The Curriculum Choice

Get Your Hands on Learning!

Art, Charlotte Mason, Elementary, Geography, Hands On, History, Language Arts, Unit study resources, Unschooling, Writing 2 Responses »

May 272010

I have recently had the pleasure to read the first e-book by Kris, the widely read author of the blog Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. The book, in true WUSH fashion, features games, projects, learning centers, and presentations all with a focus on hands on learning.

Get Your Hands on Learning! has four main sections, as well as an appendix full of even more information. The sections include:

Projects: Papier-mache Model, Salt Dough Map, Cookie Dough Map, Ongoing Studies
Games: Bingo, Memory/Matching, Go Fish, Board Games
Learning Centers: Writing Center, Preschool Learning Centers, Mini-Offices
Presentations: Around the World Day, Night at the Museum Party, The Castle Presentation Board, Knights Shields and Swords
Appendix: Helpful Websites, Basic Papier-mache Paste Recipe, Basic Salt Dough Recipe, Fifty State Friday Resources, Blank Bingo Card, Reading Bingo Card, Learning Center Resources, Hands-on Activities to Enhance Any Study, Narration, Paper Bag Report

What I Liked:

Great Variety – There is a great variety of activities in this e-book, which can appeal to both the families that don’t mind mess, as well as the families that avoid it like the plague. It’s a nice reminder that hand-on doesn’t have to mean messy, but it can.
Step-by-Step Directions – Things like the word “papier-mache” give me hives. However, with Kris’ easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, it makes me a little less nervous. The layout, in general, makes it easy to read and follow.
Lots of Full Color Photographs – Because I am a visual learning, the combination of photographs with the step-by-step directions are exactly what I would need to execute these projects. It’s also always nice to see what a finished project should look like.
Length of Book – At 50 pages, this is a book that I felt comfortable sitting down and reading in one sitting. Not that I can’t read a book that will take me many sessions over several days (because of other commitments), but it’s nice when I can sit down and just finish a book.
Well Organized – I enjoyed that the activities are each in their own section, so that when I want to implement an idea, I don’t have to skim back through the whole book to find what I was looking for.
Reasonably Priced – At only $7.95 for an immediate download, this e-book is competitively priced compared to other e-books that I have purchased.

What I Would Change:

It’s Just What I Was Looking For – This e-book was exactly what I anticipated it would be, so I couldn’t really think of anything that I would have changed.

Get Your Hands on Learning! is available for immediate download for $7.95 at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Disclosures: I received this e-book for free in order to review it, although I had planned to buy it before receiving it for free. Although I have been a fan of Kris’ blog for several years, in interest of full disclosure — I am the founder/editor of The Homeschool Classroom where Kris is a writer.

Angie is a university trained elementary and special ed teacher turned eclectic homeschooler. She can be found working at Many Little Blessings, The Homeschool Classroom, and Catholic Mothers Online . It is also very likely that if you find her, she will be tired.

Games for Writing: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Write

Elementary, Hands On, Handwriting, Language Arts, Uncategorized, Vocabulary, Writing 1 Response »

May 252010

Do have a child who is a reluctant writer, one who has an allergy to writing instruments, or who fills your house with moans and groans when it’s time to put pencil to paper? Whether you do or not, Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye is sure to make writing a fun subject for all of your children – and for you too!

The book contains fifty-two games designed for ages ranging from kindergarten through third grade, and is divided into five sections:

Part One: Just for Starters – These activities are designed to ease kindergarteners and first-graders into writing, helping them to learn pencil control, letter formation, and how to tell a well-organized tale.
Part Two: Stress Busters – These are silly activities that help children get over writer’s block, choose a suitable topic, and get words down on paper. These are quick games and will probably have your child giggling before they’re finished.
Part Three: Bugaboos – Spelling, Handwriting, and Grammar – The section title pretty much says it all.
Part Four: Writing with Style - These games will help children create unusual characters, develop an understanding of story structure, and learn to choose the right words to express their ideas.
Part Five: Made with Pride – These are longer writing projects that can take anywhere from a half-hour to several sessions of work to complete.

What I like about this book:

This is a “grab it and use it” kind of book. The games do not require many supplies or much preparation. Many just require pencil, paper, and a few minutes to sit down and have fun with your child.
The games are fun and motivating. (The ones I’ve played with my children have had them asking for more.)
The activities provide a great opportunity for some enjoyable parent/child interaction – not just another boring writing lesson.
The author includes entertaining stories of how she has used each specific game with her own students. This makes for an interesting and informative read that shows you how to practically apply the games with your children.
In the introduction Ms. Kaye shares insights she has gained from her experience as a reading and math teacher and tutor over the last twenty-five years. I have found her ideas to be extremely helpful in my own teaching.

What I don’t like:

Every now and then a game features witches or monsters, which may or may not be a problem for you. I’ve found that these games can be easily adapted by using characters that are more to my family’s liking and interest.

Games for Writing is available in many public libraries and can be purchased from most online booksellers. You can visit Peggy Kaye’s website to view samples of the games from this book and others she has written.

I hope that you’re able to try some of these games and that they will inject some fun and pizzaz into your writing program!

Written by Shannon, who blogs about her family’s homeschool adventures at Song of My Heart.

Story of the World

Classical, History, Unit study resources 7 Responses »

May 242010

When I began looking into a history program to use, one name kept popping up again and again: The Story of the World series by Susan Wise Bauer.

The Story of the World series follows the classical education scope and sequence for history, dividing it into four cycles, beginning with ancient history and progressing to modern times. I am reviewing the first volume of The Story of the World: Ancient Times. It begins with an introduction to history and archaeology and the earliest nomads and proceeds chronologically until the fall of the Roman Empire.

It truly does feel like one is reading a story, not a textbook, when reading Story of the World. The narrative style is very appealing, especially for younger students. I also invested in the accompanying audio CDs, which not only make learning portable, but are very well presented. We sometimes even relisten to chapters we’ve already covered simply because we enjoy listening to them. The suggested age for this book is grades 1 through 4, but students as old as middle school would find it appealing and meaningful.

The Activity Book is an absolute gem. I can’t imagine going through this book without it. For each chapter there are review questions, narration exercises, encyclopedia cross-references, literature suggestions, map work pages, coloring pages, and project ideas such as crafts, recipes, models, and games. The recommended literature lists alone make this resource worthwhile for me. I’m always looking for living books to read in tandem with the text. The literature is marked as RA (read aloud) or IR (independent reading), and the IR books often have a grade level suggestion as well. These notations make it very easy for me to narrow down which books I will look for or request at my local library.

Other features of the Activity Book are a pronunciation guide (which I really should refer to more often) and review cards at the back. I only recently discovered the review cards myself, so don’t forget to look for them! These will be great for wrapping up the school year and for when we pick up again in the fall.

In using this curriculum, I have discovered a few drawbacks. Because the book is chronological, it often jumps from continent to continent and then back a few chapters later. For older students I don’t think this would be much of a problem, but for students on the younger end of the spectrum it can be a bit confusing. This can be remedied by going through the book out of order. It takes a bit of planning, but is very doable. My other problem is that this book has 42 chapters, even though the traditional school year has 36 weeks. Each chapter is so full I found that covering more than one in a week proved to be too daunting. I know that many homeschoolers educate year-round, but it would make my own planning so much easier is Story of the World could manage to squeeze all of ancient history into 36 chapters!

When all is said and done however I, who am not much of a history buff, am really enjoying teaching history, and my daughter proclaims that history is her favorite subject. Actually she says Story of the World is her favorite subject. What better endorsement is there than that?

You can get to know Beth by visiting her blog at Apples and Jammies.

Chore Buster

Biblical Principle Approach, Organization 7 Responses »

May 202010

The resource I’m sharing this month isn’t actually curriculum, but it is helping me with the home part of homeschooling.

I’ve tried various chore charts, including one with tabs and tokens and hooks. It was a good idea, but it was so complicated I quickly tired of it. Then set up a filing box divided by task frequency: daily, weekly, monthly. That, too, worked for awhile.

photo credit: spinneraf

Lately, I’ve used the free-for-all method. Basically, that means dust accumulation hides the color my furniture and my feet stick to the kitchen floor. When I can’t stand that anymore, I finally clean.

Some people are fine with this arrangement. Some of these care-free, happy people even live in my house. I wish I was more like them, but my perfectionist tendencies run deep.

I’ve relaxed tremendously, but I can concentrate on the school part of homeschool when I know the floor will get washed and the bills will get paid. Not having to think about when those tasks will be squeezed in between distractions is bliss.

Chore Buster is perfect! The free online chore chart generator has many unique features that make it ideal for my family.

First, I entered each individual in my household and attached a percentage of chore assignments to them. For instance, my husband works all day, so he has only 25% of chores. (To view in detail, please click on the photo.)

Then I began listing the jobs. Each chore can be assigned a difficulty rating and frequency. Here’s a partial list of what I entered to get you started:

As I was entered in chores, I discovered one of the best options. Chores can be set for specific people. Thus, I added menu planing and paying bills which are specific to me. My children easily see they are not the only ones with chores, and I don’t have to write out my to do list every day.

Chores are randomized based on the factors entered. (To view in detail, please click on the photo.)

Various option for printing are available. I print out one week of chores for our entire family on one sheet of paper. It’s very utilitarian and plain, so I draw lines with my daughters’ colored markers to separate family members. As chores are completed, we mark them off and at the end of the day a sticker appears as a small reward.

If you want to calculate points for a reward system, it is easy to do with Chore Buster, as well. As you add chores, insert a point value and then at the end of the week you can “Calculate Rewards.” That option is underneath the “My Schedule” tab.

The best part of this system is that once it is in place it’s automatic and easily tweaked. Now if I could find a computer application to actually complete the chores…That wouldn’t build character though, would it?

Written by Renae Deckard, Biblical Principled mother of 3. Find Renae’s reflections about homeschool and family life at Life Nurturing Education.

Wordly Wise 3000

Elementary, Language Arts, Vocabulary 14 Responses »

May 192010

This year, we decided to add in more branches of language arts into our schooling. One of the things that I felt we were lacking was in vocabulary. I was thrilled to add in Wordly Wise 3000 (Second Edition), in which we are currently using Book 3.

While I can only speak for Book 3, since it’s all we have used, hopefully readers might chime in with any differences in other levels.

In Wordly Wise 3000 (Book 3), the general lesson make up is as follows:

It starts with either two or three pages of vocabulary words for that lesson. (Each vocabulary word lists the word, part of speech, definition(s), and a sample sentence that uses that word.)
Five to six exercises that work on identifying the meaning of the vocabulary words and applying them in a variety of manners

We are already sure that we will be continuing to use Wordly Wise next school year, and I will also introduce their lower levels to my daughter who will be starting kindergarten in the fall.

What I Like About Wordly Wise 3000:

A variety of exercises – Because Wordly Wise uses a variety of types of exercises in the workbook to help understand and apply meaning, it can meet the needs of a variety of learners. From simple matching to reading it in passages to crossword puzzles, words are more easily remembered and applied.
Can be shortened – If we don’t have time to do all of the exercises for a word list, I don’t feel like I have cheated the kids if we do three of the exercises, instead of five, for instance. The kids still seem to get just about as much out of it. We just need that kind of flexibility sometimes.
Independent work – I have my boys (though they are one grade apart) in the same book, and I let them work together on Wordly Wise. However, I rarely have to assist them. Directions are clear and easy for kids to follow. Also, because many exercises are the same format, they know what to expect when given directions.
Increased vocabulary – This is probably obvious, but since we are studying new words, they will often try to use some of their new vocabulary in conversation.
Appropriate Length – I sometimes stress when we can’t finish a whole book in a school year. It may not be right, but if I plan that we can and then we can’t, I practically get hives over it. With 15 lessons (each with 5 – 6 exercises), it is very possible to do this book in one school year.
Website – Though we haven’t used the Wordly Wise 3000 website, there is one and there are review games for each lesson (and each book) on it! In writing this, I found that they also read aloud the word lists, which is perfect for struggling readers (especially those with learning disabilities).

What I Would Change:

Nothing – I like to try to highlight something I would change about a book or resource in a review, but I just can’t think of anything at all. If I got very picky, I might say that I would prefer it to be spiral bound to allow for easier opening, but that’s just picky.

I would definitely recommend Wordly Wise 3000 to friends who wanted to infuse vocabulary lessons into their language arts program.

Angie is a university trained elementary and special ed teacher turned eclectic homeschooler. She can be found working at Many Little Blessings, The Homeschool Classroom, Catholic Mothers Online, and Homeschool Lifestyle Media. It is also very likely that if you find her, she will be tired.

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible

Bible, Classical, Hands On, High School, History, Unit study resources 20 Responses »

May 172010

I can’t even describe how excited I am about a new curriculum I’ve been pouring through for next year! Normally, I wouldn’t post about products that aren’t tried and true, but this is an amazing exception. I couldn’t write curriculum that is more “me”! And just what is “me” and what does this curriculum offer that’s has me so giddy?

It’s project-based
Fits with the first year of my four-year history cycle (ancient history)
Has a Biblically-based, creation-based worldview
Includes living literature book lists and listening CD’s
Offers my children choices in their studies
Can be used with both of my older children at their own levels
Provides in-depth learning for the real student
Offers an activity book for younger children which helps with my upcoming 5th grader when other lessons might be too tough
Incorporates research, writing, timelines, vocabulary, art, mapping, science projects, music, cooking, drama, and MORE!
Gives ideas specifically for various learning styles
Provides me with a teacher’s guide and my children with a workbook

So, just what product has me so excited?

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible: A Biblical World History Curriculum from Creation to Jesus Christ by Diana Waring

Wow! That’s really the best word to describe what I think every time I open the box of curriculum and start thinking about next year’s history. In fact, I’m thinking I’ll be able to tick off way more than just history in my lesson planner by implementing this curriculum.

I’m going to back up and go through each part of the curriculum that’s available. I’ll have to be brief because there’s way more to this box than I can talk about in a review. I’ll also give you my opinion about whether or not each part is necessary.

Sample page from the Student Manual

Student Manual – Absolutely necessary and best to have one per student. This is the book your child will use for just about everything they do. Text readings, what-to-do lists, digging deeper lists, student record keeping charts, project choices and directions, vocabulary lists, maps and a few other things are found in this 312 page softcover workbook/textbook. (*I use the word text loosely, because it isn’t a dry, boring text like many books.)
Teacher’s Guide – I suppose it isn’t absolutely necessary, but I wouldn’t skip it. It offers you clear and helpful notes for further discussion with your children – often helping you give Biblically scientific explanations. It also offers you big-picture planning, ideas for helping your children choose projects that fit their learning styles, additional project ideas, answer keys, and solid explanations about how the curriculum works.
Test Kit – Not absolutely necessary, but offers good test taking practice. This is a booklet that offers you two-page tests with answer keys for each of the nine units. The tests require written answers with supporting points and vocabulary matching.
Elementary Activity Book – Not necessary at all, but very helpful if you have children younger than 5th or 6th grade that will be learning alongside older children. It offers coloring and puzzle pages, simpler discussion questions, age appropriate additional reading lists, song lyrics, easier hands-on project ideas, and other games/activities that meet the needs of various learning styles.
What in the World? CD set – Not necessary, but awesome. This set of four CD’s includes Diana Waring telling more about the Bible, archaeology, and other scientific evidences that have shaped history. These stories, ranging from 3-12 minutes, go along with the text as “added bonus” information. They add a wonderful dimension to the program.
True Tales CD set – Not necessary, but awesome. Diana Waring is a wonderful story-teller and adds to the text info with stories about people, events and more.
Digging Deeper CD set - Not necessary, but awesome. Just as the name describes, Diana Waring goes into more detail about the topics of Noah’s Ark, the first Christmas and the Seven Wonders of the World. (*Each track on the 3 CD sets is referred to in the teacher’s guide and student manual, so you know what to listen to when.)

*I’m editing this just a bit after reading several comments by experienced users about how wonderful the CD’s are. I, too, think the CD’s are super and would highly recommend purchasing them if you are able. However, if you only want/can afford the bare minimum, the CD’s are not necessary to the completion of the program. If at all able, though, don’t miss out on them!

Sample page from the Teacher's Guide

I’m going to wrap this super-long review up with a quick overview of the nine units. Each of the nine units is meant to take four weeks to complete. During each unit, week one is dedicated to reading and discussing. The student dives in and learns all he or she can about the unit topic. Week two is dedicated to researching a topic of the student’s choice and presenting findings, as well as completing a timeline and the vocabulary. Week three allows the student to complete hands-on projects in art, music, science, cooking and/or mapping. And during week four, the unit culminates with a final project(s) of the student’s choice.

Unit topics include:

Creation and the Flood
The Rise of Civilizations
Egypt and the Exodus
The Children of Israel
Assyria & Babylon
The Persians & Medes
Greece & the Hellenists
The Rise of Rome
Jesus Christ, Immanuel

I truly have never seen a curriculum like this before, especially for the 6th grade and above crowd. Hands down, it tops my list of all-time favorites!

TruthQuest History

Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, High School, History, Literature, Living books, Preschool, Writing 3 Responses »

May 132010

TruthQuest History guides by Michelle Miller are among my favorite, most valued homeschool resources; a gem that I am so thankful to have found. You see, we haven’t ever read our history solely from a textbook (though I have actually found a favorite one recently- that we’re reading from as a spine at the moment!) and since I’m usually designing our history and literature reading plans by pulling from a variety of sources, from the best book lists of literature and biographies to primary sources to documentaries and movies, etc., I began to realize early on that I really needed help- a way to help me tie it all together, to mindfully keep the big picture of our LORD’s Sovereignty over the affairs of men before us as we learn.

Enter TruthQuest History… these guides have helped me to do just that, providing me with the perfect balance of structured commentary from a purposefully Christian world view synchronized with chronologically listed book suggestions! As we’re watching HIS-story (history assimilated with a Providential understanding) unfold before us, these guides have enabled me to draw more deeply from the well of thoughts and questions inspired by so many wonderful living books and other sources that we’re finding recommended along the way. Learning history together in this manner has become a rather serendipitous adventure, always interesting and no doubt has partly been the catalyst of our 14 year old son’s love for history (which he pursues even more in depth on his own time). These TruthQuest guides are so much more than just literature guides or book lists, though they are an exceptional source in that regard as well.

The input I’ve received from these guides has given me the confidence I needed to approach a subject that though I love, I know very little about (thank you public education!), in the manner which my children and I most love to learn about it, through the reading of great, living books (chosen at our own disgression)! With Michelle Miller’s help, I’m better able to assimilate our (eclectic) history lessons into a cohesive strand of meaningful discussions (and thus, narrations) and purposeful planning. I am enjoying having the daily, helpful input of these amazing guides, learning history with Michelle Miller as my mentor. Most of all, I’m just love, love, loving that I am re-learning history right along-side my kids in such a wonderfully fascinating, informative and meaningful manner!

Please take the time to read here if you would like to know more, in Michelle’s own words, about What is TruthQuest History?

We began our journey with TruthQuest a few years back, when I bought our first guide, American History for Young Students I (Exploration – 1800) to supplement our studies of American history. We just read through it at our own pace, selecting various book titles to read as we went along, from our own collection, favorite book lists and according to what we found at our library.

I will tell you that there are SO many amazing books suggested, that one could easily get overwhelmed or bogged down in an era, if they actually tried to read them all… you’re not supposed to, there’s just way too many to choose from here! Michelle even recommends that you skip some topics as you deem best, mentioning those that are safely omitted. However in my mind, this is really a strength of the program, as you’re bound to find plenty of inspiring recommendations suitable to your family, even at your local library. Michelle has included as many suggestions as possible, “leaving the executive decisions up to you!”

I’ve found that using Truth Quest is sort of like a buffet of some of the richest living books arranged chronologically for you to choose from (along with age appropriateness listed beside each one) as you journey on this Quest for TRUTH with a most helpful and insightful guide to point out the sights and ideas not to be missed!

Now that our kids are older, and the years are flying by faster than I can hardly keep up, I’m finding that my planning of our journey through the corridors of HIStory is more purposeful and scheduled than it used to be. There’s just so much that I’d like to be able to cover and learn alongside of our kids during these preciously few years I have left to focus on our studies with them. Thus I’m synchronizing our TruthQuest guides with our scheduled history and literature reads from Ambleside Online (though for the record, these guides would stand alone beautifully with only a few of their recommended books for each period, or they could work with just about any other history curriculum or homeschooling method for that matter). They mesh beautifully and the Ambleside advisory has even recommended these guides in their HEO (highschool) line-up. Looking ahead, I’ve seen that I will be doubly thankful for Michelle’s invaluable help in navigating our studies and world-view discussions as we adventure through our history, literature and philosophy readings during highschool!

Now that we have recently finished up our study of Ancient Egypt, we are digging deep into Part II of this particular guide, “pursuing the vast breadth and depth of Ancient Greece in a chronological investigation enlivening its history, art, culture and ideas.” We’ve chosen to read from one or more of the recommended spines for each time period (history is our favorite subject!), though these spines are purely optional. Over the years I’d tried quite a few different (literature-based) history guides/programs and this is the only one that I’ve absolutely fallen in love with and have kept. I anticipate gleaning from them with my children for years to come, regardless of what other books/curricula we may or may not use, thankful for an ally as we proceed in our Quest for HIS Truth!

I love how a Biblical worldview is strengthened as relevant scriptures and spiritual concepts are woven seamlessly throughout all of the commentary Michelle’s written for each time period. For instance, take a moment and check out this sample portion excerpted from the first chapter of our Guide to Ancient Greece. Notice how it sets the tone for our studies of Greek Mythology: Greek Beliefs (Mythology) Wonderful, isn’t it?!

So far we have mostly used the Think Write writing exercises (which mostly consist of a lot of open-ended questions prompting the student to consider his/her own thoughts and formulate a response to what they’re learning) scattered throughout the guides as oral discussion prompts, however as my kids are older and we’re entering into meatier guides and discussions, we’ll be doing more writing with these too.

Another thing I’ve really appreciated about these guides is their versatility. We’re covering Greece in 12(ish) weeks and will be doing the same with Rome (we school through the year), though this study (each guide) could certainly last an entire year if one wanted it to. Our kids have already learned a lot of ancient history over the years, and so we’re doing a sort of formal survey, bringing it all together within the context of our discussions and TruthQuest readings, before moving on to our much anticipated study of the Middle Ages. We have lots of reading selections scheduled into each week. I’m hoping to spend a full year with each of the Age of Revolution guides (which I’ve heard are not to be missed in highschool- and have been told really do almost require a year each, especially the last two!).

You can slowly meander through a particularly interesting era, or if in a hurry, you and your students would benefit greatly simply by reading the commentary and background information Michelle’s written on each time period. I’ve even heard of older students reading through a guide or two independently, covering more ground quickly, and thus gaining an overview of an era(s) before settling into a desired spot in the chronological history cycle.

However one goes about using them, I would think that the amount of learning one gains from the use of these guides (both factual and ideological) is priceless.

Here’s more on How to Use TruthQuest History and other FAQ.

Here’s a thorough Product Description of TruthQuest History from Christianbooksdistributors.com

This thorough compendium of living books and picture books is arranged by subject and date, with grade levels clearly notated. Commentaries summarize and tie topics together as you go from book list to book list, analyzing what is called “life’s two most critical questions: Who is God? And who then, is mankind?” Written directly to students in a very informal tone, they’ll move through history in chronological order; you have all the freedom in the world to pick and choose what books to use and how to integrate activities (reports, newspapers, building demonstrations…).

History may seem murky, but only because we wrongly focus on the long corridor of human actions. History is really a door to God Himself!God created mankind and his times. He is the initiator; we are the responders. So, it is first God’s truths and then our responding beliefs which shape all of history: government, philosophy, art, architecture, literature, scientific thinking, economics, law, and the value placed on human life itself.

TruthQuest History opens the door to it all by bringing together worldview wisdom, literature recommendations, and chronology… all in a fascinating storyline of spiritual context!

How? Picture your family reclining in a comfy boat. The current of TruthQuest History carries you… because each topic has its own powerful commentary and reading list. Your children do not just visit times… they understand them! They do not just read… they see cause-and-effect truth!

Whatever your style, TruthQuest History can benefit you. It follows key Charlotte Mason and Classical resources, and assists unit-study and unschooling familes exploring an era. TruthQuest History even helps you teach your own theology and choose your own resources! Adaptable for all grades.

I also appreciate TruthQuest’s 6-year history cycle, the merits of which are explained here by Karen Glass, an Ambleside Online advisory board member: Classical Education and Four-Year Cycles

However, if you don’t start TruthQuest with six plus years left before your child’s graduation, Michelle has provided a helpful guide with suggestions for figuring out where to jump into the history cycle, according to how many years of schooling you do have left with your kiddos, among other variables such as placing multiple children here, TruthQuest History: How to Choose.

There is also a very large, active yahoo group of families using this history curriculum which I’ve found quite helpful in the past: HIStoryQuesters

Curious as to what’s inside?

Here’s a listing of the various guides’ Table of Contents, along with Sample Chapters (in pdf format) from each guide:

American History for Young Students I, II, III: Grades 1-5

American History for Young Students I (Exploration – 1800)

Table of Contents

Sample Chapter

American History for Young Students II (1800-1865)

Sample Chapter

American History for Young Students III (1865-2000)

Table of Contents

Sample Chapter

Ancient Civilizations: Grades 5-12 (Recommended age-range, though book recommendations ARE provided for elementary grades as well.)

The main TruthQuest History series (seven guides which begin with ancient history and fully cover European and American history to just after the year 2000) are designed for Grades 5-12.

These guides will take you deeper than you ever dreamed you’d go, but the learning is so lively, so personal, and so incremental that the students hardly realize all they’ve absorbed until the truths begin to meld in their hearts. The depth of commentary and topics increasingly advances as the series progresses, so your graduating seniors are fully prepared to understand and minister to the needy world they are inheriting. Younger siblings can often tag along (see further discussion of this below), and though the commentary and ThinkWrite™ exercises are deeper in these upper guides, the reading lists include all the book titles for the younger set as well. These upper TruthQuest History guides can be used by non-Americans as well, for all are interested in ancient and medieval history, and even the three guides which cover American history (Age of Revolution I, II, and III) have about half of their material on European history.

~ excerpt from TruthQuestHistory.com

Ancient Egypt/Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome

Laurie Bluedorn, co-author of Teaching the Trivium, has this to say of these guides:

Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome: These two study guides, which can be used by students of all ages, contain short, concise historical commentary along with exhaustive book recommendations (both in-print and out-of-print) for every key person and event covered. Also included are writing exercises placed throughout the commentary. These guides, which are thoroughly Christian in their worldview, can be used as your sole history curriculum for these time periods, or as a supplement to any other history curriculum. I love the cautions that Mrs. Miller gives us. At numerous points she suggests that we be careful in our study of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilization, and she shows us which books would not be appropriate for young children or even some older students. There is just enough commentary throughout the books to guide us and keep us on the correct path so that we won’t leave out any important historical events or people. A family is free to spend as long or as little time at each stop on the timeline as they wish. Mrs. Miller recently revised these two guides including: citing our “Ancient History from Primary Resources” book/CDs set and showing when to use it; adding more ancient writers and more in-print spine books; numbered the sections and subsections; included more Ambleside Online spines/books/resources; and there is a corresponding “Table of Contents” which makes planning and using the guides easier. With these additions, Mrs. Miller has made a wonderful curriculum even better. I wish my children were young again so we could use it.

Middle Ages: Grades 5-12 (Recommended age-range, though book recommendations ARE provided for elementary grades as well.)

Middle Ages (500-1400)

Table of Contents

Sample Chapter

Renaissance-Reformation: Grades 5-12 (Recommended age-range, though book recommendations ARE provided for elementary grades as well.)

Renaissance/Reformation/Exploration (1400-1600)

Table of Contents

Sample Chapter

Age of Revolution I, II, III: Grades 5-12 (Recommended age-range, though book recommendations ARE provided for elementary grades as well.)

Age of Revolution 1 (US/Europe, 1600-1800)

Sample Chapter

Age of Revolution II (US/Europe, 1800-1865)

Sample Chapter

Age of Revolution III (US/Europe, 1865-2000)

Sample Chapter

Our son has been particularly enamored with Alexander the Great over the last couple of years, reading many wonderful, mature books about him. I was so thrilled to have found this poem contrasting that world-famous king with the King of Kings in our guide to Ancient Greece, p. 64. What a beautiful reminder it’s been of Jesus’s own words:

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

~ Matthew 16.25

Jesus and Alexander (Anonymous)

Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three;

One lived and died for self; one died for you and me.

The Greek died on a throne; the Jew died on a cross;

One’s life a triumph seemed; the other but a loss.

One led vast armies forth; the other walked alone;

One shed a whole world’s blood; the other shed his own.

One won the world in life, and lost it all in death.

The other lost His life to win the whole worlds faith.

Jesus and Alexander died at thirty-three;

The Greek made men slaves; the Jew made all men free.

One built a throne on blood; the other built on love.

The one was born of earth; the other from above;

One won all his earth; to lose all earth and heaven.

The other gave up all; that all to him be given.

The Greek forever died; the Jew forever lives;

He loses all who gets, and wins all things who gives.

(Quoted from: Varner, Williams “The Greeks” Israel My Beloved, Aug/Sept 1994:14.)

Written by Beth Brewer, a Charlotte Mason inspired, Spirit-led, relaxed-eclectic homeschooling Mama of 3. She’s also an author at The Homeschool Post and blogs her photos, musings, hopes, fears, faith and falterings as she lives, loves and learns with her family at the brew*crew adventure.

Writing Wheels Keeps Your Child on a Roll

Hands On, Language Arts, Writing No Responses »

May 122010

I had the pleasure of introducing my daughter to Writing Wheels, by Maupin House. Teaching a child to write composition papers, biographies, reports, etc., can be a daunting task. Children often have trouble knowing where to begin and what steps to take. After using plenty of workbooks and other helps, I found that Writing Wheels were the most useful and easiest to keep on hand. They are colorful, visual and fun to use. It’s no wonder they won the Teacher’s Choice award in 2009.

I was given the opportunity to review the Writing Wheels 3-Pack. This retails for $12.00 and can be found here. This is a great deal for $12.00! The wheels are durable, which is great since they will get used over and over again.

Writing Wheel 3-Pack includes a wheel to help writing papers in these genres:

persuasion
comparison
expository

Three steps to writing are covered on each side of the wheel. The steps are marked in order for your child to easily turn from step 1 to step 2 and so on. The steps for each are:

Prewrite: Develop Your Details
Organize Your Paper
Write the Body Paragraphs
Begin and End Your Paper
Revise for Clarity and Interest
Edit Your Paper for Conventions

Each step also gives detailed instructions to guide your child through each step. The wheels also give writing tips and list frequently misspelled words.

The wheels are appropriate for 6th grade through high school. My daughter is in 6th grade and she used the wheels to develop a six page paper on Beowulf. It was never easier to get her to write! The wheels made the writing process flow with ease and less frustration from student and teacher.

Writing Wheels 3-pack provided by Maupin House for the purpose of an honest review.

Learn Addition and Subtraction Facts with Sum Swamp

Mathematics 5 Responses »

May 122010

Around our house I can easily tell how much a game is loved by the condition of the box. As you can see in the photo, our Sum Swamp game is being held together with duct tape! I can’t even begin to count how many times my husband and I played this gem of a game with our children when they were younger. I am actually convinced that my youngest child memorized many of his addition and subtraction facts while playing Sum Swamp. My youngest would ask to play Sum Swamp at least once a day!

Sum Swamp teaches addition and subtraction facts in the context of a fun game. The game also teaches about odd and even numbers. Sum Swamp is appropriate for preschoolers who can be trusted to not put small objects in their mouths up to about 2nd graders. Having said that, our almost 9 year old son still loves to play even though he has progressed way beyond the math required to play the game.

On each turn, a player rolls two dice numbered 1-6. A third die is also rolled which indicates whether the player should add or subtract the two numbers. So, for example, a player could roll a 6, 3, and the addition sign. The player would arrange the dice into a number sentence (6 + 3) and then solve the problem. Upon solving the problem correctly, the player would move 9 places. When our children still needed counters, we kept 12 clown counters with the game at all times.

The game is quick to play and takes about 10 minutes so it is just right for younger children with shorter attention spans.

The game board is tricky as well and offers some surprises throughout the game. One can get stuck in the Endless Loop or move ahead in the Crocodile Shortcut. As well, several different variations of the game can be played by ignoring some of the special spaces. Depending on the age of the children that are playing, the game can be made easier or harder.

As a homeschooling mom who likes to use games for learning, I have found that educational games are hit and miss. Some are so educational that they are little fun and some are quite fun but lack true educational content. Sum Swamp is the perfect blend of fun and learning for younger children.

If you lose a game part or need to have one replaced, Learning Resources will provide replacement parts. The company that makes Sum Swamp, Learning Resources, was very helpful in replacing our number dice when we had played the game so much we could no longer see the numbers.

If you need to practice beginning addition and subtraction facts with a younger child, consider giving Sum Swamp a try!

Samantha writes about homeschooling and family life at To Be Busy at Home.

The Human Body by Seymour Simon

Charlotte Mason, Elementary, Living books, Science, Uncategorized, Unit study resources 2 Responses »

May 102010

Prolific children’s non-fiction author, Seymour Simon has teamed with HarperCollins Publishers and the Smithsonian Institution to produce a series of books about the natural world. Tucked into the prolific and still-growing library of scientific information produced by Simon and the Smithsonian is a sub-series about the human body. The books in the human body series provide a treat for the eyes and a feast for the brain.

At present there are eight books in the series.

●The Human Body

●Eyes and Ears

●The Brain: Our Nervous System

●The Lungs: Your Respiratory System

●The Heart: Our Circulatory System

●Guts: Our Digestive System

●Bones: Our Skeletal System

●Muscles: Our Muscular System

The Human Body, provides an overview of the twelve major body systems.

It discusses the following topics:

●cells

●the integumentary system (skin, hair, and bones)

●the skeletal system

●the muscular system

●the circulatory system and blood

●the respiratory system

●the digestive system

●the nervous system

●the immune and lymphatic systems

●the urinary and excretory systems

●the endocrine system

●the reproductive system

●the five senses

The remaining books discuss the body system of their title using correct anatomical terms, detailed descriptions of body processes, and a depth of information that is accessible to elementary-age students but applicable for older students. The books make use of technological advances in the medical field by incorporating computer-colored x-rays, MRI scans, and incredible inside photos of the body, along with applicable diagrams.

The impressive, real-life illustrations combine with a detailed, systematic approach to the human body’s inner workings to produce a useful product that is a delight to peruse.

I chose these books as the spine for our human body study. I could not be more pleased with them. They were easily found at the library, detailed enough to provide food for thought for my children, and used the correct terms for body parts and processes. Since my kids are lower elementary and preschool-age, there were a couple of times that I skipped a page or two that contained more detail than we needed. In those cases, we checked out the pictures and continued on to the next subject.

My children learned a lot about how our bodies work, and enjoyed learning what we look like on the inside. Personally, I found the books to be fascinating. Each volume contributed to our understanding of the human body. My children were especially delighted with the book about the digestive system, Guts, as it let them in on all of the nitty gritty details of how the body extracts the good stuff from food and then passes the rest out of the body. Ask my six-year old about passing gas. She will fill you in on the how and why. She will also giggle with abandon.

Keep these in mind when you study the human body. They provide scientific information without sucking all of the fun out of it!

Most days find Susan on the couch reading to her children, in the floor “playing” math, and generally in the middle of a good-sized mess. A love for the Lord, a love for her little ones, and a love of learning have led Susan and that wonderful man she married to an educational philosophy that is Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical and Charlotte Mason, with a touch of the traditional.

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