Archives for August 2019

HOMESCHOOL MOMS Are Not the Same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS

August 11, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 38 Comments

I recently saw a poll in a big Face Book group for HOMESCHOOL MOMS that asked the question, “If your church asked all TEACHERS to stand up and be recognized, would you stand up?”

The answers varied, of course, {but the discussion stayed civil, thankfully} and it got me thinking, “would I?”

If my pastor asked the TEACHERS in the congregation to stand up and be recognized, would I stand up?

The answer is NOPE. I would not. I would stay seated and respectfully acknowledge all of the TEACHERS who stood. Why?

Because I don’t consider myself a TEACHER.

I am a HOMESCHOOL MOM.

And HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

I’m a mom who has decided to educate her child at home. Yes, I teach my child. But I am not a TEACHER in the way most people use the term.

I’m not a TEACHER of other people’s kids.

I’m not a TEACHER who is responsible for 30 kids at one time.

I’m not a TEACHER who is mandated to teach specific subjects and utilize certain books.

I’m not a TEACHER who answers to 30 sets of parents, one principal, a team of grade level peers, a full school board and the state.

I’m not a TEACHER who is underpaid but still expected to provide a beautiful but calm, comfortable but exciting, gender-neutral, multi-cultural environment for my students.

I’m not a TEACHER who is regulated in what she can say and how she can say it.

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a mom who uses homeopathic remedies at home is a doctor.

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a dad who arms himself at home is a police officer.

I’m not a TEACHER anymore than a neighbor who rescues his family from a fire is a firefighter.

I’m just a mom who decided that it would be best to educate her son at home.

And I get to make that education look however my husband and I decide.

It’s an absolute privilege to do so and I feel blessed every day.

Is it always easy? Of course not.

Is it always fun? Ha. I wish.

Is it worth it? Totally!

But, I am not a TEACHER.

Let those men and women have their discounts.

Let them have their special appreciation weeks.

Let them flood their FB pages with requests for classroom donations.

Let the community call them special.

Let the churches recognize them on certain days.

Let the public donate backpacks and pencil pouches.

HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

CLASSROOM TEACHERS are poorly paid, underappreciated, hard working individuals who deserve special recognition.

And, yes, so are HOMESCHOOL MOMS. We are special. We work hard. We are often underappreciated. And we’re certainly underpaid, ha ha. But we CHOOSE to do those things and be that person for our own families. That is an entirely different concept than a CLASSROOM TEACHER who is assigned 30 new kids each year from community families and is expected to provide a decent education with a small budget and a huge bureaucracy.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying CLASSROOM TEACHERS are worth more than HOMESCHOOL MOMS. And I am not saying the opposite.

All, I am saying is that

HOMESCHOOL MOMS are not the same as CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

GAME REVIEW: After Words {Spelling and Vocabulary}

August 9, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 3 Comments

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

After Words is available on Amazon HERE.

My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.

The Christmas toy catalogs and my FaceBook feed are always filled with fun, trendy board games for the family including new versions of classics {Lion King Monopoly} and weird, silly things {Spontaneous – The Song Game} but it’s very rare to find educational games being promoted outside of homeschool catalogs. And, if you’re like me, when I am pouring over a big stack of homeschool catalogs, it’s agonizing enough to find the right curricula choices. I have no extra brain energy to find fun educational games too.

So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning},

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: After Words

PUBLISHER: Educational Insights

CATEGORY: Spelling and Vocabulary

SUB CATEGORY: Beginning and Ending Letters of Words

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal+ {20-30 minutes}

HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to get rid of all your cards by thinking of words that begin with specific letters AND fit certain categories.

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ When you first read the instructions, the game may seem confusing but it is not. The instructions are clear, concise and very simple. They explain how to start, what to do and how to win in very concrete terms. However, we modified the game to better fit our needs. {See below for details.} But, sticking with the included instructions would be just as fun and educational as our version. ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥_ Speed, vocabulary and spelling are all factors in this game so unless all players are somewhat matched in their spelling skills and vocabulary knowledge, modifying the game will be necessary if fun is to occur. And the silly timer is super fun to play with….until it gets annoying! ♥♥♥♥_

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥_ Promoted as a spelling game, I would say that it only fits that description to a degree. Players only need to identify the first and last letter of words and never need to spell entire words. It would be easy to modify, I suppose, by making the player spell the entire word {either verbally or in writing} before he can discard his card. It would add very little time but a lot of educational value. The vocabulary component is, in my opinion, a bonus but one that cannot be avoided if you play this game. Thinking of words that fit specific categories makes players dig deeper into their mental dictionaries than most games so that’s definitely a bonus to me! And, having a and/or a thesaurus on hand would certainly up the educational value as well. ♥♥♥♥_

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The storage box, cards, silly timer and fold out board are all very sturdy and have held up well so far. Everything fits in the box, though not snugly so things can rattle around and become a jumbled mess. But because the box is strong and secure, nothing is going to escape and go missing. Just make sure you turn the silly timer off before you put everything away! The instructions are in a separate little booklet but if they get lost, there is a very simplified {but helpful} version on the back of the box. ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥_ Spelling is NOT a strong subject for my son, which is why we are always on the hunt for fun games to improve his spelling skills. This game does offer a fun way to work on his spelling skills, with some vocabulary thrown in for good measure. But, without some modifications, players only get to practice the beginning and ending sounds of words. Plus, it’s not a game that can be played very easily with mismatched players, unless at least one of them is a mature adult to help the other{s} along. ♥♥♥♥_

If you are ready to offer your kids a fast and fun way to work on spelling skills, you can buy After Words on Amazon by clicking here!

If you would like to read detailed instructions of our modified version {with pics,} continue on….

1. Unfold the game board and position it so all players can see.

2. Make sure the timer has batteries and is functioning. Decide how much time you want for the countdown and select that on the timer. This can be easily modified during the game. {NOTE: The timer is a funny little thing. Every time you place it down on the board, it starts the countdown. It took us way longer than I care to admit for us to figure this out!}

3. Deal seven cards to each player.

4. Cards can either be hidden in a hand or flipped face-up. We played with the cards face-up so I could help my son with the categories {and his horrible spelling!}

5. Have each player read through their categories to make sure they understand them. If they don’t, you can either explain or allow those categories to be traded in. {The rules also allow for a swap during play.}

6. Place the remaining cards in a pile where all can access it. This is the Draw Pile.

7. Flip over the top card of the Draw Pile.

8. The first player to think of a word that fits that category gets to go first. This category is Something That Makes You Happy. Somebody said “family” and becomes Player One.

9. Player One needs to move the timer to the LAST LETTER of the word he said {family.} So, he moves the timer to the letter “Y”.

10. As soon as Player One places the timer on the board, the countdown will begin {and make the most annoying sound!} During this time, all players need to be thinking of a word that STARTS with the letter “Y” that fits one of their categories.

11. Player One wins this round by using the category for Fictional Character and says, “Yoda”. He gets rid of that card.

12. Player One now needs to move the timer to the the LAST LETTER of “Yoda” so moves the timer to the letter “A”.

13. As soon as he places the timer on the letter “A”, the countdown will begin. During the countdown, all players need to be thinking of a word that STARTS with the letter “A” and fits one of their categories.

14. Player Two shouts out “anchovies” to fit his Pizza Topping category.

15. Player Two discards his card and moves the timer to the LAST LETTER in the word “anchovies” {S}.

16. All players need to think of a word that STARTS WITH “S” and fits one of their categories.

17. Player One says “sink” to fit his Something in a Bathroom category.

18. He discards his card and moves the timer to the LAST LETTER in “sink” which is…

19. Play continues in this fashion until a player is able to discard all seven of his cards.

20. We play this modified way so that we can get through those cards faster and then deal seven new categories to each player and play again.

21. If there is ever a round where nobody can think of a word to fit the category before the timer goes off, we simply draw a new word from the Draw Pile. At that time, you would basically start again at Step 8.

GAME REVIEW: Math Dash {Math}

August 7, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 1 Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Math Dash is available on Amazon HERE.

My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.

The Christmas toy catalogs and my FaceBook feed are always filled with fun, trendy board games for the family including new versions of classics {Star Wars Monopoly} and weird, silly things {Pie Face Showdown} but it’s very rare to find educational games being promoted outside of homeschool catalogs. And, if you’re like me, when I am pouring over a big stack of homeschool catalogs, it’s agonizing enough to find the right curricula choices. I have no extra brain energy to find fun educational games too.

So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning},

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Math Dash

PUBLISHER: EduPress {Learning Well Games}

CATEGORY: Math

SUB CATEGORY: Multiplication/Division {Addition/Subtraction also available}

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes} but can increase with more players

PLAYERS: 2-8

HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to place four cards in a row on the board while solving multiplication and division problems.

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are clear, concise and very simple. They explain how to start, what to do and how to win in very concrete terms. The instructions also provide a couple of ways to modify the game to make it easier or more difficult. ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Speed is NOT a factor in this game AT ALL which makes it ideal for kids who don’t love math or who shy away from ultra competitive situations. But for kids who love simple strategy games like Tic-Tac-Toe or similar, this game should speak to their preferences. And the math facts can be found directly on the back of the box so even the newest beginner can be successful. So, it is truly fun for EVERYONE! ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As the game promises, the entire focus is to practice multiplication and/or division facts. And the best part is some players can practice multiplication and others can challenge themselves with division while still playing together! That option makes this game perfect for a variety of situations including older/younger siblings, adults/kids, multi-grade co-ops and more. Adding to the educational value is the fact that players are not simply looking for the answer to a math problem {6 x 4 =__}. They are solving each math problem by calculating the missing number {6 x __ = 24}. So, while keeping the game simple and fun, the publishers have bumped it up a level in educational value. ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥_ The storage box, color-coded cards and fold out board are very sturdy and have held up well to frequent use. Though the components are very well made, I had to use snack baggies to keep the individual cards separate, otherwise it would’ve taken several minutes to divide the colors up before beginning to play each time. The baggies work fine but I wish there had been some sort of built in system to keep the cards organized. Oh! And the instructions are printed directly on the back of the box so, unless your kids are box thieves, you won’t be misplacing the instructions! ♥♥♥♥_

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As I have shared before, math does NOT come naturally to my son AT ALL so we play a lot of games to make math fun while also trying to cement the imperative concepts along the way. We’ve tried out several different games and this is definitely one of our favorites. We especially like the fact that with only two players, we can modify the game and continue playing even after somebody has played four cards in a row. We simply switch out our old cards for a new set and add to the board. My son thinks it’s fun and I love the fact that we keep working on math facts. I would recommend it for kids of all ages and skill levels. I would suggest it to families with multiple kids and families with only one at home. I believe it would make a great summer review game for public school kids but I also know it works perfectly for homeschool kids. Math Dash is a great game for anyone and everyone! ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fast and fun way to work on math facts, you can buy Math Dash here on Amazon!

{There is also an addition/subtraction version of Math Dash that you can snag here.}

If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….

1. Unfold the game board and lay it out so all players can see it.

2. Have each player choose a color of card to use. Each player can choose either multiplication or division. Not everybody needs to play the same type of card.

3. Players can either leave their cards in a baggie {as long as they won’t “shop” for the card they want by looking before they draw} or they can keep them in a pile in front of them {face down}.

4. Before you begin playing, all Players need to decide whether a winning four-in-a-row needs to be horizontal, diagonal, vertical or any of the three.

5. Player One selects a card, solves for the missing number and places his/her card on that number.

6. It is now Player Two’s turn. He/she does the same thing with one of his cards.

7. Turns are taken one-by-one in this same fashion. Players can choose to “block” an opponent’s move or to keep trying to build four in a row with his own cards.

8. First Player who gets four in a row wins!

9. You can also modify the game to be five/six/seven in a row. Or the winner needs to make a “box” of four cards. Or really anything y’all can come up with!

10. If you played with only two or three players, you could also modify the game by continuing the game with two new colors of cards {but leave the old cards still on the board for an extra challenge}.

GAME REVIEW: Flip It {Math}

August 4, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 43 Comments

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Flip It is available on Amazon HERE.

My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.

So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning},

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Flip It

PUBLISHER: Card Board Learning

CATEGORY: Math

SUB CATEGORY: Multiplication

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2 {no variations}

HOW TO WIN: Be the first to flip all 12 of your cards over by finding the matching multiplication factors.

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥_ _ The instructions are concise but only somewhat clear. I did some research and discovered the company is based in India so I am assuming the lack of clarity is due to the fact that English is not the primary language. But the concept of the game is very simple and once you start playing, there is very little room for confusion which means kids can play without supervision. And once you learn how to play, the directions become a moot point and you won’t need to reference them again. It really is a simple concept with little to no allowance for misunderstanding, though it would be nice if the grammar was correct, of course. At the end of this post, I do provide detailed instructions on how to play, complete with pictures. ♥♥♥_ _

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ It’s a fast-paced game, which is always fun unless one person is a pro at the necessary skill and the other is an amateur. The beauty of FLIP IT is that your skill set is put to use for yourself but is NOT in competition with the other person. So, if you have a great turn, it’s because you had good luck while practicing your multiplication facts. If you had a bad turn, it was simply bad luck {and you still practiced your facts} but it had nothing to do with the other person having better skills. And the multiplication facts can be found directly on the card so even the newest beginner can be successful. So, it is truly fun for EVERYONE! ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As the game promises, the entire focus is to practice multiplication facts. And it does just that! There is no fluff of earning points or twaddle of silly characters. It’s simply numbers on cards and multiplication facts. And it covers ALL of the multiplication facts {1-12}, which most games don’t. So, not only can you tailor it to different skill levels for different kids, you also focus on ONLY one set of facts at a time. ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The box is very sturdy with handy tabs to secure the lid. The individual boxes inside are color-coded, clearly labeled and fit snugly inside the main box. We’ve played this game dozens of times and none of the cards are bent, nothing has required duct tape repairs and everything still fits perfectly inside the pretty purple square box. There is no wasted space for things to roll around and get lost. It’s as close to perfect as you can get with a game! ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ Math does NOT come naturally to my son AT ALL. As a result, we’ve struggled to find the right math curriculum for years and we’ve had to play a lot of catch up. In an attempt to help him not HATE math, we play a lot of games to make math fun while also trying to cement the imperative concepts along the way. We’ve tried out several different games and this one is, by far, the favorite of both of ours. I would recommend it for kids of all ages and skill levels. I would suggest it to families with multiple kids and families with only one at home. I believe it would make a great summer review game for public school kids but I also know it works perfectly for homeschool kids. Flip It is a great game for anyone and everyone! ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fun was to cement those pesky multiplication facts, you can buy the game here on Amazon.

If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Pick which facts to work on {1-12}. We’ll “play” with the 2 facts right now.

2. Shuffle well.

3. Deal twelve cards to each player.

4. Set the remaining cards aside. This will be the draw pile.

5. Without looking at their cards, each player needs to make two rows of cards {six in each row} in front of them. Cards need to remain facing down.

6. It helps to think about the cards as positions 1-12. I labeled each position to help with these instructions. Now you are ready to play.

7. The first player flips over the top card from the draw pile.

8. It’s a 10, which is the product of 2x5. So, the player now gets to flip over the card in the 5th position.

9. It’s a 4, which is the product of 2x2. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 2nd position.

10. It’s a 14, which is the product of 2x7. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 7th position.

11. It’s a 12, which is the product of 2x6. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 6th position.

12. It’s a 2, which is the product of 2x1. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 1st position.

13. Uh oh! It’s a 2 which is the product of 2×1 and that position has already been flipped over. Player One’s turn is over for now.

14. So, now Player Two gets a turn. He flips over the top card from the draw pile.

15. It’s a 24, which is the product of 2x12. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 12th position.

16. It’s a 22, which is the product of 2x11. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 11th position.

17. In the 11th position, the player flips a 14 over. So, he now gets to flip over the card in the 7th position.

18. In the 7th position, the player flips over a 2. So, now he gets to flip over the card in the 1st position.

19. There he finds an 8 so he gets to flip over the card in the 4th position.

20. There he finds a WILD card which means he can choose a card in ANY position to flip over.

21. He chooses the 8th position where he finds an 18.

22. So, now he gets to flip over the card in the 9th position, where he finds a 16….and so forth and so on.

23. The players take turns flipping cards over until somebody flips all of their cards over. That person wins!