TOS Crew Review: AVKO Educational Research Foundation Membership

When I met Don McCabe, way back when my oldest son was around 9 years old, I finally felt a semi-truck worth of pressure lift off of my shoulders. We had been battling poor grades, poor retention, reading difficulties and more; all of which began to fracture our relationship. He thought I was mad at him, I thought he was trying to torture me needlessly-when in reality, the child was dealing with the struggles of an undiagnosed learning difficulty. Don spoke with me at our state's homeschool convention, and offered me hope-something I had lost. He asked me a lot of questions, had the child write out something that I could bring back for him to look at, and then-there it was in all its glory, a diagnosis of dyslexia. I finally had a name for our brick wall! He spent a lot of time speaking with me and afterward, I immediately sought out his book- To Teach a Dyslexic.  It was that book that changed the way I taught my boy.  I realized that I wasn't a failure, that it was how he learned and how I taught him was the problem, due to the very nature of dyslexia.  We both felt a sense of renewal and there after-took it one day at a time, while working on ways to help him better retain and deal with it.  I am happy to report that our son has grown into a very successful young man, who excels at his college courses, and at his daily tasks for his job.  He has a strong self-image that I doubt he ever would have acquired if we hadn't found the solution when we did.  It can be very detrimental to children when they see others "getting it" (sometimes causing kids to label themselves as "dummies"), when they themselves must struggle to just read a sentence at times.  Because we homeschooled, we were able to stretch the time needed to learn to read, with minimal interruptions from the dyslexia (now his case is what I would say is mild-enough to be a pain, but not so that it is an overwhelming daily difficulty)-and by using the advice Don provided in this wonderful book-we have a positive story to tell.  Then, as our 3rd child was of the age to start reading lessons, I found that she too-had dyslexia.  In fact, hers was and is, a bit more complex than her brothers-so we are still working through to find ways to help minimize the effects of it, while retaining her desire to learn and not give up. To add to that, we see that our 4th child is not only color-blind, but is dyslexic too-so I have my work cut out for me!  At least I am aware of dyslexia and its annoyances (because that is what it is really, annoying but not the end of the world) and now, I can reread Don's book (which is included with the AVKO membership) to glean tidbits and encouragement to get my youngest and I through this tangled web of learning challenges.

In fact, I am forever grateful to Don and his foundation for providing free products that help enlighten parents and teachers concerning dyslexia and learning difficulties, and for his development of products designed to meet the unique challenges students have because of them.  When one becomes a member at AVKO, they gain access to several different eBooks, pretests and placement tests, recordings of Don's lectures (I enjoy listening to him, as he is quite a character and not boring at all!), newsletters, discounts/promotions, and a 25% discount on the printed materials-just to name a few things. Speaking of the eBooks, you will be able to download some of the chapters for free, so you can get a good idea of what they entail.  By clicking on the links below, you can access that information directly.  Please note that because each book's description  is listed on the site-I have refrained from rehashing the contents of them here.

The Teaching of Reading and Spelling: Starting at Square One

The Teaching of Reading and Spelling

Patterns of English Spelling

The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words

The membership also allows you access to several different documents covering humor, inspirational stories, instructional ideas, etc.  I did find most of the humor sections to be more for the adults-not necessarily something you would want your child to read.  It is truly a personal choice, and I frankly didn't even spend much time in that section...but I would advise previewing those first, to be sure the material aligns with your family's preferences.  Finally, I also want to note that as with everything I read/use in our homeschool, I rarely agree with 100% of it. I know my children and their learning styles, and my teaching techniques and limitations well enough to know that I will at times, I must adjust or drop ideas, methods and theories that simply do not mesh with us.  Because we were asked to review the benefits of the AVKO membership-not necessarily the eBooks, I have not spent immense amounts of time reading through them (but am planning to), so I cannot say for sure if everything contained within the material matches my line of thinking or not.  I do know that the To Teach a Dyslexic was instrumental in helping me better understand and successfully teach my dyslexic children-so I can recommend it without hesitation.

Does the name Sequential Spelling sound familiar? I understand a lot of homeschoolers use this program,  and it is included in Sonlight's core curriculum packages-so you know it has to be pretty darn good.  What's more, you can get it at a 25% discount by being a member.  I personally have not tried it, but am seriously considering it for my boy.  I see they now offer supplemental kits called Engaging Language which correlate to each of the Sequential Spelling levels-mighty helpful if your student needs extra practice activities. AVKO has a pretty good selection of additional eBooks that are available for purchase (and don't forget that you get them for 25% less when you are a member); with sample downloads to look through too.  It certainly is a good idea to just spend time strolling through all they have to offer-because a wee review simply cannot do it justice.

And if you are wondering what my stance-my overall opinion is, regarding the benefits of the AVKO membership-read on.  I believe that for those parents who need helpful and practical advice concerning the best ways to deal with dyslexia or with reading/spelling issues in general-AVKO's membership can be a tremendous blessing.  The $25 annual [$2.08 a month] fee, is a fair price for the slew of goodies you get.  Would I have purchased the membership, if I hadn't received it to review?  Probably not-mostly because I am pretty comfy teaching kids with dyslexia, since I have been doing so for about ten years now. But remember, it was Don's products that I used to help me right from the moment we had our diagnosis.  So, had this been available back in the day-you bet I would have purchased the membership.  I know the eBooks we now have access to, will provide me with  a good brain awakening (after a time it gets pretty dusty up there in my ancient gray matter) and I am confident that I will find lots of good ideas and techniques to better teach my youngest child.  My best advice, to those who are considering it, is to head over to the site, read the product descriptions, download the free information,  and then make your decision.  I bet you will see that the AVKO Educational Research Foundation provides invaluable support and materials to better equip you to teach your precious students.

Mr. McCabe is a Christian but his material is fairly neutral-so it gets a world iconFYI:  You will have printing costs if you decide to go that route for the eBooks

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AVKO homepage
Individual Membership $25 per year

Don't forget to see what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschooling products, on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***The AVKO Educational Research Foundation provided me with a free membership to the AVKO's site, so that I could explore and use the materials available, to be able to write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Life on the Farm Game

The lonely song made by the slowly rotating blades from the rusty windmill, the clean sheets billowing and flickering to and fro, and the amber waves of grain swaying in a rhythmic motion, as the wind ripples across the vast fields.  Off in the distance a tractor is heard making its way toward the dusty road, that gently winds its way toward the white-washed farmhouse gracing the rolling hill, west of the barn.  The sweet scent of a freshly baked pie waifs through the air to tantalize anyone downwind of it, as several flies try to squeeze under the tea cloth that is strategically placed over its top.  A screen door slaps shut, a shout goes up as a woman flaps her arms like a bird about to take flight. A head pops up, a startled moo-sound echos forth, as the woman makes her way toward the vegetable garden to shoo off the escaped bovine, better known as "Ole Bess".  The woman shouts threats of "first to be on the auction block" and "nice steak dinners", as the cow makes a dainty, and somewhat graceful exit, toward the broken gate from whence she came. 

This is how I picture my farm to be-without the foul "cow pie" smells to defile my idealistic day dream.  I actually like the idea of a farm, but not necessarily the work of one-nor the expense.  But my want-to-be farmer boy, Buddy-longs for the wide open spaces, and the possible critters he could raise.  So what is a good compromise for this suburban-folk family? Why a game about farming that highlights its ups and downs (without all the stink and clean-up duties), of course.  We were absolutely thrilled to be able to receive the Life on the Farm game by We R Fun.  After the initial "ripfest" of the outer plastic wrap had ended, we opened the package like it were Christmas morning-all struggling to see if we could get a look-see of the goodies contained within. Right away, I was impressed with the quality of the game board, and the game components.  The sight of farm animals on the play money is a nice touch to boot.  After a quick run through of the not-so-complicated rules, we set out to see who is the best farmer in our family.

We quickly realized there is a lot that goes into maintaining a dairy farm.  Auctions must take place, extra hands need to be hired, fences need to be repaired (usually due to careless, trespassing hunters), and farm equipment needs maintenance too. Then you must deal with swamps that entrap, or hunters (pesky varmints that they are) who mistakenly shoot your live stock (hmm-I have never seen a black and white deer, we'll have to contact the sheriffs department next time that happens), or runaway cows that become road kill (sad but true)-and all within a single round of the game!  Thank goodness for milk checks, because after all those expenses, you will need to pad your wallet again.

The basic gist of the game is to be the first to own a herd of 60 cows, while your bank account consists of at least the same amount of cash you had when you started the game.  The normal "retirement plan" may take some time to accomplish; so there is the option of  playing the shorter version, where you start with more money and cows.  Either way, it is a "moo-tastic" way to spend some quality time with your family.  We all agree that the Life on the Farm is one of our favorite board games to play!

Now to think of a way to commandeer some Old Dutch Potato Chips and some Shasta pop, since my folks won't be heading to visit the relatives in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, any time soon. If you have never heard of those products-then I guess you're not from Minnesota (the inventors of the game happen to be "Minnesotans") or a neighbor to one. Those are mighty fine snacking goodies that will simply add to your game playing enjoyment. Perhaps the fine folks at We R Fun will consider offering "MN snack packages" (hint, hint) to compliment their product line. One can always hope.

Oh, and with Christmas just around the corner (I know-hit panic button NOW), this would make a fantastic gift.  My understanding is that Kmart will have it available at their online store front.  Be sure to check that out.  Otherwise, you can purchase it through We R Fun. 









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We R Fun Homepage

Life on the Farm Game: $25, ages 8-108

They have a pre-school (I would say a 7 year old would enjoy this) version also-and I know many of my TOS mates were given this game to review-so be sure to see what they have to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products. Visit our TOS Review Crew Homepage for more information.

***We R Fun provided me with a free Life on the Farm Game, in order to use and test it with my family, so that I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: ACT Inc.: Discover Online Career Planning Program

What did you dream of being when you grew up?  I bee-bopped around in my choices, depending on my mood at the time.  A teacher, a mommy (well, I certainly have grown up to fulfill those two jobs), a secretary, an artist, an explorer and more.  My barbie dolls bore the burden of emulating all sorts of careers and adventures, until I packed them away for my future children.  But at that point in my tender life, I still had no clear idea of what I was good at, what jobs interested me more than others; and well-I was sort of drifting like a leaf in the wind, with no real direction at all.

I had hoped to avoid having my children waste time trying to figure it all out. My husband and I made an effort to help our older two seek ways to find out what they enjoyed, what talents and skills the Lord has blessed them with, and what careers peaked their interest.  Not an easy task- but thankfully, by the time our darlings were 18-they knew what they wanted to pursue for their college degrees.  When they signed up to take the ACT test in high school, they did have a section to fill out regarding their interests, and that helped a lot.  But boy, do I wish we had been aware of the Discover  (Internet Version) ACT Advantage program at that time.  At least our two youngest children can benefit from this neat program.

The ACT Discover is designed to walk a person through a series of Q and A, in order to determine areas that match their personality and skills.  Their overview page can better explain all the goodies included in your membership, so please take a moment to explore this important information.

After the initial fact finding questions, we began to wonder what we could do with this data. There are options for printing results, which is always helpful. The "tests" narrowed some fields down for her, and offered up some that she may not have even thought of before. She was able to maintain her Portfolio with said results, go through listings of Majors, Occupations, School and Jobs that are available as well.  But was there more? My daughter had worked through the site fairly quickly and she too, wondered if there was more to this. Thankfully, there is. The company sent us information to gain access to their High School Curriculum Guide. That offered so much more tangible ways to really delve into, and get the most use out of this service! I see that it is written for your typical PS setting...which is no big deal. I simply either skipped those lessons that required more of a group atmosphere to accomplish it; or weeded through it to get to main point of the lesson. As an example:  the Subject Matter section of the Guide offers Math, Science, Social Studies and English activities-all designed to have the student "think" through questions and do some activities which highlight these areas. The Career Planning section had a really neat project we both enjoyed.  The student mapped their family tree of careers (what did Grandpa Harry do, and Grandma Peg?) to see if there is something in their heritage that may spark an interest! They also have activities where they are using the site to find statistics and information-again, to give them some ideas to help narrow down their choices, and to see what the job market's current status is.  There is also a section titled  Job Search, and another with Educational Planning activities for the student to progress through.  There certainly is enough in this Guide to keep your student working through the site and material during your subscription period.  The end result?  Well, I know for us-we'll have a more informed high school student, who will have a much better idea of what she wants to focus her studies and experiences on, and she'll have lots of test taking opportunities as well!  That (I am sure) is not one of her favorite aspects, but definitely a necessary one for college.

So where does that leave me when it comes to recommending this service?  I say, that for those families with Jr/Sr high students, this is an invaluable source for figuring out your student's game plan.  I know of way too many folks who spent thousands of dollars, and too many years, switching out their majors in college; only to graduate with a degree that perhaps wasn't even best for their skills/talents and personality.  I feel the fee is quite fair for all the help and online guidance you receive.  So, if your student hasn't a clue as to what they should be when they grow up-this program may very well offer enough help to get them focused on a few careers before they ever step onto a college campus. And for those students who have a pretty good idea of their dream job-this can certainly add additional scholarship, college and career information [since not all careers require a college degree, this will be most helpful in giving them alternative options to meet the requirements] that they may not even have been aware of. 







actually it requires very little of your effort-you will need to print and assign the activities and offer some initial guidance-but the student will be able to do most of it unassisted

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Discover Career Planning Program

$19.95 for 3 month, and $24.95 for a 6 month license to use, with access to the Teacher's Guide as well.
*they also offer a monthly e-Newsletter, Homeschool Resource information and more.

Be sure to visit our TOS Review Crew Homepage to see what my TOS mates have to say about this and many other fine homeschool products.

**ACT, Inc. provided me with a free 3 month license for the Discover Career Planning Online Program, in order to test and use this with my family, so I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: ABCteach Online Resource for Children's Education

With the deluge of products on the market-both physical and online-it can be rather overwhelming for most to decide what are "necessities",  and what qualifies as "nice to have but can live without"  items for their homeschooling needs.  Depending on your educational method and approach, the answer to that may come more easily than others. I tend to be an eclectic, Charlotte Mason based, hands-on Workboxing/Lapbooking type of instructor. The children also lean toward that learning style; and so for us, a mixture of different styles of curriculum help to accomplish this method. Tossing in a few worksheet related activities is not unheard of around these parts; and now that we are a Workboxing family, projects and games, file folders and lapbooks which reinforce our current study material, show up often in our boxes. The problem is, that one can quickly run out of stuff to put in there-things that are not so complex they would take days to accomplish; yet serve as positive tools to refresh and invigorate the children's brain cells.

One way I accomplish the task, is to have some online memberships to varying sites which provide ideas, worksheets, flash cards, clip art, coloring sheets and so forth. There are several nice companies out there-including ABCteach. I had actually come across their site before, and have accessed a lot of the free worksheets prior to this review opportunity-but decided on a different one because of the cost. It all came down to the almighty dollar. Sad, but true-as of late, our belts have had to be pulled pretty darn tight, and so I had to make a fiscally responsible choice for our family. The problem is, I missed out on so much because that the other site simply doesn't offer what ABCteach does. I found the section for creating personalized worksheets, crossword puzzles and other search and find activities, to be such an awesome way to customize and really highlight what we were covering in our studies. I love that feature.  I also quickly noticed that their graphics, clip art and overall look to their material is very high quality.  That means a lot to a person who really prefers her "works" [that is any activity I put together like a lapbook or game] and projects to be classy and professional. 

To get an idea of what you can do with this site-check out the post I have showing the projects I put together using some of the downloads from ABCteach. I am not a big fan of using an over abundance of worksheets, so I tend to avoid getting drawn into that way of teaching. But what I did find, was that I could take a particular download, and change the way to use it or pull parts to create an activity that is reusable, fun and does not resemble your typical idea of a the "just keep 'em busy" through worksheets, way of teaching.

I also have been receiving newsletters from ABCteach which notify us of all the new updates and goodies they have added to their site-which is quite often!  So they certainly stay on top of things, and provide the members with a sleu of materials to keep you from hitting that proverbial wall of "nothing new here".  Plus, they have a blog, have won the Teacher's Choice Award in 2007, and have a pretty easy to navigate website. I actually like the layout a lot-it is linear and organized fairly well, in my opinion.  I have heard others say it confused them, so maybe it is just that I have been scrolling through similar layouts for some time and find it rather easy to work through.  I am not sure, but again-for me, it was easy to use.   It is quite obvious the folks at ABCteach really care about the quality and care they put into their company, and I really appreciate that!

You can access their site to try out several different downloads, since they offer thousands of free worksheets to everyone. It is a great way to see if the material suits your needs and teaching style. For me, it is a must have for our family due to the very nature of the way I teach, and  the way the kids learn.  By visiting the site, you should be able to glean enough examples to see if it fits your family.  I am thinking most of the material is geared for pre-K through late elementary; with a few things (like the foreign language stuff) that can easily be used with older students.  Depending on where your child is in their studies, and how they learn-this could be a great tool to add to your homeschool resources.






if creating projects and activities for the workboxes or lapbooks or works


if simply copying off a worksheet and including in your student's work load

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ABCteach
$40 per year/individual, other price reductions for group membership.

I have seen the subscription price discounted at times, through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op for example-so search for specials to see if you can save on the cost. Another option is to see if you can get folks from your homeschool group or co-op together and purchase a group discounted membership.
For more details regarding their prices, visit their Membership information page.

Be sure to check out what my team mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschooling products, on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

**ABCteach provided me with a free one-month subscription membership to their site, in order to test and use this with my family, so that I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Virginia Soaps and Scents

I bet you are wondering what a soap review is doing on a "curriculum" review blog, and if you are not-pretend for a second, if you will. Actually this one is here not by mistake, nor because I jumped ship.  No, it is here because it is a lovely little diversion from the usual academic reviews we normally receive, whilst on the TOS Crewze ship.  After all, it cannot always be chatter about curricula, and products with which to  educate the children.  At some point we need  a break from the routine [still holding out for Chocolate vendors] and thankfully, this one made its way into our line-up. The Virginia Soaps and Scents company is  very familiar with the homeschool world, as they too educate their brood ( I am not sure if their chickens attend or not-but I am referring to their children here] at home. In fact, this company sprang from a project that snowballed into a cottage industry for them!  I love when things like that happen.  It starts innocently enough, and poof!  One is knee-deep in soap suds and soap molds, label making and product design.  It is what American is known for, and so I present to you the product descriptions of what we received for review. 

I am sure that most of my readers have watched those TV shows (say Little House on the Prairie) that depict early American life-the settler years. Well, I instantly thought of those, when I heard we'd be receiving something called a Shampoo Bar. I was picturing those pioneers rubbing their hair with a brick-looking bar made from lard; and perhaps some drops of glycerin and an oily scent thrown in for good measure. How could that be good for the ole strands and  follicles? How would one withstand the critters that would eventually come sniffing around, as the effervescent scent of rendered pig swirled about their heads? Well, have no fear, the critters will leave you be. These are made out of an olive and coconut oil blend, mixed with caster oil (now don't liquefy and drink this puppy-or you are sure to have squeaky clean intestines to match that shiny head of hair) jazzed up with 4 varieties of scents to choose from. The one we had (sampler size) was the Ginger Lime-but I could barely smell a scent from it. These come in a 5.5 oz sized bar-which is pretty darn big. That compares to a 24-30 oz bottle of the liquid shampoo one finds cluttering up the health and beauty isles of the grocery store. I am especially interested in the one made with Tangerine Grapefruit for my daughter, whose hair tends to be oily. For me personally, it didn't work. It made my fine, recently highlighted hair feel like the straw from the innards of a scarecrow, and somewhat "heavy" feeling as the day went along. I have very particular hairs, so this is a frequent occurrence with many commercial hair care products, as well. But for my other family members (with thickly haired noggins)-it worked beautifully. My son thought it was a hoot to rub the bar on his head. It lathered nicely for him whilst making his hair all shiny, smooth and clean. Most of my family members have that luscious thick hair, folks like me can only dream of-so perhaps this is just a better fit for that type. Like I mentioned above, I already have the Shampoo Bar on the list for my daughter, and I am sure my son will want his own too! So yes, this is a product I can recommend.

If you are going to have clean hair, you best have a squeaky clean body to match. So lathering up with one of their handmade soaps,  was a delightful way to round out the experience. We received three different soaps to try out. Out of the Fresh Orange, Oatmeal, Milk and Honey and the Coconut Lemongrass-the last one was by far-both my husband's and my favorite. My daughter swiped the Oatmeal one for herself, and reports that (like all of the soaps) it left her skin nice and smooth, and not itchy at all. As for the Fresh Orange bar, it was OK, but not necessarily one I would buy. Actually, I have their Victorian Rose and Violets and Lace on my "must get" list. I tend to like smelling of a slight scent of garden flowers (kind of like the Victorian ladies of yesteryear), and so this is a great way to do that-without throwing my allergies into hyper drive. My hubby is curious about their more manly-man scents-so I believe we can add that to our list too. Since they offer a multi-bar discount, we'll actually save by buying more. What is so nice about these particular soaps, is that they are made with natural ingredients that are not harsh (at least to our skin-and we have a lot of sensitive-skinned members in our family) and come in a large selection (including a line of fragrance free) of Scent-a-liscious choices. I felt like I was at a spa or something with these fanciful soaps. It was a lovely product to review-and we certainly can and do recommend these as well.

Last but not least, included in our goody box was a little sampler of their Laundry Soap Kit. I have been wanting to make my own-but alas-never quite got to that on my "To Do" list. So this sort of forced my hand. Before you ask-no, we didn't need to drag out a big old black kettle and stoke a roaring fire out back somewhere, in order to create this. In fact, I chronicled this endeavor to highlight how simple it is.  I have used up about 1/2 of the mixture so far, and it seems to be cleaning our clothes nicely.  I am not seeing any dinginess or inability to get them clean.  Because it is October, asking the boy to go out and dirty himself is not in the equation-so I really cannot do a super dirty outfit test.  But from the socks, and food spills that have decorated our shirts; it seems to be compatible with the commercial stuff-and all without the chemicals that plague those brands.  I haven't quite decided yet if I am a "make your own" laundry soap laundress, but if I do decided to go that route-I know where to go to get the soap.  The Sampler packet is $4.95; and the cleaning bar $3.95 (you will need to supply your own washing soda and Borax powder to pull it all together). All in all these products are wonderful good, and we were very pleased to be able to try them out!





after all-how can a soap be religious? (see the comment below-I guess it can be! WOW, this one is taking on a life of its own!  Read what the makers of the Virginia Soaps and Scents is up to [in the comments section] regrading this very question-what an awesome way to be a testimony to the healing and "cleansing" power of GOD)
and

as you will need to handle the stove steps to avoid sudsy disasters or serious burns.

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Virginia Soaps and Scents Homepage

The regular sized soap comes in a nice 4.5 oz bar size and sells for $4.50 each. The samplers (1.75 oz bars) are perfect because they give you a great opportunity to test the Virginia Soaps and Scents out first. You can select the Bed and Breakfast Sampler for $18 (and hey-why not give a few away as gifts?) or the
Virginia Sampler or the Trio Gift Crates.

The Laundry Soap bar comes in either a 9 oz or 2 of the 4.5 oz bars.

Shampoo bar comes in a 5.5 oz bar. $5.50 each or 2 for $10.

They have multi-purchase discounts for the bath soaps:  3 bars for $12, buy 4 bars get  the 5th free or 10 bars for $35.

Be sure to check out what my fellow TOS Mates have to say about this and many other fine homeschool products, at our TOS Crew Review Homepage.

**Virginia Soaps and Scents provided me with a free Sampler Pack containing 3 small bars of soap, one Laundry Kit and one small Shampoo Bar, in order to test and use this with my family-so that I could write the review.

TOS Crew Review: American Heritage Education Foundation-American's Heritage CD Rom

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."

Thomas Jefferson

If ever there were a time in our history, where that very thought [the ignorant and free part] is our country's unspoken mantra, it would be now.  Due to  the decline of the majority of our nation's schools lack of  focus, and desire to truly teach the up and coming citizens of this country, about the very foundation in which is was built; and the general overall lack of knowledge about the very creeds that made this country unique and free-we are now waist deep in several generations where this ignorance has opened the door to our freedom's ultimate demise.

This lack of knowledge can be thwarted [albeit  with consistency and through perseverance] by using programs designed to adequately inform our future generations,  with the utilization of actual documents, and correct historical knowledge.  When citizens [such as you and I] and grass roots efforts through those at The American Heritage Education Foundation, we may be able to save this nation from losing what thousands of American citizens have fought and died for-since our humble beginnings.  It truly is imperative that we (parents) teach our children good citizenship and how to preserve our rights as Americans.  One way to go about this, is to use the free America's Heritage CD Rom, provided by AHEF.

The CD contains all levels-so basically-grades 1-12.  Broken down into the three sections, (and also with an Elementary Spanish guide) you can pull up the necessary lessons for your particular grade levels.  This was originally a project that was written for the Houston Independent School District, but is easily adaptable for all, including the homeschooling family.  Each guide contains several activities which tie into the lessons.  To better aid the instructor,  each unit has a listing covering its purpose, objective, theme, time allotment, needed materials, focus, listing of activities, the assessment criteria and concepts. For a complete list, visit the site for the :
Elementary School Lessons
Middle School Lessons
High School Lessons.
Please note, you do not need to order the CD if you have the capability to download, as these are available right from the site, in PDF form.

In my opinion, I would say this is not a complete program, but it is a great supplement or mini-theme series [the high school level will need less additons if you do all of the noted lessons] with which you can build a unit study on our heritage quite nicely.  Some of the elementary activity pages would look nice on a notebook or lapbook page too.  By adding in good literature [age appropriate] that discuss the topic at hand, you could build a really in-depth Citizen/Heritage Study.  If time is of the essence, then what is contained in the CD should suffice.  I found that some of the activities were a bit too much for my second grader-or simply were difficult to do because it was originally designed for several students to work on together.  If I had a bundle of kiddies, I could have pulled it off-but not with one at that age.  I do recognize though, that in the future I can pull them when needed, to add to our studies-so it is a nice reference to have available.  I plan on doing a unit on the foundation of our nation with my high school daughter next year, and so again-these materials will add a nice touch to emphasis the study. Outside of a couple activities that struck me as silly (the Preamble signing activity-I am not dissing Sign Language here-just that it is kind of corny to us and felt a bit like they were trying to hard to come up with an activity for the Middle and High School levels-this may have been a better one for the Elementary level only) , and a few fuzzy or less-than professional graphics [because there are so many resources available on line for free; or as a part of a subscription  to a company that specializes in teacher resources, this isn't a big deal-but I wanted to point that out]- I really liked the majority of what is included, and can recommend it to anyone who is looking for additional ideas and activities to enhance their children's knowledge of our country's unique and freedom giving laws, and the need for preserving it.






the material does discuss our Christian heritage, but it doesn't scream it-so I gave the product a globe-it is useful for anyone who wishes to gain a better knowledge of this country's beginning regardless of their religious affiliation


for the Elementary-High School Levels you will need to be involved with discussion and leading some activities

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The American Heritage Education Foundation Homepage
Free CD available upon request (a $150 value) or you can download them from their site.
or printed guide: $19.50 per level

You can also donate to help continue their mission. See the order page for more details.

Be sure to visit our TOS Review Crew Homepage to read more reviews on this, and many other fine homeschool products.

**The American Heritage Education Foundation provided me with a free CD Rom titled, American's Heritage, in order to test and use it with my family, so I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Amazing Bible History Timeline

Where does one start with a review such as this? I have decided to switch this one up a bit from my normal layout and style, due to some issues that I feel surpass the review of the item in of itself.

Be assured that I try my best to research any product that uses the Bible as its foundation. I want to be sure I understand where the company is coming from. I want to see what documentation they use to reference and create their product with. That is not always an easy task. Thankfully, most will boldly list their Statement of Faith, so that after reading it-I can decide if it aligns ours. I strongly believe this is an extremely personal, God-given right to which every individual is given. So, please do not misunderstand this review as my stating that one particular religion is better than the next. I am not. This review is penned out of our experience with this product and reflects the views of our family-and ours only. I have my own personal beliefs on such matters, but this is not the time nor the place with which to discuss them. I am simply stating what we discovered and how we feel it does or does not fit our family.

That said, I will introduce the product and discuss what the intention of this item is.  I will then note a few things about it that I found did not mesh with our faith, and then leave it at that.  So let's start with the upside of things.  This is a huge, Biblical historical timeline.  It is designed to try to cover most of the world's history from the beginning to present day.  It is laid out in a fashion with with the notations are squeezed into a large square, so that it can fit on your wall or table.  The intention was to try to show how certain people lived during the same time frame of other "famous" people.  How world history is actually intertwined and interconnected-not separate happenings that occurred somewhere "along the same time period".  This is a one look version of your typical linear timelines.  Not a bad concept actually.  It is nice to glance down, follow a line of history and see (by simply raising or lowering your eyes) what else was "going on" then.  It is coated on the print side with varnish-to make it more durable and yet not be hard to ship or roll/store.  It is brightly colored with 4 colors, and "fairly" easy to follow along.  The chart itself has a disclaimer that  states that they understand that it is hard to pinpoint the exact date of certain events; due to things simply not being recorded way back then, or because some dates conflict with other various sources. It is the nature of the beast.  This is one area that most scholars will agree on-you simply cannot state the exact date and time for some events.  I am fine with that, and am pleased they admit that for all to be made aware of.

That is the good stuff.  Now comes the parts that were hard to use, or simply do not mesh with our personal belief or religious training.  We found (at times) the color choices were a bit much -somehow it made our eyes bug out, and the print in some areas was hard to read.  We also felt like we were craning our necks more than we care to.  We are also a family that prefers to have our history all nice and neatly laid out in a pull-out linear timeline design.  I personally do not do good with circle charts, such as this.  I did cross referenced a lot of the early Biblical information, and it was close to or at the same time frame as the notable resources state.  That was encouraging.  Then, as I made my way through the chart, I started to see some things that didn't line up with our religious teachings.   Then I noticed that there seemed to be a gaps in histories of some nations and cultures; while there was a heavier concentration on others. Now, I do realize that if this chart had every detail from all of the major historical events, since the beginning of time, that it would need to be the size of the Indian Ocean. So yes, I get that they had to tone it down a bit-but I kept thinking things were missing. Then I saw a few familiar names, and I knew.  The folks behind the Amazing Bible History Timeline appear to be Mormon, and that is their prerogative, but the absence of notation regarding it was a bit annoying.

What really bothered me-was that the company was not upfront and open about where they were coming from.  I felt a bit mislead and that really left a bad taste in my mouth.  I would have appreciated knowing right from the start what I had before me-and that would have at least given me the ability to approach it with foreknowledge of the company's faith.

With a wee bit of research (because remember, I want to know what they used for their references-and believe you me-I checked out the major ones here)this is the site I found which is also theirs too-
LDS Amazing Bible History Timeline homepage
Here is their background page on their LDS site-now notice the the sources they use.
Background Page
So, there you are-this Bible Timeline has a Mormon bias to it.  If you are a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints-this can be a great resource for you and your family...it has several references to materials that should be familiar to you.  In fact, I am giving my chart to my friend who is Mormon-and she will absolutely love it!

It comes down to how something fits your beliefs and tastes.  We are not members of the LDS church, and so this Amazing Bible History Timeline is not something we will use. I prefer our timelines from sources that agree with our theology, and so we will stick to the ones that do. I cannot be more blunt or plain about it.  It is not a good fit for our family at all.  As for you dear readers, you will have to do your research and make a decision on whether or not the ABHT is a good fit for you- based on your family's religious preference.






I am noting one ring here because for some families it can be a nice addition to their study material



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Amazing Bible History Timeline Homepage
Non-LDS link

$29.97 for Bible Chart (includes free download of Interactive Maps of the Holy Land, a the Digital Timeline)

Comes with a 60 Day money back guarantee. See details on their website. 

To see what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other great homeschooling products, head to our TOS Review Crew Homepage for more reviews.

**Bible Charts and Maps, LLC, provided me with a free Amazing Bible History Timeline in order to test and use it with my family, so that I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Educaching

Living in today's high tech world, most are familiar with the wonders of a Global Positioning System-better known as GPS.  So using it to find your buddy's house or that location for the office picnic is great-but what else can one do with it,?  Well, there is Geocaching.  If you are a Boy Scout (or parent of one), or are lucky enough to have stumbled across this info-then Geocaching (sounds like geo cashing) may be a familiar term to you.  Basically, it involves using your hand held GPS device to locate a hidden cache (sounds like "cash") or treasure, that has had its location noted online in a data base for you to find.  It is a world-wide activity that has really become popular in recent years.  That sounds interesting you say, but how about something more "educational" in nature?  Is that out there?

Actually, there is just such a product.  It is called Educaching though-as well as it should be, since you are following a curricula that has several areas covered (educationally speaking) using a GPS, with your students.  So what you have is a program that teaches (the good "not in your face" approach that is "fun" and not "boring") while the children are searching for the cache that is relevant to the lesson.  Talk about a neat way of modernizing the old  (using clues on paper to denote the next location)  approach to a treasure hunt.




The Educaching curricula is designed to meet the national and state education standards (I am not that concerned with such things-but alas, some of you may need that info in order to meet your state's requirements),  which are duly noted in the 20 different lessons contained within the guide.  There are also sections covering how to use your GPS, definitions of the terms used, and helpful insight on how to purchase a device that is best for your situation.  Everything you need for the lesson is noted, and when possible- provided within it.  I found the Teacher Training section to be quite useful, as I have had limited exposure to our GPS unit, due to it being gone with my husband (he needs it for his work) when he is traveling,  more than it is here at home.

Keep in mind, this program was written for a classroom setting, so it may be difficult for some lessons to work as intended, or they simply may have more activities than a typical homeschooler would need to complete-or want to, depending what educational method you prefer. I just picked out the sections that would work for us, and left the rest.  It didn't deplete from the goal of the lesson, and the kids certainly didn't notice.  That said-I started out with the beginner level lessons for our kids, because they had never used the hand-held GPS, prior to this review.  I read through each lesson to determine if it would suit the varying age levels of my children [it states that it is for grades 4-8; being that I have a highschooler and an early elementary student-we were "out" of the suggested age range. I wasn't deterred, as I wasn't expecting my teenager to do this for anything other than for fun, and my boy will grow into the more difficult ones soon enough], I then decided on the activities that would interest them.  After doing the introductory lesson (which offers the students the chance to work through the GPS's buttons/gizmos, and how to properly find the designated cache location-we were ready to try the others.

This was our first test run.  Daddy (the dude with the GPS experience) assisted with the entire lesson-which is wonderful, as he usually doesn't get the opportunity to do so very often.  The kids figured it out pretty quickly-so we were ready to move along to another lesson later that week. I did laminate (no surprise there) the teacher's and student's map (so as not to go through reams of paper) to get more use out of them, and just provided the kids with a wet-erase marker and a clipboard for the excursions. The children seemed to enjoy these activities (mostly the boy) but I did find some things that could (and did) curtail its use, at times. Please note what the boy is wearing-as this will be discussed shortly (no pun intended).

What you have here is our Dinosaur Bone Hunt.  This lesson required the teacher (that would be me) to first copy off the sheet with the various bones of this mystery dino,  then strategically hide them,  set their waypoints into the GPS and mark their location on the master map. The students were to then search for the "bones" (which I put into 5 baggies with varying sections in each), using their newly learned GPS skills.  When all of the bones were collected, they  then were to come back to "class" to create a dinosaur that they felt best fit the bones they found.   For us, seeing that we only have 2 "students" in our wee little homeschool-the suggested  4-5 person team had to be reworked a bit.  So our two ended up switching back and forth with the recording [the Scribe] of the waypoint coordinates, and serving as the official Navigator; while I took on the role of the Photographer, and Daddy served as the Reader.  It was very helpful to have at least one child or an adult handy, who could accurately read the info off of the GPS, so the excursion does not take forever to complete.  At first my teen was a bit unimpressed, but after one find, she quickly became engrossed in the activity-so we found it truly can be used with all ages successfully. I  was impressed with what the kids came up with for their mystery dinosaurs-and their names were pretty funny too.  I built the Partiasaurus after watching their attempts-I simply couldn't resist the urge not to-it was a really fun activity. 

What are the "pitfalls" of this product you ask?  Obviously, with such a program, there is going to be a shelling out of greenbacks in order to have the necessary equipment to complete the lessons.  For the Educaching, program, that would be the GPS device-which can run about a hundred dollars (or more) each. We have one available to us, because as noted-my husband has to have one for his work, so we didn't need to invest anything. But for the families who do not have one already (check your mobile phones, as I have heard that certain systems have that built into them), I recommend that you see if you can borrow a GPS unit first, copy off one of the free downloadable sample lessons, and give it a test run-before buying. The folks at Educaching also have a couple different Classroom Kits which include the Guide and a GPS device(s), to help get you started.

Furthermore, a  few unfortunate situations presented themselves as we worked through the activities. First off, living in a state (such as mine) where the clouds can be thicker than a metropolitan phone book-there is potential to experience lost satellite reception. **[additional note here-I was made aware that there is a "high sensitivity feature" which is basic on most, if not all, manufactured newer [GPS] units.  It provides users excellent reception under heavy tree canopy, or on a cloudy day.  In fact, Garmin (they run about $135) now only produces hand held receivers with this feature. Well how cool is that?  I have to go check out our GPS unit to see if this is there or not-again, if you are looking into purchasing a unit-this would be one feature to check for.  We personally cannot expend the money to buy one of our own right now-so we are stuck with what we have. I actually think our batteries were a bit oldish-which would explain some of the moments of lost reception, so be sure to have fresh ones in there before you head out to do your Educaching. ] In fact, we had so many cloudy, rainy (another problem because this has to be done outdoors) days during the review period, that I started to give up hope that we'd ever have a chance to get out and try it. And since our area can boast about being one of the windiest places (seriously) around-we were stymied by gusts that could have swept up the kids (along with the caches), and planted them in the land of Oz, all  in a blink of the eye! At least we knew they would have been able to figure out their longitude and latitude coordinates with their GPS device!  Seriously though, it simply has not been a great fall with which to give this project a whirl. So weather can be a great deterrent to using this curricula.

Secondly-and here is where I need you to recall the boy's outfit of shorts and flip flops, it is a seasonal type of activity. If you live in mild weathered states, no problem-but for those of us in the polar region (well it feels like it lately) you can have very few days were you can get out and actually "enjoy" (I say enjoy because I am sure you could do this during mild winter days-but that opens up a whole new can of worms that frankly, I simply do not want to bother with) the process. If you look closely at the pictures of the kids doing their Dino Hunt-you will see quite a drastic change in their attire-we froze our tender vittles off that day [but we had to do it because it was going to be one of the only "nice" days for a while, and I was running out time to get these done!)-it was 35 degrees, and blustery. That is just another example of how one's plans can be waylaid due to the weather. So thinking about the area where you live, is an important factor in whether or not it is feasible.

Lastly, I did find that it felt like a lot of work for one or two students.  I think this would better suit a family with a lot of munchkins or work in a co-op/group setting much better.  I was having a hard time justifying the preparation VS the outcome.  I had to go through the lesson, collect the items, get a moment to go out and "hide" them (and because we do not have a ton of areas in our yard that can successfully cloak the caches, I had to venture out into the neighborhood-which was risky, as I had to work around sprinkler systems, hope that curious folks wouldn't tamper with the caches and so forth) and then return to do get the lesson started.  I definitely think it would work better with more participants, and have suggested it as a possible class for our homeschool group.  One of the main ideas (at least in my opinion) with this type of curricula, is to get the children to work in groups, as a team-so with 2 (and sometimes it was just my son) that simply was difficult to accomplish.  So,  figuring your student count into the equation is important, as well.  It can, and does work for smaller "class" sizes-it just involves adjusting and tweaking  to get over a few extra hurdles in order to complete the assignment. We did enjoy the actual search part of it (once we were able to get out and do it), and my son has requested to do several more-which will now have to wait until spring-so for us, it was a pretty decent experience.  If your children enjoy such activities, and you need more guidance and/or lessons plans, the Educaching Curriculum is a great choice.







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Educaching Homepage

$32.00 eBook Version
$32.00 Book with CD, with additional $6.95 shipping fee. **I have to say that unless you live overseas, have dial-up, or in an area where the mail is super slow-go this route-as it is only $7 (plus tax)  more to have the printed copy and CD ready to go.

*I also wanted to note here:  their website is one of the nicest designs I have come across in some time.  It is very professional -a very nice cache to explore, indeed. 


Be sure to visit our TOS Crew Review Homepage to read more posts on this product and many other homeschooling products.

**Educaching provided me with the free copy of Educaching Guide eBook, in order to test and use it with my family, so I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Bright Ideas Press-All American History, Volume II

I am all about history!  I love it, search out books on various past happenings, and spend a good majority of my homeschool budget on products that discuss and cover historical information.  So, when I had the opportunity to check out Bright Ideas Press, I had a tough decision ahead of me.  Did I want to test drive their Geography curricula?  Well, actually-yes I did.  Did I want something from their Mystery of History Series? Well, because we had just wrapped up a lot of those eras in time; and I knew a lot of my fellow review mates would request those, I looked around to see what else they had to offer.  I realized that I actually needed something different (other than the programs that are squished in my bookcases) for my teenage daughter's American history program. I love learning through reading several good books on the subject;  and so did my oldest two.  We simply enjoy devouring book after book as a way to input and remember such things, but my third child tends to not like it so much. She actually prefers more of a textbook (and that is all right by me) approach to learning. So we decided to also put in for the All American History, Volume 2 set. That is what we received, and I couldn't be more pleased!


The All American History, Vol. 2 set continues where the first volume left off.  Starting right around the beginning of the Civil War, the student meanders through time right up to the 21st Century.  By reading the required text, the student will then work on pages that correlate to the lesson, which are found in the Student Activity book.  The Teacher Guide not only has the exact same information as the Student Activity book, it has the answers and several (several!) additional ideas to select from.  Those extra activities, and book lists (we usually selected at least 2 per unit) will add the necessary input to truly give the student a nice rounded approach to learning the material.  I also created a binder for my daughter to put her pages in (from the activity book-as they tear out easily because they are perforated), to keep all the information in a very nice  "scrapbook" about this study.  We will be adding in the timeline, additional pictures, and projects as we go through it this year. Additionally, we are fortunate enough to have a really nice video series about the Civil War, which highlights a lot of what she is reading in regard to the major events. The beauty of this particular program is that one can easily add or delete additional material; depending on the time constraints and interest of the student. That certainly is worth noting-because not all programs have such flexibility.

The units themselves are not overly packed with twaddle-that unnecessary chatter that detracts from the main points of the discussion.  It is also clear and concise, so the student can easily follow along, then do the worksheet without much difficulty. For those children who do not enjoy reading through lengthy novels, and thick books to gain this knowledge-the All American History series is a very nice alternative.  They still get opportunities to read books (just not so many) while the majority of the important (backbone) material is presented in an orderly, progressive manner. The student(s) will learn about the following:

Volume II has 32 weekly lessons-three sections per unit-in which  the student explores:

• the atmosphere in which the event occurred
• the event itself
• the impact this event had on the future of America

The Units Covered in the Volume are:

• The Civil War and Reconstruction
• The Gilded Age
• Two World Wars and A Great Depression
• The Cold War and Beyond

If you have yet to cover the very beginnings of our country up to the Civil War, I suggest you start with Volume I.  You can add more advanced material to beef it up to your child's abilities (since it was originally written for 5-8 grade students); or just work your child through it at a faster pace-in case you are behind in meeting your own, or your state's requirements for graduation. I see no problem with high school students being able to process the material and information more easily-so this could be condensed (Vol. I) into a semester's worth of material, if need be.  I do suggest that you work through Volume II for at least 2 semesters-since it covers relevant, and not too distant historical information.

My daughter loves this program, it is exactly what she wanted to have for her history studies.  She is able to retain (big plus!) and follow through the material without losing interest.  I personally prefer a bit more of the literature method as my main backbone for learning history, but that is my personal preference. Obviously she enjoys a different approach, and I do firmly believe we found it (she gave this an 8 out of 10) with the Bright Ideas Press, All American History Volume II program. Oh, and because I do not have to wage WWIII to get her to do her work, it gets a 10 out of 10 from me!






Not too much prep for the most lessons

yet, initially at the beginning of the units, you will need to gather materials and additional supplies, which you can accomplished fairly quickly. You will also need to direct some discussion periods, and offer assistance when needed-hence both icons for this product

The student will be able to work through most of the material on their own

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Birght Ideas Press Homepage

All American History I and II information
Suggested age range:  6th-12th grade
AAH II :
$68.00 for the TE, Student Activity Book, and Student Reader Package (best deal)
or purchase separately
$44.95 Student Reader (HB)
$16.95 SAB
$18.95 TE with answer key


The TOS Store also sells Bright Ideas Press materials, check it out!

Don't forget to see what my TOS mates have to say about this and many other great homeschooling products! Head over to our TOS Crew Homepage for more information.

**Bright Ideas Press provided we with the free copy of The All American History II Package [Student/TE WKBK/Student Text] book in order to test and use it with my family, so I could write this review.

TOS Crew Review: Sarah Books Series

Usually, when I think of historical fiction-I tend to get, well-more jittery than a June Bug in May! Will it be so fanciful and out of touch, that the relevance to the story line would only be befitting for a cartoon? I have read enough books of this nature,  to know that not every author takes the time to really research and "truly understand" the subject at hand, in order to be able to pen something that puts the reader right into the world as it was. Nor do they write something that "could"  possibly have happened. That is becoming a lost art-but not so with the Sara's Wish story.



This is not a weak work of historical fiction, but rather a nicely written story that captures you right from the first page. Set in 1858, rural Ohio (or as my grandpa used to say "Oh? Hi Yo"),  just prior to the outbreak of the Civil War; we are introduced to a recently orphaned young lady named, Sarah. The loss of her mother propels the child into the hands of adults who are struggling to figure out what to do with her. Thankfully, Granny Evans (a friend of her mother) steps forward to open her home to this young 'chile. It is from there, that the story really starts to unfold. There seems to be some secret Sarah is desperately trying to keep; but with the appearance of slave catchers, her hand is forced. She needs to find someone to trust the secret to, but whom? Not one to spoil a story, I will leave it at that. Well, no actually I won't.

Of course, my favorite character is Granny. She speaks and thinks like an old gal with a bunched up corset. And that is the beauty of this character. Her charm and charisma soften what could be a rather difficult time for a child who recently lost her mother. She nurtures and cares for Sarah, molding this story to the reader’s heart. That sweet old woman manages to pepper her rearing skills with "Hill Wisdom" (that talk that Hill-folk are well known for) and love-making the reader feel like they are right along side listening to her as she doles out her thoughts on things.  I have even picked up a couple new "Granny Evans" lines, that I can test out on my own children. Actually, all of the characters mesh well in this story; pulling the reader into their lives during this turbulent era in American history. Oh, and if you and your children enjoy a good yarn by listening to an  old-time radio narrative of the story-then you can download the audio version  (after purchasing the book) to enjoy over and over again.

The timing of  this review is perfect-as my teenage daughter is covering the early years of the Civil War in her history studies.  I have added  Sarah's Wish to her reading list-but alas, she is awaiting its return to our humble abode, due to it being out on loan.  Frankly, when a fellow lover of fictional history asked me if I had read any good books lately-I just had to lend it to her!  So, if you are in the midst of studying slavery and the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, or are looking for well-written fiction for your children to read (I would say upper elementary and beyond)-Sarah’s Wish fits the bill. What is quite interesting is that the author, Jim Baumgardner, based the character of Doc Baumgardner, on a real life doctor living during the story's timeline; and who also happened to be Jim’s great-great grandfather. Somehow, that makes it more personal and adds a really nice touch to this charming story. I was saddened when the book ended-I wanted to know what happened next!  Thankfully, there are now two sequels:  Sarah's Promise, and Sarah's Escape.

I cannot end the review without taking just a moment to talk about the author. I found the Mid-Western charm of Jim shining through with his extra care and attention to each purchase/order. He signs each book with the buyer's name- and adds a sticker of a butterfly-which also happens to play an important role in the story. That extra touch really points out the love the author has for his company and stories.  Now, perhaps I am a bit bias, as Jim also plays a barber in an old town museum in Wichita, KS-and seeing how my grandpa, and my great- grandpappy were barbers-I feel a bit of kinship. Or maybe it is the fact that Jim takes the time to create a company that places customer service at the top of the priority list. Whatever it is-it was a pleasure to review this story penned from this kind gentleman.






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Sarah's Webpage
Sarah's Wish
$9.99 with free shipping and handling.
Sarah's Escape: $17.50 Sarah's Promise: $13.50
The prices listed are for those buying through the author's site. Prices slightly higher from other retailers.

What’s more, Jim pens an E-newsletter you can subscribe to. I find them to be filled with great information (like the website), Jim's wit and charm and much more. I believe you will enjoy it too.

Don't forget to check out what my fellow TOS mates have to say about this and many other fine homeschool products on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

**Sarah Books provided me with the free copy of the Sarah's Wish book, in order to test and use it with my family, so I could write this review.