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Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story (DVD Review for the Crew)

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Deanna

Looking for a place to find inspiring movies to entertain your family? I recently learned about FishFlix.com, a company dedicated to providing families with quality Christian entertainment, when they offered us a chance to review the DVD Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story, part of a series about famous Christians throughout history.

About FishFlix.com

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 Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story

Members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew were offered several different DVD selections from FishFlix.com. Our family was excited to receive Torchlighters: The John Wesley Story, part of a series from the Christian History Institute designed for children ages 8-12 (though my 3, 5, and 7-year olds have enjoyed all the episodes we’ve seen). We have already used several of the Torchlighters videos about heroes of the faith as part of our school experience, but this was the first time my children had ever heard about John Wesley.

The 30 minute video starts with a dramatic scene in which young John Wesley is saved from a fire in his family home. As his parents praise God for sparing their son, they tell John that God must have a very special purpose for his life. John grows up doing his best to prove himself worthy of his rescue that memorable night.

At university, he and his friends form a “Holy Club,” supporting and encouraging one another in practicing prayer, fasting, Bible study, and other habits of righteousness. He and his brother Charles even travel from England to America to preach the gospel, but they are frustrated by the lack of fruit from their labors. Eventually they are both led to a fuller understanding of God’s grace, and it radically transforms their lives and ministries. When he is rejected from many churches after telling people that they are all sinners in need of God’s grace, he begins preaching in the fields, readily accepted by people who have no doubt as to their own wretchedness. He even preaches to a mob trying to kill him. Many people receive his message of God’s love, and the rest of his life is spent serving the Lord by spreading the good news of His love for all people.

In addition to the main video, the DVD also includes several helpful bonus features. There is a 51 minute documentary about the beginning of the Methodist movement that arose from John Wesley’s ministry. There are also study guides that you can access by opening the DVD-ROM on your computer. (They are also available to download from the Torchlighters website.) While these resources are a little beyond my children right now, they are definitely something we will revisit as they get older and we study church history in more depth.

Our Thoughts

The dramatic beginning captured my children’s attention right away. I imagine some sensitive children might be bothered by the scenes involving the fire and the shipwreck, but for us it just added to the excitement of the story.

I loved the beautiful message of salvation by grace. After years of righteous living, trying to prove himself worthy of God’s salvation as a child, John learns that he cannot earn his way into heaven. I think that is such an important lesson for all of us, but especially for children who grow up in Christian homes who may be tempted to trust in their good behavior and righteous choices as proof of their salvation. This is definitely a message I will want to revisit many times as my children grow up, and I’m thankful for this DVD as a way to help instill in my children an understanding that they can never earn God’s salvation but only receive it as a gift given freely in love.

I’m so glad to know about FishFlix.com, and we’ll certainly be looking to them in the future when seeking to purchase Christian DVDs. I love that I can help support the spread of the kingdom of God in Turkey by purchasing through them, especially when it’s something our family would be buying anyway. Be sure to click on the banner below to see what other Crew members thought of this DVD and many others available from FishFlix.com!

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Knights and Nobles Unit Study (Crew Review)

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Deanna

If you follow my blog regularly, you’re probably already aware that we spent our last four weeks of school going through a Knights and Nobles unit study. It’s one of the “Once-A-Week Unit Studies” from Homeschool Legacy, and we were blessed with the chance to review it as a fun way to finish up our school year learning more about one of Ian’s favorite subjects.

Ian pulled out lots of his favorite books to go along with our study.

About Homeschool Legacy’s Once-A-Week Unit Studies

The Once-A-Week Unit Studies are designed to provide a break during your typical homeschool week with a day to focus on the topic being studied. Aside from the reading suggestions, which are intended to be used each day, all the activities can be done in a single day, providing a break from your regular curriculum to have fun learning about a specific topic. The studies are even designed to help Boy Scouts and American Heritage girls meet the requirements for specific merit badges. (Boy Scouts can earn their Art Merit Badge by completing the activities in Knights and Nobles).

There is no prep work required apart from gathering materials and library books (and even the library lists are designed to be as easy to use as possible, arranged numerically by Dewey decimal numbers.) Simply add the family read-aloud and some free read choices to your school week during the four days you work on your regular curriculum, and then on your chosen day, pick up the unit study and work through the activities, which cover Bible, history, literature, science, art, and various other subjects. The whole family can work together on unit study day, as they are designed for grades 2-12 (and younger learners can easily tag along).

About Knights and Nobles

Knights and Nobles is available as a paperback book or as a “Grab-N-Go” download from the Homeschool Legacy website. I received the downloadable 40-page ebook that contains everything needed for a 4-week unit study (with an optional 5th week).

Each week focuses on a different aspect of life in the middle ages and includes a passage of Scripture for family devotions, as well as a novel for the family read aloud (and numerous suggestions for free reading related to the week’s topic).

Week 1: Castles

Learn about how castles (and cathedrals) were designed and built and have a family night playing games popular back in the middle ages.

Week 2: Kings and Queens

This week covers topics like King Arthur, illuminated manuscripts, and the tradition behind “four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.”

Week 3: Knights

Archery, catapults, coats of arms, and chivalry are all discussed in this week on knights.

Week 4: Life on a Manor

Learn about the different jobs people did to help keep a manor running and what life was like for those who lived there.

An optional fifth week involves preparing a traditional medieval feast.

Our Experience

Ian has always been fascinated by the subject of knights and castles, so we were really excited to get a chance to review this unit study, especially because we’ll be covering the middle ages next year in our history cycle. Ian’s at the young end of the target age range, just finishing up first grade, so there were a few things we adapted to make it work for our family (like the design for the catapult), but for the most part we were able to follow the study as written.

My favorite part of Knights and Nobles was the use of classic literature for the family read-alouds. We did well with the first two weeks (The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli and The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla), but the others (The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle and Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray Vining) were much longer and seemed more appropriate for older students, so I didn’t even attempt them because I knew it would take us far more than a week to get through each of them. Instead, we read other stories about King Arthur and used other free-read books throughout those weeks.

There were many helpful free-read suggestions given, and I just printed out the pages with the book lists to take with us to the library. (I found some of the Dewey decimal numbers were slightly different at our library after looking for books I knew must be there but had to look up after not finding them under the given number.) Even if we could find every specific book listed, just being in the right section led us to lots of books from which to choose. I just made one trip to the library and got everything we needed right at the beginning. Then I set out the books on each topic at the beginning of the week.

I really appreciated the suggestions for being intentional about including dad in what the family is learning. It was hard not to draw him in, since so much of our family life revolved around the unit study during those four weeks. We left our basket of related books out in the living room so he was asked to read from them almost every night. The unit study had great suggestions for family movie/game nights. We even managed a family field trip to Medieval Times to watch knights competing in a tournament. It got all of us excited about starting up our history lessons when we go back to school in a few months.

If you want to see more about what Knights and Nobles looked like for our family, check out the last four Weekly Wrap-Ups from our 2014-15 school year. Also, be sure visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew site to see what my fellow Crew members thought of this unit study and many of the others available from Homeschool Legacy.

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

GPALOVEMATH (Crew Review)

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Deanna

As more of our children approach school age, I’m realizing the importance of fostering as much independence as possible when it comes to homeschooling so that I’m available to help whomever needs it at the moment. Math has been one subject where that seems feasible, so we were excited to get a chance to review GPALOVEMATH, an online math program from GPA LEARN.

About GPALOVEMATH

GPALOVEMATH offers a complete web-based math curriculum for grades K-5. Because the entire program is online, it can be accessed from both computers and tablets (though recent Kindle Fire updates have created incompatibility issues that are currently being addressed).

Lessons

There are over 150 lessons for each grade, so at a pace of 4-5 lessons per week, a student can complete a grade in about 10 months. Each grade level has a particular “Learning Coach” who helps guide students through their lessons. Both my boys have been going through the 1st grade course, so their Learning Coach is Pi the Penguin.

Each lesson consists of three parts: Instruction, Practice, and Quiz. In the Instruction section, the Learning Coach guides the student through the content of the lesson. The student clicks through slides while listening to their Coach read aloud the words at the bottom of each one.

The Practice section gives the student a chance to work through problems without being scored. They have three “life lines” available if they need help, and once they give an answer they are told whether or not it is correct.

The final section is the Quiz, which consists of 10 questions. Students enter their answers but don’t know whether or not they were correct until after the entire quiz has been completed. They are awarded badges and earn points based on how many correct answers they gave. It’s not necessary to complete the Instruction and Practice sections first, so if the student feels like they can answer the questions without going through those, they are free to jump straight to the quiz.

Other Features

In addition to the lessons, GPALOVEMATH offers an “Engage” section, a private social network that allows the child to interact with parents and preapproved friends online. I don’t feel our children are ready to use the computer in this way, so we didn’t utilize this feature at all.

My boys’ favorite feature was the “Motivate” section. When we first created their accounts, I was able to set up a list of rewards which would be awarded after a set number of lessons. (The more rewards I selected, the more often they were given.) The rewards included things like extra screen time, baking cookies with Mom, getting to choose what’s for dinner, having a parent complete one of their chores… you get the picture. In addition to these automatic rewards, students can use the points they earn after completing lessons to “purchase” rewards (which then wait for approval from the parent). In addition to things around the house, there are even opportunities to use their points toward gift cards (available in limited quantities, but with new ones available every so often). Talk about motivation!

Our Experience with GPALOVEMATH

When I first created our accounts, I was worried that the program was going to be overwhelming. It took a while to set up the rewards list (there were SO many things to choose from, and I was nervous about choosing the preselected option without knowing exactly what was included), and then I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the Engage part of the website and whether or not it was necessary and/or desirable for our family.

Once we finally settled into the lessons, however, things flowed smoothly and the boys were both able to work pretty independently. The only time my involvement was required was when they had selected a reward and needed it approved. Other than that, they pretty much just worked through their lessons on their own while I watched on the TV hooked up to our laptop to make sure they were understanding.

Ian realized right away that the first grade lessons were pretty easy for him, and he skipped right to the quiz on almost every lesson. At the time I couldn’t find an easy way to change his grade level, so I just left him in first and figured he’d solidify his foundational skills. (When we initially began the program, each grade level was purchased separately. However it has now been updated so that each user has access to ALL the grade levels, which has made it much simpler to adjust. This was a GREAT change that makes the program so much more user-friendly.)

Even without going through the Instruction and Practice sections, both boys usually found the questions fairly self-explanatory. Occasionally we ran into problems where even I couldn’t figure out what the questions was really asking for. (Elijah called me over when he was confused by a question that read, “Select the set that matches.” “Matches WHAT?” he asked. I couldn’t figure out either, and my guess ended up being the only wrong answer he got on that quiz. We also ran across one problem that marked a correct answer as incorrect. I emailed customer service with screenshots, and they emailed me the next day to let me know they had fixed the problem.

Aside from those minor glitches, the only real frustration we had was the appearance of the Learn screen. Each grade level has 3 “paths,” which allows the student some flexibility in choosing what lesson they want to work on. Once they complete a lesson, a new one unlocks. Ian had been working for a couple weeks and his screen never seemed to change from what it had looked like after the first few lessons. I couldn’t figure out why it always looked like this, even when I knew he had completed several lessons:

Eventually I realized that there were arrows on the left side of each “path,” and once we clicked on those we could reveal all the lessons he had completed.

I wish this view were available automatically, because it was discouraging for him to open up the Learn section each time and never see any apparent progress.

Overall, we’ve been pleased with GPALOVEMATH. The boys loved earning rewards, and I appreciate both the thoroughness of the program and the independence it allows. We plan to continue using it as our primary math curriculum at least until the end of this school year.

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Math Analogies-Beginning software (Crew Review)

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Deanna

$Math Analogies Review$ If you’re looking for ways to help your kids develop their minds, be sure to check out The Critical Thinking Co. They offer a wide variety of products designed to help kids build problem-solving skills in multiple subjects at every grade level. We recently received a copy of their Math Analogies Beginning downloadable Windows software for Kindergarten through first grade.

What is it?

When I first heard the words “math analogies” I was curious as to what this program was going to include. The only time I remember working on analogies in school was in my high school English classes, and I wasn’t sure how those word analogies were going to compare.

Not only was it easy for me to catch on to the way Math Analogies Beginning worked, both Ian and Elijah had no problem understanding what to do right from the start. Each analogy presents a pair of related pictures, followed by a single picture for which the user has to find a match. Four possible answers are given, and the user simply selects which picture they think makes the best match according to the relationship in the first set of pictures.

$math analogies 1x$ Like the above example, many of the analogies can be understood just by looking at the pictures. Others require some prior learning (i.e. reading ability, knowledge of U.S. coin values, telling time). Once an answer is selected, the program lets the user know whether it was correct or incorrect.

$math analogies 2x$ A few of the analogies were really challenging for my boys (ages 5 and 7), and I had to help them see the relationship between the pictures.

In Analogy 5 above, for example, I asked them questions about the first pair, focusing on things that would also related to the second.

“Are the eyes opened or shut?”
“How about the mouth?”
“Is the face happy or not?”

Once they started looking at these details they were both able to figure out the correct answer.

There are 152 analogies total. When you first open the program, it asks you to enter your name and then keeps track of how many analogies you have attempted, as well as what percentage of those you have gotten correct.

Once the user has gone through all 152 analogies, a second attempt can be made, which only shows the problems answered incorrectly the first time through. When all the analogies have been completed correctly, no more attempts are offered (though you can select the “restart” option at the top, which erases all previous information).

The entire set of Math Analogies are also available in book form ($11.99). The main difference between the software and the workbooks is that only the software offers multiple choice answers. In the workbooks, the answers have to be drawn or written in all on your own.

Our Experience

I was really impressed with this program. I loved that it helped build critical thinking skills without feeling like typical math problems. Both Ian and Elijah were immediately intrigued by the analogies and dived in enthusiastically. Ian completed over a hundred analogies the first night, and Elijah spent just as much time working on it, though he was a little slower in processing and only managed to get through 74. (After that their enthusiasm waned a bit, so I just had Ian complete 5 a day after his regular math assignments, and Elijah just jumped in whenever he felt like it.)

$math analogies 3x$ I liked that most of the analogies could be solved just by looking at the pictures. Elijah won’t even be in Kindergarten for a few more months, so I’ve never really taught him concepts like how to read an analog clock. This was the main reason I chose the Beginning software rather than Level 1. I think both of my boys could have handled many of the Level 1 analogies, but after looking at the samples given on the website, I was afraid there would be too many that required them to know things we haven’t covered yet.

What I Liked:

It’s helpful to see a score based only on the number of problems attempted, rather than the total amount.
I love that this is a software program. It seems like so many educational companies have turned to an online subscription model, which means I won’t be able to use what I’m paying for with my younger children without spending more money. Since we have lots of kids who haven’t even reached school age, I really value products that we’ll be able to reuse.
At $6.99, I think this software is a great deal. I love finding things that help my kids develop thinking skills, and this is an affordable way to do that without cluttering up our school room shelves. (Requires Windows® 8/7/Vista. No Mac version, but it is available as an app for iOS and Android.)
There are more levels! Once my kids have mastered this Beginning level, there are still two more levels of software that can continue to stretch their minds.

What Could Use Improvement

The biggest change I would like to see in this software would be to break it down into smaller groups rather than one big lump. After the boys’ initial voracity, they could have used something more “bite-sized” to help them work through the rest of the analogies. Just counting 5 a day provided no sense of accomplishment when they’d finished the assignment. When using the book versions of the math analogies, it would be easy to just assign a page; I wish there were an equivalent for using the software.
It would have been nice to be able to have records kept for multiple users. As far as I could tell, only one person was able to work through the program at a time. When we tried to open a new user, it erased all the progress of the previous one. We were able to get around this by installing the program on 2 computers (as our license allowed–another option allows for up to 6 computers) so the boys could work through the analogies at the same time.

All in all the Math Analogies Beginner software was a hit at our house. This was our first exposure to The Critical Thinking Co., and I look forward to exploring more of what they have to offer. Other Crew members have been exploring a variety of products, so be sure to click the banner below to find out what they thought of them!

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Koru Naturals Emu Oil Products (Crew Review)

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Deanna

This post is a little out of the ordinary for me since this blog is mostly about our homeschool/discipleship journey, but I know many of my fellow homeschool moms enjoy finding natural products to meet their families’ needs, so I took the opportunity to review two products from Koru Naturals: the pure emu oil, and the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm.

About Koru Naturals and Their Products

New Zealand is known for its natural beauty, and for thousands of years its inhabitants have enjoyed the benefits of many natural substances found there. From manuka honey and tea to various oils and Rotorua mud, Koru Naturals shares the resources of New Zealand with the rest of the world. They sell a variety of products intended for skin and hair care, as well as other common health concerns.

The first product we received was emu oil, which is used as a moisturizer for both skin and hair. It is hypoallergenic, has very little scent and penetrates skin well so it does not clog pores or leave a greasy feeling. It can be applied directly to hair or unbroken skin, or it can also be added to bath water.

Koru Naturals sells Grade A emu oil that is fully refined, but not clarified (a process which can strip the oil of some of its active ingredients). Each batch is tested to ensure that vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are present at the same concentrations found in nature. Koru Naturals offers pure emu oil in 2, 4, or 8 oz. bottles.

The other product we received was the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm, a combination of Grade A emu oil and pure lanolin. It is intended for softening and healing skin that is dry, cracked, or calloused. It is especially good for hands that are subjected to harsh elements such as detergents, cleaning products, or severe weather. The balm is recommended to be applied at bedtime (as well as reapplying after bathing or showering).

Emu oil and lanolin are both gentle, so there is no stinging or burning. Nothing else is added (there are no dyes, perfumes, preservatives, paraffin, or chemicals), so it’s great for people with sensitive skin. It comes in a 4 oz. container.

How we used it

My skin tends to be dry year round, though it’s definitely at its worst during the winter, so I’m always on the lookout for quality moisturizing products. These two products are obviously very similar (with just the addition of lanolin in the balm), so they can be used for many of the same things. For me, the choice usually came down to whether it would be easier to apply a liquid (emu oil) or something less drippy (the balm). Also, the lanolin is helpful for healing, so I used it when trying to treat more severe skin issues.

Emu Oil

I mainly used the emu oil as a skin moisturizer. Just one or two of the thick drops in my hands was plenty to help relieve dry skin. More than that left them feeling greasy, but it absorbs really quickly and it never bothered me. My dry, itchy skin was left feeling soft and comfortable almost instantly, and the relief was long-lasting.

I also just started using it in Arianna’s hair, which is a bit curly and tend to get very dry and tangled. Again, I found the key to be moderation. The first time I used it, I applied it to her wet hair after washing (first rubbing it on my hands, then into her hair starting at the ends), and it was hard to tell how well it was being absorbed so I kept adding more. I probably used six or seven drops altogether, and it was definitely too much. Although her hair wasn’t overwhelmingly oily, it didn’t look clean. Still, it was much more manageable. I plan to use it again, but I will be sure not to use more than two or three drops.

Koolpurrie Restoring Balm:

My main hope for the balm was to help clear up Arianna’s eczema. My three older kids have all suffered from moderate eczema on their legs around ages 2-3, and hers seems to be peaking lately. With the boys, lotions and various oils usually helped, but Arianna’s has been a bit more persistent. Thankfully it looks more irritating than it seems to actually feel (she never complains about it as the boys did), but I would love to find a way to clear it up for her. Unfortunately, the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm didn’t help as I had hoped. Maybe I just needed to be more vigilant about applying it regularly, but when I didn’t see any improvement after several days, I set it aside unless Arianna mentioned it.

However, I did find the balm useful in other ways. Elijah’s lips got really chapped one day (to the point of peeling and bleeding), so I pulled out the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm and gave them a swipe. Within hours his lips looked perfectly normal, and the problem didn’t return. I also found the balm to be a great relief for my growing pregnant belly, which always gets dry and flaky as the skin starts stretching. I found the pure emu oil soaked in too quickly to spread over my entire abdomen without using a lot, but the balm worked wonderfully.

Final Thoughts

It was great to find such effective moisturizing products that I can feel confident using on my children’s skin without worrying about chemicals or other additives. I appreciate the purity of the emu oil and Koolpurrie Restoring Balm, and I especially love the way they make my skin feel.

Koru Naturals offers many other products, including lip balm, lanolin cream, shampoo, and conditioner, which were received by other Crew members, so be sure to check out their reviews!

Follow Koru Naturals on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korunaturals
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/korunaturals/

Posted in Product reviews

In Freedom’s Cause (Crew Review)

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Deanna

William Wallace seems to be one of those historical figures whose story grips the heart of all who hear it. It’s hard not to be moved by the tale of this man who gave up his life for the pursuit of freedom for his countrymen. So when I heard that Heirloom Audio Productions had released an audio theater recording about the story of William Wallace and Robert Bruce, I was eager for the chance to review the In Freedom’s Cause Single Package.

About In Freedom’s Cause

My excitement over In Freedom’s Cause stemmed from how much we enjoyed Heirloom Audio’s first recording, Under Drake’s Flag. Based on G.A. Henty’s historical novel about Sir Francis Drake, Under Drake’s Flag was an exciting dramatization that captured our family’s imagination. My kids spend several hours each day listening to audio books and radio dramas, so I am always on the lookout for quality productions that promote the values we want to instill in our children, and this first offering from Heirloom Audio was a real treasure.

I think In Freedom’s Cause is even better than its predecessor. I hadn’t gotten past the back cover before I knew we were in for a treat.

Then we listened to the story over the next few days, and I was even more impressed. The cast is phenomenal, the soundtrack is beautiful, and the quality of the production is superb. I’m a history-lover myself, but I think even people who don’t share that passion will be drawn into this story and enjoy listening.

In addition to the entertainment value of the production, In Freedom’s Cause offers plenty of educational opportunities. The In Freedom’s Cause eStudy Guide and Discussion Starter is a 49-page pdf document that makes it easy to use the recording as a learning experience for families (available as a download, the link is included in the CD packaging). It offers suggestions for walking younger children through the story or helping older children complete related written assignments. Each of the 37 lessons in the study guide covers a 4-to 10-minute segment of the recording and includes three parts:

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 is information about Scottish history to help listeners better understand the context of Wallace’s story, three short Bible studies to help students explore the biblical themes in the narrative, and suggestions for further reading.

Our Family’s Experience with In Freedom’s Cause

We listened to the entire recording over the course of a few days as we drove in the car. Although Ian (7) was probably the only child following the story completely, my younger children enjoyed it as well, often repeating lines that struck them as humorous. It was definitely an entertaining way to pass the time on otherwise boring drives. The In Freedom’s Cause Single Package includes the 2-CD set AND instant access via MP3 download, as well as several free bonuses:

The In Freedom’s Cause eStudy Guide and Discussion Starter
A beautiful printable copy of The Prayer of William Wallace
The In Freedom’s Cause Soundtrack MP3 download

The Review Crew was also blessed to receive access to some of the bonuses that come with other packages. Our favorite was the video Behind the Scenes of In Freedom’s Cause, which showed the actors in the recording studio and gave a fascinating look at the process of creating the whole production. Ian loved seeing the actors work, and it made the story even more interesting the next time we listened to the CDs.

Our time with In Freedom’s Cause has been entirely positive. The only change I might suggest is for an Heirloom Audio website that lists their growing collection of audio theater albums. If I had just stumbled upon In Freedom’s Cause, I would immediately have gone looking to see what else the company offered, and because each album has its own website, it’s not as obvious as it might be to find what else they have produced or might be working on.

As I said before, history fascinates me, and the best way I know of passing on that fascination is by introducing my children to exciting stories of the past. G.A. Henty’s books are a wonderful resource in that quest, and Heirloom Audio has made it so easy to introduce my children to these stories. Not only do they help bring history alive, they also emphasis faith, courage, respect, honor, and other character traits our family values. In Freedom’s Cause has been a great addition to our family’s audio library!

Check Out In Freedom’s Cause on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InFreedomsCause

Twitter: https://twitter.com/InFreedomsCause

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/112701427096792421838/112701427096792421838/posts

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jointhecause

More Coming Soon From Heirloom Audio!

After enjoying both Under Drake’s Flag and In Freedom’s Cause, we’re looking forward to more from Heirloom Audio. Next up is With Lee in Virginia, set to be released around Memorial Day 2015.

Keep up-to-date on this new release by following on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WithLeeInVirginia Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeeAudioDrama

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114534826166314080647/114534826166314080647

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Theo: God’s Love (video review)

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Deanna

God's Love (Volume 1) Home Edition - DVD

I recently heard a mom talking about the Theo Bible story videos her kids had been enjoying, and since I’m always looking for resources to help teach my children about Scripture, I headed over to www.theopresents.com to find out more. Right away I noticed the company’s emphasis on teaching children God’s Word, and I was delighted to get a chance to review the three episodes from the DVD Theo: God’s Love.

The main characters are two mice, Belfry and Luther, and the old pastor with whom they live, whose name is Theo. Each episode follows the same basic formula: Belfry and Luther face a problem, then Theo explains a basic doctrine that addresses that problem, followed by a Bible story to illustrate the point.

Quick Summaries

In “Saving Faith” Theo teaches about the meaning of “faith,” whether it be in false things such as superstitions or true faith in God. Then he tells the story of Abraham and Sarah following God to the land of Canaan.

In “Loving Obedience”, Theo teaches about ways we can please God by obeying His Word. Then the Bible story of Jonah.

In “Forgiveness,” Belfry, eats the special treats Luther has been saving. Theo teaches them the meaning of the word forgiveness and then tells the parable of “The Unforgiving Servant.” He shares about how our sin puts us in debt to God, and how God forgives us.

Our Thoughts

I loved the beautiful animation and solid teaching. It is rare to find such a well thought out resource for teaching theology to children. The characters were fun and likeable, and I loved the way Theo was often singing through an old hymn. My children were immediately drawn in, and their only complaint was that they wanted more to watch. Each episode is about 9-10 minutes long, with three episodes on each of the five DVDs currently available.

In addition to the videos themselves, I was impressed by the free parent guides offered on the website (in addition to coloring and activity pages). For each episode, the parent guide gives Scripture references for the verses used in the video, as well as discussion questions, a “family activity,” and 6 days of family devotions. These would be a wonderful resource for families looking for ways to spend time together in the Bible.

If you’re interested in checking out the Theo series, the 5-minute bonus episode “Good News” is available to download for free. Other episodes are available for purchase on DVD or as downloads from the Theo website. I hope you enjoy Theo as much as we did!

DISCLAIMER: I received the digital downloads of the three episode from God is Love for free in exchange for my honest review.

Posted in Bible lessons, Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

2014 Schoolhouse Review Crew Awards!

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Deanna

The Schoolhouse Review Crew has wrapped up this year of reviews and voted on our favorites, so I thought I’d take a minute to look back through the year at the products our family was blessed to review in 2014:

That’s quite a list! It makes me a little tired looking at it, but really it has been such a blessing to be a part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew. I’m already getting excited about next year!

What We’re Still Using (Or Plan to Use in the Future)

Some of these products we just used during the review period, but others became a more established part of our family. Here are the things that have stuck around:

Spelling You See is a part of our daily routine
The Brinkman Adventures is still occasionally the boys’ choice for bedtime stories.
Wizzy Gizmo hasn’t been put on for a couple weeks, but my kids still quote it regularly, and I’m sure it will make it’s way back soon.
The Preschoolers and Peace e-book continues to influence the way I structure our day.

Ian also requests Science4Us occasionally, but our subscription ran out and I chose not to purchase a new one. I’d like to finish the full courses from Middlebury Interactive Languages and ARTistic Pursuits, but we haven’t touched them recently.

The boys haven’t gone on Mathletics much lately, but I’d like to encourage them back on it (perhaps over the holidays when we take a break from our normal math program). It’s the one online subscription I’ve considered purchasing for our family to continue using.

Crew Favorites

There were lots of additional products other members of the Crew reviewed as well. It was hard to choose our favorites in each category, but if you want to see what products were the most popular with Crew families, check out the 2014 Blue Ribbon Awards.

Posted in Product reviews

If He Had Not Come (Book Review)

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Deanna

“If I had not come…” John 15:22

What would the world be like today in Jesus had not come? That’s the question posed by David Nicholson in the book If He Had Not Come, based on a classic Christmas story by Nan F. Weeks originally published in an anthology back in 1938. Nicholson first heard the story almost 30 years ago and enjoyed sharing it with his family year after year. Now he has brought it back into print so a new generation of children and their families can reflect on all that Jesus brought to the world as they celebrate his birth at Christmas time.

If He Had Not Come is the story of a boy named Bobby who falls asleep on Christmas Eve whispering the words of John 15:22, which he read with his dad before bedtime: “If I had not come…” Before he knows it he hears a voice calling him to wake up, and as he heads downstairs in anticipation of celebrating Christmas morning, he finds that his world has changed. There are no decorations and no presents to be seen. He runs outside to look around, and as he walks though town he notices that no stores are closed for the holiday and many things are missing: his church, the Children’s Home, the hospital, the homeless shelter… even the New Testament in his Bible. As he searches, all he find are signs with the words “If I had not come.”

Bobby sat down, stunned at the thought of a world without Jesus. “No Christmas, no churches,” he whispered, “no places to help people who are sick, homeless, or in need…”

Then he hears the sound of church bells and wakes up rejoicing as he recognizes “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come.” The story ends with his prayer of thanks as he acknowledges, “You are the very best Christmas present anyone can have.” The final pages of the book contain suggestions for family (or Sunday School class) discussions to help children think more deeply about the story.

If He Had Not Come is recommended for ages 6 and up, so I found a time when I could read it just with Ian. Even at 6, I’m not sure he was fully ready for it. He wasn’t very responsive to the story, and my attempts to engage him in any sort of discussion fell flat. Still, I think it’s an important addition to our Christmas library, and I expect in a few years we’ll be able to go a lot deeper, once the story has really settled with him. I have no doubt that fruit will eventually grow from the seeds planted by reading the book each year.

As a parent, I appreciate the final pages by Josh Mulvihill (a children’s pastor), who goes into more depth about all the ways Christ’s life has impacted our world. Not only would we be lacking many universities, hospitals, and charitable organizations, we would be spiritually lost. A page on “The Gospel Message” spells out the A-B-C (Admit-Believe-Confess) model of repenting and receiving God’s great gift of salvation.

If He Had Not Come reminds us what Christmas is really about, and I think families will benefit from pondering its important message in the midst of celebrating the birth of Christ.

Available in hardcover ($18.99) or e-book ($3.99).

Connect with If He Had Not Come on Facebook!

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

The Legend of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackall (Book Review)

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Deanna

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I recently was given chance to review The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving by Dandi Daley Mackall, and since our youngest son shares his name, I jumped at the chance to teach my children a little about the Nicholas of many years ago. I was pleasantly surprised at this sweet, simple story about the man whose legacy has become so entwined with modern celebrations of Christmas.

The book begins with a boy named Nick who is reluctantly taken shopping to find gifts for his brothers (though he’s hoping to have enough money to buy something for himself as well). While he’s shopping, he overhears the store Santa telling some children the story of St. Nicholas, who found great joy in using his wealth to give gifts to others. Before Nick goes home, he not only buys presents for his brothers but also uses the remainder of his money to buy toys for poor children.

It’s a sweet story, and there were many things I liked about it. Most of the details about St. Nicholas are based on traditional stories passed down about him (like his travels, the wealth he inherited from his parents, and his gift of dowries for three sisters who could not afford to get married). I loved the way Nicholas turned to God for guidance in a way that was very natural and not at all contrived.

That night, Nicholas talked things over with God. “Father, could this be the work you have for me?” As if in answer, the church bells rang. Nicholas remembered what his mother had said about the wise kings bringing gifts to baby Jesus. He thought of what his father said about Jesus being the greatest gift. What better time to give gifts than on Jesus’ birthday!

The illustrations by Richard Cowdrey are beautiful, but I was a little puzzled by the choice to make the pictures from St. Nicholas’ life look like they were set in the 1800’s. The scene with a fancy horse-drawn carriage and his father in a top hat looked like it belonged in a story set in the time of Charles Dickens rather than St. Nicholas, who lived about 300 years after Christ. Aside from this anachronism, however, I thought the illustrations added to the charm of the book. I especially liked the pages at the end when the story transitions back the the present, and you flip from a picture of Nicholas to one of Nick with an identical expression, capturing how the vision of giving had been passed on.

He could imagine how good it must have felt to secretly give his friends what they had wanted most. Nick had almost forgotten why people gave presents at Christmas. He wanted to feel that same joy of giving.

I thought this book did a great job of teaching an important lesson without sounding preachy. My children mostly enjoyed it because it was about two boys who shared a name with their little brother, but I am glad to have it as a part of our Christmas library to remind them of the joy that comes from focusing on giving gifts rather than receiving them.

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