Joy In Our Journey
  • Home
    • Disclosure Policy
    • About Me
  • What's New! (Blog)
  • Low-Carb Lifestyle!
    • Trim Healthy Mama-inspired Grocery Lists
    • THM-style Beverages >
      • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos
    • Family Favorite Recipes (Not Low Carb) >
      • Snacks >
        • Delicious Homemade Gooey Granola Bars!
        • Healthy Peanut Buttery Treats
      • Soups and Stews >
        • Jamaican Seafood Chowder
        • Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
      • Salads >
        • Red Cabbage Coleslaw
      • Main Dishes >
        • Beef >
          • Beef Stroganoff
        • Chicken >
          • Chicken Fiesta
          • Chicken Nachos
          • Marinated Zucchini and Chicken Sandwiches
          • Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas
          • Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
          • Green Chili Chicken Lasagna
        • Lamb >
          • Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
        • Seafood >
          • Chilled Quinoa and Salmon Salad (E)
          • Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
        • Pasta Recipes >
          • Baked Lemon Pasta
          • Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
      • Desserts >
        • Cookies >
          • Free Christmas Cookie cookbook download!
          • Healthier Gingerbread Man Cookies
          • Healthier Holiday Cut-Out Cookes
          • Maple Leaf Cookies - YUMMM!
        • Donuts
        • Frozen Desserts >
          • Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
    • Recommended Ingredients and Foods >
      • Inspiration Mixes - Gluten/Dairy/Caseine/Wheat Free and delicious!
      • Organic Maple Syrup
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Curriculum & Product Reviews >
      • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews >
        • Art >
          • ARTistic Pursuits
          • Simply Draw!
        • Grammar >
          • All About Homophones - (Marie Rippel)
          • Time 4 Learning
          • Daily Grams
        • Handwriting >
          • Cursive Handwriting - New American Cursive
        • History >
          • The Mystery of History >
            • MOH vol. 3 Audio MP3's
          • Tapestry of Grace History
          • U.S. History >
            • America, The Last Best Hope (William Bennett)
          • Winter Promise
        • Latin >
          • Latina Christiana, by Memoria Press
          • Visual Latin
        • Literature-based Unit Studies >
          • Beyond Five in a Row
          • Further Up and Further In by Diane Pendergraft
        • Logic and Reasoning >
          • Building Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking Skills Co.)
        • Math >
          • Math Mammoth
          • Math Tutor DVD.com
          • MathRider: Horselovers' Math Facts Software Game!
        • Music and Composers
        • Online Educational Courses >
          • Aleks Online Courses
        • Science >
          • Apologia Science >
            • Apologia Science's Notebooking Journals
            • Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
          • Science Weekly newsletters
        • Spelling >
          • Phonetic Zoo (by IEW)
        • Writing >
          • The Write Foundation: Level 2 - Paragraphs
          • WriteShop's StoryBuilders
      • Homeschool Product Reviews >
        • eBooks >
          • College Success Begins at Home (TOS eBook)
          • Dreams and Designs—Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool
          • Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!
          • The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
        • Online Educational Website Memberships >
          • KB Teacher
        • Science >
          • Polymer Crystals
    • Driver's Education for Homeschoolers
    • Foreign Language >
      • Latin >
        • Christmas Songs in Latin
        • Latina Christiana (Level 1) >
          • Latina Christiana Level 1 Lesson Links >
            • Charts and Helps
            • Year One Sayings
            • LC1 Intro and Lesson 1
      • Latina Christiana (Level II) >
        • Latina Christiana Level 2
        • LC2 Intro and Lesson 1
    • Forms and Charts >
      • "Week At A Glance" Planner
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
    • Free Audio Books to Download
    • Free Homeschool I.D. Cards!
    • Government and Civics
    • Handwriting
    • History: Classical / Chronological >
      • The Mystery of History, by Linda Lacour Hobar
      • The Middle Ages (MOH vol. 2)
      • Ancient History (MOH vol. 1) >
        • Ancient Rome >
          • Roman Architecture
          • Roman Houses
          • Roman Town (software game by Dig-It)
          • Roman Trade and Commerce
    • Language Arts
    • Science
  • Free Printables
    • Holidays >
      • Christmas
  • Book/DVD/Audio Reviews
    • Children's Movie/DVD Reviews
    • Other Product/Company Reviews
  • Home & Family
    • Frugal Living
    • Gardening and Herbs
    • Marriage - God's Way
    • Life at Home
    • Godly Kids & Teens >
      • Godly Womanhood
      • Sharing God With Your Children
      • Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home >
        • Keepers At Home - "Beginning of Club Year" Helps
        • Keepers At Home - "End of Club Year" Helps
        • KAH Skills >
          • Bible Memory >
            • Memorizing New Testament Books and Their Meanings
            • Proverbs 31:10-31
          • Cake Decorating
          • Card Making >
            • Stitched Cards
          • Computers
          • Character Studies >
            • Contentment and "I'm Bored" phrases
            • Willingness
          • Decoupage
          • Hospitality
          • Library Skills and Literature Pins
          • Sewing >
            • Beauty and the Pig - Goldie Doll
            • Edwardian-Style Aprons
            • Paper Piecing
      • Children >
        • Bible Study Bookmarks
        • The Church History ABCs (for kids!!!)
        • The Lord's Prayer - copywork
        • Some Thoughts...Family Bible Time
        • Running Away...with permission
      • Young Adults (Teens) >
        • Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
        • Deeper Roots: Discovering Our Amazing God
  • Frugal Family Trips to Washington, D.C.
  • Home
    • Disclosure Policy
    • About Me
  • What's New! (Blog)
  • Low-Carb Lifestyle!
    • Trim Healthy Mama-inspired Grocery Lists
    • THM-style Beverages >
      • Mock Starbucks Mocha Frappuccinos
    • Family Favorite Recipes (Not Low Carb) >
      • Snacks >
        • Delicious Homemade Gooey Granola Bars!
        • Healthy Peanut Buttery Treats
      • Soups and Stews >
        • Jamaican Seafood Chowder
        • Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
      • Salads >
        • Red Cabbage Coleslaw
      • Main Dishes >
        • Beef >
          • Beef Stroganoff
        • Chicken >
          • Chicken Fiesta
          • Chicken Nachos
          • Marinated Zucchini and Chicken Sandwiches
          • Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas
          • Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
          • Green Chili Chicken Lasagna
        • Lamb >
          • Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder
        • Seafood >
          • Chilled Quinoa and Salmon Salad (E)
          • Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
        • Pasta Recipes >
          • Baked Lemon Pasta
          • Paccheri (Pasta) with Cauliflower and Tomatoes
      • Desserts >
        • Cookies >
          • Free Christmas Cookie cookbook download!
          • Healthier Gingerbread Man Cookies
          • Healthier Holiday Cut-Out Cookes
          • Maple Leaf Cookies - YUMMM!
        • Donuts
        • Frozen Desserts >
          • Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
    • Recommended Ingredients and Foods >
      • Inspiration Mixes - Gluten/Dairy/Caseine/Wheat Free and delicious!
      • Organic Maple Syrup
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool Curriculum & Product Reviews >
      • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews >
        • Art >
          • ARTistic Pursuits
          • Simply Draw!
        • Grammar >
          • All About Homophones - (Marie Rippel)
          • Time 4 Learning
          • Daily Grams
        • Handwriting >
          • Cursive Handwriting - New American Cursive
        • History >
          • The Mystery of History >
            • MOH vol. 3 Audio MP3's
          • Tapestry of Grace History
          • U.S. History >
            • America, The Last Best Hope (William Bennett)
          • Winter Promise
        • Latin >
          • Latina Christiana, by Memoria Press
          • Visual Latin
        • Literature-based Unit Studies >
          • Beyond Five in a Row
          • Further Up and Further In by Diane Pendergraft
        • Logic and Reasoning >
          • Building Thinking Skills (Critical Thinking Skills Co.)
        • Math >
          • Math Mammoth
          • Math Tutor DVD.com
          • MathRider: Horselovers' Math Facts Software Game!
        • Music and Composers
        • Online Educational Courses >
          • Aleks Online Courses
        • Science >
          • Apologia Science >
            • Apologia Science's Notebooking Journals
            • Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
          • Science Weekly newsletters
        • Spelling >
          • Phonetic Zoo (by IEW)
        • Writing >
          • The Write Foundation: Level 2 - Paragraphs
          • WriteShop's StoryBuilders
      • Homeschool Product Reviews >
        • eBooks >
          • College Success Begins at Home (TOS eBook)
          • Dreams and Designs—Homemade Supplies to Complement Your Homeschool
          • Help, Lord, I'm Getting Ready to Start Homeschooling My High Schooler!
          • The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner
        • Online Educational Website Memberships >
          • KB Teacher
        • Science >
          • Polymer Crystals
    • Driver's Education for Homeschoolers
    • Foreign Language >
      • Latin >
        • Christmas Songs in Latin
        • Latina Christiana (Level 1) >
          • Latina Christiana Level 1 Lesson Links >
            • Charts and Helps
            • Year One Sayings
            • LC1 Intro and Lesson 1
      • Latina Christiana (Level II) >
        • Latina Christiana Level 2
        • LC2 Intro and Lesson 1
    • Forms and Charts >
      • "Week At A Glance" Planner
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
      • 2012-2013 Homeschool Attendance Form
    • Free Audio Books to Download
    • Free Homeschool I.D. Cards!
    • Government and Civics
    • Handwriting
    • History: Classical / Chronological >
      • The Mystery of History, by Linda Lacour Hobar
      • The Middle Ages (MOH vol. 2)
      • Ancient History (MOH vol. 1) >
        • Ancient Rome >
          • Roman Architecture
          • Roman Houses
          • Roman Town (software game by Dig-It)
          • Roman Trade and Commerce
    • Language Arts
    • Science
  • Free Printables
    • Holidays >
      • Christmas
  • Book/DVD/Audio Reviews
    • Children's Movie/DVD Reviews
    • Other Product/Company Reviews
  • Home & Family
    • Frugal Living
    • Gardening and Herbs
    • Marriage - God's Way
    • Life at Home
    • Godly Kids & Teens >
      • Godly Womanhood
      • Sharing God With Your Children
      • Training Our Daughters to be Keepers at Home >
        • Keepers At Home - "Beginning of Club Year" Helps
        • Keepers At Home - "End of Club Year" Helps
        • KAH Skills >
          • Bible Memory >
            • Memorizing New Testament Books and Their Meanings
            • Proverbs 31:10-31
          • Cake Decorating
          • Card Making >
            • Stitched Cards
          • Computers
          • Character Studies >
            • Contentment and "I'm Bored" phrases
            • Willingness
          • Decoupage
          • Hospitality
          • Library Skills and Literature Pins
          • Sewing >
            • Beauty and the Pig - Goldie Doll
            • Edwardian-Style Aprons
            • Paper Piecing
      • Children >
        • Bible Study Bookmarks
        • The Church History ABCs (for kids!!!)
        • The Lord's Prayer - copywork
        • Some Thoughts...Family Bible Time
        • Running Away...with permission
      • Young Adults (Teens) >
        • Stepping Heavenward, by Elizabeth Prentiss
        • Deeper Roots: Discovering Our Amazing God
  • Frugal Family Trips to Washington, D.C.
Picture

Horse Lovers' Math Facts Software Review: MathRider

2/25/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
     "Aw, Mrs. M., do we hafta?"

     That's what I'd hear from my 4th grade students when I'd hand out 3-minute timed math facts drill pages to them every few days.  And some groans and lots of sighs, and rolling of the eyes, although I couldn't actually hear that. 

     But because learning math facts is so crucial to doing well in middle- and upper-level mathematics classes (4th grade and beyond), and my classroom had no computers back then or any other tool to use for practicing math facts, we practiced multiplication and division facts using 3-minute timed drill sheets.

     Boring, I know. 

    Oh, did I just use that word?  

    When my children use that word, I start assigning chores around the house! 

    (Shhhh...don't tell them I said that word!) 

    But I didn't have any other options to use, other than flashcards, which also ranks in the "boring" category for most students. 

    (Please don't tell my girls that I used that word TWICE.  And Kelsi, if you do read this blog posting, don't leave me a comment about it!)

     After I had children of my own, and they began learning math facts at home with me, I still didn't have many options.  Flashcards?  Yes.  A little electronic tool that quizzed them with the facts.  But nothing terribly exciting for them to use which would help make a tedious task a little bit more manageable. 

     Kelsi understood and learned her addition and subtraction facts fairly quickly.  She understood and learned her multiplication facts after some time of working on them.  But she was very slow at multiplying, and I knew that this would hinder her for years to come if she took so much time figuring out the answers.  I downloaded a free version of an online multiplication facts game for our computer, and Kelsi loved it so much that she asked me if she could use some of her own hard-earned money to pay for half of the game if I would help her buy the full version.  We chose to do that, and it did the trick with her.

     Now that Kelsi had finished with learning all of her math facts, it was time to focus on Brittany, who is two years younger.  Again, like her sister, she understood the function of the facts and how they all worked, but speed was an issue.  However, this time, it wasn't that she couldn't come up with the answer quickly.  It was her method of coming up with the answer:  skip counting.  She can actually skip count fairly quick, so that's a blessing.  But for her to come up with the answer to 6x6 without skip counting?  Well, that isn't going to happen, at least not yet.  Her brain automatically skip counts, even if she tries very hard not to skip count.  At this point in time, skip counting is automatic for her. 
Picture
     I am thankful for the opportunity for our family to use and review MathRider,  a downloadable math facts game that combines a child's love for horses and jumping with noble quests, magical flowers, and elves, and assists children of all ages in learning their math facts better.  If you prefer your family to not use games involving elements of fantasy, then this may not appeal to you.  I didn't notice any witches, warlocks, wizards, or anything of that nature, though.  I'll show you some screen shots in a minute, and you will be able to see some of the kinds of things you will find in this game.  You can also view the YouTube video, below, that will give you a better idea for how this game works.

     It was easy to download this game to my computer.  I didn't have any problems, although the downloading process prompted me to download Adobe AIR software, which was easy to download as well. 

     Kelsi doesn't really need to be using MathRider, since she is in pre-algebra and is quite solid on her math facts.  However, she did use the game a few times to just brush up on her facts and so I could see what she thought of the game as a middle schooler.

     Here's a preview of MathRider, so you can get a taste for what it's like:


     According to the MathRider website:

    "The game is designed for any kids who have conceptually understood at least addition and are ready to rehearse math facts to get basic arithmetic down pat.  The ideal age range for MathRider is about 7 to 12, but we've had some younger and some older kids.  Particularly older kids can still benefit quite substantially.  Even adults have come to us, reporting that they now have a much easier time calculating change when shopping."   
Picture
     What we found to be unique about MathRider is that this game has been developed with statistical intelligence that enables the game to customize itself to each player that logs on and begins using MathRider.  In other words, if one of my children is a speed typist, and one can barely type, the game makes accommodations for each person, and the slow typist won't get penalized for not being able to type quickly.  If your child has tried other math facts computer games and has been frustrated with not being able to type the answers quickly enough, you will find that this point of frustration will be greatly reduced.  The difficulty of the math facts also adjusts to each child, and players build up rewards that accompany their level of mastery in the game.

     Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts are practiced while playing this game, although not necessarily all at once.  The level and type may be selected.  While this game was developed in Australia by a parent whose children were struggling to master math facts, new research from Purdue University was also used to make certain that MathRider used the best approach to learning math facts.

     So...what's the game like?  My girls logged on and began playing MathRider to see what they thought of it.  Basically, the goal is to ride a horse through various quests or journeys (and "lands") while solving math problems.

     There are four quests that a child can work through for each operation of math.  My girls thought that the actual practice of the math facts was fine.  They didn't mind the journeys or quests that accompanied the math practice.  They would have preferred to see more professional backgrounds and graphics in this program, especially since some of them looked like young children's drawings.  The graphics, in fact, were my girls' #1 complaint.  But keep in mind that they are both very artistic, they draw using a computer tablet fairly well, and one of my daughters has been teaching herself how to design computer graphics using PhotoShop.  I would imagine that many children wouldn't even notice the variety of "lands" and backgrounds in this game, or at least wouldn't notice it enough to be a complaint.

       As I watched the girls play MathRider, I also thought that some backgrounds and graphics looked professionally developed, and other graphics looked like something that a young child would draw.  Here are some screen shots of backgrounds, although this doesn't happen to include the amateur, less professional backgrounds:

This is the Progress Map:

Picture
This is the Progress Map, to show the children how they are doing on their quest adventures.



Here are some screen shots
of the quests themselves:

Picture
This is from the elven quest. Notice the elf faces in the two mountains or cliffs.
 

Picture
The horse and rider 'jump' over the flowers and other objects as the child types in the correct math fact answer.
 

Picture
 
    You can keep track of the mathematical progress of your child using the Statistics section. 
Picture

     Our final conclusion about MathRider is that this is a game which has been developed to work well in most situations, with most children.  The level of graphics varies from screen to screen, and the constant horse whinny could get annoying (most likely to the adult nearby) since it is the same whinny over and over again throughout the entire game, although the sound level can be reduced, or you could choose to mute the game, if this was a problem.  While my girls still like using a different computer game to practice their multiplication facts a bit better, MathRider offers more bang for the buck since it covers all four math fact operations and also allows for ten students to sign on as users.

Picture
MathRider costs $47 as a one-time download with free updates for life, and your purchase is covered by a 30-day, money-back guarantee, if you aren't convinced that it is working well for your child.

MathRider operates in Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.  If you're interested in purchasing this software, you can buy it from MathRider's website.

     Here are a few hints that some of my fellow TOS Crew members found when using MathRider:

  • It can be difficult for a child to drill the math facts when he or she doesn't know where the number keys are, or cannot type them without a lot of "hunting for the keys."  You may find it helpful to have your child practice the 10-key part of the keyboard (or the number keys, if you have a laptop without a 10-key keypad) in a regular word document before they jump over to MathRider.  The child doesn't need to be a fast typist at all, but it is helpful if they have some familiarity with the number keypad (the fastest method of entry) or the number keys.
  • You can choose to set up MathRider practice drills for just one number!  You could have your child drill only the 12's multiplication facts, if that is the one area he or she needs the most practice.  This won't affect your child's Quest.
  • If you would like to contact MathRider to ask them questions, you may do so HERE.

Come on over and visit the TOS Crew blog to read what my

other TOS Crew buddies thought of MathRider!

Picture

Disclaimer:  MathRider presented me with a free trial version of their software for the exchange of an honest review here on my website.  No other compensation was provided.

4 Comments

Blowing Bubbles and Encouraging Moments

2/20/2011

18 Comments

 
Picture

During the last few weeks,
I've felt rushed. 

     Rushing to take the girls to their various music lessons and social get-togethers with their friends. 

     Trying some new techniques out with our family budgeting.

     Sharing reviews about some neat homeschooling products we've been using.

     Trying to figure out what Latin curriculum to use next year with my groups of homeschooled students who take classes at my home.

     Having a bunch of emails sitting in my email box that I've read, but need sorted and something "done with them."

     And I'm tired.     Not depressed, just tired.

     I think about spring coming, and that stirs my emotions  a bit.

     It takes me back to thoughts of my children's younger years, when having a little, plastic, slimy, slippery bottle of bubbles and an el-cheapo plastic bubble wand would be the highlight of their day.

Picture

     Thinking about blowing bubbles takes me farther back to my own childhood, when I used to love to blow bubbles and see them drift to and fro with the gentle breeze.


Picture
     It brings me back to a time in my life when I...

. . . wasn't rushed

. . . didn't feel stressed out

. . . and curling up with a good

book in a quiet room was almost a daily event.

Picture

     ...but then I'm jolted back to reality with a daughter who needs help with laying out a pattern for some doll clothes...


...and I'm realizing that I haven't planned ahead for dinner tonight - and it's already 4:30...


...and I still have a bunch of unread email I need to go through...


...as well as 365 other things I need to do around the house.


     I decide to glance at the emails, to see if there is anything that I need to be aware of right away.  There isn't.  But there's a new weekly email newsletter from TEACH Magazine that catches my eye:

Picture
     I usually skim over newsletters like this.  They're usually just trying to sell a bunch of stuff, or promote their products.  I don't have time to read through a bunch of articles promoting someone's products.  I can hit the "delete" key pretty quickly with those types of "newsletters."


But this looks different than the rest.
Hmmm. . .


     I read about marriage and how the attitude we bring into our marriage every day helps determine how happy our marriage is.  I agree!


Maybe I can sit here just a few more minutes...


...and then I suddenly feel like this sweet newsletter has been written just for me - I know it must be! - to remind me to pray for my husband each and every day.  I do pray for him, but some days I forget.  And other days, I forget to ask him how I can best be praying for him.


     I realize that as I "click" to read the rest of the article, it includes a beautiful monthly prayer calendar for wives to use as a reminder of how they can be praying for their husbands.  Well, that gets printed off and placed on the wall right by the computer, so my prayers for my husband will be more frequent...and more effective.


It's almost time to prepare dinner. . .

     but I feel the Lord whispering to my soul...take a few more minutes...go back to the place of peace and rest that I have for you...and read a little bit more...

     so I do.  This time, I'm convicted.  Deeply.  Instead of escaping my stresses and responsibilities by taking a bubble bath or going outside to blow soap bubbles, I'm convicted by these words...

Take a Bible bath daily.

     I'm reminded in a gentle, yet firm way that the spiritual weapon which will continue to keep me from feeling discouraged is found in Ephesians 6:17 ~

Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

     I'm reminded once again that though I lovingly spend time with my girls having Bible devotionals with them almost every morning, and with our family having evening Bible fellowship together right before bed, I still need to be having that private, quiet, time of rest with my Lord, on my own, where I can go back to the carefree days of childhood and rest on my heavenly Daddy's lap and hear words of encouragement and promise from the Holy Scriptures.


     After dinner and tucking the girls into bed, I relax at the computer, more at ease than I was at 4:30, and read through the remainder of this issue of Encouraging Moments that was written just for me. 


     I realize that I can watch the author of TEACH Magazine share short video vignettes for women about tips for moms, marriage, homemaking, parenting, and being a godly woman.  They are so good that I watch all of them - in one evening!  And I can see that if I have a question that I'd like Lorrie to answer on her little Chick Flicks videos, I can submit a question to her, as well!
Picture

I feel encouraged and strengthened.


     I haven't gone outside and blown bubbles with the girls.

     I haven't just arrived back home from a three-week vacation in New Zealand.

     I haven't taken a nap.


     All I've done is allow my spirit to be refreshed by words of wisdom and godliness. 

     I'm ready for a new day, tomorrow.  Willing to serve my family and my Lord.  And considering buying a subscription to TEACH/Eternal Encouragement Magazine, which I know is filled with many godly articles written just for women like me.  And not filled with a million splashy ads promoting everything else in the world except what I truly need for my soul. 

     Now I can look forward to reading bubbly yet convicting words every week in Encouraging Moments via email,


and I can find resources to guide me and my family at www.HomemakingWithTEACH.com .


I'm ready for my daily Bible bath.

Come read with me!

 

    I'm thankful to have learned about the Encouraging Moments weekly newsletters.


     If you'd like to find rest and encouragement from reading the weekly
Encouraging Moments newsletter,
you may go to Homemaking With TEACH. 


You'll find their email newsletter signup on the top right hand side of the page.

Prepare to be blessed and encouraged.

And then, go blow some bubbles with your kids!

Picture
© 2011 by Julieanne Miller

I am reviewing Encouraging Moments as an official member of The Gabby moms blogging program for Eternal Encouragement magazine.  I did not receive compensation for this post, and all opinions are solely my own.

18 Comments

Kid Scoop Reluctant Reader

2/18/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
     What do you do with a child who teaches herself to read fluently before she's five years old...

...but at age 9 still prefers to read "picture books" that are quick and easy reads?


     What if this child has a wide vocabulary and can spell well?

     What would cause a child to prefer very short books over chapter books?  Even those chapter books with a high interest level?

     That was my younger daughter, Brittany.  She loved reading, as long as the book was short and sweet.  Even though she had the reading ability to easily read quite lengthy chapter books, she usually became tired of what she was reading, so during our trips to the library to check out books, she would want to browse only the picture books section, or finally, the Easy Readers. 

     Sigh.

     I tried a lot of different things to help her get over this little hang-up.  We listened to lengthier stories on audio CDs to help her attention stay with a story a little bit longer.

     I would check out books that I thought had a higher interest level for her, and I would read the first chapter or two, just enough to get her "hooked" on the story enough to want to stick with the book to the last page.

     Finally, after five years of her being able to read well but not liking to read chapter books, I chose that summer to enforce "required reading" times.  I picked out a couple of books from the library, and I required her to choose a comfy spot to sit and read one chapter of one of the books.  After a couple of weeks of reading one chapter per day, Brittany had finished her first CHAPTER BOOK!  Hooray!  I was so excited, and she received lots of hugs and accolades that day to encourage her finishing her first "big" book!  She was even pleased with her accomplishment!

     I continued to check out books that were along her line of interest, or favorite authors she was enjoying, and by requiring her to read a chapter a day (or most days) during that summer, she finally began to fall in love with reading lengthier books.

     When school began that fall, we began having the girls go to bed earlier than normal, by just a bit, so they could read in bed on their own for 10-30 minutes after we tucked them in.  She began to look forward to this reading time, and she even became upset on the nights when they got to bed too late to stay up and read.

Picture
     I think if I'd had something like this Reluctant Reader Solution, we might have been able to work through this transition time a bit quicker. 

      Five years is a bit long to transition from being able to read fluently out of my Bible to a chapter book! 

     As a member of the TOS Crew, I recently received a free subscription of the Reluctant Reader Solution to use in our home with the girls. 

     The Reluctant Reader Solution is a two-part product.  It contains a 12-month subscription to an online, full-color, high-interest magazine for kids, and it also includes an eBook of PDF files containing 365 little unit studies for children to either do together or on their own.  If you have ever seen the "Newspapers In Education" columns in your local newspaper, then you will be familiar with some of the material that can be found in the Reluctant Reader Solution. 



Picture
     The online monthly magazine is definitely written at a "high interest" level.  Topics are chosen carefully to help children look forward to reading each month's issues.

     The 365 unit studies (about 5-6 pages in length in PDF files) are in a black-and-white format for easier printing.  They contain reading sections on a high interest topic, games and puzzles, math, science, and other activities that revolve around that particular theme. 

     My girls would agree with me that at their ages of 11 and 13, they are a bit too old to fully appreciate this product.  However, a few years ago, they would have been much more delighted with the kinds of activities and reading that are found in these little unit studies. 

     Reluctant Reader Solution has lots of color and bold graphics in its online newspaper format, so for children who struggle with the distraction of color and bold graphics, you may want to consider this and keep it in mind.  We liked it, but we also don't have some of the distractible challenges that some students have.  In some of the black-and-white PDF unit studies, I did find a few typos including misspellings and grammar/punctuation, but they were few in number, and most books and curricula these days contains errors like this.  It wasn't something that was distracting to me, because it was infrequent enough, but I thought I should mention this anyway.

    Reluctant Reader Solution offers a 365-day unconditional "money-back guarantee" to all those who purchase this program (cost is $97).  Here is their guarantee: 


     "Try out the Reluctant Reader Solution in your home or classroom. Put it to use with the reluctant reader in your life. If you don't get measurable results — meaning if your child doesn't start enjoying reading more, and actually start reading on his own — I'll refund every cent of your investment with no questions whatsoever. I'm only happy if you get outstanding results, so I'd gladly offer you a refund if that doesn't happen."



      That means that there is no risk involved in purchasing the Reluctant Reader Solution. You get 365 days of exciting activity sheets plus 12 months of Kid Scoop online, all for the risk-free investment of only $97.

     Kid Scoop also has a free sign-up on their website for you to receive 30 fun activities over a 30-day time period via email.  You may sign up for this at Kid Scoop. 

     You may also sign up for their free e-Scoop, a free weekly kids' newsletter HERE.

     If you have a child who is a reluctant reader, you may want to consider using Kid Scoop's products, including their Reluctant Reader Solution.  It could be just the kind of thing that your child needs to get over the hill and begin to want to read on his own.  And if you find that it doesn't work, you can use their money-back guarantee.  It's a win-win situation!
Picture
Disclosure:  I received a free subscription to Reluctant Reader Solution from Kid Scoop for the purpose of using it with my children and then providing you with my opinion about this product.  No other compensation was provided.

0 Comments

A Very Sweet Valentine's Day full of Tradition

2/15/2011

7 Comments

 
Picture
     For as long as I can remember, our family has made giant frosted Valentine's Day cookies for each other.

     We can place the blame onto my mother.  Mom began making these either when we were very young - too young to remember - or possibly for my dad after they were married.  I don't know.  I forgot to ask them last night when we were at their home.

     But ever since Kelsi was one or two years old, I've followed in my mom's footsteps and made the traditional giant frosted sugar cookies for my family!

     I choose my favorite sugar cookie recipe and then usually double or triple it.  This year, my mom blessed me with already baked cookies she had prepared since I was going to be away for the entire weekend before Valentine's Day.  She had baked four giant cookie hearts for the four of us in my own family, and then she had used the remainder of the dough to make smaller heart cookies that we would be frosting. 

     On Sunday evening, the girls and I arrived back into town, unpacked, took our neighbor out to dinner for her birthday, shopped for the ingredients to make non-dairy frosting, came home and made a quadruple batch of frosting, and then headed over to my parents' home for our cookie frosting and decorating party!

     The center of the giant cookie hearts was stacked with a delicious homemade peppermint patty heart.  This is one of our traditions as well...and my favorite part!  Yum!

     Everyone was very happy with their giant decorated heart-shaped cookies this morning.  We will all probably be on a sugar high for the next few days, so I'm thankful that this occurs only once a year!  We do enjoy it so much.
Picture
     For lunch on Valentine's Day, Brittany decided to surprise us with a special lunch!  How could I resist that?  She made...


Pink Heart-Shaped Pancakes with Red Syrup

Picture
     and she also took the time to bundle up our silverware nicely as well as decorate the dining room table.
Picture
Picture
     For dinner, which has no photos to show for it, I decided to use up some of the ingredients in our own home and prepare a less expensive holiday meal that way.  I made coconut chicken (divine!), potato gnocchi, and thin asparagus.  And of course, we snacked on the giant heart-shaped cookies after dinner!

     We finished up the evening with watching an old, romantic favorite, "Sleepless in Seattle."  Nice.

     How did your family choose to celebrate Valentine's Day?  Did any of you purpose to do this in a frugal manner?
7 Comments

Curiosity Files Review: Quicksand

2/11/2011

5 Comments

 
Picture
     Would you say you're the kind of person who heeds warnings so you can avoid disasters? 

       Are you the type of person who will risk anything for the sake of adventure? 

       Or are you somewhere in between?

     I'm not much of a risk-taker.  I'm the kind of learner and decision-maker who learns by watching others and avoiding what some people do if it has brought pain from poor choices into their lives.  I don't have to experience everything in order to know how to make a good or bad decision.  But I realize that not everyone is just like me (thankfully). 

     What about my daughters?  If you know them well, you will probably figure out that one of them makes decisions much like me, and the other one is more of a risk-taker; she tends to learn by "doing" and learning from those experiences, whether good or bad, and that's okay.  This is how God designed my daughters to be!

     However, even though I don't like to take risks, I am very curious - about a lot of things.  I'm a question-asker; I want to know more. I want to learn so I make honorable and godly decisions.  I probably drive people crazy sometimes, but I learn so much from asking questions and listening to others!  And it's kind of funny that when I did career testing and took the California Achievement Tests in high school, the one area in which I always scored lower was researching (or something like that - I don't remember the exact title).  The testing would always mention that searching and finding the answers or the information I needed wasn't one of my strengths.  Ha!  If "they" could only see me now!  

     If we'd had the use of the Internet when I was a child, I would probably have been addicted to looking up information to help answer my many questions.  Surprisingly, though, as a child, I was not a non-fiction kind of girl!  I don't know that I ever read non-fiction books.  Surprise, surprise - I like those kinds of books now as an adult!  But as a child, I only read fiction books.  I did eventually branch out to historical fiction and some biographies, but I don't remember checking out non-fiction books as a child.  That has all changed since we began educating the girls at home.

     Recently, I was asked if the girls and I wanted to use and review one of The Old Schoolhouse's Curiosity Files unit studies.  I'd heard a little bit about them before, a few months ago, but we hadn't bought any of these neat, little unit studies yet to see what they were like.  The hardest part was choosing which Curiosity File eBook we wanted to use. 

Here are the Curiosity Files titles from which we were able to choose:

•Blue Diamond

•Dung Beetle

•MRSA

• Zombie Fire Ants

•Red Tide

•Zombie Fire Ants

•Blue-footed Booby

•Cicada Killing Wasp

•Quicksand

...and Pufferfish


     Tugging, whining, fighting, scratching each other's eyes out...well, that wasn't exactly the scenario at our home, thankfully, but the girls did have a slightly louder than normal discussion about which Curiosity File to select for our family.  Since we have studied birds and other flying creatures for science in the last year or so, we settled on learning more about quicksand.
Picture
     Quicksand?  Huh?  I don't know that we have any quicksand in our area.  I doubt it.  But as we began to use our new Quicksand Curiosity File unit study, we began to learn a lot of new things we had never heard before.
Picture
     I won't give away all of the secrets about quicksand, but we did learn that it only takes four elements to combine to form quicksand.  And did you know that no one has ever died from drowning in quicksand?  However, people do die from starving to death and dehydration from being stuck in quicksand. 
Picture
     The Curiosity Files have been designed as unit studies to use in your home or classroom for a week or two - and just have fun learning many things around one central theme!  The amount of reading in The Curiosity File:  Quicksand was just right - not too much, and not too little.  A suggested reading list showed other books we could check out from the library or purchase to learn more about quicksand. 
Picture
     While we didn't complete every activity found in The Curiosity Files:  Quicksand, there are quite a few options from which to choose.  We discovered copywork for handwriting practice, art lessons, math problems and practice, science experiments (these are great ones!), essay writing and other writing practice, and so much more.  All of us agreed that The Curiosity Files are a great way to break up a January or February when sometimes something new is needed to spice up the schooling at home or in the classroom! 

     We'd like to investigate The Curiosity Files further, and we hope to purchase a few of these in the months to come.  "Zombie Fire Ants" sounds weird and bizarre and fascinating to me, and I did hear from a fellow TOS Crew member that the Blue Diamond eBook was really neat.  I can't wait to learn more about these topics...and other new Curiosity Files topics that will be released in the future for us!

Picture
     The Curiosity Files are designed for the ages between 8–13, although they can easily be adapted for younger ages.  Older students will still be interested, but the assignment requirements are designed for this range of ages.

     If you'd like to take a look at a sample of one of The Curiosity Files, please click below on the cover of the Puffer Fish Curiosity File:


Picture


     To get the best deal onThe Curiosity Files, you have two options: the CD of all nine units is available for $49, or you can get all nine units as downloadable E-Books for $46.  To purchase individually, please refer to The Old Schoolhouse Store website for pricing details. 

     If you'd like to read other reviews from my Crewmates about The Curiosity Files, please go to our TOS Homeschool Crew blog.


     Be prepared to learn some bizarre and fascinating facts about animals and objects in our natural world!  We certainly have in the last week or so!
Picture
Disclosure:  The Old Schoolhouse Magazine sent me one downloaded copy of The Curiosity Files:  Quicksand in exchange for our use and review of this product in our family.  No other compensation was provided.

5 Comments

Most DVD movie review

2/9/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
This page contains affiliate links.
 
    Can a short film capture the essence of life? 

    Can 33 minutes of film change your life?

     It can, when you watch MOST.  This Academy Award Nominated film will  change your heart as you observe the strong bond between father and son.  Watching Most will cause you to rethink your own bond with your own son or daughter or another child who is close to your heart.  It may also cause you to rethink your relationship with Jesus Christ.  It has for my family!

Picture
     MOST, the Czech word for "The Bridge," is a fitting title for this 21st-century parable about a loving father, his young son, and the fateful day when they attempt to head off an impending rail disaster. Hundreds of passengers aboard an oncoming steam train are completely unaware of the danger that looms as they head toward an open drawbridge. As a desperate young woman witnesses an act of mercy beyond imagination, her life is changed forever—as are the lives of all who see this film. Both heart wrenching and glorious, MOST vividly portrays the greatest offering of love, sacrifice, hope, and forgiveness known to man. (text from "Most" website)

     We appreciated the strong messages in MOST as we watched this as a family together.  MOST is a family-friendly film that is best for ages 10 and up, in my opinion.


     Here is a preview of MOST:




About MOST
~ The Deluxe Edition ~

Includes:

• MOST (33-minute film)
• Making of MOST (32-minute feature)
• Bonus Scenes
• Extended Ending
• Introduction and Commentary by Luis Palau
• Study Guide
• Scoring Session (1 minute featurette of Symphony recording session)


Director, Producer, and Co-Writer: Bobby Garabedian

Producer, Co-Writer: William Zabka

Executive Producers: Cathleen Cassagne, Alexandra Bekiaris, Adam DeGraide

Stars: Vladimir Javorsky, Linda Rybova, Ladislav Ondrej

Facebook website for MOST:  http://www.facebook.com/mostthemovie
Picture
Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

4 Comments

VocabAhead vocabulary practice for the SAT/ACT/GRE

2/6/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
This page contains affiliate links.


     "Honey, grab your ba‐ba and bring it to mommy, okay?"

     "It's time for your bathy‐wathy, so come with mommy to the bah‐room."

     Wow.  It's difficult for me to even think of childish and babyish phrases to type out here that parents will often say to their infants, toddlers, and sometimes, preschoolers.  It's been too many years, I guess!


     My husband and I were a bit odd in the way we spoke to our very young children, I suppose.  Of course, when they were small infants, we didn't try to dazzle them with our "educated adult" vocabulary.  But we talked to them all the time, explained everything we were doing as we did it, and tried to have as many interactions as we could with them, although it's a bit difficult when at first, all they want to do was sleep!

     But after each of the girls were several months old, we decided that one of our family goals was to have intelligent conversations together.  We knew that we'd be going through a couple of years with each girl when they could understand far more from us than that to which they could reply.  What we didn't want was for them to have to learn two languages when they were young:  baby talk, and regular adult vocabulary. 

     So instead of calling a bottle a "bah‐bah", we called it a bottle.

     Instead of calling naptime a "nappy", we called it naptime.

     And so on.  I'm sure we had a couple of cute words for them or some of the things we did, but we purposefully kept it to a minimum.

     I remember the time that I picked up one of the girls in the church nursery when she was around age 3 and very well potty‐trained.  The sweet gal who was working in the nursery that day said to me, "I asked her if she needed to go potty, but she looked at me blankly like she didn't know what I was talking about.  I thought she was potty‐trained." 

     I smiled and replied, "Well, in our home, she doesn't get asked if she needs to use the potty, she gets asked if she needs to go to the bathroom.  She just didn't know what you meant!"  The nursery worker was a very kind woman with a heart of gold, but my poor girl just didn't understand baby talk like that, especially when she was three years old and talking all day long in an intelligent way.

     Both of my girls also didn't like being talked to in a babyish, sing‐song voice after they were about 18 months old.  In fact, one of the girls would start screaming at a particular nursery worker who used a very babyish voice to speak to her.  She hated it.  I guess that's because my girls talked fairly clear at that point and were used to having normal conversations with adults.  We laughed a lot, played and giggled, and had a lot of fun, but I just chose to speak to them with a normal, kind tone of voice instead of a babyish voice. 

     Regardless of how you spoke to your children when they were young, none of us want our children to be graduating from high school and talking about how they need to "go potty" or take a "nappy", etc.  We want them to be able to express themselves with appropriate language that befits an adult, right?

     Many parents want their children to have the best opportunity to attend college after high school graduation.  One method of studying for the SAT/ACT/GRE to prepare for college is by working on vocabulary words.

     A few weeks ago, I received the VocabAhead One Thousand SAT Vocabulary Videos & MP3s as a member of the TOS Crew. 

       This DVD‐ROM contains 1179 SAT Vocabulary Videos with MP3 audios files!

        You can listen to the narrations on‐the‐go using your favorite MP3 player and can watch Vocabulary Videos for SAT words on your computer or other portable device such as iPod, iPhone or even iPad.

     We chose to watch the VocabAhead DVD‐ROM on our laptop.  We don't currently own any of those i‐Gadgets, but the computer worked very well.  VocabAhead was easy to open and use on the computer.  The vocabulary cartoons were engaging and interesting.  We liked this method of vocabulary learning!

     The only difficulty that we did have with using the DVD‐ROM was that on quite a few days, we'd forget to grab it and use it as part of our school day.  Oops! 

     TheVocabAhead Study Room is an online "Study Room" which makes it fun and easy to build vocabulary for SAT, GRE and ACT words. You can build your own lists, test yourself by taking quizzes, and use flash cards for a quick review.

    You can make your own vocabulary lists using VocabAhead's vocabulary materials, and the site will automatically make online flashcards and also quiz your child or student on the vocabulary words he or she has learned.

     Below, you'll see some video samples about how the VocabAhead Study Room and their cartoons on the DVD‐ROM operate. 

     Some of you may want to go to VocabAhead's website and preview some of the vocabulary cards that they have free for you to view.  Some of their cartoons and definitions may be biased away from parental authority, religion, and other matters that may be important to your family.



     I do recommend the VocabAhead cartoons either on their website, www.VocabAhead.com, or in their vocabulary book or the DVD‐ROM.  They are clever and catchy, and it is a fun way to learn how to expand our children's vocabulary.  We intend to use this often in the future!  Just be aware that not all definitions and cartoons may be appropriate for all families.  I will continue to preview the cartoons as we use them.

     If you aren't sure if VocabAhead's products are right for your family, you may hop on over to their website and test drive some of their products to see if they would be a good fit.
Picture
Copyright © 2011 by Julieanne Miller
Disclosure:  I received one copy of the VocabAhead DVD-ROM for the purpose of using it in my home and reviewing it here on my website.  No one influenced my opinions; this is an honest, unbiased review.  No other compensation was provided in exchange for this review.

1 Comment

Imaginative Growing Girls: Sample Stations!

2/4/2011

2 Comments

 
Picture
     It's not very often that my girls get their imaginations together and do something that brings us all a lot of JOY.  After all, they're eleven and thirteen years old now, so they're beginning to move onto bigger and better things.

     But what could be better than still having a great imagination? 

     Or enJOYing pleasing those whom they love?

     This week, the girls came up with the idea to make a "sample station" for lunch.  They always enJOY grocery shopping with me, especially when there are a few sample stations as we journey through the store.

     They knew that I was busy that day, so they decided to help out by making lunch for all of us.  And what better way to do this than to make a sample station?

     They came up with nine different food and beverage samples, and so I made three different trips through the living room as they offered their wares.  I think my favorite sample was the organic tortilla chips and salsa - yum! 

     I thought it was cute how they made signs to go with each sample.  They also hastily wrote out quick summaries of the foods so that as I came to their station to learn about the sample being offered, they were able to tell me all about the product, including its price per serving, which was something new for them to learn how to figure out.

     I gave them some tips on public speaking and working with the public, and they enjoyed that a lot. 

     I don't know if they'll ever be "super sellers" of any particular product as they become adults, although Brittany might.  She loves to make money by encouraging others to buy things that she's made, drawn, developed...well, you get the picture. 

     As long as she doesn't try to sell her parents in order to get more money, we'll be fine.

     Thank you, girls, for a fun lunchtime this week.  Feel free to set up your sample stations whenever you please!
Picture
Copyright © 2011 by Julieanne Miller

2 Comments
    Picture

    ​​Hi!  I'm Julieanne!
    You'll find me in the kitchen
    ​trying new 
    Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters. ​


    Find
    Joy In Our Journey on:


    Sign up to receive
    Joy In Our Journey's
    latest blog posts, freebies, and more!

    You won't want to miss my FREE "Trim Healthy Mama-inspired" recipes, tutorials, giveaways, and deals - get them delivered fresh to your inbox!

      
    Picture
    Picture
        I'd love to share your product with my readers.  If you would like me to do a review and giveaway, just contact me via email and let me know how I can help.


        Disclosure: Some content includes links to sponsors or affiliates, which give me a small percentage of the sale without costing you anything extra. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so, it helps to support this site, so thank you!
     

     

    Search
    Joy In Our Journey

    Loading
     

    Archives

    December 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from jaakko.hakulinen, theglobalpanorama, Sarah Korf, jeffreyw, crayonmonkey, Joshua Singh, Sam Howzit, kimberlyac, miggslives, rust.bucket, Derick Leony, Big D2112, Violette79, Andrea.Pacheco, youngthousands, niiicedave, mommyknows, Dominic's pics, sleepyneko, madaise, Daquella manera, Arild Andersen, TounoTouji, jchapiewsky, dennis, cooper.gary, supersum (off), advisorymatters, Nomadic Lass, Effervescing Elephant, ralph and jenny, alubavin, brendan-c, ImNotQuiteJack, jeffreyw, iamlemonfilm, Colin_K, Andrew Michaels, ivoryelephantphotography, bennylin0724, Jo Naylor, daveoratox, f10n4, Bludgeoner86, Ack Ook, BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives, pylbug, limaoscarjuliet, Barbara L. Hanson, CapitalK buy design, Vibragiel, matthiasxc, Podknox, qnr, Sadie_Girl, ComputerHotline, pppspics, Anna Loverus, Joi, Rob.Bertholf, Sheyla Ruiz, nachans, ♥serendipity, IsaacMao, *cart-wheels*, TRFPhotography, vxla, lisaclarke, Missouri History Museum, doortoriver, sunshinecity, anna gutermuth, USCPSC, L. Allen Brewer, bluebirdsandteapots, ell brown, vestman, *PaysImaginaire*, mightyohm, Lars Plougmann, Alex_Lewis116, yoppy, HealthGauge, 401(K) 2013, aprilandrandy, Ben Sutherland, Mason Masteka, WillowGardeners, MStewartPhotography, “Caveman Chuck” Coker, kodomut, DanCentury, TrishaLyn, Katie@!, Looking Glass, Nicholas_T, Francis Storr, Allie_Caulfield, Creative Tools, Aidan Jones, Tim Brown Architecture, HerryLawford, Brett Levin Photography, Gudlyf, Chocolate Reviews, greggoconnell, EmilyWhitwam, Phú Thịnh Co, ilovememphis, cliff1066™, Chi King, erix!, Tony Fischer Photography, GlasgowAmateur, ktylerconk, cfourcalvin, David Locke, blhphotography, dominiqs, quinet, stevendepolo, surlygirl, guzzphoto, mikebaird, rich701, coolmikeol, procsilas, • Happy Batatinha •, pmarkham, Luz Adriana Villa A., LisaW123, fireballsedai, CJS*64, gagilas, Christian Haugen, freddie boy, tausend und eins, fotografik, roland, nedradio, makelessnoise, Salvation Army USA West, TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³, Arenamontanus, 401(K) 2013, f_mafra, trippingbobcat, brooklyn, Viajar24h.com, yanajenn, jamieanne, hardworkinghippy, ccharmon, eofstr, Julia Manzerova, jhoc, Orin Zebest, battlecreekcvb, jmrodri, trekkyandy, timsnell, Salil Wadhavkar, ewen and donabel, Ted Van Pelt, David Paul Ohmer, Kevin May, CCAC North Library, I_Nneska, AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker, dwstucke, Bonnie B., elise.y, Bill Selak, sam_churchill, JD Hancock, olga.palma, cbr_case, acme, alyak, creating in the dark, TrishaLyn, jacilluch, hans s, cwwycoff1, Karen Roe, AlexiUeltzen, surrelmar, Jeff Kubina, rich701, adie reed, pacificbro, dwstucke, rharrison, avlxyz, Jim, the Photographer, Danndalf, storebukkebruse, rodaniel, dicktay2000, exfordy, torres21, Mr. T in DC, avlxyz, andrealindenberg, HarshLight, stevendepolo, publicenergy, Jan Tik, aechempati, ume-y, xfce, Pink Sherbet Photography, nlian, bittle, bradleygee, rs-foto, JamieDrakePhotos, SimonDoggett, slopjop, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL, BozDoz, GoRun26, prettyinprint, WTL photos, Minnesota Historical Society, www.bluewaikiki.com, stevendepolo, LibAmanda, jspatchwork, Jinx!, ncmichael2k3, Clevergrrl, michaelkmak, Generationbass.com, Dougtone, roger4336, slgckgc, twicepix, lisatozzi, Lee Nachtigal, Kevin Lawver, brianfuller6385, jamieanne, quinn.anya, SupremeCrete, StockMonkeys.com, OliverN5, jeffreyw, Muffet, krossbow, fdecomite, JeepersMedia, jimmiehomeschoolmom, Zanastardust, joyosity, frotzed2, szapucki, Vincent van der Pas, normalityrelief, Emily Carlin, Clevergrrl, allyrose18, sleepyneko, Jeff Kubina, efleming, Artman1122, notjustsquirrels, PhotoAtelier, roolrool, onnola, Charles Williams, greggoconnell, Highway Patrol Images, andrechinn, loop_oh, ayustety, toinerooijmans, vmiramontes, Claricethebakergardener, mind on fire, jimmiehomeschoolmom, Kat Johnston / Sanura Sakai, toinerooijmans, rfduck, stu_spivack, OmegaPoint, ingridtaylar, AdamSelwood, Gog Llundain, pbody