See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish - Review

It has been quite a while since my daughter has been able to work on her Spanish skills.  She has particularly been jealous of her older brother working on his second year of Spanish.  She wants so badly to be able to converse with him in Spanish. As an eighth grader, she didn’t need something that would burn her out on language learning.  Enter See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish.  We were given the opportunity to try this program by Flip Flop Learning in order to give you our honest review.  This has been a blast!

     The author of See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish is Senora Gose, a former public school teacher and current private Spanish lesson instructor living in Texas.  She loves to pour her knowledge of the Spanish language with students of all ages.  See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish is a very different Spanish curriculum.  It is designated as being for people ages 3 – 93!  I am loving this as much as my daughter and even my son. 

     The entire program is designed as a complete 2-year Spanish curriculum.  Included with the program are 3 sets of flash cards, a whiteboard paddle, and 4 audio CD's.  You also receive a lesson guide that has lessons differentiated for various ages and stages of learners.  For example, suggestions for the ‘bare minimum’ may be given for a preschooler, with more tactile and hands on type learning, while for the same lesson, high school age students will be writing sentences or conversation.  As a teacher, I love the differentiation.  That truly makes this a program that can be used by all ages. 

     Caitlyn is our main student using See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish.  Her older brother works as her lesson helper and facilitator.  This makes the lessons a lot more fun.  They are able to listen to the c.d. lessons together and then go through flashcards, do writing exercises, play games, review, etc… together.  The lesson format varies from day to day, so they don’t get bored.  I love the way that the language is taught in chunks.  Caitlyn was able to use her Spanish, although simply, from day 1.  Unlike other programs where students begin with the alphabet and number words, she started with actual words and basic conversation.  She works on her Spanish 3 or 4 days each week, depending on our schedule.  I seldom have to intervene and help out.  The lesson guide is very easy to follow.  I usually just have to mark which parts she needs to do and make sure that she has the correct flash cards and materials ready to go.

     The flashcards and whiteboard paddle (used for various exercises) are great durable quality.  A small whiteboard dry erase pen was even included to use with the whiteboard paddle.  Caitlyn has been thoroughly enjoying this Spanish curriculum.  She will be continuing this year as well as next year and complete the program.  When she is finished, I am going to test her and see if she has learned enough to qualify for a Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 credit.  She is learning so quickly, I really think she will be able to do that.  Since the curriculum is so easy to use, thorough, and interesting I don’t think she will burn out.

     See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish retails for $129.95, but is currently (as of the date of this review) on sale for $99.95.  For a 2 year Spanish curriculum, complete with audio and more, this is an amazing deal.  I highly recommend this for any family wanting to learn Spanish. It is a great program to use across multiple ages, even with the entire family. 

     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using and reviewing See It and Say It Flip Flop Spanish, too.  If you would like to read their reviews, click on the banner below.

   

A Devotional Thought for Today

As you look around at the vast universe I have made I trust you are inspired and in awe of the amazing displays of beauty. From the gigantic mountains to the vast oceans you can see My creative hand at work. The beauty of the fresh fallen snow is a reminder of My perfection. Every rain drop should remind you of the refreshment My Holy Spirit brings to you. As wonderful as these are, you must understand however, that you are the centerpiece of My creation. I made you in My image. I made you for the purpose of knowing Me and living with Me today and forever. Use My creation to help you focus more on Me and My purpose for you, never allow your love of My creation to replace your love of Me. Psalm 95:4, 148:7-12; Genesis 1:26-27; John 17:3

The Presidential Game–A Review

As I have told my readers many times before, our family loves to play games of any kind.  We are extremely competitive.  We also are very active as a family when it is time for the presidential election.  We go so far as to have an election night party with friends.  It doesn’t matter what political party we are ‘rooting’ for, we just love to get together and watch the returns.  When the opportunity to review “The Presidential Game” came to me, I knew it would be a great fit for my family.

     “The Presidential Game” is a board game with an optional internet component.  It is intended for children and adults from 11 years old and up, although younger kids could play with adult supervision.  The concepts in the game are a little beyond the younger kids, so they wouldn’t necessarily understand it but they could have fun playing it.  The game retails for $35 and is available online as well as in a few locations (listed on the website).  It includes the, 1 20" x 30" GAME Board, 1 Score Pad, 3 Blue Dice, 3 Red Dice, 80 Politics Cards, 40 "Write-Your-Own" Politics Cards, 150 Republican Votes (red chips), 150 Democrat Votes (blue chips), and 1 Electoral WebMap™ Calculator Access Code.  There is no assembly required.  The only components you will need from home are either a pen / pencil if you use the Score Pad, or a computer with internet access if you opt to use the Electoral WebMap Calculator.

     “The Presidential Game” is played by two teams.  Each team may have as few as 1 player or as many as desired.  This makes this game ideal for a large family or even a co-op class.  The goal of the game is to win 270 electoral votes.  The two teams are the Democrats and the Republicans.  Teams travel the states and have to choose whether to campaign for votes in a state or fund raise in a state.  You keep track of electoral votes acquired with either the Score Pad or the WebMap Calculator.  The players determine the amount of time until the election and then hit the campaign trail.  For a time period of about 15 weeks until the ‘election,’ the game will take approximately an hour to complete.

     We are really enjoying this game.  It combines two of our passions into one activity.  It has been very educational for my kids.  My 11th grader is about to take government.  He has always enjoyed the election process, but didn’t really grasp the concept of the electoral college.  My eighth grader is currently taking American History.  She, too, has always enjoyed watching election returns but didn’t completely understand the process.  Playing “The Presidential Game” has given us plenty of opportunity to learn about the election process.  We give it a double thumbs up! 

     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using “The Presidential Game.”  To read there reviews, click on the banner below.

   

Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures–A Review

Our family is extremely mission-minded. Members of our family have been everywhere from Canada, to Mexico, to Honduras, to Africa, numerous locations across the United States, and even to countries that cannot be mentioned because of safety concerns.  Up until my kids were in the sixth grade, they were able to experience deep study about missions and missionaries every week as part of our AWANA program.  Once they hit sixth grade, however, they moved up into the youth group and the mission study stopped and was replaced with straight Bible study.  Now, I love Bible study; but, I always felt the kids were missing something by not learning about the past heroes of the faith as well as current heroes of the faith who had willingly committed their lives to the spread of the Gospel.  When given the chance to review Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures, I was so excited! 
     Written by one of my fellow Schoolhouse Review Crew members, Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures is a chapter book, intended for readers at 6th grade level and above.  Gwen Toliver, the author, is the mom of eight children and has been working with Wycliffe Associates since 2010.  She spent over 2 years interviewing current and former missionaries as well as researching in preparation for writing Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures. 
     We have incorporated Gwen’s book into our devotional time.  Even though my kids still at home are 13 and 16, we still enjoy having a family devotional time.  Each chapter in Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures is the perfect length for us to read aloud and discuss during our devotional time.  Some of the mission heroes included in Gwen’s book are: Rose Dobson, Dorothy Shaler, Betty Snell, Bob Longacre, Bob and JoAnn Conrad, and George Cowan.  Now, before reading this book these names will not sound familiar to you; however, after reading and studying Gwen’s book, these will become treasured household names.  You will read stories of adventure, peril, gladness, and sadness.  We experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows through her stories.  Most of all, we learned about individuals who have given and are giving their all for Christ.  Both inspirational and challenging, Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures has helped our family desire to serve more whether it be through prayer and/or financial means or to actually be on the mission field.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our study and are planning on revisiting Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures again.  One of our kids has already committed to 2 foreign mission trips this year and another has committed to a foreign mission trip next year.  While these trips are only a few weeks in length, I am excited for the amazing things God will teach them and will do through them as they demonstrate their willingness to be ‘seed sowers.’
     To purchase the book, visit Grace and Truth Books.  The hard cover is available for $12.50 and the e-book version (which is what I received) is available for $3.99.       Our family gives Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures a double thumbs up rating!  I highly recommend this book.  It would make a great independent read and it makes a great read aloud!  Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been reading Seed Sowers: Gospel Planting Adventures as well.  To read their reviews, click on the graphic below.
 

PeopleKeys - Review

Over the past 26 years I have been a pastor’s wife and mom, I have experienced many instances where understanding the personality style of a person was crucial to understanding the behavior of a person.   “PeopleKeys® has developed a state-of-the-art, online, delivery system that provides instant access to the world’s most trusted behavioral assessment tools from anywhere in the world.”  I was given the opportunity to use and review the StudentKeys Online Student Strengths Report.  PeopleKeys offers a variety of both online and workbook style assessments. 

     The StudentKeys Online Student Strengths Report is a multi-faceted report which can is designed for anyone ages 13 and up.  My twenty-three year old son is a graduate student.  We have often, as of late, accused him of desiring to be a perpetual student.  After studying the results he got on this online assessment, I totally understand why he is the way he is about school.  It took Jed about 30 minutes to complete the entire assessment.  It was easy to login and very user friendly.  He simply answered questions that were multiple choice.  Once completed, his report was generated.  The report was 34 pages long!  The first part of the report is an introduction which gives information about personality styles, perceptual styles, and cognitive styles.  It is very helpful to understanding the rest of the report.  Then, the actual personalized report is given. Jed was identified as a challenger style.  This means: 

Motivating Goals:
Dominance, discovering unique solutions
Evaluates Others By:
Self-imposed standards, expression or progressive ideas
Influences Others By:
Competition; setting a place in developing systems
Reaction to Pressure:
Sulks; becomes bored with routine; dictatorial; compassionless
Areas for Improvement:
Show warmth; become more verbal and team oriented; use the “sell not tell” approach
May Overuse:
Bluntness and criticism

Wow!  This describes him to a ‘t.’  After this part of the report, we looked at his actual personality style using the DISC profile.  He scored highest in the I and S styles.  The I stands for influencing and the S stands for steadiness.  Both of his scores were really close together.  There were about 8 pages of information about each of the personality styles, including strengths and weaknesses of each, how each style communicates, and self-awareness / self-improvement worksheets. 

     Next, the report included his Perceptual Style.  This means, how does he learn.  I have always thought he was an auditory learner and this report confirmed it.  He has always been one who could hear a lecture and just remember it without writing anything down.  There were many pages of explanation of each style as well as several self-awareness / self-improvement worksheets.

     Finally, the report included his Cognitive Thinking Style. Jed was identified as a “Theoretical” learner.  This is so true!!! I know this group of characteristics is a bit long, but I want my readers to see how amazingly thorough this report is:

Your strengths are:
Keeping emotion out of your work
Knowing where to go for information; collecting information
Creating theories from fact
Breaking an idea into separate parts
Thinking carefully before acting

You may have difficulty with:
Following the same routine daily
Living up to self-imposed standards
Knowing when the job is done
Changing without logical reasons
Coming to a quick decision
Accepting other points of view
Giving a brief response

After reading the part about him having difficulty knowing when the job is done, I understood why he wants to get more and more degrees.  He honestly can’t figure out when he needs to stop going to school and he cannot come to a quick decision about his career.

     I think the report has been eye opening for Jed as well as for me.  He has really been studying his results and working through the worksheets diligently.  He is trying to enhance his strengths and recognize when his weaknesses come into play. 

     The StudentKeys Online Student Strengths Report is only $20 per individual assessment, with discounts available when multiple assessments are ordered.  This assessment can be a valuable tool for homeschoolers, teachers, employers, parents, counselors, and anyone who works with people. It gives great insight into how and why a person learns and relates. 

     My friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using this tool as well as other tools available from PeopleKeys.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.

     

 

 

Be Alert!

Be careful what you allow into your mind and heart. There are many dangerous messages the Devil is trying to put into the minds of My children, and most have no idea these messages are even being sent. Attacks by the Evil One are usually subtle. If you are not paying close attention to the things you watch, read, and listen to, you will open the door of your mind and heart to ideas and philosophies that contradict My Word. You would never allow trash to be mixed into the food you and your family eat, so why would you allow trash to be mixed into the messages you and your family view and listen to? Be on the alert for these attacks that are coming toward you. Have the courage to take a stand. Eliminate the dangerous messages being sent to you and to your family.

 

Ephesians 6:10-18 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

 

1 Peter 5:8-9 

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

 

Dear God,

I want my mind and heart to be clean and pure for You. You are so much more powerful than the Devil, and I come before You praising You today. I will put on the armor You have provided for me. I will resist the Devil and run to You.

 

In Jesus’ name,

A Devotional 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. 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 want to spend time with you because I 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 where I need to slow down and be still before You. I pray You will bring revival to my life, my family’s life, and the life of my Grace family. I come to You today to rest in You.

 

In Jesus’ name,

What are you running after?

What are you running after? Look around and notice what most people seem to be running toward. You will soon discover that most are desperately seeking things such as money, possessions, and the basic necessities of life. As My child, you should be different. I promise to take care of you and provide for you the things you need, but I have a requirement of you. Seek Me and My righteousness first and foremost. Run after Me. As you make Me your focus and desire, I promise to take care of the basic necessities of life for which many spend their lives striving. The difference between others and you is that they are seeking the temporal things of life and you are seeking Me and My eternal things. Those who seek the temporal things temporarily get what they can provide for themselves, but you get all that I can provide for all eternity.

 

Matthew 6:28-33 

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

2 Corinthians 4:18 

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

 

Dear God,

I confess that sometimes I run after the same things the world runs after rather than running after You. Please forgive me for this sin. I commit to You today to run after You and Your righteousness. Please use me as an instrument of revival in the life of my family and our Grace family.

 

In Jesus name,

Homeschool Spanish Academy–a Review

For the past several weeks, my son has been privileged to experience his second half-semester of Spanish with Homeschool Spanish Academy.  We were able to use and review this amazing program about a year ago and have been just as thrilled with it now as we were then. 
     James has been taking the High School Level individual class, one day a week ($99.99).  This level is designed for high school age students (ages 15-19). I was so excited when I scheduled his lessons to find out that the teacher he had last year, Rosa, was still teaching.  He absolutely loved her and was thankful to be able to have her as a teacher again.  She is so knowledgeable and bubbly and encouraging!  He and I were both pleasantly surprised when, during his first lesson, Rosa remembered not only James but also me and my husband and all of our children by name.  She (in Spanish) asked James about each family member.  I couldn’t believe she remembered him from a year ago! 
     The Homeschool Spanish Academy system is super easy and user-friendly.  Prospective learners can sign up for a free trial class, here, to be able to check out the functionality of their computers and to see how a class will work.  The tech support team calls each prospective student and walks through a check of computer speed, Skype, and other tech things to make sure you are actually able to do the lessons.  Lessons are either one-on-one or in pairs (like siblings) depending on which option you choose.  Pricing varies based on the number of lessons and whether you choose individual or pair lessons.  The pricing and lesson options are:

We have been using the one-on-one half semester, 1 class per week option.  James has a 50 minute class, via Skype, once a week.  In each class, his teacher reviews the previous lesson with him and then goes through the new lesson.  He has been working through so many vocabulary words and verb forms that I can’t even keep up anymore!  His lesson and homework assignment each week are e-mailed.  They are sent in a .pdf which can be either typed in or printed and completed by hand.  To submit homework back to the teacher, we simply scan and e-mail James’ completed homework.  He prefers the print and write by hand version, so scanning and e-mailing is the easiest way to submit.  Rosa grades his homework and the grades are posted on James’ Homeschool Spanish Academy portal.  I can sign in and check his grades at any time.  Scheduling the lessons is really easy through the portal.  Confirmation e-mails are sent when classes are scheduled and reminder e-mails are sent the day before the class.  We had one lesson that had to be rescheduled because (my fault of course) an orthodontist appointment conflict came up.  Rescheduling was easy and only took me a couple of minutes. 
     I can’t say enough good things about Homeschool Spanish Academy.  The system is easy to use, the class content is extremely thorough and is geared to the needs of each student, and the instructors and support staff are friendly and prompt.  James has officially completed an entire semester of high school Spanish.  As soon as finances allow, he will be finishing the second semester.  I love listening him converse with Rosa.  I think his accent has become much more natural sounding because of the experience of conversing with a native Spanish speaking instructor. 
     Many of my friends on the Schoolhouse Review Crew have been using many of the different levels of Homeschool Spanish Academy.  To read their reviews, click on the banner below.