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New Edition of Apologia’s Astronomy for Elementary Grades (Crew Review)

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Deanna

When I first started our homeschool journey, the one curriculum I heard praised over and over was the elementary science series by Jeannie Fulbright published by Apologia Educational Ministries. I was eager to get started with it as soon as possible, so when Ian was in Kindergarten I jumped into the book on astronomy. However, it proved to be a bit much for him at that age, so we stopped partway through the book. Several times I’ve considered picking it up again, and Ian has asked when we were going to finish it, but the time never seemed quite right until now. Apologia just came out with Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition, and I was eager to dive back in and see what changes had been made.

About Exploring Creation With Astronomy, 2nd Ed.

We received the following:

hardcover textbook (216 pages)
spiral bound Notebooking Journal (336 pages, intended for 3rd/4th grade and up)
spiral bound Junior Notebooking Journal (336 pages, intended for K-2nd /3rd grade)
Disk with mp3 files for the audiobook read by the author

Apologia: Exploring Creation with Astronomy Review

The Exploring Creation series is unabashedly Christian. Each chapter of Exploring Creation With Astronomy features Bible verses and discussion about how God designed the universe. Fulbright also makes a point of sharing information that refutes claims by secular scientists that do not line up with biblical truth. For example, in the chapter on the sun, she points out that if the earth were actually billions of years old, the sun would have been so dim or faint at that time it could not have provided enough warmth for life.

Each chapter contains text, pictures, activities, “Think About This” sections which expound upon the text, and questions to prompt the students in narrating back what they have learned. The activites are usually fairly simple and utililize items that are easy to obtain (or you might already have lying around the house). For example, to demonstrate how the moon reflects the suns light rather than being a source of light itself, the book had us use a CD to create a reflection. The boys loved moving the CD around and watching the reflection dance around the room!

Both notebooking journals provide daily lesson plans with checklists of what should be completed each day. There are 72 days’ worth of lessons in this schedule, so if you do 2 lessons a week, you can get through the book over the course of one school year (36 weeks). Though these suggestions are helpful, of course you can choose a pace that works best for your family.

Most of the pages in the two notebooks contain the exact same activities, with a few minor differences. The lines given for writing in the junior notebook are wider spaced and have a dotted middle line to make it easier for younger students to form letters correctly. Also, on the crossword puzzles, the first letter of each word is filled in to give the younger students a head start. Finally, at the end of each lesson, the older students’ notebook has a page with questions for them to write what they remember, as well as a place to record their favorite part of the lesson, whereas the junior notebook has two coloring pages instead.

The audiobook breaks down each lesson into separate components, following the sections listed in the daily lesson plans. The book is read by the author, Jeannie Fulbright, who really brings each lesson to life with her pleasant, friendly voice. The conversational tone of the written book becomes even more casual as she reads, making it feel like you’re just listening to a friend explain a fascinating concept. The instructions for the activities are NOT read; the audiobook simply tells the listeners they can now complete the activity on a given page in the textbook.

Comparing the 1st and 2nd Editions

Right off the bat, I could see some differences between the old edition and the new. The 2nd edition textbook has more pictures and less text on each page. Activities are more set apart from the text visually.

The notebooks are now full color on every page, rather than just the mini-books. In the old notebook, the parts to cut out for booklets (similar to lapbook components) were all at the back of the book, but now they are right in order with the other lesson pages.

There is also now a complementary Apologia Astronomy Science Kit, which has the materials needed to complete most of the 42 activities in the text, as well as 21 additional bonus activities. We did not receive this kit, so I can’t speak to its contents, but it sounds like an easy way to do the activities without having to gather materials, as well as being a great resource for students who want to go even deeper in their study.

Our Experience

Because we had already covered the first few lessons the first time we used this curriculum, I decided to cruise rather quickly through the first part of the book without doing most of the activities. We listened to the audiobook in the car (best to do with the book in hand, since the author refers to many of the pictures as she reads). The audiobook is a fantastic addition, and I found it was helpful to use on a regular basis. Ian is a strong auditory learner, and he did really well listening as he jotted down notes and drew illustrations in his notebook. This alone made we want to come back to Apologia. Ian could go through this course almost independently thanks to the audiobook. (I don’t know if they had one with the first edition or not, but from now on I will make sure I get one when it’s available!)

As we listened to the audio book I followed along in the old edition to see what changes had been made, and there are several things I absolutely LOVE about the new edition. The main reason we had abandoned the first edition back when Ian was six was because it was just too wordy for him. In the new edition, almost every paragraph has seen cuts and is much more concise. Before, I felt a little overwhelmed at how much I needed to read with Ian each day to keep on pace to finish the book in a year. This time I was actually surprised at how quickly we got through each day’s lesson. Yes, he’s older now, but I would feel much more comfortable using this with a Kindergartener now. (Though there’s so much “meat” in the book, it really is a quality curriculum for all the way through the elementary grades.)

I like the new breakdown of lessons into daily schedules (provided in the notebooking journals, not the textbook). Although the old notebook did this to some extent, the new format is much easier to follow and check off each activity as it is completed.

mini book We didn’t do all the activities in the notebook (we skipped the copywork because my boys are already doing other copywork and they find it tedious), but we did enjoy the other pages. I especially liked the “mini-books,” which are like lapbook components that the students cut out, write in, assemble, and then attach to pages within their notebook so when the student has finished the course they will have an extensive collection of work all in one spiral bound book. Having the pages in order in the new edition got my boys excited as they saw what was coming up, and these were a wonderful way to keep them learning while giving them something active to do.

Final Thoughts

Apologia has taken a good curriculum and made it even better! The newly designed pages draw the students in without overwhelming them, and the colorful, eye-catching notebooks help them get the most out of each lesson in a fun, creative way. We’re looking forward to spending more time in Exploring Creation With Astronomy, and there’s a good chance we’ll be coming back to this series to learn about other science topics as well.

Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Review

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Puzzles that Can’t Lose Pieces! (Crew Review)

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Deanna

We love puzzles of every kind, so we were excited to get a chance to review one of the FlipStir Puzzles from Enlivenze LLC. They sent us their Solar System FlipStir, and everyone 6 and older ended up taking on the challenge of solving the puzzle.

About FlipStir

The FlipStir puzzles are completely self-contained puzzles made in the U.S.A.. Each one contains a set of 10 plastic pieces that all need to be arranged next to each other to finish the picture. You use a “wand” with a hook on the end of it to manipulate the pieces into place. Since everything is enclosed within the plastic tube, there is no way to lose any pieces (definitely a plus in our household)!

FlipStir Puzzle pieces

There are several different puzzles available, some with straight pieces (Level 1), and some like our Solar System puzzle, with wavy edges (Level 2):

FlipStir Puzzles Level 1

Rainbow Pencils
Tyrannosaurus Rex

Level 2

Solar System
Statue of Liberty
Periodic Table

(Other members of the Crew received different puzzles, so click on the banner at the bottom to read what they thought of those.)

Our Experience

When I first showed the FlipStir to Ian (8), he decided it was too hard and wouldn’t even attempt it. I tried it myself, and although it was challenging, I was able to complete it without too much frustration.

I really felt like the boys would be able to do it. So I got the first few pieces in place (the hardest part) and handed it Elijah (6). He was quite determined, and it wasn’t long before he had finished the whole puzzle. When Ian saw that his younger brother had managed it, of course then he wanted a turn. They were both quite proud of themselves for completing it.

Kids Complete FlipStir

In addition to the fun of doing the puzzle, the Solar System FlipStir is a great learning tool because you have to put the planets in order according to their distance from the sun (dwarf planets not included). This will be coming up as part of our memory work this year, so I love that the boys are getting in a little extra practice.

We really enjoyed the FlipStir puzzle. The boys are hoping to get more designs, and I think I might get another one the next time we’re going on a trip. They’re great to have in the car since there are no pieces to get lost, and even my husband and I enjoyed taking a turn trying to work through the challenge of completing the puzzle.

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Foreign Languages For Kids By Kids (Crew Review)

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Deanna

The one subject I feel inadequate for teaching my children is foreign language. Yet it’s also one where I really want them to be successful, because I think it is more important than ever to be able to communicate with people around the globe. We’ve dabbled in several Spanish programs over the last few years, but I was excited to get a chance to try Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids. They sent us their Starter Set 1 to review, and it has definitely been a hit with our whole family.

About Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids

Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids uses videos to immerse students of all ages in the Spanish language. The videos are introduced in English by a kid dressed up like a pilot, who is presenting them as “in-flight entertainment” on a trip to Spanish speaking countries (Peru, Columbia, and Costa Rica).

The rest of the videos are completely in Spanish and feature three brothers.

The videos on the DVD are definitely the core of the program. The three levels build upon each other, and viewers are instructed to watch previous videos several times so they understand them well before moving onto the next ones.

Vocabulary is taught very deliberately in several ways. Sometimes the boys (and other actors) emphasize certain words/phrases. Then the story part of the video stops to present a special lesson focusing on that word.

Things are also labeled on the set, so viewers see the words for things they’re hearing about (and other things as well). The stickers included with the program make it easy to label things around your house in a similar way.

In addition to the videos, there are several other products that help reinforce what is being taught. Here’s what we received in Starter Set 1:

DVD with videos for Levels 1-3
Three Parent-Teacher Guides (1 for each level)
Student workbooks for Levels 1-3
“Go Squish” Card Game
Stickers for Levels 1-3

Beginner Spanish Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids Review

The teacher guides provide detailed lesson plans, including a suggested viewing schedule (for watching smaller segments of the video for that level), plus extra activities (e.g. games or workbook assignments) to help practice the vocabulary being focused.

The “Go Squish” cardgame we received is one of those activities. Similar to “Go Fish,” the game is played using vocabulary cards. At Level 1, the students just say the vocabulary words (“Desayuno?” “No desayuno.” At Level 2 they use complete sentences (Tengo desayuno. Tienes desayuno?” “No, no tengo desayuno. GO SQUISH”).

Our Experience

We heard about Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids last year, and from the first time we watched the sample video on the website, my kids have been eager to try it out for themselves. It did not disappoint! From my 8-year old down to my 2-year old, all the kids really liked these videos. I put them on several times a week while I was preparing lunch, and the kids loved how much they were able to understand after a few viewings.

The only problem with putting the DVD on like this was that the segments recommended in the lesson plans all flow into each other, so if you’re not standing right there watching the clock so you know where to stop it, the video just keeps going. That meant my kids ended up watching the entire video each time, which made them reluctant to go through all 11 lessons in the teacher’s guide because there was nothing new being presented. They kept begging to be allowed to go on to the next video. (The videos can also be watched through the website with a subscription, which eliminates this problem since they are broken into segments there.)

The workbooks are recommended for 3rd grade and up, so I gave them to Ian to work through. They are printed in full color on fairly glossy paper, which made it difficult to see pencil on. I ended up giving Ian a permanent marker to write with because it was the only thing we found that really worked well (though that caused its own problems). The workbooks are beautiful, but the price of printing them at this high quality is a bit of a turn off for me. I’d gladly give up some of the vibrancy to have something more affordable.

Ian’s favorite part of the program was definitely the stickers. He went a little nuts slapping labels on things around the house.

My husband was cracking up when he opened up the fridge to pack his lunch and found the bread labeled “el pan,” and the fruit bearing “la manzana” and “la naranja” stickers.

I love that the videos use an immersion approach. As I said, I feel so inadequate trying to teach them a language I have only minimal knowledge of, so I am so grateful to be able to give them an opportunity to hear native speakers using the language fluently.

I’m so glad we’ve found Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids, and my kids are already asking for the next DVD. (Volumes 2 and 3 are also available.) They’re taking ownership of the vocabulary they’ve learned, and I hear them using words and phrases throughout the day, even when we’re not “doing Spanish.” Just the other day, I set my 2-year old’s lunch in front of him, and he exclaimed, “Oh! Me gusta!”

That’s what I’m looking for in a foreign language program.

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Talking Shapes Online (Crew Review)

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Deanna

All my children have shown a proclivity for learning through computer programs, so I’m always on the lookout for new things they can try out. We were recently given a chance to review a new online version of the Talking Shapes: A Supplemental Curriculum for Early Literacy app from Talking Fingers Inc., and Arianna (4) has enjoyed having a program just for her.

Talking Shapes {Talking Fingers Inc. Review}

About Talking Shapes

Talking Shapes is an online program that you can access through any computer or device with Internet access. It teaches phonics using pictures that children can associate with letters and their sounds. They practice writing the letters, reading the sounds, and creating words by putting letters together.

There are seven “books” users work their way through. As they complete the lessons in each book, they can see their progress on the main menu. Arianna completed three of the books during our review period, and each one used consonant-vowel-consonant words focusing on a particular short vowel sound.

There are a variety of different activities within each “book.” In some, pictures are shown, and the student is supposed to choose from a selection of letters in order to spell the word.

After the student has practiced several words, they are given a chance to read and then fill in missing words in a rhyme.

Our Experience

I had high hopes for Talking Shapes. It seems like a fun concept to help children learn phonics. In actuality, however, it seems like the online version still needs a bit of fine tuning. (I haven’t used the app, but I’m guessing our frustrations were due to technical issues related to the new format.) I tried to let Arianna work independently while I was doing lessons with the boys, but she constantly was running into problems with things not working for her and I would have to tell her to just quit for the day, or else stop what I was doing and come over to click around or test things to get everything going again. (She uses several other online programs with no trouble, so I know it wasn’t just that she didn’t know how to use the computer.)

For example, she is okay with a mouse, but I thought using our touch screen computer would be a good way for her to practice writing letters. Unfortunately, we ran into all sorts of problems trying to use the touch screen (she couldn’t drag her finger without it adjusting the zoom, so she had to tap it just right, which proved frustrating). I finally gave up and just had her do the best she could with the mouse. It didn’t really matter, because she didn’t have to form the letter correctly; just scribbling over it made the letter appear.

Overall, I liked the phonics practice it gave Arianna, but while the idea of “talking shapes” makes sense, at times it seemed like a hindrance to actually making progress with learning to read. Arianna already knows most of the letters and their sounds, but in some of the activities she was supposed to choose a picture, rather than a letter, so she had to learn which pictures meant which letter, which seemed like an extra, unnecessary step. (Then she used the mouse to scribble over the picture and reveal the letter.) For example, in the activity shown below, she was supposed to spell the word in the picture between the two girls, in this case, CAT. The “talking shape” of the cat represented C, but then she was supposed to choose the A and T. She had a hard time remembering that the girl with her arms down represented “A.” If she had been shown the actual letter she would have been able to complete this word quickly.

These activities would probably be more helpful for students who have no previous phonics knowledge, but Arianna found them a bit frustrating because she thought she knew how to spell the words but then she got tripped up by the “talking shape” pictures.

Overall, I think Talking Shapes has a lot of potential. It really helped boost Arianna’s confidence in her reading skills, and I was glad to have a place for her to practice outside of her regular lessons.

Talking Shapes {Talking Fingers Inc. Review}

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Another Look at CTCMath (Crew Review)

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Deanna

One of our favorite math resources for the past few years has been CTCMath. Their online math curriculum has helped both my older boys, and since the site has recently been updated, we were thankful to be given a one-year CTCMath Homeschool Membership to see what’s new with one of our old favorites.

About CTCMath

CTCMath is an online math program with over a thousand lessons for Kindergarten through high school. At the elementary levels, it can be used as a complete math curriculum, though the higher levels are intended to be used for tutoring purposes alongside a full curriculum. Students have access to every lesson of every grade level, so they can target specific concepts they are struggling to understand.

At each grade level, lessons are grouped by subject and broken down into a series of menus. Diagnostic tests (available with 20, 30, or 40 questions) are available to show how much the students know about that subject before they begin those particular lessons. The tests can also be used after completing all the lessons in that subject to show how much they have understood.

CTC lesson list

Each lesson consists of a short video teaching followed by a set of questions (usually about ten.) While the students can work completely independently and click on whatever lesson they want, parents can also assign specific lessons for the student to complete. They can also pull up various reports to check their students progress. (Reports can be downloaded or printed as well.)

The summary report shows which lessons have been completed, the student’s average score for each subject, and scores on any diagnostic tests completed at a particular grade level.

Summary Report

A detailed report is also available, which shows how many times the student attempted the lesson, how they did on various attempts, and how many attempts it took to pass that subject. (The default “pass” level is 80%, but parents can change this if desired.)

Detailed Report

To practice math facts, there are also “speed skills,” which allow them to see how many facts (all four operations) they can complete in a minutes, and “Times Tables Shoot ‘Em Up,” a game that gets in extra multiplication practice.

Our Experience

CTCMath We have used CTCMath in various ways over the years, sometimes as a supplement, other times as our sole curriculum, and there are so many things great things about it. The video lessons are easy for the boys to understand and I love that they can work independently. It’s also really helpful to have access to all the grade levels, because at times I’ve had both of them working either ahead of their current grade level or going back to an earlier grade to review. Their homeschool family subscriptions also make it a great value for families like ours with lots of children who need a math program.

One thing I would love to see added would be a way for parents to go in and change a score. There have been several times my boys have known the right answer but then their fingers slipped and they accidentally typed something wrong. It throws off their whole average and they get really upset. (They were especially frustrated this time around because they’ve gotten used to our current curriculum where I can go in and alter the grade book in such instances.)

This summer I chose to make it a supplement to our main math program. In the past I have felt like CTCMath gives my boys a bit too much freedom because there’s not a set sequence for the lessons. They can choose whatever lesson they want (unless I want to set assignments for each of them). That’s great for keeping their skills up in the summer, and it makes it really easy to find the extra help they need on specific concepts. However it also means that they can get through all the addition lessons and then not touch on addition for weeks or even months as they go through other concepts for the year. I have found that they really need more frequent review, so for us CTCMath works best as a supplement while we use a core curriculum with a”spiral” approach, where the boys are continually practicing concepts they have already learned. However, CTCMath is perfect for giving the boys extra practice on concepts that they haven’t quite mastered, and having the videos to explain things in slightly different words sometimes makes a real difference. It’s definitely going to be an important tool for us this year in making sure the boys have a solid math foundation before trying to build any further.

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Beric the Briton (Crew Review)

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Deanna

We have loved everything we’ve listened to from Heirloom Audio Productions, so we were excited to get a chance to review their newest offering, Beric The Briton. Like the previous adventures, this exciting audio drama is based on a historical novel by G.A. Henty and takes you back in time so you can “Live the Adventure,” this time in the days when the Romans were ruling in Britain.

About Heirloom Audio Productions

Heirloom Audio Productions is introducing a new generation to the classic stories of G.A. Henty, a 19th century author whose historical novels are full of adventure, strong character values, and faith. These are not audio books, but full dramatizations. Each production features a talented cast, beautifully orchestrated soundtracks, and exciting drama that is entertaining for both children and adults. Our family has enjoyed all of the “audio adventures” created by Heirloom Audio Productions so far:

Under Drake’s Flag (about Sir Francis Drake)
In Freedom’s Cause (about William Wallace and Robert the Bruce))
With Lee in Virginia (a Civil War tale)
The Dragon and the Raven (about Alfred the Great)

About Beric the Briton

Beric the Briton not only meets the high standard that has been set by its predecessors, I think it’s actually my new favorite. Beric is a wise, strong, principled young chief in Britain during Roman times. He does not just dismiss the Romans as the enemy but learns from them and even befriends some of them. When an oppressive Roman leader comes against the Britons, Beric trains a group of his men to fight more like the Romans, understanding the value of discipline and order rather than just relying on bravery.

Unfortunately, other British leaders tend to dismiss Beric’s wise advice, and eventually he and his men are captured and taken to Rome. On the way, he saves the life of his enemy, which leads to him being told about “Christus.” When he gets to Rome, where he and his men are trained as gladiators, he learns more about the one true God finds gains his freedom both spiritually and physically.

From the battles in Britain and the bold leadership of Queen Boadicea to the excitement of the Roman colosseum and Beric’s encounters with Emperor Nero, Beric the Briton is a dramatic story that kept our whole family (well, everyone 6 and up) entertained on long car rides (the entire thing is about two and half hours long).

In addition to the 2-CD set, members of the Crew received several downloadable bonus (included with the purchase with a “Family Four-Pack” Package:

Beric the Briton audio adventure (MP3)
eStudy Guide and Discussion Starter (pdf)
ebook of G.A. Henty’s original story with colorful graphics (pdf)
A beautiful printable pdf poster with inspirational quote
cast poster (pdf)
soundtrack (mp3)
“Behind the Scenes of Beric the Briton“ (mp4 video download)

We just listened to Beric The Briton for entertainment, but the eStudy Guide and Discussion Starter is a great resource for homeschool families who want to incorporate the audio drama into their studies. It includes a basic biography of G.A. Henty, as well as historical background information about the Roman Emperor Nero and Queen Boadicea. Then it provides a listening guide that breaks the recording into small chunks and gives questions to help younger listeners understand what’s happening in the story or provide older children with prompts for written assignments. Each section contains the following types of questions:

Listening Well (questions about what happened in the story)
Thinking Further (questions for further research or to think more deeply about things that happened in the story, as well as mapping activities, book suggestions, links to Google Earth tours, even a few recipes)
Defining Words (vocabulary used in the story)

Finally, there are suggestions for further reading about the Britons and Romans in the 1st Century, additional historical information, and three short Bible studies to help students explore biblical themes from the narrative (“The Importance of Studying History,” “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” and “One Way”).

My favorite bonus, however, was the “Behind the Scenes” video, featuring interviews with the actors and producer, as well as footage of the cast at work in the recording studio. The characters in this story are so rich, and hearing the actors speak about them helps give them even more depth than just listening to the audio drama. This is a powerful story, and watching the video made me want to go back and listen all over again.

Beric The Briton is definitely a hit around here. Heirloom Audio Productions is going to have a hard time topping this one (but we can’t wait to see them try)!

Beric The Briton Heirloom Audio Productions Review

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Learning Latin With Stories (Crew Review)

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Deanna

The one thing that has intimidated me about classical education is Latin. I never studied it myself, which makes it a little scary to try to teach, as much as I can see the value in it. When we got a chance to review a fun Latin program from Laurelwood Books, I decided this would be an easy way to get our feet wet. We received the Olim, Once upon a Time in Latin, Reader I and Olim, Once Upon a time in Latin, Workbook I, which use familiar stories to help teach Latin.

About Olim, Once Upon a Time in Latin

The Olim, Once Upon a Time in Latin series has six levels, each consisting of a small softcover reader and a corresponding full-size softcover workbook. The readers have fairy tales, fables, or Bible studies retold in simple English followed by a Latin translation, and can be used by themselves. The workbooks, however, are really helpful as they walk the student through each page with various vocabulary exercises, as well as teaching helpful Latin grammar lessons.

The Volume I Reader is 57 pages long and starts with instructions in how to use the reader, a guide for “How to Pronounce Latin,” and a list of Roman Numerals. Then it contains three stories: “The Three Little Pigs,” ” The Tortoise and the Hare,” and “The Crow and the Pitcher.” Each story is presented in its in entirety in English with simple illustrations. Then it is repeated in Latin with a vocabulary key on each page for new Latin words.

The 80-page workbook really helps students get the most out of each story. There are 30 pages for “The Three Little Pigs” alone, consisting of translation exercises, matching worksheets, and “Digging Deeper” features, which teach related grammar concepts. An answer key is in the back of the workbook.

Our Experience

Ian reading I presented the whole subject as if we were working with a code, and we needed to figure out the messages written in Latin, and figure out how to put our own messages back into the code. Right from the very first lesson, the boys caught on quickly and enjoyed figuring out the Latin words in the reader.

This series is intended for 2nd grade through 5th grade, so I knew Ian (8) would be ready for it. However, I was pretty sure Elijah (6) could also get a lot out of it even though he couldn’t quite handle the amount of writing in the workbook.

I often found it easier to work with one boy at a time so that they each were able to sit close and study the reader. Here’s what a lesson looked like for us:

Read 1 page of the story in English
Keeping my finger on the English page, I turned to the corresponding Latin page.
I read through one sentence in Latin, then flipped back to the English page and had the student try to figure out which words “matched” based on similarities to English (necesse-necessary), roots that I could explain (“What do you do at an exit? You go out. So ‘exire’ means to go out.”), or words we’d already translated (erat/erant).
After we had read through the entire page sentence by sentence, we pulled out the workbook to work on the vocabulary exercise that went with that lesson. (I talked Elijah through these, but Ian was able to complete them mostly independently.)
I went through the “Digging Deeper” pages on my own and taught them that material as a separate lesson.

Because we are completely new to Latin, this was a learning experience for all of us. I used the “Digging Deeper” pages in the workbook more like a Teacher’s Manual, and then I presented to information to the boys a little bit at a time using a whiteboard. It just seemed a little too overwhelming to put a full page of explanations in front of either of them.

Overall, we really enjoyed this first exposure to Latin. I discovered that Ian has a quick mind for learning languages, and he zipped through these lessons on his own. I’ll definitely have to consider purchasing the next volume in the series. If you want to try them out, Laurelwood Books is offering my readers a 20% discount, good until August 15, 2016. Just enter discount code: blogger121.

Latin and Penmanship {Laurelwood Books Review}

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Online Bible Course from Veritas Press (Crew Review)

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Deanna

As much as I love teaching my children, I have found that sometimes I need them to work independently, and Veritas Press has proven to be a great place to turn. Last year Ian went through one of the online Self-Paced History courses, and Elijah has been eager to have a turn. He was thrilled to get to try their online Self-Paced Bible course “Old Testament 1: Genesis to Joshua.”

About Veritas Press Self-Paced Bible Courses

Veritas Press Self-Paced Bible Courses are interactive online lessons that take students through the Bible chronologically. There are 32 events covered in “Old Testament 1: Genesis to Joshua,” corresponding to the Veritas Press Bible cards. Each card is covered in 4 lessons (including the quiz at the end). It is possible to do the course without having the physical cards, but I decided to go ahead and purchase them, and I was glad I did. Elijah liked having something tangible to refer back to, and he used them with almost every lesson.

During the lesson two young Israelites, Asher and Abigail, act as teachers or guides, walking the student through the story (with a little help from an animated cat, Teb).

There are lots of different activities, such as putting events in order, matching up definitions, a catchy memory tune that covers all 32 events, and even fun games. Students do need to be able to read to complete most of the activities, so these courses are intended for 2nd-5th grade. (Scriptures used come from the New King James Version.)

Following the classical style, students memorize names, dates, and places, gaining a solid foundation of biblical understanding that will prepare them for delving deeper in the Bible as they grow older and move into more advanced stages of learning.

Veritas Press Self-Paced Courses are all online. The student logs in and is automatically sent to the correct lesson. (If they stopped in the middle of one, they can choose to pick up right where they left off.) Quizzes are graded, it’s easy to see how they have done on each lesson by looking at their student dashboard (or signing in as a parent).

There are actually two options for going through these lessons. The first is the Self-Paced Course Elijah is doing, where the student has one year to work through all the lessons, and they are graded on how they do on the quizzes. The other choice is a monthly or yearly subscription to VeritasBible.com, including an option for a family subscription that allows multiple students to use the program. With VeritasBible.com, they can also access the lessons from ALL the available Bible courses (both Old and New Testaments). While I usually try to find resources that can benefit several of my children, this time I opted for the Self-Paced course because I felt like having a deadline to get through all the lessons would help us stay more disciplined about getting through the entire program, plus I was only going to have Elijah using it this year.

Our Experience

Because Ian went through one of the Veritas Press history courses last year, Elijah went into this course with certain expectations. Some things were the same, but there were also several differences. His favorite thing about the history lessons had been the games. He watched Ian get to play a new one every week and was so excited to start his own course so he could play games like that too. Unfortunately, for the first several weeks there were no games. He was really disappointed, and it was hard to get him motivated to sign on and do his Bible lesson.

Thankfully, when he got to the Flood, he found a game very similar to one from Ian’s course. From that point on, Elijah gladly worked through his lessons. The games continue to be his favorite part.

Here are the main ways this Bible course compared with the self-paced history courses:

Still 32 cards (for 32 weeks) but only 4 lessons for each card rather than 5
The Bible lessons are a bit shorter (13-14 slides each)
Similar activity pages
Not a game for every week
Continual review of what’s been learned previously so students master the material

My Opinion

I am really pleased with this Veritas Press Self-Paced Bible course and have already signed Elijah up for the next course, Old Testament 2: Judges – Kings to start once he completes this one. (If you purchase before July 11 you can save $100 off the price of the course and set the start date for any time up through September 1!) I love the solid Biblical foundation Elijah is getting through this program and want to keep adding onto it.

Other Crew Member took a look at different courses, and some received a subscription to VeritasBible.com, so if you want to learn more, click on the banner below to see what they thought of those options.

Old and New Testament Online Self-Paced Bible Veritas Review

Posted in Bible lessons, Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Literature Guide: The Drinking Gourd (Crew Review)

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Deanna

One of my favorite things about being a parent is reading great books with my children. There are so many benefits to sharing quality literature, especially having the opportunity to point out biblical truth and engage my children in discussion. Progeny Press makes this easy to do with their multitude of literature guides. We recently had a chance to go through The Drinking Gourd E-Guide, which goes along with The Drinking Gourd by F.N. Monjo, a book about the Underground Railroad.

About this Progeny Press Literature Guide

I first discovered Progeny Press two years ago when I had a chance to review their literature guide for Frog and Toad Together. I loved the experience of reading through a favorite book while also looking at biblical concepts we found in the story. Since then, I’ve bought several of their other guides, both for younger elementary students, and for high school level books that my husband and I read together for fun.

The Drinking Gourd E-Guide is intended to be used with lower elementary students. Monjo’s book could easily be read by most 2nd or 3rd graders, but it also works well as a read aloud. The literature guide itself could be challenging for some students to read alone; strong readers could read the questions and write in their answers, but others could answer the questions with someone leading them through it.

The 35-page literature guide features the following:

Synopsis of the story
Background information
About the author
Before-you-read Activities (books to read to better help understand the time period, learning the “Drinking Gourd” song, identifying the Big Dipper, a map activity, and research prompts about historical figures whose names appear in the story)
vocabulary worksheet
The main section, with questions for 1-3 chapters at a time. Some of the questions help make sure the student understood what they read, and others help the student process what they read and consider the themes (such as bravery, honesty, and justice.)
A “hidden message” worksheet
After-you-read-Activities (Creative writing prompts, suggestions for learning more about constellations, instructions for making a drinking gourd)
Suggestions for Further Reading (other books by the author as well as more books about subject discussed in The Drinking Gourd)
Answer Key

Like many of the titles from Progeny Press, The Drinking Gourd Study Guide is available in print, CD-ROM, or instant download as an e-guide (what I received). (Some are also Interactive, where the student can type the answers right into the document.)

Our Experience

Before diving into the book, we went through some of the pre-reading activities suggested in the E-Guide. Then the boys and I took turns reading from The Drinking Gourd, but since my purpose was really just to enjoy the book together, I ended up taking over completely. We kept our time short, just going through one or two chapters a day (six altogether), following up by discussing the questions in the literature guide. I printed it out because I find it easier to use a hard copy, but we really only wrote on a few pages. I wanted to have a good discussion, rather than making the boys labor over writing in as short an answer as they could come up with, so if the page just consisted of questions, I used it to lead our conversation rather than making them do it as a worksheet. When they’re older and can work more independently on guides like this, I’ll probably have them write in their answers and THEN discuss.

I love the way Progeny Press study guides send readers to the Bible as they consider the themes in the literature they are reading. For example, Tommy and his father break the law by helping Jim’s family escape. His father talks to him about why he can’t obey a law that treats people as property. The study guide has students look up the definitions for “just” and “justice,” then looks at the story of the Magi in Matthew 2 and talks about how they disobeyed Herod’s instructions. “Was this the right thing to do? Why?” I’m so thankful for these literature guides that not only prompt our family to think more deeply about the story, but also look to God’s Word in processing right and wrong.

We enjoyed The Drinking Gourd and this study guide so much, we ended up spending several weeks Exploring the Underground Railroad. Also, members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew went through several other Progeny Press guides, so click on the banner below to read their reviews.

Literature Study Guides from a Christian Perspective {Progeny Press Review}

Posted in FIAR, Homeschool Resources, Literature Units, Product reviews

“Hey Mama!” Encouraging Homeschool Planner (Crew Review)

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Deanna

Are you already thinking about the next school year? (Are you ready to duct tape my ~~mouth~~ fingers for even daring to suggest such a thing?) I have a confession to make. I LOVE planning. Of course things come up and plans change as time passes, but I have found, without a doubt, that my school year causes so much less stress when I have taken the time to plan ahead. That’s why I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Hey Mama! Print Schoolhouse Planner 2016-2017 from The Old Schoolhouse. I was desperate to find a place to start jotting down notes about the year ahead of us!

About the Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner

Hey Mama Planner Pages The Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner is a softcover, spiral bound book designed to provide a place for organizing your plans for the entire upcoming school year:

Yearly calendars for 2016, 2017, and 2018
Monthly Calendars from July 2016-June 2017, each with an encouraging Hey Mama! letter from Gena Suarez, publisher of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, and a place for notes
36 weekly planning pages (undated, with Hey Mama! notes and interesting tidbits about various inventions scattered throughout)
Forms for listing monthly, semester, and yearly goals (5 of each)
Attendance Charts for up to 5 children (180 days that can be checked off as you go through the year)
Form to record books read throughout the year (5 copies)
Curriculum Planning Sheet
Homeschooling Contact List to record names, phone numbers, and email addresses
36 General Writing Prompts
Story Starters
List of the 13 Colonies by date
Timeline of inventions
List of U.S. Presidents and their wives
Branches of Federal, State, and Local Governments
United States and Capitals
Information about Creating an Academic Transcript for high school
Academic Transcript form
Checklist and Skills Learned form
form to record other courses

Note: The Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner is also available to purchase in digital form. And members of SchoolhouseTeachers.com (see my review) can download it for FREE under “Planners and Resources”!

Our Experience

For the past several years we have started school in July, so I already had plenty I wanted to start jotting down. I got the 2016-17 schedule for our co-op classes and the fall schedule for our music classes and marked all of those on both the “year at a glance” and the full monthly spreads. Then I used those dates to plan the breaks for our year. (I generally try to take a “Sabbath” after every 5-7 weeks, depending on where holidays and class schedules fall.) That allowed me to sketch out 36 weeks for a complete school year. Because I put in several weeks off, as well as sometimes using two actual weeks to cover 1 “week” of school, I have some wiggle room to adjust things as we go through the year.

I’m not ready to make weekly lesson plans yet, but when I do I won’t be writing them in this planner. There are just too many things that are the same every week, so I prefer to use a digital document that I can just tweak each week and print out rather than having to copy things by hand over and over. Since I knew I wouldn’t be using the 36 weekly planning pages for actual lesson plans, I used them to help me start to sketch out what I want our weeks to look like, making a rough schedule both for weeks when we have outside classes (like in July before everything starts up) and for weeks when we leave the house a couple days a week for other opportunities.

Hey Mama Planner My favorite thing about the Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner, of course, is the encouragement. It’s what makes this planner stand out among the myriad options out there. I had a Hey Mama! planner two years ago, which is why I was so eager to get my hands on one for this year. I try to save each month’s note and not read it until that day actually arrives. Then I find a quiet moment where I can just sit and soak in Gena’s message, considering which parts speak to me the most. Because there are also notes spread throughout the weekly planning pages, I’ll save those for other times when I just need a little extra encouragement.

What I love about the Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner

The encouragement
Room to list specific goals for each of my children (though I’m not sure why there are only 5 “Monthly Goals” pages. Thankfully The Old Schoolhouse told the Crew it was okay to copy pages if we needed
The writing prompts and story starters (Getting my boys to start writing is like pulling teeth, so specific ideas to help them get going are a must!)

What would make it even better

A “year at a glance” spread with room to write major events rather than just the dates. (I love to be able to visualize my entire year, seeing where our breaks and really important things happen.)
The cardstock cover will probably get me through the year since I won’t be referencing the book daily for lessons plans, but if I were handling it more often, I would prefer a sturdier plastic cover.
While I’m dreaming of the perfect cover, a pocket in which to stash important papers would be a great addition as well.

Even though I won’t use Hey Mama! Schoolhouse Planner for my weekly lesson plans, it’s almost perfect for my big picture, month-by-month planning. For me, that’s the key to a less stressful homeschool experience, and I love knowing that I’ll have Gena’s encouraging words there to help get me through the 2016-17 school year.

Ready to get your own? Use coupon code CREWCODE for $10 off! Happy planning!