Home Grown Hearts Academy Homeschool Blog: October 2015

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Korie Robertson's Book Strong and Kind - Review & Giveaway

About Strong and Kind

The Details:

Hardcover; 240 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins Christian Publishing

In Strong and Kind Korie Robertson—with the help of her mom, Chrys Howard, and with insights and stories from her husband, Willie—introduces nine character traits that children need in order to lead a successful life. And though there are no perfect parents or perfect children, Korie shares principles—based on biblical wisdom and time-tested practices—that will help you parent your own one-of-a-kind child.

Korie Robertson argues that developing good character in our children is the single most important thing we can do to help ensure they lead happy, healthy adult lives. I completely agree. Mrs. Robertson also explores key traits and what they truly look like in action. She asks readers to select the two traits that they hope to see most in their children and shares hands-on ways for nurturing strength of character.

You truly can't help but be drawn into "Strong and Kind". Korie Robertson's advice in the book not only follows Biblical teachings, but it is also how she and Willie have raised their children. She delivers sound advice and makes complete sense with her message. Her writing style makes me feel as if I'm having a heart to heart with a friend. I'm positive that anyone who reads this book will be encouraged and inspired by it.

About Korie Robertson:

Korie Robertson is a New York Times bestselling author, the wife of Duck Commander® CEO Willie Robertson and star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty. A mother of five, Korie balances family life and her role at Duck Commander with several ventures of her own, including her retail store Duck & Dressing, overseeing licensing for the family’s brands and philanthropic work with a children’s home in the Dominican Republic, Help One Now and adoption and foster care advocacy in Louisiana. Her writing credits include Duck Commander Devotions for Kids, The Women of Duck Commander: Surprising Insights from the Women Behind the Beards About What Makes This Family Work, Faith Commander: Living Five Values from the Parables of Jesus and The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty.

Would you like to win a copy?

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of Strong and Kind!

Enter to Win Below

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For more information about this wonderful book, check out the following websites:

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Apologia Educational Ministries - The Ultimate Homeschool Planner - Review

Homeschool planning made easy.

Homeschool planning has always been something I dreaded. I've spoke to many homeschool mothers that actually enjoy it, but I've never been one. I think it's because I've never found a system that really worked for me or that I really understood how to use. That is why I was so excited to recently have the chance to review The Ultimate Homeschool Planner from Apologia Educational Ministries.

What is the The Ultimate Homeschool Planner?

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is not your average planner. It is a 52- week homeschool planner designed to help you document God’s faithfulness and activity during your homeschool journey. The planner allows you to plan for up to six children. It is updated with different scripture verses and inspiring quotes throughout it. It is also available in three different colors. The planner I received is the blue edition. I love blue so I was pretty pleased with the appearance of it.

How I used the

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner

The planner includes a wonderful user's guide that explains how to use the planning system. I spent about 30 minutes reading the whole guide. I had a better understanding on how to use the planner after reading the guide and was excited to start my planning adventure. The planner recommends five painless steps to guide you in the process of planning.

1) A yearly planning retreat (This can take anywhere from 4-8 hours)

2) Monthly planning sessions (This takes about 2 hours)

3) Weekly planning breaks (This is only about 30 minutes)

4) Monday morning tutorials (This is about 20 minutes per child)

5) Friday afternoon weekly reviews (This step is only about 15 minutes per child)

The guide explained each process of planning and walked me through each process with step by step instructions.

The planner is packed full of goodies and includes:

Sturdy construction with convenient pockets and coated covers.

This was wonderful. I didn't have to worry about it falling apart on me. It was sturdy enough for me to haul it around with me.

Six years of calendars for long-term planning

I liked having the six years of calendars. It was fun to add events that I knew we would be attending or having plans on those days so far advanced.

One-Year Planning Grid for the year ahead

I don't think I have ever planned one-year ahead before now and I have to admit, it was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I so think I will have to tweak somethings, but for now I'm pretty content with our plan.

Student Goal Setter pages to identify academic and character goals for each child

This was a nice addition and really helped me identify goals my children and I wanted to achieve.

Family Priorities page to help you keep life in perspective

Everyone could probably use a tool to keep life in perspective and this planner includes just that.

Resource List pages to track resources for up to six children

I loved having the resource list. I was able to add quite a few resources and I'm sure I will be adding more in the future.

Two-page planning grid for each month

Having the planning grid was much needed for the month to month planning.

Special Notes for scheduling exceptions that break your routine

This was a great addition and one that I'm not use to seeing in average planners.

Wide margins to record prayers and answers to prayers

One of my favorite parts! I'm use to writing down prayers, but had never really focused on writing answers. I loved this! It's always nice to see evidence of God working in your life and this was a nice way to document that.

Scriptures for meditating on God’s faithfulness

The scriptures were wonderful and I really enjoyed being able to read them.

Exclusive Lord’s Day feature for making God’s Word a central part of your plan

I loved that I could include a bible plan, battle plan, and prayers in this part.

Maximum flexibility to organize for up to six children by day or subject

It was nice to be able to use this planner to plan for my three children.

Memorable Moments and Evidences of Grace pages for recounting God’s activity in your life and home school

This is a fun area of the planner. I enjoyed being able to record our finished projects and other fun things that happened during our weeks.

Pages to record grades for up to six children and six subjects

I'm never great at recording grades, but I did enjoy that this was included.

Reading List pages for up to six children

Reading lists are always a plus and I did also enjoy that these pages were included.

Field Trip and Outside Activities log

We love our field trips, so I was happy that the logs were included.

High School Planning Grid with a sample plan

I liked this and loved that it included a sample plan.

Year-End Review pages for reflection and next year’s planning

Some of My Favorite Things

I absolutely loved that the planner had pockets. I'm kinda weird about stuff like that, but that was a huge plus to me. I don't like having papers just shoved in a planner, so having the pockets was really nice. I also loved how the planner had bible verses and quotes throughout the whole thing. It was always refreshing to read those and say to myself, "Hey, I needed to read that!" Most of all, I enjoyed being able to have a planner that seemed to work. One that I could wrap my head around and spend time in, without feeling overwhelmed or unaccomplished. It worked for me and that's what counts. I have used other planners in the past that seemed to be a waste of my time. Perhaps it was because I wasn't following through with the planning or perhaps it was because I wasn't actually sure how to correctly use the planner. I know that seems weird, but just because I write down some nifty ideas and plans doesn't mean I really know how to implement them. The Ultimate Homeschool Planner made sure through the user's guide that I knew how to use it and the step by step instructions were much needed to me. Some people may be planning queens, but I'm not one of those people and I need all the help I could get. What I found with this planner, was that it turned out to be insanely easy and actually fun to use.

If you are looking for a homeschool planner than I highly recommend The Ultimate Homeschool Planner.

What does the The Ultimate Homeschool Planner cost?

Right now you can purchase this awesome planner for only $29.00. That's a wonderful price in my opinion.

Connect with Apologia Educational Ministries

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld/timeline

Twitter: https://twitter.com/apologiaworld

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/apologia/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125

Click below to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Exploring Creation Field Trip Journal Review

Monday, October 26, 2015

Institute for Excellence in Writing - Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A - Review

Institute for Excellence in Writing is one of my favorite homeschool curriculum companies and I was so thankful that my oldest daughter had the opportunity to review Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A [Starter Set] from them recently. Spelling hasn't came easy to her and I was looking forward to finding a curriculum that finally worked.

What is Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A [Starter Set]?

Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A [Starter Set] is a self-teaching spelling program. It is phonics-based and it uses auditory input to ensure that the correct spelling of each word is absorbed by the brain. The audio CDs allow students to work independently much of the time, while allowing for the repetition needed for mastery.

The Starter Set package we received included:

5 audio CDs as well as MP3 downloads
- The CDs come in a hard case for protection

Lesson Cards with three levels of spelling words
- The lesson cards are are card stock and very sturdy. Each card has Level A, B, C spelling words printed on them. They also include an animal and a spelling rule.

Personal Spelling Cards to keep track of misspellings
- These cards also include an animal and spelling rule

Zoo Cards that serve as a way to practice jingles or as rewards

A downloadable Phonetic Zoo Teacher’s Notes PDF file

A spelling and the brain video seminar link

How We Used It

The first thing I did was download and print the teachers manual out. I then spent time reading it over to ensure that I would be directing my daughter how to use the program properly. I found that it truly was going to be a self-teaching program.

My daughter used the program about three times a week. She devoted a notebook to all things related the the program and followed the instructions on the CD. Each lesson explained a spelling rule and included a corresponding card that also included the rule.

During each lesson she would have to listen the the words and write them. She would then have to cross out the words she missed and spell them the correct way. She would have to do this until she didn't miss any. I loved this, because it helped her understand how she was misspelling the words and allowed her to learn the right ways. She missed a ton of words at first, but I was very impressed at how much she was beginning to get right just based on the spelling rules she was learning and repeating the steps. Once she was able to spell everything correctly she could receive a little spelling card. She could display them on the wall or she could place them in a collection using a print out provided in the teachers manual. The print out is six pages and serves as a "Phonetic Zoo." The pages are sorted according to vowels and consonants. My daughter was able to take her card a place it on the pages and they serve as a "door" to a "cage." For review she could open the door to reveal the spelling rules as well as sample words. It was a great way for her to review what she had previously learned and help her to remember the spelling rules.

Final Thought

Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A [Starter Set] has been a true blessing to my daughter. At first she was a little hesitate with wanting to use it. After she started to understand the process of it, she truly enjoyed it. I think she began to be proud of herself when she started to witness the progress she was making. It was a little hard for me to step back and let this actually be a self-taught program, but I seen the benefits of it with my own eyes and seen how important it really was to let her use it and prosper with it on her own. I recommend it to any parent that wants their child to understand spelling rules and spell better.

Connect with Institute for Excellence in Writing

https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinwriting

https://www.pinterest.com/iewriting

http://vimeo.com/iewtv

https://twitter.com/iew

https://www.youtube.com/user/iewtv

http://iew.com/help-support/blog

https://plus.google.com/+Iewriting/

https://instagram.com/iew/

Click below to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Brookdale House - Drawing Around the World: USA - Review

Hello Friends, My daughters and I just recently had the opportunity to review Drawing Around the World: USA from the wonderful company, Brookdale House. We were provided with a printable/digital copy to use. We were very thankful because we are always looking for good quality geography curriculum. Quality curriculum is indeed what we received.

About Brookdale House

Brookdale House is a company that designs homeschool curriculum resources for students. Their books feature inductive lessons that allow children to interact with information and make connections that stay with them. Their books rely heavily on child-centered learning. We love this because children are able to engage with big ideas in a child-friendly manner. Their books work because they are designed around the natural way children learn. I have always been a fan of children learning the natural way.

What is Drawing Around the World: USA?

Drawing Around the World: USA outlines a simple, fast, and easy program to teach students to memorize the United States of America. You can purchase Drawing Around the World: USA as a printed copy for $25.95 or as an eBook for $22.95. It's always been a goal of mine to have my children learn all the states.

With Drawing Around the World: USA, my daughters, in only minutes per day, were engaged in fun geography lessons that taught them to draw the 50 states plus Washington D. C. Also, they were able to learn the state capitals and some very interesting facts about each state as they completed a state fact table.

We followed the following suggested weekly schedule:

Day 1:

Study the New State.

Complete the State Fact Table.

Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.

Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 2:

Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.

Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 3:

Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.

Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 4:

List, from memory, the states studied thus far.

Using the blank text box, draw, also from memory, all of the states you have learned.

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I was so thankful that they included a detailed, yet simple schedule. It wasn't overwhelming for my daughters at all. Each day outlined very easy to follow steps. Each state followed the same steps and also reinforced the states previously learned. We also loved that the lessons were short but yet very informative. My daughters also expressed that they enjoyed that it was only four days a week. My oldest daughter enjoyed drawing the states. She is very creative and art orientated, so the drawing was right up her alley. I'm confident that soon she will be able to draw an entire U.S. map without looking. I also enjoyed that this program required no advance planning on my part. My daughters could simply turn to the week’s page and begin. Everything we needed was provided, including maps.

Final Thought

Drawing Around the World: USA is an amazing curriculum for any student wanting to learn the states and capitals, along with other facts. It was fun and educational. I'm very thankful to have it for my daughters to continue to use. I know that they will continue to amaze me with all the new facts they are learning. As you can tell, we recommend it and also look forward to checking out more products from Brookdale House.

Brookdale House offers many different selections such as:

Drawing Around the World: Europe
Drawing Around the World: USA
The Fun Spanish
The Grammar Workbook Set
Writing Through Ancient History Levels 1 and 2 Manuscript and Cursive
Writing Through Medieval History Levels 1 and 2 Manuscript and Cursive
Writing Through Early Modern History Levels 1 and 2 Manuscript and Cursive
Writing Through Modern History Levels 1 and 2 Manuscript and Cursive
Sheldon’s New Primary Language Lessons

Connect with Brookdale House

Twitter

https://twitter.com/BrookdaleHouse

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/brookdalehousehomeschool

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/BrookdaleHouse

Google+

https://plus.google.com/107691583736742187981/videos

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Click below to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

FishFlix.com ~ Do You Believe? ~ REVIEW

Every once in a while you come across a film that makes you want to scream from the roof how great it is. I just recently was able to watch a film just like that with my family. We were able to review Do You Believe? from FishFlix.com. It was a powerful film with a too good not to share message.

What is Do You Believe?

Do You Believe? is a 119 minute Christian film that hit theaters March 20, 2015. It comes from the same great creators of God's Not Dead. The story follows twelve individuals as they each are about to discover there is power in the Cross of Christ. The movie centers around a local pastor who is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher, he is reminded that true belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone it touches in ways that only God could orchestrate.

I had the opportunity to watch this amazing film with my three daughters and husband. We choose an evening to have a family movie night and I already had a feeling that this film was going to be powerful. I was so right. More than just a movie, it left us all with a feeling of wanting to share the gospel of Jesus. I think there are a ton of times that people ask "Do You Believe?" It's a question that we all must answer in our lifetimes. These three simple words strike the very core of the Christian faith.

Watching this film reminded me of one of my families favorite bible verses.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” –James 2:14-17

After watching the film, I was able to discuss it with my daughters and I felt like we had some very good conversation. Anytime my husband and I have the opportunity to share time together learning more about or strengthening our daughters faith is a plus in our eyes. Watching this film, just gave us another opportunity to share the love of God with them and for that we are thankful.

Final Thought

Our family loved this film and we highly recommend it. It is a powerful, well written and performed, thought-provoking film. If you loved God's Not Dead than I know you will love Do You Believe?

Connect with FishFlix.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/christiandvd

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/fishflix/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Fishflix/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/familychristianmovie

Click Below to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Friday, October 09, 2015

Progeny Press ~ Sarah, Plain and Tall Study Guide ~ REVIEW

Recently my daughters and I were blessed to be able to review the downloadable digital study guide, Sarah, Plain and Tall from Progeny Press. We had read Sarah, Plain, and Tall in the past but we had never had the privilege of adding a study guide. This study guide proved to be very helpful and a ton of fun for all three of my daughters and I.

For the purpose of this review we checked out the book Sarah, Plain, and Tall from our local library. I was certain we had a copy around our home somewhere, but like a lot of books in this house, it had disappeared. I'm certain we will find it someday.

Sarah, Plain, and Tall is a fabulous book. If you have never had the chance to read it, I recommend it and I highly recommend purchasing the Sarah, Plain and Tall - E-Guide to go with it.

The story is a simple story of a family that needs a mother and of the woman who gradually fills this need. We find the book exciting and inspiring.

What is the Sarah, Plain and Tall - E-Guide?

The Sarah, Plain and Tall - E-Guide is a 47 page study guide written by Rebecca Gilleland. It is recommended for grades 4-7. The study guide is filled with wonderful information and help while reading through the story. We chose to print out the study guide.

Each chapter of the book has corresponding vocabulary words as well as chapter questions in the study guide. Another wonderful part of the study guide is the Dig Deeper Section. In this section my daughters had the opportunity to grow spiritually through reading the assigned scripture passages and answering the assigned questions.

Using the study guide was simple. We chose to read one or two chapters a day and then turn to the study guide for the remaining part of our literature time. Using the study guide took no more than 30 minutes of our day.

One of my daughters absolute favorite part of the study was the Before-You-Read Activities that are included in the study guide and the After-You-Read Activities. Some of the activities they did where map work, research work, and family discussions. They had a ton of fun locating Maine on the map and researching life on the prairie in the late 1800s. They also learned about mail order brides and why some men advertised for them. They thought the whole study was fun and educational.

Even though they loved the Before-You-Read Activities, they loved the After-You-Read Activities even better. They were able to draw beautiful landscapes using colored pencils. They also spent the day with me collecting wild flowers and pressing them. We had an absolute blast doing that. It's a memory that will last forever.

There were also creative writing activities included in the study guide along with As-You-Read Assignments as well. All of the activities were very beneficial to my daughters education and I was truly impressed with the study guide as a whole. Even though my daughters had read Sarah, Plain, and Tall before, they had never learned and absorbed the information like they did this time.

Another fun activity suggested in the guide was to walk down a beach and collect sea shells and use a field guide to identify them. Of course, my daughters wanted to complete this activity so we did. The girls even wrote the name, Sarah, really big in the sand.

Towards the end of the study we watched the movie Sarah, Plain, and Tall, starring Glenn Close. I loved how the study guide included questions for discussion. Such as, how the story had been changed, and if the characters were similar to the characters in the book.

The last thing my daughters did was a cooking assignment suggested in the study guide. In chapter 4 of Sarah, Plain, and Tall, papa bakes and serves warm bread. It was suggested to bake and serve warm bread. We had never made bread from scratch before, so I was very thankful that the study guide included ingredients and instructions. They came in handy and the bread turned out amazing! My daughters definitely learned a new skill. A skill that I'm sure will come in handy again in the future.

How Much Does The Sarah, Plain and Tall - E-Guide Cost?

Right now you can purchase the study guide for only $17.99

Final Thought

All three of my daughters expressed how this was one of their favorite studies of the year. I was also pleasantly pleased with the study as well. I loved how in not only had worksheet questions but that it also had a ton of hands-on activities to participate in also. I look forward to looking for more products from Progeny Press.

Connect with Progeny Press

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ProgenyPress

Youtube: http://youtube.com/progenypress

Twitter: http://twitter.com/progenypress

Click Below to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Reading Kingdom ~ REVIEW

Two of my daughters were recently blessed with the opportunity to review Reading Kingdom Online from Reading Kingdom. Online reading programs are a big deal in our home, because reading isn't something that has came easy for my girls. We have used many programs in the past and I couldn't be more pleased with this one.

What is Reading Kingdom Online?

The Reading Kingdom is a fun, easy-to-use online reading program that teaches children 4-10 years old how to read and write to a third grade level. Reading Kingdom's system was developed by Dr. Marion Blank, a world renowned expert on literacy and the Director of the Light on Learning Institute at Columbia University. They use a 6 skill model of reading instruction that incorporates elements of phonics and whole language while teaching additional skills required for reading and writing success without requiring kids to learn any complicated rules. The fact that my daughters didn't have to learn a bunch of complicated rules was a huge blessing. The following are the six areas of reading it teaches: Phonics, Sequencing, Writing, Meaning, Grammar, and Comprehension. It is recommended to use the program at least three times per week.

How we used Reading Kingdom Online My daughters love the program so much that they actually use it more than three times per week. One of my daughters, Gracie has an average of 4.3 days a week and she is pretty proud of that. I can't believe how far she has came in the short few weeks we have reviewed the program.

She has always struggled with reading and writing and in these short few weeks she has not only advanced through the program fairly fast, but she has also retained the information she has been learning. That is a huge blessing for her and me as well. We have used programs before that they have done well within the program, but haven't retained the information. This hasn't been the case with Reading Kingdom. She enjoys logging in and completing her lessons and sometimes even asks if she can continue on. Of course, I say yes! A daughter asking to do her reading and writing assignments is incredible. I'm so thankful that we have finally found a program that she enjoys and learns so well with. We will for sure be continuing on with this program in our studies.

One of things that I enjoy about this program is that the students begin with a placement test to determine where to start in Reading Kingdom. This places them in the correct portion of the program that is going to benefit them the best. It was important for me to step back and not help my daughters so that they would be placed in the correct area. My youngest wasn't pleased at first because she had to start from the very beginning, letter land. She felt like she already knew those areas and was able to finish those areas with ease and move up in the program. After she made it to level one she began to appreciate the program a lot better and also enjoyed logging in and completing her lessons. She wasn't as enthusiastic as her sister about completing more than she needed. However, I was just thankful that she does enjoy the program and does get her work completed.

Another thing I enjoy about the program is the fact that I have to ability to download and print student reports. I felt like this was a nice addition to the program and helpful in seeing my daughters progress. There is even a spot to download student diplomas for when the finish the program. They will love having that and I can't wait to be able to print one for both daughters.

Final Thought As you can probably already tell, we loved Reading Kingdom and highly recommend it. It is a program that we will stick with and I can't wait to see how much more my daughters learn with it.