Vocabulary Cartoons

I first learned of mnemonics years ago when our oldest son was in public school. He struggled in math, and they used this same philosophy to assist him in learning his times tables. It was effective, and I was impressed. So, imagine my excitement when I received Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power to review for my blog.

Mnemonics uses association to assist you in remembering something you are trying to remember using something you already know. Examples would be rhymes, songs, and pictures. With Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power an auditory word association and a humorous cartoon are linked together to create a mnemonic and assist students in retaining the meaning of words longer and easier than they would with traditional, rote memorization.

When my 16 year old, who has a very good vocabulary, spent some time exploring Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power independently he found that he liked the rhymes, but the pictures were not necessary for him. He is more of an audio learner. In his opinion he still found the materials helpful and stated that he would enjoy using the book to assist him in remembering the meaning of some new words that he learned.

On the other hand, Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power is a perfect fit for my 18 year old and his learning style. He is definitely a visual as well as an audio learner. So, this covers all the bases for him. You have the fun cartoon coupled with the silly rhyme thereby enabling him to easily remember the meanings of the words.

Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power is an ideal tool for both junior high and high school aged children that are preparing for college or just looking to expand their vocabulary in a fun, non-intimidating manner. I think it's great for adults, too. Personally, I enjoyed reading through the book and laughing at the cartoons.

Vocabulary Cartoons are available for more than just SAT preparation. There are resources available from elementary level through high school level. Prices start at $12.95, which is the price of Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power, and go up from there. A price break is given after every 10th book allowing teachers to buy in bulk for classroom use. It would also be ideal for a homeschool group to come together and purchase in bulk. Visit Vocabulary Cartoons online or call 1-800-741-1295 for more information about products and pricing.

Note: As a review blogger, I am provided a free copy of the book, curriculum or product to test and use in order to write an honest review. I receive no other compensation and the opinions I share are my own and not influenced by the company in question.

America's Math Teacher

America's Math Teacher is an online math curriculum designed for use in both schools and homes. The concept is so effective that Rick Fisher, creator of America's Math Teacher, finds that his students are actually able to skip 7th grade math after taking his 6th grade math class.

The program can be used for all levels of math from beginner to advanced. It is especially helpful to those that may struggle with math and its concepts. Students that are behind in math typically will find themselves at level within one year of using America's Math Teacher.

The website is chock full of resources, some of which are even free. Home School Membership is available for $195 per year and can be used by multiple students within the same home. This allows parents to work with all of their students using just one math program while allowing each student to work individually at their own level and pace. If you are curios about the program and would like to explore it before purchase you are able to try it out for free.

The website is broken down into four learning sections: Learning Centers, Exercise Center, Evaluation Center, and Resource Center. In the Learning Center there are hubs for each course where video tutorials, quizzes, exercises, and final exams can be accessed. The Exercise Center is where printed exercises and review problems can be accessed downloaded for reinforcement and further practice. The Evaluation Center is where you will find pre-tests, quizzes, and final exams for each AMT course. At the Resource Center information, glossaries, and math skills games are available and kept current as new resources become available.

While our family reviewed this website it was under construction. America's Math Teacher is working feverishly to work out any remaining glitches in the system. They have a wonderful customer service department that is very prompt and helpful in their response. Had we not recently transitioned from being a homeschooling family America's Math Teacher is a website that we would have extensively explored and considered for my struggling math student.

Note: As a review blogger, I am provided a free copy of the book, curriculum or product to test and use in order to write an honest review. I receive no other compensation and the opinions I share are my own and not influenced by the company in question.

My Travel Kits

Well, I did it! I made my first travel kits. They were a hit when I delivered them, but I'm waiting for an after trip report. The kits were made for my good friends and their three grandchildren who headed out yesterday from Michigan to Georgia with their daughter-in-law. It is a special trip to watch their son graduate from something in relation to the National Guard. He started out in the Air Force and is currently working on becoming something to do with Border Patrol...I do believe.

This is a long trip; 20 plus hours with rest-stop breaks and such. The children are in the age range of three to eight, so it's really going to be a long trip. I kept their ages in mind and took the advice to provide similar gifts to children in this age range to prevent issues. You know how kids are. They always want what the other guy has.

Anyway, here are the pictures:

Here are the gift items grouped for each child along with an adult and snack grouping. I labeled the glow bracelets to open after dark. Each child got the same thing just a different color, title, etc. The adult bag included a crossword search, calming aromatherapy, snacks and toys for sharing. (finger puppets, pencils, sharpener, and pinball game)

I used different style wrapping for each child and the adults. Just in case I labeled each gift with their first initial. I did wrap some snacks individually to include in their bag. (slim jims and cracker sandwiches) The grands requested no sugar!

Here are the finished bags. I accidentally purchased two the same, so I just made sure that each child had a different color and gave the matching one to the adults.

Travel Kits - A Simple Way to Bless Others

If I had only thought of this when all of my children were young! Could it be that our family camping trips could have been even more enjoyable? (Not to mention our L-O-N-G trip to Maine with three teenagers!) I sure do think so. What a wonderful idea this is! Check it out…

Donna Reese has come up with such a simple way to bring joy to anyone, young or old, embarking on a trip, be it long or short. However, I think those traveling the longest distances have the most to gain from this brilliant idea. There is so much potential here.

What is a Travel Kit you ask? Well, let me tell you. Travel kits are brilliant little packages that you custom design for that someone special that is embarking on a trip no matter the mode of transportation. Kits can be made for anyone traveling by vehicle, bus, airplane, train, boat…I’d venture to say even donkey! The ideas are limited only by the extent of you imagination.

The basic low-down of exactly what a travel kit is can best be said by the author herself, “A travel kit is a collection of items that will entertain and/or delight the passengers (especially the younger passengers), thus making the trip more pleasant for everyone. The items should be chosen, purchased (or baked, rented, checked out of the library, or crafted), and then wrapped individually. The components of your travel kit should be assembled in an appealing, creative, hardy “container” that will easily fit in your vehicle, within easy reach of the passengers (or mom’s reach if you have very young children).”

If you are a lover of detail, Donna set you up, but fret not! If too many details just give you a headache the material is also presented in such a manner that those of us that want to just get down to the brass tacks can do just that. Travel Kits - A Simple Way to Bless Others is presented in such a manner that choosing your project and getting started is super simple. You can soak in as much or as little detail as desired and get started on your project right away.

The only real planning you need to do in advance is a little detective work. It is helpful to know the number of travelers, the length of the trip, and a little about the interests of the recipients. I would also add that if the travel kit were being made as a gift for someone outside of the family, taking a trip that you are not participating in, it would be beneficial to know their destination. After you’ve acquired this information the real fun begins.

Once your planning is complete you will have to make a few decisions. Will these be small gifts to take up little space, or is there room for something a little bigger? What is your budget? How much can you afford to spend on each person, or a group as a whole? Debbie provides many ideas for both large and small budgets.

Plenty of buying tips are included in this e-book as well. This is especially helpful if we are unfamiliar with a certain age group. One useful recommendation is to purchase duplicate gifts if children of similar ages will be traveling together. This provides for an easier shopping trip as well as cuts out the temptation of jealousy between children. Mom will definitely be appreciative of this thoughtful gesture! Travel Kits - A Simple Way to Bless Others is chock full of custom ideas that are sure to make your travel kit a great hit with whoever is the blessed recipient of your thoughtful gift. Your travel kit is sure to be chock full of fun gifts and presented in such an enjoyable fashion that it will bring sure fire enjoyment to your lucky recipient.

Sure, you could come up with some sort of travel kit all on your own. However, the advice, resources and guidance given in Travel Kits - A Simple Way to Bless Others will guarantee the creation of a spectacular gift and quite possibly the beginning of a treasured family tradition. Ever since the first time I read this e-book my gears have been turning. There is so much potential here. I plan to treasure this resource and refer back to it for years to come.

Keep your eyes on The Zoo Crew for pictures of my upcoming creations. I plan to make travel kits for my good friends Bill and Marla who are both in their 60’s. Bless their hearts; they are heading to Georgia with their daughter-in-law and their three grandchildren ages nine, eight, and four via mini-van. This is a 20 hour drive! I am certain that they will be very happy to take along their travel kits.

I also see myself carrying this theme into the holidays with my gift giving. Our grandchildren are still young. We have seven, ages five and under, and we are waiting for number eight who is due in January. Typically, I give them a gift bag full of small gifts. How much more fun would it be for them if I incorporate the travel kit idea of wrapping each gift!

Also, this resource could not have come to me at a better time. With our new little guy life as we knew no longer exists. What a strange phenomenon it will be to travel with just one child. I will definitely be doing this for little Avery as he grows and travels with mom and dad throughout the years.

I highly recommend this e-book. It is certain to fuel your creativity bringing joy to you, your family, and those around you. What potential for fun there is wrapped up in this little electronic storehouse of information!

Travel Kits - A Simple Way to Bless Others is available for $12.95 through The Old Schoolhouse magazine. Look here for a sneak peek of the Table of Contents and a few select pages.

Note: As a review blogger, I am provided a free copy of the book, curriculum or product to test and use in order to write an honest review. I receive no other compensation and the opinions I share are my own and not influenced by the company in question.

Where Does the Time Go?

Can you believe it? Avery is already six months old! That is one thing I notice more with him than I did with any of our other children, the passage of time. It really does go by in a blink. Every second that passes cannot be regained. That's just the way life goes. If you don't pay attention, you will miss it all.

I have to agree with the post over at The Art and Science of Parenting. Dad states that, "Sure, you want to have big adventures with your kids sometimes, but what they will really remember about you is if you were there every day for all of their little adventures..." In my opinion there is no greater gift that we can give our children than our time and attention. Kids just want to be with us. They want our undivided attention. It is not important to them to have an elaborate gift or expensive trip. Spending time with us and having fun is all that matters.

The gift that I've received from having Avery in our lives is the realization of just how important time is. We really have such a short period of time here on this earth, and what do we really do with it? What do we spend our time focusing on? Where does our energy go? What is our attitude like? Life really is made up of all the little things. The big things are fleeting, but little things repeat over and over throughout our entire existence. I am quite certain that we can have a lot more fun, find more enjoyment, and bring more delight to others when we learn to shift our focus to the minute moment. Doing so puts us in the here and now; right exactly where we need to be. I can see no other way to be content than to be present, enjoying each moment as it comes.

Don't get me wrong. I still have goals, I still strive to be a more complete individual, I still have desires, but they are not my primary focus anymore. I'm enjoying the slow life. Despite my desire to live in the country, and put myself in an environment that promotes a much slower paced life, I have discovered that one can live in the city and still find that laid back perspective. It's a choice. Our attitude is up to us. It is not determined by our environment. We are in control of how our attitude effects our environment, not the other way around. Talk about an "ah ha moment"!