by Just_Aimee on February 8, 2010
I was asked to review Kinderbach. This one was fairly hard to do. The curriculum is designed for kids age 2 – 7 (and my kids are much older than that so were not interested in it at all). We also used a piano teacher whom we really liked when they were little. As I have zero in the music skill department, I do not believe I would have even considered purchasing a piano curriculum. That said, I can give you a basic overview of the curriculum and you can also stop by here to see what my fellow crew members think of Kinderbach–most people with little children seem to really like it.
What is it? Kinderbach is online piano curriculum. It is designed for preschoolers and young elementary students. It is fun and convenient as it can be taught in your own home and at your child’s pace. I watched a few of the videos–they are definitely engaging and the format varies so they are not repetitive or boring.
From their website: KinderBach is a tried and proven method of teaching very young children to actually PLAY PIANO, read NOTES, learn INTERVALS, RHTHYM & music PATTERNS – the best piano teaching system available anywhere!
What you need? A computer and an inexpensive keyboard or piano.
What you get? There are a total of 240 video lessons covering 6 levels–that covers 60 weeks of instruction if they are paced at 4 lessons per week. There are also download-able activities with each lesson that reinforce what is being taught and provide other fun things to do such as coloring, puzzles, games, and more.
What it costs? $19.99/month or $95.98/year (which is about $7.99 per month). They also have a DVD option. They have a 30-day No-Hassle return policy.
Again, I do not think this is a product I would have used with my children…but check it out…It might be the solution you are looking for to introduce music into your homeschool day.
by Just_Aimee on February 6, 2010
Twenty inches and it is still snowing!! We are prepared. Five movies. And tons of food for the Super Bowl party tomorrow just in case we still have driving restrictions….
by Just_Aimee on February 4, 2010
So the news for days has been warning of a HUGE snow storm coming this weekend. I have been in total denial about it! Things all throughout this weekend are being canceled…so I guess not many other people are in denial.
Guess I better snap out of the denial because the boys are expecting a BIG Super Bowl party…better get the food tomorrow–just in case!
by Just_Aimee on February 3, 2010
by Just_Aimee on February 1, 2010
The very mention of the word {math} and my children start to groan…they are pretty good at it, but like broccoli–it is something I have to ‘disguise’ when we are doing it formally. So this product is not something that our family found useful…BUT I DO RECOMMEND IT for those of you who are not of the relaxed schooling type like I am (or even if you are and you have kids who want to do math!) This program will definitely strengthen their math skills.
MathScore.com was developed by graduates of MIT. It is topic based but does offer suggestions based on your child’s grades. It is worksheet based and practices are time.
The Top Five Reasons I Love this Program:
- I love that it is “green.” Instead of having to have books and papers with worksheet problems on them, all you need is a computer and some scratch paper.
- It is set up in worksheet format. Some would say that the lack of cute graphics, etc. make it boring–but I think that sometimes the ‘cuteness’ because a distraction. This program provides math drills in a simple format.
- It’s adaptive (based on concept mastery). The program responds to how well your child is doing and automatically adjusts the difficulty of the problems. (You can’t do this with a written worksheet!)
- It covers a HUGE variety of topics: everything from fast addition to time telling to triangles to decimals. Basically every topic you can think of from grades 2-Algebra 1 are covered. Each worksheet also has an optional mini-lesson to teach the concept.
- You can place your account on temporary freeze status during breaks so time that you are not doing school, you are also not wasting money paying for something you are not using.
To read opinions of other members of the TOScrew who reviewed this program, click here. If we were doing a formal math curriculum, I know this would be an invaluable tool and one we would likely purchase. The cost is $14.95 per month for the first child (with significant discounts for multiple children). You only pay $9.95 per month if you purchase a 9-month package. They offer a free trial. Definitely worth checking out.
I received a free subscription to MathScore.com as part of my involvement with TOSCrew in exchange for offering my honest opinion of this product. No other compensation was received.
