Vocab Videos

From their website -

"The Vocab Videos program is based on watching humorous, memorable videos to teach vocabulary in a contextual format. Using both auditory and visual cues, each video includes a real-world representation of the meaning of a word in a way that you can easily relate to and understand. In addition to the videos, the program includes quizzes, worksheets, a multimedia flashcard maker and many other tools. Take a look around the site and you will see a host of great vocabulary learning resources for the SAT including a free SAT word list and much more. Take advantage of our free trial to get started today!"

Quizzes, worksheets, and crossword puzzles are readily accessible after viewing an episode, so that students can immediately start using their new vocabulary words. We encourage all students to make use of our awesome digital flashcard maker to create flashcards with their own images and videos for new words they encounter in any academic subject matter or reading material. 

• Digital Quizzes: SAT-style questions follow each episode

• Digital Worksheets: Provide space to write sentences, synonyms or mnemonic devices

• Flashcard Maker: Create multimedia flashcards for ANY subject

• Alphabetical Glossary: Searchable glossary containing links to all individual videos

• Category Lists: Words are grouped by common themes

• Crossword Puzzles: Downloadable crossword puzzles categorized by episode

• Special Educator Features: Monitor class progress; download study materials for printing

An account includes:

• Access to the entire video library of 500 Vocab Videos
• Total access to an extensive suite of study resources and tools: digital quizzes, digital worksheets, multimedia flashcard maker, downloadable crossword puzzles

 6-Month Subscription $24.99
 12-Month Subscription $39.99
Small Educator discount - allows you to manage up to 20 students - $74.99


I hate to say this...I really wanted to like Vocab Videos, but - I didn't.

Their teaching philosophy is sound, their approach is engaging, and the core content of the vocabulary is excellent.  BUT - after watching several of the videos - I found them to be completely inappropriate for my teenagers!  The videos are based on spoofs of popular TV shows (which we have never seen - so the humor is completely lost on us...fine by me).  Taking the Lord's name in vain is enough to add this resource to a "no play" list around here.  Add in sarcastic, disrepectful speech and attitudes, a dating culture and more - made me decide fairly quickly this wasn't for us.

I don't want to get into a debate about allowing our children access to "pop culture" or not - that will be each family's decision.   Please make sure you preview this resource carefully before tuning in your children... you may not like what you see and hear.

 I'd be a huge fan of Vocab Videos if they would raise the level of character qualities displayed in their videos, as it is now - I can't recommend this resource.

Please check out what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought about this resource before making any decisions - you may find another opinion expressed.

Disclaimer:
I was sent a complimentary educator subscription in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

This Week in History by Thomas Jefferson Education

From their website:

"This Week in History is a daily resource that brings your home school or classroom to life! Whatever you want to learn, whatever there is to teach, it starts with history!

With a subscription to This Week in History, each day’s resources are an adventure in math, science, language skills, geography, current events, the arts and so on – all tied to events in history.
For just $9.99 per month, you have the world of learning available to help you lead and inspire your students to explore, learn and and excel!

 

This Week in History is provided as a weekly online bundle of resources that you can access in either of two ways:

• On the dedicated TWIH blog feed at TJEd.org
• Via an email sent directly to your inbox using our secure email service

The content is searchable by date, topic and key word, and the whole year’s archive can be accessed by subscribers at any time."

I had read the book A Thomas Jefferson Education several years ago, and found it very interesting and inspiring to my homeschool journey.  Read the Seven Keys of Great Teaching and Phases of Learning articles to learn more about this method.  

This Week in History is one of my favorite resources!

I loved getting a weekly email full of so much inspiration. If you love to follow wherever your intrests lead you, you will appreciate this jam-packed resource.  History tidbits, state studies, hands-on activities, famous birthdays, on and on!

Rather than trying to explain the depth of this resource, take a peek at this small section from a sample week (and you'll know why I was impressed - we're big frog fans around here!)- Remember, this is just a portion of what you get every week!  Check out the entire sample week to see for yourself!

"2011: Festival of the “Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County”


The world-renowned Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee has a rich heritage dating back to the 1800′s. In the early Gold Mining Days, the Mother Lode Country was very prosperous. It attracted many industrious individuals looking for adventure. One such individual was Samuel Clemens who regularly made the trip from San Francisco to a small mountain cabin near Angels Camp.
It was during one of Mr. Clemens’ trips that he heard a tale that inspired his first published work, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. The story records the antics of a character named Jim Smiley and his frog Dan’l Webster. Mr. Clemens first published this story in 1865 and used his pen name, “Mark Twain”, and so the legend began. [Source]
Resources:

• The Celebrated Jumping Frog, Mark Twain
• Frog Biology (Scholarly and fun)
• Frog Songs

Froggy Research:

• What is the difference between a frog and a toad?
• What and how do frogs eat?
• How big can a Goliath frog grow?
• What is the smallest frog?
• How do frogs protect themselvs against their enemies?
• How do frogs make their sounds?
• What is the life cycle of a frog?
• Where do frogs live?
• What is an amphibian?
• Why are frogs important?

Fun Froggy Activities:

• Draw a picture of a frog (easy instructions for beginners)
• Write a froggy song.
• Read The Frog King by the Brothers Grimm
• Play leap frog
• Hunt for & raise tadpoles (Advice from the experts)
• Slow motion frog jump
• How far can you leap? Try a standing long jump. Here’s how >>
• Play around with this to see what factors change your measurements (jump from one foot, the other foot, up a slope, from a pedestal, arms out front, arms swinging loose, etc.). Make it a real experiment by guessing (a hypothesis) what will happen, and then keep score (data) and then analyze to discover why you were right or wrong in your guesses!

Make an Origami jumping frog

See it done on YouTube

This Week in History helps you make connections between the subject areas–from music to math, from geography to world religions, from hobbies to science projects, and more."



For just $9.99 a month - you get 4 weeks of these resources delivered to your inbox!  Subscribers can reference past issues anytime they want. You'll never have to wonder what to teach again - you can make learning a fun adventure that they'll never forget!

Be sure to subscribe to the Free monthly "Inspire" newsletter and they'll send you 5 free gifts.  Want daily inspiration?  Sign up here for the "Daily Inspire".

Don't miss This Week in History- I guarantee you'll find so many ways to use these resources to make your homeschool learning come alive!

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

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

Math Made Easy - Addition Teaching and Learning Made Easy

How would you like to master the addition facts in just 6 weeks, with no finger counting?  Well, that's what Addition Teaching and Learning Made Easy by Glenda Brown James promises!

Cost: $24.95 for a 65 page - comb-bound book.

One of the key points of their philosophy is to eliminate certain facts that are easily learned - the +0 and +1 facts.  Commutative property (it doesn't matter what order the numerals are, they always have the same sum) is taught first to reduce the actual number of facts down to a managable 36 facts.

Take those 36 facts and divide them by six weeks (you can also purchase  a Multiplication Package) means you are focusing on 6 facts per week.  They are presented in a radom order, not just the addition table to force your child to rely on their memory.

The Bentz Test Laboratory has several testers in need of "math fact mastery".  We were eager to give Math Made Easy a try.

My testers enjoyed this!  In fact, they didn't believe me it was really "math school" because it seemed more like fun.  No long, repetitve worksheets with problem after problem to work on.  Each day has a short, simple sheet focusing on just 6 facts - activities including coloring, cutting, and matching.  It grabbed their attention and kept them engaged.  My younger testers love coloring and cutting (and we're developing very important fine motor control along the way.)

All the pages are reproducible within your family, or do like we did - and use a clear sheet protector and wipe off markers to resuse.

Several games are include for you to cut/assemble as well.  Clothes-pinning (another great fine motor control activity..) "addition fact bows" onto the "braids" was a big hit with my girly testers.  My young boy tester refused to play "girl games" but - was fine with the ice cream spinner.

Overall, I liked the program - although, I feel it's a bit pricey for a single book.  It's not a math curriculum to teach the the concepts, but rather a collection of practice sheets to keep math mastery practice more interesting. 

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

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

King Alfred’s English: A History of the Language We Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We Do

From their website:

"Do you remember the first time you looked under the hood of a car or popped off the back of an electric toy to see the inner workings? Well, most of us go through our entire life speaking a highly complex and organized set of sounds we call language without ever getting a glimpse under its hood. So come have a look at some of the hidden springs and gears that have steered and energized English over the centuries. King Alfred’s English provides a guided tour of forces and events, conquerors and writers that have shaped, simplified, matured and expanded English into what it is today—the first truly global language in history."

170 pages, softcover
$16.95 retail but available at lower prices (see here)

Available on Kindle for $5.95

The capstone of the book is the story of how we got the Bible in English and it’s influence upon our language.

• What were the driving ideas behind the Reformation?
• Are the New Testament documents really reliable and how do they compare to other ancient manuscripts?
• Why was translating the Bible into English punishable by death?
• …and what does all THAT have to do with the history of English?

The Bentz Test Laboratory  LOVED this book.  I was sent the digital version to review - a few sentences in...I knew I wanted this softcover book on my bookshelf! (a common reaction around here.. )  I could not put it down!

This is a great read, not just about our English language - it's like a stroll through history!  In fact, I'm adding it to my co-op's history class required reading.  The book is filled with interesting facts and history of our language.  Did you know - There’s a law for the way languages change that backs up Intelligent Design? I love the Christian Worldview presented throughout the pages!
The author writes in a very engaging tone, you feel like you're having a pleasant chat with her accross the table.  My older testers enjoyed this book as much as I did.  You can read the First Chapter and see for yourself!

You will want to visit her webiste -  "STUDENTS–*Hwæt! (Listen!) Here cometh thy big chance  for…Further Illumination" - Extra supplemental resources for each chapter of the book.  Using her suggested minimum requirements, the book and free supplemental material she provides can be used as a 1/2 credit high school history course, or a combined 1/4 credit history and 1/4 credit English course. Resources include suggested readings and links, worksheets, tests and writing activities.

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

Disclaimer:
I was sent a complimentary copy in exhchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Create Better Writers

From their website:
"We offer materials that will help your K-12 students become outstanding writers. Our books and eBooks show you how to teach writing and grammar - so it makes sense to you and your students. "

The Home School Teacher’s Writing Plan  Cost - $15.95 (ebook) or $19.95 (softcover edition)

"Your complete writing plan from grades 3 through 12. If you are not confident as a writing teacher, this is all you will need. You have your step-by-step plan for your students entire academic lives. If you are a confident writing teacher, this program will provide the framework for exceptional writing. By using this program, you will know where all your other great writing lessons fit into writing’s big picture. The best part is that you can use this program with all your students!"






Watch our 53 minute video "From the Paragraph to the Essay" to see a demonstration for teaching the program.

How To Teach the Paragraph - Cost: $7.99 eBook Only
Free with the purchase of How To Teach the Five Paragraph Essay or The Complete Writing Program)

"Writing instruction does NOT need to be difficult. If your student can write a paragraph, your student can write anything from an essay, to a research report, to an in-depth story.  It all starts with one simple trick. Teach this trick in minutes, have your students practice it several times, and your students will have a solid grasp for writing paragraphs. Use this trick to write stories, summarize stories, write reports, and more. No assignment is too difficult."

Watch this short video to see more -

How To Teach The Five-Paragraph Essay - Cost:$17.95 (ebook) $19.95 (softcover)

"A step-by-step plan for teaching the five-paragraph essay. Teachers will be able to show their students how a simple outline will help students master one of the most important skills a student can acquire. The format of this book leaves nothing to chance. The teacher is given everything needed to help students master essay writing. Students will be able to organize their ideas, then format and write a five-paragraph essay in about an hour. Every student will be prepared for any class, district, or state writing test."
See a sample here.





Bentz Test Laboratory was excited for the opportunity to take a peek at Creating Better Writers!  This is a very complete writing program.  Best of all - you can not beat the price!!  It is recommended for students beginning in grades 3/4 through high school.  That means you can use it for all your students.

Creating Better Writers begins with How to Write a Paragraph.  It is taught in 11 easy to follow, simple steps.  Your student will learn and memorize the five parts of a good paragraph, learn to set-up their paper, pre-writing, topic sentences, and closing sentences.  Practice, and rubrics for assessment are also included.

This is where Bentz Test Laboratory spent our review time, mastering this vital, first step in writing!  We found this program very easy to follow along.  It broke the writing process into managable (and best of all - teachable) steps.  We've used many writing programs over our homeschooling years, and this was the easiest to follow along with!

 David Dye, the author, has the gift of encouragment - he breaks teaching writing down in simple, memorable, managable steps.  If you lack confidence in your ability to teach writing - read The Homeschool Writing Action Plan - and you'll be ready to tackle this subject, and succeed!

My older students began How to Teach the Five-Paragraph Essay.  What a great tool in your writing tool box!  Begin with the List of Steps - this will help you as you teach the Five-Paragraph Essay.  A Sample Pacing Chart - Day 1 to Day 20 - see what your lessons will be.  A Detailed Lesson plan gives a detailed explanation of each step.  The Plan for Total Mastery shows you what to do next.  Bells and Whistles introduce exciting introductions, classy conclusions, smooth transitions and more...  Finally, The Next Level shows your student how to use this basic Five-Paragraph essay in any domain of writing.

Create Better Writers is written very clearly and is so easy to follow.  You don't have to be nervous about teaching writing to your children with an effective program like this one! 

Check out what other members of the TOS Crew thought here.

Disclaimer:
I was sent complimentary copies in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Schoolhouse Teachers.com

From their website:

"At Schoolhouse Teachers.com - You’ll have full access to daily, weekly, and monthly assignments for your students and tons more material for you. Every month after the initial one, it keeps coming—new daily, weekly, and monthly lessons. Spend time with the biggest names in online and home education: Kim Kautzer (writing), Diana Waring (history), Terri Johnson (geography), Adam Andrews (literature), the Hands of a Child team (lapbooking), Malia Russell (home economics), George Escobar (filmmaking)—and many more. Each month, new teachers in new subject areas will join the SchoolhouseTeachers.com team. "

You will want to check out the handy Site Tour page - this is a gigantic, must-have,  homeschool resource!

Schoolhouse Teachers.com members have access to numerous resources and materials.  Each month that you are a SchoolhouseTeachers.com member you can add to your library of homeschooling resources, unit studies, and encouragement with Schoolhouse Thematic Units, Curiosity Files, WannaBes, and WeE-books. (check it out here)


  One of my favorite features - members have FREE access to all the 2012-13 Schoolhouse Planners!  Yes, all 5 planners - including: Parent, Special Learners, Primary, Intermediate and High School editions are ALL available for you to download as a member!

So, you're thinking this is going to be spendy...right?  WRONG!  You get this amazing resource for just $1 the first month and $5.95 per month after that!  (that's one "fancy coffee" ladies - what are you waiting for?)  You don't have to committ to a contract, and can cancel anytime.

Each month's learning features a Monthy Theme.  You also will access to a monthly Reading List to go with your theme.  For example - July's theme is "Foreign Language". 
Weekly Lessons are available in 14 different subjects. Daily Assignments are available in Math, Grammar, Writing, Ditch-the-Desk (Hands on projects for K-5), Everyday Easels (art studies with hands-on ideas), Everyday Explorers (US and Canadian), Pre-K Activities, Everyday Shakespeare, This Day in History.

You have to see some sample pages!!  Here's an entire page of them to choose from!

The Bentz Test Laboratory could get lost in this HUGE resource.  If you like extra resources - they've got everything you could want! 

I particularly enjoyed being able to download each of the resources I was interested in for later use. Did you miss something?  Don't worry - you can find it in the archives!

One of our favorites has been the lessons from Figures in History - Dinosaurs on the Move. One of my testers is an avid dino-lover - and he was able to create standing cutouts, coloring pages and even hands-on fossil activites!

Another tester is a huge Shakespeare fan - guess what? - Schoolhouse Teachers.com has a entire daily section for him - Summer Shakespeare!

Lapbooking fans??  We particularly enjoyed July's Lapbooking Lessons from Hands of a Child - Summer Safety.  In fact - I personally killed both a Black Widow and a Brown Recluse this month.  I would have been prepared if they had gotten close enough to bite...

If you have a number of children to educate, or a tight budget - you will certainly want to check this out!  From High School Math to Pre-K,  you will find something for everyone!

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

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

Zane Education

From their website:

"Zane Education's library of online subtitled video, online testing and assessment, quizzes and quiz questions have been specifically developed and produced for the teaching of the K-12 curriculum and are aligned to state, regional and national standards."

Zane's online visual learning solution includes 6 key components:

1. The subtitled videos that teach the information - often called the curriculum.
2. The quizzes that test - but also continue the learning process.
3. The lesson plans - for lesson preparation and lesson activities.
4. The video study tools - that enables students to fully explore each topic.
5. The Study Centre - enables student to track progress and provides additional resources (re-opening soon - new features currently being added)
6. The very affordable family subscription - remains the same irrelevant of number of children.

Subscription Options:

• Basic Membership - Free access to demo versions of our 1,000+ curriculum videos 
• Gold Membership - all videos for all subjects for all Grades - $17.99 per month or $197.89 per year
• Silver Membership - all videos for all subjects for the chosen Grade - $12.99 per month or $142.89 per year
• Bronze Membership - all videos for all Grades for the chosen Subject - $8.99 per month or $98.89 per year 
• Topic Taster Membership - Provides access to the video(s) within in the SINGLE TOPIC you have chosen. - $5 per month

Select to pay a single annual payment (with the 12th month free), or a monthly recurring payment.

Discount Promotion Code: ZE568HSM for 35% discount on the purchase of any annual 12-month Gold, Silver or Bronze Membership subscription through until the end of August, 2012.


I found this quote very interesting - "Research indicates that more 40% of students are visual learners, preferring to be taught through video, pictures, diagrams, flow charts, timelines, films, and demonstrations." I agree wholeheartedly - actually, I'm pretty sure more than 40% of the testers at  Bentz Test Laboratory fit this description

Zane Education's "Missing Piece" is the use of subtitles with each and every video in their very EXTENSIVE collection.  Watch the following video of ex-President Bill Clinton recognising the value of that work and the importance of subtitles (described here as same-language subtitling) and note his comments about the Neilsen Research that indicated that the use of Subtitles on television doubled the number of functional early-age readers.



The Bentz Test Laboratory loved exploring this site!  There are endless opportunities to find a video matching what you want to learn about.  It could be overwhelming to the homeschool teacher, but Zane Education has provided several downloadable curriculum guides to help you navigate and locate what you are looking for.  For example,  The Christian Home Learning Guide, a 420-page publication specially written by Marshall Foster and Ron Ball, is a comprehensive publication that reviews all of the content and material introduced in the videos and demonstrates how it conforms to Biblical teachings and beliefs. 

We had a great time exploring all the options -  Science, Math, History, Art, Music, Literature, Religious Studies and more - you name it, they have a video for it - 260 topics, 1,500 videos! Jump in and watch for yourself with the "Free Educational Video of the Day".

The videos all loaded quickly and were of decent quality.  Some of them were a bit "old fashioned" according to my testers.  But, the information was all easy to understand, and their comprehension was better than if they had just read a paragraph or two on the particular subject.

Overall, I really like Zane Education as a supplement for any curriculum.  I'm always looking for ways to present our learning opportunities in a new format, and this is just the resource to use!  However, the main drawback is - it may be a bit spendy for the average homeschool budget, at least mine!

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought Here.

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


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