Charlotte Mason, You’d Love This Notebooking Resource!

 Age, Charlotte Mason, Elementary, Handwriting, High School, Language Arts, Middle School, Organization, Writing  1 Response »
May 112012
 

I think the favored 19th century educator would agree  – this resource is far from ‘twaddle’.

Jimmie over at The Notebooking Fairy has made available an e-book which clearly and concisely explains the art of notebooking.  Not at all new to using this method, I was pleasantly surprised to find my definition of notebooking greatly expanded!

It’s so much more than simple lines on a paper and a drawing, graphic or clipart at the top (or the bottom, or across the page…). Notebooking is not another subject to complete, nor does it need to be done everyday.

The author describes it as “a way to integrate subject areas and a way of teaching and learning.” Incredibly versatile, having children keep a notebook of learning experiences is an excellent way to cement the knowledge gained!

Notebooking Success will equip parents with:
  • Seven solid reasons why notebooking is fitting for any learning style
  • Step-by-step instructions for creating notebooks
  • General guidelines for implementing at each grade level from 1st to 12th
  • Three notebooking pitfalls to avoid
  • Using notebooks with Charlotte Mason, Classical and Textbook styles
  • Extra resources :: 50 different things that can be kept in a notebook (organized by grade level), links to notebooking pages and more!

lang arts notebook

 {photo credit}

My favorite part of the this e-book resource was the instruction and encouragement on teaching children organizational skills by using notebooking.  While this seems obvious to me now, I hadn’t considered the critical thinking skills my children were gaining by putting their notebooks together — this section is worth a read!

Reasonably priced for homeschool budgets, Notebooking Success is a valuable resource, an excellent addition to any parent’s list of homeschooling guides and helps.

Highly recommended!

~ Written by Daniele of Domestic Serenity

Youth Virtue Journal

 High School, Highschool, Middle School, Mom Helps  2 Responses »
Apr 162012
 

The Youth Virtue Journal is a slim ring-bound workbook with a huge goal:  to help teens choose virtues.  Working with a mentor, teens will learn how to be attentive, content, forgiving, gentle, helpful, honest, obedient, perseverant and respectful.  The booklet contains a form for parental input as well.

Each of the nine chapters contains a moment to dream and a chance to see how virtues could help achieve dreams.  In fact, the booklet states that “ …though you add virtue to your life because it is the right thing to do, it will also tremendously improve your ability to live your dreams.”

Each virtue is defined in a very personal way.  For example, Attentive is defined as

I am attentive: I watch and listen carefully.

I am not …forgetful, distracted or distracting and I don’t ignore or interrupt.

Teens are asked to discuss a list of questions about this virtue in themselves and are given a chance to rate themselves on a scale from 1 to 10.  Then they are asked questions that show how this virtue, in themselves or others, has affected their relationships, either because it was practiced or ignored.   Quotes from various sources highlight the virtue being discussed. Then the teens are given an opportunity to relate the virtue to their dreams, write down thoughts about this virtue in their lives, and sign a resolution to ‘take a stand for what is right’.

This whole process is meant to guided by a caring mentor and supported by parents at home.

How we used it:  I quickly realized that the Youth Virtue Journal would be suitable for all ages, so we began to discuss it after lunch time, question by question.  We covered a lot of ground besides virtues.

The children shared thoughts, criticisms, hopes, and frustrations.  We laughed a lot.  We discovered some things we needed to change.  We talked about what virtues were and discussed whether or not this journal was right in its definitions and why.  These were very valuable discussions, and I plan to continue them using the insightful questions in this book.

Obviously, this is not how the book was meant to be used, but this is how it worked for our family.  It is very versatile, and its lists of questions can be used in many ways.

Our thoughts:

1.With a bit of tweaking, the Youth Virtue Journal can be a valuable tool in a homeschooling family.

2.In this study, written by Christians, I was startled to find no references to sin, salvation, and our inability to become virtuous on our own.  When I contacted the author, Heather McMillan, about this, she wrote (and I added the bold face type):

This particular tool was written at the request of a government truancy court in Nampa, Idaho. In writing this Youth Journal I was fighting against the very philosophy that there is no such a thing as right and wrong, that we do nice things because it benefits ME instead of because it is RIGHT, that obedience to authority is dangerous (I know, seems extreme, but it is the prevailing thought of our day when it comes to raising children), and that correction is to be avoided instead of embraced.  

We Choose Virtues is a tool that is not the complete story. For Christians and non-Christians alike, it sets a standard of truth for people who have no biblical standard operating in their lives or who simply need a way to explain it to their children. It forces children and youth to face their true character.  So many of us walk around believing that we have no sin because we live in a lawless generation. Parents are afraid to set a consistent standard because their own parents rejected authority. Once a true standard is set before us and we compare our lives to it, then we have a place from which to repent.  If anything, perhaps repentance will come when the true condition of a young person’s heart is revealed through this journal. Beyond that, I hope (no, actually I pray) that when this tool is in the hands of Christian parents and youth pastors, the true power behind the transformation of a heart will be explained. As you stated, there is no way we can change ourselves. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms us, and that only by the work of the cross. (quoted with permission)

In this sense, then, this booklet shows people what is in their hearts.  In the hands of a Christian parent or mentor, it could be a tool to show us and our children our sinful nature and our need for redemption.  That is something we can never understand deeply enough.

3. If you want a resource to promote open discussions, the Youth Virtue Journal has excellent lists of questions.

In summary:  Our family benefitted from our time with the Youth Virtue Journal and will continue to use it.  Although it was written for a different audience, it can be a valuable resource for Christian homeschoolers.

The Youth Virtue Journal is available from We Choose Virtues.  Similar products for younger children are also available.

Disclosure:  I received a review copy of the Youth Virtue Journal from We Choose Virtues in order to share my honest opinions.

-Written by Annie Kate, a Christian homeschooling mom of five, who reviews and blogs at Tea Time with Annie Kate.

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Weekly Homeschool Planner – A Time-Saving Solution!

 Mom Helps, Organization  3 Responses »
Apr 092012
 

 

As homeschool parents, we have so much to focus on: preparing for our days being a huge responsibility.

Being an eclectic type of curriculum user, I typically make up my own planner and haven’t invested in purchasing one through the years.  I appreciated the idea of customizing and tailoring to my needs.

Introduce the Weekly Homeschool Planner.

Jolanthe of Homeschool Creations has made available a planner chock-full of pages any homeschool mom could find use for.  What I first thought might only to apply to general weekly planning has turned out to be so much more!  The best part?  It’s a fully editable PDF.

Customization at your fingertips…

The Weekly Homeschool Planner contains:

  • 138 planning pages ~ 8 1/2″ x 11″ sized
  • 12 blank month-at-a-glance pages
  • 40 weeks of weekly planning and journal sheets: each page can be customized to the subjects that your family studies and can be saved to your computer!
  • Preschool planning sheets
  • Field trip/Event plan sheets
  • Yearly curriculum planning sheets
  • Yearly planning and evaluation sheets
  • Yearly attendance tracking sheets
  • Field trip/Event plan sheets
  • Daily to-do lists
  • Main dish menu planner
  • Customizable chore charts
  • Important contacts info
  • Additional note space
  • Standardized testing and yearly assessment result tracking
  • Homeschooling requirement planning

Each and every page is editable and can be saved repeatedly to your computer with various information for year-after-year use.  I like the idea of saving my planning from previous years – helps when the younger ones grow up!  And, there no need to take up shelf space keeping hard copy planners on hand.

However, if you enjoy actually writing in your own info, the Weekly Homeschool Planner can be printed off and bound, or even used in a binder to create a personalized home management system.

Using a curriculum that already offers week-by-week organization?  There are still so many pages for homeschool use such as tracking attendance or field trips.  The beauty of this planner is that it also fits much of ‘other life’ besides homeschooling (because there is other stuff going on!)

A one-time purchase to serve your family for a long time.

Like a present at the bottom of a Christmas stocking, this editable PDF is complete with a gigantic list of over 35+ links to additional resources for planning and homeschool use.  You’ll find a babysitter’s guide, links to geography printables, info on how to set up an emergency family folder, preschool ideas and so much more!

I’m thrilled to have this planning resource and the flexibility and variety it offers.  I encourage you to try it out for your family.

 

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Home Learning Year By Year

 Encouragement, Mom Helps, New to Homeschooling, Organization  No Responses »
Feb 032012
 

What’s one of the biggest homeschooling questions you are asked or find yourself asking? I’m not talking about the, “Is this enough?” question, rather the, “What should my child know?” It’s so easy to wonder if you’re teaching your children the right information at the right time, especially if you’re not using standard textbooks.

There are solutions to this problem but my favorite comes in one small book. Home Learning Year By Year by Rebecca Rupp. This book has saved my sanity many times. Really, it has. Home Learning Year By Year breaks down exactly what children will be tested for or are learning in most US based public institutions for kindergarten through 12th Grade. One book. So much information!

How I use it:

I’m sure there are many ways you could use this. The book has an overwhelming amount of information. About once a year, during summer break or before the start of our new school term, I make a list of items I want my child to learn for his grade.

I also go back over the information my child should have learned from the previous grade , just to be sure I covered everything I wanted. You’ll find that much of the standards carry over. For instance, in Grade 2 a child is meant to learn how to use a comma when writing a date, address, or when making a list within in a sentence. By Grade 3 your child will expand their knowledge of commas, so don’t panic if you didn’t teach it in Grade 2. Just teach commas in Grade 3 and expand on it more.

The list making process isn’t complex. I read through the chapter for each of my children’s grade levels. I jot down, in a notebook, the things I know they don’t know or that I’m not sure if they’ll be covered formally in any of our curriculum. From there I type that list out and group things together. All math information, for instance, is tucked under a Math heading. I make sure to make a little check mark box next to each item I put on my list. It’s very simple. I also make sure to put the school year, grade level and child’s name on the top of each paper. I also leave some space for putting notes on my pages. I then print the pages out, and tuck the note into my Teacher/Mom notebook for school. As we go along I can tick off boxes when things are taught or learned.

Not everything has to be taught in a formal way. For instance, I’m really great for making the lists and leaving it laying around so I can bring certain topics up, “Do you guys know what an animal home is called?” If they get the right answer, I tick it off my list. Wrong answer? I plug in a Magic School Bus video and pull out a matching book, then I tick it off my list. Explaining terms like biography and autobiography can happen right at the dinner table. Where as teaching children how to alphabetize is better suited on the living room floor with an alphabet puzzle spread before you.

What I love:

I love that this one small book can guide me through my children’s entire school careers. There’s no need to purchase a new book all the time.

I love the price! Seriously, one book that will last me all 13 years of my children’s schooling and it only costs between $10 – $16 depending on where you purchase it. {Amazon.com has it for $10 + shipping & Book Depository has it for $15.97 with free shipping}

I love that Rebecca Rupp has taken the time to type out resources you can use to teach a variety of the things on her list. From main stream math programmes to lesser known picture books. It’s all right there at your finger tips!

I love that the book is small. I know that sounds silly, but really that’s big! I can toss this in my bag and take it with me nearly anywhere during the summer when I’m making my lists. It’s not much bigger than a typical paperback book!

What I don’t like:

I honestly can’t think of much about this book I don’t like. I think, if you live outside of America, you may not find the book as helpful because it is made to pass the US tests at the end of each grade. I can’t consider this a dislike because I knew that going in. I also don’t teach my kids to pass tests, so that’s not a problem for me.

There’s also the factor that while this explains what US children will be learning for history at different years, there’s going to be huge amounts of US history. Again, not something I dislike about this book for a couple of reasons. First off, I knew that going in. Secondly, my children are both American & Australian so it’s important that they know US history. For those of you not interested in learning US history you could simply substitute your country’s history in it’s place.

Bottom Line:

I love Home Learning Year by Year. I love the treasures inside of it. I love the peace of mind it helps me achieve! When asked what book to recommend to new homeschoolers this is one that’s on the top of my list!

Extra:

Rebecca Rupp has also written a book entitled The Homelearning Source Book. This book is a coffee table type book that is just bursting full of resources for teaching your children anything and everything. It’s very simple to use. And on top of the awesome resources, there’s also notes about which resources The Rupp Family used and how they enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if it’s still in print as neither Amazon or Book Depository seem to be selling copies of it, all though CBD seems to have copies {they do ship overseas as well.} If you can get your hands on a copy it’s well worth it!

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A Wise Woman Builds by Meredith Curtis

 Bible, Mom Helps  7 Responses »
Jan 112012
 

A Wise Woman Builds
Author: Meredith Curtis
Format: ebook
Pages: 365
Cost: $30.00

A Wise Woman Builds by Meredith Curtis is a massive Bible Study tool weighing in at 365 pages. Yes, you read that correctly…3.6.5. pages. WOW! This puppy covers IT ALL – at least when it comes to growing the house of God. Unlike most studies with this title, this study is about growing to enable building the church, not so much the home.

Here is a quote directly from Meredith’s site that describes this study better than I ever could:

Proverbs 14:1 tells us that wise women build and foolish women tear down. The passion of my heart is to build my family, my home, my local church and the Kingdom of God! I long to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Great Commission, making disciples and teaching them EVERYTHING Jesus commanded! All 25 lessons talk about the process of building others up for the glory of God. We look at Jesus model of making disciples, wisdom, spiritual gifts, motherhood, hospitality, leading a Bible study, counseling, and passing the baton! This workbook takes you to the Scripture passages that set the direction of my life, mothering, worship leading and homeschooling. I live my live by these principles and stand firmly behind them with all of my heart! Prepare to be challenged by this Bible study to go deeper and live passionately for the purposes of God!

This study is not for the faint of heart and will not be “a quick read”. If you try to sit down and “flip through it” you will totally miss the point. (Ask me how I know. LOL) This study is meant to cover all aspects of the life of a Christian woman as she relates to the building of the Church – and that is a lot (hence the whopping 365 pages!).

Personally, I cannot read nor do a Bible study while looking at the computer – so I had my copy printed. Check it out!

To show you the actual size, I placed a normal roll of tape next to the binder:

YOWZA! Threatening? Probably. Worth it? Yep!

This study walks you through topics like:

  • The Great Commission
  • A Servant’s Building Tools
  • Speaking Truth in Love with Wisdom
  • Evangelistic Lifestyle

The entire study uses a lot of scripture as the base, which I love. After the scripture study portion of each lesson, the author gives her particular thoughts on what was just studied. There are several pages of both scripture study and opinion for each lesson.

So far, in my study of A Wise Woman Builds, these are some of the things that stuck out to me:

The unique thing about the Body of Christ is that those being repaired are also repairing. It is as if Mrs. Hammer drives Miss Nail into Mr. Wall who then later cleans Mrs. Hammer with paint remover spilled on her by Mr. and Mrs. Paint while they were redecorating the Bedroom family. (pg. 23)

A Titus 2 woman exudes reverence for God that permeates every aspect of her life: marriage, ministry, mothering, job, physical appearance, and conversation. Everyone in her life knows that she loves and obeys God. She is modest in her dress, respectful of her husband, diligent in her job, and faithful in her ministry. (pg. 57)

God’s Kingdom is an upside-down kingdom with those who rule and lead, bending low and serving more than anyone else. Serving is never something that you do to get to a higher place. A higher place in Jesus is marked always by greater servitude. It’s the only Kingdom where you will hear: “The Pastor is taking out the trash!” “The worship leader is cleaning the toilet!” (pg. 69) 

As you can see, there is plenty of humor mixed in too.

You can view the Table of Contents along with a sample chapter: The Great Commission.

If you would like more information on where to purchase a copy of your own, click HERE.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Come visit Dawn over at her blog, Guiding Light Homeschool, on Facebook and on Twitter…friends are ALWAYS welcome!

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Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners Review and Giveaway!

 Encouragement, Mom Helps, New to Homeschooling, Organization  31 Responses »
Dec 052011
 

Our very own friend and fellow review author, Cindy West has written this book, Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners! You’ll want to learn all about it below, plus enter for a chance to win your own copy. This book is…

  • A resource for those considering homeschooling
  • Inspiration for meeting the needs of a gifted and advanced learner
  • A tool for determining your child’s learning style
  • A source of encouragement for parents

I’m not sure how Cindy was able to cover so much in 160 pages but she does. She’s a mother with 14 years of homeschooling experience and a background in education. Cindy is also an author of the creative NaturExplorers curricula, has written many reviews for us here at The Curriculum Choice and knows first hand about adapting and preparing for her own learners.

Chapters cover:

  • Why Homeschool Gifted Children?
  • An Overview of Homeschooling
  • Choosing Curriculum
  • Teaching All Learners
  • Technology and the Gifted Homeschooler
  • Individualizing Instruction
  • Organizing Your Homeschool Day and Record Keeping
  • What About Socialization?
  • Thinking About College
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Plus a compilation of extensive resources and references

Practical. That’s the impression Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners gives me. She shares not only a wealth of examples for teaching gifted students and developing talent but also ideas and illustrations for day-to-day homeschooling. This inspiration includes…

Highlighted sections throughout the book which offer a bonus nugget of wisdom on almost every page!

Homeschool Hints – simple helps for your homeschool

Real-life Examples – answering the how to of applying the concept shared. The ‘this is how we did it.’

Homeschool Toolbox – book lists, website listings, integrating technology and more

Visual charts offer examples at a glance (e.g. the types of gifted learners)

I found a bonus in how the Teaching All Learners chapter is broken out by school subject. The author shares advice and learning ideas for both:

  • students who excel in a subject AND
  • students who struggle in a subject area

In summary, this book was eye-opening. I learned the definition of giftedness. The different types and areas of giftedness. Plus, Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners armed me with the tools and ideas needed to meet the needs of my gifted learners. Maybe you know that your student is gifted in a particular area but aren’t exactly sure how to foster that giftedness. Cindy’s book will encourage and inspire you as well as offer the practical strategy to put in place for learning!
A personal example? My daughter was struggling with her computer-based Teaching Textbooks math the same week I was reading this book. Because I read in one of the Real-Life Examples about Cindy’s daughter learning by reading, a light bulb went off in my head. Yes, yes. My daughter learns this way too. Here I was offering curriculum with a lecture for her to listen to. So we pulled out the accompanying textbook. Guess what? Reading the lesson was just what she needed. And Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners was just what I needed to be reading to be aware of the answer for our own homeschool!
Who is the book for? This resource is great for the new homeschooler, the homeschool geared toward the gifted and even one like me – having homeschooled ten years. Can’t all of us teachers benefit from continuing education and encouragement?

Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners is available from Prufrock Press Inc. for $24.95 HERE – where you can also click to look inside the book.

Now, for the giveaway! The rules are as follows:


Comment suggestions (not required): In what area do you feel your child is gifted or advanced? or How do you hope this book will encourage you?

~Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. She contributes a blend of writing at parenting, frugal living and homeschool sites as well as her own daily Hodgepodge.

Hands And Hearts Curriculum

 Elementary, Hands On, High School, History, Middle School, Mom Helps, Preschool  2 Responses »
Nov 282011
 

It’s a well-known fact that we learn best by immersion.  When we’re studying a foreign language, it’s recommended that at some point, we fully immerse ourselves into the language and culture to learn and absorb more.  But, when it’s time to study history, learning by immersion can be a little tricky.  We don’t always have the resources (or, time!) to re-create a version of the past to immerse ourselves in and most history textbooks leave much to be desired.

So, what’s a family to do?

Recreating the past has just gotten easier with Hands and Hearts.  When I stumbled across Hands and Hearts History Kits, I was sold after reading what came in the kits.  Each kit is jam-packed with everything you’d need to do projects from the past as well as a CD with printable instructions and background history – making learning so much fun!

For example, the Early American History Kit included everything I needed for the following activities:

(as stated on the website…)

Dip candles: This kit contains 100% pure beeswax and natural wicking.  Your child is sure to enjoy creating his own hand-dipped candles, then eating or studying by candlelight.

Craft an apple pomander:  After reading about the importance of fragrant herbs in early America, your child will enjoy creating a spicy-smelling apple pomander.

Make and play the Bowl Game:  The Bowl Game was a favorite game for many Indian tribes, and it was a favorite for our testers as well!.  Your child will paint the wooden playing pieces, then enjoy playing the game with others.  Comprehensive math tie-in projects are included.

Prepare and drink black brick tea:  Think you know about the Boston Tea Party?  Think again!  We don’t want to ruin the surprise, but you may never look at tea the same way after trying a cup of this brew!

Create a talking feather:  No, this feather isn’t going to start chatting with you.  A talking feather was a decorated ceremonial feather used by Indians during gatherings.  Only the person holding the feather was allowed to talk.  Your child will be delighted to create his own talking feather using an imitation eagle feather, real buffalo bone beads, genuine rabbit fur, leather, artificial sinew, and more.  You will be delighted with the lessons he will learn about social graces!

Stitch a lavender sachet:  Your child be so proud of making this fragrant and beautiful sachet made with lovely dried lavender and attractive calico fabric.  The time spent stitching it will give him or her a glimpse of the work that went into creating clothing and linens long ago.

String a bone cross necklace:  This amazing necklace is made from a hand-carved bone cross and authentic glass tile beads.

Decorate and play a bamboo flute:  This simple toy was enjoyed by many children long ago, and your child will enjoy decorating his own bamboo flute with leather and genuine glass crow beads.  He will enjoy playing it even more!

Learn about the importance of beads in early American history:  You and your child will be fascinated by our section on beads.  We include a bag of genuine imported lampwork beads, trading and valuing information, and several bead projects from which to choose.

Create a wonderful keepsake notebook:  We include a packet of reproducible notebook pages, information on notebooking, and specific notebooking suggestions.

Learn timeless language lessons: Our copywork section draws from classic sources such as The New England Primer, the founding fathers, and more.

Study the geography of early America:  Our Early American History Discovery Kit includes maps from Knowledge Quest, Inc., and comprehensive, easy-to-implement lesson plans co-authored by Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest, Inc. and Kate Estes of Hands and Hearts.

Hide God’s Word in his heart:  Our exclusive Bible Truths Cards will help your child discern important Bible truths drawn from the KJV and the New England Primer.
This kit includes a comprehensive instruction manual containing full background information for every project, and clear step-by-step illustrated instructions.  Everything you need to do all of these projects is right in the box – *you need only to provide an apple and two empty metal cans (like soup cans).  All materials are of the very highest quality and are extremely historically accurate.  Your child won’t just be learning about history – he will be living it!

Each kit – whether you want to learn about Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece and Rome – are full of learning possibilities and everything you would need for the activities.  Most kits are between $39.95 and $69.95, which is well worth it when you consider the contents are provided as are the CDs with instructions and history lessons – and, the gas you didn’t have to waste while trying to find similar items.

Bottom Line – Would I Recommend It?
Yes!  It’s a great time-saver and packed full of fun ideas.  Of course, you could put your own kits together, but in my opinion – these are reasonably priced and make things a lot easier and faster!

-Written by Ashley.  Find more of Ashley’s writings and reflections on motherhood, marriage and life on her blog.

 

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Children

 Encouragement  No Responses »
Nov 022011
 

Product: How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids by: Rachael Carman

Target Audience: Homeschool Moms

Format: Book

Publisher: Apologia

Cost: $13.00

After being a homeschool mom for nine years I can tell you all about the ups and downs. I can share the tears and the joy. I would tell you that my homeschool is based on God, excellence, and academics.  I would tell you my focus is on family and training up young soldiers for God’s army.  While I mean every word of it if you came to my house on a trying day you may not see it. The time I need to maintain focus the most it seems  just out of my grasp. I pray that God minimizes the damage to my children  caused by my lack of focus . I know many other homeschool moms have similar stories. Many are overwhelmed  and struggle at times.  The important moments are sometimes lost during times of discouragement.  I look at my oldest and I take pride (maybe too much) in knowing that I taught her to read, I taught her add and subtract, I taught her how to find her state on the map and I am teaching her how to love the Lord. Wait…am I  discipling properly?

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids is a  little book with a big impact. The lessons taught are not new yet they resonate. The author makes things simple while she is transparent about her own challenges and how she achieved victory. The book is divided into five chapters using the acronym for heart.

H- Have a heart for the things of God
E- Enrich your marriage
A- Accept your kids
R-Release them to God
T-Teach them the Truth

The beauty of the book is found in the simplicity.  As mentioned the lessons are neither new nor ground breaking. However that was not the point. The manner in which she presents this information is the key. It is transparent, clear, heartfelt, and easy to refer back to during those times you need a bit of a boost. A great book to add to your homeschool library on your “for moms” shelf.

Richele is an eclectic homeschooling mom to four reflections of God’s love whose greatest accomplishment thus far was teaching physics, folding laundry, and playing Candyland simultaneously.  Find her blogging at Under the Golden Apple Tree.

Living Memory: A Classical Memory Work Companion

 Charlotte Mason, Classical, Elementary, High School, Middle School, Mom Helps, Uncategorized  1 Response »
Oct 262011
 

If you have read many of my other reviews you already know that I like for things to be easy.  If they aren’t easy, I at least don’t want them to be a ton of work for me.  After all, my inner educator proclaims, this is their education, not mine!  This of course is true to a point.  We all know, I reply to my inner educator, learning never stops; least of all, perhaps, for a home educating mama.

In addition to easy, I want things to make sense, for them to be logical.  Timely, too, in that when they are presented with new ideas, those new ideas make sense to my little learners.  I want to be developmentally appropriate, and I want to cover material that will be useful and necessary.

We ascribe to a sort of Classical, sort of Charlotte Mason, very literary-based education for our children.  The idea of a lot of rote memory work does not fit into my idea of practical or useful.  The idea of memorization for the purpose of reviewing and cementing ideas, though, is another story.  If memory work is one of the tools–like reading and writing and listening and drawing–that we use to gather and corral ideas, that is something I like and want to use.

I have found a great resource by Andrew A. Campbell called Living Memory:  A Classical Memory Work Companion that has removed some of the burden of memory work from my shoulders.  

It is simply a book of lists.  The lists, derived from academic subjects, contain organized information for the purpose of memorization.  Dr. Campbell includes an essay detailing the how and why of using memory work as one of the tools of learning.  The remainder of the book is comprised of lists of information in the following broad subjects:  Latin and Greek, arithmetic and mathematics, grammar and composition, literature, religion, geography, world history, United States history and civics, and natural sciences.  Each section is broken down into more specific categories and into lists.  There are speeches and portions of documents.  There are formulas.  There are charts.  All of this is intended to be used over the academic lifetime of a student–from Kindergarten to graduation.

The book has been helpful to me in two ways.  First, it has given me ideas.  Sometimes the question of what to memorize has been overwhelming to me–so overwhelming that I have thrown up my hands and provided nothing for my kids to concentrate on retaining.  Now, I can open Living Memory, find a science list that fits with our studies, and put my little learners to work.

Second, Dr. Campbell has assured me that memorizing something is better than memorizing nothing, that I can start small and build, and that memory work can and should be in the context of our studies.  I like that.  It makes sense to me, because it is orderly and timely.  It is developmentally appropriate.  Also, it is simple and easy.  And you know that I like easy.

Living Memory:  A Classical Memory Work Companion by Andrew A. Campbell provides comprehensive lists in a variety of pertinent subjects to be used for memory work.  It can be found on Lulu.com in both digital ($14.95) and paperback ($22.46) versions.

 

Susan S. is a home educating mama of three in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  Her days are wild and lovely, full of chattering, learning children.  In all of the mess, she learns the most, taught by the Master Teacher Himself.  

History Through the Ages Timeline CDs

 Classical, Elementary, History, Mom Helps  1 Response »
Sep 062011
 

Timelines appeal to me. They aid visual, kinesthetic, spatial, and logical thinkers. What’s not to love?

Well, the work of putting together a visually appealing, cohesive, historically-accurate timeline, for one. How about the time it takes to find all of those little pictures? What about deciding which dates to include? What about figuring out how to put the thing together? What about figuring out where to put it?

The details of the timeline were dragging me down, threatening the reality of creating one in our home.

It seemed to me that some sort of timeline was a foregone conclusion in our home school, but there were several burdens to bear. Although I could have done the work myself, it is more likely that the timeline would have fallen by the wayside without a little outside intervention.

I found the help that I needed to make the timeline happen in our home at Homeschool in the Woods. Their History Through the Ages Timeline answered many of my questions, solved some problems, and simplified everything else.

I purchased the CDs, which include over a thousand historical figures. The figures represent people, places, and events throughout time. It is truly history through the ages, encapsulating a variety of different realms—political, military, social, art, music, and literature. Likewise, both secular and biblical and church history are included.

There are two CDs in the case. They contain the same figures, but one CD presents the figures in PDF format, the other in GIF format. Both CDs contain the figures with only a name and a date, as well as the figures with a short text summarizing the importance of the person, place, event, people group, or time period. There are two sizes of PDF files—wall and notebook size. These files print in pages of figures; they are arranged chronologically. The GIF files can be chosen and sized to fit specific needs, and are easily accessible using categories that serve as an index.

I have used the timeline figures for two major purposes in our academics.

We have begun a paper timeline that is stored in a binder. It is simple, but effective, visually presenting history through the use of Amy Pak’s intricately drawn figures. We add figures as time allows, which generally means a marathon session with the binder and a glue stick. We also add a little bit of color coding, just to help us remember who and where go with what and when.

I have also made a set of timeline cards—people, dates, and events with which I hope for us to maintain familiarity. I used a glue stick to adhere the appropriate timeline figure onto an index card, and voila, instant and cost effective timeline card! We study a fourth of history at a time, but we are able to easily review material from previous years. As an added bonus, I could choose the dates, which means that we review events from all through time and all over the world, customizing the cards to our studies.

My children are in elementary school, so a lot of the work of the timeline falls to me. As they get older, I will expect them to be more involved in the preparation, decisions, and details of our timelines. I foresee lots of mini-timelines and personal timelines and subject-specific timelines. It will be a timeline extravaganza! All brought to us from Homeschool in the Woods and their History Through the Ages Timeline CDs!

The Historical Timeline Figures come preprinted and in CD form. The preprinted sets contain figures that are 2.5” by 3.5” and are sold in historical groupings: Creation to Christ, Resurrection to Revolution, Napoleon to Now, and America’s History. They cost $22.95 each, with the exception of the American history set, which costs $32.95 due to its larger size.

The CDs contain the same figures found in all four sets plus a bonus set of additional figures. The CD allows for multiple printings and for resizing of timeline figures. The CDs contain 1,260 historical figures in both PDF and GIF formats, as well as the timeline information found on the website. It costs $74.95.

There is also a handy, dandy Timeline Placement Guide that I have found useful as I tried to determine placement of figures. The $11.95 has been well worth it, because it contains a sample timeline in miniature that includes all of the timeline figures on the CD.

The History Through the Ages Timeline CDs were a major investment for our homeschool. I have been pleased with both the figures and their use in our home, and believe that they will continue to be a benefit in the years to come. I bought them early in our homeschool journey so that we could suck all of the use out of them in multiple years and in a variety of ways. So far, so good!

Are you in need of a little timeline help? The History Through the Ages Timeline CDs may be answer!

-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 her wonderful husband to an educational philosophy that is Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical and Charlotte Mason, with a touch of the traditional.

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