Spelling Ninja from Reading Kingdom Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

I needed a spelling program for F so I was so excited to receive one year access to Spelling Ninja from Reading Kingdom to use with him.  Spelling Ninja is an online program geared for students ages 5-10 and they should already be reading before using it (1st grade level and up).

 

F with his spelling!

Above you can see our dashboard.  You can use an on-screen keyboard or a physical keyboard with Spelling Ninja.  You can also change the program speed and response time.

F working on his first lesson.

 

Spelling Ninja is specifically designed to help children look at words and decode them.  It specifically helps with visual memory skills that helps them develop improved spelling, reading and writing.  This program is based on years of research and rests on writing.  This is due to the fact that reading can often be achieved without exactness as children can sometimes end up guessing at a word.  However, for a word to be written with accuracy, every letter must be placed in the correct order - this is the concept behind Spelling Ninja.  And well, ninjas are fun 😉.

 

How exactly does this program work?  There are 15 different levels within Spelling Ninja.  Each level has 10 exercises to be completed.  Each exercise gives students a sentence with a picture for them to copy or retype.  The program reads this sentence to them and then they look at it and copy it.  Sometimes the sentence or some words are visible to them as they type and sometimes not depending on the level they are working on.  Students have to make sure to follow writing rules - capitalization, punctuation, etc.  There is color coding to help them identify if they are missing a space, a word, punctuation, etc.  Students are given a certain amount of time to complete the words and sentence.  If they make a mistake they are shown that.  If they take too long to complete the exercise, they will have to repeat it until they master it.

You can see above that F was currently working on Level 13 when I took this screenshot.  You can see what levels he has finished and how he performed - needs attention, good performance, very good performance or excellent performance.

Here is an example of the first exercise in Level 1.

F working on this lesson.  You can see the words and then they disappear right before you need to type them.

As you move through this program and the different levels, the sentences become more and more challenging.

Here is the first exercise in Level 15.

Everything is blank in this more difficult level and you have to remember the complete sentence from memory.

After your session, you will see a dancing ninja that will tell you how well you did.

As you see, Spelling Ninja improves your spelling by having you write the sentences from memory.  This took a little adapting to for F as he didn't really didn't type much before this program.  So at the beginning, he not only had to think about the spelling but where to find the letters and all the writing rules as well.  It was a bit frustrating for his first few lessons but I will say that he adapted well and really got the hang of it.  His scores starting improving and he has made his way through all 15 levels now.  I love that he can continue to practice his reading, writing, typing and spelling with Spelling Ninja.  And I know that when he does begin a typing program he should be way ahead of the curve as well!

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LeapFrog Academy® from LeapFrog® Review

{Disclaimer:  I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.}

We were blessed to receive a one-year subscription to LeapFrog Academy® from LeapFrog® for F and G!  This interactive, online, learning program is designed for children 3-6 years old.  There are over 2,000 games, eBooks, activities and more!  Children can play on the go!

Learning Adventures covers curriculum for PreK - 1st grade and includes subjects like math, reading and science.  I really appreciate that it tracks your child's learning progress and provides extra practice in the areas they need help with, such a cool feature.  

I set G up on the Introduction to Pre-Kindergarten (ages 4-5) and F on the highest level Introduction to Grade 1 (ages 6-7).  Both boys enjoy this program but G has played the most of the two.  It's part of his "school" and he begs to play.

In this program, students move along their map or world by completing activities and games.  These activities are specifically designed for their level and as they continue on their journey, they build bridges (see above) which allows them to access even more of their map!  It's colorful and fun and G enjoys it.

There are also many options for activities outside their map.  One section that G particularly loves is art!  There is so much to do here.  G loves to build things, sort things, and color things.  There are so many fun activities and games to partake in.  He can also play games, puzzles, music, videos and more.

Above you can see G's dashboard.

When he selects art, here are a few of his choices.  The hearts show the activities that he likes the best.

The boys have both enjoyed earning certificates along the way!

One of F's certificates.

I really like that LeapFrog Academy® helps students with problem solving skills and creativity.  If you are looking for an educational program for your 3-6 year old, we highly recommend it.  They also have a free trial available!

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A+ Interactive Math Family Math Package Review

{Disclaimer:  I received a FREE copy of this product in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.}

I was blessed to receive a Family Math Package from A+ Interactive Math!  This package includes 8 different grade levels of math including 1st-6th, Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 and can accommodate up to 10 students!  

 

F has been using this program for 1st grade math and he has really enjoyed what he has completed so far.

About A+ Interactive Math

This curriculum contains video lessons, practice worksheets, interactive reviews, chapter tests, solutions, progress reports, automatic grading and tracking and more.  It really has it all! ✔

Benefits I personally love

• Allows students to be independent learners and frees up my time so that I'm not teaching every subject. 
• Accelerates learning because students can go at their own pace.
• Helps improve student's confidence in Math
  
• Comprehensive and teaches a solid foundation in Math which is extremely important
• User friendly
• Lessons utilize audio, visuals and text for a variety of learners
• Instant auto grades as well as tracking and progress reports
• Has parental controls that allows you to customize features specifically for your student
• Printable worksheets and tests for use offline as well
  

How is this program set up?

Students will watch the video lesson first.  Then they will participate in an interactive review or question and answer section.  In this review, the program will automatically reteach material if the student answers questions incorrectly.  This immediate reinforcement is fabulous.  After the review, students will complete an online worksheet.  They will practice the learned material.  After the worksheet is complete, students can review the step-by-step solutions when needed.

 

Table of contents

Above you can see that Chapter 1 of 1st grade math includes counting numbers to 100, reading and writing numbers to 100, identifying numbers to 100, finding the missing number, reverse counting, one more and one less, skip counting by two/five/ten/twenty-five, name the number and identifying numbers past 100.

F scored 100% in the interactive review above.

After completing all the lessons within a chapter, students will take a chapter test.  If gaps are revealed after this test, students can go back and review and/or relearn that material.  This is a great way to make sure that your students are understanding all the material.

If you are looking for a Family Math program then I would suggest checking out A+ Interactive Math.  Be sure to use the referral code CumminsLife and let me know what you think!

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Boundary Stone's Economics Online Course Bundle Review

{Disclaimer:  I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.}

If you are searching for a self-paced homeschool economics course, I want to introduce you to Boundary Stone's Economics Online Course Bundle.  While this is a one semester course, we have access to it for a year which is super nice.  A has already taken government so we just need the Economics class.  I am grateful to have extended time for her because she spent some time this semester studying for the PSAT and therefore, started this class much later than intended.  I want to note that if you wish to complete this course in one semester, you need to stick to the daily assignment schedule to stay on track.

Our books for this course!

What's included?  As mentioned above you will have 12 month online access to the course.  You will also receive a physical hardback textbook Basic Economics 4th edition by Clarence Carson as well as a PDF teacher's guide and access to an online Budget Mini Course.  For this course, you will also need Whatever Happened to Penny Candy by Richard Maybury and The Law by Frédéric Bastiat.  A is using the PDF download in the course for The Law.

Above you can see our dashboard and the units on the sidebar.

This course is divided into 4 main units with 6 modules plus a short orientation module at the beginning to help you get started.  This course teaches a natural law approach to economics.  Unit 1 contains module 1 and covers the first five chapters of the text and The Law.  This section helps lay the foundations and basics of economics.  Unit 2 contains both module 2 and module 3 which covers chapters 6-7 and 8-10 of the text respectively.  Unit 3 contains module 4 and module 5, which cover chapters 10-13.  Units 2 and 3 cover the basic principles of economics.  And Unit 4 contains the final module, module 6.  This unit looks at various economies as a whole system within both political and cultural contexts.

Video for Chapter 1.

What does this course look like?  There are online daily lessons that often include specific YouTube videos to portray key points.  There are study guide assignments as well as online review exercises and quizzes.  

 

Above you can see the study guide for chapter 1.

 

A sample of review questions

There are 4 major tests as well.  The teacher's guide contains print versions for all chapter quizzes and tests as well as answers to the study guide questions and more!

What about grades?  The parent or teacher determines the overall grade of this course.  Lesson quizzes and tests are graded online.  While quizzes can be taken as many times as desired, tests can only be taken once.  You may also want to grade or give credit for reading assignments and watching videos, answering study review questions in writing, and the Budget Project Mini-course.  There is an Excel sheet available for you to download to assist you in calculating your student's final grade!

Our Budget Project Mini-course!

Personal Budget Spreadsheet

 

In the Budget Project Mini-course, a student will design a budget for two different income levels.  They will learn that everyone has limited resources and choices must be made about how to live within those resources.  This mini-course is a great addition and super valuable for students to complete.  If you are looking for a self-paced homeschool economics course, we highly recommend Boundary Stone's Economics Online Course Bundle.  It's well laid out and very user friendly!

Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read even more reviews of Boundary Stone.

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MaxScholar Orton-Gillingham Software Review

{Disclaimer:  I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.}

We recently received a 6-month subscription to MaxScholar Orton-Gillingham Software by MaxScholar for review.

So what is MaxScholar?  Well, it's a comprehensive online reading program that uses a multi-sensory approach.  This Orton-Gillingham program aims to help students improve their reading skills (letter recognition, phonic awareness, sound blending, fluency, vocabulary and more) along with their language and performance skills as well.

Core Programs within MaxScholar

Within MaxScholar, there are a number of subprograms that cover various skills.  The main or core instructional programs within MaxScholar are MaxPhonics, MaxReading, and MaxWords.  MaxPhonics helps with letter and sound recognition, phonetic awareness, fluency, sight words, consonants, blends, short vowels, etc.  MaxReading focuses on reading, reading comprehension, vocabulary, summarizing, etc.  And MaxWords focuses on syllabication, spelling rules, prefixes, suffixes, roots, etc. 

Supplemental Programs within MaxScholar

There are other subprograms that are more supplemental instruction for reinforcing reading skills and more game based activities.  These are MaxMusic, MacVocab, MaxPlaces and MaxBios.

You can use MaxScholar of any device but I want to note that you need to use google chrome as your browser.  I have a teacher account and D, E and F all have student accounts. 

My teacher account has a dashboard where I can access reports, setting, and materials (additional resources to supplement the program).  In my reports I can see how the kids are progressing and growing in the program as well as monitor their usage and activity.  I also have complete access to MyMax, which is the student site.  Unlike my students, I have access to all the programs and all the levels with no restrictions.  I like that I get to view the program from the students perspective and I really appreciate having full access.  Now, D, E, and F only have access to their own MyMax, which means they can only get to some programs and some levels.  Their access was determined by their placement tests, or by me (I can customize where I want them to be as their teacher). 

 Taking Placement Test

 E was placed in Level 3.

 D was placed in Level 8.

Remember, if the placement isn't a good fit, or if you disagree with it, you have full customization for each student as their teacher.  I think this is a huge plus in the program.  Now that you have a basic overview of the content, let's jump into it a bit more specifically.

MaxPhonics contains 4 modules and students will be assigned to work through one module at a time.  In module 1, students learn consonants and short vowels (PreK).  In module 2, students learn alphabet consonants and short vowels.  I want to note that module 1 and module 2 are very similar.  Module 1 has fewer steps and activities; whereas, module 2 is more comprehensive.  In module 3, students work on consonant blends and in module 4, students work on digraphs.

Above you can see one of the visual components for the letter p, the picture of a panda.

And here, you can see the p was drawn for the student (tactile section).

And here, students are asked to click on the pictures that start with the sound p.  There are speakers for the students to hear the words if needed.

 

I like the format and progression of this section.  It shows the students the letter or letters they are learning.  Then, it asks the student to say or draw the letter/s with them.  Then, it has the student do it on their own.  I think this format works well.

D reading about the American Civil War.

MaxReading has reading content from K-12.  This is the section that my kids have spent the most time on so far.  Levels correspond to grade in that 0=K, 1=1st grade, 2=2nd grade, and so on.  The program gives you recommended readings but you have free choice within your level.  

 A picture example from Level 0

And when you go to the questions, the student is asked what might be the main idea of this picture?

In level 0, there is no text as all the chapters are pictures.  This gives students encouragement to look deeper at the pictures and all the details.  It can help students understand, retain and recall information.  There is a read aloud option but it's only available in levels K-2.  

An example of a Level 3 reading for E.

Within the reading there are highlighted words that students can click to get the definition of the word.  This is really helpful if they do not know what the word means.  There are various exercises for students to complete.  They will be asked to highlight 3 things: the topic of the reading, the main idea, and the important details.  They will get an overall score of these three things, which needs to be 75% or higher in order to move on.  I like that students get an answer key to compare with their own selections to see what they missed.  There is also a section where students learn to create an outline based on their reading.  I think this is a super important skill to learn.  And there are additional writing exercises.  If your student scores 75% or higher, they can play games (vocabulary games, hangman, definition game or word search).  If your score is below 75%, they can redo the chapter and try to improve their score.

MaxWords

As you can see above, MaxWords helps students build words through learning roots, prefixes, suffixes and syllabication rules.  There are 5 modules:  CLOVER, Spelling Rules, Prefixes and Suffixes, Latin Roots and Greek Roots.  There are multiple subsections within each module.

Each letter in the word CLOVER stands for a different type of syllable:  Closed Syllables, Consonant-Le Syllables,  Open Syllables, Vowel Teams, Vowel-Consonant-E Syllables, and R-Controlled Syllables.

In CLOVER, you will learn the types of syllables and how to split words properly into syllables.

 Here, E is learning about closed syllables.

You can see the 5 sections within this lesson - listen up, break it down, match, fill in the blank, and countdown.

She mastered this section and moved on.

There are 18 spelling rules for the students to learn.

The prefixes and suffixes along with the Latin roots and Greet roots sections are geared for 4th grade and above.  There is a lot of material in these sections and I personally really impressed with the roots sections, so much to learn!

In MaxMusic, students can read lyrics by their favorite artists and complete challenges.  In MaxVocab, students have the opportunity to learn new words and their meaning; thus expanding their vocabulary.  In MaxPlaces, students get to explore the world through learning about new cities and cultures.  And in MaxBios, students learn about influential people in history.  I'm hoping to have the kids dig deeper into both MaxPlaces and MaxBios as they look really fun and contain a lot of information.

The Orton-Gillingham method and multi-sensory approach used by MaxScholar is hugely beneficial for students with dyslexia, ADHD, as well as other learning deficits.  I think this program works well for everyone.  I like that it helps with retention in general and while my kids do not have any known learning deficits, they can definitely still benefit from all that MaxScholar has to offer.  Not sure if MaxScholar is the right fit for your family?  They have a great 15-day trial.  It would be a great place to start!

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