I was excited to have a chance to review Molly’s Money-Saving digest, February 2009.  I think I do a pretty good job of living frugally, and I wanted to see if Molly had some new tips for me. 

The Digest is scattered with great quotes, and this issue had a history lesson about the Great Depression and discussed how the women of that time survived while living frugally. 

“On sale this month” tells what’s on sale now – for February – with Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day and end of winter; she also includes all holidays, common and not-so-common, plus monthly acknowledgements, like Black History Month.

 “Pull Up a Chair” features recipes and ideas for entertaining.  I enjoyed the tips for garden planning and making frugal, natural cleaning products with your friends.  I’m always looking for a way to get together with friends, yet not feel as if I’ve ignored my home.  Molly provides us with a list of online seed stores, how to start your seeds, plus information on different types of gardens.  The article on natural cleaners was by Lisa of Homestead Originals and quite informative. 

There’s a great article about raising your own chickens with a resource list to help you get started.  Doesn’t this digest just include everything?!

The “Goal-Getter Spotlight” was something we personally needed at our home.  We would like to move out to the country, and this article was one family’s story of having a dream, making a plan and saving to accomplish their goal of homesteading.  It was an informative, motivating article by Carolyn Henderson.  I really appreciated her note that while you’re saving, make sure you’re generous with your giving.  You don’t want to reach your goal as a stingy, discontent person.  The bonus was that I learned a new word:  Ascetics:  n.   A person who renounces material comforts and leads a life of austere self-discipline, especially as an act of religious devotion.  Oh, the author was saying they were not ascetics, by the way ;-)

This digest was larger than normal and a great read.  Yes, Molly’s Money-Saving Digest taught me a few things, especially since we still haven’t started gardening, and I think it’s worth the e-book price of $4.95.  Since this month’s digest is larger it would be a great one to try.  Get your copy today at The Old Schoolhouse Store.

Follow along daily with Molly and her adventures in fiscally responsible homemaking at Econobusters.   

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I want to begin by telling you where I’m coming from:  I began homeschooling for “educational” purposes and used a “boxed” curriculum; that is, I ordered school-type curriculum all from one company, which included spelling.  I have learned not to say or even think that it’s okay to spend a lot of money on curriculum because “I’ll use it with all of my kids.”  It’s not good for me to use that as an excuse to validate how much I’m (over)spending, plus I’ve discovered it’s not true.  We use an eclectic approach now, and I homeschool for reasons much more personal and important than just educational ones, and I wanted to incorporate spelling into an enjoyable learning atmosphere and not just memorize a list. 

I wasn’t doing a very good job at pulling out words from our reading and misspelled words from my daughter's writing and actually working with the kids on them.  At first, All About Spelling seemed a bit time-consuming, but I love words:  linguistics, phonetics, literature, you name it!  And, I finally realized that there was a lot more to AAS than just spelling.  It is organized so well, listing the spelling words by phonetic sounds and spelling rules, that it really creeps into language arts in general.  I really like it!

Here’s how we used All About Spelling: 

I have an 8-year-old son who is not reading fluently/confidently yet.  We’re over half-way through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons but haven’t kept up with it due to using some new products we’re reviewing.  What I love about AAS is that it starts with basic phonics sounds!  The program makes sure the child has a working knowledge of the basics before expecting the child to spell.  Isn’t that a unique approach?!  Anyway, it fits right in with what we were already doing with 100 Easy Lessons, so we really like this program.

I have a 10-year-old daughter who is an avid reader and I guess what you call a “natural speller.”  I didn’t want to bore her to death by starting at the beginning, which is what AAS suggests, so we did play around with the first level, then skipped ahead to really check out the program.  I loved how the program uses rules; until the last couple of years I didn’t know there were actually so many spelling rules for the English language, since I thought English was so haphazard!  I like how this program actually makes sense.

I would encourage you to visit TOS Crew blog and check out some other reviews of All About Spelling.  Other reviewers had raves for the program when used with Special Needs kids and others used it more consistently according to the directions.  This program is an investment of $30 per level, but I think it’s worth it if you’re looking for a solid spelling program that will really benefit all areas of language and learning!

I can’t wait to use All About Homophones!

Danielle

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When I first saw that I would get to review a program called puppetools, my first guess was that this site was about making puppets out of different materials, with a lot of different patterns, and maybe there would even be scripts or story ideas.  I must say I was a bit disappointed to find that it was a site promoting the idea of creativity and play being the best way to teach children, because I think that’s what homeschoolers already do!

The site contains many videos.  Actually, there’s very little to read, and you learn about Puppetools by watching these mini-infomercials, often presented by a puppet.  There are also many videos of kids and adults with their puppets.  So, you should go check them out!  The site seemed very focused to school or large group teachers who might not be comfortable or knowledgeable about communicating their information (teaching) in an entertaining, attention-keeping manner.

I could see Puppetools being utilized by a larger group, perhaps a group of junior leaders that will use the puppets to teach younger children then allow those children to create their own puppets and stories.  I had our children’s church teacher come and check out the site with me, but she felt investing in a couple of large cloth puppets would better suit that ministry.  The idea of “the hinge” as the working mouthpiece for the puppets is creative, but I wouldn’t pay $20-100 to learn about it, as we already own puppet-making books, and there is much information on the internet.

I actually felt a bit talked down to with the "Cost/Benefits" section listing price comparisons for other “Products & Services Costing $75-$150:  After School Program-1 child/month; Pair of Name Brand Sneakers; Couple of Video Games; Trip to Supermarket (family of 4); Nice Dinner Out for 2; Birthday Party @ Laser Tag; Tank of Gas."  These items are either necessities or they don’t even happen at our home.

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I received 4 Cd-ROMs from Core-learning, one full-length program and 3 demos.

Crayola Art Studio was the main, full-featured program, and we love it!  The kids and I took turns playing with it, and it was hard to just watch and not make suggestions of “try this” or “do that!”  Take your basic paint program that comes on your computer and at least triple your options:  designs, patterns, images, backgrounds, and many more tools (markers, crayons, paints, even charcoal and spray paint)!  I think the only complaint was by dd10 because she wanted to be able to put people into her picture instead of just animals!  With the backgrounds and other images provided, you can design your own coloring pages to print.  After we played around, I thought I’d actually watch the “Quick Start Tour,” and I found many more activities to do.   

Another demo I received was "Art and Creativity."  There is a sample of Creativity Express, a visual arts curriculum for K-8; I’m not sure this is a program we would use for homeschooling, as I would rather do art together with all of my children vs. one child at a time doing art on the computer.  The other demo is corefx, which has animation and photo editing, their site says “graphic design and digital art,” which we’re not quite ready for around here.  It the kind of program we may need in the future when my kids are a bit older and putting on plays for mom and dad aren’t enough. 

Then there was the math and language arts demo; I wasn’t able to access everything, but it seemed to be set up for school systems.  Math is arranged by skill instead of grade, which I know is helpful for some homeschoolers.  Core-learning is beginning to offer online programs, or you can purchase the programs on disc.

I knew exactly what I was looking for when I checked out the Health Series Demo.  I knew it wouldn’t be from a Christian perspective, but I wanted to see if we could use it anyway.  I can’t tell you much about the content of the first series, Health for kids, because I never made it that far.  My first concern was that there was a lot of reading and the words were moving onto the screen in large font in order to be entertaining.  If your child isn’t reading fluently this isn’t going to work.  At some points the program or characters talk but not always.  And the characters are my other problem at this level: they are junior high age and just seem a bit too mature for the ages 7-10 that the program is geared for.

Then comes the Family Health series for grades 5-10; “Becoming an Adult” caught my eye right away.  There was a section on “Friends” with the quote “Sometimes you can share things with a friend that you can’t share with anyone else, not even your family!”  That just isn’t going to work for our family.  Then under “You & Others” is a section on harassment, which discusses sexual harassment, and I did see the term sexual preferences.  They also talk about personal identity, which would be from a humanistic world view.

In summary, Core-Learning covers a broad range of subjects in order to fulfill their mission of providing “effective learning solutions for the development of fundamental knowledge and skills. Its primary focus of skill development is in areas that both support higher order thinking but also provide important life skills. Products address key elementary and middle school curriculum areas in math, English language arts, health, art, and technology.”  We enjoyed the creativity allowed by the Crayola Art Studio, but I wouldn’t use their health program, and I’m not sure I would support this company at all.

Thanks for stopping by,

Danielle

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I think I’d better let you in on my background:  I have no art experience whatsoever!  Anything I know about art I’ve learned while homeschooling and from doing crafts.  I’ve purchased a few books on certain art topics, and we’ve included art and art history in our unit studies, but I’ve never really looked into buying a full art curriculum for our homeschool; my eyes have now been opened to this fabulous Christ-centered art curriculum, and we’ve really enjoyed it! 

I am very impressed with Spears Art Studio and their dedication to Christ and teaching with Him as their focus, so I wanted to share the following from their website:

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me:  Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.  Psalm 119:73

Spears Art Studio MISSION STATEMENT

1. in everything recognize the hand of God and to give Him glory;

2. to provide resources for the Christian educator that:

a. help students make connections between the Creator, creativity, and

personal maturity;

b. are organized for natural learning progression;

c. provide experiences for higher order thinking skills;

d. “stretch” academic and manipulative skills;

e. become acquainted with famous artists and artworks incorporated

into a seasonal and/or art element/principles arrangement of art and

craft production.

All products of Spears Art Studio, Inc. are dedicated to the

glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Are you excited about this company yet?!  I’m not sure I can “do them justice,” so you should go check out their site, but this curriculum includes art history and arts & crafts.  They provide a supply list for each month, separated by grade and activity; I don’t think you can calculate how much time that saves, so that makes this program priceless!  The curriculum is available in print and on disc, with the disc being $39.95, which includes shipping; there are many, many samples at their website, so you can see the quality of content you’ll be purchasing. 

Their program supports “the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages of Classical education” and can be a springboard for unit studies or be easily incorporated into your unit studies.  And every lesson has at least one scripture, so it can go hand-in-hand with your devotions or Bible study.

I think with homeschooling we often have time vs. money situations, and I think this program saves a lot of both.  I feel that $40 for a complete K-8 art curriculum that is totally organized (scheduled) for you is quite a frugal find!  And now I’m even more in love with them:  they have literature guides for Stuart Little and three other “older” stories.  I’ll be adding that disc to our school list for next year!

Be blessed,

Danielle

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This is the "gang" from Rime to Read!  Kids get to know these characters as they read.  I thought I'd change my reviewing format and hit the hot spots about Rime to Read:

What:  A beginning reading program comprised of 20 short books

Who:  Younger readers and those needing remedial work

When:  After phonics teaching

Pros:  “Lifetime” access to the site.

There is a new “sounds” feature, where the child can click to hear the correct pronunciation

Great customer service/response

Motivation for the kids because they are actually reading a book

Cons:  I think these are personal preference; I already have my favorite way to teach my child to read, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, so I’ll tell you what the cons are for our family:

Price.  You can buy the 20 book set for $44.99; with purchase you have both the online and the print options available.  You have “lifetime” online access, but you can only print the booklets one time; I would suggest printing the booklets on card stock and possibly laminating them, though this gets into more cost.

Site words:  “Thirty-five common sight words are introduced and previewed the first five times they appear.”  I’m not a big fan of site words, which are avoided in 100 Easy Lessons, so I found this to be a con.

I like print books.  I love print books, actually, so I don’t want to teach my child to read on the computer.  Nor do I want the expense to print off these booklets, especially with the chance of them being damaged, destroyed or lost. 

I think that about sums it up.  This is a unique program that I think would work for many parents and children, so you’ll have to check out Rime to Read to make your decision.

Thanks for stopping by!  Be blessed,

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I knew when I first heard about Homeschooling ABCs from Knowledge Quest that it would be a great program.  Knowledge Quest (KQ) specializes in history and geography curricula; they’re a company that would rather offer quality than quantity.  We own and use a few KQ products, and I feel I’ve gotten to “know” them through Terri’s blog; I’ve also heard KQ mentioned here and there in the homeschool arena, so I just knew Homeschooling ABCs would be an excellent program.

I had a friend beginning to homeschool this year who I thought could benefit from Homeschooling ABCs, but I hadn’t personally seen the program to explain it to her; I couldn’t recommend something from only my “gut instinct” or intuition, could I?  So, I was quite excited when I received Homeschooling ABCs to review for The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew.  And I was right: it’s a great product for new homeschoolers; my friend would really have benefited.  I think anyone, new or "seasoned," could glean much from this program, especially those who are struggling with direction or organization for their homeschool and for those who (like me a few years ago) are transitioning from “traditional” or boxed curriculum to eclectic homeschooling.

Todd and Terri Johnson really want to get us on the right path.  They encourage us to make sure the Bible is the foundation of what we’re doing, along with simply enjoying our children.  They don’t tell us we have to do it their way but guide and prepare us.  They don’t overwhelm us with information, but equip us by sharing information in a well-organized manner and getting us in touch with other quality Christian Homeschool companies.  To check out a sample lesson plus a 5-day mini class click HERE.

By the way, the name “Homeschooling ABCs” is letting us know there is a lesson for each letter of the alphabet; these 26 classes (1 per week) are only $10/month.  We’re also receiving over $200 worth of free resources from great homeschooling companies like: Values-Driven Family, Cindy Rushton, Homeschoolingbible.com, The Old Schoolhouse Planner, and TEACH magazine!  KQ isn’t saying they’re the know-all and end-all!  They want to equip us to succeed, and I feel this program does just that.  

Thanks, Todd and Terri!

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  We are so thankful to have received these books from Salem Ridge Press!  My dd10 read The American Twins of the Revolution by Lucy Fitch Perkins and Mary Jane - Her Book by Clara Ingram Judson in one day each, and it took me a bit longer to read Glaucia the Greek Slave by Emma (Dixon) Leslie!  Salem Ridge Press is "a publishing company, established in November, 2005, dedicated to bringing back quality children’s books of the 1800’s and early 1900’s for a new generation of readers."

With such a voracious 10-year-old reader, it is hard for the Daddy and me to preview every book that comes along, so we are in love with these books because we know we can trust them!  Yes, I am raving about them; I don't do this with all of my reviews, trust me!  And the first book our daughter read was historical fiction; actually, she wanted to read the book I was reading first!  I may ask her to read Mary Jane to her siblings, as it is for younger readers and would fit beautifully as a read-aloud.

My daughter explained that she enjoyed the excitement and ending of The American Twins. Apparently, she enjoys action and adventure, but I appreciate that these books are without the graphic descriptions that current-day books and movies contain.  I feel our children need to know what is going on in our world and learn how to process that in light of God's Word, instead of being side-tracked by shock-value, losing their innocence, then responding emotionally (crying, feeling embarassed or unsettled).

I am so blessed when I read fiction where the characters are actually praying, seeking the Lord, and ministering or witnessing to others about the Lord.  That's what the Emma Leslie Church History Series books are doing, along with telling the culture and Christian "temperature" of the time.

Daniel Mills, the founder of Salem Ridge Press, is fulfilling his desire of republishing these old books, and I believe fulfilling the purpose of this scripture at their site:  Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8).

♦♦♦   ♦♦♦   ♦♦♦

Sign up for the Salem Ridge e-newletter and be entered to win one of their books!

Blessings, Danielle

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The first Creation Science book I purchased for homeschooling was Creation Science: A Study Guide to Creation by Felice Gerwitz and Jill Whitlock; I learned as much as my son did!  When I heard Mrs. Gerwitz was teaming up with Cindy Rushton for an online Creation Science Seminar, I just knew we had to attend!  My 10-year-old daughter and I enjoyed the class immensely.  Then, to top things off, we received a copy of The Missing Link: FOUND by Mrs. Gerwitz and her daughter to review as part of "TOS Homeschool Crew."

My daughter read the book in 2 days; I think it would have only taken her one day, but I must have had some other activities she had to do!  It took me longer, as I have a few more demands on my time!  The book was an easy read; it had action and adventure, and we both learned more about the debate between Creation and evolution.  I liked that the story centered around 3 cousins:  there were no boyfriend/girlfriend situations, no giggling about other characters being cute; and I appreciated that prayer and talking about the Lord were normal, every day parts of their lives. 

My daughter loves the Jonathan Park CD's, so I asked her for some comparison and contrast.  All I really got from that request was that both stories have a character who believes in evolution, and the main characters are trying to tell him about Creation and witness about God.  That works for me!  I think that is teaching her something valuable, in-line with the Bible!

Blessings, Danielle

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I would like to thank one2believe for blessing us at the TOS Homeschool Crew with the opportunity to review their Tales of Glory Nativity Set!  They could have sent us one of their smaller items, but they chose to send us the biggest and best!

The talk amongst "The Crew" was that many wanted to save the nativity for Christmas, but since we had to review it before then we'd have just hand it over to the kiddos!  My dd10 gladly accepted our newly arrived package as I went to put the baby to bed.  All the pieces were nestled in that plastic so they don't get loose in the box, and the kids were excitedly popping them out when I returned.  The kids (10, 8, 6, 3) all enjoyed it, though the 6 and 3 year-olds played with it the longest.

My kids have always liked to play with "people" from any sets they receive.  They mix and match Little People, Veggie Tales, and now this set to act out stories.  Dd 3 has played with the nativity every day when we do devotions.  I think they all will continue to play with this and would enjoy the other Biblical character figurines and even the larger "dolls."

The one2believe website offers parent resources and a kids' corner, and I appreciate being able to support a Christian company.  I'm also glad we have this, as they won't be as tempted to play with my breakable nativity set at Christmas ;-)

Thanks for stopping by!  Danielle

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I hadn’t heard of Homeschool Library Builder, but I am so glad I received the opportunity to review their site for The Old Schoolhouse Crew!  They have everything from board books for the babies to beautiful hardcover classics; DK, Kingfisher and Usborne; American Girl and Marguerite Henry; and Christian fiction.  Many of the books are new from publishers’ remainders and overstocks.

This will now be the site I go to first when I'm looking for a used or out-of-print book.  The selection and prices are some of the best I've seen; they ship via Media Mail, too. The website is easy to use with sections for specials, clearance and new arrivals; also a search button, so you’re not scrolling through hundreds of books.  It is categorized very well. 

They offer a free membership where you can earn points to spend on free books by making purchases and telling friends about the site.  Their motto is true:  "Fill Your Bookshelves without Emptying Your Wallet" and right now they’re having a Big Bin Blow Out Sale!

I am looking forward to purchasing from their site as soon as I can honestly tell the principal that I really need something ;-)

For more reviews, check out TOS Homeschool Crew!  Blessings, Danielle

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This will be one of the few homeschooling items I will use virtually forever!  This is truly unbelievable!  How did they do it?!  It is so complete.

 I don't want to be redundant by telling you what's in The Planner, so here's a link to the contents of the planner:   E-Book: The Schoolhouse Planner.  You can print some sample forms for yourself - to help you make "an informed decision."    

With my first look-through of The Planner, my first favorites were:  Links!  I love links!  Links are so helpful - it saves me the time of sifting through junk and minimizes the chance of stumbling upon content I don't want to view.  The Planner has 12 essays organized by topic, or school subject, followed by the links for that author and links to school resources for said subject. Even the recipes have the links to their contributor.

Forms:  The idea behind The Planner is to have everything for your home and school together.  There are homeschool forms from the planning and goal setting stage to the forms to help you follow-up and complete your year.  And for the homemaker, cook and financial planner, the forms are included, too.  There are 3 chore charts (blank, words or pictures) for various ages, which is something I was looking for.  I like that this record-keeping will really help you see your responsibilities and accomplishments in one place.

Writable-  I hate it when I have a form in PDF but I can't "write" on it and save it, so I really appreciate that The Planner is writable and "savable."  I know, that's not a word;-)  The versatility here is that you can print out pages before you write on them; you can type what you're planning, then print; or you can save your info on the computer, if you're not a paper person anymore.

Before I looked at The Planner, I thought about what I would need and want.  So far, the only thing "missing" is  the plain 'ole attendance sheet.  That's our (only) requirement in Indiana, so I need one of those!  I've printed off the large monthly calendars and a few essays and recipes.  I'm going to work on meal planning list next; having that in my binder will really help me stay organized.

I think everyone can benefit from this planner, but only you can decide what you need and what you will really use.  I am sure we’ve all spent money on just the right planner or curriculum only to find us not implementing it, or the next child not using it.  I find The Schoolhouse Planner to be complete and versatile, therefore, making it useful in my home and school. 

Feel free to ask any specific questions!           Blessings, Danielle

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