Vocabulary Virtuoso: Mastering Middle School Vocabulary from The Critical Thinking Co.™: A TOS Crew Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Vocabulary Virtuoso: Mastering Middle School Vocabulary from The Critical Thinking Co.™

Vocabulary Virtuoso: Mastering Middle School Vocabulary is a great tool for helping your middle school student expand their vocabulary!

We were delighted to get a chance to give another product from a family favorite The Critical Thinking Co.™ a try. We got the eBook version - just a quick warning - it doesn't work on Max IOS yet, but we are have both Mac and PC at home so we were able to access.

Once you purchase and register your eBook, you can print all the pages you want, which is a handy feature for multiple students.

Vocabulary skills are proven for success in many areas and this book will introduce your 6-8th graders to 180 new words and their meanings, as well as, the context for use. The words are selected from PSAT (Preliminary SAT–a great primer for the SAT)  and are real-life words they can use.

The 15 Vocabulary lists each include 12 words with:

• definitions
• pronunciation keys
• parts of speech
• alternate choices for each word made up of synonyms, idioms, and/or phrases

Each of the 15 Vocabulary Lists each have 6 exercises to complete, using the new words.  Students complete fill-in-the-blank style exercises, word scrambles, writing sentences and other exercises that help put the vocabulary words into practice.

In addition, the lessons teach other related language arts skills of:

• critical reading and writing
• alliteration
• idioms
• fallacies in reasoning
• foreign words and phrases
• mythology
• journalistic writing

In our coop, we are are focusing on communication skills by adding new vocabulary words to our conversation.  This was a wonderful resource to get her started!

The eBook format is a great option for working on this book - you can pick and choose your vocabulary lists and print them as needed to work with your schedule.  We plan to work on lists on and off throughout the year to keep building our vocabulary skills and putting them into practice!

Check out some of the other great products the Review Crew is using:

• Building Thinking Skills® Beginning 2
• Tell Me a Story
• Science Mind Benders®: Animals
• Science Vocabulary Crossword Puzzles 
• Understanding Fractions

Find The Critical Thinking Co.™ on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCriticalThinkingCo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/criticalthinks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecriticalthinkingco/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/criticalthinks/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsVEVNa6UpVqXxo_t5sbb7Q

Hashtags: #hsreviews #thecriticalthinkingco #criticalthinking #athomelearning #homeschooling #criticalthinkingskills

See what other members of the Crew thought here 

                      

Convention Time

If you've know me for any time... you'll know that Homeschool Conventions are my HAPPY PLACE!  One of my dreams came true... my family had our own booth for CrossWired Science at the Great Homeschool Convention in CA!

We had a blast showing off our fun science-y stuff and introducing the homeschool convention world to CWS, not to mention,  goofing off together in the booth.  I'm so happy we got to share it all together.

He's kinda my hero...

Noah's magic tricks were a huge hit!

My boys ❤️

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The prize girls ❤️

 We got a chance to meet and encourage tons of different homeschool families, and do what we love most - TOGETHER!  What a gift!

Reading Eggs and Mathseeds from Reading Eggs: A TOS Crew Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

         

Reading Eggs and Mathseeds from Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs and Mathseeds from Reading Eggs is a  great way to keep those reading skills sharp for students ages 2-13! We have been using this program for years.    This program works on your computer, laptop, tablet or on your mobile device with their new app.

The online, yearly subscription includes access for up to 4 students to:

Reading Eggs Junior is designed for your preschoolers - ages 2-4. It uses a variety of read-aloud books, alphabet games and more to get your child focusing on letters and the sounds they make.

Reading Eggs is for ages 3-7, uses a self-paced program to get your children excited about reading. They can complete a variety of activities and earn golden eggs as a reward!

MathSeeds is a great program for ages 3-9 to practice and perfect math skills with over 200 lessons, printable worksheets, and fun rewards. 

Reading Eggspress helps ages 7-13 with practice for their reading skills. A simple placement test helps put them in the correct spot.The program is full of games, activities, online books and more that help your child learn to love reading. This is where my tester has been.

 
Fast Phonics is for your 5-10 year olds. It's packed with games and levels to keep your new readers engaged by practicing systematic phonics! 

Mental Minute Drills - designed to practice and master essential math skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.This program is based on solid research and focuses on building essential reading skills through phonics, sight words, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension. But, it's so fun - they had no idea they were really learning!


My student has her own dashboard.  She can choose to practice skills like spelling, play games and compete against others, complete lessons to earn golden eggs (the reward!), visit the library, see her targets, play games in the arcade or even go "shopping" at the mall.

and,  I get detailed progress reports on what she is working on.

My tester has been using the program for the past several years, and loves it!  Her lessons are arranged on a "map" that she works through that corresponds to the book she chooses.

A lesson for them covers several key reading skills. There are several different sections that focus on different skills for reading:

• Cover Story - they answer questions about the cover of their book. 
• Dictionary lets them learn new vocabulary with dictionary practices.
• Fact or Opinion practices recognizing the difference as they read.
• Main Idea & Details and Making Inferences helps them identify key sentences and learn to make inferences from what they are reading. The program offers immediate feedback on answers.
• Words in Context helps pinpoint how words are being used.
• Reading allows them to read directly from an interactive book. They have plenty of great books to choose from.
• The Quiz checks how much they remember. They need to score a minimum level to advance to the next step on their map.

After each section is completed, she earns gold "eggs".  These are the currency of the program.  The eggs can be used to play games, or go shopping!  Of course, this is my tester's favorite part.  She loves to decorate her apartment, collect pets & change her avatar...

I've been impressed with the depth of the content on Reading Eggs and my testers have loved it. 

I recommend checking them out with the FREE 30 day trial to see for yourself!

Find Reading Eggs on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingeggsUSCATwitter: https://twitter.com/readingeggs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingeggs/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ED-7e2xA3fxgrM7Wq2XGQ

Hashtags: #hsreviews #learntoread #readingeggs    

See what other members of the Crew thought here

                  

WORLD Watch: A TOS Crew Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

WORLD Watch 

WORLD Watch is a great way to start off your school day!  We have been enjoying this 10 minute long daily newscast from WORLD Watch.  It's a Christian perspective on world news  hosted by Brian Basham, AKA "The Big Bash" who is also the program director.  Great for all ages, the reoccurring theme of  WORLD Watch programing is "Whatever the news, the purpose of the Lord will stand".

We have been long-time fans of the WORLD News Group, addition to their lineup is in its second year and  is hands-down, our favorite way to keep up with what is going on around the world!  

Your subscription gives you access to the entire library - Full Episodes, Feature Stories and the Daily Newscasts, as well as, access to the complete archives.  

We like to start off our school day with our "All Together" time, and WORLD Watch was the perfect addition.  The Full Episodes are each about 10 minutes,  there is quite a bit packed in for you to unpack later with your students. 

In addition to the World News they frequently include short, high-interest segments that bridge to other subjects like science, history, or vocabulary.  Even I found myself saying, "I never knew that"... Very well done!

The Newscast is a daily update on news from around the world, from a Christian perspective.  I can't thank them enough for providing an enjoyable and educational way for my children to keep up with world events, WITHOUT the negative, anti-christian worldview in our mainstream media today.

You also get daily email reminders sent directly to your inbox.  I like to forward them on to my children.

We love the host, reporters, and the  presentation - it's fun, upbeat and positive.  Who thought the NEWS could be that way?  Helping my children see the world and develop Biblical discernment is one of my main goals as we homeschool.  

Check out their 30-day free trial at  WORLD Watch!  We're fans for life!!

Find WORLD Watch  on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldwatchshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldwatchnews/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLhlnq_RLfpSdQ8Fm6VEEjw

Hashtags:  #hsreviews #WORLDWatch #WORLDWatchNews

See what other members of the Crew thought here

                 

 

Fallacy Detective by Hans Bluedorn: A TOS Crew Review

 Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Fallacy Detective by Hans Bluedorn

It's time to teach our children how to think critically and Fallacy Detective by Hans Bluedorn is a great tool!

This softcover, workbook edition is recommended for ages 12 and up.  It contains 38 lesson on how to recognize bad reasoning.  I can't think of a more important lesson for today's students than being able to recognize and combat fallacies, or errors in reasoning and logic, that are being presented to them daily. 

This book is organized into 5 main sections and an additional section called The Fallacy Detective Game (to put what you learn into play) along with a full Answer Key.  The sections cover: 

• The Inquiring Mind - learning to listen and exercise your mind
• Avoiding the Question - with chapters on 9 common fallacies
• Making Assumption - chapters cover 9 more fallacies
• Statistical Fallacies - 7 fallacies dealing with the use of statistics
• Propoganda -a MUST read section for understanding media today!

I have been a long-time fan of this book, and have taught it to every one of my students over the past 15 years, and I promise it is an eye-opening exercise to read and discuss with them.  It's a wonderful tool for discussion and a vital thinking skill to teach to your children!

The book is organized with sections of fallacies that go together under broader categories.  Each chapter is short (usually just a couple of pages) and entertaining with real life examples and illustrations.  Following the reading, this workbook edition includes easy-to-complete exercises to make sure the fallacy is understood. Illustrations are black and white and frequently from our favorite Calvin & Hobbes cartoon strips.

I like to use this book in a Coop setting with multiple students.  It's great for a discussion based class!  I encourage each student to find an example of the fallacy from the chapter we are reading and bring it to class to show. We made a poster for each fallacy and keep them posted all year long.  The students love this format, and they are learning so much.  We'll be doing it as part of our CrossWired Communications course this upcoming year with our Coop.

It's also a great tool for family discussion - with the chapters being short and to the point, you can read and discuss in the same setting - for us, at the beginning of our school time together. But, I do need to warn you...your children will start pointing out all of your fallacies as well! 

Today's world is filled with fallacies - the only way we can combat them is to teach our children how to spot them, and correct the faulty reasoning and logic!

Check out another great product the Crew is reviewing  - Archer and Zowie!

Find the The Fallacy Detective on Social Media:

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hansbluedorn/
Hashtags: #hsreviews #archerzowie #fallacydetective

See what other members of the Crew thought here

           

College Launch Solution from The HomeScholar LLC: A TOS Crew Review

 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

College Launch Solution from The HomeScholar LLC

College Launch Solution from The HomeScholar LLC is a comprehensive planning course for 10-12th grades that will get you and your teen on course for college!

This online program with lifetime access is packed with over 60 hours of training to help you understand the process of launching your child to college. 

The 8 training modules cover what you need to know:

• 
  Core Training on the basics
• Finding a College
• Paying for College
• Application Process
• Preparing for the Launch
• Succeeding in College
• FAQ - with updated videos for new questions
• Surprise Bonuses

In addition to the comprehensive training modules that includes videos, audio recording, ebooks, slides, downloads of planning information and articles - you get access to 

• Private Facebook Community (all Customers) 
• Monthly Accountability Emails (Group and Private Coaching members)
• Monthly Q&A Webinar (Group and Private Coaching members)
• One-on-one Coaching (Private Coaching members only) – Get 20 minutes of weekly email or phone coaching from Lee to get expert advice on your specific situation.

The course begins with the Core Training Module that contains tabs with information specifically for your Teen, the Parents, Being the Counselor and Coach, Understanding the Admissions process & Scholarships.  This information packed module is worth the price of the entire program (and you get so MUCH more!)

Lee Binz speaks clearly and directly to the teens - you can download a helpful workbook to take notes, and work at your own pace. She explains the entire process from start to finish with 12 sections that outline everything from how the college application process works, what tests to take, how to visit colleges, and even to how to find letters of recommendation and write winning application essays!

The core training is filled with all the information you need to get you started on a path toward college.

I love that you can work on these modules at your own pace.  Summer is my planning time, so this was the perfect chance to take a peek at the helpful checklists for my upcoming Junior, and make a plan for my upcoming high schoolers.

Another module that I really needed was the Preparing for the Launch section.  I have launched 4 of my students to college (the last one just finished her first week!) and I still fiound valuable tools and information here!  The "Prepare for Independent Living" checklist a gem - a list of practical skills that your teen will need with a checklist for discussed, demonstrated, practiced, and perfected. Absolute genius!

There is a section that covers "Unique Situations" filled with helpful tips!

The Succeeding in College module is a great tool for your students.  It covers training on how to thrive and guard your faith (a real test in college!) as well as information on improving study skills and writing skills with workshops from some favorite homeschool professionals.

The Surprise Bonuses include some of Lee Binz's best selling Ebooks, additional mini-workshops, introductory courses (if you are not quite to the college launch season) and even how to use the College Launch Solution to earn high school credit (the reading list is excellent!)

I love Lee Binz's gentle and encouraging approach.  Truly, this course will walk you thru everything you need to know about launching your students into the college world, and helping them succeed!

Be sure to check out some of the other great products the Crew is reviewing:

• Total Transcript Solution
• Comprehensive Record Solution
• High School Solution

Find The HomeScholar LLC on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomescholar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thehomescholar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homescholar/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/homescholar/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/homescholar/


Hashtags: #hsreviews #homeschool, #homeschooling, #homeschoolhighschool, #thehomescholar, #homeschooltranscript, #homeschooltranscripts, #homeschoolrecords, #howtohomeschool, #homeschoolmiddleschool, #homeschoollife

See what other members of the Crew thought here