...as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. 1 Th 2:11b & 12 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:27:00 -0500 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:27:00 -0500 I wanted to update on our goals from my school planning post regarding what I’ve done for our family scripture verses.  The kids and I sat down and talked about “things” we struggle with.  For the younger kids, I asked them if there’s a time they get upset, or mad.  From there we chose our scriptures.  We are going to write (or type) them on templates and post them around the house and on front of school binders.   For me as the teacher, I wanted us all to have a reason for what we do and why we do it, so our family/school verse for this year is 1 Peter 3:15.   But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.   One of the kids mentioned having trouble with doing what needs to be done.  I think everyone in our house (me, too!) struggles with this.  Call it laziness, complaining, or not thinking of others first, I think the following verse has it covered – plus, it mentions serving!   Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Colossians 3:23-24   As mentioned in my original planning post, I specifically felt dd4 needed to work on not complaining.  She can be a fabulous helper if Dad or Mom is with her, but she has begun to complain when doing a task with a sibling or by herself.  So she gets Philippians 2:14-15; she says she wants to shine like a star ;-)   Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of god without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like starts in the universe…   And finally, one of the other kids mentioned 1 Corinthians 13, so we’re “doing” verse 5 and 7 from there, in the Amplified version.   Love is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); It is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.  Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, or it is not self-seeking; It is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].   Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].   I feel a great sense of accomplishment at working on my goals.  And especially encouraged after going over these scriptures and how I can apply them to me!  Be blessed!   Danielle http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/735811/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/735811/ I remember when my oldest son and I were going over an essay he had written, and I was asking him for a clearer explanation in his writing because the average reader wouldn’t understand what he was saying.  His response was that no one else was going to read it any way!  Now I know that writing for your own blog would certainly be a cure for that! And I have great guidelines for how to help our children begin a blog, a 45-page e-book, Prelude to a Blog.   I have been so blessed to read Prelude to a Blog by Sisterlisa.  This isn’t a technical “how-to create a blog” e-book, but a consideration of why begin a blog, cautions and experienced advice.  As parents, we are encouraged to be the authority, along with Christ, over our children and what they share.  This isn’t a simple school project, but a commitment that deserves prayer.   I know I’ve personally fumbled around on my blog.  I’ve been appropriately “accused” of having a blog, not actually blogging!  Will the blog be a journal?  Will your child post school assignments?  Will your child share his or her faith?  Having a reason for your child to blog is a great place to start, and the “ins and outs” of why, where and how are discussed.   I especially appreciated the good advice about safe sites to begin blogging for kids and etiquette.  I remember the first e-mailing etiquette I learned was not to type in all capital letters; all caps means you’re yelling.  I think Sisterlisa equips us well in this e-book with safety precautions and cyberspace manners.   I think this e-book fills the gap of what to consider before beginning the physical blog.  Blogging could be a great creative outlet or just the motivation your child needs, and you’ll feel confident after reading this e-book.  And Prelude to a Blog isn’t just for our students but for adult bloggers, too.  I think it’s a great tutorial, or prelude, for anyone considering blogging!   Would you like to win a copy?!  Please leave a comment for me if you’d like to be entered to win.  Also, linking to this post on a social media network (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) will earn you an extra entry.  Come back and let me know that you did that, also!   Thanks for stopping by, Danielle     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/735159/ Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:08:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/735159/ Molly’s Digest for November is full of smiles and photography tips.  This edition doesn’t just focus on frugal homekeeping but branches out to photo-related hobbies, including scrapbooking and frugal framing ideas, along with digital photography tips.   Molly gives some great advice on saving money while saving family memories when scrapbooking, along with pointers on digital photography.  We purchased our first digital camera this year and have yet to print any photos, so I really needed some pointers!  This newsletter has invaluable information about online sites that provide photo editing and digital photo storage!  Who knew?!  I have a friend who lost over a years’ worth of photos that were stored on an external hard drive, and my sister-in-law may have lost their vacation pictures when their computer was hit by lightning (yes, they had a surge protector).  I am so glad to have learned of other means to save your photos. The final article in a 3-part series by Amy Howard on couponing gives many sources of where to find coupons, including links to websites.  Coupons aren't only in the Sunday paper - I guess I’d better go get the last two Digests to see what I missed!   I also learned you can have more variety in your crock pot than I knew existed!  There’s a great slow cooker recipe section with 14 recipes, including desserts!  I will definitely be trying some of these out!  I’ve never wanted to purchase a slow cooker cookbook, so this is a great way to get a few new ideas! I always enjoy the special dates and events section, and I did not know there was a “Clean Out the Refrigerator Day!” I'm gonna' mark that one on my calendar ;-)   The Parenting that Pays article is by Todd Wilson of Familyman Ministries.  If you receive TOS e-newsletters, you know he’s great at getting serious points across to us homeschoolers in a humorous manner!  He understands that life happens, so don’t be so tough on yourself - or your kids.  Just enjoy life and smile!   As always, I appreciate the links to the various contributors’ websites and/or personal blogs.  There were links to scrapbooking supply companies that offer good prices or good sales, plus the links to various digital picture editing and storage.   Another jam-packed edition of Molly’s Digest.  I can’t say this issue focused as much on the money-saving part, and I loved it!  There were frugal ideas, don’t get me wrong, but the gem I came away with was remember to smile and makes memories.  The memories behind taking the pictures ourselves are worth more than having the “perfect pose” for our family Christmas picture that had everyone stressed out.  All in all, I found this edition to be very encouraging!   Have a blessed holiday, Danielle   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/732957/ Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:54:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/732957/ I finally got around to joining The Homeschool Lounge!  They are having a Homeschool Open House, which motivated me to blog about our plan for the new school year: This year we'll have a busy time as we teach, learn with and encourage our children who are 11, 9, 7, 4 and 18 months.  We have an 18-year-old, too, but there isn't any planning in this post for him ;-) Planning:  I love to plan.  I love to scour websites and booklists.  Then I realize I can’t buy it all or do it all this year, so I narrow it down to a realistic size and use planning forms from Cindy Rushton.  I have a household/kitchen plan in a binder and forms for our school plan in my school binder. Goals:  Thanks to Cindy Rushton, I’ve learned I need to “write it down!”  So, I write out personal, spiritual  and educational goals for the kids and myself.  This year we’ll have a scripture for each child, such as "Do everything without complaining so that you may shine like stars in the universe” for a certain 4-year-old ;-)  I have an UPDATE with more specifics of what we've done!  Reaching those goals! Curriculum:  I must confess that I am a curriculum junkie.  It was such a blessing to be a part of TOS Crew last year, but it only spurred me on to new (more) curriculum.    Devotions & Character training:  We’ve begun reading and focusing our devotions around Hinds’ Feet on High Places; then we’ll advance to a Pilgrims’ Progress reader, then listen to the audio CD from Answers in Genesis while the older children read along.  Hopefully, we can end with the newer movie version!   We will be creating a few lapbooks on Character Qualities, beginning with an Honesty lapbook from Hands of a Child (HOAC). Math:  I have three different math curriculum in our home!  We previously did Miquon, then reviewed three levels of Math Mammoth last year, and have now purchased 3 used, older levels of Math-U-See.  I guess we’ll see where each child is at and go from there.  The older versions of MUS cover more than one year of math.  Several local friends can’t say enough about MUS – highly recommended!   History:  I use history as our springboard for our unit studies, so this covers our Language Arts.  I have fallen in love with history since my oldest son (now 18) and I began using Diana Waring and historical fiction for our history studies.  This year we are using TruthQuest History and HS in the Woods & Amy Pak, and supplementing with Diana Waring.  I have some Tapestry of Grace, but needed help narrowing down to study just US History and covering my age range of kids, with the 7-year-old not reading yet.  Art history is included here.  And handwriting:  we’re using A Reason for Handwriting, Draw Write Now and a freebie from Homeschool Freebie of the Day (Check them out!)   Science:  Nature study and Apologia Flying Creatures and the lapbook from Knowledge Box Central.    Fun stuff:  I’ve purchased a lapbook for DD11 for Susan K. Marlow’s book Andrea Carter and the Family Secret from A Journey through Lapbooking.  For DS9 a unit study from Amanda Bennett on racing.  And DD7 is an amazing artist, so she’ll be happy with a great supply of paper and markers, crayons, and colored pencils.   Did I mention enough Homeschooling companies?!  There are so many great people who are available to help us out.  They share freebies and give seminars, so make sure you support those companies who’ve helped you out with information and freebies in the past!  And tell your friends!   I think that about covers it!  If not, let me know ;-)   Be blessed, Danielle     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/719230/ Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/719230/ Any time I see an article on saving money I just have to check it out.  I know we live frugally, so I need to see if these articles have anything new for me.  They often don’t.  But Molly’s done it again!  These digests always have information that’s new to me and practical!  I really can put Molly’s ideas to good use!   This month, Molly talks about giving of our time and money and our attitudes that motivate us.  After she’s given us, as adults, some food for thought, she continues on topic in “Parenting that Pays.”    Molly gets to the heart issue of thankfulness in us and our children.  I know sometimes we get concerned with how are children act and we miss the point of them making “it” their own.  That is, learning the concept in their mind, accepting it in their heart, then to continue the character on their own, into adulthood.  Molly shows us practical ways to teach our children graciousness!   I don’t remember there being links in the other digests.  Maybe there were links but not this many.  I love links.  There are several links to contributors blogs, plus links to a pattern company for the sewing article.  And now there is a directory of links at the end, especially for those who print out the digests!   There were a couple of great articles about sewing this time around.  I must say that sewing is not going to become my next hobby, though the article “A Mama Who Sews” did tug at my heartstrings!  Sewing seems more of a chore to me.  Is this terrible?  I have six children, and I send most of my mending to my mother!  When my oldest daughter was 7 or 8, she lost a button from her dress.  Her response was that we’d have to get it to Grandma.  I told her that it was “just” a button, and I could sew it on, and I could even show her how.  Her reply was an awestruck “You can sew?!”  LOL!   The great article on Frugal Fashion reminded me to not shop for an outfit, but look at what clothes I have and what I need to fill in.  I was motivated to go out and get some great buys like the author did at garage sales and thrift stores!  Could I get better deals than she did?!  She even welcomes stories at her blog about our great finds.    This was the best digest yet for “Readers Write In” and followed the frugal fashion theme.  Readers shared how they save money on their kids clothes, and I learned a few new ideas!  Plus, it reminded me that I need to update my list of my kids' sizes in my purse.   I encourage you to check out the July issue of Molly’s Money-Saving Digest.  You can even look at the back issues to find a topic you need help with.  Without a doubt, I know you’ll get some great ideas on saving money!  Molly's blog, Econobusters, has great deals and ideas, too!   Be blessed,   Danielle   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/702791/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:48:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/702791/ Apologia is now producing notebooking journals that accompany each of the elementary science books. Both Botany and Astronomy are now available. These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal.  Each of the notebooking journals include: A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments Review Questions Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice  Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course. Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/691275/ Thu, 21 May 2009 14:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/691275/   I’m supposed to list my top ten items that I reviewed for TOS Crew.  Let’s see if I can give you a brief why and actually limit it to ten!  Clicking on the company will take you to my review of the product; there will be a link in my review to the company.   What we’re definitely using next year (paying money for) that we never would have given a second glance: 1.  Tapestry of Grace-I love this History program!  Will be using it as a unit study.   2.  Kinderbach-Somehow we’re going to scrounge up the money for this!  Our 2 littlest girls love it!  They’re both asking for money for their birthdays to use towards it.  ♦♦♦   The curriculum I thought everyone knew about: 3.  Apologia Science - & more!  Go sign up for their e-newsletter and their catalog!   4.  Five in a Row – Unit studies from children’s books for all ages!  Simple, yet amazing!   ♦♦♦   5.  Homeschooling ABC’s by Knowledge Quest - What every new, or stressed & struggling, Homeschool mom and dad need.     6.  Math Mammoth -Great math content that I can pay for once and use with as many kids as we have!   7.  Salem Ridge Press – Wholesome novels reprinted from days gone by.  Mom and Dad don’t have to pre-read these!   8.  Spears Art - Every Spears Art lesson has a scripture and projects for K-12, so this is a great fit for our schedule, several ages, finances, and in general for this artistically challenged mom.   9.  Trigger Memory - Times Tales:  Amazing, original, it really works.  Buy it – you won’t regret it!  We already owned the Clean-n-Flip charts, so you know we think those are a “Top 10” item!   10.  Memoria Press – They gave me the Bible curriculum I couldn’t admit I needed. Honorable Mention (I couldn’t limit it to just 10 – geesh!) WriteShop Storybuilders and Primary– Helped me realize that I needed more help with teaching my kids to write than I wanted to admit ;-) HomeSchool Library Builder - Not an actual curriculum but a used book site.  Need I say more?! Home School in the Woods – It’s a history program.  Enough said ;-)   ALEKS – the kids really enjoyed this, but I can’t justify the price or the computer time for several kids Artistic Pursuits – art history, plus I’m art-challenged Critical Thinking – too pricey for us to use as our curriculum, but we love their brain builders Toys.  How can receiving toys to review ever be bad? Schleich One2Believe - Nativity and Noah's Ark ♦♦♦ There are my top ten and a few more!  Go check out other Crew reviewers' Top 10 if you need some more ideas for next year's curriculum! I'm not sure what my blog holds in the future.  I'm considering kids' devotionals and continuing with The Homesteading Carnival.  I'll probably take a bit of a break, though that's not a great idea for my blog, but it is for my family!  Thanks for visiting, Danielle   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/685550/ Mon, 4 May 2009 12:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/685550/   I received an e-mail from Memoria Press saying they would be sending the Famous Men of Rome and Latina Christiana I books.  They were kind enough to say that if these books weren’t “for us” we should take a look around their website and let them know if we preferred something else.  I already owned Famous Men of Rome, so I checked out the website and responded that I would instead like to receive their Cursive Copy Book.  In response to my request, I was offered the Teacher and Student guides for Famous Men of Rome, as I only had the text, and Christian Studies I!   Oh, she said yes to the Cursive Copybook, too!  Is this the most generous, helpful, and BEST customer service around?!    Now for the using and reviewing of this Classical Curriculum where I received materials geared for grades 3-7 and used them with a 5th grader:   Famous Men of series - We own several of these; many curricula include these in their historical fiction or living books suggestions.  Each chapter is a biography about a person of that time period.  The Memoria Press student and teacher guides are a helpful way to check what your child is learning; they could be used as a workbook or a spring board for narrations or as writing prompts, and I especially liked the hands-on maps and drawing pages!  This is definitely not a read and regurgitate workbook, but a tool to make sure the student (and parent) really knows the person and when he lived.   Latin:  Latina Christiana I – I took several years of Spanish in high school and college, so this clicked with me quickly.  I liked the way the lessons were laid out, with the student learning a Latin saying, some vocabulary, then some grammar, such as conjugations.  The CD is included when you purchase the student and teacher guides, but having the DVDs was extremely helpful and fun; I’m not sure I could handle actually teaching from just the book and CD with no previous Latin myself.  I especially liked learning the word meanings and my daughter said she “just liked it!”  I suspect she liked learning something totally new with Mom from a DVD teacher.   Latin Copywork – New American Cursive – I think a good handwriting program is important, for printing and cursive, but it only makes sense to use this Copy Book with Latina Christiana.  I like to fit as many subjects together as possible (unit study), so if you’re using Latin Christiana, then Cursive Copy Book of Latin Hymns and Prayers is a perfect match.  Obviously?!   Christian Studies – I’ve really been “winging it” when it comes to Bible history, especially the Old Testament, and I haven’t been doing a very good job.  We received Book I, Genesis through Moses, and it is jam packed with “Salvation History” and spiritual significance.  We covered Bible stories, historical facts, vocabulary activities, scripture memorization and those great maps similar to the Famous Men books (oh, that’d be geography).  I’d been looking for something to help me understand the history of the Old Testament better, along with the spiritual significance, and I think I’ve found it!   I liked the quote in the Christian Studies section, that the students “… embark on a three-year Bible reading course that builds faith by teaching Salvation History as real history.”   I’ll have to admit that I was a bit skeptical and overwhelmed by this Classical curriculum, but I’ve learned a lot:  I like Latin and I really needed help from Christian Studies.  I’m able to take what I feel we need and leave the rest aside.  I know that makes tried and true Classical people cringe, but I just can’t insist that we learn Latin at this point and time.  I didn’t have the opportunity to review any other Bible curriculum this year, so I was excited to receive the Memoria Press Christian Studies, and I know we’ll be able to use it!  I have their Children’s Bible on my wishlist, as well as the Parent and Student guides for Famous Men of the Middle Ages.   There are printable samples of most every book available at the website.  Please check them out!   Alas, I am at the end of my review year with TOS Crew.  It is bittersweet. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/684598/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:40:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/684598/ If you’ve read any of my schooling or history review posts you know I love history.  Maybe I’m not even a great reviewer for history curriculum any longer because I love them all!  Yet, perhaps that makes me a better reviewer because I’ve used a few and can compare for you.  I want to remind you that as homeschoolers we are meant to bend the rules (or guidelines), change curriculum to fit our kids, and add flair to make it ours.  I’m warming you up for this review because I don’t want to scare you away if you’re a Charlotte Mason, eclectic or unit study homeschooler:  Tapestry of Grace is a Classical curriculum, but I want you to know it is full of historical fiction, a.k.a. “living books,” and for the Grammar levels, it was just another unit study to me.   What is Tapestry of Grace? I can't answer that better than they do at their website:  "Tapestry of Grace is a homeschool curriculum: a plan of study that helps parents provide a Christian, classical education using a guided unit study approach, with the history of the world as the core organizational theme. From Grades K–12, all students cycle through world history every four years, with all ages studying the same slice of history each week, each at their own learning level. Detailed lesson plans and discussion outlines enable parents to be their children’s primary teachers and mentors and shape their students’ biblical worldviews."   Tapestry provides your entire curriculum, except for math and science.  I love TOG.  It is laid out so well; much of the planning work and helpful scheduling is done for me.  I’ve used a history-based unit study in the past, but I really struggled to get it all organized and include each subject in our study.  The similarities between that unit study and TOG was how they both used historical fiction, which I love, and I did have to spend time retrieving these books.  This was not difficult for me, as I love to look for old books online, and my local library is great at getting books through interlibrary loan. I want to give a quick overview of the program.  The schedule is color-coded by level (Lower and Upper Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric).  Then there are the “Threads” (of the Tapestry) which include:  History, Writing, Literature, Geography, Fine Arts and Activities, and Church History.  There is a Reading Assignment page, which is divided by the threads, further dividing History into Core and In-Depth, also including Worldview.  There’s an Overview section that helps “at a glance,” listing the people, vocabulary, and geography you’ll be studying and any activities you’ll be doing.  Then the most impressive part to me is the Writing Assignments!  I think a lot of unit studies expect creative writing but leave the technicalities of writing (grammar and punctuation) to the wayside.  Perhaps it’s because TOG is a Classical Curriculum, but I like how they handled the language arts aspect, and I don’t feel as if I need an additional program to complete this unit study.  But apparently others do, so TOG has provided an additional Writing Aids  program that is integrated with the study of history.   Tapestry addresses all learners, including “hands-on” activities, like our salt dough map, and the Lapbooks offered for each unit for the younger kids; these make great show-&-tells for the grandparents and portfolios and review for the kids.  There are Pop Quizzes on CD and “flash cards” to include dad and offer various means of review.  Blank outline maps made by Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest for the kids, with filled in maps for the parents ;-)  And Evaluations for optional tests, quizzes and more for each level of learner for each Year Plan. TOG has been around since 1998, and they asked TOS Crew to not just review the curriculum itself but to review the new Digital Edition.  They wanted us to help work out any bugs with downloads and such.  I personally messed up my download and customer/tech service was quite helpful.  Even when my 6-year-old answered the phone and hung up on them; they just e-mailed me with their phone number ;-)  I think The Crew has worked out the kinks for them, and I feel they addressed our complaints including:  quicker, easier installation for PC (no downloading separate programs, then installing each), answers to questions all in one place, immediate access to purchases (no waiting for an e-mail to retrieve), and accessibility to and safety of your purchases.  If your computer crashes, you just go to “My account” and you’ll be able to retrieve any of your previous purchases! As much as I love hardcover books on my bookshelf, that shelf is getting pretty full!  I actually enjoyed the Digital Edition of TOG.  It’s easier to print out what I need and  skip what I don’t and more convenient to print out 2-3 copies of a worksheet or quiz from the computer then having to print from text or purchase more than one activity workbook.  Tapestry of Grace will be a part of our Homeschool next year and in the years to come; I really think the price is worth it.    It is so well-organized for me, I can use it with several ages at once, and my sanity is worth more than money ;-)  You can purchase an entire year or each unit (one quarter of the year) separately.  You can purchase the Digital Edition, printed or both!  They are really trying to please everyone!  An entire year of Digital is $170, while print is $225.  You can buy a Digital unit for $45, while the individual print units are $60.  If you’d like to see a free sample of a unit Go to Egypt or Sail to the New World - Colonial America.   Helpful and generous Having this program given to me to review was much different than if I’d researched it for myself.  I really haven’t taken advantage of all they have to offer with the forum and The Loom.  This is the section with the planning and scheduling help.  There are also additional resources which aren’t specifically for TOG curriculum, and they’re available to anyone, so go check out The Loom!    And how about a free sample of the new "Map of the Humanities?"  People are paying $24.95 for the poster version, but TOG is giving the digital version away for free!  Here's the tinyurl link: http://tinyurl.com/MOTH1   How's that for a review?  I love the philosophy behind the company, the product/curriculum provided and the support and information they continue to offer.  This is definitely an intensive program, but you won't need to supplement it with a lot of other curriculum.  And they offer so much information and help along the way!  Please click on some of the links above and check them out! Thanks for stopping by, Danielle   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/682167/ Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:53:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/682167/ I’ve discovered that as I have more kids to teach (you know, differing ages at the same time) I have less time available to plan lessons and complete various projects; I sometimes lack the creativity and the time!  So, I was happy to receive another product to review from WriteShop, their Primary Book A (B and C to follow soon), a creative writing program for K-3.  This is a great help in guiding your child so each story is really their story, even from a young age!   I like the versatility of WriteShop Primary.  The themes of the lessons (animals, friends, rhyming) were fun for the kids and easy for me to tie in with other lessons (science, devotions).  I’m always looking for ways to double up around here!  Also, even though there are actual handwriting pages, Mom can write what the child dictates for the stories, then have the younger child use that for copywork.  I just love that about homeschooling:  We can meet our kids where they’re at, and we wouldn’t want handwriting struggles interfering with their creativity.  I used this with my 6- and 8-year-olds, and they both enjoyed it and impressed me!   WriteShop Primary is available in both print and E-book format. You need the Teacher’s Guide ($26.95, or $24.25 E-book), but I highly recommend the Activity Set Workbook Pack ($4.95, or $4.50 E-book) which has an activity page and a writing practice page that corresponds to that lesson’s theme.  I particulary like the e-book version for this instead of buying a workbook for each of my kids.  I can include the almost-4-year-old, yet not feel a book is wasted because she doesn’t do every lesson that the two older kids do.  There are 10 lessons which would provide 30 weeks of lessons for a K or first grader, whereas an older child could do the program more quickly.   This program is laid out with all of the details for the parent (read: saves time).  A scheduling plan, where to shop for needed materials and tips on creating a writing center are all so helpful; they didn’t leave anything out!  The children are guided in their story telling but also have a hands-on activity or project for each lesson.  For example, one lesson is on Story structure, with the focus being constructing a beginning, middle, and end; the theme is trains and the kids actually assemble a paper train with a beginning, middle and end that their story is written on.   I’ve really enjoyed the WriteShop products we’ve reviewed this year.  Their website is full of helpful information including determining placement level, scope and sequence, and sample lessons.  WriteShop actually began with creative writing curriculum for high school, and they’re obviously expanding these days! You should check out their Family Tree book, too.  Your kids could write historical fiction about your own family!  I’ve never seen anything like it! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/680248/ Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:51:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SchoolinMama/680248/