Math was my favourite subject in High School and not so much in Primary School. Why? Well I hated memory work especially because I could not grasp why I should learn my multiplication tables. I could add up faster than my friends and get to the correct answer faster than they could do the test knowing their facts. Did you know that only 62% of multiplication facts are retained after one week of route memorization? Learning multiplication facts has been painfully slow for us so when we were offered Times Alive by Times Tables the Fun Way we jumped at the opportunity to trial it and see whether it would unlock our multiplication facts.
What we received
Instant Times Alive Software - Monthly Subscription Online Version access for three months. The online version consists of 18 lessons.
How we used it
Once we signed up it was an easy process of logging in at the portal. Once you log in the first step is to do an evaluation test. The test measures accuracy and speed and gives you your accuracy in percentage. All the tests are self marking and correcting.
Navigation is simple you have a back and forward button.
The progress report is a single page giving you the type of lesson
completed (movie, song, paint, quiz or test), the section with a lesson
description, the fact learned, date completed, percentage score and time
taken.
Here is a sample test after watching four lessons once each. As you can see there was a HUGE improvement after only four lessons.
The lesson list shows you at a glance where the student is. You can see which lessons have been completed, which ones have been viewed as well as which facts have been covered in each lesson. There are a total of 18 lessons to work through. We used Times Alive for a lesson a day. We have not repeated any lessons and all the facts have been retained with a gentle reminder for each story.
Each lesson contains a story which is presented via a picture animation followed by a song reinforcing the fact learned in the story. This is then followed by a game or an activity such as coloring on screen the picture associated with the story. You can watch a sample lesson on YouTube here: Times Alive 6 x 6
For the Parent
In order to use the online version you will need a computer and internet connection. The software works on all operating systems. You will need a minimum of the following computer specs:
400 mhz or greater
128 MB of RAM or greater
Speakers
Mouse or other pointing device
Video at 1024x768 or higher
Times Alive does work on an iPad providing you use a Flash app.
Connect with Times Alive
Over All I thought ...
We're both impressed with the effectiveness and simplicity of the Times Alive program. I have learned some of the multiplication facts I have struggled with my entire life in less than a week. Times Alive is available for purchase from City Creek Press here.
I really love the romance of a Charlotte Mason Education. When I think about Charlotte Mason and the Victorian era the author Charles Dickens spring to mind first. His linguistic style is beautiful to read and grows the imagination by the page. However his books are particularly long for younger students. I recently added this book to my library and Nathaniel and I have been enjoying the illustrated stories.
We have found Usborne Illustrated Stories from Dickens a great introduction to the story a good way to become familiar with the plot and because they are short we have been able to read a story in one sitting.
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages:352
Publisher:Usborne Publishing Ltd
Publication Date:11 Apr 2014
ISBN 10:1409508676
ISBN 13:9781409508670
Author
Illustrator: Barry Ablett
For ages 12-17 (this is recommended by the publisher but I would say this book is more for those under 12 )
This Week
I'm so impressed. This week we followed a tutorial from over at Creating A Masterpiece - Lessons in Soft Pastel: Sample Project. The step by step tutorial was presented in video and divided into three short lessons. It took us around half an hour to create these beautiful drawings.
Drawn by Nathaniel age 11
Drawn by Chareen
Are you on INSTAGRAM ? You can now use your IG account to link up an show us your art adventures.
This weeks Feature
This weeks feature is from over at The Happy Homeschool Mom showcasing the results from their The Kitenge Tree from Tanzania art project. Your Turn
I invite you to take some photo's of your children's artistic pursuits
put them in a post and link up with me I would love to come over and see
the wonderful art your children have enjoyed doing.
Blessings
Chareen
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