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Comparing My Top 2 Choices for Science

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PicMonkey CollageAs we headed into this year I found myself going back and forth between two really good choices to use as a framework for our science studies: the Young Explorers series published by Apologia, and the God’s Design for Science series published by Answers in Genesis.

They have many similarities.  Both use biblical, creation-based books, which was essential for our family.  Both are designed to be used by students for 1st through 8th grade.  All the books I’ve seen in both series are full of beautiful color illustrations that draw students in and make them want to find out more.  So what are the main differences between them?

To answer that question I spent a lot of time online trying to find out what other people’s experiences with them has been.  While I found a lot of helpful reviews, I didn’t see a lot comparing the two (which was what I was really hoping to find).  So I thought I’d take some time to write out some of my thoughts as I made my decision.

First, let me introduce you to each series in case you’re not familiar with one (or both) of them.

The Young Explorers Series

Exploring Creation: Young Explorers Seven Book SetThis popular series helps students explore God’s creation by focusing on a specific topic for an entire year.  The books in the series are:

Written at about a 5th grade level, the books are intended to be used with the entire family, from ages 6-13 (though Jeannie Fulbright, the author, recommends the last three books on this list be saved for 3rd grade and up).  There are seven books, so it would take seven years to complete all of them at the recommended pace. Student notebooks are available for each book (also Junior versions) to help reinforce what is being learned.

The books are divided up into large “lessons,” most of which can be covered in about two weeks.  (For example, the Zoology 1 book has 14 lessons.)  The lessons do contain smaller sections with subtitles, but they aren’t specifically broken up into chunks of what to read each day.

I’ve heard people call these “living books” a la Charlotte Mason, but I think that’s a bit of a stretch.  They have beautiful pictures and are written fairly conversationally, but they are still a textbook as far as I am concerned.

The God’s Design for Science Series

The other series I considered using is God’s Design for Science.  The entire curriculum can be covered in 4 years, with 3 books for each year (books can be purchased separately or as sets):

God’s Design for Science CurriculumGod’s Design for Life

  • The World of Plants
  • The Human Body
  • The World of Animals

God’s Design for Heaven and Earth

  • Our Planet Earth
  • Our Weather and Water
  • Our Universe

God’s Design for the Physical World

  • Heat and Energy
  • Machines and Motion
  • Inventions and Technology

God’s Design for Chemistry and Ecology

  • Properties of Matter
  • Properties of Atoms and Molecules
  • Properties of Ecosystems

Because it takes only 4 years to complete the curriculum, it is possible to go through every book twice, doing deeper with students as they get older.  Each of the smaller books contains 35 lessons, so by doing 3 lessons a week, you easily get through the entire set of 3 books in a school year.  A CD-ROM with worksheets to go along with the lessons is included in the Teacher Supplements.

What Influenced My Decision

I heard so many wonderful things about the Apologia series when Ian was younger that I just assumed we would use them.  Last year we tried to use Exploring Creation With Astronomy (I had read of several families online who used it with Kindergarteners), but he definitely wasn’t ready.  He’s really interested in space, but it got too tedious after a while.  I stopped because I didn’t want to kill his natural love for the subject (though a few times he’s pulled it off the shelf and asked me to read a little more).

Because of that experience, I started looking into other options for science, and sometime in the middle of last year I discovered the God’s Design series, which became the only other one I seriously considered.  I had a really hard time even thinking about letting go of the Apologia (Young Explorers) series, just because I know it is fantastic and so many people love it.  However, when I forced myself to look at the two more objectively, the decision became much easier, and in the end I decided to go with God’s Design for Science (at least for now).

Here are the main reasons for that decision:

Clear Differentiation for Younger/Older students

The main thing on my mind as I decided which series to choose was how easy it would be to implement each one with our large family over the next several years.  The differentiation for younger and older students in the God’s Design books was the main selling point for me.  I know so many people who love the Apologia books, and while I agree that the content is wonderful (we have two of them and I’ve been able to look through several others), I feel like they’re just a bit advanced for younger students to go through the entire book, and we’re going to have young ones around for quite a while.

To show the difference between the two, here are lessons on flight from each book.

This page from Exploring Creation With Zoology 1 (Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day) has a lot of wonderful information, but it would be a lot for my 1st grader to take in:

P1030518

In contrast, here is the page on flight from The World of Animals (one of the books in God’s Design for Life):

P1030516

On the left is the “Beginners” section, which is a basic introduction to the topic, just enough for younger students.  On the right, you can see the beginning of the more in-depth section for older students.  The blue boxes have extra activities, some of which are appropriate for younger students, but others we’ll save for later.

It is so easy to use these books with a 1st grader.  We just open the book and read the appropriate section.  If we want to go more in depth, we either read further or pull out related books according to Ian’s interest.  With the Apologia book I think I would probably have to read the information on my own and then just summarize it for Ian (judging by our experience with Exploring Creation With Astronomy a few months ago).

Yet it will be just as easy to use the same books in four years.  Arianna will be in 1st grade that year and can stick with the Beginners section, but I won’t have to buy a new book to use with Ian in 5th grade because everything is already right there, requiring no additional lesson planning or work to coordinate what the different members of the family are studying.  I love that!

Structured Lessons

When we were reading through the Astronomy book, I just read as many smaller sections as I thought Ian could handle at once, not knowing if we were really staying on schedule to get through the book in a year (though it soon became clear that I wasn’t).  I suppose I could have gone through and marked out specific readings for each day, but that would have been rather time-consuming.  Plus, we probably would have had to read every day to get through the entire book in a school year using the length of reading that Ian could handle.

I really like the way the God’s Design series breaks down the reading into specific material for each day.  The way the reading is structured makes it really easy to know whether we are behind or if we have a little extra time to spend on topics that interest Ian.

My goal is to to do science 2 days a week.  Since we want to finish 3 lessons a week to stay on schedule, sometimes I read 2 lessons in one day, which hasn’t seemed overwhelming at all.  He’s also creating a notebook as we go, and the separate lessons have made it easy to decided what to write about.

4-Year Program is Easily Repeatable

If you’re familiar with my blog, you’ve probably heard me talk about how much I love “cycles” when it comes to long-term planning.  I think it is extremely beneficial to give children a chance for repeating the same material at increasingly deeper levels as the grow.  I like that we can cover the God’s Design series in 4 years and then repeat it before my children get to a more thorough study of individual subjects in high school.  (I also am drawn to 4-year cycles because, as I said earlier, I think it will make it easier to study subjects as a family.)

Broad Scope of Science

The Young Explorers series seems to spend a disproportionate amount of time on life science as opposed to physical science.  While I personally lean toward biology and anatomy, I know my boys are fascinated by things like machines and inventions, and it just seemed like those subjects got the short end of the stick with the Apologia series.

Variety Within Each Year

I appreciate Jeannie Fulbright’s desire to help students retain knowledge by pursuing deeper study and spending an entire year on each subject.  Maybe it’s because I’m not as much of a science enthusiast as she is, but the thought of spending an entire year on most subjects fills me with dread.

I don’t want to skip any major parts of science with my children simply out of my own reluctance to spend such an extended period of time on them.  I like the way the God’s Design series allows for flexibility as far as subjects.  Although they have three similarly themed books in each set, you can actually just treat each individual book as a separate unit.  If you want to do one book from God’s Design for Life and then take a break by choosing a book from God’s Design for Heaven and Earth, it wouldn’t be a problem.  Even if you do the entire set (as we plan to do this year), there is still some variety built in.  I decided to spend the our first term on animals, then we’ll move on to the human body, and finally we’ll finish up by studying plants in the spring.

A Final Word

Both of these series offer fantastic, God-honoring science curricula for homeschool families.  While for now we are using God’s Design for Science, I will probably still collect the rest of the Young Explorers books when I see a good deal.  Perhaps later on we will use them as the main part of our science studies, but for now they will be a beautiful addition to our library.

 

Posted in Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

3-Year Bible Survey for Students (Review)

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BRT collage

When I first started this blog most of my posts were about the Bible lessons I started doing when my oldest turned three as I sought to be intentional about discipling him.  Now he’s just starting 1st grade (and there are two preschoolers and a baby coming up close behind!), and I would still say the most important part of my children’s home education is our time in God’s Word.  I have several goals:

  1. I want them to know about the Bible (historical context, authors, genres, canonization, etc.).
  2. I want them to know what’s in it (where to find what they’re looking for).
  3. I want it to be a part of their daily lives in such a way that when they are grown they can’t imagine a day passing without being in the Word because they are eager for God to speak to them through it.

So how do I go about pursuing those goals on a day to day basis?  We spend time each morning in Proverbs, and time each evening in family devotions, both times helping meet the last two goals.  But now that Ian is starting 1st grade, I want a thorough, systematic way to help us meet the first one.  That’s why I was SO excited to find Bible Road Trip.

What is it?

Bible Road Trip is a 3-year curriculum design to be used over and over as a child matures from preschool all the way through high school.  (I love repeatable cycles!) It takes students on a journey from Genesis to Revelation, teaching about each book and helping them come to a greater understanding of the overall message of the Bible.

I have many friends who limit their homeschool Bible time to the ties they can make between the Scriptures and whatever else they are studying.  While I think that is an important part of educating and discipling our children, I also think it is essential to have a time devoted specifically to studying the Bible on a systematic basis.  I thought I was going to have to create my own program to take my children through the Bible the way I desired, but Danika Cooley, the author of Bible Road Trip, has put together a curriculum that leads students through God’s Word, helping them understand what they are reading.

The program is broken up into three 32-week years, making it easy to fit into a school year with flexibility for holidays, time to catch up, or extended study:

  1. Year One covers the Old Testament books of Law and History
  2. Year Two covers the Old Testament books of Poetry and Prophecy
  3. Year Three covers the entire New Testament.

There are 5 separate levels of study, following essentially classical delineations:

  • Preschool-Kindergarten
  • Lower Grammar (Grades 1-3)
  • Upper Grammar (Grades 4-6)
  • Dialectic (Grades 7-9)
  • Rhetoric (Grades 9-12)

For each week of study, there are assignments at each of these levels, so the entire family can be focusing on the same portion of Scripture simultaneously in ways developmentally appropriate to each students stage of learning.

Each week is broken up into two main sections.  “Dig Deep” contains the bulk of the lesson:

  • Researching the Word (using the Bible study books listed below)
  • Reading the Word (5 daily assignments including a few comprehension questions)
  • Memorizing the Word (weekly memory verse)
  • Notebooking about the Word
  • Praying about the Word (focusing on different countries around the world)

This is followed by a section for “Explore Further,” which includes:

  • Learning More about the Word (related videos, etc.)
  • Crafting Through the Word (hands-on projects to help reinforce what was learned)

Getting Started

Since Ian is in 1st grade, I’ll just be discussing how to use the program in the “Lower Grammar” stage.  Here’s what we needed to collect in order to begin using Bible Road Trip:

 There are also a few recommended resources for extra learning:

P1030468Our Experience

We spent some time on Week 1 and 2 of Year One, which cover “What is the Bible?” and “Exploring the Old Testament,” but then we jumped ahead because I want to use Bible Road Trip to enrich the boys’ study as we finish going through the Bible in our family devotions.  (We started in August 2012 and are just about finished with the Old Testament period in our chronological study.)  After those introductory weeks, we skipped ahead to Year Two to find the sections on Daniel so we be “on the same page,” and then we went back to Year One to finish the story of the exiles’ return in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Year Three will soon begin being posted week by week, and that’s what we plan to use for this coming school year as we head into the New Testament as a family.

What We Liked About Bible Road Trip

I like that Danika has created the program as an adaptable tool for families.  “The goal is to acquaint our children with the Word of God, not to create busy work.”  If the suggestions she makes for each lesson aren’t helpful, it’s not going to cause problems if you decide to skip them with your family.  On the other hand, she provides some wonderful ways to engage children, especially in the “Explore Further” section of each lesson.

BRT1I think my favorite part of the curriculum, however, is the Notebooking Journal.  The pages Danika has created are just stunning! They contain many full-color works of art from masters such as Van Gogh, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt. Notebooking is such a great learning tool, and these pages are going to create a beautiful record of what we have learned.  Ian loves going through the Bible notebook we created during his preschool years, and I know this will be something he goes back to again and again.

(Incidentally, I first heard about Bible Road Trip when I purchased a lifetime membership to notebookingpages.com and received the Year One lesson plan pdf as a bonus.  If you want to find out more about the benefits of notebooking, their website is a great place to start!)

What We Adjusted for Our Family

When going through the Bible I always have to make a decision about how I’m going to do it: book by book or chronological order?  There are pros and cons to both approaches, and those are passed on when choosing a Bible curriculum.

We have been using a devotional that goes through chronologically, which I think really helps kids grasp the flow of history and see where the different stories they read in the Bible fit into the big picture.  Bible Road Trip goes through book by book, so while you get a good sense of history in Year One, you miss a few things (like the stories of Daniel) that are described in the books of prophecy in Year Two.  As I said above, we solved this issue by using the appropriate lessons from the Year Two curriculum since we already have a chronological framework established.  When I begin the entire 3-year cycle again, I will probably just do Bible Road Trip as written, but I’m wondering if there will be some confusion with abandoning the chronological approach.

I also opted not to use the “Praying About the Word” section.  It’s not that I had any issues with it; on the contrary, I thought it was a valuable addition.  Still, it seemed to be completely separate from rest of the study, which made it feel like a supplementary curriculum in and of itself.  We just are doing so much already that I decided to hold off on it, at least for now.

Just the Facts

Interested in starting Bible Road Trip?  Here’s

  • Recommended ages: preschool-highschool
  • Weekly lessons plans and notebooking pages are available for free if you download each week separately!
  • If you want the convenience of having the whole year in one place (great for printing the year in advance with one click!), you can purchase the Year One and
    Year Two lesson plans ($20 per year) and the corresponding Notebooking Journals ($20 per year for each level: Lower Grammar, Upper Grammar, or Dialectic) as pdf files.

My Overall Impression

I’m excited to find such a valuable tool to help disciple my children.  I am so thankful for the research Danika has put into Bible Road Trip and the time she has taken in making it available for other families to use.  I’m sure I’ll be sharing more as we get further into our journey!

DISCLAIMER:  I received the Year One Notebooking Journal for free in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  This post contains affiliate links.

Posted in Bible lessons, Homeschool Resources, Product reviews

Experiencing History Through Music (Review)

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banner lgOne of my favorite memories of elementary school is sitting in the multi-purpose room with dozens of other kids singing folk songs as my beloved 1st AND 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Gilliam, strummed along on the guitar.  That’s where I learned classic American songs like “Oh, Susanna,” “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round The Mountain,” and of course, the “Star-Spangled Banner.”  Singing the same songs that generations of Americans had sung before me gave me a sense of connection and belonging.  I want to pass on that heritage to my own children, so I have been thrilled to be a part of the launch of the “Experiencing History Through Music” series from Diana Waring.

About Diana Waring

IMG_20140613_094448I was familiar the name Diana Waring from her History Revealed curriculum and her books Beyond Survival and Reaping the Harvest.  The former is at the forefront of my mind for history as our children get older, and the latter have been sitting in my “to be read” pile for some time.  As we’ve been preparing for the launch of this series, I’ve gotten to know more about her, and I’ve realized she is definitely a kindred spirit. (Beyond Survival may have to be my next book for “Mentoring Mondays”!) I had to go find her at the Great Homeschool Convention and introduce myself (and my sleeping Nicholas), and I immediately wished I could invite her over to dinner to spend some time soaking in some of her homeschooling wisdom.

Diana shares a passion for two of my favorite subjects: history and music.  I love this story she shared with the launch team of how she started integrating the two:

Back in 1989, after I had been struggling for about three years with homeschooling (my kids and I were ALL bored!!!), a friend suggested that I attend the state homeschool convention (in Tacoma, WA). . . In those days, the main way to learn more about homeschooling was to attend a convention—oh, how times have changed!!
The problem was I couldn’t afford it. My dh was a public school band teacher, we were single income, and there simply wasn’t anything extra in the budget. When I voiced that concern, my friend said, “Oh, you should teach a workshop! That way, they pay you $50, give you some mileage to get up to the convention, and you get in FREE!!” Looking at her in amazement, I asked, “What on earth would I teach????”
She pulled out the previous year’s convention schedule, with its varied workshops, and handed it to me. Quickly glancing down the list, I noted that the ONLY music workshop was using classical music in the home and that there were NO history workshops. At that moment, an idea was born.
Why not teach American history through its folk music?
That was the start of twenty-five years as a homeschool speaker (yes, the convention wanted my workshop) and as a homeschool writer/ curriculum producer.
Never saw this coming, but, oh, what a life we have shared!!

Eventually she went on to create books of stories about historical songs and helped record music albums to go along with them.  When the company that was publishing the sets went out of business, it looked like the audio masters were lost and all the work that had gone into producing the series would be fruitless from that point on.  Evidently, however, God still wanted to bless people through it, because the music was found and restored, and Diana has rewritten many of the stories with even more fascinating details for a new generation of homeschoolers to enjoy. (Read the miraculous story of their restoration on Diana’s blog.  It really is amazing!)

About Experiencing History Through Music

booksAs the name of this series implies, these book and CD sets allow you to Experience History Through Music. Each title contains one book and one CD. The pages of the books hold dozens of historical pictures, bright and interesting stories connecting each of the songs to its moment in history, even sheet music and chord charts! The CDs are rousing, professional recordings that draw in all listeners.

These three book/CD sets are a wonderful supplement to any American history curriculum:

  • Westward Ho!–The Heart of the Old West
  • America–The Heart of a New Nation
  • Music Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Here’s a brief introduction to each one.

Westward Ho!–The Heart of the Old West

WestwardAmerica’s westward expansion is amazingly rich in stories and songs.  In Westward Ho!, you will find the pioneer spirit that stirred the hearts of thousands of Americans to leave the safety and comfort of home expressed in folk songs of or about that time.  Now you can experience the pioneers’ adventures, dangers, joys, sorrows and hopes as you join in and sing along with these songs:

  1.  Apple Picker’s Reel
  2. Boll Weevil
  3. Missionary’s Farewell
  4. Oh, California
  5. Ho! For California
  6. San Juan Pig War
  7. Chisholm Trail
  8. Westward Ho!
  9. Home On The Range
  10. Little Old Sod Shanty
  11. Strawberry Roan
  12. Old Settler
  13. Gooey Duck
  14. Little Cabin in the Cascade Mountains

We enjoyed the whole CD, but “Gooey Duck” (about giant clams in Puget Sound called geoducks) became a new favorite in our house.  We’ve been caught singing it all over town, even in the grocery store!

America: The Heart of a New Nation

AmericaFrom the French and Indian War to the first transcontinental railroad, America is a chronological tour of American history through its music. Enjoy the songs and stories of our past that have been shared from generation to generation—songs that make you laugh, make you cry, and make your patriotic spirit soar.

  1. Yankee Doodle
  2. Star-Spangled Banner
  3. Erie Canal
  4. Oh! Susanna
  5. Sweet Betsy From Pike
  6. All Night, All Day
  7. Old Dan Tucker
  8. Wade in the Water
  9. Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
  10. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
  11. Shenandoah
  12. Get Along L’il Dogies
  13. Drill Ye Tarriers
  14. Polly Wolly Doodle
  15. She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain
  16. Old Joe Clark

Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura IngallsThis was the title that first captured my attention when I learned about this series.  I read the first two “Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder to Ian a few months ago, and as we came to song after song I wished I knew the melodies to sing along.  It seemed like so many of these historical treasures had faded away into the past.

I was thrilled to get this book and CD to help make those songs more real to our family. Elijah adored “Pop Goes the Weasel,” and it reminded me of the scene in Little House in the Big Woods when Laura and Mary are enjoying Pa playing that one on his fiddle, trying to catch the “pop!” as he plucked the string.  I imagine their giggles sounded a lot like my little ones’ as they enjoyed the silly song.

This is the only book in the series not written by Diana Waring.  Written by William Anderson, noted Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer, the book also includes beautiful photos by internationally known Little House photographer, Leslie A. Kelly.  The loved stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder will come to life all over again as you listen to the songs that were a part of life for the Ingalls and thousands of other pioneering families.

This book takes readers back through songs referenced in almost all books in the Little House series:

  1.  Wait for the Wagon (On the Banks of Plum Creek)
  2. Green Grows the Laurel (Little House On the Prairie)
  3. The Old Chariot (The Long Winter)
  4. Buy a Broom (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  5. Sweet By and By (The Long Winter)
  6. Rock Me to Sleep (Little Town on the Prairie)
  7. Buffalo Gals (Little House in the Big Woods)
  8. A Railroad Man for Me (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  9. Beware (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  10. Pop! Goes the Weasel (Little House in the Big Woods)
  11. Oft in the Stilly Night (By the Shores of Silver Lake)
  12. The Girl I Left Behind Me (On the Banks of Plum Creek)
  13. My Sabbath Home (On the Banks of Plum Creek, These Happy Golden Years)

How We Used It

Because my children are all young, I didn’t use this series to its fullest potential (yet!)  We listened to all the CDs many times, to the point that all my children ages 2 and up were singing along to their favorites (and requesting them over and over again).  I read the stories on my own and then retold certain ones as we drove along in the car.

With my oldest, I sat and looked at the pictures as I told him some of the stories.  He also really enjoyed having the book as we listened and sang.  He followed along in the sheet music so he could learn the words more quickly as we drove.

I know when we study American history in the future we will be getting out these albums and digging deeper into the stories to enrich our understanding of the various time periods represented.

What We Liked

First and foremost, we loved the music.  These are BEAUTIFUL recordings of the songs.  I loved that many familiar tunes included less familiar verses.  Even without the books, the CDs would be a great addition to any American family music library.

Thankfully, you get the books too!  America was probably my favorite of the three.  Not only were the songs the most familiar, but the stories struck a deep emotional chord with me.

I love the story of “Yankee Doodle.”  What a wonderful lesson for children that they don’t have to be beaten down when people call them unkind names!  The British made fun of the rough American soldiers during the French and Indian War, calling them “doodles” because they seemed so foolish compared to the polished British soldiers.  The Americans didn’t hang their heads in shame.  Rather, when the Revolution came about and they found themselves fighting against the British, they made up new lyrics for the originally insulting song and showed that they were anything but foolish.

Imagine what it must have felt like for the British when, during the surrender ceremony at Yorktown, “Yankee Doodle” was played once again–this time to celebrate the American victory.  Turns out the Americans weren’t such “doodles” after all, were they?

I hope my children can learn to see that other people’s insults don’t have to define them.  After all, God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the “wise.”

Capture2The most moving story was definitely “The Star-Spangled Banner.”  I love that it is now more than just a song the children hear at baseball games.  Even though I already knew the story, it still gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes as I passed it on to them.

If I Could Make Any Changes…

I wish the illustrations could have been in color.  Many of the pictures were originally black and white, so it wasn’t necessary for those, but others looked like they were of paintings, and I would have loved to see them in full color.

I also would love a sequel to the Laura Ingalls Wilder book.  There are so many more songs in the pages of the Little House books that I would love to bring to life for our family!

diana waring available nowJust the Facts

  • Suitable for all ages
  • Each book/CD set sells for $18.99
  • For the month of July, collection of all 3 sets is on sale for $50!

One Final Word

 We loved these sets, and I highly recommend them as part of any family’s study of American history.  I’m looking forward to seeing Diana’s next project (after she completes something currently in progress), which will be a full curriculum for American history. She told us, “It will be focused on elementary grades, and will be a LOT like my world history curriculum — fascinating fun, great opportunities to choose what looks most interesting, and an integrated unit-study style/Charlotte mason approach to history.”  Our family can’t wait to see it!

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Go Science DVDs (Crew Review)

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GoScience Collage 

Science is one of my weakest subjects when it comes to homeschooling. That’s why I’m thankful for products like the Go Science DVDs distributed by Library and Educational Services. They sent me two titles from this series to review: Volume 4 (Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light) and Volume 7 (Engineering, Design, Flight).  It was a welcome opportunity to get my kids’ heads out of the books and give them a chance to see science in action.

If you homeschool and you’re not familiar with Library and Educational Services, I encourage you to visit their website to get to know them.  They provide character-building educational products to wholesale buyers (including homeschools).  From Bibles and books to CDs and DVDs, they’ve been offering quality products at discount prices (30%-70% off, sometimes even more) for over 35 years.

What’s Included

The Go Science DVDs feature brief video segments that show teacher Ben Roy helping guide a group of children in various science demonstrations.  The videos are distinctly Christian and help kids learn about many different aspects of science while always giving glory to God.

When you first play the DVD, the main menu shows the featured topics.  You can either select “Play All” or click on a topic to open a sub-menu where you can select individual experiments.

Here are the experiments included on the two DVDs we watched:

Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light

(running time: 55:03)

Motion:
  • tablecloth trick
  • high-bounce balls
  • marble gravitron
  • yo-yo-big spool
  • bowling ball
Friction
  • Friction
  • Floating Rice
Electricity
  • Simple motor
  • nail magnet
  • jumping rings
Light
  • Food coloring and bubbles
Vol. 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

(Running time 56:09)

Engineering/Design
  • How much will it hold?
  • Leaning tower of lyra
  • Nail balance
  • Trebuchet
  • Centrifuge
  • Walking on eggs
  • Bed of nails-small
Flight
  • Rocket balloons
  • Vinegar rocket
  • Toilet paper on paint roller
  • Film canister rocket

How We Used It

We started to watch the first video all the way through, but Ian started getting antsy by the time we headed into “Electricity.”  Each segment is separate from the rest, so they really don’t need to be watched in one sitting and we just saved the rest of the DVD for another day.  That proved to be a better way to watch them anyway because it gave the boys time to think about what they’d seen rather just moving on.

It also gave a chance to play around with some science at home.  Most of the experiments we just watched, but there were a few that Ian wanted to try, and if I had the materials to do it at home we went for it.

What We Liked

It might sound funny, but I liked that some of the experiments didn’t work right the first time.  Isn’t that the way it happens when we do them at home?  It seems like so often things go perfectly for people on television, and then when we struggle it seems like we’re doing something wrong.  Seeing some of the failed experiments took the pressure off when we tried them ourselves.

Actually doing the experiments was definitely the boys’ favorite part of going through the DVDs.  The first one we did involved picking up a marble with a wine glass without touching the marble with our hands (moving the glass in circles).  In the video (on Volume 4), Ben Roy did it pretty easily, so we knew this was one we wanted to do ourselves.

Go Science 1

I tried it first, and I was able to get the feel of it pretty quickly.  It took Ian a little longer, but once he got it he was really proud of himself.

Go Science2

All the segments on flight (from Volume 7) were fascinating and made Ian want to try them himself.  We tried to copy the film canister experiment, but we never got more than a little “pop” out of ours.  I think our lids didn’t seal quite as well as the ones on the video.  Still, the boys had fun doing it themselves rather than just watching.

Go Science5   P1030404

I appreciated the way Ben Roy used the experiments not only to teach science but as object lessons to teach biblical principles.  For example, as the kids in the audience got a surprise when they found out which of two cylinders actually held more volume, he pointed out, “Things aren’t what they seem sometimes…We can’t judge people by what we see.  Sometimes what we see can fool us.”

There were several memorable object lessons that made these videos much more than just science demonstrations.  I really liked the way my children were able to learn that science isn’t an end in itself.  Rather, it is just one more way we get to know the Lord.

“When we learn more about science, we learn more about our Creator God.”

What Could Have Been Better for Our Family

I wish the Go Science DVDs came with a little more guidance on how to do the experiments yourself.  Even just a materials list broken down by segment with would be really helpful.  Many of the items used were things we had around the house, but a few others would need to be purchased ahead of time.  They wouldn’t be hard to find, but we didn’t really know what we needed until we started watching the videos.  We would definitely have done more of the experiments if I had known what materials they required.

Just the Facts

  • Recommended for ages 4-12 (My 4-year old enjoyed parts of the DVDs, but my 6-year old definitely got more out of them.)
  • 7 DVDs in the Go Science series
  • Price: $8.97 each (or $59.82 for the entire series)

Go Science Review

My Overall Impression:

The Go Science DVDs are a fun way to get kids interested in hands-on science.  They’re not as fast-paced as other science videos we’ve seen, but they did manage to keep my kids’ interest in smaller doses.  Ian liked them enough to want to get the others in the series, and I definitely will keep them in mind when looking for ways to supplement our science program in the future.

 

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We Choose Virtues (Crew Review)

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WCVCollage
I think character education is one of the most important jobs a parent has, particularly when our children are young.  Laying a foundation of virtue in the early years will help children grow up knowing how be people of good character.  We Choose Virtues has created a line of products to help parents and others who work with children equip them for a lifetime of wise choices.  I was blessed with the chance to review the Parenting Cards and the pdf products in the Download Bundle from this wonderful program.

What is It?

We Choose Virtues is a “Character Education System” ideal for families and classrooms with children ages 3-18.  There are several products in the WCV online store that can be used to implement the program in addition to the ones we received, but the Parenting Cards and the Download Bundle are a great way to use the program at home with children ages 3-11.

The set of Parenting Cards includes 13 colorful 8.5″x5.5″ cards which describe 12 specific virtues: Content, Self-We Choose Virtues ReviewControlled, Perseverant, Patient, Obedient, Kind, Honest, Helpful, Gentle, Forgiving, Diligent, and Attentive.  (The remaining card illustrates the concept of virtues changing us into something more beautiful, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.)  The Parenting Cards make up the core of the program in a family setting.

Each card has several components:

We Choose Virtues Review(Front Side)

  • name of the virtue
  • catch phrase
  • antonyms for the virtue
  • Bible verse (We used the cards with the NIrV translation, which includes verses from both the Old and New Testaments.  Cards are also available with the KJV translation using only verses from the Old Testament.)

We Choose Virtues Review(Back side)

  • Virtue User Challenge
  • Saying about the virtue
  • Instruction on “What to say after ‘I’m sorry'” when this virtue hasn’t been demonstrated
  • Teachable moments for families (ideas for activities or discussions)
  • short story about the featured “Virtue Kid” (who was pictured on the front side)

Although the Parenting Cards could be used successfully alone, the items in the Download Bundle are helpful additional tools for teaching the virtues.  The Download Bundle includes the following items:

  • Teacher’s Handbook (This guide seems to be geared more toward classroom teachers, though parts of it could also be helpful for homeschool families.  I printed it out thinking it would be beneficial to have it easy to grab and use, but it’s really not something you need to have in your hand as you’re teaching your children.  In hindsight I would probably just read it on the computer orP1030323 tablet.)
  • Family Character Assessment (see below)
  • Kids of VirtueVille coloring pages
  • Butterfly Award (to recognize the transformation you see as your children choose to exercise the virtues)
  • Sing-along-Song sheets (lyrics to help you and your children remember the teachings about the virtue, set to familiar tunes)

How We Used It

The first thing we did to introduce the program was fill out the “Family Character Assessment” with Ian (6) and Elijah (4).

virtues1

I printed out two copies, and then Eric and I went through it with them one night during our family Bible Time, reading the brief description of each virtue and rating the boys on each one together.  I was surprised at how self-aware they were regarding their strengths and weaknesses, and this was a really special time with them.  Afterward we prayed with together and asked God to help us all to grow and learn as we work through our new We Choose Virtues program.

After that I used our morning Bible Time (part of our school day) as the main instruction time.  Arianna (2) joined us each morning during this time.  We followed the suggestion in the Teacher’s Handbook for taking 10 minutes each day to discuss the virtues.  I chose one card at a time and then spent several days focusing on that one.  (The recommendation is to spend a week on each virtue, followed by review as necessary.  Because we didn’t have 12 weeks for this review, I chose to spend 2-5 days on each one, depending on how familiar my children were with it already, so we could get through most of them.)

Here’s a general outline of what we did for each virtue:

Day 1

We read everything on the front of the card.  I had each child repeat the virtue (“I am content”) and the catch phrase (“I have my ‘WANTER’ under control”).  Then we looked up the Bible verse in the ESV (since that’s the translation our family uses most of the time and what we use for memorization).

Sing-Along Virtue SongsDay 2

We reviewed the virtue and the catch phrase.  Then I turned the card over and we discussed the section on “What to say after ‘I’m Sorry'” and learned the song for that virtue.  (I printed the song sheets out and put them in my notebook with the Teacher’s Handbook, but some children might enjoy coloring these pages as they learn.)

Day 3

We reviewed the virtue and the catch phrase.  Then I read about the character in “The Kids of VirtueVille” section on the back of the card, and we discussed how they reflected that virtue.  I gave the kids the option of coloring the page about that kid.

Day 4 (and beyond)

We reviewed the virtue and the catch phrase.  Then we focused on the “Virtue User Challenge” or one of the “Teachable moments for… families” and read a story or poem from The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett.

I found that 4 days worked best for us.  Any longer and it just seemed like I was harping on them.  (Obviously we didn’t stop pointing out ways they were demonstrating or failing to demonstrate a particular virtue just because we’d moved on to another one.  I just mean we didn’t spend extra time in the morning talking about it.)

Ian - We Choose Virtues

My virtuous pirate. Is that an oxymoron?

We displayed our Parent Cards in a pocket chart in our school room, where they were highly visible and the kids could take them out to examine.  (I laminated them right away so they’d be able to withstand frequent handling.)

The kids really caught on to the catch phrases.  One day Elijah came in after playing with some neighborhood children, and he was sad that the only person who’d been willing to share with him was his brother.  (Way to go, Ian!)  I sympathized with him and then encouraged him to remember how it feels when someone won’t share with him, so he can be sure to share with other people so they won’t feel so sad, saying, “Treat others the way you like to be treated.”  He suddenly smiled and said, “That’s what it means to be kind!  That’s what our card says.”

What We Liked

My favorite thing about this program is the title: We Choose Virtues.  I love that it helps children take responsibility for their behavior.  Even before starting this program we talked a lot about good character traits, but I felt like We Choose Virtues really shifted the way I discuss them with my children.  They have a choice as to what kind of person they want to be.  I can teach them what all these concepts mean, but only they can choose to take ownership of them and decide that they want to be known as a person of virtue.  “Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right” (Proverbs 20:11).  We’ve spent a lot of time discussing that verse.

I also really like the catch phrases.  They both help describe the virtue in a succinct way the children understand and help them remember.  I can’t count how many times we’ve quoted the phrase for obedience: “OK, whatever you say, I will obey, right away!”  We say it cheerfully, in a kind sing-song manner, and it’s more of a silly, fun way of reminding them what we expect, rather than nagging and scolding.  I’ve been amazed at how it has helped even one particularly sour-faced child melt into a smile and choose to obey.

Although it took me a while to get used to, I like the format of the Parenting Cards.  It is helpful having everything about each virtue in one place without having to turn to a specific page in a book.  The character illustrations and the bright colors made them appealing to everyone in the family, and I often caught the children stopping by our pocket chart to look at them and read through the front sides on their own.

What Could Have Been Better for Our Family

I would have preferred more structured guidance in how to present each virtue. The outline I shared above about how we used the Parenting Cards each day was something I came up with after floundering about for the first couple weeks.  I kept poring over the Teacher’s Handbook hoping for a bit more instruction, but it was more geared toward classroom use and even then it didn’t lay out even a sample idea of what to do each morning.  This is probably because We Choose Virtues isn’t meant to be a curriculum but a “Character Education System” that is implemented throughout the day, but the lack of direction caused me more than a bit of stress as I tried to figure out what I was supposed to be doing.  I could have used a little more advice on how to get started.

Some of the Virtue User Challenges were way beyond what I could reasonably expect of my children.  For example, the challenge for Obedient said, “The entire family should try to go the whole day doing everything you are asked to do with a smile!”  My 6-year old could probably make a decent attempt at that, but I would be setting my 2-year old and incredibly strong-willed 4-year old up for failure if I set that challenge before them.  These little years are a season of training toward goals like that, but there’s a lot of hard work to put into it before they get there.  That kind of thing has to be something they choose to do on their own, and they’re just not to that point yet.  Even if they had the desire to try to be completely obedient, I think an hour would be sufficiently challenging for them.

Overall, however, I found this to be a rich program with more ideas than we could use in just the introductory weeks.  I anticipate pulling out these cards over and over again in the years to come, repeating discussions and utilizing various ideas as my children grow and mature.  It is so helpful to have a reference point for them, and it lends authority to our instruction when they see the virtues described so clearly on the cards.  I enjoyed our introduction to We Choose Virtues so much I decided to purchase their Upgrade to a Family Kit, which has some additional items to help make the virtues a more pervasive part of our family culture.

Just the Facts

Interested in try finding out more about how to use We Choose Virtues with your family?  Read more Crew Reviews to see what it looks like in other homes (including materials for children ages 12-18).  Then check out the products I’ve shared about (and more!) in the We Choose Virtues Store:

Parenting Cards ($38.49)

  • includes pdf download of the Family Character  Assessment. (The cards are also available in Spanish!)

Download Bundle ($7.99) containing these items, most of which can also be purchased separately:

We Choose Virtues is offering two special promotions right now.  Through the end of June, enter promo code BIG50 to save 50% off their set of 12 “Kids of VirtueVille” posters (11×17).  They are also having a special Back-to-School promotion this June-August.  Enter promo Code BTS20 for 20% off anything in the WCV Store! (One promo code per order.)

 Connect With  We Choose Virtues on Social Media:

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LearningPalette.com (Crew Review)

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Learning Wrap-Ups Review

We try to make everything a learning opportunity in our house, so I’m always keeping an eye out for educational games for my kids to play, both physically and on the computer.  Last fall a friend introduced us to the Learning Palette from Learning Wrap-Ups, and Ian was so fascinated with the game, I ended up getting one for our house.  The game consists of a base with colored disks and sets of cards that can be changed out to practice various math or reading skills.  The player uses the disks to mark the answers to 12 questions on each card.

Because each set of cards is purchased separately, we’ve only had a chance to use the ones for 1st grade math, but recently I was given a chance to review LearningPalette.com, which is basically a virtual version of the same game.  With the Full Online Family Subscription for all levels of Reading/Math Palettes instruction (up to 5 uses for a full year), we had a chance to see how much more there is to the Learning Palette.  The online version of the game allows one to access every math and reading card available, which provided an opportunity to not only explore some of the other cards available to use with the palette, but also to compare the online experience to playing with the physical game.

What’s Included

So much is included with the online program!  There is a section for math as well as one for reading, each broken down into levels to correlate with grades in school  (e.g. “Basic” is appropriate for Kindergarten, Level 1 with 1st grade, etc.).

 Math (Basic, Levels 1-5)

When the student first logs in, they select math or reading, followed by the appropriate level.  Then they’ll need to choose which category they’re going to work in.  For example, in Level 1 there are six categories (each with 12 cards):

  • Numeration Step 1 – Numbers 0-10 Intro to Addition and Subtraction
  • Numeration Step 2 – Numbers 0-100
  • Numeration Step 3 – Money and Simple Fractions
  • Algebra Concepts
  • Geometry and Measurement
  • Probability and Statistics

LP1

The Basic level has 5 categories (60 cards), but each of the other levels has 6 categories (72 cards).  That’s a lot of math!

Reading (Basic, Levels 1-3)

There are a wide range of reading skills covered over the four levels.  “Basic” has foundational concepts like the alphabet, beginning consonants, and rhyming words.  Level 3 covers things like prefixes and suffixes, reading comprehension, and grammar.

Each of the levels has 5 categories.  We spent most of our time in Level 1, so here’s what we had to choose from:

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives
  • Vocabulary
  • Phonics
  • Blends and Digraphs

LP6

How We Used It

Since Ian (6) was already familiar with the physical Learning Palette, he made an easy transition to the online game.  When this review started, I was planning to use the website mainly with him as a supplement to our regular math program, but the novelty wore off after the first couple weeks, and I didn’t want to push him and have him end up not enjoying it at all.  If it were a choice between using LearningPalette.com and a traditional worksheet (which would probably test similar skills), he’d choose the former without hesitation.  Still, it was more of a lesson than some of the computer games he does, and therefore not necessarily something he’d choose if I gave him game time.  I’ll continue to use it with him sporadically through the summer as a fun math activity to keep things fresh in his mind once we finish up our regular math curriculum.

Elijah (4) was interested in what Ian was doing so I decided to let him play as well.  He hadn’t played the physical game before, so it took him a little longer to figure out how to play.  He started requesting it more frequently, however, so I ended up letting him be our main user.   He’s much more drawn to anything mathematical, and the whole system was interesting to him because it was so neat and orderly.  I really like having learning activities he can do on his own while I’m working with Ian, and this is perfect for that.  He enjoys it so much that when he’s used up all his computer time for the day he often asks if he can get out the physical Learning Palette.

Both boys spent a lot more time on math than reading, mostly because that’s usually where I directed them (though occasionally they chose a reading card on their own). They are both good readers and I prefer to just let them pick up on reading skills as they spend time with good books so we avoid worksheet-type activities unless there’s a specific concept I think they need to spend extra time practicing.

What We Liked

It was wonderful having access to every card available for the Learning Palette!  I also found it simpler for the children to use than the physical game.  When they get out our Learning Palette I have to watch them carefully to make sure the cards stay together in their sets and in the correct order.  The online game made it easy to find the card we were looking for and to click to the next one as soon as they completed it.

I liked the way the menu showed them what they had already completed and whether it was done correctly. The yellow circle shown below was one where Ian had mixed up two of the answers, and I appreciated that that he was still able to go on to the next card without having to redo it.  If it were something I felt he really didn’t know I would have had him do the card again, but in this case it would have been a waste of time so I was glad he could just move on.

LP4

I also really liked how easy it was to view progress reports for each student.  The reports not only showed which cards had been completed and how many questions had been answered correctly, but also how long it took the student to complete each one and averages for both the scores and times.  For example here’s a report from a session where one of them had worked on several cards.

LP5

What Could Have Been Better for Our Family

Although the session progress reports were helpful, the main report page didn’t make much sense to me.  On the session report above, for example, I can see the scores for the 6 cards he completed just on that one day.  Yet the main page only shows 5 cards completed total.  It wasn’t that big a deal to me, so I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to figure it out, but it is a bit confusing.

Our first time trying to log in it took a long time to load the card we’d selected.  After several tries without ever getting to see the card I told Ian to just choose another one, and when he did it loaded fine and he never looked back.

Another problem we encountered in the beginning was that at first glance there wasn’t an obvious way to get back to the menu to choose another card.  This is what the screen looked like:

LP2

It turned out I wasn’t seeing the entire screen, though there wasn’t a way to scroll down, so I didn’t realize that until Elijah accidentally adjusted the size of the picture. (Somehow he manages to do this frequently, which was very frustrating until I learned how to fix it with CTRL +!)  The size of the disks and the palette didn’t change, but if you notice on the right-hand side there is now a set of very helpful buttons!

LP3

Perhaps it wouldn’t be an issue if we had a larger monitor, but the kids do their work on various laptops, and it would have been nice to be able to see the whole screen, especially the “menu” and “next card” buttons without having adjust our settings.

Despite these minor issues, we have enjoyed using Learning Palette.com and will continue to use it as a supplement to our other math and reading work.

Just the Facts

LearningPalette.com is suitable for children working at a Kindergarten through 5th grade level for math, and a Kindergarten through 3rd grade level for reading.  It is available as a 1-year subscription.  The price varies according to how many users accounts you want to purchase ($25 for just one user, $60 for 2-5 users, and even deeper discounts for schools with more students to sign up.) They are also offering a special homeschooling family discount of 20%.  Just enter the coupon code “HOMESCHOOL” at checkout.  (This discount is also good on the main Learning Wrap-Ups site, so be sure to check out their online store!)

Connect With  Learning Wrap-Ups on Social Media:

  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningWrapUpsInc
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/2010Facts

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More Stories with Peter Rabbit (Crew Review)

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Kinder Cottage ReviewI think most of us are familiar with the classic story of Peter Rabbit and the mischief he got into when he disobeyed his mother and wandered into Mr. McGregor’s garden.  If you love children’s literature you’re probably aware that the British author of the story wrote a few other books that included this beloved character.  However, if you are like me, you may not know that the American publisher of the story, Henry Altemus, also published several sequels featuring Peter (written by Duff Graham), which are far less familiar.  Thanks to Kinder Cottage Publishing, these classic stories have been republished for a new generation to discover and enjoy.

Kinder Cottage ReviewThe entire series, including the original story, includes ten books ideal for children ages 3-9.  We were given copies of Peter Rabbit at the Farm and Peter Rabbit and the Little Boy to review, and if you and your children enjoy reading about Peter Rabbit, I would encourage you to check out these books (and the rest of the series) on the Kinder Cottage website.  Both books are rather small 64-page hardbacks (5×7 inches). I was a little surprised at how diminutive they were, but it didn’t detract from our enjoyment of the stories.  In fact, it made them easy for little hands to manage on their own.

I read the books to my 3 older children and then left them out on our coffee table to see how popular they were.  Over the next couple weeks Elijah (4) read one to Arianna once, but then he pretty much left them alone.  Arianna (2) brought one to me to read to her again and enjoyed flipping through them. I saw Ian (6) pick them up a few times to read on his own. I think enjoyed the stories the most, probably because he is the most familiar with Peter Rabbit.

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The Kinder Cottage website only provides samples from each book rather than summaries, which I would have found helpful, so here are my own brief summaries of the two books we reviewed.

Kinder Cottage ReviewPeter Rabbit at the Farm

In Peter Rabbit at the Farm, Peter is off looking for mischief and meets up with various animals around Mr. McGregor’s farm.  Sometimes Peter is helpful and wise; other times he’s just looking for fun.  The story doesn’t have any real conflict and is basically just a series of interactions between Peter and the animals around him.  At the end of the book, Old Mother Rabbit tries to extract a promise from him to be good and not run away again, but Peter has already fallen asleep, leaving the reader to assume there will be more adventures with the mischievous little rabbit.

Kinder Cottage ReviewPeter Rabbit and the Little Boy

In Peter Rabbit and the Little Boy, Peter once again disobeys his mother and heads off in search of adventure in forbidden territory.  Along with his cousin Jack-the-Jumper, he gets into various sorts of mischief, eventually meeting a little boy who plays with the two rabbits and offers them a ride home with his grandfather, who turns out to be Mr. McGregor.  The book is definitely a product of another era, with a character called the Scissors Man who asks the little rabbits if they’ve been obeying their mothers and then frightens them with the story of how he once cut off the thumb of a little boy who wouldn’t stop sucking it when his mother told him.  I was glad we didn’t have any thumb-suckers listening to the story, but my children didn’t even seem to notice, instead focusing (as I’m sure the author intended) on the message that children need to obey their mothers.

Kinder Cottage ReviewOther Crew Members have been reviewing the rest of the series, so if you and your children want to spend more time with Peter Rabbit be sure to visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog to find out more about the other titles.  Then visit kindercottage.com, where each book sells for just $4.00 (a great deal considering the $12.95 price listed on the back covers).  If you want the whole set, they sell all ten books for $30.  Plus Kinder Cottage is offering readers of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and TOS Crew Reviews a chance to save even more.  Enter coupon code TOS to receive a 20% discount off the product price on their website.  After Ian saw the list of titles on the back he asked if we could get the rest of the series, and with that kind of a discount, I may end up getting the rest of the series to give him as a gift!

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Looking to the Bible with Frog and Toad (Crew Review)

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Progeny Press Review

When I was offered the chance to review a literature guide from Progeny Press, I didn’t know much about the company.  The list of available titles included many of my favorite children’s books, Progeny Press Reviewhowever, so I figured they were a company with which I should get acquainted.  I decided that Ian would probably enjoy Frog and Toad Together by Arthur Lobel (a Newbery Honor book), so we printed out the downloadable e- guide and got started.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the experience ended up being an absolute delight.

Progeny Press puts out study guides to go along with children’s literature for students ranging from lower elementary though high school.  In addition to exposing children to wonderful books, what makes these studies particularly worthwhile is their uniquely Christian perspective.  I remember enjoying the Frog and Toad books as a child, so I looked forward to sharing them with Ian.  When we first read through some of the books in the series, it didn’t occur to me to go any deeper than the simple meaning of each story.  However, this study guide turned a classic children’s storybook into a chance for Ian and I to spend time digging in the Bible together for God’s eternal truths regarding things we face in everyday life.  As we read through the simple stories in Frog and Toad Together, we experienced them on a deeper level as we looked at what the Bible has to say about the theme of each story.

P1020928

What’s in the Study Guide

The first few pages of the guide include a note to the instructor about how to use it, followed by a brief synopsis and a page about the author.  Then the study begins with a section of “Before-you-read Activities,” which consists of a discussion about friendship and what the Bible says about it.  Then it goes through the book chapter by chapter.

We went through a story at a time, first reading the chapter and then spending a day or two going through the study guide for that story.

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I won’t go through the entire book, but each chapter had some valuable lessons.  I loved the way we were pointed back to the Bible with each one.  We spent time looking at Scriptures on things like letting God direct our steps, how He cares for us, how to handle temptation, trusting God when we are afraid, and considering others above ourselves.

In addition to Bible study and thought-provoking questions, there were also suggestions for fun projects like planting seeds, baking cookies, and singing songs to memorize related Bible verses.

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At the end of the study there were pages to extend the lessons more with extras like creating a Venn diagram comparing the characters Frog and Toad with real frogs and toads and a word search.  There were also suggestions of other books to read, either by the same author or about similar subjects.

The Frog and Toad Together Study Guide is intended for children in grades K-2 and is available as a printed workbook, or digitally as a download or on CD.  (All formats are sold for $11.99.)  Much of the guide consists of questions with space to write down the answers, but I didn’t want Ian to be limited by his fine motor skills, so I let him tell me his answers and then I would write them down.

Both Ian and I really enjoyed going through this study together. He liked it so much he kept telling me to get the study guide for some of his friends in our homeschool group so they could do it too.  I definitely plan to purchase more of the study guides to use with other books we will be reading in the future.

Check out Progeny Press on their website or social media pages:

Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/progenypress
Twitter –  https://twitter.com/progenypress
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/progenypress/
YouTube –  https://www.youtube.com/user/ProgenyPress

 

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ARTistic Pursuits (Crew Review)

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Spelling You See Review
Art is one of those subjects I love in theory but have trouble being consistent with in practice.  As a child I always loved any kind of art instruction and time to create my own artwork, and Ian also seems very drawn to all mediums of art to which I’ve introduced him.  I was delighted to get a chance to review the Early Elementary K-3 Book Two: Stories of Artists and Their Art curriculum from ARTistic Pursuits, because then I knew we would be sure to devote some time to an art program, even if only for the time of our review.  We both enjoyed this time so much, however, that I really want to make sure to make art more of a priority as I plan our day.  We may not keep up the pace of 2-3 lessons a week that we did during this review, but I want to be sure we include it at least once a week.

ARTistic Pursuits offers a complete homeschool art program, teaching both art history and art techniques.  I was drawn to K-3 Book Two: Stories of Artists and Their Art because I was eager to introduce Ian to some of the world’s most famous artists (e.g. Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt) and I thought he would enjoy learning about them through stories.  (Although we have done some work out of previous books in this series, Book Two works well as a stand-alone curriculum, and it is not necessary to have completed Book One in order to use it.)  All the lesson plans are contained in one non-consumable comb-bound paperback book priced at $47.95.

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There 36 lessons, providing one lesson a week for an entire school year.  As you can see from the Table of Contents, two weeks are spent on each artist, with two parts to each lesson:

Week 1

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    “Castle”— watercolor and “gold-plating”

    Introduction to the artist through a fictionalized story, often about his childhood

  • A project related to the artist’s work.

Week 2

  • Study of a famous work by the artist, looking at specific details or techniques used in its creation. (Although the pictures studied are in the book, I chose to find them all online and show them on the TV hooked up to my laptop so we could all get a good look at the same time.)
  • Another project related to the artist’s work.

There are also four lessons about art techniques (color mixing, watercolor wash, oil pastel technique, and printmaking basics) with projects that are separate from the artist units.

In order to complete the lessons you will need to purchase art supplies separately.  ARTistic Pursuits makes it easy to find everything you need, even before you get the book and look over the materials list.  They sell packs with the necessary supplies for each of their books.  Another option can be found at the bottom of the “art supply packs” page, where they also have instructions on how to purchase quality discount supplies by looking up the supply lists for their individual books through Blick Art Materials.  (This is what I did.  All but two items for this book are on the list, and they can be found on Amazon or any hardware store.)

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Our Experience with ARTistic Pursuits

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“Shepherd”— scratch art in oil pastel

At first I did some of the projects alongside Ian, but that led to trouble because he would start to copy me and then get frustrated when his paintings didn’t look like mine.  I ended up just demonstrating the technique and then putting mine away to work on later if I wanted to finish it. Similarly, I had to keep the book away from him while he was working or he would just try to copy the sample projects pictured there.  I really wanted him to feel free to do his own art rather than trying to duplicate someone else’s.

I loved the chronological journey through art history, especially learning about early artists I’d never heard of, like Cimabue and Giotto.  Ian really liked the stories about the artists.  When he was showing his fresco to Daddy one evening, I mentioned that we’d been learning about an artist named Giotto.  I asked Ian if he remembered anything about Giotto, and he immediately began telling Eric the story about how he painted a fly that looked so real his master tried to brush it off the wall.  He also remembered that Giotto had scratched pictures on rocks out in the fields.  (Our project from the previous lesson had involved using a paper clip to etch a picture into a paper covered in black oil pastels.)

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“I spy a swimmer and pencils”— oil pastels

Having the projects that tied in with their work really helped impress upon Ian some of the things that made that artist’s work unique.  For example, The lesson on Van Eyck talked about how the artist liked to paint lots of details that viewers might not notice immediately but would only see if they really spent time looking at the picture.  Ian loved playing “I Spy” when we talked about Van Eyck and searching the selected painting for the different objects listed in the lesson plan.  Then of course he had a great time creating his own “I Spy” picture using oil pastels.

I also really appreciated these lessons studying the famous works of art.  Ian was so excited one night at bedtime when Daddy was reading him a book about knights that we’d picked up at the library that day and they came across a page with a picture of The Tres Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry, the very same painting we had looked at in our lesson earlier that week.  I loved it when our schoolwork shows up in other parts of his life and he gets to feel like a part of the wider world.  He already recognized the Mona Lisa, but now he feels some ownership of it after spending a little time discussing the painting during our lesson on Leonardo Da Vinci.

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“Riding the Zip Line”—watercolor fresco

What better way to teach children about art history than to draw them in and have them create similar works?  I didn’t even what frescoes were until I was in my 20’s, and yet Ian got to make one at age 6.  This curriculum did a great job of exposing him to all sorts of different art.  Although we did use watercolor a lot, it certainly wasn’t the only medium used, as you can see from the pictures I’ve shared here.  All the projects really stirred up his creativity, and he ended up doing lots of art on his own outside of what we were working on during our art lessons.  We really enjoyed our time with ARTistic Pursuits, and I’m looking forward to finishing the curriculum and working on some of the projects still ahead of us.  If you’re interested in including art in your children’s home education, I would strongly encourage you to check out their website and website and Facebook page.

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“Six-legged Dragon Breathing Fire on Mounted Knight”—watercolor and oil pastel

ARTistic Pursuits has a full range of curriculum available for all ages, and other members of the Crew have reviewed many of them, so be sure to click on the Review Crew banner below to read more about the other books in the program.  Here’s a list of all the books from Preschool-High School:

Preschool (ages 3-5)

Early Elementary (Grades 1-3)

Elementary (Grades 4-5)

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

High School (Grades 9-12)

There are also two new sculpture books available (with a third expected to be released in 2016), appropriate for ages 11-18:

ARTistic Pursuits Review

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Posted in Charlotte Mason, Homeschool Resources, Kindergarten, Product reviews

Our Newest Audio Favorite: The Brinkman Adventures (Crew Review)

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Brinkman Adventures Review
If you’re familiar with my blog, you’ve probably read about how much we enjoy various forms of audio entertainment.  My boys seem unable to get dressed without some form of “stories” playing on their iPod dock.  I had never heard of The Brinkman Adventures until an opportunity arose to review their latest season of audio dramas, but I jumped at the chance to review The Brinkman Adventures Season 2: Episodes 13-24.  They have quickly become a favorite around our house.
These 12 episodes follow the adventures of a family with eight children as they work to support missionary efforts around the world.  Even if you haven’t listened to the first season, you can easily jump in and enjoy this set. (Our whole family was so engaged, however, we decided to buy the first season just so we could get more time with the Brinkmans!)

Brinkman Adventures ReviewWhat’s it all about?

Without going into every episode, here are a few of the highlights from this season:

The first seven episodes are centered around a trip to Belize, where the Brinkman family is planning to visit a missionary couple involved in multiple ministries, including a school.  In the first episode two of the kids find an old class ring and try to sell it to raise money to buy curriculum for the school, while also trying to track down the original owner.  When they find him, he turns out to be a retired missionary.  As the family drives to Belize they end up meeting with him and his wife, who encourage them with stories of their work trying to help the underground church in China and planting churches in Hong Kong.  Eventually the family makes it to Belize and gets to see the work being done by the missionaries there.  They even learn a little about the pirate history of Belize (which fascinated Ian)!

The last three episodes focus on the story of a family working in the Middle East.  In one we meet a young man from a Muslim family who has a dream that starts him on a journey toward Christ, even though choosing to follow Jesus will come at great cost.  His decision also triggers events that force the missionary family to flee the country to avoid imprisonment.  The Brinkmans later meet this family at a retreat and get to know the son, who is struggling to come to grips with some of the hard things that have happened to his family recently, but eventually learns to bring his troubles to the Lord.

The stories are fascinating, and provided good opportunities for our family to talk about how blessed we are to have the freedom to worship openly, how God provides for people doing the work of His kingdom, and how people’s faith can grow stronger during persecution.

True Family Entertainment

Because the stories feature characters from toddler to teenager, they really are for people of all ages to enjoy.  My oldest is six, and he was the biggest fan in our house, though these will certainly appeal to older children and teens as well.  Our younger kids listened in the car, but I’m not sure how much they were following along.  Occasionally certain lines would catch their attention, and then they would burst out laughing and repeat those lines to keep the giggles going.  Arianna (2) thought it was hilarious to shout, “I need a Bible!” over and over.

My husband and I especially appreciated having something we could all listen to together that was family friendly, faith-building, and entertaining.  The “Brinkmans” are based on a real family, and all the children play themselves (with names changed).  We loved listening to them interact with each other, help one another, and learn valuable life lessons as they faced different circumstances.  The stories were also a wonderful tool for teaching our children about missionary life, both the positive side as they heard about how God miraculously provided for the missionaries in the stories, as well as some of the harder aspects of serving in different places around the world.

The first time I put on The Brinkman Adventures, Ian wasn’t that into them, but I think it was because he already has things he enjoys listening to and he wasn’t really looking for something new.  However, it wasn’t long before he was drawn into the stories, and pretty soon he was requesting them in the car, at bedtime, or just putting them while he was working on art projects or playing in his room.  He has listened to the entire series more times than I can count, and I know they’ve really impacted him because he’ll often ask me questions out of the blue that end up being about something he had heard in the Brinkman Adventures and had been thinking about for a while.

Beyond the Episodes

If you’re interested in The Brinkman Adventures you’ll definitely want to check out their website (and Facebook page).  Because the stories are based on a real family, many of the adventures are based on real life.  On the website you can find out about the true stories behind each episode and watch behind-the-scenes video.  If you want to hear an episode before purchasing anything you can even listen to one on the website for free (and if you explore the site you can find more than one!) They operate on a donation basis, with the suggested price for the entire season being $25 for a 4-CD set (with free shipping!) or $17 for an mp3 album, which you can download immediately.  Happy listening!

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