Grapevine Studies (Review)

To be honest, when I heard that Grapevine Studies was a Bible curriculum  based on stick figures, I wasn't expecting much.   I mean, really how can anything using stick figures be useful, right?  When I opened the package, our books were wrapped in white paper, with a stick figure drawn on it and a handwritten welcome message.  Olivia was in love from that point, and that piece of paper is now a poster on her bedroom wall, I kid you not.

I ordered the New Testament Overview Level 1 Ages 6-8 Grades 1-2 so that it would fit Olivia's age and academic  level the best.  However, Lindsey has really enjoyed it and even at three, she's keeping up very well with the exception of not being able to write the memory verse.   This is the only part of our school day where the kids ask "do we have to stop?  can't we do more?"  This has quickly become my kids' favorite part of their school day!

The Grapevine method teaches the Bible as if it were a puzzle.  The curriculum teaches an overall timeline first.  Each following  lesson begins with a timeline review up to the point of that days lesson.   The information from each lesson then helps solidify the timeline events.   The student either takes notes, or stick figures the details of the lesson.   I honestly didn't think stick figures would make any sense at all.  However, I've found that the simplicity of it allows both of my children to work at their own level to document the events they are studying, in a way that they understand.   At the end of each lesson there is a set of review questions that helps to ensure that the students have grasped the major concepts of the passage being studied.   I've been wonderfully surprised at how much information the girls are retaining from our studies! 

The teacher manual provides background Bible reading to prepare for the lesson; information on definitions you need to look up prior to the lesson and tells you what to draw (and shows you the end product for those of us not creative enough to do it on our own).

The program is broken down nicely by age and grade.  However, the folks at Grapevine are very helpful with recommendations if you're not sure about where your child needs to be.   Prices vary by product.    We reviewed the New Testament Overview; and the student text costs $25.95 per copy and the teacher edition is $45.95 for the one year curriculum.

Beginner Ages 5-7 Pre-K- K

These fun and engaging books are designed with small children in mind. Take a look at how you can effectively teach young children even when they have the wiggles!
Level 1 Ages 6-8 Grades 1-2
Take a step beyond the Beginner. Teachers will introduce Bible timelines and teach more in-depth lessons. Your students will never complain about being bored again!
Level 2 Ages 8-10 Grades 3-4

Level 2 students will continue to learn the Bible timeline and memorize important biblical facts that every believer would benefit from knowing. Students will love drawing the Bible!
Level 3 Ages 10-13 Grades 5-8

Bible geography sets this level apart. Not only will students learn the major characters and events of the Bible they will also know where these events take place.
Level 4 Teen-Adult Grades 9-Adult

Students will master the Bible timeline, be introduced to Bible study tools, and practice using a Bible Dictionary, Concordance, and Topical Bible.
Level 5 Teen-Adult Independent
Mature believers will enjoy these self-directed Bible studies. Students will practice inductive study skills, answer critical thinking questions, do hands-on projects, and choose research projects. 
Multi-Level Ages 7 and up

Do you need to teach several age groups at one time? These studies will help you effectively teach each age while maintaining the interest of all students.

The folks at Grapevine Studies have graciously offered my readers a 30% discount if you shop between now and August 30, 2009.  Simply go to Grapevine Studies and shop your little heart out!  Then when you go to checkout use the coupon code of crew9 to receive your 30% discount!   I highly recommend that you take advantage of this coupon!!

To see what others are saying head over to the Crew blog!

Quarter Past 14

Olivia and I have been working on telling time.  It's going really well.  She can tell the time to the hour and the half hour.   Yesterday I told her that this coming week we'd start working on the quarter hour.    Lindsey listens intently to all that Olivia is doing, and insists that she understands it all and knows it all.

So this morning at 7:00 am, I was awakened by a little voice beside me saying "Mom, time to get up, its' quarter past 14!".....I went to bed at almost 2am.....it would be lovely if there were a 14...instead of a 7.

Great news!   The subtraction issue clicked in Olivia's brain this week!!   She's very proud of herself (so am I).   Now we're moving onward with greater and less.  She seems to get this concept pretty easily.  Although, at first any number with a nine in the one's column was considered greater to her. 

Another exciting thing for me the last week or so has been her reading skill explosion.   She's actually VOLUNTEERING to read extra during class time!!   Her fluency and tone/inflection has improved greatly too.  Some of the words she reads without struggle amazes me.

Media Angels has a wonderful printable ABC coloring book that they were offering free this last week.  Besides focusing on the alphabet, it teaches Creation Science and Geology as well.  Lindsey is super excited about the series of booklets (I have to finish cutting and assembling them today).

Next week will be a short school week for us.  I'll be babysitting one of Lindsey's little friends from early Thursday morning through late Friday evening.  I'm planning on doing a field trip on Thursday (I hope) and then Friday we're traveling a little ways to meet some of my old friends at a park for a picnic lunch.

Web Design for Kids – Click Drag Solutions (Review)

As of the writing of this post, I've been blogging for 9 months.  Ok, more like I've been blindly bumping my way through the blogosphere!   Really folks, have you ever tried to pronounce "html" instead of just saying "H.T.M.L."?....yeah well, let's NOT even go there.   Then along came Web Design for Kids (...and Curious Grown Ups).    Thank goodness it's for Kids AND Curious computer illiterate adults!

In this wonderful DVD, Brian Richardson walks you through the basics using your Windows Operating System and Notepad to create your very own webpages!   I totally did NOT have a clue about any of this!  Brian takes you step by step through these areas:

1. 10 Basic Lines of Code
2.  Sandwiches and Colors
3.  Make a Subject Stand Out
4. Stand Alone Tags
5.  Designing Backgrounds
6.  Fonts and Paragrahps
7.  Pictures

There is also a bonus section on File Folder Management.  If you'd like to see a 1-minute clip from the DVD, click here.  

The DVD normally sells for $40.00...HOWEVER!!  For a limited time only, they are having a sale for 50% off!   Total cost is only $19.99 + $3.99 shipping and handling.  AND...a money back guarantee!!    As if that's not enough, consider that a portion of all sales goes to these wonderful charities.

The Smile Train
Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Childrens Miracle Network
American Foundation for the Blind

Since my kids are 6 and 3, this DVD is going to be hanging around ME for quite some time!   I'm setting up a practice webpage until I'm confident I won't destroy my blog.   So when you see things start changing, you'll know I've gotten over the fear!!  Or you'll know the kids have watched the DVD and have taken over!

To see what others are saying, head over to the Crew Blog!

Hank the Cowdog – Maverick Books (Review)

Last week we received a package from Maverick Books introducing us to Hank the Cowdog. In our package was an assortment of items, including the CD "Tales and Tunes From Hank", the book "The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse", and Hank's Tornado Game. 

As the title "Hank the Cowdog" implies, the stories are told from the dog's perspective.   Hank, the self appointed head of security on the ranch, tends to have a surly disposition; teetering precariously on the edge of disrespect and irreverence.

The cd has excerpts from 10 books plus 9 orginal songs. Song titles include "A Pox, A Pox on Emily Post";  "We Don't Give a Hoot" and "It's Not Smart to Show Your Hiney to a Bear".     Cost of the CD is $3.00 plus shipping. 

The book,  The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse is well written, with humor and an interesting viewpoint.   Hank and his pal Drover have some terribly funny dialogues.   Again, Hank's surly disposition and attitude are questionable, although he is a hero in the end!    Priced at $4.24, this book may be just what you're looking for to spark interest in your hesitant readers.

The girls and I really enjoyed Hanks Tornado Game.  It's played similar to the old Trouble game.  Playing pieces are Hank, Drover and their friend Junior, the buzzard.  Another plus, is that the pieces fit inside the game board  (WITH A SECURE CLOSURE!!) for easy travel or storage. The game comes with a cassette tape that has several songs and excerpts from the book "The Case of the Swirling Killer Tornado".   The game is for 2-4 players, ages 5 and up (although my 3 year old loves it).  The gameboard and playing pieces are sturdy and for $12.99 you can't go wrong for hours of fun!

All of those things aside, after previewing the CD and cassette, I did not allow my girls to listen to either of them.   Although they are funny at times, and have good sound effects, I felt that the attitude of the main character was not in line with the character traits we're trying to instill in our daughters.   Older children who may be able to separate the story from the behaviors may benefit more from the audio's than younger children who easily pick up on negative behaviors.   My kids did enjoy the book, although I reworded it and skipped some parts that  I felt were disrespectful.  

Head on over to the Crew blog to see what others are saying!

The Big Curriculum Clean Out!

 

Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations has had enough of the clutter and unused books!!  So she's organizing the Big Curriculum Clean Out!   I for one plan to jump on this band wagon.  Books multiply faster than bunnies around here!   For all the details, head on over to Homeschool Creations....then start  going through your stuff!!

I Am Learning All the Time!

Kris over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers had a giveaway recently for a prize pack, and one of the prizes was this lovely book "I Am Learning All The Time" by Rain Perry Fordyce.   I was thrilled to win (I never win at these things!)  The book gives a look into the differences and similarities of homeschool vs. public school.   For example one section of the book talks about  how kids in school get to pack their lunch in a cool lunchbox, but homeschooled kids get to eat lunch with their mom (and sometimes dad) and their siblings.   The thing I liked most, is that it doesn't lend itself to being critical of public schools or homeschool.  

To read more, or to see about buying a copy visit Homeschool Adventure Books.

Gotta Love Freebies….

I try to find fun things to do locally with the girls.  FREE fun is an added bonus!   Our local Lowe's does a kids craft day on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month.  It's wonderful!   The store supplies the craft kits, goggles and a work apron.  When they finish building the kids get a certificate of completion for each craft, and a patch to sew onto their little work aprons.  (We're on our 2nd apron for each kid...they LOVE going there!)  I'm pretty sure all Lowe's do this, so you may want to check your local store.

This past Saturday, we made pirate chests!  The girls had a wonderful time building and then rushed home to fill their chest with hidden treasures.

Goofy child....

2009-2010 Curriculum Choices (I’m pretty sure, I think…maybe.)

I don't necessarily take the summer off from schooling...nor do I school all summer.  What I did last year, and attempted this year is to use the summer for improving reading skills and either move ahead in math or refine math skills, depending on which is needed more. 

Admittedly, we've been a little too unstructured since around March/April.     So, although the "school year" hasn't started, I'm annoyed that I'm only 23 lessons into the fall curriculum...does anyone care, or even know other than me?  Doubtful...with the exception of those of you who are reading my ramblings.

Here are my picks for this year, although they are subject to change over the course of the year as I review new products through the Homeschool Crew! 

Both girls will be using the same curriculum, with the exception of Lindsey will be doing the K4 in Abeka, and Olivia will be doing the 1st Grade Abeka.

Abeka 1 Phonics, Reading, Writing, Spelling
Abeka 1 Mathematics
Cantering the Country (geography, history, science, literature....)
Awana (Bible)
Song School Latin
Discovering Great Artists

So as of right now, that's what we're going with.  I can't promise it won't change...especially the one 1st Grade product that has WAY too many teacher manuals, broken up into WAY too many sections for the same lessons....just sayin'.

Please Pray for Local Child

This past week a local young boy named Luke Yoder was playing with his cousin in the family yard. The stone/brick outdoor barbecue they were playing on collapsed and by all accounts about 300lbs of stone landed on his head. He is in a medically induced coma to help control brain swelling.

Friends and family have started a blog to keep folks up to date. Please see Luke's story, and add him and his family to your prayers.

100 Best Blogs for Christian Homeschoolers

The folks at Liberty University have assembled a listing of  what they consider to be the top 100 Best Blogs for Chistian Homeschoolers.   I was thrilled to hear that Learning Curve was selected as one of the 100 blogs.  Head on over to Liberty University to find out what wonderful resources they've put together.

I can't wait to check out all the blogs!

Take Away Woes

As you may recall in my very first post,  I had reached an impasse with Olivia and addition.  We had to stop in our tracks and spend a couple of weeks reviewing and reviewing and reviewing.  Then suddenly, the light bulb came on and she not only had  the concept, but she leaped ahead considerably. 

So here we are 9 months later and we've run smack dab into subtraction.  We're repeating the same pattern that we used with addition.  We've stopped using the curriculum and are focusing entirely on subtraction.  One thing that has helped a great deal is The Math Worksheet Site.  This has allowed me to create lots of practice worksheets without having to write them out over and over again.

We've gone over the subtraction facts for the first 6 number families, ALOT.  We've worked the problems on worksheets using our poker chips (the entire homeschooling world uses colored bear counters, I found 100 poker chips for 50cents...you do the math).

Today we broke out the Pumpkin Pickin' Math game and worked on subtraction as a group.  Lindsey is catching on nicely by the way.

We've also been making a calendar together.  So today the girls colored the picture for the month of July (um, yeah, I'm a little behind on the coloring thing).  We used the first week to work on subtraction again, so that she could see if you're on the 7 and you move back two, you get five because 7-2=5.  This seemed to help, some...

What I found to be the most interesting of all, is lightning bug math.  Seriously, we were outside tonight catching lightning bugs and she had collected some number of bugs, I forget the exact number so lets say she had 8.   She told me that two bugs got away.  So I said "So you had 8 bugs and 2 got away, how many do you have left?"  She instantly new that the answer was 6, without thinking about it.   I'm wondering now, if one of those lightning bugs was her subtraction bulb turning on??   I guess we'll see tomorrow.

The “I Believe Bunny”

This charming book  written by Tish Rabe will quickly become one of your childs favorite books to read over and over again.  The story flows nicely with wonderful rhymes, endearing characters and most importantly a lesson on prayer.   The storyline gives you, the reader, the opportunity to teach your child several valuable lessons including how to ask God for help in a dangerous situation; to be willing to help your friend in need; and it also gives you an open door into water safety if you so choose.

The full color illustrations by Frank Endersby's are filled with little details that seem to bring the pages to life.  Your children will be delighted by this  wonderful book and the characters inside.  My own children enjoyed it so much that they've been reenacting it for days now.   My three year old was thrilled to hear that even a bunny her size could make a difference!

The timeless truth that "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Philipians 4:13) is brought to life in a way that even your youngest bunny can grasp.

You can purchase your copy of the I Believe Bunny directly from Thomas Nelson by clicking here, or at Amazon by clicking here.

United States Studies

This fall, we'll be starting on our journey across the U.S.A.   Unfortunately our journey will be via our studies, as it's not feasible for us to literally trek around the nation...oh but if funds were available I'd SO be all over that idea.

I've been gathering our items for the fall, and thought I was finished.   However, the folks over at Love to Learn sent an email out over the weekend that has some really good things that will really help us to tie the studies together.

For example,  the girls are both getting their own copy of  their United States Coloring Book.  This big 103-page book has plenty of facts and lots to color! Each two-page spread contains a map of the state shape, location, major industries, capital city, state bird and flower, plus a scene to color that is typical of that state's landscape or industries.

They also have a wonderful U.S.A. Floor Puzzle, that comes with a  World Geograpy Atlas Activity for FREE! 

So I'm pretty certain I'll be doing some shopping after the kids are in bed and I can look through all of their resources in their online catalog.

Living Museums

Both of my girls love hands on activities.  If we go to a museum where everything is under glass and out of reach, they are ready to go home.    We had a couple of Freebie opportunities yesterday, and my husband was off work, so we spent the day playing and learning together. 

First we headed to the local children's museum.  Lindsey has natural giftings toward homemaking and mothering.  She spent most of her time working in their kitchen area.  She made us "lunch"...

The finished product...

I offered to help clean up her "kitchen", but was told "No, I'm the ma'am; you can go play while I clean up."

Olivia loves working the spotlight for the stage area; taking a break to fix a "snack" and checking out animal skeletons.

In the evening, we traveled to our local Frontier Culture Museum.   There are so many things to see and do there; farms from Ireland, England, Germany and early American settlements.   The girls love touring the houses and helping with the work on the farms and they ask such interesting questions (and stumped the folks portraying the farmers on a few occasions).  For example the young man below was demonstrating the process of turning flax into the proper texture to make linen out of.   Olivia wanted to know how long it would take to process enough to be able to make a shirt...we'll have to study that on our own.

Old world bowling (above) was a lot of fun on the German farm.  So was drawing water from the well (below) on the same farm.

In the early American home, the folks have been working on a friendship quilt for some time.   The young lady of the home offered the girls the opportunity to help work on the project. 

This is my favorite photo of the day, as the girls run off together to search for a new adventure.