Review-ACT Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We recently received access to the ACT Mom Online Class by ACT Mom.

This online class contains thirteen hours of video instruction designed to help students increase their ACT scores, and ultimately, receive college scholarships.

In addition to the online portion, students also receive a binder in the mail that contains previous ACT tests in page protectors, and a pouch containing a dry erase marker, an eraser, and post-it notes.

The class is divided into subjects-each devoted to a section on the ACT test itself. There is an English section, a Math section, and a Reading section.

Each subject contains multiple sessions. This gives the student places to stop and allows them to complete the class at their own pace.

In each session, the instructor breaks down the types of questions typically seen on the test, and provides instruction for students.

Multiple quizzes and practice tests are also included to test for understanding.

For our family, we are not QUITE ready to take the ACTs (my daughter is a 9th grader), but I love the idea of being prepared for the test.

I decided to complete much of the course myself, and really learn the ins and outs of the test.

I completed the English, Reading, and Science sections, and I have to say, I was very impressed.

A class like this could be completely boring, but the instructor’s passion is obvious-and contagious. She tells stories, gives real-life examples, and explains the importance of a good ACT score when it comes to college scholarships.

It is clear she knows the test inside and out with the wealth of knowledge she imparts about types of questions, how to remember certain concepts, etc. She also covers test-taking and time management skills.

She is a wonderful teacher and does a great job of explaining concepts in an easy-to-understand way.

I am not sure if I learned much of this information when I was in high school, but if I did, I have definitely forgotten much of the grammar. The English section gave me a great refresher course in commas, semicolons, and more.

I feel like I learned (or re-learned) quite a bit of information, which I can now teach to my kids-a nice bonus!

Both my 9th grader and my 6th grader found the material interesting as well. We watched some of the videos together and had discussions over the quizzes.

I wish this course had been around when I was in school. I took the ACT test twice in high school, and both times missed only three questions in the English and Reading sections combined.

Through this class I realized it was probably the same types of questions I missed both times. If I had taken this class, I probably would have done even better.

Also, I could have really used the math help. I did not receive a decent math education (I literally took Algebra 1 as the last class I needed to graduate college, and probably passed because I lived with a graduate student who had taught the class previously.)

I am the student that marked C on every single math problem both times I took the test, and got 50% on the math section both times. Yikes.

I did complete part of the Math section of this course because I was curious, but it was pretty challenging for me right from the get-go (to no fault of the instructor, just my own deficit.) Knowing some of the strategies I did review though, would have helped me improve my scores when I took the test.

I found this class to be interesting, informative, organized, and very helpful. And, I know the information in this class will be a big benefit to my kids when they prepare for the ACTs.

It’s definitely worth the price tag-especially when you consider just how much money can be earned from scholarships received for a good ACT score.

If you have a student preparing to take the ACT tests, or one that needs to improve their overall score, please visit ACT Mom to learn more about the ACT Mom Online class and what it can do for your family!

You can also visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews.

Book Review-Spy School at Sea

Spy School at Sea was written by Stuart Gibbs, and is book nine in the Spy School series. I would not recommend starting with this book as it is not a stand alone novel, but HIGHLY recommend this series as a whole. It is a family favorite!

Summary: Ben Ripley and the team are back in action-spurred on by a tip that just might lead them to capture Ben’s nemesis Murray Hill.

When they find Murray is scheduled to travel on the world’s largest cruise ship Emperor of the Seas, Ben, Erica, Alexander, Catherine, and Mike pose as a vacationing family-determined to discover Murray’s latest scheme, and capture him in the process. After all, it should be easy. They are all trapped on a cruise ship crossing the ocean. It SHOULD be a piece of cake.

But nothing is as it seems on this “vacation.” The ship is much bigger than expected, with lots of places to hide. And while searching for Murray they find more than a few familiar faces-some more welcome than others. With danger lurking around every corner, will Ben soon find himself lost at sea?

My Thoughts: I have literally been stalking Netgalley waiting for this book to come out, and was so glad to get the chance to review it! The Spy School series is a serious favorite around here-with the kids AND the grown-ups!

I loved this book. I was very happy to see the storyline veer back to the villains from the first seven books as the eighth book had different villains and it wasn’t quite the same.

I read this book aloud to my kids, and paused often to say, “And now who do you think they will run into?” It was so much fun, and it was like we were greeting old friends (even though they were the bad guys.)

There is tons of action, adventure, and comedy in this book, and it is completely entertaining. We loved it, and the ending definitely gave room for a whole new set of adventures to come.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. We own the entire series on Audible, and my kids have listened to the stories countless times (literally, COUNTLESS.)

These books would make a fantastic gift as well (just gave some to my nephew), and this latest book in the series is definitely one of my favorites, although I will admit it’s hard to choose.

I want to thank Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you for not making me wait until the book was released to read it. 🙂

*Please note: This book will be released on August 31, 2021.

Book Review-The Mistletoe Countess

The Mistletoe Countess is a romance novel written by Pepper Basham.

Summary: Gracelynn Ferguson’s carefree days are over. She never planned to marry, but now she’s marrying a stranger in order to save her family from total disgrace.

As the second son, Frederick Percy never imagined he would become the Lord of Havensbrook Hall. But with the sudden death of his brother, everything has changed. With the estate in disrepair, and scandal following his every move, Frederick has agreed to marry a rich heiress-and hopefully in the process try to redeem his own past mistakes.

Can the two of them find a way to love-even when life has thrown them together in such a dramatic twist of fate?

And what is really going on at Havensbrook Hall? What has happened to the estate’s money? And why have there been so many suspicious accidents-is someone trying to hurt Frederick and Gracelynn? Maybe Frederick’s brother’s death wasn’t due to natural causes after all……

My Thoughts: I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the characters a lot. I liked how Gracelynn really changed the atmosphere and relationships with her arrive at Havensbrook Hall. I also really enjoyed the mystery as Frederick and Gracelynn try to piece everything together as to what really happened in the past.

Gracelynn’s character is pretty outrageous (in a fun-to-read way), and reminds me of some of the author Jen Turano’s fun and crazy characters. If you like Jen’s writings, you will probably enjoy this one.

The only thing I didn’t really care for was all of the mentions of sex. It is not detailed or anything, but it is mentioned a lot throughout this book, and I didn’t really think it was necessary, nor is it really my cup of tea.

Otherwise, it is a fun and adventurous book, and I did enjoy it for the most part.

I would like to thank Barbour Publishing, Inc. for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

*Please note: this book will be released on September 1, 2021.

Kid Craft Friday-Perlers

Today I am sharing the August edition of The Girlio’s Perler projects!

So there you have it-another twenty projects!

It is so fun to see all she creates!

Wednesday Words

pin found here