Starfall Education Foundation's The Starfall Home Membership Review

I'm always looking for fun and educational learning  games for both my younger child and my grandchildren so I was very happy to have an opportunity to review The Starfall Home Membership from Starfall Education Foundation. It is a flexible online program that offers free and fee-based curriculum either on a desktop or mobile via Apple, Google Play or Amazon Apps. There is also a store to purchase various products such as children's books, instructional cards and more. For some parents and educators, it's important to stay linked up with the States Standards Initiative and align with Common Core which Starfall does. It's a comprehensive program for the experienced home educator, teacher or the parent who wishes to provide their young one with further educational opportunities. 

In the Complete Guide to Using Starfall, you will have everything you need in one place to understand how to move forward with your child(ren). What I liked first upon setting up my child and grandchildren to begin the program was the Guide.  It provides key skills appropriate for each grade level and how the skills align along with mobile app activities.  There are supplemental products as well as parent and teacher resources. I suggest the first step in starting to begin your plan for teaching is to review the many guides that pertain to your needs:

• Guide to Pre-K
• Guide to Kindergarten ELA
• Guide to Kindergarten Math
• Guide to First Grade Reading
• Guide to First Grade Math
• Guide to Second Grade Reading
• Guide to Second Grade Math
• Guide to Starfall Book Levels

Membership Perks Only $35 Annually

There are many free activities but once you purchase the $35 yearly membership, you will have complete access to all the activities, expanded math and reading content covering grades Kindergarten through second grade and additional songs and rhymes.

Review of Guide and Second Grade Math:

Each PDF downloadable is full of information to kick start your child's education in that subject matter. For this part of the review, I'm going to cover Second Grade Math which I'm using as a refresher for my youngest child.  The Guides are short and concise and outlines major areas and for Second Grade Math, it covers:  

1. Understanding place values
2. Using place values to add and subtract
3. Adding and subtracting within 20
4. Foundations for multiplication
5. Beginning Multiplication

The actual program is very easy for younger children to use with click and drag features, colorful animations and pictures, playful music and clear audio to easily understand.  There is repetition in the activities to ensure a student is understanding and remembering the task. It was a good refresher for her.

Review of Guide and First Grade:

My granddaughter has been utilizing the online activities and the printables for Kindergarten. To date, I have not ordered any of the resources available on the online store so I cannot comment on the quality of those but knowing there are more resources available is good. Both her and her three year old brother take turns playing with the games and the various activities provided. She has utilized the online games, activities and the worksheets.

She really enjoys the worksheets and has already learned a lot from our time using The Starfall Home Membership. Backpack Bear's Books was also a wonderful activity as the words are spoken in a slow enough manner for children to understand and with easy click and drag features, it's a great way to teach words.

Of course everything that big sister does, little brother has to try too! They had a lot of fun playing the games and even though he didn't understand the activities clearly, I truly felt he benefited from it. We worked on this into the night so when I told them it was time to stop, they were disappointed. This is something you want to hear when you are trying to teach your children!

For the math, we started with Beginning Multiplication and moved into Understand Place Value and she really liked it! I heard her say it was fun and she smiled and was very happy that she was doing so well with using the program. She had been using the free resources for a couple of months prior to this review so she was already familiar with how to maneuver and get around each screen.  She often played it on her own via her tablet. It's very user friend and intuitive.

Talking Library Review:

I am a huge fan of libraries and being that we reside in an area where winter is very cold, the library isn't always feasible. The Starfall Talking Library is one of the best features I liked about The Starfall Home Membership and here is why:

• Contains a wide selection of both non-fiction and fiction with poetry.
• The opening page is easy to maneuver even for small children and has a selection of favorite books by other members.
• The children can adjust the sound volume on the screen and can choose to pause the audible. An easy to see finger prompt shows the children to press the button to go to the next page.
• Words are highlighted as the reader continues with each sentence for easy to follow along.
• Sound effects provide a great way to capture the children's attention as the book comes to life.

Other Activities/Levels of Starfall 

We focused on Second Grade Math and Kindergarten for this part of the review.  It's great to know that my granddaughter will have the resources available for First Grade next year. As with the Kindergarten curriculum, there are many areas of concentration to include:

• First Grade Math
• Operations & Algebraic Thinking
• Base Ten Number & Operations
• Measurement & Geometry
• First Grade English
• Literature & Informational Text
• Phonics

All of the different activities are engaging and fun for little minds. They are intuitive and makes learning fun versus boring and redundant.

Other Benefits of Starfall 

• Starfall also has free and low-cost mobile apps via Apple iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Apps.
• Products such as children's books, instructional cards and more are available for purchase at the Starfall Store.
• Supplemental Parent and Teacher Resources in the Parent-Teacher Center.

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Overall, my family really liked The Starfall Home Membership from Starfall Education Foundation. It's a flexible program to be used on a desktop or on a device. It's fun, eye catching and full of many activities that will not only educate but provide hours and hours of fun. It's well worth the subscription cost to have a comprehensive math and English program, and for those that want a common core aligned program, it has all that you would want.

UltraKey Online Family Subscription from Bytes of Learning Review

My children are all self-taught typists so there was no formal education that taught them the proper way to place their finger on a keyboard or the correct posture required to achieve optimal results. My review of the UltraKey Online Family Subscription from Bytes of Learning provided a program that allowed for concise, clear instruction supported by voice-supported instruction with animation and videos. Bytes of Learning utilizes technology by developing and publishing multimedia software tools and material to help teach people of all ages. Another feature that caught my attention was the ability to have an interface that allows me to control what my students (aka children) will learn. The program itself is equipped with unlimited administration as well as school and class manager sizes so whether you need it for a single child or many, it's an ideal product to try.

The Ultrakey Online Family Subscription is an affordable choice for most families with options ranging from 3 user, 5 user or an 8 user priced from $30 to $50 for a year. It truly is an all family program for use by adults or children.

Getting Started:

• Setting up the UltraKey Online Family Subscription was easy and after I registered, I was able to start by familiarizing myself with the Bytes of Learning program. After I read the overview, I started enrolling my students which was very intuitive and easy. Next, I had my first child start using the program. 
• The "Go to my Instruction" option provides the student everything they need to begin their lessons. It might feel overwhelming for them at first as there is a lot of information in front of them which is why it's important for the parent or teacher to review the program to provide the initial foundation of what is expected of the student. It is very easy to use. 
• I suggest starting with the Play Introduction to UltraKey first with the student. Next, the assessment test is a great way to ensure the student is beginning at an appropriate level as well as setting goals (challenge level). The levels can always be adjusted and it will teach the student proper posture and correct striking technique by finger placement.
• Lesson and skill check modules are the main part of the program. The students learn from first practicing isolated keystrokes. They then move to letter chains, then letter pairs, then words and finally, sentences. The end of assignment skill checks ensures the student is meeting their own goals. There are even 3-D model of stretching techniques.
• There are buttons at the top that provide additional resources for the students such as posture reminders, finger placements and they can access the lessons, skill checks and much more!
• The Left Buttons also provide further resources for the students such as setting their goals, settings, learning, reports and more.

Practice and Learning Time:

My first student, aged 14, started her first lesson and didn't have any issues with the program. It will take a little time since she has never had formal keyboarding lessons but that is part of learning something new. The best part of the program, for my schedule, is most of it is very user friendly and doesn't require me to sit side by side throughout the entire lesson. She was able to navigate through it completely on her own after I walked her through the introductory information and explained the features of the site.

My second student, aged 10, is not always cooperative when it comes to learning something that does not interest her. She's adamant that she knows how to type the way she likes so having her sit down to try out the program with little resistance was a win for me. She took the assessment test and completed the first lesson with no fuss. She explained it was hard for her as she couldn't see the letters as she typed which I had to explain the purpose of learning how to keyboard properly. I was able to convince her that by learning proper keyboarding, it would allow her to write more stories and accomplish more tasks that she sets her mind to. She was a little confused since in Lesson 1, capital letters were intermixed in the lesson before being introduced at a later lesson. 

NOTE:  It was explained to me that the UltraKey Online program presents sentences and paragraphs with upper and lower case throughout the program to model correct punctuation which makes absolute sense and I'm glad they do that!  Until the shift key is taught at lesson six, the student will receive the correct number regardless if they capitalize or not.

After utilizing the program, both students didn't give me a lot of grief as they normally do when they aren't interested in learning a skill. They did understand the fundamental benefit in proper usage of the keyboard, placement of fingers and posture. The continuous reminders to sit properly was a feature I also liked since I am alwasy reminding them to sit straight.

I had my first student complete lesson 1 (shown below) to provide an opportunity to see the ease of use of the program. At the end of the lesson, she took an assessment and was able to see her progress for net speed and accuracy which she passed both. There was a recommendation statement to help her increase her speed and accuracy which was nice to help her understand where she could improve. There are 12 lessons that the student will work through to include skill checks. Goals can be changed as well and at the end of the course, the student will receive a certificate!

Overall, I think it's a great program for many reasons. It's very affordable, has flexibility for the number of students one might have, it reinforces keyboarding fundamentals in a non-boring way, it's challenging and having real time progress is motivational for students.  The ease of use and flexibility for children and adults is also an asset to families. I even had my seven year old granddaughter ask to start the program! I would recommend  UltraKey Online Family Subscription from Bytes of Learning. We tried another program last year but this one was unanimously approved as being our new program.

Visit Bytes of Learning on Facebook by clicking here learn more!

My Next Laundry Appliances: LG Twin Wash System at Best Buy

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

The picture above leaves me with serious laundry room envy!  I love everything about this room as well as the LG Twin Wash System at Best Buy.  I have found through the years that a quality wash system really does make life easier.  Old outdated systems are a drag in my books and when I saw the image above, I instantly fell in love with the look. Granted, I shouldn't just judge a system by its looks but that is what grabbed my interest at first.  From the LG Front Load laundry paired with the LG's SideKick Pedestal Washer, I started to learn more about the system.  In another year, I will be on the hunt for a new system and with LG's reputation, I will be seriously in the market for this sleek set. 

The beauty of the front-loading washer with the LG SideKick pedestal washer is that as you wash a load of clothes in the top part, you can wash a smaller load to include delicate loads in the bottom portion creating an efficiency with your time!  Alternatively, if you just need a pair of pants or a shirt washed, throw it in the SideKick! Features among the washers vary but some of the ones from the LG Twin that peeked my interest included:

• Various wash cycles which comes in handy for any size family but particularly for large families like mine.
• Large capacities to ensure thorough cleaning of items such as comforters or just large loads.
• Smart ThinQ technology that allows you to remotely start the washer and monitor the progress with your smart phone.  This is a great feature for multi-level houses or just for people who are busy and needed reminding that the wash is complete.
• Downloadable features such as special cycles and the ability to monitor energy usage.
• Five temperature settings as you chose to care for your clothing.
• Steam that helps to ensure the detergent is properly dissolved so no more residue left on clothing providing a greater cleaning power.
• The LG Twin has an ergonomically elevated door to make loading and unloading easier.
• A TurboWash 2.0 feature that saves up to 30 minutes on larger loads.

Those are some of the main features that drew me to the LG Twin Washer System and there are more. 

My current laundry system is outdated and old. It does not have the sleek appearance or the modern technology which saves time and helps save money by faster washes, less laundry detergent and deeper cleanings so I know it's done right the first time. I have other LG appliances such as my refrigerator and after many years, it looks new and I've had no problems with it.  

The LG Twin Washer System at Best Buy has a special deal from January 11, 2018 through April 25, 2018, where you can receive up to $500 off a LG laundry solution for your home!

Shoreline Inn: Muskegon's Only Waterfront Hotel Review

On the bitter cold shores of Muskegon Lake lies the only waterfront hotel in Muskegon, Michigan.  It's a very nice town to visit and has beautiful views from many locations of Lake Michigan.  This was our second visit to the Shoreline Inn and was even more pleased the second time.  This time, we walked the beautiful Terrace Point Marina to the Lake House and had dinner at a surprisingly busy restaurant.  The service was good and the food was delicious. Our waitress was exceptional. She was going out of her way to take pictures of a couple celebrating a birthday or other event. She was caring and attentive to their needs even though she was very busy.  We never waited for anything as she was very good.

Our rooms, suites both times, had full atrium windows and doors with French balconies that were beautiful.  The rooms were spacious and we rather enjoyed the fireplace and whirlpool providing that little extra romantic nudge we needed as busy parents.  It was fully equipped with a microwave, refrigerator, free wi-fi, flat panel TVs and a no pet policy.  This is important to me because I have an asthmatic child and no family should have to depart from a hotel in the middle of the night due to an asthmatic hotel as we have had to do at other chains.   Another feature about this inn I like is the on-site bistro that offers various libations and food.  There is a store on the premise to purchase some local beer or even brands you know of along with snacks and some souvenirs. 

Customer service was exceptional and we had no issues.  As I write this, I'm getting ready to make another reservation as the drive is well worth it!  

If you haven't been here, give it a try!  Here are my five top reasons why you should plan a trip to the Shoreline Inn:

1. It's a very clean hotel with great amenities without the price.
2. A great getaway that allows you the convenience to peruse the town or stay onsite and take advantage of the Bistro, the Lake House or order room service.
3. It's near beautiful Lake Michigan which is a site to see any season!
4. The service is exceptional.
5. Muskegon is a beautiful city full of great people!

Our last visit, we arrived early enough to inspect the downtown area and it was quaint and historic.  I loved the older architecture style of some of the building that were still present such as the Amazon building.  We ventured to Hackley Park, a National Historic Designated Park dedicated to the memory of Civil War Veterans. Being history buffs, particularly the Civil War, we loved it.  The center had an eighty-foot tall soldier's monument and statues of Farragut, Sherman, Grant and Lincoln that bordered each corner of the park.  The Christmas lights were up so it made it more timely and pretty.

Check The Shoreline Inn out for more information.