A Story in Pictures - A Day in the Life of a 2 Year Old

One beautiful April day in Georgia (as April days in Georgia tend to be), a two year old boy, named Judah, and his brothers went to the park.

There were geese at the park.
Judah's older brother Ezra showed him how to greet the geese.

The geese weren't quite as friendly in their return greeting.

His other brother Isaac showed him how to herd the geese, which is an essential skill if one ever desires to be a geese farmer.

Judah wasn't really sure what to think about the geese.

Then, Judah found something.

What was this something?
He showed it off proudly to his mama.

A friend!
He was so proud of this friend, he invited his brother to be in a picture with them.
Because his friend was so small, Judah made sure to stretch it out nice and big so everyone could see it.

But then...

tragedy struck.

Unfortunately, his friend couldn't stretch as far as Judah thought it could.

Would it still crawl?

Perhaps with a little encouragement?

Unfortunately, it appeared that the friendship, although deeply passionate, was over.

Judah was very sad and spent some time thinking over the hardships of life.

But then he made another wonderful discovery!

Mud!

Lots of mud!

While mud can't crawl on your arms and hands and legs, mud is definitely fun for splashing in.

And singing songs about.

So Judah went home a messy, but happy boy.

The End

TOS Crew Review - Writing Tales

Writing Tales is a Language Arts and Writing curriculum that follows the Classical approach to homeschooling. Designed to be used from grades 3-5, Writing Tales is based on the Greek Progymnasmata - the theory that children learn to write well and learn the mechanics of the English language by copying other well-written models. Writing Tales also includes short, often hands-on, grammar lessons, which is another important essential aspect to writing well.

There are two levels to Writing Tales - Level 1 is designed for Grades 3 and 4, and Level 2 for Grades 4 and 5.

Each level comes with a spiral-bound student workbook, and a regular-bound teacher's guide. The teacher's guide contains instructions for each lesson, answers for all of the lessons, co-op lesson plans, and an Appendix which contains extra materials for the lessons, that can be photocopied for student use. The materials in the Appendix are also available on the Writing Tales website as a pdf for printing ease, which is a plus for those who don't have easy access to a photocopier.

There are 30 Lessons per level, and each level covers 15 stories. The lessons are broken up into 5 days worth of work, and each story takes 2 lessons (2 weeks of work). The first day of the first lesson is always to read the story (supplied in the student workbook and teacher's guide), followed by discussion about the story, and an activity that helps the child remember the details of the story and the order they came in. The next few days are some light grammar lessons, using the story for instruction and example. Copywork and vocabulary are also covered through the week. Many of these lessons are hands-on or engaging in some other way, without being rote workbook-type work.

Day 5 of the first lesson for each story requires a child to write a rough draft of the story that is the focus for that week. The child is encouraged to retell it in their own words, without adding any creative touches. In the week following, the child will write another draft of the story, correcting any mistakes found in the original rough draft, and now with the permission (and encouragement!) to add their own creative flair to the story. At the end of the second week, the student writes up a final draft of their version of the story. It is suggested that the child have a special notebook specifically for these final drafts, so that at the end of the year, they have a notebook full of their own writings.

As I mentioned, the stories that are covered in each lesson are included in the student workbook as well as the teacher's guide, so no extra materials are required. However, there are some suggested additional books that I was able to easily find at my library. The teacher's guide gives warning ahead of time of when those books are going to be used in a lesson, so that there is ample prep time to gather them.

For this review, I started both Isaac (4th grade) and Ezra (3rd grade) in Level 1. I want to give you some background with our previous writing curriculum experience before I share my thoughts on this product. Isaac is an avid reader, but not an avid writer. I had tried introducing a formal writing curriculum with him two years ago, and every single lesson was met with tears, frustration, and discouragement (often on both our parts!). Convinced he just wasn't ready, I shelved that curriculum and the next year, tried a different one. It brought the same results. I had really decided to just give up on any type of writing curriculum for another few years, thinking, again, that he just wasn't ready. So when the opportunity came to review Writing Tales, I was excited, but also a little apprehensive.

I can't even describe to you how absolutely elated I am with Writing Tales. There has been no tears, no frustration, no discouragement in using this product. None! The release of the pressure to come up with a creative story completely out of nowhere has given Isaac the freedom to start enjoying writing!!! It has turned that aspect of our homeschooling around completely.

Now, when it's time to do a rough draft, I remind him "Just write it as if you were telling me about the story" and it is so easy for him! No tears!!! Also, since he didn't have to come up with the storyline himself, he now considers it easy to be able to embellish more on the second draft. I can see his creative writing skills blossoming through the use of Writing Tales!

As for Ezra, since I had given up the idea of using any formal writing curriculum before even starting one with him, I have no before and after comparison, but he, too, is finding writing easy and enjoyable. The hardest time he has is not being allowed to be creative in his first rough drafts! He loves to add things to the storyline to make them uniquely his own. He struggles a bit with the mechanics of writing, however, so (taking a tip suggested in the teacher's guide of Writing Tales), when it comes time for writing drafts, he writes the first few sentences, and then dictates the rest to me to write. For the final drafts, each boy types them up and I am keeping them in a special folder on the computer.

While Writing Tales definitely requires teacher involvement for each lesson, we've found the lessons are beautifully short - I don't think I've ever spent more than 15 minutes on each lesson with each boy, except on the days when they are writing their drafts. Usually the lessons average 5-10 minutes, which is GREAT! for this busy homeschool mom and my short attention span boys! No "eyes glazing over" look! ;-) The teacher's guide is very easy to use and teach from, and prep time is minimal - I usually just glance over the next day's work as we're finishing up the current day, and have only had to spend at most about 5 minutes getting ready for what's next.

The hands-on aspect is also delightfully fun. I never thought grammar could be hands-on, but Writing Tales has made it easy. Sometimes it's just using different colored pencils to underline or circle parts of speech in the story, sometimes it's racing to a different parts of the room where types of sentences are posted on the walls, sometimes it's cutting and rearranging sentences, or just playing games with words! There are activities for all types of learners in each lesson.

My one complaint is that the teacher's guide isn't spiral bound like the student workbook. Small complaint, I know, but the teacher's guide can be cumbersome when it won't lay flat. I'm only mentioning that because perhaps the creators of Writing Tales will read this and consider the idea! It's definitely not a "make-it or break-it" detail in my opinion of the product (obviously). It is easy to take it to a local office supply store and have it spiral bound there... I just haven't yet.

Writing Tales is, hands-down, THE writing curriculum that I will be using over the next few years for Isaac and Ezra. I am so impressed with every part of it, and even more so, the peace it's brought about in our homeschool and the confidence it has given my children (especially Isaac!) in their writing. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to review Writing Tales, as I otherwise had given up on teaching writing! I am hopeful that Level 3 will be available when we finish up the Level 1 and 2!

Oh, and I wanted to add - we are not "Classical" homeschoolers, so please don't get hung up on that description if you're not either! Writing Tales, I believe, will work wonderfully with any type of homeschooling, unless you only want curricula that your child can use without your involvement.

Want to see for yourself? Samples of each level are available here!

Here is a detailed Scope and Sequence chart that allows you to see what stories are used and what grammatical concepts are taught in each lesson.

Also check out the FAQs, which are very helpful!

For Level 1 of Writing Tales, the Teacher's Guide is $24.95 and the Student Workbook is $19.95. I let my two children share a student's notebook by doing the work in a separate notebook, but it is easier to use the Student's Notebook as a consumable, in my opinion. Level 2 of Writing Tales sells for $32.95 for an Teacher's Guide and $24.95 for a Student Workbook.

Oh, and check this out!! If you order between May 2nd and May 9th, you get 20% off AND free shipping! Definitely take advantage of that sale!

Please make sure to go and see what other members of the TOS Crew are saying about Writing Tales, by checking out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - See the Light

See the Light is a company that makes learning and teaching art at home easy by offering both DVD's and downloads of art classes taught by a Master Artist. This review is specifically for their Art Class curriculum, although they offer other DVDs in art instruction, as well. Requiring only basic, easy-to-find art supplies, the classes are engaging, informative, and best of all - incorporate Biblical teaching and faith-encouraging dialogue into each lesson.

Each DVD has 4 lessons, and each lesson is about 15 minutes long. The way we used our DVD was to watch a lesson, do some practice together, and then the boys spend about 15 minutes each day practicing what they had learned from the DVD, spending one week on each lesson. Using it this way, each DVD has a month's worth of lessons on it, so the entire set of 9 DVDs would cover a 36-week school year.

I'm going to admit one of my "I'm not the perfect homeschooler" faults here - I've never used anything to formally teach drawing and art to the children. Oh, I've tried, but never found one that works. Until receiving this product, that is!

Each lesson is very easily explained, not too long or wordy, and the demonstrations are clear and easy to follow. The instructor, Pat Knepley is engaging, pleasant, and encouraging. I've always felt a little discouraged by my lack of artistic skills, but these art lessons gave me a lot more confidence! I also appreciated that there weren't any fancy supplies needed, so no trying to hunt down obscure items at specialty stores!

Not sure if you they'll work for you? See the Light makes it easy for you to find out! You can order a free DVD, or watch the first 3 lessons free! I love it when a company provides a good sample for their potential customers to really get a feel for whether their product will work for them!

You can get 1 year's worth of Art Lessons (9 DVDs with 4 lessons each) for just $99.99. Here is a PDF outlining what skills each DVD covers. Or, you can opt for an online subscription to the art curriculum - they email you 4 new lessons each month (and you still have access to all of the previous months' lessons, too) for $10 a month (for a total of $90 for the entire curriculum).

And, as always, be sure to find out what other TOS Crew members thought by checking out their reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

TOS Crew Review - Nutrition 101 - Choose Life

Nutrition 101 - Choose Life!, available through Growing Healthy Homes, is a 448-page nutrition and health resource, written by and for homeschooling families. The book includes 6 Units, and each Unit has 4 Chapters, making it perfect for a year-long study into the science of the human body and nutrition. Each chapter contains discussion questions, activities, power recipes, and additional resources. At the end of the book there are Appendices - 31 of them!

The body systems discussed in each Unit include:

• The Brain and Nervous System
• The Digestive System
• The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory and Visual Systems,
  
• The Skeletal and Muscular Systems
• The Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
• The Endocrine System and Emotions

The chapters within the Units describe how each system functions, what foods are essential for that system to work properly, illnesses that can affect that system, and the nutrition that can help prevent, treat, or manage those illnesses. Foods to avoid and other health tips are also discussed.

Here are my thoughts about the book:

WOW!!! I love this book!

OK, I'll say more because that would be the shortest review I've ever written.

"Nutrition 101 - Choose Life" is a literal treasure trove of information about living a healthy lifestyle - it combines the why and how to do it, and takes it even deeper - teaching the actual science behind how proper (and improper) nutrition affects all of our body systems! A nutrition and anatomy book all rolled into one, this book is not just for homeschool students - anyone who is interested in learning about nutrition can greatly benefit from this!

Beyond the easy-to-read chapters and the wealth of information contained within them, I was floored by the Appendices. Topics ranging from vitamin and mineral charts, to shopping lists and guides for picking the best produce and vegetables, to the best sources of essential fatty acids, calcium, and fiber, to how to bake with whole grains, and even touching on household toxins and natural alternatives... they are OVERFLOWING with useful and beneficial information.

Oh, and the recipes - did I mention those? As well as at the end of each Chapter, there are also recipes in the Appendices , and we have taste-tested a few of them - they pass the "easy to make and yummy to eat" test with flying colors at our house! And they're healthy!! Awesome!

Beyond all that, it also offers tips on how to transition to a healthier lifestyle. That was such a blessing for me to read, because it is all too easy to try to jump on the "healthy" bandwagon, get overwhelmed, and quit. (Ask me how I know!) Having someone "hold my hand" and lay out small, simple steps showing me how to get started will definitely produce long-term benefits.

The age range is wide for this book. It is very easily adaptable for younger children (just touching on basics and doing some of the activities and making the recipes), but I would say as a curriculum, it is just right for the middle-school/high-school age level. However, I know this book will be one that I refer to again and again throughout the years, even when I'm not using it as a curriculum!

I would consider it a must-read for anyone trying to make their homes healthier. Homeschooling or not, parents or not... everyone and anyone can benefit from the knowledge within this book!

Nutrition 101 is available for purchase in 3 different formats: Book ($99.95), CD-ROM ($79.95), or Book and CD-ROM together ($129.95). There is also a multiple user licence available for co-op use. If that price seems steep, never fear - I have a discount code available for you! Use the code TOScrew11 at checkout for 15% off your entire purchase!

See what other Crew Members thought by checking out their reviews at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!

Disclaimer: I was given this product specifically for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.

Our 2nd Annual Sonlight Box Day!

Even though we still have about 14 weeks left of our current Sonlight Core (Core D), I went ahead and purchased our next Core (Core E)! I did this to give me time to pre-read all of the books, as well as make sure things are nice and organized... and also to take advantage of Sonlight's Time Payments option (a great option for those, like myself, on a tighter homeschool budget!).

Thursday was the "due date" for our boxes to arrive, and we all waited with excited anticipation for a sight of the FedEx truck! However, we woke up to different trucks outside! They were making repairs on the fire hydrant outside our house.

After a while, I said to Michael, "I wonder if the FedEx man won't stop because there's so much construction going on?"... literally, within 3 minutes, a FedEx truck came up the road, and parked in the neighbor's driveway. We peeked out the window, and sure enough he saw him hauling two large, very distinct white boxes with blue lettering out of his truck! Michael was kind enough to meet him in the yard to relieve him of his burden - boxes of books are pretty heavy! Here they are, hiding all sorts of wonderful treasures inside!

First, we had to move them to a nice open spot where we'd have room to lay everything out to look at. Joel volunteered to do the heavy work!

And then the opening began! The first box held a surprise that I hadn't told the boys we were getting - a microscope! A real, live, high-quality microscope! They were so excited!

Since the older boys have been showing a lot of interest in inventions and electrical things lately, I decided that we'd go ahead with Sonlight's Core E science for next year, as the main topics covered include inventions and electrcity! We love Apologia and plan to return to it, but I thought it would be nice to teach something they're really wanting to learn, so it should be a fun science year! Here are all of the Science books and kit supplies:

Then came the Core books - book, after book, after book! Here they are, all laid out:

And here they are, sorted into their subject piles:

For a closer look, here are the main history books (there are several that we will use that I already own, so they're not pictured):

Here are the books I'll be reading aloud to the boys (I love them best, because I enjoy the whole experience with them!):

And here are the books they'll be reading by themselves:

Isaac's comment was "Aww, man! Do I really have to wait until next year to be able to read these?!" I explained that "next year" actually meant this fall, so it wasn't going to be too long of a wait ;-)

Here's the rug, covered with all of our Box Day goodies!

After labeling and organizing them, we had the fun of putting them away! Isaac takes a look back over each one:

Oh, and even Nate got something special in this year's box! Time to start some fun pre-reading!

And of course Judah can't be left out of a photo shoot:

We are all very excited and looking forward to another year with Sonlight!

(Oh, and just as a side note, if you're interested in trying Sonlight and happen to use one of my links to make your first purchase over $50, you'll save $5 and I'll get some points, too. It's a win-win situation! ;-) )