TOS Crew Review: Kinderbach (revisited)

Wow!  I posted a review for Kinderbach from my previous voyage on the TOS SScruize ship-and here I am posting another exactly to the date a year later!  I haven't changed my mind, nor am I going to bore you with another long winded post describing the very same thing.  What I am going to do is provide the link to my post from last time:  2008 Kinderbach Review by yours truly, [that I updated recently] so that you can head over there and read it for yourself. But after you do so, please come back here, as there are some new features I wanted to fill you in on.

OK, have you read it? I am hoping you are shaking your head yes, because there is some good info there that I will not repeat here. If you are trying to avoid eye strain-perhaps you can come back when you can read all the info in one sitting-it is too valuable to miss.

Well.... goodies such as:

Lots of new downloads for purchase or available for free. For instance we received the Craft and Games Level 1 PDF download to view and enjoy. It is loaded with activities that match what the child is learning in the regular lessons.  ($9.95).  For example: they can make a floor size piano key set up, then add  Dodi's House cards (in super large size here) to practice what they learned. There are posters, and games which can be a nice added touch to enhance the child's learning of these skills.  I should think that if your child is very tactile, this would be a good way to go. This is supplemental and is not included with the membership.

Dodi the Donkey Coloring book which is 16 pages relating to Dodi and a little dilemma he is facing. ( $3.95 ) There is a collection of  3 coloring books, and a couple free one page downloads available, to tag along with the main curriculum. I am particularly fond of donkeys as of late (did ya read my review on the Noah's Ark set or the Nativity scene? I fell in love with the wide-eyed Eeyores) and Dodi is no exception.  My son loves to color (even though brown is green to him-since he is color blind, but even a green Dodi is a great way to decorate my fridge) and so I had my son color a few pages just for the enjoyment of it. 

The site itself seems to be a fresh new layout, with easy access to all the areas. It is clean and simple to navigate, which is always most helpful. The changes are a very nice addition to the already wonderful program. Plus, since writing my last review-they have added the 5th and 6th levels.  That is good news for those who have worked through the other levels, and are ready to continue on.

Now that we have gone through this 2x, I have to say that if I were to be purchasing it-I would go the DVD route, for a couple reasons-but mainly because trying to finagle time slots to use the online version can be complicated around our home. My 'puter gets tons of use from me, and so I have to remember to schedule in times for my son to work on this. It would be much easier to pop a DVD into the TV and let him go from there, than to try to find time to get him on my computer. Now, for most this isn't a problem-but if you need your 'puter for work like I do-it may become somewhat difficult. Oh, and don't forget-if you have more than one student-then you have more juggling to do, when perhaps with the DVD you could have 2 kids going at once (that is if you have 2 pianos). Plus, a lot of times for me-outta sight is outta mind-and well, then I forget I have it. So again-for us, the hard copy would work better. But don't get me wrong here-we have enjoyed revisiting the Kinderbach experience and are very grateful for the opportunity. My son was able to pick up where we left off last year, and is now going through new lessons, and learning more piano techniques.  An added bonus is that he enjoys it-and that is what counts!








since the child does most of the work while listening to the lesson, but you will need to be nearby to follow through on the worksheets or to assist.

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Kinderbach Homepage
Lessons via internet: $19.99 billed monthly, or one time payment of $95.88 for a year subscription

DVD packages-$40.45 and up

No change here-the 30 day Money Back Guarantee is still available.

Don't forget to read what my TOS mates have to say about this and other homeschooling products at our TOS Crew Review Homepage.

***Kinderbach provided me with a free 3 month Online Subscription, a free download of the Dodi the Donkey coloring book, and a free PDF download of the Craft and Games Level 1 book, to use and test with my family. I have discussed my opinion regarding this product, and have not received  financial compensation for writing this review. 

TOS Crew Review: Worship Guitar Class-Volume 1 DVD + Book

When we bought our oldest a guitar a few years back, we had high hopes that it would be played on a regular basis. Sadly, that was not to be. College came up fast, and her courses depleted any extra time she could devote to picking it back up, and learning to play. I was excited to receive the Worship Guitar Class-Vol. 1 DVD + Book set by Jean Welles to review, especially since just a few weeks prior to getting notification that we'd be receiving it-my 15 year old dd was pestering me about learning to play the guitar!

This is the first volume of a four part series. By the title you can see it is Christian-based, and is beginning lessons for learning to play the guitar. The DVD starts out with a section covering the parts of a guitar, then moves into 7 lessons (which can be heard in Spanish too).  Each one is short enough to not overwhelm, but has enough packed into it to get a decent start on playing.  The good thing is that you can pause the DVD to practice the techniques before continuing on. With the book as additional help,  the student will quickly learn to start strumming up a few songs we're all pretty much familiar with. The site also contains several tips and techniques necessary for good guitar playing. The articles are really quite helpful, as we have already learned a few things we were clueless about. Best of all, Jean ties in references to the Lord whenever she can, and I really appreciated that.  I do want to point out, that in my opinion,  you really need the entire series to gain enough mastery skills to play more than a couple cords or basic songs, but the level 1 we reviewed is a good start!

We have been slowly working through the lessons, but with the holidays-it has been slow going. We hope that over the next several weeks we will be able to get a better handle on this product, along with how well it is working for our guitar playing hopeful. I will be sure to come back and post how things are going with this, and what our final opinion is, after we have spent more time with it. I have decided, at this time, to give the Worship Guitar Class a middle of the road rating. If things change, I will update it and let you know.







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Worship Guitar Class Homepage

Vol. 1 DVD/Book Combo pack: $29.95 (same price for vol. 2, 3 or 4 also)
4 Pack of series: $119.80

They also offer Deluxe packages which includes the guitar. For further info, see Products page.

Check out what my TOS mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschooling products on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***Worship Guitar Class provided me with a free Vol. 1 DVD+Book Combo pack, in order to test and use with my family.  I have discussed my opinion regarding this product, and have not received  financial compensation for writing this review.   

TOS Crew Review: Bertie's War-a novel by Barbara Tifft Blakey (Kregal Publications)

I suppose most reading this are too young to remember, or were not even born during the Cuban Missile Crisis (that would be me), but for those who are studying that time frame in their history studies, or simply enjoy reading fiction based on historical events, this book could serve as a nice addition to their studies.

Based on a young girl named Bertie, the war she encounters is not so much of what is going on in her life and/or around her-but more with what is going on inside of her mind, and with her emotions.  Life happens, but when Bertie experiences things, she does so through what we (meaning my family) consider the "Onion Skinned" approach.  She is a disaster, and it shows.  I can think of a lot of Bible verses that admonish pondering so much on oneself or one's problems, regarding the lack of fortitude, and allowing the root of fear to practically stop a person from living; all which directly address the issues ole Bertie girl is struggling with in this story.  It doesn't help that her parents seem a bit out of touch with what the child is going through (or perhaps that is just her perception of things) and well, it all seems almost too much to bear.  Does Bertie climb out of the multiple pits in which she lives?  Not to be one to spoil a book's ending,  I am leaving that undisclosed, so you'll have to read it to find out.

As for how we enjoyed this story-well, it was OK.  I liked that it is written with a Christian undertone, and that it addresses what many tweens/teens experience as they merge into adulthood, you know-during that delicate time when one must forge through to the other side. I found that the ending was better than the beginning...but it wasn't something I felt I would have spent the money on.  I wasn't that impressed-especially with the first half of the book. It was a bit disturbing to me, and I am not sure exactly why. It left me feeling a tad perplexed, and I honestly (at times) I  wasn't sure where the story line was going. The family dynamics bothered me as well.  I guess (now that I own it) I will add it to our 20th Century US and World studies, since it does discuss what some experienced, in the US, during that iffy time in our history-but I would not have bought it outright.  I really cannot put my finger on why folks-sorry, but for us it wasn't such a hit. Perhaps it came across as "twaddle", as we prefer our reading selections to be more in depth for that age range? I dunno, honestly I just don't know.  This is one of those products where you will definitely need to read more of my TOS mates' opinions, so you can make a decision for yourself.






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As for Kregal Publications, well that is a "...horse of a different color!" (for those who do not recognize that statement, it is taken from the The Wizard of Oz movie). These folks have been around for years, offer a wide selection of Christian-based material for just about everyone. You can read all about them, and their mission for their company, on their About Us page. I am quite impressed with the books they offer and plan on continuing to explore their site.

Kregel Publications Homepage

Bertie's War info

Bertie's War: $7.99 PB Tween/Fiction

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

***Kregel Publications provided me with a free copy of the book, Bertie's War by Barbara Blakey, to be read and used by family.  I have discussed my opinion regarding this product, and have not received  financial compensation for writing this review.      

TOS Crew Review: Mathletics Online Subscription

Keeping a child interested in math is usually a juggling act. I know my son really enjoys animated math programs, and Mathletics is no exception. What you will find with this online service, is a wide variety of math practice and games that will engage and boost memory, all whilst remaining fun. Not necessarily what one would consider a full curriculum (so in other words, the child will need to have been taught the material prior to working in that area, but even with a little bit of knowledge they could try to make a go of it), but more of a reinforcement product that will give the student plenty of opportunity to work on those troublesome, and not so bothersome concepts, they should be working on.

What we found, was that each child could work through concepts that are typically taught during their particular grade level. The material is presented in animated fashion with awards and points the child can spend in the store to collect a larger variety of clothing, hair styles, backgrounds, hats, glasses and such for their icon image which they design when they sign on). There are several games that reinforce the materials they are covering in the main course section too-my son loved the dog hunt, the fishing, and the fraction games.  The practice activities are
really neat too (at least the ones I saw in grade 2) which totally captured his attention! Trust me, that is not always so easy to do.


Students can even partake in live competitions with children from all over the globe! Plus, with our subscription (although we didn't access to this, you can pay a bit more and get the Spellodrome,) we had access to the Rainforest Maths. That had tons of activities that were interactive for the child to work through.  This was great because it matched the concepts of the material he was working on in the Mathletics section. So it really is a BOGO free service!

Our experience was rather delightful, I am just sorry the subscription is about to end. My son really enjoyed being able to work through his sections, and then see the animated dude cross the finish line, to give him points to shop. Seeing  his rocket blast off (this records their total points, which is another great reward to encourage the student) and getting the "perfect" score only furthered his willingness to actually want to work on the Mathletics material. When he didn't do so swell, he had the option to go back and redo it, to improve his score. I did notice that (for the 2nd grade level at least) a lot of the same images/problems came up during that session (which could be kind of annoying-for instance: in the Ounces and Pounds area, the Kiwi bird [I think that is what it was] came up 4x out of 10 problems), and so it was too easy for him to score well-as he had done it enough to "know" the answer-so there was not a lot of challenge in it for him in those instances.

I did have my teen try it out to get her perspective on it, and she thought most pre and early teens would enjoy this math supplement.   Also, the girl I tutor was able to get on a few times to work through the areas that have troubled her, and she also felt (she is in 6th grade) that most kids would like it.  I would actually continue the subscription if we could afford it, but right now I have to put it on a back burner. I would recommend (and do actually) to those families with children who thrive on computer game lessons, who can work through most of the material unaided.  For the really young children (which in my case, my 2nd grader needed me nearby to read a lot of the instructions or explain what he had to do) you need to be close at hand, which may not work so swell if you have other things to take care of-so do take that into consideration. This  really isn't much different than if you were instructing their math lessons anyhoo, but I wanted to point that out-you can not walk away because they may not know what to do.  The older kids should have no problem working through the activities on their own.  The best part is that the parent has a section they can get into to see the student's progress, change levels and more-so they know what they student is working on and what they need to spend more time practicing. 

There is a lot going on the site, and so the best way to truly process all you get with your subscription, is to stroll through it for yourself. They even support homeschooling (which is not always the case), and offer up a brochure you can download for free-which explains what they can do for your family. By visiting the "About Mathletics" section, then going to the "Mathletics Curriculum" section, you can click on your child's grade level and see exactly what will be covered (I am saying this because when I did it, the link info never changed-it stayed at www.mathletics.com-which is odd, so I am listing where to find it for ya). I also came across guides (icon button on bottom of page in blue bar), that the student and/or parent can download to learn more about it, and how to best use Mathletics. I was very pleased to see you can download lots of workbooks that tie into the lessons. I did find some failed to upload (usually the whole book), but I soon discovered that I could download them as individual units. Not all levels are working, which I do hope they will fix in the near future, because this is an invaluable part of getting the most out of it for the student. Another nice feature is that you can print the pages-which is most helpful to those who have to keep records or portfolios to meet their state regulations.  Frankly folks, this is like that proverbial onion-the more you get into it, the more layers become apparent!  There is a lot going on at Mathletics, so take your time to truly absorb all you get with the subscription.







for older children who can read and understand what is being asked of them

The younger children will need your assistance

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Mathletics Homepage
Directly from Mathletics:
"An individual subscription to Mathletics is $59.00 per child per year. If you know the Human Calculator's Favorite number, answer is '9', you can purchase a single child subscription for $49.95 per child per year. To purchase go to www.mathletics.com and put in the answer '9' then click submit to receive this special price."

Levels available: K through 8

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

***Mathletics provided me with a free 45 day subscription to their site, to test and use this with my family, so I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Tektoma Game Tutorials for Kidsrel

I am sure the guys behind Game Boy, Wii, and those fancy video game companies, began their careers fooling around on their computers, trying out all sorts of different applications and such. Humble beginnings I suspect, with mind blowing results. So, what is a mother or father to do with a child who shows great interest in learning how to program and create virtual games? I certainly would be stumped as to where to even begin to look for products to address the needs of my inquisitive child.

It wasn't until we received the Tektoma subscription to review, that I knew there was a company that does just that. Started by a couple who love computers and technology, Tom and Matilda O'Connor,  have come up with an online program that walks your 7-17 year old, through several steps to build and create a variety of computer games. The student starts in the beginner level designing either a racing, memory or arcade game (they can do all three actually), then they will be prepared to work on the intermediate level making a platform game, then the advanced fantasy game. There are also several mini-tutorials that explain how to add the bells and whistles to their games. One will need to upload the GameMaker Software (directly linked from the site) in order to utilize the lessons, but it took us no time at all to do so. I have listed the requirements to run the GameMaker below, so that you can see if your computer is compatible. There is a Starter Pack with a variety of images and sounds to enhance the games, that would need to be downloaded, as well. Once they have completed their game, they can play or edit it, and are encouraged to share it with other members on the Tektoma forum.

The results of the beginning level games are not what you'd find in a Wii system- more of something you'd find in a retro arcade game-but it is effective in helping the child learn the techniques to build a computer game, and it is certainly fun to play.

Because my teenager is computer savvy, and showed an interest in working through this program, she spent the majority of the time working on this solo.  I did peer over her shoulder from time to time, to see what this was all about.  I felt the tutorials were thorough and clear, and she would agree.  It took it a bit more time than the listed amount on the site (an hour and 37 min.-I am not sure if that literally means how long the instruction time is, or how long it is to take them from beginning to end), but it took about 3 1/2 hours start to finish for her,  to create this adorable ghost game.  She is currently working on the Memory game and will then test drive the more advanced game making sections.  Even though this can be time consuming, it really did teach her some valuable techniques, and peaked her interest in game making.

This is level 2 of her game.

Even though I didn't give this a double raft-it doesn't mean I didn't think the product was insufficient-in fact, if I had a child that was totally into it-I would consider paying for even a few months to give them the intro lessons they need.  I gave it the one raft based  around our budget right now, and the fact that even though she enjoyed it, she didn't necessarily ask me to seek out some type of course for it.  If you have a child that just eats this stuff up, I should think the Tektoma Tutorials would be a great starting course to get their feet wet.






The younger set may need more of your assistance

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REQUIREMENTS:

* Currently, the tutorials are for computers running Windows XP or Vista only.  Macintosh versions coming in the future.
* Broadband internet connection
* Any browser should work, but make sure it is a current version
o For GameMaker tutorials, you need a copy of GameMaker installed and the GameMaker resources folder.
Instructions for downloading these files can be found on the GameMaker Tutorials page.
GameMaker requires 128mb of RAM, DirectX 8 with at least 32mb of video memory, and a screen resolution of at least 800×600.

Tektoma Homepage
$14.95 per month or $140 per year (you earn 15 free days by telling a friend, who then becomes paying member-no limit to free days earned)
AGES 7 to 17
14 day FREE TRIAL offer available

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

***Tektoma provided me with a free 3 month subscription to their site, so that I could use and test this program out with my family, in order to write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Maestro Classics CD: The Tortoise and the Hare

Just like that Tina Turner song, "What's love gotta to do with it?", I am compelled to change it up a bit to "What does million dollar legs got to do with it?" Well, just about everything if you are a boastful little hare with special running shoes, and an ego the size of Texas! When I plopped the CD I received from Maestro Classics, into the car CD to listen to-you know, to do my pre-evaluation of it-I spent a good part of my listening time chuckling away! I am sure the folks who passed by me, were wondering if I was mentally ill or something! But no, I am not-I just enjoyed the modern retelling of a very old Aesop's fable is all. I am now finding myself repeating some favorite phrases that I picked up after my first run through of the Tortoise and the Hare story and my son has caught the bug too.

 

If you are a frequent visitor of my reviews here, then you know I have an astute aversion to most children's musical CDs. I tend to find them rather cheesy, but this here CD is far from it! I couldn't wait to have my son listen to it-and when he did, I saw the same smiles and giggles I had over the same story lines. When a Hare states that his legs are "million dollar legs" and that they could even become a "tourist attraction" I couldn't help but laugh. When this rather boastful braggart of the Lagomorpha order (I had to look that up)decides it is time for the forest friends to have a friendly competition, he finds that the only brave soul (who is told he will embarrass himself)to accept the challenge is a rather unlikely opponent-Mr. Tortoise. And so begins the story. But wait! There is more to this than a charming retelling of a well-known fable, there is well orchestrated (the London Philharmonic Orchestra that is) classical music peppered in and out of the storyline, which truly spices it up, to make this a wonderful product for anyone to enjoy. I also appreciate that there is a character study tucked cleverly within it...I was able to pull a few verses from the Bible to illustrate what happens to those who are proud and boastful, even if what they may be saying is true.

On the Tortoise and the Hare CD, you have several tracks. The first tells the story, then one discusses the actual fable, then it is the Pretzel Vendor of Paris Song (which I am now finding that I am singing before I get out of bed-it is that catchy), after that-the conductor and composer Stephen Simon takes the child (and adult) through the various instruments he chose to represent the animals, the events and of course, the Pretzel Vendor song. Once the listener has had a moment to digest all of that, they will hear the story again (which is told by an expert story teller Yadu, he is excellent with his voice inflections and French accent), on the next track. I found that I did miss some of the music or little things that Stephen mentioned, so it was fun to go back through the story and see if I could pick them out. My son missed a lot too (mostly because his sister was chatting a bit too much during our listening time), so it was a good way for him to try to focus and listen more closely. The last tracks cover some fun activities for the kids to try, and lastly-there is the musical accompaniment for your singing pleasure, of that catchy tune-The Pretzel Vendor of Paris. There is also a little booklet tucked inside the CD case, that your child can go through while listening or after wards. All in all, this is a keeper in our home!

I am also very excited to see that they have a wide variety of other such CDs, especially the Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel story. That is my son's all time favorite book. We're all hoping that "Santa" will leave that under the tree for him this year! I think that any family with youngsters who like to hear stories, enjoy classical and jazzy-ish (I say that because I felt one of the songs sounded jazz like) music, and who just enjoy a good laugh or two; will enjoy the Maestro Classic CD, The Tortoise and the Hare immensely.

**I do want to point out that 2x (actually 4x if you listen to the second telling) there are statements made by Hare about enjoying "a good French wine"...so if you have an aversion to any mention of alcohol, you may want to try one of their other stories (which I have not heard, but you can always ask them if they contain any mention of it) instead. We personally (especially since I am of French decent) do enjoy a good wine from time to time, so it was not bothersome at all to us.










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Maestro Classics Homepage

The Tortoise and the Hare: $16.98
other story CDs: also $16.98
Gift Sets (Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel or Casey at the Bat): $24.99

Don't forget to visit the TOS Review Crew Homepage to see what my crew mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products.

***Maestro Classics provided me with a free copy of the Tortoise and the Hare CD to test and use with my family, so that I could write this review.