Understanding Child Brain Development by Family Hope Center: A TOS Crew Review

Understanding Child Brain Development by Family Hope Center

To order the DVD, please call 610-397-1737 or you can order Understanding Child Brain Development -  from Institute for Excellence in Writing

Cost: $19.00

From their website:

"The Family Hope Center (FHC), firmly believes that you should be in the ‘driver’s seat’, knowing what to do and how to do it. Understanding Child Brain Development  by Matthew & Carol Newell is a 2+ hour seminar designed to help you understand your child's development, the role you play in it, and how to help your child be the best they can be. The DVD will have the viewer considering the who, what, when, where, why and how of your child’s total development."

Do you have children needing "special ministry" (a good friend introduced me to that term and I feel it fits perfectly!) Autism, ADHD, even Dyslexia, brain injuries other "special ministries" can leave you with so many questions.  How?  Why?  What can I do to help?  This DVD will give you some of the answers.

This DVD is very thorough - explaining brain development at each stage, including the effects of foods and environment. Sunlight, Water, Nutrition, even Microwave usage are all discussed.  Even if you are well versed in these topics, I promise you will learn something new! Read An Introduction to Your Child's Brain here.  It's not just for "special ministry" situations either, all parents can benefit from this education.

“You aren’t the problem, but you are part of the solution.” The Newells are committed to bringing hope to  families.  Instead of treating symptoms, as many doctors are doing today, their aim is to to point toward solutions and equip parents with the knowledge they need to help their children succeed.

I found this DVD very interesting, and I was eagerly taking notes as I watched.  I will most definitely be watching it again, as there is so much good information to be learned. While I found myself agreeing with a lot of what was said, they do state that microwave use could be harmful, and should be avoided.  Starvation could ensue at Bentz Test laboratory if we discontinue microwave use around here... just sayin'. :-)  I recommend viewing it, but using it as a starting point for your own research journey - rather than a definitive "how-to" to follow rigidly.  You know your family, and the "special ministry" you need most.

This isn't the type of DVD to curl up with a bowl of popcorn with...but, rather - valuable training tool to provide knowledge and strategies.  It's time to do some "Mom & Dad Continuing Education" with this seminar.

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Our Final Day of Summer Break

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words...right?

 

This is actually my fearless 7 year old - running full speed and throwing himself off the cliff! 

 

This is just like what I feel like with my 12th year of homeschooling about to begin.  It feels like a huge, scary cliff of uncertainty... 8 children officially mine to educate, a home to run, multiple responsibilities, and a husband to help.

 

  It can seem too much some days. 

 

 I just got to run and jump off into the arms of God!  He hasn't dropped me yet....

 

 

Our kindergarten princess...

Ah, the good life!

 

Could you resist this??  Nope, me either!

 

 

I think I sense a new family tradition - the final day of summer should always be spent on a lake, so that your first day pictures (blog post coming soon...) includes sunburned cheeks.

 

So,  here's goes nothing... I know you're going to catch me God - we're leaping off into 2013-14!

 

 



Reading Kingdom: A TOS Crew Review

Reading Kingdom

From their website:
"The Reading Kingdom is a site for children to learn to read and for adults looking to make sure the children in their lives have the best opportunities in life. It's fun, easy-to-use and best of all, kids can do most of the program on their own with minimal adult supervision. Our online reading program is based on a patented system developed by a world-renowned expert on reading that has helped children to learn to read for over forty years. It's the only system that customizes itself to your child. Thousands of children, parents, and educators testify to the success of the program."

The program is for ages 4-10 years old and teaches up to a third grade reading and writing level.

Cost: Try a  FREE 30 day free trial before you buy or

 $19.99 per month /$199.99 per year for the first child with each child after costing an additional $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.

The  Bentz Test Laboratory was recently selected to take another look at The Reading Kingdom, online reading program.  My tester was our seven year old, second grader.  He loves getting to have computer time - so, I thought this would be a hit. 


The Reading Kingdom begins with a skills assessment.  Parents are advised not to help their child, so that the program can get an accurate reading of the student's reading and keyboarding skills. My tester has very beginning keyboarding skills so began with a introductory keyboarding level to learn those skills  (I was allowed up to 3 children on my subscription - but, my other potential testers couldn't get past this level...)

I must say, this frustrated him.  As he struggled to locate the correct letter (which he could identify and read easily) on the keyboard, if it took him too long - the program considered it wrong and corrected him.  This was very defeating for him. It may have been teaching valuable keyboarding skills, but - it moved so slowly that he quickly lost interest.  This became a daily "please do some computer time for mom" type of situation.  This was not what I expected, begging my child to spend some time on the computer!

There are plenty of features to get excited about however.  This program customizes to your child's level, not a "one-size-fits-all.   Progress reports are emailed weekly, so you will know exactly where your student is at. It's a very comprehensive program that works with struggling readers.

If your child already has the keyboarding skills needed - I'm sure they will have a much different experience than my tester did.

 

Here's some screen shots to give you an idea of the exercises they are doing during the Keyboarding portion - type the highlighted letter.  Over and over...

Moving on to the reading exercises:

Putting the letters in order to spell the word.

And then, reading sentences and filling in the missing words.

I strongly encourage you to read what some of the other TOS Crew thought - I feel like this program has great appeal and potential,  it just wasn't a good fit for us.

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Birthday Traditions with the Bentz Bunch

It's "Birthday Season" around here! 

We have bunches of birthdays in this house.  Starting in March - we have 2, April - 1, May -2 (plus an anniversary), July - 2, August -2, and October.  Whew...done just in time to head into the holidays!

We love celebrating each and every birthday.  We have tons of family traditions to go along with this special day, how about you?

Here are a couple of ours:

Birthday Person picks every meal of the day.  This can be whatever they choose - we have had "all breakfast" birthdays,  "from the grill" birthdays, and everything in between.  For this day only - I am the willing short-order cook but, just for the birthday person!  Birthday cake is almost always (except for rebel kids) Angel food cake with strawberries and the special "Bentz Glaze Recipe".

 

Sixteen (the oldest) and Four (the youngest)

 

 

 

What else...Poptarts for breakfast!

 

 

Birthday Journals - I am appalled at the cost of greeting cards, aren't you?!  Upwards of $5 - just to be thrown away?  So, years ago - I stopped the madness and bought everyone a journal.  Each family member writes a personal message to the birthday person.  We can read them back year-to-year.  This has become one of most treasured family traditions.

Gifts - with 10 of us, this can get crazy too!  So, I started another tradition.  "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read...& something misc." (I think a kid added the "something misc").    It gives a limit to our giving, and makes the shopping more fun to try to find something perfect for the "category".

 

 

"Something you want" - Yes,  2 Fancy mice & 2 Glow fish joined the family this summer :-)

So, what are some of your favorite birthday traditions?

America the Beautiful by Notgrass Company: A TOS Crew Review

 America the Beautiful Curriculum Package by Notgrass Company

From their website:

"America the Beautiful by Charlene Notgrass is a one-year American history, geography, and literature course designed for students in grades 5-8. It combines the flexibility and richness of a unit study with the simplicity of a textbook-based approach to history. Daily lessons guide your child chronologically through American history, highlighting key events, people, and places. Ages 10-14. The America the Beautiful Curriculum Package includes the six books listed below, enough for one child to complete the curriculum. If you are using the curriculum with more than one child, you can purchase additional consumable books, including Maps of America the Beautiful, Timeline of America the Beautiful, and either the Student Workbook or Lesson Review." America the Beautiful Part 1 This book has 75 lessons beginning with life in America before Europeans came and continuing through the first years after the Civil War. Hardcover. Color and black and white illustrations. 452 pages. View the Table of Contents and a Sample Unit America the Beautiful Part 2 This book has 75 lessons beginning with America's expansion into the lands west of the Mississippi River and continuing to modern times. It also includes an index to the curriculum. Hardcover. Color and black and white illustrations. 572 pages. View the Table of Contents, a Sample Unit, and the Index We the People A collection of 150 original journal entries, newspaper articles, advertisements, poems, songs, letters, short stories, speeches, and other historic documents from American history. Hardcover. Black and white illustrations. 220 pages. View Sample Pages Maps of America the Beautiful A collection of 30 maps drawn especially to accompany this curriculum. Your child will often refer to a map while reading a lesson in America the Beautiful and do activities on the map at the end of the lesson. Saddle-stitched. 61 pages. View Sample Maps Timeline of America the Beautiful This is an illustrated timeline of American history from AD 1000 to the present designed specifically to include facts learned in the lessons. Some facts are already printed on the timeline. After most lessons, your child will add an event mentioned in the lesson to the timeline. Saddle-stitched. 57 pages. View Sample Pages America the Beautiful Answer Key Includes answers for the Timeline, Student Workbook, Lesson Review, and the vocabulary assignments included in the main text. Saddle-stitched. 55 pages. View the Answer Key

Cost:	$99.95

In addition - we also were sent:

America the Beautiful Student workbook (for grades 5-6) by Mary Evelyn McCurdy, $11.95.

 America the Beautiful Lesson Review (for grades 7-8), also by Mary Evelyn McCurdy,  $9.95

Bentz Test Laboratory loves history, and we love unit studies, so we were very excited for the arrival of the America the Beautiful Curriculum Package by Notgrass Company. 

Let me start with a personal disclaimer...I am NOT a textbook lover, usually..  I was educated with dry, dusty, boring history textbooks.  Whatever little spark of interest I may have had, was quickly extinguished.  It wasn't until we started our homeschooling journey that I truly discovered history!!  Now, it is the subject I enjoy teaching the most (even in our Co-op) but not usually with a textbook...until now.

America the Beautiful "looks" like a textbook...BUT, it is FAR CRY from what you may expect. Divided into 2 Parts with 75 lessons each - covered in 30 units total.  These hardcover books take you on an adventure through American History from the beginning to modern times, with a Christian Worldview.

This curriculum is divided into five types of lessons to reach every learner:

• Our American Story - lessons about the events 
• God's Wonders - lessons about God's creation
• An American Landmark - lessons about the places
• An American Biography - lessons about the people

Activities for each lesson include:

• Thinking Biblically
• Creative writing
• Vocabulary
• Family Activities
• Literature Assignments (you can purchase America the Beautiful Literature Package as well)
• Timeline
• Maps
• Plus, assignments in America the Beautiful Student Workbook or America the Beautiful Lesson Review

Right away I knew I was going to like this program.  Everything is explained clearly - the teacher instructions are included in the front of each book, so you do NOT have to have an additional Teacher Guide (a Answer Key for the workbook is included in the package). A handy guide in the front lists suggested activities by grade to help you customize with multiple ages.

This curriculum really does have it all.  The Text is filled with coloful pictures, is easy to read and understand.  It is written to your student, but we preferred to read it all together. (Older students could easily manage this independently).

The Timeline and Map books are very well done as well.  I'll be needing to order extra copies, because coloring the pictures has become a favorite activity for everyone!  

We the People - Words from the Makers of American History is a book of the letters, stories, speeches, poems, songs, memoirs, and documents that are the foundation of American History.  This book is a must have on every homeschool bookshelf!  You'll be glad you discovered this gem... My older tester disappeared with this book - just to read it for fun.  I can't wait to steal it back from him...

The Student Workbook is just the right resource for us.  It's full of a variety of activities for each lesson - word finds, crosswords, rebus stories, matching and much more.  The Lesson Review Book is more of a standard fill-in-the-blank review that will appeal to older students.

This is a well thought out, integrated COMPLETE American History curriculum.  We enjoyed our "taste" of it during the review period.  Shhh...don't tell them, but I'm putting it away so that we can introduce it for next year's American History course at our Co-op - it's that good!  

Other members of the TOS Crew took a peek at another great Notgrass Company product - Draw to Learn.

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

Bible Study Guide For All Ages: A TOS Crew Review

Bible Study Guide For All Ages 

From their website:
"The Bible Study Guide is a Bible curriculum that takes all ages through the Bible at the same time, studying some Old Testament and some New Testament each year.

Students learn the "big picture" of the story of the Bible, in-depth knowledge of the Bible and, best of all, how to apply it to their lives. With the Bible Study Guide, students cover the entire Bible in 416 lessons, studying some Old Testament and new Testament each year. To see the order of study, click here. To better understand the whole Bible Study Guide curriculum, click here."

 

Bible Book Summary Cards - Flash cards that help children learn about every book of the Bible. The front features a colorful picture with graphics that represent major points of the book and the back features a summary of the book and questions. These can be used with all ages. They are available in both black and white and color and

 

Cost $24.95

 

 

 

Intermediate Student Pages  -3rd-4th grades. Check out a sample here.

Cost $5.95 for a set of 26

 

 

Advanced Student Pages 5th - 6th grades. Want to see a sample?

Cost $5.95 for a set of 26  

 

 

 

 

The Bentz Test Laboratory didn't have to fight over who got to do this review...they all got to!  The beauty of Bible Study Guide is that it is for ALL ages!  This is an ideal Bible study program for the large homeschooling family!   We were sent the Intermediate and Advanced levels.  Primary level is available as well (we'll be adding that!)

 

This program systematically studies the entire Bible - both Old and New Testaments each year. You do not study it from Genesis to Revelation, but rather - lessons are combined to present lessons including those from Jesus' life.  It's a more balanced approach. A Timeline is available to help keep the chronology of the Bible visible to your students (we did not get this, but - it would be nice to have!)  You can complete all 416 lessons over approximately 3 years. 

 

This program will work with any version of the Bible.  It really encourages the student to go straight to Scripture to complete the study pages.

 

The Intermediate study pages have:

•  "Remember It?" - questions from your daily Scripture reading text. 
•  "Memory Workout" - Songs from the Children's CD are referenced, as well as review from the Bible Book Summary Cards. 
• "Guess What" was one of our favorites - filled with facts, tidbits and illustrations that help reinforce the lesson. 
• "Maps" are included - we LOVE the maps
• "Get Active" - suggestions to bring the learning off the page with hands on, games, and activities.
• "Apply It" - gives some great discussion points, and makes the lesson relevant to real life.
• "Discover the Bible" - is a visual lesson with diagrams, and ways to interact with the text, i.e. circling an answer, drawing an x, filling in an answer. 

The Advanced study pages included Timeline work as well.

 

I was very impressed with this Bible curriculum.  Not only can all my children work together, but this is designed to appeal to a wide variety of learning styles!  It is extremely affordable as well.  My children were able to work independently, or together in a group. 

 

Since we didn't get the Primary pages, my younger children joined in with the Bible Book Summary Cards.  These are large - 2-sided flashcards.  The first side has pictures that represent themes from a particular book of the Bible.  The back side gives basic information and answers the Who, What, Where, Why questions regarding that book.  These would be a great Sunday School tool as well.  We played "Guess which Book of the Bible" by shuffling the deck, and just showing the front of the card. I started giving clues from the back until they guessed it.  They wanted to play it over and over (we made the game up...)

 

Don't neglect teaching your children basic Bible literacy (and making it fun).  How can they begin to apply the Bible to live Godly lives, if they don't know what the Bible is telling them? 

 

 Bible Study Guide is a great way to start that process of learning in an organized, affordable and comprehensive way!

 

 

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew

 

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live by Gryphon House : A TOS Crew Review

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live by Gryphon House 


From their website:
"Transform your home into a learning environment that rivals the best preschool classroom!
Find exciting learning opportunities in everyday occurrences, from using laundry to teach sorting to exploring growth cycles in the garden, with the easy-to-organize, simple-to-start ideas, advice, and activities in The Homegrown Preschooler.

As straightforward as a parenting how-to book and as easily applicable as a set curriculum, The Homegrown Preschooler will inspire parents to use their homes as classrooms and take advantage of the naturally rich learning opportunities existing in everyday life!

With organizational tips, recipes, and more than 200 easy-to-pull-together activities, homeschool educators will have everything they need to offer a well-rounded preschool education rivaling the best classroom experience. Convenient charts and checklists to document children’s growth ensure that there are no gaps in educational, social, or physical development."

224 pages, paperback - Pre-K  Take a peek inside!

Cost:  $29.95




Bentz Test Academy is down to our last preschooler :-(   How did this happen?  With 8 children, it felt like the preschool years would go on forever. Like all good things - they were bound to end someday...but - NOT YET!  I plan to enjoy every minute of this! This is our adorable preschool tester - Essie!

The Homegrown Preschooler: Teaching Your Kids in the Places They Live by Gryphon House 
arrived in the mailbox - just as I am starting to plan our 4 year old's preschool year.  What a GODSEND!

I know, I've done this a few times.  Even if you are an "old dog" at preschool, you will want to learn some of these "new tricks!"  The Homegrown Preschooler is a beautiful, full-color book filled with inspiration. 

The Nine chapters  feature time-tested wisdom and child development insight from the author's own experience.  In addition, recipes, quotes, and personal notes will make you feel like you are looking at a family scrapbook.  I loved reading through this book!  It made me wish I had a couple more preschoolers to try all these ideas with.

The book is designed with two sections - First - the author's help you set your goals and really "paint a picture" of what the preschool years should look like.  Learning right where your preschool is - with you!  Their focus is on enjoying this special time together.

The Second half of the book is where you will find all the wonderful, developmentally appropriate activities for your preschooler.  You will not have to spend hours on Pinterest looking for ideas...they are all right here - easy to find! 

All throughout the book - recipes, housekeeping tips, and schedules will help you balance the rest of your life while teaching and learning with your preschooler.

The lists of resources at the end of the book are a valuable treasure.  Directions for building your own light and sensory tables are included too! Don't miss the FREE RESOURCES page on their website -  hundreds of ideas are waiting for you.

I wish I had a beautiful guide like the Homegrown Preschooler at the beginning of my homeschool journey.  It's like having a trusted friend to grab you by the hand, and help direct you on the path of learning together. 

Chapter 9 - Special Circumstances will help you understand the special path some of us get to travel. If you find yourself here, it's nice to have a friend to walk with. 

Chapter 10 - Activities.  Here is where you will find the great ideas!  From nature activities, home life skills, fine motor activities and plenty more - this is a comprehensive list (more than 80 pages of ideas!)  Keep this book handy so may great ideas that would work well with lots of other ages too.

One of my favorite lists: the book activities to go with many of our favorite children's books. The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle has been a long-time family favorite - now, my driveway is filling up with "chalk caterpillar hopscotch"  A great new activity twist to a re-discover a book I've been reading for many years!

I have truly enjoyed reading through this book to get inspired.  You will too!  Other members of the TOS Crew took a look at another family-favorite - Global Art: Activities, Projects, and Inventions from Around the World,  check out what they had to say!

 

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew