Luv'N Lambert Life

Mental Health, Homeschooling, Epilepsy and More

2014

ScienceandMath.com: Mastering 5th Grade Math – Volume 1 – Essentials of Fractions {Crew Review}

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ScienceandMath.com has been creating quality Science and Math videos for learning since 2004.  These simple and easy to learn from videos make learning and teaching Math and Science easy.  ScienceandMath.com really shows students and educators how to use Math and view Science in methods outside of traditional teaching styles.
For this review, we were sent a copy of Mastering 5th Grade Math – Volume 1 – Essentials of Fractions.  This is a full-length video course with instructional videos on learning to the process of completing fractions in Math.  Included with this DVD video are also worksheets which can be printed to go along with student lessons.
Since this video is instructional, I was able to let my 11 year old daughter and my 13 year old son watch the video, follow the lead of the instructor and complete the lessons themselves with very little input from me.  They found the lessons simple enough to follow.  They honestly chose to watch the video through completely the first time I handed it to them, much as they did last year when we reviewed Amazing Science from ScienceandMath.com.
When I received our DVD, I immediately printed out the necessary worksheets for them to complete as they worked through and watched the videos.  The worksheets are basic and go along with the lessons as they are following along in the program.  They were able to view their video lesson for the day and grab the worksheet that went along with the lesson to complete.
We worked through this video for several weeks, working on one lesson per day for the review period.  We did not work on the lessons daily but we did work 3-4 days a week.  I put no time limit on how long they took to complete their lessons.  They would work through until they were complete and we reviewed the videos until they were able to understand the lessons they were covering.
Mastering 5th Grade Math – Volume 1 – Essentials of Fractions taught my children all about Fractions.  Through this video, they learned to write fractions out as words and numbers.  They also learned about the Greatest Common Factor of a number.  Prime Factorization, equivalent fractions and renaming fractions was also covered in our lessons on this video.  Simplifying fractions, mixed and improper fractions were also all covered through videos https://www.scienceandmath.com/on this disk and more.
Mastering 5th Grade Math – Volume 1 – Essentials of Fractions is available to purchase from ScienceandMath.com for $15.99 plus shipping. This particular DVD is for children in grades 4-6 or those who need reinforcement in learning Fractions. You can find samples of the video lessons on the website.  Other lesson videos are also available for purchase from ScienceandMath.com.
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Update for March {Thoughts From Me}

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There’s been a lot of reviewing going on lately.  Work is back in full swing.  All things in life are back to normal.

Last week was spent at MUSC for  Jackson’s sleep study and EEG.  He did really well and there was no activity showing on his EEG.  This does not mean he doesn’t have Epilepsy, just that the activity wasn’t showing while we were there.  We will have to repeat this study later on but for now, it’s overwith.

For the next month, my concentration will be on my house.  I have a lot of organizing planned and I’m painting.  I choose a beautiful blue for our living room.  It’s all ready to go but I haven’t had time to get it done.  Flooring is also going to be done.

I really can’t remember if I’ve mentioned all these things already or not.  My poor brain is on overdrive right now.  So much to do and get done.

So that’s our update for now.

Motivated Moms {Crew Review}

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If you are a Mom like me, you have have heard of Motivated Moms before.  Or maybe you are just hearing of the program and would like to know more about who and what Motivated Moms is.  Either way, you are going to love this program as much as I do.
So what is it?  Motivated Moms is a complete organizing program to help busy, often overwhelmed Moms stay on track and get things done.  Cleaning, organizing and keeping up with life is very challenging to say the least but Motivated Moms helps to make that challenge a little easier through it’s wonderful and printable e-Book or their fun app!
I came across Motivated Moms a few years ago when I was looking for an inexpensive option to help me organize our home and our life.  I was at my wits end trying to keep up with it all.  I had two kids with Epilepsy and a son who had his own challenges educationally.  Homeschooling, being a Mom, wife and blogger left me completely lost and so overwhelmed that I was just ready to give up on it all.  So being a Techie Girl, I pulled up my big girl panties and went on the hunt to find the perfect program to get me through that season of life.  And I found it in Motivated Moms.
I must admit, I didn’t jump into using this program right away though.  I couldn’t bear to spend money on something I wasn’t sure would work.  So I waited and I finally decided to take a chance on the Motivated Moms iPhone App.  It was amazing – right away, I found just what I had needed to get me motivated to doing what I needed to do each day.  This one little app kept me on task and I’ve been using it ever since.
Each day, when you log onto the Motivated Moms iPhone App, you are taken to the checklist for that very day.  this list has around 20 or so different tasks that should be completed that day.  Some are daily tasks and others are extra tasks for that day.  You can also add in Bible reading that you or the whole family can follow along with.  It’s a complete and wonderful planner app for the entire family!
The daily tasks are fairly easy and normal mundane things that you usually do on a daily basis.  Things like change the kitchen towels or do the laundry or wipe the kitchen counters down.  Also things like feeding your pets, reading to your children and taking your vitamins or medications.
The extra tasks are varied, not routine and change daily.  These are things like wipe the bathroom mirror, declutter a nightstand, pay bills and dust the bookshelf.  They are all things that need done but things you may not think of or that are not done daily.
You are able to view these tasks by daily tasks, by today’s task or by all tasks which includes the list of the two together.  You can also add to the tasks any appointments you may have or personal chores you need to accomplish on that date.  This is done simply by clicking the plus sign on the app in the upper left hand corner.
When you click on the plus sign to add a task, you are taken to another screen that allows you to input each detail for the task itself.  You can put in the task name, make the task hidden or seen, put in a date that the task is due, make the task repeat, assign the task to a family member and choose a room that the task should be completed in.  Once this is completed as you wish it to be, just click “save” in the upper right hand corner and the task will be added into the program to the day or days needed.
If you make a mistake or no longer need a task, you can choose to edit the tasks by clicking “edit” on the right upper side of the app while in the main checklist.  This will allow you to remove any tasks that aren’t needed or wanted by you while using this program.
Next to edit is the download symbol of paper with an arrow on the iPhone.  Clicking this symbol allows you to print the list or email it as needed.  This is a great little feature for those who prefer paper checklists or who don’t want to use their phone for that day.
In the center top of the app are the words “sort by”.  Click there to sort the app alphabetically, by family member, room or by user sort.  This allows you to see who needs to do what, what needs done where or just view the list in order.
In the bottom left corner of the app is a calendar.  Click it to go to the “date” screen of the app to choose your date and see other dates in use for the app.  You can click to see yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s lists or select a date in the calender to see the list for that date.
On the bottom right side of the checklist page on the app is a setup emblem.  Clicking it takes you to the settings for setting up your app.  Here you can choose to turn on and off features.  Features of the app are Bible Reading, Moving Checked Tasks, Coloring Assignments, turning the Hidden tasks on and off, creating custom tasks, setting up family members through the people tab, and choosing rooms used in the app.  You can also find app Help, your account info, the privacy policy and contact info for the app here.
As I mentioned above, I’ve been using Motivated Moms for years and I really love this app.  It’s been a great help to me and my family, though I must admit, sometimes I do still forget to use it.  I find that some of the tasks that come automatically on the app are not ones that I need or use so I often delete those right away but I didn’t for this review so that I would be able to give a full and honest opinion of what’s included on the app.  For example, I do not empty my trash daily because of our trash system that we already use.  I also do not prepare our clothing ahead since we are often home and can do that when we wake up each day.
Things I do use are the laundry and dishwasher reminders, plan dinner, clip children’s nails, organize bills, and so much more.  All of these are simple things but sometimes I simply need the encouraging reminder to get these things done.
Motivated Moms is available both as an e-Book and as an App, which is what I choose to use.   Their are different versions of e-Books available and each book costs $8 a piece.  The Motivated Moms App is available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod for $7 on iTunes.  There is a sample app available for $1.99 for two months of access to this planner.

You can also find Motivated Moms here:
https://www.facebook.com/motivated.moms
https://twitter.com/momoplanner

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Science4Us.com {Crew Review}

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We were very excited to be selected to review Science4Us.com Online Subscription with the Schoolhouse Review Team this year.  Science4Us.com is perfect for younger children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade.  This program was developed to make Science education easier for students and teachers alike.
Science4Us.com was developed by the creators of VocabularySpellingCity.  Because of the success in educational learning through VocabularySpellingCity, the creators wanted to bring that same educational success to students for Science education.  Science4Us.com provides the same educational support and value to students that VocabularySpellingCity has done for Reading and Vocabulary learning over the years.
Science4Us.com is a fun, innovative program that allows students to learn important scientific facts right in their homes.  It makes science education easy for both the student and the teacher, providing everything needed to learn through the website.  Children work through the lessons with the help of their teacher, following along and completing each task as they go.
Science4Us.com Online Subscription covers Early Elementary Science for children in grades Kindergarten through 2nd and allows for science education review for students who are older and may need remedial scientific skills to be retaught.  This program is great for both students learning and relearning about Science.
In the Kindergarten level of the program, students learn what materials are and how they mix to create other things, such as the chemical processes used to make drinks or simple foods.  They learn about energy sources like the sun and indoor lighting and how each affects us.  Students learn how things move through motion and force.  They learn the basis of scientific tools and about various plant and animal types.  They also learn about environments and weather and how they affect our lives, and those of the plants and animals they are learning about.
In the First Grade level, students learn about different types of matter.  They also learn about different energy sources and how they affect us.  Students learn how energy transforms as it’s used by living things.  Students learn how magnets are used.  They learn more in depth about scientific tools, animals, habitats, and weather.  Students learn about food webs and how they relate to living things and the cycle of life.  Students also begin learning about the planets and universe beyond Earth as their home planet.
In the Second Grade level, students learn to observe matter, it’s different states and the changes within matter.  More information is brought forth on energy to further their knowledge of this important life source.  Students begin learning about simple machines and how to use them for making life easier.  Students dive more into force, plants, animal, the food web, and living and non-living things.  Habitats are explored through this level.  The history and materials of Earth are also covered in the Second Grade level of Science4Us.com.
https://www.science4us.com/index.php
This website is fun.  I used it with all three kids, giving the older kids a review of science past and reviewing some things we’ve learned already and other things that we missed along the way since most of our science is hands-on.  The site was perfect for Laycie.  The video’s were entertaining for all the kids.  The science projects were interesting and easily done on our own to help build upon what we learned.  Science is a favorite around our house because it’s messy and artistic, all things we love!  Science4Us.com was immediately popular and a favorite right away.
This program is designed to be used several times a week with your students.  It’s great for the younger kids, as it’s created for Early Elementary students.  The videos are interactive, allowing students to join in, not just listen and follow along.  Their are questions at the end to help expand learning further.
There are over 350 lessons provided on Science4Us.com.  Lessons include the wonderful interactive videos that I mentioned above as well as worksheets that are just as interesting and fun to complete.  The lessons aren’t too long and definitely are far from boring, making Science something children enjoy and keeping it fun.  The worksheets are fun to complete as well and help ensure the student is grasping the lessons being taught.
Science4Us.com Online Subscription is available for $7.95 per month per child.  This includes all three years of lessons and access to the extensive Teacher Lesson plans provided by the website, all the printables for the lessons, videos and more.  You can purchase a month to twelve month subscription when you sign up for Science4Us.com through their website.
You can learn more about Science4Us.com by following them in the following ways:
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KinderBach {Crew Review}

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KinderBach is a program designed to allow music via piano lessons into the a simple home setting.  Designed for younger children around ages 3-7, KinderBach makes learning music fun.  This simple, low cost program is easy to use by everyone.
The KinderBach Online Piano Lesson Membership with Teacher Corner is a complete piano music curriculum.  Parental involvement in the program depends on your child’s ability to learn.  Children who are able to view the videos on their own will need less involvement from a parent than those who are younger and less skilled in learning.
Since this is a full curriculum, it includes video instruction to show children how to use the piano through online lessons.  It also includes worksheets to be completed which bring the lessons offline and into their daily life for practice and learning without a computer.  A piano is also needed to provide correct instruction on playing this wonderful instrument.
The KinderBach curriculum contains 7 complete levels, each covering different aspects of Piano lessons.  Reading, Writing and Arithmetic are also covered as children work through their lessons while using this program.  Learning to read symbols, decoding, learning to identify right and left, coordination, control, as well as rhythm and sequencing are all learned throughout the lessons provided through using KinderBach for music lessons.  
The video lessons used in KinderBach are short but fun.  They capture the child’s attention while teaching them important skills.  They also help to build fine motor function as children follow along and practice what they are learning in the program.
The worksheets that are used to bring the program off the computer and into real life for the child are also fun, while at the same time they provide a solid learning foundation to help the child further the skills learned online while watching the lesson videos.  These worksheets give the child concrete evidence of learning and help encourage building their musical skills, helping them to gain confidence in their lessons as they learn.
KinderBach offers a free trial of their award winning program for the first few lessons which can be located directly on their website.  There is also a NO RISK 30 day Money Back Guarantee for this program.
Though we used the KinderBach Online Piano Lesson Membership with Teacher Corner for home, there is also a Classroom version perfect for co-ops and schools to use.  KinderBach is for use with children who are ages 3-7 as I mentioned above.  My Laycie was the perfect age for using it at 5 years old.
We have been using KinderBach in our home for about 2 years now and we still love it.  Laycie began using it when she just turned 4 – she turns 6 in April and has been using it off and on.  Emma has also used the program and helped Laycie with some of the lessons.  Both girls enjoy the adorable characters and the simple instructions provided through the program very much.  This is something we use several times a week, allowing them to work at their own pace during lessons but it’s not something that we push for learning.  It’s just a really fun program that we keep coming back to as an extracurricular activity for all of us. 
 I’m kind of anxious for Jackson to become old enough to use it.  At 17 months, he enjoys watching the videos as well but he’s a little too young yet to gain anything from the other parts of the program.  He isn’t old enough to know how to use the piano or remember key placement or count timing.  Laycie on the other hand loves doing all of those things and has really enjoyed learning them.
A membership to the KinderBach Online Piano Lesson Membership with Teacher Corner is available for one year for a special limited time price of $95.88.  It’s normally priced at $130 per year for the program.  
A membership to the KinderBach Online Piano Lesson Membership with Teacher Corner gives you access to over 240 sessions in lessons by computer, iPad, and more.  You will also receive access to the lesson PDF’s to print and use at home.  Teacher’s Corner is included with this membership, allowing you access to the Audio MP3’s for each lesson and all materials for Levels 1-6 of the KinderBach program.  Downloads for the lesson story books, song books and coloring pages are also included with your one year membership to KinderBach.  This complete curriculum package provides you with everything needed for one year of learning Piano and Music from KinderBach.
You can find and follow KinderBach in the following places online:

Facebook for Teachers:  www.facebook.com/classroomkinderbach
Twitter: @KinderBach
YouTube: KinderBach Preschool Piano
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I Joined The Gym… {Thoughts From Me}

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Last Friday,  I joined the gym. It feels good and just a bit scary to say that.  I joined the YMCA last year but failed miserably with it, mostly because the Y is only open during the day and our hours did match with that for fitness.  The new gym is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I didn’t waste time getting started.  Saturday night was our first workout and I chose to take it easy.  I have a year to workout and I don’t want to strain any muscles, after all I am a busy Momma and Momma’s don’t get days off.  Sunday, I felt a little muscle soreness but not too bad so I’m overall satisfied with easing into the workouts.

I must admit that I did overdo it on the ab machine and I’m seriously paying for that.  After 4 c-sections, the muscles in that region are pretty damaged.  I need to ease in slowly to their repair and I’m not rushing at all. I feel like any little bit to reach that goal of a flatter stomach is good.

So slow and steady wins the race.  I aim to lose about 30 lbs.  I currently weigh 151lbs and am 5’5 in height so I have room to lose.  My first goal is to gain fitness to strengthen my muscles and my next goal will be to make it to a number in the 120’s weight wise.  Little steps will get me there.

It will be interesting to see how this all turns out.

Wish us luck!!

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