Vocabulary Cartoons - A Review

We’ve recently had the opportunity to review Vocabulary Cartoons – SAT Word Power from New Monic Books. First of all, I have to say that this has been the most fun vocabulary program I have ever used with the boys in our homeschool. Each vocabulary word has a cartoon and a linking word or phrase to help remember the word and its definition. They have a great sense of humor, and having teenage boys, humor goes a long way to help them pay attention and remember.

The words are in alphabetical order and after every ten words, there is a review. The first part is a matching exercise and the second portion is a fill-in-the-blank with the best word exercise. There are a total of 290 words, so you could use as many or as few as you'd like each day or week - whatever works best for you.

We just cover two words per day (and review the rest of the words from the week), so my boys love its brevity. That also makes it easy to fit in most anyplace in our daily schedule. I write the words on the board each day and at the end of the week, we have all ten. It really is a nice break from longer high school subjects to have something that's short and sweet...and fun! And because it's so much fun, I would venture to say that they know the words from Vocabulary Cartoons much, much better than any other vocabulary program we’ve used in the past. Had I known about this before now, we’d have used it every year.

There is one Vocabulary Cartoons book for the elementary level and two of the SAT Word Power books, so you can get something for your kids, no matter their ages. I'll also let you in on a little secret . . . you may find your own vocabulary increasing in the process.


Check out what other TOS Crew member had to say about this book here.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of Vocabulary Cartoons – SAT Word Power to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

Travel the World Review

The Old Schoolhouse has a wonderful addition to their annual Schoolhouse Planner – monthly modules. Each module is available as a downloadable e-book ($7.95 each) and is a great way to supplement your homeschooling efforts (you don’t have to have the Planner to use these).

I had the opportunity to review the June 2010 Module, Travel the World, which offers a fun and interactive journey into geography. The beginning section is geared toward younger kids, and then there’s a high school portion for the older students.

I thought that the younger kids section was quite interesting and enjoyable. This module has an amazing number of links and resources that really help your children as they learn about geography. They'll have access to games, informational pages, and quizzes. If they’re old enough to read on their own, they can do this independently. If not, you can sit down at the computer with them, read it aloud, and work through the games and resources together. I showed my husband some of the links and he and I even had fun playing the country matching games and refreshing our memories.

The geography concepts are explained in a very clear and straight-forward manner, along with handy ditties and ways of remembering facts. Sometimes we may find those a little silly, but let’s face it – they really do work. Is there anyone who can’t complete this?

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two . . .

There are also puzzles, colorings sheets, lapbook ideas and links, manuscript and cursive copywork, and recipes. Because it's an e-book, you can print out the specific pages you want and as many copies you need. With such a variety of activities, you’re sure to keep your kids engaged, whatever their learning style.

I think that for the younger kids, especially those who haven’t had any geography, this is a terrific program. The section for high schoolers is quite a bit smaller than for the younger kids, but by that age, they really should have the basics down. There are still some ideas and resources that can be implemented in conjunction with their current high school studies, which is a nice way to supplement what you’re already doing. With the many links available throughout the module, you’ll have access to plenty of activities to help your children learn about geography.

Remember, there are different modules every month, and you can purchase them all the way back to 2008, so if geography isn’t on your list of needs right now, take a look at what else the Schoolhouse Store has to offer. At just $7.95, you’ll find a wealth of information, and best of all, since it’s an e-book, you’ll have access to it right away with no trips to the store or waiting for the mail!

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of the June 2010 Module to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

**Edited to add: You can go here to read more reviews.

I Am Officially Affiliated

In my nearly two years of blogging, I've never been an affiliate of anything. But the amazing people over at the Company Porch from The Old Schoolhouse are giving away an 8 gb iPod Nano®. Of course, I'd love to win the iPod, but I am also a big fan of The Old Schoolhouse. So here I am, a proud affiliate (see the ad in my sidebar).



The Old Schoolhouse magazine has to be my favorite resource, hands down. It's published quarterly, which is probably a good thing. There's so much valuable information in each issue, that I couldn't possibly read it much quicker. The articles cover a wide variety of areas, so there's always something that applies to our family.

It's also much more than just a magazine. There are a variety of useful email newsletters you can receive, The Schoolhouse Store where you can purchase various books, e-books, curricula, and much more, and then there's The Company Porch blog and the entire world of Homeschool Blogger.

If you haven't made your way around The Old Schoolhouse and their myriad resources, I'd highly recommend checking it out.