The Verbal Math Lesson Review

You may remember my review of The Reading Lesson last year.  It is the program we used to teach C to read at a very young age.  While not every child is ready to read as early as C was, I have always had the viewpoint that I want to help C reach any academic goals she is capable of, regardless of her age.  I love the simple approach of The Reading Lesson, it made reading a fun experience for my daughter.  Now at age six, I have don't know her "reading level."  What I do know is that she is a voracious reader that has been able to tackle just about any book that has captured her interested.  This includes books that are considered to be anywhere from K - 5th grade reading level.  If she finds a book interesting, she will read it, she hasn't met a book she wanted to read that she couldn't comprehend.  I think her basis with The Reading Lesson made reading seem easily attainable for her and that is certainly how she approaches reading today.  I could go on and on about The Reading Lesson but that is not what this post is about! 

Our Daughter's Approach to Math

You may have read in that original post, C was less thrilled with The Verbal Math Lesson.  Math is simply not C's favorite subject.  She does well most of the time, but if she considers a concept difficult, she simply gives up.(We are working on this.)  For her, the idea of doing math in your head seemed difficult because she was used to the worksheet approach.  Over the last year, I have learned that when it comes to math, C will "get it" easily if she is ready, otherwise, she won't get it all.  I've learned that if she is struggling with something in math, it does us both some good to drop that topic for awhile and try again at a later date.  This has proved true recently with learning to tell time, using tallies, and with practicing mental math with The Verbal Math Lesson.

Our Experience with The Verbal Math Lesson

Last year, I originally thought I would just alter my approach with the program but I later decided to just put it aside for the time being.  I always meant to try it again but I never got around to it.  Thankfully, I got a sweet e-mail from the folks at Mountcastle asking me if I'd be willing to check out the 2014 release of their Verbal Math series.  It was just the reminder I needed!. We got a new copy of books 1-3 to try out and C is actually enjoying math! 

She is seeing some great success with our math curriculum this year (Saxon), however, she does get frustrated with the length of the lessons.  We have started alternating days with The Verbal Math Lesson and she is so happy when we get to have a verbal math day!  I mean, who wouldn't prefer to do math snuggled up on the couch with a cozy blanket and mommy! 

The Verbal Math Lesson: What You Need to Know

• This program is a fun, step-by-step approach to learning math with no writing required!
• Excellent choice for young learners that don't yet have the motor skills to sit and do worksheets.
• The Verbal Math Lesson is a completely comprehensive program, unlike other mental math books I've seen.
• Math fluency will help your child achieve success in math as the work gets more difficult.
• The Verbal Math Program is affordable. 
• Book 1 is recommended for children 5-7, this is the book we are currently working through and it is actually lining up rather well with our Saxon 2 work.
• Book 2 is recommended for children 7-8.
• Book 3 is recommended for children 8-10.
• The Verbal Math Lesson: Metric Math is recommended for students 11-16 (more on this book below)

 I am so happy we tried Book 1 again now that C is six.  Children that are naturally interested in math can most likely use this book with success sooner than we did.  I recommend this program for anyone with younger children.  The ability to do simple math mentally will be a great asset when your child is tackling more complex work in a few years. 

The Verbal Math Lesson: Metric Math

I am really excited about the latest book in the verbal math series, Metric Math.   This book is recommended for older students and is designed to help students seamlessly convert our traditional math to metric.  If you are wondering why learning metric math is important to students here in the United States, check out this blog post on the topic.  Here is a little snippet from the post:

"Metric math becomes increasingly crucial as our world becomes more global and we interact with other nations."

 

 With the addition of the Metric Math lesson, there is a verbal math lesson for everyone!  I just love the approach to learning of Michael Levin, M.D. and Charan Langton, M.S.. I have been impressed with everything I have seen from Mountcastle.  The e-books are incredibly affordable, you can get books 1-3 for just $17.99.  If you prefer a paper copy, you can get all three for $29.99.  If you try out The Verbal Math Lesson, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Thank you so much for visiting Joy Focused Learning!

~Angela Bennett

Square by Square Review

I love having fun educational games to incorporate into our school time.  It is an excellent way to break up the book work.  If you haven't seen the games from Thinkfun, you are missing out!  We already loved the game, Zingo, so when I got the opportunity to review Square by Square, I was thrilled!  Square by Square is a fun way to build spacial awareness.  The game consists of 14 pieces, 60 challenge cards and the orange base to build on.  It also comes with a mesh bag to hold everything when the game is not in use.

C quickly got to work choosing a card to build.  This is probably her favorite part! There are several designs she got really excited to build.  In the pictures here, she chose to build the dragon.  The first time she tried the game, she thought it was too hard.  However, after working on it for awhile she started seeing how the pieces fit together.  On the back of the challenge cards they have two hint pictures to help kids out when they get stuck.  Some days she relies a lot on those hints but she has completed a few challenges without them.

The game itself is well made.  I love that the orange base has a space to hold the cards.  There is only one thing I would change.  Instead of the bag, I would prefer a hinged lid.  I think C would find it more inviting on the shelf if she could see the game instead of a blue bag.  Overall, we all enjoy Square by Square!  If you are looking for a fun way to build spacial reasoning, Square by Square is a good option.  What are your family's favorite games?  I would love to hear in the comments below!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thank you so much for visiting Joy Focused Learning! 

~Angela

Verilux SmartLight Review and Giveaway!

As a blogger, I frequently check www.tomoson.com to see if there any products available for review that I think you might find interesting.  When I saw the Verilux SmartLight, it intrigued me to say the least.  A desk lamp with patented Natural Spectrum® Daylight that claims to help you read faster with stronger comprehension, study longer without eyestrain while improving productivity and focus.  Sign me up!

I get headaches when the light around me is too harsh so the idea of a lamp that mimics natural light really appealed to me.  When we received our SmartLight, I was very happy with the light it gives out.  It is a nice, bright, white light that really helps the words pop on whatever you are reading.  The day we set up the lamp she sat at her desk for quite awhile working on various things.  First, she pulled out a match game.  Later, she colored and did art for a bit.  I was truly surprised later in the day when she completed a word search and didn't give up until she found every word!  That was a first.  Now, I can't necessarily contribute that to the lamp but I did feel like her focus was improved.

 I asked my husband to try the lamp out while he was studying so I could get his opinion.  He wasn't as impressed as C and I were.  Specifically, he wished the light from the lamp covered a larger area.  He felt that the book he was working out of was well lit but his writing space beyond it wasn't.  He did appreciate the crisp light as he was reading though.

The lamp comes in your choice of white or graphite.  The bulb is quite large and unfortunately it is pretty pricey to replace.  The good news is that it should last for 10,000 hours! I love the flexible neck, it is perfect for getting the light right where I need it.  Overall, I am really happy with the lamp and I recommend it.  One of you will get to try the Verilux SmartLight for yourselves because Verilux is going to give one lucky Joy Focused Learning reader their very own SmartLight!  Enter to win using the widget below and good luck!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Entry-Form

Disclosure: Joy Focused Learning receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. All opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain affiliate links that I receive commission for payment from in exchange for referrals. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. Giveaways are not sponsored by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or any other social media site. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be a good fit for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Get Kids in the Kitchen with Curious Chef!

I recieved the Medium Nylon Plastic Knife free of charge from Curious Chef to facilitate this review.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Getting kids involved in the cooking process is a wonderful way to get your little ones to try foods they might not be willing to try otherwise.  Sometimes it can be a little stressful for mommy though, at least for this mommy!  The mess, the hot stove and the sharp knives are enough to make cooking with kids a little overwhelming for me.  I decided to make myself try harder to get C exploring in the kitchen with me.  Messes can be cleaned, she is old enough to be careful around a hot stove and as for the sharp knives?  That is no longer a problem with Curious Chef! 

Curious Chef has an amazing line of real cooking products for kids.  One of the first products to catch my eye was the plastic knife.  I thought it would be the perfect tool teach knife safety without risking her little fingers.   We were both excited to open up the package when it arrived and get cooking!

For the first day, I let her help chop up the veggies for our dinner.  It was a little difficult for her at first but she got the hang of it.  A few days later I decided to let her make her own snack, all by herself.  She was thrilled!  I originally go the idea for this snack from Reboot With Joe.  We simplified it a little though.  Here are the ingredients we used:

• Gala Apple
• Peanut Butter
• Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

First she sliced the apple into circles.  This was a bit hard for her because she is still working on her chopping motion.  I sliced the apple with this knife without much trouble.  Of course, it wasn't exactly like slicing with my personal knives but I didn't expect that. 

Then we used a cute veggie cutter(we have these) to get the core out.  

Next, she spread the peanut butter onto the apple.  A butter knife would be better for spreading than a fork, but all of ours seem to have disappeared. 

 

Finally, we topped them with the unsweetened coconut.  I almost cleaned up the cutting board before taking the picture but I wanted to keep it real for you.  This post is about cooking with kids after all!

Yum!  She was so happy to dig into her snack.  She said, "I made it myself!"

I love the curious chef knife for introducing knife safety without having to worry about her cutting herself.  I think it it is the perfect beginner knife.  Like I mentioned before, it isn't sharp so it won't cut like a standard knife but I think it does a pretty good job.  

Do your kids enjoy cooking?  I'd love to hear your tips for getting kids involved in the cooking process, leave me a comment! 

Thanks so much for visiting Joy Focused Learning!

~Angela

Medieval Times Review

Disclaimer: My family received complementary tickets to Medieval Times to facilitate this review.  I was not compensated in any other way for this post. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately.  Our family has been taking a break from our school work to rest, relax and visit family.  Recently we traveled to Texas to visit our family there.  We survived a crazy long road trip with a five year old(road trip printables coming soon) and we had so much fun!

A major highlight of our trip was our visit to Medieval Times.  None of us had ever been so we were so thankful for the opportunity.  To prepare C for the experience we headed to Half Priced Books and got a fun book describing what life was like in Medieval days.  She was so excited, every day she asked if it was Medieval Times Day yet.  Finally, the day arrived and we eagerly headed to the Medieval Times in Dallas, Tx.  

I was instantly impressed with how organized they were at the ticket counter.  They have many lines open and extra people reminded those waiting to have tickets ready if they pre-purchased and to be prepared when their turn arrives.  At the ticket counter they give you color coded table number cards.  The color of your table determines which night you will be cheering for.  We got yellow and proceeded to the crowning area.  Everyone in our group loved our fun everyone we encountered was.  Once you enter the crowning area, everyone is dressed in costume.  C loved that!

While we waited for the show to start, we perused the Hall of Arms, checked out the different souvenirs and then visited the torture museum.  The torture museum is an extra fee, but it was only $2.00 per person.  In the torture museum you will get to see torture devices used during Medieval Times.  It is definitely creepy in there so you will have to think about whether you think your child can handle it.  C is never really bothered by those things so we decided it would be okay for her and she was fine!

After the Torture Museum it was time to head to our seats.  Once seated the server quickly goes over the menu, asks if anyone will need a vegetarian meal and gets everyone fired up for the show to begin.  It is pretty loud in there so it is a bit hard to hear the server well but everything is pretty simple so it wasn't a big deal.  Our server was also pretty easy to flag down if we had a question.  

I can tell you without a doubt, you will not leave Medieval Times hungry!  The food was delicious and the portion is certainly generous.  I was surprised that C actually got the same size portions as the adults.  She didn't mind one bit and devoured almost the entire meal.  My husband ordered the vegetarian meal so we could see what they offer.  He was very happy with his meal. 

The show was amazing!  Everyone in the audience really got into cheering for their knight.  The knights come around and throw flowers to some of the little girls in his section before the festivities begin. Each knight also chooses a girl that he will fight for.  Since we were in the front, he chose C!  She felt so special.  After all of that, the jousting begins.  After the joust the battle continues on foot.  It was so interesting to watch and kept everyone's attention.  

After the show the knights come out for pictures.  From the time we arrived to the time we left we all had a blast!  I highly recommend Medieval Times if you live or plan to vacation near one.  I hope our family we be able to visit again in the future.  Be sure to check your local Medieval Times location's website before you arrive.  The Dallas location had a few deals going on the week we went there.  All you have to do is mention the coupon code at the ticket counter to claim the discount.  

Thanks you so much for visiting Joy Focused Learning!

~Angela

Natural Toothpaste My Daughter Actually Likes! Earthpaste Review

Disclaimer:  I received a package of products from Redmond Trading Co. to facilitate this review.   II am not being compensated for this post in any other way and all opinions are my own.

Not too long ago, Redmond Trading Co. sent me an awesome package of products to try out.  I was most interested in and excited about trying the Earthpaste.  Our family has been on a long journey to find a natural toothpaste that everyone in our family likes.  Poor C didn't like the flavor of any toothpaste I brought home. Needless to say, I was ecstatic when she actually liked the Lemon Twist flavor!  

Earthpaste is a truly natural toothpaste that does not contain any chemicals to whiten the final product.  It was a bit surprising to see the grayish color at first but I would much rather use a naturally colored toothpaste than one full of chemicals!  I love that Earthpaste has a very short ingredient list:

• Purified Water - to hydrate the clay
• Food Grade Redmond Clay - polishing cleanser with antibacterial properties
• Xylitol - A natural sweetener that is believed to promote healthy teeth
• Redmond Real Salt - enhances flavor and adds antibacterial properties
• Essential Oils - add flavor

After using Earthpaste for a few weeks I can confidently say that Earthpaste is an effective toothpaste!  C has always had healthy teeth and that hasn't changed one bit.  Her smile is white as ever!

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Redmond Trading Co.  offers many other amazing products!  I absolutely love the Real Salt.  I have been using it for awhile now.  I was excited to try the flavored varieties, they are all wonderful!  They also offer Bath Salts which everyone in our house loved.  The clay is so versatile and mineral rich.  I plan on using it often to combat sunburn, cuts and scrapes this summer.  The facial mud is loaded with the minerals found in the Redmond Clay.

I am so excited that one of you will be able to win 2 tubes of Earthpaste in any flavor you choose!

• Lemon Twist
• Spearmint
• Cinnamon
• Peppermint
• Wintergreen

Enter using the tool below, good luck! :) 

Entry-Form

We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards Review

Disclaimer: I received the Parenting Cards for free to facilitate this review.  All views and opinions are my own.  

I was so excited to have the opportunity to review the We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards!  I've had my eye on the We Choose Virtues products for awhile now.  The parenting cards are a perfect fit for us.  The cards are sturdy, colorful and contain a lot of helpful information.

The front of the cards include:

• The virtue written in large print
• A cute character that helped C get an image of the virtue in action
• A quick catchphrase to help the kids understand what the virtue means
• A quick phrase that tells what the virtue isn't.  e.g. "I am not...rough, harsh or loud."
• A Bible verse that correlates with the virtue.

The back of the cards contain so much useful information:

• Virtue user challenge: A challenge for the whole family to put the virtue into practice.
• What to say after "I'm sorry" to help children identify their mistake and what they can do better next time.
• Teacher moments for Kind families: ideas for opportunities to practice the virtue in everyday activities
• The Kids of VirtueVille:  A description of the character or the virtue.  C loves these!  

We decided to focus on one virtue per week.  To help C get excited it I let her choose the first focus virtue.  After carefully reading through each card, she chose gentle.  I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt when she chose that card.  Gentle is definitely a virtue this mamma needs to work on.  I hate to admit that but I've got to be real with you.  There are many days that I feel like C doesn't listen until I shout at her.  We had a nice talk about how I will gladly work on being more gentle and that to succeed I need her to be obedient.  Her listening skills have improved and I have found myself yelling much less.    

To practice being gentle with her hands we played Jenga.  It was a great hands on way to cement our learning.  

Each day we read the catchphrase and verse for our virtue of the week.  We also looked for opportunities to practice our virtue as much as possible.  C loved being gentle while holding an egg.  

When we got these cards I thought the focus would be on building virtue in C.  I was so wrong.  I benefited as much if not more from our weekly virtue focus as C did.  I think we can all benefit from looking for more opportunities to practice virtues in our daily life.  

For more information on all of the wonderful product options from We Choose Virtues, visit www.wechoosevirtues.com  You can find the parenting cards under Shop > Tools for Families. 

Do you have any tips for instilling virtue in children?  I would love to hear them in comments below!  Thank you so much for visiting Joy Focused Learning.

~Angela

Coconut Oil Fun & A Tropical Traditions Giveaway!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.  If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

We love coconut oil in our house!  We use it in recipes in place of other oils and we use it in bath and body products. I love versatile products like Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!  C was especially excited when our coconut oil arrived because she instantly thought of a yummy use for the coconut oil, Fairy Magic Ice Cream!  I enjoyed that the Tropical Traditions oil lent a light coconut flavor to the hard shell chocolate sauce. If you aren't a fan of coconut, I do not taste the coconut when I use the oil in baked goods. I also appreciated that we could enjoy a fun treat while being able to pronounce every ingredient!

K5 Learning Review

I received a free six week trial to K5 Learning for review purposes.  I was not compensated in any other way. K5 Learning has an online reading and math program for kindergarten to grade 5 students. I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program. If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an online learning review of their program.

What is K5 Learning?