Review ~ KinderBach ~ Piano Lessons Online

We have been blessed to review an online beginner piano program for children. We received 6 months of access to The KinderBach Online Piano Lesson Membership With Teacher Corner.


When it comes to teaching music I can introduce them to many styles, composers, and even a lot of music history. When it comes to teaching how to play music I do not have those skills. I had music class in school as a kid but I have forgotten most of it, and wouldn't know where to begin to teach someone else what I do remember. Thank goodness for KinderBach! They have filled a need I felt we had in our homeschool. Best of all, they do all the teaching, we get have all the fun!

Since music is not a required course in our state it isn't something I put a lot of effort into, unless one of the kids had interest of course. As it turns out they had more interest than I thought. KinderBach introduced them to the art of reading music and beginning to play piano. Once you can read music then learning to play other instruments later in life is easier. Although I never learned to play piano, I did play flute in Junior High. Memories of the joy I felt when playing came flooding back as I "relearned" how to read music while the kids did these lessons.

There is nothing to download and take up space on your computer, all of the lessons are streamed from the website. A high speed internet connection is required to use KinderBach online. They do offer the same course on DVD for those who do not have access to high speed internet, have limited use of it, or just prefer not to do the course online. You will also need a printer, basic supplies such as crayons, paper, scissors, etc. and a keyboard. It doesn't need to be a fancy or expensive one.

There are workbook pages to go along with and enhance most of the lessons. These can be downloaded and printed as needed in PDF form. If you choose the DVD option your workbook pages can be printed from a CD.





There are 6 levels of lessons, each level contains 10 weeks worth if you use 4 lessons a week.

KinderBach was designed to be used with children ages 3 to 7. I used it with my 5 and 7 year old mainly, I tried to get my 9 and 10 year olds interested but they thought it was a bit babyish looking and balked until they heard their little sisters playing their first song. I think they may be willing to give it another try, minus the coloring sheets.

We started out at the very first lesson, but if your child has already had some music instruction you can begin at whatever level you wish. I loved how the lessons started out slowly and built upon each other, they were not overwhelming at all. In fact my girls often asked to do another lesson because they wanted to keep going. This is fine, you can go at whatever pace you like. If you miss a few days for some reason it is easy to start right where you left off.



 Karri is a great teacher. Her face is very expressive and her voice very soothing. She sings songs as she teaches, my girls just loved this because they sing all day long no matter what they are doing.




I found the teacher corner useful but we did not use it much.  The lessons are self guided really, just print the corresponding workbook pages, play the video, and go. It did a lot of explaining about how the program works, and offered many suggestions for extra activities. There are a lot of suggestions and help for teaching a group if you have the desire to do that sort of thing. This is also included with your subscription.

Below is a sample of one of the songs kids eventually learn how to play. (We aren't there yet, but with perseverance we will be!)

 

Overall we have really enjoyed using KinderBach and plan to continue with it as long as the girls have interest. We had just one simple thing that would have made using KinderBach easier for us, bigger screen size for the video. Since the two girls were watching it together at the computer they had to squeeze in to get the best view. Of course this always leads to arguing. Enlarging the screen did not help, it became blurry. We tried using the desktop computer because the screen is bigger but it didn't solve this problem. Otherwise the video quality is excellent and the sound perfect.




Right now a One Year Online Membership Plus Teacher Corner starts at just $7.99 per month, or $95.88 per year. This special price may not last for long, a regularly priced subscription is $130.00 per year. This is very affordable in my opinion, and if you are using it with more than one child in your family it is an even greater deal!

They also offer a free trial and a 30 day money back guarantee. So give KinderBach a try if this sounds like something your kids would enjoy.

Connect with KinderBach.....

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

Review ~Time 4 Learning ~ Pre K

Time For Learning is an online subscription based educational website for ages Pre-K through High School. It can be used as a stand alone curriculum, a supplement, after school program, or during the summer months to keep up with skills.

There is nothing to download so the program can be used anywhere you have access to a computer with internet. Each student receives their own login and password. Parents also have a section to log in to check on the childs progress. This is nice so I don't have to be right there watching as they work to see what they are doing.

I chose my youngest daughter Star, who is 4, to use the Pre-K level for this review. She received a 6 month subscription, and access to Pre K 1 and Pre K 2. All students have access to one grade level above and one below the level you choose. This worked out great because in some areas she was already at Pre K level 2, but in some she was still in Pre K 1.

In Pre K she gets to do activities in Reading, Phonics, Language Arts and Math  including alphabet, colors, shapes, rhyming, numbers, weather, food, feelings, zoo, vehicles, tools, sports, human body, space, and garden just to name a few. She gets to pick what to work on each day, and as she finishes a topic a big green check mark appears over that subject. She can go back and do it again if she wants to, but Ive noticed she would rather tackle those unchecked boxes instead.

 For older students there are lessons for Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. In our state this covers the subjects we are required to teach every year. The automated program even keeps records that I can use at portfolio evaluation time. I don't need this for Pre K but for older levels its good to know! See the curriculum overview here.

How we used Time For Learning.....

Star needs help logging on, but after that she can use the program all by herself. I usually let her use the program for 30 minutes to an hour per day. She would gladly stay on much longer but I feel that kids need to do a lot more than sit at a computer all day to learn. I use the time that she is online to teach English to my 3 older homeschoolers. There are way less distractions when she is busy on Time For Learning, and we get through our lesson much easier. I go check on her progress later that day when Im less busy.

What did we think of Time For Learning.....

Star loves it, she asks every morning to get on just after breakfast, she does like to eat first, a kid has to have her priorities right?  I have noticed such an improvement in her letter sound recognition. When I show her flashcards she knows her consonant sounds but still struggles a bit with certain vowels. I like that she is getting extra practice in this area every day, I have to admit I don't always have the time to give her individual attention every single day.

She has always been good at counting, so she really likes those type of activities. She can now recognize her numbers too. I didn't know she could do this until just the other day when I gave her a coloring sheet with a number dot to dot and she was able to do it unassisted. I didn't teach her that, it had to be Time For Learning!

What I like.....

I like several things about Time For Learning for Pre K including the age appropriate activities, she feels like she can do it and has only asked for help a few times. I can tell she is learning, but she is having such a good time doing it. She enjoys showing off her check marks to her siblings and me, I feel like this is very encouraging for her and makes her feel like a "big girl". Being the baby of the family must be hard sometimes!

I like that we can log her in anywhere, if we visit grandparents or the library and she needs a quiet break I can turn it on for her for a while.

I like the break it gives me to tackle English with my older kids every day. They seem to enjoy her being occupied for a bit as well.

I like that I can check on her progress with the parent tools, and there is even a parent forum to interact with other using TFL and get ideas, etc.

Anything we didn't like?

I feel like it has many advantages, including learning computer skills like using a mouse, but I would not use this as a stand alone curriculum myself. I am a hands on mom and I like interacting with my kids and getting outdoors and exploring. I want learning to be more than just screen time. But it definitely has its place, don't get me wrong. I am glad to know that this option is out there in case we ever have a time of crisis when I am not able to teach my kids for a time.

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A subscription to Time For Learning for K-8th grades is $19.95 per month for one student, $14.95 per month for each additional student. High School subscriptions are now available too. Those are $30.00 per month and include 4 courses.They offer a money back guarantee if you aren't satisfied! View a demo for the grade level you need by clicking here.

Many other grade levels were reviewed by other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew. Check those out by clicking the banner below.

Book Review ~ The Homegrown Preschooler ~ Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live

This is a bittersweet year for me because my youngest baby is now 4 years old and this will be my last year with a preschooler at home. I had already been searching for ways to make this year an extra special one for her when I was given the chance to review The Homegrown Preschooler ~ Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live by Kathy H. Lee and Lesli M. Richards. These ladies have written a great book together and Im excited to share my thoughts on it with you! You can purchase this 204 page large paperback book at the Gryphon House website for $29.99.

I was immediately impressed by the full color photos inside showing preschoolers having fun learning, not just sitting around doing some sort of busy work. This is the kind of preschool I want for my daughter! This book was written specifically for those who want to preschool at home, although the wonderful ideas inside could be used by teachers at a center as well. The chapters include.....

Introduction: Our Journeys to Growing Our Children at Home

1: Homeschooling - Harvesting a Bountiful Life

2: Learning Through Play

3: Sowing the Seeds - Preschool Learning

4: Setting the Stage

5: Home Life = Learning - Slow Down and Teach

6: Who Has Time For This?

7: Organizing it All

8: Days and Seasons That Don't Fit in the Box

9: Special Circumstances

Activities ~

Home Life

Science

Gross Motor

Fine Motor

Math

Language and Emergent Literacy

Art

Social-Emotional

Appendix ~

Activity Checklist

Getting Started Checklist

Resources

Instructions for DIY Plexiglass Easel

Instructions for DIY Light Table or Sensory/Sand and Water Table

 and Index 

I read this book in small chunks here and there, taking in a little at a time because there is so much to glean from it. I was glad to see that over the years I had already been doing many things right by involving my kids in the kitchen, playing in nature and gardening, lots of sensory play and building with blocks, art and making things, etc. I also got many ideas for even more we could be doing together at home. I feel like these things shouldn't be limited to just preschoolers, all of my kids have been having fun with the ideas in this book.

One of the features I found very helpful were the kid friendly, healthy, time saving recipes sprinkled throughout the book.  They love the smoothie pops and the crock pot recipes have been especially helpful for me. And of course there are recipes for making many sensory play items such as play dough, fingerpaint, sidewalk chalk paint, puffy paint, sand dough, and more.

I have already begun planning our year using the checklists in the appendix and adding in ideas for the change of seasons and holidays coming up on our calender. I will be involving the entire family in it all! Thanks to this book it is going to be a memorable year for my last little preschooler as well as everyone else.

The authors have many suggestions for making your home preschool fun while they learn, but I never felt like I had to do everything in the book in order to do that. There are activities for those who don't mind messes being made as well as for those who would rather keep the mess at a minimum. I am a mix of the two depending on the day, so I like having options!

Chapter 6, "Who Has Time for This?" was so helpful for me. I am always struggling to fit everything in and I get overwhelmed easily by the feelings that Im behind or not doing enough. Reading stories from other real life moms who make homeschooling work are inspirational to me and give me hope. Deep down I know I cant possible do it all perfectly, but I can get what needs done, with God's help of course!


If you are a beginning homeschooler I especially recommend The Homegrown Preschooler for you. Seasoned homeschool moms can also get lots of ideas and use from this book. I am really looking forward to using it this year!



Read more reviews of  The Homegrown Preschooler and a book called Global Art by clicking the banner below!

Review ~ ABeCeDarian Reading Program

We were recently blessed to review a reading program called ABeCeDarian. Our package included the Level A1 Teacher Manual and Student Workbook, Level A2 Teacher Manual and Student Workbook, and the Level B1 Teacher Manual and Student Workbook.












We also received a set of 10 storybooks ($21.50) that go along with Level A and The ABeCeDarian Aesop ($2.50) which is a collection of 11 fables, for use with Level B.

I originally intended to use level A-1 with my newly turned 4 year old, although the website states it is for ages 5 to adult. It was worth a try, but she really showed no interest other than scribbling on the pages. So for now Level A is on the shelf until she is ready.

My 6 year old was ready for Level B-1 according to the placement test on the website. This made her feel very smart and grown up to be able to skip two books and go on to the third! She wanted to read each and every storybook herself, and she did a very good job. Or so I first thought.....

After reading through the teacher manuals for both levels I discovered she was lacking in the fluency department. I didn't want to back up and do Level A with her after telling her she didn't have to, so we practiced reading  the storybooks several times. After using some of the tips given I saw dramatic improvement in a short amount of time in her fluency. She needed to be reading the books effortlessly instead of stopping to sound out random words and disjointing the sentences.



Part of Level B was review because she knows some sound blends, but practice makes perfect, right? The workbook pages were fun for her to complete. She has always been a workbook kind of kid and these lessons are kept short and to the point.

The Reading Chain and Sorting Words, with the same sound but different spelling, pages were the most helpful for her. Its confusing when suddenly the Long E sound can be read/spelled with ee, ea, ie, e, y, ey, and e-e. No wonder people struggle so much with spelling! It was hard enough to figure out how to read it, and then you have to spell it right too? Whew!

She has definitely progressed from reading CVC (consonant vowel consonant) and words that can be read phonetically to reading more complex words since using ABeCeDarian. I like that the pages are black and white without distracting pictures that cause the child to guess at the words instead of read them. I like that the books are spiral bound so I can tear out a page at a time for her so she doesn't feel overwhelmed by seeing the whole book.

The Teacher Manuals are a must for this program, they walk you through each lesson step by step. There is no need for planning other than reading the next days lesson ahead of time so you are familiar with it. This takes just a few minutes.


I feel like this program is very effective if used the way it is supposed to be, and it is affordable too. Teacher Manuals are $28.50 per level and are re-useable for other children. Level A workbooks are $12.25 each and Level B workbooks are $10.25 each and are consumable.

You can download free samples to see if ABeCeDarian would be a good fit for your child. You cabn find answers to the most asked questions on the FAQ page. Many free supplementary materials are available also. To interact with other users there is a Yahoo Discussion Group to join.

Be sure to read what many other reviewers using different levels thought about ABeCeDarian by clicking the banner below.

Flowering Baby

Flowering Baby was started by a mother / daughter team, read their story here. I think it would be so fun to do a project of interest with my Mom, I bet they had a lot of fun creating the guides for this preschool program. There are 5 volumes to choose from, starting at birth to the age of 5. We reviewed two volumes, Three to Four Years and Four to Five Years.

My daughter, Star, often doesn't get all the attention she deserves around here in this full house. I have plenty of things to keep her "busy" while we have school, and she always listens in while I read, even if the topic isn't interesting for her. She just likes being with us, and being included in everything we do. I was excited about trying out age appropriate lesson plans already written out just for her. Star turned 4 during our review, so I used activities from both Volume 4 and 5.

These volumes have two parts. The monthly / daily guide includes activities such as reading books to your child, math, science, music, psychical activities, ABC's, Spanish, etc. The theme curriculum focuses on topics of interest to your child, holidays, etc. Star got to enjoy the birthday and winter themes.

Many great books are on the book lists, but if you do not own them or cannot find them at your library you are free to choose other books. If an activity is listed that your child dislikes, just skip it. This curriculum is meant to be easy to use and enjoyable for everyone, so don't feel like you have to do every activity exactly as it is written. I mention this because if you have a child under 5 you may be new to homeschooling. Believe me, all homeschoolers change things to suit their own individual child/family, and it is perfectly OK to do that! It is one of the GREAT advantages of homeschooling!

If you thought, after reading all of that that, it must take a long time to get through the activities each day, let me ease your mind about that. I spent no more than 30 minutes each day doing these activities with Star, and that included cleaning up after any crafts or food related fun. Take a peek at a months worth of activities by visiting the  Three to Four or Four to Five page. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the link to the samples.

I asked Star what her favorite activity was and she said, "Making Cake!" (Part of the Birthday Theme)

Other activities she loved were the story books, cutting and pasting, playing dress up, and anything involving music and singing. At first she didn't want to write her ABC's, but she would sing them, so that is what we did. I tried again 2 weeks later and she now asks to write her letters. She and I give Flowering Baby a big two thumbs up! I recommend it for anyone wanting more special time with their little ones!

 Flowering Baby has generously offered you a 10% discount on any of their products! Use code "Blog10" during checkout. Three to Four and Four to Five are available on CD for $38.00 each. Editions for Birth to One, One to Two, and Two to Three years are also available for $30.00 each. The entire collection can be purchased for $132.00. A download version is also available if desired.

 Read reviews of the other age groups by clicking the banner below.

 Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse 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. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Activity Bags ~ Preschool and Reading Games in a Bag

I spent a weekend making some of the activities from Preschool Activities in a Bag eBook 1 and Preschool Activities in a Bag eBook 2 from ActivityBags.com for my 3 year old daughter. This is how she starts each morning now, digging through her basket of goodies and picking one to play with while I get school started with the older kids.

E-book 1 has 34 activities and E-book 2 has 33.

You can organize a swap and share the fun with other moms of preschoolers! Most of my friends have older children so I didn't try to organize a swap, but I plan to participate in an online swap in the near future.

Get a FREE sampler with some of these activities included by filling out a short survey!

Each E-book contains complete instructions and masters to print for each game. Downloading the ebooks was quick and simple. I was able to look through both books right away and choose a few that I thought she would like. A lot of the games use materials that you already have around the house, or are inexpensive to buy. You are encouraged to substitute other items you may have for what is suggested. She enjoyed the first few bags so much that I made her quite a few more. I plan on making some to give as gifts this Christmas.

Alpha Spoons is one of her favorite bags. This one is such a cute idea, she loves telling me the sounds she knows already as she picks them up.

She can do every bag by herself and doesn't need help, but its always more fun to share with a sister! I really love how independent this makes her feel. She told me she could do it herself the very first day when I asked if she needed me.

My 6 year old enjoyed doing the activities with her when she was finished with her school for the day.

She really loves the magnetic fishing game bag and so does everyone else. This game does distract everyone in the room when she gets it out. Who can help watching a cute little girl catch colorful fish and squeal with delight every time?

We used a dowel rod we already had so her pole is longer than the recommended size. We think its more realistic since we fish with real poles in the river.










We have all enjoyed catching fish, even Daddy!

You can purchase Preschool Activities in a Bag ebook 1 and ebook 2 separately for $15.00 each or as a bundle for $27.00.

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We also made activity bags for the older kids from Reading Games in a Bag ebook 1. I started out by making 2 of the games to see how they liked them. I ended up making all but two of the 20 games included in this ebook. Yep they love them that much! The reading games do not require many extra materials to make them, just a printer, paper, a laminator or contact paper, and a few buttons or pennies and a die. Colored paper is recommended, but I used plain white paper for some of the games.

We used these games to help strengthen reading skills with my 8 and 9 year olds and  to practice beginning reading skills with my 6 year old. These made great "Fun Fridays" games! They are also handy to take along to the dentist office or anywhere the kids need some entertaining while you wait.

Beginning, Middle, End was voted the silliest game ever! The laughs and giggles go on and on as they create silly sentences. 

The Solving Mazes Games were a hit with everyone including my 3 year old. Or is that Daddy doing the maze? Hmmm...


Nice shoe hanging out on the chair eh?

My 8 and 9 year old like playing the Sound Trail Game with my 6 year old. This is great phonics  practice for her!  

The State Abbreviations Game is the perfect way to recall the information they learned last year. (They cant cheat using the "world" wall map behind them either!)

Reading Games in a Bag ebook 1 costs $15.00. You can also coordinate a swap with this ebook but the coordinator handbook is not included, but you can download it for free.

Other E-books available from Activity Bags include Math Games in a Bag, Travel Games in a Bag, Science Experiments in a Bag, and Journals. Read reviews of these by clicking the banner below.

 Disclaimer ~ We received this product at no cost in exchange for an honest review after using it in our homeschool. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own.  Other opinions may vary. Click the banner above to read what others thought of this product.