Snake Oil – A Review

Whenever I am offered the opportunity to review a board game, my kids are ecstatic!  We love to play games!  Snake Oil created by Out of the Box Games, has quickly become one of our family favorites.  As a matter of fact, it has been the most requested game night activity for several weeks.  Even my college age kids and their friends love it. When my kids first started playing it they described it as sort of a cross between two other games that they play.  They stayed up until the wee hours of the morning laughing and playing.  I knew Snake Oil was a hit when I kept on getting awakened by peals of laughter!

How does game play go? One person is the customer and picks a customer card to determine what kind of customer they are. For example, the card may say “gangster” or “toddler” or “magician.”  The other players have a set of cards with a single word on each; we play with six cards. Each player picks two of the word cards and imagines a new product based on those two words. The player then gives a sales pitch about that product to the customer. Once every player has had a chance to pitch their product, the customer chooses which one of the products he would buy. He gives the customer card to the player that created the most marketable product. The next person then chooses a customer card and play continues in the same manner until every has had a turn to be a customer.

      This game has been a great family activity. The words come from multiple categories. For younger kids, this would make an awesome game for vocabulary  acquisition. The marketed age on this is 10+. I think that in order to understand the words adequately and the concept of combining words and creating a sales pitch, 10 + is a good age range. Snake Oil provides opportunity to experience tons of new words as well as opportunity to practice and perfect speaking skills as well as decision making skills.  For the reluctant speaker, this game is a fabulous, non-threatening way to get kids talking.  It also fosters extreme creativity.  The only ‘equipment’ required to play are the game cards and a vivid imagination.  After all, the most useful and creative sales pitch has the best chance of winning each round.  I absolutely love games which allow for a lot of creative thought.  Our kids don’t get enough opportunity for creativity these days. 

  Snake Oil retails for $19.99. There is also another variation of the game, Snake Oil – Party Potion, marketed for ages 8+. It retails for $14.99. Visit Out of the Box Games to learn more and to view videos of each of the Snake Oil games in play.

We have absolutely loved this game and plan on giving it as a Christmas present to many friends.  It is fabulous!

You can locate Out of the Box games on social media as well as their website.  Their social media info is:

https://www.facebook.com/OutoftheBoxGames
https://twitter.com/OTBgames
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYAQiV5S9ZQ&feature=c4-overview&list=UUTEAg1uDVwq0LNxFAwM7N5Q

To read other reviews of this awesome game, click on the banner below.

Purposeful Design - A Review

The awesomeness of creation is a wonder we will never fully understand.  I truly can’t comprehend how someone cannot give credence to the wonder of God’s amazing design. When I stop to think about all of the amazing aspects of the creation of the universe, I am so humbled.  It is so obvious to me that it all comes from God’s Purposeful Design. Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation ($18.95), by Jay Schabacker, is a beautiful book that describes and explains the science behind the wonders of creation. Directing the reader’s attention to the Creator and His amazing creation, Schabacker’s book appeals to all ages, although the reading level and scientific concepts addressed are probably best suited for upper elementary  and middle school aged children.
       Purposeful Design is full of beautiful, full-color pictures that reinforce the concepts of biblical creation as well as the science that supports the concepts.  This lovely book contains seven chapters, one for each day of creation.  These chapters are:

• Chapter 1: The First Day, Creation of the Heavens and the Earth tells the reader what the Bible says, then discusses the solar system, the application of the second law of thermodynamics to the movement of the planets, and explains that the universe is orderly, that the rules of nature do not change.
• Chapter 2: The Second Day, Creation of the Atmosphere and Water explains the rain cycle and discusses how the fact that 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water creates an atmosphere perfect for life.
• Chapter 3: The Third Day, Creation of the Dry Land and Vegetation tells about the various uses of vegetation.
• Chapter 4: The Fourth Day, Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Stars explains the seasons and how they are created, the orderly daily changes in sunrise and sunset times, the phases of the moon, tilt of the earth, and ocean tides.
• Chapter 5: The Fifth Day, Creation of the Birds and Fish and The Sixth Day, Creation of Land Creatures and Humans discusses the amazing design of these living creatures, how each is perfectly made for its own environment, and how they live in symbiotic relationships with each other. Many pages are devoted to the amazing design of the human body.
• Chapter 7: The Seventh Day reminds the reader for the need for rest and for giving honor to our creator.

My kids are all in high school or college, but they have still enjoyed reading this.  My high school kids read through the book with me a chapter at a time correlating to their current Bible study.  Since they have both studied physical science and biology, the scientific concepts were not unfamiliar to them.  This book has earned a prized location as a coffee table book in our home.  It is absolutely lovely and will be read and perused over and over again.
To make this beautiful book even better, there is a “Young Explorer’s Club” free  PDF curriculum available from Purposeful Design with questions reviewing the scientific concepts for each chapter, scripture verses for reflection, and faith application questions for each chapter. My kids are a tiny bit beyond the age range for the additional curriculum, but it would be fabulous to use for older elementary or middle school students.  I did look through the questions available and used some of them to guide discussion as we went through the book.
All in all, Purposeful Design would be a tremendous addition to any homeschool library.  Children of all ages, as well as adults, enjoy the beautiful pictures and interesting facts and concepts presented.  If you would like to check out Jay Schabacker on social media, visit
Blog: www.Jayschabacker.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaySchabackerAuthor
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/Jayschabacker (@Jayschabacker)
LinkedIn: Jayschab
Many of my other friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have also been reading this book.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

IXL – a Review

We have been IXL fans around here for quite a while.  As a membership-based website which provides access to thousands of practice exercises for math (pre-k through grade 12) and language arts (grades k-8 currently), IXL  provides my kids a fun way to practice their skills, and learn some new skills. There is even a cool app that we use on my IPad for math practice on the go. Since my kids are in high school, we have been using the math exercises as well as the language arts exercises to reinforce skills and help prepare for the ACT.
     My son, who is in the twelfth grade, is using IXL Math to review his Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 skills.  He will be taking his ACT in a couple of months, so this is a great review for him.  He has run into many topics that he had difficulty with before, and now, thanks to IXL, he understands.  My daughter, who is in the ninth grade, is using IXL to brush up on her basic math as well as Algebra 1 skills to help her stay sharp as she is completes her Algebra 1 class.  Thanks to the ability to choose whatever level and / or topic she needs to work on, she is able to practice on fractions, decimals, percents, multiplication, division, and other basic skills.  She also can practice on equations, variables, higher order roots, and other skills such as working with polynomials. They are both enjoying the program, even though they don’t necessarily enjoy the idea of practicing math. 

     Both kids have been using the Language Arts exercises as well.  Currently, the topics run through the eighth grade; however, grades 9-12 skills are slated to come on board soon.  Even thought the highest level available now is eighth grade, we have found IXL to be a great review and practice tool.

So, how does it work?
     IXL is a comprehensive and focused review and practice program.  Once a student is set up, parents and students can choose skills that are sorted according to grade level, from Pre-K all the way through Pre-Calculus in the math area and through eighth grade in the language arts area.  Students can start practicing right away, and it is hard to get them off of the computer once they start!  As a student progresses, he/she gets immediate feedback as right or wrong answers are confirmed.  If an answer is incorrect, an explanation, along with the correct answer, is given.  Students complete skills and receive awards – in the form of virtual game pieces – which they place into a virtual game board to reveal prizes.  The virtual game boards are specific to each grade level. Students can collect ribbons and medals and other cool virtual prizes as they progress. 
     What about parents? IXL assesses your students' understanding as they practice, and generates detailed performance reports to give you valuable insight about your students' abilities. With a single click of your mouse, you can view any of IXL's 37 reports, which include data on grade-level proficiency, trouble spots, and even progress toward meeting state standards. There is a wealth of information available for parents and teachers to use to evaluate student progress.  It is almost as difficult for me to get off of the program as it is for the kids! You can view reports about how your kids are using the program and how well they are doing.  It is awesome!
     What didn’t work for us? Nothing, really. My daughter rolled through the first several skills and then hit some skills that were a bit more difficult.  She began to keep some scratch paper handy so she could work problems with paper and pencil.  That helped her tremendously. My son is doing a great job using IXL for his ACT Math and English review.  I can see where he needs work on his ACT practice tests and assign skills in IXL that he needs to practice.  He really likes the explanation that is given if he misses a problem.  I love the independent aspect of the program.  With my kids being older, I can assign either a length of time or a number of problems for them to work on and they can work at whatever pace is good for them.  The range of skills covered is incredibly broad.  This is a quality supplemental program which would work beautifully with any math curriculum.  I recommend it for any family with children who need extra practice on math skills. It would be effective both in a homeschool setting and in a public or private school setting. 
    Is it expensive? Membership options are available here.  There is a monthly option – $9.95 / month, as well as a yearly option for $79. This rate is for one child.  Additional children can be added to the subscription for $2 / month or $20 / year.  An annual subscription for one child for math is $79; for math AND Language Arts, it would be $129.  For two children for math, it is $99 for the year; for math and language arts, it would be $149. Parents are allowed to go to the IXL website and allow their kids to complete up to 20 questions per day for free, so there is a bit of a ‘try before you buy’ policy.  There is not a trial membership for families since parents can opt for the month to month subscription instead of the yearly subscription. There are classroom licenses available for classroom teachers. You can also check out IXL on social media through:

https://www.facebook.com/IXL
https://twitter.com/IXLLearning
https://plus.google.com/+IXL

   I have a lot of Schoolhouse Review Crew friends who have been using IXL and writing reviews about the program.  If you would like to read their reviews, just click on the graphic below.

 

If He Had Not Come – a Review

     For as long as I can remember, watching the Christmas classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” has been a tradition in our family.  We typically watch the film between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it always brings tears to our eyes.  Why does this story evoke such strong emotions?  It makes the viewer take a look at his or her own life and think about the impact it has had on society.  What if instead of thinking about the impact a human has on society, we began a new tradition of thinking about how Jesus impacted our world.  Almost 80 years ago, Nan Weeks penned the words to a simple, yet poignant story depicting just that.  Now, in the twenty-first century, David Nicholson, a retired teacher, has reintroduced Weeks beautiful story, “If He Had Not Come,” by publishing it as a classically illustrated hard-cover storybook.

     Nicholson first encountered Weeks story when his own children were young.  He has not only reproduced the story, but goes the extra mile by adding suggested topics for discussion, which are interactive topics for families and Sunday School teachers to use to foster open discussion. He also has included an outline written by Josh Mulvihill entitled “Going Deeper.”  This outline lists questions to spur deeper thought and possible answers for those questions, including scripture references where appropriate.  Finally, Nicholson includes a clear presentation of the Gospel message which includes a simple, yet thought provoking way to share your faith through a drawing of a Christmas tree.  Something that I am really interested in is a teaser included on the last page that says a script for stage plays of “If He Had Not Come” is coming soon.  Wouldn’t that be a great resource for a children’s group!

     “If He Had Not Come” is appropriate for anyone age 6 and up.  Some of the concepts may be a little difficult for a younger child to understand.  This is the story of a young boy named Bobby.  He goes to bed on Christmas Eve, after he and his father have their daily Bible reading time together.  As he falls asleep, words from the passage he read with his father keep repeating in his mind. Those words are:  “If I had not come.”  Next the scene changes to a surreal world depicting what it would be like if Jesus had never come into the world.  Bobby discovers Christmas would be nonexistent, churches would not exist, homeless shelters to help those in need did not exist, and more.  All over town he sees the words:  “If I had not come.”  John 15:22.  Bobby is confused, sad, and frightened.  He awakens to discover that all of this activity was just a dream.  He realizes that Jesus was the very best Christmas present ever and he commits to live for Him every day. 

     While the storyline is very simple, the truths contained are very deep.  My family loved this story.  I can see it becoming a family tradition.  It definitely made each of us appreciate the fact that Jesus did come.  We have had some beautiful discussion times as a result of reading the book. 

     The hardcover version of the book is 40 pages in length and retails on Nicholson’s website for $18.95.  He also offers an e-book version for $3.99. 

    David Nicholson is active on Facebook.  If you would like to interact with him there, simple go to: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/If-He-Had-Not-Come/1543755249189773?ref=tn_tnmn

Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been reading this book and sharing it with their families.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

Fascinating Biology – a Review

Fascinating Education is a unique company offering online science curricula for Middle and High School students.  We have been using their Fascinating Biology course. My daughter, who struggles with science, is a huge fan of the video-based learning approach.These courses provide parents a user-friendly method of engaging their student in science.  The courses promote right brain learning by using a unique audio-visual style and tried and true step-by-step lessons.  The lessons are broken down into small units so that even the most reluctant science student can understand the concepts presented.      The Biology course covers topics ranging from “What is Life?,”  “Take in Nutrients,” “Take in Energy,” and much, much more.  Caitlyn goes through a lesson each day.  She watches the lesson video and we discuss it.  Being a former Biology teacher, I really appreciate the way the lessons are broken down.  I also appreciate the way that the lessons tie together different sciences.  For example, she actually learned a little introductory chemistry in her biology class to help her understand the way that chemicals in the body work and to understand how the cell membrane functions.  Depending on the lesson, it takes her anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to complete a lesson.  She really is enjoying the lessons.  We are not a fan of ‘cheesy’ ‘gimmicky’ videos for school subjects.  The video lessons with Fascinating Biology are no-nonsense, logical, and easy to understand.  If a lesson is more challenging for her, I go through the lesson and print a transcript of the video.  Sometimes it is just easier to have a paper copy of the words to follow along as she is studying. Fascinating Biology is a high school level course.  Caitlyn is in ninth grade.  She took Physical Science last year, which has helped with the chemistry principles presented.  Each course is presented on-screen in a table format with buttons below the picture for each lesson so that students can just click through on the lesson they need to work on.  Lesson transcripts may be printed if needed.  Tests that correlate with each lesson are administered online, but an alternate password can be obtained by parents / teachers if a printable PDF of a test is desired.  I contacted Fascinating Education and they sent me the alternate password really promptly.  My daughter performs better on paper and pencil tests, so I print the tests for her.  For those who are interested, sample lessons for each course are available through the individual course web pages.The course costs $79. It does work well with mobile devices with an internet connection. Caitlyn access it on her phone quite frequently.      Registering for the course is done online and is a simple process.  Fascinating Biology consists of nineteen lessons.  It can be used as a stand alone Biology course.  Each lesson has many parts.  It takes my daughter 1-2 weeks to finish an entire lesson.  It is easier for me to think of the “lessons” as units that are made up of mini-lessons.  This course, if accompanied with supplemental lab work, is a great way to introduce students to biological concepts.    If I had to choose any deficit to this program, it would be that I would like to have some hands on labs available.  I think that science needs hands on work.  While the videos show the concepts visually, there are many concepts that could be really understood better with some hands on work.  I supplemented Caitlyn’s lessons with labs I have done with my students over the years in our homeschool tutorial.      My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using all of the Fascinating Education courses.  To read their reviews, click on the graphic below.

Jim Hodges Audio Books – a Review

My family has loved audio books ever since I can remember.  I think they are a great way to learn and practice both listening skills and mental imagery.  Since my kids have gotten older, the number and type of good, quality, educational audio books has dwindled – until now.  Jim Hodges Productions has created audio versions of some of the G.A. Henty Classics.  We have been fortunate to be able to use the title “With Lee in Virginia” as a part of our studies. 
     We are focusing on American History in our homeschool this year.  I am all for anything that gives either a new twist or a spark of interest to those studies. Jim Hodges has taken over twenty of G.A. Henty’s books and converted them to audiobooks.  Intended for students ages 8 and older, these classic stories take you on a journey through history that will leave you breathless.   These audio books are recorded on a MP3 CD. This means that the CD will play on any computer CD drive, DVD player or MP3 compatible CD player. A standard CD player will not play a MP3 CD so check for compatibility before purchasing.  There is also a downloadable version available. 
     Since we are right at the Civil War era in our studies, “With Lee in Virginia” has been a fabulous way to

extend learning.  We have been able to use the downloadable study guide to further enhance our lessons.  This study guide is written in such a way that most any student could use it – some with assistance, some independently.  It serves as the perfect reinforcement to the information learned through the audiobook.  Not sure if the audiobook is for you?  Try before you buy – listen to a sample of the recording on the Jim Hodges Audio Books website:
Listen to Chapter 12 of With Lee in Virginia
     Since we don’t have any type of cd player in our cars anymore, my kids used the computer to play the cd and listen to the chapters of the book. The study guide is broken into sections that line up perfectly with the chapters of the book. As each chapters was listened to, we could easily move into the study guide. The study guide consists of vocabulary for each chapter, comprehension questions, and then extra activities for further research and study.Sample questions:
Chapter Five : ” What happens to several professors at West Point?”
Chapter 6: Learn about the Battle of Bull Run and create a map.
     My kids would listen to a chapter and complete the activities / questions in the study guide for that chapter.  This was a simple set of lessons to assign and it promoted great discussion times! The study guides were written by a certified teacher (K-8) who minored in history. The author is a homeschooling mom who understands how to write a meaningful and useful curriculum help.
     “With Lee in Virginia” MP3 CD Audio Book is recommended for ages 8 and up. (Jim Hodges recommends ages 10 and up for reading the print copies.) The entire audio book has a run time of 11 hours 20 minutes, but it is broken down into chapters of various lengths.
MP3 CD – $25.00 or the Downloadable Audio – $18
With Lee in Virginia Study Guide PDF  (58 pages) is available for $12
     My kids have thoroughly enjoyed using this audio book and study guide.  It is a no-frills way to learn some really interesting aspects of our history that are often neglected.  The only issue that they have had is that they wished the recordings were more dramatized instead of just ‘read.’ Audiobooks with a bit more emotion and feeling really enhance the types of images created in the mind of the reader as they listen.  For me, I would like for the study guide to be a bit more differentiated with regards to difficulty.  I think there should be some more challenging vocabulary and thought/essay type questions available for older students.  As it stands, the study is perfect for younger middle school students.  For elementary kids, it may be a bit challenging – for high school kids, it is really too simple.The options for additional studies were nice with links to activities online. This was extremely helpful for this busy mom!
     These audio books give readers a premium opportunity to explore history through the beauty of literature.  Audio books can be a fabulous resource to enrich your learning.  Jim Hodges Productions offers other audio books in addition to his Henty selections.  Many listening samples are available on the website. 
     Jim Hodges Productions is active on social media.  To check it out go to: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Hodges-Audio-Books/184979244857560
    Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been trying out these awesome audio books.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

Clued in Kids - A Review

Every since my kids were tiny, they have enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.  For years, we would purchase those expensive 'toys' where treasure was either buried in sand or concrete / plaster and they had to dig it out.  They would spend hours with certain books where they had to hunt for things in pictures.  They are all much, much older now, but they still love the thrill of a treasure hunt.  Recently we were given the chance to review a couple treasure hunts from Clued in Kids;  Baseball Treasure Hunt and Soccer Treasure Hunt too.  
     We received these as a download in PDF format. This was really convenient because I could print out the clues and instructions as many times as I needed to.  I am really bad about misplacing parts to things like treasure hunts, so I appreciate having the files stored on my computer.  Both of the treasure hunts are 8 pages in length. The clues are accompanied by easy to follow directions and twelve clues for each hunt. At the bottom of each clue it tells you exactly where to hide the clue around your house, so getting ready is simple!  The process is print the clues, hide them in the appropriate places, and start the hunt.

     My kids are all high school age and older now, so they have been using these hunts with kids that they babysit.  Talk about a great way to keep kids busy!  My daughter watches a boy who plays both baseball and softball, so these scavenger hunts were right up his alley!  Each clue, or puzzle in some cases, leads to something new, which is a great incentive to keep on going. There are twelve clues in all ranging from math problems, to code cracking. An answer key is part of the packet so that whoever is leading the scavenger hunt knows both the answers and where the clues are hidden. One of the most hilarious moments for my daughter was trying to help her little friend sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame (one of the tasks for one of the clues).
      We also received the Soccer Treasure Hunt. Since Caylee's little friends also play soccer, this hunt was a big hit with them as well!  You can't beat having fun and learning at the same time! There were messages to be decoded; soccer words to learn, hidden pictures, words to unscramble too.  There was a connect the dot even for littler children.
In the very last “X” marking the spot, Caylee would leave a 'treasure' for the kids to discover.  Typically, she would leave a little treat like candy or stickers.  They have wanted to do the hunts over and over again, so she has had to be creative with what their treats are.  She even left a soccer ball one time with a note saying they were all going outside to play.  You can customize the treats to whatever age your kids are.  No matter what you use, kids love to find the treasure!  
      Some of the clues were a little more difficult - since the hunts are recommended for ages 4 and up, they were definitely within reason, though.   There were some activities for telling time, a bit of division, and some counting of coins. Any clues that are more difficult provide great opportunity for teaching time. My resident babysitters are wanting more of these!  They are such great tools to use with kids! 
     Clued in Kids offers tons of fun filled, educational too, treasure hunts that are purchased already complete to use; they come with awesome clue cards too. With these treasure hunts our children can learn and exercise skills like logic, critical thinking, mathematics, reading, and social too. 
The Soccer and Baseball Treasure Hunts are both available for $5.99 And right now, the Homework Reward Treasure Hunt (regularly $5.99) can be yours, for free when you sign up for their newsletter.)

To connect with Clued in Kids on social media, simply visit:
Twitter: @cluedinkids
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cluedinkids
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cluedinkids/

     To read reviews of more of the Clued in Kids products, click on the banner below.