Pearson Homeschool

Pearson Homeschool
enVision Math 4
Price: $99.99 for the bundle, see website for individual pricing.

Envision a math program that engages your child as it strengthens their understanding of math. enVisionMATH uses problem based interactive learning and visual learning to deepen conceptual understanding. It incorporates bar diagram visual tools to promote problem-solving skills, and it provides data-driven differentiated instruction to ensure success. Math takes on a new aspect for your child as they make the connection between classroom concepts and real-world problem-solving. They will learn more than one way to solve a problem, focusing on the process — not just the solution.

enVision Math is organized by math topics contains daily lessons that provide a Visual Learning Bridge, teaching math concepts step-by-step with purposeful, sequential illustrations while connecting interactive learning with guided and independent skill and problem solving practice.


We received the 4th grade bundle which includes the Student Edition, MindPoint® Quiz Show CD-ROM, and Teacher Edition CD-ROM.

The Principessa is a little behind in math and so I welcomed the chance to give her more practice in math. The package arrived and the materials are very colorful and eyecatching. The Student text makes you just want to sit down and browse through it...it has so many interesting things to look at.

Pros and Cons will most likely be mixed together as I walk through our experience with enVision Math 4.

The topics of the fourth grade book are:
Topic 1: Numeration
Topic 2: Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers
Topic 3: Multiplication Meanings and Facts
Topic 4: Division Meanings and Facts
Topic 5: Multiplying by 1-Digit Numbers
Topic 6: Patterns and Expressions
Topic 7: Multiplying by 2-Digit Numbers
Topic 8: Dividing by 1-Digit Divisors
Topic 9: Lines, Angles, and Shapes
Topic 10: Understanding Fractions
Topic 11: Adding and Subtracting Fractions
Topic 12: Understanding Decimals
Topic 13: Operations with Decimals
Topic 14: Area and Perimeter
Topic 15: Solids
Topic 16: Measurement, Time, and Temperature
Topic 17: Data and Graphs
Topic 18: Equations
Topic 19: Transformations, Congruence, and Symmetry
Topic 20: Probability

There are anywhere between 4 to 12 lessons under each topic. You may choose your own pace going very quickly through the places your child gets it...and slowing way down in the places where they need a little extra help. There are tests and reteaching lessons as well. The book is hardback and non-consumable, which is nice if you have many more that will use the book. There are A LOT of pictures and diagrams in this book, which is really great for visual learners.

The Teacher's Guide is on CD Rom, which cuts down the cost and gives you the flexibility to customize what your child needs by printing out worksheets, but I really prefer a hands on teacher's guide personally so that we can sit side by side or face to face while learning the concepts. I did not have the option of printing pages off, so I had my back to my daughter as I read parts of the lesson, then walked to the white board, etc. It was just awkward in our particular situation.

The Mind Point Quiz Show is a fun game where the competition aspect makes you forget...this is school. Students can play in a beat the clock type way or play against the computer. The packaging says that they can also challenge other students or play in teams. We did not try that part out.

The biggest challenge we had with this curriculum was that I should have gone down a grade because the Principessa was behind some...so we had quite a bit of frustration because of that.

Check out what my Fellow Crew Mates think of enVision Math or the other products that Pearson Homeschool offers here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Heritage History

Heritage History
British Empire
$24.99 or the Complete Library for $99.99

I LOVE history and enjoy reading, so this product was really, made for me... Heritage History is an electronic library and has a collection of hundreds of books available to read at affordable prices.

Heritage History promotes traditional narrative history curriculum for homeschool. Our online library contains biographies, legends, adapted literature, and introductory histories. All were written for the general reader and are easy and enjoyable to read. We developed the Heritage website with the intention of helping to repopularize old-fashioned narrative history. We believe that the current trend of teaching Social Studies rather than history to young people is unfortunate, not so much because it is politicized, but because it is boring. Too many students leave school with a vague disinterest in history because it was never presented in an engaging manner.
At Heritage History, we seek to promote, not so much the study of history as the enjoyment of History. By making available old-fashioned history, as it was enjoyed as a pastime rather than studied as a subject, we hope to help reawaken the interest of a new generation.

You can find out more about Heritage History here and here...there is SO much information on the website...please take some time to look it over.

We received the British Empire CD to review. I had my children load them onto a Kindle for me, and then I forgot all about the disk for a while...but do not do that...there is SO much on these disks. The disks have maps, timelines, different reading resister sheets, geography terms, an electronic user guide (tells you how to get the books onto your reading devices...a MUST have for me!!!), a curriculum planning guide (shows how to plan your year) and a Study Guide (a 127 page guide for you to use...there is SO much in here content wise...a WONDERFUL resource!)

The books were very interesting to read and all of my readers were able to read something. We all enjoyed the books we read. Many of us found we wanted to know more, so that encouraged more reading in this time period.

I personally prefer reading LIVING BOOKS as opposed to the text book way of learning history. I think the retention of information is greater, and the material is certainly more interesting. History becomes about real people doing real things rather than just a bunch of facts to be memorized. We really LOVED Heritage History and look forward to adding other titles to our library at home. I LOVED how flexible this was to use in our home...use just the books or all the resources on the disk. One nice thing about the CD-Rom is that when it opens, it looks just like the website...gives a nice continuity to it.

Not sure if it is for you? Try a title here for $1.99

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Heritage History here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Write Shop

Write Shop, Primary Book C
Teacher's Guide: $32.95
Activity Sheets: $ 4.95
E-book versions are available if you prefer

WriteShop Primary teaches the skills of the writing process at the very simplest level through activities, crafts, and picture books. It accommodates pre-writers as well as beginning and developing writers, so your youngster needs no previous reading or writing experience. Slowly and gently, the child is asked to help with the actual writing, first in simple words and later, through copywork. And by turning these stories into a little craft, he will have a project to proudly share with others.

When we were offered this review, I decided to try the Write Shop Primary Book C with the Principessa who is in 4th grade. I forget exactly WHY I did that now, but when I was looking at the placement chart, I think there were some holes in what she had previously done, so I thought it would be better to go down, rather than up. We received the print edition of the Teacher's Guide and an Activity Set Worksheet Pack (these are reproducible activity sheets that are a integral part of the curriculum).

The Teacher's Guide is CHOCK full of information. First, there are suggested schedule plans for completing each lesson in either 1, 2 or 3 weeks. We originally tried doing a lesson a week, but that seemed to be A LOT of writing assignments at this season of my life for our family, so we backed down to the 3 week schedule. In the 3 week schedule, you are doing writing 3 days a week for about 15-20 minutes a day. This seemed to be a good pace for us. The Principessa broke her wrist during this review and this pace did not seem to be too much for her, even with a cast on...I did do some of the writing for her as well.

Next, the Teacher's Guide suggested creating a writing center...I thought about that for about 15 minutes, but that really was not practical in our home. I loved the idea of it and it may become a possibility at another time, but I just couldn't do it right now. We do not have a lot of extra space, but that wasn't the issue as much as gathering the supplies to use in it...Different types of charts, tablets, easels, pocket charts and sentence strips, etc. I was not able to get these supplies, so we worked around that.

Then there is a section that explains how each lesson is set up and broken down into each activity. Quite a bit of time is devoted to talking about the Guided Writing Practice activities...this is a huge focus in Write Shop because they believe that the best way for children to learn to write well is to have good writing modeled for them. I agree with this, but in the actual practice, this time was hard to get uninterrupted. I did not find a solution to that yet, but knowing that writing is such a short time period in the school day, we just kept working around our interruptions.

Once aspect that I KNOW many writers do not enjoy is the Editing and Revising Stage. I really appreciated that this was in the program as a step...so that from a young age, you are editing and revising, making your writing better...I HOPE that the Principessa will not have so many issues with this point in her writing as she gets older. My teen boys DO NOT like to go back and re-write...it would seem that as my daughter gets older, she would just come to expect it as a part of the process rather than dread it as unnecessary busy work.

Another part of the Write Shop curriculum that I appreciate is a section called, "Want to do more?" If you have a student that is an exceptional or highly motivated writer, they can dig even deeper.

Look at samples of the Primary Lessons here and Scope and Sequence are here

So, what did we think?
I love the thinking behind this curriculum...I love that the teacher's guide is so scripted that all I have to do it open it up and read. Having said that, there is some prep work you need to do before many of the parts of each lesson. For instance, under lesson 2.2, you need to prepare a Super Speller before Guided Writing, for lesson 2.3, you need to prepare some sentence strips or index cards for the Brainstorming section and under lesson 2.8, you need to gather some things you will be using as if you were a spy. Now, there are Advance Prep notices in the book that give you a slight heads up, but for me, these were writing road blocks...they didn't stop my daughter from writing, but we had to stop and prepare the items or come back when we had everything we needed. While I loved how they enriched the lessons, it was a stumbling point for me. I am going to continue using this curriculum because I love how it teaches writing, but I am going to try to have a prep day, looking ahead and having everything ready to go beforehand.


Write Shop has also given us an extra bonus for those who would like to try one of their products for themselves...a coupon code for 15% off..Just enter CREW15 to get your discount....but hurry, this offer is good until June 15, 2012.
See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Write Shop here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

CapJaxMathFacts

CapJaxMathFacts
Price: Download:$29.50, Disk: $35.90
Price is for a One Year License

I was SO excited when I saw this vendor on the review list...Math facts are SO VITAL for success in Math...and I KNOW that...but somewhere I lost that focus with the Principessa...and all of that came crashing in on us when she started having troubles in her math program. So we set the math book away for a time to gain mastery in her facts.

CapJaxMathFacts is a computer based drill program that builds mastery in all four basic applications and can be set around parameters set by you...This program is not a fancy, flashy entertaining game, but it is a highly effective method of building mastery in math facts with very little teacher involvement. I read somewhere that little teacher involvement is needed, but interest and encouragement are vital...now THAT is my kind of program...

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

Want to look it over before deciding? Here is a free evaluation.

So what do I think? I LOVE CapJaxMathFacts...I love that each fact is timed...so it encourages a quick response, but if you struggle with one problem, it does not mess up an entire level. I love the encouragements along the way...I love that I can set parameters easily. I think my Principessa even enjoys her time on CapJaxMathFacts. It is hard for her right now, but there is a competitive aspect to it that makes it fun as well. I think the price is EXCELLENT for this product AND you can have up to 10 students on one license. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a great math drill program.

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about CapJaxMathFacts here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Library & Educational Services and Go Science DVDs

Library and Educational Services
Go Science DVDs
Ben Roy
price: $8.97 each or the set for $47.95
ages: 5-11 OR 6-14...explanation below

I have LONG been a fan of Library and Educational Services. LES has proudly supplied churches, schools, and libraries with affordable, wholesome products for over 30 years! They continue to be dedicated to offering you quality materials at 30% to 70% or more off retail prices! They have great materials and the BEST prices and have introduced me to many things I have not previously known about. Go Science is one of those things.

Go Science DVDs are a set of 6 DVDs chock full of experiments on a variety of subjects. There are 6 DVDs in the series:
1. Motion and the Laws of Gravity
2. Simple Machines, Sound, Weather
3. Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering and Design
4. Chemistry, States of Matter Life Sciences
5. Air Flight
6. Water, Space, Solar System

LES allowed us to select two titles...we chose Volume 3 and 6.

The back of the video case says:

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

Ben Roy is a high energy demonstrator! My younger children really enjoyed these videos. So, about the age range...Go Science says they are geared to children from about 6-14...and LES puts the age range between 5-11...I felt that these were much better for the younger age range because there is not a lot of talk about WHY or HOW this works...and I think older children really want more information than what is presented. Even my younger children asked often...How does he do that...and me, being the science student I am had to say...I have NO idea!!!

I do love that we have access, so to speak, to experiments that we could never do...for instance, in volume 3 he uses an item called a Jacob's ladder...which I don't think you can run down to the local store to buy one of those...and if you could, you might want to reconsider that purchase because of the DANGEROUS qualities associated with it...BUT, we get to see one, what it does and have that wrapped up with a spiritual lesson...See for yourself

After seeing that demonstration, I do not feel like I need to recreate it at home...I get the concepts just by viewing it.

Demonstrations from volume 3 include:
Monster Magnets
A/C Electromagnet
D/C Ellecromagnet
Making a Compass
Static Electricity
Light Bulb
Jacob's Ladder
Conductivity
Solar Energy
Tesla Coil
Color
Cut Paper Halves
Heat Engine
Plastic Pre Forms

Demonstrations from volume 6 include:
Water Disappear
Boil Water in a Paper Cup
Properties of Water
Floating Balls
As Cold as Outer Space
Make a Rocket
Living in Space
Solar System
Centripetal Force

Each demonstration is 3-6 minutes long...so you can watch one and go learn more about that topic, or you can watch the entire DVD in one sitting...Each segment has an introduction "title page" if you will, so it would be very easy to stop and start in any spot.
The thing I think I loved most about these DVDs was that it made my children want to know more about these science topics. I think that Ben Roy, in these videos, really shows his love of science topics and that is contagious...and then he does these experiments and children want to know more about those subjects and their Creator....God...

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Library and Educational Services and Go Science DVDs here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Judah Bible Curriculum

Judah Bible Curriculum
Download version: $44.00
Book version: $74.00

What is the Judah Bible Curriculum?
A Principle Approach curriculum for Bible class.
Develop a comprehensive knowledge of the Bible.
Build strong, Godly character in your children.
Study the Bible together.
Study the hand of God in the lives of individuals and nations.
For homeschool, Christian school, Sunday school.
Teach your children living Biblical principles to guide their lives.
Apply God’s word personally in every area of life.
The Bible is the textbook.

Sounds great doesn't it?

I want to explain one thing...

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

Ok...so we received:

1) Judah Bible Curriculum K-12 Manual, e-book format to download;
2) Elementary Notebook Ideas booklet to view online or download;
3) Eight-lecture Teacher Training Seminar. listen online or download.
The manual is about 100 pgs and the elementary booklet is about 60 pages. The Audio lectures are about 8 hours of total material.

The purpose of the Judah Bible Curriculum is to make Bible Literacy the hallmark of the new generation of Christians. The Judah Bible Curriculum is designed to help you teach your student how to study and research the Bible, extract true understanding from it, and apply Biblical principles to his or her own life and character.

The Bible is the textbook and you have Key Sheets that help you extract information from the text within the framework of Key Individuals, Key Events, Key Documents and Key Institutions. The program is set up with five themes to be covered over the course of a year. The first three themes are from the Old Testament and are Creation (Genesis 1-11), The Plan of Redemption Begins (Genesis 12-1 Samuel 7) and Kingdom of Israel (1 Samuel 8-Awaiting the Messiah...the Bible reading on this one goes through some of Kings and Chronicles but then it looks like you summarize the rest) Then on into the New Testament you have the Kingdom of God (portions from the Gospels) and The Early Church (Mostly Acts and Revelation) The Key Sheets are not just busy work, but meant to be a lasting record of what you learn about God and yourself through reading the Bible. You can read more about the Notebooking Approach this curriculum uses.

This curriculum is designed to cycle through each theme every year and gives a different focus for each grade. For instance, everyone starts with these aspects of the theme of Creation:
Creation
God Creates Man
The Fall
Noah
The Flood
and you would review them again in Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 7th grade.

Then in Second and Eighth grades you would focus on:
Creation -The Heavens
God is Omnipresent
Choices/Consequences
The Flood/Violence

and on down the line...you will find this breakdown on the Scope and Sequence

Ok... so what we thought...

This was VERY TEACHER INTENSIVE in the beginning and I felt like I did not have enough time to grasp it before I had to try using it. There were 8 hours of audio to listen to and a 100 page manual to read. I am not familiar with the Principle Approach to Education and so teaching to that without fully understanding it and not having taught this way before was a challenge. As the teacher, you are expected to go through it first, really as the student and then teach it to your children afterward and prayer is encouraged all along the journey.

That said, I think there is much of value in this approach to going through the Bible and I am going to go back and review everything again over the summer and begin again in the fall. I like that the curriculum is the BIBLE...that my children really have to engage their brains and extract Causes and Purposes, Proponents and Adversaries, Principles of Government and Historical Significance when looking at the Key Events. I will say though...that these Key Sheets were a challenge for me...I think I would have liked more direction from the Curriculum or more hand holding to help guide me through the first few...what they might look like as I was trying to navigate my way through. I was only able to get through one of the Key Sheets in our studies...the Key Events one because I was unsure of some of the other terms or what it was asking for. You are not expected to get everything on one pass through though and I appreciated knowing...we can do this again next year and get even more. That did take off some of the pressure.

We did add some coloring pages and notebooking pages for my younger two who are 6 and 10. The Elementary Guide that comes with the curriculum gives LOTS of examples of what work in the younger grades can look like.

Judah Bible Curriculum's Statement of Faith is here, but they state:

The Judah Bible Curriculum is a Principle Approach Bible study program. The doctrinal emphasis is left to the teacher. The Judah Bible Curriculum contains teacher training materials to help the teacher, but then the teacher uses his own doctrinal grid to teach his students, and the students study the details from the Scriptures.

I really appreciate that aspect too!

I do recommend Judah Bible Curriculum to those who love the Principle Approach to education, for those who would like to delve deeply and like the look of the breakdown of the Themes...be prepared to be the student for a bit though.

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Judah Bible Curriculum here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Homeschool Library Builder

Many times throughout my time as a crew member, I have been made aware of a product or service that I did not know about previously. Homeschool Library Builder is one of those services. I mean...Homeschool and Library go together like peanut butter and jelly...and in all my talks with fellow homeschool families...I don't think I have met one that did NOT love books...oh to be cuddled up together with a good book...those ARE the days. But books have a downside...they cost money...and that is something that many homeschool families run low on. I think Homeschool Library Builder's motto says it best: Fill Your Bookshelves without Emptying Your Wallet!

Homeschool Library Builder is run by two homeschool moms who also love great books and irresistible bargains.
Homeschool Library Builder Offers:
New & Used books rated by condition of the book
items organized by category and age range to help you more easily find what you are looking for
Low Prices
And Members receive a few extra benefits...and it is offered at a homeschool mom's FAVORITE price...FREE!!!
Monthly newsletters highlighting sales and special events
A book rewards program
Marketplace with cottage industry goods

Homeschool Library Builder also believes that because they have been richly blessed, the can bless others. Sales of books purchased from the "Helping Hand" category go directly toward supporting HSLB's child adopted from Compassion International. You partner with us to show God's love and kindness to a child who may be living without basic necessities. I LOVE that!!!

One thing I really loved about the set up of the store was that you could search by age range, genre, vintage and curriculum...that made it easy to look at what books I wanted for a particular curriculum.

For the month of May, the Homeschool Library Builder special is 25% off everything in the store...you can read the fine print for details. This discount automatically comes off of your total when checking out.


See what my Crew Mates think of Homeschool Library Builder here

Disclaimer: This is an informational review to introduce Homeschool Library Builder to you. I did not receive any compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

God's Great Covenant New Testament 1

Classical Academic Press
God's Great Covenant
New Testament 1
Grade: 4-up
Price: $56.95 for the set, See below for individual pricing

"In God’s Great Covenant, New Testament 1: A Bible Course for Children, students will follow the story of Jesus, the Messiah and King, as He is born and fulfills all God’s promises. But Jesus does not arrive as people expected. The people were looking for a mighty warrior to deliver them from the oppressive Roman government. Instead, He came as the suffering Savior, who would die as the sacrifice for sin and death. He was building a kingdom that was not of this world—it was the kingdom of God. He is the Son of Man, God’s Servant, the Messiah, and the Son of God. Each of the four units in this text emphasizes one of these names of Jesus."

God's Great Covenant, New Testament 1 is a Bible Curriculum divided into 4 themes (Jesus, the Son of Man, Has Come...To Live Among His People; Jesus, God's Servant, Has Come...To Proclaim the Good News; Jesus, the Messiah, Has Come...To Teach About God's Kingdom; and Jesus, the Son of God, Has Come...To Conquer Sin and Death.)over 36 weeks. Each Lesson should take about a week, although there is no SET schedule. In the Student Textbook, each lesson has a Memory Page (teaches the theme, Scripture, Memory Passage, Key Facts and Prophecy Fulfilled), Story Time (takes the Scripture passages and presents it in story form), and Review Worksheets.

At the end of each unit, there is a review section of worksheets, a review of memory work along with comprehension questions to make sure your child understands what they are memorizing, a Devotional Guide and Simon's World Story (Simon is a fictitious character who lives in the area near where Jesus would have lived and helps children get a better picture of what life would have been like in those days). The Student Textbook is $22.95

The Teacher's Guide is like a little walking encyclopedia, expanding much more on the information your child is getting. It also has a full copy of the student text (in a smaller version). The Teacher's Edition is $29.95

Samples:
Student Text
Teacher's Edition

One last item we received was a download for audio of the Story Time portions read by Christopher Perrin. I liked the sound of his voice and I love the option of listening to this audio instead of reading it out loud myself. The audio is $9.95.
Sample audio

My thoughts:

I LOVE the look of these books. The maps are eyecatching and large enough to see everything on them. The Teacher's Edition is FULL of notes and information that is interesting. The story like narration makes the word come alive and Simon is a nice way for a child to get perspective. I really enjoyed the teaching of the curriculum and the way it was organized.

I personally felt that the worksheets were too hard for my 4th grade child and because the book looked more like it was for younger students, I did not use it much with my older ones (8th and 11th grades). The work my older ones did, while not overly challenging for them, was fine. My daughter had a lot of difficulty in remembering the specific details of things...like what language was the common language of the Jews at that time and it took some re-reading of the story passages for her to be able to finish the worksheets. I think this made the work frustrating for her. I do not teach my children in the Classical style, so it could be that this would be very easy for a 4th grade student in that teaching method to complete, but I am thinking it would be a better fit for 6th grade and up. The books look like they are geared for younger students because of the look of the maps, the large font and the almost cartoon look of the artwork throughout the pages. I think many older students would think that it was much beneath them.

By the time we got to the Unit Review, my daughter was very overwhelmed with all of the pages of work to do...we spread it over the entire week, but all of the blanks and work was too much for her at this point. I think we will set it up for a year or two and see if it goes better.

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about God's Great Covenant New Testament 1 here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Bright Ideas Press

Bright Ideas Press
Christian Kids Explore Physics!
Grades 4-8
Price: $39.95...Includes Student Textbook and Resource CD

"The universe that we live in is the result of God’s thoughtful design and careful building. Physics gives us a glimpse into the materials, laws, and structures of that universe. Behold the wonders of creation with this series of 30 easy-to-understand lessons for grades 4-8. Each lesson helps develop an understanding of matter and energy and the rules they follow. Exploring physics is an exciting adventure!"

The website calls this Everyone's Favorite Science Curriculum...and from the looks of it, the Mediator would agree...I had to regularly tell him to STOP doing science so he could get other work done. So let me tell you how it works.

We received a PDF copy (this is not available for purchase at this time) of the Christian Kids Explore Physics - NEW 2nd Edition student text as well as a link to the Resource CD (The CD includes Daily Lesson Plans, Materials Lists, Bonus Literature Study Guide, and All Reproducibles, such as coloring pages, unit reviews, follow-up questions for each lesson, and activity charts). There are 30 lessons divided over 6 units (Counting the unit Wrap Up Lessons, there will be a total of 36 lessons). The resource CD has a sample lesson plan and we LOOSELY followed that. They suggest 2 days a week for each lesson (36 weeks to complete the book). I printed off a portion of the text book and put those pages in a binder. From there The Mediator just took off. Each lesson is broken down into a Teaching Time and a Hands-On Time. The lesson plan outlines the steps students complete each day...so on Day one of lesson 5, my boy is supposed to complete these steps:

"Memory Work: Review Flashcards and Vocabulary. Add Genesis 1:31a.
Review Last Lesson
Reading: Read Teaching Time on pp. 53-55
Discussion: Discuss new material
Review It: Answer the 5 review questions on pg. 56 (it also notes that you can find the answers on pg. 374 of appendix B)
Vocabulary: Create flashcards or notebook pgs. with the definitions of these words
* nucleus
* extranuclear region
* proton
* neutron
* electron
* electrical charge
All vocabulary definitions can be found in the Teaching Time margins and in the Glossary on pp. 333-339.
Supplemental Reading: You are encouraged to take full advantage of the Resource List in Appendix A on p. 357. Also be sure to search your bookshelves and your local library for relevant titles."

Hands-On Time includes activities that reinforce the theme of the lesson...activities include: building an atomic model, determining volume of a solid, testing Charle's Gas Law, evaluating the freezing point of salt water, testing gravity, etc.

Here are a couple of sample lessons, so you can see for yourself what they look like
Lesson 18
Lesson 19

My final thoughts...The Mediator was DEFINITELY at the top of the age range for this and it may have been too easy for him, but he was enjoying it and learning...and so I am not bothered by that and am considering buying other titles in this series. The Mediator worked much more quickly through the material than suggested, so I think I will do either 3 or 4 days a week going forward and then spend the other days of the week reading some of the resources from the appendix in the lesson plan. We did not get a chance to do that in our review time, but I like the idea. The price is fair for everything you get and I look forward to adding this to our line-up of curriculum for next year. I loved how this book is from a Biblical Worldview and supports what we believe and teach. I love how this is woven into the text as a matter of fact without being preachy or forced into the flow of the material. While this next point is very minor, there were detailed coloring pages inserted into the text along the way and I loved the look of them...I thought they were very age appropriate...not overly simplistic and useless filler. Since he is almost done with the pages I printed, it is time to go and print off the rest!


Other titles are available too...you can find them at Bright Ideas Press.

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Bright Ideas Press Christian Kids Explore Science here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Write with WORLD

Write with WORLD
God's World Publications
$95 for one year or $165 for both years
Grades: about Middle School

Write with WORLD is a brand new writing curriculum for middle school students from the publishers of God's World News and WORLD Magazine.

"Write with WORLD is the middle school writing curriculum developed by education and media professionals. Use it to inspire and train your students to become proficient communicators who can meet educational requirements and navigate today's growing new media and conflicting worldviews.

Write with WORLD exposes students to:

reading and critical thinking that develop discernment

contemporary subjects and professional guidance to pique interest

flexible exercises to build confidence and skill for using today's new media

a thoughtful and meaningful Christian worldview"

We have STRUGGLED with writing programs like nothing we have seen with any other subject. The main problem with most of what we have done is that it does not have a purpose. Why write about some made up creature or last summer's vacation...there are much better ways to spend time in the minds of most of my children.

I was excited to receive a pilot edition of the first year of Write with WORLD (we received a teacher's edition and student textbook)...the new writing curriculum from God's World News...a children's news publication that we have enjoyed over the years. I was sold after reading the introduction to the student book...I will post some of my favorite thoughts here...but the WHOLE introduction had me...
* We think the best way to learn writing is from people who are actually doing it.
* Real, professional writers will be sharing what they have to say with you.
* From the very first lesson, we're going to treat you like real writers.
* We've looked at a lot of writing programs for students...We don't blame you if you're not good at this type of writing. It's an exercise. It doesn't really ask you to think.
* Real Writers get interesting assignments with purpose
* They write with the expectation that their writing will be published.
* We believe that Christians should be the best writers.

Are you hooked yet?

Before I move on, I would like to point you to a few places on the Write with WORLD website:
Intro to the Teacher's Edition-Be sure to read the Distinctives toward the bottom of this link!
Sample Lesson
Article about Write with WORLD in February World Magazine

Ok, I think that's it...for now at least!

Write with WORLD is broken into 4 Units...each unit has 4 lessons and each lesson has 5 capsules...this makes scheduling VERY EASY...one capsule per day...one Lesson per week. This course is designed to take about 16 weeks. In the beginning, this is very easy to do. As you get towards the end of the book, you may want to slow the pace down a little to keep the lessons down to a shorter time period. I think this is one aspect that makes this program work so well. It is not over taxing on the reluctant writer.

The lessons begin with images in the first lesson. Taking a look at them and asking questions about them. Then writing some possible answers to those questions to form a paragraph. Reading the image and thinking about it. By the fourth unit, students are led down the path to create narratives. It is a step by step process that does not only involve crafting good sentences, but engaging the brain in a critical way to create better writing.

Our copy of Write with WORLD got lost in the mail (Customer Service was PHENOMENAL by the way!), so we are a little behind where I would have liked to be in this book to review it, but overall, it has been an excellent fit. The books are Non-consumable...ONE BOOK FOR ALL CHILDREN...yes, I knew you would be excited about that! Students need something to journal in, a dictionary, thesaurus and a writing utensil and occasionally an additional resource or two...like a magazine article, balls, a highlighter and a favorite book. Things that are commonly found in most homes. We received a pilot version, so I am not sure what the final edition would look like, but I hope there will be a complete listing of materials needed in the front of the book...or the back...but just all together would be helpful.

Prep time was VERY MINIMAL...since the book is broken up as it is, my 8th grade son knew exactly what was expected. Lessons were very short...most were able to be completed in about 30 minutes or so. I will say, one place where I fell down on this was in participating with him through the lessons. He pretty much did the work on his own up to this point. I was able to work with him on a few lessons, but look forward to connecting with him more as we continue on. Looking back through his work, I found places where working together would have helped.

One aspect I am VERY excited about, but didn't get to try was the Web site (Sept. 2011). This will be a place for updated examples, writing prompts, published student work, and helpful teacher forum. Oh my...that sounds too good for words and I cannot WAIT to see that!

Another aspect I liked about Write with WORLD were the side by side comparisons of examples of good writing and bad writing...such as: A fascinated blonde toddler or A cherubic, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, purple-clad female toddler. The professor's desk goes on to explain what makes the second phrase not so good..."The writer uses eight-yes eight-adjectives to describe a child. When people talk, they use adjectives, but rarely do they use eight. This writer is forcing adjectives into this part of her sentence and, as a result, creates a phrase that is forced. Too many adjectives will cause your audience to stop listening before they ever finish reading the sentence." That is very practical help for young writers to help them think about what they are writing. In the 3 weeks we have been using this program, I have already seen an improvement in my son's writing.

I must say, I am very impressed with Write with WORLD.

Pre-orders can be made here
See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Write with WORLD here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Truth Quest History

Truth Quest History
Age of Revolution II
by Michelle Miller
(America/Europe, 1800-1865)
Grades 5-12
Prices- $29.95, PDF for $24.95

TruthQuest History is a deep and rich literature-based history study…but with a difference. You will not learn the story of mankind; you will learn the lovestory of mankind. You will not focus on the rise and fall of human civilizations; you will focus on the arrow-straight line of God's unchanging existence, power, love, truth, and plan for civilization. You will not simply 'meet the culture' or 'get the facts;' you will probe the truths of history so deeply that your students will be equipped to change their world!

A great idea, right? Well let's see how it holds up...

We received Truth Quest History Age of Revolution II (America/Europe 1800-1865): A Chronological Investigation Enlivening Its History, Art, Culture and Ideas to review. This guide covers America's Early Republic through the Civil War. Sprinkled throughout the text are some Think Write Questions to get your child to seek for the Worldview of a particular person or of an era and develop thoughts on things like voting, money and employers and employees.

The text is broken down into Chapters, so to speak and then the chapters often have several sections under that...so, under Land-a-Rama! Lewis & Clark, the Louisiana Purchase, and a Frenchman, you have the sections of:
Louisiana Purchase
Lewis & Clark Expedition
Activities
Sacajawea
Seaman, dog on the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Toussaint- L'Ourverture and the Haitian slave uprising
Zebulon Pike

And...under each section you have a significant amount of books to select from that cover that topic...so, under Seaman the Dog (everyone LOVES Seaman when studying Lewis and Clark!!!) you could read Captain's Dog by Roland Smith for instance...there are more to choose from, but the lists are pretty long and have a copyright and I don't want to infringe upon the hard work of the author. There are about 2,000 books in the booklist to select from.

I will add in here, that while the guide says it is for grades 5-12 (and from the commentary and Think Write Questions, I would agree with that...)many of the books on the booklists go down lower, meaning a large portion of this could be geared to younger children...especially if your family loves read alouds. I really appreciate that in curriculum so that I do not have to be teaching three different things to my different age ranges.

Now, here are my thoughts on this guide...

The booklists are something...let me tell you...there are a GOOD number of books listed for many of the sections. Michelle does have a list which she would consider the "Spine" I found in the sections we did that some books were easier to find than others in our library system...so do not be discouraged by that. If you cannot find a PARTICULAR book, try something similar. I think I am going to get a Kindle or two before next fall and I would love to see if many of the books are available to put onto that. Also, do not think you have to read ALL OF THE BOOKS...think of them as a buffet...choose the ones that interest you or your children...or select as many as you can and then let them select what interests them.

Each chapter begins with an introductory commentary on that topic. This can be from a paragraph or two to many pages. Many of the sections list the name of it, such as Seaman, dog on the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and then the booklist. There is not a bunch of commentary between the chapters. It really is a discovery guide leading you to the places to explore, not telling you what they think is important to remember, always focusing on The Lord and His truth.

I really loved the idea of this guide, but the practicality of it will need some tweaking in my house. I had a hard time with the pacing of it. Each guide is intended to take one year to complete...I could easily spend two months on each chapter...and while NOT BAD, I will need to figure out a timeline for getting the work progressing further in through the book. I did find a section on the website that helped some in my thinking about this...maybe I was trying to do too much.

Another challenge for me was figuring out how to get my child to show me what he had learned. I used this with my eighth grade son and really gave him room to demonstrate what he had learned. He chose to write paragraphs on each section....and maybe that is fine...my public school trained brain was having issues with it. His paragraphs do demonstrate information retained and that is great! While my son is beyond lapbooks in HIS mind, I think that would be an excellent project at the end of the sections.

Speaking of lapbooks, some of the Truth Quest Guides have other resources available, such as a PDF Binder Builder (essentially a lapbook), Notebook and Maps/Timelines...price varies from $13-18,but the three together can be bought for $39.

I think the Truth Quest Guides are an excellent fit for homeschooling families in many areas...those who prefer Charlotte Mason style or those who unschool...those who love read alouds, those who enjoy seeing God's hand in history and those who really enjoy history are some that I think will really enjoy Truth Quest History. View a sample of Truth Quest History Age of Revolution II.

Truth Quest History has World History guides (grades 5-12)from Creation through Age of Revolution III (America/Europe 1865-today)and American History guides(grades 1-5) Exploration through today.

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Truth Quest History here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.

Amazing Animals By Design

Amazing Animals By Design
Tate Publishing
Debra Haagen
Ages: preschool-early elementary
Price: $7.99 for a PDF, $8.99 for a paperback copy

Why is a giraffe’s neck so tall? Why do zebras have stripes? Did all of these things happen by accident? When John and Sarah visit the zoo, they ask these questions and many more. Their parents and the zookeepers keep using the word design, but what does that mean? With its relevant message and exciting presentation, this is the perfect book to help introduce children to intelligent design. Come find out in Amazing Animals by Design by Debra Haagen!

I received a PDF copy of the book Amazing Animals by Design by Debra Haagen. This book is a very sweet book that follows a family through a trip to the zoo as they discover many aspects of how each animal is PERFECTLY designed and suited to live in their environment. This book came along as a result of their many trips to zoos and wildlife parks. Debra was looking around for a book to explain intelligent design to her children when they were having a difficult time understanding what that meant. There was nothing available at that time, so Debra decided to write a book herself.

I love how Debra picked up on the words that the zookeepers used often in their trips:"the animals were DESIGNED..." and used that to explain to her children about intelligent design and the Perfect Designer and I loved how she brought it home to them...showing that their children (and mine, and yours!!!) have a special design and are made in God's own image.
Listen to Debra's radio interview here

My Children really enjoyed this book and I am going to bring a paper copy of it with me the next time our family goes to the zoo and watch for teaching times as we walk along.

Amazing Animals by Design can be purchased here now, but will be released on April 1st for other retailers.

See what my fellow crew mates have to say about Amazing Animals by Design here

Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation. All the opinions expressed are my own.