New Review!!! WonderMaps!

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About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free download of WonderMaps.  Wondermaps is a new product from Bright Ideas Press (The Mystery of History folks!) that includes over 350 maps.  I'm going to be lazy this time, and pull some of the description from the Bright Ideas website.  (There are just some times when it doesn't make sense to re-invent the wheel.)

 

WonderMaps is designed with easy-to-use layers that allow you to enjoy great customizable features with just a click. Select:


• Historical or modern-day maps

• Outline, reference, political, or topographical maps

• Black-and-white or color maps

• Features including: names, borders, rivers, cities, physical features, and graticules


WonderMaps includes:

• 60+ maps of the world

• 60+ maps of the USA

• 125 historical maps, including 25 biblical maps

• The complete map sets from The Mystery of History vols. I–III and All American History vols. I & II

Here's a video!!!

What are the pros of this product? Well, let's just say, if you want a map, you can pretty much be sure they have it!  :)  Oh, and it's very, very cool!



What's not to like? Well, maybe you'll get overwhelmed with all the choices!  :)


The Crazy Mom take: I admit, I was blown away by how cool this product is!  I'm really sorry that I didn't have this a little earlier in the year when we needed some maps for a couple of projects.  I just decided that for review purposes, I'd just let the kids play around with it for fun.  I know this product will come in handy time and time again.  We've been a bit "light" on geography, but now I can easily pull it other subjects like literature, current events, and more!  Very cool, indeed. 


What's the bottom line? $49.95

I am going to give WonderMaps 5 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://brightideaspress.com/




See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783915/





*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!


Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2011 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2

New Review!!! Andi's Pony Trouble from Kregel Publications!

Well, hello there!!!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  :)  I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you?  So why not sign up for Feedburner?  Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar!  Thanks!!  :)

About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of Andi's Pony Trouble by Susan Marlow from Kregel Publications so I could share it with my kids and let you know what they thought!  :)

This book features Andi, who first made her debut as an older child in the Circle C Adventures series.  Now younger kids can get to know Andi, too, through the Circle C Beginnings series. It's a chapter book, recommended for ages 6 to 8 but, in my humble opinion, is quite appropriate for kids a bit older.  (I have been known to read and enjoy many of the kids' books around here!)

In the story, Andi sets out to prove to her family that she is old enough to own and take care of her very own horse.  Can she convince her family?  Will Andi get her own horse?  You'll have to read it to find out!  :)

What are the pros of this product? It's just a nice little book for young readers. 

What's not to like? Drawing a blank here.  :)

The Crazy Mom take:  I knew right away who'd be my "Junior Reviewer" this time around.  It had to be Bear because she loves horses and this book was right up her alley.  Even though it is written for kids in the 6 to 8 year range, and she was 9 (almost 10) when she read it, she loved it! She would highly recommend it to others!  :)  (Oh, and she is literally begging me to get the rest of the books as I type!)



What's the bottom line? $4.99

I am going to give Andi's Pony Trouble 5 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://store.kregel.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2199

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783897/

*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2011 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2

New Review!!! Latin's Not so Tough!

Well, hello there!!!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  :)  I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you?  So why not sign up for Feedburner?  Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar!  Thanks!!  :)

About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received, free of charge, Latin's Not so Tough Level II from Greek 'n' Stuff.  I recieved not only the book, but also a pronunciation CD.  The book is part of a set of six workbooks designed to teach young children Latin.  (These can actually be ordered as a complete set.) 

The workbook starts out by teaching Latin letters.  (This would be a review if you started with Level 1.)  Now, for the most part, they are the same as English.  However, there are still many differences.  Most of the letters have only one or two sounds they make.  The child is to learn each of these sounds and practice daily.  (There are also dipthongs and special consanants.) Once the letters are learned, individual words are introduced.  This is as far as the book goes as it is meant for young children.  (Note, while very young children will start with Level I, mid-elementary children may start at Level II.)  The are also activities like matching and puzzles to help make it a bit more fun.

What are the pros of this product? Everything is laid out very easily.  The pronounciation CD is a big help so you don't have to guess how the sounds are made. 




What's not to like? Like all languages, it is difficult to learn by simple rote memorization.  However, since you can't really go to a country that speaks Latin, this is pretty much the only way to learn it! 


The Crazy Mom take:  I used this with my son, Baber, 7.  He's in second grade; however, he is not reading fluently yet.  He is still at the stage where he is sounding most words out.  For this reason, the program was a wee bit over his head but we plugged along anyway. 

We probably sat down with this workbook about three times a week.  We only did a page at a time, so we took it very slowly.  We have finished most, but not all of the book.  Right now he knows several words in Latin.  However, as I have noticed in the past, as he tries to learn more and more, I notice he is forgetting what he knew quite well in the beginning.  After the review (after today) we'll set this aside and pick it up again next year.  I have noticed much improvement in his reading lately, and by next school year, I think he'll be a lot more ready for this.  In his case, the Level I would have been more appropriate.  (Funny thing, about halfway through the book I found I actually have a Level I!  I had gotten it as a free product at one point, but at the time didn't have a reason to use it.  I'll probably start with that next year.)

Not being a Classical educator, I never really considered teaching Latin.  However, I do love words and all things word related, and I can see how learning Latin can really help with English.  I do admit I have enjoyed doing this program with Baber.  I don't wanna brag, but I think I learned more than he did.  LOL 

I do think this is a good program if you want to teach your child Latin.  However, I would wait until your child can read well before you start.  But that's just my humble opinion as always.  You can check it out yourself!




What's the bottom line? The workbook is $18.95 and the CD is $10.00.

I am going to give Latin's Not so Tough Level II 3 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://www.greeknstuff.com/info/infoLA-02-WB.html



See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/





*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!


Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2011 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2