TOS Crew Review: Classical Legacy Press: Great Latin Adventure

Well folks, it's a wrap.  This is my final review for my 2009-10 cruise and it is one that leaves me to say-I wish I had this in the beginning of the year, because I honestly do not have the where with all to absorb this monster program.  Granted, I have had a couple months to review this, but alas-these past several weeks have disappeared faster than a toddler with a handful of their sibling's candy.  For us, as anyone with a child who has taken Driver's Ed can attest-that month long course sucked our days into some weird spiral of decline, booting most of our schooling time to the curb.  So this review is one of those that I can only offer you a small ditty on what it provides the student, and a general take on what I think of it. Granted, I have taught some Latin to my two oldest children, but it was another program with a different way of teaching...so this was coming across as all "Greek" to me [now don't be confused by that term-it is a Latin program I received to review, I am simply borrowing that familiar saying to describe my experience here]. I am still a bit dazed and confused.  So to be fair to the generous folks at Classical Legacy Press-I will come back [before the fall hits], to give you an update on our progress. We will be using this during our summer schooling, and since I will be taking our load down to 2 or 3 subjects-I can better focus my attention on it. By doing so, I should be able to decide if the Great Latin Adventure really is "great" or "not so great" for us.    

Before I launch into the general goal for the program is, and what the levels address-I wanted to note a few important thoughts I believe will help you better understand this material.  It is vital that you realize that the Great Latin Adventure Series does not come with fancy DVDs [as some offer] to teach the material, although it does come with a nice pronunciation CD to assist you. Meaning that this is all you baby!  You need to be right in the trenches along side the children.  So if that doesn't suit your needs, then well-this isn't for you.  Furthermore, if you are like me, and have used another program that teaches the material using the ecclesiastical pronunciation of the words, then you may feel a bit like a fish out of water.  But do not let that stop you from contemplating the G.L.A. Series, because you can "get" the material, usually without much difficulty.  I am thinking it would best suit you [the instructor] to purchase this a few months out,  to pour over the teacher notes, and to listen to the CD a few times, prior to expounding the material upon your precious students.  And that is what I need to do as well.  I need to be able to feel confident that I am teaching this material properly [meaning I need to do as I suggested above] because right now, I do not.  But first,  I need a few weeks of non-schooly brain recovery before I dive back in-hence the delay of an official opinion. 

That said, this is what you can expect from the Great Latin Adventure Series:

*easy to teach program-grades 4th and up

*no Latin background required [but it definitely helps] 

*clear, friendly and thorough-conversational in nature

*plenty of derivative worksheets

*Christian content [IE: family friendly]

*classical pronunciation [this is different than the ecclesiastic version]

*comes ready to put into a binder

*excellent teacher support

Two levels are available for you:

 

The Great Latin Adventure 1: starting grades 4-6 

(but you can start earlier/later if need be)

Student Workbook and Teacher's Guide with Pronunciation CD 

(you will need both)

Scope: Grammar focused-[not just a host of Latin phrases to learn]

**students will conjugate first conjugation verbs in present tense

**decline first declension nouns

**translate sentences with subjects/predicate nominatives, prepositional phrases, 

adjectives and adverbs

**translate from English to Latin and vise versa

**additional activities to further their knowledge of introductory Latin

Sample pages to view

Great Latin Adventure II: continue after completing level I

Student Workbook and Teacher's Guide with Pronunciation CD

(you will need both)

Scope:  builds on prior knowledge plus:

**student will translate complementary infinitives

**direct and indirect objects

**imperfect/future tense verbs

**prepositions that take the accusative case

**the ablative of means-advanced construction

**plus additional activities to further their knowledge of Latin

Sample pages to view

My general thoughts so far:

I liked that the teacher's notes do a good job of explaining the material and how to cover it, which is a valuable addition to the program. Once I let my brain digest it [took a while though], I was able to move on to the lessons.  I was also quite encouraged to find that the author offers up several ways to plant this material into their heads: by listening to the CD/you, doing the fill-in-the blank worksheets, studying vocab cards (you make those), etc.-instead of just focusing on one style of learning.  Keeping their interest and desire to continue with the program is vital, considering that many other languages are derived from Latin-so if your child moves on to another foreign language they will see the similarities, and hopefully-learn it more efficiently.

I found that I had to spend a lot of time pouring through the introductory unit, which explained what the program was all about in detail-but it was time consuming.  And I soon found, that my brain and the author's are not cut from the same cloth.  I don't think like she does, and so I found that I had to go back and re-read what she wrote to figure out what she was saying. That is not her problem, it is mine. I chalk it up to a difference of how I "get stuff" VS how she does.  

We worked thru this a bit and found it just wasn't meshing with the way we learn this type of material. It is a very, very good program though and should fit many folks' needs-mostly those who are more math oriented, as I believe the material is written in a logical, math-minded way. Be sure to read what my mates had to say regarding this material. Don't let our experience cloud your judgement. I know this would have been perfect for my two older kids, as they tend to be more logical and methodical in their learning processes. My artsy girl just wasn't getting it. So I guess you truly need to know your student.

I noted that this is from a Christian perspective-and have the cross up-because at this point, I am not sure if "screams" Christianity or not [the material not the author], so it may need to be changed [see the icon info for more details regarding this matter]

students should be able to work through the activities without your assistance

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Classical Legacy Press Homepage

Student worktext: $15.00 w/o binder, $22 w/binder (while supplies last-due to new laws, they can only sell their current binder inventory)

Teacher Guide:    $30.00 w/o binder, $40 w/binder (while supplies last)

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

***Classical Legacy Press provided me with a free copy each of Great Latin Adventure Student Book and the Teacher's Guide-level one and two, so that I could use, expressly test our newly learned Latin skills, and speak some good old fashioned Latin with my family. I have provided my opinion on the product, and did not receive financial compensation for this review.

TOS Crew Seaworthy Awards for 2010

My regular readers probably recall I did a Top 10 Best Products last year, which was fun to do...but this year  the TOS Crew Mates voted on all the products we received, to come up with the Seaworthy Awards [so look for those pretty ribbons on their sites soon]. I wanted to share the results with you-so here they are:

Favorite Language Arts Product : Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services (EDUDPS) Favorite History Product : Bright Ideas Press (All American History and Mystery of History) Favorite Science Product: Nature Friend Magazine Favorite Math Product:   Math Mammoth Favorite Online Math Product:   Mathletics Favorite Handwriting Product:  Zeezok Publishing (Presidential Penmanship) Favorite Fine Arts Product (art, music, etc.):  Artistic Pursuits Favorite Pre-school Product:  Time 4 Learning Favorite Elementary Product: Critical Thinking Favorite Upper-Grade Product:  Professor in a Box Favorite College Prep Product:  Cerebellum/Standard Diviants Favorite Special Needs Product:  Super Star Speech Favorite Health and Beauty Product: Virginia Soaps and Scents Favorite Christian Product:  Grapevine Studies Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed:  StudyPod Best Homemaking Product: Sue Gregg Cookbooks Best Customer Service:   Great Software Tools Best Online Resource: ABCteach Best e-product:  Growing Healthy Homes: Nutrition 101 Best Office and Technology Resource: Web Design for Kids (and Curious Grown-Ups) Best Homeschool Resource: Apologia Press: The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Best Map Resource: Home School in the Woods Best Book, Novel or Magazine: Sarah's Books Best Children's Book:  Children's Bible Hour: Season's of Faith Series Best Hands-On Resource: A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks Most Adaptable Resource:   Sue Patrick Workbox System Most Unique Resource:   Lobster Network Most Family-Oriented Product: Family Mint Kid's Choice:  Maverick Books: Hank the Cowdog Series All Around Crew Favorite:  All About Spelling (All About Reading) Congratulations to all these wonderful companies! As for my top picks? Well-the jury is still out on that one...so I will come back and list them soon.

TOS Crew Review: Ideal Curriculum-Transportation unit

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I hold a degree in Early Childhood Development, have worked in many a preschool setting (Montessori schools, home day cares, and of course-the real "learn as you go" classroom experience of raising 4 children, and also my nephew [for a time], and a few extra kids thrown in there for good measure-all during their preschool years). That said-I feel quite qualified to give an opinion on preschool-aged curriculum.  In fact, it is one area I am passionate about. I maintain a very strong position regarding the methods, and best approach to navigate the preschool era of life.   But before I delve further into my penning of said things, I would like to give you some information on the Ideal Curriculum: Transportation.  

I received the download of this unit,  but a  print version is available-so visit their page to see which one best suits your needs.   The unit offers a lesson plans and materials to introduce/teach:

• Letters and sounds- Learn letters very fluently; upper and lower case, quickly and accurately, recognize letters from different fonts and sizes
• Learn basic sight words- There are about 30 level one sight words that provide the foundation for reading and writing. There are about 100 sight words that build reading fluency.
• Exploring the ability to write- Develop motor skills and hand strength, gain a concept of themselves as a writer, learn to write their own name, learn to write the letters and move into writing sentences and stories.
• Be able to hear, recognize and manipulate sounds of language-Develop skills in rhyming, breaking sentences into words, breaking words into syllables, breaking syllables into onset and rime, breaking words into individual sounds or phonemes and blending them back together
• Oral language and vocabulary- expanding their vocabulary, understanding concepts, increasing their ability to express themselves using higher level language structure.
• Science and social studies- Developing concepts of how the world works.
• Math- Build and use a mental number line, master rote counting (counting in order, forwards and backwards), one to one correspondence (be able to touch and count pennies or m&m’s), cardinality (how many), adjacent values (what is next to 7?), basic Shapes, number recognition.
• Calendar- Learn basics of scheduling and remmbering and learn parts of the calendar.

This kit is a month's worth of material, covering the above subjects-centering on transportation as the main theme, with a few sub-topics thrown in there as well.  There are additional suggestions for books, and play activities that will require the instructor to locate, and have ahead of time-but it is not overwhelmingly difficult to do so.  Then each month-you can move into their next unit.  They do have some videos demonstrating teaching techniques, and  they provide a newsletter for further support.  What's more, they offer a free trial (and I strongly encourage you to take them up on that.  You will need to see for yourself, if this is something that will suit your needs) on one week's worth of material when you sign up for their eZine newsletter. This is very teacher directed material, which requires prep time, and your constant involvement; but thankfully, they provide helpful teacher's manuals to clarify their goals and what you need to do to successfully navigate their curricula.

Now for my thoughts:

It is pretty clear the original target here is for the preschool programs ran in schools and daycares.  This is quite typical in nature, to what you will find in those classrooms.  The material is scripted at times, and asks the teacher to perform recall exercises which, most moms do naturally anyhow (that is called Motherese).  So it does come off a bit overdone or unnecessary (but one could simply skip over that part) in a few areas for most typical homeschool families.  I  am also against teaching sight words to children this age [which is a part of the Ideal Curriculum] and that is one of my biggest issues with this program.  Obviously, we stand on two very different islands of thought, regarding how to best instruct little ones, and you need to keep that in mind as you ponder this.  My take may not match yours, so decide what you feel best suits your family, and go from there.

Granted, some of the songs were catchy and easy to learn-and we all know how a young child loves to hear and sing their favorite songs.  The sound bingo is a good way to help the child recognize the letters,  also having them find/point out/write their ABCs is something quite manageable and necessary (eventually-should not be done if the child is absolutely not ready for it tho), and the caterpillar letter shape lesson, and lines tracing activities rendered themselves useful too.  Some of the noted activities were OK. But nothing earth shattering, because frankly-most of us would and could come up with those from our own experiences, exposure to other mums, or just by picking up a few books on preschool activities from the library.

So, for those who are greener than a sailor on his first day out to sea, during hurricane season-this could be a good fit.  For those who have had absolutely no experience with these little peeps, and are totally in the dark as to what, and where to go-perhaps this may suit your needs.  It totally depends on your personal convictions and ideology regarding how to approach early learning.  I like to stay along the lines of what the good Lord wove within these marvelous wonders right from conception-a nature curiosity of the world, with an innate ability to learn through exploration and observation.  To let the "formal" stuff remain shelved until a later age, to let the littles enjoy being little, and not kill their desire to learn by overburdening them with unnecessary busywork.  

There seems to be (in my opinion) not enough truly useful material to warrant the cost of the program.  I could easily find other avenues to gain a nice collection of goodies, in order to teach a preschool-aged child and then some-for far less than their fees.  I simply would not have used this with my own children. Too frank? Yes, but since I am being asked to provide my honest opinion-you've got it right there. My apologies to the Ideal Curriculum company, as I am sure your materials have been, and will continue to be a blessing to many-I am simply do not feel comfy recommending something that is in opposition to my [deeply rooted] passion, regarding this matter. 

I want to give this a 1/2 a raft due to the reasons noted above-but I do not have one in my icon collection-hence the full raft.
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Ideal Curriculum Homepage

For the month of May-you can get a 10% discount by noting the code: "welovekids" when ordering.

Download for Transportation unit (month 1) : $30 [all other one month downloads are the same price],  Print Version (available in May 2010): $55 

Units 2-9 will be available in  June [download] and May 2010 [print]

3 months combo download:  $85.50 (available in June 2010), Print combo version: $156 (available in May 2010)

9 months combo download: $240 (available in June 2010), Print combo version: $440 (available in May 2010)

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

***Ideal Curriculum provided me with a free download of the Transportation Unit (month 1), to go through, analyze and review.  No financial compensation was exchanged for my honest opinion of this product.

I simply cannot help but share this funny pic

So, as you know [well, I hope you do] that being a part of the TOS crew is an amazing opportunity for those who are on it.  We get great homeschool [and sometimes totally just for fun] products to use and enjoy in our homeschool, all for the trade of writing a useful and descriptive review about them.  But there is way more to it than that!  You get to be a part of an exclusive group of homeschoolers who are from all over the country and Canada!  You get daily chances to chat, learn from others, and opportunities to develop excellent friendships!  That is the biggest blessing of all.  What's more-is that on those days when you are a bit down or not in your groove-you can swing by the forum and find something like this occurring....

[back story here-I, being the oldest member of the crew-143 years young that is (when I originally signed on it asked for your bday and I thought it was for the forum monitors, not for everyone to see.  Being the comedian that I am, I said I was born in 1867-making me 143 years old...so that is the running joke in the crew.  I am the old lady and in jest, we poke fun at it all the time). When I was noticing folks were forgetting to label their linkages on the Mr. Linky thingy, on the TOS Review Crew Homepage, to denote specifically what product they reviewed (if applicable), to help you-the viewer-pinpoint what product reviews you wanted to read-I posted a reminder thread about it and noted that I was the "Crew Police" to liven it up a tad. Never crossed my mind that my jokester pals and fellow crew mates-First Mate Heidi and Tim (yes, he is the only dude on the crew but such a blessing to us gals) would take this notation and run with it!  I simply could not stop laughing!]

First, Tim stated he found a pic of me in my youth-this is what he posted:

and if that wasn't hilarious enough-Heidi added some commentary notes:

and there you have it!

Granted, it is probably only funny to those of us who are on the crew, because as we wind down in the next 2-3 weeks to end our 2009-10 voyage, we all get a bit emotional (some of us are carrying over to the next round, others are leaving to pursue other things and well-it has been several months of reviewing and we need this push to get to the end triumphantly...so yeah-that is why we need funny things like this to perk us up [and the weather doesn't help either] a bit).  But I dunno-some of you may find it humorous.  

Anyway, this just highlights the awesomeness of being a part of a collection, a group of like minded folks who support, build up and encourage each other.  Now, if you applied to be be on the Crew for the 2010-11 crew, and have not heard anything yet-be not disappointed.  I understand they are currently starting to inform those who have made the cut and are going to continue doing so for a time here.  So you may be one of the new mates who will get to experience this crazy and fun group and all the review opportunities.  If you didn't try out, and now are intrigued and want to go for it next year....the try-outs usually start somewhere in Feb. So do your best to watch the announcements on the Crew Homepage, my blogs and fellow mates' blogs. 

And heh-if you do make it, be sure to say hi to the old lady of the crew (also now known as Sheriff Sheri), I am sure she'd appreciate it (I am using 3rd person here cuz with my old brain cells-I may very well forget I ever penned this post!)

Have a blessed day and remember-humor is your friend!  

TOS Crew Review: Lobster Network

Bet you didn't know that a lobster could have its own network did you?  Isn't that reserved for the human species and not those of the crustacean nature?  Fear not-I am describing a virtual lobster my friends-no steaming or melted butter required (sorry Paula Deen fans) and no potential to be pinched by those snappy claws.

Many Seinfeld fans should recognize the episode where Kramer is in the Hamptons [visiting the couple with the ugly baby] when, whilst on a walk along the beach, he discovers the trap with lobsters. Just floating there, available to anyone [in his mind] who wants to claim it....you know, in other words-free.  Well, not only does the Lobster Network exist for everyone [free of charge] unlike Kramer's catch, it provides a unique way to network with fellow bloggers, homeschool group and co-op pals, and just about anyone who is signed up to use this cyber-community board.  Need to unload some goodies (anything legal-like books, CDs, DVDs and more) or offer up some things to loan to your fellow man?  Then Lobster Network is just for you. 

Imagine a place where you are not charged to sell your stuff-to just folks in your communities or out there in the general public.  Imagine a place that you can list your items, keep track of who has borrowed it and get a reminder notice that it is due to be returned.   Fancy a place where you can search for things you would like to borrow, so you don't have to spend precious cash for an item you need only briefly.  Sit down for this one-ponder actually having a place to log an inventory of the materials you have shelved or have laying about (such as, but not limited to:  school books, music and DVD libraries, and so forth) for insurance purposes, and/or just plain ole organizational needy-needs.  Imagine no more-seriously, this new network is designed to provide all that and more.    

Once you have signed up, you will be welcomed into your personal "lobster crate" to gain access to partake in all the noted above activities.

This is what the main page looks like for members. Cute huh?

Now, being the organizational wanna be that I am, this looks great.  I can feel the urge to purge, desire to organize and the need to be all lobstery.  This is a work in progress for me.  I have signed onto my community for TOS, have invited a bunch of friends to join me in the community, and have noted only 2 resources I own in my library...but that is as far as I have gone.   I just have not had the time to go through the hundreds of books I own to get that inventory listed.  That is going to require my daughter's help and some time over the summer.  I am mostly excited about this aspect.  I need to know what I own, so I won't repurchase something I already have, or not buy what I think I do own-but simply do not.  I want to do this-I plan to do this-in due time.

The communities are a wonderful idea-especially because I can keep them "private" by doing invitation only requests, or keeping it to a specific group of folks.  I plan on setting up one for our new HS Co-op this fall,  once it is established. As for the selling of things we no longer need-well, I am not at a point in our year to start unloading things-so that too must wait.  I hope to get moving on that once I have wrapped up a few things this spring.  So again-it is a time issue here.

As for the lending part-that is one I am a might leery of due to bad past experiences.  I am not sure if I am ready to partake in that.  My fellow community mates are mostly scattered about the country, so to have to loan and ship-I just dunno. Too many elements to keep me on the sidelines for this right now.  But the potential is there, and somewhere down the road (when I regain trust in my fellow homeschooling man, I think I will do this) and perhaps with the idea of keeping it in my literal community of homeschooling fams I trust-I can do this. So I must point that out-if you are not in the financial position to replace borrowed items you will need again (and I don't know many who are) due to faulty borrowers, or if you are sheepish about requesting them back (although there is the feature that reminders folks about due dates-there is no true consequence for never giving it back, or dealing with late returns-outside of losing a friendship to deter this rather sad state of affairs), the lending option may not be for you either. 

I like what Lobster Network has to offer, that it is free and can open up a whole new world for selling, buying, lending, borrowing and networking.  I can see a great potential for many families to use this, especially for those who are limited to only a few avenues to partake in such things. Let's face it-sites that charge a fee for using their service usually render it somewhat impractical to use. There is no financial loss for giving it a try, so why not?  Oh, and for my Jewish pals-this is totally kosher-you will not be violating any laws by partaking in the Lobster Network.  Just wanted you to know. ;0)

FYI: The folks behind Lobster are Christians, but the service is neutral and doesn't meet the Cross icon criteria, hence the world icon here.

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Lobster Network Homepage

Free service

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

***Lobster Network provided me with a free membership to their site.  No financial compensation was provided in exchange for my honest opinion of their service.

TOS Crew Review: Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion and Hydrating Toner by BeeYouTiful

Now here is a real treat.  After tackling several different products for TOS this year, mostly those of the curriculum nature-it was refreshing (or should I say Laveshing?) to receive a couple products to awaken the scenses and rejuvie this weary traveler.  BeeYoutiful is not just your average company of health and beauty aids-it is a company that strives to provide products that help You to Bee the best you can be naturally. That ole saying, "An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure" seems to be their motto-and a good one at that-especially with the impending health care overhaul looming overhead.  

Given a wide choice of products, my daughters and I decided upon the following 2 skin care goodies to try out.  Overall, our experience was a great one, and I am longingly looking through their catalog and considering future purchases. I see they have something called Berry Well [which in hindsight, I should have requested since my husband has been battling several intestinal assaults due to flying across the country a lot as of late, and being exposed to poor food handling practices in restaurants] and the Tummy Tuneup  [which helps restore good gut balance of yeasts and also helps to maintain it/prevent irritation] which sounds rather nice, since a few of us recently underwent the dreaded antibiotic treatments for sinus infections.  I do know a few of my TOS mates did try these out, so be sure to pop over to our TOS Review Crew homepage to find out what they had to say about them (I certainly will be too).   

Now, without further ado-here is what we thought of these products:

Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion

$12        (4 oz  container)

Usually, I need to avoid this type of product because I have very sensitive skin.  Most things will irritate or actually cause rashes or break outs...so I tend to be very leery of testing out such things.  I was pleasantly surprised by this Laveshmint Lotion though.  It was a bit too much for daily use, but I found that I could tolerate and enjoy the benefits of it by simply using a couple times per week.  The peppermint, lavender and aloe vera left my skin so smooth and refreshed, and very soft.  My main reason for requesting this lotion was for my 15 year old daughter.  Her face tends to have it's typical teenage issues, and lo and behold it has really helped to reduce flare ups. She has used not only on her face, but her arms (which tend to be dry and splotchy) too, which have become much smoother and softer.  So all in all-we both found the Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion to be a nice addition to our  facial/body care routine.  If you like those scents and your skin can tolerate the oils in it-you should really enjoy this lotion.  Better yet, when you team it up with the Toner-you glean the "total package" of softness!

Laveshmint Hydrating Toner

$14   (4 oz spray bottle)

I fell in love with this toner almost immediately.  Not only does it contain the lavender, peppermint and aloe vera like the moisturizer, but it is designed to balance the PH level of your skin too.  I spritz it on every morning after my shower and it leaves my face feeling very soft (yes, I am repeating that word a lot but that is exactly how it feels) and refreshed.  It helps my face not feel "tight" like it usually will after cleaning it, and the smell alone helps to start my day right.  I see they also listed it for helping relieve tension-and since that seems to dance around our home a lot (due to the usual life situations-not necessarily bad tension-but perhaps more of a busy tension?) I think I should be squirting this stuff on pretty much all day long! This definitely gets an A+ from me (my daughter has only been able to sneak a few spritz in here and there-as I have claimed this entirely for myself) and again-I certainly feel comfy recommending it to those who enjoy the scents, and appreciate soft, toned skin.

So, now we are all "lavished up" and ready to face (yes I mean that pun) the world. My only complaint would be that they don't sell these in drum barrel sizes~surely some us would appreciate the option to purchase in bulk considering all the stressful situations out there, as of late.   Oh well, maybe another spritz of the toner will help ebb the worries of the day for now....

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BeeYouTiful Homepage
Moisturizing Lotion: $12   Hydrating Toner:  $14

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

***Beeyoutiful provided me with a free container each of Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion and Laveshmint Hydrating Toner, to test out on our skin.  I did not receive financial compensation for my honest opinion of these products, or for penning this review.