Review ~ Heirloom Audio Productions - Under Drake's Flag

Do you and your family enjoy listening to audiobooks? My kids and I love them, especially on long car trips. I want to share with you a treasure we were blessed to review from Heirloom Audio Productions. It is intended for ages 6 and up, but my 5 year old sat and listened to it as well as the others.  

 They have brought the classic book, Under Drake's Flag  by G.A. Henty to life, complete with music, sound effects, and talented voices.  This is no ordinary audiobook, this is audio theater, and there is a difference! You can listen to the story summary by clicking here and get a taste of how well done this CD is.

If you have ever read a G.A. Henty book then you already know how interesting and well written his stories are. They are full of adventure, good moral character and Christian values. 

This 2 CD set sells for $29.95 and includes 2 full hours of listening pleasure plus a 14 page study guide booklet. You will also receive a downloadable PDF study guide that goes much more in depth than the booklet. 



Under Drake's Flag takes place in the 1500's when Sir Francis Drake was exploring the world by sea. He became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. A young boy named Ned gets the chance of a lifetime to join the ship's crew.

The story tells of Ned's adventures while traveling on and off the ship. The Spanish inquisition is going on during this time and he also faces the possibility of losing his life for his faith.  They go through some very hard and trying times, yet the hand of God providing and caring for Ned can be witnessed throughout the story. The main point of the story I believe is overcoming your fears through faith in God.


How Did We Use Under Drake's Flag?


The day our set came in the mail I couldn't wait to start listening in. It is a 30 minute drive to our church so I saved it for then. In the meantime I read through the study guide. Included are vocabulary words that I knew would help the kids and me to understand the story better, so we looked those up.

For example, Ned's father was a sailor and lost his life at sea, so Ned's mother was fearful of letting her son go. She does allow him to go however, but before he leaves she gives him the gift of a baselard dagger that belonged to his father.

This was the first time we had ever heard of such a thing, so having words to look up beforehand was very helpful. We were able to imagine more clearly the things being told about in the story.

The study guide also includes questions to discuss for each chapter along with the defining words. The Listening Well section has questions to determine how well your child was listening to the story. The Thinking Further questions focus more on getting your child's opinion about things happening in the story.

I decided not to use these after every chapter, but we did discuss them after hearing the whole story through. There is also a Bible Study section at the end with scripture references to enhance the values this story teaches.



What Did We Think of Under Drake's Flag?


All of us loved the story, but my 11 year old son loved it the most of all. He couldn't wait to share it with his best friend! He is an artist and often draws the things he sees or hears. His artwork revealed how well he saw this story in his mind's eye. (I wish he would let me share with you!)

One night while driving home from church a part of the story was playing where the ship is traveling through a hurricane. There was also a thunderstorm going on that night. The combination of the sounds from the CD and the flashing lights in the sky made the story really come to life for us! My son still talks about that night and how cool is was that God had it happen that way.

We are taking a trip to the beach soon and the kids requested to pack these CD's first! I really hope there are more audio dramas from Heirloom Audio Productions coming in the future!


I highly recommend Under Drake's Flag for its high quality and for the story itself!


Connect with this company via.....

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/UnderDrakesFlag

Movie Review and Giveaway ~ Holy Ghost Movie

Do you like documentaries that make you think? Do you like hearing the stories of those who have found Jesus, been healed, or done things that only God could have made possible?

Holy Ghost is a film that was put together without a script, without a plan, they simply went where they felt the Holy Spirit leading them. The result is pretty awesome in my opinion!

They meet people on the street and pray for them, pray for healing from the Holy Spirit. They go to a heavy metal concert where the band members tell the story of giving their heart to Jesus. They go out into the crowds waiting to go in and witness to them, pray with them, and share the love of Christ with an atheist. They tell about how they overcame drug and alcohol addictions. It is truly inspiring!

This part of the movie was the most moving for me because as a teen I used to listen to that type of music and dipped my toes into that dangerous lifestyle. I knew who these guys were from way back when. Hearing them testify and share the gospel with their fans made me cry tears of joy! God can use anyone! The life turnaround these guys have made because of Jesus Christ gives me hope!!





The Holy Spirit is alive and this film was made to glorify and give Him honor, to show the world He is really there if they only believe! I think you will be inspired by some part of it as well.

 The movie features big names such as Lenny Kravitz, Brian “Head” Welch, Bill Johnson, Michael W. Smith, Todd White, Meredith Andrews, DeVon Franklin, William P. Young, Phil Vischer, and many more!

This is a family friendly movie, my kids from ages 5 to 17 watched the whole thing with me. The only thing the film shows that I had to explain was why some of the people in the crowd at the concert were displaying their middle fingers. My kids know it is a rude gesture, but where we live they have never seen anyone do that. I take every opportunity I can to let me kids know we shouldn't judge others for what they do, but we also shouldn't repeat what they do. Instead we pray for them.

You can see this film for FREE on September 6th by clicking the link on this page. The DVD will release on September 16th.


One of my readers will be picked to receive Holy Ghost on DVD! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. If you are reading this post via email, CLICK HERE to enter on the blog page.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

"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 the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Review ~ UberSmart Math Facts

UberSmart Software was born when a homeschooling family needed a program to practice math facts, but available programs were not a good fit for their family. The program they created is called UberSmart Math Facts. It can be used on your windows computer with XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8. There is not a version for the Mac at this time.

This is a downloadable program, so you do not need to use internet to use it, and once you download it, it is yours forever! You can put it on more than one computer, but be aware that if you do, the same child needs to use the same computer each time or their progress will not be saved.

The program is recommended for ages K through 6th but anyone needing practice can use it. I even used it myself!

So how does UberSmart work?

It is basically a tool to help your child memorize and practice math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. There are four ways to use it.....

In LEARN mode the child thinks of the answer in their mind and then clicks a button to check and see if they were right.

In PRACTICE mode the child types in the answers to find out if the answer is right. If it is wrong, the correct answer is shown and they move on to the next card.

In TEST mode there are two options. For beginners you can assess to find out what the child is already good at and where the most help is needed. This assessment is not timed, so the student doesn't need to be anxious to finish, they can take however long they need. Advanced students can test for mastery. This test is timed, and if all answers are correct and done quickly they will get a screen saying they have mastered the set of problems they were working on.

In COMPETE mode, two or more people can have a little friendly competition and see who can outdo each others scores. Not every kid is a fan of this, but if they are it can be great motivation to practice more. This was not a good idea for my kids, it led to tears and unkind words. So we just stick to personal goals now and they don't share with their siblings how that is going.


How did we use UberSmart Math Facts?



I told the kids they just had to practice for ten minutes a day. Often they would keep going much longer though. Each child has their own login, I only had to show them once how to use it, it is that easy to use.

I made it a point to tell them that this was a very good way to improve their math skills without doing math on paper. Just a few minutes a day adds up fast, and before they knew it they would be mastering the facts that used to slow down getting their math done every day. With no pressure to hurry or finish a whole page etc. we have seen some real progress!



I was very glad to see that my younger kids could use UberSmart too because you can use the cards with either numbers or dots like dominoes! She likes playing with the dot cards and asks to do it often. I had to help her more than the others but I expected that.

I like that I can adjust the program to only practice a certain number. So if my kid is having problems with multiplying by 12's then that can be the only number they practice for a while until they master it. Ill be honest and say I didn't know all of my facts for 12. I needed some practice myself!

I also like being able to track how well each kid is doing and see the progress they they are making.  I appreciate the simple design that is easy to use, and installing it was easy as well. That's always a bonus for me!

One thing I would change would be the ability to make the practice box the full size of the screen. It was big enough to read well, but the background screen on our computer was distracting for my younger ones. Its just a personal preference and no biggie though!

UberSmart Math Facts is currently selling for $24.95 and can be used with up to 8 students. This is great news for us large families! If you use the code “v4 Early Bird” in the discount code box during checkout you will get a 30% discount, valid through September 30, 2014!

Read more reviews from other families by clicking the banner below.....

Review ~ Happy Kids Songs

Happy Kids Songs were written to help kids deal with various social and emotional situations in their lives, and to encourage character traits like sharing, manners, and being a good friend.

For this review we received a download of three different volumes.....

Set 1 ~ Friends and Sharing
Set 5 ~ Happiness and Attitude
Set 6 ~ Manners and Character

Pricing is $4.95 per album or .99 cents per song.

We also received the 125 page Happy Kids Songs Workbook ~ Hands on Activities to Build Character, Social, and Emotional Skills. ($12.56)

Downloading these songs was a bit challenging for me because I rarely download music and I just didn't know what I was doing on my new computer I suppose. I got some help though and was able to get them downloaded to my computer finally. The website says you can burn them to a CD, but even with help I was never able to do that, so we just listened from the computer. I'm pretty sure this was really more of a problem with me, because other reviewers reported being able to burn them just fine.

I let the kids just listen to the songs and see what they thought of them. I also gave them the workbook, which has pages to go along with each song.

The songs were written for ages 3 to 8, and two of my girls fall into this range at ages 5 and 8. The older kids listened at first but quickly left the room due to lack of interest. The little girls listened, but did not really get into the songs like I thought they might. They picked up a few of the catchy lines, and we had many nice discussions about the character traits they were trying to teach about in the songs.

The little girls colored in the workbook a bit, but a lot of the activities required them to be able to read well, so without my help they just skipped those. I felt like some of the activities were a little too difficult to complete for their age range, so we just used the parts they wanted to do and left the rest. I feel like it would be better suited for use in a classroom setting.





The songs in Happiness and Attitude were about being happy and having a good attitude towards others. Positive thinking is encouraged as well.







Friends and Sharing was about being a good friend and the different ways you can do that. Of course sharing is one of the topics, and including others in your play not excluding them.





Manners and Character had the most interesting songs for them. We talk about character a lot in our homeschool and bible studies. These songs are not Christian, they are secular, but you can always add this in yourself and use the songs as a starting point for a discussion or lesson.

Manners are always a good thing to work on, even for adults!



All in all this product was not really a good fit for us at this time. A few years ago I think the kids may have enjoyed listening to the songs a lot more, but now they are very musically opinionated and found these songs to be better suited for younger kids. I will say that they were recorded well and sound very professional, but I have to agree with them that preschoolers would get much more enjoyment from the songs than older kids would. You know your kids best, so have them listen to the samples from the website before you decide if Happy Kids Songs would be right for them.


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

Twitter: @howsyourfam

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/4DrMacMusic

Review ~ Wizzy Gizmo Fast Track Bible Pack - New Testamant

I love starting out our school days with Bible time, whether that be in the form of reading from the Bible, working on a study, or praying together and discussing I try to always have God be our focus first thing. Our family was blessed with the Fast Track Bible Pack - New Testament set of cards from Wizzy Gizmo.

Never heard of a Wizzy Gizmo? Just what is that anyhow? Well a Wizzy Gizmo is a "what", and it is a "Who." Wizzy Gizmo is a fictional character who loves God and exploring the Bible. Since he has become a Wiz (not to be confused with a wizard, because he is not), naturally he has made Bible books, audio dramas, and Bible flashcards to help kids (and adults) learn more about the Bible too.


 The Fast Track Bible Pack includes 27 cards, one for each book in the New Testament, and they are packed full of information!  They were written for ages 2 and up, and make a wonderful supplemental tool to go along with any bible study or curriculum. The cards are a nice and big 5x9 inches with a good readable size font. This was important for one of my kids who has problems with small print. The set costs $14.99 and I feel like they are well worth it.




Here is  a sample card from the book of Matthew.

Just from the front of the card we can quickly see that there are 28 chapters, that the author was indeed Matthew and it tells about who he was. The date of writing is also there, we were able to visually see this on our timeline we have for history in our classroom.

So basically the front is an overview of each book. The way these cards are written make you want to get out your bible and read some more.

I like how we can start with a card and then expand on what we read on it by going to the Bible and reading for ourselves.













 The back of the card gives you an outline, key chapters, passages, doctrines, and people.

I challenged the kids to pick a card daily and read a little about it. Just as I had hoped, the kids began sharing with each other little things they had read on the card.

This has turned into a trivia game of sorts. They love trying to stump other adults (especially me) with their bible knowledge. This thrills my heart!

I am blessed every time they teach me something new, and it makes them feel good too.

One of the kids asked if she could take them to church with her to help her answer questions about her lessons. I plan on letting her after I have them hole punched and put on a ring. I dont want them getting lost!

There isn't a lot of room on the cards for a hole punch, but there is one little space I can do it and not punch through any words, at the very bottom where the leaves are.

We think the Fast Track Bible Pack is a very useful tool and we have had fun exploring them and the bible together! I hope in the future they have an Old Testament Bible Pack as well. I plan on getting the audio drama for Christmas. My kids love audio books and the sample sounded really awesome!

 I can think of many ways these products can be used, and I have been enjoying reading others' ideas in the reviews by other members of the Schoolhouse Crew. You can read their reviews by clicking the banner below.....

Connect with Wizzy Gizmo via.....

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wizzygizmo

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wizzygizmo/

Google+: http://www.plus.google.com/+wizzygizmo

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/wizzygizmo

Review and Giveaway ~ Skrafty Homeschool Minecraft

Welcome!

It's back to school time, and for homeschool families - that means gathering curriculum, planning and finding new ways to inspire kids in their studies. SKrafty Homeschool Minecraft is the perfect way to add the fun and inspiration you need. This fall, the class line up is spectacular! If you need homeschool math, science, bible, history, language arts or more . . . you are in for a treat. Using some of your favorite homeschool curriculum companies (including Apologia Science, Mystery of History, and A+ Interactive Math) you'll learn to incorporate Minecraft projects into your family homeschool.

See all the new classes SKrafty has to offer HERE

Find out more about the fully monitored SKrafty Minecraft server where it is safe for your family and children - and get whitelisted for FREE right HERE. SKrafty is specially designed and the rules are constructed to encourage good sportsmanship - with no griefing allowed, no bad language or ugly talk, and no sharing of outside links to protect your children. See a full list of rules HERE. What other parents are saying about SKrafty Homeschool Minecraft:

"Since starting Skrafty my son has blossomed. His typing has gotten a lot better. School work is not a chore any more I just give him the list of what needs to be done and he does it. He finds the lessons entertaining and engaging and he loves the activities that go along with them. We are all very grateful for Skrafty." ~ Cheryl J. "My son enjoys playing on Skrafty with other kids and I love that it is a safe, moderated Minecraft server! While playing on Skrafty he has learned creative building, developed critical thinking skills, made friends, and learned to be a team player. The classes have been fun and the reading program has encouraged him to read more than ever. Skrafty has been such a blessing to our family!" ~Julie B.

Special needs learning:

"Skrafty has been a huge blessing to our family! My son with dyslexia is not only learning but enjoying learning!!!! His reading and writing have developed more with Skrafty than any other program we have used. The classes are engaging because they are so hands on and truly turn learning into an adventure. I so highly recommend Skrafty!" ~ Caroline D.

  What we learned: 

My 11 year old son is in love with Minecraft, so naturally he was excited to try out a Skrafty class! He chose Animals and Their Habitats because he loves all animals and thought it would be fun to build them. 

Getting signed up was easy, he already had a minecraft account so we filled out the whitelist form and he was approved quickly. He is pretty new to minecraft on the PC, but there were many kind kids there who helped him when he needed it. 

I felt it was safe for him to chat on the Skrafty server because the forums are moderated, and not just anyone can join. They must be a member. 

I was so amazed by the intricate designs he came up with for his biomes and habitats, his animals were super cute even if they were squarish.  (Its all blocks in minecraft.) He enjoyed being on there and was eager to move to the next lesson once he finished one.

The lessons themselves were not too long, but full of information needed to complete his tasks. Links to youtube videos that have been pre-screened gave him a look at lots of different animals and their natural environment so he had plenty of inspiration to complete his building. 

I am really excited to see Mystery of History as a class option this fall. I bought Volume 1 a month ago and we start with it next week. I am hoping my younger girls will want to build history too! 

I just love Skrafty and so does my son! Learning really can be fun and Skrafty has given us an enjoyable way to supplement our homeschooling. Thanks Skrafty! 

Affordable: Extremely affordable classes (between $6.99 - $32.00) make it easy to add creativity and excitement into your education at home. Sign up HERE for live classes or self-paced classes and begin your journey into the world of homeschool Minecraft with SKrafty.

Giveaway Companies - Multiple Winners!

 

  Check out all the wonderful companies and prizes you can win for your family homeschool: 3 SKrafty Fall Classes - Value up to $32 each Mystery of History Volume 1,2, or 3 & Super Supplemental - Value $150 A+ Interactive Math - Family Package for 3 Students - Value $450 Adventures In ChildRearing - Wildlife Adventures bundle- Value $27.99 We Choose Virtues - Homeschool Kit - Value $98.99 Sidetracked Sarah - Crockpot Freezer Meals 3 pack - Value $8.97 Moore Family Films - ABC Say it With Me - Value $15.99 Not Consumed - Back to School 4 Pack - Value $12.50 Teach Them Diligently - Family Pass to 1 Convention - Value $65 Homeschool Adventure Co. - Philippians in 28 Weeks - Value $18.95 Media Angels - Homeschool Moms Rescue Set - Value $9.99 A Journey Through Learning - Math Lapbook - Value $15.00 Dave Ramsey - Financial Peace Jr. - Value $24.95  

Enter with 1 entry or enter with them all: Click the link below to enter.....

CLICK HERE!!!

Mystery of History, Dave Ramsey, and Moore Family Films are for US winners only. The other prizes are for everyone to enter, even internationally.

Disclaimer ~ We were not compensated for doing this review, we did it in exchange for trying out a class. All opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving the class at no cost.

Movie Review and Giveaway! ~ The Boxcar Children

One of the very first chapter books I read as a girl was The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I was taken back in time when my 9 year old daughter discovered this book last year and read it all by herself. When I learned it had been made into an animated movie I couldn't wait to share it with all of my kids.  

When four children lose their parents they are afraid to go live with their grandfather because of assumptions they have that he is a mean man. So they go off on their own, and eventually find an old boxcar that they make into their home. The oldest brother finds work with a local doctor and things seem to be going pretty well until their little sister gets sick. They go to the doctor for help even though they are afraid of being found.

I wont spoil the ending for you in case you haven't heard the story before, but it is a wonderful ending for everyone! The kids stick together throughout the story and love each other with such patience and kindness. They are brave as they face difficulties and work together to solve problems. It is a timeless story of perseverance and the value of family.



As I expected the kids loved the movie. Although my daughter and I still agree the book is better, we think they did a pretty good job of telling the story.

It made for a perfect Family Night movie for us. It is rated G and is a movie I am very comfortable with my kids watching over and over on their own.

We had some great discussions after this movie! Of course we talked about why it is never a good idea to run away. I explained that back when this story was written the world was a different place, this story could have happened back then, in fact there were many homeless children. I assured them that if something ever happened to us they would be well cared for. We also discussed how it would be fun to "play house" for a little while, but bad things can happen to kids out on their own.

You can pre-order The Boxcar Children on DVD right now, or...

Would you like to WIN a copy of The Boxcar Children for your family? I get to give one away! Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below.....

(If you are reading this post via email click on THIS LINK to go to the actual blog page to enter.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"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 the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Book Review ~ Flourish : Balance for Homeschool Moms

Overwhelmed  is a feeling I live with pretty much daily. I know we Moms have a tendency to put up a good front and make it look like we have it all together, but in reality we are struggling through most days. We get a lot done, but we can't help but see all that we didn't do and feel guilty.  Sound familiar?

Mary Jo Tate is a mom just like us. She homeschools her 4 sons, runs a home business, and she is also a single mother. How does she do it? How does she handle all of that by herself and not go insane? Her new book has answers to those questions, and she appropriately named it Flourish: Balance for Homeschool Moms, because that is exactly what she wants to show you how to do!

Her book is available for purchase for $15.00 through Apologia Educational Ministries. I'm sure you have heard of them before, they offer fantastic Creation based science and worldview curriculum that we just love using here in our home. They do not endorse just any book, so I knew this one must be a great one!

In Chapter 1 Mary Jo tells us her story of becoming a single parent and how she started her home business so she could stay home with her boys. Although I am not a single mom now, I once was, and I could relate to her struggles.

You can read the entire first chapter by clicking the Flourish Sample link on this page.  Go do it!




I love her open honesty in this book. She never comes across as a know-it-all or pretends she has always had things figured out. She made a decision to actively pursue her own goals for her life and shares how she did that and what worked for her.

She also states that not everything she shares in her book will work for everyone.....

"But there is no one right way to do all of these things. Take what you read here and adjust the principles to fit your own lifestyle. Test them, tweak them, and refine them. Pray to discern which are important for your family's life."

This statement gave me the freedom to read her book and not feel like I had to do everything just as she did in order to succeed. Thank you Mary Jo! I did just that, I read your wonderful ideas and I used some parts and some were not going to work for me. As a result I am beginning to feel like I have more control of my life.

 Are you a planner? I'm not for the most part. I do keep a to-do list but I have never really sat down and made goals and plans to achieve those goals. I didn't even know where to start before reading Flourish. Sometimes just starting is overwhelming in itself isn't it? Mary Jo breaks down these tasks into bite size chunks, and with the help of the planning forms she includes n the back of the book I am making progress!

I will never be one of those super organized people, and I know this. That is OK, I can use this new knowledge in a way that fits me and my family and still have any benefits!

There are chapters written especially for single mothers and home business owners. These chapters may not apply to you but read them anyway. I bet you know some single moms, and they could really use your encouragement! Maybe you have thought of starting a home business of some sort but have never taken the plunge because you feel like you are already overloaded with work. You may re-think that.

So, dear mom out there who is struggling, do yourself a favor and along with all that curriculum you are buying at this time of year get a book for YOU! If you don't take care of yourself who will?


Read other reviews of Flourish by clicking the banner below.

Connect via.....

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlourishAtHome
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryjotate

Review ~ HomeSchoolPiano

 

Piano music is something I have always loved to listen to. We listen to lots of classical music and my kids have occasionally said they would like to play piano like that. We were recently given the chance to review HomeSchoolPiano, a program that lets you learn how to play piano at your own pace through video lessons. 

We received a lifetime subscription for up to 5 students that included the HomeSchoolPiano Complete Set of Books. A lifetime subscription includes.....

Core Piano contains 30+ lessons that teach piano essentials

Book 1 which was written for the absolute beginner

Book 2 works on rhythm, techniques, music reading, songs, and improvisation

Book 3 is for advanced players. 

Plus over 20 hours of streaming lessons. You can also download the lessons for use when offline too.

To use this program you will need.....

*A computer, tablet, kindle fire, or ipad with high speed internet access. You can also use your smartphone but we found the screen size too small for our liking.
*A printer to print the books, or you can have them printed somewhere else.
*A piano or a 49 key keyboard.




I was very glad that we could use our kindle fire tablets to access our lessons. This made it very convenient for each child to log on their own kindle and stay logged in. I also didn't have to put the keyboard in the dining room where our family desktop is located. The kindle fits perfectly on the music stand.



Setting up our account was easy and fast. Each child has their own log in information, and once they log in they simply click the "Where You Left Off" button to continue.

 The teacher is Willie Myette, and I really like the way he teaches. At the top of the screen you will see two views of the piano keys. The top one shows what keys are being played by highlighting them in red, below you have a full view of his hands on the keyboard so you can see clearly what he is doing. Down in the left hand corner is a window with Willie at his keyboard where you can see him as he speaks and demonstrates.

My son tells me this really helps him to have the different views. He can get quickly overwhelmed and upset when he doesn't understand something. He also likes that he can watch the lesson over again and again if he wants to before he moves on.

We liked that the lessons are short, about ten minutes or less each, and daily practice is easier that way when you have a highly distractable child who doesn't want to sit and do lessons for too long. It is summer right now after all!

I tried using this with my younger children and they didn't have the motivation to sit and really get into the program at this time. My 11 year old son is who used it the most and because he does have interest he is working through it, although slowly. I tried out the lessons myself, and I do feel like it is more appropriate for older kids, 10 and up, unless your child really wants to learn it.

The website claims it is for all ages, but you know your child best, so go with what you know when deciding. The great thing about the lifetime subscription is that if my younger kids get interested later on we already have the program! It is so nice knowing we can go at our own pace as well and not feel rushed because our subscription will run out.

I would also like to add that I do not have any background in piano, so I am an absolute beginner just like the kids. Its been fun to do this with my son and learn the same things together. He sees me make mistakes just like he does and it encourages him to just keep practicing and its OK to mess up.

There are two ways to pay for your lifetime subscription to HomeSchoolPiano.....

Success Package (One payment of $299)
Unlimited life-time access to HomeSchoolPiano along with all bonuses (downloads, jam tracks, sheet music) for up to 5 students.

 OR

Payment Plan (Payments of $99.97 per month for three months)
Unlimited life-time access to HomeSchoolPiano along with all bonuses (downloads, jam tracks, sheet music) for up to 5 students.

Click on the banner below to read more reviews from other homeschool families!

You can connect with HomeSchoolPiano via.....

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeschoolPiano
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jazzedge
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jazzedge/

Review and Giveaway ~ Ragamuffin ~ Life of Rich Mullins

Do you know who Rich Mullins was? Are you familiar with his music? I did not recognize his name when I first heard of this film, but I am very familiar with his songs. Especially this one.....

Our God is an awesome God,

 He reigns from Heaven above,

 with wisdom, power, and love,

 our God is an awesome God!

Yeah, you know that one right? I bet you know more of them too. That song was on his 3rd album and made him famous, but that isn't what Rich ever intended to do. Rich simply wanted to share the truth about God's love, but inside he struggled to believe that God loved him.

This was a powerfully moving film to watch. So much so that I just had to watch it again. If you believe that the "church" is filled with hypocrites who try to look holy but aren't showing the love that Christ came to show us, this film will inspire you to action.

Rich could have had an incredible music career, could have been a millionaire, but if he was he never knew it. He asked his accountant to only give him what the average American lives on, the rest was given to where it was needed. He gave up stardom to serve God on a Navaho reservation where the children captured his heart.

This film is rated Faith Based with caution, because Rich struggled with drinking and depression. He was real about it, about how he struggled even though others tend to see people like musicians and actors as "having the ideal life". He blew that notion right out of the water and used his weakness to help others.

He considered himself a "Ragamuffin" after hearing an elderly preacher talk about what a ragamuffin is. This man helped Rich finally see that he was indeed loved by God, that we ALL are, just as we are.

I let my whole family watch this with me, even my younger kids. There is no foul language but there were scenes with Rich drinking alcohol, and being drunk. I felt like this was ok because we all know people in real life who struggle with something, be it alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc. I want them to know it is OK to show love to these people, because God loves them just as much as anyone else. We had some quite interesting discussions following this film.

If you know someone who needs to see this movie to be lifted up and inspired, maybe even yourself, I encourage you to buy it and share it with them!

You can purchase it online at http://ragamuffinthemovie.com/buy/ or download it through itunes or Amazon.

I also get to give away a copy to one of my readers! Watch the trailer below then enter to win on the rafflecopter form below. If you are reading this in email click over to my blog to enter the giveaway.






a Rafflecopter giveaway

"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 the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Review ~ Go Science Series 2 DVD's from Library and Educational Services

I first learned about Library and Educational Services last year when we reviewed 2 DVD's from Series 1 of Go Science. I love this website! As a home educator I can get anything they offer at the same prices that libraries and churches get, which is 30% to 70% off regular pricing. They offer so many things, and there are no fees to become a member.

Today I want to share with you about the new Series 2 DVD's from Go Science. There are 7 in all, and they are affordable priced at $8.97 per title through LES. The recommended age range is 6-10 years, but my 5 year old loves to watch even if she doesn't understand every concept. I personally love watching along with the kids too!  The topics in this series include.....

Volume 1: Sound, Gravity, Space

Volume 2: Life Science, Weather

Volume 3: Air

Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light

Volume 5: States of Matter, Water

Volume 6: Chemistry

Volume 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

Ben Roy is the host in each episode, and he performs demonstrations in front of a group of kids all for the purpose of showing how "Every time we learn more about science, we learn more about our creator..... God!" Some of his demonstrations were filmed at a summer VBS, and if you happen to be looking for some fun things for your VBS this summer I encourage you to check these out! Each lesson introduces a scientific concept, shows something amazing to see, and then becomes a mini sermon when Ben Roy tells about how the experiment relates to God and His amazing design for our world.

 Some of the experiments can be duplicated at home while others cannot without special equipment. The point isn't to repeat everything at home, just watching has so many benefits.


For our review we got to pick two DVD's, the kids chose Volume 2: Life Science and Weather, and Volume 7: Engineering, Design, and Flight. Both of these DVD's last about 1 hour but is broken up into 12 segments lasting just a few minutes each.


LIFE SCIENCE
Flashlight Animal Eyes Animal Skulls Bobby Pins What Are You Looking At? How Much Do Your Lungs Hold? Eating Nails For Breakfast Naked Eggs WEATHER
Fire Tornado Ping Pong Cannon Liquid Nitrogen Cloud Cloud in a Bottle Garbage Can Vortex




ENGINEERING / DESIGN
How much will it hold?
Leaning tower of Lyra
Nail Balance
Trebuchet
Centrifuge
Walking on eggs
Bed of nails
FLIGHT
Rocket balloons
Vinegar rocket
Toilet paper on paint roller
Film canister rocket




 I realize the titles do not tell you much about what actually happens in the demonstrations, but trust me they are all pretty cool! The kids loved making vinegar rockets, and are begging to try walking on eggs. I haven't agreed to this one yet because they want to use our precious free range chicken eggs that are in short supply right now as our chickens are moulting. Perhaps I should just buy some? LOL

I do want to point out that if you are looking for really in depth explanations of the "why" and "how" in each experiment you will not find that here. However, watching Ben Roy demonstrate something often led to many questions from the kids that we had to go and research for ourselves. To me that is a valuable tool. It encouraged them to dig deeper when they had an interest in knowing more. We strongly believe in self motivated learning around here!

The kids and I all give the Go Science DVD's a big thumbs up, and they want the others in the set too.

Watch a sample video from Volume 1 Gravity to get a feel for what an episode is like.....



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Review ~ Girls Of American History ~ Felicity ~ The American Revolution

Do you have kids that love American Girl books? Id like to introduce you to a multi sensory curriculum that is based on the American Girl series of historical fiction books. Girls Of American History offers unit studies on 12 of the popular characters including.....

Unit 1 Nez Perce- Kaya®
Unit 2 American Revolution- Felicity®
Unit 3 South Western- Josefina®
Unit 4 Pioneer Times- Kirsten®
Unit 5 Civil War- Addy®
Unit 6 Industrial Revolution- Samantha®
Unit 7 The Great Depression-Kit®
Unit 8 World War II- Molly®
Unit 9 War of 1812- Caroline®
Unit 10 New Orleans in the 1850’s- Marie-Grace® and Cecile®
Unit 11 New York Life in 1914- Rebecca®
Unit 12 Growing Up in the USA in 1974- Julie®

We chose Unit 2 American Revolution because my daughter recently bought her first American Girl doll, Felicity. She loves this time period in history and wanted to learn more about it.

You can purchase these downloadable units separately for $7.95 each or as a complete set for $72.00 for single family use. (Teacher/school/co-op licensing is available as well.) Each unit contains 6 weeks worth of activities to go along with each set of book, a schedule for reading the books and fitting everything in, and links to helpful resources. Some units can take longer to complete if you get really involved and go deeper with it. This happens a lot at our house!

Your download includes a guide, a page of resources available online to compliment the study, and links to books and other resources if you wish to purchase them, but they are not required.

You will need the set of 6 American Girl books for the unit you choose to complete the study. You can borrow them from the library or buy them if you wish. These are popular books and most libraries have them, if not ask to borrow through inter-library loan. Other books are suggested but not required. I was able to get these books through inter-library loan as well.



The suggested age for these studies is 2nd through 6th grade. However, this can depend on your child's interest level and abilities. I originally chose this study for my 9 year old daughter, River, but my 7 and 5 year old daughters loved hearing the stories and participating in all the hands on activities. My son even got involved! He didn't have much interest in some parts, but that was just fine with me. I let each of my kids do what they wanted so they could each enjoy and learn in their own way.


How we used this Girls of American History study.....

We decided to stick as close as possible to the schedule included with the guide. So every day we were reading 1 or 2 chapters from the books, worked a little on the lapbook, drew a picture some days, and worked on our cross stitch project. We never spent more than an hour a day, usually much less. I am not counting the time my daughter spent stitching, she did that in her free time.

We tried some of the foods from Felicity's Cook Book. We make and eat many of these foods today on our farm, like apple butter, Johnnycakes, fried ham and gravy, and baked puddings. Dressed eggs were a little different, we decided we like them fried better. Sweet potatoes and apples was a big hit!

 We played games from the time period, like checkers and chess.We made marbles from clay and learned the rules for playing with them. Our first marbles didn't come out so round and pretty, the second batch were much better and even rolled through our wooden marble run. River painted them with nail polish. She said Felicity would have done the same thing if she had some back then. I'm sure she is right!



My husband surprised the kids with a miniature pony, and although he is a boy they call him Mini Penny. Felicity named her horse Penny in the books.

We wrote letters with a feather quill and ink from crushed berries, then sealed them with candle wax. River used her ring to press into the wax while it was warm. 



Here she is working on her cross stitch bookmark. She didn't get to finish it, since it is a busy time of year we didn't devote enough time to get it done in the 6 week schedule, but it will be finished sometime.



The lapbook was fun to put together. Inside the flaps she wrote things she loved about the books, facts, and her own thoughts.



We waited until after all the books were read to watch the Felicity movie that was made based on the books. I am glad we did, so many things were left out. All of us agreed the books are WAY better! It was still fun to watch it together and have a family movie night with popcorn.

The last big activity suggested was to have a party and make foods and such and invite friends. We did not get to this part either because River wanted to do this for her birthday in August in place of a birthday party. I think its a grand idea! She wants to wear a dress like Felicity would have worn and everything. I told you she loved this time in history!

I think this has been a fabulous way to learn about history! I love that it is hands on, I love that there are so many time periods to choose from. We plan on doing another study in the fall but we haven't decided which one yet.

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