Be Set Apart

I have set you apart from the world and for Myself. You are My child, and I want you to be different than those around you who do not belong to Me. I am holy and I want you to be holy as well. With My Spirit living in you, you are able to live a holy life. You have a purpose in life and that purpose begins with you knowing Me and living in Me and Me living in you. You cannot belong to this world and belong to Me at the same time. To be separated from the world means you are not consumed by and controlled by the things of the world. It means you talk differently than those who are of this world talk. You act differently than they act. Your world view is different from their world view. To be separated unto Me means you allow Me to live in you in such a way that your heart, your mouth, your feet, your hands, and every other part of you is under My control and is used for My glory. Be different. Let Me live in you.

 

2 Peter 3:11 (New International Version)

 ¹¹Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

1 Peter 2:9 (New International Version)

 ⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Ephesians 1:4 (New International Version)

⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

What is Distracting You?

Turn it off. Whatever is distracting you from Me needs to be removed.  It may be your television, radio, Ipod, or it may even be a person, but if something or someone is keeping you from concentrating on Me like you need to, you must avoid that distraction. In some cases you just need to temporarily remove it and in other cases you need to permanently remove it from your life. Some of the things that take your attention away from Me are not bad things – some of them may actually be good. The problem is they are not the best. Good things really can be some of the most dangerous things in your life because you will be tempted to settle for good and never experience the best I have for you. So turn off whatever you need to turn off and spend time with Me. Let’s go on a walk together. Sing to Me. Listen to Me. Share your heart with Me. Simply, be with Me.

 

Mark 1:35 (New International Version)

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

 ³⁵Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

 

Psalm 88:13 (New International Version)

 ¹³ But I cry to you for help, O LORD;
       in the morning my prayer comes before you.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (New International Version)

¹⁷pray continually;

 

Are you afraid?

Are you afraid? Feelings of fear engulf many people each day. As My child, you have been given a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind, not a spirit of fear. My power is unlimited, My love is unending, and My mind is unequaled. As My precious son or daughter, you have all you will ever need. I understand, with the limited knowledge you have, there are times you are tempted to focus on your problems and struggles rather than on Me and My strength. You need not be bound by the chains of fear. I have adopted you. You are mine. I have given you the privilege of calling Me Daddy. Come to your Daddy and experience the peace I have for you. Allow Me to embrace you, surround you, and engulf you with My love rather than being controlled by fear.

 

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

 

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

 

Dear God, my Daddy,

I bow before You today acknowledging that often I am overcome with fear. I confess that worrying and living in fear is a sin against You because it demonstrates a lack of faith in You. I want to begin to focus on You rather than focusing on me and my problems. I lift my family to You place them in Your hands. I choose to trust You rather than worry about them. I lift our Grace Family to You and ask You to work in a powerful way in and through us. Please bring an awakening to my heart and to Grace.

In Jesus’ Name,

Where are you going?

When people go on a trip to a location they have never been, it is important they have good directions on how to get there. With a dependable map or GPS it is usually easy to find out exactly how to get from where you are to where you want to be. It is silly for someone to have access to a directional source like this and not take advantage of it. Only a stubborn person would wander around in confusion when a tool was readily available to assist them. It breaks My heart that so many of My children spend years wandering around when they have My Word, the Bible, and My Holy Spirit available to guide them where they need to go. Learn to listen to Me. Learn to humbly follow My directions. My Word is a lamp for you and light to show you where to step. My Spirit is within you to speak to you and guide you, let Him fill you each moment. I love you and want you to know where to go and how to get there. Faithfully follow Me and all will be well.

Psalm 25:8-9 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. ⁹ He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Dear God,

Please forgive me when I try to direct my own life instead of willingly following You. For me to truly experience the life You desire for me to have, I know I must remain in Your Word and I must allow Your Holy Spirit to lead me. I come before you today humbling myself and choosing to faithfully follow You.

In Jesus’ Name,

A Devotional Thought for Today

 

Do you feel rested? Often you remain so busy with the everyday responsibilities of life that you forget to be still and know that I am God. I love you far more than you will ever understand while on this earth. The best thing you can do is slow down and enjoy time with Me. Many around you pressure you to do more and achieve more every day, but I want you to know that being is much more important than doing. I want you to be with Me more than I want you to do something for Me. I do not need anything; however I desire to spend time with you because I choose to love you. You are My child, created by Me and for Me. Rest in Me and I will give you a peace that is beyond human understanding. As you draw close to Me you can rest assured I will draw close to you. Here I am – come to Me.

 

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

 

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 

 

 

 

Dear God,

Please show me areas I need to slow down and be still before you. I desire for You to bring revival to my life, my families life, and the life of my Grace family. I come to You today to rest in You.

In Jesus’ Name,

 

Homeschool Programming–TeenCoder C# Series Curriculum

I must admit, computer programming has come a very long way since my first computer science class.  I remember that class so well!  It was 1984, and I had to take Basic.  Yes, Windows was just a vapor at that point in time.  To be honest, I think I skipped more classes than I attended, which probably contributed to my lack of interest in the class material.  Fast-forwarding to 2013 . . . .I am by no means a computer guru; but, the basics of programming are really interesting and don’t require me to recall how to use the binary system. When given the opportunity to review the TeenCoder C# Series from Homeschool Programming, I was very intrigued.  I chose to use it this summer with my 18 year old. The program is designed for high school students (grades 9-12), and he just finished high school. He is about to head to college and really has very few computer skills beyond opening his e-mail and checking sports scores.
     We received a the entire TeenCoder C# Series course.  The course contains materials for two full semesters of computer programming as well as the instructional dvd’s.  The instructional dvd’s are an optional product.  Semester 1 (Windows Programming) includes seventeen chapters of reading and assignments, broken down into 3-5 lessons per chapter.  My son is, on average, completing a chapter per week.  He is not a huge fan of reading; so, he tends to watch the instructional dvd and then skip to the assignment portion of a lesson.  If he gets stuck, he goes back through the text and/or dvd to find out how to solve his problems.  He began in Chapter 1 with a history of Windows and the evolution of the Windows system.  The activity at the end of this chapter involved the installation of the free required software components.  This actually was a bit challenging for him because he had never installed software.  However, under my watchful eye (so that my laptop didn’t get fried), he went through the directions linked to in the text and step-by-step installed the software.  Success! Believe me, just him being able to perform this task was a huge accomplishment.  He was so proud to get it done!
     As he has moved on, the chapters have gotten more involved and it takes him an hour or so to get through a lesson.  Sometimes, he has to o back a few lessons and review because he didn’t pay close attention in the first place. That is his fault, not the fault of this curriculum.  The layout and conversational style of the text is very clean and easy to understand.  There just a TON of information to digest; and, to someone with no experience it takes several exposures to the material for it to really sink in.  He has worked his way up through Chapter 8.  I’m not going to say it has always been pleasurable for him; on the contrary, it has been a great challenge; but, I would much rather he had the challenge now than in his computer programming class this Fall. He moves into his dorm in 4 weeks. I think he will have completed enough of the course to at least help programming not come across as a foreign language to him.  To see the table of contents and some samples of what is in the program, click here.  There are also some demo videos available to help you get an even better idea of the grandeur of this curriculum. 
     Semester 2 (Game Programming) materials cover how to write graphical computer games in C#.  The text is laid out in the same format as the first semester materials and kids get to really enjoy applying the skills they learned through the first semester.  My 11th grader is going to be using this entire program (both semesters) this school year and will receive a full computer programming credit (from our umbrella school) when he is through. 
     From a mom perspective, I love the no-nonsense layout of this curriculum.  Questions seem to have been anticipated and the material answers before they have to be asked.  I appreciate the instructional dvd’s.  It is so helpful to have something like that when your learner is more of a visual / hands on learner.  It also helps to get an explanation from someone other than mom.  I have also appreciated the access to activity solutions and chapter quizzes. Homeschool Programming has taken the guesswork out of teaching computer programming.  This self-study program really teaches itself. Kudos to Homeschool Programming!

We received the TeenCoder C# Pack which includes the texts for both semesters and the videos.  It retails for $155.  Individual components can be purchased separately, through the Homeschool Programming website.      Other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using the TeenCoder C# Series curriculum as well as other fabulous products from Homeschool Programming.  To read their reviews, click through the banner below.
 

Christi the Coupon Coach–Couponing Made Simple–A Molly Crew Review

 

Christi the Coupon Coach - Couponing Made Simple: Simple Steps to Successful Couponing has been a fun and challenging read for me.  Years ago, I couponed regularly. Life got busy and I stopped.  Bad idea!  With a family of 8, saving money is typically a way of life.  With recent issues occurring that will affect our family profoundly in the financial area, I found a renewed interest in couponing and saving thanks to this little book. With only 133 pages, and available in both paperback and Kindle formats, this book, by Christi Bassford, is full of tried and true principles which can be used to help any family realize savings when shopping. It retails through Amazon.com for $18 for the paperback and $4.99 for the Kindle version. I received the paperback version, and was extremely pleased.  I love to be able to highlight and underline when reading this type of book, so the paperback version was fabulous for me.

     Christi is not the “extreme couponer” like you can see on some of the sensationalized t.v. shows.  She is a realistic couponer.  She relates her experiences in using coupons and taking advantage of sales in a down to earth fashion.  Her two biggest principles to follow are shop on sale and stack coupons.  Honestly, I had totally forgotten about the technique of stacking coupons until I read this book.  Some stores will allow you to use both a manufacturer’s coupon as well as a store coupon on an item.  When you couple that with a sale price on an item, it is a recipe for some massive money saving!

     One part of her book that I have not been able to implement yet is the suggestion to buy one Sunday paper for every member of your family.  As my savings continue to accumulate, I will be doing this, however.  Right now, we are getting 3-4 papers a week.  I love her idea for how to organize coupons.  I think one of the reasons I stopped using coupons was that I was trying to cut out every single coupon in every coupon flyer every week.  Tedious? You bet!  Christi recommends a file system that involves clipping the coupons you are going to use, as you are going to use them.

     It does take a little more time to plan a grocery trip and menus for the week when couponing; however, it is time well spent.  Take a look at my savings over the past six major shopping trips:

Normally, in this number of shopping trips, I would have spent over $1,300.  By using Christi’s suggestions, I spent $578 – a savings of 56%!!! I know that over five hundred dollars sounds like a ton of money spent on groceries; but, remember, I have a family of 8.  This breaks down into less than $100 per week for the past six weeks.  Most of my expense was on meat and produce.  Needless to say, I am sold on using Christi’s tips!  My goal is to get to the point where I can save around 80% each week.  That is cash in my pocket!

     As with any ‘self-help’ type book, all of the suggestions may not be feasible for you; but, that’s the beauty of this type of book: use what works for you, don’t use what does not work. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning how to become a better steward of their finances.

     Other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew/Molly Crew have been using both the paperback and Kindle version of Couponing Made Simple.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

 

Final Installment in the Camp and Learn Giveaway

Finally!  Here is the fourth set of notebooking pages in the Camp and Learn giveaway.  This last set is a soil study.  I hope you are enjoying these pages and learning about the amazing world around us!  Click on the picture to get the download. 
P.S. - If you want to share these with others, please direct them to the blog posts instead of directly sharing the files.  Thanks!

Picaboo Yearbooks–a Review

I am a confessed picture hoarder.  I have boxes full of uncategorized random pictures that were taken before the invention of digital photography and computer folders full of random pictures taken since said invention.  Believe me when I say, it hasn’t been for the lack of desire that I have never put these photos into some type of album – it has been a cost issue.  I am an ‘all or nothing’ type when it comes to crafty things.  Because of this, I decided long ago that I couldn’t afford to get into scrapbooking because I would spend every last cent I had on materials.  Recently, however, I was introduced to Picaboo Yearbooks.  As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I have been able to put together the 20-page softcover yearbook for this review, and I am hooked!

     I was a bit nervous when I started to put together my yearbook.  First of all, the title ‘yearbook’ brings to mind the huge colorful albums we used to get each year when I was in school.  I didn’t think I could put together anything that nice.  Secondly, I have six children and didn’t want anyone to feel left out – so I had to find pictures of all of them.  I decided to dive in and just explore the Picaboo Yearbook website and found my nerves calming.  There are plenty of helps available as you go through the process of creating your book, and, once you get started it is really simple.  To make things a little easier on myself, before I uploaded my pictures to Picaboo, I did some rearranging of photo folders on my computer and placed all of the pictures I wanted to use into one folder.  Then, on the Picaboo website, I imported the photos.  I imported about 200 photos – which was more than I needed – but, I wanted to make sure I had plenty.

      Then, the fun began!  My daughter helped me design most of the pages in our book.  She is 13 and had no trouble at all navigating the design.  It is very intuitive.  The program could be used by anyone with enough knowledge of computers to navigate the program.  I think even a 9-10 year old could use it with parental supervision.  Mainly, this was a ‘momma project.’  After all, we moms deserve to have some fun!

    We selected a background for the wrap around cover first and then added a title for our book. Since our pictures were very diverse, we named it “Family Fun.”  Once the cover was done, we chose a background and layout design for our pages.  We used the same background on all of the pages just to keep it simple; but, there are literally thousands of backgrounds from which to choose, so you could have a different one on every page if you wanted to do so.  Once we had the pages set up, the process of dragging in pictures was easy.  Finally, we added some text / captions on the pages to give them some meaning.  When we were through, we ‘locked’ the yearbook and ordered it.  Our free digital copy link came via e-mail within a couple of days of ordering.  Our book took about 2 weeks to arrive.  On the website they guarantee a 3 week turnaround, so I was pleasantly surprised when ours came in 2 weeks. 

     These yearbooks are quality pieces that will become treasured books in any family.  Picaboo offers both hard and soft cover books.  The softcover pricing begins at $8.49, with additional pages available for 22 cents each.  Shipping is currently at $8.99 for this 20 page book. I have looked around at many of the companies that offer this type of picture book, and Picaboo’s are the most reasonably priced I have seen, have the most options available for page design, and are the only ones offering the free digital copy with every order. Kudos, Picaboo!  For this price, I am going to be doing a homeschool yearbook every year!

     Other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have also been using and reviewing Picaboo Yearbooks.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

   

25 Truths: Life Principles of the Happiest & Most Successful Among Us–A Review

25 Truths: Life Principles of the Happiest & Most Successful Among Us is a short, devotional-style book written by Ed Douglas. As a certified financial planner and coach, Ed has had over 30 years of experience in many areas of the work force.  We always enjoy this type of book and were thrilled to receive it to use and review.
     This little book, which retails for $15.50 plus s/h, is intended to be used with kids in grades 6-12.  The book is 150 pages in length and is broken down into 25 readings with accompanying discussion-type questions.  If you are looking for a study on character and life truths for your teens, this is the ticket.  Some of the topics covered include:  ‘Set Goals and write them down,’ ‘Don’t Hate – Instead Forgive,’ 'Be Slow to Judge,' and 'Take Life One Step at a Time.' The readings include quotations from various sources such as scripture, famous people, and literature.  Ed also uses personal anecdotes and other stories to illustrate and reinforce each topic.  At the end of each reading are some questions for discussion.  They are pretty deep questions and generally I had to explain the questions as we had discussion time. Our family has been going through a challenging situation over the past year.  I have found 25 Truths to be motivating and thought provoking to me and my children.  It seems as though the reading we do each day is always appropriate for whatever issues we have been dealing with.  I have enjoyed being able to hear my kids hearts as we go through the discussion questions for each topic.  It is amazing what they will reveal in a relaxed devotional setting.
     We have been reading these truths together as family devotion time.  The readings only take about 5 minutes to read aloud and then we spend about 15 minutes (more or less) in discussion.  The readings are timeless and can be read and discussed many times over the years.  I want to go through the book again this fall with my kids, this time having them read each section alone and answer the discussion questions in writing before we discuss them together.  I am interested to see how their answers develop as they mature.  We have been enjoying our time together with this book.  It has opened avenues of discussion and prompted us each to dig deeper into some areas in our own Bible study times. I have been making notes of additional scripture passages that we look at and have been jotting down some of the items my kids have discussed as we go along.  They haven't found every single topic to be interesting, necessarily; but, they have all been relevant.  There is even one reading about using compound interest.  For my spendthrift kids, I think this reading was incredibly useful.  I recommend it to any family searching for a relevant, topical, study of character / life truths.
     My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been implementing the 25 Truths: Life Principles of the Happiest & Most Successful Among Us book also.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.
 

Tunnel of Gold–a Review

Susan K. Marlow, author of the Circle C Adventures and Circle C Beginnings series, has released the first two books in a new series “Goldtown Books.”  Intended for readers in the 9-13 age bracket, these historical fiction chapter books are set in the 1800’s in Goldtown, California during the height of the gold rush. We received the second book in the series, Tunnel of Gold to read and review.
     I read this book in a couple of quick sittings and then gave it to my daughter to read.  At first glance, because of the picture of a boy on the cover, she thought it would be a ‘boy’ book and really didn’t want to read it.  I assured her there were character’s in the book who were girls, and she relented.  Once she got into the story, it was hard to get her to put down the book.  This is an intriguing story about a fight over property needed to open an air shaft for a new mine.  The two main characters, Jem – the sheriff’s son, and Will – the mine owner’s son, concoct a risky plan to save the sheriff’s job and the mine at the same time. Does it work? You will have to read the book to find out – I hate a story spoiler! The story has plenty of action and is completely clean and wholesome (not always the case for books these days). 
     Along with Tunnel of Gold, we downloaded the free Enrichment Study Guide from Susan Marlow’s website.  This 25-page study guide includes vocabulary and comprehension type worksheets, craft and project ideas, recipes from the time period of the book, and other extension activities.  By using the study guide and reading the book just a few chapters at a time, you could easily turn it into a unit study lasting a couple of weeks.  It only took us a little over a week, but we didn’t do all of the extension activities; we mainly used the vocabulary and comprehension sheets. 
     We have really enjoyed Tunnel of Gold. Priced at just $7.99, this high quality book has given us our adventure for the summer. It has prompted investigation about the period of the gold rush in California. As a matter of fact, now my kids want to find someplace that they can at least try and pan for gold. I am ready to purchase the first book in the series, Badge of Honor, and eagerly await other additions to the series.  Susan Marlow is a talented writer!  I just wish we had discovered her books years ago!
    My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been reading both books in the series.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.
   
    

Review–High School Physical Science in Your Home

I am a science curriculum junkie.  Yes, I admit it.  I love to explore every science curriculum that I can get my hands on.  Most of the products I explore are traditional textbook style programs.  I have recently been able to explore Bridget Ardoin’s Science for High School course entitled High School Physical Science in Your Home.  We have been using this for about six weeks; and, I must say I am impressed.

     The High School Physical Science in Your Home comes complete with the Student Manual, a set of Quizzes and Tests, and a Teacher’s Guide.  It is designed to be a ‘research-based independent study guide for home school families.’ The entire set retails for $79.99 and extra student manuals are available for $24.99.  The course is designed for students in grades 9-12.  In Tennessee, kids can take Physical Science in eighth grade for ninth grade credit, so I am using this with my eighth grader and my 11th grader is reviewing it (he didn’t do well in Physical Science originally). The course is divided into two semesters with a total of twenty-five units covered.  The lessons are designed so that students are given a list of research questions to work on and a due date by which to have them completed.  Students are encouraged to use books, periodicals, the internet, and other reference sources to answer the questions thoroughly.  On the due date, the parent goes over the answers to the questions with the student.  Thorough answers are provided in the Teacher’s Guide.  This ensures students glean all of the pertinent information for each question.  One lab is assigned for each week.  The labs use equipment that is fairly common around the home. A list of supplies needed for each semester is listed in the Teacher’s Guide. For other equipment, lab kits are available for purchase through the website, beginning at $45. If desired, quizzes may be given once every week or so, and, a final exam may be given at the end of each semester.

     For my kids, this different style of curriculum has been a breath of fresh air.  They get quite overwhelmed with huge textbooks, especially in science.  Since it is summer, I didn’t give them a hard due date for assignments.  They typically were able to complete each assignment in 3-4 days which left us a couple of days each week to do the lab and prepare for a quiz.  Quizzes are their least favorite part of anything; but, if I go over the material thoroughly with them each week they are definitely prepared for the quizzes (with study on their part, of course). They have studied a variety of topics so far, including:  The Scientific Method and Air; Atmosphere; Weather; Weather and Climate; and Water.  They are away on a mission trip right now; but, when they return, they will begin a study of Astronomy.

     I have used many different Physical Science curricula over the years.  From a scope and sequence standpoint, this curriculum is comparable to other high school Physical Science courses.  The burden of learning is placed heavily in the student’s court, which is tremendous preparation for college.  Ardoin’s curriculum leaves lots of room for exploration and extension of topics.  Student’s are required to know certain facts about each lesson; but, beyond those facts they learn as much as they research.  I have found that my collection of Physical Science texts have been the most popular books used for my kids research.  It seems that when they aren’t having to just sit and read, they actually like the books.  I recommend this curriculum for any home schooling family that likes more research-based study.  It is thorough and simple to implement.

     My friends at the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using this curriculum as well as other products from Science for High School.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

    

Mayan Mysteries–a Review

 Dig-it Games is a company that we have had some experience with in the past.  Lately, we have been playing their newest game, Mayan Mysteries.  I love to use games and technology in our homeschooling.  Mayan Mysteries combines both of these in an online game. 

     Geared toward kids ages 11 and up, this game operates with the storyline of challenging the player to stop a looter who is visiting ancient Mayan sites and digging them up.   Players go through challenges which involve reading short passages about Mayan culture and history, answering questions about those passages, exploring the Mayan calendar, and using the base-20 Mayan arithmetic system. In some of the other challenges, players analyze glyphs in order to solve a code.  Players are rewarded for their progress in the game.

    Unfortunately, this game has been more of a hit with me than with my kids.  They have learned some interesting facts about the Mayans, but it has been difficult to have them play the game.  This is not an action-filled constantly moving game.  The graphics are wonderful and the game moves without glitches or long pauses; but, my kids are more fond of more active computer games.  I think that if I had a mouse on my computer instead of a touchpad their experience could have been a little better.  Maneuvering through games is a bit cumbersome with a touchpad.  Also, my kids are on the older side of the age range.  I think kids in 6th – 8th grade would enjoy this as an educational supplement.  If I had presented it as such to my kids, I believe they would have enjoyed it more.  I think they were let down because I had touted it as a really fun, exciting online game.  I failed to tell them it was a game about ancient history.  Also, I didn’t care for mentions of spirits – even though I know that was part of the Mayan culture.  There is a little bit about warfare mentioned, not really a lot of violence as such, but parents need to be aware.  You can try a free demo here.  So, all in all, the game is very educational, it utilizes high quality graphics, and is entertaining; however, it was not a great fit for our family.

     Mayan Mysteries retails for $21.99 for a single-user license.  For an explanation of the single-user license, click here.  

   My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using both the online and app version of Mayan Mysteries.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below. 

   

PreScripts Cursive Passages and Illuminations – a Review

     For several years now, I have been extremely concerned about the dying art of penmanship.  It seems that hand-written communication is passé, even among the smallest of children.  I believe there is a strong connection between retention of material learned and handwriting.  For that reason, I don’t allow my kids to type their schoolwork.  The only time they are able to type a paper is after the rough draft has been done by hand and edited.  Because of how important I feel good penmanship is, I was overjoyed to receive PreScripts Cursive Passages and Illuminations (Age 9-high school) to use with my kids and review.  Published by Classical Conversations, ‘a leader in the home-centered education movement,’ this penmanship practice workbook  not only will give your child opportunity to hone his/her handwriting but also will give him/her the chance to read excerpts from some of the great documents and speeches of our American history.

     This workbook, containing 144 pages, has been a fun part of our summer schooling.  I have been emphasizing the historical value of the passages with my kids because we are going to be studying American History this coming school year.  My 13 year old and my 16 year old have been using it for several weeks.  I really appreciate the fact that families are allowed to copy the pages for use with multiple children.  With this workbook, especially, it is great to have the freedom to copy the pages if one of my perfectionists wants to re-do a page!  Each passage is written in a beautiful cursive script.  Unlike most copywork-type workbooks, these passages are written with blank lines between each line so that the copying can be done immediately under the words that are being copied.  That is very helpful for tracking and accurate copying.  Each passage begins with a different style illuminated letter.  These are the ornate letters that,many years ago, were used frequently at the beginning of a passage.  Both of my kids are really interested in art, so these letters intrigued them.  On the page following each passage, the illuminated letter from the passage is reprinted with ample space for your child to try and recreate the illuminated letter. 

     Because I wanted to keep our studies a bit more interest-directed this summer, I let each child choose the passage and illuminated letter he/she wants to work on everyday.  It typically takes each of them around 30 minutes to do a careful job of copying the passage (some take less time) and to try and sketch the illuminated letter. This has been a great first activity for the morning. Because the passages included are very powerful, we have been able to get into some great discussions about our founding fathers, why this country came into existence, and about the ideals of some of our greatest presidents.  I felt a little bit old (ahem) when I discovered that many of the later passages were from speeches that I heard when they were given originally. That definitely was entertaining to my kids!

     We have had a great experience with PreScripts Cursive Passages and Illuminations.  I highly recommend it to anyone who desires to give penmanship practice that is more than just copying meaningless sentences.  There is some real meat to this curriculum.  Retailing for $12.99, it is a fabulous value.

     My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using this product from Classical Conversations as well as several other products from this publisher.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

 

IEW - Review

As a homeschooling mom, I have struggled for years with trying to find a writing curriculum that would both instruct and engage my kids.  Until now, most programs I have tried have instructed, but the instruction was strictly old school book and paper and pen.  When I was given Institute for Excellence in Writing’s (IEW) Student Writing Intensive Level C (SWI) to use for this review, I discovered a vastly different writing curriculum.  Along with the SWI program, I received the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style (TWSS) set which is for instructors (in any educational setting). 

     IEW is the brain-child of Andrew Pudewa.  The courses are based on a seminar originally taught by Dr. James Webster. With his blessing, Pudewa has developed his seminar courses so they can be used as a comprehensive writing curriculum.  When my products arrived, I dug in to the TWSS set.  I have my degree in English, and have taught for many years; however, I have never seen writing presented in the way Pudewa presents it.  The TWSS set contains 10 dvd’s and a seminar notebook complete with all needed handouts.  It retails for $169.00.  After following the directions to organize the notebook, using TWSS was as simple as putting the dvd in my computer and following along in my notebook.  Since I am a relative newcomer to IEW, going through the TWSS was extremely informative.  The dvd’s show Mr. Pudewa in a seminar interacting with participants.  It makes you feel like you are actually at one of his seminar’s. Although it takes a few hours to complete the entire TWSS, it is invaluable for learning how to teach writing using the IEW curriculum. 

     Once I completed my training, I was ready to let my son begin his SWI.  He is working in Level C, which is designed for students in grades 9-12, whether or not they have had previous IEW instruction.  The SWI set contains the DVD lessons, the  student handouts, a student binder, and daily lesson suggestions for the teacher/parent. It retails for $109.00. A value package containing both the TWSS and SWI is available for $249.00. It is a very easy-to-implement curriculum.  Being in 11th grade, my son is very independent in his work; so, I simply had to show him how the system worked and he has been able to take off with it.  He watches the appropriate lesson segment on Monday of each week and then uses the rest of the week to complete the assignments.  Typically, the assignments include things like writing a key word outline from an existing passage, re-writing the passage from the key word outline, and using ‘dress-ups’ to improve the quality of the written work.  Messy papers before the final notebook copy are encouraged.  I think that fact alone won my son over!  He is the type of writer who scribbles out instead of erasing.  (A trait that drives mom crazy!)  With IEW, however, it is ok to allow the mark outs and scribbles as the creative process is taking place.  A checklist for assignment requirements is given which  makes grading very quick and easy.  I can see great improvement not only in my son’s writing after 6 weeks of lessons, but also in his ability to pick out important information and take notes.  His observational skills are being honed along with his writing and editing skills.  This learning process has impacted him in many areas beyond just writing.

     Our experience with SWI and TWSS has been so positive that I purchased the SWI Level B to use with my eighth grader. I can tell we will be using this curriculum for the rest of our homeschooling journey.  On a funny note, we live in Tennessee and when my kids first watched the dvd, they laughed and laughed at the Canadian accent they heard.  I forgot to tell them to expect that!  It reminded them of some of their cousins who were raised in Canada.  We have had a lot of fun with it. 

    Other crew members have been reviewing several of IEW’s stellar products.  To read their reviews, visit the main crew blog by clicking on the banner below.

 

Moving Beyond the Page Curriculum - Review

As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I have had the privilege of using and reviewing many different curriculum products over the past few years.  I love being able to try these products in our own homeschool setting and telling my readers about our experience. 

Moving Beyond the Page has been no exception.  We were given the choice of a literature study and either a social studies or science study.  We received the literature study for A Girl Named Disaster (online version) and the social studies unit Egypt and Mesopotamia.  Both of these units are designed for students ages 11-13, so I have been using them with my 13 year old daughter.

     Moving Beyond the Page is a literature-rich curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking skills and synthesis of information.  The curriculum is available as full semester or full year packages or can be purchased as individual units for supplementation of your existing curriculum.  Before our materials arrived, I had some concerns that it might not be challenging enough for my 13 year old.  Those concerns were quickly abated.  This is a very challenging curriculum.  Like most curricula, however, it is simple to choose activities which are the best for your student.

      Our literature study was the online version.  This retails for $23.92 and includes a paperback version of A Girl Named Disaster, online access to the literature unit, and a cannonball gourd (a supply needed for one of the activities).  I have mixed feelings about the online version. It includes all of the teacher information as well as student handouts.  I like being able to print out just the written materials that my daughter needs to complete an assignment; but, the materials are arranged so that you have to open each lesson individually.  I am a ‘big picture’ planner and would have preferred to have all of the material as one large .pdf so I could peruse and print more quickly.  For my daughter, however, the online option was great.  I could have the lesson directions opened up for her and she could just follow along.  She is working on reading speed and comprehension, so she typically had to complete her reading one day and work on assignments for the lesson on the next day.  Through this study she has learned about African culture, Geography, and customs.  Her least favorite activities have been the writing assignments (mainly because she hates to write).  Her most favorite have been the hands-on assignments like designing a quilt and carving the cannonball gourd. She also enjoys the links provided to enrich different parts of the lessons. These are definitely easier to use with the online version.

     The Egypt and Mesopotamia Social Studies unit we received was the spiral bound version.  This retails for $36.98 and includes the curriculum guide and The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. The curriculum guide contains the same materials as the online version, just in hard copy.  All of the teacher notes, handouts, and student instructions are included.  For my needs, I would have preferred the student materials be separated into another workbook because it would have been a little easier to use.  I like being able to have my teacher materials available to use for planning, answering questions, and checking work at the same time as my kids have their materials.  The lessons in this unit study varied in length from lessons that took my daughter around 30 minutes to complete to lessons that took her several days to complete.  The reading assignments were the main component that caused her to need extra time for some lessons.  We have been studying Africa and the Middle East in our Geography lessons, so both the literature unit and this Social Studies unit coordinated nicely with that study. The lessons look at both ancient and more modern features of the Egypt and Mesopotamia region.  The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of the Ancient World is used for the reading assignments. It is absolutely beautiful! It is one of those books that the kids like to sit and look at for fun.  We have just used blank paper for timeline assignments.  There are timeline components to use with this curriculum that can be purchased separately, but we were not able to do this yet. 

     Overall, our experience has been positive with these Moving Beyond the Page products.  I would recommend trying an individual unit before purchasing an entire semester or year package, just to make sure that the format and content works for your family.  Other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using many different units from Moving Beyond the Page.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.