Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~ Entry #2

In my life this week…I had a sore throat and a hoarse voice all last week.  Thankfully I felt much better by Saturday and we were able to have ds9’s birthday party :)  I am hoping that this week I can catch up on all of the read-alouds that got put off last week…

In our homeschool this week…Last week was full of excitement and unplanned stuff ~ dh travelling, sickness and snow…I hope this week is different :)  Dh doesn’t have any plans to travel, but there is more snow in the forecast…and you never know when sickness is going to hit :).  But I would love to catch up on our read-alouds…

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…We had ds’s 9th birthday party on Saturday.  We rented part of the gym area at a nearby college {for a very reasonable price} and the kiddos had a blast running around playing a bunch of games. 

Sunday ended up being a pretty full day too {not our preference…we  prefer to keep Sundays restful}.  After church we had to make a Costco run…and Sundays at Costco are very busy.  At least we didn’t have to worry about lunch ~ between the free samples and the $1 churros everyone left Costco with full bellies :).

One day this week I do need to run to the bank and pick up our co-op food order {if the weather cooperates}.  Other than that we plan to hang out at home and catch up on all the read-alouds we missed last week :).

My favorite thing this week was…Ds’s birthday party went really well.  It was nice to let the kiddos run off some energy while we caught up with friends and family.  And I am so thankful that neither sickness nor snow derailed our plans :).

What’s working/not working for us…I am trying to find a balance between history and science right now…it seems that we cannot stay up-to-date on both subjects at the same time.  If we are on schedule in history then we are behind in science and vice versa.  I am contemplating how to rework our schedule to “fix” this problem…

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…How do you keep your very busy four year old happy {and out of trouble} while teaching your nine-year old and six-year old…that is the question :)

A photo to share…

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids {LifeWay Christian Stores} ~ A Review

LifeWay Christian Stores sent us The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids, a colorful, 212 page, hardback resource as a review item for the TOS Crew. 

This Bible dictionary provides information about the people, places and things {and more} that are in the Bible…from Aaron to Zipporah.  In addition to the definitions that you would expect in a dictionary, this resource also features full-color maps, photographs and realistic illustrations, charts, a pronunciation guide for hard-to-pronounce words, scripture references for most of the entries and more.

For a glimpse of some pages from this resource, download a PDF sampler here.

My Thoughts

I know that this Bible dictionary is aimed towards kids, but I am loving the information that I have learned from it…and I am definitely not a kid anymore :).  The full-color maps, charts, and illustrations are very appealing ~ they really help me {and my kiddos} understand the concept being defined…much more so than just a written definition. 

This Bible dictionary is definitely an invaluable help during our Bible study time.  However, it is also an enjoyable read all by itself. 

My ds9 was especially fascinated by the model/reconstruction of Jerusalem.  He enjoyed using the key to locate different parts of Jerusalem that he has read and/or learned about such as The City of David and the Road to Samaria.

And my ds4 even found a way to use this unique reference book to practice his ABCs :).

More Information

This Bible dictionary is an invaluable resource for kiddos from kindergarten through middle school {and their parents :)}.  This resource can be purchased from the LifeWay Christian Stores website for $14.99.

In addition to it’s online store, Lifeway Christian Stores currently owns over 140 stores throughout the United States.  LifeWay sells a variety of Christian resources including books {fiction and non-fiction}, DVDs, and music.

Click on the banner above to read what my fellow crewmates are saying about  the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary for Kids.

I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest and unbiased review.  I did not receive any further compensation for this review.

Homeschool Mother’s Journal ~ January 24th

Heidi mentioned this new meme {hosted by The Homeschool Chick} on her blog.  I love the idea and decided to give it a try…

 In my life this week…we just celebrated ds’s 9th birthday {with a family trip to a skating rink}…it was a blast!  I haven’t skated since I was probably eighteen {many, many years ago}.  Now we are preparing for his birthday party this coming weekend.

In our homeschool this week…I am hoping for another week like last week…plugging away and getting the work done.  It’s too cold to do much else anyway.  We have resumed our weekly library visits {the kiddos’ favorite}, so we’ll get out of the house at least once.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…We went roller skating this past weekend, and then headed over to a friend’s house for a birthday party {the friend’s, not ds’s…his is next weekend}. 

Then on Sunday, those same friends invited us over for lunch {leftover taco soup, yum :)} after church.  Our kiddos are best friends with their kiddos…the kiddos got to see their friends three times this weekend: at the party, at church and after church!

My favorite thing this week was…I loved the fun time we had at the skating rink.  We went on Saturday morning during “tot skate”…so only kiddos 10 and under {and their parents} were there…

What’s working/not working for us…Right now I am reviewing a couple of online/software programs for the TOS Review Crew: a reading program that I am using with my dd6 and a math facts program that I am using with ds9.  The two older kiddos are loving their programs, and poor ds4 is feeling left out. 

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…I just realized that homeschool curriculum fair season is coming soon.  We have a small curriculum fair in a nearby in April {MACHE}, and then a larger curriculum fair about an hour away {CHAP} in May…I need to start getting my lists ready :). 

A photo to share…see, I could actually stand with roller skates on!  And I skated pretty well, too {if I do say so myself :)}.  Dh admitted that he thought I would be very slow and awkward on skates :).

Click on the button above to see other Homeschool Mother’s Journals.

Speekee TV Online ~ A Review

According to their website, Speekee is the “world’s number one Spanish course for young children”.  Our family was given a free two-month subscription to Speekee TV, which is an online program that contains over 150 minutes of programming {10 episodes}. 

So what exactly is Speekee TV?  Well, the creators of Speekee have filmed over 150 minutes of programming designed to teach Spanish to children ages 2 - 10.  The 10 Speekee TV episodes were filmed in Spain, using real Spanish children as the actors.  Each of the 10 episodes centers around Speekee {a puppet}, Speekee’s friends {puppets and real children}, and a theme that most children are familiar with such as the park, a zoo, school, the market, etc.

In each of the episodes, kiddos are introduced to “concise, essential Spanish vocabulary, with lots of repetition”.  The vocabulary taught in each episode is a mix of essential words like numbers, colors, frequently used phrases {Where are we going?, My name is ____ {insert name}, Let’s go, hello, goodbye, etc.} and also words that relate to the theme of the episode.  For instance, when Speekee visits the cafe with some friends we are introduced to words like water, milk, and orange juice, and phrases like “I want a glass of orange juice please.”

The songs sung in the episodes are quite catchy…not only do I hear my kiddos singing along while they are watching Speekee TV, I also overhear my kiddos singing them throughout the day…and they get stuck in my head too :).

Each episode is completely in Spanish; you do have the option of turning on close-captioning which provides both Spanish and English subtitles at the bottom of the screen.

I have the Spanish and English subtitles turned on, but only my 8-year old has the ability to read along with the program.  Sometimes he does read the subtitles out loud to my younger two…but even when he doesn’t I have noticed that my younger kiddos usually figure out what is being said in Spanish.

In the sidebar of the Speekee TV screen, there are also suggested activities and printables that coordinate with the Speekee episode that you are currently viewing. 

My Thoughts

All three of my kiddos {ages 8, 6, and 4} are loving this program!   When it’s “Speekee time” they all gather around the computer and sing along {and speak along} with the familiar songs and phrases that they’ve learned. 

And I am quite impressed with the Spanish that my kiddos are learning by simply watching these Speekee TV episodes.  Speekee Online is definitely a very simple and effective way to introduce Spanish into our home.

More Information

A subscription to Speekee TV is $7.50/month.  The first two weeks of your subscription are free, and you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Speekee also offers a DVD box set that contains 10 Speekee episodes, a 34-track song cd, and a parent guide.  If you are interested in the DVD package be sure to read the “Note to North Americans” before purchasing.

Click on the banner above to read what my fellow crewmates are saying about Speekee TV.

I received a free two-month subscription to Speekee TV Online in exchange for my honest review of this product.  I did not receive any further compensation for this review.

For You They Signed ~ A Review

A couple months ago I received a free copy of For You They Signed: The Spiritual Heritage of Those Who Shaped Our Nation from New Leaf Publishing Group for review purposes.  I posted my review on a couple of websites but I don’t believe that I ever posted my review here :0. 

I could not wait to dig into this beautiful, hardback resource written by Marilyn Boyer {The Learning Parent}.

For You They Signed provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of each of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence. I thought it was inspiring to read about not only these men's political and professional lives but also their personal lives. I especially appreciated the excerpts that Mrs. Boyer included from various primary documents, including personal letters and journal entries written by and/or about these men.

I absolutely love how Mrs. Boyer organized this book too...She devotes one chapter to each of the signers ~ each chapter includes a brief bio at the beginning {birthdate, birth place, occupation, age at signing, date of death, etc.}, and an illustrated picture of the signer and his signature {I believe the signature is replicated from the Declaration of Independence}. Most chapters also include a timeline of the signer's public service in addition to an interesting narrative regarding his public and private life. At the end of each chapter Mrs. Boyer provides a number of "Questions for Discussion".

As a homeschooling mom to three kiddos, I feel that this resource would be an awesome addition to any homeschooler's bookshelf. We plan on studying American History next year and I know that For You They Signed will greatly enhance our study.

I received a free copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group in order to provide an honest and unbiased review of this book.

Maestro Classics ~ A Review

 

I was so excited when I was notified that we would be receiving the award winning Peter and the Wolf cd from Maestro Classics to review for the TOS Crew.  This Peter and the Wolf CD is a product in Maestro Classic’s Stories in Music Collection.

Stories in Music began as a concert series that conductor Stephen Simon and his wife Bonnie performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.  The Simon’s have since made this concert series available on CD through Maestro Classics.

Our CD came nicely packaged in a 3-flap package.  Included in the package was an audio CD with a total playing time of 68 minutes and a 24-page program book.  The 5x5-inch program book contains puzzles for your child to complete and also some biographical information about the composer of Peter and the Wolf {Sergei Prokofiev}, the narrator on the cd {Yadu} and others involved in the making of this cd. 

This particular performance of Peter and the Wolf was recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Simon, and narrated by Yadu.

This CD contains eight separate tracks or “chapters”.  In addition to the 21-minute instrumental version of Peter and the Wolf, there is also a separate  narrated version of Peter and the Wolf plus some extras like background information on the composer {Sergei Prokofiev}, a brief lesson about music composition and themes, and also a track of Russian folk music. {View each track, it’s running time, and listen to samples here.}

My Thoughts

My kiddos were already familiar with Peter and the Wolf, and they loved Maestro Classic’s recording of this familiar music.  We enjoy listening to music while we are eating lunch, so I surprised them by playing our new CD during lunch time one day.  They hadn’t heard Peter and the Wolf in a while and they were excited to listen to Maestro’s version.  They especially enjoyed the narrated rendition of Peter and the Wolf. 

I really appreciate the fact that this resource is more than just a music CD.  The additional educational tracks {biographical information about Prokofiev and the educational lesson about music composition} make this a complete music lesson in itself…one that requires very little planning on my part :)

More Information

The recommended age for Maestro Classic’s Peter and the Wolf CD is 4 and up and their families.  All of my kiddos loved this CD {ages 8, 6, and 4}…and so did I. 

Peter and the Wolf can be purchased directly from the Maestro Classics website for $16.98. 

Maestro Classics also sells a variety of other Stories in Music CDs including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Story of Swan Lake.  Each of these CDs is available for $16.98 plus shipping and handling from the Maestro Classics website.

The Maestro Classics website also contains additional educational resources for some of these products.

Click on the above banner to read what my fellow crewmates are saying about their experience with Maestro Classics.

I received a complimentary copy of this cd in order to provide an honest review of our experience with this product.  I did not receive any other compensation for this review.

Weekly Wrap-Up ~ Week 18

Well, at least it’s week 18 in one of our resources.  Since we staggered our start at the beginning of the year all of our resources are on different weeks…but we are halfway to the finish line in one of them at least :)

When we started back to school last week, I kept things simple by sticking to the three r’s.  This week we added history and science back into the mix.  In history this week we read about Marco Polo and Kublai Khan in A Child’s History of the World.  And in science we began studying the moon.

Just before our Christmas break began, I checked out The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home from our local library.  We are currently using a couple of Bauer’s resources in our homeschool {First Language Lessons and Writing With Ease} and we love them.  So I figured it was about time I spent some time reading this book.

I guess you would describe us as eclectic homeschoolers who add a bit of Charlotte Mason in when we can…and reading The Well Trained Mind inspired me to add more notebooking into our studies as well. 

So during our Christmas break, after I finished printing and laminating a pile of preschool stuff for ds4, I spent some time {ok, a lot of time} searching for coloring pages and notebooking pages to fill our history and science notebooks.  I figured that I would be more likely to remember to use these pages if I actually had them filed in our notebook :). 

Our history and science notebooks {I decided to start with one “family” notebook for each subject} are filled to the brim with coloring pages and notebook pages just waiting to be filled in.

We also made our first trip of the new year to our local library.  My kiddos were so excited that we finally made it back to one of our favorite places.  My dd6 said “we haven’t been here since fall”, I started to correct her but then I realized that she was right :)  They made up for lost time by checking out almost every book in the library, well maybe I am exaggerating, but my library bag was about to explode there were so many books in it!

And the kiddos’ favorite part of the week had to be the snow day.  They spent much of Tuesday morning outside in the snow.  I attempted to hang out with them for a while but it was BITTER out there.  So I convinced ds4 to head inside with me to warm up :)

This post is being linked to Weekly Wrap-Up hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

All About Spelling Sale

All About Spelling is having a “Ring in the New Year” Sale on some of their newly released items!

 

A Spelling Review Box that can hold all seven levels of flashcards. Sale Price $7.95 {regularly $9.95}

 

 

 

 

 

Divider Cards  ~ this set contains 12 laminated divider cards that can be used in your new spelling review box or your own index card holder.  Sale Price $2.95 {regularly $4.95}

 

 

 

 

 

A Spelling Tote bag where you can store all of your All About Spelling supplies.  Sale Price $11.95 {regularly $14.95}

 

 

 

 

 

Run, Bug, Run ~ Sale Price $15.95 {regularly $19.95} Their newest reader ~ this reader coordinates perfectly with Steps 6-13 of All About Spelling Level 1.  My dd6 has already passed this level, but I may have to grab a copy for my ds4 :)

 

 

 

The Runt Pig ~ Sale Price $15.95 {regularly $19.95} This reader came out in the fall and coordinates perfectly with Steps 14-18 of All About Spelling Level 1.  My dd6 just recently finished this book…she loved having a hardcover reader of her very own!

 

 

 

All About Spelling has worked so well for my family that I became an affiliate with the company.  The product links in this post are affiliate links.

Easy Classical: Early Modern History Schedule ~ A Review

Easy Classical is owned by the Williams family, a homeschooling family of six, and provides homeschool resources for families that follow that classical method of homeschooling.

I received the digital version of the Early Modern History Schedule.  This resource provides a 36-week schedule for teaching early modern history {explorers to 1820} using the classical method.  This history schedule includes plans for reading the history spine books, writing, geography, read-alouds, history projects, and even some step-by-step drawing lessons.  This curriculum schedule is designed to be used with learners who are in the “grammar stage” of learning, typically kindergarten through fourth grade.

At the beginning of this 106-page ebook, Mrs. Williams provides an “instruction” page that is intended to help the homeschool parent prepare to teach history using the Easy Classical Schedule.  Mrs. Williams first asks that you read the “Grammar Stage” section of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer.  She recommends using the suggestions in the “How to Do It” sections to help you set up notebooks for your child{ren}.

She then takes you through the schedules, explains the different features of the schedules, and gives suggestions for how to use them.  She also provides a description of the history spines and read-alouds that are used in the schedule and a main materials shopping list.  

In addition to the 36-weeks of schedules, Mrs. Williams provides a variety of helps including comprehension questions {and answers} for each week, and a shopping list for each week {provided on the previous week’s schedule so you can prepare ahead of time}.

My Thoughts

This history schedule is jam-packed with activities to complete.  Every week Mrs. Williams has scheduled reading from the history spine {usually on Mondays}, five days of writing assignments, four days of geography assignments, supplemental read-alouds, and even a history project. 

However, she did this with the intent that you will not complete every assignment every week, but rather that you would pick and choose the activities that best fit your child{ren}.  In the “instruction sheet” section of this ebook Mrs. Williams even states “[p]lease keep in mind that you will not be able to do EVERY assignment EVERY week.”

Therefore, if you are a “box-checker” who feels that you must complete each and every assignment listed on your schedule, you will probably be overwhelmed by this schedule. 

However, if you are looking for a well thought out history schedule that will help you teach history to your elementary-aged child within a classical framework, a schedule that gives you lots of options and includes a variety of activities ~ from writing to history projects ~ you will definitely want to take a look at Easy Classical. 

Links to sample pages {introduction, schedule, lessons} from the Early Modern History Schedule are provided on this page.  

More Information about Easy Classical

Please note that this product contains only a schedule…if you want to use Easy Classical’s schedule to teach Early Modern History, you will need to purchase {or have access to} a number of items in addition to the schedule.  Some of these items are Easy Classical products {writing, copybook, and geography}.

In addition to obtaining a copy of Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well-Trained Mind {portions to be read in preparation for teaching}, you will also need to obtain the required resources for this curriculum.  A full list of both the required resources and suggested supplemental resources is available here. 

The digital version of Easy Classical’s Early Modern History Schedule is available for purchase on the Easy Classical website for $29.95. 

Easy Classical offers a variety of schedules that aid the classical homeschooler, from complete curriculum schedules to individual history or science schedules.  They also offer writing with history guides, geography with history guides, and history copybooks.

Click the above banner to about my fellow crewmates’ experiences with Easy Classical.

I received a complimentary digital copy of the Early Modern Times History Schedule in order to provide an honest review of my experience with this product.  I did not receive any further compensation for my review.

Weekly Wrap-up ~ Back to School

After two weeks off for Christmas it was kind of hard to get back into the swing of things around here…but we did get some school accomplished.

3rd grade ~ Ds8 got back into the groove with reading, writing, spelling, grammar and math.  He crossed one more book off of his third grade reading list ~ Frindle ~ and he even rated it a “5”!  

1st grade ~ Dd6 finished up step 16 in her All About Spelling book and began her new AAS reader, Cobweb the Cat.  She also had a lot of fun with her little brother’s do-a-dot markers :)

I haven’t started a writing program with her yet {we spent most of the fall concentrating on reading}, but for the past month she has been writing her own stories for fun.  At least once a week she brings me a pile of papers to staple ~ “it’s a book, mom”.  And she does this for fun!

Preschool ~ Ds4 has been wanting to join the big kids during “schooltime” so I spent much of my Christmas break planning and preparing a very simple “letter of the week” curriculum for him.  I grabbed a bunch of free printables from Homeschool Creations, Confessions of a Homeschooler, Musings of Me, and 1+1+1=1, and put my printer and laminator to work. 

I now have a file cabinet full of alphabet fun {each letter got a separate hanging file folder}.  He had a blast with his “c” stuff this week…his favorite {by far} was the do-a-dot pages! 

We also read a couple of fun “c” books:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• The Carrot Seed
• House for a Hermit Crab

The kiddos finished up their week with a sleepover at their grandparents’ house…dh and I are celebrating our 12th anniversary this weekend!

This post is being linked to Weekly Wrap-Up hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Math Facts Now! ~ A Review

Math Facts Now! is a no-frills math software designed to drill your child/student on their math facts.  You choose the function {addition, subtraction, multiplication, division}, you choose the numbers {1-5, 8’s, etc}, you choose the number of problems for each session, you set the time limit {how many seconds per problem}…you set up the program to meet the needs of your individual student ~ genius!

We received the download version of this software and I installed it on the kiddos’ computer.  Once I got past the very easy install, I set up a lesson for my ds8 {3rd grade}.  

How it Works

The lesson set-up process was very simple.  The first thing you do when creating a new lesson is to choose one function {addition, subtraction, multiplication, division}.

Then you choose which numbers you want your child tested on from 1-12.  For instance, you can choose for your child to be tested on all of the addition facts from 1-12, or just the 2,5, and 7 facts, or just the 12 facts.

For each lesson you create, you also choose how many seconds your child is given to provide the correct answer for each individual question {answers given after the time limit expires are considered incorrect even if they are correct}; the number of times your child has to re-enter a wrong answer, and how many questions must be answered correctly to finish the lesson.

You also have the option of assigning a reward if your child finishes the lessons without making any errors.

Math Facts NOW!  also provides progress reports that you can view and/or  print that provide details about each lesson your child completes, including the average time it took to complete each problem, percentage of questions answered too slowly, and percentage of questions answered incorrectly. 

Our Experience

My ds8 was a bit apprehensive when he sat down to complete his first “drill” on Math Facts Now!.  When I created the lesson I had specified that he needed to complete each question within 10 seconds and he was so nervous that he didn’t answer the first question in time…he knew the answer but he had not yet gotten the hang of typing his answer and then clicking the mouse or pressing enter before the time was up :)

I showed him the number pad on the side of the keyboard and suggested that he use that and the enter button on the keyboard {instead of the mouse}…that really helped him increase his speed.  

His current math program has daily “paper and pencil” speed drills that ds8 completes, but I think this computerized speed drill really got his adrenaline pumping…and he actually enjoyed it!

My Thoughts

I loved this program!  And even though my ds8 dreads taking speed drills, I think he actually enjoyed the adrenaline rush that Math Facts NOW!’s computerized speed drills gave him. 

The set-up was a quick and easy, the lessons are easy to create, the progress reports are very simple to access and easy to read…I honestly have nothing negative to say about this program.  And it definitely adds a bit of zing to daily speed drills :)

More Information

Math Facts Now! can be used with any child who needs to be drilled on math facts {from addition to division}, most often these are k to 6th graders.

There are two versions of this software program that you can purchase from the Math Facts Now! website: 

• download version ~ $15.95 no shipping/handling
• CD-ROM version ~ $15.95 + $3.95 shipping/handling

Math Facts Now! is compatible with Windows 2000, ME, XP, Vista and Windows 7. 

You can try Math Facts Now! for free, either online or by download.

Click on the banner above to read what my fellow crewmates are saying about their experience with Math Facts NOW!

I received a free download of this software program in order to provide an honest review of my experience with this product.  I did not receive any other compensation for my review.

My dd6 asked to use our “old” camera…

and this is what I found on the memory card when she was done…an American Girl fashion show of sorts :)

With a couple of Zhu Zhu pets and horses thrown in for good measure…

Enjoying God’s Gifts Bible Curriculum ~ A Review

Enjoying God’s Gifts is a first grade Bible curriculum that is published by Positive Action for Christ.  Positive Action for Christ specializes in publishing youth curriculum, including Bible Curriculum for both churches and Christian schools.

We were sent Positive Action’s First Grade Bible Curriculum Enjoying God’s Gifts.  Our kit contained a colorful student manual {consumable workbook} and a teacher’s manual {hole punched in 3-ring binder}.

You can also purchase additional products that go along with this first grade curriculum, including the Teacher’s Manual on a CD-ROM {$19.95} and a music CD {$9.95}.

The First Grade Curriculum

Enjoying God’s Gifts focuses on the “many gifts of love provided for us by God.”  In this 35-lesson curriculum, first graders will study “aspects of creation, our families, friends, possessions, Jesus Christ, and God’s care for us”.

As I mentioned previously, this Bible curriculum contains 35 lessons; each lesson is intended to take one week.  The teacher’s manual contains suggestions for weekly lesson plans for a 5-day week, a 4-day week, and a 3-day week ~ depending upon how many days per week you plan to teach Bible. 

Enjoying God’s Gifts also incorporates scripture memory, character trait studies and music {hymns and choruses}. 

My Thoughts

My dd6 was so excited to have a Bible curriculum that would be just for her.  She absolutely loved the full color workbook that came along with this curriculum ~ and I appreciated that the work was especially leveled for first graders.  Dd6 is a very beginning reader and she was able to easily complete the assignments in her workbook {2-3 pages per lesson/week}, with just a little help from me :).

I really appreciated the organization of the teacher’s manual.  Even though it was written for a classroom setting, it contained many suggestions for ways to adapt the curriculum to fit your needs {such as the 5-day, 4-day, 3-day lesson plan suggestions}.  It also provided a very detailed overview of each of the lessons and gave lots of suggestions for teaching strategy and activities that can be used to make the lessons “real” to your student{s}.

I also liked how they incorporated music into this curriculum.  The students are asked to focus on one hymn per month {sometimes two months} and two choruses per month.  The hymns and choruses used in the curriculum are available on a cd that can be purchased separately from Positive Action for Christ.  You can also easily substitute your own hymn and/or chorus selections if you want.

Although this Bible curriculum was originally created to be used in a school classroom setting.  I think that it can be easily adapted so it can be used successfully in a homeschool setting.

There is one aspect of this curriculum that can be seen as either a positive or a negative, depending upon your perspective.  While I love that this curriculum was specifically leveled for my first grader, this aspect also makes it harder to implement into our homeschool day. Given that I am a homeschool mom, I do not have a classroom full of first graders…in fact, even though my classroom is very small {3 kiddos – if I count the 4yo}, it contains a wide range of ages and abilities.  I currently have a 3rd grader {a very proficient reader}, a 1st grader {a beginning reader} and a preschooler. 

My dd6 absolutely LOVED having her very own Bible curriculum, and she loved the 1 on 1 time that she had with me.  However, because I am teaching more than one student, I tend to try to teach as many “family” subjects as I can…which means that I try to find curriculums that allow me to teach my 3rd grader, 1st grader and preschooler all together. 

I think this is a wonderful, complete Bible curriculum.  I love that it includes character trait studies, music studies, and scripture memory, along with truths from the scriptures.  However, I am not sure that this particular curriculum fits my homeschool needs at this time since it would require me to teach Bible separately to each of my students.

However, for those homeschoolers who want a grade-specific Bible program, I definitely recommend that you look into Positive Action for Christ Bible curriculums. 

More Information

The components of Enjoying God’s Gifts can be purchased separately directly from Positive Action for Christ:

• colorful student manual {consumable} $12.95
• printed teacher’s manual $33.95
• teacher’s manual on CD-ROM $19.95
• First Grade music cd $9.95
• First Grade music tape $2.00

Only the student manual and teacher’s manual {either print version or CD-ROM} are necessary for implementation of this curriculum.

Positive Action for Christ also publishes Bible curriculum for other individual grades from kindergarten through 6th grade.  In addition, they publish a variety of Bible curriculums designed to be used with middle schoolers and high schoolers.   These are not grade specific, rather they are labeled “middle school” and “high school”.

Click on the above banner to read about my fellow crewmates’ experiences with Positive Action for Christ.

I received a complimentary copy of the student workbook and teacher’s guide in order to provide an honest review of my experience with this product.  I did not receive any other compensation for my review.