Journey Through Learning

I will begin by saying that lapbooks are very much NOT a favorite at our house. So when I received lapbooks to review from A Journey Through Learning I was in a quandary. However, my 12 year old daughter said that she would complete one so that we could see how they worked. The one she chose is called The Desert.

The lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning look fun enough to get even a non-lapbooker like me excited. With many topics to choose from your child can experience hours of hands-on, enjoyable learning.

Included in our lapbook kit was a study guide. This is such a neat feature as I do not like to have to search elsewhere for the information to complete the mini-books. There were also complete templates for the mini-books including clear and thorough directions of how to put the lapbook together. The booklets are colorful and the activities among them varied. The only negative comment that my daughter had about the lapbook was that some of the pieces were challenging to cut out and for a perfectionist that might prove frustrating.

The beauty of these lapbooks is their flexibility. If you want to just read the study guide and complete the mini-books, that is great. You will still learn plenty. However, they are also perfect for including extra material and expanding the topics. You can even purchase copywork and notebooking pages to enhance your study if your particular lapbook does not already include them. Several forms are provided to assist your expanded study. A book list form, note organizing and outline forms as well as narration forms make extra studies easy. There are even additional reading material suggestions.

These colorful lapbooks are very complete, allowing the parent and student to enjoy learning the material instead of worrying about the structure or flow of the lapbook. By completing one mini-booklet per day, a 3-folder lapbook will take you approximately one month. Or you can work through it at any speed that fits your family. I can see one of the history overview unit studies being a great history class when my little ones get into early elementary.

The lapbook topics range from science to history to Bible. There are even ones for preschoolers. If you are interested in a lapbooking class, the folks at A Journey Through Learning would love to book one for you. There are sample pages of the different lapbooks on the website. If you want to see one in its entirety, sign up for their newsletter and you will receive a lapbook free. (Scroll to the bottom of this screen.)

A Journey Through Learning offers free shipping on orders. Most lapbooks cost $13 (instant download), $14 CD, and $21 Printed copy (including 3 color file folders). They also have mini-lapbooks and unit studies.

So if your schooling could use a little spicing up, check out your options at A Journey Through Learning. I know I will be keeping them on my list. You can read here what other families have to say.

Disclosure:This product was provided to our family for free as members of the 2009-2010 Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received. Reviews and opinions expressed in this blog are my own.

Write With the Best, Volume 2

Write With the Best, Volume 2, for 6th-12th graders, teaches expository and informative writing. Students learn these skills by modeling great authors of world literature.

Included in these 20 weeks of lessons:

* Free Verse Poetry - Emily Dickinson (10 lessons)
* Business Letters - Helen Keller (10 lessons)
* Notetaking, Outlines, Summaries (10 lessons)
* Persuasive Essays - Thomas Paine (10 lessons)
* Expository Essays - Francis Bacon (10 lessons)
* Literary Critiques - Edgar Allan Poe (10 lessons)
* Book Reviews (10 lessons)
* Newspaper Articles - Ernest Hemingway (10 lessons)
* Speeches - Marcus Tullius Cicero (10 lessons)
* Dramatic Monologues - Shakespeare (10 lessons)

Clearly defined objectives lead the student step by step through analysis of the featured literature then through the writing assignment. A "How to Write Guide" and a "Proofreading Checklist" are included for each writing genre. These can be used both in this course and future writing practice. There are also additional literary passages included so this course can be completed more than once by the same student if desired.

Volume 2 builds on foundations taught in Volume 1 so it is recommended that you start at the beginning unless your student is very strong in descriptive writing.

PROS

• Material is written directly to the student
• Clearly defined lesson objectives
• Step by step instruction
• How to Write Guide
• Proofreading Checklists
• Inexpensive ($24.95 Ebook) - Currently on sale for $18.65

CONS

• The text layout may be a little difficult for visual learners (One reason why the generous free samples of their products are nice.)
  

My 9th grader daughter is currently using another writing program, but I hope to return to Write With the Best in the near future. I feel the age range of 6th-12th grade is fairly accurate. You would obviously expect more detailed work from a 12th grader than a 6th grader. And a less skilled student may need more assistance.

Stay tuned for my review of The Complete Career, College, and High School Guide for Homeschoolers, also an EDUDPS product. For now you can read these EDUDPS reviews from my Crew mates.

Disclosure:This product was provided to our family for free as members of the 2009-2010 Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received. Reviews and opinions expressed in this blog are my own.

Guardian Angel Publishing

Andy and Spirit Go To the Fair by Mary Jean Kelso
(Andy and the Albino Horse series)

An encouraging book about a boy who has challenges but still wants to participate in the horse activities at the Fair. It shows that even if something seems impossible, if we will push past our comfort zone and stretch our limitations, great things can be accomplished. Other books in the series include Andy and the Albino Horse and Andy and Spirit in the Big Rescue.

Hamster Holidays: Noun and Adjective Adventures
by Cynthia Reeg
(Pet Parade Grammar series)

Nonsensical holidays help children learn about nouns and adjectives. The adjectives are all in red and the nouns are in blue. The illustrations are very colorful. There are also a few noun and adjective activities at the end. I prefer teaching children with real information so this book was not on my favorites list. But the book does have a lot of color and life.

The Sum of Our Parts:No Bones About It...
by Bill Kirk

A silly poem throughout the book helps readers learn the bones in the body. The "Factoids" add further information to the lessons. There are plenty of illustrations throughout although I did feel the skull drawings erred on the side of creepy.

Rainbow Sheep by Kim Chatel

Fiber art illustrations are plentiful in this story about a little shepherdess. After tickling the rain clouds away, Genevieve met a sad rainbow. Turns out the rainbow was bored. But Genevieve was able to show the rainbow that life is never boring if you just have a little imagination. This made the rainbow so happy it cried tears of joy which fell on the sheep and turned them from dingy white to the colors of the rainbow. There are lessons on felting at the end of the book.

Maybe We Are Flamingos by Safari Sue Thuzman
(Safari Sue series)

Even children deal with feeling insecure at times. And this book can help them realize that just because they are unique does not mean they don't belong. It also teaches the lesson that things aren't always as they seem and sometimes we just need to be patient. The illustrations are really bright and fun.

Of the 5 ebooks I reviewed I thought that Andy and Spirit Go To the Fair and Maybe We Are Flamingos had good lessons for children and were worth reading. I would recommend purchasing a printed copy to receive the full benefit of the books.

Prices (before shipping)
Printed Books $10.95
PDF Ebook Download $5.00
Ebook CD $9.95
Some are even available as a DVD Book Video $9.95


There are many other books available through Guardian Angel Publishing so if you are in the market for these types of children's books make sure to visit their website.

You can also read what other Crewmates thought of their books.

Disclosure:This product was provided to our family for free as members of the 2009-2010 Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received. Reviews and opinions expressed in this blog are my own.

Nature Friend Magazine

Nature Friend Magazine
540-867-0764

I was absolutely delighted to receive the August and September Study Guide editions of Nature Friend, the magazine that is helping children explore the wonders of God's creation.

The quality of the publication was the first thing that caught my attention. Beautifully colored pictures are found throughout and the pages are made of heavy duty paper.

Another part that impressed me was the reader participation. Many subscriber submissions are printed in each issue including drawings, poems, and even articles. There is also an annual reader's edition which is comprised of reader submissions from cover to cover.

The short articles in Nature Friend make for easy reading. The "Scavenger Hunt" is a great way to keep a child interested in the magazine, and the puzzles make learning fun. Readers are encouraged to submit for publication their drawings from the "You Can Draw" feature.

The Study Guide includes exercises to reinforce the information learned in the articles. Bonus features include "The Photo Critique" teaching photo tips and "A Study in Nature, a Lesson in Writing" encouraging writers to cultivate their creative writing skills.

Nature Friend Magazine, begun in 1983, was first published by the Stanley Brubaker family of Goshen, Indiana. It was born out of Mr. Brubaker's desire to encourage children to believe in God as their Creator and to seek out, recognize, and appreciate His handiwork. It is a monthly publication for both young and old that includes monthly art lessons and features such as "Learning by Doing" and "Creation Close-ups." Half of the issues are geared more toward older family members.

A yearly subscription (12 issues) costs $36.00. The Study Guide can be added for $2 per issue. Back issues and hardback volumes are also available.

OUR FAMILY
I was hoping to use Nature Friend Magazine with our 5 year old daughter as I was looking for material that would expose her to the magnificence of God's creation without being too "schoolish." When I first saw the online samples of Nature Friend, I knew I definitely wanted to give it a try. However, I am finding that she is a little young to absorb the value of the magazine content. I am thinking the perfect ages would be from about 3rd to 6th grades although the articles are interesting even for adults. And there is definitely meat for the older student in the study guide photo and writing lessons. I am hoping as time goes on that my teens will find those tips and lessons useful.

Take some time and check out the Nature Friend website for yourself. And read what other families thought of it.

Disclosure:This product was provided to our family for free as members of the 2009-2010 Old Schoolhouse Magazine Homeschool Crew. No further compensation was received. Reviews and opinions expressed in this blog are my own.

Swine Flu Hysteria Getting Out of Hand

This gave me a laugh that has lasted through the day. I am not minimizing that the flu can be very serious for some people. But I do not think that hysteria is healthy for anyone.

Visit My Guest Blog

I have a guest blog entry over at Three Boys and a Dog today. Jump over and take a look. Thanks.

College Prep Genius - Product Overview

Gone is the newborn we kept wrapped so tightly. Gone is the toddler we chased around the house trying to keep alive while he tested all the boundaries. Gone is even the child we taught to read and to write and to count. Present is a young adult who is preparing to embark on the rest of his life. And we, as his parents, are responsible to make sure he is well equipped to do so.

One way we can equip our children is to give them the tools to have a strong start. Being prepared for college is one of those tools. And that means being prepared for the Standardized Assessment Test (SAT) as well as other tests that may be required. As the mother of a high school freshman, I have not yet journeyed into the world of scholarships and college preparation. But I am finding out that those who start early have the best results. So I am indeed blessed to have received the "Master the SAT Class" DVD Set from College Prep Genius to help me get started.

Included in this DVD set are the SAT Class lecture series and the College Prep Genius Textbook and Workbook. The lecture series runs about 5-1/2 hours and includes 4 discs: Introduction to the SAT, Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. The textbook contains over 350 tips, shortcuts, and test taking strategies while the workbook contains sample PSAT and SAT problems so the student can put into practice the strategies and tips taught in the College Prep Genius curriculum.

The DVD set is currently on sale for $79.00 and upon a quick preview of the material it appears to be worth the investment. You can read the review of our experience here.

If you are like me and do not know much about the PSAT/SAT, you may want to visit the College Board website.