Star Toaster: Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree App Review ~ TOS Crew

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Well, they've gone and done it!! Star Toaster has created a super fun and interactive chapter book called, Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree and it is a blast! This is the second product from Star Toaster that my daughter and I have had the privilege to review and they do not disappoint!! We were so pleased with the interactive book we were able to review last year, that we jumped at the chance to check this product out as well...

Imagine an interactive chapter book that doubles as a learning app that allows your child to play like it's a game, all the while they are learning things like reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, math, science...Well....imagine no more. Star Toaster has created a masterpiece in Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree, it is hard to put down!! From the time you begin reading, you will be drawn into the fun and exciting adventure awaiting you!

   

This new book is available as an app for Apple iOS devices. I was so excited about this as we each have an iPad that we could download this app on. What you find upon downloading and "cracking open" this chapter book is 122 pages of sheer pleasure! Not only will your children read the book, but there are videos and activities galore! You will find Seventy-five lessons in all that challenge your child as they find themselves on a quest to provide for the little orphaned squirrels!

  

Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree is a fantastic educational game. My daughter earned gold stars as she completed lessons and answered questions correctly. With those stars she was able to buy food, clothing, etc. for the orphans in the story. This was a true test of my daughter's reading comprehension skills...which is not always a "natural" skill for her. You may have a student that struggles with reading too...they would love this product. I believe you will see them wanting to read because of the amazing story line!

I think one thing that we found discouraging was the fact that if you didn't remember an answer to a question, you couldn't go back into the book or material and try to find it. I know that if my daughter was a little younger, that would have been very frustrating for her.  

Okay....you may be wondering why I left that paragraph there and drew a line through it.....well, I knew that some of you may have already seen this review and I wanted you to see that I have some new information!!  That paragraph is incorrect. You are able to go back if you don't know the answer to a question. The key is to take your time if you are having problems with reading comprehension, or if you simply missed something. Just leave the answer blank and go back into the material to find the answer. In the menu there is a Table of Contents that will take you to any chapter that you've already read. In Stumptown, you can click on a lesson even if it's already been viewed. Jobs that are not finished will just remain undone in Stumptown until you return to complete them.

Overall, we loved our time taking care of Orphs and learning what we could through this interactive book. I am not looking forward to waiting for the next portion to come out. We were so drawn in by the sweet and fun nature of the story, that we wish there would have been more to this adventure. I understand they left the adventure open so they could add more to it later, but it was a sad moment to work hard to complete it and feel like we fell short!

With that being said....this is an adventure you don't want to miss. I love that I can count on more adventures to come and can't wait to see what is dreamed up next! You do not want to miss the opportunity to instill the love of learning into your kiddos with Star Toaster's Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree.....go to the App Store today!

   

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Reading a Compass...

 

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Now I have had several opportunities to navigate myself with the use of a compass. Believe me...it is not as easy as it looks! In fact it took me multiple attempts to get to the correct coordinates. I have seen a compass used efficiently by others, and I have to say it makes me feel a little jealous! :-)

 

The biggest problem I found was that it was extremely troubling to me that I had no clue whatsoever where the coordinates were taking me until I got there. I just felt that there should be more information included in my instructions...do you know what I mean? Give me some landmarks that will help me see as I walk along that I am on the right path!  Just a few little clues for goodness sake!!

 

Sometimes I get that same feeling as I am trying to do my best to follow the will of God. I start desiring more information about my final destination. I get my eyes off the Lord and onto my surroundings and then I start to imagine where I should be instead of where I am....Can any of you relate to me with that one??

 

Matthew 14 shares a similar story about Peter. He saw Jesus walking on the water and says, "If it's really you Jesus, then ask me to come." Jesus in turn tells him to come. We know that he began to walk on the water and got his eyes off the Lord and the saw the storm around him. In that moment, he stopped moving forward. He began sinking instead. Then Jesus had to rescue him and take him back to the boat.

 

I don't want my journey stunted. I want to keep moving forward in faith. Pray this prayer with me. Pray that God will continue to fill you with faith for the journey ahead!

 

Lord, I praise you! You are a God that never fails me even when I fail you. I pray that you continue to grow my faith. Help me to keep my eyes firmly on you. Don't let my faith waiver. I know that you have great things in store for me and I don't want to miss it. Help me keep my eyes off my surroundings. Don't let the troubles I come up against seem larger than where you are taking me. Continue to make and mold me into who you want me to be. Help my life radiant your love as I walk out your plan and purpose! May everything I say and do impact your kingdom for eternity.

-Amen

 

 

 

Writing with Sharon Watson: The Power in Your Hands - Writing Nonfiction in High School Review

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My baby is now a high school student! Eeeek! I don't know about your other homeschool parents, but whenever one of my kiddos hits high school age I get a little nervous. I can feel time counting down, and I know that every class matters even more than before. So imagine my excitement when I had the opportunity to review a curriculum from Writing with Sharon Watson called, The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School 2nd Edition. 

What I received:

The student book - Let me just say that before breaking this book open, I had tried quite a few different curricula. Each one seemed to be missing bits and pieces that I felt was very important and even critical to the education quality that I wanted for my girls. 

Part One: Before You Write

In this section, your student will find out important things about how to "start" writing. Anyone that has written anything knows that the beginning can be the hardest part sometimes!! LOL! My daughter found the "Writing Self" test interesting and fun. Since she doesn't really enjoy writing, she found it encouraging for there to be questions like: __ I have trouble coming up with good ideas, or __ It's hard for me to know how to begin and end my essays or reports...but I think her favorite was...__ I would rather walk across a burning desert at high noon with buzzards cicrcling overhead while I drag a bone-dry water bottle than write anything whatsoever. LOL! I know that it seems strange that she should find these statements encouraging, but she said that it made her realize that she isn't alone. We found that from the start, she was able to relate to this teaching and that was her "buy in!"

Part Two: Persuasion

There are six chapters in this section. Sharon Watson goes in depth and walks your student through persuasive writing from beginning to end. 

Part Three: Proofreading

Proofreading is an important part of writing. Beginning with proofreading marks to punctuation mishaps, this section has got you covered. I tend to be slightly addicted to exclamation marks, so I have a lot to learn from this section! ha ha!

Part Four: Exposition

Your student will touch on writing good essays, plagiarism, writing for a newspaper, biographies and much more through this section. By the time you have reached this section, you have laid the ground work and have finally reached the meat of the matter. You will see the previous work done in this course start to pay off. 

Part Five: Description

Part Six: Narration

Part Seven: Reference

The Teacher's Guide - This course is designed to prepare high school students for college writing and the Teacher's Guide gives you as the homeschool parent the tool you need to direct your student successfully.

I am very excited that in this, the 2nd Edition, Sharon Watson added evaluation forms/rubrics for each essay assignment to help make the grading process easier. I love that! I always found grading essays to be the hardest part of high school literature, but not anymore! The Teacher's Guide gives you the tools for each and every lesson, and will help you and your student understand the expectations for each assignment!

My Bottom Line - 

My daughter loved this curriculum! I always love curriculum when my girls love it! That makes the hard work that we put into schooling our children at home completely worth it! My daughter has never really liked writing, so it was wonderful seeing her not only understand, but compose writings that were age appropriate! This was a win...win for us!

Check out the Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School 2nd Edition for yourself right here! You will be glad you did!

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Just Keep Going......

I don't know about you, but I like to be comfortable. When I bought my new car last year I tested it out to see if the seats were nice and cushy. I want shoes that make my feet happy and everyone enjoys sitting on a couch that seems to snuggle up with you! Comfort has become a part of our life! You could even say that we as Americans tend to make it a top priority in our lives.

Our pastor began a sermon series this past Sunday highlighting ways that we as Christians have allowed that mentality to seep into our relationship with Him.

"People don't want to be challenged anymore let alone changed. People these days don't want to face the facts that they could be wrong. They don't want to be convicted...they want to be entertained."   - Pastor Bell

So because of this they have created their own version of God that exists only in their own mind. A God that is concerned with and understands our desire for comfort. This is a a false idol! That is what we create when we call our apathy comfort and then worship it!

I know....I know....my words may sound offensive to you. You may be indifferent and think that you don't have an issue with this matter, but it swoops into our lives in shades of gray. I mean, it's alright to miss church for the next three weeks because you want to spend time on the lake in your new boat....God will understand....He wants you to have fun....right?! It's okay to sleep in on Sundays....God knows it's your only day to sleep in, right?! It's okay to skip your prayer time to just chill and watch TV or play video games....you had a rough day...God understands that!

No, He doesn't!!! When you are in need of rests He tells us in His Word to come to Him! He promises us that He will give us rest....can Nintendo or XBox give you the same promise?! We all know the answer to that question!

Listen to what God's Word has to say...

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-16.NIV

We are called to live holy lives as a light for those around us! Our goal is not comfort....our goal is holiness! Holiness isn't necessarily comfortable! It is dying to ourselves daily and disregarding the desires of our flesh as we pursue the desires of God in our life!

So when you get tired and think that you DESERVE a little bit of comfort in your life...just keep going. God will fill you with strength and peace as you pursue Him. He has a plan and purpose for you and He wants you to keep going!

Thanks for reading!!

Barbette

ArtAchieve: Entire Level II Review ~ TOS Crew

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As a homeschool parent I have found myself stressed at times over all kinds of things. I'm sure some of you can understand what I'm talking about. I have stressed over making sure I get just the right core curriculum that works for each of my girls. I have stressed over whether or not they are making friends. I have stressed over worksheets, attendance, gradebooks, co-ops, and probably anything else that you could think of.....including Art. I believe that art class is an important part of a child's education and something that should be included in their studies even through high school, the problem is this.....I am not ARTISTIC!! I am slightly crafty, but not artistic. If my children's creativity was dependent on my ability to draw a cat....they would be sunk! So imagine how excited I was to have the opportunity to review ArtAchieve Entire Level II.
With ArtAchieve you can absolutely learn to draw the world! Art class in my house used to consist of a picture of a project and a list of directions. Sometimes we were successful, and sometimes.....well......not so much!! LOl!  ArtAchieve Level II is more than a list of projects with directions. What you find when you open up each lesson is a comprehensive art class complete with printables, a video, and a powerpoint. My girls and I absolutely loved it! You are able to work through the project at your own pace and the instructions whether via powerpoint, or video are easy to understand.

My oldest daughter loved using the powerpoint as the

instruction for the art class. She likes to do things step by step as she works her way through the process. She reads quickly and comprehends what she reads by thinking abstractly and didn't find the need to use the video. She tends to be much more artistic than myself. 

My youngest daughter loved using the video lesson. She doesn't think abstractly as much as her sister. She needs to see it and hear it at the same time. Then she is able to fully comprehend what is expected of her. So for me, this was AMAZING! It was the best of both worlds which was exactly what this homeschool needed!!
I found the versatility of ArtAchieve Level II to be fantastic! The lessons in Level II can be for anyone grades 1 through adult. So for homeschool families with children at different grade levels, you are able to use the same lesson for each child! That is a wonderful gift when it comes lesson plans! 
I found this product to be easy to use and fun for my girls. That isn't always easy when it comes to art. Not only was it something that we could all do together as a family.....but it was something that we could all DO! There wasn't anyone feeling left out or "thumbsie" like they weren't talented or crafty enough to complete the lessons. They also learned some history behind the project as well. ArtAchieve Entire Level II is a top-notch product that I would recommend to anyone in need of homeschool art curriculum.
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