Archive for category Curriculum Reviews

TenMarks: A Homeschool Math Solution

Posted by jlsgrant in Curriculum Reviews on January 28, 2011

“TenMarks curriculums are designed with the help of experienced math curriculum specialists and mapped to state and common core standards. The appropriate curriculum is arranged in a personalized “playlist” for a child, made up of albums (concepts), which in turn are made up of tracks bite-sized topics.”

The TenMarks approach to effective math learning is based on 3 simple principles:
  1. Personalized Learning Makes All the Difference.
  2. On-Demand Instruction Provides Help When You Need it.
  3. Practice Builds Confidence and Improves Achievement.

Watch this short video to get an idea of how it works:

We found TenMarks website easy to navigate and nicely laid out.   The kids enjoyed completing their work online in this type of format.   While we did not add “rewards” to the system, it is a nice option to have if you’re so inclined.  I loved that when you log in as teacher/parent, you can see your child’s progress, both what they completed and what subjects are ahead.  There is also the ability to customize their curriculum to fit your needs, or do practice sets from another level.  You may also “pause” their assignments if you are going out of town or taking a few days off.

The student interface not only has access to current and upcoming lessons, but also has an area to complete different practice sets, take tests, review  progress reports, and play games (provided that they have achieved the required worksheets. :))   

Overall, I think this is a great product with only a couple of caveats.   We had a little difficulty trying to determine the correct level for us.  I think, however, this was probably due to the fact that we’re reviewing this in the middle of the year and TenMarks curriculum may not necessarily line up exactly with where we were in our regular curriculum.  If your child is a math wiz, that may not even be an issue.  I’m fairly certain that starting at the beginning of the year would alleviate part of that.   The only other concern I had, was that the video lessons did not always correlate directly enough to all the individual problems in the worksheet.   We were generally able to figure it out by using the “Ask for Hints” feature. 

Why not give it a whirl?  They offer a Free Trial!

Pricing:  “TenMarks is affordable for everyone and offers a money back guarantee.”

Options (per student):

$10 a month, $49 for 6 months, $89 for 12 months

Levels Available: Grades 3 – 8, Algebra I & II, Geometry

Disclaimer:  Members of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s Homeschool Crew were given free access to this website in exchange for their honest reviews of this product.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.

, ,

2 Comments

Positive Action for Christ: The Life of Christ

Posted by jlsgrant in Curriculum Reviews on January 14, 2011

“Positive Action For Christ is a publishing house specializing in youth curriculum for fundamental churches. It began as a single ProTeen club in 1969 at Falls Road Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Soon other churches wanted to use the materials Frank Hamrick had written for his teens, and by 1971 thirty-five churches were using Frank’s materials. A board was formed to govern the fledgling ProTeen ministry and the organization incorporated as Positive Action For Christ, Inc. in July 1972.”

“Positive Action employs 13 full-time and several seasonal part-time staff and continues to see its product line and its sales volume increase. Thousands of youth in churches and schools in all 50 States and in over 30 countries around the world now use Positive Action For Christ materials.”

Mission Statement:

“Positive Action exists to equip Bible teachers to magnify the majesty of God.” 

To determine if Positive Action for Christ is a good fit for your family, a Doctrinal Statement available at the Positive Action website.

We received a copy of The Life of Christ for review purposes.  One of the first things that got our attention is the professional quality of all the materials provided.    The materials can be used several different ways depending on your needs.  Whether you are looking for a daily devotional, a gradable Bible curriculum, or Sunday School Lessons, this package includes everything you need and more.

What’s included in the Student Deluxe edition:

The student’s manual includes:

  • Content age-appropriate for middle school or high school
  • Illustrations and notes from the teacher’s lesson
  • An introductory section with reading and homework to be completed in advance
  • Additional student research for each lesson
  • A Digging Deeper section with further ideas for expanding each lesson
  • A recommended reading list
  • Original artwork to introduce each lesson
  • Full-color pages with charts, maps, and photos

A good portion of the lesson is spent on building proper “context” for the material to be studied.  This includes history, political climate, geography,  mapping, and timelines.  There is a section where the student(s) can record notes from the teacher’s lesson right into their own workbook.    There are also great ideas for “Digging Deeper”, with everything from research papers, suggestions for additional reading, word studies, etc.

The Teacher’s Manual is very complete and contains everything you need to teach and lead meaningful discussions, correct the Student Workbook, and administer quizzes and tests.

We were very impressed with this product! 🙂

Age/Grade:   High School Level (Other materials available for every age group)

Pricing:  Student Manual: $8.95 – $17.95

Teacher’s Manual: $41.95

Companion Items Available:  Please check Pricing Page

School Curriculum for all ages

Disclaimer:  Members of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew received copies of this product for free in exchange for their honest reviews.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.

, ,

1 Comment