Showing posts with label tos reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tos reviews. Show all posts

Monday, September 24, 2012

A Cry From Egypt: A review, Paperboy shares his opinion

Today's review is from a company that I can totally relate to. In fact, I may adopt their sogo as my own family logo.


As a reviewer for the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I have had many opportunities to read fantastic books. I have to admit, this has been one of my favorites.  I've always enjoyed historical fiction, but this story really has found a place in my heart. My initial plans was for Paperboy to write the review, but after beginning the book myself, I have to add my two cents in.


Paperboy first had the pleasure of reading "A Cry From Egypt". This is the first in a series from Great Waters Press. What fascinated me about this book is the author, Hope Auer, a homeschooled student began writing this book when she was 14 years old.

I interviewed Paperboy for this review.

Were the characters believable?
Yes the characters were very realistic and their responses to the events was accurate.

Did it hold your interest? After chapter two, it had me gripped. It was an interesting read that I wanted to finish.

What age group would enjoy this book?
11 to 15 year olds would be my target audience for this book.

Who was your favorite character? Even though Pharoah was not the main character, his stubborness was realistic and consistent, she did a great job on his personality.

What was the theme? It was a battle between the beliefs of two groups. Each one was portrayed vastly different.

Do you think it could it have a sequel? It may be difficult to top this story line. Mom's note, it is the first of a series.

Was the story predictable?
If a reader has knowledge of the Bible, obviously, they will know the ending. What makes this story unique, is the main characters and their interactions, growth and credibility. For example, even in the times of ancient Egypt, young people has similar struggles, whether slave or free.

My thoughts:
I loved this story! I was in awe as I thought about how well written this story is. Hope Auer has an incredible way creating believable characters and weaving multiple story lines together. This book is a must for anyone who is studying Ancient history with their family.

Don't take Paperboy's and my word for it. See what other reviewers thought about this fantastic book here.

This book is published by Great Waters Press, a new publishing company that offers Christian books, I'm looking forward to their future books.


As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am given the opportunity to review many home school products. I am not paid or compensated for my reviews, I did receive this product for free in exchange for this honest review. 


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Monday, September 10, 2012

Do you need help? Math 911 a TOS review

I must confess, I have posted many reviews this past year of online math programs. In fact I think as a new school year resolution, I will stop reviewing math products. So here is my final math program review for the school year. Random, who likes a lot of flash, said it seemed like an older program. He wanted the bells and whistles, but was disappointed. This to me is the strength of the program. It's math, not entertainment.



Math 911 is unique as an online program because it doesn't have any frills, prizes, game centers or rewards. It is what the name implies. It's simply math rescue, yet on a computer created by Professor Martin Weissman.

Who is Dr. Weissman?

Martin Weissman has been a math teacher for 49 years. He is an Orthodox Jew who observes the Sabbath and adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah. He sent his children to Parochial Jewish schools called Yeshivas. Interestingly, his two children also became Mathematics teachers.



Some great features about Math911 is the undistracting manner in which it is presented. Topics are arranged by chapter, section and levels. Within each level are various types of problems that identify the concepts that your students must know in order to be successful in Algebra including Graphs and Word Problems.


All problems are algorithmically generated. 

10 minute learning curve. 

Step by Step solutions. 

Only Free-form answers. 

Dynamic Grade reports on all screens. 

Needs no internet connection. 

Can be networked. 

Free Home Use For Teachers 

Free Upgrades 

Free Install on New PCs 

The best feature, in my opinion is the price. The complete Math911 program is available at http://math911.com/ for a discounted price of $49.95. That price includes Introductory Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Statistics, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus, including free tech support. This can be used for additional students in the family. This discounted membership also includes Algebra in a flash as seen below.





If you are skeptical, you can try a free download of the Introductory Algebra course from the website. I recommend this program for students who are ready to tackle pre-algebra and above.

Click here or below to see what other crew members thought of this thrifty math program.



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As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am given the opportunity to review many home school products. I am not paid or compensated for my reviews, I did receive this product for free in exchange for this honest review. 

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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, a review

Growing up in a non-Christian home, my teenage years were not spent pondering the existence of God or comparing other beliefs. I often think of the difference of my growing up to the my own family and think about how many resources we have to equip our children to be "ready to give an answer when men ask you about the hope that is within you". Since my kids are homeschooled, they do not have to witness to their classmates or defend their faith. Yet now they find themselves in many more situations, less sheltered where they need to be able to stand and share with others. I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, available at Apologia, will not only explore their own ideas, it will give them a solid background of other worldviews and strengthen their faith.

Who wrote is and what is it about?
I recieved a copy of the book, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek and the companion workbook. One of the authors of the book, Frank Turek has a burden to see high school students remain in the faith after high school, his organization CrossExamined offers a television program and speaking engagements. Norman Geisler, the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary has spoken in all 50 states and 27 countries defending the faith. Together they have written what I consider a 'laymans' approach to Christian Apologetics. This easy to read, yet thorough approach is perfect for the senior high level students and adults. The workbook accompanies each chapter and engages the student. The lessons move the student from passive reading to analyzing their thoughts on each lesson. The workbook is divided into four sections which the student works through after reading each chapter.
  • Hook- This section will remind you what the chapter was about and often includes a few questions to warm up your brain. (Yes, my brain usually needs warming up.)
  • Book- This section takes you deeper into the specific issues covered in each chapter, unpacking the topics and testing your knowledge and comprehension with questions from the textbook. (This not just parroting answers, but well thought out questions.)
  • Look- In this section you don't just take the author's word for it. Check out the information presented in the book for yourself. It includes research assignments and other suggested activities and web sites.(there are great links to dig deeper.)
  • Took-This section summarizes the material and helps you apply the concepts you have studied to your life and witness for Jesus Christ. (Similar to an alter call or a call to action. If discussed with a group would add a nice sense of accountability).


My thoughts:

As Paperboy's junior year Bible curriculum, upon completion, it will be counted as a year's credit of Bible. While this curriculum is a great resource for my boys, I'd love to have them use it with a small group. The authors have taken what some may feel as a dry subject, breaking it down incrementally.
These resources are available at Apologia, the book for $16.00 and the workbook for $32.00. The book could stand alone, but I highly recommend using it as a set. My problem now is: I need two more workbooks for myself and Random. I Don't Have Enough Faith should not be consider only high school curriculum, anyone could and should benefit from this. Especially adults who are not confident as they witness to others.

Don't have faith in only my opinion, click the banner below to see what other crew members thought about this resource here.


As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am given the opportunity to review many home school products. I am not paid or compensated for my reviews, I did receive this product for free in exchange for this honest review.  

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Friday, August 17, 2012

Vocab Videos: An Alternative Method, a Review


Because this is the year that Paperboy takes the SAT tests, he has been preparing using a tradition prep curriculum that covers all aspects of the test. When we were given the chance to try Vocab Videos, we were happy to try another method. Vocab Videos focuses on the English portion of the SAT tests, strictly vocabulary. I reviewed the Small Educator Account for up to 20 students. That doesn't mean that I am small or that I have 20 students in my homeschool. This subscription is available for $74.99 for one year of access.

As a subscriber, Random, Paperboy and I have our own account, called our locker, where we can see what videos we have previously watched. We can take quizzes, access flashcards and print worksheets. I started watching the videos in order and then decided to jump around, since the titles of each segment were intriguing. I'm glad I did. 

                                          
How does it work?
You pick an episode and it consists of 20 short clips. Each one focuses on a vocabulary word introduced and reinforced at the end of the clip.  After each short clip, a narrator defines the word and uses it in a sentence. After watching the short episode, the students can take an online quiz to see how well they learned the words. A companion workbook is available for $11.99.

                                               
Our Thoughts
Their slogan bringing vocabulary to life, is accurate. It's just the part of life, I do not enjoy. The first episodes had content that annoyed me, but it did improve. It centered around a real jerk who treated his co-worker horribly, see the video below and guess who annoyed me. They exaggerated his character for humor, but it was too real for me. Not to point fingers or make blanket judgments, but teenagers don't need to watch a heavy load of sarcasm, cruelty and disrespect, they have enough of it in their lives. My teens work in a restaurant and find themselves in hostile work environments already.  I wasn't that excited about sharing this resource with them. Although they artfully used the plot to teach vocabulary words, it was difficult to get beyond the jerk. I have to admit, as I watched other episodes, I started to enjoy the humor and creativity. My favorite episode is Mad Scientists. I laughed throughout the episodes. I'm glad I continued to watch, because they were very entertaining.

Paperboy loved it and could relate to the humor. He thought it was more exciting than his current program and gave it a thumbs up. Random felt it took too much time to get to the words and felt the definitions would be lost in the distraction of the silly plots. See the example below.


Who would love this product?
I think students that need visual learning could benefit from Vocab Videos. If your family enjoys television programming, you will appreciate the humor and the similarity in the programs. The comedy aspect is terrific. Little Guy was glued to Mad Scientists. I think if I prescreen the episodes, he will have enough to choose from. To be fair, before I reviewed this program, I knew it was not a Christian company and that was fine with me. If you want to see if it is a good fit for your family, you can try it free.

Don't just take my word for it, click the banner below to see what other crew members thought about this unconventional method of studying for the English portion of the SAT.

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As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am given the opportunity to review many home school products. I am not paid or compensated for my reviews, I did receive this product for free in exchange for this honest review. 

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Friday, August 10, 2012

King Alfred's English: A review, a revelation and a promotion

When my son was enrolled in the Defensive Language Institute in Monterey, California, the Gman and I picked up these great t-shirts. On the front is the school logo and this witty saying is on the back.  And yes, I just fetched this from the hamper, grin.


I understood what it meant, but never really appreciated the logo until now. Lori White has given me a fresh appreciation for the history of our language.

As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am given the opportunity to review many home school products. I am not paid or compensated for my reviews, I did receive this product for free in exchange for this honest review.


King Alfred's English: A History of the Language We Speak and Why We Should Be Glad We Do

Today's book review is King Alfred's English by Laurie White of www.theshorterword.com. I received an eBook which I downloaded on my Kindle app for my iPad. The book is available in hard copy here for $14.89. Since prices change, you may want to check at Amazon.com, Rainbow Resource, and Grace and Truth Books.
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Laurie White spent 5 years working on this book, here she describes why she began this project:
I'm a homeschooling mom (kids are grown) and English major, who initially just intended to write a long article on the history of English. I knew I needed some kind of empty-nest-filler when the last of our 3 children graduated from our homeschool, and I had always wanted to put together something more substantial on the history of English than just the notes from my college class I'd used with my own kids. I thought it was a shame that this material was usually reserved for English majors when younger students might be fascinated with it too. I knew mine were!
My thoughts:

This books is a delightful, rich read. It offers a brief history of the world and how our language has evolved. She cover the many invasions and the results of each on the English language. While filled with history, her conversational tone and ability to weave in such a variety of facts makes this a terrific supplement to middle and high school English lessons. Paperboy, who loves history will be in for a treat this year. He loves to dazzle others with his various history trivia. This will offer him endless anecdotes. (WE INTERRUPT THIS POST FOR A CONFESSION>>>I am the one who read this book. Contrary to my children's opinion of me, I am a nice mother, who gives her children a summer break from home schooling.) I appreciate how Laurie clearly explained the history of the church and how we ended up with our Bible. Her style of writing is easy to read and is written in short sections. This will make it easy to break down into a weekly schedule using the free student pages.

My Revelations or Ten Things I learned:
  1. The original meaning of the word berserk.
  2. The Grimm brothers didn't just write some cool children's stories, they were philologists.
  3. Philologists are linguists who study written texts.
  4. Why the SAT's are more difficult to study in English.
  5. Who Dolly Pentreath is?
  6. Grammars rules and how I shouldn't be so hard on myself for breaking so many on my blog and in my daily life.
  7. What courriel is and that I have been doing it daily for years.
  8. The English toilets were named after the man Crapper, not the contents of the bowl
  9. A great site for word studies www.etyonline.com.
  10. I have been butchering John Wycliff's name for years, it is pronounced WI-Cliff.

Knowing I sound sexist, but not really caring I need to say this.

This is a terrific book for boys. My boys. O.k. I am sure girls will love it too, but I need to say "Thanks Laurie, you have an understanding for boys and how to teach them, while captivating them."

It's obvious that Laurie has a vision to educate children on the history of English and the Bible. She generously offers teacher and student pages on her website to enhance the book. She reccomends movies, websites and resources that complement her book. She even offers chapter tests if we choose to use this a a curriculum for our students, which I highly suggest doing.

SSSSSSSSSS, I have a secret...
If This King Alfred's English sounds like a book you would enjoy, let me know. Send me an email and I will share a secret promotion with my most faithful readers. If you contact me within the next two weeks, I will email you a code which allows you to purchase your own copy at a discount rate.

If you are not yet convinced, see what other crew members thought about Laurie's book by clicking the banner below. It will take you to other reviews on this wonderful history book.

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In case you skimmed over my disclaimer...
As a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew, I am given the opportunity to review many home school products. I am not paid or compensated for my reviews, I did receive this product for free in exchange for this honest review. 
Thanks for stopping by,


 



Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Zane Education, A review.

As member of the Schoolhouse review crew, I had the opportunity to try a membership to Zane Education. In exchange for the membership, I was obligated to share my opinions on my blog. I am not paid to say nice things, so read on for my thoughts of Zane Education.



What is Zane Education and what do I get if I join? 

Depending on the level of membership you get access to educational videos on demand, learning guides, lesson plans and study tools. In exchange for this review, I was provided with Gold membership for 12 months.

Zane education is a website designed to supplement curriculum and enhance lessons in any subject. The topics, lessons and grade levels are arranged by subject on the site. It was very easy to navigate and find a video on any particular subject.

Here are some things I liked about the site:
  1. I loved the variety of offerings. You can view short videos on so many subjects. Actually over 260 different topics. 
  2. The speakers in the videos speak slowly and the movies are not flashy, they use colorful photographs.
  3. The subtitles at the bottom highlight new vocabulary and important terms in the lesson. The subtitles are an excellent way to reinforce learning.
  4. The customer support was prompt. I forgot my password and it was quickly emailed to me.
  5. The arrangement of the topics made it easy to find any video.
A few things I didn't like:
  1. The math videos were inaccessible from the site. They belong to Kahn Academy and the link is broken.
  2. Some of the videos were not things I would share with my kids. For example the topic of teen pregnancy used a film covering a couple and their experience. Not only did the movie show this sad unmarried couple, it offered no hope or message of abstinence. It was tormenting watching it.
  3. Some films were boring. I love using videos to supplement lessons if possible, especially in science, but some reminded me of the old filmstrips I watched many moons ago as a child. 
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I am thankful for the opportunity to try Zane Education, as I am planning for the next school year, I can see this will be part of our lessons in history and science. In years past, I had subscribed to a similar site, but the cost became prohibitive. Zane Education has many options that won't break your homeschooling budget:
  1. Free membership – access to the demo videos, ALL the math videos, and all the quizzes.
  2. Topic Taster – $5. a month- Same as free plus all the videos on one topic.
  3. Bronze – $8.99 a month or $98.89 a year – Same as free plus all videos by grade.
  4. Silver – $12.99 a month or $142.89 – Same as free plus all videos by subject.
  5. Gold – $17.99 a month or $197.89 – Same as free plus ALL the videos by topic, grade and subject. Plus the Christian Learning Guide and the Zane Home Learning Guide for free.
  6. The Zane Home Learning Guide and the Christian Learning Guide can be purchased for $49.95 or offered free with a one year subscription. 
  7. Zane Education is offering a 35% discount on the purchase of any annual 12-month Gold, Silver or BronzeMembership subscription through until the end of August 2012. Use Discount Promotion Code: ZE265HSM
Before you subscribe, I recommend you visit their site and try the free video of the day. Then click on the banner below to see what my crew mates have to say about Zane Education.

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Friday, June 22, 2012

Mind The Gaps With IXL: A Review

As member of the Schoolhouse review crew, I have had the opportunity to try IXL, an online math program. In exchange for a free membership, I was obligated to share my opinions on my blog. I am not paid to say nice things, so read on for my thoughts of IXL.
If you read my blog regularly, you will notice I have reviewed multiple online math programs. I must confess, I am really old-fashioned when it comes to math. I'm convinced it needs to be done with a pencil and an eraser on paper. As the student advances, there will be plenty of mental math, but always a pencil. You may have noticed my lack of gushing over online math programs. Until today. 

I have found a program that has everything I need to supplement or mind the gaps in my children's math education, at least up to the level of algebra. 

How so?
  • IXL is very user friendly, the sign up and sign in process took about a minute or two. 
  • The web site was easy to navigate. I can find my way quickly to the skills I would like my son to practice. 
  • I actually enjoyed playing it myself. Little Guy and I worked through some third grade math and he's pretty fast. We were racing each other, he would try to answer them orally before I began typing the answers.
  • The record keeping is clear. Skills, scores, timers and awards show tangible progress. The reports show areas for improvement, an invaluable tool for those preparing for standardized tests.

  • After little guy worked on his math, I received emails with links to print the certificate as he mastered skills. They also receive virtual prizes. Little Guy wasn't fooled by this, he decided he would rather have a real prize. Sorry son, hard work is it's own reward.
  • It is easy to customize, I can enter a personal picture of them as their user icon. Which I did after I downloaded this certificate.
  • The student can work at any level. Little Guy is in 2nd grade, so he felt some things were 'easy peesey lemon squeezy'. I solved that by moving him up a level. You can even hide the grade levels and the timers if they become a distraction.


  • The cost per student per year is reasonable. The first student is $79 per year and each additional student is $20 or $2 per month. The fact that each student can work on any grade skill makes this a bargain for families with math loving kids.


Click here to see what other crew members thought about this math program. Visit IXL and poke around their web site, this may be the right program to keep your kids dabbling in math over the summer. 




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I'm so thankful we had a chance to try this program.
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Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are mine.


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Monday, June 18, 2012

Pearson My Math Lab, Algebra 2: A Review and Test


I was given the opportunity to try an online math program with Paperboy last month. While we were planning for his 11th grade courses, he mentioned he would like to try some online courses. This was perfect timing to try Algebra 2 and see if we wanted to make the transition from paper and pencils to keyboard. 

What is My Math Lab?


Pearson offers all levels of Math courses online. Paperboy, while wrapping up Geometry, tried Algebra 2.
MyMathLab Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 are two fully-digital programs by award-winning author Elayn Martin-Gay that provide parents with rich and flexible course materials that will engage your child. This personalized learning experience ensures your child’s success in Algebra 1 and Algebra 2.  
This is a fully-digital course.  The Student Access Kit is $49.97 while the Parent Access Kit is an additional $30.00.  Instructions are included for registering and setting up your course.  The accounts include everything you need to complete the course including teaching instruction, practice problems, homework, quizzes, and tests.

Pearson offers much more than math.
I poked around their web site and I was impressed with all of their resources. They have links to all of the state standards for math. There are chances to win their courses. Every homeschooling parent should visit their resource page. You can find out your child's learning style, read other reviews of curriculum, and learn how to help your child in all areas of learning.


My thoughts:
While I am pretty confident with my computer skills, I had difficulty navigating the web site. After the initial sign up for the teacher and the student, I felt like I was going in circles trying to find the login for the lesson. Paperboy's experience was neutral. After the initial start up, he decided he would be happy with or without it. Of course I can't always expect each curriculum to cause a stir of excitement. I appreciated that each lesson offers clear explanations, videos, immediate feedback for students and reports for the teachers. The total price of $79.97 for a full high school course with all of the support is a phenomenal deal. 


Who Could Benefit from Pearson My Math Lab?
Parents who are new to homeschooling.
Parents who are math phobic.
Students who need remedial help.
Students who travel, online based programs can be used anywhere with online access.

The Homeschool Crew reviewed other programs created by Pearson. You can click here to read their experiences with their social studies, math and reading programs.
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I was provided this course for free in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions are entirely my own.

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Amazing Science! Volume 1 DVD's, A Review



Homeschool Confession Time:


I am not always organized in the area of science. In fact, one of my children spent a month waiting for me to buy the ingredients for his science experiment. Because we do not belong to a co-op, science experiments have always fallen on me, so they don't always happen in a timely manner. Today's product is fantastic to ease the mother guilt of skipping the experiments. In the early years, a membership to the Boston Museum of Science, blocked out those guilty pangs. Now, I have the ability to expose my kids to 23 great experiments with a rocket scientist from NASA. 


As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew, this year I am reviewing many homeschooling products that I have received for free. I am not paid to say nice things about the products, but I am obligated to use the products with my boys and share my honest opinions with you. I had the pleasure of Sharing Amazing Science with Little Guy and his friends.

Amazing Science! Volume 1

What is it?
Amazing Science is a video of 23 fascinating experiments performed by scientist Jason Gibson. These experiments use common household items and the students are taken step by step through each one.


What did we like about it?

  1. Jason Gibson presents the experiment in a simple clear manner. There is nothing distracting, each experiment is in the same place with the same format.
  2. He performs the experiment and then slowly reviews it while giving the scientific explanation for the reactions in basic terms. The material was above the 4 to 7 year olds, but they hung onto his every word.
  3. I love his accent and gentle voice, I could listen all day to his lessons.
  4. Little Guy could not get enough of this. He was thrilled when he realized there were two DVD's.
  5. When we watched it with his friends, he kept saying "Watch this, it's so cool." I loved hearing his excitement for the science.
  6. We can do the experiments if I choose or just watch the movie. I don't feel bad for forgetting the items at the store.
  7. The price. For under $20, I can teach chemistry, physics, electricity and magnetism. For $17.99, you can download all of the experiments to your computer. If you are someone who likes having the DVD, it is currently on sale for $19.99 plus shipping.

As always, don't take my word for it, see what other crew members thought of this mom friendly product here.

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Sunday, April 22, 2012

God's Great Covenant or I Changed My Mind! A review.

As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew, this year I am reviewing many homeschooling products that I have received for free. I am not paid to say nice things about the products, but I am obligated to use the products with my boys and share my honest opinions with you.



Today's review is another product from Classical Academic Press. I have previously reviewed two other great homeschool resources from this company, The Art Of Argument and Latin Alive


~Disclaimer~
I have always believed the Bible should be studied in the younger years as a family time with the Bible, prayer, and discussion. In our personal Bible time, my children listened, colored, discussed, memorized and studied the lives of missionaries. I am generally opposed to teaching Bible doctrine and history with a workbook until the older years. I entered into this review with a negative view of turning learning God's word into an academic subject.

With my personal convictions aside, I would like to share my unbiased opinions about God's Great Covenant with you.

Classical Academic Press is committed to teaching children the Bible. Below is their approach to teaching the Word of God to children.

Teaching the Bible to young children can be a large task, and is often divided up into many small stories. However, if you would like to teach your students the truly big picture of the Bible, and show them how God has been at work in his people since before creation, you will find God’s Great Covenant to be a unique, surprising, and excellent Bible curriculum. The Bible, taught chronologically, by means of simple and direct stories, chants, and meditation on God’s character define God’s Great Covenant. Even many adults find themselves learning new facts, making surprising connections, and being blessed by reminder of God’s faithfulness, and how he always keeps his promises. Taught from a covenantal and reformed theological perspective, and rooted in Scripture, you will find this series to be a blessing to your classroom or family.

God's Great Covenant, New Testament 1 is a Bible course for children in grades 2 through grade 6 covering the life of Christ. This biblically sound study is broken down into four themes and contains 36 lessons designed to last a whole school year. The New Testament is taught classically, using a variety of methods to solidify the student's understanding of the life of Christ. The student workbook is very appealing with larger print, various short exercises and great illustrations. The author introduces 'Simon', a Jewish boy from Jareth during the time of Christ. This story helps bring the students into the lives of those people who were anxiously waiting for the Messiah. This is what hooked Little Guy, he loves to hear about other children, fictional or real.

The student first reads the introductions and learns the memory work. The next day they read the story or better yet, they listen to the MP3 audio. Next, they complete the exercises in their own workbook. The activities vary greatly. There is map work, who said it?, key facts, think about it, important truths, story facts, crosswords, where did it happen? and other questions. I love the simplicity, yet the thoroughness of the study.  The teacher's guide is so full of commentary and details, I am amazed at how much background, I don't know. You can see the index and a sample of the student book here and the teacher's guide here.


For the early grades, I would suggest doing most of the workbook orally, but from third grade on, this is an excellent program. I wish I had known about this program when Paperboy and Random were younger. It's structure reminds me of an excellent history program we used. But this is not just Bible events, there are personal challenges and application of God's Word throughout the lessons.

For someone who was opposed to Bible seatwork, I have definitely had a change of heart. God's Great Covenant is an appealing program that would work well in a home school or Sunday school setting. Once again Classical Academic Press lives up to their motto; Classical Subjects Creatively Taught. We're looking forward to other Bible courses such as God's Great Covenant, the Old Testament.

You can purchase God's Great Covenant Student Guide for $26.95, the Teacher's Guide for $29.95, and the MP3 download for $9.95 at Classical Academic Press. I recommend the bundle package for $56.95.
Of course, don't take my word for it, see more reviews at the crew blog.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this post are my own.   


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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Write With World: A New Writing Program

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As a member of the TOS Homeschool crew, this year I am reviewing many homeschooling products that I have received for free. I am not paid to say nice things about the products, but I am obligated to use the products with my boys and share my honest opinions with you. When I was offered a chance to review a writing program that was published by World News, I jumped at the chance. 

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Before Dave Ramsey showed up in our household, I was a regular subscriber to many magazines. World was my all time favorite news magazine. It was the one that our whole family enjoyed. In fact, Little Guy is the only fortunate one to still get God's World, the kids version of it. Since I loved the content of their magazines, I had great expectations for their writing program. I was not disappointed, and neither was Paperboy. To him, it was a welcomed respite from another program that he had grown weary of.

Write With World has a vision for their writing curriculum. I am in complete agreement with this.
"Write With World aims to produce young writers who love writing, can write effectively, and intelligently share ideas, beliefs, and their worldview. We hope to support a generation of young believers who aspire to use their writing skills in the service of God's kingdom and explain effectively the reason for their beliefs."
Write With World is designed for middle school students. Paperboy, being in tenth grade, found this easy, interesting and is completing it at a much faster pace. Before you gasp in horror that he is using a program for younger students, don't worry, he is writing and enjoying the process. In addition to using this program, he is writing a story on his own, for the simple joy of writing. He has turned the corner from a reluctant writer, to a student who writes daily without being prodded. Mom is happy!

Write with World artfully draws the students in, assigns writing in small bites called capsules and prompts fantastic discussions about the writing process. I feel this curriculum would work wonderfully with boys who don't necessarily have a long attention span or a love for writing. This program will teach your children important critical thinking skills. Home school parents can feel confident teaching the mechanics of writing because of the thoroughness of the curriculum. As they challenge students to craft their writing, they cover fundamentals without drill.


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Just what do you get with this writing program?
For $95 you receive a student workbook, and a teachers guide. You will need a notebook for the student's writing. You also will have access to a support forum, student samples. This is designed to be a one-year program, a second year is already available. You can order this great curriculum here.

If this program sounds like something that would work for your family, see the sample lesson. Or better yet, see what other crew members had to say about their experiences with the program. They have tried this with a variety of students ranging from 4th grade to high school level. 

Thanks for stopping by,




Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. The opinions in this post are my own.       
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