Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ray's Arithmetic - A Review

Ray's Arithmetic

Product: Ray's Arithmetic CD

Price: $59 (Free shipping for limited time) - 30 day guarantee

Company: Dollar Homeschool's Ecletic Education Series

Where to Purchase: Dollar Homeschool


Other Products Available:
Eclectic Education Series Set - $159
Or separately
McGuffey's Readers and EES Grammar - $39
Ray's Arithmetic - $59
Science - $39
History - $39

Brief Introduction -
Ray's Arithmetic was devolped in the 1800's. It is a complete K-12 math curriculum, beginning with primary counting and continuing through calculus. Dollar Homeschool has put all the books onto one CD in a pdf format.

In-Depth Look:
Ray's Arithmetic was used widely in schools in the 1800s and early 1900s. His aim based on the preface in one of his books was "to combine the clear explanatory methods of the French mathematicians with the practical exercises of the English and German, so that the pupil should acquire both a practical and theoretical knowledge of the subject."

The book series starts at the very beginning, assuming the child knows nothing of math facts. And it builds from there, step by step. It goes all the way to calculus. The series also throws in some "special interest" math such as bookkeeping and astronomy.

These textbooks build on the principles one at a time. The goal is "Teach one thing at a time and teach it thoroughly. " (p.4 Primary Arithmetic) The books were written during a time when many families didn't have easy access to a school or a teacher. But these were written in such a way that once a student had the basics down, he should be able to self-teach at home.

Dr. Ray emphasized speed and accuracy. To know it and know it well, instant recall. No counting fingers. To quote, "To this end the drills must be thorough, each step being repeated by the pupil until it can be taken without hesitation. No lesson is properly mastered until it can be recited as promptly as familiar lessons in reading and spelling. The primary processes in numbers may thus be mastered in the first two years of the child's school course, and the fact that this is not usually accomplished in even five years, explains the slow progress of pupils in arithmetic." ( p. 16 Manual of Arithmetic)

The manual reminds the teacher that the opposite is also true. Once the child obviously knows the process inside and out, move on. There is no need to do every single problem when your child has mastered the drills. Then it just becomes busy work. And you, as the teacher, are in the best position to decide when it has been enough.

One of the first things you will notice about the book is a whole lot of emphasis on word problems. How many parents have heard their child ask, "Why do I need to do this?" or "When will I ever use this?" With word problems, you see exactly when you will use it. The problems make it more "real", not just a bunch of abstract facts on a page.

I found the word problems very interesting and entertaining. Keep in mind they were written almost 200 hundred years ago. So they are a history lesson in themselves. Lessons on money mention a U.S. currency called the Eagle, which was equal to $10. In measurements, there was a gill; and 4 gills were equal to 1 pint. You get a peek into the life of the 1800s with word problems such as this one -

A provision dealer bought a number of ducks, at the rate of 6 for $1; and twice as many chickens at the rate of 8 for $1; by selling them at the rate of 2 chickens and 1 duck for $1/2, he gained $2 1/2: how many of each did he buy? p.138 Ray's New Intellectual Arithmetic

Other things I found humorous where the mention of things that would be considered "taboo" in today's word problems. But these things were just a normal accepted part of life then. Here are some examples -
A man and his wife can drink a keg of beer in 12 days ; when the man is away, it lasts the woman 30 days ;
in what time can the man drink it alone?


A man purchased 8 sheep, at $4 a head; 5 barrels of flour, at $3 a barrel; 4 yards of cloth at $3 a yard; and 5 ounces of opium, at $1 an ounce: how much did he spend?


In addition to the complete math curriculum, the "extra" stuff is a very nice thing to have. For example, the book on astronomy. Selim Peabody wrote this book for Ray's Arithmetic. He geared it towards the high school ages. So he tried to keep it from getting too complicated and included dozens of illustrations. To quote, "Most who study Astronomy desire an accuratge knowledge of facts and principles, but need neither for mental culture nor for practical use such a mastery of methods as should fit them to become even amateur astronomers."



Ray's Arithmetic is available for free as public domain. But you could spend hours searching, finding and combining all of these resources. And you still might not be sure that you have the complete texts.
Dollar Homeschool has done all of the work for you and conveniently placed it on a CD, for you to view and print at your convenience.

The pages have been scanned in as images, not as searchable text. So you can't use the "find" tool and you can't "copy/paste". The quality is very good, except for some of the pictures. The scan makes some of the images a little difficult to make out. For example, a page might have a picture of some birds on the top and then some word problems about the birds. But the picture is so dark, it is hard to make out how many birds are where.

This curriculum is different than the type that our family is used to. So it would take some getting used to. But I think it would be a rewarding experience once your students got the hang of it. This series successfully taught millions of children to do math and to do it well.

The series includes 38 books (12 core textbooks, answer keys, teacher editions, and several books of mathematical pursuits).

To read other crew member reviews, click here.

Disclaimer: I received the Ray's Arithmetic CD free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Factsfirst.com - A Math Review

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Product: FactsFirst

Price: $49.99/year for a home license (up to 4 students)

Company: Saxon Homeschool

Where to Buy: FactsFirst.com

Brief Overview:
FactsFirst is an online math program that helps to build instant recall of basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

In-Depth Look:
Saxon Homeschool's FactsFirst is an online math program. The first step is a Character Creator. Your child gets to customize a self-portrait. My children always love getting to make their own avatar. They frequently change the way their character looks, just for fun.

After creating a character, your child picks which topic to cover:
Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division

Then they begin the lessons. The program recommends the next lesson your student should complete, but you are free to choose any order that you wish. My girls like to choose their own lessons in random order. Each section includes a pre-test, the lessons, and then a post-test. New facts are introduced two at a time. Followed by a review and a quiz.

At the end of each lesson, it tells how many questions were answered correctly and quickly, correctly but slowly, and incorrectly.

After each lesson, the Math Fact Matrix shows an overview of your child's progress. It uses complex algorithms based on things like speed and frequency. My older daughter will redo lessons to challenge herself to get a higher ranking.

There are four rankings on the matrix.
Excellent - Correct & Fast
Good (Sometimes slow or wrong)
Needs work (mostly wrong)
Not sure yet

After completing a lesson, your child is rewarded with arcade time. The games are fun and cute and help give your child a chance to relax before starting the next lesson. They can pick from 5 games or change their character if they like. The games still have an element of math to them, receiving bonus points for answering math questions correctly. The arcade section has a 5 minute timer. (My kids wish it was longer.) Their favorite game is "Find the Difference". They asked me to mention in my review that a "not-so-friendly" looking clown is in one of the "Find the Difference" photos. They were concerned that it might frighten some of the younger children. :)

The lessons use real-world examples to help make the math facts more relevant. The games are entertaining and fun; but at the same time, they are also challenging. The program is colorful and engaging. I was very impressed with the program, as a whole. It is now "officially" my 7 year old's favorite math drill program. My 11 year old declares it her 2nd favorite.

In my opinion, this program is well worth the approximately $5/month, especially when it is valid for up to 4 children. I highly recommend this program.

To read other reviews, click here.

Disclaimer: I received a 90-day membership to factsfirst.com free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Keyboarding for the Christian School (Elementary Version) - A Review

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Product: Keyboarding for the Christian School (Elementary Version)

Price: $12.95

Company: Christian Keyboarding (Leanne Beitel)

Order Information: Christiankeyboarding.com

Other Products are available including -
Keyboarding for the Christian School
Columns 2003 or Columns 2007
Tables 2003 or Tables 2007
Teacher Tools

Brief Overview:
This program is an instant download that teaches typing skills using Biblical-based references for copywork.

In-Depth Look:
I received Keyboarding for the Christian School (6th grade and up) and the Keyboarding for the Christian School Elementary Version (K-5th grade) for the purpose of reviewing. Since my daughters are in 2nd and 5th grade, I chose to work with the Elementary Version.

I took a typing class in junior high, back when we learned typing on a typewriter...not on a personal computer. I remember looking at my book and copying the work onto the typewriter. That is basically what this program is. It isn't an online program with bells and whistles. It is a printable ebook with copywork to teach your child proper keyboarding skills and to give them practice in transferring information from paper to the computer. I think this is a good skill to learn...not only the proper typing technique, but also the ability to type from paper.

The Elementary Version is a cute pdf file, with a little ladybug named Mable as the mascot. Each lesson has a Bible verse at the top, but several are repeats based on the topics being learned. For example, all the lessons about numbers begin with Matthew 10:30 "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

The first section of the program is made up of 2-page lessons that introduce new letters step by step, with a built-in review. For example, Lesson 7 introduces the E and I keys. Then it reviews A, ;, G, H, E, and I. Then there is a short section of typing "real" words using those letters, such as sad, fed, and deal.

The next section moves onto symbols and numbers. At the beginning of the book, the words that the children type are random based on the letters that have been introduced. But as all the letters have been introduced, it moves from random words to Christian character builders such as "So is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Not all keyboards have a number pad, such as the laptop that I am using right now. But many pc keyboards, as well as adding machines use number pads. So Christian Keyboarding has several lessons on that.

Once all the keys are mastered, the program moves onto other skills such as
Horizontal and Vertical Centering
Enumerated Lists
Timed Writings

The tasks include typing
How to have a Personal Relationship with God
An assortment of Psalms

An index at the end breaks down all the tasks by page numbers for easy reference.

My 11 year old doesn't enjoy using the program. But she doesn't mind too much and is learning from it. She is able to do the lessons without any assistance.

My 7 year old is also using it and learning from it, but she actually enjoys using it. She thinks it is fun to look at me while typing, to prove to me that she can do it without looking at the keyboard. I do help my 7 year old with her lessons.

The company has some sample pages available on their site.

They also have a special right now.

Need a Coupon to start the year right? Type NewYear5 in the Discount Code section for $5 off of your purchase of $12.95 or more available until February 28, 2010!

2010 NEW YEAR SPECIAL: Purchase both the Keyboarding for the Christian School, Revised Edition and the Elementary Edition for only $22! Yes, this is a big savings! So, purchase your e-books now for only $22 for both typing books!

Christian Keyboarding is offering a special homeschool teaching package, Homeschool Teaching Package which contains the revised version of Keyboarding for the Christian School, Teacher Tools, and lessons Romans Road Enumeration and Columns (2003 and 2007), for a low price of $27. This is a huge savings for you! Just ordering the keyboarding book, teacher tools and the lessons separately is normally $34.85. You get to save $7.85 (over 22%) off our low prices! If you are with a private school, please click on the credit card icon.

If you are interested in the Keyboarding for the Christian School (6th grade and up), you can download the table of contents on this page (it is near the bottom).

I feel that this is a good solid program that will work, while helping your child to keep God's word in their heart.

To see other crew members' reviews, click here.

Disclaimer: I received Keyboarding for the Christian School and the Elementary Version free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Bertie's War - A Review

Product: Bertie's War - A Novel
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Price: $7.99

Author: Barbara Blakely

Publisher: Kregel Publications

Where to Buy:
Kregel's Website


Brief Overview:

From the publisher - Everything has been going wrong for Bertie lately.
No matter how hard she tries to do and say the right thing, Bertie keeps tumbling into embarrassing--and sometimes dangerous--situations. Her stern father has too many rules, her know-it-all sister won't stop teasing her, and her mischievous younger brother keeps getting into trouble. But what makes her really afraid are those Communist missiles pointed right at the U.S. As Bertie starts seventh grade in the fall of 1962, news of these missiles throws the nation into a panic and Bertie suddenly feels completely out of control. Can Bertie confront an ugly truth about herself and face her fears--once and for all?


In-Depth Look:

I received "Bertie's War" to read and review. I wasn't familiar with the author or the publishing company, so I didn't know what to expect. As I love to read Christian novels, I looked forward to reading the book.

"Bertie's War" is written by Barbara Tifft Blakey. Ms. Blakey is the author of Total Language Plus, a literature-based program designed to master language arts skills and develop a Biblical perspective. She is a nationally-known speaker at private schools, Christian ladies' groups, homeschooling conventions and support groups.
"Bertie's War" is her first novel. It is available from Kregel Publications.

Kregel Publications is an evangelical publisher with a mission statement to "develop and distribute with integrity and excellence trusted biblically based resources that lead individuals to know and serve Jesus Christ." They have hundreds of titles available.

"Bertie's War" is set in the fall of 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War. This novel is an historical work of fiction, focusing on many of the details of that time period. The constant news reports about the stand-off with the Communist government of the Soviet Union and the threat of missiles being fired from Cuba were an everyday part of life in 1962. Schools had air-raid drills. Families built bomb shelters and stockpiled supplies, hoping to somehow survive in the event of nuclear fallout. People tried to somehow find a way to carry on with their lives, while living with this ever-present possibility of danger.

It was interesting to read of this time period, because it was the era that my parents grew up in. I never thought much about the fact that this was their way of life for a time. I also find it relevant now. As once again we try to carry on with our normal lives, with the horrific memory of 9/11 in our memories and the threat of terrorism as a new part of our life.

The main character is a young girl named Roberta "Bertie". She is 12 and in the 7th grade. Bertie suffers from immobilizing fears. Fear of the Cuban Missile Crisis, her father, her grandfather, standing up to people when she knows they are wrong, defending people when she knows they are right. She feels that the world and her life are out of control. She lives in fear of something "bad" happening, whether it might be nuclear fall-out or not having her father's approval. To try to maintain order, Bertie is very big on following the rules and when that doesn't work, she uses her imagination to escape to other worlds where she is in control of the situation. To quote Bertie:
"Did everyone sometimes break rules? Was everyone afraid sometimes? Maybe it was a matter of how to deal with fear than not having fear. Rules helped me control my fear; they forced order. But fear ruled me, regardless of the rules I followed."

I found Bertie to be an interesting character. It made me stop and think. Are children more affected by fear than adults are? We, adults, are forced to continue on with our daily lives...in spite of the uncertainty all around us. Life becomes a "new normal". But what about our children? Are they suffering silently, unsure of how to deal with dangers of the world, whether real or just perceived? How has 9/11 and the threat of terrorism affected our youth? Has it shaken their sense of security?

Bertie reminded me of myself in ways. As I also get angry at myself when I let fear rule me. It is a frustrating battle to fear things. But an even more frustrating battle to fear things that you feel you have no control over.

This novel was an interesting read. I found myself eager to continue reading to find out what would happen at different parts in the story. I will admit that there were times that Bertie frustrated me to no end; I wished that I could grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. But remember that she is only 12 and still trying to make sense of herself and her family. She is still trying to define her relationship with God. And she is living in a scary time with many uncertainties.

This book is written for the preteen age group. But I would suggest that you read it first and then decide if it is appropriate for your child. Some of the topics might be difficult for a child of that age to process on their own. It would be a good read-aloud, where you can discuss the issues with your child as you progress through the story.

To read the reviews of my crewmates, click here.

Disclaimer: I received "Bertie's War" free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.




Tuesday, January 12, 2010

MathScore.com - A Review

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Product: MathScore

Price: $14.95 (1st child). $5.00 (2nd child). $3.95 (Each additional child)

Company: Accurate Learning Systems Corp.

Where to buy: mathscore.com

Brief Overview:
MathScore is an online supplemental math curriculum, developed by MIT graduates. It provides a a great review, to the point of mastery, on many topics geared for students from 2nd grade through Algebra.

In-Depth Look:
As part of the TOS Crew, I received a trial membership to mathscore.com. I set up accounts for my 2nd and 5th grade daughters, so that they could give it a whirl.

MathScore was developed by MIT graduates. It is used in schools and now has a Home Version as well. I reviewed the Home Version. It is geared for 2nd grade through Algebra, but has been successfully used by 1st graders as well.

MathScore is a mastery-based program. It is based on the idea that a student should have complete mastery of the easier skills before attempting the more difficult topics. The first things that your student should do on this site are master copy cat prep and copy cat. The sole goal of these topics is to increase your child's typing speed, without looking at the keyboard. This is very important since the drills are timed. Next should be the fast multiplication, fact division, fast subtraction and fast addition ...again to build up speed and mastery of the basics.

Once your child has mastered the basics, you can begin to use the site as a review of their current math concepts. Whatever topic you are covering in their math textbook, you should be able to find a relative topic on the mathscore site. The topics also offer optional mini-lessons.

Some examples in 2nd grade are
1. Bar graphs
2 Telling Time
3. Making Change
4. Word Problems
5. Missing Terms
6. Counting Squares
Many more

Some examples in 5th grade are
1. Rounding
2. Factoring
3. Long Division
4. Fraction Word Problems
5. Triangle Area
6. Mean, Median, Mode
MANY MORE

As your student begins a new topic, you will see that their rating is a "0". As they progress through the questions, their rating will continue to go up. When it reaches "100", it is assumed that your child has mastered that topic. When the rating reaches "100", fireworks are displayed on the screen.

As they complete the different topics, your children will earn points. The points lead to different "rankings". At 145 points, your child reaches "Trainee". At 1000 points, he reaches "Cadet". At 3000, "Senior Cadet". And so on.

Completing certain topics also awards your child various trophies. For example, completing the copy cat drill will open up a trophy called "Fingers of Fury".

As I mentioned before, the drills are timed. To prove mastery, it is expected that your child should be able to complete the task in the specified time. However, a neat feature is included to help out those who struggle in the speed category. It allows you to pad your child's time, adding X amount of seconds per question.

Your child is rewarded for a job well done. With fireworks for mastery. With rankings for accumulating points. And for trophies for completing certain topics. Another bonus is if you do a well enough job, you can skip levels. This should be a real boost for your child.

At the end of a worksheet, mathscore gives your total correct with a percentage, time spent vs. time left, and a list of the problems that you got wrong (listing both the correct answer and the incorrect answer your child gave). The worksheets increase in difficulty as you progress.

If your child does a good job, they progress to the next level. If they do an exceptional job, they will be given the option of skipping some levels to harder worksheets. If they are having trouble, they will stay on the same level. If they are having a lot of trouble, the program sometimes drops you down to an easier level. So, it helps those who understand the concept not to get bored by moving on more quickly. And it helps those who are struggling not to get frustrated by slowing it back down a little.

In the parent area, you can add a buffer to your child's timer, as I mentioned above. You can also view your child's progress, showing where there might be areas of concern.

Do I think this program can help your child? Absolutely. By using this program in short increments on a regular basis, I think that you will see an improvement in your child's speed and accuracy. It doesn't teach the math skills. But it should serve to reinforce the facts that you have already learned.

I do have a comment about using the program. It may affect just me; in which case, I feel rather silly. But here it goes anyway. The questions for a lot of the topics are lined up in rows down the page. So you enter the answer, tab to the next question, enter the answer, tab to the next question, jump down a line and continue, jump down a line and continue, etc. This requires your eyes to keep jumping from problem to problem, as quickly as possible because of the timer. This caused me to feel sick, like motion sickness. It also tended to make me feel sleepy. The first time my 5th grader used it, she also commented that it made her feel sleepy.

Did my daughters enjoy using the program? Not really. They said that it felt too much like school work. They are used to online math drills that have more of a game feel to them, with lots of color, animation and interaction. Mathscore is a no-frills kind of site: high on the learning and low on the fun. But according to the creator, this is intentional. Some children actually learn better that way. They get easily distracted with all of the colors and noises and "busyness" of other sites. However, that said, I do think it did my children good to use the program. It pushed them to think on their feet, to try to recall facts rather than "figuring out each problem", because they could see the timer running out. And they didn't like to "lose". Speed of recall is an essential part to success in math. They did get excited when they saw the fireworks and were proud of themselves when they received a promotion in rank. So there were some built-in rewards; it just wasn't too the scale that they were used to.

Want to learn more? Want to give it a try with your students and see what they think? Here is the link to a hands-on tutorial. And here is the link to a free trial.

I highly suggest trying it out for free a few weeks. If you see an improvement in your child's speed and accuracy, you will know that you have found a winning tool to use in your homeschool program.

Want to see more reviews? Go here.


Disclaimer: I received an online membership to MathScore.com free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class - Level One - A Review

Product: Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class - Level One

Price: $29.95 (DVD & Book)
1 year 100% Guarantee

Company: Jean Welles Worship Guitar

Where to purchase: www.worshipguitarclass.com

Brief Overview:

Jean Welles offers a DVD/book combo guitar class that you can use in your own home. She offers 4 levels for ages 10 to adult. She also offers a kids' worship class for ages 5 to 9. You can view the first lesson of some of the programs here for free. You can also download the music. There is also a newsletter filled with playing tips.

In-Depth Look:

The lessons are designed for ages 10 and up. It has been used by over 100,000 people, including Jean Welles' own students. Ms. Welles considers teaching the guitar a wonderful gift from God.

The lessons are available on DVD (English and Spanish combined). Volumes 1, 2 and 3 are available in VHS format also. English and Spanish formats of the VHS are available. If you purchase all 4 DVDs you will learn 28 songs, 50+chords and 20+ strumming/finger-picking patterns.

I received and reviewed the Volume One Book and DVD for the Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class. No previous experience is required. By the end of the 7 lessons, you will play 7 worship songs, learn 10 chords, and 6 strumming and finger-picking patterns.

Songs:
1. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
2. My All in All
3. More Precious than Silver
4. Take My Life
5. Lord, I Lift Your Name on High (One of my personal favorite songs)
6. This is the Day
7. I Love You, Lord

Chords:
1. A
2. E7
3. D
4. G
5. C
6. Dsus
7. Em
8. Am
9. A7
10. D9/F#

Strumming/Finger Picking Techniques
1. Straight Strum
2. Thumb Strum
3. Down..Up,Down,Up,Down,Up
4. Thumb Pluck
5. TimiTimi
6. TiaiTiai

The package includes a DVD and a booklet for $24.95. Or you can purchase the DVD, booklet and full-size book for $29.95. I recommend the 2nd package as I found the full-size book to be more user friendly.

I took a few months of guitar lessons as a young child. And I have picked at it here and there over the years, starting from scratch every time...since I'd forgotten all that I'd learned by that time. So I would consider myself a beginner guitar player. Since the guitar is of interest to me, I was curious to try out this program.

The DVD starts out with some basics:
1. The parts of the guitar
2. Tuning the guitar
3. Holding the guitar
4. Reading the chord charts

The DVD is broken into 7 lessons. Each lesson is broken into 2 sections. In Part 1, the instructor quickly covers the chords, strumming techniques and a song. Part 2 is a practice lesson. In this section, the instructor slows it down and walks you through it step by step. I appreciate the practice sessions; it gives me a chance to get a better grasp on the new information. I found Ms. Welles demeanor to be pleasant and encouraging. Her love for God and the guitar shine through in the lessons.

The small booklet gives the bare basics. Simple and straight to the point. It includes the lyrics, chords, strum patterns and alternate basses.

I like the full-size book. It gives me the extra details and instruction that I needed to feel that I really could do this. It includes photos and illustrations, making things easier to visualize.

The lessons in the book re-teach everything that Ms. Welles has covered. So you can watch the lesson, stop the DVD and look it all over again in the book, play the practice lesson on the DVD, and then stop it again and practice out of the book until you feel you have mastered the lesson.

The full-size book has the chords, the strumming patterns, the songs, and the alternate basses. It gives several hints and tips, such as having short nails and relaxing your hands. It offers encouragement, such as Bible verses and reminding us to pray before the lesson and play to the glory of God.

At the end of the book, there is a short lesson on a Left-Hand exercise. A video of it is also posted on jeanwelles.com.

If you are looking for a quick fix or the easy way out, this program might not be for you. It is challenging and it takes time and a lot of practice. But if you are looking for a convenient and cost-effective way to learn the guitar, this might be what you are looking for. You get 7 lessons for $30...7 lessons that you can play over and over again. Didn't quite get that chord? Play it again. Don't remember the thumb-strum? Play it again. Is your only free time for lessons at 6am? The DVD is ready and waiting. Can't find a quiet time until 11pm? Ms. Welles is ready to teach you right then.

I have learned several chords and strumming patterns. I have already made a good deal of progress. It is actually fun to sit there and play along with Ms. Welles. It is very encouraging to be playing a "real song" on the very first lesson. I plan to keep right on going with the lessons and am excited at the thought of being able to play all 7 songs fluently.

Disclaimer: I received the guitar lesson DVD/Book Combo free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.

To see what other crew members had to say, click here.