I LOVE SPEARS ART STUDIO!

(Above are our first Christian Art Curriculum art projects!)

Yes, love. And that is not a word I use lightly with homeschool curricula.

Spears Art Studio's Christian Art Curriculum  is only one of a few art curricula I have tried. This is one I can easily use with all of my children. ALL of my children. Arriving on a CD, the program is geared for K-8 with different age and skill appropriate activities sometimes for each grade and other times for age groupings. The art lessons focus around a biblical perspective relating to a general theme for the month.

The Christian Art Curriculum lessons may often be completed with regular art supplies kept in the homeschool home. I appreciate this more than anything. As someone who did not grow up with the opportunity to create a lot of art (on paper), I am easily overwhelmed when I enter an art supply store or section. If I did not have a supply on hand, I could easily replace it with something else.

The devotions that are a part of each lesson fit so neatly into our lessonwork. They art lesson becomes a part of the natural rhythm of our day. Thank you, Spears Art Studio for the Christian Art Curriculum. Your time in making sure the program fit it's name is obvious and very well appreciated!

Visit here to purchase Spears Art Studio's Christian Art Curriculum for $39.95. A teacher's manual is also available.

(three out of three and a heart for good measure!)

Patty

Rime to Read is an up and coming online resource for beginning readers. A “rime” refers to a word family and each online interactive book focuses on a single rime. The color enhanced rimes help children recognize and learn the pattern in each online book. As a part of the growth of Rime to Read, the rimed words can now be clicked on and the word is said aloud. There are still some glitches as this is a new facet to the program, but the authors are actively working to resolve the issue.

My five and one-half year old really liked the idea of “playing” on the computer like her older siblings. But she couldn’t stick with it. We are not a tech-heavy family and therefore I think the combination of inexperience on the computer and fairly bland pages left her frustrated and unable to progress very far. I chose not to push it as we typically do not use formal reading lessons until the children are older.

However, since I did learn more about rimes from Rime to Read, I did decide to try their method out using some of our own bound readers that contain sets of rimes. The five and one-half year old really caught on and really enjoyed the technique. I appreciate knowing that Rime to Read’s concept is valid and can be used across media. The online books can be printed, but I chose not to do so.

You can try the first Rime to Read online book for free here to decide if it is a good method for your family’s reading lessons or enrichment. If you decide to purchase the program, it is sold in whole at $44.95 for all twenty books. Or, you may choose to purchase the books in sets of four with rimes surrounding a single vowel for $9.95 per set.

(one out of three)

Patty

I have just read The Old Schoolhouse's e-book What About Socialization? Dispelling the Myths by Stephanie Ruby, et al.

I am by no means a veteran homeschooler. I am not a newbie, either. Perhaps most importantly, I was homeschooled for a few too short years. I  believe I understand this question from all sides of the fence.

We have been learning our lessons at home from the beginning. As a mother, I know no other way. I do not know about dressing in a hurry to meet the school bus, running to the school to drop off a forgotten permission slip, or wondering if I sent a lunch or at least some money. I know nothing about that other than what I observe in my friends.

As a student in the past, I do know the difference. I know about racing to school - no bus, had to walk, probably uphill both ways in a foot of snow - in order to avoid a tardy. I know about my mother forgetting to sign permission slips, so I mastered her signature. I know about forgotten lunch money, so I saved found coins and kept them in a baggie in my backpack.

I also know the joy of waking with a purpose. Waking up to the same new days I had as a public schooler but instead of dreading the standard routine I could do my lessons on my own schedule and get on with my chores and personal persuits. I think those middle school years as a homeschooler were my favorite years as a student. And homeschooling was *not* legal in NC. Which only greatly begged the question, "Who do you hang out with?"

Yes, the socialization question. Did I have friends? Was I bored? Would I be OK if I had to re-enter a conventional school? No. No. Yes.

Now, as a mother who chooses to learn lessons at home with her children rather than handing off this critical responsibility to strangers, I, too, am asked the question: "What about socialization?" Interestingly, however, to my knowledge my children have never been asked if they have any friends. Is it because they've never met strangers? Is it because they know how to properly greet and introduce themselves to known and unknown people of all ages? Is it because they carry themselves with a confidence not always seen in young children? Maybe it's just because learning at home is now more common. But I do receive that question, often.

I have a new arsenal in my replies: In TOS's new e-book What About Socialization, I was introduced to many new responses from over twelve different parents and a homeschool graduate (!). I have a newer set of "defenses" when asked that dreaded, and honestly, ridiculous question.

I now have confidence in avoiding the question altogether with a somewhat flippant but not disrespectful reply. I have strong logical material for discussion from a former public school teacher turned home educator. I have the deep convicting words of a father who is not the primary lesson instructor in his home but no less is deeply involved with his children's lessons. And I have the sage wisdom of a young woman who is learning her bearings among her less aware peers. All of these answers I can now use as I encounter less enlightened family members and friends.

From Stephanie Ruby in her Prologue: "How do you answer these questions? I think by doing that we sometimes, inadvertantly, confirm to the person asking that we aren't doing the right thing by homeschooling."

Erin Lasky has one of my favorite suggestions, "...properly..."  I want you to read what else she shares with us! But before I leave her I must share this thought of hers. "My goal is to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit, renewed minds, and living sacrifices. You don't find that in most classes or scope and sequence charts." LOVE it!

The book progresses from Amy Pak's description of others' "morbid curiosity" as to why we homeschool to J. Lyn Jones' many examples of how socialization occurs in any famliy learning at home. I was brought to more awareness of some of my own actions by her highlighting those actions. Thank you, Mrs. Jones!

I appreciated greatly the Biblical references by W.K., Erin Lasky, Phylicia Duran, and others. It is not without foundation in God's Word that I can do what I do.  I appreciate every point of scripture anyone offers. It may have been one I've overlooked. Most significantly, I appreciated two of the authors' discussions about Mark 12:30-31. Perhaps it is indeed this single point that is our goal as parents keeping our children at home.

When I read a father's perspective from Mr. Greg Day, I was giddy and anxious to share this particular chapter with my husband. "I consider schools to be unsupervised social laboratories where children are traversing a minefield of danger." Take moment to read his further development of this statement. Surely other readers will be as wowed as I was!

What About Socialization? Dispelling the Myths is an e-book I will recommend to many of my homeschool friends. I undoubtedly will encourage my new homeschooling friends to read this book as well. I would have certainly appreciated the wisdom and perspectives shared in the fifty pages. The Additional Resources at the end will prove especially helpful to the new homeschooler also. While some authors' writing styles were more pleasing to my reader's eye than others, they all offered experienced and unique ideas and instrospection much of which I had not considered in my time with my children at home.

To read more or to purchase What About Socialization? Dispelling the Myths from The Old Schoolhouse store, click HERE.

(three out of three)

Patty

What a delight to read a book about a child who just doesn't get it like everyone else! Splish was just not able to blend and make sense of it all, but Mama told him and assured him that yes, his time would arrive.

And then Mama said...It Takes Time to Learn to Read by Gena Suarez was an incredibly uplifting book for our family.

While the book seems geared towards younger children, perhaps ages 5-7, I was pleased to read this to my 9 year old son who is only now beginning to put "it" altogether. He actively discussed Splish's sadness and was able to clearly relate to him.

THANK YOU, Mrs. Suarez, for providing my family with a nurturing BOOK about taking our time (God's time) to read. Thank you! Thank you for Mama and thank you for Splish and thank you for their love.

PLEASE read more about And Then Mama Said---It Takes Time to Learn to Read, including my review with several others' here. This is a permanent part of our library - THANK YOU!

Patty

I've recently read a book as a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. Titled The Missing Link: Found, it was authored by a fourteen year old - impressive enough on its own! It deals with some tough concepts - creation/evolution. Even more impressive! There was a lot of research required to accurately tell this fictional story. WOW! It is additionally a part of the Truthseekers Mystery Series. Yet another impressive benchmark! But even as I began the book knowing this, I found the book very difficult to dive into.

I very much enjoy reading. I read daily for my husband, for my children, and for myself. While I've read across many genres, I simply could not get into this book. My pastor shared with me once a rule of his own...if the first twenty-five pages don't grab you, put it down and pick it up later. Well, I had to put it down a lot.

But the last time I picked it up I picked it up with a different attitude. I picked it up and pretended I was a fourteen year old girl who loved to write - as I did (and do)! Once I put myself into the correct mindset for this book, I was able to easily move through the book. And it is really a great, wholesome book for teens.

The Missing Link: Found follows a fictional family through an adventure that will easily relate to any teens REAL challenges in our current world. The storyline primarily follows the Creation vs. evolution theme. The rest of the series, while I have not read them, does appear to primarily surround this same theme. Given the strong elements of the constant Creation vs. evolution debate, this book is not in my opinion suitable for younger readers. I do believe, however, that this book could and would be a very good read aloud book to any group with a few "mommy editing" moments that are obvious as they arise.

As I now own this book, I intend to save it to my shelf and to indeed require my children to read it as I believe they are each ready. The book deserves great merit because it is 1.) respectful to God and His creation, 2.) wholesome and clear in its intent, 3.) an excellent example of creative writing, and 4.) written by a homeschooler!

Take a moment to learn more about The Missing Link: Found and the Truthseeker Series here. Also consider purchasing one of their literature guides to create an in-depth study with ease!

(two thumbs up out of three)

Patty