tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57515183483258241382024-03-13T09:01:35.087-07:00"Be The One" Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-76997881062074950432016-05-26T06:42:00.001-07:002016-05-26T06:44:01.446-07:00Review: Golden Prairie Press Ancient History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LsIGesBNrJg/V0bsJ3OlJNI/AAAAAAAAE4U/QieNfsv4ypkG2WxGLYNJfYdVg-YTh4f8gCLcB/s1600/ancient%2Bhistory%2Bgolden%2Bprairie%2Blogo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LsIGesBNrJg/V0bsJ3OlJNI/AAAAAAAAE4U/QieNfsv4ypkG2WxGLYNJfYdVg-YTh4f8gCLcB/s1600/ancient%2Bhistory%2Bgolden%2Bprairie%2Blogo.JPG" /></a></div>
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Our family has been fans of <b>Golden Prairie Press</b> for quite some time now, using the <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-golden-prairie-press.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">American History Program</span></a> as well as several of the Holiday Countdown programs. The company, owned by homeschool graduate/historian Amy Puetz, offers many unique programs that bring history alive for children and families. </div>
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This latest program, <a href="http://www.amypuetz.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=142" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Heroes, Heroines, and Tales of Ancient History,</span></a> covers the period from Creation to 500 A.D. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">About the program:</span></b> There are 150 lessons, covering thirty weeks of schooling. The lessons are scheduled five per week, although homeschoolers can work at their own pace, of course. Each daily lesson will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on the assignments that are included. The program offers a multi-sensory approach to learning by immersing the student not only in the actual lesson, but enhancing their learning through audio clips and hands on activities. The goal is to make the ancient tales come alive and be more than names on a piece of paper. Students are learning history through the lives of real people. Lessons can be read to younger students, and older elementary students who are strong readers can read the lessons on their own if they wish. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bible-centered approach:</b></span> The Bible is rich with recordings of ancient history, and this program is very Bible centered, although it does have plenty of detailed lessons about non-Biblical stories as well. The program does a good job laying out ancient civilizations and showing how they overlapped and interacted with each other, weaving in the timeline of Biblical events and showing the student where those events fit in to the big picture. Some of my favorite illustrations were the timelines. I also appreciate that Scripture used throughout the lessons is from the King James Version of the Bible.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Life of Christ:</b></span> Since Jesus Christ, the Man who split history, lived during the Ancient History period, there is some good foundational teaching about His life and the New Testament time period, which is very helpful to young students as they study and learn their Bible as well.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What is included in the program:</span></b> <a href="http://www.amypuetz.com/HHTAncientHistoryContentsSample.pdf" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Sample lessons and list of topics</span></a> can be seen. In addition to the written lessons, purchasing the digital download will also give you access to:</div>
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<li>Historical Art</li>
<li>Coloring Pages </li>
<li>Skits and plays to act out the history lessons</li>
<li>Simple recipes</li>
<li>Art projects</li>
<li>Small paper games and card games to review</li>
<li>Audio clips to coincide with the lessons</li>
<li>Quizzes printed separately</li>
<li>Answer key to text questions (in the back of the lesson book)</li>
<li>Blank world map to print and fill in</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Favorite Detail:</b></span> In the back of the lesson book there is a full index of all the characters and events listed, and what pages they are mentioned on throughout the text. While this may seem like a small detail, I found it SO helpful when I wanted to reference one person or event. I did not have to remember where it was, but could just quickly look it up and turn to it. This was such a time saver!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Interesting Coloring pages:</span></b> The coloring pages are set up for the child to not only color, but write a sentence or two about the image that is on it. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What age level is this material?</b></span> This curriculum is designed for grades 1-6. Each lesson is split into a 1st-2nd grade reading, as well as a reading for older students. Obviously the younger students need more of an overview, without so many details, so it is perfect for a family that may utilize the program for multiple age levels. While the whole family can study one topic, and all do the hands-on activities together, the older students can be challenged with more details and with further writing assignments or research topics. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What about the villains of ancient history?</b></span> As we all know, not everyone that we must learn about in ancient history was a hero. There were many rough characters who were ruthless. This is also a part of history, and we can't just neglect teaching it because it is harsh. I feel that Amy Puetz covers these topics in a very tasteful, delicate, and safe way for younger elementary students, presenting the material on a level they can understand, yet not being too gory or violent. Because the lessons are already separated for younger or older students, the younger students version is a bit more 'sanitized' to an understandable level for them. In cases where there is just no way to present the lesson in a delicate way to the youngest students, there is a disclaimer given right at the beginning of the lesson instructing the parent to read an alternative reading for that lesson. </div>
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Personally, I never did find anything in the lessons that I would deem inappropriate for elementary students, but I appreciate the author pointing out potential difficulties so the parent can make the choice that is best for their own child.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Price: </b></span>The entire digital set of this program is currently available for $98.99. Once purchased, it can be instantly downloaded for easy access. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.amypuetz.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Printed versions</span></a> </span>are also available, and portions of the program can be purchased separately, if a parent or teacher wishes to order separate coloring books or skit books for a classroom setting. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Easy on the Teacher:</b></span> Everything is completely laid out in the lesson book. Following the lesson, there is an activity for each day, whether a quiz, writing assignment, game, recipe, craft, or map study. There are so many quality hands-on activities included that it pretty much eliminates the need for the teacher to have to spend hours scouring the internet for extras to make the lessons interesting. Everything you need is already right in your hands. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My opinion:</span></b> I was completely fascinated by this program. Not only did I learn a lot by reading through it (and History is my favorite subject!) but I think it really breaks down a hard subject - Ancient History - and makes it come alive to young students. Ancient History is not the easiest subject to tackle for any learner, yet this program mentions all the "need to know" events in an organized manner that makes it easy to learn and remember, and sets a strong foundation for future study as the student gets older and will have to tackle the subject again in high school. <b><i>This is an amazing and very thorough study of Ancient History for young students. </i></b></div>
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Visit Golden Prairie Press on <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GoldenPrairiePress" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<i>Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product 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. </i></div>
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<i>{Affiliate links} The links to Golden Prairie Press found on this page are affiliate links, and if you purchase the program through these links, I will receive a small commission. </i></div>
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<img border="0" src="http://www.amypuetz.com/affiliates/track/imp/banners/7_22" height="1" width="1" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-21656805730189944252016-01-28T08:45:00.003-08:002016-01-28T08:55:26.017-08:00Review: Tap My Trees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EdNX5cF1B0/Vqo8AqmtsLI/AAAAAAAAE3Y/IrPwnAQNaWU/s1600/TapMyTrees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EdNX5cF1B0/Vqo8AqmtsLI/AAAAAAAAE3Y/IrPwnAQNaWU/s400/TapMyTrees.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Growing up in Western New York, maple syrup is a huge part of our lives. Every March our area has "Maple Sugar Weekends" where the industry is highlighted and families can take part in watching the process and tasting the yummy results. If you have never watched huge vats of maple sap boiling down, and realized exactly how much sap is necessary to make just a small bottle of pure maple syrup, you will never know just how precious that syrup is that makes your stack of pancakes so delicious. <br />
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<a href="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/01-26%20Tap%20My%20Trees/Tap%20My%20Trees%20Logo_zpsjsmfnee1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/2016%20TOS%20Crew/01-26%20Tap%20My%20Trees/Tap%20My%20Trees%20Logo_zpsjsmfnee1.jpg" height="80" width="320" /></a></div>
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Recently we were given the opportunity to try our hand at making our very own maple syrup, with the <a href="http://www.tapmytrees.com/collections/maple-sugaring-kits/products/starter-kit-aluminum-buckets" rel="nofollow">Maple Sugaring <span style="color: #cc0000;">Starter Kit with Aluminum Buckets</span></a> from <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.tapmytrees.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Tap My Trees.</span></a> </span>I have always been so fascinated with the maple sugaring process, and have such a tremendous respect for those who work so hard during the month of March here in my area, to make enough maple syrup to last all year long. To try it at home with my own family will be such a treat!<br />
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After opening up our large package from Tap My Trees, the girls were pretty excited over the prospect of making our own syrup. They cannot wrap their brains around how much sap will be needed for just one pancake breakfast, and I can't wait to show them.<br />
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Our Starter Kit includes everything needed to walk out into the yard and begin tapping sap when the temperature is right. </div>
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Starter Kit includes:<br />
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<li>3 Aluminum (2 gallon) buckets that have a reinforced hole to hang the bucket to the tree.</li>
<li>3 Metal lids to attach to the buckets. This prevents rain or debris (or bird droppings, as my daughter pointed out) from contaminating your sap.</li>
<li>3 stainless steel spiles. These are inserted into the drilled holes, and allow the sap to flow freely into the bucket.</li>
<li>3 hooks - attached to the spile and and used to hang the bucket off of.</li>
<li>Guidebook</li>
<li>7/16 drill bit with 3/8 shank used to drill the holes into your trees.</li>
<li>Cheesecloth - used to filter debris or bark from the sap when transferring the sap from the bucket to the storage container. </li>
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There is a very educational and handy instructional book that tells you everything from the history of maple sugaring (it started with the Native Americans) to teaching you how to identify trees in your yard for tapping. There are plenty of tips to make your tapping adventure a success, including step by step instructions and illustrations, and a list of other resources to 'tap' into. </div>
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Because we are still in the middle of a Western New York winter, we have to wait a little while before we can start tapping. When the temperatures are warmer during the day (40's) yet still dropping below freezing at night, that will be the prime season for collecting sap. Typically this doesn't happen in our area until the beginning of March. </div>
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In the mean time, what we could do with the kit is read through the instructions, and identify trees in our backyard that would make good candidates for tapping. The kit contains enough materials for three taps. We have one thinner tree, and one older tree that is actually thick enough in diameter to support two taps, according to the handbook. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Measuring trees in our backyard.</span></td></tr>
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I was so impressed with the quality of the materials in this kit. Not only is Tap My Trees providing my family with a great educational and fun experience, but we are learning food safety procedures, and being able to use high quality, food grade materials as well. If cared for properly, as the handbook instructs, I foresee the buckets and taps lasting many years, and being ready to use every spring to make our own maple syrup.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Food Grade quality buckets and covers</span></td></tr>
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One thing I learned is that the sap can be tasted straight from the tree. In fact, many Native Americans and other cultures drink the tree sap from maples and birches for medicinal purposes. I think we will have to try that as well, if the girls are brave enough!</div>
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Thank you, Tap My Trees, for providing our family with a unique experience!</div>
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Tap My Trees has made some simple YouTube videos to show how easy it is to use their kit to make your own maple syrup:<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-20426046127032364702015-12-12T21:02:00.002-08:002015-12-12T21:02:32.034-08:00Parenting With Godly Purpose: Fellowship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we hear the word <b>FELLOWSHIP</b>, especially in a church setting, how often do we picture a potluck dinner or cake and coffee after the service? Is this what fellowship has been reduced to? Is it just a time to sit and eat together, or is it so much more than that?<br />
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When I think of fellowship, I think of people with mutual interests and goals getting together to accomplish a task, which is exactly why I think fellowship between parents and children is such an important activity!<br />
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Fellowship is a companionship or sharing of friendliness. When people work together on a project to meet a goal they not only accomplish jobs, but they can have a great time doing it. Parents and children working together serves several purposes:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Building character through showing the child how to do a task.</li>
<li>Learning about each other.</li>
<li>Having time to talk.</li>
<li>Building memories.</li>
<li>Giving your child a sense of purpose and belonging - of being on a team. </li>
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Sometimes fellowship with family members requires some creativity. Busy schedules hinder fellowship. A lack of patience may suggest that it's easier to just do a job by yourself while the children run off and entertain themselves. But fellowship is a worthwhile investment in the relationship between parents and children. Look for ways to be together, and do things! Sometimes it may be a fun job while other times it may be a tedious task that just has to get done. Either way, your child will be learning valuable lessons by watching their parents work hard, and working alongside them.</div>
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<i>The ministry is a great place to have fellowship with your children! </i></div>
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There are plenty of ministries or volunteer opportunities available for parents and children to fellowship together. Working in a ministry together can be one of the most rewarding times of fellowship and building of memories that children can experience. Not only are they learning more about loving the Lord and caring for others, but they are giving rather than taking, which is a great lesson for children. It helps children to be more thankful when they see others in need. </div>
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As a family in the ministry, some of our children's best memories surround times when they have accompanied their pastor-dad on various activities, visiting and helping people, I believe it has helped them to have a more tender heart towards those who are hurting. It has definitely made them more willing to help others. We have been blessed to have some wonderful opportunities for fellowship with our children, especially in areas of service.</div>
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Choose something that interests your family, and look for an opportunity to serve and fellowship together. It will strengthen and help your family's bond to grow strong!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-34912464992920042932015-12-05T15:13:00.002-08:002015-12-05T15:13:45.914-08:00Parenting With Godly Purpose: Encouragement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What does it mean to be an <b>encourager</b>? By breaking down the word, we can see that it literally means "to put courage in". I love the mental picture that brings when thinking about my children. We have come to understand that this world can be a harsh place. If we are striving to raise Godly children in a Godless society, they will face abundant challenges, doubts, and uncertainties - many that were unheard of even when I was growing up.<br />
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How can we help our children be strong? One way is to be an encouragement to them on a daily basis.<br />
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Here is the dictionary definition for encourage: (taken from Dictionary.com)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<header class="luna-data-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="dbox-pg" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">verb</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">(used</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">with</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">object)</span></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">, </span><span class="dbox-bold" data-syllable="en·cour·aged, " style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-weight: bold;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">encouraged,</span> </span><span class="dbox-bold" data-syllable="en·cour·ag·ing." style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-weight: bold;">encouraging.</span></span></header><br />
<div class="def-set" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; padding-bottom: 17px;">
<span class="def-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;">1.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 37px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer;">inspire</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">with</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">courage,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">spirit,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">confidence:</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-block def-inline-example" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">His</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">coach</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">encouraged</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">him</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">throughout</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">the</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">marathon</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">race</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">keep</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">on </span><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">running.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="def-set" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; padding-bottom: 17px;">
<span class="def-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;">2.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 37px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">stimulate</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">by</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">assistance,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">approval,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">etc.:</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-block def-inline-example" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: blue;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">One</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">of</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">the</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">chief</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">duties</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">of</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">teacher</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">is</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">encourage</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">students.</span></span></span></span></div>
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</blockquote>
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I love the first definition, emphasizing inspiring our children. As parents, we are the first line of defense against discouragement and defeat in our children's lives. If we truly believe they can accomplish something, and help them set out to reach their goals, their life will be significantly impacted for good. Yes, times of defeat will come, but what an opportunity they can be to inspire our children and equip them with the tools needed to get through it without being destroyed or distraught.<br />
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Having the approval and acceptance of parents is vital to a child's overall well being. After many years of working with young people and seeing shattered lives, I am completely convinced that children crave their parent's approval, and are devastated without it. Encouraging them regularly demonstrates this, and places the parent as an anchor in the child's life.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>How can we encourage our kids?</i></span><br />
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<ol>
<li>Look for the good in them, and praise it. Try to compliment good behavior and character when it is demonstrated, to reinforce those desired actions. Compliment inner character over outward beauty, yet don't neglect to let them know that you value everything about them, even their appearance. </li>
<li>Find the good. Some days an ornery child may not be very complimentary. Search for something good to value and praise, even if it is little. </li>
<li>Encourage quickly and easily. Don't withhold praise when it is due. Letting your child know you appreciate their hard work, and that they did a good job, gives them deep inner satisfaction.</li>
<li>Tell them often how much you love them, that they are a gift and blessing from the Lord, and that you enjoy them.</li>
<li>Show that you enjoy them by hanging out with them and doing fun things.</li>
<li>Don't just "love" them, but "like" them as well!</li>
<li>Pray for them, and let them know that you are. Ask them what they need prayer for, and then pray with them about it. Praise the Lord together for the answered prayers in their life.</li>
<li>Look for ways to build their confidence. Let them attempt some difficult (age and ability appropriate) things on their own. It's great to give a little instruction then step back and let them take off with an idea. This shows that you are confident in their abilities and that you don't always have to step in, take over, and 'do it for them'. Yes, they may mess up a little at first, but rather than jumping in to help, share a story where you messed up in a similar way and laugh together about it!</li>
</ol>
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Our kids need to feel special and loved, and the easiest way to make that happen is to encourage them as often as we can. Be their cheerleader, and don't ever let them feel as if they are facing this world on their own.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-41256977435178725602015-11-29T14:01:00.003-08:002015-12-03T06:05:29.647-08:00Homeschooling High School: Fitting It All In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After carefully determing your child's high school plan, and adding up all the required subjects and credits, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed at how all of this education is going to take place in just four short years! Perhaps you have a reluctant or slower learner, which adds more time into the mix. Then you are also trying to customize your high schooler's plan with subjects that interest them or things they want to pursue. Throw in a few extras such as sports, music, and volunteering, and it starts to get hectic pretty quick.<br />
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Here are a few ideas I have found that have worked for us, when trying to complete a high school education and prepare your teen for post-high school life, while homeschooling.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Keep the "Main Thing" the main thing!</span><br />
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It is easy to get overwhelmed with so many choices and directions in which a high schooler can go to study and prepare. Remember why you started this journey in the first place, and keep your goals in front of you. Let decisions be made in light of those goals and priorities. If your high schooler is on a college prep journey and is attempting to get accepted into a competitive program, then there will be things they have to learn to say 'no' to, just because they will need to focus on their academics. Often, choices boil down to what is good versus what is better. Help your teen learn how to make the better choices for themselves, which means at times needing to say no to good things.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Focus on Time Management and Study Habits</span><br />
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These are the two most crucial habits that your teen will need to develop in order to be successful in finishing high school, and in their post high school years, whether it be college, military, or vocational training. It is absolutely critical that they learn their most effective study methods. A great program to identify their learning style is <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-victus-study-skills-system.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Victus Study Skills System.</span></a> Once they learn how to study, they will be able to tackle anything! If you can help them learn good time management, it will be a valuable gift in whatever they attempt to do on their own. I have sat through two college orientations now, and those two things are brought up most often as the greatest hindrances to incoming freshman.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">More on Developing Time Management Skills</span><br />
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Several of my children have had struggles with managing their time and completing their work in a timely manner. While I wish to encourage their interest in further study of the current subject matter, I also want to teach them the proper sequence of completing assignments first. It has happened where current assignments do not get completed because something 'caught their attention' and they wanted to pursue it until satisfied. Of course, this IS a main goal of homeschooling, so it is a delicate balance of cultivating a love for learning and independent study, while building the character to complete work on time. One thing we have done is allot a certain amount of time each day for the required assignments. If they can do their extra studying during that time allotment, then it is encouraged. If not, then the requirements must be met first, and the 'knowledge chase' must be temporarily put off until the end of the day. I have also had the children record in their planners the time spent on each subject. By this method, we could easily identify where the trouble spots were when work was not being completed. As hard as it may be, home school moms MUST make their children accountable for work not completed on time, or they will have a very difficult time with this adjustment when in a college setting.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Start Early</span><br />
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We have tried to start as many high school credit classes as we can in eighth grade, of course based on the student's ability and readiness to do so. We have found that starting in on earning credits in eighth grade greatly alleviates the heavy high school load. It is often easiest to take history, science, and electives early. Electives that may be appropriate for eighth grade are typing/keyboarding, computers, foreign language, art or music theory, health/nutrition, or home economics.<br />
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Another aspect of starting early is to make the ninth and tenth grade loads the heaviest. This is the time we try to cover as much ground as possible, which frees up eleventh and twelfth grades to allow the student to branch out and specialize some of their studies. Once the student starts driving, typically in those later years, they may wish to get more involved in outside activities or volunteer work. Having the majority of their credits already earned, their schedule may be a little more open and conducive to taking part in more outside opportunities.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Plan In Time For Test Preparation</span><br />
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Once the student hits eleventh grade, they will have to take on regular test preparation studies for their SAT, ACT, and any other tests they will be taking. It is important to factor that needed time in when determining high school schedules. This is another reason why it is best to really work hard in ninth and tenth grades.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Don't Sweat the Small Stuff</span><br />
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The single most important thing a parent can do during the high school years is to build a strong and stable relationship with their high schooler. Rules without relationship breeds rebellion. Take the time to talk to your kids and make sure you are both continually on the same page as far as their high school plan goes. You want to be sure you are giving them the very best opportunity to fulfill their goals and dreams. Sometimes it is wise to choose your battles, and focus on those areas that will be the best relationship builders. If you see your student is struggling, help them out! It may be that a shifting of subjects or activities is needed, but you will only know that if you work it out together.<br />
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It is absolutely possible to "fit it all in" and give your high school student a great homeschooling experience. It may be a lot of work, but it is so satisfying to know that in the end, they are prepared for life as a result of all your efforts!<br />
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Read more on How to Fit it ALL in while educating in the high school years: </h3>
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<li>Chareen @ <b>Every Bed of Roses</b> shares thoughts on the question: <a href="http://everybedofroses.blogspot.com/2015/11/can-you-fit-it-all-in-during-high.html" target="_blank">Can you fit it ALL in during the High School Years?</a></li>
<li>Wendy @ <b>Life at Rossmont</b> shares: <a href="http://lifeatrossmont.blogspot.com/2015/11/help-how-do-i-fit-it-all-in.html" target="_blank">Help! How Do I Fit It All In?!</a></li>
<li>Michele @ <b>Family, Faith and Fridays</b> shares: <a href="http://www.familyfaithandfridays.com/2015/11/time-who-has-time.html" target="_blank">Time? Who Has Time?</a></li>
<li>Lisa @ <b>Golden Grasses</b> shares: <a href="http://goldengrasses.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-do-you-fit-it-all-in-homeschooling.html" target="_blank">Smash, Cram, Smoosh. How do you fit it all in? Homeschooling High School</a></li>
<li>Carol @ <b>Home Sweet Life</b> shares: <a href="http://home-sweet-life.blogspot.com/2015/11/help-i-cant-fit-it-all-in.html" target="_blank">Help! I Can't Fit It All In!</a></li>
<li>Debbie @ <b>Debbie's Homeschool Corner</b> shares: <a href="http://debbieshomeschoolcorner.blogspot.com/2015/11/keeping-high-school-work-from-consuming.html" target="_blank">Keeping High School Work from Consuming Our Lives</a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-73597902505420584902015-11-27T05:25:00.000-08:002015-11-27T05:25:15.648-08:00Favorite Black Friday DealsSome of my favorite companies are having tremendous Black Friday deals and I wanted to share a few here: {Some links are affiliate links, where I earn a small commission on your purchase}<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;">30% off Christmas Children's Bible Studies from <a href="http://www.grapevinestudies.com/?ap_id=debeyea" rel="nofollow">Grapevine Studies.</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Amazon Kindle - Black Friday Deal - only $34.99</span></div>
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<a href="http://store.compasscinema.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=317_2_3_5" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Want your kids to LOVE learning Latin?</span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-18457008111939691852015-11-24T09:12:00.002-08:002015-11-24T09:12:14.432-08:00Parenting With Godly Purpose: Devotions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"</i></span><br />
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Children naturally follow the path that their parents walk, and get excited over the things that interest their parents. Parents are the greatest influence when shaping the lives of children, whether for good or for bad. We see it often: children love the sport that dad or mom is a fan of, or they have an interest in a hobby that gets mom and dad excited. As much as parents need to enter their child's world, children love to be a part of their parent's world!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-303Xe0TyeGk/VlSZDzMyvKI/AAAAAAAAE0M/p2ukPA9NgjA/s1600/bible.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-303Xe0TyeGk/VlSZDzMyvKI/AAAAAAAAE0M/p2ukPA9NgjA/s200/bible.JPG" width="200" /></a>This is a tremendous opportunity to instill a love for the Word of God in our children's hearts. Thanks to 'child-like faith' children who are taught the truths of God's Word from an early age naturally crave to know and love God, but this desire must be nurtured as they grow older, or the cares of this world will begin to encroach on it and choke it out.<br />
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One of the most effective ways to regularly nurture a child's love for God is through <b><i>DAILY DEVOTIONS.</i></b> Devotions are most effective when done together as a family - where children can observe their parents taking time out of the busy schedule to make worshiping the Lord a priority.<br />
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Devotions do not need to take a long time, or even follow a rigorous schedule. In fact, a casual gathering around the Word and prayer for the daily needs does not require a large time investment, but rather a pledge to consistency and faithfulness.<br />
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Here is a brief outline that can be used for family devotions:<br />
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<li>Ask if there are any specific prayer requests and then pray over them together as a family. Either a parent can pray or the children can take turns each day. Parents should pray over their children, thanking God for them and asking God's blessing on their day.</li>
<li>Read a portion of Scripture together. You can choose a book of the Bible and read through it a little bit at a time, or select portions of Scripture to meet a certain need in your family. You can even select seasonal Scriptures, such as reading through the Christmas story in the month of December.</li>
<li>Take a few minutes to share some thoughts about the Scripture that was read. Perhaps a parent can use this as a teaching moment, but it is also fun to allow the children to choose a verse and tell what they learned from it. This would also be a good time to ask if anyone in the family had a question or did not understand any of the verses that were read.</li>
<li>Choose a song to sing together. It could be a verse of a favorite hymn, a Scripture song, or even a silly song! </li>
<li>Hugs and kisses! There is so much value to your children starting off their day feeling loved by their parents.</li>
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These devotions shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. It is not the quantity of the devotion time, but the quality and consistency that make all the difference. Faithfully meeting around the Word of God with your children every day will speak volumes to them of the priority that your relationship with God has in your life, and children will want to follow that example. Let your devotion time be fun and appealing, not a time to correct all the wrongdoings. Let it be a sweet time of fellowship to ground your family in doing right. </div>
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<i>Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - <a href="http://www.aclassofone.blogspot.com/">www.aclassofone.blogspot.com</a> All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author</i>.</div>
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Check out this week's <b>Blogging Through The Alphabet Linkup</b> with </div>
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<a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/2015/11/blogging-through-alphabet-week-4-letter.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Cristi</span> </a>and <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/11/blogging-through-alphabet-d.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Meg.</span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-14693984844799164462015-11-19T08:50:00.004-08:002015-11-19T08:50:38.830-08:00Parenting With Godly Purpose: Courtesy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wwK23Sezmz8/Vk30vOApVKI/AAAAAAAAEzc/QGg7t0HNC1c/s1600/abc%2Bblogging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wwK23Sezmz8/Vk30vOApVKI/AAAAAAAAEzc/QGg7t0HNC1c/s320/abc%2Bblogging.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After discussing busyness last week, this next topic follows a natural progression....taking time to proactively teach habits to your children is much more efficient than chasing after them correcting bad behaviors! When we are too busy, we often skip over much of this groundwork, but it is so important.<br />
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In order to have polite children, we must expect and practice <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">COURTESY</span></b> regularly in our homes! There really is no other way to ingrain this personality trait. As parents, it is imperative to model courteous behavior in front of them. We must also demand it from our children as they interact with their siblings. You cannot expect a child to act however they like at home, then put on manners when they are out in public. Manners and courtesy must be practiced often to become second nature - a way of life.<br />
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Often as parents, we are guilty of giving our children lists of chores and expecting their help regularly (and rightfully so) without ever showing them some gratitude. Everyone enjoys being appreciated for their efforts and hard work, and children are no exception. When someone feels appreciated, they will happily work harder and do more out of a willing heart.<br />
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I have found that when I demonstrate courtesy by thanking my children for their contributions to our household, through chores, that they feel more like a part of a team than just 'slave labor'. Of course, children's behavior mirrors their parents, so when I show gratitude they begin to do it more frequently as well.<br />
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Another way children can be taught to show courtesy is by writing thank you notes to each other for gifts received. After Christmas or birthdays, provide dollar store thank you cards, or allow the children to make their own, and write them to each other. Not only is it great writing practice, but it establishes some common rules of courtesy in the family. As parents, we write them to our children as well when they give us gifts.<br />
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Using manners at all times in the home will make them second nature to your children when they are out. If they are constantly hearing 'please', 'thank you', 'you're welcome', 'excuse me', and other common phrases, they will begin using those phrases often, sometimes with a little prodding as needed.<br />
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Setting high expectations for common courtesy will create a respectful atmosphere in the home, where the family members treat each other well and there is peace and harmony.<br />
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The Bible tells us in Psalms 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"</blockquote>
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It is not unrealistic to think that siblings can get along in a pleasant and courteous way, but it will take effort on the part of the parents to establish those expectations, and to correct behavior that quickly spirals into bickering and fighting. Things will not always be harmonious, but let a pleasant and courteous atmosphere be the goal that the family is constantly striving for! It will be pleasing to God, and help to make courtesy common in the lives of your children.<br />
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In our world today, common courtesy is a lost art - no longer common! Let's do our part to change that in our small corner of the world.<br />
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<i>Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - <a href="http://www.aclassofone.blogspot.com/">www.aclassofone.blogspot.com</a> All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.</i></div>
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I am having a great time reading along with <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Meg</span></a> and <a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Cristi</span></a> and all the other blogs on this <a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/2015/11/blogging-through-alphabet-week-3-letter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FhSjmg+%28Through+the+Calm+and+Through+the+Storm%29" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Blogging Through The Alphabet Journey.</span></a> Stop by and read some of the great ideas and recipes!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-44266838436298185652015-11-15T17:09:00.000-08:002015-11-16T05:55:47.433-08:00Blue Ribbon Awards for 2015I just finished my last curriculum review for 2015 and was able to look back over the year, enjoying what a wonderful year it was! We were able to review <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/p/the-old-schoolhouse-reviews-2015.html"><span style="color: blue;">34 different home school items</span></a> this year, incorporating them into our daily routine. Reviewing has become a fun way to enhance our home school, learn about new products to share with others, and give feedback directly the companies that are producing these products.<br />
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The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew recently voted on our favorite items for the year, and I wanted to share a round up of our family's personal favorites here on my blog. We are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the winners of the Crew's 2015 favorites, also called the Blue Ribbon Awards. Our whole family was able to participate in the voting, casting ballots for "kid's choice", "teen's choice", "family favorite", and "parent's favorite".<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are our top favorites for this year:</span><br />
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<b>Kelly's Favorite:</b> A math program...<span style="color: blue;">.<a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/03/review-gpa-learn-online-math-curriculum.html">GPA Learn</a></span><br />
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The rewards that are built into this program were the biggest draw for Kelly, making this program her favorite. She still will log in during her free time to practice math and earn reward certificates.<br />
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<b>Melissa's favorite:</b> She actually had two, (although we had to narrow it down to just one vote). I will mention both her favorites here though....<br />
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The wide variety of videos covering so many different topics inspired <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-smartkidz-media-library.html">SmartKidz Media</a> </span>to be her top choice. She has especially loved watching the history movies and cooking videos.<br />
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Melissa loves to read, and her other choice is a book that we received to review, called <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/03/review-thick-as-thieves.html">Thick As Thieves.</a> </span>This is a story found in the Old West, with a girl and a horse. It's a great, wholesome book, and Melissa has read it several times.</div>
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<b>Laura's favorite:</b> Even though Laura graduated this past June and is a college student now, she still wanted her vote to count, so I'll include it here. Laura wholeheartedly endorsed the high school level AP prep courses in <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/11/review-standard-deviants-accelerate.html">Standard Deviants Accelerate</a>. </span>Laura used this program to study for AP and CLEP exams and felt they gave a good overall preparation.<br />
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<b>Mom's favorite:</b> This was a tough one...do I choose the one that I personally liked the best, or the one that I think was best for my family?? Hmmm..... I ended up choosing one that our whole family has enjoyed together over and over since it arrived in our home, and that is <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/11/review-brinkman-adventures-season-three.html">The Brinkman Adventures.</a> </span>These audio adventures about a large family helping missionaries around the world really touched our hearts in a special way, and we have spent countless hours listening to them together in the kitchen and the car. </div>
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<b>Dad's Favorite</b>: Our very first review of the year was definitely a winner for Dad. He watched and fully embraced the movie <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-indoctrination-movie.html">Indoctrination,</a> </span>and has referred back to it often in preaching or conversations. He has also shared it with many people, including several teachers that we know. </div>
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<b>Our Grand Prize Winner:</b> Hands down, all the children mentioned this one for our overall favorite.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-heirloom-audio-productions-in.html">In Freedom's Cause</a></span></div>
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This audio drama from Heirloom Audio Productions was a real treat. The music and story line are great, and not only did we really enjoy it, but we also learned a lot about the history of Scotland from it. The girls have enjoyed listening to the soundtrack, as well as quoting their favorite lines from it. Everything we have listened to from Heirloom has been fantastic, but there was just something really special about this CD.</div>
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<b>Best Additions to our Home School:</b> Being able to review foreign language courses has been one of our favorite aspects of being on the Crew. This year, Kelly and Melissa both got to review a foreign language course that they both fell in love with, so I have to list both of them as the winner to our best addition to our curriculum. </div>
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Melissa was able to review <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/09/review-middlebury-interactive-languages.html">Middlebury Interactive Languages French 1.</a> </span>It is a high school level course that is the next best thing to having an in-person teacher. We absolutely love this program and Melissa is doing very well with it. </div>
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Kelly is having so much fun working through <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/10/review-brookdale-house-fun-spanish.html">The Fun Spanish</a> </span>from Brookdale House. For middle school, she is learning so much about Spanish grammar and translation. I am glad she has been able to experience this program.</div>
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Thanks for sticking with us this year and I hope some of these reviews have been a help to you on this home school journey. Stay tuned as I will be announcing the Crew's Blue Ribbon Awards this week!</div>
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<i>Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - <a href="http://www.aclassofone.blogspot.com/">www.aclassofone.blogspot.com</a> All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.</i><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Would you like to know the Crew's favorites, and winners of this year's Blue Ribbon Awards? Click the banner below to read about all the special home school products that won the prestigious honor of being named the best by a panel of home school families!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-85839570286021091552015-11-14T17:51:00.005-08:002015-11-14T17:51:49.341-08:00Parenting With Godly Purpose: Busyness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week's post is something that has been on my heart a lot as my children grow older. Lately it seems like every activity in the world beckons to my kids. They want to experience so many different things, yet we struggle to stay grounded and close as a family. Also, as parents, my husband and I are running in a thousand different directions while still trying to do all we can to be good parents.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Busyness.</span></b><br />
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It seems to be the scourge of American life and of Christianity, in my opinion.<br />
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Not only are there the necessary things that clamor for our time....such as church, work, ministry, and household chores, but then we feel the pull to enrich our lives with extras such as hobbies, sports, music lessons, home school activities, trips, parties....and the list goes on and on.<br />
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We can be so committed, or over-committed, to activities that we miss the main goal, even while we are thinking that we are chasing after things that we must do!<br />
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What is the main goal? First and foremost, to love the Lord our God, and our neighbor as ourselves. Secondarily, as parents, we must find a way to build a strong relationship with our children and tie lots of heart strings between us and them, while we are also teaching them to love God and their fellow man. Sometimes the busyness of life just plain gets in the way of this.<br />
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In my own life, I often have to fight to say no to things, making a choice between something that is good and something else that is better. Rarely do we 'waste time' yet some of those days when we do produce some of the best memories with our kids.<br />
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I think this is a situation that each parent must examine for themselves to see if their parenting life is balanced in these areas, or if they are just plain too busy to spend time getting to know their child. Can you name your child's favorites? Favorite color, snack, book?<br />
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We need to take the time to unplug from our electronics and be one hundred percent available to our children, rather than always being available to everyone in the world, and interrupting our child because we have to answer a text or phone call.<br />
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Enrichment activities are important for homeschoolers of course, but when the endless lessons and sports and classes begin to wear out the doers from all the hectic schedule, it might be time to pick and choose which ones are most important and which ones can fade away.<br />
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Do you have a child who secretly hopes the power goes out or a class gets canceled so they can spend some time just being with you and 'hanging around'? Are your children too tired to be faithful to their devotions because of their busy life? Then these might be clues that the schedule needs some close inspection.<br />
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Also, one thing I notice is that sometimes the schedule is so booked, and every minute so planned out, that we eliminate any chance of being spontaneous, because, well...we are just too busy! Perhaps a neat opportunity comes our way, or the pastor announces a special meeting at church, yet we can't make the time to attend because of prior commitments to everything, or from just plain being too worn out and stressed to add 'one more thing' to the schedule.<br />
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Don't let busyness ruin your investment in parenting. Live the simple life as much as you can. Sometimes the common, everyday life is truly the best!<br />
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<i>Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - <a href="http://www.aclassofone.blogspot.com/">www.aclassofone.blogspot.com</a> All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.</i></div>
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This post is linked up with <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Meg</span></a> and <a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/2015/11/blogging-through-alphabet-week-2-letter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FhSjmg+%28Through+the+Calm+and+Through+the+Storm%29" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Cristi's</span></a> "Blogging Through The Alphabet"</div>
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Check out the link for <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/2015/11/blogging-through-alphabet-week-2-letter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FhSjmg+%28Through+the+Calm+and+Through+the+Storm%29" rel="nofollow">a list of fun ABC themes</a>!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-50209468313030764912015-11-12T21:46:00.000-08:002015-11-12T21:46:10.305-08:00Review: GrapeVine Studies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always on the lookout for good Bible study materials for kids because of the many different ways we use them. Not only do we enjoy doing them as a family, but we also work with a lot of kids outside our family, from young ones all the way up to teens, and fresh materials are always a help.</div>
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This year, we really needed a good Bible study program, as we are between two different ones that I like to use with the kids, so the opportunity to review <a href="http://grapevinestudies.com/product/the-birth-of-jesus-studies-multi-level/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">The Birth of Jesus - Multi-level Studies</span></a> from <a href="https://grapevinestudies.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">GrapeVine Studies</span></a> came at the perfect time for us. </div>
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<b><i>What is GrapeVine Studies?</i></b> This is a Bible study curriculum designed specifically for children to use with their own Bibles and study materials. It does not promote any one certain faith or practice, but allows the student to learn Bible stories through a multi-sensory approach that includes hearing, seeing, and drawing the lessons. GrapeVine has materials for all ages, including beginner lessons for preschoolers all the way through studies for teens.</div>
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<b><i>How does this curriculum work?</i></b> We received a teacher book, student book, and traceable lessons that can be used for all ages, but are especially helpful for really young students. The Birth of Jesus contains five lessons, that should span about 24 days worth of activity. The program is self paced and very flexible. Older students can complete more, but parents/teachers can break the lessons down into daily or even weekly pages to complete as they see fit. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love seeing my kids using their Bibles and studying verses!</span></td></tr>
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The lesson contains a complete timeline for the entire story. We started out by reading the verses and filling out that timeline to see the big picture. Though the teacher book has plenty of suggestions for how to teach the lessons, in the end, the teacher can tailor the program to best meet the needs of their students. </div>
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Each lesson has several drawing pages that correlate with the verses listed. Students hear the story, then draw (or write) it back on these pages, as they understand it. There is a memory verse for each lesson that the student copies onto their worksheet. Also each lesson gives a space for the student to draw what their favorite part of that piece of the story is. At the end of the lesson are review questions which can be answered orally or written down. Each lesson also reviews the timeline regularly, and builds on it as the student progresses through the curriculum.</div>
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<b><i>What is included in the books? </i></b>The teacher book has diagrams that the teacher can use to draw the lesson on the board as they teach it. Some teachers would prefer that the student interprets the story on their own and draws their own perspective, rather than just copying the teacher's drawings, so the teacher can also just use the teacher book as a guideline for what points to emphasize for each drawing block of the story, guiding the students into completing their pages. The teacher book is 64 pages long.</div>
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The 48 page student book contains all the worksheets for the student to read the verses and complete their drawings. GrapeVine is built on the premise that students will retain more information by utilizing this method of hearing the lesson and then drawing it.</div>
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The traceable worksheets that we received are the same as the student book, with the exception of the faded gray 'shadow' stick figures drawn on the blocks, for younger children to trace over. </div>
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<b><i>How did we use this?</i></b> I used this program with Kelly, my 5th grader. I think she's at a good age for this, because she is starting to develop a little more abstract thinking and interpretive skills, and was able to draw some very interesting illustrations for the program. The stick figures really made her laugh, and she definitely remembered fine details of the stories. The first day I showed her how to draw the stick figure people and she copied my sketches. After that, she took off on her own and came up with some pretty neat illustrations - some resembled the teacher's guide, while others were very different, but all were interesting!</div>
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We were able to get out the Bible Atlas as well, and complete a map of Judea at the time of Christ's birth. This was a great exercise in finding information and using the Atlas. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Using the atlas to complete the map of Judea</span></td></tr>
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The lessons are set up to work them over a 4-5 day period, with built in review days at the end of the week. Because the stories were familiar, Kelly wanted to work at a faster pace. The simplicity of the drawings is conducive to moving along at a faster pace if desired. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Day 1 of Lesson 1, copying the stick figures.<br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some of Kelly's illustrations, showing the generations of the genealogy of Christ, and Mary and Joseph's responses to the news. </span></td></tr>
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<b><i>What do we think?</i></b> This is a simple and enjoyable Bible study curriculum for kids. Kelly laughed quite a bit at the silly drawings (mine included) and really surprised me with some of the interesting ways she illustrated the stories. It was great insight into the way her mind is thinking about the Bible at this stage of her life. <i>As a mom, I was pleased to find a way to have an enjoyable time studying the Bible together with my daughter using GrapeVine Studies.</i></div>
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<b><i>Need some more information? </i></b>GrapeVine has a web page that explains <a href="http://grapevinestudies.com/about-the-levels/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">all the levels</span></a> to choose which one would be best for your child. The multi-level curriculum has suggestions in the teacher book for breaking the lesson down into meaningful parts to use with a range of ages, which makes it perfect for a home school family. GrapeVine also has <a href="http://grapevinestudies.com/sample-lessons/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">sample lessons</span></a> on their website to give you a better idea of what a day of GrapeVine lessons might look like in your home school. </div>
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<b><i>A side note:</i></b> On the worksheets, only the references are printed out, not the entire verse. I see two distinct advantages to this: 1) We are able to use our own King James Bibles, and 2) the children get practice in finding verses and reading them out of the Bible, rather than just off a worksheet. I feel like reading the verses right out of the Bible makes them feel like they are really doing a Bible study, not just a fun worksheet.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-18284200491967088162015-11-12T20:53:00.004-08:002015-11-12T20:53:29.563-08:00Critical Thinking Discount Code<span style="font-size: large;">Just after publishing my last review, I received an email with a discount code from <a href="http://www.criticalthinking.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">The Critical Thinking Company.</span></a> Because we have enjoyed our review items from them so much, we had a few things we were planning on purchasing, so this code comes at just the right time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to share it here, in case anyone else would like to try any of their great products, including the ones we have just reviewed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">With any purchase over $25, you can save 20% off your order! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Use coupon code <span style="color: #cc0000;">HVT1511</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-90938702676936319242015-11-11T11:04:00.002-08:002015-11-11T11:04:16.288-08:00Review: The Basics of Critical Thinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite perks of homeschooling is being able to tailor the curriculum to suit my children's needs and address their weaknesses. For a long time, I have known that critical thinking skills were an area that I needed to focus on, so when the opportunity came along to review <a href="http://www.criticalthinking.com/the-basics-of-critical-thinking.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">The Basics of Critical Thinking</span></a> from <a href="http://www.criticalthinking.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">The Critical Thinking Co.</span></a> I was thrilled to receive the book and start in on it with Melissa and Kelly.<br />
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As you may remember from my past review of <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/03/review-critical-thinking-company.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Math Analogies</span></a> from The Critical Thinking Co., I thoroughly enjoy the emphasis this company places on teaching real life skills to children of all ages through a wide variety of curriculum choices.<br />
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<a href="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/-2015%20CREW/Critical%20Thinking/3%20The%20Basics%20of%20Critical%20Thinking_zpslotyt356.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/-2015%20CREW/Critical%20Thinking/3%20The%20Basics%20of%20Critical%20Thinking_zpslotyt356.gif" /></a><b><i>About The Basics of Critical Thinking:</i></b> This is a softcover 144 page book that introduces the student to all concepts of critical thinking through twenty lessons. Each colorful lesson is about 4-6 pages long, and first explains a concept, followed by a sample problem, and then several pages of student practice problems. There is an answer key in the back of the book that thoroughly explains the correct answer and how it came to be. Text is large print, nicely spaced, attractive, and easy to read.<br />
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<b><i>Age Recommendations:</i></b> Critical Thinking Co. lists this book for grades 4-9, which I think is a very accurate range. Children younger than that really do not have the mental capacity for the abstract thought processes and deduction/reasoning skills that are required for this book. I also think that older students could benefit from this book if they have not yet had exposure to critical thinking skills or are struggling in that area.<br />
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<b><i>Topics covered:</i></b> The lessons do not need to be done in order. In fact, we skipped around and did a little from multiple lessons, just to mix it up a bit. After reading and learning the concept, the student can do one or more of the practice problems. <b>Lessons focus on the following:</b><br />
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<li>Decisions & conclusions</li>
<li>Beliefs & claims</li>
<li>Finding & evaluating evidence</li>
<li>Inferring & inferences</li>
<li>Facts & opinions</li>
<li>Facts, probable truths, & probably falsehoods</li>
<li>Venn diagrams</li>
<li>Logical connectives</li>
<li>Advertising</li>
<li>Agreements & contracts</li>
<li>Common errors in reasoning</li>
<li>Arguments, including valid and invalid arguments such as straw man or red herring</li>
<li>Fallacies</li>
<li>Analogies</li>
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There are also a few pages of teacher notes that explain what critical thinking is, why it is important, and some myths that people cling to regarding critical thinking.</div>
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<b><i>How we used this: </i></b> Although the lessons are designed to be worked independently by the student, I decided to do these exercises together with Kelly (grade 5) and Melissa (grade 9). They would take turns filling out the page as we discussed the lesson. There was so much information that I really wanted to teach them and be sure that they were fully grasping the concepts. I would first go over the presentation of the concept, then we would read and discuss the sample problem before allowing them to take over and answer the questions on their own. It was interesting to see how quickly they grasped the material and were able to 'solve' the practice problems. </div>
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Another interesting phenomenon occurred as we sat at the table and worked through this book. My two college kids migrated into the room and began enthusiastically participating in the lessons. They were thrilled to know that critical thinking skills were being addressed in our home school in such a fun way, because they have come to realize how important that is when attending college. They eagerly jumped into the animated discussion, and we really had a great time working through the pages of this book as a family. Every time we have worked on this book we get the same result - a fun time and kids who don't want to stop, begging for just one more page please!!</div>
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<b><i>My opinion:</i></b> I am hooked on this book, and am so glad that we have been able to use it. The kids really enjoyed the argument lesson that focused on straw man and red herring arguments, and have begun pointing those out in everyday discussions, asking whether a certain statement qualifies as one of these. I love that there is very little lecture time or wordiness, and that the students learn through the repetition of interesting activities. There is little writing. Really, there is absolutely nothing that a kid could complain about when completing these lessons. The entire time they are working, they are learning. I liked this book so much that I am planning on purchasing the next level, <a href="http://www.criticalthinking.com/practical-critical-thinking.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Practical Critical Thinking, </span></a> to work on once we finish this book.</div>
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<b><i>The Kids' Favorite:</i></b> The girls enjoyed working on<i> "Finding Evidence"</i> the most, because it involved solving mysteries. A problem was presented, then four choices were given as possible solutions. By evaluating evidence, a reasonable solution was found. Here is an example of one of those pages, where they figured out which suspect was the thief.</div>
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They also really liked the colorful Venn Diagrams, even though they found them to be pretty easy.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-78956132724684619732015-11-11T08:35:00.002-08:002015-11-11T08:35:45.595-08:00Thank you Veterans! (Wordless Wednesday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-14196158922463370942015-11-06T05:00:00.000-08:002015-11-18T05:02:03.527-08:00Review: Eat Your Science Homework<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What better way to learn science than to combine it with something kids love - working in the kitchen and making snacks? <a href="http://annmccallumbooks.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ann McCallum Books</span></a> has produced a lineup of kid friendly books for Science, History, and Math that make learning fun! </div>
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We had the privilege of reviewing <a href="http://www.charlesbridge.com/products/eat-your-science-homework" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Eat Your Science Homework</span></a> - Recipes for Inquiring Minds, and we had a lot of fun with it!</div>
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<b><i>About Ann McCallum:</i></b> Ann is a former one-room schoolhouse teacher, who has traveled extensively and written several different educational books. </div>
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<b><i>About Eat Your Science Homework:</i></b> This is a 48 page softcover book that has six projects along with a plateful of science information and facts. Ann covers everything from safety in the 'lab' (the kitchen) to using the scientific method. The book is full of fun and appealing illustrations along with vocabulary terms that are important to know, and introduces young scientists to many terms and concepts that are actually more advanced, but made simple in a fun and easy-to-relate-to way through comparing them with foods. </div>
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<b><i>About the projects:</i></b> Each project includes a simplified recipe embedded in several pages of science notes, that explain the concepts being demonstrated by the recipe. While some of it may be a little hard to grasp, it is a great introduction to such tough scientific facts such as the periodic table of the elements, chemistry, forensics, or the solar system. </div>
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<b><i>Walk Through A Project:</i></b> For this review, I would like to walk you through our experience with one of the projects, so you can see how thorough of a science lesson it was, as well as how much we enjoyed it. </div>
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In the pictures above, you will see the progression of our science project, aka "Atomic Popcorn Balls". After reading the page in the book about elements, and looking at the Periodic Table of the elements, we discussed how molecules are formed by elements that bond together. The purpose of the project was to demonstrate that two hydrogen atoms (the blue popcorn balls) and one oxygen atom (the pink popcorn ball) could be joined together to form a water molecule.</div>
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The directions in the book are very simple. Because my girls are older and a little more experienced in the kitchen, they needed very little help with making the recipe, although younger children would definitely need adult supervision when using the stove or completing the recipes.</div>
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The girls gathered the necessary ingredients and followed the steps to make two different colored popcorn balls. They then used toothpicks to join them together into 'water molecules'. </div>
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We found the project interesting, and the girls definitely enjoyed learning about science while making snacks that they enjoyed eating. They talked about the lesson the entire time they were eating their popcorn balls, and even told some friends about it when they shared some of the extra snacks!<br />
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<b><i>A Bonus for Teachers:</i></b> On the website, there is a free downloadable educational guide that gives the teacher/parent some extra key concepts to emphasize when completing a project. There are also printable vocabulary charts and pages that would make great additions to a scientific notebook for a student, allowing them to really turn this book into a great addition to their science learning. The 21 page book includes templates for the teacher to use, and students to fill in.<br />
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Here is an example of a student page from the teacher's guide:</div>
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<b><i>Age Recommendation:</i></b> While this book is geared towards ages 7-10, I have to say that my 10 and 14 year olds both enjoyed it immensely. While the concepts were not new to them, it was a great review of things they have learned, and also was a great demonstration of concepts to help their understanding grow deeper.</div>
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<b><i>Our overall opinion:</i></b> We had so much fun with this book. It inspires me to make learning fun with my kids by doing great little hands-on projects like this to help them remember the concepts. I am inspired to try some of the other books in this series, because the girls enjoyed this book so much. </div>
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To read about the other books in this series and see how the Crew used them, click the banner:</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-89671827389558970562015-11-05T10:25:00.001-08:002015-11-05T19:59:43.225-08:00Parenting With Godly Purpose: Affirmation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been challenged to start a new "Blogging Through The Alphabet" series, and decided that I always do better with a theme than just picking random topics.<br />
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After much thought, I have decided to do a series on<i><b> "Parenting With Godly Purpose"</b></i> since that is the season of life I am in right now, and pretty much all my waking hours are filled with parenting moments - both good and bad. I will be sharing my thoughts on things the Lord has showed me, or verses or material I read, as well as mistakes I make, to try to encourage some of my readers along the road of their own parenting journey.<br />
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My first post is a topic that is very close to my heart - an area that I feel is vital for parents to get right, and one that I am continually striving for in thoughts and actions. That topic is <b>AFFIRMATION.</b><br />
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What do I mean by affirmation? I mean the consistent outpouring and reassurance of your love to your children. The sense of security that comes when they know they are valued by the people who mean the most to them in all the world. When babies join our family, it is easy to constantly dote on them, loving and cuddling and spending all kinds of time. After years of being on the clock though, often we as parents grow stale in showing all this attention and affection, and start to unknowingly pull away as we allow our children the room to grow.<br />
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While it is important to give them the space to grow, learn, and experience life, it is also equally important to be the anchor that they can fall back on. The toughest, strongest young person still counts on the opinion and affirmation of their parent to anchor themselves.<br />
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As children morph into mini adults and start testing out their ideas, these creatures called teenagers can be a test to our power of affirmation. Sometimes it is easier to pull away from a challenging young person than to hang in there, stay strong, and weather the storm. It can be difficult to be the adult in the relationship and not back down on our convictions when they are challenged, but to patiently explain the reasons why we do what we do.<br />
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Through all of these challenges, look for ways to affirm your love and loyalty to your child by learning what makes them tick and what makes them feel loved, then faithfully carrying it out. Perhaps you have a child that feels loved when they are hugged. It is important to hug them and tell them "I love you" frequently, even multiple times a day! All children need to hear words of affirmation regularly. Choose something everyday that is positive and good, and point it out to them, complimenting their effort, character, or achievement. I like to always compliment demonstrations of good character to affirm that type of behavior. Perhaps caring for their physical needs is what speaks to their heart the most, if so, be sure to make them meals, especially their favorites. Save leftovers for them, and think ahead to packing lunches or snacks when they might need it.<br />
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One of the saddest stories I have heard from an almost grown teenager was that their parent wasn't saving a meal for them anymore since they started working late. Parents, those teens may act like they can take care of themselves without your help, but they desperately need you, and deep down inside is a young person who is longing for the days when they were a child and were cared for completely. They don't necessarily like growing up, even if they fail to let you in on that secret!<br />
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One effective way to affirm our love to our children is by entering their world. It speaks volumes when we give up some of our busy schedule to get involved in something that is important to our children, even if it may not be our first choice of activities for our own entertainment. Perhaps your child likes to play Legos, or a sport, or maybe they have an interesting hobby or pet. Find out what you can do to share that interest with them, and build a relationship through it.<br />
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There are so many ways we can affirm our love to our children, and let them know that we value and appreciate them. While they do need our attention and affection, they also need constant reminders that we are thinking of them, and they have great worth to us, and to God. As parents, we are in a unique place to provide this for them, because we know them better than anyone.<br />
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So I challenge you parents to find creative ways to show love and attention to your children, no matter what their age is. Hide a note, send a text, buy a snack, cook a meal, or go out and spend some time together. It will build your relationship and give your young person an anchor of security in this crazy world.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">This post is linked with <a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/2015/11/welcome-to-blogging-through-alphabet.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FhSjmg+%28Through+the+Calm+and+Through+the+Storm%29" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">"Blogging Through The Alphabet"</span></a> and my friends <a href="http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Cristi</span></a> and <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Meg</span></a></span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-24362209415227734812015-11-05T08:11:00.002-08:002015-11-05T08:11:19.550-08:00Review: Brinkman Adventures Season Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Audio adventure CD's from <a href="https://brinkmanadventures.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Brinkman Adventures</span></a> have become a favorite in our family. The stories are woven into the fabric of our family life in a very real way. Our whole family absolutely LOVES listening to them over and over, and discussing them. We were thrilled to review the latest series, <a href="https://www.brinkmanadventures.com/store" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Brinkman Adventures: Season Three</span></a> as soon as it was available!<br />
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We were first introduced to the Brinkman's when we reviewed <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2014/04/review-brinkman-adventures.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">Season Two</span></a> last year. My kids were immediately hooked, and I loved the wholesome and inspiring stories. We are big fans of audio drama and these stories were interesting because they are based on real life missionaries and events. After reviewing Season Two, we immediately purchased Season One, and the kids began stalking the website for Season Three.<br />
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<b><i>About the Brinkmans:</i></b> The entire family collaborates on writing, editing, and performing the episodes. They are a large family with a heart for missions, and are seeking to teach children about the wonderful ways God is working in missions today in our world. While they are busy doing God's work, they show a fun and delightful family life, and weave in plenty of values and character training lessons into the stories.<br />
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<b><i>About this CD set:</i></b> The Season Three set contains four CD's with about five hours of listening time. The CD's come in a nice case which is great for storage, but also makes it ideal for gift giving.<br />
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<b><i>About the stories:</i></b> In Season Three, part of the Brinkman family travels to Alaska for quite the adventure when a casual trip turns into a life-saving experience. There are also stories about the work of Steve Saint (son of martyr Nate Saint) and the work with the Waodani Indians in Ecuador. A fictional country (to protect the real work that is currently ongoing) is the setting for a Bible smuggler, and a young girl overcomes her fears and inhibitions to accomplish a great project for others. A church and children's ministry in Hong Kong and Bible translation work for a secluded tribe round out the adventures.<br />
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<b><i>Extras on the website:</i></b> There is a page on the Brinkman Adventures website that includes <a href="https://www.brinkmanadventures.com/fun-stuff" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue;">fun stuff</span></a> to help children understand the background of the stories on the CD. There are <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.brinkmanadventures.com/real-stories/season-3" rel="nofollow">videos and information</a> </span>about the people, cultures, and countries that are mentioned, which really help the children to understand all that is going on in the story. There are also free printable coloring pages that correspond to the various stories. The children greatly enjoy going onto this page and reading about the episodes to find out what part is fictional and what is fact. They have been surprised and delighted to read how much of the Brinkman stories are actual events that have occurred!<br />
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<b><i>Our favorite story:</i></b> I have to say that we all were thrilled and delighted with Tomas the Bible smuggler (God's mule). We listened with intensity as he was disowned by his father for choosing to leave his college training to serve the Lord, and we held our breath when we were afraid he would be caught with the Bibles that are considered contraband in the country he was entering. In the end, we cheered when we learned of his father's salvation.<br />
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<b><i>Character building:</i></b> I found the story of Evylin (the silent ambassador) and her Operation Christmas Child shoebox project to be inspiring. I felt that it showed how God can help anyone who is willing to overcome their fears and inhibitions, and do something great. Also, it was a real life example of God blessing a person who is diligent in their daily life, and opening doors for them to travel and do things they never imagined. This story was a great help to my girls, who sometimes are hindered by their own fears and shortcomings, to see how God can use them.<br />
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<b><i>Final Recommendation:</i></b> Once again, I highly recommend The Brinkman Adventures for families and especially for children who enjoy audio drama and love missions!<br />
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It is great fun to keep up with the Brinkman's on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Brinkman-Adventures-152895116079/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Facebook!</span></a><br />
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<i>To read what other Crew families think about the Brinkman Adventures, click the banner below:</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-55549502951573313732015-11-03T21:19:00.003-08:002015-11-03T21:19:24.121-08:00Review: Standard Deviants Accelerate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We recently have had the privilege to renew our membership with <a href="http://www.sdaccelerate.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Standard Deviants Accelerate</span></a> for another fun year of their <a href="http://www.sdaccelerate.com/homeschool-courses/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Homeschool Courses.</span></a> You may recall that we reviewed some of the high school programs of Standard Deviants Accelerate<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2014/10/review-standard-deviants-accelerate.html">last year,</a></span> so this year I decided to focus more on middle school content for my review.<br />
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<b><i>What is Standard Deviants Accelerate?</i></b> It is an online, video-based program that covers all core subjects from about third grade on through high school. Each course has about 40 hours of material, lessons, and assignments, and is completely student led, so that the student can work through the material at their own pace. It is meant to be a supplement, not necessarily a stand alone curriculum.<br />
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<b><i>What courses are offered?</i></b> There are only a few courses appropriate for younger elementary students. Most of the material is meant for 7th-12th grade. Here is a list of the courses and related grade levels that are available.<br />
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<li>Arithmetic (grades 3+)</li>
<li>Fundamental Math (grades 4+)</li>
<li>Earth Science (grades 6+)</li>
<li>Nutrition (grades 6+)</li>
<li>Biology (grades 7+)</li>
<li>Algebra (grades 7+)</li>
<li>Chemistry (grades 9+)</li>
<li>English Comp (grades 9+)</li>
<li>U. S. History (grades 9+)</li>
<li>AP Biology (grades 11+)</li>
<li>AP Chemistry (grades 11+)</li>
<li>AP U. S. Gov. & Politics (grades 11+)</li>
<li>AP Eng. Composition (grades 11+)</li>
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<b><i>How does the program work?</i></b> Once the parent has purchased and set up their account, they are able to set up a student account for each student who will be using the program. Parents select the courses they would like to complete, and can assign classes to their students. The program can be purchased for a single subject, for only one month, or multiple subjects can be purchased for a longer time frame. If your family is using the program strictly for review or test prep, one month may be enough time to complete the subject. There are so many interesting subjects though, that for some families it may be a better option to purchase access to all subjects, giving all their students an opportunity to work through the classes.</div>
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<b><i>Current pricing:</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Teacher's Perks:</i></b> There is a simple grade book and progress report for the teacher that shows how much work the student has completed, and how they have scored. There are extensive rubrics to assist the parent/teacher to grade written assignments. Parents can look at each student's grade book separately and also see the work they have submitted. </div>
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<b><i>Measuring Success for Students:</i></b> Students also have their own progress reports on their personal accounts, where they can check on how their overall grade is. There is a 'compass' that shows the grades, and helps the student measure their own progress. As the student earns better grades, the arrow on the compass grows longer, and the color bar at the bottom of the screen lengthens. It is just another tangible way, besides number/letter grades, for the student to quickly realize how they are faring. (Although number grade averages are given as well)</div>
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Two progress report compasses show a shorter arrow when just beginning, and a longer arrow as the grades improve. Also notice the color bar across the bottom!</div>
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<b><i>What is in a lesson?</i></b> Each lesson has five distinct parts: Video, Vocabulary, Diagram, Quiz, and Written Answer. The video is what the student watches first. (shown below on the right) There is also a written transcript (on the left of the screen) for them to follow along with what is being said. A word about the videos: they are silly, funny, and cheesy, but definitely get the point across and a lot of information is packed into each one. </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The next part that the student engages in is the vocabulary list. Difficult words have the option of being dictated to help the student to learn them. </span><br />
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Following the vocabulary list is an activity where the student clicks and drags words into a diagram to answer questions about the lesson and the vocabulary words. (This is my girls' favorite part of the lesson).</div>
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After completing the diagram, students take a quiz, typically multiple choice, about the lesson they have just completed. The quizzes are short, but again, packed with a lot of information.</div>
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When completing the quiz, the student is referred back to the video for all incorrect answers, giving immediate feedback and correction which is extremely helpful.</div>
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Following the quiz is a written assignment that the student must complete regarding the lesson and answering the writing prompt. Once submitted, the teacher/parent is able to compare the written assignment to the rubric and give the student an appropriate grade.</div>
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<b><i>A Few Random Notes:</i></b> When the student logs on, they are greeted with a colorful dashboard of classes that their parent has assigned to them. Melissa's dashboard consisted of four classes, and looked like this:</div>
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Once the student clicks on one of these graphics and enters a class, they are greeted with a table of contents listing all the lessons. A small check mark is placed next to each completed lesson, helping the student keep track of where they left off. </div>
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<b><i>I absolutely must mention: </i></b> My older daughter, Laura, who graduated this past summer, used the AP test prep courses for all her AP and CLEP exams, and did extremely well, earning a whole semester's worth of college credit prior to commencing her college journey! She went through the test prep courses several times, and gave them high marks for being relevant and thorough. She said that the silliness of some of the videos and the way the material was presented really helped it to stick in her brain, and she remember so much of the material as she was taking those tests. We highly recommend and endorse the Test Prep courses for high school students who might have an interest in taking those tests.</div>
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<b><i>How We Used SDA this time around:</i></b> We have used the program for review and to supplement subjects already being taught in our home school, and we have also been using the Nutrition course as a stand alone course for the whole family. Both girls have been using Math, English, History, and Biology courses through SDA. While Kelly is a little young for some of the courses, (she is in 5th grade) she has been enjoying them and carrying about an 80% average on the quizzes! It is pretty clear that the material is easily recalled by students, and I credit the fast paced and funny videos for that. Also, the quick review of the material through several different types of activities is an important part of helping the students to remember the material. Melissa has been using the program to reinforce her current studies, and has found it very helpful, and a change of pace from straight book learning. Both girls have enjoyed the fact that we sit together and watch the Nutrition lessons, and giggle at some of the antics of the cast featured on the videos. </div>
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<b><i>My Opinion:</i></b> While I wouldn't use this as a core curriculum by itself, I think it GREATLY enhances and complements the study of the listed subjects. The videos and activities reinforce learning. The kids enjoy them greatly, which is always a catalyst for learning and retaining more information. The kids repeatedly mention that the silly streak of the videos is what makes those facts stay in their brains. The lessons are not too long, so it is just enough to add to the day for some review. I am SO GLAD we have the opportunity to review SDA again this year, and I am very grateful for the generosity of the company allowing our family to have full access to all the subjects of the program for this year. The girls have enjoyed dabbling in subjects that they are not currently doing, just to 'see what they are about' and I am always greatly encouraged by any program that inspires my children to study and learn, especially on their own!</div>
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<b><i>To Catch Up with SDA on social media:</i></b><br />
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<b><i>To read how other Crew members have been using Standard Deviants Accelerate, click the banner below:</i></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-2556106344796176172015-10-30T07:28:00.003-07:002015-10-30T07:32:32.412-07:00Review: Maestro Classics "The Nutcracker"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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'The Nutcracker' has always been a favorite in our home. The girls really enjoy the music in it, and we have even gone to see it performed in person. Since we love Christmas music, it is not unusual to hear 'The Nutcracker' being played year round in our house. We have reviewed "stories in music" CD's from <a href="http://www.maestroclassics.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Maestro Classics</span></a> before, so when I learned they were releasing a new CD of <a href="http://www.maestroclassics.com/the-nutcracker.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Nutcracker</span></a> I was very excited to have the privilege to review it, because I knew the girls would absolutely love it! Even better is the fact that veteran storyteller Jim Weiss is the author and narrator on the CD. We enjoy his distinctive voice and own many stories on CD that have been read or performed by him.<br />
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<b><i>About Maestro Classics: </i></b>This company marries classic stories with fine classical music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and turns them into entertaining and educational CD's for children. They have an <a href="http://www.maestroclassics.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">entire lineup</span></a> of great stories complete with listening samples on their website. Each CD comes with a small study guide included, that teaches the listener about the music, and some background to the story. There are also expanded curriculum guides that can be downloaded for free from the website, to allow the parent to use the CD as a basis for a unit study.<br />
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<b><i>About The Nutcracker:</i></b> Nearly everyone know the classic children's story of young Clara being given a toy nutcracker on Christmas Eve, and the ensuing adventure when he comes alive and joins Clara and the other toys for a night of wonderful escapades. Is it a dream? Does it really happen? Those are the questions that keep this story alive and fitting for children.<br />
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<b><i>About this CD:</i></b> The CD is about one hour long, and features the story of the Nutcracker told by Jim Weiss. His narration is fantastic - very easy to listen to and enjoy. All the classic favorite Nutcracker songs are played in order. I noticed that some of the longer pieces were shortened to allow the story to be told in an hour, but I felt this actually enhanced the quality of the story, because the music flowed smoothly and did not feel too long at all. (In person, the Nutcracker can feel very long at times!) I actually enjoyed it much better with it being shortened to an hour, because I was able to enjoy all our favorite and familiar snippets of the music - Maestro makes sure those are still played.<br />
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<b><i>About the study guide:</i></b> The 24 page study guide that is included in the CD case is very informative. All the scenes are listed in order so the children can follow along and see what is coming next. I noticed that it also helped my girls to identify the actual names of their favorite songs more efficiently. There are also several pages that expand on the contents of the CD, such as the history of ballet, an informative study of the harp, and a short biography of Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky, the composer of 'The Nutcracker'. Also included are a few word games for the children, using words and phrases descriptive of the story.<br />
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<b><i>About the Curriculum Guide:</i></b> We downloaded the free curriculum guide and looked it over, but have not used it for further study yet. It is a ten page list of extra resources to study to really explore not only the Nutcracker, but to incorporate it into a fun part of your home school day. There are ideas to explore in History, Geography, Math, Science, Language Arts, Art, and Music - all related to something heard in the story.<br />
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<b><i>What do we think?</i></b> My girls absolutely LOVED listening to this CD! I think I have heard it played just about every day since we received it. Their familiarity and love of the music from Nutcracker made this story very appealing. Listening to this story on CD has helped them to fully understand and appreciate the story line. I didn't realize that they never fully grasped the story of Nutcracker, even though I have taken them to see it in person. It took listening to this story on CD for them to understand completely what was going on from start to finish. I am very glad that they had the opportunity to experience this CD, and that they have a greater appreciation for the story now. The music on the CD is so well done, that I can see this CD being a family favorite for many years to come. The quality is absolutely amazing! I think this CD would make a great Christmas gift for children.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-78407727114146540332015-10-28T22:03:00.000-07:002015-10-28T22:03:01.335-07:00Review: Apologia Ultimate Homeschool Planner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has taken me many years of homeschooling to fine tune my daily planning system. I have tried and rejected probably dozens of planners, and always approach a new planner with a great deal of skepticism. Since I have finally found a system that works for me, I decided to give up on trying new ones, but since I am a huge fan of<span style="color: #cc0000;"> <a href="http://www.apologia.com/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Apologia Educational Ministries,</span></a></span> I felt that it would be worth my while to review <a href="http://www.apologia.com/planners/308-the-ultimate-homeschool-planner.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Ultimate Homeschool Planner</span></a> when the opportunity was made available to me.<br />
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<b><i>About the Ultimate Homeschool Planner: </i></b> This planner is more than just a spiral bound book for daily lesson plans. It actually contains training for goal setting, home school organization, and planning for both short and long term. The planner itself is a 9x12 spiral bound book that is about an inch thick. It has a heavy duty plastic cover (comes in yellow, orange, or blue) with inside pockets to hold loose papers or receipts.<br />
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<b><i>What makes this planner different?</i></b> The first few pages lay out the plan of instructions for using the planning system and making it a successful part of your home school. What I found very helpful was the Biblical principles woven into the instructions - special statements that directed the user to pray over their schedule, seek Godly counsel over decisions, and build time into their family's weekly schedule to honor the Lord. It truly is a planning SYSTEM, not just a PLANNER.<br />
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<b><i>How does the planning system work?</i></b> There are several ways to plan both long and short term goals, and to track how well those goals are being met. First, the user is directed to spend a day planning out broad goals and priorities for the entire year. Next, those goals are broken down into monthly planning sessions, where the user breaks them down into a manageable schedule. The user is then directed to spend about half an hour per week tweaking their weekly plan, tracking schoolwork for each child, planning around appointments and commitments for the week, and evaluating priorities. Finally, the last step is holding a short planning session with each child at the start of the week, and then a week-in-review session at the close of the week, to measure success and prioritize for the future.<br />
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<b><i>What do the pages look like that allow you to work this system?</i></b> First of all, there are NO dates already marked, so this planner can be started at any time. The user fills in their own dates. I find this to be extremely helpful. There are calendars included all the way up to 2023 which allows for more long term planning than I am even capable of right now!<br />
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The annual pages can record goals by month or day, and can be used to write major life events. The monthly planning pages allow the user to write in dates and get a big picture view of the entire month. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I started in on January already!</span></td></tr>
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There are 48 weeks worth of weekly pages. Each week covers a two page spread, and is a series of blocks that can be customized to the household. The blocks are in rows and columns of six across and six down, so whether the user is planning by student, subject, or day, they will have the flexibility to customize their weekly plan to suit their needs.<br />
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At the end of the book, there is a high school planning guide that allows you to sketch out a plan for each semester of grades 8-12. There are also resources for discovering your child's learning style, and for recording such things as ideas and reading lists for each student. Field trip records can be kept in one section, and there are also places to record memories of each week, such as answers to prayer and family funnies/memorable moments.There is an emphasis on creating goals for your family, not just academic goals, but also spiritual ones as well. The weekly planning page has room to record your family's outreach projects and special prayer requests.</div>
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<b><i>What I like about this planner:</i></b> This planner is so much more than a place to record assignments, "to-do lists" or school attendance. I really like the fact that it is designed to be a way of life, encouraging families to reach their potential in such a wide variety of areas. There are so many creative pages that have really pushed me to think about my priorities, and actually have a plan written to set and reach goals, not just have wishful thinking. </div>
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<b><i>How this planner has affected me:</i></b> Though I have not actually planned out an entire year or even a month yet, I have slowly started implementing the goal setting and achievement principles into my thinking and home school planning. There are some subtle ways that this planner has changed the way I go about interacting with my children and their schoolwork. We have always been a family of list makers, but using some of these principles to have a 'meeting' and foster more independence in my children has been a positive result of this planner entering our home school. I look forward to continuing with this planner into 2016, as I close out the year with my current planner. My hope and prayer is that the spiritual emphasis of this planner will help me to be more focused on the spiritual nature of our homeschooling experience. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-26739929965382890542015-10-28T05:00:00.000-07:002015-10-28T05:00:01.862-07:00Homeschooling High School: Tackling the Challenge<br />
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Throughout this series, I've written about some of our favorite high school programs and resources, and I've also tried to cover some of the challenging aspects, such as planning. Today I want to address what I perceive to be one of the biggest challenges of homeschooling a high school student, and that is overcoming your own fears and intimidation as a parent.<br />
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As I work through high school with my children, one of the questions I am asked most often is "How do you get through all the challenging high school subjects?" People seem generally intimidated by what children must know these days in order to keep the edge in their studies or move on to college work. My first thought is that if a student is taught how to think for themselves, and how to study, that meeting the challenges of life and secondary studies will come as a natural progression, and a challenge that can be faced head on and overcome.<br />
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Even students who are adept at critical thinking will often need some extra instruction, though, so here are a few thoughts I would like to expound upon for parents who are considering homeschooling high school yet feeling a little intimidated by the challenges it will bring.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Own the Challenge</i></span><br />
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Yes - own it. Consider that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" and put God first in all that you do. Embrace the promise of James that states "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally." Now that doesn't mean that God has promised you a sudden understanding of Calculus, but it does reflect the fact that God does care about such matters, and will gladly lead and direct the parent who is seeking His direction. God can equip a parent to finish what they start, including homeschooling a child all the way through graduation.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Live Balanced</i></span><br />
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While we shouldn't get bogged down when experiencing failures and trials, neither should we indulge in extreme highs over our successful achievements. Teach your high schooler to have balance and live steady. Teach them faithfulness and good character. Expect greatness, and equip them to pursue it. A teenager will naturally have mood swings and often will experience dramatic highs and lows. Don't react off their emotions, but be a buffer, responding with a steady and quiet mood, to show them an example. One day they will love math, but the next day they might hate it. It doesn't mean that you should toss the curriculum out the window and start fresh. It may just be that they have to adjust their expectations, and learn that life has ups and downs, but a faithful student will learn to deal with it and approach life on an even keel.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Get Out the Binoculars</i></span><br />
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It's time to study the big picture. Most of the studies and activities done during high school should be filling the student's life with experiences and interests to draw from for their future. It's time to be serious about studies, and fulfill the academic expectations necessary for graduation and post high school life.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Build Memories</i></span><br />
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High school only lasts four very short years. During that time your student will transition from an awkward junior high 'nerd' to a responsible adult who likes to sit around and solve the world's problems at midnight when you are bone tired from your day. Take every opportunity that you can to build memories. Have those late night talks. Pick your high schooler's brain, and throw out interesting questions to them to discover what they're thinking about. Share your own personal values and beliefs and in the process, you will reinforce theirs. Don't be so hard on the educational aspect of high school that you forget to have fun. Volunteer together for a cause that you believe in. Enter into their world of interests and establish yourself as a pillar.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Spend Money</i></span><br />
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Yep - you are not going to escape homeschooling high school without spending, so just budget it in and accept it for what it is. Student's interests will grow. You may find yourself doing some traveling, buying materials, or paying extra for tutoring or lessons. That's not even counting all that you will spend for multiple SAT tests and college applications! And then they will decide to obtain certification in CPR, scuba diving, or some other obscure field of interest, and you'll need to pay for that as well! Perhaps they will get their pilot's license! With homeschooling a high school student, there is almost no end to the possibilities.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Don't Have Angst Over Mistakes</i></span><br />
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Mistakes are inevitable. They will hate a program that you thought would be the perfect fit, or they will have to repeat a program that they should have passed the first time. It happens. Don't stress over lost time or money, but instead take away whatever lesson you can from it, and use mistakes as an opportunity to teach your child how to overcome them in life, and turn them into good. As they mature, they will make plenty of their own. Better that they make some while still in a supportive environment, where the mistakes are typically not so devastating, so they can learn how to work through them. Actually, allowing mistakes to happen and problem solving it together with your teenager is one of the best training methods to build a parent-teen relationship. Re-evaluate, re-adjust, and move on, but don't let mistakes define your identity.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Build Your Student</i></span><br />
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It is much more important to build lives than to repair and undo poor training. Take the time to invest in your high school student. Use positive reinforcement and reassurance to help build their character and establish a good self-image. Praise character and virtue over personality and superficial traits.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><i>Seek Out Help As Needed</i></span><br />
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Don't frustrate your teen by allowing them to struggle through situations where help is available, and would be.....helpful! If they need tutoring in a specific subject, then demonstrate the value you place on their work by hiring a tutor, or finding an expert in that field to mentor them through it. In our family, we have been very blessed that I am strong in English and History, while my husband is completely a math and Science guy. It has really balanced out our home school, where the students have been able to receive the necessary help in every subject. When extra assistance was necessary, such as hiring an SAT coach, we went ahead and 'did what we had to do' to build a successful home school program.<br />
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Remember, most importantly, that <b>you CAN DO THIS</b>! You, as a parent, know that child better than anyone else. You can tailor a high school home education that will equip them to be a success in this life, and fulfill God's purpose and plan for them, all while building a strong relationship. One day, they will be all grown up, and you will realize that not only are you the parent, but now you are also a friend!<br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Check out these other informative posts on the Homeschooling High School Blog Hop!</span></b></i></div>
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<li>Chareen at Every Bed of Roses shares <a href="http://everybedofroses.blogspot.com/2015/10/overcoming-fear-of-homeschooling-in.html" target="_blank">Overcoming the fear of homeschooling in the Highschool Years </a></li>
<li>Gena over at I Choose Joy! shares her thoughts on<a href="http://wp.me/p1PXRM-3mo0" target="_blank"> How Will I Teach. . . Homeschool High School Biology?</a></li>
<li>Michele at Family, Faith and Fridays shares on <a href="http://www.familyfaithandfridays.com/2015/10/how-then-should-i-teach.htm" target="_blank">How Then Should I Teach?</a></li>
<li>Lisa at Golden Grasses shares <a href="http://goldengrasses.blogspot.com/2015/10/making-it-happen-homeschooling-your.html" target="_blank">Making it Happen: Homeschooling Your High School Super Hero</a></li>
<li>Kym at Homeschool Coffee Break on <a href="http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/homeschooling-high-school-how-do-i-even.html" target="_blank">How Do I Even Teach That?</a></li>
<li>Wendy at Life at Rossmont shares insights on <a href="http://lifeatrossmont.blogspot.com/2015/10/help-how-do-i-teach-high-school-math.html" target="_blank">Help! How Do I Teach High School Math?!</a></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-4460906506505843472015-10-21T14:21:00.002-07:002015-10-21T14:21:14.852-07:00Wordless Wednesday: A Fall Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-4622675740956200902015-10-21T14:15:00.001-07:002015-10-21T14:38:19.712-07:00Review: Brookdale House Fun Spanish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spanish has become a very popular second language in our household. Kelly has enjoyed several programs we have used, and is always looking for new ways to learn and practice Spanish. When the opportunity came along to review <a href="http://brookdalehouse.com/product/the-fun-spanish-level-1-ebook/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Fun Spanish Level One</span></a> from <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://brookdalehouse.com/" rel="nofollow">Brookdale House,</a> </span>we were excited to check it out and use it!<br />
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<b><i>About Brookdale House:</i></b> This company has an entire lineup of Charlotte Mason style home school curriculum resources, for elementary age students. There are no set grade levels, and a variety of topics to choose from, including History, Geography, Writing, and of course, the Spanish program we tried out. The emphasis of their curriculum is copywork.<br />
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<a href="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/-2015%20CREW/Elementary-Spanish-Curriculum-720-x-960-456x615_zpsogwvvd4v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TOSCrew2011/-2015%20CREW/Elementary-Spanish-Curriculum-720-x-960-456x615_zpsogwvvd4v.jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a><b><i>About The Fun Spanish:</i></b> This course, Level One, uses a variety of vocabulary words to teach basic grammar, sentence structure, verb conjugations, and prepositions of elementary Spanish. The program consists of seventeen lessons.The time it takes to complete the program is up to the parent and student. By doing one lesson per week, it can be finished in one semester or a lesson can be stretched out over two weeks and fill an entire school year.<br />
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<b><i>How the program works:</i></b> We received the 218 page e-book, printed the lesson pages, and placed them in a 3 ring binder. We began with the grammar and pronunciation review guides at the beginning of the book. Thankfully, we already have some Spanish experience so it was not difficult to decipher the words and vocabulary that were listed.<br />
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A lesson can be accomplished over one week's time by following the schedule in the book. Each lesson is about 10-12 pages long and has multiple vocabulary words. Nouns and verbs are matched together to create fun, silly, and memorable phrases, which help the student remember the meaning of the words, and enjoy building silly sentences. By following the lesson plan, words are reviewed carefully throughout the entire lesson, and each day builds on the previously learned concepts. On the last day of the lesson, there is time built in to go back and review prior words and sentences.<br />
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<b><i>Each lesson consists of the following activities:</i></b><br />
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<li>Verb conjugation</li>
<li>New vocabulary words</li>
<li>Translation practice (a sentence written in English that the student says in Spanish)</li>
<li>A Spanish sentence to copy and illustrate (these are typically silly combinations!)</li>
<li>Review</li>
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There are four models, or sections to each lesson. While they follow the same steps, each one contains a different set of words and a silly sentence, and they are meant to be done separately during the first four days of the week. The fifth day reviews all the words and sentences for the week, and creatively uses them together.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">An example of Spanish sentences for the student to read and translate.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Translating a silly sentence<br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Illustrating the translated sentence</span></td></tr>
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<b><i>How we used Fun Spanish:</i></b> I printed the lessons and started to work with Kelly on them, but soon saw that she was very capable of working independently on this. We would start off by going over the grammar and vocabulary at the beginning, but Kelly was able to complete the rest of the lesson on her own. Because she enjoyed it so much, she worked through the material at a much faster pace than what the schedule called for, and was completing several lessons per week. Since she was retaining the information, I allowed her to work at her own pace. Her older sisters, who have more Spanish experience, helped her with any pronunciation that she was unsure of, and made sure she was putting things together properly.</div>
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<b><i>What we thought of Fun Spanish:</i></b> As I said, Kelly was familiar with many of the vocabulary words, and greatly enjoyed doing these lessons as copy work! She felt that translating sentences from Spanish to English was a very important and advanced task, and enjoyed this style of learning much better than just learning and memorizing lists of vocabulary words. I felt that because she was actually using the words in sentences, she remembered them much better. I loved hearing her laugh over the silly sentences that she had to translate, copy, and then illustrate. Since Kelly is at the older end of the spectrum for using this resource, I think she found it a bit easier, but that was a good thing because she immensely enjoyed the program. I feel like the copy work has given her great practice in forming proper Spanish sentences, and laid a good foundation for more advanced Spanish studies in her future.</div>
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<b><i>Wish list:</i></b> If I could add one thing to this program, it would be a downloadable audio file or audio CD with the proper pronunciation of the vocabulary words and sentences. While we were able to get some assistance from a knowledgeable source, if we did not have that luxury, I'm sure we would have been saying some of the words incorrectly. Though Kelly would have known how to spell and write them, she would not have recognized some of the words when hearing them. </div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><i>What a fun and productive way to enjoy learning Spanish!</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-56962300430427758142015-10-21T09:27:00.001-07:002015-10-21T09:27:31.716-07:00Field Trip: Hiking to the Eternal FlameWe are very blessed to have some really neat nature trails very close to our home. Recently, we went on a short hike to the <a href="http://www.wnytrails.com/?p=243" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Eternal Flame</span></a> in Chestnut Ridge Park, in Orchard Park.<br />
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It was a gorgeous Fall day, and plenty of people were there enjoying the walk.<br />
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The Eternal Flame is a series of cracks in a shale rock gorge, where harmless natural gas leaks up from the earth. Most of the gas springs are below the surface of the creek, where if you observe closely, you can see tiny bubbles in the shallow water. There is one large fissure situated in the middle of a waterfall though, that has an amazing site. As the gas hits the air, a flame glows brightly in a small cove behind the trickling waterfall. It is an amazing site to see, and well worth the 3/4 mile trek down the side of the gorge, and across the creek bed, to get to the end of the trail.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enjoying a peaceful walk down the creek bed heading towards the Flame at the end of the trail.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking up the sides of the gorge from below.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Approaching the Flame, and admiring the waterfall.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxB1BvQnwnU/Vie7whknB6I/AAAAAAAAEoo/xpPiHH7JwHM/s1600/IMG_1130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RxB1BvQnwnU/Vie7whknB6I/AAAAAAAAEoo/xpPiHH7JwHM/s400/IMG_1130.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Flame is visible in the cove behind the waterfall.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A closer view of the Flame.</span></td></tr>
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The hike back up the side of the gorge is moderately strenuous. We were grateful that boy scouts keep up the trail and have built in some stairs on the steepest parts of the trail for use by hikers.<br />
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After taking the customary pictures of the flame, and exploring the surroundings, we headed over to the top of the big hill at Chestnut Ridge Park to take a beautiful Fall picture of the downtown skyline. In the distance, Lake Erie can even be seen, along with the windmills on the shoreline.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking out over Buffalo from the top of the hill at Chestnut Ridge Park.</span></td></tr>
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I am looking forward to making this trip again. It is a 1 1/2 mile round trip hike, and can be done by children and adults alike.The gorge is lovely! You won't regret this hike!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223639398575192973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5751518348325824138.post-20528361940700266482015-10-16T07:34:00.002-07:002015-10-16T07:34:44.080-07:00Review: When Calls The Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From the time I was a teenager, I have always enjoyed the writings of Janette Oke. I read the series of "When Calls The Heart" many years ago, and have fond memories of it. Once it was set to film, the girls and I have enjoyed watching it together. Poor dad gets really left out - he is completely outnumbered when it comes to selecting movie watching choices! He can frequently be overheard saying, "Not another chick flick!"<br />
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When the opportunity came to review this newer movie in the series, we were eager to watch it and give our opinions. I have <a href="http://aclassofone.blogspot.com/2015/05/review-privileged-species.html"><span style="color: #cc0000;">previously reviewed</span></a> a movie from <a href="https://www.fishflix.com//" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">FishFlix.com</span></a> and we discovered FishFlix to be a family-oriented, Christian company that sincerely cares about providing moral, educational, and Christian world view movies for families. For this review, we received <a href="https://www.fishflix.com/when-calls-the-heart-heart-of-the-family-dvd.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #cc0000;">When Calls the Heart, Heart of the Family</span></a>, an 88 minute long movie that is the third in a series of ten DVD's from Season two of this made-for-television show.<br />
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<b><i>About FishFlix.com</i></b>: This is a Christian, family owned online media source that seeks to provide quality Christian viewing materials for families. They have a very large variety of subject matter available and offer many opportunities for discounts, including free shipping for a purchase over $35. The site offers real reviews from other families who have purchased and watched the movies that are being sold.<br />
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<b><i>Our experience with 'When Calls The Heart':</i></b> I was at a slight disadvantage when watching this because I have not seen the other parts of this series. The story line is spread out over ten DVD's, so pulling out number three to watch left me trying to figure out relationships and history between the characters. My girls watched it together with me, and were able to pause the movie and bring me up to speed on most of it though.<br />
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The story line follows a young lady named Elizabeth, the Mountie, Jack, who clearly has strong feelings for her, and a few other characters living parallel lives. There are some endearing moments, such as when Elizabeth is caring for two small children and is able to calm the fears of one not knowing that Jack is watching and loving her all the more because of it. There is the adventure of Jack's duties as a law officer taking him into harm's way to deal with a counterfeiting ring. Basically, the movie highlights the strong emotions that life and relationships bring.<br />
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While we all enjoyed this movie, we did think it ended abruptly and awkwardly, and there seemed to be several scenes that didn't really fit the plot or story line. We had a hard time connecting the meaning of them into the whole story, but I also feel as though they might make more sense in the big picture of the entire series.<br />
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The movie was clean and moral, and had an old-fashioned Western feel to it, which we enjoyed. It wasn't completely free of kissing, but it did not have any swearing or violence, or things that would make me reject it for my family. I felt it was something we could sit and watch and enjoy together, and the girls enjoyed it quite a bit.<br />
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<b><i>Age recommendation: </i></b>This movie would be appropriate for all ages, but the story line would likely best be enjoyed by young teens to adults. My ten year old watched it and was able to follow along.<br />
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<b><i>Final Thoughts:</i></b> I am so thankful for a company like FishFlix that will make families and Christian values their priority and dedicate their entire product line to selling media that will enhance the values we are trying to teach our children. We will definitely be supporting this company more in the future and I hope you will too!<br />
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