Author Archives: Deanna

Logic of English: Essentials 2nd ed. (Crew Review)

LOE Essentials Review
It is essential to me that my children have a commanding knowledge of the English language so that they can become strong readers and communicators.  We haven’t done much formal study of language arts up this point, so when we were offered that chance to review Essentials 2nd Edition (Volume 1) and the accompanying Essentials Reader from Logic of English, I decided it was time to see what my boys knew and fill in some gaps in the foundation I’ve been trying to build for them in these early years.

About Essentials 2nd Edition

Essentials is a comprehensive language arts curriculum for elementary students, designed to teach spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and reading (with additional materials).  Logic of English has recently released the first volume of the 2nd edition, and from what I can understand, the changes have made a great program even better.  (The first edition was all in one volume, but because of the additions to the second edition, it has now been split into two volumes for the two semesters of the school year.  Volume 2, with Lessons 16-30, is due to be released January 2017.)

In the second edition, three levels of work are presented, so it’s easy to use with multiple children and/or with the same child multiple times as he or she progresses.  This makes it an ideal homeschool spelling curriculum (and more!) for homeschool families like ours looking to get the most out of each purchase.

What’s Included in the Semester 1 Complete Set

Logic of English Review

  • Essentials Vol 1 Teacher’s Guide (632-page hardcover)
  • Essentials Vol 1 Student Workbook (316-page consumable softcover)
  • Spelling Journal (71-page consumable softcover)
  • Morpheme Cards, Set 1
  • Basic Phongram Flash Cards
  • Spelling Rule Flash Cards
  • Grammar Flash Cards
  • Advanced Phonogram Flash Cards
  • Phonogram Game Cards (Bookface)
  • Phonogram Game Cards (Manuscript or Cursive)
  • Phonogram Game Tiles
  • Spelling Analysis Card
  • Phonogram and Spelling Rule Quick Reference

Getting Started

Placement Test

The program begins with a placement test determining the proper level for each student (available on the website as well as in the book).  It covers phonemic awareness, reading basic phonograms, handwriting, writing phonograms, reading, and spelling.

Pre-Lessons

There are ten “pre-lessons” with various activities to complete depending on how students performed on the placement test.  There are handwriting assignments (using The Rhythm of Handwriting, a separate product from Logic of English), phonemic awareness activities, and phonogram instruction, all of which help get the student and teacher familiar with the approach that will be used in the main lessons.  The order in which the phonograms are presented is different depending on whether or not you’re using cursive or manuscript, but the same ones are covered whichever way you choose.  There is also a game every day for practicing the phonograms learned up to that point.

Lessons 1-15

In Volume 1 there are fifteen lessons, which are intended to be used over half of the school year.  Each lesson is divided into five days’ worth of activities.

Day 1: “Essential Concepts” introduces new phonograms, spends time exploring sounds, and introduces spelling rules.

Day 2: “Building Words” reviews phonograms and spelling rules learned so far, then spends time on the spelling journal, and finally spelling analysis (with separate lists for levels A,B, and C).

Day 3: “Words in Context” reviews phonograms and spelling rules, teaches grammar concepts (including review), and has a short dictation lesson (with separate phrases for levels A,B, and C).

Day 4: “Words in Action” reviews phonograms, spelling rules, and grammar; teaches vocabulary (for levels A, B, and C); and also contains short lessons on dictation and composition, as well as assignments in the optional Essentials Reader.

Day 5: “Check Your Understanding” contains opportunities to review and assess everything taught that week.

Optional Essentials Reader set (available for additional purchase)

For older students (age 8+) still struggling with reading, there is a supplemental Essentials Reader that is designed to correlate specifically with the phonograms being taught in each lesson, as well as a Teacher’s Guide (which has suggestions for pre-reading, comprehension, vocabulary, analysis, note-taking, composition and other extension activities) and a student activity workbook.  All three of these items are currently available as PDF downloads. (The Essentials Reader comes in two formats: a black and white version designed for printing in booklet form and a full color version for using digitally.)  Print versions should be available sometime this spring.

The selections in the Essentials Reader are specifically aimed at older students who need more than the typical early reader “fluff.”  The subject matter varies, from tongue-twisting riddles, to classic folk tales from around the world, to interesting non-fiction pieces.  For each lesson, the reader contains a list of the words being taught (using phonograms being taught or reviewed in the corresponding Essentials lesson that week), and a short selection that puts the words in context.

Essentials Reader

Our Experience

LOE Essentials 2When our Essentials materials arrived, my first thought was, “What on earth have I gotten myself into???”  This thick, hardbound teacher edition reminded me of the heavy tomes I hauled around in college.  And so many sets of cards!  It’s a bit overwhelming to take in.  Just organizing all the materials was a daunting feat. I tried to look over the Teacher’s Guide to get a handle on the program, but I didn’t feel any less overwhelmed.  Finally I decided to just take the plunge.  Thankfully, that seems to be the best way to figure it all out.  (I later found the Logic of English YouTube channel, which would have been helpful in getting started as well.)

Although Essentials is for children 7 and up, I decided to have Elijah (6) my gifted 6-year old) join Ian (8) for most of it to make things more fun. After going through the Placement Test, we dived into the “Pre-lessons,” which were mostly about handwriting and learning the phonograms.  I had originally thought we would use “manuscript” (printing) for handwriting, but the boys both wanted to learn cursive so I decided this would be a way to make the program more fun and made the switch.  At first I just taught them myself, but I ended up deciding to purchase a digital copy of “The Rhythm of Handwriting,” which I found to be very helpful.  I really liked the order in which they taught the letters, and the boys liked that they were able to start writing words even before they’d learned all the letters.  (And I love having a digital copy that I can use with multiple students!)

LOE Essentials 1We all loved the games for phonogram practice in the pre-lessons.  They really helped the boys became familiar with the phonograms, and it just felt like game time rather than lessons.

After two weeks going through all the pre-lessons I was feeling much more confident about how the program was going to work (and much less intimidated by all the sets of cards!), so we began Lesson 1.  Originally I thought I’d just have Elijah sit in as we talked through the lessons and not do the workbook pages, but after going through all the pre-lessons together, I didn’t see anything about lesson 1 that seemed too hard for him, so I went online quickly and purchased a digital copy of the student book.  With the family license, I’ll be able to use it over again if we go through the program either at the higher levels or when my younger children are ready.  He surprised me with how ready he was to completely participate.

Our biggest issue is that my boys have both been really unbalanced when it comes to reading and spelling.  I have hesitated to use a formal curriculum up to this point, hoping that as they spent more time with reading and copywork they would become better spellers, but I just wasn’t seeing the improvement I would have liked.

Elijah is only in Kindergarten and so he has never had any formal spelling instruction, but he is an excellent reader and had no problem with the selections in the Essentials reader.  For him, just pointing out the rules and patterns seems to be enough, and in the weeks we’ve worked with Essentials (we got through Lesson 3 after the pre-lessons), he has made noticeable improvements and is able to figure out how to spell the majority of words he is able to read.

For Ian, however, things haven’t come quite so easily.  He is also an excellent reader, but for him, that has not transferred over into his spelling.  The Spelling Analysis portion of Essentials was EXACTLY what he needed.  The rules really help him, and the constant repetition of those rules and the chance to put them into practice every day led to consistent progress.  The Spelling Journal was also really helpful, where he got to record lists of words that followed certain rules/used certain phonograms.  (I kept this as an activity just for Ian, so he liked having something special once I’d excused Elijah from our lessons.)  The daily practice and consistent, focused repetition broke through for him in a much needed way.  I think he was almost as relieved as I was to see the improvement he made over the month or so that we’ve been using the program.

Overall Thoughts

LOE Essentials TMSuch a formal curriculum is not really our style, so I don’t know that I’ll continue at the same pace we’ve been taking the program for this review, but I definitely want to keep using at least the spelling portion.  Nothing else has helped Ian grasp spelling the way Essentials has in the short time we’ve been working with it.  I love the way it breaks down the spelling rules and walks the student through why words are spelled in certain ways.

Essentials is definitely a comprehensive, structured curriculum.  It’s intense, but that seems to be exactly what we needed to break through.  Since spelling doesn’t come as naturally for Ian as it does for Elijah, I think it will be helpful to keep working through the entire program and then repeat it again using the higher levels.  The only thing I would have changed is the consumable student workbook, which was a little confusing since it had all three levels mixed in together for each lesson.  I prefer the digital copy I bought for Elijah, where I can just print off the pages for his particular level without wasting all the paper on the others.

I love that Essentials really contains everything I need to teach my children all about the crazy logic of the English language.  The multi-level approach makes this a worthwhile investment for homeschool families because they can use it again and again, not only with multiple children but even with the same child going a little deeper each time around.  In a family our size, that makes this curriculum a definite keeper.

Logic of English Review
Crew Disclaimer

Using Eggs to Point to God at Easter

Easter Egg Devotional
As we approach Easter, our children are bombarded with images of eggs, bunnies, and other cultural associations that have nothing to do with the celebration of Christ’s victory over death.  Our family tries to focus on the true meaning of the HOLYday, but my children really enjoy hunting for eggs, and rather than fight it, I decided to use Easter eggs to point them to God, just as we do with so many symbols at Christmas time.

Yesterday we gathered with some other homeschool families to celebrate Easter.  Before our traditional egg hunt, I shared some of these thoughts with the kids during our devotional time.  I thought I’d share them here on the blog as well.

What Do Eggs Have to Do With Easter?

1. Eggs are a symbol of new life

hatching chick photo: chick hatching birdhatching.jpg

Just as a baby bird emerges from its shell to new life, when we choose Christ we experience a rebirth.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17  

It doesn’t get much newer than a chick hatching out of an egg!

2. Eggs can represent the Trinitysoft boiled egg photo: soft boiled egg softboiledegg_zps913a827c.jpg

The eggshell is white, smooth and pure. It holds everything together and so represents God the Father.

Hidden inside is the yolk, the source of life. The yolk represents God’s most important gift, His son Jesus.

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, like a “go-between” between us and God So the egg white represents the Holy Spirit as it is in the middle.  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” Romans 8:26

(adapted from Lenten devotions: Catholic Holy Week Bible object lessons in Easter egg crafts)

3. Eggs can remind us of the Tomb

Easter EggsThe outside of the egg is hard like a rock. When Jesus died, they put him into a tomb and rolled a big rock in front to seal it up. Just like with an egg, it looked like no one could get in OR out! BUT, did the tomb stay closed up? No. Angels rolled away that stone and the tomb was opened, just like this egg can now be opened up. Everyone thought Jesus was dead, but after 3 days inside the tomb, he came out and was alive!

Now, what’s inside the eggs that you’re going to get today? Candy or maybe some other treat! We put goodies inside the eggs to remind us that when Jesus’s friends looked in the open tomb, they got the best prize of all, that their Lord and Savior was really alive. That must have been very sweet for them. And now you’ll get a sweet surprise when you open your eggs too!

(adapted from Easter Egg Hunt Devotion)

Seek With All Your Heart!

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Easter egg hunts can remind us of how we should zealously seek God. So go out, SEEK and FIND, and as you enjoy the treats in your eggs, just remember that the sweetest part of Easter isn’t the candy, but knowing that Jesus is alive!

Owlegories: The Ant, the Fruit, and the Butterfly (Crew DVD Review)

FishFlix Owlegories Review
In the past year, our family has enjoyed getting familiar with FishFlix.com, a company dedicating to providing quality family-friendly entertainment while also supporting a ministry to spread God’s kingdom.  They recently gave us a chance to review Owlegories: The Ant, The Fruit, The Butterfly, and it was a big hit with the whole family.

About FishFlix.com

Before I share about the movie itself, I want to take a minute to tell you about this wonderful company. FishFlix.com was started by a Turkish Christian named Dr. Enis Sakirgil after he helped produce a film about the Apostle Paul as a way of letting western Christians know about the rich biblical history of his home country.  Turkey is one of the nations least reached with the gospel, so when Dr. Sakirgil and his family immigrated to the United States, he began selling the film (Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches) online, as well as other Christian movies, as a way of helping a radio ministry back in Turkey.  FishFlix.com is currently based in Mora, Minnesota, and the company’s goal is to “glorify God though amazing customer service, quality Christian content, creating honorable jobs, and expanding the Kingdom of God in Turkey.”

FishFlix.com offers a wide selection of Christian and family-friendly movies of many different types, and all orders over $35 have free shipping.  By purchasing movies from FishFlix.com, you can help support their vision of ministry while providing quality entertainment for your family.

About Owlegories

Owlegories 2
We first learned about Owlegories a few months ago when we were given the first DVD, Owlegories: The Sun, The Seed, and The Water.  My kids adored it and have been begging for Volume 2 over since.  Owlegories: The Ant, The Fruit, The Butterfly continues the wonderful tradition of using adorable characters studying allegories found in nature to teach theological truths.

In Roman’s 1:20, Paul writes that God’s invisible attributes are clearly perceived in the things He has created, and that is the driving force behind the Owlegories series.  Each episode features five memorable young owls attending “Theowlogy 101” with Professor Owlester.  They begin each class by reciting the “Owl Pledge”:

We love to learn about creation.

It helps us become wise.

God’s nature is all around us

If you look through heaven’s eyes

Then the professor introduces the topic that will be discussed in that episode’s lesson (in Volume 2, that’s ants, fruit, and butterflies).  The inquisitive young owls are then given missions that must be completed by traveling to various places around the world where they make a connection between their subject and the God’s truth.  For example, when they study butterflies, they learn that “God looks at our heart.  It does not matter what we look like on the outside.  A caterpillar changes into a butterfly just as we are changed through salvation.  And just as the caterpillar is free when it becomes a butterfly, we find true freedom when we accept Christ as our Savior.

After the animated portion of each episode, there is a short live message with an adult taking the lesson a little further and showing kids how it applies to their lives.  While my children didn’t enjoy these as much as the main part of the episode, they never complained about them either, and I appreciated the time taken to lead them a little deeper into the theology behind each story.

Owlegories Collage

Our Experience

Owlegories doesn’t come across as “preachy” at all.  On the contrary, the unique characters are hilarious, and my kids got a kick out of the villain, Devlin, who appears in each story trying to thwart the little owls’ plans.   I loved that the young owls were always respectful and encouraging, and even the “class clown” Joey avoids making jokes at someone else’s expense or being rude (unlike the characters in so many modern children’s programs).

Owlegories is a well-produced series with colorful animation, catchy music, and memorable characters.  And best of all, in the midst of all the fun, important theological truths are being imparted to children.  We have watched the first two volumes over and over, and we look forward to seeing future episodes!

FishFlix Review
Crew Disclaimer

Wrapping Up Week 30 (2015-16)

Weekly Wrap Up 2015-16
 We made it to spring break!  We’ve all got a bout of spring fever around here, so we’re looking forward to a lighter week coming up (just a few reviews we’re working on that we’ll be keeping up with or getting started).  Here are a few highlights from this past week.

Day With the Grandparents

The kids started off enjoying the flexibility of homeschooling by spending Sunday night at my parents’ house.  They had so much fun working with Grandma in the kitchen to make special treats.  Elijah and Arianna explored outside, and Ian got to shoot a BB gun for the first time.  He and Grandpa had a wonderful time making targets and shooting out on the property.  I love that they have opportunities like this, and it was better than any lessons we could have gotten in that morning.

Target practice

Approaching Holy Week

We’ve really enjoyed our daily reading in A Family Journey with Jesus Through Lent: Prayers and Activities for Each Day by Angela M. Burrin all through this Lenten season.  This week we read the story of the Triumphal Entry (a little early, but it got the kids excited for Sunday).  Elijah and Arianna had colored paper palm leaves, coats, a donkey, and Jesus at church, and everyone had fun acting out the story as I read.  It’s such a simple thing to do, and yet it really made the story come alive for the kids.  Every week they’ve been getting something that helps them tell the story like this, and I absolutely love it.  The Bible is working its way deep into their hearts as they relive the stories over and over.

Palm Sunday
We followed up by reading The Donkey Who Carried a King by R.C. Sproul.  (Did you check out my list of Christ-Centered Books for Easter?  We actually read several of them through this week.)

Easter books

Thinking Ahead… Veritas Press Self-Paced Courses on Sale!

Veritas Middle AgesIan has absolutely loved going through the Veritas Press Self-Paced History Course on the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation this year.  All the self-paced courses on sale until tomorrow, ($100 off!), so now’s a great time to buy!  You don’t have to start right away (we bought at this time last year and deferred the start date for our new school year in July), so if you think this would be a good option for your family for next year I’d encourage you to look into it.  This course was one of the best decisions I made for this school year.

Elijah has been asking all year,”When do I get to do history?”  I’m really excited about studying the Explorers and beginning American history next year though, so I decided to teach history myself rather than using a Veritas Press course.  Instead, I decided to sign Elijah up for one of their Bible courses (on sale for $79 right now).  He was pretty young when we started going through the Old Testament with Ian, so I think he’ll really benefit from an in depth study of Genesis through Joshua.  I know he’s going to love it, and I’m excited that he’s going to build such a solid foundation for a lifetime of Bible learning.  I’ll have Ian follow along as well, but this will be Elijah’s course officially.

Veritas Press has multiple course options for both history and Bible, so check them out before the sale ends tomorrow night!

Upcoming Reviews

We’re enjoying several products right now, so watch for these reviews in the next few weeks:

 

Christ-Centered Books for Easter

Books are big around our house, and holidays are a special excuse to pull out old favorites.  When it comes to the big HOLYdays like Christmas and Easter, I am especially intentional about trying counter the cultural messages that bombard my children and focus on the true reason we celebrate.

To the consternation of some of my friends, we don’t do bunnies and Easter baskets.  I want my children to find wonder and take delight in the miracle of the resurrection, and I think a bunny bringing candy is pretty stiff competition for a young heart’s affections. I also try to keep egg hunts separate from Resurrection Sunday, though because eggs do tie into the celebration as a symbol of new life, we enjoy a few egg-related books and activities in the weeks before Easter.

Easter books

Here are our families favorite books to celebrate the Passion Week, culminating with Christ’s sacrifice and triumph over death (affiliate links):

The Donkey Who Carried a King by R.C. Sproul

The Legend of the Easter Robin: An Easter Story of Compassion and Faith
 by Dandi Daley Mackall
The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs

The Legend of the Sand Dollar by Chris Auer

Benjamin’s Box by Melody Carlson and Jack Stockman
(goes along with “Resurrection Eggs” and is one of our favorites!)
For the preschoolers, I use The Story of the Resurrection Eggs in Rhyme and Song: Miss Patty Cake Opens Up the Wonder of the Easter Story by Jean Thomason.  I wasn’t sure about the book on its own, but my little ones adore the DVD that goes along with it, which has made the book a treasure as well.
Legend Easter Egg
The Legend of the Easter Egg (I like the main point of this story but it seemed like it could have been more thought out.  Still, a good way of redeeming the whole idea of Easter eggs and refocusing on Christ.)
 

The Very First Easter by Paul L. Maier (This book has beautiful illustrations, which kept Ian intrigued even though the book is better for older children.)

The Easter Cave by Carol Wedeven (repeating pattern in the style of “the house that Jack built”)

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith
 

The Easter Story illustrated by Gennady Spirin (text from Matthew, Luke, & John in KJV)

Journey, Easter Journey! by Dandi Daley Mackall (Rhyming story that tells of Jesus’ entire life through the ascension. Ours came with a read-along CD.)

Egglo
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure (We reviewed the related Egglo glow-in-the-dark eggs a few years ago and this is one of my kids’ favorites.)
 
The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story by Mike Berenstain  (Tells the story of Christ’s death and resurrection truthfully without being graphic.)
An Easter Gift for Me by Crystal Bowman (rhyming board book, great for preschoolers)

 

Math-U-See With Digital Pack (Crew Review)

Math-U-See Review
Over the last few years since we started homeschooling, I have heard repeated praise for Demme Learning’s Math-U-See program, but it wasn’t until we were offered a chance to review their Digital Packs that we actually tried it out for ourselves.  Arianna (4) hasn’t really had any intentional exposure to math concepts apart from what she encounters in daily life, so I decided to give her some formal instruction with the Math-U-See Primer Level.

MUS 1

Please pardon the laundry and baby in the background 🙂

About Math-U-See with Digital Pack

Different members of the Crew reviewed various levels from Primer through Pre-Calculus (click on the banner at the bottom to find those reviews), but because we were totally new to Math-U-See and had none of their materials, they generously provided us with the Primer Universal Set, which included everything we needed to get started:

Demme Learning Math U See Review

  • Instruction manual (hardcover, 128 pages of teacher notes for each lesson and complete solutions)
  • Instruction DVD (with a short video for each lesson introducing the concepts being taught)
  • Student workbook (softcover with 429 perforated, 3-hole punched pages)
  • Integer block set (with plastic manipulatives for numbers 1-10 and 100)
  • 12-months of access to the Primer Digital Pack, which includes the following:
    • Skip Count Songs (MP3 download–about 25 minutes long)
    • Songbook (44-page PDF with melody, lyrics, and black and white pictures)
    • online access to the instruction videos found on the DVD
    • online access to Digital Manipulatives
    • Instruction Manual (PDF)

Math-U-See also has additional resources for record-keeping and extra practice available on their website.  (For higher levels there is even an online worksheet generator.)

If you don’t need everything in the Universal Set, Digital Packs can be purchased individually, but student workbooks (and test booklets for the higher levels) are not included and will need to be purchased as well.

Our Experience

From the moment the curriculum arrived, all my kids were drawn to it.  I wan’t sure the digital manipulatives would make sense without having at least some familiarity with the physical set, so I let everyone take some time being creative with the integer blocks.

MUS 2
Arianna was SO excited to have her own school work, and the older boys loved helping her. The concepts in Primer are introduced very gently, so for her this was more a time of learning how to fit concepts she’s already learned (like counting and writing numbers) into a set structure.

MUS 3
The primer level starts about as basic as you can get, with simple counting and number recognition.  Over the weeks that we’ve had it, our lessons have also covered shapes, writing numerals, and place value.  Each lesson has lots of practice pages in the student workbook, and she often wanted to do multiple pages in a sitting.  I usually just let her go until she seemed to be losing interest and then we’d put it away.  However, she never really grew bored with it overall.  She loved taking it along with us when she thought she might need something to entertain herself.

Primer_zpsnyjgbvauEach lesson consists of a short instructional video, which can be viewed from the DVD or online as part of the Digital Pack, and a lesson in the Instruction Manual.  These were more for me as a parent than for Arianna, and I often went through them the night before as preparation so our math time was more about just having fun together.  I really liked the convenience of accessing the videos online through the Digital Pack, and usually chose to do that rather than putting on the DVD.

Another great feature of the Digital Pack is the online manipulatives.  Math-U-See’s integer blocks are a key component of the curriculum because they help students really see and understand what the numbers they’re working with mean.  Having access to the digital manipulatives makes it easy to do lessons away from home without toting along the whole set, especially in the higher levels of the curriculum.  However, I don’t think they’re quite as useful at the Primer level, where children really need the hands-on experience.  (The instruction manual even says, “Young children…need to see, touch, and build with concrete objects in order to understand.”)

Arianna really never had any opportunity to use the digital manipulatives in all the Primer lessons we did, but the boys and I spent some time exploring them.  The boys had no trouble using them on our laptops in the Chrome browser (though there is a separate app available if you want to use it on a tablet).  The blocks are easy to drag and drop onto the screen wherever you want them.

Capture1
Just like with the physical integer block set, the digital set can also be used for all sorts of creative purposes.

Capture2
 The skip counting song was another great bonus for all my kids to enjoy.  We often put on “school songs” to sing along to as we drive around town, and this was a great addition to our collection.  I also love that the skip counting songs aren’t just about the numbers but refer to Bible stories and other familiar tales to make them more interesting.  I just wish the songs had been available to download separately instead of as one long MP3 file.

Final Thoughts

I think the Digital Packs are a great addition to the Math-U-See program, but they’re probably more helpful in some situations than others.

Pros
  • Digital manipulatives don’t take up precious space (or get lost).
  • Online videos and manipulatives make it easy to do lessons away from home.
  • Even at home, the online videos and manipulatives are often more convenient than the DVD and physical integer block set since you can pull them up on any device with Internet access.
  • If you have multiple students using the same level but on different lessons, one can be online while the other uses the DVD.
Cons
  • Digital manipulatives don’t help with the Primer level workbook pages, which are designed for the child to use with the physical integer blocks.
  • 12-month access to Digital Packs may not be ideal for families who pass down curriculum from child to child.  I like that I’ll be able to pull out the DVD and Instruction Manual with my younger children long after my access to the Digital Pack has expired.

Arianna really enjoyed Math-U-See, and I think the Primer materials were the perfect gentle introduction to formal math for a four-year old.  We’re looking forward to the rest of the lessons, which include addition, skip counting, telling time, and beginning subtraction.  I’m not sure when I’ll be officially starting Kindergarten with her, but I would definitely consider moving up to Alpha once she completes the Primer level.

Demme Learning's Math-U-See Review
Crew Disclaimer

Wrapping Up Week 29 (2015-16)

Weekly Wrap Up 2015-16
Somewhere in my counting of “weeks” of school I got ahead of myself last week, so this will be the second time I post about Week 29, but this time it really is.  Not that the count is at all important aside from turning in paperwork. My children’s education is such a natural part of our lifestyle that it seems rather silly to count certain days over other days and then stop counting at some magical number even though very little changes when they’re not “doing school.”  I think the main difference is that I try to get through a year-long curriculum during our official 36 weeks for certain topics.  After that it’s all just fun enrichment and continued practice.

Science

This week we covered the lessons on the sun in Our Planet Earth (from God’s Design for Heaven and Earth).  The boys especially liked learning about solar eclipses and were so glad there was a whole page about when and where they could see the next one.  They’re planning a road trip for August 2017 to find an optimal viewing position.  For now they had to settle for creating their own model.

eclipse demo

Writing

I’m really impressed with how much the boys have learned this year in their IEW class going through Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales: Writing Lessons in Structure & Style.  This week they were finishing up their versions of The Ugly Duckling, and I was amazed at what a smooth process their writing assignments have become.  Last year it was like pulling teeth to get more than a sentence or two out of Ian, but the IEW program has made such a difference.  Now he not only knows what to write about, he knows how to put together an interesting story with varied stylistic techniques, and it’s a relatively painless process.

As a Kindergartner Elijah is really young for the class, but even he has learned so much and takes delight in finding just the right words to put his stories together.  I want this whole process to be a positive one for both boys, so I let them dictate their stories to me for now.  They follow the outlines they’ve created in class, and I type (or write, if we’re doing it during Arianna’s ballet class as often happens) their paragraphs as they dictate to me.  Then we come back to it another day and put in any “dress-ups” that didn’t already naturally come into their narration.  Both boys love sharing the stories with the other kids in the class.

History

Ian’s still plugging away at his Veritas Press Self-Paced History Course on the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation.  This week he covered Martin Luther, so in addition to his daily computer work I read aloud Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul L. Maier.

On his own, Ian read Martin Luther: What Should I Do? from a series by Catherine MacKenzie.  I’ve never read any of the Little Lights books before, but I was impressed with this book and decided to buy more in the series.  They’re all biographies of famous Christians, and they’re easy enough books that I didn’t hear any complaints from Ian when I asked him to read.  There are several that will easily go along with our history studies over the next couple years, and I might have him read others just for the exposure to great missionary stories.

Luther Maier   Luther MacKenzie 

Extras

One thing we spent a lot of time on this week was a Stopmotion Explosion project that Ian’s hoping to share with the IEW class in a few weeks.  We’re making a short film telling the story of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” of the the legends about King Arthur’s knights.  The whole process of taking the pictures, adding the sound, choosing music, and editing it all together has been educational for all of us, especially Ian.  I have a feeling this will just be the first of many such projects.

Stopmotion Explosion Review

Upcoming Reviews

We’re enjoying several products right now, so watch for these reviews in the next few weeks:

 

Wrapping Up Week 28 (2015-16)

Weekly Wrap Up 2015-16
 Last week continued our trend of sickness and field trips tweaking our regular school schedule, but we managed to stay on top of things.  Thankfully the boys can get through their math independently (Ian in Teaching Textbooks Math 3, Elijah in Year 1 of MEP, with both doing drills on xtramath.org every day that we’re home).  Ian’s also really good about doing his Veritas Press Self-Paced History course on his own, studying the Inquisition this past week.

Field Trips

Compassion ExperienceOn Monday we visited the Compassion Experience along with some other friends from our homeschool group.  The kids really liked learning about what life was like for two sponsor children in Kenya and the Philippines.  Even Nicholas (2) did better than I expected, though he had a little trouble keeping the headphones on his head.

Then on Thursday we visited the Huntington Library and Gardens to see their complete vellum copy of the Gutenberg Bible (one of only five left in the world). It was pretty impressive to think that we were looking at something actually created by Johann Gutenberg over 500 years ago!  The kids also had a wonderful time exploring the Children’s Garden.

Huntington Library 1 Huntington Library 2 Huntington Library 3 Huntington Library 4

A few final thoughts

We’re being stretched (in a good way) by Essentials from Logic of English.  It’s a very detailed curriculum, more structured than anything else we do, but I’m already seeing some very positive results.  It’s also created a new dynamic for us, teaching Ian and Elijah the same thing simultaneously.  It’s spurring both of them on, and so far I like what I’m seeing from them.  I think we accomplish more when they’re working together than we would if Ian were going through the program alone.  The little ones have also loved having time to play on Starfall (we’ve had the “more Starfall” subscription for several years and LOVE it) and Reading Eggs while we do our Essentials work.

We also had fun getting started with Stopmotion Explosion.  Both boys have made short little movies to learn the basic process, and we’re getting ready to tackle something a little bigger. Out of all the things we’ve reviewed, I think the boys will remember this one the most!

Upcoming Reviews

We’re enjoying several products right now, so watch for these reviews in the next few weeks:

 

The Dragon and The Raven Audio Adventure (Crew Review)

Dragon and the Raven Review
What do you know about Alfred the Great?  This early king of England not only helped defeat the raiding Vikings, but was also was a man of deep faith who helped bring his enemies to Christ.  Now Heirloom Audio Productions has brought his inspiring story back to life in their newest adventure, The Dragon and the Raven, based on the historical novel by G.A. Henty.  We were blessed by their generosity in allowing us to review not only the audio drama, but also several bonuses materials that helped us get even more about of the story.

About Heirloom Audio Productions

HeirloomAudio-Logo_zpsnjxedqzzHeirloom Audio Productions is passionate about bringing history to life.  Through their dramatic audio adventures they are introducing a new generation to “The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty,” a 19th century author whose historical, character-building novels enjoyed great popularity more than a hundred years ago.  Each story features virtuous characters who must learn how to walk out their faith in the midst of the trials they face.

Heirloom Audio Productions strives for excellence in every aspect of what they do.  From their talented actors to the beautiful soundtracks, these two-hour plus dramas are quality productions that both children and adults can appreciate.  Our family has eagerly added all their audio adventures to our library:

and now, The Dragon and the Raven!

Heirloom Audio Collage

About The Dragon and the Raven

Like the others in this series, the adventure begins with two boys, Ned and Gerald, meeting up with “Mr. George,” (G.A. Henty), who sets the stage for the story he’s about to tell.  This time the boys will take on the more common 9th century names of “Edmund” and “Harold” as the live out the adventure.

After the death of his father, young Edmund becomes a close ally of King Alfred and joins him in battling the invading Danes.  Through the course of the story we see many examples of courage, honor, and what it looks like to love one’s enemies.  There’s even a bit of romance as Edmund falls in love with (and must later come to the rescue of) Freya, the daughter of one of the Danes.  As in all of Henty’s stories, virtue is held in high esteem, and the characters model qualities we hope our children will emulate.

Our Experience

As members of the Review Crew we received the 2-CD set as well as several downloadable bonuses that come with the purchase of a “Family Four-Pack” Package:

  • The Dragon and the Raven 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 of Proverbs 21: 31 (King Alfred’s Hope)
  • cast poster (pdf)
  • soundtrack (mp3)
  • “Behind the Scenes of The Dragon and the Raven (mp4 video download)

DSCN1205xThe eStudy Guide and Discussion Starter is a great tool for homeschool families.  In addition to providing some background information about G.A. Henty and Alfred the Great, it breaks the recording into 4-10 minute chunks, then provides questions to help make sure young children understood what they heard. (These could also be used as written assignments for older children.)

  • 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)
  • Defining Words (vocabulary used in the story)

At the end there are suggestions for further reading about Alfred the Great, three short Bible studies to help students explore biblical themes from the narrative (“God’s Law and the Nations,” “Love Your Enemy,” and “Literacy”), and a brief history of Britain and England.

We especially enjoyed the “Behind the Scenes” video, which showed the actors in the recording studio and gave a fascinating look at the process of creating the whole production.  It delved deeper into the history behind the story and helped us get more out of it the next time we listened to the audio adventure.

DTR Actor Collage
The Dragon and the Raven was a wonderful supplement for our history studies on the Middle Ages.  It is also my favorite drama so far from Heirloom Audio Productions.  I have a special affinity for British history, and it opened up a window into a period I knew very little about.  Whether as a homeschool supplement or just for entertainment, we highly recommend The Dragon and the Raven.

The Dragon and the Raven {Heirloom Audio Productions Review}
Crew Disclaimer

Wrapping Up Week 27 (2015-16)

Weekly Wrap Up 2015-16
 Between two field trips, and a cold that just won’t go away, this was kind of a crazy week.  I decided to spread some of our lesson plans over the next two weeks so I wouldn’t feel behind (especially because we also have another two field trips coming up this week).

Science

The one subject we did get to was science.  I was battling a sore throat, so I had the boys switch off reading the “Beginners” sections up through lesson 10 in Our Planet Earth (from God’s Design for Heaven and Earth).  It ended up leading to some good discussion between the three of us, so I think I might do that more often.  Then I let them watch three episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy: “Outer Space,” “Comets & Meteors,” and “The Planets.”

Field Trips

first flightThe boys (and Daddy) had a great time at the First Flight field trip sponsored by the Mighty Ducks hockey team.  They learned a lot about electricity and had a blast exploring the different exhibits and watching the demonstration on the ice.

Our other field trip was to a restaurant, California Pizza Kitchen, with a group of homeschool friends.  The kids got to tour the kitchen and make their own pizzas, and it was definitely a hit.  It’s one of those things I would never have thought to arrange, but I’m so thankful for the community with which God has surrounded us.  Having other moms around who come up with fun ideas broadens our horizons.

Upcoming Reviews

We’ve got a lot on our plate right now!  Watch for these reviews in the next few weeks:

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