Tag: Master Books

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.

Jensen’s Grammar Review: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer
Jensen's Grammar 

Strong English skills are very important to me. My background is Middle School English. I taught full time before our girls came along and I’m starting my 7th year teaching English to homeschooled middle schoolers at a homeschool learning center. So when I look to teach grammar to my kids, I want to make certain that the materials I use are high quality and will lead my daughters to have a solid foundation which will help lead them to become excellent writers.

For elementary we have been using Rod and Staff Grammar, which is very solid, but I was ready to move forward to something different for middle school and high school. My oldest daughter is a 6th grader this year so I’ve been looking at my options and I’ve found where we will settle!

Jensen’s Grammar is an excellent program whether your child already has a solid grammar base or your are building the foundation from the beginning. Each lesson is short, simple, and easy to follow. Best of all if you feel nervous about teaching grammar there is a DVD available to do the teaching for you! Because of my background I do not feel the need for the DVD and I am not reviewing that portion of the program.

My favorite curricula have the teaching included in the student books. This allows for the student to look back at the teaching instruction whenever they have need. I also like programs that are easily broken down into more than one day. For middle school I intend to do one lesson each week and break down the exercises to a few each day. This will give adequate time for the lessons to sink in and the practice will be short. Since my husband teaches the girls on Mondays while I’m teaching my class I plan to do the initial lesson instruction on Tuesday and then have Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Monday for practice.

We follow the Charlotte Mason theory that short practice every day is better for retention that longer lessons.The broken up lessons will be great for middle school, but as we progress I may modify this schedule. For high schoolers it possibly should be completed at a faster pace. Really this is just a preference and the important thing, as with any curriculum, is to figure out how best it will work for your personally.

Tests are also provided. I love the test booklet. Each test is only one page long. There are two tests for every 5 lessons. The second test is only if a student struggles to master the first test. Also all answers are provided in the test booklet for both the textbook and the test booklet.

Finally one of my favorite features is that both the text and test booklet are reproducible for your family! This is such a huge thing for homeschooling families with multiple students using the same curriculum whether at the same time or in the future like ours.

My assessment is that this is a solid, academically sound curriculum which will prepare your students to become excellent writers, which is the purpose of learning grammar. As far as value this is one of the best buys for English I have ever seen.

Disclaimer: I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Christian Reading Companion for 50 Classics: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

I love literature. I loved it so much it is what I studied as my main discipline in my education courses in college. I’m so very blessed to be homeschooling and at the same time utilizing my degree in Middle School English. Every Monday I teach 10, 12 to 14-year-olds at a learning center for homeschoolers. I’m always on the lookout for new resources I can use with these students as well for my own girls at home.

Sometimes I come upon a resource I expect to use strictly for my children, but end up enjoying for myself. This is one of those gems! In Christian Reading Companion for 50 Classics by James P. Stobaugh (from Master Books, an imprint of New Leaf Publishing) a variety works of classic literature are highlighted in a very easy to use format. Each novel has a brief introduction including some historical context and author information. Following this is a brief objective test and a few suggested vocabulary words along with their corresponding chapter for location. 
My favorite part of each chapter is the discussion questions. The thoughtful questions steer students to think for themselves. They also guide them to consider more than just comprehension and delve deeper into the finer nuances and context within the pages, encouraging students to consider the work in light of God’s Word. I love this part for myself personally as I have been reading through many great works of literature I never got around to reading. 
Another good use of this book would be for a book club. While many of the books are more appropriate for high school because of content some works for younger students are represented as well. This would also be excellent for an adult book club if you are looking to read classic works together. 
One of the nice things about the works represented here is that they are readily available at your local library or free as e-books. This is a great way to save money and study classic literature at the same time while still having quality, thought provoking study guides.

So right now I’m using this book for my own personal pursuit of knowledge. I do plan to incorporate some of the study guides for books such as Uncle Remus and Brer Rabbit and also as my daughter begin to read these great works of literature throughout their schooling but for now it is just for me and I am loving it!

Disclaimer: I was provided this book to review as part of the Moms of Master Books review program. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. 

Life Science: Origins & Scientific Theory Curriculum: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Sometimes I think back on my high school education and I realize just how blessed I was. My high school years lasted from 1994-1998 in the Bible belt. While many other areas of the country had been shifting towards removing all hints of Christianity from science. I would say looking back we were right on the edge of the big push. I was unbelievably blessed to have Mrs. Lowe as my AP Biology teacher. Not only because she made biology fascinating and gave us opportunity to be creative in whatever way we liked best, but because she unashamedly proclaimed her doubts about evolution based on her faith. She flatly told us that while she thought it was very important to understand and learn about evolution due to its prevalence in our society, she didn’t believe any of it. She believed the Bible was the Word of God and that was where she found her truth for creation.

She gave me courage to boldly proclaim what wasn’t popular. She prayed for me outside of class when I was chatting with her after school one day. She laughed with us and gave us coloring books the week of the AP test so we could de-stress and then colored with us. After that she told us she was praying daily for our preparation. Teachers like this are now silenced. I definitely didn’t realize how unique this was at the time, but now I appreciate her more than I could ever say.

As I began our journey into homeschooling I knew the Bible was true and that we would teach our girls this, but I also knew it was important to teach them the theory of evolution, just as my biology teacher taught me. I don’t ever want them to follow a set of beliefs merely because, “I said so.” Whether faith in God or a scientific belief I want them to choose for themselves what they believe. Does that mean I take a hands-off approach to the Bible and science like some of my friends do? Absolutely not! It means I teach them from birth about our faith, and as they grow older I help them understand the other viewpoints. I’m not afraid to teach my children about evolution and this seems to shock many of my non-homeschooling friends. Perhaps it stems from the sheltering stereotype. Honestly, I think it’s funny that they would think I’d hide this from my kids.

Once again Master Books steps in to help me where I felt I was lacking. For all the wonderful things my biology teacher taught me, I left her class without knowing how to talk about the possibility of an alternative to evolution. I am using the Life Science: Origins & Scientific Theory Curriculum for myself as I anticipate my children using it in a few years, but even if it was only for me I loved working through these DVD’s and books!

The layout is very easy to follow with a chapter and then portion of the DVD to show. Everything is clearly presented from both sides with the option then for conversation and debate. Yes, it is written by a Christian who believes in a young earth viewpoint, but I do think he fairly portrays evolution as mainstream evolutionists see it. I think the best part of this are the interviews with those who do not agree with the biblical view of creation. We have the opportunity to hear in their own words not only what they believe but where they see problems.

I also really, really like the parent lesson plans. While I’m not testing myself I have looked through all of the testing materials and feel they are an excellent addition to make this a full science curriculum for a year. It is slated for high school, but I think advanced and interested middle school students would also be able to handle the information. I actually previewed both videos with my oldest daughter, Rose, who is 10. She really enjoyed this and learned a lot. I know she retained what we watched because of our recent trip to our local science museum.

As we made our way through the really amazing dinosaur path, Rose stopped and read a lot of the signs. This one was my favorite because she asked me why those who oppose a literal 7 day creation weren’t willing to acknowledge the possibility of Noah’s flood being real even when they were willing to admit that events like floods were what created the fossils. It was such a great conversation to have with her.

What I appreciate most about this book in addition to the amazing photography and detailed information is the genuine desire to get at the truth. It never feels forced or condescending. Instead real evidence is shown and reasonable logic is portrayed so the learner can decide for themselves what is possible.

I highly, highly recommend this curriculum whether you are just beginning your journey to learn about creation vs. evolution or you have studied this for a while. Young and old alike can learn and grow as a result of this fascinating text and DVD study.

Disclaimer: I was provided this book to review as part of the Moms of Master Books review program. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. 

Principles of Mathematics: A Moms of Masterbooks Review

Grace-Filled Writer

My experience has been you love math, or you hate math. At least this is how we say it. In reality I think it is more a matter of, “I understand mathematical concepts with ease,” or “Numbers make my head hurt.” Confession: I fall into the latter category! Since I know this is true I’ve approached mathematics in our homeschool with trepedation and (with all honesty) a healthy dose of fear. What if I mess my kids up? What if they are mathematical geniuses? I have a feeling I’m not alone. I’ve met countless other homeschooling mamas who feel completely inadequate when it comes to teaching math.

It took us three tries to find a solid mathematics program which actually worked for everyone. I’m starting to feel pressure as we creep up towards middle school (my oldest will be a 5th grader next year!). Our curriculum is elementary only and I haven’t felt good about any pre-algebra program I’ve come across. So far it has all felt dry and…I don’t know…too much like math? Rose has always disliked math and I knew we needed to find something to inspire her as we move on to higher levels.


I was so intrigued when I heard Master Books was publishing a 2-year math curriculum. I love everything I get my hands on from this company because I know it is solidly written on a biblical foundation. What in the world was this math curriculum going to look like? In a word: Beautiful. Principles of Mathematics by Katherine Loop is the most beautifully written math book I have ever come across, and believe me, I’ve checked out a lot!

I am so in love with this curriculum, I’m currently working my way through it just for myself. I am determined to no longer dislike and fear math the way I have for years. So as I’m writing about this, keep in mind I’m speaking from personal experience of use.

What I love…
1. Short, concise lessons written in a conversational style
2. Short practice assignments
 (and most importantly)
3. Everything is centered around the Bible. 
You might wonder how a math curriculum can be centered around the Bible? I mean I always had the mindset that God is Creator of all, including math, but I never really saw God in the numbers. They were just there as part of creation. I now view math in such a different way just after reading the first chapter of this curriculum. 
What I read when I opened this book set (a text book and a workbook) has completely transformed my perspective. Math is more than just numbers. It’s something we use everyday. It’s a way to express what we see in creation around us. It is something beautiful and as mysterious as it may seem, it is logical, certain, and steady, just like our Heavenly Father. 
Even though I am thoroughly enjoying this, I also wanted to have a field-test of sorts within the correct age group. Since my own kids are not quite ready for the level of math presented here, I recruited a friend of ours who will be in 7th grade next year. 
We are quite close to Faith’s family who is a part of our church and she was happy to comply and worked on the first few lessons while she was hanging out with us one day. Faith attends a traditional public school so I was anxious to hear her thoughts about this very different way to learn. She is also quite an advanced student. 
When I asked Faith her thoughts about this book she said she really liked how it was written. It isn’t your traditional way of presenting a math concept followed by multiple practice problems. She appreciated how it not only explained a concept in an easy way to follow, but also that it related it to real life in a reasonable way rather than contrived word problems. 
The other thing she said she really liked was how it expressed that math is not neutral but instead a gift from God which allows us to understand His creation. This theme runs throughout the curriculum and shown through practical examples and practice. 
This is a two-part curriculum which can be completed in a year or two years, whichever is best for the students. The second part is scheduled to be published this fall and I can’t wait! I appreciate there is both a full year and a semester schedule for finishing the book provided. This would be a good fit for pre-algebra. Some kids could do it in a year, others should take more time to process and let the ideas and concepts really sink into their minds. I’m in no hurry to push my girls through math and we’ll take things as they come. 

Disclaimer: I received this curriculum in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. 

Dinosaurs for Kids: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Have you had a chance to check out the updated Master Books website? It has had an beautiful upgrade which is both aesthetically pleasing and streamlined for easy searching. I’m more excited than ever to share with you books from this publisher through the Moms of Master Books review group!

Up for review today is Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham. This is such a fun look at the life of the dinosaurs from a biblical perspective. My first impression of this book was it would be attractive to every little boy I know! Oh my how menacing this giant reptile seems! Even though I felt this was a really fun cover for boys, I wasn’t at all surprised it was quickly snatched away with gusto by my daughters.

I like how facts ranging from how dinosaurs were given their names, to what did dinosaurs eat, to how to we reconcile dinosaurs with our understanding of Scripture are covered in a kid-friendly, but very honest way. The visually stunning paintings give beautiful renderings of the many varieties of dinosaurs which are similar to others I have seen in museums and books.

My girls enjoyed reading this together and by themselves. We looked at some of the sections together, but whenever I wanted to pick this up to look at again together, we had to go on a search around the house because it had inevitably been taken somewhere else to read during their afternoon quiet time.

During this particular reading the girls were studying about the different names of the dinosaurs and how to pronounce them. They would practice pronouncing each name and try to remember what it meant. Their pronunciations are fairly good since they are fans of the kids PBS show about dinosaurs. Even though this show has an evolutionary perspective, I do not have a problem with my girls watching it because they are very much aware of evolutionary theory and thinking. We talk about it a lot. I’m not afraid for my girls to learn about this alongside of Creation because I have the Word of God as my foundation. This is why I am so grateful for the resources from Master Books. They help me show why we believe in a 7-day Creation and how to balance it with what secular sources teach.
We love visiting science centers and museums. I am always excited to share these experiences with my daughters. We openly discuss the information provided deciding which parts can be known as fact from observation and which are assumptions based on evolution. My girls are quite knowledgeable of these things because of our Master Books. They ask very good questions and I love it when they ask things like, “How do we know that?” Sometimes the answer is because the Bible tells us, sometimes the answer is because we can observe it, and sometimes it is simply a guess based on what we know from the Bible and observations. Being honest with them about what we can know and what we can’t know for certain helps them in making their own conclusions.

Once again Master Books has provided us with a fun resource to learn about science from the perspective they were created by God at the same time as all the other land animals. This one will be a treasure for many years to come!

Disclaimer: I was provided this book to review as part of the Moms of Master Books review program. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are my own. 

Explore Dinosaur National Monument from Awesome Science: Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

My girls love learning about dinosaurs! They are ages 9, 7, and 5 and we have often enjoyed a trip to our local children’s museum to see life-size sculptures and have a chance to dig for fossils. I love giving them more opportunities to learn about these incredible creatures from the past and they just devour all the information I can give them.

Awesome Science’s newest DVD, Explore Dinosaur National Monument from Master Books (an imprint of New Leaf Publishing) is a great addition to our collection of dinosaur information. It’s fun and engaging style really interests my oldest daughter especially. My younger two are not quite old enough to appreciate the great amount of scientific information provided, but they did enjoy seeing much of Dinosaur National Monument. 
Noah Justice is a dynamic communicator. My girls enjoy having a younger person explaining and teaching about history and science from a biblical perspective. I was recently asked how I expected my girls to handle learning about evolution in college when all they ever knew was Creation. I was excited to explain that my girls do know about evolution and understand both viewpoints to an extent. I’m not afraid of my girls hearing or learning about those who choose to remove God from the equation of Creation. I want them to be equipped and I want them to come to their own conclusions and beliefs because of their study of the evidence rather than try to force them to accept what I believe just because I believe it. Awesome Science just one of the items in my tool kit for teaching my girls how to incorporate the Bible into their understanding of science as well as what and why secular scientists believe and teach what they do. 
One of the best things about this DVD and others in the series is how my daughters get to experience some of the great wonders of America which they may not see anytime soon. Living on the East Coast makes traveling to some of these locations very difficult. We might one day get to travel to Utah and some of the other areas west of the Mississippi River, but until then we will enjoy learning with resources such as these. 
This incredible DVD series isn’t just for children either. I’m often saddened by just how angry and vehement those who hold an opposing view of creation react and find myself unable to have a real conversation about science because of it. I’m not afraid to share my beliefs, but I do not care to converse with someone who fires hateful responses in my direction because I believe the Bible to be the inerrant Word of God. I’m very grateful to have the resources from Master Books which I do to help me learn for myself how I can balance my trust in the Word of God with evidence from science. I hope to one day have meaningful conversations with some of my friends on the matter and I want to be as equipped as possible. 

The Mineral Book: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

It’s that time again! I love the opportunity I have to feather a wonderful resource from Master Books each month. No matter what book I get in the mail, my girls and I all get a little giddy when the package shows up on our doorstep. This month’s selection certainly didn’t disappoint!

The Mineral Book by David McQueen is the newest addition to the Wonders of Creation series. These books are of the highest quality both in content and presentation. The pictures contain such amazing detail and intrigued my girls from the first page turn. Each chapter is divided into sections for various levels of learners, so no matter what age you are teaching, your kids will be fully engaged.

I don’t know what it is about rocks, but kids are fascinated by them. My girls have had a rock collection for years. The love saving various rocks because of their shapes or colors and saving them for later. We also have quite a collection of rocks from our local science museum. With the addition of this book to our collection has become more meaningful. They want to know more about the types of rocks in their little collection. They’ve also become quite fascinated about birth stones as well.

This picture was from earlier in the month before the big freeze and snowfall. It just so happens that the science class my Beth takes at our homeschool learning center studied rocks and minerals this month. She was so excited to take in this mineral book to show her teacher and classmates. She’s also been asking me to take her picture with just about every rock she finds around our yard! She enjoys pulling out our mineral book to see if she found any precious gems. She isn’t too disappointed yet at not finding much because she is still identifying rock types.

The best part about the books in this series (and everything from Master Books and New Leaf Publishing) is the complete focus on the Creator and the infallible Word of God. I want my girls to know they can trust the Bible and scientific books such as these help them be able to defend their faith. I mentioned the science museum we have locally. We enjoy going and my girls are informed enough about what the Bible says verses what most of the world believes that they can easily tell whether or not what they read or hear there is from people who believe God is the literal Creator. We discuss both sides and I want them to know the evidence both present and why we choose to believe in a literal 6-day creation. I’m so grateful for resources like these which help me teach my girls from a biblical perspective.

Check out more about this book here!
Disclaimer: I received The Mineral Book as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way.

The Electrifying Nervous System: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

New Year…New Books! Yay for the first Moms of Master Books Review of the year!

Our selection for this first interview is absolutely delightful. It is truly a new treasure on our shelf. I always enjoy everything I use from Master Books because not only am I assured that the writing will be high quality and the graphics will be beautiful, I know I can trust the information presented to be God-honoring and edifying for my girls. I couldn’t wait to crack open The Electrifying Nervous System from Master Books (A division of New Leaf Publishing).

Dr. Lainna Callentine has created a fabulous resource for kids. She should know what she’s doing! Not only is she a medical doctor, she’s also a fellow homeschool mamma to her three children. I could tell as I read through the chapters that Dr. Callentine knows how to capture the interest of kids.

We don’t have formal science scheduled into our homeschool day because my daughter’s are blessed to be part of a learning center where they gather with other kids their age to study science each week. It is a wonderful experience for them and we intend to keep this path. At the same time, I want to keep as many science resources as possible on hand for my girls. They are always wanting to know how the world works and this is just one more excellent resource to add to our shelves.

One of the things I love about this book is the readability for kids. Many of the books I have keep my girls attention because of the fabulous graphics, but I often have to explain the information to them in terms they can understand because it was written for more advanced learners. This is definitely one title they can pull out themselves and glean so much information.

One of my favorite illustrations shows the different functions of the different sides of the brain. I teach piano and have been explaining to my students more about how their minds work as they play and why they have a hard time talking to me or even listening while playing their warm ups. The reason is simply that it is the right side of the brain which processes both language and music.

There is just so much packed into this wonderful book! I loved reading about this history of the study of the nervous system as well as visually seeing how the brain develops from conception through childhood. Ever wonder why you get a brain freeze? What about sleep and how it is connected to our nervous system? How are fevers connected to the nervous system? What about brain surgery? These questions and so many more are clearly and completely answered.

A curriculum guide is available and there are many more books planned for this series. I can’t wait to collect them all!

Disclaimer: I received The Electrifying Nervous System as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

TOP 5 Moms of Master Book Reviews!

Grace-Filled Writer
Top-5-300x200

Each year the Moms of Masterbooks team gets to pick their top five picks from all the wonderful resources we are given to review in the year. This is a tough thing to do. They are all so amazing and useful. However, since I have to narrow it down to five , here they are…

I don’t have kids old enough to use these yet, but when I do I can’t wait! This is solid, but concise, meaty and brief. It is perfect for the middle school crowd! 
Nothing short of absolutely stunning and biblically deep.
Funny, engaging, and accurate! 
Perfect for the layperson or student looking to increase their understanding of biblical languages.
And my number one pick is…..
This one kept me engaged personally more than any other. The many flood legends intrigue me so much and I loved how this book brought them all together in such a tactile way. 
Looking forward to being a part of this team again next year!
Merry Christmas everyone!