Always Ice Cream

Always Ice Cream

This is so much fun!  I know it's designed for girls 7-12, but this "slightly older" girl had fun playing it too!

From their website:
"Always Icecream offers fun and relevant drills in core academic subjects embedded in a safe and loving community experience. Parents are also given the option to choose Christian educational content if they want to offer this to their daughters."

From the Bentz Laboratory testers:
"This is the funnest thing you've ever gotten us, and mom - it's educational, so you don't have to worry!"

I love, love, love this website!  Finally, a place "just for girls" (understand the "why" here).  And, my testers are right, it is educational.

 Many of our educational games haven't had the same appeal to my daughters as to my sons.  They love this one - it's so....pink!  And, of course - there are cute pets to take care of, and places to decorate.  You get the point - it's for GIRLS!  But, in order to do all these fun, girl activities - you have to excercise your brain (the part I love!).  You earn "scoops" that you can use for fun activities by playing educational games from math, geography, science, languages - even Bible trivia.

Try the 50 States geography game for FREE (and test your own knowledge).

"As an added benefit, Always Icecream teaches your daughter basic internet skills in a safe and protected environment. Parents have the option to enable community features for their daughter, enabling her to communicate with her friends on Always Icecream. She also learns to provide feedback to the contributions of her friends. For added safety, communication on the site is monitored and reviewed before it is visible to other users. And, as parents, you receive regular email updates about the learning activities of your daughter."

The Bentz testers have enjoyed every minute of this website.  If you need a great "incentive" to get them motivated...why don't you give them some Always Ice Cream!

You can try Always Ice Cream for:

$4.99 per month (only $0.99 for your first month!)
$9.98 for a Two Month membership
$29.99 for a One Year membership
or
$99.99 for a LIFETIME membership

Parents can find out how to earn membership months by helping spread the word here.

Find out what other members of the TOS Review Crew think about it here.

I was given a complimentary membership in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Visual Latin

Visual Latin

Here's an introdution from them - it sparked my interest right away!

 "Visual Latin is a rather unusual Latin Curriculum that thinks:

It’s better to make students laugh than yawn. Shorter videos teach more effectively than longer ones. Small successes lead to big successes. Children like reading Latin more than memorizing it

That’s what we want to give your children: pure delight in learning a new language. And along the way, we want to strengthen their understanding of English grammar and powerfully expand their English vocabulary."


Well, that pretty much sums up most of my educational philosophy in a nutshell!

We have done alot of Latin at the Bentz Test Laboratory over the years.  In fact, tester #1 did Latin in Kindergarten (due to his over-zealous-very-nervous-going-to-cover-it-all mom/teacher combo).  Over the next several years (and children...) this Mom/teacher combo has relaxed a bit on the "covering-it-all" mentality, and Latin has been more hit-or-miss.

Recently however - with tester #1 about to start taking all those important college scholarship exams...I've been re-thinking the Latin subject quite alot...

So, Latin is back on the assignment sheet.  And, Visual Latin has been a huge hit here!  If you are looking for a way to add Latin to your schedule but not to "your" schedule (know what I mean - mom's schedule!), Visual Latin is a great choice!

Each of the lessons are prepared for you and available online, as a DVD, or even downloadable to your child's best friend..ummm - I mean "device" - the ipod, iphone, i-thingy that captures their complete attention.

The lessons are short, easy to follow, and Dwane (the instructor) has a sense of humor.  Really, Latin with a sense of humor - that's worth the price alone! 

My oldest students (ages 9-14) all found him entertaining.  The short lessons are followed by short worksheet exercises.  Did I mention they liked the instructor, and the lessons are SHORT!

Best of all, my students were able to jump right into their study of Latin (along with another adult telling them why Latin is such a valuable learning tool...) on their own.  I didn't have to spend alot of prep time making sure I understood it first. 

I don't like all subjects to be "independent study" at the Bentz Learning Laboratory, but in the case of Latin studies - if they aren't easily picked up and completed by the student, they may spend more time on the shelf gathering dust than on the desk...

Visual Latin proved to be interesting enough to capture their attention, easy enough to get started, and engagaing enough to keep going!  Read why their approach is working so well.

You can check out this video to see for yourself:


Visual Latin | A Quick Explanation from Compass Cinema on Vimeo.

Try Six FREE Lessons right now!

Latin 1 is a 3 Volume set containing 30 lessons.  You can get this for just $80.00 as a DVD Set (it includes PDF files of all worksheets).  You can also purchase it as a Download  in 3 -10 lesson downloads - $75 total. (this is the option to use when adding it covertly to their "devices").   I love that it is reusable - especially with multiple kids!

The Visual Latin website offers alot of great information - including this Free Latin Learning Resources Link.

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought about it here.

I was sent a complimentary DVD with lessons 1-10 in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

American Girl Club - Felicity - Week 1

We're back!  American Girl Club (and the MCA- Masculine Club of Awesomeness - what else do pre-teen & teenage boys call themselves?) is starting our new year with Felicity...

Our first craft is making Mob Caps and decorating Straw Hats...

I'm not sure who had more fun, the girls - or the moms?  We definitely took more pictures of us!

For the Mob Caps - I used a round platter I had to draw a large circle on white muslin.  Then, I used a smaller platter for the inner circle.  I found cute lace at Wal-mart which I pre-sewed around the circle's edge (we haven't taught the girls the sewing machine lesson yet!).  I carefully clipped small holes along the inner circle.  The girls then wove a piece of ribbon (with a saftey pin "needle) around the inner circle to make it gather.  And, it worked beautifully - instant Mob caps with minimal sewing (at least during our meeting..)

For the Straw Hats - my dear friends at Oriental Trading had the perfect hat, even with colorful ties.  We hot-glued silk flowers on our hats. Each one matched the owner's personality.  Some very flowerly, some not as much.

Our MCA continued on with their study of "Do Hard Things" by the Harris brothers.  And our "littles" played happily together. 

Have I mentioned - we have 6 families: 12 girls, 9 boys, and 9 littles with 2 new members expected any day?

I can't wait for the rest of our Felicity projects... Colonial Christmas is going to be so much fun!

Scrubble Cube

If you can spell you can play....SCRUBLE Cube!


The SCRUBLE Cube™ is a word game and a puzzle- on steroids!

We are huge Scrabble fans, and huge Rubics Cube fans - so what could be better?! It's like that old commerical - where people run into each other with chocolate and peanut-butter and say...Ah-Ha!


Their website says it this way:

"What if you took some of the known playing patterns of some of the most popular word games and puzzles in histroy and combined them in a brand new, unique format to create the World's Greatest 3-D Word Game? Well, you'd have the "Scrubble Cube" a patent pending game with over 7,401 septillion possible configurations that anyone can spell and play. All in a portabel format that can be played anywhere - anytime."


Once again, the Bentz Test Laboratory was in an uproar over who got to test this first! It just so happened, several teenage friends were here when the "package" arrived.

What happened next - well, after the fight for who got it first was over... a heated word - strategy - competition got underway. Being a wise mother (or at least one that knows to leave teenage boys alone when they have that competitive look in their eyes...) I stood back and let them figure it out. 

Very easily done.  And, I must say - I was impressed. The cube looks rather intimidating with all those letters and numbers...but - it didn't even slow them down! 

First, the visiting teenager builds three triple words..."take that!"

"No problem" - a few twists and flicks later - the Bentz tester adds several double word, double letter scores to his competitors word. "Done" - 88 to 300! (Never mess with kids who do vocabulary on their ipods - for fun!).


 "In SCRUBLE Cube™ there are 96 individually rotating letter and premium scoring pegs inserted onto a 4 x 4 x4 cube. The letters rotate to aid in pattern recognition when players are creating words. The cube offers a stimulating single or multi-player environment for spelling words of at least three letters on a single plane or over several faces: 3-Dimensionally. All of the letters have point values and scoring occurs at the end of each player’s turn. Bonuses are awarded for words that have a letter on at least three faces. And that’s the fun and challenge of SCRUBLE Cube: thinking in 3-dimensions!"


Watch this to see for yourself:

You can get your own Scrubble Cube for just $24.95 online here

Not really interested in word games, and prefer the challenge of puzzles.... no problem!

"Although primarily played as a word game, the SCRUBLE Cube™ can be played as a challenging puzzle with a single solution that returns the cube to its original configuration. That configuration spells “Scruble Cube” in two directions across multiple faces using specially colored letters. The instructions provide the original configuration of all of the game tiles to assist in solving this mind bending puzzle."

I'm all for using games to make learning fun and interesting. Scrubble Cube teaches important skills like Spelling, Math, Vocabulary, Sportmanship, Strategic thinking all while looking like a fun game/puzzle. Online lessons are available here.
I like their motto; "we can't guarantee that

playing this game will make you a genius ...but it might!"

See what the other TOS Crew Member thought about it here

I was sent a complimentary game in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Aletheia Writing Magazine

Here's a brief Introduction from their website -

Aletheia, pronounced Ah-LAY-thei-uh, (Greek for Truth) Writing Magazine is a quarterly publication focusing on the literary and artistic works of Christian teens, ages 13 to 19.

We are excited to offer Christian teens a healthy platform in which to express themselves, especially in a culture that so definitively shapes and saturates their worldview with unhealthy imagery and values.

 

In addition to the literary and artistic expressions of Christian teens, each issue offers a variety of unique features: a Writer's Challenge, the Featured Contributor, a book review, Glory to God for the Beauty of Nature, Ancient Ink, and an interview or other feature for edification and enjoyment.

Subscriptions are $26 for 4 full-color, 40 page issues per year.
Click here to subscribe.
 

The Bentz Testing laboratory was very pleased with this magazine.  It has a very professionally done layout, and is not overpowered with advertising. In fact, several of the students are hoping to submit articles and be published!  What a motivator!!

Their website has a great writing tips section (even I could get something out of this!). The Writer's Challenge will give your students a starting place, with a prompt and a deadline.

I appreciated the focus on excellence and a Christian worldview.  I would caution you to preview it first, since some submissions may not agree with your own personal convictions, or may be slightly disturbing to some yournger children (remember it it geared for teens!).

You can read the Spring 2011 issue online for free here.  We're excited about the Upcoming Feature in the Winter issue - one of our favorite authors... Check it out!

Read what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought about it here.

Disclaimer:

I was sent a complimentary issue in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Tri-Cross by Games for Competitors

If you know us, we LOVE games at the Bentz Learning Laboratory!  Imagine the excitement as a box arrives, and the eager children gather around to see what "goodie" it is this time... another handwriting workbook, math facts drill, latin?    "No", I  say - "it's just a game to try out".  I was nearly knocked down by frantic children yelling..."pick me, pick me this time!". 

Now you got a little peek into my world... let me introduce you to the product that caused this stampede of children -  it's call Tri-Cross by Games for Competitors, a Father-Son duo from Atlanta (by the way, that is my oldest child's dream job!)

This game is a "cross" between - chess, checkers and Stratego, according to my sons who have not stopped playing it since it arrived.

For a quick "how to play" - watch this video -



One reason that it has been such a hit here, it's easy to learn, but challenging enough to keep teenage boys entertained. It's also a quick game to play (unlike some other strategy games that can take all day...).

You can purchase this game in 3 different formats (we were sent the Standard and Eco-editions!)  Look for it online or at your favorite retail location.

Standard Edition - $24.95
Eco-Edition - $19.95
Wood Edition - $35.95

Games for Competitors is giving away 10 of their Travel/Eco-Games. You can register to win your own copy - find out the details about it here. (The Eco Edition is packaged in a handy, cotton travel bag and printed on a cotton board.)

We're not the only ones who have fallen in love with this game - check out some of the awards it's won!

See what the other TOS Crew members thought here.


Disclaimer:
We were sent a complimentary copy of this product in exchange for our honest opinion as part of the TOS Revie Crew.

Before Five and Row

Oh, Oh, OH!  I am so excited to get to tell you about this one!!

This fabulous resource has been in our personal homeschool journey from day one of homeschooling.  Now, eight children later, it is still as loved as ever!

Before Five in a Row is more than just a preschool curriculum, it's truly an invitation to enjoy well-loved stories and experiences with your children.  It draws you into the world of quality children's literature, but even more than that - it teaches both you and your children to love of this precious time spent together.

Each of my children could easily remember their favorites (even the 14 yr old!)  They all shared their stories, and memories of the activities we had shared together. Blueberries for Sal, Caps for Sale,  Goodnight Moon, The ABC Bunny and more - each of them had a personal "favorite" to retell!

My testers from the Bentz Laboratory for our "official" review were the four-year-old, curly haired beauty and her spicy "me-too" two-year old sister.

We started with a long-time favorite - What will you Wear Jesse Bear (the memories that this books brings back - make me cry. It was our first BFIAR book 10 years ago...this time if flying by so fast!). 

"Little Curly" and "Me-Too" - both LOVED this story.  We even shared it at our coop class for story time.  We created our own Jesse Bear dolls - complete with several changes of outfits.  They have not seperated from their Jesse Bears, even taking them to bed with them!  In fact, their fascination with all things Jesse Bear spread to other books in the saga of Jesse Bear. (don't you just love the power of books!)

Before Five in a Row puts 23 of these units easily into your hands - to use and cherish.  Geared for ages 2-4 (although, we still love many of these stories - many years later!).  You will explore Bible,science, history, geography, art, and more - all within the pages of the story.

The second part of the book - “Parents Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness.”  is filled with ideas to inspire learning and hands-on activities to keep you and your preschooler on the path to a successful homeschool adventure!

Before Five in a Row can be purchased online from Five in a Row, or at Rainbow Resources for just $35. 

I'm so grateful for this resource, and the many, many years of pleasant memories it has given us. But, mostly  for starting us on a path of enjoyable learning together!  Don't miss this one!

Disclaimer:
I was sent a complimentary copy of Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert as part of the TOS Crew in exchange for my honest opinion, no compenstation was received.
Read what the other TOS Crew member thought about it here.