Have You Had Your Eggs for the Day? Reading Eggs - Home & School Mosaics Review

Reading Eggs

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Online subscriptions are available for 6 months or 1 year.  Book packs and other related products are available here. Click here for prices.

For 5 free weeks click here.

Many of us grew up hearing that breakfast was the most important meal of the day.  We ate a variety of things for that most important meal, including eggs.  Around our house breakfast is important, but our "eggs" come in a different form.  We often start the day with Reading Eggs.  We've been using the program for some time now to provide a review for Home and School Mosaics.  I'm happy to say that my little guy who was fighting learning to read is now reading!  It'll still take some time, but we've moved through those first "figuring it all out" steps.  He even sings the phonics songs, has favorite characters and randomly reads things not covered yet.  Yippee!  Here's a bit about Reading Eggs and Reading Express for those who might be looking for a program that's sure to work.

Reading Eggs provides a comprehensive range of online reading lessons and e-books that teach children aged 3–13 the literacy skills they need for lifetime reading success.  It is said that 91% of parents have noticed an improvement in their child’s reading ability since using Reading Eggs, which includes over 1,500 ebooks.  It is compatible on PC, Mac, iPad and Android, and there is a money-back guarantee.

Reading Eggs was developed by expert educators with 20+ years experience and is based on solid scientific research.  The program makes learning phonics and basic reading skills fun for 3–13 year olds. Children progress through the one-on-one lessons at their own pace while parents follow regular progress reports and assessments which track their child’s learning.  There are 2 programs within Reading Eggs, Reading Eggs for ages 3–7 and Reading Eggspress for ages 7–13.

Both programs have their own unique worlds of interactive reading and writing activities. These worlds provide a highly visual, engaging and interactive environment with colorful animations and characters. At the end of each Reading Eggs lesson children are rewarded with a playful 'critter' that hatches from an egg. They can also earn golden coins that they can use to play games in the ‘Arcade’. In Reading Eggspress children are encouraged to collect trading cards and trophies. Children are also given an avatar which marks their place in the particular world they are in. The avatar can be personalized by the child.

Full of educationally sound, fun and interactive activities, Reading Eggs focuses on the most fundamental skill needed in school – reading. Children from 3 –7 years or older children struggling with reading will find a huge variety of reading lessons, activities and games in the program.  In addition to the 120 reading lessons there is the Reading Eggs World.  In the Reading Eggs World, children have their own house to decorate, a big shop and an avatar that can walk and travel to many new destinations on Reggie’s bus including:

• The Story Factory - gives children an introduction to creative writing and they can put together stories to enter in a weekly story writing competition.
• Driving Tests - 15 sight word tests, 15 letters and sounds test and 15 content word tests which rewards children for correct completion with a driving game.
• Puzzle Park - 32 word puzzles and sight word recognition practice.
• Skills Bank - 96 spelling lessons that take students up to the end of key stage 1.
• Storylands - this area builds reading, vocabulary and comprehension skills and is perfect for children who have begun to read but aren’t quite ready for Reading Eggspress. It currently includes 20 e-books to read.
• The Arcade - 24 arcade-style games to be used as rewards to motivate children to keep learning. Children need to earn Golden Eggs to play these so encourages them to work through lessons and educational activities before using the arcade.

A Reading Eggs lesson contains two parts which make up the main lesson, dot to dots and a letter grid (for letter recognition), vocabulary and an e-book.  Completing each of these steps earns gold coins.  After completing all of these steps an egg hatches with a new "critter".  There are even quizzes, downloadable related activities and certificates upon completion.

The 4 areas of the Reading Eggspress World include:

• Library - holds more than 1500 e-books including illustrated chapter books, full-color nonfiction books and a range of classics. Children can search for books by topic, series, author, reading age or book title, and new books are added regularly.

• The Comprehension Gym - children complete a placement test at the Gym which puts students at the correct level for their current ability. 200 interactive comprehension lessons over five broad levels from years 2 to years 6 with 40 lessons per year level are included.

• The Stadium – children compete in real time against students from around the world in head-to-head contest tests which cover skills in one of four areas – spelling, vocabulary, usage and grammar.

• Apartment and Mall - children can use their golden eggs to buy avatar clothes and apartment furniture.  Within the apartment all the trophies, medals and trading cards children have collected can be viewed and children can also complete a 100-level quest-style game to expand and refresh learning and earn more golden eggs.

Progress within the Reading Eggspress program is measured by the completion of targets which are split over 4 levels and help give children some guidance and structure for learning and encourage them to use all of the above areas.

Both the Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress programs have a comprehensive reporting system that tracks progress so that students and their parents can clearly see each child’s achievements.  Click here for a program feature summary.

**91% of parents have noticed an improvement in their child’s reading ability since using Reading Eggs which includes over 1500 ebooks.  It is compatible on PC, Mac, iPad and Android.  There is a money-back guarantee!

Perhaps you might even want to get in on The Reading Eggs Read-To-Cure Challenge before it finishes. From February 3 to March 7 your child can take part in the Reading Eggs Read-To-Cure Challenge which is an effort to inspire children to read while raising funds for The National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS). With a goal to raise $25,000, Reading Eggs will match donation up to this amount!

All money raised will help provide financial, emotional and educational support for children and families battling childhood cancer. (You can learn more about the NCCS at www.thenccs.org.) *NCCS will earn a minimum of $25,000 from Reading Eggs plus 100% of the donations collected by RTCC participants  

It's easy! Children sign up for a FREE 5 week trial of Reading Eggs, the popular online reading program for 3–13 year olds. From February 3 to March 7 they are encouraged to complete as many books and Reading Eggs lessons as they can. Friends and family can sponsor their reading efforts, with all money raised going to the NCCS.  There are even great prizes up for grabs for the top 3 children who read the most books and the top 3 children who raise the most funds!  The Reading Eggs Read-To-Cure Challenge is a FREE event.  To get started parents just sign up for their free trial of Reading Eggs at the web address above (under the picture), and once logged in to the dashboard screen they need to simply add their child to their account. Once their child is set up in the dashboard they need to click on the button on the left hand side bar prompting them to join the challenge. Parents can always come back here to see their child’s progress in the challenge.  From there they can follow the prompts to customize their child’s very own fundraising page.

So continue on or find something new?  We're definitely continuing with this program.  While my little guy has not finished all of the levels of Reading Eggs yet, I've been checking out Reading Eggspress for when he is ready to start with it.  My favorite part is that he's having fun and learning at the same time, without even realizing he's doing it.  My husband and I were discussing that the incentives (golden coins/games) seem to be holding his attention and making him want to continue.  Now our only dilemma is that he really wants a stuffed "Pinkypoo" penguin, the pink one, with pretty paws.  He even waddles around all the time and turns in circles like Pinkypoo.  Of all of the characters ... 

The sign-up and set-up process is quite easy with these programs, and I can see exactly where my guy is at on his accomplishments and skills.  The programs really encourage independence as well as a bit of creativity along the way.  When he realized that he could repeat sections he liked (Can we say wonderful reinforcement?) we had one happy kid.  Right now I think we're perhaps bordering on a bit of "addiction" to Reading Eggs.  I can think of much worse things to be addicted to at his tender age.

More favorite parts include catchy songs, the individualized pacing, and the adorable characters.  The creators of these programs definitely have figured out how to draw in kids and help them to read. I'll admit that sometimes it feels like deception to offer Reading Eggs because my guy thinks it's a treat.  Then again, he's convinced we don't do school at home either.  Why ruin what works and tell him this is to help him learn to do something he's been fighting?  These programs are definitely worth the time and money in my opinion.  We're so thankful to the Reading Eggs folks for letting us try their program!

To see more reviews go to Home &  School Mosaics

Come Along to Ooka Island! Mosaic Reviews

OOKA ISLAND

www.ookaisland.com

1-877-307-3616

3630 Woodbine Rd.

Woodbine, MD  21797

Sign Up here

Ooka Island Bookstore
Powerpoint explaining the program

Have you heard of Ooka Island?  It's not on any map you've checked out.  It's a great learn-to-read online program for kids in Pre-K through Second grade.  We've been spending some quality time getting to know the island to write up this Mosaic Review.  Let me tell you a bit about it.  It's Ooka-riffic!

This program includes instruction, a narrated e-Reader and progress reports in real-time.  Children visit a 3D virtual world which contains various sites to visit in order to learn phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.  The various places that children visit on the Island include:

• Alphabet Mountain  (identify and sequence letters of the alphabet)
• Bubbly Trubbly (letter/sound correspondence)
• Cake Factory (letter/sound recognition, blending and decoding)
• Cave of Sounds (auditory recognition of letter sounds)
• Clumsy Whacky (blending sounds/words/rhymes)
• Submarine Listening (identifying vowel sounds)
• Word Ball (auditory discrimination between syllables and words)

Additional resources available include activity pages, motivational tools, Ooka Island Workbooks, Ooka Tunes (Sing-Along Songs app), and Reading Heroes.

Activity Page

Activity Page

The online Ooka Island Adventure program can be used alone or as part of a "blended" learning experience by using printed components (offline) such as books, guides, lesson plans, sentence strips, consumable workbooks, and story game cards.  The total adventure program contains about 80 hours of "learning to read" time, and by the end your child is reading at second grade level.

The free downloadable Ooka Island workbooks provide hands-on activities including word identification, sentence construction, sequencing, and story comprehension.  Your child can use these with the e-Books in The Ooka Island Adventure as well as the paperback library from the Ooka Island Books Series.  Who doesn't love free?!

The Ooka Island print programs consists of 95 books that are leveled from Pre-K to 2nd grade.  The first 85 are also in e-Book format on the Island website.  The last 10 books are only available in print.  For guides and story game cards click here.  More motivational tools can be found here.

The three parts of the Ooka Island Learn-to-Read System include Guided Play, e-Reader, and Free Play.  Now that I've told you a bit about the island and additional resources, here's a bit about the Free Play options.  After about 20 minutes of learning games your child gets "Free Play" time.  During that time they are able to go anywhere on the island that is "unlocked" and play again.  They can also read their found books again, visit the Trophy Room, or visit the Mist Mart.

The Mist Mart is a fun feature.  While progressing on their adventure your children earn "Ooka Mist", the island equivalency of currency, which they can spend at the Mist Mart to get clothing and costumes for their avatar.   There is also playground equipment, wallpaper and flooring available.  Your children can also purchase Ooka Tunes music.  (The Ooka Tunes Music is also available as an app.)  There is even a Zopet (dog-like critter) which can be purchased after your child reaches the top of Alphabet Mountain.  Don't forget to have your child purchase teddy bears too!  There's a lot more to explore and purchase at the Mist Mart too.

In addition to the Ooka Island activities, there is also an Ooka Lighthouse Reporting System which allows parents and teachers to see real-time progress reports on things such as the number of books unlocked, the time played in the program, the current level, level score and average percentage for each activity.  While at the Lighthouse parents can check out a Report Card, a Reading Comprehension Report, an Accuracy Analysis Report and a Book Progress Report.  (After 20 minutes of game play on the Island, children visit the Popcorn Library and read a book twice, complete a comprehension activity and a concept of word activity.  While the child completes questions the answers are recorded in the Lighthouse.)

I'm sure you're probably thinking by now that the program sounds interesting but find yourself wondering if it's affordable.  Actually, it's quite affordable compared to a lot of other options.  The Homeschool Edition prices are included below, and prices and options for schools are available by contacting the folks at Ooka.  If you figure out what you'd pay for books, workbooks, guides, testing, an E-reader and other components to get a total program from another company, I'm pretty sure you'll see what a great deal this program is to ensure that your child learns to read.

Homeschool Edition 

Family (up to 4 students)     

$19.95/month or $149.95/year

Individual (1 student)

$12.95/month or $124.95/year

Click here for discount

Keep or Toss?  How did it work for us?

This program is definitely a hit at our house.  Our beginning reader loves the games and is learning the material very quickly.  He begs to get on my laptop to play.  The silly kid has fun and doesn't even realize he's reading.  He's doing quite well and actually beginning to read at other times too.  This is huge since he's not very interested in sitting still to learn to read.  I love watching him make connections and figure things out.  He doesn't really have a favorite part of the island. He loves all of it.  He loves the characters, the songs, the games, and the free time activities.  He also loves that it is something that he gets to do by himself, for the most part.  He loves his "special" computer game time with mom.

One of things he gets excited about is the ride through the Cave of Sounds, which is quite a bit like a roller coaster in his mind.  After the ride he also gets quite excited to use the magnifying glass to find letters that make the sound he's heard.  He also loves the Alphabet Mountain climbing game.  After he reaches the alphabet level for the section he's completing, he loves cruising on the skateboard run at top speed.  Popping bubbles and decorating cakes are also great fun for my little guy.

I really appreciate the 20 minute learning followed by free time.  It allows a little time for the information to sink in while giving him incentive to continue moving forward in the program.  Although you can set it up to be about 1/2 hour for computer and activity time, we end up on the program for 1-3 of the 20 minute learning sessions at a time.  We're accomplishing a lot in a relatively short amount of time.

The only downside I've run into actually has nothing to do with the program.  Our internet is prepaid for a certain amount of data per month.  The program does eat up that data fairly quickly, and, therefore, we've limited our use more than if we had unlimited internet.  That is somewhat of a bummer for both the little guy and this mom.  That said, we enjoy the time that we do spend on the island, and we have taken the laptop elsewhere to visit the island too.  I'm glad we have the printable workbooks and motivational tools to use too since we are limiting the online time.

Will we continue to use Ooka after this review?  I think we probably will for at least a short while.  It has provided a fun start to reading in our house.  Will we purchase it monthly or yearly?  I'm not sure yet, but I'm seriously considering at least monthly for a while.  This program is definitely worth the cost and the time!  As you'd see on the Island, jump, spin, fist pump, and, of course, we'll say it loud and say it proud!  

Visit Mosaic Reviews to see what the rest of the team had to say about Ooka Island.

K5 Learning - Informational Review

K5 Learning

Online Reading and Math Program

Kindergarten - grade 5

www.k5learning.com

888-281-2145 (toll free)

K5 Learning
510 - 4438 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6R 4R8


Follow K5 Learning on Facebook here
Follow K5 Learning on Twitter here

Recently I was offered a 6 week trial of K5 Learning to provide a review.  Due to computer issues I was unable to access this trial, but I would like to tell you about this program that several people I know find really useful.

K5 is an online reading and math enrichment program for children ages Kindergarten through 5th grade which contains a personalized program of over 3,000 interactive multimedia tutorials and activities.

Finding Out More:

Free 14 day Trial  - no credit card required

Free Assessment 

Sample Lessons

Intro Video

As part of your free 14-day trial, your child will receive a free online reading assessment, a free online math assessment, and access to the complete K5 program including Reading, Math, Math Facts and Spelling. 

K5 students start with free online assessments in eight key reading and math skills. K5 then uses this information to personalize your child’s learning program to correspond with their skill level.  Children work through the skills independently and at their own pace.

Free parent reports regarding your child’s free reading and math assessment are available immediately.

K5 reading and math skills assessments cover:

5 Key Reading Skills:

•Phonemic Awareness  •Phonics  •Sight Words  
•Vocabulary  •Reading Comprehension 

3 Key Math Skills:

•Numbers and Operations  •Measurement Concepts  •Geometry 

That's right, this program tailors itself to your child's skills and needs.  What more can you ask?  If you think this might be a good fit for your children why not try it for free and check it out?

 

What Does It Cost?

Monthly subscription: $25 for first child  - $15 additional children. 

Annual subscriptions: $199 for first child  - $129 additional children.

Disclaimer:  I provided this review without compensation.  Comments, opinions, and observations are my own.  This review is informational only--I was unable to access the trial, through no fault of the company or the program.  I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

The Reading Game - A TOS Review

Allsaid & Dunn

2727 De Anza RD, Suite SD21
San Diego, CA 92109
858-412-3442
info@thereadinggame.com

$24.95 each - 15% off orders of 8 or more
Suggested age - Pre-K through 1st grade


Recently we've been playing a new educational game with our son.  As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a free copy of The Reading Game to use in order to provide this review.

The Reading Game is a curriculum supplement to use while teaching your child to read.  The game contains six illustrated storybooks: skunk, snake, bear, penguins, unicorn, and zebra.  Each of the books comes with a word matching card game.  The games are played in six stages, each of which teaches five words. The card game requires only two players, the student and a tutor.  The games are fast paced, with a winner every few seconds, and learning to read becomes fun.

When your child completes stage six of the first game they should be able to read thirty words.  The first story is told using those thirty words.  The first story is about a skunk without a stripe who is rejected for being different.  The skunk is accepted by a group of cats and becomes their defender.  Your child adds another thirty words with each game.  It’s told in rhyme, is beautifully illustrated, and is 32 pages long. It will be the first book the student reads, and there are five more to follow.

By the time your child gets through all of the games they should be able to read 180 words.  Of the twenty-five most commonly used English words, twenty-two are on that list; of the forty most commonly used English words –thirty. This is a multi-sensory teaching approach –using the card game play and the storybooks - designed to aid in retention of material and student enjoyment.

Free Individual Student Assessment Worksheets are include to help you see and keep track of your child's progress. There is a Pre/Post Card Game Sight Word Assessment Worksheet and a Test Sentence Assessment Worksheet.  At the back of the Teacher and Parent Guide is a list of all 180-vocabulary words.

According to the makers of the game, "By the time students come to the end of the zebra story, 180 words are hard-wired into memory."

• 60% of the words in “The Reading Game” are on the Dolch Word List for pre-k and k and makes up 54% of Dolch words for Pre-K, K and 1st Grade.

• Of the first 100 most commonly used English words “The Reading Game” incorporates 88% of the most common twenty-five words and 63% of the first 100.


Contents include: 6 illustrated story books, 6 decks of matching playing cards,  a Teacher and Parent's Guide



So, how did this work for us?  We all like this game.  My little non-reader is becoming a reader--slowly, but in a fun way.  The multi-sensory approach of the game connects for him.  He feels like he is accomplishing something and "winning", and we see that he is memorizing words and beginning to try to read.  He loves to find the word matches.  He loves animals.  The best part, he now wants to figure out more words and constantly asks "What do those letters say?"  We're not done with all of the games yet, but I'm thinking he'll be reading at a good basic level by the time we read the last story.  We'll continue to play this game for reinforcement until he's very comfortable reading.  What a fun way to learn what could be a tough subject!  It's a keeper!  (Wish we would have had this game for my daughter when she started reading.)  The age range is appropriate.  The price is reasonable for the content and quality of the game. 

To find out more about the game click here

To order The Reading Game click here

Click here to see what other members from the TOS Crew had to say about The Reading Game.

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a free copy of the above-mentioned product to use in order to provide this review.  I did not and will not receive further compensation.  All comments and opinions are my own.  I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

First Start Reading: Phonics, Reading and Printing/Classical Phonics - Memoria Press - A TOS Review

Memoria Press

4603 Poplar Level Rd.

Louisville, KY 40213

1-877-862-1097

mailto:magister@memoriapress.com 

http://www.memoriapress.com/

Classical Phonics   $14.95

First Start Reading   $29.95

Books A, B, C, & Teacher Guide


First Start Reading Student Set   $21.00
Books A, B, & C


As a member of the TOS Review Crew I receive quite a variety of products and curriculum to check out and "test" with my children.  It's always fun to see them learning, especially when they are learning something important and useful.  Our latest adventure is trying to teach my youngest phonics and how to read.  We recently received Classical Phonics and First Start Reading from Memoria Press to use in exchange for an honest review of the books.   We're having an interesting time trying these books with a little boy who would rather run and play.  Let me tell you about these books that get your child learning phonics, reading and printing. 

Classical Phonics:  A Child's Guide to Word Mastery by Cheryl Lowe (based on Florence Akin's Word Mastery)   - 126 pages     ****See a sample

 

Classical Phonics is an uncluttered little book which teachers and families can use with their children in Kindergarten and first grade.   Phonetically-arranged word lists allow students to practice phonics skills. The theory behind this book is that in a word list there are no context clues, so the child must rely on his mastery of letter sounds. The thought is that if your child can pronounce each word in this list correctly – pot, pat, pit, put, pet – he knows his short vowel sounds, and you can move on to long vowels!  If not, according to the author, he needs more practice.  This book has a few pictures to associate with the alphabet, but the rest of the book contains word lists.  The pictures are simple drawings, and the book is black and white with some blue margins--no flashy, colorful pictures to distract children from the task at hand.  This book provides the repetition needed to learn to read--teach/reteach the sounds and phonics rules, review, practice and achieve the ability to read progressively tougher words.  Classical Phonics,which can be used as a supplement to any phonics program, covers most of the English phonograms and sounds through second grade level.  The book contains 10 Units in 2 parts.  The lessons contain sounds, phonics rules and assessments to ensure mastery before moving on.  The book also contains suggestions to teachers regarding ear training, tongue training, eye training, and word training.  By the end of the book your child learns over 2000 different words. 

Success?  Well, not yet.  We've started the process, but I think it is going to take a bit longer for my youngest to sit still more than 10-15 minutes at a time to get a bit more out of the book.  I love seeing him attempt a word list.  We're moving slow, but we're finally moving!  Hopefully my second bookworm will be reading on his own soon.  Although many books have colorful pictures and layouts, I like the simple black and white presentation in this book--hopefully less distraction equals more learning.  The book is easy to use and priced reasonably.  I look forward to continuing to use this book as a reference tool for quite a while. 

First Start Reading: Phonics, Reading, and Printing (set of 3 + teacher guide)  by Cheryl Lowe
Let me start with Wow!  First Start Reading covers consonants, short vowels, 45 common words, and manuscript printing, accompanied by artist-drawn coloring pictures and drawing pages for every letter. Children begin reading in the very first lesson.  With First Start Reading children progress through three student books and twenty-five phonetic stories.  The Teacher Manual contains an Introduction including an Alphabet Chart, a Phonics syllabi for Books A, B, and C, a Phonics overview, and Pencil Grip and Printing Lessons.  Lesson Plans for the 3 student books are provided as well as some helpful posters.  Lessons contain an introduction of letter name and sound, ear training, letter formation and printing practice.  Lessons progress to reading and writing short sentences.  Children also draw pictures based on their reading and write from dictation.  The Student books are simple and easy to follow.  Again, like Classical Phonics, there are pictures which are relatively simple--not colorful and flashy.  I like the less distraction equals more learning presentation of the student books.  Simple, but effective! 


So, how's it going?  Well, we're coming along with the sounds and reading process.  My son now realizes that not all combinations of letters are actually words.  He's quite excited to figure out how to sound out the words he sees, but he isn't so crazy about slowing down to write the words.  We're working on the writing in between, but we're not stressing about the fact that the writing and reading are not coming at the same rate.  (We're also using a reading game to work on site words.  Watch for a review of The Reading Game soon!) We're remembering that each child is different.  We're also remember that our first child didn't feel confident reading until about age 9.
This mom is liking this combination of books and thankful for the blessing we've received from Memoria Press. 

click here to view sample pages from Book A

click here to view sample pages from Book B

Memoria Press offers a full refund of the price of  their products for 60 days.  If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, you can return it in resalable condition, and they will issue an exchange or refund for the full price of the products.


Reviewing for the TOS Crew is never dull - stop by here to see what other Crew members thought of these books.

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received First Start Reading and
Classical Phonics free in order to prepare this review.  I have not and will not receive further compensation.  Comments and observations are my own.  I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Excellence in Literature - Introduction to Literature - A TOS Review

  
Excellence in Literature - Introduction to Literature (English 1)
Janice Campbell
jceved@comcast.net
Everyday Education, LLC
P.O. Box 549
Ashland, VA 23005

Print or instant download e-book - online books in 2012.
Print Book $29(+s/h)/E-book $27- 132 pages

Purchase here
Free info sheet/5 year booklist here 


We've been using an excellent literature and composition course for about a month.  Let me tell you about it.  This college-preparatory course, for grades 8-12, uses focus works including novels, short stories, poems, and drama.  Context readings are also included to provide background information about the author, the historical period, and the literary and artistic context of the focus work.  The book contains the course outline, assignments schedules, models of the papers to be written, and evaluation information. 

While library books can be used, the author suggests purchasing your own copies so that underlining, notes in the margins, etc. may be used while reading.  (We used thrift stores and Paperback Swap.)  There are a lot of internet resources included to encourage responsible computer use--and also to save money (free).  The only required readings are the book and the focus texts. 


Introduction to Literature allows students to gain an understanding of the development of literature and practice literary analysis through essays, approach papers and other writing.  When they are finished the student should understand the process of writing through the use of resources like a writer’s handbook, dictionary, and thesaurus. The goal is to have an understanding of representative texts by major authors as well as an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the works.   Analysis of literary texts and presentation of ideas in writing are thought to make your student competent in essay organization, style, and mechanics.

 

Introduction to Literature readings include:

• Short Stories: A White Heron, The Purloined Letter, The Diamond Necklace, The Ransom of Red Chief, A Worn Path, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• Other Literature:  Around the World in Eighty Days (Verne), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Twain), Jane Eyre (Bronte), Pygmalion (Shaw), Treasure Island (Stevenson), Animal Farm (Orwell), The Tempest (Shakespeare) and Gulliver's Travels (Swift)

 **Books listed are focus texts only. Context readings are also assigned within each unit. In addition there is an Honors reading selection for each unit. 

Example Unit contents:

• Unit 1 includes:  Focus Texts, Context Reading, Honors Readings, Unit Focus, Introduction, Something to Think About, Be Sure to Notice, Assignment Schedule for 4 weeks. 
• Unit 2 includes: Same as first unit plus The Author's Life, Poetry, Audio, Video, Visual Arts, Music and Online Links

More information here

Free sample unit here 

 
The Excellence in Literature program is self-directed and encourages independent learning and college-style study habits.  There are 9 four week units with week-by-week lesson plans in each school year.  The material covers Medieval, Renaissance, Neo-classical, Romantic, Realist and Modernist time periods.  All volumes contain instructions, models, and a glossary.  The additional context readings provide an understanding of literature in its historic and artistic context. (Links are also included.)  Extra readings are suggested for an Honors option to allow for advanced college placement.  The planned material can be mixed and matched according to your needs/desires.  The author suggests a minimum of one hour per day of reading and writing.  She also suggests an additional 20-45 minutes of vocabulary work. 
 
Take it or Leave it--My thoughts? 
We've been reading through the short stories and beginning the first suggested books.  Here's what I'm thinking . . .
 
**The stories have been more advanced reading than our previous materials used - great for vocabulary building.  My 14 year old is definitely up to the challenge, which is interesting since she used to fight reading. 
**My student is not excited about writing, but this has been a great opportunity to work on those skills. 
**The suggested work time is appropriate. 
**I really like the focus on independent learning and study skills.  We're trying to work on tackling more topics this way too. 
**The materials have been inexpensive and easy to find. 
**We'll probably be extending the coursework a bit further time-wise, but thankfully, this program accomodates that.  Although I did take some college literature classes, a college education is definitely not required to use this well-planned course.
**The links included contain great additional information.
**The program/book list is easy to follow and contains excellent choices for reading even if you do not choose to use the EIL program. 
**The book we received contains an enormous amount of material for the price--definitely a great buy!
 
Janice's suggested websites include: • http://Everyday-Education.com • Education blog: http://Janice-Campbell.com • Entrepreneur Blog: http://DoingWhatMatters.com 
•National Association of Independent Writers and Editors http://NAIWE.com
 
How the author chose the books article here
Cathy Duffy's review here

Other TOS Review Crew thoughts here


Complete Curriculum (5 levels) in a binder $139/E-book $135 (Volumes include: Introduction to Literature, Literature and Composition, American Literature, British Literature, World Literature)




If you purchase a book from Everyday Education and it does not meet your needs/expectations, returns within 30 days for a full refund of  purchase price are available.

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a free copy of EIL's Introduction to Literature to use in exchange for an honest review.  I have not and will not receive further compensation.  All thoughts and comments are my own.  I am  not obligated to provide a positive review. 



Time 4 Learning - A TOS Review

Time 4 Learning 
 6300 NE 1 Ave, Suite 203 Ft Lauderdale, FL 33334
(954) 771-0914
Fax: (954) 827-7600
www.time4learning.com

$19.95 for the first child/$14.95 for each additional child/monthly membership

Ages PreK-8th Grade

For my latest review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Product Review Crew our family received a free month membership to Time 4 Learning.  Let me tell you a bit about Time 4 Learning and show you some screen shots to help you get a feel for it too.

A Time 4 Learning membership includes 1000+ multimedia lessons delivering standards-based math and language arts lessons--science, social studies and art are also an option in most grades. Art is available after the first month of membership for fourth through eighth graders. Each student gets an individual login and access to multiple grades--the grade above and below their own in most subjects.  Students are able to work fairly independently while completing activities.  Parents have access to lesson plans, teaching tools and automated grading and progress reports.

The math and language arts curriculum are designed to meet all state standards, but science and social studies lessons may need to be supplemented to meet individual state requirements. Online lessons and activities may be used or worksheets may be printed if desired.

Demos are available for viewing, and a Curriculum Overview is also shown on the website.

 
 

Preschool Colors Game

 

Fractions

 

Latin & Greek roots

 









This online curriculum can be used for summer review, after school, preschool early learning, homeschooling, special needs learning, or just plain fun. Time 4 Learning can be used alone or with curriculum such as K12, Charlotte Mason, Singapore Math, Saxon Math, ABeka, Five in a Row, Sonlight, Switched on Schoolhouse, Bob Jones University.  The program even works fine with lapbooking and unschooling.  Art is available after the first month of membership for fourth through eighth graders. For many families Time 4 Learning is also a great fit for their special needs students (ADD/ADHD, autistic, dyslexic, visual learners).

 



Here's How It All Works

 
This computer-based curriculum does not require you to download any software-- members just sign in and get started.  Preschool, elementary school and middle school are split into Lower Level and Upper Level on the site log-ins.  Topics for the various grades may include:

• Math
• Social Studies
• Science
• PreAlgebra & Algebra Online
• Online Art program - Time 4 Art (after the first month of membership)
• Spelling Skills - including word lists by grade
• Writing & Reading Skills (Online Reading Programs, Reading Comprehension, Writing Software, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics Curriculum, Elementary Grammar and Vocabulary)

 

Parent Community & Forum



Parent resources include a Parent Forum, Scope & Sequence and Lesson Plans.
In addition, parents also have access to information regarding:

• Homeschool Portfolios - Homeschool Record Keeping 
• Homeschool Curriculum Reviews of Time4Learning 
• Secular Homeschooling 
• Getting Started Homeschooling Guide 
• Homeschool State by State Information 
• Information for Homeschool Charter Schools

At $19.95 per month for the first child and $14.95 per month for each additional child the price is not too bad for the materials covered.  I suspect many larger families would not be able to afford the program easily since this is monthly.  There are no contracts, and you can cancel anytime by giving notice to discontinue membership. Time 4 Learning also offers a  2 week money back guarantee!

Time 4 Learning will work on PC or Mac computers.  "Fast access" (DSL or cable modem) to the internet would be preferred.  Although we were able to access via laptop at various places with Wi-Fi/high-speed, this program really is not a good fit if you are on dial-up internet.  Much of the site could not be accessed at dial-up speed.  In addition, because most of the Time 4 Learning lessons use Flash technology, iPads, iPhones and iPod touch are not usable options.

Love it or Leave it?  I'm conflicted on this one.  While filled with fun graphics, the curriculum content wasn't exactly a great fit for our family.  The colorful pictures, activities and games definitely capture a child's attention.  Topics seemed to be covered adequately, but some of the content seemed too simple for the grade level given.  I suppose that could be taken care of by jumping to the next level perhaps.  This wasn't a great fit for my 6 year old because he thought it was game time rather than learning time.  Since the little guy wasn't getting into the curriculum, I opted to spend more time with my 14 year old using her level of the program.  Although she said there were some "cool" and "fun" things, she also pointed out that stuff seemed a bit too easy.  I was not surprised that she enjoyed the Playground games section.  I'm sure the kids would continue to use the program occasionally, but this wasn't a favorite for either child.

I did like the ability to check on the progress of my children through the parent account.  The reporting available could be great for documentation to prove topics covered.  This isn't a real big issue for us right now though since we frequently monitor and always supervise our children while they are online.

My bigger conflict came in the content of the curriculum.  We have tended to use Christian curriculum and resources while teaching our children.  This curriculum is definitely secular in nature.  The content was adequate but seemed odd at times and didn't quite fit for us.  This doesn't mean the curriculum was necessarily bad, but I'm not sure that I could suggest this to parents who prefer Christian, scripture-based materials.  It was fun to check out something new, but this is not a membership we would purchase.

Find out more thoughts from the Crew

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Homeschool Product Review Crew I received a free month membership to Time 4 Learning for my children to use in order to provide an honest review of the program.  I have not and will not receive further compensation.  I am not obligated to provide a positive review.  All comments and opinions are my own.