Review: Golden Prairie Press Ancient History

Our family has been fans of Golden Prairie Press for quite some time now, using the American History Program 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. 

This latest program, Heroes, Heroines, and Tales of Ancient History, covers the period from Creation to 500 A.D. 

About the program: 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. 

Bible-centered approach: 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.

Life of Christ: 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.

What is included in the program: Sample lessons and list of topics can be seen. In addition to the written lessons, purchasing the digital download will also give you access to:

• Historical Art
• Coloring Pages 
• Skits and plays to act out the history lessons
• Simple recipes
• Art projects
• Small paper games and card games to review
• Audio clips to coincide with the lessons
• Quizzes printed separately
• Answer key to text questions (in the back of the lesson book)
• Blank world map to print and fill in

A simple quiz identifying early church events

Favorite Detail: 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!

Interesting Coloring pages: 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. 

Fun coloring pages 

What age level is this material? 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. 

What about the villains of ancient history? 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. 

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.

Price: The entire digital set of this program is currently available for $98.99. Once purchased, it can be instantly downloaded for easy access. Printed versions 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. 

Easy on the Teacher: 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. 

My opinion: 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. This is an amazing and very thorough study of Ancient History for young students. 

Visit Golden Prairie Press on Facebook

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. 

{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. 

Review: Tap My Trees

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.

Recently we were given the opportunity to try our hand at making our very own maple syrup, with the Maple Sugaring Starter Kit with Aluminum Buckets from Tap My Trees. 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!

What's missing??

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.

Our Starter Kit includes everything needed to walk out into the yard and begin tapping sap when the temperature is right. 

Sugaring At Home Starter Kit

Starter Kit includes:

• 3 Aluminum (2 gallon) buckets that have a reinforced hole to hang the bucket to the tree.
• 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.
• 3 stainless steel spiles. These are inserted into the drilled holes, and allow the sap to flow freely into the bucket.
• 3 hooks - attached to the spile and and used to hang the bucket off of.
• Guidebook
• 7/16 drill bit with 3/8 shank used to drill the holes into your trees.
• Cheesecloth - used to filter debris or bark from the sap when transferring the sap from the bucket to the storage container. 

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. 

Handbook

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. 

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. 

Measuring trees in our backyard.

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.

Food Grade quality buckets and covers

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!

Thank you, Tap My Trees, for providing our family with a unique experience!

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:

To follow Tap My Trees on their other social media sites, click the following links:

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To read how other families are getting ready to use their starter kits, click the banner below:

Copyright 2012-2016 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Parenting With Godly Purpose: Fellowship

When we hear the word FELLOWSHIP, 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?

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!

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:

1. Building character through showing the child how to do a task.
2. Learning about each other.
3. Having time to talk.
4. Building memories.
5. Giving your child a sense of purpose and belonging - of being on a team. 

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.

The ministry is a great place to have fellowship with your children! 

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. 

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.

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!

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Once again, this post is linked with "Blogging Through The Alphabet" with Cristi @ Through The Calm and Through The Storm and Meg @ Adventures With Jude. Check out the linkup for some really neat posts this week!

Parenting With Godly Purpose: Encouragement

What does it mean to be an encourager? 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.

How can we help our children be strong? One way is to be an encouragement to them on a daily basis.

Here is the dictionary definition for encourage: (taken from Dictionary.com)

verb (used with object), encouraged, encouraging.

1.

to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence:

His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running.

2.

to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.:

One of the chief duties of a teacher is to encourage students.

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.

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.

How can we encourage our kids?

1. 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. 
2. 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. 
3. 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.
4. Tell them often how much you love them, that they are a gift and blessing from the Lord, and that you enjoy them.
5. Show that you enjoy them by hanging out with them and doing fun things.
6. Don't just "love" them, but "like" them as well!
7. 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.
8. 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!

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.

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

This post is linked with Cristi and Meg 

and all the rest of the bloggers who are 

"Blogging Through The Alphabet"

Check them out!

Homeschooling High School: Fitting It All In

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.

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.

Keep the "Main Thing" the main thing!

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.

Focus on Time Management and Study Habits

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 Victus Study Skills System.  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.

More on Developing Time Management Skills

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.

Start Early

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.

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.

Plan In Time For Test Preparation

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.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

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.

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!

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Come join the Homeschooling High School Blog Hop to read some more great ideas!

Read more on How to Fit it ALL in while educating in the high school years:

• Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses shares thoughts on the question: Can you fit it ALL in during the High School Years?
• Wendy @ Life at Rossmont shares: Help! How Do I Fit It All In?!
• Michele @  Family, Faith and Fridays shares: Time? Who Has Time?
• Lisa @ Golden Grasses shares: Smash, Cram, Smoosh. How do you fit it all in? Homeschooling High School
• Carol @ Home Sweet Life shares: Help! I Can't Fit It All In!
• Debbie @ Debbie's Homeschool Corner shares: Keeping High School Work from Consuming Our Lives

Favorite Black Friday Deals

Some 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}

My Lilla Rose Website has up to 50% off all items and free shipping on orders over $50 all day Friday through Sunday!

Stay focused on healthy eating with specials at 

Trim Healthy Mama.

30% off Christmas Children's Bible Studies  from Grapevine Studies.

Amazon Kindle - Black Friday Deal - only $34.99

Compass Classroom's Homeschool Programs

Want your kids to LOVE learning Latin?

The Brinkman Adventures

All 3 albums for $55 plus free shipping through Christmas!

I will post a few more special deals for Cyber Monday!

Parenting With Godly Purpose: Devotions

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"

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!

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.

One of the most effective ways to regularly nurture a child's love for God is through DAILY DEVOTIONS. 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.

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.

Here is a brief outline that can be used for family devotions:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Choose a song to sing together. It could be a verse of a favorite hymn, a Scripture song, or even a silly song! 
• Hugs and kisses! There is so much value to your children starting off their day feeling loved by their parents.

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. 

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Check out this week's Blogging Through The Alphabet Linkup with 

Cristi and Meg.

Parenting With Godly Purpose: Courtesy

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.

In order to have polite children, we must expect and practice COURTESY 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Bible tells us in  Psalms 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

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.

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.

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

I am having a great time reading along with Meg and Cristi and all the other blogs on this Blogging Through The Alphabet Journey.   Stop by and read some of the great ideas and recipes!

Blue Ribbon Awards for 2015

I 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 34 different home school items 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.

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".

Here are our top favorites for this year:

Kelly's Favorite:  A math program....GPA Learn

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.

Melissa's favorite:  She actually had two, (although we had to narrow it down to just one vote). I will mention both her favorites here though....

The wide variety of videos covering so many different topics inspired SmartKidz Media to be her top choice. She has especially loved watching the history movies and cooking videos.

Melissa loves to read, and her other choice is a book that we received to review, called Thick As Thieves. 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.

Laura's favorite: 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 Standard Deviants Accelerate. Laura used this program to study for AP and CLEP exams and felt they gave a good overall preparation.

Mom's favorite: 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 The Brinkman Adventures. 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. 

Dad's Favorite: Our very first review of the year was definitely a winner for Dad. He watched and fully embraced the movie Indoctrination, 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. 

Our Grand Prize Winner: Hands down, all the children mentioned this one for our overall favorite.

In Freedom's Cause

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.

Best Additions to our Home School: 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. 

Melissa was able to review Middlebury Interactive Languages French 1. 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. 

Kelly is having so much fun working through The Fun Spanish 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.

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!

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

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!

Parenting With Godly Purpose: Busyness

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.

Busyness.

It seems to be the scourge of American life and of Christianity, in my opinion.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Copyright 2012-2015 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

This post is linked up with Meg and Cristi's "Blogging Through The Alphabet"

Check out the link for a list of fun ABC themes!