Review: Talking Fingers

Typing is, without a doubt, an indispensable skill in the world we live in. We've tried a few both free and paid typing programs- always looking for something that will really engage the kids, so I was really excited to be invited to try  " Read, Write & Type" from Talking Fingers Inc.

What I like most about this program is that it isn't just a typing program. Each key is taught using the sound it makes, and then students are encouraged to practice based on the sound they hear, as well. In 40 lessons, your child will not only have learned touch-typing, but also been reinforced in reading, phonics, and spelling. The concept is really quite brilliant, and they've clearly worked hard to make the process fun, as well.

Each lesson is lead by "Lefty", "Rightway", and Vexor, the quizmaster. There are numerous other characters who are introduced along the way as well. This program is definitely a 180 from the way I learned to type, which included a series of made up words I had to execute with a piece of paper taped over the keyboard so I couldn't see my fingers. Definitely a step up!!

Okay, it's more like an elevator up. Work with me here, people.

Each lesson is designed to introduce the sound the child is learning to type, reinforce their typing and recognition with short exercises, and then they type a story. The modules are fun and engaging for younger children. It's obviously designed with your younger student in mind- but my 2nd grader really enjoyed the program.

At the end of each lesson, there's a quiz from Vexor. The rate at which your child progresses is determined not only by their score here, however, but how they do within the lesson. If they're having a difficult time, more practice will be offered, whereas if they're breezing through with no issues, less practice will be given. As the parent, your account allows you to choose what percentage is required to pass and also provides you with one of two reports, a student report that shows percentages and an RWT report that shows their last usage statistics. Neither of these make it really easy to drill down on specific problem areas to me, but they provide a great overview of how your child is doing.

If you're looking to teach your 6-9 year old typing while reinforcing other skills, we really enjoyed this program. Plus, a single online license lasts 5 years and is only $35! Sibling discounts are available, as are classroom licenses and CD rom options.

My daughter is really excited that her typing speed and accuracy are improving.  I am really excited that her spelling and reading are being reinforced.  All in all, I would say we're both really happy with the way this program is going for us, and in about 40 hours of work, she should be a typing ace! This would be a great "I want to play on the computer" game, or a fun summer study, too!

Check out Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at CCA

Update: We were able to attend the show last night (April 15th) and it was just a ton of fun.  On Facebook I said that it was a lot like having your friends put on a show and including a bunch of their favorite inside jokes- except that in this case your friends were quite talented and their jokes were all actually funny.  The narrator is incredibly talented (this play is ENTIRELY song- there's not dialogue at all) and so are her assistants.  What my kids liked most, however, was the humor.  They've already decided they would be a fantastic 3-person camel for Halloween, and I thought my boys were going to fall out of their seats laughing when some of the brothers started beat boxing and singing "Bad Boys, Bad Boys" from Cops.  

The students definitely took a few liberties with historical accuracy, but we really enjoyed the fun, easy-going atmosphere of the play and the extent to which the characters interacted with the audience, whether they were playing up a joke or running laps around the audience.  Also popular with my kids were Pharaoh Elvis and the fact that Jacob was in a wheelchair, which they thought added a lot of credibility to him being old.  Unfortunately, Jacob was also in an air cast, so I think this was more necessity than creative costume decision, but the kids liked it anyway.  

The set was beautifully done and very well used, and overall we thought the show was great! We had a lot of fun.  If there was a downside, I would say it was some microphone issues, but the crew was displaying the lyrics to each song on large screens that flank the stage, so even if you couldn't hear perfectly, you could still follow the whole story.  We went opening night, though, so I'd imagine they'll have those kinks worked out tonight!! This was definitely the most fun high school performance I've ever been to, and I loved how they utilized the whole school in some way- from the Elementary schoolers up through high school.  Just a heads up, they did open with a prayer and end with an altar call (just so you know it's coming).  It's a story based on the Bible, though, so I don't think that was a shocker for most of the crowd.  

On April 15^th and 16^th , Christ Chapel Academy’s (CCA) Performing Fine Arts Department will put on their rendition of a famous biblical story:  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  The student led play will begin at 7pm each night. 

The biblical story of Joseph is a familiar one to many.  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musicalize the Biblical story of the young man whose brothers are jealous of their father's favoritism toward him and the beautiful coat he receives as a gift. They sell him into slavery in Egypt, telling their father he has been murdered, but he ultimately becomes important to the Pharaoh through his ability to interpret dreams. This bible story is put to 24 catchy songs complete with choreographed dance and song.

The play is produced and directed by CCA Performing Fine Arts Instructor, Harmony Barbour and student directed by CCA Students Michael Carpenter and Bria Alston. 

Tickets are on sale in the main school office and will be sold at the door.  Prices are as follows:

$3 Children |  $5 Adults  | $15 Family (3 students or more)

About Christ Chapel Academy

Christ Chapel Academy is dedicated to unleashing the leadership potential within each student.  Academically rigorous programs, a vibrant christ-centered community, and a unique multicultural learning environment make CCA a great option for parents who want a smaller school but don’t want to sacrifice big opportunities for their student(s). 

To learn more about Christ Chapel Academy, visit www.christchapelacademy.org

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Presents: Circus Xtreme!

On Wednesday night we were fortunate to be able to go check out "Circus Xtreme" at Eagle Bank Arena (formerly the Patriot Center) in Fairfax.  Let me start by saying that Eagle Bank is a fantastic venue.  It's a quick drive, parking is free, and it's not DC.  That is all :) My boys ended up having lacrosse practice, so we brought our friends Stacey and Kyla with us.  These two are in first and second grade, and they really enjoyed the show!






One thing that always impresses me about Ringling Bros shows is the sets and the costuming.  Everything is so well done and thought-out.  It's also always impressive to me how they're able to use lighting and inter-scene skits or dances to make it so you don't even realize they're resetting for the next act.  These performers are so well rehearsed and the crew is so quick and well-oiled that you don't even realize where the new set up came from when the lights shift.  I would say that the way they organize is part of the magic!

As you may or may not have read, this is the last year that Ringling's famous asian elephants will be performing.  The elephants are now all moving down to the conservation center in Florida and will not be touring after this show.  The elephants are beautiful, and I like how they took the time to have their trainer talk about how the behaviors they showcase are part of normal elephant behavior, not things their bodies shouldn't be doing, and about the conservation center.  There were some other animal acts, as well, including camels, horses, tigers, poodles (in fact, an oodle of poodles!), and snakes- but just during a dance scene.

But what I really love about the circus isn't the animal acts, it's the human performers, and the amazing things that they can do! From strong men lifting 500 plus pounds with their teeth to the human cannonball to "circus sky divers" there's a little bit of everything and it all looks incredible! Some of it I'd love to try someday (the sky diving act actually was some kind of bungee cord routine in glow-in-the-dark costumes and while I could never flip like that, it looked really fun!) but there are others that scare the bejeezus out of me, like the high wire.  This is an awful cell phone picture, but it's a four-person stack on top of a tiny rope.  Nope.  Not now, not ever.







The group of guys that trampoline around each other and into a "house" structure was back, and my daughter really loves them.  New this year (I believe) were the biking performers who did jumps and flips and all kinds of craziness on the circus floor.  It was really cool, and I was really glad I didn't bring my sons, because I think they would've made me stay late so they could turn in job applications to try to learn how to do that.  My daughter is already petitioning for a backyard trampoline setup.



You've still got time to check out the circus, visit their website for ordering details and showtimes.  The circus will be at Eagle Bank Arena through April 17th with various showtimes and ticket prices.

Summer Camp at Daytime Playtime 2016

This summer, Daytime Playtime is happy to offer some very unique camps for their students. They have a variety of camps for different age groups. They are offering half-day camps and full day camps. These camps are entertaining, informative and the children will have lots of fun.  Daytime Playtime camps are focused on engaging students to explore, discover, work in teams, imagine and experience in a fun and creative way so they won’t even notice they are learning new skills and facts!  

Daytime Playtime summer camps offer the most flexible schedule you will find in this area. You can choose how many days, what days, AM/PM session, in whichever weeks works for you. 

There is a registration fee of $25

Cost of Summer Camps at DTPT:

5 days a week am or pm sessions:  $185.00 a week.

3 days a week am or pm sessions:  $125.00 a week.

1 day a week/droop in session am or pm: $45.00 a day

Full day camps are available for 5 days a week:  $255.00 a week (Parent must provided Lunch)

Discounts: Daytime Playtime offers a 5% discount for any family enrolling two or more children as well as a 5% discount for enrolling a child for two or more camps. The discount will be applied to the second and consecutive camps.  Please note you must register for all camps at the same time to receive the discount.  No discounts will be giving if enrolling in multiples camps separately.

Referrals: If you refer a friend you will get a $25 credit in your account. 

Outside play: The children will be having outside activities everyday and water will be part of the fun, so please make sure they apply sunscreen before coming to the camp and always bring an extra set of clothes, bottle of water and a towel. All items need to be label with name and last name.

 Come join Daytime Playtime to have a great fun summertime!

Review: Times Tales

More educational supplement reviews!! As we're heading into SOL time here in Virginia, I hope that these reviews will be helpful to all of you, not just homeschoolers! This one is particularly good- The Trigger Memory Co. provided us with the digital version of Times Tales for us to use in our home school, and we have really enjoyed it. I used the product with my 10 year old 4th grader, who already "knew" his times tables and wasn't super interested, but my 8 year old second grader really likes the program and has asked to use it each day.

Times Tales is, admittedly, a little weird at first.  I learned my multiplication tables the old fashioned way- my mom ran through flashcards until I cried, she yelled, and I tried again.  Eventually I got really fast at them, and then the dreaded cards went away, not to be seen or heard from again until my own children needed to learn.  Times tales, however, takes a very different approach.  If you have a learner that doesn't like route memorization or that does better with visual learning, this might be exactly what you've been looking for- whether you need a refresher before testing or you need to teach multiplication from scratch.

Each multiplication fact is told as a story.  In the first CD or digital download, the student is introduced to a cast of characters like Mr. and Mrs. Week (who only go out together).  Once they memorize the characters and confirm they know each one, they are able to move on to learning the "tales" portion.  Here's my daughter explaining a little more:

We've really enjoyed Times Tales for helping Savannah learn her multiplication facts, and we think that it's a great option, especially for kids that have not enjoyed learning facts in more "traditional" ways, or parents who just want to make multiplication fun from the outset! Another thing I really like about this program is that it moves seamlessly from online to offline.  The program includes printable resources that make a lot of sense- they start with the images of the characters your children have learned and then move to math facts with regular numbers, allowing your child to move from the stories to the written math to traditional math easily and without tears.  Additionally, the program is very easy to use- Savannah was able to use this as a supplement to her regular math curriculum without my assistance, which is always nice when you have three learners who need you.  At this point, after being taught how to open and run the program, she can do it entirely independently, although she's quite comfortable with her math facts after only a few hours using Times Tales and doesn't really need it anymore!

You can purchase a digital download of Times Tales for just $19.95 right now, and there's no waiting or shipping because it's instantly delivered to your computer.  If you're a classroom teacher, they also have classroom bundles available that include mini flip charts and a classroom sized flip chart, as well as a CD to print all of the hard-copy reinforcements that I mentioned earlier.  We really liked using Times Tales and think you'll like it, too! It's a little different, but if it's your learning style, it's the perfect way to learn your math facts in a fun way with no tears!

Summer Camps!!!

Golf Camp at DPGolf Academy
Location: Bristow
Days: Monday-Friday throughout the Summer
Times: Select all day (9am-4pm), morning (9am-12pm) or afternoon (1pm-4pm)
Cost: $399 (full day), $210 (mornings), $199 (afternoons)
Ages: 6-12
Description: We use the highly successful U.S. Kids Golf teaching model in our Junior Golf Camps, providing young players with a structured, kid-friendly road map for having fun while learning to play golf. All of our Junior Golf Programs, including Summer Camps, offer 3 levels of learning.
Each level includes instruction and check points in five areas: Putting, Around the Green, Full Swing, Knowledge, and Scoring Your child’s progress is checked and evaluated in a relaxed and fun environment. Each child receives a U.S. Kids Golf Hat. Achievement pins are earned and added to their hat when a skill component is completed.
https://dpgolfacademy.com/broad-run-golf-lessons/junior-lessons/virginia-junior-golf-camps/

Camp at Daytime Playtime
Location: Haymarket
Days: Select 1-5 days all summer long
Times: Select half (AM or PM) or full day camps
Cost: Ranges from $45 (one day drop in) to $255 (all day all week)
Ages: 3 to 5 years
Description: Each week will include a fun theme like "Blooming a Garden" or "Fun with Dr. Suess" or "Children's Book Club".  Parents may select the number of days and whether they would like AM, PM, or all day camp for their child.
http://www.daytimeplaytime.com/summercamp.html

Camp at Showcase Dance Studio (Younger kids)
Location: Manassas
Days: 1 Day Mix and Match Classes July 11-August 3
Times: Vary by class
Cost: $10 per class or bundle 12 for $110
Ages: 4 and up
Description: Pick from fun, themed, half hour classes including Pom Pom, Hoppin to the Beat, Tappin Beach Party, Be My Ballerina and Jazzy Jungle
http://www.showcasedancestudio.net/

Camp at Showcase Dance Studio (Older Kids)
Location: Manassas
Days: Select the days/intensives that work for you
Times: Vary by class
Cost: Vary by class
Ages: 7 and up
Description: Pick from jazz intensives, master classes, stay strong classes, and more to keep your dancer in tip-top shape this summer
http://www.showcasedancestudio.net/

Music Camp at Bach to Rock
Location: Bristow
Days: Mon-Fri throughout June, July, and August

Times: 9am-5pm
Cost: Prices range from $80-$400 depending on full/half day and number of days camp is
Ages:4 and up

Description: Become a rock star for the week at one of our spring break music camps here at Bach to Rock in Bristow. Choose between Glee (Vocal), Rock Band (Instrumental), or Recording arts camps! Students will be split into groups and instructed on how to sing/play the instrument of their choosing. They will come together to create a band name, design t-shirts, and record a cd together in our state-of-the-art studio. The bands will come together to put on a special performance at the end of the week! Choose half day or full day options! Read more about pricing and details / Enroll online at https://bristow.b2rmusic.com/ .

Golf Camp at General's Ridge
Location: Manassas
Days: Monday-Friday June 27-July 1 OR July 18-22 OR August 15-19
Times: Choose Full or Half Day (9am-12pm or 9am-4pm includes lunch)
Cost: $149 (half) or $249 (full)
Ages: 6-17
Description: http://www.generalsridge.com/store

Camps at Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center
Location: Manassas
Days: Monday-Friday throughout June, July, and August
Times: Choose full or half day camp options starting as early as 6:30am
Cost: Prices range based on selected camp and length
Ages:5.5-15 years old
Description

Visit http://www.freedom-center.com/camps/summer-camps/ to register or for more details.

Edgemoor Art Studio Camps
Location: Lake Ridge
Days: Monday-Friday throughout the summer (choose your week)
Times: Ages 3-6 from 9am-12pm, ages 7 and up from 1pm-4pm
Cost: $195 including all materials and a snack
Ages: ages 3 and up
Description: http://www.edgemoorartstudio.com/CAMPS.html

Adventure Links at Hemlock Overlook
Location: Clifton, VA with Pick-Up Locations in Manassas, Gainesville, Centreville and many more.
Days: Monday-Friday for Day and Residential Camp, Sunday-Saturday for Expeditions
Times: 8AM to 5PM
Cost: $495-$1995
Ages: 7-17
Description: Adventure Links at Hemlock Overlook has been providing summer camps in Northern Virginia since 1997. We offer adventure-based day camps, residential camps and traveling expeditions for rising 2nd - 12th graders. Our activities include canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, caving, outdoor living skills, sailing, mountain biking, and many others. Our summer camps focus on challenging campers, creating lifelong bonds, and playing with purpose.

Check out our camp schedule and website! For more information, contact us at summer@adventurelinks.net or (571)281-3556.  

Chip Rohr Soccer Camp

Location: Linton Hall School campus, Bristow, VA

Days: Mon-Fri, July 18-22, July25-29, Aug. 1-5, Aug 8-12

Times: 9 AM-4 PM

Cost: $195 per child per week. Discounts for multiple children or multiple weeks

Ages: 6-13

Description: Soccer fun for kids! A Day Soccer Camp for boys and girls with emphasis on kids having fun through age-appropriate soccer activities and games. A day at camp includes morning skill & tactical activities, lunch break, daily swim period, soccer videos, indoor and outdoor small-sided games, popsicle break!   www.chiprohrsoccer.com

Fun Community Event at Pattie Elementary 2016

We are excited to announce the NEW event Heroes, Helpers & Hotdogs and it's open to the entire community.

The event will showcase many Heroes and Helpers with a "touch a truck" area, live demonstrations, and many interactive booths and activities. In addition, there will be hotdog lunches for sale, as well as concessions and snow cones. There is a $5 suggested donation upon entry.

"Touch a Truck Vehicles"
Prince William County SWAT Truck and Motorcycle
Prince William County Sheriff Cruiser
New Virginia Tractor
Leesylvania Ranger Force Vehicle
Dumfries Police Department
DB's Plumbing and Drain Truck
Waggy's Towing Tow Trucks

Activities
Obstacle Course – Make your way through a military style obstacle course

Prestige Martial Arts -See if you can break a board!

Photo Booth – Take a picture with or as your favorite hero!

Wounded Warriors Service Project – Draw a picture or write a letter to Wounded Warriors at Fort Belvoir

National Museum of the Marine Corp Teaching Trunk – Try on uniforms from the Colonial Era


Interactive Information Booths
Semper K9 - Find out how these dogs are helping our Heroes!

FEMA - Learn about the power of water and floods with the FEMA watertable

Prince William Public Health Department - Help keep up us Healthy

Potomac Pediatric Dentistry - Dentists help keep our teeth clean and healthy

Montclair Community Library - Information on our New Community Library

Montclair Lion's Club - Audio and Vision tests will be available

Leesylvania State Park - Learn about the park and talk with a ranger

Prince William Forest - Speak with a Park Ranger and learn about this local National Park

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - Information on NetSmartz, 411 and Child KidSmartz

Animated Child - check out these childcare helpers and teachers

US Coast Guard - learn how the Coast Guard protects our ports

NextCare Urgent Care - Doctors and Nurses are Helpers when we get hurt or sick.

Check back here or the website site often for information on confirmed vehicles and organizations and the latest schedule of events.

http://www.pattieptco.org/heroes-helpers-and-hot-dogs/