Teaching Life Skills at The Homeschool Classroom

 

Oops! I almost forgot! Today I’m sharing 15 Life Skills Essential to My Children at the Homeschool Classroom. My kids are approaching adulthood at an incredible pace and I find myself trying to teach them everything I can think of.  I hope you’ll stop by and share what you are or have worked on with your own children.

SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student~ a Review

When I was offered the opportunity to review the SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student written by James P. Stobaugh and published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing, I jumped at the chance. A long time admirer of Master Books, I know when I purchase from them, I can count on material that reflects my beliefs and values.

As excited as I was, I began to feel a sense of dread as I waited for the review copy to arrive in my mailbox. After all, until this past year my kids had always sworn they weren’t interested in college and with some of the struggles we’ve had over the years, I was willing and happy to see them graduate high school!

As a sophomore, junior and senior, they are a quite a bit more serious and disciplined than they have been in the past. I’m beginning to think maybe the SAT exam is somewhere in our near future. But where do we start this late in the game? Enter the SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student. This volume is not at all like the stiff, difficult book I’d imagined it to be. With it’s ease of use and easy to understand lessons, you can easily  jump in and begin to prepare for the college entrance exam.

Ideally you would begin using this guide in the 9th grade with simple daily lessons. However, if you’re like me and get off to a late start, don’t fret. There is also a suggested schedule to complete the book in one or two years instead of three.

The 150 lessons follow four  main components:

1) a devotional

2) reading and vocabulary exercises

3) math and verbal exercises

4) and, test taking strategies.

You can download a sample of the book which includes the Table of Contents, tips for using the book, schedules and sample lessons. 

The book also outlines a comprehensive reading program that includes book lists of popular Christian and secular titles grouped by grade. You’ll also find a wide variety of examples of college admission essays with a few tips for your child on writing their own. There is also a link for a free downloadable essay workbook available which I found very helpful. 

I found the lessons easy to implement and easily understood by my own children. Personally, I appreciated the devotions that began each lesson, enjoyed the literature selections and feel that the suggestion of studying Greek and/or Latin root words to be valid but not sure that the book is a stand alone “test prep”.  I’d like to see more math problems and more vocabulary. Even so, my children can certainly benefit from the existing 150 lessons.

The SAT & College Preparation Course for the Christian Student is available for $29.99 from New Leaf Publishing Group and from a number of  online retailers.

Have any questions that weren’t answered here? I encourage you to connect with the author,  James P. Stobaugh, on Facebook and on Twitter where he shares tips for taking the SAT and ACT.

**I received this book free of charge in exchange for sharing my honest opinions with my readers.

Math Tutor DVD: a Review

As a homeschooling mom, I sometimes worry about gaps in my children’s education. Though some subjects don’t necessarily require a sense of mastery to continue, when it comes to math, that is simply not the case. Basic math concepts have to be fully understood and mastered before your student can successfully continue to a higher level of math instruction. If there are gaps, by the time your child begins pre-algebra or algebra, you may begin to see some frustration like I have in my own home. The beauty of homeschooling is that you don’t have a classroom of children pushing your child ahead if they aren’t ready, you don’t have the pressure to unnecessarily rush your child along when they aren’t ready. We have the luxury and ability to slow down, back up or start over if needed and when it comes to math, we’ve done just that.

One of the products that I discovered to give my children a boost in their math comprehension has been the DVD’s sold by Math Tutor DVD, so I was thrilled when I received not one but two videos from the company free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion and review of the product.

Before I continue with the review, I’d like to mention that the company, Math Tutor DVD is known for their award winning DVD’s. In fact, their slogan is ‘Press play for success.’ The company is so confident that your child’s grades will improve that they offer a money back guarantee. Math Tutor DVD is exactly what the name says it is; a math tutor on a DVD. With the purchase of each DVD, your child will have access to a math instructor in the comfort of your home 24-hours a day for a mere fraction of the cost of a live tutor. Your child can watch each segment over and over again until they have mastered the material and are confident to move forward.

Pre-Algebra Volume 1 is a two disc set that contains 5 hours of video instruction in the following areas:

· Real Numbers

· The Number Line

· Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To

· Absolute Value and Adding Integers

· Subtracting Integers

· Multiplying Integers

· Dividing Integers

· Powers and Exponents

· Order of Operations

This DVD is currently sells for $26.99.

I also received The Texas Instruments T1-83/T1-84 Calculator Tutor which is a 3 DVD set that contains 8 hours of instruction. I was really excited about this because I’ve not seen a similar product on the market. In all fairness, our family does not own a scientific calculator, and though I’ve tried to use one in the past, I was never quite able to figure it out. I wish I’d have had this product then. The step-by-step instruction is perfect for students that learn best by seeing and not reading a lengthy manual.

This program can also be purchased for $26.99.

Though I did watch part of the DVD’s that I received with my children, I thought I’d share some of their thoughts.

What my children like about this program

· The instructor walks your child through each problem step by step.

· The instructor speaks clearly and concisely and is easily understood.

· The instructor is thorough.

· The instructor does not complicate things, but systematically teaches in a step-by-step fashion, simplifying the procedures as he goes.

· The instructor assumes that your child has no knowledge of the subject at hand so he starts at the beginning when walking through a concept.

· My children enjoy the DVD’s offered by this company better than others we’ve used in the past.

· The sections on the DVD are clearly labeled and easy to skip back to if they feel that they don’t quite understand something.

· If they have a math question, they can simply watch the DVD instead of waiting for me to figure out how to help them.

What my children did not like about the program

· The instructor is thorough meaning the video may contains too much repetition- depending on your child may or may not be a negative factor.

If you are a homeschool parent that is fumbling to teach basic math, algebra or physics or if you have a child enrolled in a program outside the home and are looking for a product to reinforce what they are learning, allow me to encourage you to check out the products offered at Math Tutor DVD. The website offers sample video tutorials, articles and free mental math podcasts.

I was also excited to learn that Math Tutor DVD now offers a member’s only area that allows you to view all video courses online for only $19.95 a month which is perfect for families with children of varied ages and grade levels. As a member you are also able to access new material as it is released, as well as participate in member’s only discussion forums.

Math Tutor DVD has programs for all ages and can be purchased online at their website or by calling 1-877-MATH-DVD.

You can read other reviews of these products at The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew blog.