Happy Day

 

My sweet oldest daughter had much rejoicing today. First, she got the call from the coach extending an invitation to play club soccer next season. A dream she's had for many years and we finally decided to take the plunge and let her try.

That made her very, very happy but what made her even more happy and brought the biggest smile to her face, she finished reading Ivanhoe today!  And there was much rejoicing in the land. heeheehee  She didn't find Ivanhoe much to her liking. ;)

Since she was so happy to be done,  I've included her last narration (written) for Ivanhoe:

Ivanhoe

Chapters 42-44

Rebecca was getting scared because no one would fight for her in the arena except the Templar, and he was not a good fighter. The fair lady had nearly given up hope.

Suddenly, bursting heroically into the arena, came none other than IVANHOE HIMSELF!!! You could almost HEAR the trumpet fanfare!

“Hurry,” quavered the Templar, quickly taking off his armor and dumping it on Ivanhoe. “I’m not fighting anymore––you are!”

“YOU COWARD!” everyone screamed.

Then Ivanhoe, after strapping the armor on, rode courageously out into the arena.

Ah, yes, he fought bravely for his lady Rebecca’s honor. He finally struck down his sparring partner, the malevolent Malvoisin!

Malvoisin surrendered. He staggered out of the arena and his face turned white. Then he fell over dead, NEVER TO RISE AGAIN.

Rebecca thanked Ivanhoe, and then rode away to her homeland...

And Ivanhoe married Rowena, and they lived happily ever after. They had always loved each other from an early age!

Ivanhoe was greatly honored by Richard Cœur De Leon, and was brave for the rest of his days, which he used quite usefully, just as we had expected him to.

And that is that. The end.

            Rated: H

            Heroic

Well done, E. You stuck through it even when you didn't want to. One day you'll look back and be glad you've read all these amazing stories. For now, just keep on keeping on.  :)

TOS Blue Ribbon Awards

The year is up for the TOS Crew of  2010-11. Every year the crew members vote for their favorite curriculum in various categories.  The votes have been tallied and the winners have been announced!  I reviewed a lot of these products, but not all of them. If I reviewed them, I've provided a link to my review. All have a link to the Crew's blog where you will find all of the reviews given this year for that product.

Congratulations to all the winners!

The following vendors are the recipients of the award this year:

Favorite Language Arts Product => Institute For Excellence in Writing (IEW)

Favorite Social Studies Product => Bright Ideas Press-Wondermaps

Favorite Science Product => Eagle’s Wings-Considering God’s Creation


My Review

Favorite Math Product => I See Cards-Pyramath
My Review

Favorite Online Math Product => Ten Marks
My Review

Favorite Writing Product => Writing Tales

Favorite Reading Instruction Product => Talking Fingers
My Review here and here

Favorite Foreign Language Product => Classical Academic Press
My Review

Favorite Fine Arts Product (art, music, etc.) => Artistic Pursuits
My Review

Favorite Preschool Product => Go Go Kabongo
My Review

Favorite Elementary Product => Speekee
My Review

Favorite Upper Grade Product => Vocab Ahead

Favorite Special Needs Product => See-N-Read

Favorite Christian Education Product => Apologia
My Review

Best Resource I Didn’t Know I Needed => Lanschool Technologies

Best Customer Service => Peterson Directed Handwriting
My Review

Best Online Resource => Big IQ Kids

Best e-product => Zeezok Publishing-ZGuide to the Movies

Best Technology Resource => Collectorz

Best Homeschool Resource => Yesterday’s Classics

Best Book, Novel or Magazine => Zoe & Sozo Publishing-Foundlings

Best Children’s Book => Kregel Publications-Circle C Beginnings
My Review

Best Hands-On Resource => Corps of Re-Discovery
My Review

Most Adaptable Resource => The Write Foundation

Most Unique Resource => GoTrybe
My Review

Most Family-Oriented Product => Growing Healthy Homes-Nutrition 101
My Review

Kid’s Choice => Schleich Action Figures

All Around Crew Favorite => Institute For Excellence in Writing
My Review

Nature Study

One of my friends organized a field trip recently to the Hassayampa Preserve. We had never been there before and were looking forward to visiting this beautiful area of Arizona.

The building has a neat little museum, where the kids are encouraged to touch and explore.

All my kids managed to get in this shot!

S, R and J are in the front

E and K are in the middle

and A has her back to the camera looking towards the shelves.

All the kids were exploring before heading out on our hike.

We broke into two groups, my family and our good friends made up one group, everyone else made up the second group! My kids were excited to be with their friends for the morning as we headed out of the museum with our guide.

Our guide talking to the kids about what we were going to do

This area is just beautiful. You would never know you were in a desert! It's a riparian preserve w/ springs feeding the lake and river. Our hike took us towards the lake where we walked around looking at the nature and doing a sensory exercise.

I told Mark when we got home that I felt like I was in Ohio with all the vegetation and water around us. Ohio without the mosquitoes! It was a beautiful day all the way around. The weather was perfect, the bugs weren't pestering us and the time spent with friends was priceless.

E. took over the camera pretty early on and took over 200 pictures while we were there! I won't share all of them with you, just some of our favorites.  There are a lot in here, hope you enjoy them!

She had the camera setting on Aquarium, because she likes the way it looks. It gives everything a yellowish glow. 

Our guide told us that in the 1960's people would come and water ski on this lake! There was also a trailer park located on it's banks at one time.  Sometime in the 70's the land was donated to the Nature Conservancy and they let it go back to it's natural state. It's hard to imagine water skiing in this place now!

stopping for their sensory exercise - this one was on sight

E, A, and R drawing what they see

J. adding to his nature book what he sees

Mistletoe!

water level. Last year, the banks were flooding. This year, the water level is down.

Kids and guide looking out on Palm Lake

Not a bad picture for a point and shoot camera!

My little bug. She was loving this hike, walking up at the front with the guide. 

I had to run and get her a few times so she didn't walk right on into the water.

Ants working together to move this large object

Lots of palm trees around "Palm Lake" :)

More, very old, palm trees

picnic area

Yep, still the desert just outside of this oasis. 

Such a juxtaposition, lush, green vegetation and dry, rocky cactus on the hill just on the other side of the river. 

After walking around the lake, we walked down to the river to look for tadpoles and other naturey things.

a small branch of the river. 

you might be able to make out the tadpoles (click to make picture bigger)

 

Nature on nature! All the red spots are some type of bug

Is this stick bug looking thing the mother, or is it getting ready to have a feast!

being "sworn in" as junior deputies. 

 Nice shot of everyone squinting into the sun, don't you think!  

After our hike, quite a few of us drove in to Wickenburg for lunch at a neighborhood park. The kids ate and played and got to know each other better while the moms talked. It was a perfect ending to a beautiful morning.

We're going to try to go monthly to see the changes that take place throughout the year. The kids are really looking forward to going back again.

TOS Review - Apologia Read for the Heart

 

Title: Read for the Heart Whole Books for Wholehearted Families

Author:  Sarah Clarkson

Publisher:  Apologia/WholeHeart, a division of Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.

Address:  1106 Meridian Plaza, STE 220, Anderson, IN 46016

Copywrite:  2009

ISBN:  978-1-932012-97-2

Order:  Apologia  (retails for $17.00)

This is my last blog review for The Old School House (TOS) Crew and what a wonderful way to end an amazing year. I am so happy that my last review is on something that I not only love but something I can wholeheartedly recommend!  Seeing as this book comes from WholeHeart Ministries, it should be no surprise that I can recommend it, wholeheartedly. chuckle, chuckle. 

All kidding aside, if you are a book lover, and what homeschool mom isn't?, this is a fabulous book to have on your shelf.  This is a book of books. Lists and lists of books, that come recommended by the author of Read for the Heart. What makes this book unique from other booklist books is the author, Sarah Clarkson, was homeschooled herself. She is the oldest daughter of Sally and Clay Clarkson, who started Wholeheart Ministries, and was raised in a literature rich home.  Saturated and dripping with high quality literature choices at her fingertips through her formative years, a passion for the written word and a heart for sharing that passion with others, is what prompted Sarah to write this book. So not only are you getting a list of incredible books, you are also getting a piece of Sarah's passion when you open up the pages of this book and delve into what is written there. 

Here's an excerpt from Sarah's book, ch 1 pg 26:

Reading has taught me how to live.

The books I have read have shaped me to see, to engage, to love. Reading has taught me not just to think, but also to look up from the pages of my book at a world that is itself a story. Books have trained me to be active, alert and ready to enter life as I find it. At this moment I may not be reading, but I'm writing. Watching. Laughing. In short, living. That is really the point of all this reading.

Passion. Life. Living. Sarah has captured her zest for life in the pages of her book and is sharing it with us! I had the pleasure hearing Sarah speak in person at a Whole Heart Conference this past February. She is the real deal. The way she spoke, the passion for learning and living and reading was just as present in her in real life as it is in this book. What you read in these pages is Sarah.

The book itself is 384 pages, soft cover and is broken into easy to navigate sections. Along with the lists of books, Sarah has written about her passion for books and life, the state of literacy in our country (not a pretty state, btw), a "how to use" section explaining how the book is broken apart and finally, the lists! Oh joy! The lists are amazing. To use a term coined by Charlotte Mason, you won't find "twaddle" in these lists! The lists are broken into the following categories:

• Picture Books
• The Golden Age of Classics
• Children's Fiction
• Fairy Tales and Fantasy
• History and Biography
• Spiritual Reading for Children
• Poetry
• Music, Art and Nature

There are also six appendices:

• Caldecott Medalists
• Newbery Medalists
• Historical Fiction by G.A. Henty
• Landmark History Books
• The Trailblazer Series
• A Few of My Favorite Things (Sarah's favorites)

and two indexes:

• Authors and Illustrators
• Titles

Like I said, this book is easy to navigate! There are so many different ways to find a book that will suit your needs. Recently, I had a friend asking me for recommendations for books on WWII for her 12 year old daughter. I grabbed this book and within seconds, we were compiling a list of books for her daughter to read. It was really that easy. 

If you love books, or even just like them, you will not be disappointed with this book!

You can read what my fellow crew mates thought of Read for the Heart, here.

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing.  I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.

TOS Review - Eagles Wings

Title:  Considering God's Creation
Author:  Susan Mortimer and Betty Smith
Publisher:  Eagle's Wings
Address:  P.O. Box 502 Duncan, OK 73534
ISBN Student Text:  1-931292-19-1
ISBN Teachers Manual:  1-931292-175
ISBN Two Volume Set:  1-931292-18-3
Age Range: Primarily early elementary but adaptable for 2nd-7th grades.
Price:  $29.95 for Student workbook, Teachers Manual and audio CD

Considering God's Creation is a hands on, christian worldview science curriculum for elementary grade students.  For this review, we received the Student Manual, a consumable, 268 page, soft back book which contains line drawings, crossword puzzle and a glossary.  The Teachers Manual, a 128 page, soft cover book in black and white that contains all the information you need to complete the lessons. There are scripted lessons which you can just read, or use as suggestions as a springboard for discussion. The answer key to the student's book is also included.  An audio CD is also included in the package.

Each lesson has the following:

• Preparation - gives details of what you will need for each lesson.
• Vocabulary - words and definitions for each lesson.
• Introduction - introduces the topic being studied.
• Song/Poem 
• Activity - hands on activities for each lesson.
• Bible Reading - Recommended scripture for each lesson.
• Notebook - Notebooking activities are suggested.
• Evolution Stumpers - Evolution view vs Biblical view 
• Review - a recap of the lesson
• Digging Deeper - more challenging and thought provoking activities.

The book is divided into 36 lessons covering all aspects of general science:

• Creation
• Universe
• Stars
• Solar System
• Earth
• Light
• Sound
• Wind
• Weather
• Clouds
• Rocks
• Plants
• Insects
• Mammals
• Reptiles
• Birds
• Fish
• Amphibians
• Food Chains
• Reproduction and Genetics
• Human
• Animal Anatomy
• Physiology

  example page of zoology

You can view sample pages here.

My thoughts on this science curriculum

This is a very gentle introduction to science. The authors recommended age range of Elementary aged students is fairly accurate, although I would classify it more as Early Elementary and would have a hard time stretching this into a viable Jr. High science class and definitely not for Sr. High as is suggested in the manual for multi-level teaching. There isn't enough depth on any one subject to make me comfortable agreeing with their assessment.

Pros:

• I like the approach that the authors take to science. For younger kids it's all about discovery. This program gives them that in a structured, yet gentle way. 
• Cost! It's quite affordable. 
• Clearly laid out and easy to follow.
• Easily adaptable to your schedule.
• Short lessons.
• Easy to prep for. No hunting and hunting and hunting for supplies.

Cons:

• At first glance, this looks like a workbook. It's not! Just first glance and impressions have always led me to believe that is what this curriculum was, fill in the blank, T/F type workbook pages. (I was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually very hands on and not too workbookish.)
• Again, just my opinion, the age ranges that I would comfortably recommend this program for are much narrower than recommended by the authors. Not really a negative, just a different opinion than they share. 

Bottom line, if you are looking for a very gentle, inexpensive, biblically based, scripted science curriculum for your younger elementary students, you won't be disappointed in checking out this program.

Eagle's Wings sells several different curriculum and bible studies. Make sure you check out some of their other products.  To purchase Considering God's Creation, click here.

Don't forget to check out what my fellow TOS Crew mates thought of this science curriculum!


I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.

TOS Review - Talking Fingers Wordy Qwerty

As part of the TOS Crew we recently had the opportunity to use Wordy Qwerty, an online software program from Talking Fingers. Wordy Qwerty is the follow-up program to their Read, Write & Type Learning System I reviewed this past fall and is geared for grades 2-4.

We were anxious to give this program a try.  My son had enjoyed the original program and was now ready to move on to spelling. :)


There are 20 lessons with 6 activities per lesson. Each lesson covers a different spelling rule. The 6 activities work with words for each rule.Through the 6 activities, students will build a solid foundation to help with fluency.

Foundation:

•  Most words follow about 20 easy spelling rules.
• There are several ways some sounds can be represented.
• There are many word families. By changing the first letter, you can make hundreds of words.
• Some words don't follow any rules. Learn to recognize those words right away.
• Having a student write what is being dictated (a word, phrase or passage) spoken to them, develops vocabulary, comprehension and fluency as well as spelling skills. 
• Filling in the missing blank while reading, develops vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency skills.

The lessons are taught using games, music, and catchy tunes called JingleSpells, which, not surprisingly, is the biggest hit of the program here.

Game - the child has to spell the word, then select which sound the letter makes

Keyboard Buddy - tell your child the spelling rule after a group of words is spelled

Jingle - after the rule is introduced, a jingle about the rule is sung. 

Your child can sing along by clicking on the microphone on the lower right.

Game - choose the correct spelling of the word. If both are correct, click both

Game - finish the sentence with the correct word (and spelling!)

Each level completed gives you another piece of instrument. Once all levels are completed, you have a complete instrument, ready to play for you. Did I mention the songs were the most enjoyed part of the program? ;-)

My 7 year old really enjoyed this program. I've employed some of the rules to life outside of Wordy Qwerty, not only in his writing but also with his reading. When he's stumbling over a word, not sure of the vowel sound, I remind him of what he learned with Wordy Qwerty and he pipes up with an enthusiastic, "Oh yeah!" 

There are several ways to purchase Wordy Qwerty, online versions, what we reviewed, and a CD ROM (check for computer compatibility before purchasing!).
Online license:
Individual - $25.00
Multiple child discount -$35+ depending on the amount of students.

CD:
$35 for the Home Edition  and includes the program CD, program guide, and JingleSpells.


You can receive a 20% discount on your next order by joining their mailing list .

If you'd like to see how the program works, and to see if you think it would be a good fit for your family, you can try lesson one for free .

To see what others on the TOS Crew thought of Wordy Qwerty, click here.

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.

TOS Review - Go Trybe

What do you do if you want to get your kids moving but it's snowing outside, or more in line with my climate, it's pushing 120* outside?  You open up GoTrybe and get moving!  All you need is a computer and internet access. No more excuses!

GoTrybe is an online, customizable workout program for kids, ages Kindergarten through Highschool.

When you first log onto GoTrybe, your child creates an avatar. As they go through the program, they earn points for workouts, motivational video's watched and nutrition segments. The more they engage with the program, the more points they will earn and with those points they can open up more avatar options.  If you choose not to create an avatar, that's okay too!

Male avatar selected. Hair choices are shown

Nutrition question to earn points

Once their avatar is created, they can move into the customizable workout section. Each workout will contain a warmup, cardio, strength and flexibility stage. You child can scroll through the options until they find an exercise they'd like to try. They click and drag that video segment into the top bar.

Warm up segments being chosen

You can see in the above picture there is one segment of warmup, Strength and Flexibility and  3 of cardio. Your child picks a video segment for each block to create a complete workout that roughly lasts around 30 minutes total.

Warm up video

Each video segment begins with the instructor introducing themselves as well as the kids that are working out with them. They give an introduction to the exercise they are going to perform and will even give some educational information to go along with the exercise. For example, for one of the latin dance video segments, the instructor gives a brief lesson on South America.

  

There are three levels of GoTrybe, broken down by age. GoTrybe was generous by giving access for all my kids, so we were able to see all three levels! The lay-out for each level is the same, the exercises, however, become more intense for the older group, just like you would expect them to.

The weather here has been so beautiful, which means my kids have been outside as much as they possibly can. We know our interminable summer is just around the corner, so we soak up as much outdoor time as we can, while we can.  Because of that, we haven't used this as much as we would have if the weather hadn't been so nice. As our temps start climbing up and into the 100's very soon, I do see us utilizing this very fun, very adaptable program, all summer long.

When they did do a workout, they had fun doing it. :)

E. and A. warming up, or E. goofing off

There is a whole online component to GoTrybe that my kids did not use because they weren't interested in it. You can safely chat with other Tryber's in your age group through a chat section and a message board.  I did go and check it, the message board, out to see what it was about and didn't read anything by any of the kids posting that would keep me from having my kids join in. However, every family is different, so you'd want to check that out for yourselves and definitely talk about safety on the net with your kids before letting them loose on any forum.

Click here for a free promo, use GETFIT, and check out the program. If you like the program, the cost of  GoTrybe is normally $39.95 per year, but if you use the same code GETFIT, it is $19.95 for the year.

To see what others on the TOS Crew thought of GoTrybe, click here.

I received this product free for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.