Blog Party Giveaway!

I am giving away a free e-book of your choice from the seven e-books I have written. The available e-books are:

Star-Studded Poetry

Sensational Short Stories

My ABC Scrapbook

Camp & Learn - Book 1

Camp & Learn - Book 2

Camp & Learn - Book 3

Camp & Learn - Book 4

Camp & Learn - Comprehensive

I'll be posting descriptions of each throughout the week.

To enter, comment on this post and let me know which e-book you would like to win, and let me know that you follow this blog. The winner will be chosen on April 11. If there are more than 25 entries and new followers, I am going to give away more than one prize, so invite your friends to follow!

Teacher's Toolbox for April

Teacher's Toolbox for April has been released!  The theme this month is Camping.  You will be amazed at all of the free goodies you will be able to download this month!  http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/teachers_toolbox/?tos_logout=true

Latin for Older Students

 I have been very curious about teaching Latin in a homeschool setting.  When I was given this opportunity to examine and review Latin Alive, I jumped at the chance.  Latin Alive  is published and distributed by Classical Academic Press.  Latin is just the tip of the classic curricula offered through Classical Academic Press.  To see a complete listing of their products, visit their website at http://classicalacademicpress.com/.  The website itself provides customers with a wealth of free resources and information.  The free resources page, located at http://classicalacademicpress.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=16, offers charts, games, flashcards, and other resources that are available as .pdf's.  If you can't find the help you need between the teacher manual, the course dvd's, or the website, then, the "ask the magister" feature of the website is an option.

What exactly is Latin Alive? 

Latin is an elegant and ancient language that has been studied for many generations. It is also quite alive in our culture, and in the languages we speak today. Latin Alive! is a series of Latin texts for junior high or high school Latin study. Written by experienced and enthusiastic Latin teachers, Latin Alive! is an excellent introduction to the classical language. With an emphasis on grammar and solid understanding of the language, it goes on to frame the study of Latin in Roman culture and mythology, and also to remind us of the many ways Latin is present in our culture today. Latin Alive will be a three year series.
You can view an introductory video about Latin Alive here: 

                                         

We were able to try out Latin Alive at just the right time for our family.  One of our children is in the 8th grade and another is in the 10th grade.  Working through Latin studies provides additional depth to our English grammar and vocabulary studies.  It is fascinating to see all of the areas Latin and English complement each other.  I foresee this program being a great asset to our family's homeschool studies. 

     There are many components to the Latin Alive program.  There is a student workbook, which is consumable and is beautiful. There is a teacher's manual, a set of lesson dvd's/cd's, and a test packet.  The bundle pricing for Latin Alive is $139.95 and includes a student workbook, teacher's manual, and a set of dvd's/cd's.  The test packet must be purchased separately.  The individual components of the bundle may also be purchased separately.  For pricing information, go to http://classicalacademicpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_6_14&products_id=62.  To see what other crew members have to say about Latin Alive, as well as other products from Classical Academic Press, go to the main crew blog page here:  http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783860/.

**I received no compensation from TOS or Classical Academic Press in exchange for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.**

Online Learning

BigIQKids is an "online learning academy"which provides extra practice and skills for students in grades K-12.  We were allowed to try a membership to BigIQKids for the past several months.  Two of our children tried out the program.  This program is a little bit overwhelming at first.  There are so many options and things to try out that it is hard to know where to begin.  There are several areas of learning that can be drilled and enhanced through BigIQKids:

Spelling: With a over 40,000 word dictionary, SpellingTime comes pre-loaded with 40 lessons for K-8th grade appropriate word lists. Or, as a parent or teacher, you can easily enter your own word lists and SpellingTime will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes and tests around your own list with the goal of achieving 100% on the Friday spelling test.

Math: You can set up a child's lesson to mirror what they are doing in their current curriculum. For example, if the child is on double digit addition and single digit multiplication, the program can focus on just these two areas providing invaluable practice and reinforcement that is certain to provide them with the tools to ace their next test. Or, BigMathTime can automatically generate grade specific and subject specific lessons as per your requirements.

Vocabulary: With an extensive library of elementary through SAT prep words, BigVocabTime comes pre-loaded with word lists OR, as a parent or teacher, you can easily enter your own word lists and the program will automatically create a week’s worth of lessons, quizzes and tests around your own list with the goal of achieving 100% on the week’s vocabulary test.

U.S. States: Every elementary student will be confronted with the need to know their US State facts to mastery. BigStatesTime is the ultimate tool in learning the state's location, capital, spelling, abbreviations and general state facts. The program allows parents/teachers to add additional facts which will be included in the child's lessons and the program culminates in a “State Mastery Exam” that, if passed with 100% mastery, awards the child a State Master Certificate.
Once into the program, students play games and do exercises until concepts are mastered.  Students are given immediate feedback and parents receive e-mail reports of their child's progress.  The prices of BigIQKids vary from a free version to many different subscription options.  To see the pricing structure and options available go to:   http://www.bigiqkids.com/Pricing.html 
Overall, my kids weren't completely sold on this program.  It has so many options they had trouble focusing on just one area.  Also, there is an option for some words in the spelling and reading sections to be read by the computer.  The computer "voice" is a little unusual and so my kids didn't use that option.  I think the program just wasn't a good fit for us right now, but I'm sure it would be a great fit for other families.  I recommend reading about the program on their website and trying the free version, then purchasing a subscription if the program fits your family.  To read what other crew members have to say about this program, go to:  http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783856/

**I received no compensation from TOS or BigIQKids in exchange for this review.  The opinions expressed are my own.**

A New Approach to Art Instruction

I was privileged to be able to use the Artistic Pursuits:  Junior High Book One, The Elements of Art and Composition, curriculum for the past several weeks.  My children have taken "art lessons" of various types for years.  I have seen some progression during those years, but not as much as there could have been.  Artistic Pursuits is a different type of art curriculum.  The book we have used is:
--A text written in conversational manner so students can work independently;
--A full year course in one book, designed for students to complete two lessons per week
--Four unique projects in each unit including creative exercises, art history and appreciation, techniques, and exploration of various subject matter.
We enjoyed the easy-to-understand manner this book is written in. My eighth grader was able to read and understand the lessons and create projects with no assistance from me.  I also appreciated the complete supply list that is provided in the very beginning of the book.  The projects actually require very few supplies and are not "messy" type art projects.  This book focuses more on training the student's eye to hand skills.  Throughout the entire book there is a emphasis on the student learning to "focus on one element of art at a time, while drawing, and block out the others." This curriculum is such a bargain at $49.95!  I don't know of any art lessons my kids could take for that price for a month, much less for an entire year.
I can definitely see our family using this curriculum for years to come. For more information about this curriculum, or to purchase Artistic Pursuits, go take a look at their website at:  http://www.artisticpursuits.com/index.html
To read what other reviewers have to say about this Artistic Pursuits book, as well as the other Artistic Pursuits books, go to:  http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783838/

I spoke too soon

Well, it looks like the head cold has been passed back to me! I wish everyone would quit sharing their germs. Lots of fun books and products to continue working through. No time to be sick! Church tonight, yeah! Off to do schoolwork with the kids now.

Finally back!

Well, it looks like we are finally over the month long flu siege in our house! Our final two victims are down to having a raw throat and cough, so mom can finally stop being a nurse for a while. I am working through some great home school products for my next reviews. I can't wait to share with everyone about them. Meanwhile, enjoy your journey and try to find something everyday to make learning fun.