Dec. 24, 2009 - One of my Christmas letters ...

I've written 3 Christmas letters, and Steve still hasn't chosen one to mail to our family and friends.  But I wanted to share this fun one that I wrote.  You'll have to excuse the fact that changing my kids names to their initials throws the rhythm off a bit.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 22, 2009 - Review: The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel & Hans Bluedorn

Title:  The Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How To Recognize Bad Reasoning, 3rd edition
Authors:  Nathaniel Bluedorn & Hans Bluedorn
Illustrated by:  Rob Corley and Tim Hodge
Publisher:  Christian Logic, 2009
Price:  $22.00
http://www.fallacydetective.com/products/item/the-fallacy-detective/

I've heard of The Fallacy Detective for years, and it has been on my wish list for awhile.  When the opportunity to review it arose, I quickly volunteered.  I haven't seen the earlier versions, so this review will not be a comparison of the 3rd edition with previous editions.  It will focus solely on the recently released 3rd edition of the book.  The cover does state that the new book contains more fallacies and more cartoons, though.

If you're wondering what a fallacy is, the very first sentence of the book defines it as "an error in logic -- a place where someone has made a mistake in his thinking."  Sometimes we do this unintentionally, but sometimes these fallacies are used intentionally to mislead consumers and the general public.  The ability to recognize fallacies is important.

My first reaction to the book when it arrived was that the cover design is very catchy and pleasing, and the softcover book was well-made.  The 9" x 6.5" size is a nice one to hold, larger than a standard paperback, but not as bulky as a full-size text book.  The book includes Peanuts, Dilbert, Calvin and Hobbes, and other cartoons.  Its design, with the cartoons and short lessons, is appealing to myself and my students.

The book is divided into 38 logic lessons.  It begins with an introduction that explains what a fallacy is, then moves into 3 lessons on thinking and listening skills.  After that, the fallacy lessons begin:   9 lessons on methods used to "Avoid the Question", 9 lessons on "Making Assumptions", 7 lessons on "Statistical Fallacies", and 10 lessons on "Propaganda".  The book concludes with "The Fallacy Detective Game" and the Answer Key to the lessons. 

Each lesson begins with a concise and enjoyable description of that fallacy, complete with cartoons to help illustrate the point.  Then there are a variety of exercises to help you understand the fallacy and identify it in the world around you.  The lessons rely heavily on discussion to help students assimilate the information.

My plans were to use this book with my 12 and 14 year old daughters, doing one lesson together at a time.  That backfired when my 14 year old (9th grader) ran off with the book and began to devour it.  She was fascinated with learning to identify the fallacies, and quickly read through the book.  She then started trying to trick us into using a fallacy in our discussions so she could pounce on it.  It didn't work, but it was fun to see her looking for fallacies.

I still plan to continue to go through the book with the girls, one lesson at a time.  Although my daughter has enjoyed reading it quickly, I am sure she'll get more out of it when we take it more slowly and discuss the exercises together.  Once we've finished the book, we can enjoy "The Fallacy Detective Game" together ... sounds like a good car game for family trips.

It is well worth the $22.00 cost, is completely reusable and non-consumable.  It can be used to provide a year long curriculum in logic, covering one fallacy a week and spreading the exercises out over the course of the week.   My ideal method would be to read the fallacy lesson together on Monday, discuss a few exercises together, then assign additional exercises to be completed independently.  This should also lead to great discussion as we spot fallacies in the world around us.

The Fallacy Detective is an excellent logic book for junior and senior high students.   It will give students a foundation in logic that will help them think critically about the information surrounding them in life.  It will also give  them an advantage in school subjects like essay writing, speech, and debate.  Its format is easy to use, enjoyable, and most importantly ... effective in teaching the fallacies.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 21, 2009 - Candy Foote's "The Word Of God On..." e-books series

I recently was offered the chance to review some of Candy Foote's e-books.  I chose two e-books from her selection of  "The Word Of God On ..." e-books.   The two that interested me most were "The Word Of God On The Words Of Your Mouth" and "The Word Of God On Being A Woman, A Wife, And A Mother."  Each of these e-books is a compilation of Scripture on its chosen topic, sold for $14.99 at CandyFoote.com .

There have been times in my life when I have done what Candy Foote has done in these e-books.  I have used my concordance to look up all the Scriptures on a topic that was heavy on my heart at the time. I wanted to know what God had to say on the topic, so I searched it out.  Some of those times, I underlined a few verses, but failed to make a list of them all.  On a few subjects, I recorded the verse addresses on a list in my journal ... but not the entire Scripture segments. 

Candy has done that work for us and compiled it all into handy e-books that allow you to print them and read them whenever you want to.  Not only would these be helpful for your personal Bible study, they can be assigned to older children and teens for Bible Study, copywork, or memorization of passages.

The Word of God on Being a Woman, A Wife, and a Mother -- $14.99
This e-book is available in the King James Version, as well as New International Version.  I selected the NIV version.  This subject is one that is important to me.  Candy has included not only instructive verses on being a woman, wife, and mother ... but also Scripture re-telling the stories of other women in the Bible.  

The e-book is 101 pages long, with 94 pages being the actual Scripture compilations.  From Genesis to Revelation, it's God's Word on being a woman, just as the title states.  Organized in the order they are taken from the Scripture, it's easy to locate stories of Deborah, or verses from Proverbs.

The e-book is neat, easily readable, and includes all of God's Word on being a woman, wife, and mother.  It is easily downloaded as a PDF document, which can be read with Adobe Acrobat.

The Word of God on The Words Of Your Mouth -- $14.99
Available only in King James Version, this large e-book includes all God has to say on the words we speak.  Once again organized from Genesis to Revelation, it also includes narrative Scripture and instructive Scripture.  The 133 page e-book includes 128 pages of actual Scripture compilations.

This e-book is also well-organized, neat, and easily readable.  It is ready for your personal Bible study, or to use in your homeschool.  This e-book makes it easy to find Scripture on our words to assign for copywork or memorization by our children.

Also downloaded as a PDF document, this can be read in Adobe Acrobat.


To purchase these e-books, and more, visit CandyFoote.com.


These e-books were provided to me free, in exchange for my honest review.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 18, 2009 - It's here, it's here!!

I am so excited!  I have been looking forward to the day when I could order this book.  I've heard it is the quintessential book on homeschooling in high school ... especially if you prefer a relaxed method of homeschooling.  Every time I've asked about record keeping, planning courses, how much I can personalize a high school education ... someone would say "You need to read this book."

What book am I so excited about?  Barbara Edtl Shelton's book,  Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+U+La.  I was able to order it recently, when I ordered some new grammar books and math workbooks for the kids.  I'm looking forward to reading it, and learning from it.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 18, 2009 - Maestro Classics: Stories in Music

One of my favorite parts of music class each year was the day we got to listen to Peter and the Wolf on record, or watch the cartoon version of it.  I love that musical story, and never grew tired of it.  Maestro Classics has continued to develop that art form of the musical story.  Stephen Simon and Bonnie Ward Simon have created 8 Stories In Music CDs, including some with original music:

• Tortoise And The Hare
• Peter and the Wolf
• The Story of Swan Lake
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice
• Casey at the Bat
• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
• Juanita the Spanish Lobster
• Juanita la longosta espanola

We received The Tortoise And The Hare, which was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The music was composed and conducted by Stephen Simon, the story was adapted by Bonnie Ward Simon, and it was narrated by Yadu.   The CD came with an educational booklet that included information about music, instruments, sheet music, background information, and three puzzles.

The CD itself contains 7 tracks:

• musical version of The Tortoise and the Hare
• information about the story
• a fun song, "Pretzel Vendor of Paris"
  
• information about the music
• the story of The Tortoise and the Hare repeated (now that you know a little more)
• prepare to perform
• accompaniment track for sing-along

We listened to The Tortoise and The Hare in the car one weekend.  I thought the story was a charming and witty adaptation of the classic Aesop's fable -- a fun way to add music appreciation into our homeschool.   The children all listened, and seemed to be enjoying it.  When I asked them their opinion later, the 8 year old said it was "okay" and he "sort of liked it".  But then he did tell me how he liked the Pretzel Vendor of Paris song, and a few other things.   My 3  year old enjoyed the story portion, although she was too young to understand the music education portions.  My 14 year old daughter enjoyed learning how the composer created the music for the story.  But, this is not something they'll be begging to listen to on future car trips.

This particular story was a little young for most of my children, but I enjoyed the CD and would like to hear more of the Maestro Classics CDs.  I think they'd enjoy some of the other stories more.  My sons would like Casey at the Bat or Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and my daughters would probably enjoy The Story of Swan Lake.  

Maestro Classics CDs retail for $16.98, or you can purchase a 3-CD set for $45.00.  A few of the CDs also come with story books in a gift set for $24.99. 

This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew.  We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion.  Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 16, 2009 - God speaks to us, as we lead our children

Sometimes we have to teach our children lessons we're still struggling to accept.  At the moment, there is  politically-motivated injustice affecting some of our loved ones.  This situation ripples throughout our extended family, and we are all angry and hurting. 

Tonight I was particularly angry.  I was praying that God would bring justice and vengeance for my loved ones.  I was trying to think of ways to retaliate, to speak out about this injustice and the impure motives of those involved.  I ceased praying to ponder different avenues of confronting the political attackers, from my distant location.  The Holy Spirit began to convict me of my anger and my desire for vengeance.

I began to argue with the Lord over whether my anger was allowable and my plotting to try to expose the injustice was right.  I knew that my heart at that moment was wrong, but I didn't want to be forgiving.  I didn't want to let God dole out justice and vengeance in His timing. 

Later, I briefly explained the situation to my children.  Their anger rose, and they began to spew out their anger, hateful comments, and threats of vengeance.  As they each called out their angry wishes for the "bad guys", I realized that their comments echoed my own ... albeit in a less mature way.  Yet hearing them come from the mouths of my children, I knew I had to confront them.

I spoke with my children about forgiveness, praying for our enemies, letting God take vengeance, trusting in God even in times of injustice.  I reminded them to pray for our loved ones, pray for justice, pray for truth to be revealed, and pray for comfort.  I told my 8 year old to pray, not to worry.  He asked if it was okay to pray those people would get saved.  I assured him it was.

In speaking God's truth to my own children, my own heart was soothed.  "God knew about this before it ever happened.  God isn't surprised by this.  God is still in charge." 

Our hearts still hurt for our loved ones.  We are still indignant for them.  But I will strive to be an example to my children of Godly behavior, even in injustice. 

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 16, 2009 - 3P Learning: Mathletics

My 12 year old was thrilled when she was finally offered the chance to review an online math program.  Once she spent a day on Mathletics, she was even more excited ... and my other children were definitely jealous! 
Mathletics allows children (grades K - 8) to compete with other children world-wide in the Live Math Challenge.  It also allows parents to assign practice problems in specific math areas:  adding fractions, simplifying fractions, multiplying fractions, etc.  When a parent assigns math problems, the children can't proceed to Live Mathletics until the assigned sections are completed.   As children progress, parents can move them up or down a grade level (up to 6 changes per year).

Children earn points as they complete the assignments, take tests, and play the live math challenge.  Their weekly goal is 1000 points, and parents receive weekly updates on their student's progress.  As the student earns points, they are able to purchase backgrounds and outfits to personalize their avatar.

Mathletics has a brochure for homeschoolers that is available on their website (when it will open).  If you click on "About Mathletics", then click on "How To Get The Most Out Of Mathletics", there are also some brief recommendations on how to use Mathletics with your children.

3P Learning is also the creator of two free web-events:  World Math Day and American Math Challenge. These events are open to anyone, whether they are Mathletics members, or not.  We began our trial review of Mathletics right before the American Math Challenge started.  My 7th grader participated in the American Math Challenge and enjoyed it very much.

My daughter enjoyed her Mathletics subscription immensely, asking to practice on it daily, eager to meet her goal for the week.  She was driven to improve her speed and meet her goals.  Her opinion is that "Mathletics Rocks!"

I do not consider Mathletics a substitute for a full math curriculum.  It does provide a fun way to practice, and improve math skills, but I think students will still need a structured math curriculum as a foundation.  Mathletics is the icing on the cake, making math drill fun.   I consider this a supplemental math product.

As a subscription, this is not a re-usable product at all.  Each subscription is for one child, for one year.  Subscriptions are currently $59 (down from $99), with a ten day money-back guarantee.  If you enter the Human Calculator's favorite number into the appropriate spot (hint:  it's 9) you can save $9.05 and buy a single child annual subscription for $49.95.

This is a great website, and my daughter loved it.  But it's not something we can afford to add to our homeschool at this time.  Unfortunately, supplemental consumable math products, at $59 per child for a year, are just not in our budget ... especially with 4 children in the age range for the product.

This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew.  We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion.  Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 14, 2009 - Not Me Monday -- Toddler Style

My toddler was NOT playing in the toilet this morning.

I did NOT think his hands were wet from the dog water, and hold him on my lap for awhile.

It was NOT half hour later when I heard the splash splash and realized he was playing in the toilet. 

I did NOT suddenly realize why his hands were wet earlier.

I did NOT discover it was actually an unflushed toilet ... and he did NOT have two toothbrushes in his hands.

I did NOT loudly exclaim that he should NOT be putting 14 yo A's and 12 yo R's toothbrushes in the toilet.

They did NOT hear me, as I did NOT intend ... and they did NOT become very grossed out.

It was NOT actually the 1 yo and 3yo's toothbrushes instead of theirs, and I was NOT teasing them.

I did NOT enjoy hearing them say Eeewwww !!

Click on the banner to visit My Charming Kids blog to see what others are NOT doing today  (as soon as she makes the post for others to link up with today).

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 10, 2009 - Tektoma: Game Tutorials For Kids

My kids are fascinated with the internet and the computer.  They enjoy playing computer games together.  I knew that they'd be interested in the Tektoma subscription, when I found out we were assigned to review it for the TOS Homeschool Crew.


Tektoma is a subscription-based website which offers video tutorials that teach children how to create their own games using the free GameMaker software.  The tutorials are intended for children ages 7 - 17, and they offer a variety of ability levels and difficulties.  Tektoma tutorials are designed for Windows XP and Vista only.  There is currently not a Mac version, but they are planning for that in the future.

We struggled to get the Game Maker software and Resources downloaded to our computer.  It took several tries, but once it was completely downloaded and successfully unzipped, my 12 and 14 year old daughters took off with it.  They were able to follow the tutorials themselves, and create their own games.   Tektoma also offers a fully moderated member's forum where members can ask questions.

Tektoma tutorials are lengthy, and  will not work well for those with dial-up internet.  We have a satellite internet connection, and I feared we would struggle with the tutorials, but we did not.  If you aren't sure how your internet will handle the tutorial videos, you can try their free tutorial preview.  The Tektoma membership is sold for $14.95/month or $140 for the year. 

My daughters enjoyed learning how to create games.  They created a racing game and also a platform game.  They especially enjoyed designing the looks of the game, choosing its characters and colors.  The younger kids were always willing to test the game for them.  My 8 year old son is eager to test the tutorials himself, but his older sisters haven't let him have a chance yet.

If your son or daughter is very interested in computer games, this may be a worthwhile investment for your family.   As a subscription, it is not a reusable product -- although an older sibling might be able to teach the information to a younger sibling later.  While this was a fun way to spend lots of time and learn a little about game creation ... this isn't something we would choose to invest in at this time.  We just have too many other needs and priorities for our homeschool right now.

This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew.  We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion.  Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!

Dec. 7, 2009 - Not Me Monday -- Laundry Style

Last week, I did NOT let the laundry pile grow large enough to swallow a kindergartener.

I did NOT take a picture on Saturday to prove that such a mountain of laundry existed.

I am NOT going to embarrass my husband by posting this proof of my negligence here on my blog.

Trusting In Him,
April

• Post A Comment!