Ok.  I guess the first thing I should do is introduce you to what exactly K5 Learning is all about.   It is an online learning  program for kindergarten through 5th grade that covers reading, math, and study skills.   You may be thinking about now “Oh yeah another one of those programs”.  There seem to be a lot of online learning programs these days and you are probably right about that.  However I am here to tell you a little more about this program from someone who has had a chance to actually use it which is more than what you get when you do an online search and view what the vendors have to say.  Am I right there?  Ok so let’s get started.

K5 Learning says this about their program:

“K5 Learning is an online reading and math program for kids from kindergarten through grade 5.   Our intent is to help kids build reading, math and study skills through independent study.  K5 is designed for use at home, after-school, on weekends and during the summer, and can also be used in conjunction with a homeschooling program.”

Up front I’d like to mention it is not meant to be a full curriculum in itself but to supplement the math and language programs your child is already using to ensure that they are getting the skills they need for math, reading and study skills.

When we first got our access to K5 Learning,  the first thing we did is have my daughter take an assessment test which determined where she should start in the program.

After she was setup at a certain level in the program she then proceeded to work at her own pace independently.   The system chooses the lessons for her so there is no  additional work that you as a parent needs to do for your child to get benefits from their program.  The program is animated and interactive so that my daughter generally was interested in logging in and working with the program without being told.

K5 Learning has 4 different components:  K5 Reading and K5 Math (curricula based lessons), K5 Math Facts (an adaptive program for developing instant recall in math facts) and K5 Spelling (an advanced spelling and vocabulary tutor).

In the math facts portion, your child works on his/her math facts until each of them are mastered.  You can see from the following progress chart that your child and you are able to see what areas have been mastered and which ones are in progress and still need work.  Math facts are assessed based upon both accuracy and speed.

My daughter really liked the Spelling component of K5 Learning.  She liked that she could learn both spelling and vocabulary.  She told me she liked that the program gave you a second chance at spelling the word rather than just telling you it was wrong and moving on.  She didn’t work that much in the reading section since she does so much reading on her own already but she said she enjoyed what she did do with that.  Math was her favorite part of the program which was no surprise since that is her favorite subject.  I really liked that the program allowed for myself, as a parent, to view reports of my daughter’s progress along the way.

You can view  sample lessons by going to  the K5 Learning website HERE.

To view more specific details of the K5 Learning program I highly suggest you view information from their website because there are many details which you can learn more effectively from the K5 learning website as well as videos to watch.

K5 Learning has a free 14 day trial so that you can try their program out for yourself before choosing to sign up with an account.  There is no obligation and no credit card required to begin your trial.

If you decide K5 learning is for you they have monthly and annual subscription options:

Monthly Subscription

First Child…………………..$25
Additional Children……….$15

Annual Subscription

First Child…………………..$199
Additional Children……….$129

 Also please check out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog so that you read what my fellow Crew Members had to say about their experience using K5 learning!

Note: I received  a trial of K5 Learning  for free as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in order to provide an honest review for my readers.

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Reading Eggs is an online program that introduces children to a world of reading through fun and  creative games, songs,  and stories which focuses on phonics and sight words.   There are 120 learn to read lessons and 90 spelling lessons which are geared to 4 through 7 year old beginning readers.   There is also a program for older readers which are 7 and up called Reading Eggspress which has lessons, a creative story writing factory, new games and books to read in the  Storylands.  Both of these online programs provide your child with a  wonderful online world that helps nurture your child’s reading skills as well as providing a fun and creative way to learn.

My youngest daughter, though already reading, has enjoyed exploring Reading Eggs as well as Reading Eggspress.  She logs in on a regular basis without any prompting from me because she enjoys it so much.  She has even written a story through their program which was so fun for all of our family to read.

The Reading Eggs program was developed by teachers and centers around phonics and sight words.  What makes this program so much fun and encourages children to learn more is the fun approach it takes.  When your child  enters the world of  Reading Eggs, he or she escapes to a place where they can do lessons, explore their own special home, play games, read stories, listen to songs with the help of many wonderful characters they meet along the way.

Getting started with this program is easy. You can even start off with a free trial to check it out for yourself on their website at http://readingeggs.com/signup. Initally when your child begins they are given an assessment in order to place them in the program where they best fit for their current skill level.

After that your child can choose lessons and other activities where they can earn rewards within the Reading Eggs world. The following shows a visual map of your child’s progress in the program.

Though my daughter was a little beyond the Reading Eggs part of the program she nonetheless loved trying it out so I am sure younger kids would loved this program as well. My daughter mostly worked through the older program they have available called Reading Eggspress which I also recommend for readers that could use a fun and creative way to improve their reading skills.

As a parent your login in provides you with basic account management as well as a progress area for your child.

Reading Eggs is priced as follows and you also view more pricing information on their website:

• 12 month subscription: $75 which is about $1.40 per week.
• 6 months: $49.95.
• Monthly recurring option for $9.95 a month

Add a second or third child at the same time and receive 50% off their subscription price.

In addition there are other products (book packs, flashcards, and activite books)  that Reading Eggs has available on their website HERE.

Be sure to read what my fellow TOS Crew members has to say about Reading Eggs program here on our Crew Blog!

Note: I received a free trial of Reading Eggs as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in order to provide an honest review for my readers.

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I recently had the opportunity to read the 1st book in The Forgotten Castle Series by Jamie Carie. The Guardian Duke is a Regency-era romantic adventure which is the first of what will be a total of three books in this new series.

The following information of both the book and its author was given to me and I now share it with you my readers!

About the Book:

” The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.

Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.

When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.”

About the Author:

“When she was six, Jamie’s parents met Jesus and soon after started a church. It changed everything.

Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch.

The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad would spend a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes. Nothing ever felt so special as a middle of the night slice of pie with her dad. And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.

As Jamie’s relationship with God grew, she discovered her heart was filled with songs and poetry. During high school she wrote lyrics for her brother’s band. (And she sang them too!) After college, Jamie married, had two sons and decided to stay home with them. While she homeschooled she wrote skits, poems, plays and short stories for school and church.
When her eldest son turned five she dove into the world of novels. She’d read romance novels for years, but couldn’t relate to the flawless, saintly heroines in Christian romance novels. So she decided to write her own.

Snow Angel was born on a frosty night in an old farmhouse in Fishers, Indiana, where the cold floor gave plenty of motivation for the snow scene. Jamie loves to write late at night when the house is quiet and the darkness seems alive. Elizabeth and Noah had been playacting in her head for a long time, so the story went fast.
Ten years later Snow Angel was published and won the ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, was a National “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and a 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. It was the beginning of her dream career.

Jamie and her husband Tony have been married for twenty-one years and live in Indianapolis with their three sons and a giant of a dog named Leo.

If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for! ”

Now for my own opinion!

I am not normally particularly fond of romance novels but The Guardian Duke is not the typical romance novels that I come across.   I could not put this book down and admit to being seen reading into the wee hours of the morning.  The story line itself is very well done and it keeps you captivated wondering at each turn what is going to happen next.  It is also a book that is wholesome enough for my daughters to read in addition to any discriminating  adults.   At the end of the book, I was disappointed that it came to an end and it left me anxiously waiting the next book in the series.  I had never heard of the author before I read the Guardian Duke and now I am looking  forward to read anything I can get my hands on from Jamie Carie.

I am very pleased to say that I have a copy of the Guardian Duke for one of my lucky blog readers.  Be sure to enter my giveaway at the end of this blog post.

Before you enter my giveaway I would like to recommend that you check out one or more of the following links:

USA Today Review: http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2012-02-04/review-the-guardian-duke-by-jamie-carie/620195/1

Enter to win by doing one or more of the following by 3/16/2012.  Winner will be notified by email and asked to provide their mailing address at that time.  Good luck!!!!

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        The Mighty Macs DVD  released  nationwide on Tuesday, February 21st.  I previously reviewed this movie when I was given a preview of it  back in October around the time it was released to the theaters and you can read my thoughts on it at that time HERE on my blog.  If you did not have a chance to see it in the theaters, I highly recommend you check out the movie on DVD.  I have included a synopsis of the movie below as well as some links where you can find out more about The Might Macs for yourself.  I stand by my original view of the movie and give it up a thumbs up!  For those of you who have not seen it or who enjoyed the movie in the theaters when you saw it for the first time, I am giving away a copy of The Mighty Macs DVD to one of my lucky readers.  Check out how to enter at the bottom of my post and good luck to you!

About the Movie:

It’s 1971. Cathy Rush is a woman ahead of her time … and she’s about to embark on an adventure for the ages. A new era is dawning in the country and in collegiate athletics, where a national champion will be crowned for the first time in women’s basketball.

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MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS hits theaters on May 4th! I was provided access to some new images from The Avengers to share with you!

If you are interested in The Avengers please also check out their facebook page.

“Like” MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MarvelsTheAvengers
Please note that these images were provided to me from Walt Disney Studios and are copyright protected.

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I previously reviewed the first in the What We Believe series, Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?). This time our family received the second book in the series, Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?.
From the Apologia website, “The second book in the What We Believe series, Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?) helps children understand what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Most High God. This study will enable students to develop a healthy self-image based on these biblical truths: God made me in His image and crowned me with glory; He has given me special gifts and a unique purpose in life; I can creatively express God’s love; I am meant to think about beautiful and praiseworthy things, especially God and His Word; I must make decisions based on God’s truth; I can always know the wise thing to do; I must cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life; I am a beloved child of God whose true identity is found in Christ.”

Each volume in the What We Believe series is geared toward ages 6 through 14 and can be studied independently from the other books in the series.   The second book, Who Am I? focuses on establishing a healthy self-image in the view of what the Bible teaches us.   Your student will learn a biblical worldview in order to gain a better understanding on what the Bible has to teach us so that we can know the what and why we believe what we do as Christians.  Firmly standing on God’s word our children then can be better prepared to explore the beliefs of others.

Included in the book is a suggested lesson plan for completing the book with a suggested time-frame of  about four to nine months to finish it.  The book itself can be used to teach multiple age levels at the same time which makes it nice for homeschool families with different grades being taught at once.  In addition to the main student book you can also choose to get the other resources available for this volume which includes a  notebooking journal book, coloring book and an audio  CD of the student textbook.

Within the Who Am I? book there are activities which recommend that the student write in a journal and what better way to encourage this than to provide your child with their very own notebooking journal which corresponds directly withe the volume they are working on.

Apologia describes the notebooking journal as follows:  ” Designed for use with the book Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?). Now your children can personalize and capture what they learn in a beautiful keepsake they will want to revisit as they grow in Christ. This full-color, spiral-bound notebooking journal includes lesson plans, artful graphics, imaginative prompts for writing and drawing, puzzles, activities, and mini books. There’s even a place on the cover for the child to write his or her name as the author of the journal. The journal includes an About the Author page and a section for “endorsements” by friends and family!”

With younger kids in mind, the Who Am I? coloring book is ideal for your younger crew.  They can enjoy listening to you discuss the current lesson while they color along in their very own coloring book.

The What We Believe series takes very little preparation and effort to teach but what made it even easier for me was using  the audio CD that goes along with the Who Am I? book.  I played the audio for the current day’s lesson so that both my children could work on it at the same time.  I have to admit I enjoyed being able to let them work on their own while I was busy working on other lessons and subjects for our day.

A description from the Apologia website for the audio CD:  “Emmy winner Marissa Leinart narrates the full audio version of this second book in the What We Believe series. Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?) helps children understand what it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Most High God. Through engaging stories and thoughtful assignments, they will begin to develop a healthy, biblical self-image and a sense of God-given purpose that will last a lifetime. Please note that this is not a standard CD. It is an MP3-CD. This means that in order to listen to this CD, you must play it in an MP3-compatible CD player or on a computer.”

Finally, Who Am I? , as with each volume in the series, comes with free Teacher Helps that are  available online at the Apologia book extras site.  In the introduction of your textbook, you will find instructions for accessing this extra material.

If you explore the Apologia website you can also find more information about the What We Believe series as well as sample lessons  and a view of the table of contents for each book in the series.   You can view the sample lesson provided for Who Am I? HERE.  The Table of Contents can be found HERE as well.

You can purchase each of the products for the Who Am I?  volume HERE at the following prices:

• Who Am I? main book for $39.00
• Who Am I? Audio CD for $19.00
• Who Am I? Notebooking Journal for $24.00
• Who Am I? Coloring Book  for $8.00

Our family has really enjoyed all the products we have tried so far in the What We Believe series and suggest you check them out for yourself.  To read what my fellow TOS Homeschool Crew members had to say about  Who Am I?, please visit our blog.

Note: I received  the products from Apologia for free as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in order to provide an honest review for my readers.

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is a web-based assessment and learning math system. My kids have both been using ALEKS for a short time now. You can read an overview of ALEKS on their website for specific details. With ALEKS your student gets an assessment of their current knowledge and after being placed within the program your child proceeds through lessons helping your child to master the various areas within the course you have placed them in.   ALEKS has a large selection of courses you can choose from based on your student’s needs.  A list can be viewed HERE on the ALEKS website.  Along the way your child is reassessed and provided work to master the various areas until he/she completes that portion of their lessons. Your child sees a visual representation of the topic areas that they have to master for a specific course and is shown how much of that subject matter has been mastered which is represented graphically by a pie graph.

ALEKS is geared for grades 3 through 12th and even those above those grades can benefit. Unlike some programs that just provide multiple choice question and answer lessons, ALEKS uses “adaptive questioning” throughout the program to enable the student to master the material to ensure it will be learned and retained as a result of completing the subject material he/she is learning in the program. Both my children genuinely liked ALEKS which is saying something since my oldest normally does not like math and tries to avoid doing math lessons. Both my children enjoyed the challenges presented in the ALEKS program.   As a parent I am able to track the progress of my children and I receive status reports by email that detail the progress of my children.  I am informed of how much of the course my child has mastered of the total topics being covered, given an attendance report of how long my child used ALEKS within a certain time period as well as shown quiz results and provided a link to get online reports.

I like ALEKS because I can feel confident that my child not only is being asked questions but has the ability to ask for help while working on the problems in the system. If my child is not familiar with how to do the current problem she can click on the explain button to get help in doing the problem. ALEKS also has a section that provides for mastery of basic math facts called ALEKS QuickTables.  According to their website it is described as follows:
“ALEKS QuickTables is a research-based math fact mastery program for multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction for grades 3 and up. The online program offers an interactive Student Module with ongoing assessment, learning, review, and visual tracking of student progress. In addition, the Master Account allows parents to monitor student progress and adjust program settings to best fit student needs. “

QuickTables includes “Interactive Games Provide Additional Review and Built-In Rewards “.

I find it is difficult to present everything there is to know about ALEKS without duplicating what is described on their website , so I suggest you visit ALEKS website and take the tour as well as sign up for a free trial to check it out for yourself.

ALEKS pricing for one student is as follows:

• $19.95 per month
• only $99.95 for 6 months! Six months for the cost of five
• only $179.95 for 12 months! Best Deal: You save $59.45

For multiple student rates check out their pricing HERE.

I have personally experienced the benefits of ALEKS through my children and suggest you check out ALEKS for yourself.

You can read what my fellow TOS Crew members had to say abotu ALEKS by visiting our crew blog and reading the reviews for yourself.

Note: I received a free trial of ALEKS as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in order to provide an honest review for my readers.

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See-N-Spell is a 40-page quick reference guide which includes over 300 commonly used words in order to help writers improve their spelling and vocabulary. The guide organizes words alphabetically and by part of speech. There is also a section for commonly misspelled words as well as an area where you can write in your own words that you may want to refer to easily. The guide is geared toward grades four through adult to help writers choose words that they normally would not use because they are not confident in the spelling or usage of the words.

My children have been working on their writing skills this year and one thing they have had trouble with is keeping from using the same simple words over and over again in their writing. Rather than going to a dictionary or thesaurus to look up different words to use, they had been just selecting easy words that they already were confident with and that were easy to spell.  Using See-N-Spell, they were able to enhance their writing compositions and started to develop a better writing vocabulary. While not every word is in the See-N-Spell reference guide, it has been a good start to give them more confidence in their writing skills. See-N-Spell has really worked well to supplement their current writing curriculum.

When you purchase a See-N-Spell reference guide you also receive a free See-N-Read reading tool. This reading tool is useful to help readers reduce word and line skipping and aid readers in maintaining a better focus when reading longer passages. You can read more about the See-N-Read tool HERE on their website.

You can purchase your own See-N-Spell quick reference guide along with a free See-N-Read for only $9.99 HERE.

Check out what my fellow TOS Homeschool Crew members also had to say about both See-N-Spell reference guide and the See-N-Read tool by visiting our Crew Blog.

Note: I received a free See-N-Spell and See-N-Read as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew in order to provide an honest review for my readers.

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13 year old Alexa Peters authored the Cooper and Me and the Military book which is about family and friends who are separated by military deployment. Her idea was to aid kids in dealing with their feelings about being separated from loved ones who are serving their country elsewhere.

Released on January 31st, Cooper and Me and the Military is another lovable story starring Cooper the dog. It is a very colorfully illustrated children’s story where we meet Trooper who is Cooper’s best friend and who has been adopted by a family whose parents both serve in the military. In this story we learn how this family stays close together despite being separated physically because of their parents deployment. Another lovable story starring Cooper the dog.

I first was introduced to Cooper in a book I previously reviewed called Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure. As in that book, this one includes a section in the back that includes a life lesson section as well as learning together questions and answers. In addition there is a form letter that your child can use to write to someone in the military and a web site where you can go and find out how you can send letters and messages to our troops.

The story and material in the book are written simply for younger kids to understand and help them in dealing with family and friends who have been deployed.

If you would like to win a copy of Cooper and Me and the Military for yourself please enter my giveaway at the bottom of this post. Giveaway runs through 2/19/12.

Check out more information about Cooper and Me and the Military at the following links:

Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

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Who doesn’t love good worship music? You know the kind you can either just sit and listen to and reflect about God and who He is or you can join in with to sing praises to Him. Well I received a free download copy of the I Love Your Presence album which was released by Vineyard Music through iTunes on 1/10 and physically released on 2/7.

I really have enjoyed every song in this collection and think you will too!  Normally I have a favorite song to let you know about but I really could not pick just one or two from the whole collection because I enjoyed all of them.  I am giving away a download copy of it to one of my readers that you can enter at the end of this post.  I will select a winner on 2/17/12.

Here is some information I received about I Love Your Presence:

“I Love Your Presence was recorded live at the Burn Bright: Worship and The Kingdom Of God conference, hosted by Vineyard Worship. Several hundred worship leaders and worshipers gathered in the Arizona desert to explore the nature of God’s kingdom through music and teaching with some of the Vineyard’s most gifted communicators and musicians. This inspiring collection of songs recorded live at the The Vineyard Church North Phoenix will immerse listeners in the powerful worship that was the highlight of the event. I Love Your Presence reminds us to not just think of worship as singing songs, but also laying down our lives for Him. “

Check out these links where you can find out more about Vineyard Music and the I Love Your Presence album:

Website: http://www.vineyardmusic.com/vm/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DiscoverVineyard
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/VineyardMusic
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/i-love-your-presence-live/id491711353

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