Technology » The Curriculum Choice

I’m not going to lie. We’ve struggled with algebra. It’s the first real struggle we’ve had since this journey of homeschooling began, but a struggle it’s been. Not so much because my daughter nor I can do it, but because it’s one of those things that’s harder to backtrack with and find the method to the madness when you get stuck.

This year, I’ve made sure we have an arsenal of help awaiting us when necessary. My daughter CAN tackle algebra successfully, and I CAN be her teacher! We’re still using Saxon Math as the main curriculum because I’ve grown to dearly love the thoroughness and incremental approach. But, three new products sit on my shelves: Saxon Teacher, Math Dictionary for Kids, and A+TutorSoft’s Algebra 1 CD Curriculum.

I’ve gotten to know Vinod, the author of the A+TutorSoft curriculum, through various conventions I’ve attended and upon hearing of my struggles with algebra, he was quick to offer me his Algebra 1 Full Curriculum CD in exchange for a review. So, in this post about algebra, I’d like to highlight the A+TutorSoft weapon in my arsenal.

Consider the joy of having your very own tutor at the ready whenever you or your child gets stumped on an algebra concept. That’s what you have with A+TutorSoft! Every algebra topic you can think of is taught clearly by a teacher’s voice while examples are “written” on a computerized chalkboard. Additionally:

Text of the teacher’s lesson is available for re-reading yourself.
You can rewind or fast forward the teacher’s lesson.
All concepts are introduced in a clear step-by-step fashion.
You get to work sample problems within the lesson to make sure you get it.
Immediate feedback is given whether answers are right or wrong.
You can print off practice pages for extra understanding on the topic.

The CD is very organized, too. You can easily locate a particular topic and go directly to the specific tutorial(s) you need. With A+TutorSoft, there’s been no need to pay a pricey real-life tutor! My daughter is tackling algebra with success this year – and I couldn’t be more relieved!

Because of the multiple choice nature of the computer-based practice problems, I would not feel comfortable using A+TutorSoft as a full curriculum. It certainly covers all necessary algebra 1 topics, but there wasn’t quite enough written accountability for me to consider using it as our sole text. Honestly, some people may disagree with me – and that’s okay. I encourage anyone who has used it to leave their thoughts about whether or not it should be used as a stand-alone.

When I spoke to Vinod about this stand-alone question, he responded:

Our curriculum is designed to be a full curriculum and hopefully the only resource homeschoolers will need. And that is the reason we provide printable worksheets and exams where student is required to show their work. And of course, because they are printable, a parent teacher would need to check student’s work using our “Worksheet Solution Guide” and “Exams Solutions Guide” (the parental manuals) which are also included with this MATH curriculum software.

You have automatically graded interactive quizzes for each lesson which provides instant feedback with step-by-step explanation for each problem if the student answers it incorrectly. And at the same time, if you need additional practice with problem solving, we provide printable worksheets and exams, which can be used in more traditional way. And as I mentioned, there is help (the solutions guide) for every problem on the worksheets and exams.

We explain step-by-step solutions to each worksheet and exam problem. And that’s what makes this such a great MATH curriculum product. Because of this reason and thoroughness of all the material that is covered, I would highly recommend that A+ TutorSoft MATH curriculum be used as a full curriculum. However, if parents want to supplement it, sure you can to that but we don’t believe that is really necessary.

Either way you decide, it’s truly a great resource – professionally done, full of meat and worthwhile!

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The iPad has become a teaching tool. Educational apps abound, with an amazing variety of subjects available. In the geography category, we have Stack the States by Dan Russell-Pinson.

Stack the States is both fun and educational; a game that uses some of the best mobile features – interaction and manipulation. While learning about the 50 states by answering questions about them, this app requires critical thinking skills as well. Your brainpower is tested in your ability to stack your states successfully.

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Some are already dressed for the day. Two at the kitchen table lean over cereal bowls. I carefully place the laptop on the counter, away from anything that could spill and out of reach of little hands.

I click over to Daily Audio Bible for Kids. This resource we first learned about from Ann Voskamp’s Everyday Learning Links: How to Feed a Brain Every Day. I find the online recording for today and announce I’m about to click it. I turn the laptop towards the table and turn the volume up as far as it goes.

China or Max read to us a passage from the Bible. Children themselves, reading to my children. I turn and quietly begin to unload the dishwasher, trying not to clang dishes so everyone can hear.

That’s the picture of the Daily Audio Bible listening from our house. On a regular sort of morning. The movie at top, DAB in 2 minutes, explains the how and the why of this resource. Even how easy it is to listen to podcasts wherever you are. You don’t have to be unloading the dishwasher. We’ve even clicked over to listen during lunch or right before bedtime.

But this year it is even easier. Not only is the Daily Audio Bible is a free podcast available online, it is also available for:

iPhone or iPad in the iTunes store for .99
Android in the Android Marketplace for .99

You can get the new app by searching for DAILY AUDIO BIBLE at iTunes or in the Android Marketplace. Or click over for more details on the Daily Audio Bible site.

We can listen to it in the car. We click it on my phone while we wait for sister during her piano lesson. We can turn it on while we do an art project.

Generally, we listen together to the Daily Audio Bible for Kids. But there are many versions available to fit every need. And now it’s even easier to read or listen to the Bible in a year.

Wherever we are. Whenever.

~Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. She contributes a blend of writing at parenting, frugal living and homeschool sites as well as her own daily Hodgepodge.

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Visual Latin | A Quick Explanation from Compass Cinema on Vimeo.

Warning. The free lessons you may download and watch will have you hooked. Watch them with your children only if you want to hear…

Laughter. Soon followed by, “Can we watch another?” Then after the second introductory lesson, “Can we watch just one more?”

“…better to make students laugh than yawn.” ~ visuallatin.com

Why should you study Latin? Well, not only “because your parents told you to…” but pause here to watch the short video, above, by founder, Dwane Thomas, for a few reasons why plus an overview of the Visual Latin program. Mr. Thomas has 15 years of experience teaching Latin. He and his wife homeschool their five children.

What we have experienced:

The short lessons are one of the keys to successful learning with Visual Latin, most lasting four to six minutes. “This is what I want you to focus on…”
It is interest sparking: “That’s where we get the English word…but we’ll talk more about that in future lessons.” Mr. Thomas asks questions and says he expects interaction from your students.

The sentences, vocabulary and examples are right where your child can see them – on the chalkboard or highlighted on the screen. The lessons start slowly and begin to move a little faster as your child gains confidence.
You can pause the lesson if you miss something. You can rewind, repeat.

There are accompanying, downloadable, printable worksheets for each lesson. The questions will have your children laughing too (as you can see from this photo I caught of my son, above, reading a sentence from his worksheet). Following each lesson, the instruction appears on the screen, “Now do worksheet 1B…”

What age is Visual Latin for? ” 9 and up. Kids need to be able to read, but other than that, elementary kids love it, middle school kids love it, high school kids love it, college kids… you get the point.” We enjoy Visual Latin at Hodgepodge with 8^th, 7^th and 4^th graders. However, I’m not surprised when the youngest two show up when they hear the Latin teacher.

Visual Latin is good for high school credit! Students can count their studies as a half credit if only watching the lessons. But why not get a full credit by completing the accompanying worksheets? Full details here.

The program is tech savvy and portable:

Available in DVD format
Downloadable. This means you and your child can view lessons on any computer – PC and Mac as well as mobile devices - iPod, iPhone and iPad. Visual Latin as you wait at brother’s practice? Sure! Or you can stream your download via Apple TV and watch it in your family room together – like we do.

Affordable, one time purchase for the whole family. Available:

in single/family license
as a group/class license

You may purchase the program in sets. Downloads for lessons 1-10, then 11-30 as well as DVDs. Visit the Compass Store for more information.

Latin I – 30 lessons
Latin II – 30 lessons

Equaling about one lesson a week. The line up for Latin 1 – Scope and Sequence – is available here.

All the details on purchasing, downloading, scope and sequence and many more FAQs for your browsing pleasure in All the Specs in One Place on the Visual Latin site.

In summary: Having been a Latin student in both high school and college myself, I know personally the long-term benefits of Latin language study. We have tried two other Latin programs in our home but neither clicked. However, as you see from the quotes at top, Visual Latin is here to stay in our home. It is easy to build a habit of watching the lessons. I so appreciate this short, fun way of learning Latin. But I’m not the only one that is a Visual Latin fan.

I don’t have to remind. They ask, “When can we do our Visual Latin lesson?”

Don’t leave without watching that video at top! Then click over for your four (4) free introductory lessons plus two (2) regular lessons :

Lesson A – Why Study Latin?
Lesson B – Latin Then and Now
Lesson C – How to Learn a Language
Lesson D – Stuff You Should Know About Latin
Lesson 1 – Being Verb Basics – To Be and Not to Be
Lesson 2 – Being Verb Basics – Predicate Nominatives and Adjectives

But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

~Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. She contributes a blend of writing at parenting, frugal living and homeschool sites as well as her own daily Hodgepodge.

I’ll admit that I’m very new to the world of apps. My son saved up his own money this past winter to purchase an iPod Touch. I had no idea how incredibly cool that little palm-sized piece of technology could be. When Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest and App-School asked if I’d like to review her newest educational app, I was very excited!

The Wonders of Old: Medieval Timeline App is exactly what the name suggests: a timeline of Medieval historical events and people on a downloadable app for whatever device you own that utilizes apps – iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone, etc. It’s second of a four-part series of apps that cover Ancient history through modern times.

Quite simply, a timeline appears on your device which is “clickable” on each century from the 5th – 16th centuries. Upon clicking on a century icon, various important events and people are shown by date. Clicking on any of these lands you into a “page” of text and/or graphics and/or maps on the subject. Depending on the subject, there are one to four paragraphs of information to read.

Terri suggests the app for children 7 and older. The information is brief, but in-depth – if that makes sense – so your student needs to be a good reader. Our iPod Touch has a small screen, so we had a little trouble viewing the detail of most of the maps. Although we have the capability to magnify our images, doing so meant we had to “scroll around” to see the entire map. That’s not really the problem of the app, but instead the limitations of using an app such as this on a small screen.

This is a great little tool to add to the understanding of the Medieval era. My kids have had fun with it and I’ve enjoyed learning both the educational information and how to use apps to enhance our learning.

-Cindy West is an eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three (high school, middle school, and K4) from Central KY. You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and find her NaturExplorers series and other creative curriculum at Shining Dawn Books.