Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Forbrain

     I have always enjoyed speaking in front of people, but most of my children get quite frightened to do so.  I think they lack confidence in their speaking abilities and a couple of them do have small speech issues.  When we were given the opportunity to receive and review Forbrain from Sound for Life LTD, I was excited to see how it would help my kids to become better speakers and more focused. 

     Forbrain is a headset that when worn will help you hear your own voice with more clarity and more quickly than without it. It does this by blocking out sounds around you while you use it, and as the headphones sit on the two bones beside your outer ears, this stimulates the nerves to help with hearing and comprehension. It was created to help children and adults improve speech, focus, and memory. It is for ages 4 and up and can be worn for up to 20 minutes at a time, 3 times a day. 

     

     Our son Josh has attention problems. He has trouble focusing on one task especially if the task does not interest him. During the review time, I had him wear the headsets every day when reading his history lessons aloud. We saw a significant change in his grades.  He went from getting mediocre grades on his tests to almost perfect scores. After seeing him progress in his ability to memorize his historical facts, we decided to have him use them as he worked on scripture memorization as well, and we saw improvement in this class almost immediately.

      I asked him what he thought of the headphones and he said that they helped him to stay focused on what he was reading.  I asked him what he liked and disliked about the Forbrain and he said he loved them except they were a little large for his little ears.  He is 12 but is small build. He said they hurt his ears a little when worn for more than a few minutes and he had a hard time keeping them where they are supposed to be worn. Other than that he was quite pleased with how they worked.  

     Our older son Ryan is 17 and has trouble with speaking in front of others.  He hates reading aloud and gets very frustrated when he has to talk to a group.  He also has a tendency to speak loudly even in a quiet room.  He doesn't have hearing issues, but being a middle child he has always felt he had to speak up to be heard over all his siblings.  Now that his older siblings have moved out we are finding he is in a habit of still speaking with a loud voice.  We were hoping that this headset would help him in these two areas and we were not disappointed.  

      He loved the way they helped him hear how loudly he was speaking and are helping him to retrain his brain to speak more softly. He has also been using them to practice reading aloud and it is helping him become more confident in this area.  I asked him what he thought of the headphones and he said they were a great fit for him and that he will continue using them as he prepares for upcoming interviews and speaking in public. 

     I was very impressed with this product. They are made of durable material and I feel they will last for quite a long time.  We will be trying them with our daughter soon as she struggles with reading aloud also. If you have a child or know of an adult who has issues with focus, memorization, or speech, I would suggest trying Forbrain. It may help them in ways you never thought possible.   

     Would you like to learn more about this resource?  I encourage you to check out their website and their social media pages listed below:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/forbrainLTD
Twitter : https://twitter.com/forbrainheadset
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/forbrain---retrain-the-way-you-process-information

     We also have more reviews of this product over here 

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Come on over and check them out! Have a wonderful week!

Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Thinking Like an Engineer

     My son was so pleased when we were given a 2-year subscription to the Thinking Like an Engineer course from Innovators Tribe to review. He is still praying about what he would like to study after high school and engineering is on his list of interests.  I feel this program will help steer him in the right direction.  This course will give him a good idea of what an engineer does and I hope it helps him make a decision.  

       Thinking Like an Engineer is an online course with hands-on activities that give students a look at the career of engineering. Engineers are associated with applied science, technology, and design. This course has so much to offer like: 

•  Self-paced Interactive Lessons 
•  Hands-on Activities
•  Design Challenges 
•  Downloadable Exercise Journals
•  Design Software
•  Online Support
•  Safety Measures

     

    
     Thinking Like an Engineer is taught with 6 different units that include:

•  Introduction to Engineering
•  Introduction to 3D Computer Design and Solid Modeling
•  Engineering Rollercoasters
•  Engineering Bridges
•  3D Computer Design
•  Nano-Engineering

     During our review period, we have completed the first two units and can't wait to move onto the third this week.  The entire course takes about 30 hours to complete. 

     Innovator's Tribe was developed to encourage young people to be creative, innovative and to discover new things. If you have a child that shows interest in technology, engineering, construction or hands-on activities, this may be a great fit for them.  I was very impressed when I listened in on some of the classes. They are put together with the purpose to teach our children how to use their imagination along with creativity and ingenuity.  They inspire our young people to use the gifts they have been given to better the world we live in. 

     I would like to share what my son had to say about the course so far.  This is in his own words.

     "I personally find the course to be fun and educational. So far we have learned what engineers do, 3-D design, and how it all works together. The teacher knows how to keep your attention and explains things very well. I have learned more about engineering during this short time than I ever have before. So far my favorite activity was creating a car tire rim in our 3-D design lesson. This program has encouraged me to use my mind to create and it has given me insight into what life would be like as an engineer."

     I asked him if he will be continuing this course and quickly got a "YES!"  

     Let's take a look at some of the activities Ryan did during his lessons over the past month or so. 

     In photo #1 we see the Tower Challenge. During this challenge, they were allowed to use 4 sheets of paper and 1 foot of masking tape. They had to make a tower that stood on its own for 10 seconds or more. It was fun watching him build it and seeing it stand tall. 

    In photo #2, we are seeing the tire rim that was built using the 123D Design software that they provide links for in the course.  This was Ryan's favorite project and he enjoyed spending time perfecting his rim. The software was easy to install.  Ryan was instructed on how to use it in the lesson before the activity.  He said it was an excellent tool for beginners.

     Our final photo is the Furniture Design activity. This also used the 123D Design software.  In this activity, you were to create a piece of furniture for your home or office.  Ryan decided to design a shelf to use for books or other knick-knacks. He had a lot of fun using his imagination for this project. 

    I was happy to see our son enjoying this course. It isn't easy to find good online classes for him. He has to be amazed by what he is being taught or he gets bored very quickly. This course was well suited for him. 

   I encourage you to take a look at the Innovators Tribe website to check out this course and the others they have to offer like Thinking Like an Architect. You won't be disappointed.  I know my son has been positively impacted by this course and will continue to use it throughout our school year.  

     If you would like to read more reviews of this course and others, come check out the Homeschool Review Crew site here

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I hope you come on over to check them out! Have a wonderful day!!!

Homeschool Review Crew: Our Review of Thin Stix Creativity Pack

     Our family loves to review products that help us be creative. We were excited to be able to receive and review the Thin Stix Creativity Pack from The Pencil Grip, Inc.  This is not the first time we have had the opportunity to review the Thin Stix and we knew this larger set would be so much fun to use.  My daughter's face lit up when they arrived in the mailbox. She couldn't wait to begin creating.  

     We couldn't wait to use the new colors that were in the 24 piece Creative Pack.  In addition to the 12 classic colors, there are 6 neon colors, and 6 metalix colors in this set.  These paints are so unique. They are solid tempera paint sticks that are easy to use and they dry quickly.  There is no need for any water, so there is no mess and clean up is a breeze.  I would have loved to have these for my other children as they were growing up.  Other paints were such a big mess so we rarely used them.  

     We decided to do some different things with our Thin Stix this time around.  I bought us some wood items so we could try using the paints on them.  We focused our attention on the metalix and neon paints for these projects.  

      

     Usually painting individual letters can be very tedious work.  Not with the Thin Stix.  They make painting such an easy task. They go on smoothly with no drips.  The metallic colors are so beautiful! They showed up nicely on this wood plaque above.  We were so pleased with how well it turned out.  

      My daughter wanted to use the neon markers on the next wood piece.  She said the colors worked very well together so her wood heart got a rainbow pattern.  Towards the end, she added a few metalix colors as well.  She said she couldn't help herself since they were so pretty.  

     These paint markers are a great addition to our craft items and we will be using them on a regular basis.  They are so versatile.  They can be used on paper, cardboard, poster board, wood, canvas and other surfaces.  My daughter has so many other projects planned for these little sticks, we may have to buy more for her soon even though they are long-lasting.  

    I love that these markers can be used by all ages. Even little ones can have fun playing with them as they use their imagination to create wonderful works of art.  I love that you can hand them to your child and allow them to work independently on their projects.  There is no need for constant supervision. Kids like to have freedom when they are creating and these allow for that.  

     If you would like to check out these items and more from The Pencil Grip, Inc., I would encourage you to visit their website and other social media pages listed below:

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

     We also have some more reviews for you over here

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HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Counting My Blessings

     As Thanksgiving Day approaches, we tend to begin reflecting on what we are thankful for.  The month of November is always full of posts from people listing what they are thankful for.  You see them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  What if we carried that gratitude in our hearts year round?  Do you think it would improve our attitudes and outlook on life?  You bet it would! 

      If we would wake up every morning and count our blessings instead of complaining, our days would be more joyful.  A positive perspective will change how we see things.  Instead of complaining about our chores, we could be happy we have a home, clothes, and dishes to clean up.  In lieu of grumbling about our lives, we can be grateful we woke up to live another day.  As an alternative to our whining we can be praising God for all He has provided for us. 

      When I catch myself complaining, I step back and remind myself of the many blessings we have been given. We may not have all our wants, but we have all our needs met on a daily basis.  What more could I ask for?  There are so many who would love to have the little things I take for granted like a warm cup of coffee on a cool morning or a soft bed to sleep in at night.  Why should I complain when I have been blessed with so much? 

      As I count my blessing this morning, I look back on the amazing month of  October.  We had so much fun learning together and spending time with each other.  I want to share some of our activities with you now. 

Each evening in October we went for walks. The air was crisp and refreshing. We were able to have long talks and enjoy God's creation. 

We have been making some delicious soups in our crock pot. Some of our favorites are Chicken Tortilla and Potato Soup. 

 We went out and got a big beautiful pumpkin and had fun carving it as a family.  We were also able to get a great snack from the pumpkin seeds. We roasted them and they were quite yummy. 

We had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. We enjoyed sitting around the fire talking and laughing. We didn't want the night to end.

Hubby and I were able to have a few date nights. It's important to have fun with your spouse! 

Our days have been spent learning and discovering together.  I love our homeschool!

     I am so thankful for each day! God has blessed us in so many ways. It would take days to list them all. I challenge you to find 10 things you are thankful for today and take time to thank our Heavenly Father for them.