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Rusty and Rosy Learn with Me®
The Co-op welcomes constructive comments that will help other homeschooling parents decide whether to add Rusty & Rosy to their home school curriculum. If you have used Rusty & Rosy and would like to contribute a testimonial, please click here.
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 My high expectations of the software have been roundly exceeded. Rusty and Rosy is wonderfully stimulating and entertaining for the kids. It makes learning fun. My 5-year old daughter has been loving it for many months now. Her reading skills have improved tremendously in the space of a few weeks . It can highly recommend it.”Guido S.-T. (Switzerland), Co-op Member
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| I love Rusty and Rosy! It has totally lightened my load. I have a Pre-K, 1st and 3rd grader. The program exceeds all grade standards. It is very interactive, assesses proficency and repeats material when it is necessary. I haven't seen a program on the market that does what this program does and does it to such a high standard. I even had my 3rd grader work with it for a couple of months and it really helped to shore up his math. He still does the typing program which is a great added bonus. My kids love it! No more temper tantrums about school work time. This program has allowed me to work on each kids problem areas instead of just trying to cover all the basics. I highly recommend this program to anyone with children in these grade levels. At the least it will reaffirm what you are teaching and at the greatest will cover material you yourself did not know! This program has worked for each of my different learning styled children and I will continue to use it till each child has passed the 2nd grade level. It is well worth the money! I have told many other homeschool moms about this because it truely is great!” Freda Thomas, Co-op Member
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| I bought the Rusty & Rosy program for my 4 yr. old. He so wanted to do school with his big brothers so I went in search of something for him to do that was fun and that he could do while his older brothers were doing school. He LOVES this program. He feels so grown up that he's doing school with his brothers and I love that he can do it without much teacher involvement. He begs me to do his Rusty & Rosy all the time! I think that the program is very well designed. My son is learning while having fun in a relaxed environment. This is great! I highly recommend this product!” Beth W., Co-op Member
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| MY DAUGHTER LOVES RUSTY AND ROSY. It's so nice to have a child that ASKS to do their lessons. Over the first few months, we logged in lots of hours of lesson time, because she was getting on the computer in the evenings and on the weekends. Now she has discovered the "free play" option, so the number of lesson hours has decreased, but the learning continues. (I set the settings so that she has to finish lessons first before assessing free play.) My daughter has fine motor and visual spatial challenges. Some of the games are really too fast for her, but I've helped her along and I can see where she is improving in those areas. Some of the games have gotten easier for her, as she has gone along. There seems to be a nice mix of visual and auditory tasks which I believe has helped her visual challenges, in particular. Plus I feel much better about what she is doing this year since it is a full math/reading/science curriculum. She is involved with her siblings read aloud times, art projects, and science experiments. I sometimes use flash cards and manipulatives to reinforce concepts from Rusty and Rosy that I feel she needs reinforcing. Other than that Rusty and Rosy provides the bulk of her curriculum this year. The folks at Waterford have been helpful when I've had a problem and provided me with the lesson plans in reading so that I would know what lessons were coming next. I sometimes wish that you could skip ahead in certain lessons (you can't) but I definitely want to continue Rusty and Rosy next year, or until we get through the 2nd grade level. I hope purchasing additional months will be a Co-op option this fall.” Vicki, Co-op Member
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| We first purchased Rusty & Rosy 6 months ago when my son was 6 and daughter just turned 4. Both kids often ask to do Rusty & Rosy over all the many other educational online programs we have purchased in the past. Warning: Once your kids get on, they will want to do more. At least, that's the way it is with my kids.” Linda, Co-op Member
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| I have put my 6 yr old son in the program and I think it is absolutely great. He was weak in his math and that has definitely picked up and it is all done in such a fun way. I am definitely planning to put his little brother in it when he turns 4 or 5.” Jeanette, Co-op Member
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I purchased Rusty and Rosy for my Kindergartner. This is my first school year teaching two children, and I was feeling like I wasn't giving my youngest the education he deserved. He loves Rusty and Rosy! And I love it because it is teaching him in a fun, interactive way. While I'm getting much better at working with him regularly, we still continue with Rusty and Rosy a few times a week.
I like that I was able to bump him up to a harder level when I realized that the very beginning was a little too easy for him. It was teaching letter sounds, but he had already started to read. I like that there is a parental manager page where I can track progress and make changes in how long I want each session to last for him. I like that there is the option of free play. You can set how many minutes your child works on new material before they have access to free play. Some of the games and songs are so fun that he wants to do them again! After he does his new lessons he usually goes to the free play area and ends up reviewing the material over and over...all the while thinking he's just playing!
I LOVE what Rusty and Rosy teaches! And I love how they do it. Very interactive and fun! There are silly songs, engaging visuals, funny characters, and real education! For example, yesterday he was introduced to syllables...something I hadn't even gotten around to teaching him yet. And it was presented in a fun, understandable way. He got it with a smile! I fully expect that as I continue to teach him, I will continue to hear, "I already learned that on Rusty and Rosy!"
My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that you need to have external speakers with a volume control because there is no way to change the volume of your computer's internal speakers once the program is running. Since the Rusty and Rosy hard drive uses two USB ports, I didn't have enough open USB ports on my laptop for my speakers. A USB hub solved that problem.
I had some minor problems with my computer and Rusty and Rosy not working properly in the beginning, and I contacted their customer service. They contacted me immediately, and I have to say their customer service is top-notch! Everything works great now!
I plan on renewing my subscription when it's time. This is a program that we will continue to use!”Michelle, Co-op Member
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I have a 4 yr old son who loves this program. Pros: Fun and easy to use. He seems to be picking up on things quickly. I like the print outs to get them to write their numbers and letters. Cons: Can't click on the screen as soon as he knows the answer has to wait until the sentence ends. A lot of repetition he gets annoyed with that.
I will keep using it and use it for my daughter soon. You have to sit by them or at least near by to watch to make sure they don't just skip ahead without doing the work. I feel this is an overall good program.”Samantha S., Co-op Member
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| I had a lot of ideas and did a lot of research on teaching methods before I ever had children. All that went out the door when my oldest was ready to be formal schooled. It didn't matter what I did it was always in one ear and out the other except with things on the computer. If it was on the computer he absorbed it like a sponge. Then I was out to find the cheapest and best curriculum that can be done on a computer. Nearly all tools used games to quiz kids on skills rather than teaching them the skills and were usually only one subject and grade. I found a few that taught well but were saturated with religion which was not something I wanted in their homeschool curriculum. Rusty and Rosy effectively taught English, math and science. It was difficult for me to find anything that even included any science. The other thing that was hard for me to find was a curriculum that teaches children who've had a hard time with the very first things you learn such as memorizing numbers and letters as well as shapes and colors. Rusty and Rosy worked for my child even though he struggled with education entirely and was at the level of a child who has never been exposed to anything in any subject before. It also teaches the children how to use the computer and can be done with out any supervision. Rusty and Rosy left politics out, no religion or evolution and completely omits the subject of history which can be left up to the parent(s) to teach if they choose to. At first I thought the product was costly and I struggled to pay for it but now I know it is well worth the money. I got the subscription and it can only be used effectively with it in my opinion. My oldest can now read, add, and amazes everyone with his knowledge of animals and weather. I'm definitely using this program with my younger two children and I'm confident that it will thoroughly teach them the basics up to second grade. This program is so easy to use and works so well that I've been surprised at how little is out there about this product. I highly recommend it to other homeschoolers.” Sheena Armstrong, Co-op Member
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| This program is really wonderful. I used it with my son for first grade. He really enjoyed the program and loved the songs. It is a complete and full curriculum. Best of all, the typing was fun, even my second grader enjoyed it.” Holly F, Co-op Member
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I, and my five year old little boy, LOVE Rusty and Rosy!!! I find myself standing over his shoulder while he is doing his lessons just to see what cool thing comes next! Not to mention the incentive he has to finish and get to do "free play"! He started Rusty and Rosy when he had just turned four. At that time, he recognized maybe two to three letters. After about a month of lessons, he knew over half of the alphabet AND how baby chickens developed in their eggs, hatched, and grew to be big chickens! He loves to work on the computer, so this product fit right in our schedule.
I love the fact that I can go online and track his progress. I am definitely going to continue using Rusty and Rosy in my son's school curriculum for many more years!
Thanks for such a great product!”Lisa Davis, Co-op Member
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| Of all the products and programs that I have invested in for my children, the Rusty and Rosy program has been the best. My children love it and so do I.” Mr Dan, Co-op Member
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| My two boys just love Rusty and Rosy, I originally bought it for my 4 year old, but my 7 year old also begs to go on it! I actually have to tell my 4 year old that he is done with it for the day, he would stay on it for hours if I let him. Most importantly he is learning, it teaches him things that I cannot, he loves all the songs, he is learning to read and it does an excellent job of teaching typing for my 2nd grader. I think since it is on the computer, they feel it is a game, so they don't even realize its school work! Thanks so much for offering such a great well rounded program. I will continue to use it and have told many others about it!” Shanyn Aldridge, Co-op Member
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Our family bought R & R 4 years ago after checking it out at a convention. Our 2 boys, at the time, enjoyed the many amazing educational songs, lessons and games it served up & I loved knowing that "computer time" no longer made me feel guilty. We have had some technical problems, such as number key pad issues when using a lap top & not enough freedom to skip over tutorials that are,at times, too basic. Support from Waterford has been great! I called to check out receiving a lifetime membership/access to the server for our newest 2 kids and it was going to run us around $400! (which is to say that this offer from the Co-op is awesome & shouldn't be passed up if you are thinking about R&R)
PS I think their age range is a bit generous. My boys were done with R&R before 8 but it is fab for between 4-7.”T. Macaulay, Co-op Member
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| My five year old son used Rusty and Rosy through an upstart program through our state for the last year. One day I noticed he was reading. I had not taught him. It was all from the program, which is GREAT! It is so interactive and creative and fun. He used it for about 15 minutes a day and somedays for over an hour because he was having fun on it. I bought the program now to use for my three year old because we moved out of the country and I want her to learn to read from it as well. It's the best program I've ever used for teaching children. The tech. support is also great if there are any computer issues.” Tami Taylor, Co-op Member
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I am careful that my four-year-old daughter doesn't have too much screen time, but I also want to teach her a more independent method of learning. Rusty and Rosy fits this perfectly! A little bit of screen time goes a long way in teaching her. Within 3 hours of screen time she had her alphabet and numbers up to 20 (I had only taught her the alphabet and 1-10).
I asked her if she would recommend this to others. I got an enthusiastic "YES!!"
I will add that the best part of this to me is the parents' screen. I can log in from any computer and see how she's doing, what areas we need to work on, and where her strengths are. Trying doing that with a book!”F Thomas, Co-op Member
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| I think Rusty and Rosy is an excellent program. It is wonderful that it teaches your child to read, learn math, and even includes science. It gives you several years of learning. This is what appealed to me the most when buying the product as well as the catchy songs. My daughter has done well with the program. She has mixed feelings about the program. At times she loves it, but then there are times she gets frustrated. I believe those frustrating times are when there is too much repetition, and she doesn't want to do the same thing again. You can test your child to place him/her. I had to do so twice because my daughter was progressing faster on her own. I would like to do the same for math but I'm afraid she might miss some aspects as well as some science as the science is linked to the math. That is the only negative thing about the program is that you can't choose where to place your child and go back to certain lessons or skip ahead if too easy. It is a very thorough program with fun graphics, songs, and variety. My daughter loves the apple song, and loves watching the chick crack out of its shell and grow. It's great that after they have accomplished certain parts they have the opportunity to go back and play or listen to the songs again. She also loves reading the stories through the microphone and saying things in silly ways, then listening back to what she has said. All in all this is a great, fun, and educational program that gives results, and worth the price, especially if you have several children who will eventually be using it too.” Andrea C, Co-op Member
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| I have my 3, 6, and 8 year-old using Rusty and Rosy and we love it. They wake each morning, and the first one up, dressed, bed made, and breakfast is the first to be on "school with Rusty and Rosy" Songs, letters, numbers, and even our 3 year-old beginning to spell now, has made it very worthwhile. I would recommend it to anyone with pre-k to 2nd grade children! Thanks again!” Kitty Still, Co-op Member
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| I am using Rusty and Rosy with my two children K and 2nd. They both use it for 2 hours a day. It has been wonderful. We use it as a stand alone program, only adding extra reading for my 2nd grader. I do sit with my K to keep him focused but that is just his personality. My 2nd grader just LOVES that she can do school all by herself like her older siblings. The lessons are great, the songs and animations are good. The science is interesting with "online" experiments like hatching an egg and raising the chick. It has made our homeschooling fun again. I would recommend even though it seems a bit pricey up front. I plan to use it for my youngest also once he is about 3-4 years old.” Hilary S., Co-op Member
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| We are using the Rusty and Rosy program with our special needs daughter who is 8, and it has been a good fit for her. She is asking to do school every day and even sometimes we will let her do a morning session and afternoon session. I think it is one of the top programs out there. I plan on using it for a long time as we have 2 other children with special needs. I have told others about this program and they are excited about it - therapists and teachers. I had some questions about the program and the company is wanting me to continue emailing them as things come up - there were some changes I thought would be good, like no music when the person reads the book to the child - the music can overpower the reading. There were also things in the record keeping that I wanted to have more control of - more detail. This program was not designed for special needs but they were happy to see it was working for us. We also have been able to use our touch screen with their program.” Rox, Co-op Member
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