Monday, March 31, 2014

Media Talk 101 - Captivated DVD Review

Hello friends, my family and I recently had the opportunity to review the Captivated DVD from Media Talk 101. What a wonderful documentary!

What is Media Talk 101?

Media Talk 101 is a nonprofit Christian ministry that provides biblical help for living in a society saturated in media. They provide help through live presentations, wonderful resources, speaker training, and prayer!

What is the Captivated DVD?

The Captivated DVD is an award winning Christian documentary that explores the impact of Social Media. Media Talk 101 founder, Philip Telfer, takes us on a nationwide tour of experts, families, and individuals, to demonstrate not only the problems of a media slave culture, but also how God’s Word addresses the unique challenges we all seem to face today.

How did we use and what did we think of the Captivated DVD?

Before even putting the documentary into the DVD player, I asked my family to turn over their phones and tablets. Yes, I got them. No, my girls were NOT happy. I immediately felt sad and realized that yes, we do indeed have a media problem right here at home. Yes, I already knew this before even watching the film. As I looked upon the pile, I started to feel a bit convicted. I mean for one, I'm the one who had purchased these devices. I even started to understand why Media Talk 101 would choose the word captivated. It's a strong word and very appropriate. It is a captivating feeling, to think about how much control we have giving over to media. I thought since my children know that they are not allowed to view some content, that we were on a good track. I learned years ago, that their attitudes were being molded from some of the media they were viewing. I put a stop to those shows, games, ect. Was that enough? I can honestly say, No. We are surrounded by not just TV's, but computers, tablets, phones, gaming systems, etc. It is overwhelming, the amount of media that we have allowed into our home. It's not just in our homes either, it's everywhere you go. It's also not just the amount of media that is concerning, it's the content of most this media.

I presented my children with this question:

Do you think our family could go a few days without any media?

I could hear the crickets chirping..well not really, but they were so quiet. Why? I'm assuming they were wondering what shows they would miss or maybe how they would possibly be able to beat the next level on their favorite game. I'm positive they weren't thinking about how much fun they could have playing outside or doing something productive.

During the course of the documentary, I found myself pausing to discuss what we were learning. There were a ton of facts presented throughout the documentary that really got us thinking and talking. For example, below are just a few facts we learned.

The screen time for the average American child is over 53 hours per week.

By the time the average child is 18 they will have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders on TV.

Some people find media a bigger addiction than drugs.

I know my girls were surprised to learn these facts along with many other facts. As we had actually never discussed these things in depth before. I felt that the Captivated DVD presented an opportunity to discuss the dangers of media, but also discuss the ways to address and help the issue. It allowed my girls to better understand that we need to be strong in the Lord and quite being so busy with media. We need to be taking the media and replacing it with something positive. Guarding our heart and breaking free from a media centered culture.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:8

I know that, looking forward, we plan to be much more media wise.

What does the Captivated DVD cost?

At this time you can purchase the Captivated DVD for $16.95.

In my opinion, this is a wonderful price for this quality documentary.

Who is the Captivated DVD for?

This movie is intended for adults, but has been approved for all ages. I personally loved being able to view it with my family. It presented a wonderful opportunity to discuss the in depth issues of media.

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Well friends, it's safe to say, that I feel our family has been blessed by the Captivated DVD. It really gave us a lot to think about. I highly recommend it to everyone.

You can find Media Talk 101 on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaptivatedTheMovie

Twitter: @CaptivatedMovie

Click below to read other fantastic reviews of the Captivated DVD from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Great Activities for Easter

Easter is almost here and today I'm sharing some wonderful Christ-centered Easter resources I have found around the web.

While researching activities I came across a wonderful blog post called We've Been EGGED! I thought "Operation: You've been Egged!" Was such a clever idea and apparently so did Fab N' Free because they have created an awesome printable for it.

YOU’VE BEEN EGGED! A FREE PRINTABLE

~Easter Activities~

Empty Easter Tomb Biscuits

Free "Jesus Is Risen" Notebooking Pages

The Jellybean Prayer – FREE Printable!

Colorful Light Ray Cross

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I recently had the opportunity to review Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs. Our family loved them and recommend them. You can read my review HERE.

~Easter Books~

The Week That Led to Easter

The Very First Easter

A Christ-Centered Easter: Day-By-Day Activities to Celebrate Easter Week

Looking for more Easter resources?

Check out a collection of ideas from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

What are some of the ways you celebrate Easter?

We would love for you to share your comments below.

This post contains affiliate links.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Spelling You See Review

Hello friends, I'm so excited to share a new review with you all today. My daughter and I recently had the opportunity to review Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B) from Spelling You See.

Spelling You See is from the same fabulous company, Demme Learning, that brought us Math-U-See.

So, you're probably wondering, what is Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B)?

Well friends, it's amazing!

Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B) is a spelling program that uses fun and engaging nursery rhymes to teach spelling skills. It not only teaches spelling skills, but it also introduces new words that help expand vocabulary. I love that the nursery rhymes tell a story. This is helping my daughter develop an understanding of the sequences and expanding her reading skills, as well as teaching spelling. The nursery rhymes are easy to say which makes them easy to learn.

What is the age range for Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B)?

Spelling You See products are meant for elementary ages, or for remedial work for older students. Placement is not based on grade but on the student’s level of language development.

How are we using Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B) in our home?

I want to share with you, that my daughter has never really been a big fan of spelling. She is a struggling reader. It has always been a struggle for her to read and of course if you have trouble reading, you probably struggle with spelling. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect the day we started Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B). I can tell you though, that day one was a huge success and after only a few weeks my daughter started reading better and spelling better. What a HUGE blessing!

We started doing lessons daily. We studied each rhyme for a week. One daily lesson consists of two facing pages. I would first start out by reading over the Jack and Jill Instructor's Handbook. I then would read the week's rhyme to her and then she would read it back to me. She then would have to copy a short phrase or sentence and then fill in a set of letter boxes, focusing on short vowel sounds. My daughter did so well with the lessons and we never felt the lessons to be a struggle. Because the lessons went so smoothly, my daughter became more engaged with it and at times asked is she could do more lessons. This was definitely a first for us. A first that I'm very happy that happened.

What do I love the most about Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B)?

I'm positive that our success came from the lessons being nursery rhymes. My daughter loves nursery rhymes, so reading them and learning to spell the words was exciting for her. Everyday when her daddy would return home from work, she had something new to show him. It was fun for the whole family to share in her success and it inspired her to continue trucking on through the workbook. I also love that the lessons aren't terribly long, which helps my daughter retain the information she is learning. I also felt that we could go at her pace.

What I loved the most though, was that my daughter absolutely loved it! Knowing that she loved Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B) made loving it easy. It's never fun trying out a new curriculum and finding out your child isn't liking it. This was not the case for us, thankfully!

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I only have one suggestion, when it comes to using Spelling You See. Make sure that you are available to sit and help your child. I feel that more was learned when I was available to my daughter. I could see how she could have been discouraged from the beginning, only because she's not a fan of spelling, had I not been there to help and cheer her on.

What do you get with Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B) and what does it cost?

Jack and Jill Student Pack - $30.00

Contains 36 lessons that is divided into five parts, A through E.

Included are:

Two Student Workbooks
A Guide to Handwriting
A Pack of Erasable Colored Pencils.

Jack and Jill Instructor's Handbook - $16.00

The Handbook contains a “Getting Started” guide with an overview of the 36 lessons and information about the important skills and concepts that will be learned in each level. The back of the Handbook includes answers to frequently asked questions and a collection of helpful resources, including passages for dictation.

I wanted to note that we received Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B) as an advanced PDF copy to review. At this time only physical book versions are available for purchase.

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Well friends, as you can see, we are really benefiting from Spelling You See: Jack and Jill (Level B). We are doing so well with it, that we plan on continuing through the workbooks. I also plan on purchasing more products from Spelling You See in the near future, to use with all three of my daughters.

Want to find out more about Spelling You See?

Check them out on Facebook and Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/SpellingYouSee

https://twitter.com/spellingyousee

Click Below to read other Spelling You See reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Monday, March 24, 2014

Pinterest Resources for Homeschooling

Hello friends, it's no doubt, that you have probably heard of the amazing website - Pinterest. If you haven't tried it out, well then, I highly recommend it. As a homeschooling mom of three very visual learners, I have found this site to be invaluable.

Why is Pinterest a great tool for visual learners?
Well, let's first define what a visual learner is. A visual learner - is someone who absorbs information, concepts, data and ideas the best when they are associated with images. Well friends, Pinterest is a gold mine of images. Wanna know what a baby panda bear looks like? Search it on Pinterest and you are sure to find a page filled with baby panda bear images. I have found Pinterest to be a great tool in putting together unit studies. Before Pinterest, I had a slew of bookmarks and honestly, I had a bit of trouble finding everything I wanted to revisit. I'm now feeling much more organized, thanks to Pinterest.
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Back in August of 2013, I was contacted by Pinterest to be part of Teachers on Pinterest. I was specifically asked to spearhead a board geared towards homeschooling. It was such an honor and I was easily able to find like-minded homeschoolers to contribute towards making the board the success it is today. I'd love for you to check it out.
http://www.pinterest.com/teachers/homeschool/
Follow Teachers on Pinterest's board Homeschool on Pinterest.
Click HERE to read an article about Teachers on Pinterest.

Wanna follow me on Pinterest? If so - Click Here
Visit Jennifer Silcott's profile on Pinterest.

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Below are some of the homeschooling boards I have put together. I like to organize them by subject.
Homeschool Methods/ Learning Styles

Homeschool Rooms & Organization

Google Earth - Teaching Aid

Speech Therapy

How it's Made

Homeschool - Agriculture

Homeschool - Art/Craft

Homeschool - Chemistry

Homeschool - Craft Recipes

Homeschool - Engineering & Architecture

Homeschool - Entomology

Homeschool - Foreign Language

Homeschool - Forensic Science

Homeschool - Home-Ec/Life Skills

Homeschool - Language Arts

Homeschool - Math

Homeschool - Music

Homeschool - Pretend Play

Homeschool - Quantum Physics

Homeschool - Science

Homeschool - Social Studies/History

Homeschool - Spelling

Homeschool - Technology

Homeschool - Writing Prompts

Homeschool - Zoology

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Pinterest has also inspired me to create an art area for my daughters. They have thoroughly enjoyed finding crafts and art on Pinterest and recreating it themselves.

I'd love to know some of the ways you utilize Pinterest. Leave us a comment below.

Check out what other Schoolhouse Review Crew members think about Pinterest.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Chinese Vase & Cherry Blossom Craft

Hello Friends, today we had a ton of fun with our Chinese vase & cherry blossom craft.

Here is how we put these together.

1) We first glued two pieces of construction paper together vertically.

2) We cut a vase out of white paper and glued it to the bottom of the construction paper.

3) We researched Chinese vase designs and drew them onto the vase.

4) We then used a brown marker to draw our branches

5) We then hot glued our cherry blossoms. We opted to use red fat beads, red round beads, and little red lids. You can use whatever you have available. I have also seen people dip the bottoms of 2 litter bottles in paint, to get the desired blossom look.

Enjoy! Leave us a comment below, we would love to know how your craft turned out.

Click here to visit our Asia Unit Study Pinterest Board

Click Here to visit our Asia Resource Blog Post

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Take Homeschool Learning to a New Level by Stepping Outside the Home

When you set out to educate your children at home, you're given the chance to mold their minds in a way that would be impossible to attain in a larger classroom. Sure, you can give each child more attention than they'd normally get in school, but you also are uninhibited by outdated curriculum's and the requirement to sit at a desk for hours on end. While most students are lucky to go on three or four field trips a year, you have the power to introduce your little ones to the world day after day for a comprehensive and enriching education. To gather ideas about how to use excursions outside the home to expand one’s learning experience, read the top picks below!

1) Musical expression is like “miracle grow” for a child’s brain and spirit. Foster your little ones’ curiosity and appreciation with plenty of concerts and performances. These can range from the symphony to high school recitals to local theater productions. Music is a great vehicle for children to learn about foreign cultures as well, whether it’s through attending an African drum circle, listening to a CD with Spanish guitar playing or taking Irish river dancing lessons. Encourage younger pupils to establish their own musical voice by having a box full of play instruments; percussion will be easier for children that struggle to have their lungs will with air or don’t quite have the dexterity for strings, so consider purchasing toy xylophones, miniature keyboards and drums for kids, like the ones found at child-friendly West Music. On the other hand, if your student is older, consider having a music teacher provide weekly instruction; you can find plenty of instructors through databases like Take Lessons. Let your child have significant say in the instrument he or she will be playing and, once again, consider exploring different options through live music performances!

2) An observatory is a bridge between our eye and outer space, and it may just serve as a bridge between your child’s imagination and a future career. Freed up to take your children on fieldtrips long after traditional schools close, teach your kids about the different planets, and then quench their curiosity by allowing them to behold the stars. If there isn’t an observatory in close proximity to you, consider laying out a picnic blanket and using a telescope to identify the stars. Not only can this lead to further intrigue about science, but your youngsters may be fascinated by such topics as the mythological characters the star constellations are named after.

3) To a nursing home or Grandma’s house. This selection may strike you as strange, but older generations are a wealth of modern day history. Instead of simply having your children learn about the Great Depression or Pearl Harbor in a book, you can have the events brought to life with firsthand accounts by individuals who witnessed it. With the permission of the caretakers, have your children ask aging senior-citizens preplanned questions and have them take notes or tape record the oral accounts. Of course, there’s the added bonus of having your kids develop an appreciation for older generations, as well the possibility that your efforts may brighten the day of an elderly individual.

These are just basic ideas that are intended to spur your own. I’d love to hear your own experiences about what educational opportunities have helped your children to expand their appreciation for learning. Share in the comment section below!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Make a Peanut Butter Bird Feeder

Today my girls and I were admiring the beautiful birds that were visiting our backyard. I remembered back to years ago, a very nice lady showed me how to make an easy peanut butter bird feeder. So, I gathered all the supplies and asked my daughters to join me. So glad they did.

Want to try your hand at this easy peasy bird feeder?

Well, here are the things you will need.

Supplies:

* Empty toilet paper roll

*Peanut butter

*bird seed

*Butter knife

Instuctions:

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This little feller (American Robin) came to visit us, he sure was eyeballing the feeder. I'm quite sure he made a mad dash for it as soon as no one was looking. ;)

We hope you have fun with this activity!

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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

FREE Spring Activity Pack

Click Here to Download Our FREE Spring Activity Pack

Hello Friends, Spring is near! What fun activities do you have planned for spring?

Yesterday, I spent a good amount of time playing and enjoying the nice weather with my girls. My youngest was having a ball exploring all the new changes that spring brings. She even found a ladybug. I was inspired by the exploring and questions, to put together the FREE Spring Activity Pack. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.

Click Here to see all of our FREE printables

Egglo Entertainment Review

Hello Friends, anytime I have the chance to teach my children about the love of Jesus, I'll jump at it. That is why I was so excited to have the opportunity to review Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs and The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure from Egglo Entertainment. I also received:

The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure (book audio download)
Egglo Treasures Scripture Scrolls
and a wonderfully put together
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide

So what exactly are Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs and how did we use them?

You guessed it! Awesome plastic eggs that do indeed glow when charged with light. My girls enjoyed seeing the eggs glow after dark. We had a blast using these eggs for a night time hunt. I had fun hiding them and my girls in turn had fun finding them. We used them just like one would use Easter eggs during Easter. However, instead of being filled with candy, we filled ours with wonderful Egglo Treasures Scripture Scrolls. My girls had fun rolling out the scrolls and reading God’s word. Both the eggs and the scrolls really helped keep the focus on Jesus. I loved that, a lot!

One evening it was to cold to have an outside hunt. While my girls were playing upstairs, I hid the eggs in the living room. It wasn't yet dark, and I wondered if they would see them before they could glow. They didn't. It was great to see there eyes light up, when they walked into the living room and saw that first glowing egg. A hunt ensued. After they were all gathered up, my husband sat down with the girls and they opened all the scrolls and talked about each verse.

What is The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure and The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure (book audio download)?

The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure is a wonderfully illustrated children’s book that connects the Easter egg hunt to the gospel of Jesus.
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure (book audio download) is the audio book version that compliments the book. Chimes cue when to turn the page. This helped my daughters follow along and I feel it does indeed help develop reading skills.
We very much enjoyed the story and spent a good amount of time talking about the characters and what they learned on the course of their adventure. I wasn't surprised my girls loved the story so much, as they all rather enjoy a great story and that it is. A great adventure story that encompasses great values and the love of Jesus. A must read for children in my honest opinion.
In one section of The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure book, it shows the characters all touching an egg at the same time. My girls thought what happened when they did this was pretty neat. You'll have to read it yourself to know what happened. I don't want to spoil it for you. Below is a picture of my girls acting that particular part of the book out.

We decided to create our own character puppets to finish acting out the story. This was a lot of fun and it showed me just how much my girls had retained from the story. It was honestly precious to see them play and act out the story. I'm always up for a good puppet show. We were able to find the coloring pages to make the puppets in the The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide. I was unable to find any popsicle sticks, so we opted to use pipe cleaners taped to the back instead.

What is the The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide?

A 60 page step-by-step curriculum guide that is designed to help churches or individuals put on a unique glow-in-the-dark Easter event. This awesome curriculum guide includes:

How-to instructions
Visual aides
Activity ideas
Decoration ideas
Theme snack ideas
Printable discussion cards
Invitations
Decorations
Coloring activity pages
Bible verse scroll cut outs
Cross Easter egg cut outs

Since the curriculum guide is available by download, you can print as many resources as you would need.

There seriously is so much great content in this guide. We had no problem finding ideas to use the products.

What did we love the most about Egglo Entertainment products?

The theme! The theme throughout all of their products is: Jesus is the light and the light shines in the darkness. Very fitting for glow-in-the-dark eggs.
We loved all the products, so it makes it hard to narrow it down to a favorite. I must say that as a mother I really enjoyed the The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure story. It was refreshing to read a children's Easter story that was solely focused on the love of Jesus and didn't make mention of the Easter bunny.
My daughters however tell me their favorite was the Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs. This didn't really surprise me. We did have a lot of fun with them. The message taught along with them is great and I admit they are pretty beautiful the way they glow in the night.