"Mom, Can I Work On The Computer, Please?" - Big IQ Kids Review

Our latest product review for The Old Schoolhouse is Big IQ Kids.   I had never heard of BIG IQ Kids until just a few weeks ago.  Now, I'm wondering how we ever survived without it!   I am, however, getting a little tired of my kids only wanting to work on Big IQ Kids!!  I'd like to tell you about this web-based program that encompasses math, spelling, vocabulary, and states.


We were given a one year, full premium membership to all areas of the site.   You can use certain areas of the site for free, but if you want your students' progress tracked or for them to have the option of  advancing once they master a concept, then you should go for the paid version.  The paid version also allows your children to customize their "buddies" and have full access to the games (and the games are a HIT!)  For pricing options, click here. I was going to attempt to explain it all to you, but Big IQ offers a nice chart on their site, so check it out. 


Each of my children were provided with their own login and password and were given the opportunity to create their own "buddy".    I made Big IQ Kids a bookmark in our browser, so any time it was computer time they could easily click on the bookmark and get to work.   I new they would never be off task because:  a) they liked the program so much they stuck with it, and b) progress reports were mailed to me and I could check them online as well.  

What Does Big IQ Kids Offer?

All of Big IQ Kids' activities can be tailored to fit anyone pre-school all the way through adult.   

A complete spelling program - with ready-made lists by grade level OR you may enter your own list.   We used the latter option and used Big IQ activities to reinforce our spelling lessons.   Both of my children enjoyed the lessons, tests, quizzes, and fun games.

A vocabulary program - This was very closely linked to the spelling program (using either your own list or a ready-made list), and to be honest, we didn't use it that much.  My daughter found it not as interesting as the rest of the activities in Big IQ Kids.  

A complete math program - Each day my children would do a drill with 50 problems.  I could customize what types of problems I wanted them to do, which I really liked.  Notice the clock (a cool feature!).  

A U.S. States program - This is what we used the most.  There were four areas of the states program: spelling, abbreviations, location, and state capitals.  Each area had different levels to progress through at the student's own pace.    

Spelling and Vocabulary Competitions -- kind of like your own virtual spelling bee -- lots of fun!  

What The Experts Are Saying:

I went to the experts (my children!) and asked them their likes and dislikes about Big IQ Kids.   There was only one negative, and that came from my daughter, who just absolutely did not like the computer synthesized voice.   In fact, she called it "a little creepy".  Other than that, the program was a resounding success all around!   The favorite things about Big IQ for my children were (and I'm quoting here!):

The lessons weren't too long.

It's fun to move up a level and earn game coins

.

It's good that mom gets an email when I complete something.

I could play the cupcake maker game all day long!  (Mom did have to put a limit on this, but they do have to earn game tokens, so that's a good thing!)

The Final Word From Mom:

This program was a huge success in our house.   We used Big IQ Kids daily.   I loved the customization options, parent reports and the fact that I could enter my children's spelling lists.   I would recommend (if you are seriously interested in Big IQ Kids) to try the free membership for a bit and decide if you want to invest in the premium membership.  Be warned:  there could be fighting over the family computer because of Big IQ Kids! 

The only negatives I could find were the synthesized voice and that it wasn't compatible with the iPad.  The price is a little steep, but if you would make this an integral part of your curriculum, you might think it's worth the investment.   In my opinion, however, those aren't deal breakers for our family.    In fact, now I see why this product won a blue ribbon award from TOS last year!

If you'd like to see what other TOS Crew members are saying about this program, visit the Crew Blog! 

Disclaimer: I received the above named product from TOS Crew in return for my honest review. I have not been compensated in any other form.       

Fun Online Education with Time 4 Learning - A Review

Finally, a chance to review Time 4 Learning!   I've been seeing T4L for a couple of years and always wondered what it was about.  Now I know, and I'd like to share our experience with you!   You can also read other TOS crew members' reviews by clicking here.   

The Basics:

• Time 4 Learning is an online curriculum that is designed for children Pre-K through eighth grade.  It encompasses math, science, social studies, and language arts.  You can read exactly what is covered on the curriculum overview page.   There is also a comprehensive "scope and sequence" page, along with lesson plans already completed for you!  

• There is also a "playground" area where the children can play games.  (Admittedly, we didn't use many of these... I find my kids get sucked into the games if they know they are there, so I didn't advertise that option until much later!)  

• It is designed for homeschool, after school, or summer school use.  As a homeschool family, you could use Time 4 Learning as your full curriculum, or as a supplement to your current curriculum. Read what Time 4 Learning has to say about using their curriculum in your homeschool.  

• A monthly subscription to T4L is $19.95/month for the first child, and $14.95/month for additional children.   This price includes all subjects.   You can also try a demo of Time 4 Learning.  

• Time 4 Learning runs on PC and Mac.  At this time, it utilizes Flash technology, so it is not compatible with the iPad.  

Getting Started:  

• Set up of Time 4 Learning was extremely easy.   We received an email from Time 4 Learning and I gave each child a user name and password. Shortly after we were sent an email for each child with their login information.    Login was easy for my children.  I simply made them a bookmark in our browser and when it was time for their computer work, they were set.  EASY.  

• We did not have any technical issues or questions during our use, but if we did, Time 4 Learning is available for support via email and telephone.  Any questions that you might have are probably answered on the FAQ page.  

Our Experience:

We used Time 4 Learning with a first and fifth grader.   They tested out ALL areas of the curriculum.  I found that there was something in EVERY area they could use!   While we would not use this as our primary curriculum, I did feel it was a good investment as a supplement.   If you have a computer driven child, it would be particularly beneficial.  My oldest summed it up perfectly:   "I like how they make everything into a game!" 

The graphics were high quality, and it always kept both of my children's interest.   Here's an example from a second grade math lesson:

First Grade:

Everything in the first grade curriculum was read to the child... many times there was the option for the child to either be read to or read on their own.  This is a good option to have in place.  Attention span and interest level was taken into account, and it was an excellent fit for my six year old. Quizzes were  given after each concept, and concepts were appropriately sequenced.  

Phonics:   We liked the cute lessons with varied activities to keep my son's interest.   The characters and voices/songs were engaging and funny.  Our favorite here was the Crab Crawl, which was a game using high frequency words.  Very fun!  

Vocabulary:  My son enjoyed these lessons, but here I did have a bit of a problem with the curriculum.  I felt it was a lot of test prep work, and as homeschoolers we don't do a lot of tests!   The stories were textbook type, which didn't appeal to us.  

Language Arts Extensions:  My son enjoyed the options he had to be read to, read aloud, or read alone.  He read a story about hurricanes and a story about a volcano, which really interested him.  

Math:  This section was our favorite!   The lessons were quick and fun.   I also liked the fact that there were printable resources to go along with the lessons.  For example, a measurement lesson had a printable activity sheet to supplement what my son learned on the computer.  We did lessons about measurement and fractions, and I'm sure we'll continue to do more!

Social Studies:  We are studying the 50 states this year and Time 4 Learning was a great addition to our curriculum.  Patriotic songs, the Pledge of Allegiance, and many other lessons about our country were included.  Very nice.  

Science:  A complete lesson about magnets kept my son highly engaged and within twenty minutes he had learned quite a bit. 

Fifth Grade:

What a change from first grade!   Everything is read by the child, and is presented in a much more mature fashion.  My ten year old, however, still thought the program was fun and never complained about doing schoolwork!   

Language Arts:  My daughter worked through a large section about punctuation, commas, and quotation marks.  She was given a quiz after each section, which provided immediate feedback.   

Math:  The math was challenging for my daughter, which was good.  I did find that there wasn't a lot of TIME given for explanation, which some kids need for math.  The speaking was done more quickly than I would have liked.   She did, however, appreciate how math concepts were likened to real life (a game of Battleship, for example, in the line and point relationships lesson).  I could see this being a comprehensive math curriculum, which intrigued me.  

Social Studies:  A lesson on Ancient Greece was completed as I watched.  The map activities were thorough and interesting.  It was a perfect supplement to our study of The Ancients.  There were many social studies lessons to choose from.

Taking notes for a science lesson

Science:  Note taking was encouraged in a lesson about classification of living things!  This skill is so valuable, and my daughter felt very "official" during this section.   She also remembered the most from this section.   

At any time I was able to log into my parent account and see a progress report for my children.  Not that I don't trust them, but it was nice to "check up" on them to keep track of their learning!   This could also serve as your main record keeping if it is your full curriculum, and it is ALL DONE FOR YOU.  To me, this is Time 4 Learnings biggest advantage!  Your record keeping and planning are complete and thorough, and for many moms this would be a huge burden lifted from them.  

In closing, we very much appreciated the chance to review Time 4 Learning and will probably keep using it AS A SUPPLEMENT in the future.   It opened our eyes to the world of online learning, which is fun and engaging for my children!  

Disclaimer: I received the above named product from TOS Crew in return for my honest review. I have not been compensated in any other form.

Discover Spanish - Review and Giveaway!

Earlier this school year, I found a program called "Discover Spanish".  My nine year old was taking Spanish classes for homeschoolers, and I was interested in an online program that would supplement her learning.    The people at Discover Spanish graciously offered me a subscription to their online program in return for a review of their product.  After a year of using the program, I'd like to report to you on what we thought, as well as offer one lucky reader a subscription to Discover Spanish!

The creators of Discover Spanish describe the program as :

"The original language learning system that makes use of a building block approach
to teach practical conversational skills. Immerse yourself in 36 interactive
lessons that are fast, fun, and easy!"

Discover Spanish can be used a stand alone curriculum, or as a supplement.   It is designed for ages 9-99 and is equal to two years of Middle School Spanish or one year of High School Spanish.   If you have a visual learner, this will be just the thing for learning Spanish!   The lessons are engaging, and you can practice skills as many times as you want, with immediate feedback.

 

Each lesson is a real-life application (The House, The Family Picnic, Pets, etc...) with different themes going with each lesson.   We liked that it was conversational, and my daughter took part in real-life conversations with Johnny Spanish.  

I encourage you to visit the Discover Spanish website to fully explore the program, and even try a demo lesson for free!    

A one year subscription is $54.95, and then you can also download their podcasts to your .mp3 player to review on the go.    Discover Spanish suggests just 15 minutes a day with the program to be on your way to learning Spanish.  

Our impressions:

• We were so happy to be able to use this program.   This program, in addition to my daughter's Spanish lessons, gave her a very good introduction to the language.   I do believe it would benefit her even more if she was just a little bit older.   
• The quick pace of the lessons and short amount of time required were great!
• The additional podcasts can reinforce learning and can be listened to to any time, anywhere.  

The creators of Discover Spanish are giving away a one year subscription to their program to one lucky reader.    This contest will be open until Thursday, June 16 at 8 p.m.  Please be sure to leave a valid email address or way for me to contact you in the comments section!  

Ways to enter:

1. Become a follower of Homegrown Learners on GFC (or tell me if you already follow) and comment.
2. Tweet this giveaway and leave the link in the comments.
3. Visit Language Treks (Discover Spanish) on FB and like them, leaving me a comment.
4. Follow Discover Spanish on Twitter, leaving me a comment.
5. Try the free online sample lesson, and leave me your impressions in a comment.  

Good luck!

Disclosure: Our family was given a free trial of this product for review purposes. We received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are expressly ours.