What We Believe: Biblical Worldview Series

Who Is God? And Can I Really Know Him?



Authors: John Hay & David Webb
Publisher: Apologia Press
Website: http://www.apologia.com/
Phone number: 765-608-3280
Format: Textbook
Prerequisites: None
Target Age: 6-14
Price: $31.00


Apologia Educational Ministries together with Summit Ministries have developed a new Bible curriculum, which focuses on teaching children a Biblical Worldview. I felt so blessed when I received a copy of Volume 1 of the, What We Believe: Biblical Worldview Series, in exchange for my honest review of their book. Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him?, is a hard covered textbook written for children between the ages of 6 to 14. It was co-authored by John Hay, an international consultant and staff writer for Summit Ministries, and David Web; a writer, editor and veteran of Christian publishing.

Who Is God? is written in the same conversational style as the Apologia Science books. This Bible based curriculum is designed to teach children to discern the truth about who God really is. It also emphasizes using God's Word to answer questions regarding the world around them. Questions such as, what is right or wrong? What is God really like? As stated in the Apologia 2011 catalog,: Volume 1 introduces the concept of worldview while laying the foundational truths upon which the evangelic Christian worldview is built.

Who Is God? is divided into 10 lessons. Each lesson takes approximately 2 weeks to complete. The lessons are broken up into smaller sections, including short stories, questions to stimulate thought and discussion, memory verses, and worldview. The lessons are well suited for notebooking and the Apologia website offers free notebooking pages to supplement each lesson.

I used Who Is God? with my ten and twelve year old children. It was such an easy fit for us since we are currently using one of the Apologia's science programs. We really enjoyed the story-like quality of the book. It gave our Bible time a very relaxed feel which was conducive to great discussions. The kids loved the pictures and the notebooking activities. Another bonus was the wealth of information on the website to support each lesson. In addition to notebooking pages, there are teacher help pages and answer keys. My children both gave this Bible program two thumbs up!


What We Believe: Biblical Worldview Series consist of 3 volumes. Volume 1: Who is God? (And Can I Really Know Him?), Volume 2: Who Am I (And What Am I Doing Here?), and Volume 3: Who Is My Brother?(And Why Do We Need Each Other?).


Avaialable at: http://www.mooreexpressions.com/browse.cfm/who-is-god-worldview-apologia/4,169906.html

Freebie Friday

It's Like Having a Money Tree in Your Back Yard!

This week the focus is on history. Both websites are excellent to use as you plan next year's work.


America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty is a tested lesson plan resource and supplement for Kindergarten-12th grade teachers of social studies, U. S. history, U. S. government, political science, economics, geography, speech, and/or related subjects. Written by fellow teachers, the resource consists of age-appropriate and modifiable lesson plans grouped into three separate books according to level: elementary, middle, and high school. Each elementary school lesson plan correlates practically with the nationally applicable Core Knowledge Skills (grades K-6) (national edition). Each middle and high school lesson plan correlates with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards (national edition). All lessons emphasize one or more themes of freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility. The resource aims not simply to present historical facts but to provide opportunities for students to explore and understand the factual and philosophical significance and meaning behind events, causes, and effects—the whys—relating to and influencing the early history of the United States.
http://www.americanheritage.org/k-12_lessons.html


Today we feature this huge library of resource materials on all sorts of American history topics, created by teachers for teachers, incorporating the Library of Congress' primary sources into student instruction. There are loads and loads of resources and subjects here. To search the collections, just click on each category listed on their page:

Lesson Plans

Themed Resources

Primary Source Sets

Presentations & Activities

Collection Connections

Each of these sections will take you to dozens and dozens of great downloadable and online resources to enhance your history studies. Your tax dollars actually providing some wonderful resources for you. Have fun!


tp://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/

Have a wonderful summer and remember you can always visit my blog during the summer and catch up on the post you missed.

Blessings,

Lauren

Read For The Heart

Whole Books For Wholehearted Families
By Sarah Clarkson
Apologia WholeHeart
www.apologia.com



As a book lover, I can not imagine anything better than a good book about good books! Well, Sarah Clarkson has deliver just that. Read For The Heart, is not just a book with lists of good literature, it is a story that incorporates great books, while fostering a love of reading. This book is a must read for moms and homeschoolers. This 384 page soft cover book explores topics such as: Reading to Live; The state of literacy in America; Picture books; Classics; Children's fiction; Fairy tales and fantasy; History and biography; Poetry and Spiritual reading for children. The appendix includes lists of Caldecott and Newbery Medalist, historical fictions by G.A. Henty, Landmark History Books, and the Trailblazer Series. In addition to giving a brief summary of each book, Sarah Clarkson also gives suggested grade levels and other books by the author. She wraps the book up with a list of her favorite books.This is the perfect book to read this summer as you plan your reading list for the upcoming school year.

Click below to read a sample chapter from Read For The Heart. Once you read a little, go to http://www.apologia.com/ and order the whole book for just $17.00. You will want to re-read it as your children grow.
https://apologia.securesites.net/pdfs/sample/rfthsamp.pdf?zenAdminID=9df713e49ee746fbc6a32db1ed901064&zenAdminID=9df713e49ee746fbc6a32db1ed901064&zenAdminID=9df713e49ee746fbc6a32db1ed901064&zenAdminID=9df713e49ee746fbc6a32db1ed901064&zenAdminID=9df713e49ee746fbc6a32db1ed901064


Click the banner below to see what others have to say about Read For The Heart .

Considering God's Creation

http://www.eagleswingsed.com/

580-252-1555

Considering God's Creation is a creative Biblical approach to elementary earth and life science. Susan Mortimer and Betty Smith are the authors of this multi-level science curriculum designed for children in grades 2-7. The program includes 36 lessons that can be completed over one school year with older students or over several years with younger students. The subjects covered include creation, the universe, the earth, non-living things, weather, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, animal anatomy and physiology and man. The curriculum comes with a 272 page student book, a teacher's manual and an audio CD.

Eagle's Wing Educational Materials blessed our homeschool with a copy of Considering God's Creation in exchange for my honest review of their curriculum. Karina, my fifth grader used the program over the last few weeks. At first glance, she noticed that the books lacked color pictures and was very different from the other science books she was accustomed to using. However, as we had the opportunity to use the book we found that the notebooking activities and the scientist detective activities out weighed glossy color pictures. Considering God's Creation really fosters a discovery approach to learning by integrating scientific facts along with creative research and discovery activities. The lessons require very little preparation and can be completed in as little as one and a half to two hours a week. Most of the activities use materials usually found around the house and basic school supplies (crayons, glue and scissors). The lessons provided in the teacher's manual include preparation directions, vocabulary words, the lesson content to be read aloud and spiritual applications. Each lesson has a creative song on the CD to reinforce the lesson. The lessons also have notebooking pages to complete, review questions and evolution stumpers. Evolution stumpers are scientific facts that support creation and are designed to help build faith in young believers.

Our personal favorite were the Digging Deeper activities at the end of each lesson. These activities really allow a 5th-7th grade to research and discover on their own. Some features that Karina enjoyed were the vocabulary crossword puzzles and the word search. Another favorite was the scientist dectective pages which encourages the students to discovery and discern the scientist's worldview.

The program allows for multi-level teaching and is great for families with several elementary school age students. The curriculum is also very affortable at $29.95 for the complete program. Below are some sample pages from the student book.






Click the banner below to see what others have to say about Considering God's Creation.

Mad Dog Math

http://www.maddogmath.com/
(562) 533-5772
1 year license $19.99/2 year license $29.99
Lifetime license $39.99


Mad Dog Math is a computerized math fact drill program that was created by a veteran educator. It is designed to supplement any math curriculum and just requires 10 minutes a day. This software is geared towards children in grades K-5, however it can be used for remediation of students in middle school and high school. The goal of Mad Dog Math is to foster mastery of the math facts.

Mad Dog Math imcludes four skill levels. Level 1 has addition and subtraction facts.There is plenty of review built into this level. Level 2 also includes addition and subtraction problems. This level includes more difficult problem then level 1. Level 3 contains both multiplication and division facts from 0-12. The fourth level or challenge level has all four operations mixed on a practice sheet.

One nice feature of the program is the ability to time the practice sets. Students start out with two minute drills then progress to one minute drills and finally to thirty second drills. The timer feature allows for the program to be used by children above the targeted age group. Mad Dog Math is easy to use and keeps track of your student’s progress. I think that by breaking the math facts into small manageable pieces, mastery is more easily achieved. I used Mad Dog Math with my fifth grade daughter over the past few weeks. She found it fun and enjoyed the timed drills. She also got a kick out of the dog barking when she successful completed a practice sheet.
Mad Dog Math is a Windows PC application that is easily downloaded to your computer. Try it for free at: http://www.maddogmath.com/


Click the banner below to see what others have to say about Mad Dog Math.

Freebie Friday

It's Like Having a Money Tree in Your Back Yard!

This week I will share several FREE websites that are great science and math resources. Bookmark these sites for furture use!

http://www.chem4kids.com/
http://www.biology4kids.com/
http://www.cosmos4kids.com/
http://www.physics4kids.com/
http://www.geography4kids.com/
http://www.numbernut.com/

Check back next week for more free resources. May 27th will be the last Freebie Friday until September.

WonderMaps

BrightIdeasPress.com
877-492-8081
$49.95





WonderMaps is an easy to use software program which allows you to create customized maps for lessons, worksheets, quizzes or tests. The program is divided into four sections. The first area has maps of the World, Continents, Regions and Nations. This section also includes an alphabetized index for easy use. The second section has numerous maps of the United States of America and also has an alphabetical index. Third section includes historical maps, with a chronological index that includes dates and scriptures. The fourth section contains thematic maps, which encompasses Biblical maps, Chinese Dynasties, Native Americans, Explorers, American History, World Wars and 20th Century Treaties.

The WonderMaps program has a teacher's guide which has a tutorial video and user manual.Another great feature is the inclusion of two bonus MP3 workshops. These workshops were recording live at a home school convention. They are entitled, "Loving Geography" and "Packing a Punch with Timelines and Maps". Some of the other resources included in the program are: 16 Easy Mapping Projects, How to make a Salt Dough Map and a sample unit on Joseph's Journey.

The WonderMap software is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. You will need to have Adobe Reader 9.1 or higher installed on your computer to run the program. Adobe reader is available as a free download from Adobe.com.

I received a free copy of WonderMaps from Bright Ideas Press in exchange for my honest review of their program. I have used numerous black line master map programs over the years and none of them have come close to the standard of WonderMaps. WonderMaps allows for creating customized maps in some many areas of teaching. You have the freedom to highlight regions, rivers, cities or print a blank map for your students to fill in. WonderMaps added an element of fun and excitement to our history and Bible lessons. It is also extremely easy to use.

WonderMaps is designed with easy-to-use layers that allow you to enjoy great customizable features with just a click.

Select:
historical or modern-day maps
outline, reference, political, or topographical maps
black-and-white or color maps
features including: names, borders, rivers, cities, and physical features.

WonderMaps includes:

60+ maps of the world
60+ maps of the USA
125+ historical maps, including 25 biblical maps
The complete map sets from The Mystery of History vols. I–III and All American History vols. I & II

Click the banner below to see what others have to say about WonderMaps

Freebie Friday

It's Like Having a Money Tree in Your Back Yard!

This week I have two websites full of resources and a free e-book!



America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty is a tested lesson plan resource and supplement for Kindergarten-12th grade teachers of social studies, U. S. history, U. S. government, political science, economics, geography, speech, and/or related subjects. Written by fellow teachers, the resource consists of age-appropriate and modifiable lesson plans grouped into three separate books according to level: elementary, middle, and high school. Each elementary school lesson plan correlates practically with the nationally applicable Core Knowledge Skills (grades K-6) (national edition). Each middle and high school lesson plan correlates with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards (national edition). All lessons emphasize one or more themes of freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility. The resource aims not simply to present historical facts but to provide opportunities for students to explore and understand the factual and philosophical significance and meaning behind events, causes, and effects—the whys—relating to and influencing the early history of the United States.
Click below to check out this great resource.
Tip: The links to download all the PDF lessons and resources (grouped by Elementary School, Middle School and High School) is at the bottom of the page… or it looks like you can order it all on CD for free using the link at the top of their page.

http://www.americanheritage.org/k-12_lessons.htm


THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS'
CLASSROOM MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS Site

Today we feature this huge library of resource materials on all sorts of American history topics, created by teachers for teachers, incorporating the Library of Congress' primary sources into student instruction. There are loads and loads of resources and subjects here. To search the collections, just click on each category listed on their page:

Lesson Plans

Themed Resources

Primary Source Sets

Presentations & Activities

Collection Connections

Each of these sections will take you to dozens and dozens of great downloadable and online resources to enhance your history studies. Your tax dollars actually providing some wonderful resources for you. Have fun!


Click below to go to the site!
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/

How Flat is Your Homeschool World?

By Phyllis Wheeler


Learn about the revolution in the regular classroom that is boosting test scores and pointing former dropouts toward college. How might YOU be able to use some of these ideas in your homeschool?


Download now . . . the free E-Book is only
available for a limited time!



http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/teachers_toolbox/wp-content/uploads/hflatr21.pdf

Have a wonderful week!

Lauren

Bring An Art Teacher Into Your Home

http://www.seethelightshine.com/

See the Light's Art Class is a wonderful art curriculum that is designed for children ages 6-10 years old. However, I found that it worked rather well with older students. Pat Knepley is the master artist and teacher in this 9 volume DVD set of art classes. Pat is a graduate of Penn State with a degree in Art Education. She brings her expertise in art right into the home. Each of the DVDs includes four 15 minute lessons. The easy to follow lessons require only basic art supplies (copy paper, pencils, crayons, colored chalk and a good eraser). Mrs Knepley integrates Art History with Biblical principles as she provides step-by-step tutoring. The complete 9 volume set provides a school years worth of art lessons.

Volume 1 ( Lessons 1-4) introduces the basics. Also on the volume 1 DVD is a bonus lesson entitled Chalk-it-Easy with master chalk artist Gloria Kohlmann.

Volume 2 (Lessons 5-8) covers shapes and space, with a bonus lesson on creative lettering by Heidi Shorts.

Volume 3 (Lessons 9-12) teaches values and color and has a bonus lesson entitled The Joy of Art with master artist Jim Pence.

Volume 4 (Lessons 13-16) introduces color blending techniques.

Volume 5 (Lessons 17-20) teaches proportions for composition.

Volume 6 (Lessons 21-24) covers texture and form.

Volume 7 (Lessons 25-28) with a focus on perspective for landscape.

Volume 8 (Lessons 29-32) introduces balance and foreshortening

Volume 9 (Lessons 33-36) works on portraits.

The 9 volume set can be purchased at http://www.seethelightshine.com/ for $99.99 or a monthly online subscription is available for $10.00 per month. Visit their website for a free Volume 1 DVD.

I received a free copy of Volume 1: The Basics in exchange for posting this review on my blog.

Click the banner below to see what others have to say about See the Light Art Class

Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

A Family Nutrition and Health Program



By Debra Rayber, ND
Sera Johnson
Laura Hopkins
Karen Hopkins
http://www.growinghealthyhomes.com/



Nutrition 101:Choose Life is an in depth nutrition program that integrates the study of the 12 main body systems. It is designed to examine how the foods we eat effect our bodies and helps to aid in making better food choices. This unit study was written by four mothers whose goal is to have a positive, effective, long term, healthy, life style change.

I received a free copy of the Nutrition 101: Choose Life e-book in exchange for my honest review of their product. The e-book was an easy to down load PDF file that included over 400 pages of information. The program is divided into 6 units, covering the brain, the nervous, respiratory, digestive, olfactory, auditory, visual, skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine
systems. The six units can be completed in a school year if one chapter is completed each week. Each chapter focuses on a specific body system and how different foods effect it. Discussion questions, activities, additional resources, and power recipes are included in each lesson. There is also an Activity Guide and an appendix full of charts, tables and articles to enhance you study.The book is written for families to use as a unit study, and is geared towards the whole family, toddlers to adults.

Our family used the Nutrition 101 program over the past few weeks. The curriculum is really an anatomy and physiology,health,and a nutrition course all roll up into one very eye opening course. So often, we look at each of these areas independently. However, as pointed out in this program,all of these areas are dependent on one another. How we eat and what we eat has a tremendous impact on our body.

This book contains healthy recipes that are great for families to prepare together. The text includes colorful, labeled diagrams and interesting facts about various body systems. The program also includes biblical principles and scriptures to enhance your study. One feature I particularly liked was that the activity guide had a variety of activities for different age groups. This is a perfect addition to any family's education during this age of processed and fast foods.

The Homeschool Blogger is hosting a free webinar featuring the author's of Nutrition 101: Choose Life! Thursday, April 21, 2011 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM EDT Click below to register:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/287516654%3E

You may purchase Nutrition 101: Choose Life at http://www.growinghealthyhomes.com/

CD Rom- $79.95,

Book- $99.95

Combination (CD and Printed book) -$129.95

You can receive a 15% discount coupon from Growing Healthy Homes using the code TOScrew11

Click the banner below to see what others have to say about Nutrition 101.

Freebie Friday

It's Like Having a Money Tree in Your Back Yard!

The fist freebie this week is a wonder research tool for high school level students.

Using Primary Resources Analyzing primary resources can be difficult if you are not sure what you are looking for. This site has 17 analysis resources for kids to use when they are analyzing different types of primary resources. They include: an introduction, breakdown worksheet, artifact analysis, cartoon analysis, map analysis, motion picture analysis, photo analysis, poster analysis, reading maps, sound recording analysis, written document analysis, wills and inventories, interviews, and reading newspapers: advertisements, editorial and opinion pieces, factual reporting, and reader contributions http://www.learnnc.org/search?ed_type=learner


The New York Times: Learning Network brings world news to your school room with The New York Times Learning Network. There are links to lessons, student opinions, tips, and more. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/


For Today's Christian Family: Crosswalk.com's homeschooling channel offers free homeschooling resources and the latest homeschooling news, updates, advice, and encouragement. You're invited to sign up now for FREE weekly Homeschool Newsletters from Crosswalk.com! Join the Crosswalk community and connect with other homeschoolers and families around the world. http://www.salememail.com/specialoffers/crosswalkhomeschoolnewsletters/


Freebie Friday will be on Spring Break for the next two Fridays. Check back on May 6th for the next Freebie Friday.
Happy Easter
Lauren

Sentence to Paragraph Writing Instructions

The Write Foundation

By Rebecca Celsor

http://www.thewritefoundation.org/

This past fall, I was blessed by The Write Foundation, when they sent me a copy of their Level One: Sentence to Paragraph Writing Instructions to review. After completing the first half of the program with my son, Kwan, I was blessed again when the company sent the second half of the program in exchange for my honest review of their curriculum.

The second part of Level One, includes lessons 16-30 and picks up right where lesson 15 left off. At this point in the program the student is working on writing one descriptive paragraph. An emphasis is placed on organization and each lesson reviews a specific aspect of grammar. For example, in lesson 16 the student reviews the correct use of the conjunctions: and, but, or, and so. Much like part one of Sentences to Paragraphs, each weekly lesson includes a poetry writing lesson. This fun addition to the program is great for vocabulary building and working with descriptive language. Overall, The Write Foundation’s Level One: Sentences to Paragraph was a great fit for my son who is a reluctant writer. The creative lessons have helped him to move away from using over used words and shown him gow to spice up his writing with adjectives, adverbs and verbs. One of Kwan’s favorite components of the program was completing the weekly Mind Benders’ puzzle. We plan on continuing with Level Two: Paragraph Writing with Kwan and starting Level One, with my youngest daughter next year.

Below find my first review of The Write Foundation’s Sentences to Paragraph to Writing Instructions:

Teaching my children to write well has always been a challenge. Over the years, I have tried numerous writing curriculums and have never found one that my children and I love. Well, that was until The Write Foundation sent me a copy of their Level One: Sentence to Paragraph Writing Instructions to review. As a member of the TOS Review Crew, I received a free copy of this writing program to use with my children in exchange for my honest opinion.

The program includes three components; Spiral bound Instruction Manual, Student Worksheets and The Sentence to Paragraph Additional Resources CD. Materials not included are the optional Mind Benders Books A1, A2, A3, and A4, which are available at ttp://www.criticalthinking.com/ and a three ring binder with 8 dividers.

The Level One program is geared to students ages 11-14 or students who exhibit any of the following issues: If your student has any run-ons or incomplete sentences when he writes on his own; If your student hates writing; or If your student primarily writes simple sentences. Based on my son's age and his dislike for writing, I chose to use The Write Foundation Level One Program. At first, I found the directions in the instruction manual a little confusing. However, once I read through the manual a second time and actually began to use the program, I found the format to be very appealing. Although the objectives of the curriculum are the same as most writing programs, the method used to obtain the goal is quite different. Here the emphasis is on writing detailed sentences with the use of descriptive verbs, adjectives and adverbs. The students also write a variety of poems to reinforce the use of descriptive vocabulary. The student is gently led through the writing process, slowly building up from simple to more interesting sentences and then writing paragraphs. In conjunction with the items included, they suggest the use of Mind Benders as an important part of the program. We have enjoyed using the Mind Benders and I can see how these exercises help with developing organizational skills.

I have been very pleased with the progress my son has made using The Write Foundation Level One program. He is using more descriptive language and he is not complaining as much about having to write. The one aspect of the program that I am still struggling with is the notebook that is required as part of the first lesson. They ask that you set up a binder with 8 dividers, however, I haven't figured out their organization system yet. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this writing program. I plan to complete all of the 30 lessons in Level One. Next year we will continue with Level Two: Paragraph Writing and then Level Three: Essay Writing the following year. Sentence to Paragraph Writing Curriculum is available in 3 different packages: Curriculum Package 1: Sentence to Paragraph Complete Lessons 1-30 which cost $100 Curriculum Package 2: Sentence to Paragraph Lessons 1-15 is $65 Curriculum Package 3: Sentence to Paragraph Lessons 16-30 is also $65 The Sentence to Paragraph instruction manuals are also available separately for $75 for Lessons 1-30 or $40 each for Lessons 1-15 or 16-30

Put a Little Science in Your Week

http://www.scienceweekly.com/

(1.800.493.3559)

Science Weekly is a bi-monthly newsletter designed to spark an interest in science. The colorful newsletters are available for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Each issue introduces a scientific concept in the areas of earth science, life science, physical science or technology. Science Weekly integrates vocabulary, writing, math and critical reasoning skills. The newsletters are interactive and each issue has a hands on experiment designed to teach the scientific process.


I received 5 issues of Science Weekly in exchange for my honest review of the newsletter. The package included one copy of each grade levels. Grade level Pre-A is for kindergarten, level A for grade 1, level B for grade 2, level C for grade 3, level D for grade 4 and level E is geared for grades 5-6. The theme of the Science Weekly I received was The Flu.. Each of the newsletters were four pages of age appropriate information. For example, the Level A Science Weekly's front page had large colorful pictures and introduced five vocabulary words, while the Level D issue's cover is mostly text and introduces seventeen vocabulary words. All of the issues were colorful and included fun hands-on experiments. The issues are designed with enough material to use over a week of study.


I shared the issues with several children at our co-op. Overall, the kids loved the issues, especially the puzzles and the level E isshe enjoyed all the activities. I especially liked the teaching notes that come with each issue. The teaching notes include background information, questions to initiate discussions and an answer key. Science Weekly does not take the place of a science curriculum, but it is a great supplement for children 5-12. Science Weekly is available for 19.95 per year. You will receive 15 issues and teaching notes from September to April. This year's topics were:

• Pulleys


• Cats


• The Flu


• Glass


• Fractions


• Composting


• The Science of the Movies


• The Science of Money


• Scuba Diving


• Poisonous Animals


• Caves


• Teeth


• Deserts


• Green Buildings


• The Moon

Click the banner below to see what others have to say about Science Weekly.

Freebie Friday

It's Like Having a Money Tree in Your Back Yard!

It's time to start thinking about curriculum for next year and I just discovered a great complete program for students in 8-12th grade. The best thing is it is totally FREE!!!!

SAS® Curriculum Pathways is your online partner for teaching the core curriculum: English, history, science, mathematics, Spanish learner-centered tools, lessons, and resources with measurable outcomes Interactive components that foster higher-order thinking skills Twenty-first century skills integrated into content

To register and to find out more click on the link. http://www.sas.com/govedu/edu/curriculum/index.html?gclid=CIzyvL7pjKgCFYXc4AodJXekDA

Another great freebie is http://www.homeschoolmath.net/ . It is a comprehensive math resource site for homeschooling parents, parents, and teachers. You will find: free worksheets; affordable math books; an extensive list of online math games & resources; a homeschool math curriculum guide; math teaching articles/lessons.

Check back next week for more free homeschooling curriculum. Lauren

Piano for Young Children

http://www.kinderbach.com/

563-332-9587

Kinderbach offers a video based piano lessons for children ages 3-7. The program is designed to teach note reading, rhythm, singing and composition. Karri Gregor, the founder of Kinderbach, has over ten years of experience teaching preschool piano class and now she brings her expertise into your home. Kinderbach is available as an online membership or on DVD. This self pacing program includes fun-active games, stories and coloring pages. Each musical note becomes a character in a story. Miss Karri introduces kids to the keyboard characters, proper hand position and note reading. The videos are colorful and have a professional quality. Each of the 270 lessons can be reviewed as often as you would like and they provide an excellent musical foundation.

The Kinderbach program has 6 levels in all. Within each level there are 10 weeks of lessons to explore. Each week, there are 4 short sessions of animated videos, hands on activities and piano playing. Each level has a 47 page activity book. In order to use this program successful, you will need a piano or electronic keyboard with 36-48 full sized keys. A computer to view the program and a printer to print out the activity book are also necessary. The activity book calls for basic craft materials, such as scissors, crayons and glue.

I received a subscription to Kinderbach in exchange for an honest review of their online piano program. We found several features of this program to be excellent for the targeted age group. The videos were colorful and lively. Miss Karri reminded me of the perfect kindergarten teacher. She was very animated and appealing to preschool age children. The video were short enough to hold a young child's attention. Another great feature of the program is the time and money saved by teaching piano to your children at home. Lessons can be completed at your convenience and the whole family can learn with one membership fee. Also, the use of colorful characters to teaching note reading makes music reading fun. I found her method of helping the children follow along as they read music very helpful. So it looks like it is time to replace Every Good Boy Does Fine with the fun innovated lessons on Kinderbach.

A one year online membership to Kinderbach is a one lump sum fee of $95.88 or 19.99 per month for 12 months. This membership is for the whole family and gives you access to all 270 lessons, a total of 22 hours worth of video. Kinderbach is also available on DVD. Please check there website for pricing on the different DVD bundles. http://www.kinderbach.com/ Kinderbach offers the first two weeks of lessons for free. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Click the banner below to see what others have to say about Kinderbach.

Go Go Kabongo

http://www.kabongo.com/

1-866-420-9149

Go Go Kabongo is an online animated world of friendly characters and interactive habitats. The company's mission statement is to challenge kids to become better thinkers, inspiring self-­confidence through the joy of play. GoGo Kabongo was developed by a cognitive psychologist whose goal is to promote early reading skills using brain games, critical thinking and cognitive development. These goals are met this very colorful interactive website. The site is gear to children ages 4-7 and consist of three habitats; Laughter Lake, Twister Top and Galaxy Gardens. Each habitat is home to three fun activities with multilevel play.

Laughter Lake is home to the charming Mz. Teezly. Here the children can engage in three fun learning activities.

1.Critter Sizer's key skills are attention, focus and verbal rehearsal

2. Scuba Dude's key skills include successive processing, visual scanning and working memory.3.Going Buggy : Key skills include comprehension and visualization

1. Design a Door's key skills are

simultaneous processing and visualization.

2. Desert Dash works on phonics, verbal rehearsal and memory skills.

3. Crazy Maze offers practice in phonics and spatial awareness.

1. Photo Safari is a fun place to develop skills in attention, focus, and planning.

2. Rocket Racers is a game designed to address commonly mistaken letters such as "p", "q", "b" and "d".

3. Robo Bobo uses picture puzzles to develop skills in spatial awareness and visual scanning.

We used GoGo Kabongo during the last few weeks as a fun addition to our day. Although my children do not fall within the target age range, my youngest daughter used the website along with a younger neighbor. They both enjoyed the games and our neighbor loved the interactive rewards he received after completing a game. Critter Sizer became a favorite once the coordination with the computer mouse was mastered. Another favorite was the Robo Bobo puzzle game. Both kids had a blast completing the puzzles. Overall, I think this website is a thumbs up for children in the 4-7 age group. The one time $4.95 per learning habitat fee is a great deal. There is no subscription fee! Right now both the Laughter Lake and Galaxy Gardens are free!

I was given a subscription to Go Go Kobongo in exchange for my honest review of their curriculum.

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Les Miserables - Z-Guide to the Movies

Zeezok Publishing http://www.zeezok.com/ by Tim Spickler CD or E-book -$12.95 Movie is not included Zeezok Publishing has developed a series of movie guides designed to help integrate films into the study of history. I received a copy of their Z-guide for Les Miserables to use in exchange for my honest opinion of their product. The study guide is available on a CD or as an e-book, which contains a printable pdf file. The 35 page Z-guide includes a summary of the movie and ten activities to enhance an in depth study of the movie and a complete answer key. Included in the activities are review questions, a crossword puzzle, family discussion questions and a variety of other activities to aid in the exploration of the movies themes. The study is set up to be completed in five days, but it can be adjusted to meet individual schedules. The activities can be used in any order and allow you to customize the study to meet your families needs. The Les Miserables Z-Guide is geared towards high school age students and is a wonderful addition to the study of 19th century France. The guide is used in conjunction with the 1998-Columbia Pictures version of the movie. This adaptation of Victor Hugo's classic novel of forgiveness and redemption, stars Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean, an ex-con who is trying desperately to live a decent life. Geoffrey Rush, co-stars as Javert, the inspector who has no intentions of letting Valjean escape his past. The movie deals with themes of love, forgiveness, mercy, the consequences of a vengeful spirit, random acts of kindness and parenting. The movie is rated PG-13 and has a run time of 2 hours and 14 minutes. I used the Les Miserables Z-Guide with Kaela, my 10th grade daughter. We both thoroughly enjoyed the movie and eagerly completed the study guide. We especially enjoyed the movie review questions. However, we completed this activity after watching the movie instead of during the movie as suggested by the guide. I found the activities to be thought provoking. and conducive to analyzing the main characters of the movie. This was a pleasant change from our normal history studies. I plan to include additional movie studies into our curriculum in the future. Zeezok Publishers has several other movie guides including:

• 12 Angry Men- US Government


• A Man for All Seasons-Medieval History


• A Tale of Two Cities- French Revolution


• Amazing Grace- British History


• Ben Hur- Medieval Europe


• Cromwell- English Civil War


• Driving Miss Daisy- American Civil War


• Father Goose- WW II


• Guess Who's Coming to Diner- American Civil Rights


• Inherit the Wind- Scope Trials in America


• Jason and the Argonauts-Greek Mythology


• Johnny Tremain-American Revolution


• Kit Kittredge-Great Depression


• Knights of the Round Table- Medieval History


• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington- Congressional Procedures


• Flyboys- WW I


• and many more... see all the titles at http://www.zeezok.com/

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Freebie Friday

It's Like Having a Money Tree in Your Back Yard!

The Homeschool Blogger has put together another great selection of webinars and the price simply cannot be beat as it is all FREE!

See the Light: Bring an Art Teacher into Your Home April 14th – 12PM EDT / 11AM CDT / 10AM MDT / 9AM PDT Art instruction has always been part of a well-rounded education. Sadly, these courses have been cut from many Christian and homeschool curricula because parents and educators lack the funds to establish a quality art program or the expertise to properly train students in the visual arts. Impassioned to teach our children art in a fun and unique way, join creator & artist from See the Light as they share with you Art Class: Bring an Art Teacher into your home! •Step-by-Step Art Tutoring •Progressive Skill Building •Integrated Art History & Biblical Truth.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! April 21st – 4PM EDT / 3PM CDT / 2PM MDT / 1PM PDT They don’t call her the Former Fast Food Queen for nothing! Sera Johnson doesn’t just tell others how to achieve nutritional wellness, she made that journey with her family too. Through the ground-breaking, award-winning curriculum Nutrition 101: Choose Life!, Sera shows how she improved her family’s health by teaching how food – good and bad – effects the body. This unit study has an impact on every member of the family because it is designed to give a foundation for a lifetime of wise choices. Pick up tips on how to get even the pickiest of eaters to eat healthy food and love it.

Enhance Your Child’s Writing Skills with Tikatok: A Cross-Curricular Tool April 28th – 4PM EDT / 3PM CDT / 2PM MDT / 1PM PDT Tikatok.com is a unique, book creation tool that integrates literacy and cross-curricular learning, including reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art and digital technology. Spark creativity, critical thinking, and 21st Century learning, while providing your child with a fun, interactive experience. All while demonstrating comprehension and the gains s/he has made through the year. Join us for a live Webinar and learn: •How to make use of this easy-to-use, creative tool – including how to publish your own book •Smart ways to incorporate writing into other subject areas •Tips and engaging activities to maximize learning fun over the summer •Plus a FREE lesson plan for each participant

Click here to register: http://homeschoolblogger.com/webinar/

Enjoy and have a blessed week.

Lauren

LATIN FOR CHILDREN

Latin For Children: Primer A By Aaron Larsen and Dr. Christopher Perrin Classical Academic Press http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/ I received the mastery bundle of Latin for Children: Primer A in exchange for my honest review of their program. When the box arrived, it was like Christmas in February! The mastery bundle includes:

• •LFC Primer A Student text and workbook. The foundation of the curriculum LFC Primer A Answer Key — features the actual text with answers in bold print


• •LFC A DVDs & Chant CD — offers chapter-by-chapter training by the author with 2 students. The chant CD contains all 240 vocabulary words chanted and sung in both the classical & ecclesiastical pronunciations.


• •LFC A History Reader — Read Latin stories from history that are geared toward the grammar and vocabulary being learned in each Primer.


• •LFC A Activity Book! — Play games and puzzles that help students master the Latin vocabulary and grammar from each Primer.

The Latin for Children mastery bundle is $99.95. Please check the website for individual prices: http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/

Latin for Children: Primer A book is the first book of a three year series. This engaging program is designed for use with children as young as third grade. It introduces the student to Latin vocabulary, grammar and English derivatives in a fun and interactive manner. The program is perfect for a parent who desires to expose their children to Latin, but have no previous knowledge of the Latin language. The 32 lessons are pre-recorded on a DVD and include catchy chants and informative lessons taught by Dr. Perrin which reinforce the lessons in the text book. Dr Perrin is accompanied by some of his Latin students who sing and chant the weekly vocabulary. The 15 minute lessons includes a grammar segment. There is a choice between the classical or the ecclesiastical pronunciation in the book, CD, and DVD.

The Latin for Children text is a 230 page, soft bound book. Each lesson introduces ten vocabulary words and a grammar lesson. The textbook also includes worksheets, quizzes and a reference section. Although the book is printed in black and white, the pages are appealing and easy to read. The accompanied answer key has all the answers for worksheets and quizzes. The Activity book is packed with puzzles and games designed to reinforce each lesson. Libellus de Historia is a Latin History Reader that allows the student to utilize their new vocabulary and learn translation skills. Also included in the mastery bundle is a 3 DVD set and 2 Chant- Cds. The DVDs have 6+ hours of video that is integrated with Shurley Grammar. Even though the mastery set provides a complete Latin curriculum for children in 3rd-8th grade, the Classical Academic Press website has an abundances of free resources to enhance your lessons. The website not only has worksheets, quizzes, games, and chapter test, but there are numerous links to informative websites, lesson ideas, and articles. It is obvious that the publishers of Latin for Children are committed to provided a high level Latin curriculum.

I used the Latin for Children: Primer A program with two of my children. Karina,who is currently in the 6th grade enjoyed the DVD lessons and was constantly singing the chants. The exercises in the Activity book was also a favorite part of each lesson. Kwan, who is a seventh grader preferred to study the lesson from the text book and then listen to the chant CD. Both children enjoyed the interactive vocabulary game on the Classical Academic website. I found the curriculum extremely easy to use and it required no previous knowledge of Latin. The DVD lessons were well done home style videos. The children used in the videos were very natural and easy to relate to. The chants were catchy and a great memorization tool. I plan to continue to use this program with my children.

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