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 ~ 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 ~ Moving Beyond The Page ~ Poetry and The Fifty States ~ Age 9-11

There are two things that get my kids excited about learning every time, stories and hands on projects. Moving Beyond the Page has combined these two so perfectly! Last year after we reviewed  Poppy and Life Cycles, the kids asked me to get them more. We ended up getting the entire set for the 7-9 age group.

This year we were so blessed to review a Language Arts Package: Poetry and a Social Studies Package: The Fifty States. These are just two of the units available in the age 9-11 full year package. With this age level the curriculum is written to the student, so for the most part the child is expected to work independently. We did that as much as possible, but with some things my help was still needed. That's OK with me though.

You can use Moving Beyond the Page as a full year curriculum if you choose, or purchase individual units as your kids have interest. It is very flexible to use, and you have different options for purchasing as well. Online versions and physical copies of the curriculum are available. The literature books can be purchased, or you can borrow from the library. With the full year package, all you need to add is math and you are all set for the year.



Our Poetry unit ($61.86) included.....

The online version of the Poetry lesson plans and downloadable student sheets.

Physical literature books included.....

Love That Dog 
My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States
R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet






The Fifty States ($49.62) unit includes.....

The Fifty States ~ spiral bound book

Smart About the 50 States : A Class Report
Original Sculpey Clay - Terra Cotta
The Scrambled States of America Card Game







These two units can be used independently, but were designed to be used together and the activities compliment each other very well. For instance, while we were learning about the different states and regions of the United States (social studies and science), we were also reading poetry from those places at the same time (literature) and we could see how the authors were inspired by what they saw, things they felt, and experiences they had while in that particular area of the country.

While learning about the Southwest the kids followed links online to learn about clay pottery and adobe homes. We used the Sculpey terra cotta clay included in the package to make our own clay pots, home and other creations. This hands on exploration really gets kids excited about learning and trying new things. They also went on Minecraft and built adobe homes there, complete with a desert scene and animals you would find there. THIS is the kind of learning I LOVE to see in our home!



In the Poetry unit we learned what poetry is, Parts of Speech and Rhymes in Poetry, Geography in Poetry, Haiku and Onomatopoeia, Figurative Language and Voice, Art and Poetry, Robert Frost, Writing About  What You Know, and Inspiration. There are lessons included for spelling, student activity pages to print, and reading and questions pages included.

Originally my 11 year old son was the one excited for this unit, and my 9 year old daughter claimed she had no interest at all in poems. By the end of the first week she was joining in and she surprised me one day by writing a poem herself! She said she felt inspired to write it after going outside and seeing beautiful things that not everyone in the world can see where they live. I was beaming with pride of course!

The final project for Poetry was to have a coffee house type of poetry reading, and make food and drinks and invite people over to hear either poems you like or ones you write yourself. This was what got my daughter really excited, she loves to cook and share with her friends. Our "reading" was very informal and didn't last very long before they had eaten all the food and were off to play outside, but the kids got a taste of culture they hadn't experienced before.

My kids all love maps, so the map work in The Fifty States unit was as fun as it was educational. "It didn't even feel like learning, it was just fun" is what they told me.Other lessons included learning state capitals, the Northeast, the Southwest, the Midwest, the Southwest, the West, Alaska and Hawaii, Relationships Among the States, People and the Environment, Analyzing State Data, and the final project is planning a region road trip.



 The first time we played The Scrambled States of America card game they didn't know many of the facts included on each state card, the Capitol and nickname or where every state was located on the map. After playing a few times though the competition really got rough as they wanted to learn more in order to win. This is a game I like playing with them too! At first I was easy on then and let them win but now they can beat me even when I try to win.





As you can tell we all LOVE Moving Beyond the Page around here! I have to say that I really do prefer having the physical version of the curriculum versus the online. There are many benefits to the online version, such as being able to print as many pages as you want. However the curriculum itself is not printable, so you have to use it online. Once you activate a unit is it only available to use for 3 months. You can re-activate it later for use with a younger sibling for half price. With the physical book you will need a curriculum book for each child as their copyright does not allow you to make copies. But I like having that book in hand to use in our portfolios at the end of the year. The kids like showing off their work too. We do not always work on school while at home where we have internet access. But cost wise you cant beat the online version!

Read more reviews of other units and ages by clicking the banner below. You can connect with Moving Beyond the Page via.....

Facebook – www.facebook.com/movingbeyondthepage

Review ~ Learning Wrap Ups and Learning Palette

Do you have a hands on learner in your home? I have one kid who learns best by actually doing something with his hands. This helps cement the information in his mind. Learning Wrap Ups has many products to help kids who are hands on learners. We were blessed to receive some of their products to use in our homeschool and review. We were sent a very generous package that included.....

2nd Grade Reading 1 Base Center Kit $61.99
3rd Grade Math Learning Palette 1 Base Center Kit $71.99
Math Intro Kit Without CD's $44.99
Vocabulary Intro Kit $35.99
10 Days To Multiplication Mastery Wrap Up and Book Combo $12.99
10 Steps to Addition Mastery Wrap Up and Book Combo $12.99
LearningPalette.com One Year Subscription ($59.99 value)

These products are for grades K-5

This is going to be a long review because there is so much to say about these great products! I will start with our favorite.....



The Math Intro Kit (without CD's) has been the most used and well liked product here in our homeschool. The kit contains 5 key shaped math practice tools for practicing math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. A teachers guide is also included to give you ideas for using the kit, and even has award certificates inside. Your child needs to know how to do these types of math problems already, these are used to help in memorizing the facts, which in turn builds stronger math skills. These can be used to supplement any math curriculum.






How does a Math Wrap Up Work?

These are simple to use, I only had to show the kids once what to do. Using the attached string, you go from left to right and match up the answers and then when you are done you flip it over and check to see if you got them right. If the lines on the back match up, then it is all correct. This video is better at explaning it than I am.




How We Used the Math Intro Kit.....

 I have 4 kids in different grade levels, so I could have the kids each work on one of the math wrap ups at a time or work with each other in pairs. We played games, like timing how quickly we could finish a wrap up, and then trying to beat that time. They made me play too and I have to admit I am a little slow after being out of school so many years. We took them with us to appointments, played in the van while riding, etc. I have noticed some definite improvement in the time it takes them to get through a math assignment. My son who has struggled from the beginning with math was not a fan of these wrap ups at first. I showed him his time scores from the day we got them until now, and he smiled knowing he had improved. It motivated him to practice more often and improve on his own.


The 10 Days To Multiplication Mastery Wrap Up and Book Combo was used by my 10 year old son. Ill be honest and say that it took us longer than 10 days to get through the 62 page book, however the methods they use have most definitely improved his memorization of the multiplication math facts.

He still struggles with 6's, 7's, 8's, and 12's, but with continued practice with the wrap ups I know he will eventually master it!


He liked the fun activities like this number family fun page he is holding. Other activities include story problems, rapid writing of the facts, review pages, and tests and journal pages at the end.

 If you already own the wrap up you can buy just the workbook for $4.99 each.




My 7 year old daughter used the 10 Steps to Addition Mastery Book and Wrap Up Combo with the addition wrap up. I let her go at her own pace with the 62 page book so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed. Some pages were very easy to get through while others were a bit harder. She said using the book was fun, and she is using her fingers less often to figure out her math problems.

You can purchase just the workbook for $4.99 if you already own the Wrap Up.


Both of the above books were well worth using and are a perfect companion to the math wrap ups. I also think the workbooks are very affordable to use with multiple kids.

The Vocabulary Intro Kit is used the same way as the Math Kit, except it gives practice in language arts. This kit contains 4 key shaped tools to practice Synonyms, Homonyms, Antonyms, and Compound Words. My 9 and 10 year olds have a pretty large vocabulary, so some of the keys were too easy for them. There were a few words that were a challenge, so after looking those up in the dictionary they didn't want to do them anymore. That is when I had them do some of the activities from the included teacher guide. Writing the words in alphabetical order and writing sentences using the words gave them more of a challenge than using the keys alone. My 7 year old couldn't read all the words herself so we worked together with these. She knew quite a few of the answers and learned many new words along the way.



The Learning Palette Reading Center Kit is such a neat learning tool! Each kit comes with a learning palette base and 5 sets of cards. Each card set has 12 round cards that fit on the base and have questions that the child answers by placing a round disk on the correct color. Then flip the card over to see if your answers are correct.

We chose  the 2nd grade reading kit for my 7 year old to use for this review. My 5 year old was immediately attracted to the bright colors and fun looking cards. She could do some of the 2nd grade cards with my help, but she wanted cards of her own to use so I ended up ordering her some card sets of her own.

The Learning Palette Math Center Kit is used just like the reading set but has math problems instead.

We chose the 3rd grade math kit for my 7 and 9 year old to share. The math seemed advanced to me, it was pretty hard for my 7 year old, so she couldn't do every card without my help. I would rather challenge them than have it be too easy so it worked out just fine.

My younger girls like getting out the palettes and working in the floor with them while I work with the older kids. It keeps them busy and they are learning as they "play". I love the handy totes the kits came in, we can grab one or two on the way to appointments and we don't lose the pieces.

A good way to determine the right level of cards for your child is to use the online version first to see where your child fits best. You can get a free trial by clicking here.


LearningPalette.com is the online version of a Learning Palette. This option gives you access to all the grade levels at once in both math and reading for up to 5 children for $59.99 per year. If you use the code HOMESCHOOL when you check out you will get an extra 20% off through May 31st 2015 as well.

The online version of Learning Palette is great for families with many kids, each child can work at their own level and pace and you can keep track of their progress with your parent account. You can access your account from any computer and there is nothing to download. This is a more affordable option for our family compared to the cost of buying sets of cards for each child.

Even my 5 year old is able to use the site by herself. My older kids prefer the online version, but my younger two seem to prefer using the actual palette.Our family has definitely enjoyed all of these products, and I plan on ordering other versions of the Wrap Ups in the future!

You can read other reviews of these products by clicking the banner below. Connect with Learning Wraps Ups via.....

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningWrapUpsInc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/2010Facts

Review ~ Supercharged Science

I have mentioned before that all of kids love anything science. They love learning about how and why things work and do what they do. They love experiments and trying new things. I had heard of Supercharged Science before, but because we didnt have high speed internet out here in the boonies yet it wasn't a good fit for us at that time.

We now have fast internet, so I was thrilled to be chosen to review their K-12 level e-science Premium Membership. This membership costs $57.00 per month. There is also a subscription for grades K-8 only that costs $37.00 per month.

Supercharged Science would like to give you a FREE SAMPLE of e-science just for Schoolhouse Review Crew readers! Its a complete mini program with samples of activities and projects from the e-science program. Try it out and see what your kids think! You can also get an entire month of e-science for just $1.00.

What is Supercharged Science? 

It is an online subscription site chock full of so many science topics it can be overwhelming to have so much information in one place. This program was started 10 years ago by a real life rocket scientist who used to work for NASA! Her name is Aurora Lipper, and my girls just LOVE that she is a girl. The boys like to tease and tell them that science is for boys but this is not true.

A subscription includes.....

• Self-guiding lessons
• Detailed video-based instruction taught by a real science teacher (Aurora)
• Step-by-step videos showing how to do each experiment, activity and project
• Comprehensive teacher guides
• Textbook readings
• Exercises & Quizzes
• Unlimited support
• A safe self-contained learning environment

Aurora does a fabulous job of explaining "how and why" in each of her videos. There are also printable lessons and quizzes for each topic. There are currently 20 different topics including.....

Mechanics

Motion 

Matter

Energy 1

Energy 2

Sound

Astrophysics

Chemistry 1 

Light

Electricity

Magnetism

Alternative Energy

Thermodynamics

Electronics

Chemistry 2

Life Science 1

Life Science 2

Biology 1

Biology 2

Earth Science

There are also sections for......

New to e-science?

Overview of e-science

The Scientific Method

Award Winning Science Fair Projects

Mathemagic

Teaching Resources

Science E Camp

You can choose to explore by topic or by grade level. Each month you are given access to 1-2 of these units with 60-80 experiments. However if you see a topic that interests you that isn't available to you yet, you can just email and ask for access to it. Aurora offers excellent customer service via email and even offers live Q and A sessions every Wednesday by phone.

How we used Supercharged Science.....

At first I let the kids go wild and watch videos and try things out. The kids all tell me their favorite experiment was microwaving soap. We went through a whole family size pack because every time someone came to visit, they had to do it again so our company could see it. Our microwave sure does smell clean!

Weeks later there are still a couple of these unlikely flying contraptions in use. They like to amaze friends with these also.It really flies!

So after several more random experiments I suggested we pick a topic to go deeper into and they chose magnetism. What kid (or adult for that matter) doesn't love playing with magnets? I learned quite a few things myself, like a compass actually works backwards. North points to the south pole of a magnet, because north and north are not attracted to each other. Aurora explains it better than I do!

 and magnets can make things fly! (force)

These may seem like simple experiments, but paired with the additional text readings, experiments and videos there is a lot of learning going on.

What did we think of Supercharged Science?

The kids have all informed me that they wish Aurora was their teacher and that science was the only subject. Well except art, they want to keep art too. LOL I told them that Aurora is their science teacher, she does a better job than me, she will have to stay on the computer though. Im sure there are lots of other kids out there who feel the same way about her. I love her gentle way of explaining things, and the way she makes everything seem so easy and fun. She has a real way with kids!

I like that I don't have to be a rocket scientist myself to have good solid science teaching in our homeschool. I like that if an experiment calls for things we do not have on hand, we can still watch the videos and understand the concepts. The readings are right there with the unit so no extra books are required. Our library is very small so this is MUCH appreciated! A shopping list is included for the experiments you do wish to do at home.

Is there anything we didn't like about Supercharged Science?

There is nothing I have found about the program itself that we did not like. As a mom of 8 in a single income family however, I feel like the price is a hindrance for a lot of families. Quite a few homeschool families are large and have to really stretch that dollar every way they can to make it. I hope in the future there is a more affordable option. I would like to mention though that there is a referral program where you can earn your subscription. I have not tried this, just saw a link for it, so in case you want to explore that option you can.

Connect with Supercharged Science via...

https://www.facebook.com/superchargedsci
http://www.twitter.com/aurora_lipper
https://www.youtube.com/user/auroram42
http://pinterest.com/superchargedsci/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112193545312804826871/posts
http://www.superchargedscience.com/blog/

Review ~ ScienceAndMath.com ~ Amazing Science Volume 1

If you ask my kids what their favorite subject is, science will be the answer. It is a rare occasion when they don't want to do an experiment (somebody must be sick!) and anytime we have company over they are eager to show them something cool. We all jumped at the chance to review Amazing Science Volume 1 from ScienceandMath.com. The day it arrived here it was immediately taken out of my hands and put in the DVD player. A few minutes later we were doing this.....





This experiment is called color changing milk.  It made a beautiful tie dye look!


 This was a favorite for the kids and myself. They have enjoyed sharing this one with friends.










This 2 DVD set is full of fun and interesting science experiments as well as full explanations of why and how each experiment works.The website says it is for grades 1-3 but older children can benefit from it as well. My 5 year old has been loving all this "sciency" stuff.

There are 32 experiments in all including.....

Disk 1	Disk 2
1) Color Changing Milk	13) Floating Eggs
2) Egg in a Bottle	14) Keep Paper Dry Underwater
3) Exploring Air Pressure	15) Dry Ice Bubbles
4) Build a Lemon Battery	16) Balloon in a Candle Flame
5) Inverted Cup of Water	17) Ocean in a Bottle
6) Candle Suction Power	18) Build a Motor with Lights
7) Amazing Magnetic Force	19) Simple Lava Lamp
8) Lift an Ice Cube with String	20) Invisible Ink
9) Unburnable Money	21) Density Tower
10) Matchstick Speedboat	22) Soda Can Fizz
11) Reversing an Image with Water	23) Build a Motor #2
12) Cloud in a Bottle

My kids enjoyed watching Jason perform the experiments on the DVD as much as they liked trying some themselves.  Not every experiment turned out exactly like it did on the DVD. An example was this one.....

The experiment had us hold a balloon over a candle. It popped almost immediately.

Then we used a second balloon with some water inside it. The kids guessed that it wouldn't pop because of the water.

But it did! (It wasn't supposed to.) Guess we didn't use enough water inside? So some experiments got repeated a few times.

This was a great example about how different variables can create a different outcome. The kids got really involved in trying again to get a desired result.

Do you remember invisible ink when you were a kid? This DVD shows you how to make it!

The kids wrote invisible messages on paper and then had other people in the house discover them by using blueberry juice.

I see a lot of secret messages going out in the future. 

I love how almost every one of these experiments uses items found in the home already, or use inexpensive and mostly easy to find items. I love how Jason explains each concept thoroughly in an interesting way that is never boring or dry. I love how the kids will go and gather the needed items after watching the videos and then bring me to demonstrate what they saw and learned.

And I really love how all four of my kids could enjoy doing these activities together!

ScienceandMath.com has won some awards for this and other products they have on their website.



You can purchase this 2 DVD set at ScienceandMath.com for $17.95 or you can download it for $14.99.

Click the banner below to read reviews from other homeschooling families on this and other curriculum from ScienceandMath.com

Review ~ Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics

Since we discovered the wonderful biblically based products offered by Apologia Educational Ministries my job as a homeschool mom has become much easier. I always recommend the Young Explorers Series when others ask about what to use for their homeschool science curriculum.

We have been blessed to review the newest book in this series titled Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics by Jeannie Fulbright and we also received the corresponding Junior Notebooking Journals.

The Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics text ($39.00) is a beautiful full color non-consumable hardback book. The recommended age range is K-6th grade, but I honestly feel that older children will benefit more than the younger ones for this subject. The information is presented in a way that makes sense, the experiments really make what you have learned stick in your mind. I can honestly say that I was learning all of this right along with the kids. While some of the concepts were familiar to me, the "why and how" was so much better explained!

I wish I had been taught this way!  Jeannie writes in a relaxed conversational tone, and uses words young children can understand. I love how she uses analogies to explain concepts. For instance she compares the states of matter to a typical child's day. When he is at rest, he is like a solid. When moving around slowly in the house with the family, he is like a liquid. When outside running and jumping all over the place he is like a gas.

In addition to the textbook, Apologia offers additional help if you need it via mail, email, fax and by phone. They also have a course website full of all kinds of extras. In fact all of the science titles have a special website. All of these resources are given in the beginning of the book.

Apologia makes science enjoyable, and I do not have to worry about any false teachings in any of their subjects. Every page is based on what the Bible teaches us about Creation. Kids are encouraged to explore Creation scientifically because God tells us that He created the world for us to enjoy and discover the wonders that He has created for us to find.

The book has 14 chapters including...

Introduction

1. Chemistry and Physics Matter

2. Moving Matter

3. Building Blocks of Creation

4. Compound Chemistry

5. Multitude of Mixtures

6. Mechanics in Motion

7. Dynamics of Motion

8. Work in the World

9. Sound of Energy

10. Light of the World

11. Thermal Energy

12. Electrifying Our World

13. Mysterious Magnetism

14. Simple Machines

Supply List

Answer Key

Photo and Illustration Credits

Index

The Junior Notebooking Journal ($24.00) is designed for younger students and those with limited writing abilities. It's full of pages to write thoughts and illustrate them, puzzles, coloring pages, vocabulary activities, copywork, little hands on activities and more experiments to try. It is suggested to do as many activities as your child can handle, but not every page needs to be done. If your child doesn't love to color, or do crossword puzzles its OK to skip those and do other pages instead.

Using a Notebooking Journal is not essential to use the textbook, but it really does keep everything looking nice, neat, organized, and I dont have to plan anything in advance except having the ingredients ready for experiments. Im so glad the book already has that listed out for me as well!

My kids have enjoyed having their own special book to complete and share with visiting friends and relatives.

A regular Notebooking Journal is also available for older kids. In the beginning of either version of the notebooking journal a schedule is given so you can complete a chapter in 2 weeks. We found this schedule to be a little much so we took our time and went slower than suggested. Do whatever works for your family to keep the learning fun and interesting.

Each chapter has several sections called "Try This!" Here is where the kids get involved hands on with activities and experiments. We do every one of these that we can, sometimes the ingredients are too expensive because we are unable to find something in our rural area. This is rare however as most of them use common household items or things easily found locally.

The book is divided up into mini sections so you can easily stop and start again whenever you like. We would read until we came to a "Try This" that we wanted to do, and sometimes they would ask to read more and some days were ready to move on to another subject. They have really enjoyed all the hands on science! They have each said at one point that this felt more like fun than learning. Music to my ears!

Showing off their homemade lava lamps, which demonstrated density.

Finding out which boat design can hole the most pennies before sinking, all while learning about buoyancy.

Learning about the states of matter including this tricky substance, called an amorphous solid or a non-Newtonian liquid.

Everyone loves edible science experiments! They made sorbet to demonstrate the freezing point of liquid and how it is affected by adding salt.

I had to make a video of the lava lamps, the kids were so excited! They are still talking about this weeks later.

I highly recommend all of Apologia's Young Explorer Series titles for those looking to teach Creation based science in a hands on fun way. Its not the boring dry textbook science we learned as kids, its 100 times better! Check out the first chapter of Exploring Creation with Chemistry and Physics for FREE (click on Chemistry and Physics sample) and see for yourself just how easy and enjoyable science can be.