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A Fun Puzzle App with Bible Verses {Planet 316 Review}

April 27, 2017 by Emilee Evans

We love puzzles around here. I don’t always love finding all the missing puzzle pieces, though. So, being able to do puzzles on an app is a great way to enjoy the challenge of a puzzle while also winding down. Daily Bible Jigsaw from Planet 316 offers great puzzles daily that include a Bible verse. The app is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Facebook and Facebook Gameroom. For my Daily Bible Jigsaw puzzle app review I have been using the app on my iPhone.
Planet 316
Planet 316 believes a joyful heart is good medicine. That is why they offer fun apps and experiences that make the Bible approachable. Families can have fun together while prompting discussion about the Bible. I know my kids love to talk about the games they’re playing, so if they’re playing games that help them learn more about the Bible it’s a win-win!
The Daily Bible Jigsaw app is a free app that offers a free puzzle daily. Each puzzle is presented as a single puzzle piece on the calendar. So not only have we been completing daily puzzles, but for each puzzle we complete we add a piece to the monthly puzzle as well! Although a free puzzle is offered daily, if a previous day’s puzzle is missed, you can purchase the previous puzzles with coins. Coins can be earned in the game as well as purchased.

Daily Bible Jigsaw Puzzle App Review

Daily Bible Jigsaw Puzzle App Review
The Daily Bible Jigsaw app offers puzzles that are fun but challenging. If you connect your account to Facebook you can also challenge your friends which is fun! I admit, I’ve been the one mostly using the app, and I love this feature! I’ve been seeing how I place amongst my friends – including fellow Homeschool Review Crew members! The kids have played as well, but they much prefer to just help me rather than playing it by themselves. My daughter has particularly loved the puzzles with cats!
While working on puzzles, there is soft, relaxing music in the background. I have loved using the app at night to wind down for this reason. Although the puzzles are challenging it’s relaxing as well! The most challenging aspect if the puzzles is that the pieces are rotated. So not only are you putting together puzzles, but you have to flip pieces as well. A couple of times I’ve had an entire puzzle upside down and didn’t realize it until the end! 
There are various tools available, though, to help solve the puzzles. Sometimes I will see how good my friends’ times are and know I’ll have to use tools to beat it! Tools include: Rotate (flips all pieces to their correct rotation), Sweep (sweeps all pieces off the board, Edges (leaves only the edge pieces until the border is put together), Magnet (connects two random pieces) and Guide (allows you to peak at the completed puzzle). There have been times I’ve used all of them at once – particularly when I was trying to earn the trophies for completing puzzles within a certain amount of time. Yes, you can earn trophies, too! Fun, right? The tools do cost between 2-3 coins depending on the tool.
Puzzle App Review
 Additionally, when a puzzle is finished it reveals a Bible verse which can then be shared easily via social media. It’s a great way to share Biblical messages! Once the puzzles are complete you will always have access to the images with the Bible verses.
Plus, as if daily puzzles aren’t enough bonus puzzles are added ocassionally as well! They have 56 pieces. Sometimes they are free but some have cost coins as well. Overall, I have definitely been loving this app and try to do each daily puzzle!

Connect with Planet 316

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Members of the Homeschool Review Crew also had the opportunity to share their Daily Bible Jigsaw puzzle app review. Be sure to check them out by clicking on the banner below.
Daily Bible Jigsaw {Planet 316 Reviews}
 
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Apologia Readers in Residence Review

April 18, 2017 by Emilee Evans

As someone who particularly loves language arts, I know reading is so much more than just written words on a page. It’s important to truly understand what you’re reading and learn from it. That’s what Readers in Residence Volume 1 (Sleuth) from Apologia Educational Ministries is all about! I was excited for the opportunity to check it out and share our Readers in Residence review.
Apologia Educational Ministries
Readers in Residence Volume 1 is recommended for grades 4 and up. The books suggested for the program are written at about a 4th-6th grade level. It’s noted that this would also be good for older children who struggle with reading comprehension or who are unfamiliar with the skills taught in the program.
I have been using Readers in Residence with my daughter (age 9 and approximately at a 4th Grade level). I found at her age/approximate grade level Readers in Residence has been challenging but in a good way. She is definitely one to resist when things aren’t easy, but with my help, she has kept moving right along and has really started to enjoy it. Additionally, there are areas where they are encouraged to talk with their parents.
Readers in Residence is designed to be flexible so you are able to use it in the way that works best for your child. I am a schedule kind of person. If there is a recommended schedule and it’s feasible for my children to follow it, that is generally what we do. It’s something I’ve always appreciated about Apologia’s curricula. In this case, the recommended schedule is 4 days per week. It breaks up the Modules into multiple, easier to tackle parts. Our lesson times have varied depending on the activities from 30 minutes to just over an hour. The lessons could be broken down further if needed.

What is Included

The Readers in Residence full set includes a large spiral bound Student Text and Workbook and a paperback Answer Key.
Apologia Educational Ministries Readers in Residence

Answer Key

To get started, it’s best to start with the Answer Key which is 232 pages. In the Answer Key there is detailed information on how to use both the Answer Key and the Student Text and Workbook. It discusses the schedule, explaining assignments, keeping track of progress and evaluating your child’s work. It explains the rubrics and scoring of the rubrics in depth as well as checklists and guidelines for evaluations.
The Answer Key is full of everything you need to know to successfully use Readers in Residence with your child(ren). It also goes into depth about the who, what and why of the program and how to make it work for your child(ren). It definitely helped me dive into it feeling confident!

Student Text and Workbook

The Student Text and Workbook is 562 pages and includes all of the information and activities children need to progress through the program. It includes a Quick Guide, Preface, Welcome and Suggested Daily Schedule in addition to information for Book Clubs as well as the Units and Modules. We, personally, didn’t have a Book Club. I have been reading along with her, though, so we can discuss the story with each other.
Apologia Educational Ministries Readers in Residence
Each Unit covers one book. This may be a specific book or a book of your choice within a specific genre. Each Unit is presented with an Introduction and then breaks down the book by chapters for discussion and activities. I found this particularly helpful especially since Aurora is just getting started with chapter books. It made it much less overwhelming for her.
Each of the suggested books covered in Readers in Residence are familiar books. Even if you or your child haven’t read them, it’s likely you’ve heard of them. I’ve had a great time reading the first book Sarah, Plain and Tall along with Aurora. It’s definitely a book I’ve heard of, but I’ve actually never read it either!

Readers in Residence Review

Readers in Residence Review
Overall, we have been enjoying Readers in Residence Volume 1. As I mentioned, Aurora was a little hesitant at first, but because I am walking along this with her, it’s been great for both of us. She love that there are hands-on projects like creating her own book cover. Plus, I can really see the light bulb going off the further she gets into the program. It really has changed the way she thinks about reading – in a good way! I love to see how deep her comprehension is getting as this can be challenging for someone with ADD. I think this is a great program for helping children really dig deeper into comprehension and critical thinking skills.
      

Connect with Apologia Educational Ministries

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew also shared their Readers in Residence review. See what they thought by clicking on the button below.
Readers in Residence Volume 1 (Sleuth) {Apologia Educational Ministries Review}
 
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Learning Conversational Skills with Color My Conversation {Northern Speech Services Review}

April 13, 2017 by Emilee Evans

Being a homeschool mom with special needs children I often try to weave therapy into our homeschool. I stay aware of their sensory needs and try to work on other areas like fine and gross motor skills and speech. I am definitely not a Speech-Language Pathologist, though, so I feel like although what I’m doing helps it’s not complete. I was definitely intrigued by Color My Conversation from Northern Speech Services which was created by a Speech-Language Pathologist, Rosslyn Delmonico, MA, RSLP, CCC-SLP. Read on for my Northern Speech Services Review.
Northern Speech Services
Color My Conversation specifically addresses developing social skills to have appropriate interactions with others. This includes things like: greetings, back and forth talk, asking effective questions, listening well, transitions in topics, reading social cues and more. It is ideal to use this program over a 14-16 week period though it notes it’s adaptable. It’s very interactive/multi-sensory.
Color My Conversation came neatly packaged and includes everything you need to start and complete the program. This includes:

  • 12 Stepping Floor Graphics
  • 50 Game Tokens
  • 100 Picture/Emotion Cards
  • 50 Dry Erasable Wall Display Cards
  • 2 Dry Erase Pens
  • CMC Ball
  • Classroom Poster
  • Game Board
  • Cloth Ribbon
  • Instructional Manual & Music CD’s

Although I had seen the kit online prior to receiving it, I was still quite surprised by how so much stuff was neatly packaged in the box.
Northern Speech Services Color My Conversation
Although both of my boys have speech challenges, my youngest son’s challenge is primarily with dictation. My oldest son is on the Autism Spectrum and although he “graduated” speech therapy for delays and dictation, pragmatic speech has continued to be a challenge. Knowing Color My Conversation addresses this specifically I knew it would be perfect to start it with him.
Getting started was a bit of a challenge, though. Although the training videos are online the Manual (as well as printables) are on the CD. It is recommended to start with this Manual. Unfortunately, I no longer have a computer that has a disk drive, so I had to view this at a friend’s house. Once I had it open as a PDF, though, I was able to save it and email it to myself so I would still have it readily accessible without having to borrow a friend’s computer. I definitely do recommend starting with the Manual. It is very thorough!
Within the Manual it contains the various levels of Color My Conversation (Beginner through Expert) as well an Assessment Rubric and either a Student Questionnaire or Caregiver Interview. These documents are important for providing insights on how to best support your child, and they can be found in the Supplementary Section of the Manual. It’s definitely the best place to start. After reading the Manual, completing the Rubric and watching the Training Video Tutorials we were ready to begin!
The levels of Color My Conversation are:

  • Beginner Level – Ages 5-12. These first three lessons are presented with a kinesthetic element and takes about 5 weeks to complete.
  • Intermediate Level – Ages 5-12. Here children will learn more conversational features and be introduced to table work in addition to “walking the path.” It takes about 6-8 weeks to complete.
  • Advanced Level – Ages 8-12. The multi-activity Color My Conversation game is introduced where children will either actively play or observe and comment on those who are playing it. It takes about 3-5 weeks to complete.
  • Expert Level – Variable Ages. It’s intended for all ages because its purpose is to identify the conversation skills each child is capable of using and transferring those skills from practice into natural settings.

Here is a great general overview from Northern Speech Services:

We began with the Beginner level, of course. We do 2 sessions per week for about 30-40 minutes each as well as regular practice throughout the week. What this looks like for each child can be completely different depending on the child’s needs. Color My Conversation is very flexible and is meant to be used in the way that is best for each child. At first, I found it was a lot about getting to know the program and know what works best for B. This could even vary by day!
The Individual Lesson Training Videos are so helpful. With these videos I found this program to be easy to follow. I think they have helped B as well because nobody can explain it better than the creator! I think, in general, B is more open to instruction from others so this has been a valuable tool in this way as well! Then each level ends with a Wrap-Up.

Northern Speech Services Review

Northern Speech Services Review
Overall, B has been doing well with this program. When I first introduced it he was hesitant. He has just a splash of the pre-teen attitude. Ha! I knew this would be so good for him, though, as his conversations are usually about the same topics and one-sided. He does not recognize social cues specifically that say “I’m bored” or “I’m not interested.” He often doesn’t try to engage the other person in conversation. Color My Conversation has been teaching him these skills in a way that he truly enjoys. He feels motivated to learn!
Although we just wrapped up the Beginner level, I already see a difference. He has really enjoyed doing the program, which makes a world of difference! We can’t wait to move on to the next level next week!

Connect with Northern Speech Services

Website | Facebook (Company) | Facebook (Color My Conversation) | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube | Instagram
Members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew also had the opportunity to share their Northern Speech Services review. See what they thought by clicking on the banner below!
Color My Conversation {Northern Speech Services Reviews}

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Need more homeschool recommendations? Check out more of my homeschool reviews.

Creating a Masterpiece Review

March 22, 2017 by Emilee Evans

Do you have children that love art? Do you have children that aren’t so fond of art? Is your family looking for something “more” in your homeschool art? I have a child that loves art, one that doesn’t like it at all, and one that’s indifferent (but still young). They all have completely different tastes and styles including how they learn. I was definitely intrigued by the Creating a Masterpiece art lessons!
For our Creating a Masterpiece Review we received the Monthly Plan. With the Monthly Plans families receive access to all projects available for a monthly fee of $39.99. This includes over 144 lessons as well as additional videos and tips. Additional options include an Annual Plan which includes everything included in the Monthly Plan, but families would have availability for an entire year. Families can also purchase individual levels which includes access to that specific level for one year.
Creating a Masterpiece Review
The Creating a Masterpiece lessons are all account based lessons available online. Lessons can be accessed from any device with internet access. Once logging in, we can access all of the lessons available. One of the things I thought was really neat is how it says “Roberts Family’s Art Studio” once we’re logged in.
We have been accessing our “Art Studio” using a laptop running Windows 10 and the Google Chrome browser. We have not experienced any issues or complications. The videos run smoothly and the Supply List PDFs have downloaded smoothly. Printing the Supply List is optional, of course, but I always like to have a list when I’m at the store! In addition to the Supply List, there are also Lesson Highlights, a High Resolution Image and even a gallery of Reference Art with each Lesson.
Creating a Masterpiece Review
I think probably the biggest question I had after logging in for the first time was “where do I start?” There are so many different options, and they are all so beautiful! As far as Level recommendations it’s noted children as young as age 5 (depending on maturity) can do the Beginners Lessons. I can honestly say my youngest son is not at that maturity level despite being almost 7. So I have been using this program with my oldest son (almost 11) and daughter (9). Although my oldest son struggles with art, my daughter has natural talent. So the question became “what can I do with them together?”
There were a couple of ways I saw to approach this. We could simply choose something from the Beginners lessons as they are designed to be fun and simple and go from there or we could choose a project based on the required materials. The Art Studio is divided by Level in the main area and a colored dot is pictured next to the name to indicate the primary medium used. Additionally, all of the available art mediums are listed on the left-hand side so if you have a preference, you can simply click on it and see what projects are available in that medium. So really, you could easily go both routes!
Although I was strongly leaning towards a Beginners project it was noted Level 1 is also a great place to start. The kids chose to start with a clown fish picture from Level 1. My son chose this because he thought it “looked” simple. My daughter chose it because it was a colored pencils project, which is her favorite art medium.
Creating a Masterpiece Review Fish
This particular project is divided into 3 Lessons which are further broken down into sub lessons. My daughter could probably sit and do the entire project in one sitting despite each lesson taking around an hour. Of course, my son obviously couldn’t (and we don’t really have that kind of time to carve out of our homeschool day), so we worked on completing one lesson per week. We divided up the sub lessons usually to be done on separate days.
So since Lesson 1 contained three sub lessons, we did art three days that first week. Although I would say completing the full lesson in one day is definitely feasible for most, breaking up into small parts really worked for us – particularly with my reluctant artist. I think it just felt so much less overwhelming for him. The project still was challenging for him overall, though, but the breaks in between was nice. So although spanning one picture out to three weeks seemed like a lot it was definitely a good pace for him.
Creating a Masterpiece Review Level 1
After browsing other projects – Level 1 and higher are generally presented in 3-7 full lessons, though Beginners can usually be completed in one lesson. I think the pace at which you go is definitely dependent on multiple factors: your child’s age and maturity level, ability, desire, attention span, etc. Of course, in my case this was mainly dependent on my oldest’s pace since I wanted them to do the lessons together. I have found they can do lessons together as our homeschool art, and I’ve given my daughter free reign to choose other projects she can do on her own. She simply lets me know which one, and I make sure we have (or go get) the supplies. There is just so much flexibility.

Creating a Masterpiece Review

Creating a Masterpiece
Overall, I definitely think Creating a Masterpiece is a unique art program. It goes beyond simple art projects into detailed, creative art projects. It’s all available online for easy access, lists projects by levels and materials, breaks down projects into multiple lessons that are then further broken down into sub lessons, offers a straight forward printout for materials and additional lesson notes.
Is it as “easy” as it seems? I would have to say “not really.” It does make it seem like just about everyone can do it. Although my oldest son’s biggest challenge has been his lack of interest, the shorter lessons made it easier for him to stay interested. Unfortunately, though, his fine motor challenges posed a bigger limitation despite his actual interest in doing the projects. So, he was ultimately still left feeling frustrated. I plan to try to browse more projects (particularly in the Beginners area) for him, but I was kind of disappointed for him, too. My daughter, of course, did very well which I would expect.
As with any art, I always encourage them no matter what. Art is beautiful even from different perspectives and abilities!

Connect with Creating a Masterpiece

Website | Facebook
Members of the Homeschool Review Crew with children of multiple ages and abilities also had the opportunity to review Creating a Masterpiece. See what they thought by clicking on the button below!
Creating Beautiful Art at Home {Creating A Masterpiece Reviews}
 
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