Monday, July 23, 2012

TOS Review: Knowledge Quest; TimeMaps


This is a review that I was so happy to get picked for. My oldest son loves maps and enjoys sitting and just looking at them. He also enjoys history which is something I try to cater to him since he doesn't enjoy some other subjects in school((clearing throat)).

Knowledge Quest was founded by a fellow homeschool family in 2001. They had a desire to make black and white maps for children to color and label to help learn history through maps. Man did they succeed on that.

We received the Knowledge Quest TimeMaps Collection for review. This set includes 7 different topics and of course with the collection set you will get all 7. The titles are as follows:
  • Ancient China
  • Rise of Rome
  • Fall of Rome
  • Rise of Islam
  • The Black Death
  • European Exploration
  • Atlantic Slave Trade

The set can be bought for $44.95 for download or $49.95 for cd. If you are tight on money you can also buy the individual titles for $9.95! 

The maps are awesome with so many different ways to view them. 75 dynamic, animated maps, quizzes and encyclopedic information for each, as well as complete Teacher Notes with activities, map commentaries, timeline pages and student maps to label and color.
 
We haven't completed all the maps as of yet. We have been taking our time incorporating different teachings with the TimeMaps to get a broader learning experience from it. I love that my oldest can sit and go through the maps alone and really enjoy his learning experience at a click of a button. The maps really keep his attention, They are truly engaging. The TimeMaps collection is so easy to aggravate through too! You just click your mouse to add different chronological events and progress at your timing! This has been the best part. Its not a slide show that you have to pause and try to catch up to, its simply your map to discover at your timing. Showing how civilizations, countries and continents have changed over time. I will say my husband has sat down along with my oldest when viewing these and really been amazed at the detail within. The facts and being able to see the changing in time periods has been astounding! 

Knowledge Quest has a really neat website that you should visit!  

Take a peek at how wonderful the maps look!

Don't take my word alone for loving this product! Go on over and read what my fellow Crew Mates thought about it here!  

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Disclaimer:  I received this product free of charge as a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review.

Watch this video to see a lot more on the collection and how it works.





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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

TOS Review: Christian Keyboarding for the Christian School


Keyboarding for the Christian School by Leanne Beitel. 

We actually chose to receive the Elementary Version (large font edition). I still have a non-reader and I thought it would be the best fit for all three kids. 

We received an ebook/PDF version. The ebook is complete and ready for use - as is. We actually printed out (87 pages) and placed in a notebook so that the kids could set it beside them while using the lessons. This made it much easier for us to use.
I love the fact that the lessons are short. The author said that’s actually on purpose. For the reason to keep the attention on the lesson at hand or to review and possibly be able to complete more than one lesson at a time. I would like to say I have actually used it all 3 ways the author mentioned. With my oldest child we actually were able to complete more than one lesson each day we spent on this subject. While for my middle child we reviewed a lot while being able to also learn a new technique. Only two letters are introduced every lesson. But with this being our first keyboarding teaching I felt it very important to review with her on a normal basis. My smallest wasn’t able to do this review very successful however he loved trying to find the keys! I would love to recommend this for your use with your kids. The scripture is a wonderful bonus. To me that’s what made this so worthwhile. Having scripture in any of our normal curriculum is always a huge positive for us. The kids really have enjoyed this and I am considering purchasing the next ebook!

This really helped teach the basics of keyboarding. My daughter really enjoyed finding the next lesson on her own with the help of Miss Mable the ladybug! I love the eagerness of finding the next lesson. Although all kids haven’t completed the entire ebook we are working along at a wonderful pace.

I loved everything about this product. The price is awesome. You couldn’t ask for any better value, I actually don’t think you could find anything prepared and Christ centered this good anywhere else. 

Keyboarding for the Christian School is only $12.95; this is designed for ages K – 5. Use code SUMMER2012 to get 20% off your purchase through 8-29-12.

As mentioned earlier in my review there is also another level/ebook that I am considering purchasing. Keyboarding for the Christian School costs $15.95 and was created to be used by students in the 6th through the 12th grades.


Disclaimer: I received a PDF copy of the book as a member of the TOS Crew in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.    

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