Classical Phonics & First Start Reading by Memoria Press

Classical Phonics & First Start Reading by Memoria Press-

Bentz Test Laboratory has a Kindergarten member this year. And, this is the perfect program for him!

Let's start at the beginning (like all good phonics programs do) with a description of these excellent resources:

"First Start Reading covers consonants, short vowels, 45 common words, and manuscript printing, accompanied by artist-drawn coloring pictures and drawing pages for every letter. Your child will begin reading in the very first lesson as he progresses through three student books and twentyfive phonetic stories, such as "Hogs and Pigs" and "Jog to the Jet." A Teacher Manual guides you through the program and provides helpful assessments and teaching tips."

First Start Reading:Phonics, Reading, and Printing (set of 3 + teacher guide)
by Cheryl Lowe - with Teachers Guide - $29.95 (just $21.95 for the Student Workbooks only)

What I liked: First Start Reading is a consumable workbook - working on phonics and handwriting all in one place (I much prefer one book to seperate programs for each "subject"). The best part, by Lesson 3, my tester got to read his first word! I just love being there for that, don't you? I never tire of that first sparkly-eyed - "I just read that all by myself" moment. These workbooks are very well done. Clean, crisp and visually appealing. You can see a sample of Book A here.

"Classical Phonics is a deceptively simple little book our teachers and families use constantly in both Kindergarten and first grade. It consists of phonetically-arranged word lists for students to practice their growing phonics skills. In a word list there are no context clues, so the learner must rely on his mastery of letter sounds. For instance, if your child can pronounce each word in this list correctly – pot, pat, pit, put, pet – he knows his short vowel sounds, and you can move on to long vowels! If not, he needs more practice, and Classical Phonics is the most effective tool I know of to address the repetition that young ones need when learning to read. Classical Phonics can be used as a supplement to any phonics program and covers nearly all English phonograms and sounds taught through second grade. Classical Phonics is your handy tool for phonics practice and for building confident readers. *A must-have supplement for First Start Reading! "


Classical Phonics:A Child's Guide to Word Mastery  by Cheryl Lowe
 is a NON-consumable (my favorite kind...) resource for just $14.95

What I liked: Classical Phonics is a companion (or not, depending on your preference) to the First Start workbooks.  It is very "uncluttered" simple drawing, black and white, plenty of visual "room".  I like that my student doesn't have alot of pictures to distract from focusing on the pure sounds of the words.  It contains lists of words in phonetic families for your child to read.  I am a huge fan of phonics based instruction.  I found this book to be a very useful resource to use with my struggling 1st grade reader as well. We even used it for simple spelling tests as well.  You can see a sample of this book here.

The Teacher's Guide is a valuable addition to the program, especially if you are new to teaching someone to read.  It guides you through each step of the lesson (and the pencil grip and letter formation information is invaluable!)

Memoria Press is worth taking a minute to visit - in fact, get a catalog here.  I have used many of their Latin products in the past, and I can tell you - quality is what they are all about.

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought here.

I was sent a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Excellence in Literature

Excellence in Literature by Everyday Education

I just love to read!  I love books!  I love reading CLASSIC books! I want to give my children that same LOVE of books and reading!   Can you sense my excitement for this product?

A description from their website:
"Have you always wanted to read the Great Books? Now is your chance! With Excellence in Literature, you and your student can enjoy reading, understanding, and analyzing the greatest literature of all time. Excellence in Literature presents a feast of great literature along with the context information you need in order to fully understand it. "

Ok, I'm hooked! 

I was thrilled when I received by Ebook copy of Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing through the Classics - just $27 (Print copies are available for $29 plus shipping).

Not long after graduating from college, I read an interesting newpaper article with a "list" of the books to have read if you were "educated".  I eagerly scanned the list, excited to see how many I had read (my love of books has been lifelong...) I was DEVASTATED to realize - even after a college degree, that I hadn't read even a fraction of that list!  That article inspired me to make sure that my children (and me as well) didn't get all the way through college and realize that we hadn't read enough classic literature to be considered "educated" - plus - I was motivated to learn all the treasures I had missed along the way.

Now that you have a peek into my literature philosophy, let me tell you how that relates to Excellence in Literature: Reading and Writing through the Classics.   I now have the means and a powerful teaching tool to introduce my children to classic literature (remember, I haven't read all of these yet!).  Janice Campbell has done the work of evaluating which books, and putting together all the "extras" that round out the learning process.  See how she picked the literature choices here.

Here's a description of the course, directly from them:
"The literature-based unit format of Excellence in Literature offers students the opportunity to grow thoroughly familiar with some of the greatest writers and literary works of all time. There are nine four-week units in each level.

Study and writing for each unit is centered around a full-length focus text— a novel, play, or poem— chosen for its significance to the period of literature being studied. A reasonable number of context works, including poetry, short biographies, art, music, videos, and online resources, are selected to enhance the student’s understanding of the focus text, its author, and the literary period in which it was created.

There is an emphasis on the analytical essay, which offers the opportunity to perfect the standard writing process of planning, drafting, and revising. Shorter assignments in various forms will round out each unit. "

My tester at Bentz Laboratory is an 8th grade student, who is a lover of literature (even classics, especially classics).  His comment - "When can I get started?"

Here's what I love the most - this is a SELF-DIRECTED course - it encourages your student to independent learning.  The lesson plans help you know what to do, and when (but all the time consuming research work is done for you - including context reading for the historical periods!).  There are also "Honors" selections for your student to earn advanced placement credit.  Best of all for you the teacher - Evaluation Rubrics to help you grade their work!

Here's the books you will be reading - I love how many of these are really "boy friendly"!

Unit 1: Short Stories by-
• Sarah Orne Jewett: A White Heron
• Edgar Allen Poe: The Purloined Letter (This one is not scary, if you're concerned about that.)
• Guy de Maupassant: The Diamond Necklace
• O. Henry: The Ransom of Red Chief
• Eudora Welty: A Worn Path
• James Thurber: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Unit 2: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Honors: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Unit 3: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Honors: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Unit 4: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Honors: Shirley or Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Unit 5: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Honors: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
Unit 6: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Honors: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Unit 7: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Honors: 1984 by George Orwell
Unit 8: The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Honors: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Unit 9: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Honors: The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan


Get a Free Sample Unit here.

Other levels are available: You may order Introduction to Literature, Literature & Composition, American Literature, British Literature and World Literature

Free printable information sheet with 5-year booklist

I'm thrilled to have found the "perfect" literature program for us to take us from 8th grade to graduation.  And, I know my student won't see one of those "lists" and feel like they missed out!

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought here.

I was sent a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

 

Marshall Publishing - George Washington Carver: His Life and Work DVD

George Washington Carvewr: His Life and Work - DVD

From their website:
"Born into slavery and reared during the Reconstruction years in the South, George Washington Carver struggled through poor health, poverty and prejudice…to become a great benefactor, not only to his people…but to his country as well. Carver is known in history books as the “peanut man” – for his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton. As one of the world’s foremost experts in agriculture and horticulture, Carver, through his research and teaching at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama practically reinvented land management in the South. He is said to have compiled a list of over 300 uses for and by-products of peanuts such as cosmetics, dyes and paints, plastics, gasoline and nitroglycerin.




But his work as a creative scientist stretches far beyond that endeavor. He marveled at the world around him and his ability to inspire those closely associated with him may well have been one of his greatest lifetime achievements. As a living example of the importance of hard work, a positive attitude and a good education, Carver was instrumental in changing the stereotype of the time that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race.

Here then, is the story of Carver’s life…a life that should not be forgotten, for it is full of hope, meaning and inspiration. To commemorate his life and inventions, George Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary of Carver's death."

The DVD is 30 min. long.  Designed for 4th Grade - Adult. You can access a Study Guide to use with it.

The Bentz Test Laboratory was excited to watch this video (yes, we are homeschoolers and we really LIKE educational movies!). We moved to Arkansas from Minnesota 2 years ago. With Grandparent in AR, we had been making the long trek south for many years.  We always pass the George Washington Carver National Monument in Neosho Missouri.  I have always wanted to stop and visit, but you know how husbands can be when trying to reach a destination! (that means - only "necessary" potty stops...)  But, now - after watching this video - the children and I are more determined than ever to "Stop the bus, Dad!" next time we drive by.

The video was well done, and very informative.  I loved how it showcased George Washington Carver's own words throughout and highlighted his Christian Worldview.  We learned much more about this amazing man than we had previously known.  And, it has sparked an interest to learn even more - exactly what I desire!  Homeschooling at it's best - something to create a "spark" that grows into a "fire" to learn something new.

You can purchase this DVD - for $19.95 online from Marshall Publishing.  They also have manyothers educational titles to choose from - check out the selection here.

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought here.

I was sent a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

American Girl Club - Felicity - Week 2

Felicity - Week 2



This week the girls made paper fans, and played the "Game of Graces".

The fans were constructed out of beautiful, "colonial" look scrapbook paper - folded and glued to be sturdy.
Fan blades were held together on the bottom with a copper brad, and ribbon laced through each created the "fan".

We discussed the purposes for colonial girl's fans - not just keeping them cool... They also used them for "accessories", to whisper behind, and to hide that they hadn't brushed their teeth!

After completeing our fans, it was outside (beautiful fall day) to play the Game of Graces.  Ribbons were woven around a circle (otherwise known today as the inner ring of an embroidery hoop) and the girls used sticks to GRACEFULLY toss the pretty ring back and forth to each other.

The MCA discussed how doing the "small, hard things" can add up to a really BIG hard thing over time!

The littles had a great time playing follow the leader in the back yard.

So very thankful for this wonderful group of families!  We welcomed the 10th "little" - Maggie Elizabeth Hopp born on American Girl Club day!  (how perfect is that!) 

Say Anything Family

Say Anything Family by Northstar Games

Another great game from Northstar Games!  Say Anything Family Edition is geared toward ages 8 and up and for 3-6 players.

The game itself contains 60 question cards with a total of 360 topics, 6 dry erase pens and 6 dry erase boards, 1 SELECT-O-MATIC-6000 which is a spinner used to determine player order, 12 player tokens, 1 dry erase score board, and 1 full color rules booklet.

The Bentz Testing laboratory is LOVING all the games we've gotten to test this year.  Little do they know, I've been sneaking some learning in as well...shhh - don't tell them all of these games have been excercising their brains too!

Say Anything Family starts with the "judge player" choosing a card and reading a question.  The questions are thought provoking, subjective type - i.e "If you were a cartoon character, which one would you be?"
Then, the players write down their answer on a dry-erase board (except the judge) and they place it face down.  The judge chooses the answer they like best.  Everyone else uses chips to guess which one the judge picked.  Finally, the judge reveals which answer they picked.  If you had the answer the judge selected, or one with chips on it, you get a point.  The game ends after everyone has been judge (you decide how many rounds to play).

This one was a huge hit - Say Anything Family doesn't have a "right answer" - you can discuss the questions.  And, judging from the conversations I overhead - that's what it encourages - family conversation!  In fact, while looking for "icebreakers" for our small group night - my son said, "Mom- go get Say Anything Family - it's full of topics for you to talk about!"

The Bentz Learning Laboratory has been playing this game non-stop (when they aren't playing Wits & Wagers Family).  They even invited friends over to play this one!

We have become HUGE fans of Northstar Games - we also were sent - Wits & Wagers Family, you can read our thought about that game here.  Find a retailer near you here - the game retails for $19.99 (I think it would be a great "family" Christmas present!).

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought here.

I was sent a complimentary game in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Wits & Wagers - Family

Wits & Wagers - Family by Northstar Games


Here's their description:

"Wits & Wagers Family simplifies the rules and scoring system of the popular Wits & Wagers. Now families and kids can get into the Wits & Wagers action! First, every player writes down a guess to a fun question. Then players try to score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer without going over. That is it!

The game features 300 new family-friendly questions. And even better than that, Wits & Wagers Family includes Meeples-- fun, cute, human shaped wooden pieces that the players use to select which answers they think are correct. Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years, but this is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game.

So check out Wits & Wagers Family, the game that combines laughter and learning in a way that all ages can enjoy together!

A Family Edition of the Most Award-Winning Party Game in History!"

The Bentz Testing Laboratory LOVED this one, in fact - once the tester's got their hands on it - I had to search to find it again!

The "head" tester reports that even the 5 year old "mini tester" can play this one.  That's a big hit - when a game can interest the whole range from 5-14 year olds!

Here's the detailed description of how to play - directly from my testers:

The players read a question, everyone writes down the number value (from the questions) on their personal dry-erase board and places it facedown.  Each player reveals their answers - if two people have the same answer, the last one to put it down has to rechoose.  Next, everyone places their Meeples on the board of the person that you think has the correct answer (or your own if you know you're "right").  This is where it gets fun - how well do you know the people you're playing with?  Finally, the answer is revealed and the answer with the most Meeples that's closet without going over or the "correct" answer gets a point.   First person to 15 points - wins the game.

We love board games, especially the ones that make you think!  I would highly recommend you check out Northstar Games - we have become HUGE fans of this company.   We received Say Anything Family as well see what we thought here. These are well constructed, high interest games for the entire family.

See where to purchase Wits and Wagers Family Here.  This game retails for $19.99. 

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought Here.

I received a complimentary game in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.

Educating the Whole Hearted Child

Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson

This is a well-loved, family favorite.  It was one of the first resources that a dear friend lent to me when I first asked that question, "How do you homeshool?". 

That was 9 years and 8 children ago, and my copy is very worn and marked up!  I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review the New - 3rd Edition of this book (a huge nearly 400 page resource!)

Educating the Whole Hearted Child is  available from Apologia for just $22.00.
You can see a Sample Chapter here, or the Table of Contents

From their website:

"Clay and Sally Clarkson's Educating the WholeHearted Child is about rediscovering God's original design for the family. What you'll find in this book is a homeschooling model that makes sense. It's an approach that is based on sound biblical principles of nurture, discipleship, instruction, and learning. Newly revised and significantly expanded, Educating the WholeHearted Child is about much more than homeschooling; it is about life. "

I can't tell you how much this book helped shape our homeschool journey. Re-reading it now, I realize that the Clarkson's  encouragement and practical tips started us down a learning path that has been so enjoyable and rewarding!  Don't let the volume intimidate you - it's designed to be your tool and guide.

The 18 chapters cover the following topics:

•Learning to Be at Home with Christ

•Shaping Your Child’s Heart to Live for God
•Living and Learning Together at Home
•Understanding Your Child
•The Study of the Basics
•The Study of Living
•Keeping the Vision Alive
•Keeping the Home Together
•A full list of resources ranging from books to forms.
•and much, much more

This 3rd Edition was much more than just an updated cover.  The Clarksons have updated their resources with advances in the homeschool market and technology.  But, they still offer the same, solid Biblical advice that never goes out of style!

I strongly recommend that all parents considering homeschooling (as well as those already on this path) read this book!  It will encourage you over and over.

See what the other members of the TOS Review Crew thought here.

I was sent a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Revie Crew.