Preserving Memories: Random pages…

Grace-Filled Writer
 I don’t get to scrapbook much while on vacation because not only are we really busy, but I also don’t typically take my external drive with me. Here are some pages I worked on before we left and a couple I squeezed in once we got home.

Spring Recital 2017
 2010
My husband on an intense coaster at Hershey Park
 The girls rode his coaster over and over!
Summer 2016
Kit: At the Pool by Chelle’s Creations (retired)

K5 Learning Online Program: A TOS Review Crew Review

Grace-Filled Writer

K5 Learning  My daughters are just like every other child of this century. They adore their technology! I’m often quite hesitant when it comes to including technology as a part of our regular learning program because I am well aware of the dangers posed online. That being said, I’m not against technology completely. I am just extremely picky about what technology we use and how we use it. I was very excited for my girls to have the opportunity to try out the online program from K5 Learning. We used this delightful program as a supplement to our regular studies. 

K5 Learning

 There are three subject areas covered within the program: Math, Reading, and Spelling. Prior to beginning the program students take an assessment to determine their course of learning. Each student will have their own accounts and a unique course of study. All three of my daughters have been using the program and it has been a lot of fun for each of them!   

The assessment results are easy to understand, and I appreciate that the program sets itself for each students needs. This means if you have any gaps in your child’s learning you’ll quickly identify it and they can work on these specific areas where they need it most. I also really like the feature which allows the parent to create spelling lists. Even if you currently have a spelling program which you are happy with this will allow for a different way of reviewing the words.

The girls would ask to be the first one to do their computer work each day. This tells me they truly enjoy it! The lessons are short and simple, but clear. They are presented in a fun, story-like way that kept my girls engaged. The lessons’ brevity did not keep them from wanting to work more. The graphics are not the most modern, but I personally appreciate this. I tend to appreciate less distractions or my girls where technology is concerned. They thought the stories and illustrations were fun and I typically had to pull them away from their work each day because they were enjoying it so much.

   The most helpful thing for me was seeing where the girls placed in math and reading with the assessment tests. They were at the points where I thought they were, which was affirming, but more than that I am pleased that they are getting specifically directed instruction to fill in those gaps. Math seems to be the area where gaps happen most often. One thing I did realize was that some of the perceived gaps are not always actual gaps. Math curriculum often varies in its sequence even if the scope remains the same. The problem is many standardized tests to not account for this. While many recognize this and some are trying to address it, there will always be some differences between curricula and this is a great way to not only assess the issues, but have a practical solution to them.  While this is not a full curriculum, the program is intended for children of all educational backgrounds and I highly recommend it as a supplement no matter how your child is learning. Subscriptions are available monthly or annually. We will be continuing to use the program and the girls couldn’t be happier!   Check out what my crewmates have to say!K5 Learning {Reviews}Crew Disclaimer

Nature’s Beautiful Order from Memoria Press: A TOS Crew Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Memoria Press    Memoria Press has an excellent reputation among classical homeschoolers. While this is not our typical style of learning, I find value in exploring a variety of curriculum styles with my girls. This provides variation and increased interest in topics and also gives them a chance to learn in a different way. Beth was excited to review Nature’s Beautiful Order because she aspires to be a veterinarian and this particular course covers the animal kingdom. Nature’s Beautiful Order This beautiful set comes with a reader, a student guide, and a teacher key. The three components make for a simple to use, classically oriented teaching tool for sixth through ninth grade students. It may also be used as a supplement to a high school biology course. Beth is advanced in her studies and reading at a high school level, so I correctly assessed that she could handle the course without any trouble as she finished up her 4th grade year. I would say if you have an advanced and self-motivated upper elementary student this would also be a good fit.  

 Because we take a science course outside our home studies, I explained that this was like taking an extra class for fun to learn about animals since she has a driving passion to become a veterinarian. She was really excited about this. I had her read a chapter on Monday and work on a few questions each day, using the book to look for the answers.  

Beth is not a fan of writing in complete sentences. This is something I do require her to do, but when she found out she was going to have to write in complete sentences for me, she wasn’t thrilled. I appreciated that I could show her in the teacher’s guide how a complete sentence should look for review. This is a necessary skill that is so important for students and can get easily overlooked while homeschooling because so much of what we do can be accomplished more easily when completed orally. At the same time, if you have a student who has learning struggles and difficulties which make writing a bigger ordeal than you want to tackle, you can easily have students respond aloud. 
Working as we did through one chapter a week, this was very manageable for Beth. Learning to look for answers in the text is another skill on which she needs some work. The chapters are not excessively long and this makes it a great way to practice this particular ability. She spent about 15 minutes a day on the assignment which was bite-size enough not to frustrate her.
I love teacher guides because when I’m teaching multiple levels it helps me be able to check answers quickly without having to go back over the material. Not all teacher’s guides are excessively helpful, but all of the guides from Memoria Press have full answers presented in the same format as the student guide is laid out. This means fast grading and I’m all about saving time! 
If you are looking for a course to help your students learn the natural ordering of the animal kingdom this is an excellent choice. It uses classic texts and source material to present the information in an orderly manner. 
Take a look at what my Crewmates have to say! 

Latin, Nature and Trees {Memoria Press Reviews}Crew Disclaimer

Week in Review: May 29-June 2

Grace-Filled Writer
Talk about an off routine week! After our church service on Sunday we began our trip for a week-long conference with our denomination in OH. We have had so much fun and have a few more days to enjoy ourselves. 
On the way up we stopped at The Ark Encounter. I can’t put into words just how amazing this was. We enjoyed it so much!
We also had the opportunity to visit a house used as a hiding place for the underground railroad. 
We went to Anthony and Thomas Candy company for a tour. 
Finally, we went to COSI, a children’s museum in Columbus, OH. 
I will have separate posts up about these soon. 

It has also been a week of hearing how God is working through our denomination all around the globe. It was encouraging and challenging. We came back refreshed and ready to see where God will be taking our church in the coming months. 
Next week’s review will have even more peeks at our adventure north! 

Heroes of History: Milton Hershey from YWAM Publishing: A TOS Review Crew Review

Grace-Filled Writer
YWAM Publishing
 Our family enjoys learning bout the origins of what we take for granted in our daily lives. There are so many things we can’t imagine living without even though most of those items are luxuries and for convenience. Take chocolate for instance. I can’t imagine not having a Hershey’s candy bar available whenever I want and neither can Grace! If she is ever asked what her favorite candy is she responds without hesitation, “Hershey’s chocolate!” When I told the girls we were going to get to learn more about the man behind the chocolate everyone was excited. We have been reading Heroes of History- Milton Hershey, a part of the Heroes of History series from YWAM Publishing.
 

YWAM Publishing  We are already familiar with the biographies YWAM publishes and have enjoyed every one we read. This was especially exciting for us because we were already planning to take a family trip to Hershey, PA. The girls enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about the man behind the candy. We read this in the evenings together as our family story time. It was engaging and interesting. While I usually only read one chapter a night, they would often beg for me to read more!  

 I really liked that there were many options so students of various levels can study together. Our girls ages are 11, 9, and 7. All three fully engaged and learned from this study! As a general rule we rarely do worksheet type studying. That means when the girls do use them it is a novelty and therefore quite enjoyable. They also like it that this was a unit done together which is also not typical of our studies.  

 We learned that there was so much more to Milton Hershey than merely making chocolate. His desire to create and provide a community for his workers is truly inspiring. I was especially impressed with his desire to provide quality education for the town. I’m fully aware that not everyone is a fan of this company, but his ideas for the community he built were forward thinking for the time. We were also impressed to learn that the company still uses locally sourced milk to make their products.  

A little peek at our fun trip to Hershey after learning about Milton Hershey!

One of the things I appreciate most about the books from YWAM is that they include study guide materials for use with my girls. While it is fun to learn and read together, I want to make sure the girls are gleaning as much as they can from this time. Each of the study guides includes a number of excellent options for furthering learning. Since these study guides are also written for traditional classrooms there are some interesting ideas, yet a bit impractical for our in-home implementation. Some of these include group activities and classroom display ideas. These are really fun things, but not very practical for us. The items we did make use of were chapter questions and key quotes. We also utilized the written study guide which are highly valuable for students to record while they are reading. While we did not use the essay and further studies section, these are both excellent and well-suited for older students.  Take a look at what my Crewmates had to say!  Christian & History Heroes {YWAM Publishing Reviews} Crew Disclaimer

Week in Review: May 22-26

Grace-Filled Writer

Our week was incredibly low-key…and by low-key I mean I forgot to take any pictures it was so relaxed! We spent time cleaning and organizing some much needed areas, celebrated our 15th anniversary with the girls at Cracker-Barrel, and listened to it rain… A LOT! This is what “weeks off” typically look like for us with the exception of staying inside most of the time because of rain. We did get to take a few hours at our local children’s museum with friends and that was a lot of fun. Since I didn’t get to take any pictures, here are a couple from our wedding. Be on the lookout for a field-trip review and some fun highlights of this upcoming week in the next Week in Review!

Bonhoeffer Student Edition: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

There were many martyrs of the Holocaust, but few have had the theological significance as Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His life sets an example for old and young of how to live out ones convictions even in the most difficult of circumstances.

I will have my oldest daughter read this year as we study other literature written about the Holocaust. I think it is highly valuable to learn about many different perspectives when studying history, especially very difficult periods such as the Holocaust.

The book itself is geared towards the middle school reader. The historical information is provided in a clear and interesting way. Even if the reader has not been made familiar with the intricacies surrounding World War 2 prior to reading this, they will have no trouble understanding all that happened leading up to and during the war. It is especially insightful to understand how the everyday citizen felt about what Germany’s leaders were doing. 

Individuals are famous for their brief moment in history, but we cannot understand the individuals completely without first knowing what led them to those moments. This biography is an excellently written description of Bonhoeffer’s early life and how he became who he was. The clear writing will engage readers fully and hopefully help them think critically about not only World War 2, but also be more aware of all that is going on around them politically and socially.

Now I do want to make it clear that I do not agree with all of Bonhoeffer’s theological beliefs. That being said, I believe studying his life and his thoughts on Scripture are still very valuable. If you also have the opportunity to read the original book by Eric Metaxes written for adults I strongly encourage that. It is excellent and will fill in any of the gaps you may feel was missing in this title.

Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A Secret Courage: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer

One of my favorite periods of history to read about is World War 2. My own grandfather served in the war and I’m sure this is what fuels my interest in this period. A Secret Courage is the first fiction title I’ve read from Tricia Goyer. I was very excited to give this novel a try and I was not at all disappointed!

A Secret Courage is set in war-time England and centers around the covert operations of the war. Wars are fought and lost upon the backs of the dedicated men and women willing to risk their lives to uncover the secrets of the enemy. It is hard, often overlooked work because of the need for secrecy. I loved learning about how covert photos were taken and analyzed in secrecy. It was a fascinating side of the war I was unfamiliar with prior to this book While the history fascinates me, I do not enjoy reading fiction books which end up feeling like a history text. The author skillfully weaves in the historical information with accuracy and grace so that I was engaged through every page. 

I also liked the slightly different take on the love-story. As with most historical, romances I had a pretty good idea from the beginning which characters were going to get together, but rather than the usual cat-and-mouse game authors tend to give their readers, these two quickly came together. Now every good love-story needs some challenges to overcome, and they are definitely present, but I won’t tell you about those and spoil the book for you!

I was also surprised by the ending. Again, I do not want to spoil it, but it was anything other than a neatly wrapped-up story. What I can assure you of is you will not be disappointed. It was one of the best historical fiction books of the World War 2 era I have read in a long time.

Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

The Good Book for Kids: A NetGalley Review

Grace-Filled Writer
One thing I desire for my children is that they want to learn the word of God on their own. I pray for their souls to hunger for His truth. As children this often just looks like enjoyment from going to church on Sundays. As they grow older it is important they spend time studying God’s Word alone. My oldest two already do this as a part of their homeschool studies and I appreciate the habit it is building. I am always looking for solid resources and The Good Book for Kids is exactly the kind of tool they can use! 
This engaging title invites pre-teens and older to dive deeply into the Word of God for themselves. Larger passages are assigned for reading, there is some thoughtful devotion, and then there are questions intended for the reader to use to seek more about what is in the Scripture. The theology is solid while the writing is geared toward the correct audience. It is not simplified down in anyway, but written in what I like to call kid-speak. The author does not attempt to emphasize theological terminology, but rather just teach what truth is in the Word. 
My oldest daughter has begun using this and told me just how much she has enjoyed it. I love that it contains a sweeping overview of the Bible so she can see how it all relates together. In addition to getting into the text of the Word, the author also seeks to give historical and cultural context to the Bible. This is incredibly important as we learn more about the Word of God. We must know the full context of the words written centuries ago. 
I highly recommend this title to anyone with a child who is ready to study the Word of God more deeply. 
Disclaimer: I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.