1000 Gifts {Giveaway}

I mentioned in another post how a friend of mine gave me this book and how I think everybody should read it.  Well, now that I’ve finished it, I’m even more convinced that it is a treasure of GREAT VALUE!

I love to read but honestly I don’t have a whole lot of time or energy to do it.  Even my good intentions are over-powered by the weight of my eyelids or the call of, “MOOOOOM!”  But every once in a while a book that will come along and grab me from the start.  It will hold the power to prop those droopy lids open and keep that distracted brain focused and transform me.

This book has transformed me. 

This is not a feel good-name it claim it-all is perfect in Christ book.  It’s truth.  Truth that transforms and renews.

Ann’s style of writing touches a place deep in my soul.  My friend said it best when she told me she returns to it again and again.  I can see why. And I will be doing the same.

I savored every page of this book.  I read it slow and deliberate, sipped it, like the perfect cup of coffee that you never want to end.  It was that delicious.

If you are ready to move your relationship with God to the next level.  If you crave peace and joy.  If you desire to walk in the fullness of God’s love and goodness.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!

I am making this book required reading for my daughters. 

Because I feel so passionately about this, I am going to give away 2 copies of this book.  Out of my own budget.  Because it’s THAT important and I want you to have THAT joy!

I have one requirement.  Only one. I’m not even going to require that you follow my blog.  Who cares!  I just want you to promise me that you will read it.  That’s it.

Leave me a comment with your email address and a promise to me that you will read it if you win and you will be entered.  I’m not going to do anything with your email, just email you if you win.  I’m not that fancy!  (smile)

I don’t want to put an end date on this giveaway…Probably the middle of March.  In the mean time, why not join me as I embark on a Joy Dare.  Only good can come of it. 

With gratitude and love,

Mrs. Taffy

SAT prep…in Elementary School!

As you’ve read before, my homeschooled/college enrolled soon-to-be high school seniors are college bound in some way or another.  And whether we like or not, these boys are going to HAVE to take the SAT.  They’ve been studying… but I can’t help but think how nice it would have been if we had started studying when they were MUCH younger!

Being as I’m abundantly blessed in the offspring department, I get another chance to do things a little bit differently.  Enter Marie’s Words.

Marie’s Words is a fun way to teach the vocabulary needed for the SAT!  Included in Marie’s Words are 550 vocabulary flash cards.  Each card has a nifty little hole in the corner so you can put a ring in it and take it with you.  Like this:

I have most of the A’s on a ring here.  It’s nice to be able to take a smaller amount of cards on the go, or to the lunch table for review.

Marie’s Words claims it can be used for students starting with Kindergarten!  Included in the box are instructions for playing games with the cards as well, though for my young students the games would be too hard initially, they still REALLY enjoyed talking about the picture (some really funny ones) and felt like they were doing “high school” work since their older siblings have been studying for the SAT as well.

        This is our little pocket chart that sits at the end of our homeschool table.  Every couple days we explore 2 or 3 new cards.  We talk about what they are seeing in the picture and what the word could possibly mean by what they see.  Amazingly they can get pretty accurate with their elementary vocabulary.  We’ll probably be doing this for years!  What a great value!  As the years progress and they become more and more familiar with the definitions, we’ll be able to expand their knowledge by learning the synonyms and antonyms of the words and by playing the suggested games.

In our homeschool we take a Classically Relaxed approach and vocabulary flash cards fit into that framework very nicely!

Timberdoodle sells Marie’s Words for $23.99.  You can read all about it here.  Besides Marie’s Words, Timberdoodle is the #1 resource (in my opinion) for the most unique and engaging homeschool materials.  You can request a catalog here and see for yourself!  And don’t forget to like them on Facebook, they are always giving away AMAZING resources!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of Marie's Words in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

What Makes a Fish a Fish? Review

As my final review for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine I’ll be introducing you to a fascinating DVD and accompanying teacher’s guide by Dive Into Your Imagination.

Produced by Annie Crawley, aka Ocean Annie, What Makes a Fish a Fish? is more than a simple science DVD, the DVD is actually just the media presentation.  The heart of this science curriculum is the Teacher’s Guide!  The DVD is divided into short chapters and the teacher’s guide follows right along.   

Each chapter contains the following:
1. General Concepts/Topics to Teach
2. Objectives
3. Character Education
4. Treasure Chest of Vocabulary Words
5. Required Materials
6. Anticipatory Set: Lead In Questions
and Answers
7. Imagination Play Script
8. Classroom Activity Stations
9. Extension Ideas and Journaling
10. CCSS Alignment
11. Book List/Applications/DVDS Specific
to tie Activities and Character
Education
12. Closure and Follow-Up
13. Plan for Independent Practice
14. Transcript of DVD
15. Go Blue Environmental Section

The recommended course of study is for the teacher to preview the DVD chapter and read through the Study Guide, deciding which activities to set up and which questions to ask/discuss.  Then show the DVD portion to the students and proceed with the activities.  This is a MAJORLY meaty study guide.  There are activities and coloring pages, tips, answers, ideas for implementing, suggested reading, etc.

Science is a fundamental part of our lives and the
scientific method of inquiry is a cornerstone
enabling us to think logically through everyday
issues. These lesson plans are underlain with
science, math, English, art and imagination
concepts, and include a cross curricular approach
to science based thinking. In addition, the
students will learn how to think, synthesize
information and take a global approach to
learning about our environment.

(From the Teacher’s Guide)

There’s a section in the teacher’s guide that explains the standards for what the lessons cover and how.  Honestly, this was all foreign language to me.  I don’t think this was written for the homeschool community initially.  But that doesn’t mean it can’t be used in a homeschool, you would just need to make some adjustments in some of the activities.  I will say this would be PERFECT for a co-op type setting though, especially for grades 1-3.

In my reviewing I didn’t notice any evolutionary speak. The images and the awesomeness of each creature screams, “CREATOR!” 

The price of the DVD is $19.95 and the PDF form of the teacher’s guide is $69.95 (a little much for a homeschool but tolerable for a co-op situation).

To see what other members of The Homeschool Crew thought of this and other products by Dive Into Your Imagination, visit the Crew Blog!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Disclaimer-I was given a copy of the DVD What Makes a Fish a Fish?  and the downloadable corresponding study guide for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid.

The Genesis Code~Movie Review

Kerry Wells (Kelsey Sanders), a college journalist and committed Christian with an effervescent personality, has been assigned to do a story on Blake Truman (Logan Bartholomew) the college’s newest and very popular hockey superstar. As a relationship between them begins to develop Kerry finds that Blake, who hides behind a tough and independent façade, is actually struggling through a difficult personal crisis and that he bears the cross of a secret he has kept hidden for years. Blake rebuffs Kerry's suggestion that prayer might help ease his burden; he is convinced that modern science completely disproves the Bible, especially the opening verses of Genesis. Kerry — who is herself suddenly confronted with a challenge to her faith on another front — sets out to prove that science and Genesis are not in conflict and her quest leads to a startling revelation. Could it be that what science teaches us about creation and the Story as told in Genesis are both true! (From the Publisher)

I’ve had quite the assortment of people watch The Genesis Code to help me do my review.  There was my mom who grew up only every hearing about science from an evolutionary stand-point.  My scientific son who thinks Physics is fascinating and my skeptical husband who whole-heartedly believes the Bible to be truth and doesn’t give evolution much credence.  And then there was me…I am not into science, not at all.  Creation is not something I have ever struggled with and I don’t question whether or not the earth was created in a literal 6 days or not.  To me it’s one of those areas the Bible calls, “needful things.” 

All that being said, we all agree that the movie was very enjoyable.  My Mom and daughter were both moved to tears by the surprise ending.  My son was lit up, intrigued by the scientific analysis explored movie.  My husband wasn’t impressed.  Not surprising.    I enjoyed the movie, but being that I don’t really care about science or struggle with Creation, I got a little bored.  It’s 138 minutes long!!

A few spots of warning that my conservative mind thinks you’ll want to know about so you can decide who the movie would be appropriate for:  The college kids are shown drinking beer and in one scene a big guy is chug-a-lugging a whole pitcher of it.  There is a kissing scene toward the end and the subject of virginity comes up.  There is another time during a discussion between the Reverend and a liberal scientist that female circumcision is mentioned briefly.

So if you are looking for a family movie that will get you talking and discussing the finer points of creation and evolution and physics, you will no doubt enjoy this interesting movie!

I’ve a got a copy to share!! 

If you want a chance to win a copy of this Dove Family Approved Movie:  The Genesis Code, leave me a comment with your email address.  I’ll draw the winner on May 25th!!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heritage History/Ancient Greece~ Review

“Our object is to build on students' natural curiosity about the past with books that are both informative and engaging.”

 

I’m so excited to share with you this CD from Heritage History that I recently reviewed!  Now, normally I don’t like books on CD or in an ebook format, but I really like this CD and it’s treasury of books, timelines, maps and study aides!

“The Ancient Greece collection covers Greek history from the earliest days of myth and legend, through the Golden age of Athens, to the Greco-Roman Era. Of special interest to older students is a selection of simplified classics based on the works of renowned poets, historians and playwrights.
Includes 46 books, 50+ maps, teaching aids, and a Study Guide”  (From the website)

I inserted the CD into my computer with a little bit of trepidation…you know, considering how I normally feel.  But as I was looking over the different menus and read through the Introduction I was sold!  Here’s some of the things I love about this Heritage History CD:

• The CD is designed to look like you are in your web browser (familiar) but it’s totally independent of the internet!  (AWESOME!)
• You can copy, print and share these books on your eReader.  More about this in a bit.  No copy write violations here!
• There is a specific guide to help you get the books from your CD onto your eReader.
• Loaded with Living Books for all levels of learning.
• Organized and easy to navigate.
• Schedules and notebooking pages included.

Okay, so I really was skeptical about getting these files onto my Kindle Fire.  But I followed the directions (complete with images of what my computer should look like as I was going through the steps) and I was able to transfer the books!  I was so excited!  And what’s even better is that since these books aren’t under any copy write law I can also put these books onto my daughter’s kindle with the same ease!  Cool!  I was concerned that maybe the directions would be a little outdated, maybe the directions wouldn’t work with Windows 7 or a Kindle Fire, but it all worked perfectly!

Heritage History claims to line up with the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling, but I would argue that it also lines us with my Classically Relaxed approach.  Geared toward children in 4-12 grade there are charts which explain reading level and length.  There is also a handy chart to track reading hours (they recommend 3 hours a week) and another one that summarizes what each book is about.

Truly, this little CD gives what they call, “a bang for your buck!”  Only $24.99!  I’m thinking these CD’s are going on my homeschool proposal from now on!

To see what my Crew mates thought of this and other history CD’s by Heritage History, visit the Crew Blog!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Disclaimer-I was given a copy of Heritage History Ancient Greece CD for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed here are my own and I was not paid.

Write Shop Primary~Review

 

Write Shop Primary Book C is a writing program for children around 3rd grade.  Each level of Write Shop Primary has some wiggle room for when to use it.  The guidelines for book C are as follows:

Start with Book C if your 7- to 9-year-old is not yet able to:

• Plan the main ingredients of a story before beginning to write.
• Ask who, what, when, where, and why? in order to add story details.
• Organize story details.
• Write entries in a personal journal.
• Use descriptive words in his writing.
• Write a short nonfiction article.
• Summarize the contents of familiar books.
• Collect research facts about a specific topic.
• Write a simple, short report with introduction, body, and closing.
• Use standard spelling.
• Check his own work for correct spelling and punctuation. (from the website)

Blue-Raspberry hasn’t had much experience in semi-formal writing, so this is the level that I picked to review.  Book C is divided into 10 chapters.  In the introduction of the Teacher Book there is instructions on how to teach the lessons using a schedule of either 1, 2 or 3 weeks to complete a lesson.  Depending on your child and your life circumstances you select the pace you want to take.  I have to be honest here and say that the e-book version was very confusing to me.  It’s not that the writing was confusing but clicking between the introductory portion of the book that explains how to do the lessons and the actual lesson which explains how to teach and what to say, it was really hard for me to keep track of where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.  I know for sure that for me, having a printed version of this book would have made it much easier.

Blue-Raspberry is my child who loves school, he loves pretty much anything I teach him and really enjoys trying new curriculum.  This writing program was no different.  Personally, I think this program is VERY teacher intensive.  I needed lots of time to prepare for the lesson by making copies and cutting things out/laminating them, gathering props etc.  For a mom who homeschools 7 children (I’m including the baby) this was hard for me and it frustrated me a little bit.  While I love homeschooling, I’m not a teacher by profession or by gifting.  This book is geared toward the mom who really enjoys teaching and the prep work that comes with that.  Write Shop Primary is LOADED with possible activities to increase learning and mastery.  Besides the basic activities for each lesson there are also suggestions for MORE ways to get the topic learned.  If you like the Montessori teaching style or if you are a mom who loves to teach then this writing curriculum will serve you well!

To see a sample lesson and an activity worksheet sample click here.  The downloadable version of the Teacher’s Guide for Write Shop Primary Book C is available for $28.95.  It’s 241 pages of instructions and lessons!  The worksheet ebook that corresponds with Book C is available for download at $4.50.

Other members of the Schoolhouse Crew reviewed this and other levels of Write Shop Primary.  To see what they thought of the program, visit the Crew Blog.

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Disclaimer-I was given the e-book version of both Write Shop Primary C and the corresponding Worksheet e-book for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed here are my own, I was not paid.

CapJaxMathFax~Review

CapJaxMathFax is a math drill program designed to give children the opportunity to practice their math facts in a fun and interesting way on the computer. 

No flash cards here!!

 

• Details:
  Uses a computer to provide drill and practice so that practice time is not limited by teacher availability.
• Automatically generates exercises. Teachers don't prepare quizzes. They merely provide the parameters for them.
• Builds exercises for any of the four math tables (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) or any combination of tables.
• Guarantees student success by taking small steps through levels of
  difficulty.
• Can focus practice at a single level of difficulty or may review earlier levels.
• Randomly generates problems without repetition.
• Allows variable numbers of problems in an exercise.
• Reduces learner stress by timing facts individually.
• Provides immediate positive feedback for correct answers.
• Provides extra reinforcement for fast, correct answers.
• Displays an overall performance report at the conclusion of each exercise.
• Prints reports for teacher review and for use as certificates of achievement.
• Displays and prints item diagnostic details.
• Uses a rating system that allows students to keep personal scores and
  set goals.
• Charts student rating progress graphically.
• Maintains a database of student activity over time. (From the website)

My Thoughts:

Initially I was very excited to review this program.  I did have a somewhat difficult time with the downloaded version that I reviewed.  There were two reasons for the difficulty, one being that the downloadable program is relatively new so Norton did not think it was safe.  I bypassed that issue without any problem, but then Norton went on to detect something that wouldn’t let me complete the full download.  My husband preferred that I not shut off Norton to complete the download, and since he’s the “keeper of our many PC’s” I submitted to that request.  So rather than not review any of the product I was able to explore only the addition portion of the program  While it would have been fun to see all of it, I can say with certainty that the addition portion was very educational!  It was great fun to see how quickly we could get the answers to the equations, trying to improve our time was very motivating. 

The program has a very “vintage” feel to it.  The graphics aren’t what I’m used to seeing in a Math program but that didn’t detract from the educational benefits and in some ways added to its appeal, no extra flashy distractions here!

CapJaxMathFax is available for download for $29.95.  You can check out the addition portion of the program for free here.  If you love it and find it beneficial like I think you will, you pay the $29.95 which gives you access to the rest of the program which covers addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.

My crew mates were able to use the whole program and you can read about their reviews on the Crew Blog!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Disclaimer-I was given the whole downloadable program to review in exchange for my honest opinion.  Even though I couldn’t see the whole program, the opinions expressed her are my own and I was not paid.

Go Science DVD~Review

Here’s a treat!  Creation Based Science DVD’s!  We love these!  Library and Educational Services sells these wonderful Science DVD’s.  We reviewed Volume 2:  Simple Machines, Sound & Weather and Volume 3:  Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering and Design.

Even kids who claim an aversion to science will be engaged by the high-energy science demonstrations of Ben Roy! Ben teaches science methods at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is the former director of a science program on television. With this expertise, Ben captivates, motivates, and inspires students to be excited about science, while providing effective instruction based on science phenomena. Each of the 67 spectacular demonstrations of physical or chemical science has a spiritual application and points to our Creator! Recommended for ages 6 to 14. (from the website)

 

Each DVD covers 14 different experiments.  Ben Roy is an energetic, passionate teacher.  Here’s the list of things I love about this series:

• Creation Based
• You can choose to watch each short demonstration at different times, or all at once.
• Not cheesy
• Not flashy
• Honest to goodness Science that is exciting and fascinating

Blue-Raspberry Taffy LOVED these Science DVD’s.  He watched both DVD’s in one sitting.  He couldn’t get enough. 

“I liked it very much.  It gave me a few ideas to try the things they said to do.  I liked the way they made sound come from the glasses filled with water.  I loved watching how they did the different experiments.”

~Blue-Raspberry (9)

 

“I liked how they did the magnets.  I like how they made the girl’s hair all static-y and how they did the Jacob’s Ladder.  I liked all the experiments.”

~Blue-Raspberry(9)

 

 

I’ve been a fan of Library and Educational Services for years, I can’t recommend them as a wholesaler enough!  These DVD’s are just one of the thousands of great products they sell at a reduced cost to homeschoolers.  Each DVD is currently available for $8.97.  Once you get on Library and Educational Services email list you’ll get great emails with sales offers, so you may even be able to get these at a bigger discount eventually! 

To see what other members of the Old Schoolhouse Crew thought, visit the Crew Blog.

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Disclaimer~I was given these 2 Science DVD’s for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed were my own and I was not paid.

Judah Bible Curriculum~Review

Have you ever heard of the Principal Approach?  Me either, until recently.  The Principal Approach is a Philosophy of teaching.  Here is the definition as explained by the writer of Judah Bible curriculum.

Principle Approach refers to a philosophy of education whose content and methods are designed to build character in teacher and student capable of sustaining liberty.

The Principle Approach is a resurgence of the Biblical philosophy of education prevalent in the founding period of America, when the character of the American colonists was one of dependence on God, not the State. This enabled and impelled them to overthrow their opposition under the tyranny of England and become a new nation, free yet not in anarchy. This education was done almost entirely in the home and the church and yielded a populace that was 96% literate; today we are 46% literate.

As America has veered away from God and increased in dependence on the state while becoming more chaotic, the critical need is to educate a next generation of Christians who are intelligent based in Truth, self-taught not media taught, and self-governed under God not dependent on state control.

With the Judah Bible curriculum, your children will be studying the Bible, not just studying about the Bible. They will learn to utilize reference materials and outside resources in their study. They will learn to reason from the Bible basis and apply Biblical principle to every area of life.

It is our desire that Bible class will become the favorite part of your school day, and that the lights will turn on in your students' minds and hearts as they learn about our great God and His ways through the scriptures.

Judah Bible Curriculum was written as a guide to help parents who don’t feel confident teaching the scriptures to their children.  The curriculum is meant to be used throughout your child’s education, not just one year, but every year.  Each year expounding more and getting more in-depth and more detailed.  The curriculum comes with 8 downloadable teacher training seminars that explain the heart of the principal approach and how to teach through the bible. You also get a downloadable manual and a notebook idea booklet.  5 themes are covered in K-6 and then are repeated in 7th-12th.  Judah Bible encourages using notebooking as the technique of choice for documenting and saving work.  They recommend teaching 1 Key per week for 38 weeks and producing 1-2 notebook pages each week.

In and of itself I can see how Judah Bible could be very helpful, especially to moms who are teachers at heart.  This is a very teacher intensive style of Learning.  First the teacher must learn the key and then teach it to the student.  This isn’t something you just open up and work through.  In our home, my husband is the primary Bible Teacher.  We read through the Bible each morning with a goal of reading through the entire Bible as a family.  He expounds as the Spirit leads.  He’s not going to use something like this.  If you have a situation where your husband isn’t interested in teaching Bible and you aren’t confident in your abilities to do so and you like to teach, Judah Bible could definitely help you do it and do it well. 

The downloadable version of Judah Bible Sells for $44.00 and a hard copy format for $74.00 (including shipping). 

To see what other members of the Old Schoolhouse Crew thought about Judah Bible, visit the Crew Blog.

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

Disclaimer-I was given the downloadable version of Judah Bible in exchange for my honest review.  I was not paid and all opinions expressed are my own.

Crypto Mind Benders Famous Quotations~Review

What a great no-nonsense thinking skills book!  Introducing Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotations by The Critical Thinking Company.  Designed for children from third to twelfth grade and selling for an easy $10.99, Crypto Mind Benders makes a great math warm-up exercise or summer math activity.

At first I thought these might be too hard for Blue-Raspberry, after all, these are were REALLY hard for me!  But thanks to my super smart 16 year old, Blue-Raspberry got a lesson in solving these fun puzzles and now he’s a champ!  (And I am too!  Thanks Chocolate Taffy!)

These cryptograms add an extra element of learning as the famous quotations often lend to a great discussion on, “What in the world does that mean Mom?”  The Critical Thinking Company lets you make copies within your own family, so I was able to give puzzles to my teens too.  Some said, “oohhhh FUN!”  One said, “oooohhh ugh!”  He’s like me…he just needed a lesson from Chocolate Taffy!  If this sounds like something you would like, click here for free printables that introduce cryptograms and other logic puzzles.

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

To see what other Members of The Old Schoolhouse Crew thought of this and other Critical Thinking Co. books, visit the Crew Blog.

Disclaimer-As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I was given this Mind Bender book for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid.

God’s Great Covenant~Review

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of pretty much everything Classical Academic Press puts out, it’s thanks to the Old Schoolhouse Crew that I discovered them last year.  So every time an opportunity comes up for me to review another set of their books I jump right on it, I want to see if they are consistently as wonderful as I think they are.  I’m happy to say that God’s Great Covenant, New Testament 1 does not disappoint!

Written for children ages 4th grade and up, God’s Great Covenant teaches the amazing story of Jesus, from birth to his sacrificial death.  It covers the importance of who Jesus was and the significance of what He did for us.  This is so foundational to our faith!  There are 36 weekly chapters divided into 4 themed units.

          

Each chapter contains a memory verse, charts, questions, worksheets, quizzes and a reading portion.  The set I received to review included the MP3 files, which I think are just fantastic.  Christopher Perrin (he is the narrator for The Tale of Two Princesses on Headventureland) has a very appealing voice and my children are already familiar with him, so it’s like being read to by a friend!  Here’s a link to view a sample of the student workbook.

There is very minimal teacher prep required.  This is pretty much an open-up-and-work-your-way-through book.  The teacher book has extra information to share with your child, it’s up to you if you want to teach that to your child or not.  Depending on their age and attention span you might not use the extra information, but it’s fascinating to read anyway!  Here’s a link to see a portion of the teacher’s book. 

I love that this book focuses on fact…this isn’t a book of theory and speculation, it’s a line up on line, precept upon precept teaching of who Christ was and is and more importantly the proof that confirms it all.  This makes it PERFECT in my opinion.

God’s Great Covenant bundle, which includes the student workbook, the teacher book and the MP3 downloads,  sells for $56.95 from the Classical Academic website. 

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

To see what other Crew Members thought of the God’s Great Covenant, visit the Crew Blog!

Disclaimer-I was given this book bundle from Classical Academic Press for the purpose of this review.  All opinions expressed here are my own, I was not paid.

It’s About Time~Review

This my first experience with the AIMS Educational Foundation.  They specialize in hands-on activities that integrate math and science. 

We’ve had a lot of fun with this 155 page book.  It’s designed to teach children in grades K-2 how to tell and understand the concept of time.  Some of the concepts covered in It’s About Time are:

• Developing a Sense of Time
• Ordering Events
• Qualifying Time
• Developing Awareness of Clocks
• Reading an Analog (this section is broken down into little intervals of Hour by Hour, Times by Five, Double Time, Name that Time, Two Timers, Minute by Minute, How Time Flies
• Reading a digital clock
• Elapsed Time
• Playful and Intelligent Practice

Each of the these sections have hands-on suggested activities as well as worksheets that can be copied for your personal use.  There is no lesson plan included, we just covered one or two concepts a week depending on how quickly they picked gained comprehension.

My Thoughts

• I love how each concept is broken down with activities to teach those specific concepts.
• Laffy Taffy (4) did very well understanding these concepts.  We didn’t go through the whole book yet so I he’s not telling time, but I have no doubt he will be able to once we get to the end.
• Teacher intensive, you have to prepare before you teach.  It’s a little much…in my opinion and difficult for me. 
• The book was originally written for a public school classroom.  Therefore the activities have to be modified (by you) to work with your one or two students. 
• My children didn’t recognize all of the images since some of the activities on the printables were public school related.  They figured it quickly enough, but it bears mentioning.
• It’s About Time comes with a CD that contains some, but not all of the printable pages found in the book.  The CD was more confusing to me than helpful.  The book doesn’t mention when to go to the CD to retrieve the different activities.

It’s About Time sell for $21.95.  Both the book form with CD and the PDF downloadable version are the same price, I always prefer the book myself.  If time is a concept you need to teach your children, It’s About Time will get the job done!

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

To see what other members of the Old Schoolhouse Crew thought about this and other books offered by AIMS, visit  the Crew Blog!

Disclaimer-I was given the printed version of It’s About Time in exchange for my honest opinion.  All views expressed are my own and I was not paid.

Write with World~Review

I have a brand new writing curriculum to share with you!  Write with World isn’t even available to purchase yet, but it will be soon, if you are interested in getting this curriculum after you read my review, you can pre-order and expect to receive your books during summer of 2012.  I reviewed the first year of the curriculum which is written for middle school students.

Below is a list of bullet points that I made while reviewing the books.  There are links included in the text for more information, I could have written a uber long description but I didn’t want you to get overwhelmed with all my words! 

• Teacher’s book has both teaching notes and word for word text of the student workbook.  Teachers notes are written on the outside margins of the student text in a completely different font, this makes it easy to see what the parent needs to read first and what the student will be reading.
• Student’s will be making a writing journal to brainstorm ideas, write down thoughts pertinent to the capsule they are in, complete writing assignments and define specific vocabulary words.
• Fantastic conversational tone to the teacher and  to the student.
• Here’s a link with the whole table of contents.
• There are 4 units per year, with 4 Lessons in each unit and 5 capsules per unit.  There is no suggested lesson plan with Write with World, but you can see a plan emerge as you look through the book.  For my sons I would likely do one capsule a day, for my daughter who loves to write, possibly two or more as her heart desires.  Here’s a sample lesson. 
• Very parent friendly.  Low-stakes evaluations are encouraged, which means you don’t have to spend a lot of time grading and finding every little mistake, instead conversation is encouraged.  Personally, I really enjoy talking to my children and listening to them explain to me the things they’ve learned, so this aspect is VERY appealing to me!
• At the beginning of each Lesson is a list of supplies needed.  This is a very basic list, not overwhelming I promise!  I should mention though that a few lessons suggest a copy or two of World Magazine.  I do not have access to this from my library and can’t get a subscription right now.  From what I read, it would be acceptable to use another publication.
• Capsules include examples of what’s expected, so students have a specific idea of what they are supposed to be doing.  This is not an ambiguous workbook.
• The student workbook can be non-consumable.  There is room on a few pages to compete some grammar exercises, but those can easily be done on a separate sheet of paper, then if you have children up and coming to middle school, you can reuse both books!

To sum this review up, the more I read, the more I looked through the lessons, the more I imagined my children using this curriculum to learn how to effectively communicate through writing, the more excited I got!  I can get easily overwhelmed with curriculum that requires too much from me as the parent/teacher.  I have 7 children, and I have to have time to do other things throughout a day, like feed all these children and spend time with my husband, take a shower, stuff like that.  Therefore, I do not do well with curriculum that expects me to do a lot of prep work or a lot of one on one teaching.  I can do some individual teaching time, but there just isn’t enough time in the day to do teacher intensive work with each of my children.  So curriculums that require more student independence and are less mom-intensive bring peace to my soul.  And that’s exactly what Write with World does.  With a VERY Christ-Centered, God-Created tone, with books that are pretty much open up and get to work, and with enthusiasm that will create young writers who can articulate and communicate effectively, Write with World definitely makes the cut for my homeschool!!

Each year of Write with World sells for $95, if you buy both years together you get a little discount for $165.  The price also include access to a special website for the young writers to publish their writing and to add excitement to their daily assignments.  This is a great article written by the authors of Write with World that describes their vision for the program.

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

If you would like to see what other reviewers for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine thought, check out the Crew Blog!

 

Disclaimer:  I was given the first year of Write with World for the purpose of this review, I was not paid.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Truth Quest History: Ancient Greece

Do I have a treasure to share with you!  I have here a very affordable and very precious history study guide.  I honestly don’t have the words to describe how this study guide makes me feel, because I’ve never encountered a history curriculum like this.  Just read some of the phrases I highlighted from the introduction:

As Christian adults, though, we must hold every definition up to His blazing light.  Is history indeed the story of mankind?  Could the secular minds that birthed our history textbooks also have had a secular definition of history itself?  Is it possible?

Please think about history in a brand new way, for it is not first the story of mankind, but of the One who made mankind.

God’s initiation and our response…that’s history.

I’ve never even considered that before!  Sure I’ve used “Christian” history curriculum in the past, but still, they would be classified under the old definition:  the story of mankind.  But to be able to study history through the new definition: God’s initiation and our response…it’s profound to me!

History has always been boring to me, boring to teach and boring to learn. I went to public school after all and everything I learned was a dry account of man’s activities.  Who cares!?  (Well, I’m sure somebody did, but not me!)  But if history can be this:

…a personal encounter with the King of the Universe, the Maker of our souls!  It should be one of the most inspiring, personal, real and intimate topics because it hooks us up with the truths that make life work!

Now that’s the kind of History I could get into!!  And get into we will be!  Truth Quest History Guides are written for Grades 5-12, but can be used for younger children too.  This is a non-consumable History Curriculum that will typically take a year to complete.  You can view a sample schedule here.  Many of the books that are suggested to read while using Truth Quest Ancient Greece are available at the library, trust me, I checked!  And the best part is, besides the amazing world view, is that these guides are inexpensive!  You can purchase the PDF download for $19.95.  There are other things available for purchase as well, but they are not necessary for a wonderful experience.  The tone of the study guide is a real gem.  You can feel the passion of the author, Michelle Miller, her writing style will definitely get you fired up about the Lord and His influence on history! 

Here’s what’s included in your study guide, this is from the website.

TruthQuest History guides have four components:

1) vivid commentary introduces each and every topic;

2) individual reading lists organized by grade level flesh out each and every topic;

3) ThinkWrite™ exercises are strategically placed throughout the guide to help students incrementally internalize and express various facets of key truths (whether through writing or discussion), until significant and synthesized wisdom is achieved at the end of a guide; and,

4) an appendix at the rear of the guide offers sample answers to the ThinkWrite™ exercises (useful in evaluating the student's writings for depth of comprehension, or for engendering rich oral discussions), while another appendix offers a cumulative list of all resources cited in the guide. Remember, the student's profound learning comes in such small steps that it seems almost effortless! Parents often tell us they don't see the full depth of a TruthQuest History guide until they've read or watched their students work through it a while. It does all come together, but the veil is lifted very slowly as the great truths of God and people's responses to them are seen step-by-step through the chronology. It's an exciting odyssey!

I’m pretty well sold on the whole program and will definitely be using these in our homeschool for years to come!  I’ve included many links throughout this post, hopefully you will get all of your questions answered.  There are also samples of the different guides on the website.

Joyfully,

Mrs. Taffy

To read what my crew mates thought about this and other study guides from Truth Quest, visit the Crew Blog.

Disclaimer-I was given the PDF form of Truth Quest History-Ancient Greece, in exchange for my honest review.  I was not paid.