TOS Crew Review: Math Mammoth Light Blue - Grade 3

Last year I reviewed some products from Math Mammoth.  You can see that review by clicking HERE.

This year I decided to review a complete years math curriculum.  After reviewing the placement test with my fourth grader, we decided to go with grade three.  He did not yet have a good foundation in multiplication and division, which was required for the fourth grade level. You can see the placement tests by clicking HERE. Having completed several weeks of lessons, I have no regrets with that decision.

Grade 3 description from the website:
"Third grade is a time for learning and mastering two (mostly new) operations: multiplication and division with single-digit numbers. The student also deepens his understanding of addition and subtraction, and uses those in many different contexts, such as with money, time, and measuring."
For detailed description of each grade Click HERE.

This program requires little teacher preparation. The most burdensome thing I find with it is printing out the pages. I remedied that by printing off several lessons at a time, so I only have to do that twice a month. I was able to use the "fast draft" feature on the printer and still obtained quality copies. The pages are in color mixed with black and white. Sometimes I will use only the black ink cartridge for printing projects, but for this math program, I kept the colored pages as is.

Lessons ran about 3 pages in length with frequent repetition and just enough problems to get the lesson point (not to much, not to little). A few different topics are covered in each lesson. I appreciated that the program stresses mental math. Most of the time descriptions are easy enough that my son can work independently. Other-times, a simple explanation is all that is needed. Fun puzzles are sprinkled throughout the lessons. Mastery is definitely encouraged. There are some basic manipulatives used with this curriculum, but are basic things we have at home (measuring cups, rulers, etc.)

My son is really enjoying this program, so he is going to continue to use it.  This program is currently available for grades 1 through 5 with grade 6 coming out this year. You can purchase this as a download or printed by lulu.com.

To learn more about Math Mammoth CLICK HERE.

TOS Crew Review: Zeezok: Presidential Penmanship

The product I have received is Presidential Penmanship Italic Style Complete Program on CD-Rom. This is a supplemental handwriting skills program for first through senior high. This is copywork type program - where the students copy quotes from presidents.  The quotes come from speeches and from books such as George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent. It comes in six different handwriting styles (see below.)

The quotes are shorter for younger grades and progressively get more difficult as the student progresses through the program. By the end of sixth grade the student is expected to quote the Gettysburg Address.  In high school the passages are smaller in the beginning and progress to longer passages. Quotes are also taken from Declaration of Independence, Lincoln and Reagan's Inaugural Addresses. All the quotes are excellent for memorization and civics studies.

This is a supplemental program since it does not actually provide instruction for the individual letters. It is assumed you have a basic understanding of writing the letters in the version you choose. You can choose the grade level that best matches your child's ability or you can do it based on subject matter. For example, the 5th grade level discusses manners and that might be a topic of interest for you.

For the earlier years you are expected to trace the letters and stay in the lines provided, then you copy and trace the quote on top of light grey scale letters. Then you are on your own to write out the quote on the lines provided. The child would have enough to do one lesson a week for 36 weeks. As you get in higher grades less practice is given and more lessons per week are expected. In third grade 108 lessons are provided.  Extra lined pages are included for you to print out as needed.

The quotes are great discussion starters and my children enjoyed copying the verses. The only difficulty we had was with a child with a visual impairment being able to stay in the lines while copying and seeing the light grey print.

What is great about this is that you only have to print out as much as you need and you can use this with multiple age households, inexpensively. You do need to provide paper and a printer to print off of the CD-Rom. Using "fast draft" to use less ink, as a printer option, did not effect the quality of the print compared with using the "normal" option.

To learn more visit:

http://www.zeezok.com/

Presidential Penmanship

Sample PDF - Click Here!

TOS Crew Review: AAS Beehive Reader 1

I originally did a review for the "parent" program, All About Spelling (AAS), that goes with this reader.  It can be read HERE. This reader can be used with this program or a supplement for any other phonics reading program.

The Beehive reader follows the schedule for All About Spelling and you introduce the story after reaching certain points in the program.  What I really like about this hardcover reader is that the stories go beyond most readers and actually tell a story the child can relate to.  Also, there are excellent pencil drawing to accompany most pages in the book, that add to the child's delight in reading the stories.  There are also some questions that are available separately in PDF File format that you get with purchase, if you choose to use them.  I like to have my children tell me the story back in their own words for reading comprehension.

My early reader loves to read from this book.  We always get this one out to practice with on a regular basis.  This book has a "home-y" feel about it that may become a children's classic.

To look inside, CLICK HERE.

From the website:

"Your beginning reader will delight in finding out what happens when…



…a busy cat lives in a windmill


…a sleepy bear cub takes a nap


…a grumpy duck demands a snack


…a singing bat befriends a lonely king


… a curious boy shrinks from tall to small


… and much more! "

"Beehive Reader 1 correlates 100% with All About Spelling Level One."

For more info: Click Here.

TOS Crew Review: Math Tutor Young Minds DVD

This numbers and counting video from MathTutorDVD.com is an excellent introduction or review for children just starting their math adventure. This is a great video for the under "6-ish" crowd.


What makes this special? The excellent music and beautiful, colorful photos. There are approximately 12 photos for each number from 1 to 10. So you would see a picture, count the objects in the picture, and then make the sound for the picture, if it makes a sound. Pictures include (farm and wild) animals, trucks, airplanes, birds, and more. This is then set to beautiful classical music by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and others.


There are also bonus features: Guessing the picture, dot to dot, and puzzles. My boys especially enjoyed the guessing the picture feature (I can't tell you what those are ;-)


My boys, although older, did enjoy the video. Because they are 7,8, and 9, I doubt they will watch this over and over again. However it was engaging enough for them to sit and watch it once through. It is an absolutely beautiful video that I am sure younger children would love. It does have 3 awards (Dr. Troy 10 best Audio Video Products, Creative Child Magazine 2009 TOP CHOICE Award, and WINNER ptpamedia.com.)


I do think this is a great video for the age intended.


To find out more visit: MathTutorDVD