Peek at Our Week: February 6-10

Grace-Filled Writer

After a couple of weird weeks of trying to get over a cold we were happy to be back to a normal schedule and on pace with our Heart of Dakota curriculum. So this week was as “normal” as our weeks get! We squish a full Heart of Dakota unit into 3 days. The girls work incredibly hard on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday they take a science class and still complete language arts and math. On Fridays we also complete language arts and math, but that is usually it. Starting this next week I’m hoping to incorporate some other more fun learning opportunities for them. We’ll see how this goes!

Beth (4th grade): Creation to Christ Unit 3

Beth has settled in very quickly with the Creation to Christ guide. I’m not surprised as she has been with Heart of Dakota since preschool. Also watching her older sister work through the guides ahead of her gives her a nice idea of what to expect. For kids who are new to Heart of Dakota with this guide it will feel like a lot of work, but she is enjoying the challenges and mostly enjoying the independent nature. The one thing she said she misses is my reading history to her.  
(She collects Pandas! The 4 in the picture are just the tip of the iceberg!)
Beth is really enjoying the notebooking pages. They are so beautifully created! She is drawing a timeline entry here. We found for handwriting it is best to use Frixion Erasable pens on these pages. For drawing they sometimes use those or a pencil to begin and then use sharpies to fill in the color or outline. My girls have not had extensive art instruction, but Heart of Dakota encourages them early on to express themselves through art and all of them do a very nice job creating pictures. She did ask me to find a picture of a hand holding a heel for the timeline entry about Jacob and Esau. She couldn’t quite figure out how to make that! 
Rose (6th grade): Resurrection to Reformation Unit 22
 
There is nothing quite as cozy as reading in Narnia! We redecorated the girls’ room for Christmas last year as winter and spring Narnia. If you look closely at the stuffed animals on the bed you will see one that is a bit more alive than the others! One of the wonderful things about homeschooling is the freedom to study wherever is the most comfortable or least distracting. Rose and Beth like to study in their room and when the weather is nice outside because I’m still working so extensively with Grace. The quieter locations are preferred for them.

We are trying a different approach with math again. We aren’t changing curriculum though as I’m very happy with both Master Book’s Principals of Mathematics and Math Mammoth to supplement when needed. The trouble is mathematics is not my strongest subject. As we get to higher and higher levels I’m finding I struggle to remember all of the rules for various things so I am constantly looking things up to double check myself. My husband, on the other hand, absolutely loves math. He was planning to become a math teacher before he felt the call from God into ministry. So starting this week we are adjusting when Rose works on her math. She doesn’t even touch it until the afternoon when he comes home from the office. So far this has been great for all concerned. I’m not worried about telling her something incorrect and it also saves us time during the day. Since Rose does not really look forward to math it is good for her to know she does not have to worry about it in the morning. 

 Grace (1st grade): Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory Unit 30

  When questioned about Grace’s grade-level we always say, “1st grade,” but in reality, a better answer would be, “Well, it’s complicated.” This is in reality true for all the girls because they are working at higher levels for the most part than grade-level expectations. It’s the most true for Grace. She’s working through 2 levels of 2nd grade math and is about half-way through with both. She’s reading on a 5th grade level as well as beginning to write full stories, writes in cursive, and is learning formal grammar. All of these are typically not things children do until around 2nd grade. Such is the life of a homeschooler who is eager to learn. Still, she completes her work dressed as a princess and often has a stuffed animal on the desk or in her lap, because that is age-appropriate. What a beautiful thing to see her blossom academically, but remain the sweet young child she still is!

Sometimes she is no longer patient to wait on me to finish with one of her sisters before she begins reading her history. Since it is written at about a 3rd grade level this is no big deal for her until she comes upon a word of which she is unsure. When she was a little younger we used to call her our little dictionary because she would constantly ask what words meant that she did not know. Her vocabulary is quite varied and she still loves to learn new words. 


Math comes easily to Grace as well. We are completing two different curricula at her request: Math Lessons for a Living Education Level 2 and Math Mammoth 2nd grade. I cannot say no to this request and it doesn’t take her too much extra time. She’s typically finished with school 2 hours before her sisters anyway so having something a little extra to do is a great thing! 

How was your week? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Times Tables the Fun Way: A TOS Review Crew Review

Grace-Filled Writer
Times Tables the Fun Way {Review}

   Times Tables the Fun Way {Review}What comes to mind when you think of memorizing times tables? Dread? Intimidation? Mind-numbing boredom? If you are like me, this was what my traditional math education left me feeling. I’m happy to say it doesn’t have to be that way anymore! My girls absolutely loved using Times Alive online lessons with animated songs and stories to learn times tables the fun way. Even the two who have already worked to memorize them found this to be fun and enjoyable! Unlike the traditional method of rote memorization, Times Alive uses stories, songs, and memory tricks to help the process stick. All three of my daughters have completed it, but I will focus mostly on my youngest daughter, Grace’s, experience. She is seven and had only been introduced to the idea of multiplication from hearing her sister’s math lessons. She had no prior formal instruction in this area until beginning Times Alice.  

We reviewed the online version of  Times Alive and I was very impressed with it both because of my daughter’s response and the teacher-friendly resources. Each of your children will have their own record, so make sure to remember the name with which you sign them in the first time. It is recommended to be used a lesson a day at least twice a week. This was not at all a problem. In fact, the only problem I had was getting her away from it! “Mommy, can I please work on my times tables?” Was asked multiple times during the day. In fact, she finished the entire program in a week because she was having so much fun! The best part is she has retained what she learned. It was such a fast and painless way to introduce and for the most part cement her times tables up through 9.       Times Tables the Fun Way {Review}  The graphics are charming and do not distract from the most important part, the songs and stories. The numbers often become characters in the stories and are involved in funny little situations which leads to learning a math fact. All three of my girls have been singing the songs and giggling about the stories since we started the program. One of Grace’s favorites was 6 x 6 = 36  because the story talked about thirsty sixes. She found this completely hilarious.   My other two  daughters have also enjoyed the fun of this program! Both girls are working on much more difficult multiplication with multi-digit numbers, but as they watched their younger sister having fun, they both asked to work through the program. They giggled along with her and love quizzing her on her multiplication facts as well! We discovered a couple of facts which Grace struggled to recall so I brought her back to those to review which was easy as could be.  Click here to see a sample of a Times Tables the Fun Way story!   Times Tables the Fun Way {Review} 

Record keeping is absolutely wonderful with this program! You do want to make sure you accurately type in the same name for each student so you can track their progress. You can see exactly how much of the program they have completed and how well they are doing at the checkpoint assessments. It is printable and user friendly, more so than other tracking reports I’ve seen from different online math programs. I quickly assessed that Grace was moving at an incredible pace, but she was also retaining what she was learning. If I felt she was not retaining as she progressed I would have had her complete the lessons again. I would like to be able to see which ones she missed specifically, but seeing the percentage is very helpful. All of the tests are printable so I think I would like to use that option as we review some of these again so I can see better where she is not retaining facts.
 

My oldest daughter has also greatly benefited from this program. While she is working with much higher levels of math, she sometimes has a hard time recollecting her math facts. She gets there eventually, but because it isn’t immediate she is frequently frustrated. These stories, songs, and tricks have been incredibly helpful to her in this area.

Whether you are just starting out teaching multiplication or you are looking for a way for facts to stick, this is an excellent resource at an incredible value! Be sure to read reviews from my Crewmates!

 

Times Tables the Fun Way {Review}

  Crew Disclaimer

Jensen’s Format Writing: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer
http://www.masterbooks.com/

When I talk to homeschool moms about their least favorite subject to teach, one of the top answers is writing. It’s also the one subject about which I’m asked to give advice about most. I’m always on the lookout for what current resources are available. I look for several things in a curriculum before I recommend it. First, it should be printed in an easy to use format. Second, it should be simplified so that students are only working on small bits of information at a time in order to have better retention. Third, practical examples and practice are incorporated. Jensen’s Format Writing incorporates all of these!

http://www.masterbooks.com/jensens-format-writing 
I previously reviewed Jensen’s Grammar which I will be using with my own daughters and highly recommend for middle school and high school students whether they already have a strong background in grammar or not. I was super excited to have the chance to review the newly reformatted Jensen’s Format Writing as well! It is incredibly user friendly for the teacher or student if you would like for them to use this on their own. Some kids just work better if they have a different teacher than mom and the DVD allows for that. I also would feel completely comfortable recommending this without the DVD for moms who prefer they have the majority of the teaching. The instruct is very clear and understandable. 
What I like best about this writing program is that the writing assignments are completed in small segments. Learning to write non-fiction is a daunting tasks for most students, especially if a large assignment is given all at once. These bite-size daily tasks will guide the students to understand how to craft beautiful works of creative nonfiction.
One of the best things about Master Books curriculum is every subject helps point students to a Christ-centered world view. Disciplines which are often considered secular or at the very least non-spiritual are taught in such a way as to inspire students to look at them from a biblical perspective. Many of the writing assignments have specific prompts which are intended to guide the student to think for themselves. Subjects such as the pro-life movement, capital punishment, and debt are explored. Students are instructed to gather research on these and other topics before writing on them. I love that my daughters will be encouraged to research and then form an informed opinion rather than merely relying on the opinions of others. I do not want my children to be parrots. I want them to learn how to seek out truth and decide which way they will follow for themselves.

I highly recommend this writing program for junior high and high school students alike. It is an excellent, solid program that has one of the simplest layouts for using I have seen. It is also incredibly affordable compared to other writing programs for this age. 
Disclaimer: I received Jensen’s Format Writing 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.
Grace-Filled Writer

Melanie Dickerson has done it again! I was captivated by this newest title from the first page to the last. Her retelling of classic fairy tales crates the backdrop for delightful new stories. I love not knowing which tale her stories are based on and then figuring it out as I read. This newest tale takes a privileged yet essentially imprisoned maiden on a journey to discover who she really is and who she wants to become.

The heroine, Evangeline, is the cousin of the king and an illegitimate relation as well. She is so closely guarded that very few even know she exists and she is never permitted off the castle grounds where she lives. In a desperate attempt to avoid a dangerous marriage arranged by the king she fleas in disguise along with her maid. Together they attempt to hide in a far away town. To do so she must deceive the chivalrous man who provides them sanctuary.

I found myself spellbound as I read. I cheered both the heroine and hero on to find real love. I also enjoy the way faith in God is presented. One or more characters are always on a journey in Dickerson’s novels, and they seek to know God, not just accept what a bishop or priest is telling them. Quiet often the one joy in their day is simply reading from God’s Word. What a blessing to be reminded of how precious the Word of God should be to us!

As soon as I finish each of Dickerson’s novels I’m anxious to find out when the next will be published. There are few authors who delight me novel after novel, but Melanie Dickerson is definitely one of them!

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Know the Word Study Bible: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer
I consider myself to be a bit of a Bible study nerd. Nerd has such a negative connotation, but I love to read and study the Bible. I don’t think of it as negative, just a good description! I look forward to getting my hands on new resources and love to peruse different Bibles and their study helps. I reviewed the digital version of this Bible and found it to be quite helpful. This would be an excellent Bible for personal devotions.

I personally like the NKJV version. It is not my first preference in Bible versions, but it is one I use regularly. Some of the nice features of this Bible are unique to the digital version. I like that I can click on verse numbers in blue in order to quickly access the note. There are also notes in italics at the end of verses which you can click on to take you to more in depth study notes. There are lots of cross references and notes to further understand what the Scripture is saying. From what I read this Bible takes a literal and historical interpretation of the Bible. The forward indicates their belief that this is the inspired Word of God, not man. These facts are important to me when it comes to a study Bible. I want to know that those writing the notes believe the same things I do about the Scripture I’m reading.

I was expecting this Bible to explain what words or phrases mean and that is exactly what it does. I only wish more were included, but I do know this is rather unrealistic in a Study Bible. I was surprised and pleased to see a topical study guide included so that one can study the Bible verse-by-verse or topically.

If you are looking for a new study Bible and enjoy the NKJV, this would be a great choice for you!

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book through BookLook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Peek at Our Week: January 30-February 3

Grace-Filled Writer

So last week I came down sick. I already had the week planned so it wasn’t too big of a deal. My weekend, however, was derailed from feeling pretty bad and I didn’t get our full school week planned for this week. So we did a week of “fun school” as my girls like to call it.

When we do “fun school” I try to find all the things I would love to do but don’t get to fit into our days because they are so full. I’m toying with the idea of doing this every Friday. I struggle with changing anything…ever. I just need to jump in and go for it.One of the new things I did this week was have the girls study current events. We have a subscription to World Kids, World Teen and God’s Big World, which are Christian news magazines. They remind me of the news magazines I used to get in school as a kid, but with a Christian worldview. They usually read these just in their spare time, but this week I gave them a current events printable I’d found on pinterest to use to report about stories from the magazine. They really enjoyed this and I plan to make this a regular part of our week.

 We also enjoyed some other fun things like Signing Time and some educational shows I’ve had stashed away, but haven’t had a chance to show them. We also were working with some curriculum we are reviewing so you’ll see more of those in the weeks to come!
So we had an off-routine week, but it was a good week. Learning occurred and Mama recuperated!

Peek at Our Week: January 23-27

Grace-Filled Writer
I’m typing this in between tissue breaks and sniffles. I can speak, but I don’t sound very good. So what were we up to this week? The girls got a lot of work done in spite of my not feeling well. It seems that in the last several years if I get a cold, I will lose my voice. I don’t know the reasons behind this, but it has been 100% true for at least the last 5 years! I don’t really feel too horrible except for severely clogged sinuses, but away my voice will fly. This time it started with a sore throat so talking was not very fun. Thanks to a wide variety of treatments including essential oils and modern medicine I am on the mend even if I don’t sound very good.
The girls were so good about it all though! I modified our schedule a bit and we took a break from our full language arts (grammar, writing, literature, & spelling) and they just read for fun. We also took a little break from math. We did stay the course with history, Bible, and poetry, basically all that makes Heart of Dakota unique and fun! I knew they could handle these studies with only a little help from me because they love them so much and are eager learners. They have also learned our routine quite well and it is no big deal if Mommy is down for a day or two…or 4! 
Rose (6th grade): Resurrection to Reformation Unit 21

 So if you look at last week’s week in review, this picture will look very familiar. Rose is cuddle up in her favorite sweatshirt under her favorite blanket in her favorite spot to read for school! The only thing missing is a little puppy, who joined her soon after I snapped this picture. She is reading Mr. Pipes here, but this is usually where she snuggles in for all of her reading assignments. 
She actually kept reading the book I had assigned for literature this week. I usually assign books but every once in a while they get to make their own pick for literature with my approval. She’s currently reading through the Epic Order of the Seven. If you haven’t heard of these books before, go look them up now! They are so very well written and engaging. I would classify them as biblical fantasy fiction. I know those first two wouldn’t normally go together, but the main characters are animals who talk and converse with one another, so that is where the fantasy comes in. FYI this is not a review endorsement. I just stumbled upon this title at our local Christian bookstore and it was a hit!
 Beth (4th grade): Creation to Christ Unit 2

Here is Beth in her preferred spot for reading for school. Snuggled under the covers in her bed. Sometimes this is the bottom bunk and sometimes the top. Beth is loving the Creation to Christ guide. I always find introducing my younger two girls to new guides. I think this reason is two-fold. The first is that I have gone through it once or twice, so I know exactly what to expect. The second is they have watched their older sister (or sisters for Grace!) travel through history the Heart of Dakota way, so they anticipate each guide. 
Beth is also fairly introverted so she likes working independently. She’s very good about coming and asking for help, but once I give it, off she goes to complete an assignment alone. She is enjoying the wonderful literature paired with this guide. I love how historical fiction draws them into the time period.
Grace (1st grade): Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory Unit 29
 
Grace is enjoying poetry more and more! I remember when we started this guide and she could not really understand what the poetic language was saying. Now she loves to tell me what she thinks it means before I have a chance to explain it and most often she is correct! That is the beauty of studying poetry together. It helps kids to learn to think creatively and also to interpret for themselves what is being said. I still of course help her know some of the harder things, but she generally gets the overall meaning. 
Grace is reading on a 4th or 5th grade level at this point, so she enjoyed reading her history aloud to me instead of me reading it to her! She also asked to start the 3rd book in the Chronicles of Narnia. I’m constantly amazed at the progress my children make academically and I love that I get a front row seat to it all! We have difficult things and struggles, but conquering those are all the sweeter because I’ve watched the struggle first-hand. 
So there was a little glimpse! If you look closely at this last picture you’ll notice our laundry piles waiting to be washed. Yup, we’re normal! The laundry room is in the hallway behind where Grace is standing so I often leave the sorted piles in the floor while I’m waiting to get them in the wash. Chores definitely happen in between all the schoolwork!

Comment and tell me how your week was!

Peek at our Week: Janurary 16-20

Grace-Filled Writer
Another week has come and gone. Nothing extraordinary, but that is what God is teaching me as the new year unfolds: Faithfulness in the ordinary is extraordinary. When we feel like we aren’t accomplishing anything or that we are spinning our wheels in vain when it comes to our daily routines, it glorifies the Lord when we press on with a good attitude. This is true whether you are home for most of your day or working full time. It is also true that we all feel this way from time to time. When it starts to bubble up, push back with prayer and Scripture. 


Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Do all things without grumbling or disputing
Philippians 2:14 
Realigning your perspective with Christ can change everything. 
Here is a peek at our extraordinarily ordinary week
Grace (1st grade): Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory Unit 28 

 Grace is becoming anxious to begin her new guide because her sisters started a new guide this week. I’m glad we have a few weeks before we begin though as I’m helping Beth become acclimated to her new guide. Grace learned more about Davy Crockett this week in history. We enjoy the history book in these last units, both the style of writing and how each chapter teaches how people lived in colonial and pioneer days. There are a lot of good illustrations and descriptions of things like soap making, churning butter, making a canoe, and more.

We are plodding along with all of our other subjects. They are all going well with no real bumps except she would like to be moving more quickly through her studies! For literature she has been reading through the Kirsten books from Pleasant Company. She finished the last book this week and asked to read the next book in the Chronicles of Narnia, so she will soon be voyaging on the Dawn Treader.

Rose (6th grade): Resurrection to Reformation Unit 20

Our pup Penny loves to cuddle with the girls while they read for school. Usually they read literature and history assignments in the living room or their bedroom and Penny quickly follows when she sees a book in hand! Rose is enjoying the Mr. Pipes book she is reading in this guide. She says the one thing she loves about our history studies is how all the reading is connected and she gets to read lots of different books about the same time in history. This is just one more reason I’m grateful for Heart of Dakota and all the time the author put into researching and finding these great gems of literature!

Math is bumpy, but less bumpy than previously. Hope for fewer and fewer bumps!

Beth (4th grade): Creation to Christ Unit 1


The start of the a new guide is always exciting. Beth was happy to have notebook pages like her big sister. She dove right in, completing all the boxes with gusto. Although she sometimes gets tired of the amount of writing which is required now, she rarely complains with more than a sigh, and those are getting less and less. This guide is a big jump in independent workload from Preparing Hearts for His Glory. Her days were a little longer than I think they will be in the future this week because I had to explain quite a bit about how to complete each box. 

She has come to love diagramming as much as Rose! She loves order and logic, so diagramming is just a way to express the order and logic of our language. 
I’d love to hear about your week!