Thinkwell Online Learning Math Review

As my homeschoolers get older, I really prefer for them to have video-based instruction when it comes to math.  A, B and C recently added Thinkwell's 6th to 8th Grade Math and High School Math courses to their workload.  More specifically - C is going through their Honors 7th Grade Math, B is going through their 8th Grade Math (PreAlgebra) and A is using their Algebra 2 online course.

A, B and C

Our Math Courses

Thinkwell Homeschool offers math courses for grades 6th - high school.  I love that they also have advanced math (honors) courses and college level (Calculus) math as well.  I had the kids take placement tests in order to determine which class to enroll them in.  I highly recommend doing this because it will give you a better idea where to place your child in the program.

I love that A, B and C have access to their courses and materials 24/7 so it is super convenient.  Because these course are online you need a device and Internet service to use them.  A, B and C are using both our Ipad and computer.

Their courses are broken down into a 36 week schedule that includes day-by-day and week-by-week lists of what to do so it's easy for both you and your student to track their progress.  The course lesson plan can be found in the resources area.  I also want to note that there is a lot of flexibility within these courses.  Students can jump ahead and also slow down as needed.  We have access to our courses for one year so I can adapt them to suit our needs.

  Here is the schedule overview for A's Algebra 2 course.

And here is an example of the day-by-day and week-by-week breakdown for the first two weeks.

Each day, students study a different topic and watch the video lectures, complete the exercises and worksheets.  Some days there may be one or more topics to complete.  It is estimated that students will spend an hour to an hour and a half a day on the suggested content.  A typical day for a student would begin with opening up the notes section for that topic.  This section may include key terms, definitions, formulas, and illustrations.  These notes can be printed so your student can add to the notes as they watch the videos or already printed notes are available for purchase.

Here's an example of a notes section from B's 8th Grade Math course.

Students then watch the video lessons in their entirety, taking notes as needed.  Video lessons are anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes for each lesson topic, so they are super manageable.  I love that they include examples and illustrations so students can follow along easily.  Videos can be paused and rewatched as needed for mastery.

   

Above is a video from B's 8th grade math on exponents.

Here is the same video lesson a bit later.  You can see the examples being worked out during the video instruction.  This format is really great.

Here you can see that B completed her video lessons above.

C watching a video lesson on our Ipad.

After completing the videos, students then complete the topic worksheet and online exercises.  I do want to note here that the worksheets and exercises do not count toward their grade as they are for practice only.  I really like that students are given immediate feedback.

 Above you can see one of C's worksheets for Applying Exponents in Scientific Notation.

I love that all the worksheets have answer keys like the one above.

Here is the result of one of C's exercises.  If your student misses a problem or doesn't understand, they can click the review link next to the problem and it will show them the correct answer and explanation for it.  Easy peasy.

Students take section quizzes after completing a section of topics.  Quizzes are taken once and do count towards the course grade. There are also practice and chapter tests scheduled at the end of each chapter as well with midterm and final exams scheduled in to boot.  I really appreciate all the legwork and forethought that these courses provide as my kids progress through their math programs.  If you are looking for video-based math curriculum I would recommend Thinkwell.  I'm looking forward to A, B and C finishing their courses.

You can use these courses as your entire math curriculum or you can even use them to supplement other programs as needed.

Want to hear more?  Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read even more reviews of Thinkwell's math courses.

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Operation Christmas Child

We are participating in Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child again this year through our church.  For those that don't know, the mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide children around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, school supplies and more as a means of reaching children in their communities with the Good News of Christ.  They are shipped all over and our kids have a fun time picking out items for our boxes.

Our Boxes

This year we decided to fill 4 boxes - one for a young boy 5-9, a young girl 5-9, an older boy 10-14 and an older girl 10-14.  It is our hope that these items really bless those that receive them and truly make a difference in their lives.

 Here's our younger boy box.

It includes pencils and sharpener, small squishy balls, stickers, bandages, two combs, soap, washcloth that looks like a bear, notepad, crayons, toothbrush, hand waver, two jump frog toys, green ball, tsum tsum doll, soccer ball and pump, and 3D printed T-Rex.

Here's our younger girl box.

It includes pencils and sharpener, paper/calculator/eraser set, small squishy ball, stickers, bandages, soap, washcloth that looks like a bear, notepad, crayons, toothbrush, jump frog toy, tsum tsum doll, hairbrush, rainbow soccer ball, lala loopsy doll, LEGO set and 3D printed slug.

 Here's our older girl box.

It includes pencils and sharpener, bandages, soap, washcloth that looks like a bear, notepad, crayons, pens, toothbrush, tsum tsum doll, hairbrush, headbands, small water bottle with hair accessories inside, fun bracelets, star socks and comfy socks, LEGO set, unicorn squishmallow and 3D printed penguin puzzle.

Here's our older boy box.

It includes pencils and sharpener, bandages, soap, two combs, washcloth that looks like a bear, notepad, crayons, toothbrush, tsum tsum doll, yo-yo, car, soccer ball and pump, and 3D printed Triceratops.

These were really fun to pack.  We really wanted to include a 3D printed toy for fun!  If you want to find out more about Operation Christmas Child check it out here.

God's Mail Volume 3 Review

I have a new book to share with you, God's Mail Volume 3 by Ron Hardin from God's Mail.  I received a physical book but it is also available in Kindle format.  Ron is the author of more than 500 poems covering a variety of topics.  Similar to Volumes 1 and 2, this book contains poems that are meant to address the challenges of life for both believers and non-believers.  There is a page of scripture verses to go along with with each of the poems.

 A Bunch of Dust

This book contains 96 poems on numerous topics.  The format is the same for each poem as all of them are made up of a number of rhyming couplets.  There is a page of scripture verses with a photo of a lantern in the background followed by a poem with a photo of hands holding a heart in the background (See example above and below).  The poems are arranged in alphabetical order by title name.  The Scripture verses are from different Bible translations.  I'm personally not really a fan of The Message Bible and The Living Bible as they are more paraphrases of the Word; however, I liked having the scripture references and I can read them in my preferred translation.   I would have liked to see some of the poems break free of the rhyming pattern.  I think my favorite thing about the entire book is the scripture that is included.  The Bible itself has beautiful poetry in it and I would encourage everyone to read it.

 Do It Now

This book is also more of a workbook size using 8.5 x 11 size pages instead of more standard size like 6 inches x 9 inches.  I would actually prefer this in a more compact form as this size seemed bulkier than it needed to be.  I don't mind it being paperback though.  

 Don't Delay

To me this felt a little like reading someone's personal journal in rhyming form.  I also had a hard time connecting and/or agreeing with everything that these poems express.  Take the poem above for example, Don't Delay.  While I agree that I want to keep my word when I promise to pray for others (and this can be an issue as some take that promise far too lightly) I feel like its tone is a bit more about me than God.  I felt this way about several of the poems so this book isn't for everyone.

Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of God's Mail Volume 3 and see what others have to say.

 

Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books Review

With four girls you bet we have some horse lovers in our home!  A is especially drawn to them and she loves history so she was super excited to read the 4 books in the Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series from Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books.

Notice the horse canvas in the background!

Our Books - they are autographed copies as Mattie signed them (thanks Mattie!).

A reading on the go...

This series includes Appaloosy, Dusty's Trail, Golden Sunrise and Day and Night.  We were also blessed to receive a PDF Enrichment Guide for the Day and Night book.  This book series is geared for ages 8-14; however, children with an interest in history or horses younger or older may really enjoy these books as well.  These books vary in length from just over 60 pages (Dusty's Trail) to over 140 pages (Day and Night).  They can be read as a stand-alone book as each focuses on a different historical period.  All four of these stories are told from the perspective of the horses, which is so fun.  There are a few hand drawn illustrations sprinkled in throughout this series but it doesn't have a lot of pictures.  Let's Dive in!

Appaloosy

Illustration from the book

Here's what A said about Appaloosy.  Appaloosy is told from the perspective of Storm, a beautiful Appaloosa stallion, belonging to the Nez Perce Indian Tribe.  He dreams of being a free horse but they give him to a young warrior named White Feather, who is somehow different from the rest of the people (he is kind to Storm).  Storm is sold several times, stolen, and often escapes.  Eventually he finds himself with a young girl named Faith, who is kind and loving and Storm cares for her very much.  Soon he is faced with a choice to go back to Faith or become a free horse as he as always dreamed to be.

Golden Sunrise

Illustration from the book

Here's what A said about Golden Sunrise.  Golden Sunrise is told from the perspective of Cheyenne, who is a golden mare who lives with her owner, Jared.  She and Jared are best friends.  One day Jared is convinced to volunteer as a soldier in the Texas fight for independence.  He and his best friend, Reuben, saddle up and head to San Antonio, Texas where they are stationed to defend the now famous Alamo.  They make more friends but the advancing Mexican army is determined to snuff them out.  This is a really good story but it does have a very sad ending.

Dusty's Trail

Illustration from the book

Here's what A said about Dusty's Trail.  Dusty's Trail is told from the perspective of Dusty who lives on a farm with his owner, Levi.  One night, Levi and Dusty sneak away to help deliver the mail by horse, otherwise known as Pony Mail (Yes, the Pony Express!).  At first, Dusty isn't interested in delivering the mail but soon he finds courage he never knew he had in order to save Levi.

Day and Night

Illustration from the book

Here's what A said about Day and Night.  Day and Night is told from the perspective of Tucker and Shiloh who are young horse brothers that are separated at the beginning of the book.  Each chapter alternates perspectives back and forth between them.  They are very different from each other even though they are brothers.  They find themselves in the middle of the American Civil War.  Tucker ends up with the US Army and Shiloh ends up with a young confederate girl who disguises herself as a soldier.  The brothers find themselves on opposite sides of the war.  You find yourself wondering - Will they make it out of the war?  Will they see each other again?

And here's what B said about Day and Night.  Day and Night is from two young horses' perspective, they are brothers called Shiloh and Tucker.  The chapters rotate from each horse so that you can understand what each one is experiencing.  They get separated and have to cope with their new lives.  Tucker, a deep brown stallion, gets sold in the US Army and works with a young soldier named Ben.  Shiloh, a speckled gray stallion, gets stolen by a young girl named Sarah, who is fiercely devoted to the Confederate Army.  Each one faces the hardships of fighting in the Civil War but both of them think that their cause is greater.  They remember their old lives and think of each other often wondering if they will ever meet again.

Our Enrichment Guide

As I mentioned earlier, we were blessed to receive a PDF Enrichment Guide for the Day and Night book.  This Enrichment Guide is pretty fantastic.  It is divided into 8 parts and is such an amazing resource.  It includes reading comprehension questions, vocabulary, history information, living history, horses in history, geography, biographies, creating your own stories, further reading ideas and more!  I really like the crafts, games, and activities within the living history portion.  We have not completed this guide but the girls and I are definitely going to start exploring it soon now that they have both read Day and Night.

Author Mattie Richardson

Mattie Richardson has published five books and specializes in historical fiction and is most well-known for her horses telling the stories!  I love that she became an author at just 13.  B is thinking she might want to be an author and she is currently 13 so that's super fun to think about.  When she is not writing, Mattie enjoys playing the fiddle and guitar, riding and training horses, studying American history and spending time with her family.

A and B are both avid readers so now that A has finished this entire series, B is now reading it.  She is already onto her second book.  I'm looking forward to hearing her thoughts about the entire series as well.  These books are really fun, especially for those that love horses and history.  They are really enjoyable reads.

Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series and see what others have to say.

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Timberdoodle's Plus-Plus Mini Maker Tube - Turkey Review

I have another really fun Timberdoodle product to share with you, the Plus-Plus Mini Maker Tube - Turkey!  While this is especially fun to have this month with Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it's also fun year round as you can build the turkey and so much more.

This tube contains 70 plastic pieces in a reusable container and includes step-by-step instructions on how to build a turkey.  There is a disclaimer that Plus-Plus color mixes are not always exact and counts of each color may vary from tube to tube.  Our container actually had 75 pieces, score!  And there are 11 orange pieces needed for the turkey and we had 10.  This really wasn't an issue, you will just see that one of our orange feathers is one piece short, no biggie - but I did want to mention it.

 Plus-Plus Mini Maker Tube - Turkey

 Everything included

 Above you can see a bit of the step-by-step instructions.

Plus-Plus mini pieces all have the same, identical shape.  They have a slightly "rubbery" texture and the pieces slide together smoothly with very little pressure while also coming apart without much effort.  The trick is that they stay together when locked!  You can build in any direction so your creations can be flat or 3D like our turkey.

Plus-Plus Mini Pieces

These pieces come in an array of colors.  This set includes brown, red, orange yellow and blue.

The different colors in this set.  One side of each piece has the words Plus Plus on it, while the other side does not.

B made this flat heart!

You can follow the easy directions to create a turkey with this set and also use the pieces to build your own creations.  I really love that you can combine these pieces with other Plus-plus Mini sets to create a plethora of bigger things.  We don't currently have other sets but they are now on my wishlist!  I like that my kids are encouraged to plan and think about what colors to use in their designs as they figure out what structure to make.  Plus-Plus Mini pieces are great for hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.  There are literally endless possibilities when it comes to these pieces and kids will have hours of creative construction.

Here you can see D building a turkey.

D's assembled turkey!

 A also wanted to build her own turkey, this one is hers.

 Isn't he cute?

 Here you have a good view of the turkey's neck.

 And here is the backside of our turkey, you can really see his feathers.

 I mentioned other creations, C built a box.

Plus-Plus sets originate from Denmark and are available in two sizes - the Plus-Plus Big (safer for younger children ages 1 and older) and the Plus-Plus Mini (which are suited for children ages 5 and older).  Timberdoodle has both Plus-Plus Big sets as well as other Plus-Plus Mini sets.

 Here is a 150 piece set of the Plus-Plus Big.

And this 1200 piece set of the Plus-Plus Minis looks awesome.

This Plus-Plus Mini Maker Tube - Turkey is extremely affordable and would make a unique gift for that hard to find child and would also be perfect to slip into a stocking this Holiday season!  You're welcome.

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  Timberdoodle sent my family the Plus-Plus Mini Maker Tube - Turkey in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.