Grace-Filled Writer

Peek at Our Week: March 5-9

March 9, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Other than ending our week with a few sniffles from a cold we’ve had a good week! Not thrilled with this VERY cold weather here in the south. We even saw a few snowflakes yesterday. This is crazy weather! The girls were all very focused this week and we ended school by lunch almost every day. This week was gloriously uneventful in my book!

Grace (2nd Grade): Bigger Hearts for His Glory Unit 18

I LOVED reading about Robert Fulton and his invention of the steam boat this week! The second half of the Bigger guide is my favorite. Lots of wonderful peeks into the inventive progress of early America. We will also soon touch on some of the less desirable things about this age, like slavery. It is so hard to talk about these things, but so necessary for our children to learn.

We have been working this year as well on improving handwriting. Grace does very well with her formal handwriting books, but it hasn’t been translating into her written work. Hopefully we can shore up this area soon.

Beth (5th Grade): Creation to Christ Unit 25

Beth is working on remembering what she reads for longer periods of time. If she is interested in a subject this is not a problem, but with topics she finds boring she reads just for the moment and often loses the information soon after. She does not have any learning struggle in any area and I think part of the problem is that school comes so easily to her she doesn’t really have to work for it. Using the Heart of Dakota notebooking pages gives her a chance to review what she has learned and be able to tell me more about it at the end of the week.

She’s studying the Roman battles and conquest of territory, so honestly, I don’t blame her lack of interest. I think she will find the next guide to be more intriguing. In math she is studying factor trees which she finds extremely fun.

Rose (7th Grade): Revival to Revolution Unit 11

Rose seems to find every aspect of history interesting no matter what it is. This year the Revolutionary War has captivated her imagination. I opted for a different book for storytime than the one suggested because I was having trouble tracking it down used and I don’t usually buy our materials new except for our guides. She is enjoying Johnny Tremain as a substitute. I read it when I was about her age and I’m glad to share the story with her as well. We will probably watch the old Disney move once she finishes.

She is drifting more and more towards writing rather than art. I love to see her enjoy this, but miss seeing her drawings. It isn’t that she doesn’t enjoy art, but she seems more interested in crafting stories at the moment. She is an excellent writer and I want to encourage this pursuit. Interests ebb and flow at this age so we will see where this may lead. Maybe she will write and illustrate her own book one day!

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Our lives have really calmed down this week. No more basketball or cheer practices or games for either Rose or Grace. Now all three of my gals are participating in clogging like Beth did last year! They are excited to be doing this together and I will share pictures with our various performances as they come along. All three practicing at the same time on the same day is so simple and it is extremely fun to see them experience something new!

What were you up to this week?

CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack and The Art of Cursive from CursiveLogic: A TOS Crew Review

March 5, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Teaching cursive is traditionally done through tracing or copy worksheets and without much guidance for the teacher. Many times these courses proceed in alphabetical order or by clustering vowels and consonants. I have both completed these types of courses myself and gave them to my daughters. I had no idea there was any different way. Then I was sent CursiveLogic Quick-Start Pack and The Art of Cursive by CursiveLogic. I have to confess I was completely blown away by this program! I think so highly of it, this will be the only program I recommend for teaching cursive from now on. So what makes this program so special? Well, there are quite a few things. The first is the way in which the letter structures are taught. Below is an example of how letters are grouped The Orange Oval Letters are formed with the same unique beginning stroke pattern. Combining these together provides a continuity for learning like I’ve never seen. Other programs do teach the basic strokes, but I have not come across one that connect them together in a string and teaches them at the same time. The combined use of multi-sensory tools including color, touch, auditory, and verbal devices aid in creating a firm memory for students. I’m a firm believer in using as many senses as possible when learning and especially for things which need fast recall. I use this same approach for other subjects, but it never occurred to me that the same could be applied to teaching cursive.

Grace enjoyed completing the pages assigned for each day. You may use this program at a faster or slower pace, but we followed the set structure and I found it to be quite good for her age at eight-years-old. She was neither overwhelmed, nor desiring to move at a faster rate. Because the letters start out larger, she felt more in control of her learning.

The other really awesome part of this program is the webinar! My college degree is in middle-grades education. I was taught how to teach math and reading. I was also required to complete a traditional cursive course, yet no one taught me how to teach. I love this resource as a mom and a teacher. My favorite homeschooling resources are those which teach me how to teach. The other aspect of this program is a beautiful adult coloring book with an amazing little secret! The detailed patterns follow the same curves needed for learning cursive. This little gem is an incredible follow up to the course and a great refresher for adults and older students!

I love that there are beautiful quotes included as a part of these pages for tracing. I found myself to be a bit out of practice using traditional cursive! As most people do I have come to have my own way of connecting and creating letters. While this is not surprising, I would like to have prettier handwriting.

I do not personally color the entire page with these kinds of coloring books, but there is LOTS of space for those kids who like to fill it all! You can see from the close up above some of the cursive lettering curve patterns. When I completed this page I followed a traditional cursive style in those spaces and found it to be a smooth, quick way to fill in the spaces.

As I stated earlier I am thoroughly impressed by this program and the support it gives parents and teachers. No matter your age, this is an excellent way to learn or brush up on cursive, especially if your child’s initial training did not accomplish the desired results. Check this coupon code out! Hurry and don’t miss it!

Check out what my Crewmates have to say!

Magic Stix Washable Markers from The Pencil Grip, Inc.: A TOS Crew Review

March 5, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

When it comes to art supplies we homeschoolers can be pretty picky. When we spend our money we try to go for quality, knowing that we want the supplies to last a long time. In my opinion Magic Stix Washable Markers from The Pencil Grip, Inc. are an excellent investment for your homeschool or non-homeschooling family! There are some reasons these particular markers are superior to others we’ve used. One is the fact that they don’t have an odor and are still vibrant. Some typical brands with very vibrant colors have an incredibly strong odor which honestly gives me a headache. Other popular brands don’t have a strong odor, but the color is lackluster or fades after a while. These beautifully bold colors don’t smell at all and still retain a bright color. Another incredible feature of these is that they don’t dry out quickly! In fact, they can last 7 days without the cap on…7 DAYS! I know I am not the only mom out there who has sighed at finding a maker leftover from a fun art activity on the floor without a cap and if not completely dried out, it was well on its way. It is so disheartening to spend my money on product and through the inevitable course of events of childhood have to throw away those products. It feels like I’m throwing my money away. There is no need to feel this way any longer. It’s easy to see if you have forgotten a marker when putting the case away and even if you do inadvertently miss it and the cap happens to be off, no sweat!

This crew of kids were my testers for these excellent markers. My nieces and nephews spent a weekend with us and we had the chance to take them to my oldest daughter’s last basketball game of the season. We thought it would be fun to make signs to cheer her on!

With this many kids working and passing markers around I was thankful for the case to make sure we got them all back. It’s much easier to notice in here than it is in a traditional marker box. I also really like the nice handle which makes it easy to transport.

The markers are available to purchase in packages of 12 and 24 and worked beautifully for these kids (Kindergarten-7th grade) for detailed work. My own kids are in second, fifth, and seventh grades. They love to color and draw with markers. They love art projects and creating. Whether our projects are everyday fun or something planned ahead of time we will continue to return to this set for their wonderful quality.

Here are all the kids with their fabulous homemade signs. These wonderful kiddos cheered Rose on with these signs and some really fun basketball cheers. They had some great compliments from other spectators!

I think the signs encouraged her! She sunk this basket along with several others and her team one!

I have already recommended these markers to friends and will continue to do so! I think these are the highest quality markers I have used in our home.

Don’t forget to see what my Crewmates have to say!

Week in Review: February 26-March 2

March 4, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

We had SUCH a fun week! In addition to school going really well we also enjoyed a visit from Grammy and Grampy (my husband’s parents) and ALL of my girls cousins and their 2 doggies. It was a bit crazy in our house, but oh so fun!

They had a great time cheering Rose on at her last basketball game!

What a beautiful shot!

We did indeed still have school last week, but no pictures. Sorry about that! Still here is what we were up to…

Grace (2nd Grade): Bigger Hearts for His Glory Unit 17

Grace is continuing to learn more about the revolutionary period. One of her favorite things is to work on her timeline. She reads her guide on her own for this and it’s excellent preparation for the upcoming guides. It’s hard to believe we are half-way through Bigger.

Beth (5th Grade): Creation to Christ Unit 24

Beth has really found her way this year with regards to her independent work! I was pleased that after the new year she had less grumbling although she was still usually the last one finished. This week wasn’t that way at all! She worked diligently and was quite focused. It was good to have my theory that she just needed time to mature a bit proven. I did not back off the amount of work and just kept encouraging her. This guide is more about learning how to learn on her own. She is learning wonderful things throughout biblical history. Most of these things she already knew, but we are continuing to build her foundation.

Rose (7th Grade): Revival to Revolution Unit 10

Rose has been excited to learn new things about the Revolutionary period. One of her favorite books is one from Beautiful Feet about George Washington. She’s also learning both biblical Greek and Spanish this year. She works on these a few days a week and enjoys both thoroughly. Her desire to be a missionary in a Spanish speaking country is still strong and so I want to encourage her in these pursuits as much as I can. Both languages were at her request!

Odyssey Adventure Club: Why You Should Join!

February 28, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Just in case you need some more reasons for joining the Odyssey Adventure Club…

1. It’s great for road trips!

Since you can download episodes to the app you don’t even need wifi! It also entertains those who may get car sick and can’t handle doing much while traveling.

2. You can binge listen to your favorite story arcs!

We love listening to the Blackguard and Novacom story arcs. The Green Ring Conspiracy is another close favorite!

3. Saves space!

Collecting the entire Adventures in Odyssey collection is a worthy goal, but boy the space those CDs would take. This is instant gratification at its best and no extra space required.

4. Your kids will adore you!

We gave our nieces and nephews a subscription for Christmas and they were jumping up and down with joy! They were so excited to have the opportunity to listen to any episode they wanted.

5. Everyone can listen to something different!

Our kids don’t have to take turns picking a favorite episode anymore. They can each listen to their favorites on different devices.

6. Soundtracks!!!

I’m a huge fan of soundtrack music and now the soundtrack to many of the episodes are available through the app.

7. Excellent bedtime routine!

Our girls listen every night while falling asleep. It’s a great way to start the night off right.

8. Easy to search!

We often use the search function to find a particular episode we want to find quickly.

9. Holiday themes!

Some of our favorite holiday traditions throughout the year are to find the corresponding Adventures in Odyssey episodes. We love the ones for St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, and of course the many Christmas episodes.

10. Historical Episodes!

From Adam and Eve to American History you can find lots of historical episodes. This is great for homeschoolers when you are studying a particular time in history.

What are some other great reasons to join?

Comment below!

Disclaimer: I received a subscription to The Odyssey Adventure Club in exchange for promoting on my blog and on social media.

Week in Review: February 19-23

February 26, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

We took the week off!

Honestly I would love another week off as well! My kids had a nice break, but I had things come up and nothing got done I had planned on unfortunately. We typically have 6 weeks of school and a week off unless we plan a trip or have to take a week off for one reason or another. So this week for my girls was relaxing. My week consisted of teaching my middle school English class, having parent-teacher conferences, and a morning-long eye appointment. I did spend Thursday morning chatting with a dear friend and sipping coffee on my porch, so that was lovely.

Oh yeah, and Tuesday we did this…

Snow tubing in 65 degree weather is kind of amazing! We drove about 3 hours north west and had a great time. Yes, it was slushy, but we still had a great time! We plan to go again next year while it is still cold.

So how was your week?

Bytes of Learning – UltraKey Online Family Subscription: A TOS Crew Review

February 20, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

In our digital age many kids are using technology, but are not required to learn proper keyboarding technique. My daughters started typing instruction beginning in 1st grade. We were excited to try the one year subscription of UltraKey Online Family Subscription from Bytes of Learning. This is our first experience with an online based program and I really liked it! One aspect I appreciated was the initial instruction for how to actually sit at the the computer with proper posture and hand positioning. My daughters hear me talk about this a lot as the posture for keyboarding is similar for playing the piano. I’m their piano teacher so I try to make certain they have proper positioning. It was excellent to have this same information given in the video and the little animation was very helpful.

Grace was very anxious to get started! She watched the video eagerly and was ready to jump right in. She has not been typing as long as her sisters (less than a year) so I had her start at the very beginning without doing any assessment. The teaching is clear and she worked happily until I told her it was time to move on to something else. Each day this has been one of the first thing she works to complete from her list of daily tasks. For her first lessons she worked on my laptop, then she moved on to using her tablet which you will see my other daughters using.

Rose completed our previous typing instruction program and was excited to have something to continue her instruction. You see this is a much smaller keyboard which attaches to a tablet. These are new for our girls. They all enjoy typing this way and while the smaller keyboard is not to my liking, it is actually a benefit to their smaller hands. I gave Rose the option to use the bigger computer and keyboard, but she said she wanted to get used to this because she knew she would be using it for school assignments. This is the beauty of using an online typing program. They can easily switch between computer keyboards if needed and had the option to improve their typing skills on the keyboard they are currently using most often.

Beth asked if she had to use a table as the video instructed because her favorite place to work is in the living room. I told her she still had to use good posture, so she quickly found a box to use lift her feet and rested the tablet on her lap for typing. She was really excited to see how well she did on the assessment. Both Rose and Beth completed a sort of “pre-test” in order to set their goals. This is excellent if your students have some typing experience. You also have the option to change the goals at anytime. One of the things I like about the program is the ease of checking everyone’s progress. There is a wonderful family management section where pdf reports can be downloaded. They are very user friendly and you can quickly assess how your students are doing.

The cool thing about a program like this is the application in other areas. Rose has been completing her writing assignments on her tablet using a cloud document system. I’m noticing marked improvement in her speed as she completes these assignments.
If you are looking for an online typing program this is an excellent option. It is easy to use and check. You may even want to give it a try to improve your typing! Don’t forget to check out what my Crewmates have to say!

Wulf the Saxon from Heirloom Audio Productions: A TOS Crew Review

February 19, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

I’m super excited to share this review with you! We were introduced to Heirloom Audio Productions last year and my daughters were jumping up and down when Wulf the Saxon arrived in the mail! More than once I was asked if we could listen during our meal-time. How can I not agree when I know we will all love it so much! Isn’t this cover art gorgeous?!? One of my piano students saw our CD set laying on the kitchen table and immediately wanted to know what this was and if he could listen to it. The old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” is not applicable! I assure you the story is just as intriguing as the cover indicates.
The dramatized retelling of this classic G.A. Henty tale takes place in the mid-way through the 11th century. It’s a period of history I have not studied much until my oldest daughter spent extensive time learning about last year. This tale focuses on England and the beginnings of the fight for the throne. My oldest daughter really enjoyed it. My younger two not as much. I think the extent of the battles and wars didn’t interest them as much and some of it was a little too intense for my youngest especially. This would lead me to say while there is nothing in any way objectionable with regard to content, it is intense. I think it wise to listen alongside a more sensitive child.
Rose is 12 and while she is not really thinking about relationships we have been having more and more conversations about marriage and seeking God in this matter. I absolutely adored the love story in this title and the way in which it was presented. At a time when arranged marriages were the normal, especially for the wealthy families, to marry for love was unimaginable. We take this for granted in our society and in all honesty take love for granted. I appreciated how this story showed what real love should be and the struggle it must have been for those in this society to actually marry for these reasons. The marriage which has been arranged for Wulf is not one he wishes. Instead he wishes to marry another girl for love.

Don’t worry if you have boys though, it’s not all about love! There are battles, shipwrecks, lords, dukes, and more action and adventure than you could imagine. Rose told me she likes that it is a true story, but not a history book. She loves audio dramas because they are a more interesting way to learn about history. Boys and girls alike will love this tale! Live the Adventure Club is an excellent way to build your library of Heirloom Audio stories! In addition to the CDs you will have access to digital copies of the stories, soundtracks (my favorite!), and a study-guide resource to use alongside the tales as you listen. As I said before this is a fabulous way to learn history and the study guides will provide even more resources and historical context for your learning including discussion questions, vocabulary, word puzzles, and more. Not only is all of this available for the new tales you purchase, you also have access to an active community of like-minded parents in the forum, videos, movie reviews, old-time radio recordings, and more. Don’t forget to take a look at what my Crewmates have to say!

Answers for Homeschooling: A NLPG Book Review

February 18, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Homeschool moms face a barrage of questions. When you are just beginning, this can lead to an enormous amount of self-examination and questioning the decision you felt was best for your family when you made it. It can be tempting to respond with snarky answers to those who ask things like, “How can you be qualified to teach?” or, “What about socialization?” There are some hilarious blogs and vlogs geared in this manner, but my experience has been most of the time these questions are genuine curiosity. Even if you get tired of answering the same thing over and over, remember many people asking you may never have encountered a homeschool family. Wouldn’t it be nice to leave them with a pleasant memory? Israel Wayne‘s book, Answers for Homeschooling: Top 25 Questions Critics Ask, will not only help answer some of your questions, but give you a good resource so you can articulate accurate and kind answers to those who question or critique your choice!

Israel Wayne is a well-known author and speaker in the homeschool community. His mother was one of the pioneers of the homeschooling movement before it was legal in every state. He and his wife, Brooke, have homeschooled their own children and his personal experience as both a homeschooler and homeschool parent provides a wealth of information for those of us newer to the scene. His writing is clear, factual, and compelling. It is evident he is not only knowledgeable about the homeschooling community, but also passionate to support families in their endeavor to home educate their children. The most important part about the Wayne’s writing is his biblical world-view. When confronted on-the-spot with uncomfortable questions it can be hard to remember God called us to this season. With this book you can have a few Scriptures tucked in the back of your mind to help you navigate some of your answers, even to those who don’t know or follow the Lord.

I live in a more diverse community in which homeschooling does not appear as quirky as other locations around the country. Most of our encounters with non-homeschoolers is positive and many tell me their children have asked them to homeschool at one point or another. Still, I believe all 25 questions have been addressed to me at one point or another by friends, family, and strangers! Sometimes people aren’t questioning me, but their own ability to teach their children. I love encouraging parents that they do have the ability if they want it!

One of my favorite chapters was entitled, Do You Know What Causes That? Believe it or not, our little family of 5 has been asked this very thing. I never have felt like we had a so-called large family until I encountered questions like these or other unknowingly rude comments. Again, I don’t believe this kind of question is necessarily intended maliciously, but it can be very uncomfortable especially when asked in front of your own children. I appreciated the biblical reminders of just how precious children are to the Lord and therefore ought to be to me. It’s not a common view. Based on many blogs and articles I’ve read online many in my generation don’t exactly seem to appreciate or even like their children. I don’t doubt they love them, but they are more interested in pursuing their own interests and desires. I often see this when I’m out shopping with my kids as well. We don’t have a perfect little family where we all get along every minute of the day, but generally speaking we really enjoy each other’s company!

Whether you are a newbie to the homeschooling community or have been at this a while, this title will be a great encouragement to you. You may even find a grounded answer to these questions which never occurred to you before!

Disclaimer: I received this title as a part of the New Book Review Crew at NLPG. I did not receive any compensation for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Week in Review: February 12-16

February 16, 2018 Grace-Filled Writer

Another week is in the books! Uneventful and that is just how I like it!

Beth (5th Grade): Creation to Christ Unit 23

Beth has been memorizing Philippians chapter 2 this year. She has memorized verses 1-20 and I’m so pleased with her diligence. She did not like the idea at the beginning of the year. It felt overwhelming and she resisted learning the one verse a week I assigned. The way she works on this is to memorize the next verse in the passage on Monday and Tuesday while reviewing the previous verses. So this week she memorized verse 20 and reviewed verses 1-19. Wednesday is a day off from memorizing, then Thursday and Friday she recites the entire passage. She gets stuck every once in a while, but overall has done excellent work!

She surprised me by getting up almost an hour before I did, completed most of her chores, and was finished with her Friday schoolwork by 8:00 am. Fridays are our “light” days so they can have some free time to pursue their own interests, but this is still a huge change for her. In the past she has been the last one to finish every day. She beamed with joy as she told me all she had accomplished so early! There are some really good lessons in this, not only for her, but for me as well!

Grace (2nd Grade): Bigger Hearts for His Glory Unit 16

Grace has one unit left in her 2nd grade mathematics and then we will move on to 3rd grade. She, like her oldest sister, fully understands the mathematical concepts she is learning, but sometimes just rushes through and isn’t careful. Thankfully this has not yet developed a frustration in this subject.

Today she will be completing her standardized testing for the year. It is a little early, but we have a friend who is now administering the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities. Her sisters have already completed it and I’ve been very happy with not only how the assessment has been administered but the extent of the information I get in return. She can’t wait! My kids really don’t mind standardized testing at all. It also helps that they know and greatly love our friend who has given it to them this year!

Rose (7th Grade): Revival to Revolution Unit 9

One of Rose’s favorite parts of our day is writing. Writing Strands is our curriculum of choice and it is such a great curriculum! The daily bite-sized teaching has helped her learn how to craft beautifully written pieces both fiction and non-fiction. We have found a fun new way to go about the editing process using Google Docs! Since we gave the girls new, larger tablets with attachable keyboards she is using this to create her writing assignments. I now go through and make suggestions, then sit down and we go through each edit one-by-one. The great thing is we can see the changes as they are being typed even on different devices! I’m using an iPad and she has an Android based device. Technology can be really cool sometimes!

In addition math has moved along smooth as silk. Oh what a wonderful thing to be able to write!

Free Learning Friday: Olympics

Don’t be shocked, but you will probably see the same thing next week! The girls are learning about how the events are judged, the rules, and all sorts of other things!

What have you been up to this week? Take a look at what my Crewmates are blogging about this week!