. Shouldn’t we raise our standards again?
• We haven't written an entirely new curriculum.  We've simply enhanced these old textbooks, modernized some of the language, and made them "teacher friendly".

Each Lesson introduces a list of words for us to read together.  This is where we spend time focusing on phonics and mastering the reading.  Then, using our laminated Phonic practice sheet - we get to have a spelling test with those same words.  My tester loved the opportunity to do her spelling words with a dry erase marker.  Who knew? The secret to no-tears spelling test is a dry erase marker??

 The Word Cards are the true treasure of this program!  Lessons include pre-printed word cards on heavy card stock.  This is where the hands-on grammar teaching takes place.  The words for the lesson correspond with words from the reading from the McGuffey's Reader.  Lessons alternate between working with the words, and reading sections in the Reader.

I lay out all the cards and have my tester look and find all the nouns (then color them red) as we review the definition of a noun. Then we look for verbs, adjectives, etc.  I am AMAZED by how this activity had increased my tester's grammar knowledge!

Every now and then, the lessons use the Word Cards in different way- like alphabetizing all her nouns (and she begged to do the verbs too...score one for mom!).  We keep them in plasic baggies by type of word.  She also uses them to build sentences.

In addition, each lesson has a handwriting/memory section.  My tester does know cursive (making her extra special) and loves to get to write in it.  These are short selections of scripture or an inspirational quote. Poetry is introduced and included with copywork too. The skills build steadily throughout the program.

This is such an affordable and EFFECTIVE program that my 2nd grader begged me to get her one!  Let me say... Level B is equally as great!


Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level A - Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level B -
Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level C

Find Eclectic Foundations on Social Media:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/eclecticstudent

Hashtags:  #hsreviews #languagearts #mcguffeyreaders #eclecticeducation

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