The Decade of Progress

Any ideas when that would have been?

I actually hate those kinds of guessing games, so I will just tell you.

The 1880's.


Now that I say that....I guess there are probably other "decades of progress" out there.  I am not sure that there is just one decade of progress.


When you look at history, there really was a phenomenal amount of stuff accomplished in that ten year period from 1880 to 1890.

We got the chance to review another video from Marshall Publishing.  



Remember, last year, we got to watch and review a documentary style video on George Washington Carver.  This is distributed by the same company.




What I will say about this DVD is that it was weirdly entertaining.  There is sort of something for everyone.  A-man loved the parts about the "wild west" and Billy the Kid, D-man loved the baseball parts, my girls enjoyed the bit about Susan B Anthony and her contemporaries.  I sort of liked it all.  There was a lot of stuff packed into the 30 minutes.

The DVD uses a mixture of live action filming, with re-enactments, and old black and white photographs with a narrator voicing the facts about the people and events of the 1880's.


One thing that I kind of liked about the DVD was that it made me a bit nostalgic for my own school years.  The narrator reminded me very much of the old films/film strips that I used to watch in school.  The only thing missing was  the "beep".....any old folks out there that know what I am talking about???  (And, no, children, I wasn't swearing with that "beep"!)

It does give it a very "old fashioned" look and sound, which may put off some people.  (Like my sister, Karen, who doesn't even like to watch black and white movies!)   

I think anyone who has an interest in history would love this DVD.  I loved it.  Rainman loved it.  My kids each loved different parts of it.  They weren't fascinated by every part of the film....but it moved so quickly that by the time they could get bored, they had switched to something more interesting.  Like the price of a postage stamp, or the president who got married in the White House (Grover Cleveland), or how Billy the Kidd died.


The 1880's portion of the DVD is only half of what is included.  The bonus feature on the DVD is an archival documentary type film about Alexander Graham Bell.  I am sort of torn with this part of the review.  I was the only one who stayed put through this part of the DVD. 

The kids really liked the first part about the 1880s. 

But, when we got around to Alexander Graham Bell's life...it sort of started out like one of those live T.V. show thingies from the 50's....where they were sponsored by one company.....I can't remember their names....it was sort of dark and shadowy....and dramatic.

It started out confusing....I wasn't even sure which guy was Alexander Graham Bell....the old guy, the kid, or, the man with the pipe.  Once you figured it out, it made a bit more sense....and honestly, I learned quite a bit from the 30 minutes that it spent on his life.  That said, I was the only one who sat through it.  One by one, everyone else sort of wandered off.....even Rainman.

The first part about the 1880's moves really quickly and covers a lot of information.  There is almost no way that anyone can get bored with that part.

The Alexander Graham Bell part is worth sitting through....just know up front that he is the middle aged guy with a beard and cleaning a pipe in the first scene.  It will be a lot easier to follow once you know that little tidbit.


You can get a copy of  America in the 1880s from Marshall Publishing for $19.95.  There is a brief study guide available that goes along with the DVD and covers all the important people and dates that are covered in the DVD....if you want to do more exploring on your own, or assign other projects for your kids to work on.

They have a lot of these historical/documentary type DVDs, so especially if you are a big fan of history, take a look around.  There is a whole series of awarding winning DVDs, on subjects like,  Lewis and Clark, The History of Bridges, or T.V's Greatest Comedians.

The TOS crew had other options of DVDs they wanted to review.  So, go take a look at what the other choices were, and what they thought. 


Disclaimer:  I received a copy of the America in the 1880s DVD free, in exchange for an honest review.

Habla Espanol?

Un pequeno. (I don't know how to get that little tilde thing-a-ma-bob over my letters)

I speak a little Spanish.

A bit more than Dora and Diego.....but, not much.

I took one year of Spanish in high school and another year in college.  I remember conjugating a lot of verbs.

I must have spoken it pretty well at the time, because when I took a missions trip to Honduras in college....I had my testimony memorized in Spanish and everytime I would share, people would come up to me afterwards and start speaking to me in Spanish....really fast....I had to tell them I couldn't really speak Spanish.  It was sort of humiliating.

I wish I had stuck with it.

I wish I had started earlier.

I have always marveled at the people who live in Europe.  Most anyone you come into contact with speaks more than just their native tongue.

When we travel, we have met many waiters that spoke 4 or 5 languages because they had to be able to understand people from many countries.  I imagine that they made great money, because people would be so happy to find someone who could understand what they wanted to eat....or give them directions back to their hotel.

I don't necessarily want my children to be waiters/waitresses in a foreign country....but I would like them to be able to embrace another language and really, truly, be able to speak it....not just successfully conjugate verbs.

Like I said, I wish I had started learning a language earlier.  So, when we got a chance to try out a language program designed for younger ones, I was pretty excited.

It is called Speekee and we also got access to their Fast Track program which has lesson plans already created for me.


Speekee is, apparently, the world's number one Spanish course for children.



With Speekee, you watch about a 15-20 video with real children as well as Speekee, Dino and Lupi, who are puppets.

There are songs, puppets, and a little animation here and there.

Here is how we have used Speekee.

I would sit at the computer and gather A-man, S-girl, and even though I wasn't intending this for her, V-girl.  She almost always wants in on the action.  Officially, the program is for ages 2-10....I just didn't think she would get into it like she does!

So, we all precariously perch on or near the computer chair and watch and sing along with the Speekee TV on-line videos.

Let me tell you something.....those songs....they get in your head.  But, not only in my head....V-girl's too.  She was singing.... in Spanish....that very first day.

Now, she doesn't have any idea what she is saying yet....but I truly believe that will come.

A-man and S-girl were singing them right away too.  A-man gets that he is singing, "I speak Spanish.".....and S-girl.....sort of knows what she is singing.

The videos take you various places with a group of Spanish speaking children.  I think they may actually be in Spain from what some of the streets and buildings look like.

Anyway, you follow them through this magic playground tube and they go different places like the park (el parque), the cafe (el cafe), a house (la casa).....and you learn and repeat after them.  Everything is spoken in Spanish....but you can have English subtitles displayed on the video...which we still do. 

The funniest thing around here is when V-girl will put out her little hand and say, just like Speekee does.

"E tu?"  (I know there is a way to type an upside down question mark....but I don't know how...)





Speekee says, "E tu?" in this video clip at about 30 seconds in....

On days that I have been too busy to sit down with them and do Speekee, L-girl has filled in for me.

She actually guided them through making sock puppets that look like Dino and Lupi in the videos.  If you look closely, you will see her puppet "hiding" near the computer screen.  She is 10...at the top of the recommended ages for Speekee, but I think she feels it is just too young for her to do, for her....but not to help the littler kids with it. 

We are having a lot of fun with Speekee.  Some of the pronunciations are different than I am used to.  I assume it is because it is Spanish....being taught by children who live in Spain....not another Spanish speaking country.

I will admit, I don't completely understand everything available on the website when I log in.  The videos I get....it is the stuff along the right side that I am not totally sure yet what to do with. 

It is part of  something called Speekee TV Immersion Connect, a fairly new upgrade to Speekee TV.  Speekee is considered an "immersion" program and so, this is what they say you can do with the stuff on the side:

• Connect virtually with the characters from Speekee
• Immerse themselves in a multi-sensory Spanish experience
• Listen, speak, read and respond in Spanish
• Be rewarded for using the Spanish language they have learned
• Measure their progression by earning points and levelling up
• Create their own virtual sock puppet

The kids get Puntos (points - yeah, I had to have the Google Toolbar translate that for me!)....which I assume is to be spent at the Mercado (I remembered that one.....market....but, thanks again to Google Toolbar translating for confirming it for me).  But, somehow...but we haven't quite figured that part out.....other than sort of randomly clicking on stuff over there.


We just watch the videos, sing the songs, do some of the activities from the Fast Track  and move on.

It really is fun.  Some of the school review things I do, I get moans and groans from the kids when I say it is time for them....because it feels like "school".  But, in this case, it was "It's time for Speekee?  Yay!" response.

Fair warning:  The songs do stick in your head.....you sing them long after you have heard them.  Depending on how you feel about that sort of thing, that part could  be a positive or a negative.  Think of it this way...maybe it will get Barney out of your head....or Justin Beiber's latest and greatest (depending on the age of your kids!)  Trust me.....these songs are waaaay better than either of those options!


I mentioned that we are using the Fast Track program with this.  It is the lesson plan portion of the program.  I get the weekly plan just sent to my e-mail.  I print it out (usually just a few pages) and then we go from there.  There is also a plan/chart that shows clearly what to do everyday for 40 weeks.  They have 4 lessons a week planned in their schedule.

There are also flash card type printables available through the Fast Track program also.  They are more like flash "pieces of paper" than flash cards....because they are the size of an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper....but, I liked that they were bigger than a normal flash card.

Some weeks we do 2 or 3 in a day...if everyone is in the right mood.  Other times we spread them out and only do 2 lessons a week.  The good part about Speekee is that to the kids it doesn't feel like "real" school....so we have had some Speekee Saturdays too!

So, even if I don't follow their exact schedule, thanks to the Fast Track plan....I still know what we should do next.  (Very handy when you are a mom that doesn't always like to think!)


You can try Speekee free, for two weeks.  Or, just jump in with a  monthly subscription to Speekee TV for $7.50/month, or $60.00 for a 12 months.

Go take a look.  Mira!  Mira!  Find out what other homeschoolers on the TOS Crew thought of Speekee. 


Disclaimer:  I received free access to Speekee and the Fast Track program for free in exchange for an honest review.

Math 911

What actually fits the criteria for declaring a math emergency?

Honestly, I have no idea.

But, there is this clever product out there called, Math 911, that is at the ready, just in case you declare an emergency.

Here is what their website says this is for:

Math911 is for students who believe that Algebra must be a struggle, difficult and complicated. Math911 is the easiest and most economical solution for Algebra students. The Math911 approach is what learning Algebra should be: quick, fun, and easy. Math911 will let you absorb Algebra effortlessly.


Did you catch that?  ....absorb Algebra effortlessly.

I should have tried this product myself.  I am a big fan of effortless! 

But, instead, I had D-man our resident Algebra learning person try it out.



If you remember, last year, instead of buying a "real" curriculum, we got a College Algebra book at a used book store and sort of just worked our way through that.  But, underneath, I was worried that we were missing some things or glossing over others.

That is why I am so happy when we get a real advanced math product to try out....calms my nerves....assures me that I am NOT screwing up my son....in a mathematical way at least....there are many other ways I am probably screwing him up....but that is for another post.

So, anyway, I got D-man all set up (we just downloaded our version straight onto the computer - you could also get the whole program on a flash drive) and let him have at it.

I happened to walk by one day and saw all 100% next to his name.  So, I asked him, if this program was too easy for him.

His response, "No, I am just that good."

Ha!  Such a funny kid.

Actually he had 100% by his name because Math 911 uses a mastery approach.  Which means they aren't graded for wrong answers, because they work at the problems until they "get it".  The program just keeps giving him similar problems until.....he masters it.

Although, D-man...."You are good, my friend."  (just not that good!)

We are sticking to Algebra now, but the beauty of Math 911 is that it covers the sorts of math that usually freak us, well meaning moms, out.  Stuff like; Introductory Algebra (not too freaky), Intermediate Algebra (getting a little scarier), Statistics (okay....feeling a little weak in the knees here), Trigonometry (trig---ah---what----a----tree?), College Algebra (who are we kidding here), Pre-Calculus (I honestly have no idea what Calculus even is).

They even throw in some bonus materials for your random math emergency, that covers:


The Normal Curve
The Central Limit Theorem
The Bonomial Experiment
Confidence Intervals
Hypothesis Testing


Will you think any less of me if I admit the only thing on that list I sort of understand is hypothesis testing?

This program was created by Dr. Martin Weissman a long time mathematics teacher who has been on staff at Essex County College since the last 1960's.

I like that.  Good, old fashioned math.  Explained by a good, old fashioned math professor.


How funny is this disclaimer statement?




Sorry.  I just think it is really funny.

Really funny.

Like I said....good, old fashioned math.

There really are no fancy graphics.  No music.  No multiple choice, even.  Just math.

D-man is working through the Intermediate Algebra right now, but it is basically a review of what he already covered last year.  (You know....to calm my nerves....) 

D-man did say that the program is very picky about where you put your  markings and spaces for answers....but I think details like that are important....especially in math. 

Learning to use this program just took him a few minutes of talking outloud to himself.  "Now what?  Oh, wait....let's see what this does....oh, that makes sense.  Okay, I got it now."  That kind of stuff.


When he would get a problem, he would either solve it and get a "Correct!" on the screen or he wouldn't.  If he got it correct...he just clicked "New Problem" along the side....if he had gotten it wrong, he would just keep on trying, if he still didn't know where he went wrong, there is a button that says "Show Steps".

Like I said, pretty straight forward....good, old fashioned math.  No bells and whistles that plays victory music and brings you to the next problem.  You actually have to do a little work yourself and create your own victory celebration......if that is important to you!  :)

He will be moving on to the College Algebra and Trigonometry next.

That is the beauty of this product.  You pay once for the download/flash drive and that gives you access to all the upgrades and it covers all the "big" math you are going to need for the next few years.....for all your students. 

So, let me fill you in on the cost of this program.

The Standard Version of Math 911 covers Algebra One.  It is.....wait for it.....free.

Yup. 

The basic Algebra course is free.

But, I will tell you that you won't want to just stop there.  You will want all those fancy schmancy harder sounding other math thingies I listed above.

So, for access to all of those, you can update to the Premier version, which is normally $49.95. 

With the Premier Version, users will have free lifetime updates, free technical support (which I have heard GREAT things about), as well as access to additional Mathematics Courses with separate grade reports for all family members. 

Yes, I will be able to use this for my other kids.

But wait!  There's more!

(I feel like an infomercial for Ginsu knives now....)

Professor Weissmann is running a homeschool special right now that will get you the Premier version for just $9.95!

No, that is not a typo....all of that advanced math stuff for a little under $10.00.

Just type in the code "homeschool" at check out.

So, bottom line for me?

This is a great math product.  No bells.  No whistles.  Just math.  Hard math.  Given in a very teachable way.

Who could ask for anything more?

Some of the TOS reviewers have raved about the customer service that Math 911 provided, directly through Professor Weissman.  Go and see what they thought of Math 911.

Disclaimer:  We received a free download of the Premier Version of Math 911 in exchange for an honest review.