Luv'N Lambert Life

Mental Health, Homeschooling, Epilepsy and More

crew review

Northern Speech Services: Color My Conversation {Crew Review}

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Having a child with speech issues, I’m often looking for products that we can use at home for therapy.  When Northern Speech Services appeared on the Vendor Information Forms or VIF, I was intrigued and immediately went to check out the product offered.  I was excited to find Color My Conversation listed as the choice for this review.
Now I have never personally heard of Northern Speech Services or of Color My Conversation but I was very interested for several reasons.  One I have a child who suffers a speech impediment and learning delays due to her Epilepsy and because she is tongue-tied.  I have a child who is older, who is shy and challenged in his conversations with others.  I also have a child who is just learning to have conversations with others and could use skills to better develop his personal voice.  Yes, my children were the real reason for my interest in this review.

Product We Received:

Color My Conversation or CMC for short, was quickly shipped to my door.  I was so excited by the colorful box that it’s contained in that I could hardly wait to rip into it!  Trust me, it wasn’t disappointing at all!
The box is imprinted with the sky which also grabbed my children’s attention right away.  Centered for feature is the product title Color My Conversations in bright, rainbow colors.  The version I received was the 2nd edition of the product.
CMC is designed for children in grades Kindergarten through 7th but can be used with any age student who may benefit from the lessons.  It is a multi-sensory program developed for neuro-typical children and developmental challenged children, such as those with autism.  My children of varied special needs fit this expectation perfectly.

Inside the Kit:

Inside the CMC you will find the following:
12 Stepping Stone Floor Graphics – these have non-skid backs to help keep your child from sliding across the floor.
50 Game Tokens
100 Picture/Emotion Cards – these were a favorite in our house.
50 Dry Erasable Wall Display Cards – anything dry-erase is another household favorite for us.
2 Dry Erase Pens – these are classic black pens but we used our colored ones as well.
CMC Ball
Classroom Poster
Game Board
Cloth Ribbon – approximately 9.5ft in length
Instruction Manual & Music CD’s – the CD manual also includes reproducible activities for printing that go along with the program.

Skills Learned and Topics Covered Through CMC:

Greeting others
Engaging in chitchat or small conversations
Engaging in topics of conversation
Asking effective questions and making effective comments
and much more.

More About CMC:

The program itself is designed to be taught in a 14-16 week period or longer if needed.  It can be expanded to cover a year for educational purpose.  We reviewed this over a 6 week period which only gave us a glimpse of what the product truly does.  Still it was plenty of time to see this product really does work.

Details Details Details:

The game board folds in half to store neatly within the box.  It has glossy images on both sides for easily wiping off when needed.  One side shows an image of stepping stones like those also included in the box.  The opposite side shows images related to different parts of the program.
The 12 stepping stones, as I mentioned above, are rubber with cloth tops in bright colors which are also non-skid for your child to step or jump on as they are used in the program.  This extra non-skid touch helps keep the often over-excited child (like mine) from slipping across the floor and getting hurt.  I was very happy with these as my children love jumping spots thanks to previous therapy we’ve had in the past.
The ball is yellow and not overly big.  Perfect for little hands to hold on to.  It’s made with a glossy surface so you can write on it with dry-erase marker.
The 50 game tokens are blue and come in a purple cloth bag for safe keeping.  They are octagonal in shape and easy to hold on to for little ones.  Jackson loved these.
I really love the 100 picture/emotion cards.  They are small in size but the images are awesome.  I especially like the happy, sad, smiley faced emotion cards the best.
The 50 dry-erase wall display cards are really awesome.  They are in various shapes and can be used on a wall but are small enough to use on a table instead.  Jack and Laycie both really liked these.

How We Used It:

It is recommended that you, the teacher/parent, go through the whole CD Manual before beginning the program.  This, of course, takes a little time but it’s well worth it to understand the program and how it works.  
We began the program at the Beginner Level because I was mostly using this program with my younger two children.  The first conversation we covered was Hello and Goodbye.  I like that the program also includes learning American Sign Language with the lessons.  Learning ASL is something we have enjoyed through our lessons at home in the past.
Because we’re doing CMC at home together, we slowed it down a lot and really took time to have fun and enjoy playing through the lessons.  I wanted this to be fun for Laycie and Jackson.  It went very well with Jack’s pre-school time and Laycie enjoyed slowing down the lessons as well.  I did use some of the more advanced skills covered with my older two kids who needed a little encouragement in speaking out with their voices.  
I think the program has worked well for both age groups of my children.  I see definite differences in the answers they give me.  I see them speaking with one another better.  I see them playing these games and using the skills they’ve learned even when we aren’t working on lessons.  It’s a beautiful thing to experience when your child opens up and blooms.

Where You Can Purchase CMC:

Color My Conversation is available from Northern Speech Services for $149.  This includes everything mentioned above.  There are also lesson support videos available for the program as well.

Other Places to Find Northern Speech Services:

Social Media Links:
NSS Facebook:  www.facebook.com/northernspeech 
CMC Facebook:  www.facebook.com/colormyconversation/ 
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/northernspeech   @northernspeech
Pinterest:  www.pinterest.com/northernspeech 
YouTube:  www.youtube.com/northernspeech 
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/northernspeechservices/

Read More Reviews:

Color My Conversation {Northern Speech Services Reviews}

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CompuScholar, Inc. Digital Savvy {Crew Review}

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This review came to use from CompuScholar, Inc., previously known as Homeschool Programming.  We were offered their new course, Digital Savvy for this review.  I felt it would be a great course for my older two kids.

What We Received:
In exchange for our honest opinion of this product, we were given access to the online program, Digital Savvy.  Digital Savvy comes with a monthly subscription or a yearly subscription for the course, with the ability to add additional students as well.  It’s a great program for any family to use.

About The Program:
Digital Savvy is designed to help your student develop a better understanding of how computers and programming works.  This is a full year, two semester course offered fully online.  It is considered to be an introductory technology class for beginners though students should have an idea of computer basics and keyboarding before taking this course.  It is also aligned to course standards for many states.

The program requires a MAC system version of 10.7 or higher or Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10. There are 25 lessons and additional lessons to supplement.  The course covers approximately 164 days or 33 weeks of school for the course during the school year. There are hands-on projects in each chapter, creative for each type of learner.

To access the program, you simply create a teacher log-in or a student log-in with the specific codes sent to you after purchase.  This is easily done through the website.  Then you can log-in and get started learning all about the course.

The first course chapter jumps right in to teaching you all about different types of computers and their components.  Chapter two teaches the student about program applications, software and web browsers.  Chapter three covers different types of operating systems like Windows and iOS.

Each chapter builds upon the last and helps the student learn the importance of the computer and it’s programming and components.  It builds up to the last chapter in which the Final Project is created.  This project shows the details of what the student has learned during the course of the year.

Each lesson shares a video about what you are learning, along with text and a lesson quiz.  Chapter one has 4 lessons, each with these elements.  There is also an activity to complete and a lesson exam to see what you have learned.  This should take about a week for the student to complete.

How We Used It:
We have a very digital, tech savvy family so I felt this course would be great for my two oldest children to learn more about the details behind computers and how they work.  They knew the basics but they are learning even more.  Also because they both have a deep interest in video games and creativity, I felt this program would be great.  My oldest son has considered being a Video Game Programmer once he finishes his schooling so this course made an excellent course to go along with that.

After I set up the program, I gave my older children their log-ins so they could get started.  Of course, we could not complete this program in the review period but we could did get a good idea of how it worked.  The kids enjoyed the videos and details they learned through the program.  They worked at it several days a week, sometimes completing more than one lesson.  They’ve shared their knowledge with me and Dad, Grandma and the little kids as well.

We will be continuing this program once the review is over because they have learned so much in the past few weeks.  They look forward to continuing the program and learning more.   They also enjoy debating and comparing what they have learned with one another.

Where You Can Buy:
You can buy Digital Savvy through CompuScholar, Inc. online  as either a self-study or teacher-led course for $15 for the self-study or $35 for the teacher-led course, which is what we used.  The one-year option is also available for $120 for the self-study or $300 for the teacher-led course.  Either option gives you access to the same materials for the course but the one-year option allows you to add additional students to the course for $40 for the self-study option or $220 for the teacher-led option.

Other Places You Can Find the Vendor Online:


Homeschool Programming
Facebook – www.facebook.com/HomeschoolProgramming
Twitter – https://twitter.com/HSProgramming   @hsprogramming

CompuScholar, Inc
https://www.facebook.com/CompuScholar
https://twitter.com/CompuScholar   @compuscholar
Read More Reviews of this Vendor:

Digital Savvy, Web Design & Java Programming {CompuScholar,Inc Reviews}

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Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer {Crew Review}

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What We Received:
For this review, we were sent the beautiful paperback novel Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer from Peggy Consolver – Author.  Peggy is a wonderful author and sweet Christian lady who felt led to share the story of the Gibeonites with us all.  The story she tells takes us back to a time many of us struggle to understand but she’s able to weave the story so we can see the past we often wonder about.
About The Book: 
Have you ever wondered about the historical information that is shared throughout the Bible?  Have you ever wished to know what life was really like for many of the people mentioned?  Have you wondered how they lived, where they trod, even what their flocks were like?  Through Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer, Peggy Consolver has done her best to help us better understand the plight of the Gibeonite people as they lived day to day.
Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer by Peggy Miracle Consolver tells the story of the Gibeonite people.  The story is centered around a young shepherd boy named Keshub.  Keshub fights hard to keep his flock and his people safe from harm.  He longs for adventure outside of the grazing lands, to be someone more than he is.  He eventually finds the adventure he seeks and becomes a spy who keeps watch over the Hebrews as they move through the Jordan Valley.  
This book shares many specific details to the time period and the detail of life of the people.  Peggy Consolver did her research thoroughly as she wrote this story.  Though the story of Keshub is fictional, it’s still based in Truth from scripture and archeological research.  This story speaks life to a people who struggled to live.
Additional Learning:
Peggy Consolver has shared part of her website to help expand the lessons behind Shepherd, Potter, Spy and Star Namer.  She has created a study guide which can be used with the book to expand on the information within the pages of the book.  She has provided access to maps specifically for the time period discussed in the book.  She has also provided links to information, videos to help expand on the archeological details covered within the book, and more.  This is a great little guide to really help bring the book to life.
Where You Can Buy This Book:
Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer is available through Amazon for $10.14 at time of this posting.  It is also available at Barnes and Nobles, Mardel’s Christian Book Stores and “wherever fine books are sold”.

You Can Find Peggy Consolver on Social Media:
Read More Reviews:

Shepherd, Potter, Spy--and the Star Namer {Peggy Consolver Reviews}





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Memoria Press: First Form Greek {Crew Review}

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What We Reviewed:


For this review, we were sent First Form Greek Complete Set from Memoria Press.  This set came at the perfect time.  A few weeks before this vendor came up, Emmalee and I were discussing what she’d like to learn about next.  She paused to think for a few minutes and then stated, “Greek.  I want to learn Ancient Greek though, not any new stuff.”  Then a few weeks later this popped up in the Vendor list and I knew it was just what she wished for!  Better yet, it was set to ship out on her birthday!  No doubt that this was meant for her.



What We Received:


We have reviewed other Memoria Press curriculum in the past and it always arrives in it’s own cardboard box with the company name on printed on the outside.  I keep it in that box until we complete our reviews because the box is often filled to the brim with curriculum goodies for us.  This box was no exception.


This box contained the following:


First Form Greek: Introduction to Ancient Greek Instructional DVDs by Elizabeth Pierce

First Form Greek Teacher Key (Workbook, Quizzes, & Tests) by Cheryl Lowe and Michael Simpson

First Form Greek Quizzes & Tests Workbook by Cheryl Lowe and Michael Simpson

First Form Greek Teacher Manual by Cheryl Lowe and Michael Simpson
First Form Greek Student Text by Cheryl Lowe and Michael Simpson
First Form Greek: Introduction to Ancient Greek Workbook by Cheryl Lowe and Michael Simpson
First Form Greek Pronunciation CD
First Form Greek Flashcards
Access to online videos to use with the curriculum.

This set works together to create a complete Ancient Greek curriculum for teaching your student Greek thoroughly.  


I will explain some of the key pieces of curriculum in this set.

First Form Greek: Introduction to Ancient Greek Instructional DVDs by Elizabeth Pierce

There are 5 DVDs in this set. Each covers 4-5 lessons from the curriculum and are labeled in order.  They are approximately 10-20 minutes of instruction per lesson equaling around 8 hours of instructional videos.  The videos include lesson lectures, oral drill as well as examples and charts to instruct your student.


First Form Greek: Introduction to Ancient Greek Teacher Manual

This is a typical teacher’s guide designed to help you achieve your best through using the curriculum.  It begins with an introduction on how to use the curriculum and instruct your student in the lessons to learn Ancient Greek.  


Next it gives a lesson overview of what to expect in each lesson and how it flows.  This is followed with Games and Review Activities and how to use those to best teach and learn Ancient Greek.  This section is followed with a Syllabus and Preparation that shares how to create a syllabus for your homeschool and this curriculum and also how to prepare your classes and use this curriculum.  

The next section is the Recitation list followed by the Student text and lesson plans.  At the end of the guide are Appendices sharing Greek Sayings and Vocabulary from Greek to English and English to Greek.

The lessons plans are easy to follow with check off boxes for each part as you complete the lesson.  The lessons become a little more intensive as the curriculum goes along and you build a better understanding of Ancient Greek.  

First Form Greek: Introduction to Ancient Greek Student Text

This is a rather small and easy to use text book for your student.  It’s 116 pages in length and covers all the lessons your student will be learning in the curriculum.  There is a brief introduction then it immediately moves into the lessons.  There are 24 lessons.  At the back of the book are several appendices, oral drill and a vocabulary section. 


First Form Greek: Introduction to Ancient Greek Workbook

Now this thing is huge!  280 pages of worksheets that help you learn Ancient Greek.  There’s a statement to the student and a translation checklist, then you jump right in to the good stuff.  Worksheet after worksheet of learning, complete with drill forms in the back.  



How We Used It:


I handed this straight over to Emma who dove straight in.  At first, she chose to simply listen to the Pronunciation CD to get a head start on speaking the language and then she looked up the videos and began to watch those to learn more about the curriculum before she began lessons.  Emma is unique and  has her own style of working on things. 

The curriculum was not hard for her to use though.  Normally, we do not use such structured lesson materials but she was easily able to adapt and work through several of the lessons.  I chose to let her set the pace, as she’s naturally an independent learner.  She chose to pick them up nightly, reading her lessons when no one was up to bother her and completing the necessary work that went along with it as she did so.  

She was easily able to follow through the curriculum without a whole lot of guidance from me but she stopped to ask questions when necessary.  As I stated though, Emmalee is extremely independent with lessons and prefers to figure it out herself, which she was easily able to do.

Where You Can Buy First Form Greek:


First Form Greek Complete Set is for students in 7th – 12th grade.  It could be considered an Elective Course or a Course for Foreign Language for your High School student.  It is available through Memoria Press for $125.00 for the entire set.  It does recommend a prerequisite of two years of Latin Grammar, which Memoria Press also offers as available courses, and the Greek Alphabet Book.



Other Places You Can Find This Vendor:



Read More Reviews For This Vendor:

First Form Greek, Iliad/Odyssey and American History {Memoria Press Reviews}

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Manhood Journey from City On A Hill {Crew Review}

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What We Received for Review:
For this review, Manhood Journey & City On A Hill Studio sent us their Manhood Journey Father’s Starter Kit.  This kit comes packaged in a box of it’s own that is filled with great stuff to be shared between young men between ages 8-17 and the older generation of men mentoring them.  Manhood Journey celebrates the young man’s journey into manhood.
What We Were Sent In Our Package:
Included in our Manhood Journey Father’s Starter Kit were the following things:
-A DVD that includes all the necessary videos for each of the modules.
-A complete set of Maprochures to use with your child or in a group setting of young men.
-The One On One Guide Book for Embarking on your journey in a single, one on one setting
-The Group Guide Book for Embarking on this journey in a group setting.
-Wise Guys, Unlocking Hidden Wisdom From The Men Around You by Kent Evans with Rob Suggs
All these materials work together to complete this study on journeying into manhood.
How It’s Used:

This set can be used in either a group or an individual, one on one setting with young men between the ages of 8 and 17.  It should be directed by a Father or a Father figure, leader of the church, or someone similar.  If a Father isn’t available then of course a Mother could manage to put this to use with their son.
You start the journey by reading up on the journey material in the guidebook.  It explains who can use this set and how to make it work for you and your sons.  The entire guide gives you a walk-through of what to expect as well as what to say, share and do together to bond through this journey with one another.  The goal is to guide your son into becoming a better man, possibly even growing in your own Faith along the way.
The Maprochure works as a visual aid to show your sons where they are headed next.  It shows the main topics of the journey and is just a good way to “see” where you’re heading.  It’s a great little handout to keep up with group times or expectations for the journey.
The DVD has a video to present each module and help you build upon the lessons it teaches.  It’s a great content bonus to keep kids interested in what’s going on.  It leads you further into the guidebook, helping you to expand on what you’re teaching and learning together.
The guidebook itself gives you an exact walk through of what to do and say with the program.  There is no right or wrong way to do this as long as you are sticking to the word, sharing the word and helping these young men dive deeper into the word with your help.  It’s a great way to grow in the Lord together.
Additional the book Wise Guys by Kent Evans was included in the kit.  Wise Guys shares how to find the best for the men in life around you.  How to really learn from the Wise Men that God sometime place into your life.  And how to share that wisdom with others.
How We Used It:

I must admit, I didn’t use this program myself as I’m the Mom but I did hand it over to Don to use with our 16 year old son, Winston.  Don is Winston’s stepfather but this is for all Fathers so he was able to use it as well.  It was great for them.  Great for Don because he was able to dive deeper in the Word provided in the guide.  Great for Win because it allowed him to learn more about God and his plan for his life through the program.  It was great for them together because it allowed them bonding time together that they don’t always get.  It was something just for them, that got them talking, sharing and learning together and the best part is that God was in the forefront leading the way!
They worked through one module at a time when they were able to find time.  You could do one a week in a group setting.  The modules aren’t long but they are full of info to help you grow and learn about God and his plans for life.
Where You Can Purchase This Kit:

Manhood Journey & City On A Hill Studio has the Manhood Journey Father’s Starter Kit available to purchase on their website for $29.99.  This includes everything mentioned above.  You can order additional materials separate as well.
Where You Can Find Them Online:

Manhood Journey
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/manhoodjourney 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/manhoodjourney  @manhoodjourney

City on a Hill
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FollowCityOnAHill 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/COAHStudio 


Read More Reviews Of This Product:

Manhood Journey Father's Starter Kit {Manhood Journey & City on a Hill Studio Reviews}




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Bessie’s Pillow {Crew Review}

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What We Reviewed:
For this review, Strong Learning, Inc. sent us a copy of Linda Bress Silbert’s first novel, Bessie’s Pillow.  Bessie’s Pillow is the story of Linda’s Grandmother who came over to America as an Immigrant in the early 1900’s.  Bessie’s Pillow shows us how life was in that era, what life was like for Bessie and her friends and family, and the challenges of life as an immigrant woman living in a New World.
What We Received:
Strong Learning, Inc. sent us a full copy of the Bessie’s Pillow book.  It’s a paperback book with 280 pages of both story, and historical information and pictures.  The front of the book features a picture of Bessie and a ship similar to the one Bessie came to America on.  There are many more pictures within the book for your enjoyment as well.
Bessie’s Story and What We Thought:
This book came up on the vendor list right after the new president was sworn into office and talk was exceptionally heavy about immigration, including discussion of his beautiful, immigrant wife.  My first thought was what perfect timing to discuss these things with my children by reading this story of one woman’s journey to America in the midst of so many questions in the very country she came to live in out of both necessity and love.
My second reason for choosing this story to review is that I, too, come from ancestors who immigrated to America much like Bessie did.  My family were not Jewish but they were German, coming to a New World to start a better life for their families and themselves.  I was interested in reading Bessie’s story to have insight on what my Great Grandfather and Great Great Grandparents must have felt when they headed on their journey to this country and when they first stepped on to Ellis Island to be brought into the United States.
Let me begin by saying, Bessie’s Pillow is a beautifully written book.  The story flows and keeps the reader interested which was something I was worried about as sometimes novels written based on true stories can be a little dry and boring.  But Bessie’s story was completely the opposite.  Her life was amazing.  The experiences she had were both amazing and astonishing.  The description of those who were not as lucky in life as she was were equally shocking.  There was no overly written description of anything but just enough to let you know of the true tragedy and triumph of being an immigrant, of being an immigrant in America and of overcoming the stigma of being an immigrant to have a beautiful life in a new country.  And overall from what I’ve read in Bessie’s Pillow, Bessie or Boshka, as was her given name by her parents, lived a beautiful life with her friends and her husband, children and family.
I must make mention of this one particular part that stood out to me and it wasn’t actually in the story of Bessie but it was written in the back of the book where extra information on Bessie’s life is shared.  Beautiful Bessie with her sweet soul went on her final journey exactly one day after my own mother was born.  My Mother was born on February 11, 1951 and Bessie passed away on February 12, 1951.  Because of the date that truly stood out to me.  Bessie was 63, 3 years younger than my Mother is at this very minute.
Extra Extra:
Bessie’s Pillow is filled with historically accurate information on immigration in the 1900’s.  It’s a wonderful book to read with your family both for reading and as an extra for your curriculum.  There are lots of book extra’s included in the book: pictures, information, and the story itself.  But there’s also lots of extra information available on the Bessie’s Pillow website at Strong Learning’s website.
There’s a gallery of photographs for you to view with your family to see actual pictures of the time period depicting what life was like at the time.  There’s also a selection of General Topics to help you expand this book further.  Topics like Famous People, the Presidency, Radio and more.  Each of these topics are full of information for you to share with your students or help you build more knowledge of the time period for yourself.

How Can You Get Bessie’s Pillow For Yourself:
Bessie’s Pillow written by Linda Bress Silbert and published by Strong Learning, Inc. is available to purchase on their website for $15.  It is also offered as an Kindle eBook on Amazon.
Other Places to Find This Vendor:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BessiesPillow  @BessiesPillow




Read More Reviews of Bessie’s Pillow:


Bessie's Pillow {Strong Learning, Inc. Reviews}





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