Classical Academic Press: Latin Alive!

We were given the opportunity to review Latin Alive! Book 1 published by Classical Academic Press. The authors of this book are Karen Moore and Gaylan Dubose. Classical Academic Press offers Latin materials for students K-12:

• K-3rd Grade: Song School Latin
• 2nd-6th Grade: Latin for Children, Levels A, B & C
• 7th-Adult: Latin Alive!, Books 1 & 2

I have to admit that we have been Latin flunkies. In the course of my son's school career, we have tried at least 4 other Latin programs. We would begin the program with enthusiasm only to get bogged down by the program's weaknesses. When Latin Alive! arrived, I immediately knew this was head and shoulders above anything we had previously tried.

The bundle that arrived included a Teacher Manual, Student Manual, set of DVDs (a real, live Latin teacher, teaching your child!), and an audio CD of selected Latin passages. This bundle retails for $139.95. A test packet can be purchased separately from their website (PDF download) for $7.95 for a license for 1-3 students (complete details on license pricing for additional students, as well as a sample of the test packet is available here).

The Classical Academic Press website clearly spells out what's included in this dynamic program:

• Thirty six weekly chapters including twenty nine new content chapters and seven review, “reading” chapters.
• Pronunciation Guides
• Weekly introduction of vocabulary
• Thorough grammar explanations including all five noun declensions and cases, all verb conjugations, irregular verbs, various pronouns, adjectives and adverbs
• United States state seals and their Latin mottos
• Extensive study of the Latin derivatives of English words
• Substantial Latin readings and translation exercises
• Lessons and stories of Roman culture, myths and history
• Exercises and questions to prepare students for the National Latin Exam and the Advanced Placement Exam
• Includes historical contributions from Christopher Schlect, historian and Academic Dean at New Saint Andrews College, Moscow, ID

A lot of the "magic" of this program is due to the enthusiasm of Karen Moore, the instructor on the Latin Alive! DVDs. Here's a sample video lesson from Book 1:

We completed the first lesson in one sitting but subsequent lessons we spread out over several days. Each lesson has subcategories making it easy to do just a portion of a lesson. We typically read the chapter, watched a segment of the DVD until we came to an assignment. My son then completed that assignment referring back to the text or reviewing portions of the video lesson as needed.

Program Strengths:

• Teacher needs no prior Latin experience; manual is clear and straightforward
• DVD instruction reinforces the lesson in the text and provides accurate pronunciation
• Assignments are explained and examples given on the video
• Real world examples of Latin phrases on money, as mottoes, etc.
• Helpful, responsive staff (we e-mailed with a question and received a very prompt reply)
• Yahoo support group to discuss lessons and offer extra helps using the material (with author participating)
• Systematically presents concepts in manageable chunks
• Good reinforcement of grammar as lessons are taught
• Incorporation of reading samples following Lesson 6
• Additional information about Roman history and Roman life
• Yahoo group of fellow users (with author participation)
• Online quizzes and games to reinforce the lessons
• Supplemental materials available free on website

Suggested Improvements:

• In teacher's manual, it would be nice to have a counter guide for a particular section within each the lesson. We often did parts of a lesson over several days; having a counter guide would be a great convenience (perhaps this could be available on their website)
• Sturdier binding; ours started cracking along the spine after a couple weeks

What We Thought

My 16 year old son thought the program was really easy to understand and well done/solidly put together. He liked having a teacher providing a lecture that coordinated with the printed lesson. And assignments were just the right length--"enough to understand but not repetitively dull."

As a teacher, I have to say this curriculum was a dream! Very little to no preparation is required of the teacher. Sometimes I would read the lesson before my son, but most often, my son and I would just read it together and then view the video together. I thought they did an excellent job of reviewing grammar principles as you go along. I love all the supplemental helps the company offers on their website.

There is a Latin Alive Yahoo group which provides another form of support. You can post questions and get responses from other users. The author, Karen Moore also participates in the forum which I think is pretty neat. Within the files of that group are many helpful materials that others have created and freely share.

We didn't discover Headventure Land until recently but all I can say about it is, "Wow!" How many other companies develop a fun, creative and FREE site to help students review and retain content? Honestly, this site is so good, I'm surprised they don't charge for it. Even high schoolers can appreciate fun ways to review. We are definitely planning on completing Book 1 and then will purchase Book 2.

Classical Academic Press also carries materials for the following disciplines:

• Logic
• Bible
• Poetry
• Spanish
• Greek
• French

All of their products are fully explained with prices in their Online Catalog. If you are looking for resources in any of the above subjects, I highly recommend looking through their materials. I know I will be!

Free Resources

This site has some of the most extensive free resources I've ever seen. So many articles, tips, and helps for using their curriculum. In case you've wondered why you'd ever want to study Latin or how you would teach it, here are just a couple helpful articles:

• Why Study Latin?
• How to Teach Latin

What Others Thought

You can read reviews from other homeschooling families who tried out Song School Latin, Latin for Children as well as Latin Alive! Just visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Contact Information:

Website: www.classicalacademicpress.com

Toll Free: 866-730-0711

Phone: 717-730-0721

Adress: 3920 Market Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011

E-mail Contact Form

Visit their Facebook page

Disclaimer: We were provided a free Latin Alive! Volume I bundle for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

BigIQkids

Admit it, we all want our kids to be successful in school--whether our kids are taught publically, privately or at home. If you are looking for a way to enhance your child's skills in math, spelling, vocabulary or US geography, I would encourage you to try BigIQkids.

According to BigIQkids.com Founder, Debra Marcionette,

"BigIQkids.com presents a unique learning method designed to help each child develop the skills needed to perform to his/her full potential. Our award winning programs are designed for students in grades K-12 and promote spelling efficiency, vocabulary building, math fact mastery and US geography knowledge via multimedia reinforcement and independent learning."

Here's a video to help introduce the program:

BigIQkids offers both free and paid versions of the program. According to the website, here are some of the key differences between the free and premium versions:

"The primary differences between the BigIQkids FREE and PREMIUM programs are the ability of the PREMIUM program to monitor the progress of the student and advance that student only when mastery of the subject matter has been achieved. Additionally, PREMIUM members have their progress tracked, saved, problem areas identified and these findings are reported via email toparents and/or teachers. The PREMIUM program offers students customized buddies, full game page access and the ability to save game coins and gaming high scores. These functions help double the fun while mastering core academic subject matter. The PREMIUM program has veryLIMITED advertisement and no ads are displayed during lesson interaction."

If you visit BigIQkid's Free vs. Premium page, you can select on any of the four programs and see exactly what features are included in the paid (Premium) membership.

One aspect of the Premium membership is that parents receive e-mails following every activity done by their child. The parent knows when their child reaches mastery and progress to a new level. Quiz scores are also e-mailed to parents.

As premium members, my kids were able to customize a "buddy" that represented them. For any given subject, there were computerized "guides" that explained what to do and directed students from task to task. The guides also provided positive feedback throughout the activities.

Here is a screenshot of one of the spelling activities. It's sort of like hangman because when you type a letter, all of that particular letter gets filled in. Students can either use their mouse to select keys from the virtual keyboard or they can just use their computer's keyboard to type the letters.

As lessons are completed students earn coins to purchase game time. Parents can make adjustments for when games can be played (e.g. you might want your child to only access games on weekends) and for what period of time. For the premium version, students can keep saving coins to be used at a later time.

There are also online books. Within the book are links to vocabulary words plus comprehension activities and quizzes. My kids never even noticed the link for the e-books; I would recommend parents preview the titles before showing them to their kids.

My Kid's Thoughts

User #1: My 13 year old son had already started using the free portion of BigIQkids (I'd stumbled across the website prior to this review) primarily focusing on US Geography. Earning game tokens to play games was a motivation to him. Once we received the premium version, he really enjoyed being able to bank coins and use more at once later on. Math was his least favorite aspect of the program.

From Teacher Mom's perspective, it was nice to be able to enter customized words for vocabulary. That way your child isn't wading through words they already know (or trying to juggle two different spelling lessons at once--the BigIQkids one and their normal lessons).

User #2: My 11 year old daughter spent time on BigIQkids almost daily. We entered her specific spelling words so she could get the extra reinforcement working with her current program. She also enjoyed US Geography and was pretty determined to gain mastery in that area. Overall, she spent the most time in those two areas. I think the variety of the activities within spelling, vocabulary and geography made them more enjoyable. The spelling activities were a nice alternative to her normal spelling workbook assignments.

Both kids expressed some frustration that some games didn't always load properly. But there were so many games to choose from that there was always something else they were able to choose instead.

Program strengths:

• Being able to enter your own spelling lists
• Customizable vocabulary lists (words not in their program can be added by users)
• Ability to focus on specific math operations and facts
• Ability to print off worksheets (e.g. print off the math to be done with pencil instead of online; answer keys are provided)
• Student progress automatically tracked and communicated to parent
• Ability to use the program any time and anywhere we had internet access
• Ability for student's to work independently
• Ability to create spelling contests with friends and family
• Lots of free resources

Areas for Improvement:

• Allow a student to complete a whole spelling test and be able to review the words once more before the quiz/test is scored
• Less "computerized" voices (and lower the voice slightly on the highest pitched girl)
• Clearer word enunciations; some words on our spelling tests were difficult to understand or final syllables got snipped off
• More thorough instructions for the games (my daughter struggled with the Pirate game)
• Easier way to enter numbers on math drills

I think BigIQkids.com offers kids a fun and painless way to build spelling, vocabulary and US geography skills. It also can be a help in sharpening math skills (although we found that aspect of the program the least appealing). For the math portion, when you multiply and have to carry numbers, boxes are shown above (where you can fill in the carried number). One suggestion I would make is that once you enter your digit below, that the curser automatically go to the upper portion (where you would carry). I thought it was confusing to have to manually direct my mouse to enter the number above (default was to move to next larger place value).

In spite of some of the glitches and minor frustrations, the company does provide feedback links for users to communicate problems they may experience. I must say that their customer support is excellent. When we initially set up our subscription, we e-mailed them with some questions and received prompt and helpful responses.

A few other neat FREE aspects include:

• Vowel Game (learning vowel sounds)
• Time Game (analog and digital)
• Measurement Game
• Spelling Lists for 1st grade - High School/Adult

When your kids have tried the free portions of the program, you may want to consider paying for a month to use over the summer to keep skills sharp between school years. And if they really love it, then sign them up for premium memberships for the school year. You can check out complete pricing details here.

For a number of other opinions on this product, please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog and read reviews from homeschooling families. You can read testimonials here. You can also join BigIQkids on Facebook.

Contact Information

Website: www.bigiqkids.com

E-mail: admin@bigiqkids.com

Phone: 443-266-7267 (hours 9am-5pm US Eastern Time)

Address: Synergy1 Group, Inc., PO Box 192, Glenwood, MD 21738

Disclaimer: I received a free trial Premium Membership to BigIQkids for the purpose of reviewing and blogging about our experience. No other compensation was received.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

    As the snow melts, the days get a tad warmer, and the sun remains out a bit longer each day, I admit to having the urge to plant a garden. I've had that thought almost every spring for the last 10 years but the thought rarely comes to fruition. One year we managed to till a small spot in our backyard. It sat there looking like a lone patch on a lawn-quilt. Just a few weeds that year.

    The following year we made a step forward and my husband kindly planted some vegetable plants for Mother's Day. That was the summer we had a horrible hail storm in our town and that fledgling effort was virtually decimated in 30 minutes time.

    We tried once again last year with tomatoes but were so overrun with them, most were just left to decompose on the vine (I'm the only one in our 8 member family who eats tomatoes). I keep telling myself that when my primary crop is harvested (raising kids), then perhaps I'll turn my hand to agricultural pursuits.

    Speaking of harvesting children, it made me think about a story I read to my littles recently. It was from a bind-up book of newsletters called "Little Lambs" (kindly given to me by a sister). It's a collection of good old-fashioned stories that demonstrate kids facing temptations and trials and how they are guided by their parents to follow God's way in those situations.

    In one story, the children were studying gardening catalogs eagerly planning out their spring gardens. Their mother looked at the catalog and asked them, "What's wrong with this picture?" The answer was a revelation to me as a parent. Their mother pointed out that in the photo they showed all the flowers in bloom at the same time. But she said that actually, they all bloom at different times.

    What a profound statement about children. They all bloom at different times. 

    Am I looking at someone else's garden or someone else's family and wondering why their fruit has blossomed and mine hasn't? Some flowers bloom quickly and then fade just as fast. Some trees take years to become established. If a newly planted apple tree doesn't flower the first season, does its owner rip it out of the ground? Obviously not. But when I don't see my kids flowering as soon as I think they "should" or as soon as my friend's children do, am I tempted to attack them or prune a bit roughly? Do I nag and belittle, prodding them into growth that they aren't capable of?

    The world is consumed by "milestones" and parents are obsessed with finding out how their kids measure up to those supposed standards. Crawling by a certain age, walking, then talking and so on and so on. But those guidelines apply to only a certain type of plant and perhaps the plant growing in your garden isn't on that time table. The world launches children at age 18 (at least many hope to). What if it takes your child a bit longer to complete high school? Perhaps their harvest will be later in autumn and we are wise to properly consider how God made each of our children unique...and set to "bloom" in His time, not ours.

    No matter how much you coax and wheedle a plant, it will flower at the proper time. So the question is whether or not I will let God do his part in the cultivation of my "garden" of children?While a farmer can take credit at least for planting, as a parent, I can't even boast about that. The Lord is the one who planted these children into my garden and He is the one who will water their soul and shine truth to their roots. While I can cooperate with his efforts, I must remember their growth will result from God's will, purpose and timetable for their life.

    In this season of motherhood, I'm not going to stress about a physical garden when I have so much cultivating to do of young hearts that are in varying stages of development. Not to mention the hoeing and weeding still to do in my own life--I still need the Lord's pruning every day. And the harvest of my life won't be fully reaped until the Lord calls me home.

Apologia: Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him?

We have been using Apologia Science materials for several years (elementary through high school). I have been very impressed with how comprehensive their courses are. In my mind, Apologia has become synonymous with "Excellence."

Before participating in this review, I had not been aware that Apologia had created a worldview series. The book Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him? is the first in the "What We Believe" series regarding "Biblical Worldview of God and Truth." Written by John Hay and David Webb, it was obvious at my first glance through the book that this would be yet another example of Apologia excellence. The more we have read in the book, the more convinced I have become on that point.

Excellent Product

The quality of their texts is wonderful. Slightly oversized, the pages are filled with full color photographs and illustrations. Just right for holding in your lap and allowing children on either side to see the pictures (without needing a magnifying glass).

The cover is gorgeous with a portion of a painting that so beautifully illustrates the title (the subseqent books in the series have equally appropriate pieces of art that tie in with the title). This is a book made to last. Sturdy spine and sturdy pages.

From the Apologia product page, you can view a sample lesson (the entire first lesson in the book) as well as the Table of Contents. The sample is full color so you can get a representative sample of the quality of the layout, graphics, articles, photography and discussion questions.

Excellent Layout

The content is broken down into bite-sized pieces. Short articles and points are set off by different layouts or shaded boxes of text. There are a total of 10 lessons in the book with the suggestion that each lesson extend over two weeks (reading three days per week). This is of course adaptable to each family. You may choose instead to use the material weekly as an activity for Sundays. Or you may choose to shorten each segment to use daily for family devotions.

Each lesson is designed in a similar fashion which includes a Bible memory verse, a "Big Idea" for the chapter as well as discussion and notebooking activities following subsections. The ten lessons cover the following topics:

• Where Am I Building My Life? (on rock or the sand)
• How Can I Know What's True?
• What is God Like (Part I and Part II)
• Who are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
• If God Created the World, Why Isn't it Perfect?
• Why Did God Create Me?
• Will God Meet All My Needs?
• Why Does Sin Keep Me From Knowing God?
• Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

All subtopics are also listed within the table of contents for the reader's convenience. There is also a helpful index in the back of the book should you need to refer back to a particular concept within the text.

Excellent Message

Our culture has sadly moved away from the practice of Scripture memory and theological training for youngsters. Learning how to defend one's faith is often left to those in high school or above and yet children are struggling in their faith long before they learn how to build and strengthen it. This series fits an incredible need by providing life-giving training for the defense of one's faith in a manner even the youngest students can understand. The material is geared for children 6-14 but can certainly be adapted to younger and older students.

This series is unique in that it introduces even small children to the field of apologetics--equipping them at a young age to view the world biblically and encouraging them to carefully live their life in a manner pleasing to God. Why wait until high school to tackle this important topic when they will undoubtedly pass through numerous temptations and assaults on their faith before then?

Over and over, I was struck with how perfectly the authors used illustrations to bring big ideas down to a child's level of comprehension.

Excellent Support Materials

When you purchase the book, you will be given the password to access supplemental materials online. For Who is God? there were student worksheets for each lesson as well as teacher help pages and another activity relating to a "House of Truth" model that visually depicts how our lives should be constructed: on the foundation of God's word with pillars extending up from the foundation. The House of Truth is explained throughout the book.

Excellent Extras

Coming later this spring, Apologia will have available an audio mp3 CD for $15, a Notebooking Journal for $24 and a Coloring Book for $8. We have used one of Apologia's notebooks for science and they are nothing short of incredible. Just another example of a very fine product providing students with an attractive, well-organized keepsake of their study. I have not seen the notebook specific to this book but have every confidence it will be just as exceptional as their other products.

These tools are not in any way required; Apologia provides a very complete resource online for teacher and student helps but the notebook gives a parent flexibility in choosing materials that will reinforce and extend what is being studied. I think the coloring book is an especially inspired product to offer so that the youngest in the household can be gently introduced to what the family is studying together.

Our Excellent Experience

We began the book as a family read aloud with 4 of my kids age 13, 11, 8 and 6 (the 4 year old would sometimes listen in but not consistently). My 11 year and 13 year olds did work ahead some on their own and were able to complete the student worksheets independently.

Ideally, we would complete the whole book as a family but found that with varying activities, we could not consistently find time to do so. Checking in weekly would be a good way for us to all connect and discuss what the older kids have read on their own and also to review their worksheets.

We plan to purchase the additional volumes as they become available and will plan to continually cycle through them every 4 years. That means that my youngest will hear the information several times over the course of her childhood. I'm definitely going to buy the younger ones the coloring book so they have something to occupy their hands while they listen. I look forward to purchasing the notebooking journals for my older students.

I can't recommend this book (or this company) highly enough. Both are off the charts of any rating scale.

Excellent Applications

This material is wonderful for home study but could also be used for:

• Sunday School curriculum
• Private school Bible curriculum
• Church Library resource
• Supplement for Confirmation program
• Youth Group curriculum for middle and high school students
• Basic Discipleship series for any new believer

Product Details

Hardcover Textbook $39 each

Book 1, Who is God? And Can I Really Know Him? Available now

Book 2, Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here? Available now

Book 3, Who is my Brother? And Why Do We Need Each Other? Fall 2011

Book 4, What on Earth Can I Do? Available 2012

Extras Coming Soon

64-page Coloring Book $8

Audio mp3 CD $15

Notebooking Journal $24

The notebooking journals will be hardcover and spiral bound and filled with lesson plans, writing prompts, puzzles, activities, and full-color mini books. (I know these are going to be AWESOME...I might have to buy one for myself!).

Contact Information

Apologia Website: www.apologia.com

Email: mailbag@apologia.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld

Address: 1106 Meridian Plaza Suite 220/340, Anderson, IN 46016

Phone: 888-524-4724

Fax: 765-608-3290

You can request a catalog or view the catalog in its entirety online. You can also download free webinars from the website. While you are at their website, check out their other excellent products and online resources.

To read what other home educators thought of this product, please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: We received a free copy of Who is God? for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and the views expressed are my own.

Continuing Education for Home Educators

This week's cruise topic is Homeschool Conventions. Whether or not I attend and if so, what are the benefits and pitfalls?

When I was in the working world, I always looked forward to training opportunities. The break from the normal routine and the chance to learn new things was always worth the investment of time and money. Then as a new mom, I looked forward to mom conferences where I could be encouraged and inspired to be a better mom. During a several year stint as a rubber stamping demonstrator, I attended trainings whenever possible as they were guaranteed to be times of creative energy and refreshment!

When we first began homeschooling it was mid-year and we really didn't know what we were doing. So when the advertisement arrived in our mailbox for our state homeschool convention, we knew it was just what we needed. That conference gave us the encouragement we needed to tackle the next year (and the next and the next).

Some of the reasons we have attended almost every annual conference since then:

• Provides uninterrupted time as a parenting team to evaluate the year past and strategize for the year ahead
• Opportunity to view and compare materials first hand before buying
• Attend vendor presentations on the philosophy and methods of a particular curriculum
• Learn valuable lessons from more experienced homeschoolers
• Receive encouragement to persevere when the way seems so hard
• One stop shopping-hundreds of vendors in one place
• Great source of educational games & godly literature to help sprinkle fun in our school days
• Great resource for craft and art supplies
• Admonition and charge to raise a godly heritage (this message is so hard to remember in the trenches of dirty dishes, laundry, and unending clutter)
• Time of fellowship with like-minded parents

We've now homeschooled for nine years. I can say unreservedly, that one of the singlest biggest factors in helping us keep on the course has been attending our annual homeschool convention. There are many heroes of homeschooling and as much as I love to read, hearing an author in person is infinitely greater than just reading their books. Some of the most memorable speakers from homeschool conventions we have attended (in our own state or a neighboring one) have included:

• Doug Phillips of Vision Forum
• Marilyn Boyer
• Sally Clarkson
• R.C. Sproul, Jr.
• Todd Wilson
• Steve Demme of Math-U-See
• Stacy McDonald
• Voddie Baucham

And so many others I can't recall but who were an encouragement to me and my husband along our journey.

The amazing thing is that a homeschool conference is far less expensive than the types of professional conferences I attended while in the work world (which often ran $300 on up). Most homeschool conferences will be under $100 (some far less; Iowa's conference is less than $50 if you are a member of the state organization). There are so many speaker and exhibitor workshops on just about any topic imaginable: identifying your child's learning style, organizing helps, helps for history, math, language and ideas for unit studies, encouragement to stay the course and most importantly how to raise a godly heritage.

I just can't recommend conferences highly enough. The time with just my husband to discuss and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of our school have always proved invaluable. We are within driving distance of our conference so we drive both days or sometimes just choose one day to attend. If your state convention is not local, then the cost of utilizing on-site childcare or student conferences may be worth considering. Our conference has started offering some top-notch programs for school aged kids--basically a wonderful learning conference of their own.

If you have older children, you may want to inquire about volunteer opportunities. It gives students not only an opportunity to serve, but allows them to meet other homeschoolers and interact with some of the speakers and leaders within your state organization. And for teachers in need of continuing education credits, find out whether CEUs can be earned through your state's homeschool convention.

Take advantage of the tools available to you as a homeschool parent. You will not regret it!

I invite you to visit the TOS Blog Cruise website to read thoughts from other homeschoolers on a variety of homeschool topics. For the specific topic of homeschool conventions, drop by on March 14.

Happy Cruising,

Jill

The Dragon and Turtle Go on Safari

If you have a child between 4 and 8 years old who likes talking animals that tackle kid size problems, then you'll want to read The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari written by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark with illustrations by Vincent Nguyen.

This pair of friends plan an overnight adventure at the base of Mount Sillymanborrow. As you can expect, silliness reigns supreme at their campsite. Somewhat predictable with the requisite bumps and sounds in the night, youngsters will nonetheless get caught up in the suspense. Determined not to chicken out, the friends help encourage one another to be brave.

The book is not expressly Christian; no references to God or the Bible are within the story itself. The inside back cover, however, has a short discussion guide where a Bible passage is shared. A parent can certainly make additional spiritual connections to the story in how the characters exhibited courage, compassion, and determination.

This book would make a fun read while camping in your own backyard or on a real camping excursion. The eyes peeking through the foliage might be a bit scary for the littlest readers (you can see an example right on the front cover) but that can serve as a discussion starter about things your child may fear and how often what we fear is only in our imagination.

Positive qualities in the book included friends who help one another, friends who distract each other from their fears, and friends who encourage each other not to give up.

Roger makes reference to telling Padraig the story about Sillymanborrow but when morning comes he's too tired to share it. Thankfully, you'll find the silly story included at the back. It's sort of a brain teaser that kids might also enjoy acting out.

Check out other reviews of this book. This hardcover book can be purchased at the Waterbrook Multnomah Press website for $11.99. You can also find the book at the following retailers:

• Lifeway Christian Stores
• Amazon
• Christianbook.com

The Dragon and the Turtle also have their own website filled with games and puzzles for kids.

Disclaimer: We received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Press as part of their Blogging for Books program. No other compensation was received.

Reading Kingdom

Reading Kingdom is an online reading program designed for children 4-10 years of age. The program was created by Dr. Marion Blank, Director of the Light on Literacy program at Columbia University (learn more about Dr. Blank here). It is recommended that children begin the program starting at age 4 or 5 (assuming they are able to sit for 15-20 minutes to complete a task).

According to Dr. Blank, when a child learns six fundamental skills necessary for reading and writing, they will experience success. These skills include:

• Sequencing (Letter Order)
• Motor Skills (keyboard and mouse use)
• Sounds
• Meaning (introducing words in context--not as unrelated lists of words)
• Grammar (introducing 100 most commonly used words)
• Comprehension

The Reading Kingdom website provides the following explanation of how the program is organized:

The Skills Survey
The program begins with your child taking a Skills Survey. Through simple, game-like activities, it reveals the skills a child has and does not have so that the program can start at exactly the right place to encourage the greatest success.

The Teaching
Once the Skills Survey is completed, the teaching begins. The program is organized into six levels.

Pre-reading Level
Teaches the Visual Sequencing and Keyboarding Skills that underlie reading and writing. A child goes through one or both of these programs if the Skills Survey shows that these components are needed.

Level 1
Gets your child reading, understanding and writing meaningful ideas by teaching key nouns (kids, girl, bird), verbs (actions such as eat, walk, fly) and "helping" words (the, some, is, can, are). Once a set of words has been taught, the child gets to read a book containing those words, along with words previously taught. As in all subsequent levels, there are six books in Level 2.

Level 2
Greatly expands the range of ideas your child reads and writes by adding new nouns (puppies, man, water), verbs relevant to those nouns (run, fix, move, including words that convey motivation such as need, want, like), pronouns (she, I, we), additional "helping" words (that, also, both, of) and question words (who, what, which).

Level 3
Enhances your child's ability to tell and understand stories by teaching the words to convey past tense (was, did, were), along with increasing the range of nouns (ground, rocks), verbs (push, think, hurt), "helping" words (most, on, any), and adjectives (sad, happy, nice, -y as in dirty, rocky).

Level 4
Gets your child reading subject matter that is different from typical stories and essential to school success. It introduces a wide variety of objects and beings from the natural world (animals, rainbow, moon, tongue, group, people, earth) and higher level question words (why, when, how). These are then incorporated into books that convey science type information.

Level 5
Has your child reading rich stories which provide a sense of fun while teaching complex cause and effect relationships by expanding the range of nouns (computer, letter, fish) and verbs (change, know, float), and introducing a set of complex ideas (luck, true, never, change, sure).

One of the first creatures students are introduced to is this adorable owl. She provides the narration and verbal directions to students.

Before taking the Skills Survey, children complete a Keyboard and Mouse Training. If your child has not already used a mouse or keyboard, Reading Kingdom has an excellent article offering help in this area.

In Letter Land, the child is introduced to upper and lower case letters. Before doing this review, I had not really thought about the fact that a keyboard only shows uppercase letters. It is therefore important for a child to make the connection between upper and lowercase letters in order to use a keyboard. Within the program if a child is unable to find a lowercase "b", then they are shown a keyboard on the screen that has both upper and lower case letters shown on the virtual keyboard. The correct key is highlighted and then the child is given an opportunity to try again on their keyboard. The program will continue to redirect a child to the correct answer. Some responses require you to use the mouse to select letters on the screen, other activities require child to type using their keyboard.

Each session of Reading Kingdom is fairly short--15-30 minutes depending on the level. Students can do additional activities within a session, or if they want to advance more than one lesson in a day, they need to "exit" and then restart the next session. Children may remain on a level for several weeks depending on how many sessions they are completing each week and how well they are doing. The segments are entertaining and varied enough that the child doesn't become bored. At log in, the child can see where they are in the program (completed items, sessions in progress and sessions yet to learn). When they pass a level, the parent is notified by e-mail of their advancement.

Our Experience

My 6 year old daughter (non-reader) and my 8 year old son (reader) both tried out this program. After completing the mouse & keyboard training and the first skill survey, they were both placed in Level One for the Reading and Writing lessons. Since my son (in second grade) is already reading, it didn't make sense that he would test into the same level as his non-reading sister.

I suspect that keyboard errors affected my son's placement. For example, at one point he was shown a sentence and then prompted to type the words one at a time. The directions were a little unclear and he ended up adding a space which bumped him into the space designated for the next word and then all the remaining words he entered were wrong. This happened on more than one activity which led to some serious frustration. I don't recall if he was supposed to wait for a prompt for a space or whether the space was done for him (and by hitting it himself, it threw off the line). In either case, I wish it had been possible for him to self-correct before his answer was "scored."

In spite of his placement within the program, my son has enjoyed doing the program and his motor coordination on the keyboard and mouse have improved. My daughter has also enjoyed using the program. Both are still in Level 1 so we still have a ways to go in the program but they both said they want to continue.

There were many things we really liked about the program and some things that we felt could be improved to make it even better.

Program Strengths

• Clear and well-articulated narration
• Auditory cues to signal a change in activities
• Gentle, auditory cue when a wrong answer is selected
• Correct answers modeled and students able to try again
• Encouraging comments to the child (e.g."Way to go!", "That's it!", "Good Job!")
• Short sessions
• Fun, colorful graphics that aren't distracting
• Fun kid-friendly animals and creatures that provide feedback to child
• Variety of activities (use of mouse and use of keyboard is alternated)
• Facilitates visual discrimination of words
• Reinforces spelling and writing as child learns to read
• Provides good foundation in keyboard and mouse skills
• Allows child to work independently

Suggested Improvements

• Clearer instructions when to type on the keyboard and when to use the mouse (both my kids had many incorrect responses initially when they tried using the keyboard in places they were supposed to use the mouse).
• When just beginning the program, it would helpful to allow more time to respond (this could gradually be decreased as the child progresses)
• Have the auditory narration match the owl character's mouth (owl looked like it was still talking after sound was done--we kept thinking we were missing instructions or our speaker had died)
• Allow a child to make corrections if they realize that they have made a mistake (some portions did allow this but not all)
• Make sure all pages load properly (we would sometimes come to an activity with a blank screen...we could hear narration but not see anything until we clicked around the page)

Try it yourself FREE

This program is very unique in its method of instruction. For a very complete explanation on how Reading Kingdom differs from other reading systems, you can read this article. The website also offers a variety of tutorials explaining all aspects of the program. The Reading Kingdom website is one of the most comprehensive, user-friendly educational sites I've visited.

One of the best features of the program is that you can try it free for 30 days--the very best way to see if it's something beneficial for your child. (Note: No credit card information is required for the trial period; you will only be prompted for payment information if you choose to subscribe after the trial expires.)

For children who have struggled with traditional methods of reading instruction, this may be just the program they need. Reading Kingdom can also be a valuable supplement to other reading programs to help learn words that do not follow phonetic rules. And after some initial guidance from the parent, children will be able to use the program independently which helps boost their confidence in learning.

Questions and Reviews

Have additional questions about Reading Kingdom? Visit their Frequently Asked Questions page. The website includes many testimonials from parents, teachers and children--you can read those here. To read what other reviewers thought about the program, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

Purchase Information

First 30 Days: Free
Subscription Rate: $19.99/month (no minimum number of months) or

$199.99/year ($9.99/month for each additional child)

Contact Information

Website: www.readingkingdom.com

Address: 12405 Venice Bl., Suite 342, Los Angeles, CA 90066

Phone: 310.288.6811

E-mail company here

Happy Reading,

Jill

Disclaimer: I was given a free 12-month subscription to Reading Kingdom for the purpose of reviewing. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.

How the Heather Looks

Subtitled "A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children's Books," How the Heather Looks chronicles the Bodger family's amazing trek across England one summer in 1958.

Thanks to a "modest windfall" as author Joan Bodger put it, her family spent a summer holiday in England. With the maps from book end papers in Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, T.H. White's Mistress Masham's Repose, Arthur Ransome's books and others, the Bodger family began an unforgettable hunt for the places that inspired the classics their children so loved.

In addition to Milne, White, and Ransome, the book is full of literary references to other British authors. Some were familiar and others are ones I look forward to learning more about:

• Kenneth Grahame
• John Bunyan
• Randolph Caldecott
• L. Leslie Brooke
• Robert Lawson (a personal favorite of mine; marvelous illustrator)
• Edwin Tunis
• Robert Louis Stevenson
• J.R.R. Tolkien
• Beatrix Potter
• Marcia Brown
• George Borrow
• E. V. Lucas
• Hugh Lofting
• Edith Nesbit (another particular favorite)
• George MacDonald (a write who inspired C.S. Lewis)
• C.S. Lewis
• Mary Norton
• Hilda Lewis
• Rudyard Kipling
• Charles Kingsley
• Henry Williamson
• Rosemary Sutcliffe (writer of great juvenile historical fiction)
• Eleanore Jewett
• Geoffrey Ashe
• Edward Ardizzone
• Captain Marryat
• H.E. Marshall
• Edward Eager
• Howard Pyle
• Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Charlotte & Emily Bronte
• Pauline Clark
• Noel Streatfeild
• Joel Chandler Harris

Armed with Bartholomew's Road Atlas of Great Britain, this adventurous family searched high and low to find the hills, dales and rivers mentioned in so many books they had loved. Imagine being able to interview Arthur Ransome or meeting Mrs. Milne and being directed to the very bridge where Pooh passed the time playing "pooh sticks."

What was surprising was how often local residents had little to no knowledge of the author or illustrator who had lived and worked within their midst. Imagine visiting the library where Randolph Caldecott lived and being unable to find any of his books!

The stories of their successes and failures are told with such candor and wit that you will eagerly await each new chapter. Several friends had advised against bringing their daughter who was under 3 at the time and yet she was an incredible trooper. It's hard to imagine a more idyllic summer than theirs in 1958.

It was therefore heartbreaking to read Bodger's afterward and learn that her daughter had died before the book was published in 1965. What a comfort those days as a foursome must have been after her passing. It certainly makes one think seriously about seizing the opportunities each day presents, not knowing how many our days will number. Equally sobering was the knowledge that Bodger's marriage had ended within a year of the book's publication and that both husband and son had been affected by schizophrenia.

I highly recommend this book (within the story itself there is no hint of their future tragedies). It's a refreshing diary of one special summer immersed in the magic of childhood stories. While we do not have the time or money for a summer in England, I look forward to exploring its magic through the pages of the books I can share with my kids. With five notebook pages full of book suggestions, our journey will take much longer than one summer but hopefully my kids will form magical memories of journeying there one story at a time.

I love this passage from Bodger's afterward:

"Would-be pilgrims have sometimes asked me, anxiously, whether they can make the same journey. Will it be the same? Is there anything left? They remind me of children whom I am about to tell a story. Is it true? they ask. My stock reply is, It's truer than true. Often there is one child, determined not to be impressed, who says scornfully, I've already heard that story. I am immediately interested. You have? So have I. But since the last time I told it, and since the last time you heard it, the earth's gone 'round the sun, the rain's fallen into the brook, and the brook's run into the river. Even if you've heard the story before, even if I tell it word for word just like the first time, you've changed and I've changed and the story will change.

You can never step into the same river twice.

And yes, if you go you will see what we saw--and more. May your journey be joyful." (p. 232-233)

Blessings on your journey,

Jill

Mystery of History Audio

Have you struggled to make history come alive for your children? Are you looking for a curriculum that will place figures from the Bible and the early Church next to figures of secular history? The Mystery of History is an incredible series written to do just that.

Meet the author Linda Hobar and let her explain the motivation behind writing the Mystery of History series. Three volumes are currently available (each with a companion activity book) and the 4th volume is in the works. Their product line includes texts, activity books (some volumes combine these in one book), activity pages on CD, and audio books.

Volumes I and II audio books are complete and available in mp3 or CD formats. Mp3 files can be purchased one quarter at a time; CD sets are purchased as a whole set. [Note: Volume I audio books are available for both the First and Second Editions.] Purchasing mp3 files a quarter at a time helps spread out the cost over the school year. It also enables you to try the first quarter and see how it fits into your schedule.

The audiobook for Volume III Quarter I is now available as an mp3 download for $12. The remaining quarters will be completed soon. Having the first quarter available is a great way to jump start your studies on the third volume in the series. If you have come to Mystery of History Volume III late in the semester and want to accelerate through the first quarter, the audio book is a great way to quickly cover historical ground. Or perhaps you plan to use Mystery of History next fall but would like to give your children an advance taste by using the audio over the summer.

Volume III, "The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations" covers the time period from 1455 to 1707. Within that scope, the reader is introduced to:

• The Medici family
• The Inquisition
• Christopher Columbus
• Michelangelo
• Martin Luther
• Henry VIII
• Copernicus
• Shakespeare
• Pocahontas

And readers will explore history from various vantage points around the world including:

• Europe's Renaissance and Reformation
• West Africa's rise of empires
• India's Mogul dynasty
• Australian Aboriginal people
• Russia's Ivan the Terrible
• Japan's Tokugawa family
• North American explorers
• Native Americans and Pilgrims

Volume III Quarter I audio is currently available with narration and no music. When the full Volume III audio is complete, users will have the option of purchasing an mp3 or CD with or without music in the background.

The quality of the audio is exceptional and was enjoyed by all ages in our house. You can listen to samples from Volume II. Visit the website and scroll down until you see the audio product with three chapters to sample. The mp3 audio is an instant download so you won't be waiting by your mailbox for its arrival--you'll be able to download and begin listening immediately. Each lesson is its own file so you can quickly and easily navigate to the exact audio file needed.

We have found the audio helpful when:

• one or more students are called away or at other engagements during our history lesson (they can listen to the missed audio on their own)
• we want to review the sweep of history from the quarter
• we need a quick catch up if we have fallen behind in history
• we are running kids to church activities or music lessons, the audio is a marvelous way to sneak in some learning!
• Mom is sick and students can continue learning without her
• we want to include Dad in our studies (we can listen at mealtimes with him or he can listen to the audios himself as he commutes to work)
• we have a loooooong car trip and need help passing the time (audios are a great alternative to getting sick from reading)

Our experience

One of my kids is a history fanatic; he can listen and relisten to the Mystery of History audio files on his mp3 player. When I am swamped with household tasks, I can set my younger kids (6 and 8) up with the audio and they can color a picture while they listen to history. Even my 4 year old enjoys listening to Mystery of History. This is especially productive to do while I'm preparing supper so that even mom can listen and work at the same time!

We have used the Mystery of History series for over 4 years (spreading some volumes over more than 2 semesters). We thoroughly enjoyed the audio for Volume III Quarter 1 and will definitely incorporate these audio products into future studies.

If you are new to Mystery of History, I would encourage you to read what other students and parents have to say about the curriculum. Then visit The Mystery Gallery to see reader photos about history activities they have done as a family.

The Mystery of History is not just for homeschoolers. This series would be a great supplement for the Christian student in public school. Through the pages of The Mystery of History, they'll see the events of the Bible folded into the timeline of world events and learn the "rest of the story" often removed from secular publications. Enjoy your journey through HIS Story!

Contact Information

Website: www.themysteryofhistory.com

Email: (volunteer moms who can assist with curriculum questions):

Debbie debbie@mauelshagen.com
Heather siloamlogos@yahoo.com
Tara tara_tech@yahoo.com
Cathy davcat7@sbcglobal.net

Phone: (be note these volunteer's time zones when you call):

Anne Marie 386-569-8400 (Eastern Standard Time)
Christie 901-214-5471 (Central Standard Time)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Mystery of History Volume III Quarter I audio book for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.