As the mother of a teenaged boy, we have definitely entered the throes of puberty when personal hygiene becomes a daily struggle of wills. I was thankful for the chance to review the Homeschool Special from MarshMedia, which provides streaming videos on various health, hygiene, puberty, and special education topics.
The video format we watched were streaming videos. This is the format available through the Homeschool Special. This allows students to pause the video and watch key points again, if needed. One of the sections under special education topics is social skills. From this section, we watched "I Know How to Act" and "You Are Not Alone." In "I Know How to Act," students discuss social skills: how to greet people, how to be a good listener, how to handle conflicts, and other social skills students will experience. The students gave examples which were followed by directions to pause the video and practice these skills. This is important as it helps students who struggle with social skills to learn by example and practice. The more these students practice social skills strategies, the more natural these skills become for them. In "You Are Not Alone," students along with feature guest Quinn Bradley helped special needs students know that they are not alone. The video reinforced that being different can be difficult but it makes you special. As my son would say, "Being different is what makes me who I am."
In the Puberty category, we watched "A Boy's Guide to Puberty and Personal Safety." While this video goes through the illustrated pictures of a story text, it is important to note that it does contain graphic details and pictures about both the male and female bodies. Some children, like my son, may be embarrassed by such content. They also use "grown-up" terms for body parts. As a single mom, I know that I personally have struggled to broach these topics with my child. However, I would strongly recommend that parents watch this video with your child. This way, you can answer any questions your child has while viewing the video. If you have both boys and girls, I would recommend a separate viewing session for girls and another for the boys with each watching their gender relevant video. "You're Not Little Anymore," does a great job of explaining the importance of personal hygiene and the ways students can take good care of their bodies.
Straight Talk is a series of videos that helps older students understand the truth behind peer pressure and the importance of self-confidence. In the video about peer pressure, students are given examples of situations students may find themselves in and how they can stand up to peer pressure. Peer pressure can lead our children astray, helping them understand that it is okay to be different and not go along with the crowd is essential. In the self-confidence video, students learn how they can have the confidence they need to be productive. It talks about personal goals and what drives students. Knowing these things as well as knowing why we feel a certain way about ourselves can help students to have more confidence in themselves and their abilities.
For additional information about the Homeschool Special and MarshMedia, please visit their Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube pages.
To read additional reviews about MarshMedia, please stop by the Homeschool Review Crew site and peruse the reviews from other crew team members.
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