TOS Crew Review: Professor in a Box Financial Accounting Course

Where was this program two years ago?  Seriously, we needed this puppy for my son in high school.  He decided in his senior year, to pursue a college degree in Accounting, so this would have been a perfect springboard course for him to take.  Taught by an actual college professor, who also happens to be a homeschooling dad-Michael Licata designed the Professor in a Box Financial Accounting program to be an introductory course that does not require a textbook (let me tell you that alone will save you a good hundred bucks or so-I almost cringe at what my son has to pay for his), but instead uses a lecture format to provide the student with all they need to successfully finish this high school-level accounting class.

I have to say, due to my aversion to most math subjects, when I opened the box-it was the calculator and pencil that most intrigued me.  It was a nice little extra surprise and honestly, a very handy-dandy one too-there would be no excuses for not having the necessary supplies to finish the assignments!  Now, the hard part was deciding what to do with this course. My 15 year old daughter is up to her eyeballs in class work and isn't ready for this material yet, my son has had just about all the accounting courses he needs to wrap up his degree, so he wasn't in the possibility range-and my 8 year old is out of the question.  Funny thing, the Lord works in a curious and timely fashion, and it soon became apparent that it was meant for me.  Oh did my math-aversion self want to run for the hills when I figured that out.  But no-my determined side pushed me to pursue it and I am ever so grateful that I have.  I am now going to be taking on our homeschool group's finances, and this program is giving me all the information necessary to be more professional.  I do have experience balancing books, as I had managed [a few years back] my daughter's Girl Scout troop's finances for several years, but this is a much bigger entity-so I can use all the "insider information" I can get.

The first CD I watched was the Instructor's.  It provides pertinent information the teacher will require for successfully overseeing this class-and I said "overseeing", because Mr. Licata covers all the  lectures, so you would only need to supervise the testing and grading.  You can also download the syllabus (and that is ever so helpful for planning out the student's work week), quizzes and exams, and the necessary Excel templates. Best yet-you can choose between a predetermined short time frame, or a typical college semester layout for completing the course (I am going the long route), so that you can decide how it will best fit your family's schedule.

The lessons themselves are split into 2 lectures.  So you could easily schedule [if not following his plan] them a couple days apart or back to back, then have the student complete the homework in between.  This is one of the most organized and well laid out courses I have come across. I also appreciate that Mr. Licata is not one of those professors that will start a lesson about the subject at hand, then drift off to unrelated and unnecessary chatter.  He stays on task, is precise and gets the material covered within a decent time frame.  The homework assignments are thorough, and directly relate to the lecture's material (and if you have ever had one of those professors who went on and on,  then gave you the homework/test on completely different material-you understand what I am talking about) so it is easy for the student to remain positive and focused.  The only drawback I found, was that at times, Mr. Licata's voice seemed gravely, but other than that it is an exceptional program.

To simplify matters, I have listed what the site notes concerning the basics for the course:

Prerequisites
None. Any high school level student with basic math skills (algebra) can handle this course.

Course Materials
The course has 12 Chapters each divided into 2 or 3 parts.

Basic materials for each chapter:

• Flash lectures – 2 or 3 parts, each part 15 to 40 slides
• Lecture slides to print (the lecture slides from (1) above in a printer friendly format).
• Key Terms and Concepts (1 – 3 pages)
• Chapter Problems (4 – 15 problems per chapter).
• Note: some of the Chapter Problems are worked in the Flash lectures as demonstration problems while some are assigned as homework problems to be completed by the student.
• Solutions to Chapter Problems noted in (4) above.

For a better idea of what it entails, go to the free Sample Chapter and take it for a test drive.  For more in depth information regarding the program, visit the FAQ page.  I feel that the Professor in a Box: Financial Accounting course would be perfect for those families who have children that want to pursue a business (whether working for someone or owning it themselves), or any type of managerial/accounting career. 
It certainly will give the student plenty of Pre-college course level work practice, while they learn invaluable financial skills. This is definitely a keeper for us! I can and will recommend this without hesitation.









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Professor in a Box Homepage

$134.99 (included free USPS Priority mailing)-this is a current sale price There is a full Money Back Guarantee-work through the first 3 chapters and if not completely satisfied, send it back to receive a full refund.

Don't forget to see what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschooling products, on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***Professor in a Box provided me with a free Financial Accounting Program to test and use with my family, so that I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: ACT Explore and Plan Academic Assessment Tests

Wouldn't it be swell if our high school-aged kids would get all pumped up and excited over that special test they are encouraged to take in their junior year?

"Give me an 'A', give me a 'C', give me a 'T'!"

"What does that spell?"

"ACT!"

"Yeah, rah, rah!"

Oh, but for most (and I am including the parents here too) it isn't a cheer fest. No, it is more like a death sentence, or the overblown "don't mess it up or you'll never get into college" threat. I haven't quite figured out why that is, but the "fear of it" seems to be passed down from generation to generation. Having gone through the motions with two of my four already-I can honestly say, it really isn't all that bad. But, and you know that was coming-it is really stupid (and I am not trying to be offensive here-just real honest) not to prepare the student in advance. I personally am not all that in "love" with testing-actually, for the most part am not in favor of them. So why would I encourage a person to take the ACT test then? Well, how about the fact a lot of colleges will let the student skip out on the basic level courses (usually math and language ones) with decent scores in those areas-which saves the student time and money. The ACT will open many, many doors for scholarships, and admittance into universities that seek out students who score well. And at the very least, it provides the parent and student with a pretty good idea of how well they understand the tested concepts (obviously-not all of their knowledge, but a good barometer) even if they do not pursue college in the future.

So where does one go for study and pre-test material? The source of course, as the ACT Advantage site is specifically designed to meet the needs of homeschool students and families. They offer two different assessment tests: Explore-for the 8th-9th grader,  and the Plan -designed for the 10th grade student, but you could have a precocious ninth grader take this too. Along with those, they have the  ACT Discover  program (which I have already penned a review about) and several other products like the Real ACT Prep Guide book, which we own and have successfully used for years.

Since my daughter is in 10th grade, we focused on the Plan test .  I had her take it without studying, so that I could see what we need to focus on, with our ACT prep courses she will start in January. I found that it showed me a few things I was already aware of, and a couple others we now know we need to address-such as finishing the questions in the allotted time frame.  It also gave her a good idea of what to expect, which took away a lot of those unrealistic "fears".

The test in of itself, is not overwhelming because it is a sampler.  It covers reading, English, math and science concepts similar to what the actual ACT test will contain.  The Plan Assessment Package  includes the booklet with the questions/answers and guide for figuring out the scores, a brochure to help you understand the results, and a very handy College Readiness Standards handbook. I am finding the handbook to be the most helpful because I can see where she is,  what she needs to work on next, and if she is ready for college level work.

For the younger student, there is the Explore Assessment package. This covers the same subjects as the Plan assessment, along with the brochure on how to understand the results, and the Standard Readiness Standards handbook, as well. The Explore test will give you, and the student, a good idea of what they need to work on, in order to prepare for the ACT test in high school. It can also be used as an indicator of where your student is, compared to other children their age. 

All in all, these are a nice way to figure out where your student is, and how you can adjust their courses to address the subjects they need to work on.  The price of them is not out of the range of normal for such products, but if you are on a tight budget-I would recommend The Real ACT Prep Guide book over them both.  You get a lot for your money, as it supplies many more tests and practice on the four subject topics,  while providing strategies and prep for the actual test day.  Which ever way you choose to go, it will be money well spent. 

  




actually it requires very little of your effort-you will need to monitor the test period (time) and score the results

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ACT Advantage Homepage

Plan and Explore Sample Tests:  $22.95 each
The Real ACT Prep Guide book:  $25.00

Be sure to visit our TOS Review Crew Homepage to see what my crew mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschool products.

***ACT Advantage supplied me with one free package each of the Plan and Explore tests, in order to use with my family, so I could write this review.  I personally purchased the Real ACT Prep Guide book several years back, for my family.

TOS Crew Review: Exploracise GyMathtics by Exploriamania

I suppose most folks normally count whilst exercising, and so it really isn't out of the realm of possibilities to have an workout program that goes a bit beyond the usual "1 and 2 and 3 and 4..."-like one that teaches actual math concepts to the young ones as they work up a sweat.  Well, the Exploracise Gymathtics DVD was designed to do just that.

This 30 minute program covers math concepts, geared for kids in approximately 2nd through 5th grades, while exercising and toning the children's bodies.  The four main areas are :

• Shape Stretches Warm Up: Stretching their mind and body with line, circle, and polygon stretches.
  
• Counting Calisthenics: Aerobic movements to work their heart as fun counting concepts work their brain.
  
• Pattern Power: Growing and repeating pattern exercise combinations challenge their minds, and strengthen their muscles.
  
• Well-Being Wind Down: Relaxing stretches cool down their body, and open their mind to think about healthy lifestyle choices including the Nice Wave Stretch and Big Dream Stretch.

The idea is that, as studies have proven, a child will be able to better retain such information because they are using several sensory areas, while their brain is releasing "growth factors" which help them to recall the concepts being presented. I know that for dyslexic children, it is important to get the brain firing on both sides to help break down the wall that comes between the two hemispheres. Moving their bodies is a great way to create new connections, and to lower that barrier.  The Exploracise GyMathtics DVD can meet those very needs in a manner that is not oppressive or ordinary.

Exploracise's product line also includes Thumballs, which resemble soccer balls with math facts all over it, and Mats to complement the DVDs. They have also received several awards for this series, which can attest to the fact that it is a hit with many families.

But somewhere along those perpendicular lines, it lost its ordinal numbers with us.  I have said this before, in a lot of my reviews, that we are just not the kind of family that seeks out such products.  With the presentation of the GyMathtics DVD, I get the sense that I am watching a modern twist of  the Count [altho I doubt the dude knows some of the concepts on this] from Sesame Street mingled with a bit of Jane Fonda's workouts.  I totally get where they are going with this, like when they are listing prime numbers because it isn't so far from simply counting repetitions-but sometimes it is truly a bit of a "stretch" [no pun intended] to mix the math lessons with the type of activity they are presenting.  At times, it was hard to follow what was being taught, and do the actual exercise because you were trying to figure out what to focus on. The gal leading the kids was off on the counting VS what was coming up on the screen  in a lot of instances-not a super big deal, but it could be irritating after awhile.  Frankly, I would not have sought out nor spent the money to own this DVD.  I will continue to try to get my son to work through this, but I am being real honest here-it is not at the top of our priority list. 

For us, it just wasn't so great. We are all about exercising, and totally for math-just not so much the mix of the two you find in GyMathtics.  But, dear readers, that doesn't mean it cannot be a great addition to your homeschool line-up.  If you have kids who enjoy videos like this, then it can be a great way to integrate the promotion of healthy bodies, and math concepts into a 30 minute workout via your DVD player.







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Exploramania Homepage

DVD: $24.99 with free shipping/handling right now

Don't forget to see what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschooling products, on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***Exploramania provided me with a free GyMathtics DVD to test and use with my family, so that I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: AVKO Educational Research Foundation Membership

When I met Don McCabe, way back when my oldest son was around 9 years old, I finally felt a semi-truck worth of pressure lift off of my shoulders. We had been battling poor grades, poor retention, reading difficulties and more; all of which began to fracture our relationship. He thought I was mad at him, I thought he was trying to torture me needlessly-when in reality, the child was dealing with the struggles of an undiagnosed learning difficulty. Don spoke with me at our state's homeschool convention, and offered me hope-something I had lost. He asked me a lot of questions, had the child write out something that I could bring back for him to look at, and then-there it was in all its glory, a diagnosis of dyslexia. I finally had a name for our brick wall! He spent a lot of time speaking with me and afterward, I immediately sought out his book- To Teach a Dyslexic.  It was that book that changed the way I taught my boy.  I realized that I wasn't a failure, that it was how he learned and how I taught him was the problem, due to the very nature of dyslexia.  We both felt a sense of renewal and there after-took it one day at a time, while working on ways to help him better retain and deal with it.  I am happy to report that our son has grown into a very successful young man, who excels at his college courses, and at his daily tasks for his job.  He has a strong self-image that I doubt he ever would have acquired if we hadn't found the solution when we did.  It can be very detrimental to children when they see others "getting it" (sometimes causing kids to label themselves as "dummies"), when they themselves must struggle to just read a sentence at times.  Because we homeschooled, we were able to stretch the time needed to learn to read, with minimal interruptions from the dyslexia (now his case is what I would say is mild-enough to be a pain, but not so that it is an overwhelming daily difficulty)-and by using the advice Don provided in this wonderful book-we have a positive story to tell.  Then, as our 3rd child was of the age to start reading lessons, I found that she too-had dyslexia.  In fact, hers was and is, a bit more complex than her brothers-so we are still working through to find ways to help minimize the effects of it, while retaining her desire to learn and not give up. To add to that, we see that our 4th child is not only color-blind, but is dyslexic too-so I have my work cut out for me!  At least I am aware of dyslexia and its annoyances (because that is what it is really, annoying but not the end of the world) and now, I can reread Don's book (which is included with the AVKO membership) to glean tidbits and encouragement to get my youngest and I through this tangled web of learning challenges.

In fact, I am forever grateful to Don and his foundation for providing free products that help enlighten parents and teachers concerning dyslexia and learning difficulties, and for his development of products designed to meet the unique challenges students have because of them.  When one becomes a member at AVKO, they gain access to several different eBooks, pretests and placement tests, recordings of Don's lectures (I enjoy listening to him, as he is quite a character and not boring at all!), newsletters, discounts/promotions, and a 25% discount on the printed materials-just to name a few things. Speaking of the eBooks, you will be able to download some of the chapters for free, so you can get a good idea of what they entail.  By clicking on the links below, you can access that information directly.  Please note that because each book's description  is listed on the site-I have refrained from rehashing the contents of them here.

The Teaching of Reading and Spelling: Starting at Square One

The Teaching of Reading and Spelling

Patterns of English Spelling

The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words

The membership also allows you access to several different documents covering humor, inspirational stories, instructional ideas, etc.  I did find most of the humor sections to be more for the adults-not necessarily something you would want your child to read.  It is truly a personal choice, and I frankly didn't even spend much time in that section...but I would advise previewing those first, to be sure the material aligns with your family's preferences.  Finally, I also want to note that as with everything I read/use in our homeschool, I rarely agree with 100% of it. I know my children and their learning styles, and my teaching techniques and limitations well enough to know that I will at times, I must adjust or drop ideas, methods and theories that simply do not mesh with us.  Because we were asked to review the benefits of the AVKO membership-not necessarily the eBooks, I have not spent immense amounts of time reading through them (but am planning to), so I cannot say for sure if everything contained within the material matches my line of thinking or not.  I do know that the To Teach a Dyslexic was instrumental in helping me better understand and successfully teach my dyslexic children-so I can recommend it without hesitation.

Does the name Sequential Spelling sound familiar? I understand a lot of homeschoolers use this program,  and it is included in Sonlight's core curriculum packages-so you know it has to be pretty darn good.  What's more, you can get it at a 25% discount by being a member.  I personally have not tried it, but am seriously considering it for my boy.  I see they now offer supplemental kits called Engaging Language which correlate to each of the Sequential Spelling levels-mighty helpful if your student needs extra practice activities. AVKO has a pretty good selection of additional eBooks that are available for purchase (and don't forget that you get them for 25% less when you are a member); with sample downloads to look through too.  It certainly is a good idea to just spend time strolling through all they have to offer-because a wee review simply cannot do it justice.

And if you are wondering what my stance-my overall opinion is, regarding the benefits of the AVKO membership-read on.  I believe that for those parents who need helpful and practical advice concerning the best ways to deal with dyslexia or with reading/spelling issues in general-AVKO's membership can be a tremendous blessing.  The $25 annual [$2.08 a month] fee, is a fair price for the slew of goodies you get.  Would I have purchased the membership, if I hadn't received it to review?  Probably not-mostly because I am pretty comfy teaching kids with dyslexia, since I have been doing so for about ten years now. But remember, it was Don's products that I used to help me right from the moment we had our diagnosis.  So, had this been available back in the day-you bet I would have purchased the membership.  I know the eBooks we now have access to, will provide me with  a good brain awakening (after a time it gets pretty dusty up there in my ancient gray matter) and I am confident that I will find lots of good ideas and techniques to better teach my youngest child.  My best advice, to those who are considering it, is to head over to the site, read the product descriptions, download the free information,  and then make your decision.  I bet you will see that the AVKO Educational Research Foundation provides invaluable support and materials to better equip you to teach your precious students.

Mr. McCabe is a Christian but his material is fairly neutral-so it gets a world iconFYI:  You will have printing costs if you decide to go that route for the eBooks

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AVKO homepage
Individual Membership $25 per year

Don't forget to see what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschooling products, on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***The AVKO Educational Research Foundation provided me with a free membership to the AVKO's site, so that I could explore and use the materials available, to be able to write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Life on the Farm Game

The lonely song made by the slowly rotating blades from the rusty windmill, the clean sheets billowing and flickering to and fro, and the amber waves of grain swaying in a rhythmic motion, as the wind ripples across the vast fields.  Off in the distance a tractor is heard making its way toward the dusty road, that gently winds its way toward the white-washed farmhouse gracing the rolling hill, west of the barn.  The sweet scent of a freshly baked pie waifs through the air to tantalize anyone downwind of it, as several flies try to squeeze under the tea cloth that is strategically placed over its top.  A screen door slaps shut, a shout goes up as a woman flaps her arms like a bird about to take flight. A head pops up, a startled moo-sound echos forth, as the woman makes her way toward the vegetable garden to shoo off the escaped bovine, better known as "Ole Bess".  The woman shouts threats of "first to be on the auction block" and "nice steak dinners", as the cow makes a dainty, and somewhat graceful exit, toward the broken gate from whence she came. 

This is how I picture my farm to be-without the foul "cow pie" smells to defile my idealistic day dream.  I actually like the idea of a farm, but not necessarily the work of one-nor the expense.  But my want-to-be farmer boy, Buddy-longs for the wide open spaces, and the possible critters he could raise.  So what is a good compromise for this suburban-folk family? Why a game about farming that highlights its ups and downs (without all the stink and clean-up duties), of course.  We were absolutely thrilled to be able to receive the Life on the Farm game by We R Fun.  After the initial "ripfest" of the outer plastic wrap had ended, we opened the package like it were Christmas morning-all struggling to see if we could get a look-see of the goodies contained within. Right away, I was impressed with the quality of the game board, and the game components.  The sight of farm animals on the play money is a nice touch to boot.  After a quick run through of the not-so-complicated rules, we set out to see who is the best farmer in our family.

We quickly realized there is a lot that goes into maintaining a dairy farm.  Auctions must take place, extra hands need to be hired, fences need to be repaired (usually due to careless, trespassing hunters), and farm equipment needs maintenance too. Then you must deal with swamps that entrap, or hunters (pesky varmints that they are) who mistakenly shoot your live stock (hmm-I have never seen a black and white deer, we'll have to contact the sheriffs department next time that happens), or runaway cows that become road kill (sad but true)-and all within a single round of the game!  Thank goodness for milk checks, because after all those expenses, you will need to pad your wallet again.

The basic gist of the game is to be the first to own a herd of 60 cows, while your bank account consists of at least the same amount of cash you had when you started the game.  The normal "retirement plan" may take some time to accomplish; so there is the option of  playing the shorter version, where you start with more money and cows.  Either way, it is a "moo-tastic" way to spend some quality time with your family.  We all agree that the Life on the Farm is one of our favorite board games to play!

Now to think of a way to commandeer some Old Dutch Potato Chips and some Shasta pop, since my folks won't be heading to visit the relatives in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, any time soon. If you have never heard of those products-then I guess you're not from Minnesota (the inventors of the game happen to be "Minnesotans") or a neighbor to one. Those are mighty fine snacking goodies that will simply add to your game playing enjoyment. Perhaps the fine folks at We R Fun will consider offering "MN snack packages" (hint, hint) to compliment their product line. One can always hope.

Oh, and with Christmas just around the corner (I know-hit panic button NOW), this would make a fantastic gift.  Kmart has it available at their online store front for five bucks off the reg. price too.  Be sure to check that out.  Otherwise, you can purchase it through We R Fun.







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We R Fun Homepage

Life on the Farm Game: $25, ages 8-108

They have a pre-school (I would say a 7 year old would enjoy this) version also-and I know many of my TOS mates were given this game to review-so be sure to see what they have to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products. Visit our TOS Review Crew Homepage for more information.

***We R Fun provided me with a free Life on the Farm Game, in order to use and test it with my family, so that I could write this review.