Homeschool Easy REVIEW

 Disclaimer: 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.

Again, the Review Crew comes to the rescue.  I was still trying to decide on what to use this year for Little Bug who has now started 2nd grade.  I am an eclectic homeschooler so we piece things together that work best for each child.  The chance to review the 2nd Grade Entire School Year Curriculum from Homeschool Easy seemed like a perfect match for this year.  I needed a little more streamlined options right now and this seemed to fit the bill.  I received a link to download the necessary files and downloaded everything easily and with no problems.  You will need access to the internet and a printer to print all of the curricula.  I am printing the sections as we go because there is a LOT to print.

Little Bug getting ready to read her online book

The curriculum (which is not common core based) includes:

• Reading - phonics and comprehension
• Math - includes addition/subtraction review, fact families, comparing numbers, number sense, place value, addition/subtraction of 2 and 3 digit numbers, money, fractions, measurement, time, months, shapes, grouping, graphs, tables, tally marks, and word problems.
• Grammar - fundamental grammar (includes flashcards). Includes Statements, Commands, Subjects, Predicates, Compounds, Nouns, Commas, Tense, Verbs, Contractions, Quotation Marks, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Synonyms, Combining Subjects and Predicates, and Combining Sentences.
• History - focuses on American History and patriotism.  Includes Patriotism, Famous Americans, and Geography.
• Science - includes videos, art projects, and experiments (Landforms, Natural Resources, Motion, Weather, Dinosaurs and Fossils, Plants, and Animals)-CAUTION - this is NOT from a Creation standpoint
• Writing - creative writing that includes 2 assignments per week.  Writing is also used and practiced in Reading, Grammar, History, and Science.

I created a binder with dividers to put all of the assignments into

I REALLY like that "This program focuses on the traditional American educational system used before the advent of state standards, Common Core, and state testing." (from 2nd Grade Overview).  I feel it is quite comprehensive.  It includes an 8-month program for 32 weeks with daily assignments in each subject.  Once your files are downloaded you can print out and review the How to Use Homeschool Easy - 2nd Grade and 2nd Grade Overview documents to get a feel for the program and understand how it works.

I like that the lessons are simple and straight forward but also loaded with great information.  She is learning a lot about her world from the reading assignments.  They have included learning about where you live, your environment, geography, transportation, animals, idioms, and occupations (and that's just in the first month).  The one challenge we have faced is that sometimes the links to the videos don't work.  This is not new with YouTube links since they are famous for either taking down videos or the creator of the video is no longer a member so their video is no longer accessible.  We remedied this quickly and easily by simply searching for a new video.  The worksheet didn't necessarily match the new video, but we got close enough to answer the questions well enough that learning still happened!!

Sample completed assignments in Grammar and History

I love the comprehensiveness of the program. Everything you need is included (how-to documents, schedules, links, supplemental links for more information, and answer keys).  I do not love the jumping around and back and forth to go through the subjects.  Because many of the assignments are based on videos or online books, you need to access those links through a document within that subject that you downloaded.  For instance, for Little Bug to complete her reading, I need to go to the syllabus page for Reading and click on the necessary link for that day's assignment.  I am working on getting shortcut links on my computer desktop to help with this, but an awesome future update to this program might be some sort of interface that allows you to easily navigate the subjects and their assignments.

Sample of the reading syllabus with links to online books

Little Bug working on her reading assignment

Little Bug is enjoying the curriculum and seems to have pretty good interest in everything she is doing and learning.  She REALLY likes the word searches and crossword puzzles and is getting quite good at them.  We already have a devoted math program so we are just using the math as a supplement for now. I have looked ahead and am excited for what is to come and feel that she will get a well-rounded experience with the subjects and learn a lot from all of the videos and books accessed online.  For now, I feel that the quality of the curriculum outweighs the hassle to get to some of the assignments.  I am getting used to it and learning shortcuts.  The binder really helps to keep things organized.

One of her two writing assignments for the second week

Despite the challenges, we give the 2nd Grade Entire School Year Curriculum two thumbs up.  I like what she is learning and how they have presented the material.  I also failed to mention that in the times we are currently living, how refreshing to be able to use a curriculum that strengthens our core of a historically strong America steeped in patriotism. We will definitely continue using this program for her 2nd-grade year.  Thank you Homeschool Easy for a great curriculum!  You can connect with Homeschool Easy on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.

Please also be sure to check out the reviews from my fellow Crew members.  There should be reviews on all grades from 1st through 5th grades.  Simply click on the graphic link below to read the reviews.

Math Shed_Spelling Shed REVIEW

Disclaimer: 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. 

With all the crazy that is going on right now in our country with Covid-19 and students needing to complete online and distance learning in school, it's nice to know there are some fun programs out there for our children to use.  I received a one-year online subscription to both Spelling Shed and Math Shed from EdShed (Education Shed Inc.).  EdShed is a company run by teachers for teachers.  They are a registered company in England and Wales.

Choose which game to play and even edit your avatar

These programs are not a curriculum per se but rather more along the line of practice programs.  Once you register your child and sign on they can choose which game they want to play (if you have subscribed to both).  Your child also has a personal avatar that can be edited as they choose.  They will have to earn points in the game to save up to "buy" extra accessories for their avatar.

Points and earnings

Easy

Hard

Extreme

The program keeps track of points and your "earnings balance" which is used to purchase extras for your avatar.  Little Bug gets so tickled when she sees her score going up, but can't understand why it is taking so long to earn her rewards to be able to upgrade her avatar.  When signing on to Spelling Shed she has a choice of what level to start at.  From what I can see the spelling lists go all the way through 8th grade.  You can also add your own customized spelling lists.

Standard menu with no customized spelling lists

Choose what to play

Levels of difficulty

Definition of levels of difficulty

Little Bug is having a blast with these games.  She loves the challenge and is having fun practicing her mouse skills to boot.  You can enter your answers via the keyboard by typing or by mouse by clicking on the letters.  She uses both and prefers the mouse because it is just fun right now.  Adding your own customized lists is not too hard once you get the hang of it.  It's best to be in the teacher hub section to add customized lists that way you can "assign" them to your student(s).  The key to success with this program in my opinion is making sure you go to the teacher hub first and download/read the QUICK START GUIDE.  Then play around in the TEACHER HUB area to familiarize yourself with what it has and can do.  There is SO MUCH MORE to this program than what it appears.  

BE SURE TO READ THE QUICK START GUIDE FIRST!

Teacher Hub (this is where you should add customized
 lists and assign them to your student(s).

SO MANY EXTRAS!!

I did not find the Spelling Shed program very user friendly at first but then realized that with some time and a fairly short learning curve I got more comfortable with it and realized its potential.  The same is true for the Math Shed program.  I love that there are not official grade levels listed for the students and you can assign them lists from anywhere.  Being able to create your own custom lists is also a big plus.

Math Shed menu

Decimals

Times Tables

If everything available is still not enough then check out the RESOURCES tab in the teacher hub for more projects and activities that can even be printed out!

Extra resources available

If you are looking for a customizable and expansive spelling or math program that is online, fun, and a great challenge for your kid(s) I highly recommend you check out Spelling Shed and Math Shed from EdShed.  They both have FREE 30 day trials so they are very much worth checking out.  I don't think you will be disappointed if you give it a try and have a little bit of patience.

You can connect with EdShed on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and YOUTUBE.  Please also be sure to check out the reviews from my fellow Crew members to see what they have to say about these two programs. Just click on the graphic link below.

Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting REVIEW

Disclaimer: 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.

My oldest is dyslexic (you wouldn't hardly know it now), dysgraphic, and couldn't read until the end of 2nd grade.  My youngest was reading in kindergarten and is an avid reader and good speller.  Both of my kids always need handwriting practice.  I was glad to be able to review the Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook (The Intelligent Parent's Complete Step-by-Step Program for Teaching Any Child How to Read & Write in 60 Days!) by Caroline Joy Adams from Everyday Education, LLC.  It can be used for ages 4 to adult.

Italics uses fewer strokes and is more fluid for the writer

It uses italic style handwriting which uses fewer strokes to write.  I received a digital copy of this 215-page ebook.  I was able to easily download it and print it out.  I chose to bind it in my binding machine to keep it neat and usable for Little Bug.  It is a consumable book and is not in digital format to be shared or copied except for those pages listed as reproducible in the Table of Contents for your own family only.

Notice Chapter 2 has a reproducible guide sheet

I am using it with my 1st grader.  Even though she can already read, she needs work on her handwriting!  Even though Chapter 2 covers the alphabet, it is suggested to go over it to acquaint your child with the italic formation of the letters.  Once they understand the simpler strokes you can move on to Chapter 6 for older students if necessary.

sample of the reproducible handwriting page

We went ahead and continued with Chapter 3 with lessons 2-23. She knows her short vowel sounds, consonant blends, plural words, and compound words that it covers, but she needs the writing practice. We could have just jumped to Chapter 6 but, she is only in 1st grade and though very advanced in reading, she still needs the content of the later lessons in the earlier chapters.

teaching suggestions from the foreword

The book includes a foreword, introduction, and 6 chapters that include 60 lessons and an entire chapter on handwriting practice (Chapter 6).  The foreward includes how to teach the lessons and scheduling options.  The introduction covers 4 ways to use the book (teaching young children to read and write, teaching children with reading difficulties to read effectively, teaching children to have fast, legible, attractive handwriting, and teaching yourself beautiful handwriting).  Daily use is best but for the younger ones it is not necessary to complete an entire lesson at once.  We use it daily for handwriting practice.

Little Bug working on a lesson

suggested scheduling option for younger student

If you use Model-Based Writing (ModelBasedWriting.com) there are suggestions and schedule options in the foreword.  It's also important to say that this is definitely a Charlotte Mason based approach book.  It is best to keep most lessons to only 10 to 15 minutes, especially for the younger ones.

A typical lesson in Chapters 3-5 (lessons 2-60) generally contains a list of words on the left side of the page and handwriting practice on the right side.  The left side of words is based on what the lesson is covering (i.e. short vowel sounds, consonant blends, etc).  The right side has sentences with blank spaces below each sentence for copywork practice.  I REALLY like this.  She doesn't have to flip pages back and forth or shuffle pages to do her copywork.  She writes immediately below the sentence she is copying.

List of words

Copywork page with first word started in each line

Little Bugs completed page

Chapter 6 begins with simple copywork then advances to slanted letters with guides.  Also included in Chapter 6 are:

• Joining Letters Together
• Using the Edged Pen
• Adding Serifs (beginning and ending strokes to letters)
• Variations (making letters fancier)

Joining letters

Practicing slant

Sample serifs

I wasn't sure when we first started but I am determined to continue this with Little Bug.  I know it will help her handwriting once I can get her to follow the guides.  She is so stubborn and wants to keep making the letters her own way.  Time and maturity will help that.  I did like the format and recommend that you check out Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook by Caroline Joy Adams.  You can connect with Everyday Education, LLC. on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST.  Also, be sure to check out what my fellow Crew members had to say about this by clicking on the graphic link below.