Institute For Excellence in Writing- Teaching Writing: Structure and Style DVDs By Andrew Pudewa Feeling Empowered as a Parent/Teacher Many of my blog readers have been asking me to write a review of Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) for a long time. I have hesitated to write the review since we are still very much a work in progress…
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Teaching Grammar With Playful Poems
When I taught school outside my home it was all the rage to teach grammar through writing. While grading the students papers I made notes on the grammar I thought they needed to learn and then used the grammar textbook to teach grammar in mini ten minute lessons three times a week. Overall, I didn’t feel very successful, but I…
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Lessons in Responsibility for Boys
Boys are curious creatures if you ask me. One day I think I’ve got mothering boys down, and the next day I realize I have no clue! They want different things than girls – they need different things than girls. One thing I’ve seen in both of my boys, as compared to my daughter, is the need for independence. They…
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About Animals Series by Cathryn Sill
On any given day a stranger stumbling unsuspecting into our home could—and should—expect to meet with any of a large variety of animals. The possibilities range from the exotic to the mundane: a maned wolf, a gorilla, a fox, a hippo, a mountain goat, a cheetah, a cat, a puppy. The animals residing here really just depend upon the current…
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Great Science Adventures: Discovering the Human Body and Senses
I used Great Science Adventures: Discovering the Human Body and Senses from Common Sense Press as the main resource for our recent study of the human body. Overall, I enjoyed this program and plan to use other titles from the Great Science Adventures series in the future. Before the individual lessons are presented, there is quite a bit of information included at the beginning…
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Under the Microscope
There are so many expensive homeschool resources, but one of the best science investments we have ever made cost less than $15.00. We purchased a Pocket Microscope($13.95) several years ago from Home Science Tools. With two AA batteries, and three zoom levels (60X, 80X, 100X) this little microscope can help even a 2 year old explore the world around them. A…
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Editor in Chief
My last review I shared about my search for a grammar text that would finish our study of grammar. I found Our Mother Tongue, and I am pleased with the way it teaches grammar. But, it doesn’t include sentence mechanics. (There is an appendix for the topic, but I don’t find it adequate.) It doesn’t address topics such as where…
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Spellquizzer
Spellquizzer is spelling software that gives you a break while helping your children learn their spelling words. This software can be adapted to your current spelling lists or you can find sample and full spelling lists to use on this program. There is a section that allows you to share spelling lists with other homeschoolers as well. Whether using your own spelling and vocabulary lists, downloading news…
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Louis Braille, The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind
There were just a few more pages to turn when it happened. My voice froze and I felt the tears pushing. My son grinned knowingly, “Mom’s going to cry.” It doesn’t happen very often, but literature gets me the most often. And biographies. Biographies can be just too inspirational for me to maintain my composure. I picked up a copy…
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Time4Learning Preschool Give-away!
Time4Learning has graciously allowed us to give-away one subscription of their newest product for preschoolers. The preschool learning games and activities combines technology, animated characters, original stories and fun music to inspire a love of learning in the littlest e-learners. Ed Mouse and his friends guide children through more than forty topics such as numbers, letters, rhymes, self, time, music…
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