Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Lifeway Christian Stores
I was recently asked to review the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids. The dictionary is sold at Lifeway Christian Stores both in their "brick and mortar" store and online for $14.99.
The book has over 200 pages of wonderful illustrations and maps. There are over 700 terms defined in this hardcover book. The book is designed for 5 to 10 year olds. However, adults might also find it useful.
I was so excited to review this book and knew Paul would love it. Paul loves to read his Bible and since he got a new one for Christmas it has been even more of a thrill for him lately. So, the Illustrated Bible Dictionary came along at just the right time. The day it arrived in the mail Paul spent atleast an hour pouring over it and telling me all about the new things he learned. I love the maps and the beautiful pictures in it. It is arranged in such a way that it is fun and engaging to look at it. You can take a peak inside at the publisher's website here. And see the beautiful pictures for yourself.
We are a strictly KJV family so I am always a little cautious of mainstream Bible products since they tend not to be KJV. That is one of the reasons I love this Bible Dictionary. The scripture reference is listed where you can find the term but it does not have the actual verse written out. That makes it great to go with any version of the Bible. It also works great to get kids in the Bible. Paul would be looking at the Bible Dictionary and see a scripture he wanted to look up and go straight to his Bible. For me, anything that gets kids in the Bible is a great product.
I think this would be a wonderful addition to any home's devotional/Bible time library.
Take a look at what other TOS crew members have to say here.
Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion of the product. There was no other compensation given for the review
Friday, January 21, 2011
Speekee Review
HOLA!
If you are looking for a great immersion program to teach your young children Spanish you have found the right one! I was recently given the opportunity to review "Speekee TV" a UK based Spanish language program that is now available online. A subscription to the program is only $7.50/month. There are 10 episodes (over 150 minutes) designed to be watched multiple times. There are also some great worksheets with each episode that reinforces what the kids are learning in the episode.
This program would be ideal for homeschoolers or for anyone who just wants their child to learn some basic Spanish. It would be a great introduction for preschoolers who may be entering in to a school that has a Spanish language program to give them a head start in that area. Or an educational and fun afterschool or summer activity for the younger to middle elementary kids!
My children adore "Speekee TV" and can't get enough of the programs. We have watched each episode atleast 5 times and they are still asking for more. On top of that they are learning SPANISH at an amazing rate.
Studies show that the best way to learn any language is through immersion--just like babies learn their first language. So, the episodes are completely in Spanish. Not a word of English is spoken. It has been amazing that after the very first episode all 3 kiddos (even the 3 year old) were saying words appropriately. Plus, the music and songs are so "catchy" they are singing the songs all day long. "Donde Vamos?"/Where are we going? is their favorite song and their favorite question to ask me.
There are Spanish and English subtitles that you can turn off or leave on. I have left them on for my own benefit (adults just don't pick up a language as quickly as children do-even though I had 3 years of it in High School - that was a long time ago!) My oldest is the only one of the three that can read the subtitles and he has enjoyed that and been able to figure out the meaning a little quicker than the other two. Although the two little ones have picked it up really fast too, even without the subtitles. My three year old told my husband in the tub the other day "abajo" as she was sitting down. My husband asked her what that meant and she said "'down' in Spanish." She figured that out from the episode we watched for the first time that day. It is amazing that immersion works and when it is done with a puppet named "Speekee" and other puppets named "Dino" and "Lupi" the kids love it and don't even realize they are learning!
The program is designed for 2-10 year olds and I have an age range of 3-9 year olds and they all love it. I think Paul will love it for just a little while longer before it becomes too "babyish" for him.
You can purchase a subscription for $7.50/month or it is also available on DVD. However, the DVD's are produced in Europe and are in PAL format so they will not work on most DVD players here in the states. The DVD package comes with a 34 track song CD which would be wonderful thing to reinforce the Spanish learned in each episode. However, it is not currently available for individual purchase.
Also, don't forget to see what other Crew members have to say here.
"Adios mi amigo!"
Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion of the product. There was no other compensation given for the review
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wordless Wednesday
This is my first attempt at participating in a meme! This should be pretty easy...wordless Wednesday. Typically I won't post any words but today I wanted to explain. So, each week, in Wednesday, I will post a picture or two to sum up the past week. So, this week's pictures....
Maestro Classics - Peter and the Wolf Review
Recently I received a copy of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf on CD from Maestro Classics for review. The CD is available at their website and is very reasonably priced at $16.98.
My kids are big fans of stories on CD so this was a definite hit in our home. Everyone loved it, and the kids request it almost daily. I have loved the music education that has come along with it. The kids learned to listen to the different sounds of the instruments and tell what they are. We also took the opportunity to learn about the different types of instruments--woodwinds, brass, string, etc.
The CD itself not only includes the story but also has information on the composer, the symphony without narration, and so much more. It also comes with a booklet with activities for the kids to enhance their learning. My oldest loved the activities in the booklet. Maestro Classics states that the CD's are geared for Kindergarten and up but I can attest to younger students enjoying it. My 3 1/2 year old asked for it the most and she is also the quietest while we are listening together. She listens and asks questions about the story and the instruments along the way, of course she is a pretty advanced 3 year old!
You can take a look at all Maestro Classics selections here and even listen to samples. We will definitely be purchasing more of these. What a great way to expose kids to classical music in a fun and educational way.
You can take a look at what other TOS Crew Mates had to say here.
Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion of the product. There was no other compensation given for the review
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