Take Root and Write

5,000 Year Leap Government Curriculum Review

"There's a new government curriculum that I thought about using instead, but I just decided to stick with the one I've always used. I already have lesson plans to teach it," my friend, Katie shared.

I nodded my head, knowing how hard it is to make lesson plans for your own family and lesson plans for a coop as well. But my sniffer had perked up too.  "Government curriculum?" I asked.

Katie laughed, knowing my love for books and curriculum.

You see, I have a hard time finding a government curriculum that I like. I want something from a Christian perspective that isn't dry and boring. I want something that talks about the Founding Fathers and the dreams they had for our nation. But, I also want something that gives my kids a practical overview of how government works and how they can participate.

Do government textbooks have to be dry? Can they give us the facts and still be interesting. I have found a curriculum that I love. In fact, I enjoyed the book, The 5000 Year Leap so much that I asked my husband to read it. Now I can't get the book back from him. He is planning to teach a class for church using the curriculum. So in the Curtis household, this curriculum has made a hit!

Diana Waring History CDs Review

"A teaching tape? Oh, Mom, I hate listening to teaching tapes. They are so boring," my son moaned when I told him our plan for history.

"You will like this one. . .it's Diana Waring. . .she is funny and enthusiastic. . .and interesting!" I responded, eager to sit down and listen to one of my favorite speakers.

Jimmy did not look like he believed me, but was determined to have a good attitude, avoiding a "talk" with Daddy later.

To his surprise, he loved listening to Diana. 

"She's really cool!" was his assessment.

I discovered Diana Waring at a homeschool convention in the early 1990's, attending her workshop because I am a history buff. She satisfied my desire to learn more about history from a Christ-centered perspective, but she turned out to be one of my favorite speakers. She is so bubbly and enthusiastic in her love for history that you can't help smiling as you listen to her speak, in person or on CD.

Diana agrees with me that history starts at Creation (in 7 Days by our Loving Creator in Heaven) and ends with Jesus' Return. She believes that the Bible is true for all of life, including history. The research she uses to compile her teaching material is from solid historians who trust the Word of God and archeologists who have made discoveries that confirm that the Bible is true.

Diana loves the Lord and expresses wonder at the Sovereign Hand of God in history throughout all time. She not only teaches our family history, but encourages us to love and pursue God.

History Alive!

History Alive! is a complete history curriculum in unit study format. You can use it all or use her teaching CDs to supplement your own history studies. History is shared by Diana in the form of stories on her CDs. She offers What in the World is Going on Here, True Tales, and Digging Deeper series. Her curriculum and CDs are divided up chronologically into 3 time periods: Ancient Civilizations, Medieval to Early Modern, and Modern History. She is working on Modern Times. She offers teacher guides, elementary activity books (K-4), and Student Manuals (5-12) to go along with the CDs.

Timeless Literature

"What should my children do for English class," many homeschool moms ask me.

"Read good books," I reply without hesitation.

"Should they read anthologies or English textbooks?" they continue, amazed that the answer is so simple.

"NO! Just read good literature. It will build vocabulary, teach grammar effortlessly, and improve spelling."

"What should they do for book reports?" homeschool moms continue.

"They don't need to do book reports," I reply.

"What?" they are aghast.

"Just talk about books with your kids," I explain. "You can tell if they understand the book when you talk about it with them.  Ask questions like this....

"Did you like the book?  Why?"

"Who was your favorite character in the book?  Why?"

"Tell me about the story.  Was it exciting or boring?  What made it exciting or boring?"

"Do you think your sister would enjoy this book?  Why or why not?"

So, with all that said, let me make it clear. Literature is homeschooling curriculum. Your children just have to read it. Classic literature is still around because it is timeless. A good story is always a good story, even 2,000 years later. Your children can learn to love to read by reading good stories and talking about them with Mom or Dad. They don't need to answer endless questions or do time-consuming book reports.

Just, let them read! Here are some of our family's favorite classics.

The Intentional Planner Review

 

Sheri Graham is a busy homeschooling mom with a houseful of children. She also runs her own business and writes books. Somewhere in all that hard work, she manages to post a blog each day. I am encouraged and challenged by Sheri and her ministry.

To do all that she does, and to to it all so well, Sheri must be a very organized lady! So, when she sent me her Intentional Planner to review, I was eager to see it. I like to learn from other homeschooling moms who do all things well.

The Intentional Planner is an E-book that you can download the minute you purchase it on Graham Family Ministries online store. You can make as make copies as you need and put together as many planners as you need for your family. Before I tell you any more about it, though, I have to give you some really good news! The Intentional Planner only costs $5.00.  Yes, that's right, only $5.00 for 247 pages of wisdom from Graham Family Ministries. I could not believe that you could spend so little and get so much!

With a desire to combine her planner, calendar, journal, and home management binder into one notebook, Sheri created the Intentional Planner. It is everything you need to manage your home and home school in one neat package. There are fields on the pages available to customize your planner too.

2010 Schoolhouse Planner Review

"The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is finished!" Heidi wrote in her email. Attached was the The Old Schoolhouse magazine's homeschooling and home management planner. This planner has to be the most thorough planner I have ever seen. As always, I was eager to look through this 614 page planner.

The brand new edition is here! Heidi Stawser and Kris Price have done it again. The 2010 Schoolhouse Planner is an administrative delight to those who love organizing and for those who can't stand organization, but know they desperately need it! This contains everything you need to manage your home and school.

Planning sheets, charts, logs, articles, recipes, and more fill the 614 pages in the newest planner from the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Available as an E-book, you can purchase the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse Store for $39.00.

The planner is divided into monthly sections (211 pages). This is followed by calendars (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), monthly calendars, miscellaneous education information (~50 pages), and forms (~300 pages). Like all of TOS's publications, this planner is attractive, easy on the eyes, and pleasant to read through. There is so much neat stuff to read--I found myself completely distracted for hours!

Our Favorite Movies to Supplement USA History Class

"What movie are we watching?" Lance asks before we begin our history coop class.

"Oh, we're not watching a movie today," I reply, shuffling the papers I need to teach about the Great Depression.

"No movie?" Cody overhears, stops what he is doing, and puts in his two cents. "I know a lot of great movies about the Great Depression."

"Me too!" Lance chides, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

Years ago, I started adding movies to our study of history, geography, economics, and government. A good movie can make a time period or place come alive. I gravitate toward older movies because so many of the movies coming out of Hollywood in the last forty years have a strong political bias to them that I don't agree with. But, there are some good exceptions.

We study the historical time period by reading living books, textbooks, and historical fiction. Our studies also include research and writing assignments. We will often make a historical feast to snack on while we watch our history movies. For more ideas on teaching history, see Making History Come Alive!, Making History Come Alive II, and Making History Come Alive III.

Reach for the Stars Young Author's Fiction Workbook Review

One thing that we love in our house is reading good literature! Everyone loves curling up with a good book and, if possible, some homemade cookies and milk. Nothing is more wonderful than a good story. You might call it escapism....we call it growing intellectually.

Now, for all those who love reading a good story, there is a hidden desire to make up a good story. Most will not admit this, but it lurks quietly in the souls of almost all committed readers of fiction. Even young children want to make up their own stories. In fact, I think almost all children who have been exposed to good literature will have a desire, no matter how small, to write their own work of fiction.

I have reviewed a great curriculum for high school students, One Year Novel Adventure, that teaches teens to write their own adventurer novel. But, what about a great curriculum for younger children to write a great story?

Reach for the Stars Young Author's Fiction Workbook by Susan K. Marlow is a new fiction writing curriculum for the younger set. Published by Media Angels, this is another valuable resource for homeschooling families!

Designed specifically for younger children, the text is large, easy-to read. The explanations are clear and easy to understand. But what I appreciated even more was the fun layout of the workbook. Neat illustrations combined with a very attractive layout make the book a delight to thumb through. It was so cute that it could have been void of solid learning material and I still would have wanted to keep it. But such was not the case. It was chock full of wisdom!

Hidden Art of Homemaking Review

"Hidden Art?  What is hidden art?" I wondered as I glanced at the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Book Table. It was the 1980's and I was a college student, majoring in nursing. I didn't want to get married until I was REALLY old...like 30!

But, this book caught my eye. I had already read a few books by Francis Schaeffer, a Christian philosopher and this was his wife. I was curious to find out what she had to say about homemaking because I grew up wanting to be a homemaker when I finally settled down and got married.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer is a book I have read many times since I first bought it in my college days. When I was single, it helped me to make my dorm room a home. In later years, this book inspired me to create a home for my family.

Over the years, I have read many books on homemaking, but this is my favorite! Edith Schaeffer is my heroine. She devoted her life to creating a home to nurture her husband, children, and all the people they ministered to in their chalet in Switzerland. From freshly baked bread to lovely music playing, Edith decorated her house carefully, filling it with art, laughter, beauty, and good books.

Why do I love this book so much? The premise of the book is being an artist, bringing art, creativity, and originality to our homemaking. The book opens with a chapter on the First Artist, the Lord. The book shows how the Lord is an Artist, filling our lives and world with His beauty to communicate that He loves us. We are made in His image, artists who can create too. What joy we can experience as homemakers when we seek to imitate the FIrst Artist by bringing hidden art into all areas of homemaking.

Little Man in the Map Review

"Look at this beautiful picture book!" I gasped as I opened the unexpected package that had arrived from the mailman as we were leaving for homeschool coop.

"C'mon, Mom, we're going to be late. . .Wow! That is beautiful! Where did you get that book? It's amazing!"

We brought it with us, passing it around in the car. I gazed at it intently every time I stopped at a red light. We were are entranced by the pretty artwork.

I was so excited to finally be able to sit down and study each page carefully. It made me feel little a little kid again. I wish I had learned U.S. geography with this book. It made everything so simple!

I wasn't the only one in the family who couldn't wait to sit down and spend time curled up with this book. Little Man in the Map was one of the most popular items with my children that I have reviewed!

And so began our introduction to The Little Man in the Map by E. Andrew Martonyi. This large and lovely picture book is the most creative way I have ever seen to learn the fifty states. Of course, I do love well-written beautifully illustrated picture books. Is there anyone who doesn't love them?

This book is filled with little clues to help you remember the fifty United States of America. Betcha didn't know that there is a state shaped like a chair, another like a cup, and one state is even shaped like a dining room table. But you have to start with the Little Man in the Map.

Secret Code Time Review

I love meeting moms who have raised godly children and who are raising godly children. You see, I want to learn from women who have done it right and have good fruit to show for it. I also love meeting moms who are funny and spunky.

So, for me, reviewing this book was not like other reviews because I got to meet a happy, energetic mom who has run the race and is now enjoying her grandchildren. Her daughter is carrying on the principles her mother lived by and heartily endorsing them.

Secret Cody Time:  Creating an Unbreakable Bond between Parent and Child by Sky McNeill and Paula Stevenson is a book about relationships. This lovely book is not just for homeschooling families. Any parent that wants to forge a close relationship with his/her child will appreciate this book.

Secret Code Time is written by Paula and Sky, a mother/daughter team who believe in the relational principles of Secret Code Time and practice what they preach. Well written and engaging, the book is 142 pages long. Not a long book to get through. You will enjoy all the photographs through the pages of the authors and their family. The book itself looks lovely and would make a great gift for another homeschooling mom for birthday or Christmas.

Eclectic Education Series Review

 
"Bring back the good ole days," I find myself thinking sometimes as I pick up new-fangled, fancy curriculum that seems to have more bells and whistles than meat. But, honestly I had very little idea of where to find that curricula. In fact, I had little idea what these textbooks were actually like. That's all changed now because I got to review the Eclectic Education Series.

The Eclectic Education Series (EES) is a set of textbooks that were used in the latter part of the nineteenth century (1800's). Over 10,000 independent school boards across the nation chose to use these textbooks. Some of these textbooks will sound familiar to you, even after they have been out of use for 100 years:  Ray's Arithmetics and McGuffey's Readers. All of these textbooks emphasize traditional values, patriotism, and the Bible.

My favorite books were the Thalheimer's Histories. In General History, the textbook opens with a discussion of the dispersal at Babel. It was so exciting to see Christ and the Bible honored in all the textbooks! I was so excited to receive the 3 volume set of Oliver Cromwell's speeches and letters. What a blessing! I love original documents and this is a lovely addition to my growing collection!

Good Morals and Gentle Manners was an amazing book. There were two chapters that delighted me: Duties to God from Scriptures and Duties to Man from Scriptures. Wow! That was in a public school textbook? This book gave so much wisdom on forming godly habits based on Scriptural principles. Also discussed were keeping one's word, guarding the heart, and avoiding evil influences. I think every Christian should read this book! It was awesome!

The Manual of Methods was a thorough guide on how to teach students to read, write, spell, and grasp the other subjects. Different methods of teaching were discussed and evaluated. I was impressed.

This collection of twaddle-free textbooks is huge! Here is a listing of ALL the textbooks available for your family. You can do an entire K-12 education using this curricula. Just keep in mind, there are no bells and whistles. Students are written to as if they are intelligent and attentive scholars. Yet, nothing seemed too difficult for children to understand. There are just no frills!

Ray's Arithmetic

• Ray's Primary Arithmetic (95 pages)
• Ray's Intellectual Arithmetic (141 pages)
• Ray's New Elementary Arithmetic (192 pages)
• Ray's Rudimentary Arithmetic (193 pages
• Ray's New Practical Arithmetic (337 pages)
• Ray's New Higher Arithmetic (409 pages)
• Ray's New Elementary Algebra (241 pages)
• Ray's New Higher Algebra 407 pages)
• Ray's Treatise on Geometry and Trigonometry (421 pages)
• Ray's Analytic Geometry (608 pages)
• Ray's Differential and Integral Calculus (442 pages)

Histories

• Thalheimer's Histories (Ancient History, General History, Medieval History, English History, United States History)
• Oliver Cromwell's Histories & Letters (3 Volumes 1,434 pages total)
• Progressive Course in Reading 5 Books (Stories, Studies, Rhymes, Riddles, Information, Literature, Oral Expression)
• Cyclopedia of Social and Commercial Information (737 pages)
• Andrews Constitution
• American Poems
• Rhetorical Reading
• Good Morals and Gentle Manners

Science

• Norton's Elements of Chemistry (331 pages)
• Norton's Elements of Natural Philosophy (468 pages)
• Norton's Elements of Physics (259 pages)
• Norton's Elements of Astronomy (342 pages)
• Ray's Surveying and Navigation (492 pages)
• Complete Book Keeping (161 pages)
• Schuyler's Principles of Logic (169 pages)
• Introduction to Botany (372 pages)
• Nature Study
• First Year Science (505 pages for High School)
• Political Economy (396 pages)
• Simplified Industrial Mechanics (289)
• Guide to Health

McGuffey's Readers Set

• McGuffey's First Eclectic Read & McGuffey's Primer
• McGuffey's Second Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Second Reader
• McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Third Reader
• McGuffey's Fourth Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Fourth Reader
• McGuffey's Fifth Eclectic Reader & McGuffey's Alternative Fifth Reader
• McGuffey's Sixth Eclectic Reader
• McGuffey's New High School Reader
• McGuffey's Word List
• McGuffey's Juvenile Speaker
• McGuffey's Eclectic Speller
• McGuffey's Familiar Animals
• McGuffey's Living Creatures
• Heman's Reader for Female Schools

Grammar Set

• Pinneo's Primary Grammar
• Pinneo's Analytical Grammar
• Pinneo's English Teacher
• Pinneo's Composition
• Pinneo's False Syntax
• Harvey's Elementary Grammar
• Harvey's First Lessons in Grammar
• Harvey's English Grammar

Teacher's Books

• Manual of Methods (261 pages)
• Question Book (165 pages)
• Successful Teaching in Rural Schools (294 pages)

Dollar Homeschool wants to make these classic textbooks available to homeschooling families who would like to use them. You can buy a complete set of curricula available on CD for $159.00. You can also purchase the collections separately on the Dollar Homeschool Website.

Why did the United States of America stop using these textbooks? Well, there was a professor named John Dewey who headed up the Teacher's College of Columbia University. As a humanist, socialist, atheist, and signer of the Humanist Manifesto, Dewey went on a campaign to replace these textbooks with others more in line with the current trend in public education. It would be a fun research project to compare the textbooks offered by Dollar Homeschool with the textbooks in your local public school. Please let me read it if you do!

If you are interested in twaddle-free textbook learning, consider this set of curricula. If you are interested in having a set of historic textbooks on your computer, this would be worth the price. I am so glad to have this wonderful set of books. Thank you, Dollar Homeschool for a big treat!

Lobster Network Review

"Where is Four Musketeers?" Shine asked all of us. "I have looked everywhere."

"Did you look on the literature shelf?" I responded, almost chiding.

"It's not there, Mom. I've been looking for it," Rose backed Shine up.

"The Godfrey's have it," Jimmy announced, looking up from the book he was reading.

"Oh, golly," I fumed. "Did they use the check out list on the computer at the top of the stairs?"

"Sometimes they forget," Rose reminded me.

"There must be a better system to keep track of our stuff and get it back when we need it."

Lobster Network to the rescue! This website was created especially for me and all the people in my life who borrow stuff from me. Not really, but it felt like that when I was sent to the website to review Lobster Network. I was so happy to find this because I spend many hours each week trying to figure out where on earth a book has disappeared to, finally discovering that it is at a friend's house. I have tried keep files on the computer, but then I have to get on that particular computer--hard to do in a household of nine people.

Ideal Curriculum Review

I remember those precious days when I was first starting out with homeschooling. Katie Beth was four years old and I just couldn't wait to begin! I bought Ann Ward's Learning at Home Preschool-Kindergarten and began teaching Katie Beth all kinds of nifty things! We made little shape books, cut pictures out of magazines to make collages, and wrote numbers and letters. What a fun year!

With the children that followed, I never did any kind of formal preschool/kindergarten work. They tagged along with the older ones while we did school. I would give them paper, markers, pencils, books, and math manipulatives to play with and keep their hands busy while I read to the older kids. Somehow, they picked up everything that I so meticulously taught Katie Beth. When they were ready, we began learning to read with Sing, Spell, Read, and Write and started Bob Jones Math 1.

Nineteen years have gone by quickly since Katie Beth started homeschooling with me. Now, she is working on her master's degree and there are only three children left at home. But those days are still so fresh in my mind.

Ideal Curriculum's Month 1 Kit arrived in my email inbox to review. Yes, it arrived via the internet and is packaged in pdf format. The thing I love about E-Curriculum is that it is so easy to store in the computer! No need to make more room on already crowded bookshelves. Although, I adore my over-crowded bookshelves full of treasured, beloved books!

Family Mint Review

Saving money is an elusive goal for many families. Debt reduction is a big deal right now with our country's economic woes. But, at all times, money is a big issue for any family. Often, as parents, we are in the situation of wishing that we had managed our own money better in the past. How we hope that our children will start out in their new homes better than we started in ours. But how do we train our children to be wise, frugal, and generous? 

Family Mint is a free online training tool that aids in teaching children to manage their money wisely. It offers tools to help parents provide guidance for their children to manage money and cultivates the skills needed to do so.

Family Mint is an online system that is high-tech and fun! You, the parent, are the banker. You name your bank, create a profile, and let your kids create their own profiles as well. You determine the interest rates for each account and can set up matching deposits on important savings accounts such as the college fund. The parent/banker also sets up an automatic allowance deposit.

Review of Keyboarding for the Christian School

I remember typing class in seventh grade. We had a big picture of the keyboard in the front of the room, but all the keys on our typewriters were blackened out. This forced us to look up while we typed. That developed a habit that I appreciate today because it allows me to type more quickly and efficiently.

I have often wondered, how on earth do you learn to type on a computer keyboard? Should I blacken the keys and put a big poster on the wall? My husband's disapproval has prevented me from trying this method of teaching my children.

Keyboarding for the Christian School by Leanne Beitel is a back-to-basics curriculum. It's nothing fancy; no bells and whistles. I like it!

This 107 page e-book contains 42 lessons that take you from the basics to formatting, footnotes, and addressing envelopes. The first 20 lessons help the student learn the location of the letters. Then the students become proficient at typing numbers. Here is a list of all the lessons.

Review of The Zion Covenant Series

"Are you going to turn out the light, Honey?" my husband barely murmured, while covering his head with a pillow.

"Just one more paragraph," I replied, not taking my eyes off the page I was reading.

"Honey, this is the third night in a row. Are you ever going to sleep again?"

I did not reply because I was too busy reading book 7 of The Zion Covenant series. I had given up cooking dinner, washing the dishes, and checking my facebook. I rationalized it by telling myself that I was just giving my daughters the opportunity to learn homemaking skills. Really, all I wanted to do was read these books.

The Zion Covenant is a series of books set during the time of Hitler's Nazi Germany and World War II. This set of nine books has captured my attention. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I love the authors, Bodie and Brock Thoene.

A big history buff, I appreciated the historical accuracy. My mother, born in 1837, knew men and women who had personally experienced the horrors of World War II. She was always sharing information with me. Like many others, she wanted to make sure that history will never repeat itself. Facts and anecdotes I already knew about Hitler and World War II came alive for me in a brand new way, breaking my heart in two.

This is an emotional series of books, covering a heart-breaking portion of history. When you read of ships of German Jewish refugees sailing from port to port due to the rejection of nation after nation, including our own, you feel sad. When you read about individuals named Aaron and Rebekah with their five children aboard a refugee ship, you will weep as I did when the ship went down in a hurricane after the United States refused to let the ship ride out the storm in one of its harbors.

Christ-centered, these books tell the story of Christians who were brave, salvations, God's interventions, and miracles in the midst of dark evil. 

Review of America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty

We are studying American History this year. Five families have united to co-op every Tuesday in my living room, kitchen, backyard, and nearby park. We have listened to numerous books, read aloud, shot arrows from bows, worked on time lines, recited famous speeches, and created many hands-on projects. The fascinating thing to me about American History is the deep devotion to God that once lived in the hearts of men and women in this nation. Even those who rejected the Gospel, admitted that God had His hand in the formation of this great nation.

 Once, faith in the Lord led to core values that helped to make our nation great:  personal responsibility, integrity, and love for fellow man. My daddy always said, "You are responsible for your own actions. If everyone jumped off a bridge..." Your daddy probably said the same thing to you. Concern for the welfare of others led to charities and neighbors helping neighbors. People expected their politicians to be men and women of integrity and honor.

There also existed a great love of freedom so strong that people were willing to die to hold on to freedom. There was great pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. George Washington urged unity above political party affiliation. Patriotism, love of freedom, and a desire to move forward to make the world a better place for the next generation all united Americans.

While we cannot go back in time, we can pass on a Godly heritage to our children, reminding them of the providential blessing that has hovered over our nation. We can pass on the same values that led Daniel Boone across the wilderness, Teddy Roosevelt to storm San Juan Hill, and Lincoln to speak at Gettysburg.

The American Heritage Foundation is serious about teaching students the truth about the United States of America and current events. Historically, the United States of America is Modern History's first attempt at self-government. This adventure was bathed in prayer and led by men who feared the Lord and understood biblical principles.

This non-profit organization was formed to teach American history and to promote patriotism in young American lives. Though a non-religious organization, it promotes conservative, family-friendly values. Lesson plans have been created for use in public schools to fill in the gaps in public school history and government classes. Their lesson plans are offered free to homeschoolers too!

Review of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell

"We are just starting out," the young woman informed me with shining eyes. I thought that she was a high school homeschooler with her fresh smile and "girl-next-door" looks.

I smiled to myself as I remembered those days. Was I ever a young mom who didn't need to reach for her reading glasses to check a writing paper or look at the numbers to explain a math problem? How wonderful those early years were when we enjoyed making volcanoes of paper mache and going to the zoo for a field trip.

"I need all the wisdom I can get," my new young friend interrupted my thoughts.

"Well, have I got a book for you!"

Though I have read many books on homeschooling over the past twenty years, this was my first time reading The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell (sent to me by Apologia Press to review).

The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell is an honest look at educating children at home from a mom whose run the race with joy and success! Debra is honest and insightful. She doesn't sugarcoat homeschooling. Debra and her husband, Kermit, have four children who are all homeschool grads. Saved in college, Debra never envisioned herself teaching her children at home. However, she saw good fruit in the lives of home educated children in her church. This led her to pursue homeschooling for her own family.

Debra homeschooled her children and built friendships with other homeschooling families. She mentions the support group, co-op, and home educator friends in her book over and over. As she speaks about her family, you can tell that she values relationships. Her life, and the lives of her children, have been changed in these relationships.

Review of Young Minds Math Tutor DVD

I was excited to get another product from Math Tutor DVDs. Last year, I reviewed The Algebra II Tutor and The Basic Math Word Problem Tutor DVDs and loved them. Jason is one of my favorite math teachers because of his easy-to-understand style. I wish he could be part of our homeschool co-op and teach my children higher level math. Of course, Jason lives in another state. So joining our co-op is not a possibility. But, Jason can come visit your home school through his DVDs.

Math Tutor DVD is a company devoted to ridding the world of math-challenged students by turning them into successful math students. To this end, they have DVDs to watch and online courses to take! The teacher is Jason, who has a masters degree in engineering and physics, formally worked at NASA, and is a great math instructor!

Why is mathematics so important for your homeschool student? Well, a daily lesson of math is like a workout for the brain. The way our brains process information when completing math problems and equations trains our minds to think clearly, sequentially, and logically. Success in math will overlap into other subjects, producing confidence and competence in areas as diverse as logic, foreign language, economics, reading, writing, music, art, science, and history. 

Review of Celebrating High School by Cheryl Bastian

"How about if I just make the brochure and you just relax? I edited your course descriptions too. Could you check them and see what you think?" Cheryl asked me over the phone. We were talking about an upcoming conference that we were both speaking at. My Daddy had just died, so Cheryl took over the bulk of the administrative details. What a blessing she was and is in my life.

It was at that time that I learned just how truly remarkable and administrative Cheryl is. I should have realized it before, seeing that she started a homeschool group and led it for nine years, while she was busy homeschooling and having lots of babies (6 total!). The longer I know Cheryl, the more I appreciate her many gifts and talents.

We speak together about homeschooling high school  and I am always so thankful that she is there to answer all the administrative questions, not my greatest strength! Just how do you keep up with transcripts, SATs, visiting colleges, applying for colleges, and applying for Bright Futures and other scholarships? I thought that I was organized with all the high school stuff until I met Cheryl. She definitely has her homeschooling high school act together and she has written a book to help you do the same thing.

Exploracise Gymathtics

"Is this an exercise video? Is this a math video?" I wondered aloud when Exploramania Gymathtics arrived in the mail to be reviewed.

The answer to my question is YES! It is an exercise video and it is a math video.

What a fun, colorful, exciting video to watch! Our hostess, exercise leader, and math teacher is energetic and upbeat. She reminds me of my spinning teacher at the Y. Her name is Carrie and she is the creator of Exploramania. The exercise video is a high-energy aerobic workout with a twist. The twist is that you are always doing math while you move and sweat.

"Isn't exercise fun?" perky Carrie asks throughout the 30 minute workout.

"Yes, Carrie," I have to agree. "This is fun!"

Exploracise Gymathtics is a 30 minute exercise DVD. It is also a 30 minute math DVD. Let me explain. Carrie, an energetic mom, wanted to provide something educational for her high energy children. Would there be a way to help her children learn math and be physically active at the same time? I think that Carrie has her answer now because her motherly concern led to the birth of Exploramania, a company dedicated to learning in a high-energy, active way.

This brain and body workout promotes healthy living while reminding children of math concepts children need to hold on to so that they can be successful in school.

The workout, like all good workouts, starts with stretches. These stretches, however, are line, circle, and polygon stretches. With your arms, you make parallel lines and intersecting lines while you stretch. There is a side portion on the screen showing you parallel and intersecting lines, the way you would see them in a math book.

Review of Zeezok Publishing's Stephen Foster and His Little Dog, Tray

Growing up in Florida, I learned to sing "Way Down Upon the Swanee River," a Stephen Foster composition. As a piano student, I played "Camp-town Races" and "Oh,Susanna" in recitals, more songs from this famous composer. Stephen Foster composed American Folk Songs that reveal the flavor of the times he lived in. Listening to his music is part of USA history class in our homeschool, because it genuinely expresses the style and culture of Early America. Times have certainly changed and music has changed along with those times, but for those of us who enjoy remembering, Stephen Foster is a true American musician.

Originally published by E. P. Dutton Co., Inc in 1941, Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray by Opal Wheeler and illustrated by Mary Greenwalt is a biography of Stephen Foster with music scores of his most famous works included in the book. The story is lively and engaging, beginning with his birth into a large, slave-owning family in Pennsylvania.

From the very beginning, Stephen loved music! When he was two-years old, he "borrowed" his sister's guitar and plucked a melody. Soon, he was plucking piano keys with lovely results to his family's delight and enjoyment. Stephen's music was profoundly influenced by Negro spirituals sung by the black slaves of America. His songs often adopt the style or melody of a specific spiritual. Because of this, I had always assumed that he was a "Southern Boy," but it turns out he spent most of his life in Pennsylvania!

This biography is easy enough to be read and enjoyed by young children, but interesting and full of enough information that older children will enjoy it too. My first thought: a great family read aloud book! Best of all, the Bible is mentioned, as well as the family's devotion to God!

The study guide, Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray Study Guide by Judy Wilcox, impressed me! This slim book and companion guide was full of great information and divided into four sections. Each section covered a corresponding section of the book with maps, time lines, tidbits of interest, reading comprehension questions, and a focus on character qualities evident in Stephen Foster's life.

I love the time lines!  The time lines at the beginning of every chapter include all the pertinent information in the book about Stephen Foster's life, but also included musical events and composers, as well as United States and world history events of significance. I felt that the choices were perfect.

The time line gave me an idea! You could read the book aloud for a week with your homeschool crew, turning the book into a mini history unit study. There was enough information to study from the time line, plus comprehension questions could easily be turned into writing assignments, and music to listen to from the CD.

It was awesome to see them focus on character traits evidenced in his life. What a wonderful way to challenge our children to grow in godliness! While I didn't feel he was sugarcoated, I did feel that Stephen Foster was presented in a positive light and as a good role model.

I liked the comprehension questions too! They were easy questions and, best of all, the answers were included.

Now, let me tell you about the companion CD. Stephen Foster's music is combined with Edward MacDowell's music on this CD. (Edward MacDowell also has a biography and study guide in the series!) The music on the CD is not Foster's complete works, but only the selections from the biography. Reading the book aloud while stopping to listen to the selections on the CD would make a great way to learn!

The book, Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray by Opal Wheeler, is available on Zeezok's website for $12.95, the study guide, Stephen Foster and His Little Dog Tray Study Guide by Judy Wilcox, is available for $4.95, and the companion CD for $7.95.

There are several more musicians in this series, each with a biography, study guide, and companion CD. Here are the musicians.

• Edward MacDowell
• Franz Schubert
• Frederic Chopin
• George Frederic Handel
• Joseph Haydn
• Ludwig von Beethoven
• Wolfgang Mozart
• Robert Schumann
• Sebastian Bach
• Stephen Foster
• Johannes Brahms

Music is one of my favorite things in the world. History and music history is another favorite thing! This biography series covers both of these wonderful school subjects in a delightful, engaging way!

More than this biography series, there are several other series available too!

• Civil War series (The Guns of Bull Run, The Guns of Shiloh, The Scouts of Stonewall)
• Shining Sword (book and study guide)
• Ancient China To Wall and Beyond
• Presidential Penmanship
• When I'm a Daddy
• When I'm a Mommy

Be sure to check these books out! I enjoyed the opportunity to review this lovely series of musician's biographies. Seriously consider looking into these books. As Christians, music is part of our heritage and a tool we use to worship our heavenly Father.

Review of Bertie's War by Barbara Tifft Blakely

"Where is that book I got in the mail to review?" I asked no one in particular.

No one admitted to taking it, so I began searching through the house. I finally found it next to a cup of hot chocolate and some cookies. It was dog-eared near the end of the book.

I picked the once perfect copy of the book up and examined it closely. There was now a stain on the front cover! The book was worn, that worn look that comes from aggressive reading! What happened to my brand new book? Where was the fresh-off-the-press copy that was neat and clean? What had caused this well-loved look to come over our new book, MY new book!

"Oh, sorry!" Shine admitted sheepishly, walking into the room that I was currently searching, "I borrowed your book and read it!"

My annoyance subsided. After all, how can you get mad at children for reading books?

"Did you like it?" I queried.

"I love it!" she replied with gusto.

Ah, I have a reader to interview for the review. So, here is the opinion of a thirteen year old girl who loves Jesus and reading with all of her heart.

 
Meredith: Shine, you read Bertie's War by Barbara Tifft Blakey. What did you think of the book?

Shine: I really like it!  It was interesting and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. Sorry I borrowed it without asking

Meredith: I forgive you! Who are the main characters in the book?

Shine: Bertie, Aaron (younger brother), Tamara (older sister), and Bertie's parents. They are a Christian family who really love the Lord.

Meredith: Are they a happy family?

Shine: Yes, they seem to be really happy and her parents had rules and made sure their kids obeyed them. These rules came from the Bible. They lived by the Bible. When her siblings do something bad, they go to the woodshed and Bertie doesn't know what happens there because she always tries to be good.

Meredith: What happens in the story?

Shine: Bertie is afraid of everything, especially her father. She doesn't want to disappoint him or disobey him. So, she tries her hardest to always be good so she doesn't disappoint him. She can never stand up to anyone. She is always trying to earn the "nod of approval" from her dad, but when she does try, she always messes everything up. She is also always playing make-believe. All kinds of things happen in Bertie's life! I won't give you all the details. People will have to read the book and find out!

Meredith: How does Bertie change in the book?

Review of Maestro Classics Classical Music CD Stories

Ballet. Classical music. Two loves of my life! How thankful I was when the girls were little and donned their ballet shoes to took lessons. Katie Beth continues to choreograph worship dances for church celebrations that are beautiful. The girls have also enjoyed attending opera and ballet. My son, however, is less interested in classical music and ballet lessons don't seem to be the way to introduce him to classical music.

The Tortoise and the Hare arrived in a small white package to be review and I was blessed. I couldn't wait to investigate the classical music story CD from Maestro Classics.

This CD, The Tortoise and the Hare, comes in a bright cheery cover that immediately gets a positive response from everyone I showed it to, especially young children. The Tortoise and the Hare is a delightful piece of music played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Stephen Simon.

Stephen Simon is a conductor, composer, and expert in the music of George Frederic Handel. He has delighted audiences, young and old alike, for years with his insightful explanations of the music he is conducting during his concerts. His warmth and humor shine through in this CD. I couldn't help but think about how much fun it would be to take the children and their friends to see Stephen Smith conduct an orchestra in our own town!

His wife, Bonnie Ward Simon, is an art director, music educator, and writer. She and her husband, Stephen, have teamed up to bring this wonderful series, Maestro Classics, to children all over the world. Capturing the feel of a live concert, Stephen narrates the story while the music plays in the background for the first twenty minutes of the CD.

Stephen is a good story teller and children will enjoy his rendition of this classic fable from Aesop. This short story has been expanded in an amusing way with a very cute personality given to the tortoise. He is "slow and steady" in all he does with an almost Eeyore personality. The story is set in France with bits of French music thrown in here and there. I only wish the music was a little bit louder compared to the talking. The next track features Bonnie teaching children about the story itself, fables, and other interesting facts. Younger children may be a little lost during this section.

Celebrate the Savior Bible Study Review

"Look at this baby book!" I grabbed Laura's arm and pulled her over to the table with the baby book on display.
Laura, who was gazing at science curriculum, reluctantly allowed herself to be dragged away. We were at the FPEA Homeschool Convention in May, 2008 at the vendors' hall.
"Look! It's a baby book for Jesus! Is that not the cutest thing in the whole world?" I cooed, picking it up and flipping through the pages. "Look, it says "Before Jesus was born, he was creating the world!" and this page says, "Here are the gifts baby received..." And, here is a page about His parents, God and Mary."
By now, Laura was interested. We scanned through the book several times, and, of course, I had to buy the unit study.

Celebrate the Savior by Charlene Notgrass is a Bible Study with history and crafts. There are craft projects and creative writing assignments. The children make two booklets: a Baby Book for Jesus and a Christmas Traditions around the World booklet. With fifteen lessons on the birth and life of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, this book is a great way to teach your children about Christmas!

Charlene and Ray Notgrass have been homeschooling since the 1990's. They have three of their own children and three adopted children. Both Ray and Charlene write curriculum. Check out Ray's history curricula, Exploring America and Exploring World History. With a heart for conservative Christian values and truth, they equip homeschooling families to educate children effectively!

Celebrate the Savior is a unit study that begins with a closer look at the birth of Christ Jesus our Savior revealed in Scripture and progresses into a look at the history of Christmas celebrating and traditions. Bible, history, geography, writing, music, and art are covered in this unit.

Review of Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

"I'm fasting all healthy food," I declared to my family as I popped a bad cholesterol-building cookie in my mouth. "Can someone pick me up some eggnog?"

I know, I know, at my age, 47, healthy food choices are important. Oh, how I wish I had been a healthier eater when I was younger. I knew something about nutrition, but obviously not enough because my heart leans to white chocolate Resee Cups, M & Ms, Moose Tracks Ice Cream, and Whoppers.

Maybe this review isn't about sharing information with you, but learning and cleaning up my own nutritional life.

Nutrition 101:  Choose Life A Family Nutrition and Health Program by Debra Raybern, Sera Johnson, Laura Hopkins, and Karen Hopkins is a 448 page E-book published by Growing Healthy Homes. This book is based on the premise that the "cures" to most of the dreaded diseases (cancer, heart disease, and diabetes) is changing the way we eat. Surely, eating healthy will go a long way in preventing these diseases.

 This book is meant to be worked through together as a family. Neat! The idea of the book is to learn together and CHANGE together! The goal is to become healthy eaters in 448 pages. The authors recommend that the family using this curriculum together...

• Get rid of junk food
• Make a list of healthy food each family member likes
• Each family member eats the healthy foods they do like
• Thank the Lord for each food and involve His help in changing
• Try at least one new thing at each meal
• Find healthy alternatives to those old favorites

The book is divided into 6 units, each unit containing 4 chapters. Every chapter has discussion questions, activities, additional resources, and recipes. One of my favorite things is all the "Fun Facts" scattered throughout each chapter. Here are the units:

• The Brain and Nervous System
• Digestion and Elimination
• Respiratory and Olfactory
• Muscular and Skeletal Systems
• Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
• Endocrine System and Emotions

The best thing about Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is that it is Christ-centered. Scripture is woven into every chapter with application to the subject at hand. I love that! You may want to read Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey.

Amazing Bible World History Timeline Review

A large tubular package arrived and I have to admit I was excited! Was it a painting? Was it a poster for my son's room? Hopefully, it would be a sports poster, if it was a poster. Jimmy loves sports posters.

It turned out to be something better. Now, if you are not a homeschooling mom, you may think I'm crazy because it was a timeline. Yes, better than a painting or poster, a timeline is one of my very favorite teaching tools. I love to use glossy professional timelines and I love to have my children make their own timelines by rolling a roll of newsprint down the center of my house from the front door to the back wall of the family room!

One more timeline? Oh, no, not just one more timeline. This timeline is different than all the others in my house. All my timeline are long, long, long strips of cardstock, often laminated, and sometimes folded up into a large book-like container. The Amazing Bible World History Timeline is a large (36" x 48") and sturdy poster that can be spread out on your table or hung on your wall.

While I do prefer timelines to be laid out straight, the circular effect was neat. And it is wonderful to be able to see everything at once when you are looking at a timeline.

There were some concerns with this particular timeline, though, that I must share. First of all, there are references to the Book of Morman (Church of the Latter-Day Saints) which concerned me. There is even a Latter Day Saints Book of Morman Timeline available. You can get to know more about the publishers of the timeline, Bill and Margaret, on their website page, About Us. They produce two timelines, one for "Latter Day Saints" and a "generic one. Here is their explanation of why there are two different timelines.

Okay, here is my feeling about this timeline. It is lovely to look at and would be helpful to use. However, because of the link to the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, which does not adhere to Orthodox Christian beliefs, I cannot recommend this timeline. If you do want to purchase it for your family, the cost is $29.97 on their website, The Amazing Bible World History Timeline. If you do purchase this timeline, I recommend reading The God Makers: A Shocking Expose of What the Mormon Church Really Believes  by Ed Decker and Dave Hunt.

At this point, I must be wary of the scholarship of the timeline because of the link to the Mormon church.

Dear friends and fellow homeschooling moms, be very careful about the books, curriculum, and materials you purchase and use in your home school. As much as is possible, use Christ-centered, Biblically-based materials that will uphold your beliefs and values. We are in a spiritual battle for the souls and destinies of our children. Everything that looks good on the outside is not necessarily good underneath. I was taken in by this timeline, only to discover that it was not in line with our family's values. Yikes! Another lesson on being careful as I educate my children at home!

"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil," (I Thessalonians 5:21-22 NIV).

With that said, I want to heartily advocate the use of timelines in your homeschool. And, teach your children that the earth is young, about six thousand years old, not millions or billions of years old. I appreciate the scholars we have today that research dates, historical events, and original texts. How blessed we are to live in the days we do. Surely with the all the apostasy and upheaval in our nation, we were born for such a time as this! Lift up your eyes and look to the Lord for wisdom as you prepare your children to be world-changers!

Blessings to each one of you!

Sue Patrick's Workbox System Review

After hoping and praying for a baby for ten years, Sue Patrick recieved a beautiful bundle of joy from her Heavenly Father. Grief was to follow, though, when her son was diagnosed at the age of two with Autism while Sue was working on her master's degree from North Carolina State University and getting ready to give birth to her daughter. She got through her grief as quickly as possible so that she could give herself to raising two little children. While they slept, she spent time researching and making materials and curriculum to use with her son. The result of this time of research and creativity is her Workbox System. It is loosely based on the structured teaching approach advocated by TEACCH (Treatment & Education of Autistic & related Communication-handicapped Children), a division of University of North Carolina's Department of Psychiatry.

While there is no cure for autism, the program Sue created, the Workbox System, has worked for her son. Even with a seemingly insurmountable language disability, he is at grade level academically, participates in group activities, and plays team sports. Sue believes that the research she has done and the resulting home program she has created for him has made all the difference in his life.

God opened the door for Sue to share what she learned with other families who had children with developmental disabilities. Trial and error, continued research, and interacting with more and more families has allowed Sue to improve the Workbox System over the years.

The Workbox System consists of two components: the physical structure and the educational philosophy.

Review of Nature Friend Magazine

"What is this?" my daughter picked up the magazine after scanning the pile of mail that my son had brought in and dumped on the table.

"The pictures are beautiful," Jenny Rose exclaimed, looking over Shine's shoulder as she perfused the magazine.

"Oh, it's Nature Friend magazine," I replied to Shine's original question. We used to get this when you kids were little. I remembered the lovely pictures and the Christ-centered articles.

"I like this," Jimmy said a few minutes later when he finally got a chance to look at the magazine himself. 

With Nature Friend, what is there not to love.

Nature Friend magazine helps families explore the wonders of God's creation with lovely pictures and Christ-centered articles that keep your children's interest. I received the September 2009 issue with lovely photographs on the front and back covers of birds. The issue was filled with beautiful photographs of nature and animals. My favorite was a Roseate Spoonbill in Virginia sent in by a young reader. This large pink bird was feeding on tadpoles in a flooded field by a river. Another reader sent in an interesting story, "My Experience with a Snapping Turtle." I like the way that readers participate in the magazine!  There are letters, drawings, and poems sent in by readers that are featured in each issue of the magazine.

Each issue is filled with articles, fascinating facts about animals, crossword puzzles, a drawing lesson, a hidden objects in the picture page, letters to the editor, Fill-in-the-Blanks, Acrostic puzzle, Research suggestions, and a writing lesson. In the issue I reviewed, there were articles on plant pigments, stars, weaverbirds, walking sticks, taking fall foliage photographs, Pacific golden plover's amazing flight, and wondernose birds. My favorite page in the whole issue was the reader's own creations from the May 2009 lesson on how to draw a dogwood flower. The reader's pictures were lovely and all pink--my favorite color!

Professor in a Box: Financial Accounting Review

"I've decided to go ahead and switch my major from Finance to Accounting," Julianna informed her daddy and me one evening. We had been praying with and for her on this decision for several weeks.

"Well, if you think that's God's will,..." I began.

My husband shot me a look. The look warned me to not share my personal feelings about accounting.

I had mentored a younger Christian girl in college who had majored in accounting. She hated it and I hated accounting for her. She worked faithfully as an accountant for ten years, married to a college professor, eventually pursuing another field. Her experience put a bad taste in my mouth. Not wanting to see my little girl suffer, I had my hesitations. I have since had to adjust my thinking on accounting. While not all people will enjoy accounting, it is not the boring task I once envisioned.

How thankful I am for people who crunch numbers and are good at crunching numbers. Since starting my own business, I see how important accounting is--how it can even make or break a business. My personal philosophy of educating my children includes training them to start and run their own business. So, when Professor in a Box sent me their Financial Accounting Class, I was excited to check it out. However, after looking it over, I decided to take the class myself so that I can grow in the area of managing my own business. Interested?  Let's take a look at this "course in a box."

Michael P. Licata, Ph.D. is the creator of this accounting course, Professor in a Box:  Financial Accounting, for homeschooled high school students. He is an accounting professor at Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. My guess is that he is a popular professor because of his practical teaching style. Everything he taught had practical application with companies that young people can relate to.

Accounting, the language of business, is introduced to the high school student through lectures, homework problems with solutions available, and exams. Taught from a non-traditional approach, there is not a big fat accounting textbook to read. Instead, 12 chapters are divided into 2 or 3  flash lecture slides each. The flash lecture slides include a description of each key concept with discussions of all the important concepts and sample problems with step by step illustrations of how to work them out. The slides are bright and cheerful, easy on the eyes, but very informative and easy to understand. I learned a lot by reading them for this review. They were very impressive.

Review of Sarah's Wish

When Sarah's Wish by Jim Baumgardner arrived to be reviewed, I decided to read the book and found myself immediately involved in Sarah's life and dreams. Emotionally involved, I wanted her to find a family, to help her friends escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and to protect her from the evil slave catchers that made her life miserable. I felt scared with Sarah sometimes and, other times, found myself laughing aloud at her antics.

When I finished the book, I wanted to read more about Sarah, to stay involved in her life. I felt like I had made a new friend. 

Though JIm Baumgardner has been writing for forty years, Sarah's Wish was his first novel. He wrote the book for his grandchildren, hoping to teach them about history, especially about the horrible institution of slavery and the brave Americans involved in the Underground Railroad. Both slaves and conductors had to be very brave to help people escape from bondage into freedom. As I was reading this book, I couldn't help but think of how Christians are like conductors on the Underground Railroad, helping those in bondage to sin escape to freedom, not in Canada, but into the Kingdom of Light. Jesus has an Emancipation Proclamation for all of those in slavery to sin and darkness. His life paid the price for us to be welcomed into the grace and mercy of God forever.

Born and raised right on the Ole Chisholm Trail in Wichita, Kansas, Jim demonstrates his love of history in his books and his life! He volunteers at the Old Cow-town Museum in Wichita. He also visits schools and homeschool groups to teach about the Underground Railroad, cowboys, trail drives, early Wichita history, and writing.

Sarah, our heroine, is a spunky girl living in Ohio in 1858, who loses her mom in an unexpected buggy accident. She fulfills her promise to her dying mother to "deliver the package" to the next station. The "package" refers to a slave couple and the "station" is the next stop on the Underground Railroad. As an orphan, she is forced to rely on God and His people to help her with her grown-up responsibilities as a "conductor." Having lost her father previously, her mother's death makes her an orphan with one wish: to be adopted by a loving family.

Review of Hank the Cow Dog and the Tornado Game

"How do you like the game?" I asked my four volunteers: Maria, Aisha, Christina, and Saxon.

"Saxon is frustrated because he can't get any of his dogs out," Maria answered first.

"Well...." Christina paused. (She is twelve and the game was created for much younger children.)

"I love it!" twenty-two year old Aisha gushed. She is very young at heart.

"It's a lot like Parcheesi," Maria added, "You move around the board and if you land on someone else's spot you send them back, no wait, that's the other game. In Tornado, you just share a spot.

I glanced at the small plastic game board. It was bright, cheerful, and colorful. The little doggie pieces were cute as could be. Thirty minutes later, Saxon, who had by then gotten out onto the board, was enjoying the game immensely. Saxon is nine years old!

Hank the Cow Dog is a lovable mutt that solves all kinds of mysteries with his friend and fellow Cow Dog, Drover. The game, the children were playing was based on Hank and his life. We received a book, Hank the Cow Dog:  The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse by John Erickson, the Tornado game, CD, and audio tape to review.

My son, Jimmy and I both read the book, agreeing that Hank the Cow Dog was hilarious. The book was a little young for Jimmy, age eleven, but we thought his friend, Saxon, age nine, would enjoy it. Neither of us could help laughing aloud at Hank's escapades on the ranch where he lives with his assistant, Drover, Sally May, Loper, Little Alfred, and his nemesis, Pete, the cat.

Hank is always doing something he shouldn't do, whether it's snacking on bacon grease, licking Sally Mae's nose, or stealing the family's pumpkin pie. Hank is incredibly funny as he narrates the book, telling the whole story from his perspective. I loved to see the story unfold through his eyes. For the most part, Hank is a wholesome character, but in the beginning of the book, he does encourage his readers to lie about wetting the bed. It's all very tongue-in-cheek and silly, but still. . .however, though Hank gets into trouble because of the choices he makes, in his world, good is good and bad is bad. Bad deeds are punished and good deeds are rewarded. And though the stories are silly, I felt like I was visiting a ranch in Texas. I liked the book!

Review of Study Pod

"What on earth is this?" I wondered aloud after opening the package Federal Express had dropped off at my front door. "A book holder? Isn't that nifty!"

"Here, let me help you," my husband offered, seeing that there was assembly required. Not difficult assembly, mind you, but assembly nonetheless.

"Soon the little book holder was holding Jimmy's reading book, The White Seneca. It stood at attention on the dining room table where everyone could admire the newest addition to our growing collection of "homeschooling supplies."

"I love it!" Sarah cooed, walking through the door minutes later. "That's what I need. I need something to hold my books and papers to keep my hand from getting tired."

"What? That's the silliest thing I've ever seen," Zack scoffed. "It's just a flimsy piece of plastic."

"Not so flimsy," I corrected him and picked it up to hand it to him so he could examine it himself.

"Oh, it is pretty strong," Zack adjusted his earlier evaluation.

"I like it!" Jenny Rose exclaimed. "Can I have it."

"It's mine," Jimmy explained, "See, it has my book in it."

"But, I wanted it," Sarah complained.

I guess one StudyPod is just not enough for our house!

The StudyPod is a nifty study tool designed to hold books open for the reader while he reads. You assemble the study pod quickly, standing on a smooth hard surface. The book is held into place with small wire-like prongs that don't hide words on the page. With your reading book in place, your hands are free to take notes, eat chocolate, or munch on popcorn. The book stays at eye level and is wide open, making studying so much easier. It is recommended for books up to 2.25" thick.

The study pod is portable and shaped like a book. Students can carry it around in their book bag with their other books and notebooks. There is also a section to hold pencils, pens, calculators, and note cards.

There is even a "how to use" video on their website; just scroll down the home page. This will make assembly and use so simple! In fact, everything about this product is easy to use.

To purchase Studypod, go to the store Stores/Locations page of their website and find the stores near you. The closest store location that sells the StudyPod near me is Stetson University Bookstore in Deland. My daughter just happens to attend Stetson University! There are also possiblities for reselling and fundraising. Or you can order online for $19.95.

Review of College Prep Genius

My sixteen year old senior in high school has taken the SAT one time. Though I was very happy with her score, she would like to take the SAT again, improving her score. Before I could find an SAT prep class for her to take, College Prep Genius: The No Brainer Way to SAT Success by Jean Burk arrived in the mail to be reviewed. Instead of reviewing it myself, my sixteen year old daughter reviewed it for me. Let's find out if she liked it.

 Meredith: Jenny Rose, what was your overall impression of College Prep Genius?

Jenny Rose: I found it very helpful in the way it informed me of how the test worked and how to take it in a way that would set me up for success.

Meredith: How was College Prep Genius able to do this?

Jenny Rose: It teaches you to take the SAT in a way that's logical. There were a lot of formulas and acronyms which help you to skirt around the tricks the SATs give you.

Meredith: What do you mean by "tricks" the SATs give you?

Jenny Rose: Instead of being a test on how much knowledge you know, it really is a test on how to use logic. They give you "fake" answers that may seem right, but are actually based more on opinion than logic. This program teaches you how to look out for those fake answers. It shows you what kinds of fake answers they give and gives you acronyms to help you remember them. It also gives you tips on how to see the questions logically whether by circling or underlining portions in the reading or circling specific words in the questions themselves.

Meredith: Can you share an acronym that will help you recognize a "trick"?

Jenny Rose: S.O.N. Avoid answers that are Strong, Opinionated, or Negative. They will always be incorrect.

Meredith: Wow! That's so cool! Tell me exactly what you use in this program.

Jenny Rose: There's a workbook, DVD, and a textbook. I watch the DVD and read the text pages that go along with it. I do the workbook while I watch the DVD.

Guardian Angel Books Review

Can anyone have too many books? I don't think so! I love books. My house is filled to the brim with books with overflowing bookshelves in every room. Still I buy more. But there is a new kind of book that fascinates me too...the e-book! It is easy to pop open on your computer, enjoying the beautiful pictures and information, but is doesn't take up any room on your bookshelves. E-books are easy to store.

I received three E-books from Guardian Angel Publishing Company to review: Hamster Holidays Noun and  Adjective Adventures by Cynthia Reeg; The Sum of Our Parts No Bones About It by Bill Kirk; and Gifts from God by Cynthia Reeg. Three very different books with one thing in common; they would all make great additions to your homeschool library.

Hamster Holidays Noun and Adjective Adventures by Cynthia Reeg is a delightful way to learn about nouns and adjectives. With adorable illustrations by Kit Grady, this book is kid friendly! The book opens with this poem, Nouns names people, places, and things, proper or common they may be, Adjectives stay close to nouns and describe them to a T, In this book of hamster days, You'll find both these parts of speech, Adjectives in red, Nouns in blue, How many can you find of each? After a brief explanation of nouns and adjectives, what follows is a fun-filled tale of the hamsters' holidays and how they celebrate them. Of course, every noun is blue and every adjective is red. After the enchanting story is finished, there are 8 pages of noun and adjective activities and teaching helps! What a fun way to teach or reinforce grammar!

 The Sum of Our Parts No Bones About It by Bill Kirk is another painless way for children to learn. This book is about our skeletal system and I really like it! With a Bachelors degree in Nursing, I appreciate well-written anatomy books for young children. This one pleases the nurse in me, as well as the homeschooling mom in me. Each page has a short poem, a factoid, and a zany illustration. The poems are lighthearted but true. For example, here is the poem from the first page: Without all our bones, We'd be shapeless and blobby--Just skin, guts, and muscles, All gooey and globby. Silly? Yes, it is. True? Yes, it is true. Without our bones, we'd be walking, oops not walking but oozing along, blogs of mush. Our bones are so important! This book drives this point home, while teaching all kinds of important facts and information. Some of the illustrations are funny, but all are excellent drawings of our bones and skeletal system. All ages, even high school students, will enjoy this book and benefit from reading it!

Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook

In the last election, Sarah Palin captured my heart and imagination with her spunky attitude, devotion to her family, and good common sense. I was so excited to see a woman of God who was not ashamed to talk about her faith in Jesus! Who was this woman from Alaska that I'd never heard of before? A governor? I never think much about Alaska, though my parents dreamed of taking an Alaskan cruise together. "Brrr...too cold," was my thought when they asked if I wanted to join them. But, as I have been learning more about this beautiful wilderness state of ours with its breathtaking landscape, I'm having second thoughts about taking an Alaskan cruise. At the very least, I am interested in learning about this wild state that produces hearty, spunky souls who value family and hard work.

With this in mind, I was eager to take a look at an E-book, Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook by Cheryl Moeller. With lovely illustrations by Susan R. Smith and breath-taking photographs by Clifford McGhyghy, this cookbook is a homeschool treasure. Use it as a foundation for a unit study on Alaska or just enjoy the yummy recipes.

More than a collection of recipes, Aunt Sarah's Alaskan Cookbook gives you a look at Alaska's history and beauty throughout its 60 pages. Divided into seven sections (six chapters and an appendix), each section contains information about Alaska that can be used as a springboard for a unit study or as a supplement to your family's Alaska unit study. Here are the sections with some recipe examples from each section.

• Chapter One:  Refreshing Cold and Hot Beverages (Polar Bear Guzzler, Pacific Rim Hot Lemonade, Dogsled Caramel Apple Cider, and more!)
• Chapter Two:  Berries and Fruit ("After the Sauna" Cold Fruit Soup, Aleutian Grilled Fruit-Kabobs, Klondike River Rhubarb Bars, and more!)
• Chapter Three:  Salmon and the Fish of the Sea (Fairbanks Citrus Salmon, Kanai Breakfast Fish Tacos, Water's Edge Crockpot Trout, and more!)
• Chapter Four:  Choose Moose, Rabbit, Deer, Elk, Bear and Caribou (Katishna Venison Sausage and Flax Pancakes, Barrow Buttermilk Grilled Rabbit, Wild Buck Beans, and more!)
• Chapter Five:  Dog Sled Race Party for Kids (Finger Lake Moose Munch, Rainy Pass Wheat Germ Cookies, White Mountain Ice Cream, and more!)
• Chapter Six:  Banquet of the North (Czar Alexander Elk Meatloaf, Easy Baked Alaska, Okmok Volcano, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, and more!)
• Appendix:  Curriculum for Children (Coloring Pages, Comprehension Chapter Questions, Comprehension Chapter Questions Answer Sheets)

Review of Grapevine Studies Biblical Feasts and Holy Days

Is there anything more fun than celebrating holidays? Christmas stockings, Easter baskets, and Valentine hearts filled with chocolate all bring a smile to my face and my heart. Life is good when there's a holiday to celebrate. God, of course, is the inventor of holidays, or holy days. What holidays did God establish for the nation of Israel? I can't think of a more enjoyable Bible study to dig into.

Grapevine Studies' Biblical Feasts and Holy Days by Diana Wiebe is a thirteen week study for your home school Bible class. Written for teens, this study would be enjoyed by younger and older folks too. We have college students, high school students, and middle school students in our home. All liked this Grapevine study on the Biblical holidays. We received a teachers manual and student worktexts to review.

Before I tell you about this delightful Bible study curriculum, let me tell you about Grapevine Studies. I love their mission. In fact, let me just quote it from the teacher's edition. "Our mission at Grapevine Studies is to provide believers with a method and curricula to study the Bible, using a timeline, stick figures, words, symbols, and colors to teach chronological lessons." What a great idea! Combining the intellectual (timelines, chronological studies) with the more emotional (stick figures, symbols). The result is that both the left and right sides of the brain are engaged, but more importantly, I think, is that both the heart and mind are engaged in these studies.

Each of their Bible studies start with a timeline as the framework for the entire study. Bible passages, characters, and events are understood within the big picture. Being a "big picture person" myself, I immediately latched on to this teaching method! Each day, your student reads a passage and then does some "stick figuring." Stick figuring is a method of notetaking using stick figures, colors, charts, words, and symbols. It is definitely more fun than normal notetaking. The lesson ends with a memory verse.

Review of Baby Steps to Better Health

Better health...healthy eating...more exercise...herbs for healing...homemade cleaners...I give my mental assent to all these things. My family's health matters to me...but I love chocolate. I want to feed my family healthy meals, but I want to fix yummy food that will tickle their taste buds. Can I do all these things? I thought I needed to choose between health and taste, but I don't. Sheri Graham can take us from not-so-healthy to healthy one step at a time!

Do you remember the movie, What About Bob? about a therapist and his patient named Bob. "Baby steps...baby steps," Bob would repeat to himself. Just like Bob, this book will take you baby step by baby step to better living!

Baby Steps to Better Health by Sheri Graham is health book with recipes (or maybe it's a recipe book with lots of healthy information and tips). Written in Sheri's encouraging style, the book begins exactly where it should with spiritual health, reminding us that the condition of our soul matters more than anything else!

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come," (I Timothy 4:8 NIV).

Right up front, Sheri encourages us to take it slowly, reminding us that we don't have to make lots of drastic changes all at once. Another reminder that I appreciated from Sheri is that God and people are more important than "health." Other books and speakers on this topic are so legalistic that our families can almost feel railroaded when we come home with our "New Healthy Philosophy!" Sheri suggest seeking God and following His leadership in making adjustments in your family.

The next section of the book covers drinking water and cooking and baking. In a nutshell, Sheri suggest drinking filtered water and increasing each family member's intake of water. That's easy enough! Cooking and baking from scratch are suggested for better health and that's when we get into all kinds of neat stuff to learn about and experiment with. Get ready to learn to bake bread, make yogurt & buttermilk, make cream cheese, brew kombucha (kom-what?), and make your own homemade mixes. Sheri shows us how to plan healthy menus with less white sugar, more whole grains & salads, and healthier fats. All this is painless because the recipes that accompany each baby step are delicious.

Review of 2009 Bigger and Better Schoolhouse Planner

A brand new school year calls for a brand new planner. Scheduling, lists, lesson plans, and dinner menus all have to be written down somewhere so that I can remember what, where, when, and how. My calendar is just too small. That is where a homeschool planner comes in!

The Old School Magazine has done it again with their brand new 2009-2010 Homeschool Organizer:  The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner. Published by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, this home organizer was compiled by Heidi Stawser, Kris Price, and Karen Sargent. These ladies have combined organization, trivia, and helpful resource information for homeschooling effectively. And my favorite part, the recipes!

The e-book planner opens with 4 one page calendars: 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. From this point, the planner is divided by months from July 2009 to June 2010. For each month, there is a double page calendar of the month that is plenty big enough to use for all kinds of dates and plans. This is followed by a few information pages, a different topic for each month. Next comes the recipes. This formula is continued month by month for half of the planner.

Here are the monthly topics in this nifty planner: the thirteen original colonies, math, weather, emergencies, government, planets, letter writing, miracles & parables of Jesus, Latin & Greek roots, lap books, the basics of getting into college, and geography. The month by month section only takes a little over a hundred of the 375 pages in the homeschool planner.

Flip 3 Pancakes with 1 Spatula Review

"The kitchen is a living laboratory, demanding curiosity. Cups of water and corn syrup can be measured, heated, and transformed into one pound of hard candy. The circular circumference of a pizza can be measured, baked, and cut into fractional parts. Cylinders and rectangular prisms sit comfortably on the pantry shelf waiting to be sorted, counted, and stacked in geometric sculpture. Children love to experience and experiment with these math wonders, yet adults often scoot children from the kitchen because it is easier to plan, process, and prepare without the help of little hands. However, when a child's desire to help is tapped, math skills and life skills can be taught and will be remembered because of the natural inquisitiveness which saturates the kitchen. Children love the kitchen, a perfect place to be immersed in math." 
--Cheryl Bastian, author and homeschooling mom of six

Flip 3 Pancakes with 1 Spatula by Cheryl Bastian is book filled with hands-on learning ideas for teaching math without a textbook. It's a handbook to teach to the heart of your child, who most likely LOVES your kitchen and is constantly asking if he can "help." Cooking is fun. Math can be learned by cooking with mom in the kitchen. Ergo, learning math can be fun. That sounds logical to me!

 You will love this book! Set up like a cookbook, it is divided into the following categories: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks & Desserts, and Holidays & Celebrations. Each page contains a complete math lesson set up unit study style with a yummy recipe. You start out by reading one or two picture books. After gathering the needed materials listed on the page, the math lesson takes place while you are cooking. There are also Add Ons. The Ad Ons include additional math lessons, social studies activities, more books to read, science projects, writing or language assignments, and art projects. All are easy and fun!

There is a table setting symbol in the upper left hand corner of each lesson that indicates the math lesson level. One table setting symbol represents pre-number skills, two table setting symbols represent number skills, and three table setting symbols represent computations and equations (higher level thinking skills). This means that you can use these lessons for several years and/or for several children of different age levels. Pre-number skills include comparing, classifying, seriation, patterning, and geometry. Number skills include counting, measurement, graphing, numeration, place value, and estimation.

Review of The Master Plan of Evangelism

"I finally read "The Master Plan of Evangelism," Laura admitted to me. (I thought she had read it years ago.)

"Did you like it?" I asked, dying to ask her why she had waited so long to read it when I had been begging her to read the book for nine years!

"I tried to read it several times, but it isn't really light reading material," she informed me.

I nodded in agreement. It isn't light reading material. In fact, while most books we read are written at a fifth to eighth grade level, this book is written for college students so it is a more challenging read.

"I loved the book!" Laura broke into my thoughts. "You were right about it making you see all of life in a new way."

"Really?"

"Really.  I'm so glad I read it.  I'll never be the same!"

I read The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman when I was a sophomore in college. This book changed my life! I have my children read it in high school for one of their Bible classes. It is a book that I would like to see more Christians read, especially homeschooling parents. Robert, born in 1928, grew up in Texas, attending a Methodist church. He pastored for six years and moved into teaching. He has a Masters in Theology from Princeton, a PhD from the University of Iowa, and a Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity International University. His writing style is academic, but don't let them keep you from reading this book.

Along the way, Dr. Coleman became convinced that schools were not the answer to raising up mighty men of God. He carefully studied the life of Jesus, coming to the conclusion that Jesus knew exactly what He was doing in laying a foundation for the Church. Dr. Coleman values Jesus' pattern of ministry and embraces it in his own life.

Jesus spent His life calling people to repent and believe while healing the sick and injured, performing all kinds of miracles, and teaching His beloved people. However, He invested in a small group of men, His disciples. These He gave focused time and attention to for three years. He imparted to them truth and modeled a lifestyle that they could imitate. What a blessing to take a closer look at the life of Jesus!

Homeschooling at the Speed of Life

"What's for dinner, Honey?"

"Dinner?" I avoid my handsome husband's eyes. Yikes! I forgot all about dinner. I glanced around the house to find that somehow a tornado had invaded. School books were still on the dining room table along with today's mail and several of my piles. Piles seem to multiply in my house. I don't know where they come from. I stopped looking at the mess around me and met my husband's eyes.

"Dinner?" he asked again.

"Domino's has a special this week," I stammered.

"You forgot about dinner again?"

"Well, I had planned to make chicken and dumplings, but then the cat threw up when we were trying to have history class. Jimmy just wouldn't focus today and he doesn't like the ferris wheel in his phonics. Sarah Joy lost her grammar book and we had piano lessons. The kids hardly practiced at all. The piano teacher had a talk with me. I felt terribly guilty. The dog ran away and while we were chasing him, the oven caught on fire. I forgot that I was making nachos because we had forgotten to make lunch again..."

"Domino's sounds great!" my husband interrupted me.

The biggest challenge of homeschooling is not teaching my children, it is maintaining functional neatness in my house. Functional neatness? I'm glad you asked.

"Functional Neatness" was a concept that I could latch on to in Homeschooling at the Speed of Life by Marilyn Rockett, this helpful guide to organizing your home and life. Full of practical wisdom from a mom who's been there, this book helps you stay on task while keeping priorities in balance. This book might be very helpful for you. It was for me!

This book covers all the topics that are difficult and stressful for moms like me:  de-cluttering, taming the paper monster, and keeping organized records. Marilyn is very administrative. She sounds like she enjoys organizing and de-cluttering. The book is positive and upbeat because her enjoyment shines through! Though I have learned to organize and keep tidy records for our family school, I don't enjoy it even a little bit. I see it as a necessary evil. If you are like me, you will appreciate Marilyn. She is truly "The Mom's Mentor" dispensing wisdom with encouragement. She promotes a lifestyle plan, rather than an unattainable pattern that brings condemnation. Marilyn thinks that we can get organized and she just might be right.

Review of The Shaping of a Nation: Blackline Maps of American History

"Pass the colored pencils, Jimmy." Shine was focused on the blank outline map in front of her, filling in places that Lewis and Clark explored on their expedition.

There was silence in the room as the children concentrated on filling in their color-coded maps just right. Silence? Wow! That's not a common thing in our house.

 Knowledge Quest's Shaping of a Nation:  Blackline Maps of American History was just what I needed for American history this year. In past years, I have discovered that maps and mapping assignments really help my children understand history with more clarity. Just seeing the WHERE helps them to remember the WHAT, WHEN, and WHY. My favorite mapping assignment is filling in blank outline maps, but all I have had in the past are large portions of the continents. I can zero in on smaller areas and then enlarge those areas, but it can be frustrating. Knowledge Quest to the rescue!

Shaping of a Nation: Blackline Maps of American History contains 112 hand-drawn maps pertaining to specific time periods. You can reproduce these maps as often as needed for your individual family. There are two versions of each map: a blank map and a map already filled out correctly. A great help if you are not as geography literate as you wish you were! Here is a list of all the topics covered by the outline maps.

Vikings discover North America

Columbus Sails West

The Write Stuff Adventure Review

 

 

"Help! My kids are terrible writers. Do you know of a writing curriculum that would help?"

I have been asked this question many times because I happen to love to write, as do several, but not all, of my children. There are plenty of grammar, spelling, and phonics workbooks, but you can't really teach good writing skills with a workbook. Contrary to popular belief, good writer are not born good writers, they are taught to write well. Often, the only barrier to teaching your child to write well is the confidence factor. This book may help you to feel more confident as you instruct your children in the art of writing.

Writing curricula that actually teach kids to write are hard to find. The Write Stuff Adventure:  Exploring the Art of Writing was created by Dean Rea, a retired newspaper editor and university teacher, for his homeschooled grandchildren. It is a delightful book that I have used with great success for all of my children at various grade levels. I use the section on essays sophomore or junior year in high school when we focus on non-fiction writing and research. This year, my sixth grader and eighth grader have done several of the newspaper writing assignments from The Write Stuff Adventure.  

This book covers letter writing and journaling in a fun way.  Students even write an autobiography.  The Write Stuff Adventure teaches children the art of interviewing with family history and news article assignments. The basics of journalism are covered in this wonderful book. My favorite thing about the book, though, is the way it teaches students to write essays.  What a great job Dean Rea does in teaching how to write the essay--the best I've ever seen.

Students,even as young as fifth grade, can use this book on their own. Dean's style is friendly and engaging, easy to understand. Your children can easily understand the assignments and come to you for help or simply to correct their papers!  The assignments are interesting and fun!  This book is NOT intimidating, but, boy, will your children learn to write!

You can purchase The Write Stuff Adventure at Great Christian Books for $17.99. A very good bargain, considering today's economy! 

Kindergarten Basics Review

After homeschooling for 18 years, I have come to the conclusion that you can spend a ton of money homeschooling your children or you can be very frugal, cutting homeschooling costs to a minimum. Truthfully, I haven't seen any correlation between the spending of money and the quality of education.
What makes homeschooling such an amazing way to educate your children is that it uses the one-on-one tutoring/mentoring method which is so very effective. 

With the turbulent economic times we are living in, it makes sense to be cost-effective in your homeschooling. So, when I find a homeschooling resource that helps us to keep the price of our homeschooling to a minimum, I want to check it out and pass it on! For those of you who will be homeschooling kindergarten, this is a resource to help you homeschool frugally.

Kindergarten Basics: Building a Solid Foundation by Kim Kargbo is the help you need to face homeschooling kindergarten with confidence! There are no bells and whistles here. Just a wise homeschooling mom passing on to you what works in her home. Kim believes that kindergarten should be fun, not a burden. She expresses concern that many people try homeschooling at this level and decide that homeschooling is just not for them. Why? Maybe they are making it too hard!

Kim starts by explaining the six basics of kindergarten: Bible knowledge, basic math skills, basic phonics skills, early writing skills, general skills, and general knowledge.  She takes each of these basics and explains how to teach these kindergarten basics for almost free.

Kim's next step is to give you a sample schedule that is practical and workable.  The rest of the book is devoted to all kinds of hands-on-activities that you can do with your child to teach the six basics.  The activities are, of course, divided up under these kindergarten basic categories.  I love her hands-on ideas--they are fun and easy! 

Kim gives a blank weekly lesson plan sheet that you can use at the back of the book.  She also has a list of  helpful resources:  books and websites. Let me give you an example of her suggestions on teaching kindergarten.

The goal for young children in the area of Bible knowledge is to learn "The Story" of God's Word from Genesis to Revelation. This is not to be cluttered up with lots of facts and information, but let your kindergartener see the flow of the big story that starts with Creation and ends with Jesus coming back to take us home. People and places will become familiar, as stories are listened to each day. Kim encourages parents to read a passage from Scripture or to read aloud a Bible story from an accurate storybook. Afterward, your child just tells you about the story (Narration!) and then you (the teacher) explain how this story is part of a bigger story. The total time involved is probably 10 to 15 minutes. Kim also encourages Scripture memory work too. The only cost involved here is to purchase a Bible or Bible storybooks, but most of us already own both!

Review of Spanish 5 Tell Me More Homeschool

I was born in Venezuela and grew up hearing my parents speak Spanish and though I understand Spanish, I have trouble speaking it. When I visited my daughter, Katie Beth, in Mexico while she was studying in Guatajuato, she teased me about my attempts to speak Spanish. I kept messing up my vowel sounds. In high school, we learned to read, write, and to conjugate verbs.  Remember "Esta Susana en casa?" I wish we had done more speaking in Spanish class. I have tried many methods over the years to teach Spanish to my children, so I was filled with hope as I unpacked Tell Me More to review.

Tell Me More is five levels of Spanish in one small box. Well, it's really ten levels, but you only have access to five. With eagerness, I opened the box to find one DVD, two CD-roms, one page of instructions, and one headset microphone.  "Is this all?" I wondered. Boy, was I surprised to learn how much information was packed in this little DVD--5,000 lessons of Spanish instruction!  There are four complete levels of Spanish instruction:  Complete Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

Tell Me More uses the immersion method of teaching Spanish, which is the most natural way to learn a language. That is how we learn to talk as babies. We hear people speaking, gradually associating words with the things or people they represent. Honestly, though, immersion is not so comfortable when you are in high school or are an adult. While I respect the concept of full immersion, I prefer a little more structure for my children and my children prefer even more structure than I do when learning a language. Having a Spanish-English dictionary handy is a necessity for survival in our house with this method! (Though there is a translation button that I discovered later!)

When you purchase this curriculum, you gain access to their website where you can set up your child's course of study. You can set up multiple accounts and might even want to set up an account for yourself to brush up on your Spanish! Honestly, it is all overwhelming at first, but beginning the introductory DVD and starting on 'Guided Mode' can help you as you take the plunge.

There are three ways to use the lessons:  Free to Roam, Guided, and Dynamic Mode. In 'Free to Roam,' the student chooses lessons based on her interest and level. In the 'Guided,' the student is guided along in a systematic way. 'Dynamic Mode' allows the student to progress at her own pace, adjusting the activities and lessons accordingly.

Math Mammoth Review

 

 

"Have you done your math?" is the question you can hear me asking everyday around 9:30 when I see the children reading a science book or working on a writing paper. We begin our day with  Quiet Times, but we begin school hours with math. What a great way to wake up and energize our brains. Math teaches us to think logically and helps our brain to work more efficiently. Consider starting your day with math too!

What math curriculum are you using? In our house we have used Bob Jones Math for younger grades and Saxon for older grades. We have also enjoyed Math-U-See, especially the skip counting tapes. So, I have never looked at other math curricula, being happy with our own. However, I received Math Mammoth to review, so let me tell you about this math curriculum designed to make math simple and easy to understand.

  Math Mammoth is an inexpensive way to do math!  Maria Miller is the author of the Math Mammoth series.  Her desire is to make math simple and easy to understand.  Maria has tried to explain each math concept so simply that even homeschooling moms can "get it" by reading the book along with her child.  She also wants to make it affordable. 

There are four different series in Math Mammoth:  Blue, Light Blue, Gold, and Green. 

The Blue Series, for grades 1 to 5, is organized by topic.  Each book covers a few topics only.  The topic is explained thoroughly and there are pages of problems.  Topics include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, clocks, metric measurement, fractions, decimals, U.S. money, and Canadian money.  You can purchase individual e-books at Currclick with prices ranging from $2.00 to $5.00. There are some great deals on packages too!

The Light Blue Series, for grades 1 to 5, is a complete mathematics curriculum.  The Light Blue series covers all topics for each grade level.  Everything is explained thoroughly.  Each grade has two worktexts:  A and B.  There is also an answer key, tests, and a worksheet maker. Part A and B both sell for $15.50 a piece, whether printed or e-book. The complete curriculum with answer keys and worksheet maker can be purchased for $29.70 at Currclick.

The Gold Series is a set of worksheets only with no explanations. These workbooks are collections of worksheets by grade level.  The Gold Series covers third grade math through Algebra I.  The worksheets cover only one topic per worksheet.  These workbooks books range in price from $6.50 to $9.75 are are also available at Currclick. The Green Series is workbooks by topic.  The worksheet pages are pulled straight from the Gold Series.

Review of Schleich Action Figures

 


"Look, Mom, the alligator is eating the cow!" my son informed me with glee.

"Can I see that?" his friend, Josh, put down the elephant he was holding to examine the cow-eating alligator.

How realistic the Schleich animal action figures are! My imagination traveled to all sorts of places with one glance at the animals the boys were examining:  African Safaris, Wisconsin dairy farms, Everglades National Park, and a Kentucky horse farm. What hours of fun the boys had examining and playing with these animal action figures.

Hands-on activities are the fun part of unit studies. Imaginative play and role playing is a great way to process and remember information. Hours of fun await the children who play with these life-like toys.  They can imagine that they are back in the days of dinosaurs and ancient peoples.  Of they can turn the family room into a section of Kenya while they play with Scheich's wild animals. So, these toys can be educational tools in your home school. Children will love to play with these realistic animals, knights, trees, plants, people, and elves.

"And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.' So, God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged creature according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.' And there was evening and there was morning--the fifth day.

Homeschool in the Woods New Testament Activity Pak/Lapbook Review

 

 

Have you heard of lapbooks yet?  They are a fun, hands-on way to learn while you finish off a project!  Lapbooks are made with simple file folders (you can use pretty colored folders if you want to!) and projects that are small enough to display.  The little projects your child makes are glued on the file folders to make a "lapbook"--something he/she can show to friends and read to younger siblings!

Homeschool in the Woods sent me their New Testament Activity Pak/Lapbook to review!  What a great way for your students to get an overview of the New Testament!  In the picture, you can see the finished lap book (made from a red file folder) and several of the completed activities that go inside!

Homeschool in the Woods is the Pak family business, a homeschooling family that takes great delight in learning history and sharing their learning adventure with you!  While studying history through living books, drama, writing, and hands-on activities, Momma Amy, a free-lance designer/graphic illustrator began to illustrate the all important timelines they were using to learn history.  Soon, their business, Homeschool in the Woods, was born. 

The New Testament Activity Pak we used is one of four different Hands-On History Activity Paks.  The others are Composers, Artists of the 16th through 20th Century, and The Old Testament. The Time Travelers History Study Series is also offered by Homeschool in the Woods. These hands-on unit studies include New World Explorers, Colonial Life, The American Revolution, The Early Nineteenth Century, and The Civil War. You may be interested in the Preprinted Sets of Wall Size Timeline Figures. There are four sets and a collection that cover all of history from Creation until modern times.

Deeper Roots: Discovering Who I am in Christ Bible Workbook Review

 

 

The most important thing about a person is what they believe, truly believe, about God. Discovering the amazing character and love of Jesus Christ changes our lives forever! When we glimpse our Lord, we are transformed to become like Him.  To discover who we are in Christ, to walk in our identity in Christ, and to walk with Christ each day will not only fill our lives with joy, but will change the world around us. It is our highest educational goal in homeschooling to teach our children the Word of God and the biblical principles found in the Scriptures. Not only is this our duty to raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, but a great delight and privilege!

Deeper Roots sent me a junior high Bible curriculum to review.  Since the authors are from my hometown and are also New Tribes missionaries, I was excited to review their materials.  I received a student workbook and teacher's guide (The Homeschool Edition!).  I was not disappointed.  Discovering Who I Am in Christ by Jan L. Harris, & Howard & Bonnie Lisech is a 200 page Bible Study workbook written for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade boys and girls. There are three more workbooks in the series for this age group by the same authors:  Discovering our Amazing God, Discovering Christ-Like Habits, and Discovering Christ-Like Character.  There are materials available for older and younger students too!  They also have short-term missions resources that I would love to see!

Discovering Who I am in Christ is an unique Bible Study workbook.  A lesson has six days worth of work and should take about a week to finish. The lesson begins with a memory challenge.  Each day there are passages to read, questions to answer, and fun assignments to complete.  In the second lesson there is an interview assignment, a drawing assignment, and a writing assignment.  At the end of each lesson, there is a review of all the previous lessons and a final test.  But I haven't told you about my two favorite parts of this Bible curriculum.  I love the Reflections questions where students are given the opportunity to meditate on what they are learning.  They can write down their reflections on the Reflections pages, which are really journaling pages.  Another part I loved was the Unreached People Pages!  Found at the beginning of every lesson, these beautifully illustrated pages are packed with information about people groups around the world who are waiting to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the very first time.  There is even a prayer focus for personal or family devotions.  I remember years ago using Operation World in my Quiet Times to pray for unreached people groups, so this brought back fond memories.  The illustrations in this workbook are gorgeous!  They add so much to the book!