Field Trip #117 Friday Blog Hop

Field Trip Friday!

Blog Hop designed to share 'FIELD TRIP' related Blog Posts

(does not have to be a 'home school field trip', can be any trip to any place with your children!)

Please stop by and visit my co-host’s blog and give them a shout out!
Lisa @ Our 4 Kiddos   We hiked Makapu’u Lighthouse. It’s a great place to see whale’s during the winter migration.  We also hit the nearby tide pools (directly across from the Sea Life Park Exit, enter parking lot and go to the left). Had great company from some friends.    
 

**NOTE:  Before linking up please review guidelines HERE

 

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Review–Science4Us.com (TOS Review)

     

It has been a great opportunity for us to review Science4Us.com and the Science4Us.com Online Subscription.  I had an account for both my 4 year old (almost 5) and my 7 year old.  My 4 year old, was not as interested in using it, though for the most part was able to navigate the site and do the activities without a lot of assistance.  It was perfect for my 7 year old, however.

 

We used it mostly on my iPad with the help of the Photon Browser (Flash Player).  You need a device with Flash Player to use this system.  I prefer to use the iPad because of the touch screen, my laptop has a temperamental touchpad that can prove difficult for the boys at times.  An iPad app is advertised to be released sometime this year.

 

 

Science4Us.com has teacher controls which allow you to make assignments per student.  Then each individual student can log in and complete the assignments.  Worksheets, which are completely digitally, are saved in the system for the ‘teacher’ to go back and review later. Activities vary and include other subjects besides just science (but those subjects are on the same topic).  For example, Language Arts, using space words or Reading a space themed digital book.

 

We used the Astronomy and Earth Science units.  The units consisted of videos, cartoon animated, that talked about space and the earth.  These videos were followed by a choice of activities to complete.  My children liked the Syllables activity, because of the play on the words to ‘Silly Bulls’.  This activity had them count the syllables in the various space related words.

 

 

After activities are completed they are marked with stars.  The parent can log in with the teacher function to check and see all completed assignments.   One worksheet had them circle the pictures of items found in space, another one had them draw a picture of a space rocket they design.  There are also math activities such as patterns, as well as social studies such as ‘my place in space’.

 

 

My children enjoyed this website.  Even though my 4 year old was not overly enthusiastic, he did enjoy it when he played.  My 7 year old did it more often, (about 3 days a week).

 

I like that it’s all digital (no printing, no prep really).  However, the children are free to skip around the lessons and this caused my son not to finish several activities before moving on.  I would prefer a system where you have to finish A to move to B, and B to move to C, etc.  Also my son went into to several of the same activities repeated times.  Though I think the review can be good, having 3 worksheets where he circled the space items is not necessary.  Maybe lesson access could be limited.     

 

 

With a new baby and getting ready to move, our days are pretty busy.  We have been guilty of putting ‘school’ on the back burner a lot lately.  Science4Us.com was great for some structured learning, without needing a lot of my attention or direction.  Since some other subjects are also included (sort of a unit study format) if all we did that day was Science4Us.com I could still feel like we had accomplished something.

 

This program can stand alone or be used as a supplementary program. It is recommended for Kindergarten through 2nd grade.  You can subscribe to Science4Us.com for $7.95 a month per student.

 

 

Find Science4Us on Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Science4UsSays
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/science4us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Science4Us
G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112259351657747584252/

 

Review: KinderBach–Online Piano Lessons (TOS Review)

   

We have had such a blast reviewing The KinderBach Online Piano Lesson Membership with Teacher Corner by KinderBach. 

The online membership is an online video course which includes a PDF workbook to go along with the lessons.  The Teacher Corner contains MP3s and printable colored PDF materials which can be laminated for repeated use, as well as a lesson plan book.

The video course is useable on mobile devices, without the need of a special app with flash player!  All you would need is an internet browser and WIFI!

The lessons require very little prep (unless you want to laminate the teacher materials, but that would be an easy one time thing).  All you need to do is print the student workbooks and play the videos.  It was so easy to implement these lessons!

The lessons are short and engaging.   The lessons are recommended for ages 3 to 7 years old.  Older children may find them slightly juvenile, but they are not over the top.  The lady in the videos is obviously talking to small children, but that makes them great for younger kids.  (My 7 year old didn’t seem to be bothered by it.)

We did the majority of the lessons using my iPad and typically were just on the living room floor, though sometimes at the group table as well…the lessons can be easily done anywhere.

Other than an internet device (computer or tablet) no special device is required.  The workbooks and teacher materials do need to be printed.  A printable keyboard is available in the teacher materials, but I would recommend a keyboard or piano; however, they are not a must have.  We also used some rhythm instruments, but those can be easily made from household or recyclable materials.  The workbook pages ask for coloring, so crayons (markers or colored pencils) would be needed, and also scissors for some lessons.

My kids and I enjoyed these lessons.  The lessons were short so sometimes we would do more than one on a given day.  We completed level one during the review period and plan to continue with the program after our move. 

The cost for the program is typically $130 per year; however, there is a limited time offer of only $95.88 a year.  This is a great price, averaging only $7.99 a month, you cannot get piano lessons anywhere else for that price, (especially if you have more than one child)! 

The lessons are easily used with one child or multiple children.  I used the product with my 3 boys, ages 3, 4 and 7 years old.  My 3 year old did not always participate, but always enjoyed it when he did.  I would definitely recommend this product to parents or teachers looking to offer piano education to young children.  It is a great way to instill an interest of music playing and theory at a young age before pursuing professional lessons in an instrument. 

As I previously blogged, we have difficulty squeezing music into our daily schedule.  KinderBach made this so easy!  Not a lot of time required, little preparation.  It is definitely a winner! 

You can try the first couple lessons for FREE and see for yourself!

There is also an iOS app available for on the go lessons when WIFI is not available!  How great is that?? 

Find Kinderbach on Social Media:
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/kinderbach
Facebook for Teachers:  www.facebook.com/classroomkinderbach
Twitter: @KinderBach
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/KinderBach/
YouTube: KinderBach Preschool Piano

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Poppins Book Nook–Presidents and GIVEAWAY

Available in hardback or as an interactive story via the Storytime iOS app

The interactive app for this book is really neat.  It is not only about the Presidents of the past, but also media throughout history. 

How did people know what the president looked like before there was TV? What about before there were cameras?   Several presidents are featured, including timelines of how the media evolved during these times.

Recommended for ages 5+

Next month start’s a new series

Visit the other participating blogs:

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - 3 Dinosaurs - Monsters Ed - Chestnut Grove Academy - Growing in God's Grace - Royal Little Lambs - Life with Moore Babies -Teach Beside Me - The Usual Mayhem - Fantastic Fun and Learning - Kathys Cluttered Mind - Toddler Approved - Growing Book by Book - Adventures in Mommydom - Edventures with Kids - Learning & Growing the Piwi way - A Gluten Free Journey - Preschool Powol Packets - To The Moon and Back - Our Craft ~N~ Things - Fresh Farm Adventures - Are We There Yet? - Afterschool for Smarty Pants

Have a related post?  Link up below; below that enter the giveaway!

This month we are giving away one copy of So You Want to Be President?

Enter the Giveaway Below, Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Don't miss a single blog post! Register to receive them in your email by clicking HERE
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U is for - How We USE Tablets in our Homeschool

We have two types of tablets in our home.  I have an iPad, and my husband and two oldest each have a Kindle Fire HD.

On my iPad I keep all my PDF manuals, as well as unit studies (such as Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett).  It is a great way to save on paper, and have access to them all at once.  I have them saved on SkyDrive, and open them in iBooks as I need them.  I love that iBooks also holds my place, so it’s easily found next time I open the book.

Homeschool Helper app helps me keep track of attendance days.  It can also be used for grading (but at this point, we don’t grade) and planning assignments for each child.

We use Discovery Streaming, accessible via the web browser, and watch short films of various topics (coinciding with our studies) during circle time.

Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Streaming are also places we visit to watch theme related movies, shows or documentaries.

We use Brain Pop Jr (app) during circle time as well.

We use the app Photon Browser for websites that need a Flash Player, this allows my kids to easily use the systems via a touch screen instead of trying to use my very temperamental laptop touchpad.  We have used starfall.com, abcmouse.com, science4Us.com and more with this app. 

I am also overloaded with a large variety of learning apps (most of which were found free from the website www.smartappsforkids.com)

Now for the Kindle -

Why I chose Kindle for my kids:

I really wanted to get another iPad, mostly because I already had so many apps, which have get more for Kindle?  But I love the FREETIME app for Kindle.  It’s an awesome parental control feature (though I have had some minor issues with it).  It allows parents to control what time the kindle can be turned on, what time it has be be turned off.  How long they are allowed to read, how much they have to read before they can play games, how long they have to play educational games before they can play other games (though this is the part that has an annoying glitch they are suppose to be working on) and how long they can play games in all.   You can limit movie viewing, if you have movies installed.  You also control what apps, books and movies they have access too.  All of these features are FREE.  There is a subscription available that gives more access to features, but I do not subscribe. 

The app availability for Kindle is much more limited than iPad, but I have been able to find some free apps through the website www.androidappsforkids.com.   Kindle also frequently has FREE books, and daily kindle deals for ~$1.99 (I got the first 6 books of Diary of a Whimpy Kid for $1.99 ea). 

Also, the cost of TWO Kindles was cheaper than the cost of ONE refurbished iPad. 

Some of the kids favorite apps are:

Preschool:

Curious George Zoo

(each section of the Kindle app is purchased separately)

Endless Alphabet


Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (this is a great series of apps, we also like Monkey Preschool Math)


ABC Zooborns


Kids Academy Number Tracing

ABC Ninja

(Like Fruit Ninja but ABCs)

Lego Duplo Train


Early Elementary:
Where’s My Water? 2


Brain Pop Jr


Madagascar Math Ops

(If your child likes Angry Birds…this is similar, but with Math problems!)

Stack the States


Math Town

Math Slicer

(Like Fruit Ninja but with math problems!)

For rewards or to change things up a bit, I’ll make assignments to play specific games on my iPad for specific subjects. 

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Share it Saturday!

 

Please visit my co-hosts:

Karyn from Teach Beside Me
Colleen & Leann from Sugar Aunts
Mary Catherine from Fun-a-Day
Kate from Laughing Kids Learn
and Tiffany from Life & Lessons From a Country Road. 

Check out our Share It Saturday Pinterest Board!

 

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Field Trip #116 Friday Blog Hop

Field Trip Friday!

Blog Hop designed to share 'FIELD TRIP' related Blog Posts

(does not have to be a 'home school field trip', can be any trip to any place with your children!)

Please stop by and visit my co-host’s blog and give them a shout out!
Lisa @ Our 4 Kiddos   The hubby took the kids on a long, muddy hike (4miles round trip) to Ka’ena Point.  It’s a great place to go and see Hawaiian Monk Seals and Albatross.   It was on his Hawaii bucket list, and our days here are numbered.  

**NOTE:  Before linking up please review guidelines HERE

 

Don't miss a single blog post! Register to receive them in your email by clicking HERE
or follow via another social media (see Find Me tab)

Like what you read? Vote for me!