WriteShop Junior Book D ~ TOS Review

My family and I recently had the opportunity to review a Junior Book D from WriteShop.  I was very excited about this, as I felt it would be a great fit for my 11 year old.

“WriteShop Junior is a creative writing program that appeals to many learning styles. As with all WriteShop products, WriteShop Junior helps you guide children through the steps of the writing process. To keep the experience fun for everyone, every lesson includes engaging games and activities that teach and review important writing and self-editing skills. And whether you have a more advanced child or one who is just beginning, this program is flexible so children can work at their own level."

Book D is recommended for 3rd and 4th grade, but I found it to be a nice fit for my 6^th grader who struggles with her reading and writing.

My family received The WriteShop Junior Book D Teacher’s Guide, Activity Pack (2 pack containing the Student Worksheet Pack and the Level 1 Fold-N-Go Grammar Pack), and the Time-Saver Pack.

The WriteShop Junior Book D covers such topics as:

• Letter of Invitation
• Humor 
• Adventure 
• Science Fiction 
• Mystery 
• Poetry/Haiku
• Folktales
• Historical Fiction
• Personal Narrative
• Expository Writing: Factual Article

Different skills taught are:

• Identify and use proper grammar and punctuation
• Narrow a broad topic to a specific topic
• Brainstorm before writing
• Structure a sentence
• Write a paragraph
• Choose strong words instead of weak ones
• Use emotion words to develop voice
• Use the five senses to add descriptive detail
• Self-edit and revise their work

The Teacher’s Guide offers step-by-step teaching instructions, daily and weekly lesson plans, guided writing scripts, writing samples, exercises, fun learning games, and lists of material you will need for each lesson.

The Student Worksheet Pack (part of the Student Activity Pack) has all the activity pages your child needs to complete sections of each lesson. These worksheets introduce your child to writing skills such as brainstorming and self-editing.

• Pre-writing activities
• Skill Builders
• Journal prompt pages
• Brainstorming worksheets/graphic organizers 
• Reading log forms
• Self-editing checklists
• Evaluation Chart

The Level 1 Fold-N-Go Grammar Pack (part of the Student Activity Pack) are fun reference tools with easy to do exercises that introduce or review grammar rules and the necessary writing skills.  The Grammar Pack can be printed on colorful paper and assembled on the inside of a file folder to create 10 large flipbooks.  There is one flipbook for each lesson.

• Punctuation Marks
• Self-editing
• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
• Prepositions
• Capitalization
• References





 
The Time-Saver Pack is an optional tool for parents like me who welcome shortcuts.  The Time-Saver Pack includes a multiple ready-made props for the various activities, such as spinners and game cards.


Our thoughs:
My reluctant writer has enjoyed WriteShop Junior so far.  She finds it easier for her to get her thoughts rolling if she has some prompt along the way and WriteShop does just that.  In the beginning it was a bit challenging for me to understand how everything flowed together, but I eventually figured it all out



The WriteShop Junior Book D is available in hard copy and eBook.
Teacher’s Guide: Hard copy $39.95 or eBook $34.95
WriteShop Junior Activity Pack (required): Hard copy $39.95 and eBook $29.95
WriteShop Junior Time-Saver Pack (optional):  Hard copy $13.95 and eBook $13.95

Purchase any WriteShop Primary or Junior products (eBooks included) and receive 15% off. Offer is valid through June 15, 2012. Use coupon code CREW15 at checkout.

WriteShop offers products for Elementary through Junior High and High School.  If you would like to look over those products you may do so HERE.

Check out what my fellow crew members had to say and WriteShop Junior and other products 

** Disclaimer: I received the Teacher’s Guide, Student Activity Pack which included the Student Worksheet Pack and the Level 1 Fold-N-Go Grammar Pack, and the Time-Saver Pack free of cost in exchange for my honest, unbiased, and fair (not always positive) review.

Amazing Science ~ TOS Review

I don’t know about your children, but my girls LOVE science, primarily doing science experiments.  My 6th grader would do nothing in school, but experiments if I let her.

Amazing Science!

 Amazing Science Volume 1 is a 2 disk DVD set containing 23 different science experiments.  The experiments are taught by Jason Gibson who has advanced degrees in Engineering and Physics and worked at NASA as a Rocket Scientist!  How cool is that?!

The experiments -

Color Changing Milk
Egg in a Bottle
Exploring Air Pressure
Building a Lemon Battery
Inverted Cup of Water
Candle Suction Power
Amazing Magnetic Force
Lift and Ice Cube with String
Unburnable Money
Matchstick Speedboat
Cloud in a Bottle
Reversing an Image with Water
Floating Eggs
Keeping Paper Dry Under Water
Dry Ice Bubbles
Balloon in a Candle Flame
Ocean in a Bottle
Build a Motor with Lights
Simple Lava Lamp
Invisible Ink
Density Tower
Soda Can Fizz
Build a Motor #2

Here is a sample video from the DVD.

Here are some photos and videos of my daughters having fun with science!

Inverted Cup of Water                     Color Changing Milk

        Invisible Ink                                                   Keep Paper Dry Underwater



I tried multiple times to upload videos of my daughters doing the Candle Suction Power experiment, as well as the Build a Motor #2, but for one reason or another I cannot get them to load correctly.  

They also completed several other experiments presented on the DVDs, but I failed to capture them on film.

Jason not only does the experiments for the student to see in action, but he explains the step-by-step process of performing them, as well as explains in length about what is happening and why. A complete materials list is also given for every demonstration.

When we played the DVD I instantly recognized Jason as the instructor for the Pre-Algebra Tutor DVD I reviewed back in September 2010. He is a great instructor!

The Amazing Science Volume 1 DVD set is available for $19.95 or or a download for $17.99

Be sure to read what my fellow TOS members had to say about Amazing Science DVDs.

** Disclaimer: I received Amazing ScienceDVD set from MathandScience.com free of cost in exchange for my honest, unbiased, and fair review.

Christian Kids Explore Physics ~ TOS Review

Let me first say I think Bright Ideas Press is AWESOME! Not only do they offer a multitude of homeschool curriculum; everything from Science, History and Geography to Literature, Maps and more!  But, they also have great customer service and are homeschool veterans.  Meet the team.

I had my first experience with Bright Ideas Press back in November 2010 when I had the opportunity to review Christian Kids Explore Chemistry and then again in May 2011 I reviewed WonderMaps.  So, I was thrilled when I was chosen to review Christian Kids Explore Physics.

“Bright Ideas Press publishes curriculum that moms love. We promise to publish Christian-oriented curriculum that will fit into your hectic life, curriculum that is both affordable and easy-to-use with children of different ages at the same time. The team at Bright Ideas Press prays that our products and resources will not only simplify your life but also inspire, encourage, and enable you to effectively educate your children.”



2nd EDITION

The universe that we live in is the result of God’s thoughtful design and careful building. Physics gives us a glimpse into the materials, laws, and structures of that universe.

Christian Kids Explore Physics is geared toward students in grades 4-8.  There are 30 easy to understand lessons; divided into 6 units, designed to help develop an understanding of matter and energy and the rules they follow.

Lesson are ~   
What Physics is All About
Measuring
Famous Physicists
The Composition of Matter
Atomic Physics
Molecules and Mass
Solid and Liquid Matter
Gases
Change in States of Matter
Force
Gravity
Work
Friction
Energy
Motion in Straight Line
Motion in a Circle
Newton’s Law
Projectile Motion
Momentum
Electromagnetic Energy
Radio and Television
Light and Color
X-Rays
Heat
Sound
Music
Electricity
Electric Current
Magnetism
Earth’s Magnetic Field

SAMPLES:
Sample Pages
Sample Lesson 18
Sample Lesson 19

Each lesson is fairly short, allowing the student to grasp a small amount of information at a time, so not to overwhelm them.

Lesson or Unit includes ~

• Preparation: a short introduction about the material covered in each lesson and provides a list of unit objectives, vocabulary words, and a list of materials needed for that unit.
• Teaching Time: (per lesson) presents a topic that builds an understanding of some aspects of physics.
• Review It: five fill-in-the-blank review questions.
• Hands-On Time: Hands on activity at the end of each lesson. These activities allow the student to become the physicist while reinforcing some of the concepts taught.
• Coloring Pages: one coloring page per unit.
• Think About It: critical thinking exercise concerning the results of the hands on activity.
• Unit Wrap Up: multiple choice questions at the end of each unit

Bright Ideas Press recommends that for our very young or less-advanced students, that we read the lesson first and then explains it to them at their level.  However, our older or more-advanced students can complete the lessons independently.


You know what make this new edition so great? The easy to use Resource CD. The Resource CD offer Materials Lists, Daily Lesson Plans, Bonus Literature Study Guide, and All Reproducibles, such as:

• Unit Reviews
• Follow-Up Questions for each lesson
• Coloring Pages
• Activity Charts

I love how Bright Ideas Press has the ability to present a subject such as Physics to students in a fun easy to understand manner.  I also love how inexpensive their products are.

The new 2^nd Edition of Christian Kids Explore Physics is available for $39.95. To purchase this or other Bright Ideas Press products, check out their website.

Be sure to read what my fellow TOS members had to say about CKE Physics, Chemistry, Earth and Science, and Biology. 

** Disclaimer: I received a PDF of Christian Kids Explore Physics workbook and the Recourse CD from Bright Ideas Press free of cost in exchange for my honest, unbiased, and fair review.