DISCLOSURE: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE REVIEW NOR WAS I COMPENSATED IN ANY OTHER WAY.

In a couple of weeks my baby will be 4 and we've already entered this next phase of homeschooling - Preschool!  After 10 years of a homeschool mindset is, this really is one of my favorite stages!  That doesn't mean I don't have to fight off waves of sadness at the thought of this being the last time I get to teach one of my kids to read.  It is a beautiful privilege and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  And today our review is going to look at an online program designed to support young students in their journey towards literacy, LeapFrog Academy® from LeapFrog®.

What We Received:

We were given a 1 year subscription for multiple students to a LeapFrog Academy®, an online interactive learning program ideally intended for 3-6 year olds.  In addition to the annual, they also offer a monthly and 6 month plan, though the annual subscription offers the greatest discount.

How It Works:

 After setting up the student profile, the program takes the child on an introductory tour of the LeapFrog Academy world. Initially, the student learns how to move around, where the activities are, how to collect marbles for the reward bank, and eventually become familiar with their Learning Adventure. There is a dashboard where everything is directly accessible as well.

Within each student's virtual world there is a highlighted path they can take which brings them to a variety of puzzles and games. However, they can go anywhere they want and at any time head back to a red tent where they can change colors and clothing. As they travel around and complete activities, the student is rewarded with marbles and eventually prizes, like pets. My son has a pet hedgehog! When they do an activity they really like, there is an option to save it to My Favorites, which is then accessible through the dashboard. Also located on the dashboard are areas for certificates the student has earned, a My Learning Lab for activities focused on what they need to learn next, a reading area, and What's New for recently added elements. The concept as a whole is very open ended, but also structured if you choose to follow it.

What We Thought:

My son hasn’t quite mastered the mouse or track pad completely yet, so there were a few activities that he got frustrated on. Luckily, he has an older brother and sister who are more than happy to 'help' him. Other than that, the activities were fun and engaging, all while reinforcing preschool concepts.

As I have mentioned in reviews before, I am not a proponent of exclusive online learning. While I understand the reality and value of computer and internet skills for my children, I also know the importance of non-screem learning for healthy development. So, in our homeschool we have never relied completely on an online program. That being said, LeapFrog Academy® is a delightful program that was always inviting learning and one my son always asked to use. As a company in the business of learning since the 90’s, they have continued to do a great job of supporting early education!

LeapFrog® Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeapFrog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeapFrog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leapfrogofficial
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leapfroginc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/LeapFrog

Not all preschoolers are the same! Are you interested in another perspective? Read through other families’ reviews of this product to see what they thought.

DISCLOSURE: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Preschool-age kids are so fun to teach! My almost 4 year old is nothing like my other two children were, but still so fun at this age. If you are new to the preschool or homeschool arena, let me tell you it isn’t as complicated or hard as it might seem. Play in every form is education so formality is almost entirely unnecessary! Still, having a plan in some form or another is helpful to a scattered parent brain. The Crafty Classroom is a great place for finding the right tools to develop that plan. This past month or so we explored the Fine Motor Alphabet Bundle from The Crafty Classroom. In this review, we’re going highlight some great options for those busy preschoolers to make the best out of a ‘school’ day.

What We Received:

For this review, we were given a link to 19 digital, downloadable files that consisted of a variety of ways to practice fine motor skills while practicing alphabet skills.

These files included:

• Blank Alphabet (to be used however you wish)

• ASL Charts & Books

• Bricks

• Driving Mats

• Listening Skills

• Phonics

• Cuisinaire Rods

• Cut & Paste

• Dab & Dot

• Dab & Read

• Geo Boards

• Dip & Dot

• Play Dough

• Mazes

• Pom Poms

• Craft Sticks

• Patterns

• Snap Cubes

How It Works

As a collection of colorful PDFs, this bundle is ready to use however you wish. They are designed around several supplies you will likely have in your home like play dough, building blocks (like Legos), cars, craft sticks, etc. They are, of course, preschool level, but any parent knows children progress at different rates so some are a little more advanced than others. So, you choose the activities that are best suited for your student and according to the supplies available. In many cases, these printables are designed for Dry Erase Pocket Sleeves like those pictured below. This cuts down on paper and makes each activity repeatable with ease.

What We Thought:

My 3 - almost 4 year old is a busy, busy guy. He loves being given ‘school’ tasks and thrives by being kept (productively) busy. He is working largely on letter and number recognition right now so this bundle is perfect for this stage. Most of these PDFs are in color, but we only have a black and white printer. Color matching, like the Cuisinaire Rods activity shown above wasn’t possible as is, but easily remedied. My son knows his colors so it wasn’t a big loss, but the colors can always be added by a parent where necessary anyway. We didn’t have any of those nifty Dry Erase Pockets so we just did our best to keep up with the papers. It’s not impossible, but just a little added work.

In most preschool and kindergarten curriculum, you find letter formation activities where the student uses fun materials to interact with the alphabet. This bundle really covers several bases in that department and would be a perfect addition to any curriculum. The pick and choose nature lends itself to be used with students at a variety of stages. Like the blocks or phonics activities, there are suggested games that can make the activity a bit more advanced. However, the sheets are useful and fun without if the child isn’t quite ready for added steps.

The Fine Motor Skills Bundle from The Crafty Classroom turned out to be a perfect fit for my very busy almost 4 year old boy. The Crafty Classroom always offers really create digital solutions for your homeschool!

The Crafty Classroom on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Crafty-Classroom-121821161222656
Twitter: https://twitter.com/craftyclassroom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecraftyclassroom/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craftyclassroom/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mcclintick02

The Review Crew also reviewed the Superstar Spelling and Tracing Bundle! If you would like to learn more about those bundles, check out the other reviews through the link below.

DISCLOSURE: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Explore the Composers!

Now that we have been doing reviews for the Homeschool Review Crew for a few years, we are starting to really pick out favorites and repeat companies have a chance to truly win us over. Today we’re talking about a favorite company and their fantastic games. Maestro Mastery - Explore the Composers is the latest educational game from Byron's Games and we were very pleased to try it out!

What We Received:

Maestro Mastery includes a set of instructions, 104 cards featuring 52 composers, 1 music timeline card, and 1 fold-out poster. It is intended for ages 5 and up and requires at least 2 players. Game play is about 30 minutes.

How It Works:

Maestro Mastery is essentially a matching game for music composers, but loaded with learning opportunities. Each card includes the composers name, years living, historical period they are from (which is also color-coded) and a short description of what they are known for. Game play starts with all cards (you’re playing with) turned over face-side down. A player turns over two cards and announces both names. If no match is found, the next player continues in the same way. When a match is made, it is placed in front of the player, grouping them by era. There are two ways to win - most matches or most matches in a particular era. With 52 matches possible, you can always use fewer cards for fewer players or for a shorter play time. If played in this way, it is a basic matching game. However, there are a couple ways to play that increases learning and (in my opinion) fun!

To encourage a better understanding of music, composers, and time periods, there is a listening element that Byron’s Games provides. It is played the same except for whenever a match is made, you find that composer at http://www.Byronsgames.com/maestromastery and listen to a piece of their music. Depending on the composers and the length of the music provided, this could extend the playing time as well. For Vivaldi, the entire performance of The Four Seasons is provided, which is about 45 minutes long! Another way to play that increases the challenge, especially after students are more familiar with the music, is to play one of the excerpts and have students guess the composer. A slightly easier version is to lay out 3-5 cards, play an excerpt and have students guess the correct composer.

What We Thought:

My 10 and 7 year old children played this, while my 3 year old witnessed it until they wouldn’t let him touch anything anymore! As a game, they were able to play it by themselves with ease, once I explained it. We always played it with listening to the music along side it. If we hadn’t, I think they might have lost interest much easier. Having the music freely accessible on their website, right under each composers picture (that corresponds to their card) is a great idea and great resource for teaching music history. As matching games goes, it’s easy for any age to play, but the content opens up quite a bit of learning to be done. If your child isn’t reading yet, a parent or reading sibling is helpful because some of the pictures look pretty similar.

From a homeschooling perspective where we often include games as enhancements to what we’re already learning, this fits perfectly. It is the type of thing that we will play several times and receive a different education every time. Especially when a parent plays, there are many teachable moments about all aspects of music and history. The games Byron’s games produces are all great additions to homeschool curriculum.

Follow Byron’s Games on Social Media:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/byronsgames
Instagram: https://instagram.com/byronsgames
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/byronsgames
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqc5skcLby7XPMPubub8CRw

The Crew also reviewed The Family Journal from Byron’s Games. Check out other family’s reviews to find out what it’s all about!

If you're like me, you probably feel weary of always being the gatekeeper between your kids and the black hole of screen time and online gaming. One of the ways I try to make my job easier is to surround them with educational options rather than too many mindless ones. Today I'm going to share with you two online games, Typing Tournament Online and Maths Invaders Online from EdAlive that are entertaining AND teaching important skills at the same time. It's a win-win for sure in this household.

What We Received:
We were given a one-year subscription for two students and one parent/admin to Typing Tournament Online and Maths Invaders Online, which are both accessible on all devices.

How It Works:

Typing Tournament Online TTO is a series of exercises and games that introduce and increases typing skills. It is designed with a brand new student in mind where they can learn proper typing form and begin to build up words per minute. The program is divided into locations on a map with each stop containing lesson material, drills, 3 games - Siege, Powder Keg & Dragon Chase, Progress Report, and a Test. In order to progress to the next location the only material that is require is passing the test. With a total of 16 locations and a changeable Words Per Minute goal, there is plenty to do within this game.

Maths Invaders Online MIO is a game of testing and practicing math skills. There are three main areas, Galactic Campaign, Space Rescue and Practice. There is also a section to view your progress and the ability to print worksheets based on the problems you were given in a particular game. The Galactic Campaign is simply firing a correct answer at floating equations in an outer space skin. The level of questions can be changed as desired to change difficulty. Space Rescue is an online outer space themed version of Battleship where players must guess where a ship might be. After each turn, a player is required to 'recharge their battery' by answering math questions. Finally, there is a practice area that mimics the Galactic Campaign area, but the results are not maintained and you are able to choose the content you are practicing.

What We Thought:

Any reason to play an online game is a good reason in my children's minds so they were pumped to try these programs out.

Math Invaders was the favorite by both my 8 and 5 year old. It was easier to dive right into because they were more familiar with math than typing. There was some debate about how best to use the control keys and when to move the gun from side to side, but it all gave opportunity to talk strategy. They felt like they were playing a video game and I knew they were practicing mental math with increasing speed. Overall, we had no complaints and plan to use this as reward and in supplement to other math practice.

Typing Tournament wasn't always first choice, but I think it has been the greatest blessing. While both of my children have experience with our computers, they have not officially been taught to type. That meant they were true beginners and were substantially challenged by the program. I don't believe it to be too difficult in any way, but my impatient children desired more rapid success than they first experienced. My 8 year old son would head straight to the tests and then come to tears when he wouldn't pass them. Come to find out, there was little practicing done and mostly just attempts at typing very fast. My 5 year old daughter did alright once she understood what the pace had to be for success. In addition to learning to type, I think this program will support their need for a more disciplined approach to learning skills.

EdAlive on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdAlive/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/edalive
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/edalive/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edalive.education/

Do you have middle school aged kids? Follow the link below to read what other families had to say about these games!