I am an Australian married to an American, currently living in the U.S.A. Join me as I strive to delight in the moments that make up our days and aim to have a happy family that loves God and serves others. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:49:00 -0500 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:49:00 -0500 I had the opportunity to review this e-book and thought it was excellent.  Here is what I had to say about it: The Autumn Treasures Download N Go e-book contains a wonderful plan which enables families to experience a fun-filled week of learning together.  The lessons are laid out clearly and include a multitude of links to all the information needed.  Practically everything is right there: videos, poetry, bible verses, and lapbook templates.  A quick trip to the library for books and a check of the homeschool cabinet for lapbook supplies (glue, paper, and file folders) is all that is left to do. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety included in this week long study and feel this would give children a well rounded understanding of all things Autumn.  I also appreciated the encouragement to take nature walks each day; a perfect way to tie things together.  Autumn Treasures is not only fun and educational, but also an excellent tool for building special memories.  I'm hoping to spend this week working on it with my children.  It should be fun! Click below to get it free:   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/734936/ Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:49:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/734936/ If you don't subscribe to the Old Schoolhouse magazine or your time to renew is coming up, I suggest you jump over and check out the amazing summer special that's going on right now. I have always enjoyed the free gifts associated with my subscription the Old Schoolhouse magazine, but this year really seems to take the cake.  There are 19 free gifts including a free portrait at Sears, crepe mix and cheesecake blend from Wildtree, a $20 gift card from Franklin springs, and a $10 gift card from Apologia...just to name a few!  It's certainly worth a look.  Click here to check it out! There are only 5,00 available, so hurry! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/704159/ Wed, 1 Jul 2009 11:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/704159/ Last night our little homeschool group held a recital. My daughter played Mary had a little lamb on the piano (and sang it too). If you knew how hard this was for her, you would be proud too. She was absolutely shaking! While we were sitting waiting for her turn she said, “Can we pray for me to be brave?” And we did. And she was. SugarBean began to learn the piano a few months ago. We only have a keyboard to practice on and she doesn’t actually have lessons...we just follow the book. A good friend of mine, who knows her piano stuff, checks her progress every now and then. Two years ago, our group held their very first recital. My daughter was only 5 then and she recited The Purple Cow, by Gelett Burgess (a very cute 4 line poem). I remember watching the nerves grow as she waited for her turn. It got to the point that she burst out with, “Why did you sign me up for this? You shouldn’t have signed me up for this!!” But the fact is, I was hesitant to sign her up, she wanted to do it. Or so she thought. I guess seeing the crowd and the little stage is daunting. Anyway, scared and all, she went through with it. I think she only made it half way up the stairs to the stage and said the poem right there, with her head leaning on the railing. But she did it! Fast forward to last night, she stood on the stage and told everyone what she would be playing and that she would be playing two verses! She even made a small mistake at the beginning and just started over. She sang too! As you can tell, I am very happy. I think everyone there, who knows her personality, was happy too. She did practically bolt off the stage at the end. I forgot to practice waking slowly! It was cute though. I tried to capture the whole thing on camera, but I pressed the wrong button. I got nothing! A friend taped it, and they are going to make a copy. I wanted to send it to the grand parents. Overcoming fears is so hard, even for us grown ups. I’m very pleased that this 7 year old was able to do it. Yay for her! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/693028/ Wed, 27 May 2009 08:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/693028/   There are less than 5 days left to RENEW your subscription to the Old Schoolhouse ™ Magazine and get 2 years for the price of  1!   For just $25 you'll receive 2 full years of TOS!   But you must subscribe by June 2nd to get the summer issue! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/692436/ Mon, 25 May 2009 14:16:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/692436/ Until midnight on Tuesday, May 26th, you can subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine ™ for only $15. Plus, as a bonus, you can select 5 FREE WeE-books of  YOUR CHOICE! TOS is taking $10 off for one-year print subscriptions! (U.S. only) Sounds like a good deal to me! Click here to subscribe. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/692434/ Mon, 25 May 2009 14:04:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/692434/ I just posted about our trip to Australia over on my new blog. To read the entry click here http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/691159/ Thu, 21 May 2009 09:23:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/691159/ To my dear friends who still check in every once in a while, I never intended for reviews to take over this blog!  Once I started with the Homeschool Crew, I found I was not able to keep up with blogging and have enough time to test each product in order to write a fair and honest review.  Because I had made a commitment to the Homeschool crew, I let my blog go.  My time with the crew was fun and educational.  I was able to try out a lot of products and learn a little more about the style of homeschooling we prefer.  I'm happy to say that I think we are on the right track.  I still love the Charlotte Mason method and feel it is just right for our family. I'd like to write a post about what we actually do in our homeschool.  With all these reviews you probably haven't any idea!  Perhaps I can do that soon.  I'd also like to mention my favorite products from all those we reviewed.  I should be able to do that soon. In the meantime, I've started a shiny, new blog.  I even bought a domain name! You can find it at: DelightingintheDays.com It still needs a lot of work, but I decided to just start blogging there anyway.  I posted a little about what we've been up to over the past few months, including some exciting news. I hope you'll pay me a visit. -Stacy http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/690232/ Mon, 18 May 2009 15:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/690232/ My last review for the TOS Homeschool Crew is for two products published by Memoria Press. Memoria Press is a publishing company that produces classical Christian education materials.  The items I received demonstrated that the products made and distributed by this company are of a high quality.  Part of their philosophy states:  '"Memoria Press’ educational philosophy can be best described as classical Christian education. Classical Christian education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue through meditation on the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. This is accomplished in two ways: first, through training in the liberal arts; and secondly, through a familiarity with the great books and the great thinkers of the Western tradition.”  I find this extremely intriguing.  A great basis for eduction if you ask me.  Read more about the philosophy of Memoria Press here. Onto the reviews... Prima Latina For review I received the Prima Latina teacher manual, student book, DVD set, and CD. Prima Latina is an introduction to Latin; a  prepatory course, designed to precede Latina Christiana, another Latin curriculum produced by Memoria Press.  Prima Latina is intended for children K - 4th grade.  It is also meant for teachers with no Latin background. This course is extremely thorough and quite intense.  I have no previous experience with Latin and found this be very interesting.  I have not yet been convinced of the need to begin studying it at this stage of our homeschool journey, however, the instructor, Leigh Lowe, had me pretty close.  My daughter is 7 and did find this to be interesting too. However, it is quite rigorous and I cannot imagine a kindergartner doing this unless lessons were broken down into much smaller segments.  There is also a decent amount of writing involved in the student book and this too might pose a problem for younger ones. Let me say that if I were to pursue Latin further at this time, Prima Latina would be the course I’d use.  Especially with the DVD’s.   The DVD’s provide something a little different from Mom always being the teacher.  They also make lesson presentation very easy!  The author of this curriculum, Leigh Lowe, is the teacher on the DVD’s.  She does a great job presenting the lessons and explains things very well.  I really enjoyed her enthusiasm and most of all, her emphasis on “doing your best work.”  For Mom’s with no Latin experience, or who could use a little help, I highly recommend these DVD’s to accompany the Prima Latina curriculum. The teacher’s manual and student book are both neatly and clearly laid out.  Lessons are straightforward and easy to follow. Most lessons follow the same format, beginning with some practical Latin, then moving on to the lesson (learning something new).  Next is vocabulary, then Latin prayers, derivatives, review questions, translation, speaking Latin, write and learn, and finally, fun practice.  There are 25 lessons, one is to be completed each week. The Prima Latina CD is also quite helpful in facilitating learning.  It includes a general pronunciation guide, prayer instructions, the prayers, pronunciation guide for specific words used in each lesson, and four Latin songs (which sound wonderful).  Children can use this CD for daily practice and review (and Mom can use it too). By the end of Prima Latina, children will have learned: English and Latin alphabet, vowels and consonants 125 Latin words 25 great Latin sayings 4 Latin prayers 4 Latin hymns 12 constellations Latin numbers one through ten and much more...click here to so what else is covered As you can imagine, a child who completes this course would be well on his way to knowing and understanding Latin.  Sample pages of the student book and teacher’s manual can be found here. Price Details Sets: Prima Latina Text Set $32.95 Teacher Manual, Student Book, & Pronunciation CD Prima Latina Texts, DVDs & Flashcard Set Teacher, Student, Pronunciation CD, Instructional DVDs, Flashcards $90.90 Individual items: Prima Latina Student Book $14.00 Prima Latina Teacher Manual $14.00 Prima Latina Pronunciation CD $4.95 Prima Latina Instructional DVDs $45.00  3 DVD set All these items can be purchased through Memoria Press. All in all I give Prima Latina a thumbs up.  It is a very thorough program, easy to use, fun and rigorous.  D'Aulaires' Greek Myths Guides Leigh Lowe and Cheryl Lowe have created both a teacher and student guide to accompany D'Aulaires' Greek Myths. I have enjoyed all of the D’Aulaire books we have encountered so far.  They are always well written and beautifully illustrated.  This is no exception.  Memoria Press’ study guides aim to utilize the stories and pictures through a variety of activities including drill work, vocabulary, and comprehension questions. In the very beginning of the teacher’s guide under “Why Study Greek Mythology,” the author states that "Greek myths are universal stories that describe human character types and the human situation in a wonderfully imaginative and entertaining way".   It is proposed that through these myths children will learn about the types of people they are sure to encounter throughout their lifetime.  This is why an entire study guide is devoted to the topic. Recommended for grades 3-6, the student guide consists of 103 pages while the teacher’s guide has 143. As with Prima Latina, the lessons are laid out in a neat, straightforward and predictable manner:   Each lesson begins with Facts to Know; a section that highlights the most important information from the D’Aulaire text.  Definitions are given for each item.  These facts are intended to be used for memory work and drill. Vocabulary is next.  New or challenging words from D’Aulaires’ text are listed along with parts of the sentence they were used in to give context.  Discussion of the meaning and spelling of these words is encouraged.  There is space to write the definition beside each word - definitions are given in the teacher’s guide! Following vocabulary are a list of Comprehension Questions.  These questions were created for more than simple recollection, the authors have crafted them in such a way that students should be able to notice and understand the virtues and foolishness of the Greek characters.  Basic answers are given in the teacher’s guide. Each lesson ends with Activities. This section includes a variety of ideas to pursue.  It begins with identifying and discussing events and people in the stories by looking at the beautiful illustrations in D’Aulaires’ book.  Discussion questions, writing prompts, drawing, map work, and time lines are some of the enrichment activities included in this section.  Brief answers and guidance is given in the teacher’s guide. Maps, a pronunciation guide, tests, and review lessons are also included in these guides.  There are 25 lessons in total. This is certainly a much more in depth study than I ever intended to do with Greek Myths.  However I do see it’s value.  The layout and work required in these guides is something I would have greatly enjoyed in my school years.  As with the Prima Latina curriculum, the Greek Myth guide is rigorous and thorough.  This is a little different to the read-and-narrate process I have been enjoying with my daughter. A lot more writing and studying is involved here.  This curriculum is very good and one that would be enjoyed by many.  Especially those pursuing a classical education. Price Details D'Aulaires' Set $45.95 (save 15%) Softbound D'Aulaires' Greek Myths, Student Guide, & Teacher Guide w/ key D'Aulaires' Greek Myths Student Guide $17.95 D'Aulaires' Greek Myths Teacher Guide $17.95 D'Aulaires' Greek Myths Softbound $18.95 These items can be purchased at MemoriaPress.com To find out what other homeschoolers thought about Memoria Press visit the Homeschool Crew http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/684616/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:06:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/684616/ As part of the Homeschool Crew I was presented with the opportunity to review the Tapestry of Grace.  More specifically year 2 unit 3, in digital format (which I will explain a little later in the review). Tapestry of Grace (TOG)  is a multi-level program which enables children of all ages to study the same topics on different levels.  Students will move through a 4 year plan a number of times depending on the age they begin.  It is possible to go through these year plans up to 3 times, learning at a higher level each cycle. By 4 year plan, I mean that all of human history is covered in 4 school years.  Although, it is up to each family how quickly they wish to move through this curriculum. I was under the impression that TOG was just a history program, however it actually covers more than that: geography, art, church history, government, literature, writing and composition are also included. In a nutshell, TOG is to me, a massive teacher’s lesson plan and guidebook.  It is huge and takes a while to really grasp.  Some reading needs to be done before the program can be implemented.  There is an active TOG community which can be very helpful in answering questions and steering new users in the right direction. TOG is a classical curriculum.  Assignments and readings are divided according to this classical method into: Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric.  Explanations for the approximate ages and grades these cover is given in the program.  My daughter is 7 years old and fits into the Grammar level.  Much of my view of TOG comes from looking at this particular level. As I mentioned, this is somewhat of a lesson plan/guidebook so there are extras needed to actually execute the program.  The greatest and most important extra would be acquiring the books needed. This would be an extra purchase, unless they can be found at your local library.  I was happy with the book selections, finding them to be of high quality.  I didn’t consider any to be twaddle. Each week many “assignments” are suggested.  Readings from the selected texts, worksheets, hands-on activities, art projects, geography lessons, and items for memorization are just some of these.  There really are so very many that it would be rather daunting to try and do all of them.  (This is actually advised against).  TOG is much like a smorgasbord where one goes through and chooses the best or most appropriate items.  This program can be used to the degree one desires. Since so much is covered in TOG, one would only need to add a few extra subjects in order to have a complete “schooling experience” - phonics, math and science, for example.  The program is extremely thorough and quite enjoyable.  I have no doubt that a child who goes through TOG would learn a great deal. A few notes on the Digital Edition The digital edition of TOG is more affordable that the print version.  It has certain perks such as saving storage space and it being accessed through the computer makes printing worksheets convenient. It is also much more portable than the large binders required to hold the print version.  Because this is a very large product, it required a little more computer time than I would like.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets a headache from reading on the computer too long!  Of course pages can be printed out, however it took me a while to really figure out which pages I wanted (or needed) to print.  And there are hundreds of pages in each unit! The download process is reasonably easy and the pages are viewed clearly on the computer screen.  To find out more about the Digital Edition, click here. A few notes on Year 2, Unit 3 - Of Crowns and Colonies Each unit of TOG is approximately 9 weeks of study.  This unit in particular covers 1559-1780 in Europe and 1607-1750 in America.  I like that multiple parts of the world are covered at once.  It seems to give a better perspective as to what occurred in the world during that time period and how different events affected people.  Students will learn about the Kings and Queens of England, Galileo, and the colonies of America (just to name some of what is covered).  The Unit 3 Introductory Notes state that this unit “mainly covers 150 years from the death of Elizabeth of England in 1603 to the American colonies on the eve of the French and Indian war, c. 1750.” I like the books selected for this unit and am also pleased with the activities suggested. For example: making and playing games that the colonial children would have enjoyed. Tapestry Of Grace POP Quiz CD and Cards I was also able to review another product which coincided with this unit: Pop Quiz.  A 2-CD set and pre-printed quiz cards. This is meant for Dads, but could be used by anyone.  The CD contains 15 minute audio tracks for each week of the TOG unit.  The audio tracks summarize the content of the current week being studied.  Pop Quiz cards are also included.  These list questions or conversation starters related to the weekly topics.  The questions are clearly divided into the three distinct classical learning levels.  I think this is a great addition to the program and makes it very easy for Dads to get involved.  To learn about this product, click here. So, what do I think about all this? As a whole, I like this curriculum.  It is thorough, fun, and keeps the family on the same page. I like the idea of covering the same topics numerous times, at higher levels of understanding.  However, even though I do like it, I have to say that I still enjoy my simple version of homeschooling. I found most of it to be fairly straight forward and understandable.  My only concern came with the writing assignments which are more difficult without their publication, Writing Aids.  Price Details: 1 Year (4 units) Digital Edition is $170. 1 Year print version $225. 1 Printed unit (9 weeks of study) $60 Digital unit (9 weeks of study) $45 Bonus bundles are also available which include a variety of products.  Click here to learn more about those. Pop Quiz - $15 per unit or $50 for the entire year (4 units). Tapestry of Grace offers samples for download on their website.  I highly recommend looking at these.  Click here to find out more To see what other Moms thought, visit the Homeschool Crew. Visit Tapestry of Grace at TapestryofGrace.com http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/682240/ Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/682240/ After enjoying the WriteShop Storybuilders I was really looking forward to trying out the WriteShop Primary A curriculum, a program intended for kindergarten and first grade which teaches writing skills in a very simple way. My 7 year old daughter has enjoyed the program immensely.  It begins so simply that I do feel a kindergartner would also enjoy it.  Instructions are given for implementing the curriculum on a 1 week, 2 week, or 3 week schedule.  Children can progress through at the speed that is most suitable for them. So what does this curriculum cover?  Here’s the run down: WriteShop Primary A introduces children to the process of writing in an extremely gentle, non-intimidating way.  First lessons begin with guided writing practice.  Parents help children think through ideas and form sentences.  This is a very simple and enjoyable process.  The child can write or dictate the story.  I preferred to have my daughter dictate to me.  This made our lessons go smoothly and kept things fun.  We were able to focus on the task at hand instead of getting bogged down in handwriting. Topics covered in this curriculum include: Personal writing Selecting a title Choosing a topic Story Structure - Beginning, middle, end. Punctuation Rhyming Organizing ideas Personal narrative Sequence of events Children also learn how to brainstorm ideas for a story, plan a story, edit, and gather information.  Another fun addition to each lesson is a creative idea for publishing and sharing their work with friends and family. One of my favorite aspects of this curriculum is the fact that lessons are kept short, 5 to 10 minutes is all that is required for most lessons.  This keeps children from becoming overwhelmed and helps develop a love of learning.  Each WriteShop lesson has a corresponding worksheet which gives children the opportunity to apply the skills they are learning. A worksheet set is available for purchase (for $4.50) and contains 20 reproducible activity pages and 2 evaluation charts to aid in tracking your child’s progress.  The first few worksheets are fairly simple and increase in difficulty with each lesson.   These worksheets are a fun addition to the writing program.  They are not used every day, so I feel they are not overly tedious as some are.  The verdict: I have not yet used a formal curriculum for teaching writing skills, so I have little to compare this to.  However, I can tell you that this program has been fun, straight-forward, and easy to use.  Both my daughter and I have enjoyed it.  I think it is a great start to learning the skills need for writing. The e-book version (which I received) is 186 pages long.  I prefer to print out one lesson at a time (about 10 - 15 pages).  This makes it much easier than trying to print out the entire book at once.  The e-book version is available for $24.25.  This gives a $2-per-book savings on the print edition which actually turns into a $7 savings when considering that there is no shipping cost. The book is available for download immediately. As previously mentioned, the worksheet set is available for $4.50 and is also available for immediate download. To learn more about this product click here To see what other Homeschool moms thought about WriteShop Primary A visit the Homeschool Crew http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/680254/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:02:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/AussieinAmerica/680254/