Learning Latin with Picta Dicta by Roman Roads Media {Review}

Ever since we began home educating the idea of learning Latin has been simmering in my mind and over the years we have attempted a few different programs.  Latin is foundational to many aspects of the English language and is an integral component of many scientific fields.  At times over our homeschooling career I have been frustrated at not being able to pronounce the Latin words before me.  Recently Roman Roads Media offered us the chance to build our Latin vocabulary via their latest Latin course called Picta∙Dicta.

What is Picta∙Dicta
Picta∙Dicta has been created by Timothy Griffith to assit teachers and home educators to teach Latin vocabulary to their students using a specific on line app. It has been designed to be a self-paced learning environment where students learn both English and Latin words. Each course includes multiple difficulty levels allowing the parent to customise the level each student is working at, providing a stimulating, achievable and challenging learning environment.  Picta∙Dicta has been designed to be used on iOS, Android, PC or Mac.  An Internet connection is required to function properly.

• Picta∙Dicta Natural World - This level is aimed at elementary and jr. high age students. In Picta∙Dicta Natural World students will learn the Latin words for over 400 things in Nature equipping them with a foundation for future studies.
• Picta∙Dicta Vocabulary Builder - This course has been designed for students who are learning to read Latin or those wishing to improve upon their Latin vocabulary.
• Picta∙Dicta Ancient World - This is a sequel to Natural World and is currently under development and is coming soon.

To use Picta∙Dicta you will need a separate licence for each user.  The system has been designed to track each student's progress and customise the lessons and review according to individualised performance.

Learning is entirely self paced and there are no live instructors or students.  There is no need of parental involvement in the learning process.

Picta∙Dicta has been designed to build Latin vocabulary and therefore works well in conjunction with any other Latin course you are currently using.

For more information visit the FAQ page about Picta∙Dicta.

How we used it

Picta Dicta log in screen.

 After setting up a parental account, I set up an account for Nathaniel to use.  We were blessed with two courses to use: Picta∙Dicta Natural World and Picta∙Dicta Vocabulary Builder. Due to our lack of Latin vocabulary I decided to get Nathaniel to start with Natural World.  Once logged in the student can see which ever courses they are enrolled in.  Nathaniel is enrolled in two classes so both are on the home page.  He can then choose which one he needs to work on. 

Natural World Campaign View

The top of the list shows the class title and in brackets the difficulty level is displayed.  This is set by the teacher when enrolling the student.  On the right hand side of the same bar there are two options: training or proceeding with the next lesson.
Just below this title bar there are two tabs: campaign (the lessons) or history (date that the lesson was completed and % results for the lesson).

The campaign screen is divided into several columns

• The first column is the lesson number.
• Second column depicts the subject matter being covered.
• The centre column tells the student what the campaign will be doing. (Learning Latin words, matching pictures to Latin words, translating Latin to English, Latin spelling, Reviews in English or Latin) 
• In the fourth column the student can see at a glance their proficiency which is depicted by a scoring system of stars. If a lesson is still in progress it is saved and is depicted with a clock face.
• Should a student want to redo a chapter they can click on the anti-clockwise arrow below the cog in the right hand column. 

History View.

Nathaniel is a competent reader and as such I selected Reader Level II for him to work on in the Natural World vocabulary building.  I enrolled him on the same level for Vocabulary Builder but we both soon realised that this level was far too difficult to work through.  I was quite pleased to find that I could log into the parent portal and change the level that he was working on to a more suitable class level.  This reset the program back to the beginning.

Latin word introduction Picta Dicta Natural World sample for horse.

In the first lesson you are introduced to a new word.  The narrator says the word in Latin.  It appears on the screen written in Latin along with a graphic representing the word.  If there is interesting background information pertaining to the Latin word this is provided below the graphic.  We have learnt some rather fascinating things about dogs, chickens, donkeys, wolves etc. The word being learnt is click able and the narrator will repeat the word helping you to learn to pronounce it. To proceed you can click on the enter button or the thumbs up symbol in the bottom right hand corner.  Be sure to read these as questions do come up in the tests about the words and their back grounds.

Picta Dicta Natural World multiple choice sample

 Once the words have been introduced students then practise hearing the word, seeing the word and then selecting the correct graphic to match the word.   Progress through the lesson can be tracked via the circle in the top right hand corner of the page. At the reader level the system uses different processes to memorise the words and their meanings such as: English to Latin word, Latin word to graphic, graphic type the English word, graphic type the Latin word etc.

Once you have completed a lessons words the system progresses you to the next set of words.  Once you have learnt these words, the two lessons words are combined so that you do not forget the words you have already learnt in previous campaigns.

Should your student want to do some fun hand written reinforcement of words learnt using Picta∙Dicta you can download two PDF documents with crosswords on the Picta∙Dicta Downloads page.

Topics covered in Picta∙Dicta Natural World 
There are a total of 256 chapters divided into the following topics.  Each topic is followed by a number of review lessons to maintain vocabulary already learnt.

1. Basic Animals
2. Fruits, Berries, and Nuts
3. Human Anatomy I
4. Land Forms and Terrain
5. Small Animals
6. Parts of Tress and Plants
7. Human Anatomy II 
8. Water
9. Birds I
10. Growing Things
11. Sky and Weather
12. Animal Anatomy
13. Sea Life
14. Trees
15. Hand and Foot
16. Constellations
17. Exotic Animals
18. Flowers and Herbs
19. Vegetables and Legumes
20. Human Anatomy III
21. Birds II
22. Insects, Arachnids, and Worms
23. Sign and Habitat
24. Light and Fire
25. Metals and Stones
26. Ground cover and Vegetation

Sample Game Descriptions for Reader Level II

• Learn Latin II - Learn new Latin word and read stories about the different animals and their roles within the ancient society (see graphic of horse above).
• Latin Picture II - Connect Latin to English, using the Latin words and English descriptions.
• English II - Label the given picture in English (great spelling revision)
• Spell Latin II - Translate the Latin words into English and type it in.
• Review Latin VII - Translate the English word into Latin and type it in.

Student Difficulty Levels Available

• Basic: Learn both the English and Latin names for items. Reading and typing are not required. All lessons are simple, short and narrated to the student.
• English: This level is for young children who cannot yet read.  Each of the exercises are multiple choice and all words included are read aloud.
• Reader I: Students who are comfortable reading English.  Recognise English and Latin words, choose and spell both in English and Latin.  Descriptions for each item is basic.
• Reader II: Aimed at students in upper elementary who read well.  Read stories from history and literature relating to the words and basic etymology.
• Express: For older students who want to proceed quickly with no English assignments or review lesson.. 
• Teacher: designed for those who do not wish to do drills but need access to the vocabulary, concepts, and articles.

For the Parent
Picta∙Dicta has been designed for children to use, it does however require you to set up a parent account before the student can begin their course. To find our more about setting up and managing a Picta∙Dicta account you can go to Roman Roads Media where they have shared a step by step video tutorial on how to do this.

Within the parent portal you have access to follow each enrolled students progress. Once you select the student you want to follow up on the system will provide you with a summary of where that student is at and what their current campaign and score is for the week.

Parent Portal student report card.

Connect with Picta∙Dicta on Social Media
Click on an icon to learn more.
 

Over All I thought ...
I am impressed with the simplicity and ease of use of Picta∙Dicta.  I love the graphics and back ground information supplied and that this level groups together all things in the Natural World.  There is sufficient repetition to reinforce learning and the system adapts to the student need.  Having a regular review lesson after each new concept is learnt is helpful in maintaining vocabulary already learnt. For students who can already read I have appreciated the Latin and English spelling component.  Overall it is a well thought out and practical app safe to use with your students of all ages at home or on the go and I am looking forward to gaining a wider Latin vocabulary alongside Nathaniel in the year ahead.

Blessings
Chareen

MWorld {Review}

Over the last few years I've been pursuing a new direction in our home school, one that is built upon Charlotte Mason's ideals and sprinkled with delight directed opportunities.   In today's digital filled era I have found it difficult finding information that is enriching, twaddle free and reliable.  

Monash University have set out to meet this need and created an app to meet the criteria and today it is my pleasure to introduce you to MWorld.

Last week I had the privilege of a teleconference with Justin who shared with me his passion to grow and create an app that would use curiosity to unleash learning in our children.  Justin and his team have been working alongside the leading academics at Monash University to produce each unit on MWorld so you can trust the information you are accessing is up to date and correct. (You can watch a one minute overview on YouTube here.)


Did you know...

• Curiosity increases your brain function and leads to more engaged learning and better memory retention?
• Pre-school children ask an average of 26 questions an hour.

MWorld is constantly growing and being developed.  They are currently developing mini missions which will be available later this year.   These missions are there to equip parents to support their children's learning and encourage enquiring minds to learn more.


How Does MWorld Work?
There are a few different options available to use MWorld. (PC, Android app and Apple app).
We have been given MWorld to use for a full year and have access to the complete platform.

IF you sign up via the Home Education option the team at MWorld set up your account and send you an access code (MCode) and password.  You use this to log in and set up your account.

Once you log in, you have the option of either customizing your avatar or exploring the world we live in. As you explore the world through one of the apps you will collect points which allow you to purchase clothing for your Avatar.

You also collect experience points. These points show you where you are on the leader board.

The leader board is private unless you add your friends to it. Experience points also build your badge level.  You can see how many points are needed in order to graduate to the next level.

Points are awarded for: each screen you read, each game played (these reinforce learning) and each quiz which is answered.

By clicking on Explore the World you are taken to the app home screen. Here you will find the main ten learning areas. Each of these areas are divided into five apps each. After selecting the subject you are then taken to the app area.

 For example in the Natural World you will find: Deep Blue Sea, Volcanoes, Deserts, Extreme Weather and Protected Areas. Next you select your area of interest.  The app then downloads to the device and loads.  Each app is fairly large due to the beautiful rich graphics, text to speech,  videos and interactive pages.

Each module has an introductory video  (See all available module introductory clips on YouTube).

The center of the page is a list of questions to whet your appetite on the topic.   On the left and right margins you will find graphics which are links to learning areas.

Along the bottom of the page there are five buttons: back, home (takes you to the first screen), map, points page and text to speech. The text to speech function is a handy tool for younger students or students who are auditory learners.

 The map shows you where you are in the module and the total number of learning areas for the module.  As you can see each module is fairly extensive.

MWorld can be used off line. To access offline studies each of the 50+ apps can be found on the app store. You use your MCode to unlock the app which is then downloaded independently onto your device.

On the home screen you will find a credits button beneath the sign out button.  In this area you will find a complete list of the titles on MWorld linked to an information card.  Here you can meet the scientist who contributed to the production of the topic, a full list of the production team, a list of reference materials used in the unit and the names of the production team responsible for the unit app production.

Titles Available on MWorld
At present there are over 50 areas of learning on MWorld and it will be growing so be sure to check back to see what is new.
MWorld have supplied a summary, YouTube introduction and a free downloadable teacher guide for each title on the MWorld Title finder page.

1. Animals
   
   • Adapting to new Worlds
   • Fangs - How do animals eat ?
   • How do animals behave?
   • Long-distance Travellers
   • Sharks and Rays
2. Art&Music
   
   • Art Today
   • How to write a Song
   • Jammin'
   • Secrets of art: Drawing
   • World Beats
3. Early Civilizations
   
   • Ancient Greece
   • Angkor
   • Early Australians
   • Early China
   • Rome: The Early Days
4. The Human Body
   
   • Build Your Own Skeleton
   • Germs
   • The making of me
   • Peak performance
   • Sleep and Dreams
5. Language and Culture
   
   • Dragon boat festival
   • Fairy Tales - The untold story
   • Lost languages
   • Manga
   • Spain: Food, Football & Fiesta?
6. The Modern World
   
   • Challenges of our time
   • The digital age
   • Money
   • Super-fast Trains
   • Mega-cities
7. The Natural World
   
   • Deep Blue Sea
   • Deserts
   • Extreme Weather
   • Protected Areas
   • Volcanoes
8. People and Places
   
   • Asia Today
   • Changing Places
   • Designing Places
   • Europe Today
   • The Rises of Cities
9. Space
   
   • Black Holes
   • Comets, Asteroids and Meteors
   • Galaxies
   • Mission to Mars
   • Planets
10. The Wonders of Science
    
    • Chemistry:Let's Get Started
    • How does Life Work?
    • How to become a Scientist
    • Invisible World - Inside the Atom
    • Light

What platform is MWorld available on

• iPad (iPad 3 and later, All iPad Air and Mini models)
• Android (Android 4.4 and later)
• PC (Windows 7 and later)

Due to the size of each of the individual topics covered, (the beautiful photographs and interactive content of MWorld) you will need access to quality internet connectivity in order to download and use your chosen area of learning. The main MWorld app needs connectivity to run.

MWorld can be used off line on your chosen device. You will need to download your chosen topic as an independent app via the app store.

The Cost*

• Single topic apps for MWorld are available to purchase at $5.99 each.
• Home Education bundle is currently available for $59 for 54 apps (That is a saving of $317.47!). To access this special please email your request to team@discovermworld.com and they will do the rest.
• MWorld is available for school class use in student bundles. 
• FREE trial is available.  You will receive two credits to unlock two titles of your choice along with three units: Jammin, Planets and Volcanoes.

*Prices quoted are current as of July 2016 and subject to change at any time.  Please check the MWorld website for up to date pricing information.  
Connect with MWorld on Social Media

•  Facebook - Discover MWorld
• Twitter - @discovermworld
• Google+ -  +Discovermworld
• YouTube - MWorld  

I am very impressed with this app. The graphics are beautiful, the information is twaddle free and presented using excellent multimedia platforms.  The variety of topics covered is both broad and deep, we have  over a year of learning at our finger tips.

We are looking forward to learning more about the world around us using MWorld. Nathaniel enjoys following whatever path of curiosity he chooses, personally I like being able to use a professionally presented supplement to reinforce our current learning areas. 

Blessings
Chareen

Orphs of the Woodlands {Review}

What do a secret spy, stars, a toaster, secrets, knowledge, Orphs and character have in common?  They all belong to a wonderful new online educational program brought to you by Star Toaster. We are currently exploring the wonderful new online educational adventure book The Treasure of High Tower from Orphs of the Woodlands series.  It so much more than you can think of.  Think of it as an online twaddle free adventure suspense novel that enriches your children's vocabulary, builds and encourages their character, builds their academic skills and has a game all rolled into one.

Orphs of the Woodlands is a series of adventure books begining with The Treasure of High Tower. It is a cliff hanging suspense filled twaddle free, vocabulary rich story.  It is designed to be an adventure story built around a full curriculum. It is the first of a series of books.  The curriculum covered in the book is divided up into over 300 lessons!

As we have progressed through the book it reminds me of the quality and calibre of a G.A. Henty novel. The designers have done a brilliant job of seemlessly marrying curriculum learning within a well told story.

What we received
A subscription to Orphs of the Woodlands Book one The Treasure of High Tower for three students. The book is 375 pages long.

How we used it
Signing up to Orphs of the Woodlands was very easy via their subscription page.  You create an account using your name, email address and password.  This is the parent account.  Once you have paid you can log in and redeem your student accounts.  Each student account uses the same email address as the parent account but uses a different password chosen by you.

The story is written for a strong grade four reader up to and including grade seven.  Nathaniel is not reading at that level yet so we logged in each day and I read the book to him.  Each time we saw a hyper linked word we would click on it and read the pop up box.

There is so much to the book the easiest way to describe it to you is by way of the following screenshots.

To start each chapter we would login  and be taken straight to the secret journal page which gives the student a summary of where they are in the story. The program auto remembers where they are in the book when they log off. 

In the skills report area you can see the eight learning areas that are covered in Orphs of the Woodlands. As the student completes jobs they are paid.  Pay rates are indicated in the shield.  All pay rates start at six gold stars and pay increases happen as the student improves their skill set in the particular area.  The chevrons indicate how far through the job list the student has progressed. Each category is hyper-linked to the job area where students can re-watch lessons or do the jobs that are available.  Jobs are only released to the student upon completing a chapter of reading. 

There are no second chances.  If a student completes their training and decides to proceed and do the job and then get the answer wrong there is zero pay and  the cross is highlighted.  If the learning is successful and the students answers the question correctly then the tick is highlighted.

 The top of the screen has a book tracking meter so you can see at a glance where you are in the book.  When you reach the end of each chapter you are given a summary of where you are in the game and a short note of what you need to do next. The bottom of each page has a number and beneath the number is a note telling the students how many pages until the end of the chapter.  This was a wonderful incentive for Nathaniel to keep going. 

Once you click continue you are then taken to the job area.  Select the skill are you want to work on and then the job board appears.  For example here in the language area there are 11 jobs to do.  The student can then choose which job they would like to do first.  They are paid immediately upon completing a job correctly. We have both loved the creativity of the job lists in the various skill sets. Every single chapter is different.

Here is a sample of a job. Each job is in the form of a multiple choice answer. You click on Get Paid to see if you have selected the correct answer each time.

Prof. Forp loves to teach the students and he encourages the students to learn New Information Daily.  You can watch a sample of his lesson on Science Lesson: pH and Math: The decimal point point on YouTube. You can access lessons within the chapter as you read or you can wait until you go to do a job and watch the video in your training. 


One of our favourite lessons in the book are the life skills lessons.  They involve practicle life skills.  Here is one of the first ones we did.  This inspired Nathaniel to go outside and pick leaves to try and create his own special brew.

We're loving the latin phrases used through out and a little bird tells me they are working on adding audio of the phrases so that the students can practice reading the phrases correctly.

Once your student has completed their work it is time to play!

This is Ivythwaite where your student has to make decisions on how his orphange will work and how he will care for the Orphs in his care.  IF he does not care for them properly they will leave and not return.  The stakes are high.  Students need to earn enough golden stars to maintain what they have as well as save up in order to adopt more Orphs.  It is also stragey based in that they can keep purchasing esentials or else choose to purchase propterty and equip the Orphs to become self sufficient.  The game constantly encourages the students to pay attention and learn the true value of knowledge.

For the Parent

• Regular emails updating you of your students progress. The email contains a summary of what the student has accomplished in the chapter (lessons completed correctly) and what they will be learning or doing in the next chapter.
• Emails explaining the concepts behind different jobs in the different areas.
• Notes explaining how to use different parts of the program equipping your to get the full benefit of StarToaster.com
•  Log in and select a student, from there you can click through and view their skills page and see their progress at a glance.

Cost of Orphs of the Woodlands

• FREE trial.  This is the first 100 pages of Book One.  
• Book One The Treasure of High Tower  $19.99. This is a 60 day subscription for up to 3 children. (375 page book)
• 30 day extension $6.99

Recommended Age Range

• 4th to 7th Grade

Connect with Star Toaster



I am impressed with the Support team at Star Toaster, they were professional and prompt in answering any questions I had.  We had a few technical issues and they helped me within an hour of contacting them. 

We have not completed the book yet and are looking forward to working our way to adopting and caring for all the Orphs at Ivythwaite.  When I asked Nathaniel what his favourite part was he replied that he couldn't choose any one thing as he LOVED everything.

One of the things that impressed me most so far in our journey through The Treasure of High Tower is the fact that personal character plays an important role in the formation of the story.  Excellent choices equal excellent role models to grow with.

We are looking forward to enjoying the next instalment of Orphs of the Woodlands.  The Treasure of High Tower would make an excellent summer reading program or a wonderful family enrichment online schooling supplement. To read a more detailed explanation of each area be sure to read the FAQ area under the general tab in the support area.

Blessings
Chareen

It's a Homeschool Extraviganza!

Wow it's certainly been a busy week here on the blog. It's been a week of sharing Curriculum Choices !


It's the time of year where home schoolers are planning their new school year, some have just started and others are six months into their year.  No matter where you are as home school mom's we can all use some professional development.  I would encourage you to join me at The Old Schoolhouse EXPO this year.  It's an online extravaganza to bring you 5 days of ONLINE encouragement. So no matter where you are you can attend.

Details

• Dates: 19-23 August 2013
• Time: USA EST 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm (find out your time zone equivalent at Time Zone Converter)
• Recorded: Expo recordings are included with the price of your Expo ticket. You will receive a link to the recordings after the expo week is complete.
• Cost: US $24 per person
• Purchase from:  Schoolhouse.
• Hosts: There are over 26 guest speakers this year.  Pop on over to The Old Schoolhouse to find out more.
• Schedule: You can print a schedule by speaker name or Day and Time over on the Event Schedule page.
• Hosted on: GoToWebinar 
• Speaker Question time: Yes during question time via a chat window. 
• If you want to know more please visit the Expo FAQ page.

I am so excited that Diana Waring will be one of the speakers this year.  I have attended three conferences where she was the keynote speaker and have always been encouraged and empowered as a home school Mom. At the Expo Diana will be joining Dr. Jay Wile where she will be speaking about Textbook Myths and How to Deal with them.

Diana is the author of two of my favourite home school books: Beyond Survival and Things we wish we'd known. She is also the author of History Revealed.  Connect with Diana on Facebook

 
I am also looking forward to hearing Todd Wilson from The Family man share on Taming the Techno-Beast.  I first heard Todd speak at the very first online expo I attended.  He is funny and down to earth.

He is the author of Help! I’m Married to a Homeschooling Mom. You can also find Todd on Facebook.

I first heard of Andrew Pudewa 13 years ago when I attended a seminar on writing structure and style.  I was hooked.  Recently I watched the DVD Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day by Andrew and I must confess this is one of the most empowering sessions I have ever seen!  If you homeschool you need to watch this.  Andrew will be doing this session at the Expo.  It has equiped me to understand by daughters and sons in more areas than school.
Connect with Andrew on Facebook.



There are many more speakers I'm looking forward to hearing this year. So come along and be encouraged.
Blessings
Chareen

You're Invited to a Special Event

 Schoolhouse Expo Extravaganza!

Dates: 19-23 August 2013
Time: Each day listen to sessions from

• 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm eastern 
• 10:00 am until 5:00 pm Pacific
• 3:00 am until 10 am Australia EST. 

All sessions will be recorded and attendees will have access after the event.

Tickets are US $24 per person and can be purchased from Schoolhouse.


Including special guests

1. Ray Comfort - Living Waters
2. Carol Topp 
3. Dean Butler -
4. Adam Andrews 
5. Todd Wilson  - The Family Man
6. Andrew Pudewa 
7. Jessica Hulcy  - Konos
8. Ann Dunagan 
9. Diana Waring - History Alive
10. Christine Field 
11. Dr. Jay Wile 
12. David C. Gibbs III 
13. Hal & Melanie Young 
14. David Stelzl 
15. Kim Kautzer 
16. Davis Carman 
17. Antony Kolenc 
18. Evonne Mandella 
19. Terri Johnson 
20. Tyler Hogan 
21. Andy Harris 
22. Marie Rippel 
23. Jennifer Courtney 
24. Deborah Wuehler 
25. Joaquin Fernandez 
26. Heather Laurie - Special Needs Homeschooling
27. Malia Russell - Homemaking 911 

I am so excited because I can attend from the comfort of my home.  I am also happy to know that all the sessions will be recorded so that I can listen to the ones I miss due to the time zone difference for me being in Australia.

Will you be attending ?
Blessings
Chareen

A+ Interactive MATH {Review Grade 1 * Online}

A+ TutorSoft has been expanding their product line to include a Homeschool Edition for their A+ Interactive MATH. Sir N and I have been using the home school Grade 1 math for nearly six weeks now and so far we have been enjoying our journey.
How does it work ?

• You the parent create an account with the company.  
• You log in and set up the student account and password for the student.
• The student logs in using this pre-created account.
• Choose the next lesson from the table of contents.
• Watch a video presentation of the days topic which auto starts when clicking on a topic in the table of contents.
• Chose to do an interactive Q&A session or go straight to do an online worksheet where the student answers an average of 10 questions. 
• Upon completion you can select to review your work or finalize the worksheet at which time you have instant feed back. (Number of questions answered, number correct, number incorrect, percentage)
• Sign out of the program.
• Each Monday a certificate is generated showing the past weeks tests and worksheets completed.

Our Experience

• It is easy and straight forward. The program does not use a spiral approach to teach math but a linear one.  Once a student has done a lesson they do not revisit the concept they move onto the next one, this could prove to be troublesome to a student who is struggling with math as they will not revisit the topic in future lessons.
• The lesson videos are clearly presented with clear demonstrations of the concept being taught. There are no interactive points available here. The use of colour to illustrate a point is very well used and is helpful when explaining some of the more technical aspects of a lesson.  
• The interactive Q&A gives immediate feedback whether the answers are correct via a little frog which Sir N loved hearing croak when he got the answer correct.
• Sir N had some trouble with the graphics being too small and not easy to count on the screen. I think this could be eliminated by using slightly 'chunkier' graphics grouped in groups of five or ten.
• We found the Table of Content part of the program to be very clear and easy to navigate since it is laid out in a typical computer file explorer system. The only hiccup we had was we got a little "lost" when we logged in and tried to remember which lesson we had completed and which one to start for the day. This aspect could be improved if TutorSoft added in a tick or some form of notation when a lesson is complete.
• We used the Online Worksheets and Exams which made the progress tracking automatic. You do have the option to print these off and manually input the results for program tracking.  You also have the choice of using both options and seeing individual progress on either via selecting the appropriate mode.
• Each Monday (USA 12:00 AM EST time) the system generates a progress report in certificate form from the previous weeks completed worksheets and exams.  Sir N delighted in these and they were the highlight of his week and he loved showing Paul what he had accomplished in his maths the week before.

Product Information

• A comprehensive manual under the help tab
• Free worksheets (Algebra 1, 3r Grade, 4th Grade, 5h Grade, 6th Grade and Pre Algebra)
• Free PDF Exam sheets (Algebra 1, 3r Grade, 4th Grade, 5h Grade, 6th Grade and Pre Algebra)
• FREE multimedia lessons and Interactive problem solving
• FREE 1-Month Homeschool Online Subscription
• You have the choice of Full Curriculum books or Workbooks
• The choice of CD Software or MATH Online
• You can have a look at the product at a Conference near you
• FREE Math Placement Test (at present they only have a 3 & 4 grade level available.  The company is in the process of working on ALL the levels.) You need to register to access this.  If you are from outside the USA choose any state and make up a Zip code to complete your registration.
• The FAQ page contains a comprehensive list of questions and answers about the product.
• FREE homework Help as part of the package.
• You can save up to 50 % by requesting a coupon code
• You can view a CD demo OR an Online Demo 

Customer Service

• We had a couple of technical issues come up while using the program. I used the Support button on the home screen and was impressed with the prompt service and help I received via email.
• We had a glitch happen with our certificates and this was corrected within 12 hours with a friendly explanation of how the system works.
• The response was always polite and all issues were fixed straight away.

Cost**

• Grade 1 - 6, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1  Online Homeschool Edition
  Annual Subscription  $149.99
  Quarterly payments of $49.99
  Monthly payment plan $19.95
• A full year program on CD $99.00
• There is a one month FREE trial available before you purchase
• There are books available for purchase

** All prices are in US $.
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What others are saying on the www

• 2013 Schoolhouse Review Crew Reviews.
• A+ TutorSoft MATH 3rd Grade Premium Edition By: Shari Popejoy
• A Plus TutorSoft Math Curriculum Review By Hearts at Home Reviewer Nicole Weiss
• A+ TutorSoft Reviews Pinterest Board by Vinod Agrawal
• A+ TutorSoft Review - Amazing Homeschool Math Curriculum over at Kathys Cluttered Mind.
• Testimonials by happy customers.

A+ TutorSoft can be found on Facebook and they have a Math Freebies page where they share their promotions.
Over all Sir N and I have enjoyed using this product and the support has made it an excellent math product to use.  Most math programs all have the same scope but the sequencing is often times different so changing over has been easy as we have been able to choose which lesson we would like to do. The suggested lesson plan has been helpful for me to understand how to pace ourselves.  A second advantage to being able to choose where in the program to work via the table of contents is that if Sir N had not grasped a concept we could go back and watch the lesson again and do more practice.
  
Blessings
Chareen


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  Disclaimer: I received a free copy of 1st Grade A+ Interactive MATH from A+ TutorSoft for free through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.