MaxScholar Review

I’m always looking for ways to help my 2nd grader, Carter, improve his reading skills. There are so many programs out there and it’s hard to figure out which ones are going to work for your kiddos. I was excited to learn that the Review Crew was going to be able to try out MaxScholar. Carter has been working on blending sounds with MaxPhonics, one of the Reading Intervention Programs from MaxScholar. While I started using this program with him in mind, my 6th grader also used the program and benefitted from it.

What I received:

*A 12-month subscription to the online reading intervention program from MaxScholar, designed for grades Pre-K through 12th grade

What It Is:

This program is designed to assist students who have Dyslexia, learning disabilities, ADHD, processing problems, or who are struggling to learn to read. The program is based on the methods used in the Orton-Gillingham approach, Lindamood-Bell Process© as well as other strategies.

The Reading Intervention Program has 3 different programs designed to help your child. Each program starts with a placement test so that it can teach your child exactly what they need in their reading abilities.

My kiddos working hard!

MAXPHONICS:

A multi-sensory approach to learning phonics. This program is best suited for students ages 5-7 but is also beneficial for any child needing to learn phonics. This part of the program has videos, practice for handwriting, drill and practice techniques as well as fun games!

 

When Carter logs in to MAXPHONICS, it shows him this screen and lets him pick up where he left off. 

Here is a screenshot of the sound blending part of the phonics program.

MAXREADING:

Also a multi-sensory approach, aimed at improving students reading comprehension skills. This 13 level program is targeted for any child below grade level in reading. This part of the program also introduces highlighting, summarizing and outlining a text. Each text gives the student the chance to highlight the text on the screen. At the end of each chapter they are given a chance to outline and summarize the chapter. Vocabulary and comprehension questions are also included with each chapter. A “read aloud” feature is is a nice addition to this program.

This is an example text from London’s recommended reading. 

After they read the text, they are asked to highlight the topic, main idea and important details. 

MAXWORDS:

This program is aimed to help students build their vocabulary. Through the MaxWords, students can learn up to 16,000 new words!!  The program includes: prefixes, suffixes, Greek & Latin roots, syllabication and spelling rules. My 6th grader spent a lot of time in this department because while he is already a great reader, he could definitely expand his vocabulary.

When teaching Syllabication, they use the acronym CLOVER. Each letter represents a set of lessons. As you can see, we are still working in the V section. 

In MaxWords, it teaches them vowel teams by letting them see the examples and as well as hear them pronounced.

 

There are 4 additional programs aimed at helping your child succeed in reading:

MAXMUSIC: Uses music and games to help engage your uninterested reader

MAXVOCAB: An online dictionary for children and adults; also includes fun games

MAXPLACES: Focuses on 51 exciting places from around the world

MAXBIOS: Focuses on important and famous people to engage your child

 

My Thoughts:

I think this program is great for students with disabilities! It’s online so it’s a lot of fun for kids but also really teaches them to be better readers. The user interface is very user friendly. My children had zero problems navigating the pages. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this program, but there are tons of activities and resources to help your child with reading. If your child is already a good reader, the other programs they offer to expand on that are awesome. I would recommend this program to someone who has a struggling reader or a child that needs to improve their phonics or vocabulary knowledge. We will continue to use MaxScholar, especially for my 8 year old!

To read more reviews from the crew members, click the link below:

 

 

CodeWizardsHQ Review

Today, I am very excited to share with you about a coding class from CodeWizardsHQ that we just finished.  They also offer homeschool computer programs as well as coding classes for all students. Are you wondering what CodeWizardsHQ is all about? Watch the video below!!

 

 

How our demo session went:

We were just getting back from out of town so we literally ran in the door and logged into the session before unpacking a single bag. When we logged in, people were giving their introductions. My son London is 11 years old and was very excited about this coding demo when we discussed it. When it came time for the class and he realized he had to use the microphone to speak he was really anxious. This feeling was gone as quick as it came. The instructor made everyone feel welcome and set a great tone for the class.

Some of the students were having trouble with the first instruction given so it did take about 10 minutes to get everyone on the same page. The goal of the demo class was for the student to create a comic strip. The instructor showed them the basics of each picture and how to change the character, the colors and the words. Once they knew how to create one picture, they were given time to finish their pieces. Then, when everyone was finished, the instructor shared their screen and let the student talk about their comic. London loved doing this class. He immediately asked if I could sign him up for classes.

The Final Product

Here is what London created. This is the front end and the back end. He is a gamer so if none of this makes sense to you, it doesn’t to me either! He was proud of making his own comic and wants to take it even further.

That concentration face!

More About CodeWizardsHQ

CodeWizards is intended for kids from 5th-12th grade. Each class meets weekly and is LIVE. I think that is the best part about this program. Your child won’t be sitting watching videos and then trying to code on their own. They will be meeting with an instructor every week while receiving immediate feedback on their work. The instructor can see your child’s work in the platform and can help them right then and there. This makes this program stand out from the rest in my opinion.

CodeWizardsHQ is a program for all students but it is a really great option for homeschooled students. There is significantly lower pricing per student based on the number of students in the class. Homeschool groups are also able to pick their own days and times which offers awesome flexibility.

They have a multi-tiered learning system where kids progress through each program.

 

Social Media Links: 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/codewizardshq
• Facebook group for parents who are interested in coding for their children https://www.facebook.com/groups/KidsCodingHQ/
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/codewizardshq
• https://www.pinterest.com/codewizardshq/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4NM0jfN0LI8_vWtiwLqgGw

 

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YWAM Publishing Review

I am back with another review today! YWAM Publishing offered us several choices from their Heroes of History series of books and we chose to review Heroes of History- Davy Crockett. YWAM Publishing also sent us a Study Guide to go along with our book. I want my children to always have a choice in what they learn so I asked London, my 11 year old, who he wanted to read about. He choose Davy Crockett. My son isn’t a big fan of reading. He is a really great reader and has awesome comprehension skills though. I did have to assign this book to him to read every day. He isn’t one to just pick up an educational book and start reading it. I however, love reading and really enjoyed reading this book. It was an easy read and really captured my attention. I read through 5 chapters in one sitting when I started it. I really wanted to read the book through before I started working with him using the book and study guide. The book is a narrative written about Davy Crockett’s life. It starts with his childhood years and goes on to tell you all about the struggles and adventures he had. It was really interesting to discuss the differences between his life at age 11, and London’s life now. 

More On The Study Guide:

The study guide that accompanied this book is fantastic. I was sent a zipped file that when unzipped, has a “Start Here” button. This was really helpful because I didn’t have to worry about where to start. Once opened, you are brought to this page:

If you click on the Davy Crockett tab, it gives you some more information about him.

When you click on the Unit Study tab, it opens to a page where you can choose how you are going to use this study: Small Groups, Classroom or Homeschool.  We obviously used the Homeschool option. You are then given a 24 page Unit Study Guide to go along with the book. There is so much information offered in these study guides. They are easy to follow along with and we really enjoyed having it. It helped to enrich the reading instead of just reading through the book independently. Each book has as a study guide that can be used to go along with your reading and teaching of the book.

Other Options from YWAM:

We reviewed individual books but these books are part of a bigger series called Heroes of History. There is also the series titled:  Christian Heroes: Then & Now. This series contains 46 books that can be purchased in a complete set, individually or in gift sets. Their website has a lot of additional resources to go along with these books as well as other products. You should check them out!

Final Thoughts:

We really enjoyed learning about Davy Crockett through this well written biography and accompanying unit study. It was hard to just pick one book and I am sure I will purchase other books next school year for us to read! I would love for us to learn more about C.S. Lewis.  It’s such a great way to tie in history, language and writing by using the books and study guides together.

London doing a little light reading.

Social Media Links:

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/YWAM-Publishing-482973445102/   
• Twitter:  http://twitter.com/YWAMpublishing     Tag:@YWAMpublishing   
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/YWAMpublishing          Tag: @YWAMpublishing 
• BLOG:  http://www.ywampublishingblog.com

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A+ Interactive Math Review

I’m back with another math review. As you know, we all love math over here. I have a ton of resources and curriculum for math for both of my boys. We tend to switch it up weekly and even daily. I really like to teach them and do lessons with what they like doing. I’m always looking for new curriculum for our school days though. The Review Crew has been using a new math curriculum and I am all about this one. My son has also been loving his daily math lessons using the Family Math Package  from A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.) I was able to set up both of my boys on the program with their own username and password. Both of them used the program but my 11 year old used it more because he really enjoyed it.

What It Is:

-Comprehensive math courses for Grades 1- 6, Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1

-Each grade level includes comprehensive course contents with video lessons, interactive reviews, practice worksheets, chapter tests and much more

-Automatic grading and tracking

-Parent can place a student in any grade level and change the grade level at any time. (This gives you so much flexibility with the program)

-This option doesn’t require testing before starting

The Homepage when you “launch” 6th Grade math

 

An example of one the lessons that my son has completed.

What We Think

When I told my 11 year old son I was writing this review, these were his words: “Let them know I loved it! I think they should really take into consideration what the kids have to say because they are the ones using it. Make sure you tell them that I really liked it.”

Those words coming from my tween who doesn’t get excited about much concerning school these days, means a lot. He actually asks to do A+ Math for his math lesson everyday. I think he enjoys the video lessons and then the interactive questions at the end of the lesson. He’s able to get immediate feedback and gratification when getting the questions correct. I’ve noticed that he really enjoys this.

My 7 year old son used the program too just not as much. He enjoyed the lessons but he is really more a pencil and paper learner when it comes to math. He is really hands on and had a hard time staying focused with the videos and interactive quizzes.

My 7 year old doing a lesson on skip counting

I really like the curriculum too. I thought the website was very user friendly and I was able to find anything I needed. I like how it is all organized by grade level and how you’re able to track what your child is doing. Most of all, I LOVE that my 6th grader loves it. That’s a huge selling point to me. We will continue to use this math curriculum as our base for the rest of this school year at least.

Also…A+ Interactive Math has an Adaptive Math Curriculum

“This program requires students to take placement tests first. You then enroll the student in a “target” grade level. The program gives a mini-test for each major math concept to gauge student’s skill level. It automatically adjusts the difficulty level of questions based on the answers provided by student. If it detects any learning gaps between the “target” grade level and student’s current skill level, it automatically creates an individualized plan for the student. The plan includes video lessons, interactive review, practice worksheets online, automatic grading and tracking and re-test. Essentially this is a skill-based learning model. This program covers Grades 1–6 and Pre-Algebra. This program is completely automated, you cannot choose the lessons.”

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APlusTutorSoft

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/aplustutorsoft   

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aplustutorsoft

To read what other crew members had to say, click the banner below!

HelpTeaching.com Review

Homeschooling is one of the hardest jobs I have ever had as a teacher. It is definitely the most rewarding but it has its own set of difficulties. One of them to making sure you are teaching what your children are supposed to be learning. Since we do not use one set curriculum, we use a ton of different things to suite our needs. I am always looking for helpful resources online to supplement our already in place “curriculum.” The past couple of months, I have been using the Help Teaching Pro. subscription from HelpTeaching.com to supplement my oldest son’s daily educational activities. HelpTeaching.com is a resource offering printable and online tests, activities, lessons, and games for PreK-12. There are literally thousands of resources on this website. Even though it really does offer any and every thing, there is a place where you can generate your own tests and worksheets. This really allows you to customize your experience and get exactly what you need from it.

Example of some printables for elementary age

How We Used It:

I chose to use this program with my 6th grader, London. We used it mostly to add to his ELA and Science lessons. I love that the site is so easy to use. You can sort by grade level and/or subject. I was able to easily find lessons for him to work on. We mostly utilized the already created lessons, because he really enjoyed those. I also created a couple of tests for him to take to try out that function. You are able to fully customize a test and then assign it to the student you want to complete it.

When you decide to assign your child or student a lesson, the flow of the lesson is really great. For example, London completed a lesson about constellations. Each lesson starts with a little introductory information for the student to read. Then it has some practice questions to gauge prior knowledge. Once you have completed the practice questions, you watch a short video about constellations. After the video, there was a writing prompt as well as some questions to check for understanding. He really enjoyed the questions because at the end, it tells him what his score is immediately. The one thing we both wished was different was at the end of the questions, it doesn’t tell you which ones you got wrong or what the correct answers were. It only gives you a numerical score. We then had to go back a couple of pages to the answer key, compare our answers and see which ones he got wrong. This wasn’t a huge deal once we got used to it but it definitely would have been easier to have the correct answers right there once the test was finished.

An example of the breakdown for the Constellations Lesson

London actually gained a good bit of knowledge from HelpTeaching.com. He enjoyed it and was so user friendly, that I enjoyed it too. There are just so many resources on the website and I love that it has lessons, tests and printables for Pre-K through 12th grade.

London is watching a video about the prefix “auto”

HelpTeaching.com on Social Media

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/helpteaching
• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/helpteaching
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/helpteaching/

 

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Zirrly Review

We LOVE arts and crafts in our house. I’ve always tried to do creative and artsy things with my boys since they were little and they’ve always seemed to enjoy it.

I was pumped to see that The Review Crew was going to be able to review Super Beads by Zirrly. Super Beads are similar to perler beads but better!! No hot iron is needed to fuse the beads together. All you need is the provided spray bottle and water! We were able to choose which set of beads we wanted so I chose the Super Beads Spinning Tops. With the provided pattern, you are able to replicate the design using the beads provided. Once you are finished, you remove the pattern, spray it with water and then you wait an hour or more and voila~~you have an awesome new creation. When our package arrived, we opened the box and found everything we needed to create our spinning tops. My boys wanted to start right away of course!

What’s Included:

-3 Spinning Tops

-Design Templates

-Super Beads

-Super Beads Work Tray

-1 Spray Bottle

-1 Design Tool

-Instructions.

My Thoughts:

I really did love this activity. It all came conveniently packaged with everything we needed, except water. We did use almost all the colors at one time so I got small bowls to put our beads into. My boys, like most, could always use some fine motor practice and Super Beads really helps with that. Once their projects were dry, they were able to put the spinning tops pieces on and spin away! I like that the spinning tops do come apart so you’re able to interchange them if you make more than 3. Honestly, we had no trouble at all with our projects and my boys LOVED making them. I loved it even more because we didn’t have to use a hot iron, just water and of course they really enjoyed the spraying water part.

My Kids Thoughts

“I thought it was cool because you could create your own spinning top if you wanted to. You don’t have to follow the exact guidelines if you don’t want to.”  -London, age 11

“It was awesome making it, seeing it dry together and spinning the tops.”  -Carter, age 7

Zirrly Products:

We chose to review the Spinning Tops Super Beads but Zirrly offers many more Super Beads products including:

• Jungle Animals-includes everything you need to make a lion, rhino, elephant, zebra, owl and monkey
• 3D Animals-includes everything you need to make a 3D dog and deer
• Birds-includes everything you need to make an owl, duck and parrot
• 3D Cars and Trucks-includes everything to make a 3D car and truck and more!

Their website also offers more than just Super Beads. They have Ceramic Crafts, Kwik Stix, Animal Crafts and even Wood Crafts. If you want to get your children working on some creative art, you should check out Zirrly!

Social Media Links:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zirrly-1488221441475359/                       
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zirrly/?eq=zirrly&etslf=NaN                       
• Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/zirrly_/?hl=en          Tag:   @zirrly_         
•  YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtsk7AY7EYG91LieNgsFy2A/featured?view_as=subscriber   

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NatureGlo’s eScience Review

 

Math….we love it around here!! Crazy right? I always loved math in school and still do. I was blessed with two boys who not only enjoy math but who are GOOD at it!! This has really helped our homeschool journey. I would struggle to teach my favorite subject if my own kids struggled. Thankfully, they don’t! I never really picked a math curriculum. I’ve just been piecing it together from various resources. My math and science loving son was excited about the opportunity to review the MathArt Online 4-Class Bundle from NatureGlo’s eScience!

The 4-Class Bundle includes:

Math Connections with the Real World , MathArt in Ancient Cultures, MathArt in the Arts & Sciences and MathArt: Patterns in Nature.

“Your learner can experience connections there are between nature, art, science, history, math and more!”

 

We mainly used the course called Math Connections with the Real World: The Golden Ratio & Fibonacci Numbers. I will admit that our internet is spotty out in the country and it took us a while to get things downloaded. We didn’t get as much of the curriculum completed as I would have liked. I know we will continue to use it after our review period because it is full of some great lessons. The course is broken up into 6 lessons which have power points, study guides, workbooks, etc… There is an abundance of information within each course. I found the website to be very user friendly once we got started with the program! After going through the first lesson, I realized my 6th grader would easily be able to navigate the program by himself.

I like that the lessons are laid out so well. Everything you need is right there. It tells you how long the videos are, what’s coming up next, what you’ve already completed and so much more! In writing this review, I realized that my son had not been marking his work as complete. This is something I will definitely be talking to him about because it’s such an awesome feature to have available. You can see right on your screen how far you’ve come!

In this screenshot you can see the video and then it gives you a place to mark as complete.

 

The first lesson teaches all about Fibonacci numbers and the use of them in art. We were working on this around Valentines Day so we completed a piece of art using the Fibonacci sequence. It was awesome to be able to combine math AND art with these boys of mine. They turned out super cute too!

 

Valentines Day Fibonacci Art

 

One of the other courses offered is Math Art in Ancient Cultures. We really didn’t have time to go through this course much but I look forward to revisiting it soon! It’s all about how Math played a part in our ancient cultures. I can’t wait to learn more about this with my son.

Here is a screenshot of this course.

 

NatureGlo’s eScience Social Media Links:

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/natureglo1    Tag:   @natureglo1
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/pins/
• Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/2/110614921959731305213
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/1hasc

 

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CursiveLogic Review

Some people believe that cursive writing is a lost art but I disagree. I vividly remember learning cursive myself and I also remember teaching it when I taught 3rd grade. My 7 year old, Carter, has never learned any cursive so I was thrilled to receive the CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack and The Art of Cursive from CursiveLogic to review! He was excited to learn since his older brother knows cursive. We heard great things about this product before we received it so we were both thrilled the day it arrived in the mail.

What It Is

CursiveLogic is a 10 week program that teaches cursive for people aged 7-adult. They use a shape based approach that appeals to all learning styles by using a multi-sensory teaching technique. They break the shapes up into 4 letter strings and this is how they are taught.

The way it is laid out is a logical approach that kids understand. Below you will see Carter working on the orange letter string. This is a string of letters that share the same base shape. They have 3 other strands of letters that also share the same base shape. By the time your child has completed the 4 strings, they will be an expert at cursive writing.

Webinar

When you sign up for CursiveLogic’s QuickStart Pack, you will also receive access to their 48 minute online seminar along with your workbook. This seminar teaches you everything you need to know about using CursiveLogic. It has great detail and goes step by step on how to use the handbook.

Left-Handers

In my house, I have one leftie and a rightie. I myself am right handed so it’s easy to teach my one son who shares that same characteristic. I do find it hard to teach my leftie, how to write. I love that CursiveLogic includes instructions for left handers. That was really helpful and he liked that he was included.

The Art of Cursive

I also received The Art of Cursive which is an adult coloring book with cursive practice. This a beautifully made coloring book that has a lot of practice for those who already know cursive. It has really pretty images with cursive writing intertwined. I have used this book many days to de-stress.

My Thoughts

CursiveLogic is a well put together, logical solution for teaching your child cursive. They teach you using 4 basic strands so it feels like you are learning the letters faster than focusing on 26 letters one-by-one. The workbook itself is nicely made and the lessons really are great. My 7 year old enjoys having his own book that he can go through page by page. We haven’t completed the entire workbook yet but he is excited to know how to fully write in cursive when we are. I have already been recommending this workbook to people who need help with teaching cursive writing. It is working for us and I know it could work with any family. If you are looking for a cursive writing curriculum then give CursiveLogic a try!

Connect with CursiveLogic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilovecursive/

Discount Code

CursiveLogic has graciously given me a code to share that will get you 20% off the webinar+workbook combo. This code is active through the end of March. If you are interested in purchasing this combo, use the code CREW2018 to receive 20% off!

To read more reviews for other Crew Members, click the banner below!

Magic Stix by The Pencil Grip, Inc. Review

I am back with another review! I am so thankful that I was chosen to be part of the Review Crew. We get to review some awesome things and this review is no different. My kids are both art-loving little boys. We are always creating some type of art work in our little (amazing) school room. This time, we were able to use and review Magic Stix Washable Markers from The Pencil Grip, Inc.!

 

These markers seriously are magic. They claim that you can leave the top off the marker for up to 7 days and they won’t dry out. When I first read this I thought, “Oh yeah rightttttt!” I have been working with kids in daycares and in the classroom since I was 15. If I had a dollar for every time I had to remind kids to put the caps back on markers, I would be rich! The reason I had to and still do preach this is because just a little time without the cap, and traditional markers dry out. This ends up wasting the markers and costing money to buy more. Everyone knows that teachers do not make enough money to have to continue to buy markers every week. Needless to say, I just knew these Magic Stix markers would not be able to go cap free for 7 days and still work! This was the first thing I did before we even tried them. Since I was so skeptical, I chose the color I thought would not be used much to test this “magic” out. This color was close to the color of baby food squash. We took the cap off, set it on the counter and waited 7 days. On the 7th day, we rested….oh wait, wrong story. On the 7th day, we tried the baby food squash color and OMG, it worked!!! It was just as vibrant as it was on Day 1. The three of us were all stunned. London was really speechless. “Like how?,” were his actual words. My answer was, “I don’t know how but I love it!! Magic Stix  Washable Markers actually deliver their promise.

 

These are the markers in their case, before we opened them.

London, my 11 year old, loves art the most. He takes online art lessons and before homeschooling him, I had no idea he was this artistic. He loves using colored pencils the most because of the array of colors. When we received our Magic Stix markers, they wanted to dive in and use them. They decided to draw and color some too cute sushi characters. London was taking out the colors he needed for his drawing and said, “These are even better than colored pencils because there are so many shades and different colors.” They were able to create a vibrant picture using a variety of colors. Since the original pictures they created, we have created many more art projects. We go to these Magic Stix markers every single time. They come in a nice plastic carrying case where every marker has a place. The case has a handle and it’s just so easy to pull out and use whenever we need markers.

Working hard on their sushi masterpiece.

 

The finished products using Magic Stix Markers

Since these markers do not dry out, I have no idea how long they will last. What I do know is that when we need more markers, I will definitely buy more of these. There are a nice arrangements of colors since there are 24 markers in the case we received. The colors are vibrant and the markers are smooth. They are odorless and non-toxic. They come in packs of 12 or 24 and they can be purchased on Amazon.

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UltraKey Online Review

In the technological age we are in, typing is an important skill for our students to be learning. I hadn’t yet adopted a typing program but it was on my list of to-do’s, along with a zillion other things. I was super excited to hear that The Review Crew was going to be able to review the UltraKey Online Family Subscription by Bytes of Learning! My oldest son had completed a program when he was in public school but my youngest son has never had a typing lesson. I was excited to use this program with both of them but my seven year old is who has used this the most. I, myself, am a pretty good typist, actually a professional according to online typing tests. We all know that any type of online test HAS to be legit. Right? Since this program allows up to seven users, I still used it to brush up on my skills and so that I could give it a thorough review.

My cutie 7 year old doing his typing lessons in his PJ’s. Homeschool Rocks!!

UltraKey Online is a really great typing program. I was easily able to set up accounts for the three of us. It is user friendly without being overwhelming. We each have our own account where we are able to set our goals, take our own lessons and check our progress with skill checks. From the main screen you are able to see your goal, change your settings, go to your learning module and even print reports. I like how you have access to anything you may need all on the same page. You don’t have to dig around to find what you are looking for. Even with everything on the main screen, it doesn’t seem crowded. You can also access the 70 page user guide from the main screen. I found this very helpful when I had any questions.

Here is a screenshot showing you some of the helpful links on the main screen.

My kids loved the videos, and there are many! On the main screen, there is a button that leads to your intro videos. These videos will play on their own when you go to each module but they are also in one spot in case you need to refer back. There are videos about your posture, finger placement, lessons, skill check, typing forum and the game zone. These videos are short and sweet but are also very helpful.

This screenshot shows you the videos available on the link to Intro Movies.

UltraKey Online starts the lessons by teaching proper posture and hand placement. The home row is taught first and then the other keys are taught from there. Each lesson focuses on a few letters at a time. Once they have mastered the lesson, they can do the skill-check for that lesson. If they reach the goals that were set, they can move on to the next lesson. There are a couple of things to note here though. You can set the goals yourself as the administrator of the account or you can let the program set it for you based on an assessment it gives. Also, if you would like to move between lessons without having to pass the skill-checks or go in order, you are able to change these things in your settings. If you decide to use this program, you should definitely check out the settings tab. There are a lot of things that can be changed and personalized for your own needs.

Here you can see the list of lessons in the order that the program uses.

Here is a list of the skill checks that correlate with the lessons that are taught. This is a great visual to see where your child is with the lessons and skill checks.

Here is a look inside a lesson. Notice how the screen shows where your fingers should be anchored. This was extremely helpful for my kiddo.

Two other areas worth mentioning are the Typing Forum and the Game Zone. In the typing forum you can practice your typing without going through the formal lessons. The forum offers typing tests as well as a free typing option. The Game Zone is a great place for kids to practice their typing in a  fun way. They are able to challenge themselves and are also able to earn certificates in the Game Zone.

 

UltraKey Online is an online, self-paced typing program and we love it. It’s very user friendly while also being extremely resourceful to help you and your children be successful. My kids were able to spend 15-20 minutes each school day working on it without getting bored. The keyboarding skills they learn will stick with them, especially as we practice more and more.

UltraKey Online Family Subscription is available for three different prices, depending on your needs. It starts at $29.95 for a 3-user family, $39.95 for a 5-user family  and $49.95 for an 8-user family. You can learn more about UltraKey Online on their website. Also, check out their Facebook page. If you would like to read more reviews from The Homeschool Review Crew, please click the banner below.