tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30612506025903933852024-02-23T01:46:57.957-05:00Adventures with Jude“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.” -Lewis Carroll Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.comBlogger970125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-25086434594164608482019-10-02T13:20:00.003-04:002019-10-02T13:20:52.818-04:00Soundsory Multi-Sensory Program (Homeschool Review Crew)<br />
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<a href="https://soundsory.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sound for Life Ltd</a>. is a company familiar to us -- a few years ago, we reviewed their Forebrain headset device. We were intrigued by their new <a href="https://soundsory.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soundsory</a> multi-sensory program. While this program also uses a headset for its user interface, Soundsory is a multi-sensory program for ages three and up (adults included!). By combining sound with physical activity, the program stimulates the integration of the vestibular and auditory systems and help better integrate body position, balance, and movement information with the brain. This reminded me of an occupational therapy program that Luke had completed several years ago. While that also added visual stimulus/exercises, it was a big help in increasing his proprioceptive awareness. It is something I have been considering repeating for Jude because if you combine his already-present hypotonia and physical delays with typical tween gangliness, you get a kid who has zero concept of where his body is in space. However, it was a fairly large commitment for our family; the 8-week program required twice-weekly trips to the therapist (over an hour each way). The 20-hour Soundstory was forty days (so slightly shorter overall) and lacking the visual input, but it could be done at home. I figured it was worth a try.<br />
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The program is divided into 30-minute sessions (20 hour total), with the individual sessions containing two parts. The first section is a mainly auditory, 25-minute rhythmic music listening session. The sound is delivered in two ways through the dual-interface earphones; they contain both traditional auditory speakers and bone-conduction transmitters. Throughout the session, the user will be exposed to a variety of musical genres. At the start of each half-hour session, the music begins quietly, builds to a crescendo, and then tapers back to quiet, cueing the user to the impending movement session. At the end of the second section, the headphone will automatically shut off, indicating the end of the day's activity. <br /><br />Note: the package includes a USB charging cable, and suggests charging through a computer. Though you can use one if you have it, a wall adapter is not included. We charged ours through the USB plug of an APC surge adapter. A display bar on the side of the headphones shows the remaining battery life, so we knew when to recharge so they did not die mid-session. Though the headphones also have a Bluetooth function and can be used as "regular" headphones, we did not use this feature.<br />
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After the initial novelty wore off, Jude found the listening sessions boring. There was nothing to <i>do</i> during them -- just sit and listen. For a kiddo who is fidgety to begin with, asking him to sit and focus for almost half an hour was almost impossible. Soundsory suggests combining it with quiet free play time. Jude usually opted for playing with his Power Rangers or Legos. It was enough to keep his hands occupied, but low-stimulation so he could still benefit from the listening. (You don't want to be reading or watching a screen -- that's too much stimulation, and listening while eating or drinking is discouraged because that will interfere as well.) <br />
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Because the headphone is wireless, it meant he could also take it to his room to work with it. I think this was a big help in getting him to use the program. As he has gotten older, he has become more attuned to when he needs to "stim" (running around in circles is his usual activity), but also more sensitive to others watching him. Despite the fact that the entire house can hear him thumping about, he prefers the illusion that if he is in his room with the door shut, nobody can <i>see</i> him, and therefore his stimming is done "privately." (I've suggested he go outside in the yard, where the is a much larger area to run, and promised to keep his siblings inside until he comes back in, but there are <i>windows</i> and that means the potential to be seen.) After making him do the first few sessions where I could observe him to ensure the headphones remained properly positioned (with the bone conductors on the head, and the right and left sides on the proper side), I let him do the sessions in his room -- I knew when he had begun the movement section by the thumping. (With autism, you learn to celebrate the hidden victories -- apparently, the newest one is an unanticipated added benefit to hardwood flooring!)<br />
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When I asked him what he thought of it, he said it was "Ok." Thanks, kid...that's incredibly stellar input. I asked him about the music, and he said, "It was strange." Again...thanks, kid. So I put the headphones on myself and listened. I can see (hear?) where he is coming from. I think it's a big disconcerting, because of the jumpiness and volume changes. Individual rhythms and tempos are relatively short, so the brain doesn't become overly fixated on one piece. While I did not complete the program (I did about a week's worth of listening), I found that some days, this was not an issue for me, and other days, it was incredibly over-stimulating.<br />
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The videos were short, and are accessed through the Soundsory website (an access code is provided upon purchase of the headset). The videos can be accessed via laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Again, this helped with buy-in from Jude because it meant he could control where he did a session. Each day, the user combines seated and standing exercises. Some are fairly simple -- one called "Sky Earth Stretches" is akin to yoga's forward fold -- while others, like the "Open Close", can be a challenge. (These photos are from the program; Jude did not wish to have his picture taken during the exercises.)<br />
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<b>But does it work? </b>At the risk of sounding insipid, the short answer is maybe. Did I see any gains? Nothing impressive that couldn't be coincidental. <br />
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Is his focus better because of the program, or was it the psychiatrist adjusted his ADHD medication? Was the little physical awareness increase I saw from the Soundsory or was it from our daily exercise program? He still needed a lot of physical/auditory cueing during our workouts but were the two-out-of-ten-with-proper-form reps from him gaining better awareness in general, or marginally increased muscle memory, or because he put his dumbbells down so he had one less thing to keep track of, or because of just luck? <br />
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Soundsory is something that I think we will keep working with -- for half an hour a day, I don't think it's a huge commitment. I think efficacy is going to depend on an absurd number of variables. Jude has a number of deficits, so while I was hoping for noticeable gains, I also had modest expectations. While it will not replace a good occupational/physical therapy program, I think it falls under the "might help, can't hurt" category of augmentative therapies.<br />
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If you'd like to learn more about our experience with the Forbrain program, click the headset image.<br />
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<a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/06/forbrain-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" Forbrain Review" border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="504" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyq7_FRKDnYKfHT4-J_7xTFicMWPA6_z-5IYRBhWOY5EOyfP8_pyeuMIP1kaizvQBAe59vGplO3WRac1IJam1lh4e4xiMBv3akMeoC547EXisnazqtwqQ-ALWN8YJNX_1MDAZQpBL35g/s320/logocasque_HD_zpsju86zeqb.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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To read other Crew experiences with Soundsory, click on the Crew banner below!<br />
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<a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-9526862603379857092019-09-09T18:38:00.000-04:002019-09-09T18:38:00.721-04:00The New Adventures of Violin GirlAnybody else remember when we <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2013/08/macphail-center-for-music-online-music.html" target="_blank">first chosen to work with MacPhail Center for Music</a> six years ago? I was amazed at the idea of being able to take music lessons remotely and be able to do it well.<br />
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Since then, she's continued to take lessons with her instructor, Jeremy. With his help, Celia worked her way into the Rowan Youth Orchestras. She spent two years as a violinist with the Youth String Orchestra, and last year worked her way up to playing in the full symphony Orchestra.<br />
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She also has worked through Level 6 of MacPhail's Crescendo Program. Her repertoire piece for her last jury was <i>Selections from The Boy Paganini</i>, which then became her audition piece for this year's summer camp.<br />
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Celia has also taken piano lessons with MacPhail. Heading into this fall, she wasn't sure she wanted to continue. She didn't hate lessons and practicing, but her heart just wasn't in it. While she was deciding what to do, she headed off to String Camp this past July. There she made a few new friends who played cello. After they let her try their cellos, Celia made her decision. If she was going to play another instrument, she wanted to stick to strings. After a flurry of emails with Jeremy, she had decided she wanted to add viola to her repertoire. It was still a smallish instrument (so easily portable), but most importantly, Jeremy also teaches and plays the viola, so she knew she'd like her teacher. Violin Girl has a new alter ego: Viola Lass!<br />
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When she bought her viola, she also picked up secondhand copies of the Level 1 and 2 books that coordinated with what she and Jeremy had used for violin. She figured that if she had guessed correctly, she had saved a few dollars. If she was wrong, she had only spent a few bucks on books she could use for extra practice. Likely because she already knew so much of the basics (bow hold, fingering, etc.), they zipped through to halfway through level 2. After her second lesson, she came out of the study saying "Mom, can you order me..."<br />
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This is Bach's Musette for viola, after only two weeks of lessons.<br />
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She has played this piece before, back when she first was learning violin. However, it was not just practicing something old on a new instrument. Violin and viola are played with two different composition clefs; the violin is a treble clef instrument while the viola is an alto clef instrument. This means learning a new note "language". I think she's right to stick with strings - she definitely has talent there! Her goal is to play viola with the RYSO next spring, but continue violin with the RYO. I think that's a definite possibility.<br />
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<a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-3635125354143340312019-09-05T14:56:00.000-04:002019-09-05T15:03:37.834-04:00Zeezok Publishing ~ Music Appreciation: Book 2 for the Middle Grades (Homeschool Review Crew) <br />
A few years ago, we had the opportunity to review the first installment of the Great Musicians Series from <a href="http://www.zeezok.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zeezok Publishing</a>. The newly released <a href="http://www.zeezok.com/Music-Appreciation-Book-2-Collection_p_307.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Music Appreciation: Book 2 for the Middle Grades</a> program picks up where the first level series leaves off. The composers are included in this music curriculum are from the Romantic era: Frederic Chopin, Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner, Stephen Foster, Johannes Brahms, Pyotr (Peter) Tchaikovsky, and Edward MacDowell. Units are divided by composer, with four or five weeks allotted to each; and each composer is a self-contained unit, so you can begin anywhere in the program, not just at the start. It makes the most sense, from a timeline perspective, to follow the sequence presented in the book. However, because they are self-contained, a family could study composers from a geographic/world history perspective. Chopin is from modern Poland, while Schumann, Wagner, and Brahms are German; Foster and MacDowell are American composers. I think this flexibility is helpful as a homeschool parent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Not pictured: Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Ballet, provided via eBook</span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em></td></tr>
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The program set includes (and requires) the collection of nine biographies and a consumable student book. The student book may be purchased individually if you wish to use the program with multiple students. A lapbook program and coloring pages are also available. (We did not receive them for review, and I opted not to purchase them because our family does not really enjoy lapbooking.)<br />
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Most music appreciation courses focus on music styles, and students listening to pieces from to hear the differences between each era: Renaissance vs. Classical, Baroque vs. Modern. I don't think this is a bad thing to learn, because each style is a reflection on its position in history. Last year, Matthew completed a (different) music history course that taught these nuances, and even just after eavesdropping, I can now easily tell the difference between epochs when I hear a "classical" composition. However, I think what can happen then is pieces within a genre start to sound homogenous. Celia will play a violin piece, and I couldn't tell you the difference between Handel and Bach. I've learned to listen for what makes a piece inherently Baroque vs. from the Romantic era, not what makes each composer different. I also know little about what motivated each man. Zeezok provides music study from a different perspective.<br />
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These biographical studies focus not only on the composers and their music but also on their family lives and character. For example, Schumann's courtship and marriage to Clara Wieck are discussed. Wieck, a lauded pianist in her own right, was a fundamental inspiration to her husband, and, like her husband, a champion of other composers.<br />
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Often, it is the salacious or scandalous stories of composers that endures, so I appreciate the perpetuation of the good character traits. I also appreciate that the program does not shy away from them, either; while highlighting Tchaikovsky's closeness to family and generous nature, it does include a note about his troubled relationships with Désiree Artôit and Antonina Milyukova. However, it presents them in a concise, factual manner, with no little color commentary (and no discussion, outright or inferred, to modern biographists conclusions about Tchaikovsky's struggles with his sexuality).<br />
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The student book includes comprehension questions that correlate to the biographies, as well as information about other facets of the composers' lives and related music theory information. Journaling opportunities (prompts are provided; students will need a journal notebook or could use a word processing program) are also liberally offered, allowing students to work on writing skills (short answer, self-reflection, creative writing, etc.). Each unit ends with an overview quiz.<br />
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For some families, grades are unimportant. However, since Celia requires a graded transcript to apply to college, I appreciate having the checkpoints and quizzes to help me generate grades for her. They were short but well-detailed, and easy to adapt to requiring extra effort from a high school student.<br />
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A significant difference between Level 1 and Level 2 series is the use of QR Codes. In the first series, we received a case with several CDs containing music selections. As the student reads each composer's biography, musical selections are woven in. This meant every time we reach a composition, we'd have to hunt down the CDs, find the player, etc. It also made it difficult to take with us if we were doing schoolwork at a doctor's office or the karate dojo. Having QR codes that linked to an online (YouTube) music library was far more convenient; all kiddo needed was to borrow a phone or iPad with an internet connection.<br />
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Additional QR Codes are peppered throughout the book for if the student wishes to learn further about a person or topic. Additionally, related topics and (optional) suggested activities are included with each composer study. While each student requires his own consumable workbook, this makes the program suitable for multiple grade levels. The publisher notes that while Book 1 is written for grades K-6 and Book 2 is for grades 5-8, they are easily adaptable across a range of educational abilities. A younger student could complete the program solely based on what is contained within the biographical texts and added information, with assistance as necessary, while an older student can work independently and has resources immediately at his fingertips for further research.</div>
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One of Celia's favorite "added information" bits was about the conductor. She has played in a local youth orchestra for several years now and has become used to following a conductor. Using context clues from the tenor of the music, she has learned what the conductor is trying to convey, but she had an "aha!" moment when she read about how conducting isn't just arm movement but body language as well. Now, the mantra, "Always look back to the conductor!" makes so much more sense; just watching his arms from the corner of her eye as she reads the music in front of her only gives a fraction of the information she needs.<br />
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Here, Celia is playing with her summer camp's String Orchestra (she is seated in First Chair, Violin). Dr. Erwin is leaning toward the violins, to pull vibrancy and strength from that instrument section. Her movements are purposeful, not over articulated or dramatic "feeling the music." </div>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWpFYEOaYYcvD5ESb5Prf-dWqDu1Spt19po3WP6GOe3354wWwkCcz7SyRd7fujdASny9GuFgv-P6GPLNBGX7GOglKElj7wrMHcxpxqRPaGqZkBRgdsTy5bymEqwMxtJGr57h89nVd5XU/s1600/IMG_2358.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1125" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWpFYEOaYYcvD5ESb5Prf-dWqDu1Spt19po3WP6GOe3354wWwkCcz7SyRd7fujdASny9GuFgv-P6GPLNBGX7GOglKElj7wrMHcxpxqRPaGqZkBRgdsTy5bymEqwMxtJGr57h89nVd5XU/s640/IMG_2358.PNG" width="640" /></a></center>
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Zeezok includes a planning outline for each composer, allotting four to five weeks for each unit as written. I think it makes the program a more-than-adequate full-year program for an upper elementary or middle school student. However, with the addition of further research and/or a more accelerated pace, this program could be combined with Music Appreciation 1 to create a full high school credit. Due to time constraints and for review purposes, Celia worked on the program as written, with little additional study. She completed two units in a little over six weeks. However, she plans to go back to the beginning and spend another six or eight weeks exploring things in more detail and adding in writing assignments. While we are using this program to round out an "independent study" program for a multiple-instrument musician, it is certainly adequate for even for a non-music student. Since the focus is more on the composers and less about being able to identify musical pieces, I think it also plays to the strengths of a student who is less musically inclined but has an interest in people or history. As we get close to history buff Jude's high school planning, it is a top contender for a music credit for him. We are really excited to work with this new program from Zeezok. </center>
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For more about our experience with Level 1 of this series, click here: </div>
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<a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/05/zeezok-music-appreciation-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1154" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhow3xKCGfQdPorthpL_LOKqsYb8OU8p-B3WDSy3jvLORAecaRpn69pQ0cA_ldqK_YbPTFiOWqtJMRtmp6_Fa0ex07yQbucPsABVbXy3H-wVrvJgBswh3NMPaKLL1qO-bG3pkXeQ4TpHzo/s200/zeezokcover.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>
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For more information about the <a href="http://www.zeezok.com/Music-Appreciation-Book-2-Collection_p_307.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Music Appreciation: Book 2 for the Middle Grades</a> program, click the banner below to read other Crew reviews. <br />
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<a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/music-appreciation-book-2-for-the-middle-grades-zeezok-publishing-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Music Appreciation Book 2: for the Middle Grades {Zeezok Publishing Reviews}" border="0" height="739" src="https://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Music-Appreciation-Book-2-Reviews.jpg" width="500" /></a></center>
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<a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-77022310902279269952019-08-09T09:53:00.000-04:002019-09-06T18:53:17.613-04:00Memoria Press Literature (A Homeschool Review Crew Review) <center style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Memoria Press </a>has become a go-to company for our family. Several years ago, I found that our family did well with their classical education model, and we have consistently returned to Memoria Press' curricula, especially for literature. After trying several literature programs, I have determined that Memoria Press programs are the most consistent performers for us; returning to a Memoria Press study feels like a homecoming. Our family had the opportunity to work with the <a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/seventh-grade-literature/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seventh Grade Literature Set</a>. While this is available as part of Memoria Press' seventh-grade program package, the guides are available as a set and rated for students in grades six through eight. The collection includes student and teacher guides for <br /><ul>
<li><u><a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/anne-of-green-gables-set/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anne of Green Gables</a></u></li>
<li><u><a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/the-bronze-bow-set/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bronze Bow</a></u></li>
<li><u><a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/literature-and-poetry/the-hobbit-set/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hobbit</a></u></li>
<li><u><a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/classical-studies/trojan-war-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Trojan War</a> (</u>also part of the Classical Studies Year 4 program) </li>
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The 4-volume set we received contained a Student Guide and a Teacher Guide for each book. (While the literature books are available with the individual sets, the four-title set does not include the novels.) We used this program in a unique way, assigning two books to students now (rising 7th grader Jude and rising 10th grader Celia) and saving the other two for later.</center>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">The Trojan War</span></u></center>
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<br />Allow me a moment for a bit of background information, please. As some readers may recall, when Jude worked on the <a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/04/memoria-press-second-grade-literature-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" target="_blank">Second Grade Memoria Press literature program</a>, he really struggled. Although the program was marketed for second graders, his skills at the time were not quite on par with Memoria Press' expectations. I have long felt that the program's expectations are higher than average. Combined with Jude's early struggles with reading, I have intentionally used levels that are below his chronological grade level. In fact, for his sixth-grade year, we began with literature guide for <u>A Cricket in Times Square</u>, part of Memoria Press' fourth-grade program. To my surprise, he easily completed this study, as well as the one for <u>Homer Price</u>, so we skipped ahead to fifth grade's <u>The Chronicles of Narnia</u><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">.</i> I felt that if he could manage this book, we'd move on to sixth grade; if not, we'd complete the rest of the "fifth-grade" literature. Jude proved to me that he really was beginning to mature in his thinking process, so this summer, we moved up to sixth-grade literature. There was an added benefit: while these books were still a year behind Jude's chronological grade level, they were high-interest for him. I felt this interest would be the ridge between "want to read" and "hard to read."<br /><br />When offered the opportunity to try the 7th-grade package, I was a little hesitant to try anything intended for an even higher level student. However, hope springs eternal and I figured maybe the challenge would be good for him. If worse came to worst, we could set it aside after the review period and try again later. When the books arrived, I gave him the choice of reading any of the three options besides <u>Anne...</u> because I knew that set was going to Celia. As he is an avid reader of all things Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology, I was not surprised when he opted for <u>The Trojan War</u><i>. </i></center>
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I think this was a wise decision. Jude usually does better with literature studies when the story is familiar to him. If he already has a grasp of the plotline, he can follow details better, because he's not trying to figure out too many things simultaneously. And again, high interest became the bridge between desire and ability. </center>
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While each chapter follows the elementary school-level framework that his previous literature studies have been patterned in, <u>The Trojan War</u> has a lot of information to absorb. Jude is simultaneously reading <u>Adam of the Road</u> and completing the 6th-grade workbook, and generally manages a chapter every other day. However, we are finding it is taking us a full week to do each chapter for The Trojan War.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OpAe4Ux0YVTfgjoRCEzLSioqbcQl6EynCI0TI7cikN1j8rlG6qQWdTuPr-hd_XWtc72LB-sPgSQQlPX7AktQtsbIPrN0OtmRH-yCxjdLUEMnUQlj-oc1w_2BQtwEk3ZbO-2ooZKOodA/s1600/IMG_1622.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OpAe4Ux0YVTfgjoRCEzLSioqbcQl6EynCI0TI7cikN1j8rlG6qQWdTuPr-hd_XWtc72LB-sPgSQQlPX7AktQtsbIPrN0OtmRH-yCxjdLUEMnUQlj-oc1w_2BQtwEk3ZbO-2ooZKOodA/s640/IMG_1622.HEIC" width="640" /></a></center>
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However, I don't think the reason is the material is too hard. I think most of it is a battle of wills. In the past, I've never fussed if Jude's answers weren't precise when compared to the Teacher's guides. As long as I could tell that he had the main idea, I let half-sentences slide. I think part of what is slowing us down is, since he's now officially in "middle school," I am no longer letting three-word ideas pass for answers. Much to his chagrin, I'm marking his book where he only has half-answers, or poorly written thoughts, and making him go back and rework them. This then adds another day to the lesson. He also wasn't particularly happy when I told him I expected (gasp!) actual paragraphs for answers to the Enrichment questions instead of a few sentence fragments. </center>
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Clearly, his brain is capable, even if his willpower isn't quite as strong.<br /><br /> If you are familiar with the Memoria Press Classical Studies program, then you know that students begin by studying Greek Myths in the first year of the program, and then continue on to learn about Ancient Rome and Greece. While <u>The Trojan War</u> is included in the literature program, it is also part of the Classics Year 4 Program. While you might be tempted to skip it, especially if you intend to continue through and have your child study <u>The Iliad</u> and <u>The Odyssey</u> in Year 5, this retelling by Olivia Coolidge is an excellent introduction to the epic. It provides enough details to draw the reader in, but not so much that he gets lost in the minutiae of them. I think Jude will be well prepared for studying these two epics in depth next year.<br /><br />At our current rate of a chapter a week, it will take Jude a full semester to complete this guide. I'm comfortable with this pace for two reasons. First, this work sets the foundation for something he will study again, so I'd rather him understand what is going on well so that when he studies <u>The Iliad,</u> he will again be "adding on" rather than "starting new." Secondly, I want him to begin to have better study habits. Jude only likes change when it is <i>his</i> idea, so I have a feeling it is going to take some time before he realizes that he wants to make the changes.<br /><br />My only complaint about the set is that the tests and quizzes are only in the Teacher's Guide. I know that some parents do not administer tests, but I find them helpful to assess what Jude is retaining as he transitions to working independently. However, doing so is not a smoothly integrated process.</center>
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First, the parent/teacher needs to plan out where the tests need to be taken; it's easy for a student to "forget" that there is one coming at the end of each part of the book. (We found writing reminders at the bottom of the last page before a test to be helpful. Not only did it remind Jude to ask for the test, but it also helped me factor in study/review days when writing his daily assignment sheets.) Secondly, the copyright notes in the guide state that no part may be reproduced. This means that I either break the rules (and with a very literal rule follower child, that's not a good plan!) so he has his own copy, or Jude is writing in a book that I would otherwise have no need to replace (plus, he has temptation in the form of the Answer Key at his fingertips!). We've compromised by him answering the questions in his literature notebook, with the Answer Key paperclipped closed.</center>
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<br />I wish the Student Guide had the Student's tests, either interspersed or in an Appendix at the back of the workbook, or that there was a separate (reproducible or consumable) Test Booklet, and that there was a reminder/test placeholder for to help the newly independent student not to race ahead.</center>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Anne of Green Gables</span></u></center>
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<br />Ah, Anne-with-an-E...I think Miss Shirley is one of my favorite literary ladies. I was probably in middle school when I found my first kindred spirit (Anne), my first Book Hero (Matthew Cuthbert), and my first Book Boyfriend (Gilbert Blythe). <u>Anne</u> has been on Celia's reading list for quite some time, so this was a perfect opportunity for her. While Celia was finishing 9th grade during the review, so technically "older" than the program's intended age, she has had a literature-heavy year. I decided to substitute <u>Anne</u> for <u>Henry V</u> for the last of her 9th-grade reading. Do I think this made it too "easy" for her? Not at all.</center>
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<br />L. M. Montgomery may have only written books on paper, but her character's words bring them to life. I think anyone who has read any of the <u>Anne</u> books knows Anne's grandiose imagination supports her flair for the dramatic while providing a foil for the prosaic Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. In addition to Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Enrichment exercises, each chapter explores Expressions for Discussion. These could easily be done as an oral discussion, but I asked Celia to write her interpretations of what the expressions meant. </center>
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While some might think that the answers are obvious, making it "too easy" for a high schooler, I think L.M. Montgomery was brilliant. How many times has a parent/teacher tried to help their student learn to write "less bland, more exciting" essays? Writing exercises always talk about using more specific words, more detailed words, more descriptive words...in other words, stop saying "very"! Perhaps Anne has a tendency to be a bit over-the-top, but she's a shining example of careful word choices. Which pulls your heartstrings more, "I'm used to being disappointed," or "My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes"? I think <u>Anne of Green Gables</u> is a book that all students should read so that they can become better writers! I love how Memoria Press chooses to really dig into the expressions in the book - rather than selecting a quote or two, there are as many as seven or eight to explore. The program does full justice to the book by really allowing Anne (and the Avonlea residents) to have their say.<br /><br />Classics become classics because they are enduring, but it would be easy for a book published in 1908 and set in the late 1800s, to contain archaic vocabulary. I can remember doing vocabulary studies myself and wondering, "When am I <i>ever</i> going to use these words?" However, Memoria Press has focused on words that remain pertinent today. </center>
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Comprehension questions include both literal "what happened here" and critical("What did Anne mean...") queries. In addition to studying the book itself, the program provides writing opportunities for literary interpretation, opinion/persuasive writing, and exploring Anne's interests (Shakespeare) and tribulations (geometry as compared to Waterloo). </center>
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While Memoria Press offers the literature books for sale, the literature sets do not include them. While some of their studies do require specific editions of books, we found this was not the case with this program. Last Christmas, Celia received a box set of the <u>Anne</u> series and used the edition that was included. In this case, page numbers did not need to match, as the program is sectioned by book chapter.<br /><br />Celia has been working at a rate of a chapter every other day. On Day 1, she does vocabulary, reading, and the expressions for discussion; on Day 2, she finishes the comprehension questions and completes the enrichment. It could easily be done at a slower pace (one workbook section a day over the course of a week), but I'm hesitant to recommend doing a full chapter a day. It is possible if your child is a fast reader, but it would take close to 90 minutes a day just for literature. I have done this with Memoria Press literature when we are in a time crunch (trying to get to a logical stopping point before an extended vacation, or when Luke or Matthew was trying to finish a study guide in the countdown to graduation), but it's not necessarily sustainable long term. At a rate of 5 chapters per week plus review sections and two exams (also only available in the Teacher's Guide), it will take about 8 weeks, or one academic quarter, to finish the book. I think that's reasonable for a high school student. </center>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Hobbit</u> and <u>The Bronze Bow</u></span></center>
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When my students were younger, I was more focused on the "grade level" of the program. Now that we have entered into the middle and high school years, I've learned to focus less on the grade a program is assigned to and more on its content, because middle school books begin to be less about a numbered grade level and more about the individual's literacy level and abilities. Knowing that Jude likes to binge on book series, I will likely keep <u>The Hobbit</u> set aside for another year or two until he is ready for the entire <u>The Lord of the Rings</u> series. Like <u>Anne</u>, I think this is a book that transcends grade level. I think 7th grade is about the youngest age that a student can truly wring all the finer points out of it, but there is no point where a student "ages out" for exploring the book. <u>The Bronze Bow</u> is set in 1st Century Israel, so it could be studied as part of the "pre-set" 7th-grade program, or it could be moved to 9th grade and part of an Ancient/World History program. While the lower grade programs involve exposure to literary concepts, the study guides at this level of the program use that familiar framework to explore and apply those ideas to the corresponding novels. I think the studies at the middle school level have the flexibility to help prepare a middle schooler for high school expectations as well as provide a relaxed but not too simple study for secondary level students. Once again, Memoria Press has proven why it has become my favorite literature program.</center>
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Crew families with students from first through tenth grades have been reading with Memoria Press. Click the banner below to read their reviews of the books they've been studying! You can also learn about other Memoria Press programs we have worked with by clicking the links to those reviews.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/search/label/Memoria%20Press" target="_blank">Memoria Press</a>:<br /><ul>
<li><a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/04/memoria-press-second-grade-literature-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Second Grade Literature</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2017/04/memoria-press-iliad-odessy-homeschool-review-crew.html" target="_blank"><u>The Iliad</u> and <u>The Odyssey</u></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/04/first-start-reading-memoria-press-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" target="_blank">First Start Reading</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2018/06/memoria-press-traditional-logic-complete-set-homeschool-review-crew.html" target="_blank">Traditional Logic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2017/06/memoria-press-prima-latina-homeschool-review-crew.html" target="_blank">Prima Latina</a></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-32702451475842488562018-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:002018-11-26T08:00:06.638-05:00Lincoln and the National Parks Services (Luke's American Adventures) It's been a few years since Luke guest posted here with this history series. He graduated from high school and has gone on to college, and is majoring in Business Administration. Much to his dismay, one of his required courses is a public speaking class. This semester, he has been doing several kinds of speeches on defined topics, but the final one was a "Student Choice" assignment. He first looked at me like a deer in headlights when the entire world was open to him. I suggested he go with something he knew well...what about an informative speech on Abraham Lincoln? (Every so often, I have a wise idea. Job security, I guess.)<br />
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He decided to combine his love for Lincoln with the National Park Service, exploring how the NPS preserves both Lincoln's life and his legacy to the nation. He agreed I could share it here.<br />
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I have to admit, it's fun to wear my "Mom the Teacher" hat for a few minutes and see what <i>I</i> taught him has stuck with him. It was really fun to travel to all of the places, so helping him find the right photos was a nice trip together down memory lane. I hope you'll take the time to explore Lincoln and the National Parks, both with Luke and in person.<br />
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It's also really cool to use this identification graphic again.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-27872400495078347372018-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:002018-11-15T08:00:05.130-05:00Guitar 360 Method (Homeschool Review Crew)Most of my readers know that Celia is my instrument player. She has seven years' worth of violin lessons and three years of piano, plus she sang in her grade school choir, but I should consider changing her name to Ariel...as in she can play on her violin "But who cares? No big deal! I want MOOOOORE!!" Several years ago, Matthew took guitar lessons but discovered he is <i>not</i> an instrumentalist, so his guitar has sat in the closet, practically mocking Celia. She's tried a few YouTube lessons but really hadn't gotten very far. The Crew offered us the opportunity to try more formal, cohesive lessons from<a href="https://www.guitar360method.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Guitar 360 Method</a>...folks, I apologize for the fangirl screaming.<br />
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<a href="https://www.guitar360method.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guitar 360 Method</a> is a new guitar learning program from Krisz Simonfalvi. Mr. Simonfalvi is a musician and teacher who had a circuitous path to his career; he began to play guitar, gave it up because it just did not resonate with him, and then circled back as an adult. He notes that there are two ways to learn to play: one is just by picking at the guitar and learning the technical aspects, and the other is through a theory-based trajectory. The problem is that most theory is based on the piano -- which, while a strong music foundation, doesn't necessarily apply practically to other instruments. Celia will completely agree with this -- while she can play both violin and piano, it's not like you can interchange music. As she says, "I can play piano music on my violin if I play <i>just</i> the treble clef line, but it may not sound the same or as good as on a piano because I can't play bass clef and treble at the same time on the violin. The melody might sound the same going from violin to piano because you can play just the treble clef." While Guitar 360 Method is actually teaching her a third style of instrument-specific theory, but one that has a practical application to playing guitar.<br />
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Have you ever listened to a Billy Joel song? An incredibly strong understanding of how music works is how he could turn what is basically scales into a hit song ("The Longest Time") and morph Mozart's "Pathétique Sonata" into "This Night." Why is theory-based instruction important to me, as a parent? Because theory is what really allows a student to understand what she is doing, why she is doing it, and how to properly play with music. An understanding of theory is critical even just to transpose piano to violin or guitar; without it, you cannot manipulate the music and have it sound right.<br />
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Practically speaking, I don't expect her to rise to Mr. Joel's level of renown (if she did, that would be fantastic, but let's face it -- there can only be one Billy Joel), but it's clear to me that the foundation of any musical success is a proper understanding of theory. Here, Mr. Simonfalvi shines, because his course is geared toward both the casual student who just wants to learn to play the music in front of him or the student who intends to learn to re-arrange or compose their own music. He says:<br />
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I've taught this content from age 9 and up, however, it is designed for students who want to be creative on the guitar - understanding how music works, rather than JUST learning songs.</blockquote>
This makes it perfect for Celia, because it will teach her both the basics of "how to play" - how to hold the guitar, how to strum, where to put her fingers on the guitar's neck - but also WHY she's holding it where she is and when to use a pick vs. her fingers. She had an "AHA!" moment right at the start. Mr. Simonfalvi explains why you press the strings near the frets (better control of the strings and clarity of sound and she looked at me with a dropped jaw. THAT was something she never learned from playing around with other videos; she just thought you stuck your fingers on the strings. Obviously, in six weeks she's learned more than just where to hold the guitar, but, to me, it's the little things like that - that you don't really know unless you're told - that help make this course worth the tuition.<br />
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Guitar 360 Method currently offers two courses. The first is a<a href="https://www.guitar360method.com/store/Pr9HB9rX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> free introductory level course </a>that will take you from "how to hold a guitar properly" to "I can actually play something, and it sounds like a song" in about three weeks. Obviously, there needs to be a consistent effort on the student's part, but after trying that part out, I can say, "Yes, you will." While Celia has played around the guitar before, she really was trying to apply what she knew from playing pizzicato on the violin to picking at a guitar. You really don't have the same technique - pizzicato uses a plucking motion, and, of course, there are no frets on a violin neck. Starting at the <i>very</i> beginning helped her realize that playing guitar strings isn't the same at all.<br />
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The second, tuition-based course is a 13-week "Semester One." It contains the three-week basics course and then expands beyond "My First Chord" into the major, minor, and pentatonic scales, and then into playing Chords in multiple Keys. Each week has a clearly defined focus, so the student understands what the goal of the lesson is.<br />
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The videos for the lessons total about half an hour, so definitely a reasonable length lesson for beginners - long enough to be worth making an appointment with yourself, but short enough to not be a barrage of information. Celia particularly liked that it's not one long half-hour video, but rather each topic is presented in an individual section.<br />
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This meant she could quickly go back over a topic without having to fuss with finding the correct minute mark, or she could break it down into smaller ten or fifteen-minute chunks so that she could learn a concept, ruminate on it a bit, play with it, and then add on the next idea. Mom liked that there are defined practice exercises assigned for each week. This meant she could go back to the prior week's to work on solidifying those concepts but also had specific activities to reinforce new lessons. There are also quizzes on the ideas, making it ideal for students who need grades for transcripts. While hearing Celia advance in playing skill shows me she is absorbing practical knowledge, the quizzes help me see that she understands the theory behind the playing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmrqY9zmER_KDE-_25zk2cx0Uazc_a313FYKU2IstKz01bieVNg4PGWAbmCSn05yNZWCaxHc3m6w_iKNuP0rhlUkFZdCjvBB_Yjk-hTmKrfLYb40VewrALt2gq2TzhToI2B5K_ub9KYw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-14+at+9.07.47+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="1596" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmrqY9zmER_KDE-_25zk2cx0Uazc_a313FYKU2IstKz01bieVNg4PGWAbmCSn05yNZWCaxHc3m6w_iKNuP0rhlUkFZdCjvBB_Yjk-hTmKrfLYb40VewrALt2gq2TzhToI2B5K_ub9KYw/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-11-14+at+9.07.47+PM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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Mr. Simonfalvi promises that students will have enough theory and technique to jump into a band and be able to hold their own by the end of the 13 weeks. Keep in mind, he's not promising to turn your student into Mike DelGiudice and have her be playing in Billy Joel's band in those 13 weeks, but you'll have a competent guitar player that's not only ready to play but also able to understand what she is playing.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/guitar-lessons-with-krisz-simonfalvi-guitar-360-method-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="Guitar Lessons with Krisz Simonfalvi {Guitar 360 Method Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Guitar-360-Method-Reviews.jpg" height="739" width="500" /></a></center>
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-14781570204177453092018-11-14T21:57:00.002-05:002018-11-14T21:57:23.885-05:00Learning the States and their CapitalsVeritas Press' Self-Paced history is one of our favorite programs, in large part because of their memory song. The constant re-presentation of it helps Jude remember dates and events in history. However, we're experimenting with a blended-resource classical program, and this year, Damien is studying Memoria Press' States and Capitals for social studies. To his dismay, it doesn't have an "official" memory song. However, as he was working on an early assignment, Luke introduced him to the Animaniac's "States and Capitals."<br />
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Always my little Showman, Damien decided he was going to learn the song. The problem was his book divided the states into geographic regions, like any "normal" curriculum. (Apparently, normal is boring.)<br />
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Every day, we'd work with his flashcards, adding another state and capital. Some were pretty easy - Trenton in New Jersey, our home state. Others...well, good luck figuring out "Des Moines" when you're a phonetic reader!<br />
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We'd shuffle them up each day, so he got used to identifying them in different orders, not just the order his book presented them. (After all, when you go to address an envelope, you need to know the abbreviation for Arkansas without having to rattle through sixteen other states first!) Slowly, he made his way cross-country, from New England to the Pacific states. Even though the states were studied in geographic order, it seems fitting that the last state to study was our newest state, Hawaii (capital: Honolulu).He still worked on learning the song by heart, but I told him he could not sing it with his flashcards until he had learned all fifty states. Hawaii memorized meant he was ready to sing on his own. <br />
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Mom's job was to put them in song order. Thank goodness for Google - I could find the lyrics written and not have to start/stop a video while I shuffled through all the cards to find the right one to place next. We recruited Luke to be the cameraman, since I couldn't flip cards AND video at the same time. (I'm Mom, not a magician.)<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-85179957164858992302018-08-15T12:26:00.000-04:002018-08-15T12:27:45.030-04:00Picture Book Explorers ~ Paddington (Homeschool Review Crew)Paddington Bear has long been of my favorite children's literature characters. This adorable bear from Darkest Peru find himself in Paddington Station, London, and is adopted by the Bond Family. I think what I love so much about him is his childlike qualities: his heart is in the right place, but when tries his hardest to do the right thing, it just turns into a disaster. When Jude studied <u>A Bear Called Paddington</u> a few years ago, I fell in love with him all over again, and couldn't wait for Damien's turn. I was happy with our old study, but we had an opportunity to review a new program. I was intrigued because Paddington is a classic <i>British</i> lit character, and this <a href="http://www.picturebookexplorers.co.uk/paddington-bear.html" rel="nofollow">Paddington Bear study</a> was written by British curriculum developer <a href="http://www.picturebookexplorers.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Branch Out World</a>. I was really curious to see if there were any different cultural interpretations.<br />
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Branch Out World was founded by "a home educating family" that loves books. They designed their literature-based unit studies to be infinitely tailorable. They are recommended for students aged 5 to 10 years, with the ability to scale the activities to the child's abilities. This means you can use any of their 20+ studies from the Picture Book Explorers series for multiple age children simultaneously, or work with the book at the child's current level and revisit it as he grows. Branch Out World also produces lapbooks which allow you to study topics from Christmas in Europe to Volcanoes.<br />
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First hurdle: Getting the Book<br />
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When we first signed up for this, I had intended to read from the set of Paddington books we already owned. However, this study uses a specific printing of the book and refers to particular pages and illustrations. Using our other book was not going to work. You certainly could check the library, but we struck out at ours. Amazon to the rescue, but it did take the better part of two weeks to get here. As it turns out, and not surprisingly, most buying options for this specific option are from UK sellers. If you're looking to do this study, you'll want to allow for enough time to acquire the book.<br />
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Second hurdle: Navigating the lingo.<br />
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Dear friends of ours are native Australians, and when they come to visit, there's always an adjustment period. Watching the kids try to figure things out is always fun. Sometimes, they figure it out from context, if Auntie Jo says "Grab your jumper!" as she picks up her own sweater, but sometimes there's a bit of "Wait, what are you talking about?" (Jam, jelly, and Jello are always a "Wait, we're not on the same page." discussion.) Working with this was no different. The first directions are "Get a library ticket." Here in the states, we'd say "Get a library card." Fair enough. You're also going to be dealing with British spellings of words...like <i>colour </i>instead of the Americanized spelling color. This turned into one of those "That's just how they do it there, let it go," discussions after Damien pointed out it was spelled wrong for the fifteenth time. Thankfully, kids are reasonably adaptable.<br />
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Third time lucky: Working on the study.<br />
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Pros: Content-wise, I think it was quite good. It covered and included maps for the areas studied. I hate Googling randomly for maps because I invariably select the one that doesn't have something we need. For example, this map included delineations between England, Scotland, and Wales. Damien easily found a map that showed him specific city locations. He also was amazed at all the town names he recognized -- Dover, DE is named for English port town, there's a Plymouth, Massachusetts, and "Old" Jersey, not to be confused with<i> </i>our home state of <i>New</i> Jersey.<br />
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It also has given us a field trip destination: the closest zoo with spectacled bears is the National Zoo in Washington DC. We did some research on their website about the Andean bears, and learned the bears that live at the zoo like sweet potatoes and grapes, just like Damien!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKmfAaamOLdqHqIqD1M6oXiF_QtrT_aWWM-E5vPPMDzGp2rbWSYMKaf9EjB-6wIyK28YWdebhixoQZihNT2BIP3BmSwm6iqUIZWVURvG-A5aC9lMmvImO4rbtg07cGcrPoMZn7eMvm9Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-08-15+at+12.02.39+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKmfAaamOLdqHqIqD1M6oXiF_QtrT_aWWM-E5vPPMDzGp2rbWSYMKaf9EjB-6wIyK28YWdebhixoQZihNT2BIP3BmSwm6iqUIZWVURvG-A5aC9lMmvImO4rbtg07cGcrPoMZn7eMvm9Y/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-08-15+at+12.02.39+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/andean-bear" target="_blank"><img alt="Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute" id="logo" src="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/sites/all/themes/si_nzp/logo.svg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; vertical-align: middle; width: 480px;" /></a></td></tr>
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Cons: If you're a family who loves lapbooks, this is going to be right up your alley. There are tons of mini-projects to assemble into a lapbook. If you're my kid, this is torture because you have less-than-stellar fine motor skills and it means you spend more time obsessing over having to cut stuff out than you do actually completing the program. I also really dislike when programs make food a big deal activity. (I don't mind learning about what foods other cultures eat, but it's hard for a kid who can't eat many foods when the directions are "make tarts and marmalade and have a tea party.") I feel like we didn't get as much out of this as we could have.<br />
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Overall, I'd rate this program a 3 out of five for our family. It was a good unit study, but I found it lacking as a <i>literature</i> study - only one of the five days' activities involved studying the book as a literary work.<br />
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To read other Crew reviews of Picture Book Explorers ~ Paddington, click the banner below.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-63241323208634543922018-08-01T13:35:00.001-04:002018-08-01T13:39:46.387-04:00WriteBonnieRose: Learning About Science (Homeschool Review Crew)Finding a good Elementary Science program is something that I have always struggled with. Either it's over-simplified and almost a "throwaway" course, or it's written for a wide age range and fits none well. Jude is finally getting close to grade-leveled middle school science, but since I need <i>something</i> to stress over, my concern is he's going to be under-prepared because he has limited formal science exposure. Since nature abhors a vacuum (there's a science lesson, for you!), I'm hoping to have something different to stress over by the time Damien reaches middle school. He's been working with the <a href="https://writebonnierose.com/learning-about-science-collection-level-3-cursive/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning About Science Collection Level 3 (Cursive)</a> from <a href="https://writebonnierose.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WriteBonnieRose</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS_diXFM30GtOsqAwquGfJQ-uaHyK3SjY8pF3WW293a7jQc4G6FR6dUyNh7LMT-LghBxNXXi3NV2_wXBg3noWFqoFKmGqcxOPaDe4VAc2Ddnu5BbJ4dvEo_kg3qhk7UjyCAZl2-7GJ2A/s1600/Learning-About-Science-Level-3-Bundle-Cursive.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="232" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWS_diXFM30GtOsqAwquGfJQ-uaHyK3SjY8pF3WW293a7jQc4G6FR6dUyNh7LMT-LghBxNXXi3NV2_wXBg3noWFqoFKmGqcxOPaDe4VAc2Ddnu5BbJ4dvEo_kg3qhk7UjyCAZl2-7GJ2A/s400/Learning-About-Science-Level-3-Bundle-Cursive.png" width="308" /></a></div>
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WriteBonnieRose is an aggregation of curricula written by Bonnie Rose Hudson. I've been a fan of hers for some time now. If you're familiar with the "Build Your Own Bundle" program, she is frequently featured there, which is how I first learned of her writing and history programs. They are generally short and to the point, which is good for younger students. (I'm not sure I'd call them a "Charlotte Mason" program, but perhaps "CM flavor" -- there is little "twaddle" added. Let's go with "Enough material to learn, but not so much that you lose a student with ADHD mid-stream.") The Science collections are leveled one through three; Levels One and Two are print (manuscript) based, while Level Three has both print and cursive options. Since Damien is already proficient in cursive, we opted for that version.<br />
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We received the Complete Collection, which includes seven downloadable PDF unit studies. (Each unit is also available for individual purchase.) Topics fell under both earth and life science, and across several sub-genres.<br />
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<ul>
<li>What's Going on Inside Plants? </li>
<li>Life in the Ocean's Hidden Zones </li>
<li>Kinds of Animals and How They Live</li>
<li>Forecasting and Understanding the Weather </li>
<li>Exploring the Earth's Landforms </li>
<li>Energy and Its Many Forms </li>
<li>Discovering Rocks, Minerals, & Crystals</li>
</ul>
For our review, Damien specifically worked on the plant, ocean, and energy studies.<br />
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The studies are about fifteen to twenty pages long, and each took us about two weeks to complete. As I looked to break them down into assignments, it was a little tricky at first, because there is no visual cue of "stop here for today." The thoughts from one page flow smoothly into the next.<br />
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I found I needed to go in and delineate where we needed to stop for the day. Sometimes, one page was sufficient. For example, the page pictured above right was enough information for Damien for one day. (The next page began a sub-section of vascular vs. non-vascular plants and their properties.) However, the page above left was actually page three of the section on photosynthesis. One page wasn't enough information for one day -- stopping after page one or two of the section gave him only part of the information, so he was left with an incomplete picture.<br />
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This isn't a dealbreaker for the program for me; I include this opinion because if you're a mama reading this and wanting to try it, you'll know to read the study first and figure out what you'll want to cover in a session. If you are only "doing science" once or twice a week, you don't want that many days go by with just half an idea of how photosynthesis works. I found we were able to divide the lesson into seven sessions (including the review across two days). He worked three or four days a week, so the entire program took two school weeks. The same held true for the oceanography unit (nine work days), while the energy unit took three school weeks (twelve work days). If you're planning across a school year, I would expect the entire Level Three program to take 14-18 weeks at a 4-ish days/week pace, at 2-3 days per week, closer to a full semester.<br />
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Black and white graphics accompany most of the concepts. At first, I was kind of unimpressed, and thought "He's going to hate this -- the only way to make a lesson take more than three minutes is by coloring!" However, Damien really enjoyed this part. It wasn't necessarily the "coloring task" that he liked, but being able to look up and further explore a topic. He particularly liked this with the oceanography unit -- after all, there's only so much excitement that a leave can incite, but a Portugues man-of-war is pretty cool!<br />
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My only complaint is there isn't a "blank line" option for any of the studies. For Damien, tracing is something that becomes more about "staying in the lines" than "writing the word neatly." I would prefer an open space option, where he could write in the vocabulary words (they're easily identified by bold print in the text) freehand. I think this would help cement ideas better for him (plus allow him to work on his penmanship skills.)<br />
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I don't have any personal experience with the lower levels, but in looking at some of the other Crew Reviews for them, they look reasonably appropriate for Damien as well. While some topics have some overlap (i.e., Level 1 and 3 both have zoology units), there seems to be enough diversity that if I went back to the Level 1 programs, there would be sufficient new information for Damien to do those as well. I think a slower pace (1-2 lessons per week) might be good for a younger child, but since Damien is in third grade and beginning the "late" elementary phase, I think the three levels combined might make an appropriate full-year program for him. I'll definitely be checking the Level One and Two reviews carefully (clicking the banner below, of course) to see if the complete Learning About Science program combines to create the science curriculum I'm looking for.<br />
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If you're interested in using these for your student, save 50% on the bundled <a href="https://writebonnierose.com/products-science/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning About Science, </a>Levels 1, 2, and 3 with coupon code REVIEWCREW50 through August 15. This brings the Complete Sets to $6 each! <br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-2418956895893101102018-07-25T14:19:00.000-04:002018-07-25T14:21:11.171-04:00Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality (Homeschool Review Crew) <a href="http://raisingrealmen.com/product/lhv" rel="nofollow">Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality</a> is a book for boys, written by Hal and Melanie Young and published by <a href="https://www.raisingrealmen.com/" rel="nofollow">Great Waters Press</a>. It is intended for tween and teen boys (ages 12 through 19), and still appropriate for young adults. We received a print copy, but it is also available as an audiobook. For our review purposes, a parent was asked to read it before sharing with sons. I am glad I did this because as much as I have liked some of their other books, this one just left me frustrated.<br />
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Addressing teens and sex is probably a parenting area where I could grow; I admit to having a "That's your aisle, dear husband," approach. (And let me add that he's done a fantastic job handling things, man-to-man.) When I first received the book, I had hoped it to be more of an ice-breaker; I could read it, the boys could read it, and it would open avenues of discussion. Having read it, it's more of a "Here, read this, off you go," type of thing. It's possible that it is because I have a different view that the Youngs on some things, but I felt like it was more "edict of how you should behave," and less "Ok, let me teach you my view so you come to agree with it, rather than just decreeing, 'Thou shalt...thou shalt not..."As I read, I felt that if I gave this to the boys, I'd be spending more time saying, "This is what they say, but this is what your father and I believe..." and sending too many mixed messages.<br />
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There are some bits of sage advice, which address things that are novel to this generation. Sexting, for example, is an activity that seems relatively innocuous but can lead to child pornography charges and becoming labeled a sex offender. I agree that it's not a stellar way to start your adult life. Yes, it <i>is</i> something that needs to be addressed, and at times, worst-case-scenario does need to be presented, so that kids realize it's a serious issue. However, their "nothing at all, looking, reading, even thinking about sex" is a bit much. I think to say "Sure, you can think she's pretty, but don't lust after her," is a bit ridiculous. Is it probably wise to not act on it? Sure. (I'd like all of my grandchildren AFTER the weddings, please and thank you.) But the Youngs mention lust shouldn't happen, at all, even if you're talking about the person who is going to become your future spouse. If there was no lust involved before people get married (I'm discussing sexual attraction, not sexual activity), then the only reason not to marry a relative is science and genetics. Finding another person sexually attractive IS part of discerning "Do I want to marry that person for life?" and a valid relationship trait to assess. A wedding ring isn't going to suddenly make a person sexually attractive. (In my experience, yes, the person becomes <i>more</i> attractive, because of the mental restrictions/stresses it removes and the relationship it affirms, but it's a wedding ring, not beer goggles.) Even as an adult who has been married for nearly 21 years, I can look at a man who is not my husband and objectively consider him handsome - perhaps its objectifying, but a handsome man is like a pretty floral arrangement or a delicious dessert. Appearance is a qualitative trait, but good appearance doesn't necessarily equal sexually attractive. I think there's a line between "all-consuming lust that you act on when you shouldn't" and "discerning if lust is part of the bigger picture," but this book tries to lump it all together as "sinful and to be avoided." There's too much black and white, and life is shades of gray.<br />
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In my opinion, this book also approaches engagement and marriage with more of a "courtship" perspective than a "dating" perspective. My personal thoughts are more of a middle ground. I don't think dating-for-the-sake-of-dating is wise (it begets its own problems), but a traditional "courtship" where the sole goal is marriage perhaps puts too much pressure on either person. My personal experience is that yes, dating did lead to a few broken hearts, but I would also like to think that I grew as a person from those relationships. I learned what I wanted from a partner, what was not negotiable, and, if I'm brutally honest with myself, things I may have said or done that were unkind as well and ways <i>I</i> needed to change to become a better spouse. I would teach my sons (and daughter) to balance respecting others and not having a different date every night with "You don't have to start the first date thinking "Am I going to marry this person?" Sometimes, the person you don't expect to be "The One" is, and sometimes, the person you think will be just isn't.<br />
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I also find myself bristling at the idea of "equal" and "unequal" yoking. I've seen several instances in my family of what many would consider "unequal," that had little effect on the marriage. Some were inter-denominational marriages, but Neal's parents began their marriage as an interfaith couple. When they married, his mother was Jewish and his father Roman Catholic. Talk about unequal! By the time I met Neal, not only had his mother converted and they raised their children as Catholic, but she was what one would consider the active Catholic, not my father-in-law! Both now are strong in their faith and will celebrate their Golden Anniversary this coming spring, so clearly, religion and faith is not something that precluded a strong and happy marriage. If one partner says "I forbid you to practice your faith," then that's a red flag that this may not be a wise relationship. But I think the Lord works in His own way, in His own time, and that shouldn't be a dealbreaker if everything else is right. Who knows what His plans are?<br />
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Finally, there was a passage on purity, which included addressing how a boy should view a girl's clothing; a girl in short shorts or a revealing top may be wearing it because she likes it, not "for him." YES! While we do have rules about what we allow our daughter to wear, they are based on our own feeling about appropriateness and modesty. There are some garments we all find silly; she agrees that if you need a bikini wax to wear a particular pair of shorts, they're too short! I'd like her to realize that regardless of how society may view her, she is more than boobs and a butt, and should dress so as to show how much she values herself. (Not necessarily her sexuality, just her innate worth as a child of God.) But then in the next paragraph, it puts it on the guy to say to a girl, "You are too attractive, we need to go elsewhere." Should she want to do what makes him comfortable? If she values him as a person, yes. But this example/phrasing still blames her: "You're tempting me." I would tell both my sons and daughter that if you cannot control yourself around someone in private, you probably have no business being with him or her in public, either.<br />
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This is not a book that I will likely hand to my boys. Could it be used for opening a discussion? Yes, but I think I would do it with Luke (nearly 20), where I would say, "Do you agree? Disagree? Why? Why not? What do you think about this?" Though it is suggested for this age, it is not a book I'd hand a twelve-year-old. I agree that just waiting until they're fifteen or sixteen to discuss not just the mechanics of sex and reproduction is too late -- it's our job as parents to teach our kids values from the start, but I think it's a bit heavy for a young teen. As much as I really hoped this create a bridge for sharing between my boys and me, I just don't see it as practical for our family.<br />
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The Crew has been reading two books from the <u>Youngs: Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality</u> and <u>No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope</u>. Click the banner below to read the Crew reviews.<br />
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If you'd like to read our review of <u>No Longer Little...</u>, click<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2018/07/no-longer-little-parenting-tweens-with.html" target="_blank"> here.</a> This was a book about parenting children through the tween years which I found I could better identify with.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-23169721258576266262018-07-25T12:27:00.002-04:002018-07-25T14:21:00.536-04:00No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope (Homeschool Review Crew) <a href="https://www.raisingrealmen.com/product/nolongerlittle/" rel="nofollow">No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope</a> is the newest title from <a href="https://www.raisingrealmen.com/" rel="nofollow">Great Waters Press</a>. I was definitely interested to read this one!<br />
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I laugh that when you first have your children, there are tons of books out there that tell you how to handle being pregnant, adjusting to a newborn, and parenting toddlers and even preschoolers. However, it seems like once you get to elementary school, you're on your own until it's time for The Talk, but don't expect any help transitioning to adulthood. (I'd have paid just about anything for a "What you need to do when your child becomes a legal adult" book -- I feel like the last two years with Luke have been "Oh yeah, we need to do this," or "Right, he needs to fill out that form..." It's a mad scramble.) Having raised two tweens and being in the thick of it with three more (my baby just turned eight!), it is a time that can be absolute chaos for kids and parents alike.<br />
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I think the hardest thing about parenting a "tween" is realizing that it's a huge age range. "Tweens" are generally between the ages of 8 and 12, but authors Hal and Melanie young extend this to age 14. I think this makes sense - yes, Celia is 14, but we haven't gotten really into the heavy "teen" stuff yet. I think it's quite logical to use "grade school graduation" as a transition mark. When you have itty-bitties, your ages are relatively well defined: a baby is under a year, a toddler is one or two, and age 3 starts the preschool years. There is so much change in a short time! However, the tween changes are more gradual, making this time even more frustrating. I can guarantee you that while both may fit in that age bracket, Damien and Celia (and even Jude parked splat in the middle at 11) are nothing alike. What may be appropriate for her is not for Damien, and the "line in the sand" is constantly shifting.<br />
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I don't remember "tween years" as a big milestone age bracket. I remember turning twelve, and my pediatrician announcing me "pre-pubescent." I admit to being quite pleased with the diagnosis; that well-child visit culminating in the privilege of being taught how to do his signature magic trick that he used for all little-kid immunizations. (Hey, thirty-odd years ago, a tongue depressor employed for "The Bug Trick" was a technological marvel.) The Youngs start out by addressing the biggest elephant in the room, puberty, right in Chapter 1.<br />
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Most of us think of puberty as a linear type of thing. (And the books out there on that make it seem that way: first this, then that, then something else, and boom! Instant grown-up.) Having been through three rounds of it as a mother, I can tell you that while puberty itself may be, the two or three or five years of hormonal fits and spurts leading up to it are no cakewalk. The child you kissed goodnight last night is NOT the child that woke up this morning, but hey, he might be back next Tuesday! (Frankly, I think full-on, all-hormones, all-the-time is a relief, because you KNOW each morning is going to be a disaster.) The authors include this tidbit: "Researchers have found both sexes have hormonal surgest exceeding <i>fifty times </i>the normal, stable levels they have in adulthood." (p 7) With that in mind, no wonder it feels like I've lost mine! (And God bless my parents. There were three of us within three years...sure, they got the diaper phase over with fast, but it's no wonder my father's hair was turning white before I finished high school!)<br />
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Does it feel like they've lost their minds too? They probably have. The Youngs address this "space cadet" phase with science -- as the brain matures, it dis- and then re-assembles. (p 31). Once you realize that you are dealing with a person who truly doesn't know which end is up, and logic just no longer is logical, the easier it is. I think it's easy to get into the rut of, "He doesn't understand, I'll let it go..." which is, in my opinion, a bad parenting idea. Because eventually, he WILL understand and has to possess the skills to navigate with good behavior skills. I think parenting tweens is like parenting toddlers - you know you're going to have to say "No, hands to ourselves" a thousand times before they learn not to poke everything they see. With tweens, it's like saying, "This is what we expect, now do it," while feeling the wall listens better. I think the biggest thing I've learned the hard way (and probably would have realized a kid or two sooner with a book like this) is that just because they're larger people doesn't mean they're more grown-up. Yes, Jude is capable of microwaving his own chicken nuggets, but he still needs reminders to put the ketchup away when he's done eating. Understanding "his brain just isn't quite online" doesn't get him out of cleaning up after himself, but it does help ME be more patient when I'm saying, "Please put that away!" for the eleventy-billionth time.<br />
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I particularly appreciated the balanced approach they brought to media and discernment. It's easy to say, "I survived all the way to 30 without Facebook!" but the reality is, we don't live in that world any longer. I remember being tethered to one phone on my parent's kitchen wall to talk to my friends - my dad brought home a phone cord long enough that I could lay on the floor as I chattered away. Celia now wanders the house, FaceTiming her BFF on her cell phone. We had three network channels and three local ones on the TV; the cable package we have in order to have the internet tier we need for homeschooling streams close to a thousand. And the internet itself...Neal and I met via Temple University's student intranet. Talking online involved specific pages, commands, and dial-up internet, while now I can use Facebook Messenger to text Neal at the same time I'm writing this review and googling the answer to a random question another kid asks. The authors note that it's important to prepare kids for the world they live in, not the one we wished had stayed.<br />
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That said, kids need to learn to discern the good from the bad, the treasures from the junk. One line sticks with me: "There's not a straight line from the home video console to a police morgue. The illustration is simply to point out that our young people will need guidance and supervision to keep them out of dangerous territory." (p104). I appreciate how they broke down "You're not old enough for that," into tangible topics of theme, character, and genre. No "big kid" wants to hear, "You're too little!" For me, this gives me ways to balance between concrete absolutes ("The rule is 13 and up, you're 8, so no, you're not getting an Instagram account.") and values ("Do you think what that person did in that movie was a good idea?") when guiding appropriate technological things. This old dog is grateful for a new trick that allows for a logical answer, and not "Because I said so." One other thing I have learned the hard way -- let it be a discussion, not a "Mom thinks," because 1) it keeps communication open and 2) sometimes, kid sees it in a different way and it challenges my thinking.<br />
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Included in the topics the Youngs discuss are learning how to meet them where they're at. For example, by the tween years, kids have enough words that they don't always need their fists, but they don't yet realize that words can hurt as badly. (And sometimes, there will still be fists involved, because those disassembled brains can't find the words.) And back to puberty, they address emerging sexual issues, pointing out that even if you're a Bible-reading-only family, your kid is going to learn about sex. NOW, even though they seem so little, is the time to start laying down your values - not necessarily shielding them from <i>everything </i>adult in nature (though there are the obvious avoids) but encouraging dialogue and explaining why you believe in a certain view, from general modesty to dating perspective. The Youngs write from a Biblical-driven worldview, but frankly, any parenting viewpoint can benefit from their in-the-trenches perspective. Regardless of your views, their thoughts on behavior, increasing responsibilities, consumerism, and stewardship are well thought and balanced.<br />
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Their advice, <b>Don't freak out</b>, is probably the most overarching principle. Parents talk about the "terrible twos," and "teen angst." Nobody tells you the tween years are coming. It's quite a rude awakening when you hit the middle years and it's not the smooth-ish sailing you expect, but rather the water are more like choppy, outer bands of a hurricane. The early tween years are when you need to start laying in supplies, and the later ones, you learn to board the windows quickly - and evacuate when necessary. I will be honest -- it gets worse when you hit the teen years and all the new drama, but don't give up hope. I can say with (relative) confidence that eventually, they do start to emerge into calmer seas with re-intact brains and civilized personalities -- or at least, my oldest has now that he's almost 20, and and I'm starting to see breaks in the clouds with the almost 17-year-old. (Which is good - because teens and tweens will eat you out of house and home, and with a new tween in the house, we need more canned goods.)<br />
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I think the Youngs summarize the tween years quite well, right in the introduction:<br />
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This same child was prayed over from the womb. We read him the Bible...[he] pretended to be John the Baptist.<br />
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Then, at age nine, in traffic, he announced from the back of the van, "I think I'm an athiest."<br />
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Nobody told us this was coming.</blockquote>
Nobody tells you the tween years are coming, but with their newest book, <u>No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope</u>, Hal and Melanie Young help prepare you for the "Lord, please don't let me drive into that ditch," moments. (And for the record, the car and family survived, as did that young man's faith. That, friends, is grace, hope, and I'm sure a whole lot of repeating "Don't freak out.")<br />
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To read other Crew Reviews of this book and their other book,<u> Love, Honor, and Virtue: Gaining or Regaining a Biblical Attitude Toward Sexuality</u> for teen boys, click the banner below.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-15656836449889000532018-07-12T13:53:00.000-04:002018-07-12T13:53:24.971-04:00Math Essentials: Math Refresher for Adults (Homeschool Review Crew) <a href="https://www.mathessentials.net/product-page/math-refresher-for-adults" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Math Refresher for Adults</a> is a product that fell into my students' laps. When <a href="https://www.mathessentials.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Math Essentials</a> offered this product for review, my first thought was "LUKE!" He graduated high school two years ago, had good enough grades and placement scores that he was able to skip several pre-requisites and jump into middle and upper-level math courses for this coming fall. That said, it's obviously been quite some time since he had any formal math. Because the advertises itself as "The Perfect Solution" for adults who need to brush up on their math skills, I thought this would be perfect for him to work with so that he had a re-solidified foundation.<br />
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Once we got the book in our hands and I was able to flip through it, I realized that while it wouldn't hurt him to work with the book, it was probably a little bit basic for his needs. It focuses on skills such as:<br />
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<li>General Math</li>
<li>Geometry</li>
<li>Problem Solving</li>
<li>Pre-Algebra</li>
<li>Algebra</li>
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While all of these are foundational for his courses, this book got re-assigned to Celia. She started Algebra I, but when she took the readiness test for her usual program, she felt she was shaky on some of the basics. She knew them, but not as well as she would like. She also is transitioning from private school to homeschool, so this was a perfect opportunity for me to assess her skills. Since that was the more pressing need, she found herself the proud short-term owner of the book.<br />
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<b>Not Just For Adults </b><br />
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Since Celia was just beginning Algebra, we started with General Math. This book puts you in the "way back" machine, starting with fairly basic computation - two- and three-column adding, with regrouping. (If you're an adult working on this, you'll probably be calling it "carrying.")<br />
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Each lesson starts with four "review" problems. At the very start, it doesn't seem like "review" - just more of the same. As you get further into the book though, they pull from prior lessons. I like how this keeps presenting opportunities to practice skills. Let's face it, if you're doing a refresher course, it's because you know "one-and-done" re-exposure isn't going to be sufficient.<br />
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Celia felt she was ok with basic math; fractions, decimals, and percents were where she felt weak. Each page has only about fifteen problems (four review, ten on-topic, and one word problem), so while thirty problems a day sounds like a lot, it only took her about thirty minutes each day to work through them. She began by doing a page each of Fractions and Decimals, followed by Percents and Integers, alternating groupings each day. She decided that this would give her the opportunity to review several topics quickly, but also allow her to keep looping back, so it was constant repetition rather than a "topic blitz."<br />
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While this is a softcover workbook, it functions better as a textbook. While you could work some of the problems in the white space, you'd need exceptionally small and neat handwriting for some of them. Author Richard W. Fisher suggests copying problems onto a separate piece of paper -- which actually helps with understanding, because you're working from start to finish -- and then completing the problem. Rather than a bunch of scrap paper that could easily get lost, we opted for a copybook. I laughed when I saw the front of Celia's book, indentifying which Celia the book belonged to -- the "classroom experience" is still active in her mind. Last I checked, we only had one Celia in our school!<br />
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As I said, this was an excellent way for me to assess her skills. This problem showed a couple of weaknesses.<br />
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Math isn't just about getting the "right answer." You have to get the process right because otherwise, the correct answer is luck, not skill. Here, her first try didn't align her numbers correctly. I followed her thought process, but there were two issues -- either she missed squaring off the problem with a decimal place (and therefore a step in her work), or she wasn't lined up correctly. Her second try fixed the place issue -- but then her computation was off because she "brought down" her decimal point, as if she was adding, rather than "counting over," which definitely affected her answer. She realized what she did wrong, and got both the correct process <i>and</i> answer on the third go. While it seems like not a big deal when you're "just" multiplying in a single-step problem, this can become an issue as you move into multi-step problems. Forget algebra, let's just consider finding a discount and then adding sales tax to determine if you can afford a purchase: when you calculate that 7% add-on, you definitely want to make sure you're figuring based on the correct price!<br />
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Heading into Algebra, the extra practice with Integers was helpful. Again, we found that "setting up" was a weak spot. Celia wanted to jump right to calculation and answers. Many times, I had to say "COPY first, THEN work." Or, show how you get from one calculation to the next. While I can appreciate when I'm adding multiple numbers I tend to just go across the line in my head, when you're <i>learning</i> to add and subtract integers, it is crucial to do one step at a time until the skills have solidified.<br />
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We also learned that she tends to rush, leading to "stupid mistakes." When you get to upper levels of math, you have to take your time and do problems one step at a time. When I asked her how to solve this problem, her answer was to rush across the line, "Order of Operations, negative seven plus three is negative five, plus eight is three...Oh. Wait a minute." I pointed out that by trying to do it all at once, one mistake meant the entire thing was wrong. By doing it in steps, she had a chance to see where her mistake was and then an opportunity to fix it. Unfortunately, this is a habit that she didn't learn in school, so it's one we need to set up.<br />
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Again, it's not that she doesn't <i>know</i> her times tables -- when I said to her, "um...what is six times three?" she answered, "Eighteen!" Apparently, she just had a total brain fart here. Or she was rushing. (Very likely.) Learning this was as important as actually knowing her times table. As a parent/teacher, it tells me she needs reminders to <i>slow down. </i><br />
<i><br /></i> Celia will likely continue working through the book to the end. While she is continuing forward with Algebra 1, it won't hurt her skills to keep practicing basics and making sure she is rock-solid in them. <i><br /></i><br />
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<b>Quirks of the Book and Program</b><br />
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One thing I did <i>not</i> like was how the program alternated how it indicated multiplication during algebraic sections. Here, the answer key in the back was a definite help. We determined that the x in this problem meant "times," not "the variable x." That makes a big difference in solving. (Even if you do have to go back and slow down on the times table part.<br />
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There were several problems written like this, so when she came to one, I made her stop and ask me which way to do it, but just looking up the answer then primes the student to work backward <i>from </i>the answer, rather than seeking the path to get <i>to</i> the answer.<br />
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I also wish the answer key had more detail than "just" the final answers. For example, there are problems labeled as "muti-step," yet the Answer Key only gives the final answer. The page's <i>Helpful Hints</i> lists "Decide which operations to use and in what order" but there is no way to check if the student has chosen the right plan of attack. Yes, this book is supposed to be a refresher course, but I think it's really just providing practice, not actual "how to" refreshing.<br />
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It would really be helpful for both the teacher and the independent student to be able to see&nbspnot only that it IS wrong, but WHY the answer is wrong. This might make a single book exceptionally voluminous, but perhaps the program could be converted to a two-volume set that includes a student workbook + answer key.<br />
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While I agree with Math Essentials that it is helpful for parents who want to help their children but need a refresher, there were sections where I just looked at the problem and said, "Hmmm...how about YOU show me, and then I'll check it." Yes, I was hoping that seeing how Celia did something might jog my memory. (Yes, I could sit and watch the videos, but, like many parents trying to juggle multiple kids, I was looking for the most expeditious route possible.)<br />
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Also included with the program book is access to Math Essentials web-based <a href="https://www.mathessentials.net/videos" rel="nofollow">video instruction</a>. An access code is included in the book for advanced Algebra tutorials. However, there is no direct correlation for this book -- you'll have to sort through topics from the prior volumes. The book cover advertises itself as "Excellent for English Language Learners" and for returning students, but I think these are is particular populations that may need extra hand-holding. It's not impossible to find the videos, but locating them definitely less "user-friendly" for this book than for other books. At first, we didn't even realize that the videos correlated, because we were looking for lessons for <i>this</i> book. It is sensible to use the previously produced videos, but it would have been nice to have a landing page for this volume that leads specifically to the correct videos, or even just a statement saying "Math Refresher students: choose the links that refer to the corresponding Refresher book section." Yes, we were able to figure it out, but no mention of the book at all makes <u>Math Refresher</u> feel like an afterthought.<br />
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<b>Not Just for Crash Review!</b><br />
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Now that we've completed our official review period, I am going to also assign Jude to work in the book, too. He's just finishing elementary math and moving into Pre-Algebra, but looking ahead at his regular math program, I can see some areas where he would benefit from a few extra "basic math" problems each day. His usual program does build upon what the student has already learned in the Elementary program, but it will be a while before he returns to multiplying fractions. Knowing his strengths and weaknesses, I think it would be better for him to do a few problems of that here and there to keep practicing rather than hoping he can pull it from the depths of his brain a few months from now. <u>Math Refresher</u> will give him opportunities for extra practice without feeling like he's doing a "baby" workbook or a second curriculum. While I don't think ten or fifteen review problems a day is excessive for high schooler Celia, I probably will opt to have Jude do half a page each day -- odds on Day 1, evens on Day 2, which will both lessen the burden and extend the exposure. As for poor Luke, who had the book literally ripped from his hands...he's been taking short-session business law, economic theory, and English composition summer courses, so math review has been pushed to the side for now. He plans to start his math courses in the fall without a review, but keep this book handy if he finds there are things he's just not entirely clear on.<br />
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75 Crew Families have been brushing up on their math skills. Click the banner below to read their reviews.<br />
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<a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2017/08/math-essentials-no-nonsense-algebra.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read our review of <u>Math Essentials: No-Nonsense Algebra</u>.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-20533471980519247912018-07-11T11:44:00.000-04:002018-07-11T11:47:18.313-04:00Bible Study Guide for All Ages (Homeschool Review Crew) We're no strangers to <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/" rel="nofollow">Bible Study Guide for All Ages</a>. A few years ago, Celia got to test the program out and really enjoyed working with it. This time, it was the boys' turn. New third grader Damien got the <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/grades-3-4.php" rel="nofollow">Intermediate (3rd & 4th grade)</a> while rising sixth grader Jude had a chance to try the <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/grades-5-6.php" rel="nofollow">Advanced (5th & 6th grade</a>) program. Each boy's workbook allowed them to complete the first quarter of each level: Lessons 1 to 26. In our kit was also a pack of large-format Bible Book Summary Cards and a Teacher Key for each program.<br />
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<a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/" rel="nofollow">Bible Study Guide for All Ages</a> also has programs for students as young as PK3, the elementary levels, and then teens and adults as well. The program is laid out so that traditional homeschoolers can work on this a little bit each day over the course of a week, but it is short enough that the program used in a co-op, cottage school, or Sunday school setting that only meets for a short time each week. (Note: the workbooks are designed to be consumable products, so if you use them in a group learning setting, each child will need to purchase his own workbook.)<br />
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While the Primary level runs independently of the rest of the curriculum, the Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels run in the same sequence, only at different levels. (Ok, I know that seems like a sentence filled with redundancies, but bear with me.)<br />
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The first few lessons center on Joseph of the Old Testament. Lesson 1 in both levels teaches the story of Jacob and the tribes of Israel, focusing on Joseph's Coat of Many Colors (Genesis 35:23-26; 37:1-11), Lesson 2 segues into Joseph's Dreams (Gn 37:12-36), and Lessons 3 through 14 take learners through Joseph's experiences in Egypt and then Jacob's death. We then jump to study the Book of Daniel, and the Babylonian capture, and more dreams - this time, Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and the promise of a King. In Lesson 21, we fast-forward to the Gospels of Matthew (Mt 1:1-17) and Luke (Lk 2:23-38) and begin learning about the family of the King of Kings, Jesus.<br />
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Notice I didn't say "Jude learned," or "Damien learned." Despite different workbook activities, each week, the lessons focus on the same stories. If you're Mama reading the passages aloud, it makes reading times simple: everyone can sit and listen together. By focusing on the same stories in a two-year cycle, it is presented soon enough that there is some familiarity ("I remember that story!") but enough elapsed time that the older student is ready to delve a little deeper. It also means that in group activities, a family actually becomes a group.<br />
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Each of these activities would be difficult to do with just a parent and child. In the first one, two people don't make a very large web of lies. In the second, it becomes an "aha!" moment when we realize "telling the truth" isn't just disobedient to adults, but hurtful to their peers as well.<br />
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What learning style is your homeschool? It doesn't matter! We're what most would call "eclectic" homeschoolers; I think the term I'd use is "Crew-led." However, there are bits of many learning styles within the program that make it accessible to many. For example:<br />
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<i>Classical Method</i>? Repetition, repetition, repetition. Not only do you revisit the same stories, but each lesson has a review of the what is learned.<br />
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<i>Charlotte Mason</i>? Active and applied activities in lessons are focused, and I'm not sure there's a more "living" book than the Word of God!<br />
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<i>Unit Study</i>? You're taking a topic and finessing it until there isn't much left to learn.<br />
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<i>Group Setting</i>? If you did this is a group learning setting where you only had 60-90 minutes to work together, I would focus on reading the Bible story, the Memory Workout, map or timeline activities, and the <i>Get Active</i> and <i>Apply It!</i> sections. The latter two are probably the most suited to a group setting, and the reflection and prayer at the end of the<i> Apply It!</i> makes a naturally good ending.<br />
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The Teacher Key is a suggestion at most levels for homeschools but highly recommended for group teachers. I agree with this; how much you will need it will depend on how independently your student is working. Primary Level is the only one where a teacher's key is required, due to the more visual vs. language-based program.<br />
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<i>Private Homeschool with multiple children</i>? There are a few options. There are a total of <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/shop/index.php?cPath=24_5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">416 </a>lessons for each level, so you have a significant amount of ground to cover in the two years, especially if you're keeping to a "traditional" 180-day school schedule.<br />
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The first option is to divide the activities across two days. This would allow for 5 lessons every two weeks.<br />
<ul>
<li>Day 1: Read the Bible passages as a family, and have each student complete the <i>Guess What... </i>and Map activities. Do one level of <i>Get Active </i>and <i>Apply It!</i> activities as a group.</li>
<li>Day 2: Complete <i>Remember It</i> and <i>Memory Workout</i> sections together, allow students to complete the "paraphrase the story" cartoon activity on page 2, and then regroup for the alternate level of <i>Get Active </i>and <i>Apply It! </i>activities.</li>
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The other option would be to do a lesson a day, and just alternate whose "turn" it was for the two group-like activities. You also may want to double up some days, to keep within that two-school-year range. However, the levels do have some flexibility, so you could start a younger student a little early, or run a little later ending the level, without overwhelming or boring a student.<br />
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If you have only one child working on the program, working one-on-one with them to complete activities is an option. Again, I'd recommend the Teacher Key if you have an independent student, especially at the Advanced level. I didn't feel I was missing anything by not having the Intermediate Key; most of the answers were quickly figured out by knowing the story. I was glad to have it with Jude because I don't remember the "chapter-and-verse" locations of things through the Bible, so it saved me having to look up if his answers were correct or not.<br />
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What Christian denomination are you part of? Again, it doesn't matter. Because this provides the passages for a story, not the story itself, you are free to use whatever Bible translation you prefer. So many Bible programs are focused on the King James Version of the Bible, and it is frustrating as a Roman Catholic. (To us, the KJV is also missing books, but that's another story!) I like that we are able to use our family Bible to read from.<br />
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The <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/bible-book-summary-cards.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bible Summary Cards</a> are full-sheet, full-color, heavy cardstock cards with pictures on one side and written summaries of the topic on the back. They address most books from Genesis to Revelation -- you will not use them all in a quarter, but rather over the course of the entire program. The pack as a whole works with all levels, so with proper care, they will last through several students. I may consider laminating them since they will have so many hands on them.<br />
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I still like this program. (I also can't believe that it's been <a href="https://www.adventureswithjude.com/2013/08/bible-study-for-all-ages-schoolhouse.html" target="_blank">five years since we used it last</a>!) I think I will be checking out the Teen level as well because it's a program that would simplify Bible study to fit our wide range of ages. Jude and Damien are enjoying the "easy" work, but I like that it's not just "busywork" but encouraging them to think about the lessons of the Bible.<br />
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The Crew received materials for students in PK3 through 6th grade. Click the banner below to read their reviews of the<a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/ages-3-k.php" rel="nofollow"> Beginner,</a> <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/grades-1-2.php" rel="nofollow">Primary</a>, <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/grades-3-4.php" rel="nofollow">Intermediate</a>, and <a href="https://biblestudyguide.com/grades-5-6.php" rel="nofollow">Advanced</a> levels, as well as the Bible Study Guide for All Ages Timeline program.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-53713047485565875622018-06-27T14:41:00.001-04:002018-06-29T18:32:32.022-04:00The Master and His Apprentices (Homeschool Crew Review)Public school students in our state have relatively strict curriculum requirements, including one year of a "visual or performing arts" curriculum. On the one hand, homeschoolers do not have to follow the same "mandated curricula" rules - thank heavens for that flexibility! However, I feel that, to have a transcript that is competitive with their peers and not feel like we have to reinvent wheels, it makes sense to use the state's list as a "things we ought to cover" guide. We hoped that one option for fulfilling this "requirement" could be <a href="https://themasterandhisapprentices.com/purchase/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian </i><i>Perspective</i></a>, a one-year high school art history curriculum published by <a href="http://www.themasterandhisapprentices.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Master and His Apprentices.</a><br />
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<b>Initial Thoughts</b><br />
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<i>The Master and His Apprentices</i> is a Christian-viewpoint program. It is arranged in a manner that helps coordinate Biblical and historical timelines. This is not unlike a few other of our courses, and I like this perspective. My school experience was learning things in "parallel universes." Cognitively, I knew that there is overlap in multiple civilizations, but I never tied it all together. When Jude started working on a particular history program, I discovered the idea of teaching "within a timeline" and discovered how much easier it is to understand how civilizations segue from one to the other. I liked the idea of starting at the beginning (Creation) and then studying art's progression through time.<br />
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For our review, we received a Digital Edition of the curriculum, which included the Textbook ($34.99 retail) and Teacher Guide ($19.99). This is a downloadable PDF file that can be viewed on (ideally) a computer screen or a large-format tablet. The file is also formatted for printing; the appropriate margin has been left for a 3 hole punch binder or comb binding. While it took a considerable amount of time and ink, Matthew preferred a printed copy of the text, which would allow him to mark it for studying.<br />
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The guide includes a single-student license; there is $2 "recopy" fee for use with each subsequent student. (Reviewers received unlimited household recopy rights.) I can understand the company's view - this program is an investment in their intellectual material - but I don't like the idea of having to go back to the company every time I want to re-use a digital program. As a parent, I'd rather pay a few dollars more at the beginning for an unlimited single-household license, rather than feel "nickel-and-dimed" over time.<br />
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There is also a pre-printed materials option. This includes a 380-page hardcover Textbook ($149.99) and softcover, perforated-page, 120-page Teacher Guide ($24.99). The teacher's guide is intended to be a consumable material, but digital student reprint rights are available as well ($2 per student). Again, this feels clunky. I can understand the workbook being consumable. However, if I'm purchasing something pre-printed, it's because it's more cost-effective (either financially or time-wise) than printing it myself. If the paper guide were less expensive, I'd be more inclined to just purchase multiples of those and be done.<br />
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I can understand a per-student charge for non-family group settings (one suggested use of this is with co-op programs), but perhaps that should be a different "call us for pricing" category since the photocopy rights only apply to the workbook; each student still needs to purchase a textbook. I'm also not sure about the textbook and re-printing capability for later students.<br />
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<b>Working with the program</b><br />
<br />I think this should be retitled <i>Western </i>Art History from a Christian Perspective, or even "Western History Through Art". I had expected this to cover art from around the world, not just the Middle East and Latinized areas. There is a single 8-page chapter devoted to "the rest of the world," with an explanation that "In a collegiate setting, the study of Western art and non-Western art are quite often divided into separate classes." (p. 314) That makes sense to me because there is no way that the <i>entirety </i>of art history, when presented in this timeline-based manner, could be done adequately within a single semester. However, neither the company's website nor samples indicate that there is little attention given to non-Western art. A mere eight pages are included and meant to point out other cultures; it feels like an "oh yeah, there's this other stuff" afterthought. I think it would be better to omit it entirely and advertise this program as a history of western art.<br />
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The book also mentions "Through Modern Times" in the title. However, it ends with the Baroque era and covers from Rococo (the 1700s) to current times in 8 pages. Impressionism - with the greats such as Renoir, Monet, Rodin, and Sargeant - gets a full page, while post-impressionist Van Gogh earns a small example picture and half a sentence. Again, if it had advertised itself as "Through the Baroque Era," I would be fine with that. But if it says "Through Modern Times," then I expect to find at least a mention of artists such as John Singer Copley and Charles Wilson Peale, and discussion of the establishment of the Pennsylvania Acadamy of Fine Arts, the oldest art institution in the United States and one of the first to allow women to receive an arts education equal to their male peers.<br />
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This curriculum is meant to be worked over the course of a 36-week school year. If time is an issue, some lessons may be combined or omitted (the Teacher Manual gives directions for this.) Matthew worked each week's assignment or two over the course of a few days - reading the chapter one day, and completing the (as many as 30+) questions over a second or third day.<br />
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The program also includes four written research papers and four exams. I appreciated the clear "What to do each week" layout. I'm not certain what semester the dates included were from -- my guess is this was used with a co-op in a particular year, and these are the corresponding dates. Practically speaking, it was not a big deal to cross out the printed dates and re-mark the ones that aligned with our work. There is a note in the corner that this is a sample and there is an editable document available, but that just was an extra step that really seemed more than needed. (Plus, it involved printing another page.) However, it made the guide seem less "professional" and more "I'll just sell copies of my notes."<br />
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The teacher's guide heavily weights "discussion" - I think this works better in a group setting than a single student. The manual discusses how to use the program in both a one-hour class setting or a longer meeting period. However, for the single-student, it's awkward. The only person Matthew had to discuss things with was me, and he would look at me and say "I answered the questions, I don't have anything to really add." I think having a group of people with different perspectives would make a difference in how engaging the material could be.<br />
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<b>"No Nudity" </b><br />
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One of my primary concerns with the program is it explicitly <span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;">advertises</span><span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"> </span>"No nudity!" I felt that Ancient Greece, often filled with nude statuary, could focus on draping, and how artists and sculptors skillfully used light and shadow to create movement in folds of robes. But how does one effectively teach Renaissance art without using <i>any</i> nudes? There are nudes on the ceiling of the church where the Pope is elected! How does any Art History course worth its salt gets around Michelangelo's David?<br />
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By picturing only his left foot.<br />
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This was just ridiculous. This is a high-school level program. I'm not an advocate of gratuitous nudity, but nudity in art serves a purpose. In the Renaissance, it showed not only the skill of the artist in creating work but also reflected the emerging understandings in math and science of both the body itself and how to arrange it on canvas or in stone proportionally and realistically. (Later in the Baroque era, it reflects the changing attitude of the times.) David is probably one of the premier specimens of this Renaissance knowledge, as well as an incredible example of general line, movement, and the dynamic Renaissance contrapposto. At the very least, showing David's face and upper body would demonstrate these principles. Without <i>any</i> of these tenets discussed, my thinking that this is more a "history with art" rather than "art history" course were solidified.<br /><br />The curriculum also mentions Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel paintings and presents a close-up of God and Adam's hand.<br />
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Ok, I could allow this one as a "Christian view," but it is the only illustration of this magnificent work. Why bother? The program has lost an opportunity to discuss Michelangelo's skills as both a sculptor and painter.<br />
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There is a single page discussing Flemish master Peter Paul Reubens. One of the paintings chosen, <i>The Raising of the Cross</i> is an excellent example of his skill with line, color, light, and movement. However, never is the term <i>Rubenesque -</i> a name for his iconic, allegorical paintings of voluptuous figures - even mentioned. How does one study Reubens and never say what he is famous for?<br />
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I knew that this program advertised "no nudity," but I had hoped it would be handled differently - perhaps with a lighter touch and more deft cropping. Yes, I can tell Matthew, "Go Google the David statue," or "Find out what does Rubenesque refer to," but if I'm purchasing a complete curriculum, I shouldn't feel like I need to add to it to provide a complete education.<br />
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<b>Other content</b><br /><br /><i>The Textbook</i><br />
<b><br /></b> I have mixed feelings on this as well. For example, Chapter 9's Early Christian and Byzantine section features an introduction and four work foci from this period. However, most some of the topics only encompass two pages! The Hagia Sophia, first a Christian basilica, then a Muslim mosque, and now a state-owned museum, has about a page and a half of text, and a few photographs. Other sections are equally skimpy. Leonardo da Vinci, arguably the greatest man of the Renaissance era, greater than even Michelangelo, has a mere three pages (including photographs) dedicated to him.<br /><br />
For much of the early medieval period, the Church was the patron of the arts, and it shows in the Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals. Reading this book, you get the sense that a <i>cathedral</i> is just a big church in a big town. (p. 174) However, any big town could have a big church; what makes a cathedral special is it is the center of an (arch)diocese and the seat of the Bishop. The introduction to "Gothic" comes closer, mentioning that Bishops were, often, political appointees. But it never identifies the cathedrals as the centers of their domains. But while it discusses the basic architecture, it never really goes into detail, even about the stained glass and statuary that depicted stories of the Old Testament, Gospels, and saints. The church building was a way for the illiterate to "read" the Bible - one would expect this to be mentioned in a book with a Christian teaching base.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg_I_WRF-TFcDT9N4DkUw-ir2hlY-kaFpcLpBgkN0-t9UhoGro-s5lZkBulI3iE04U_RJIocYum-9jlKokZZb9mwRSiLV8uGCCzw5VaUQiD_5iomLsmZ_oFPMckeGdk0L3bME94-BT7c/s1600/IMG_6491.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg_I_WRF-TFcDT9N4DkUw-ir2hlY-kaFpcLpBgkN0-t9UhoGro-s5lZkBulI3iE04U_RJIocYum-9jlKokZZb9mwRSiLV8uGCCzw5VaUQiD_5iomLsmZ_oFPMckeGdk0L3bME94-BT7c/s640/IMG_6491.HEIC" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kölner Dom/Cologne Cathedral</td></tr>
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Additionally, one page is dedicated to the Cologne Cathedral.<br />
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Nowhere does the text mention that the Cologne Cathedral, included part of the unit on Gothic style, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The text is copyrighted 2017, and UNESCO added the Cathedral to its roster in 1996. This is a crucial thing to understand about the Cathedral. The book mentions how it was completed in the 1800s with "modern" iron roof girders, but not that all repairs now - including current restorations - must be made using the original materials. Few of the current restorations are because of WWII damage; it is wear and tear from age and pollution that cause the need for repairs. Residents of Köln say, "We know the world goes on, because the <i>Döm</i> is being refurbished. If it no longer has scaffolding, life is over." <br />
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<br />The text mentions "ornated" flying buttresses, but none of the photographs show them. It talks about how the cathedral is very "dark." I can attest from a personal visit that while the vestibules are dim, the central nave glows from the sunlight streaming in during Sunday services.<br />
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<i>Student Activities</i><br /><br />Even adding in the four assigned papers (five pages each), I don't feel the program will give a particularly good breadth of knowledge. These explicitly assign the student to choose <i>one</i> artist, piece, or style to research.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuXi8x6J888PZgZuwwSOMrkmXoZApU43TsNVeLgRz1_5HHBghhbsk_6WPVMrQ81LW_kz6OXPAGh2HDQpQ_xGm_9JVHX5pw1Lm5Q42djGiSQgolmGiziZUbB8sLllhFTWGDv__OSOg_Xw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-06-27+at+2.10.15+PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuXi8x6J888PZgZuwwSOMrkmXoZApU43TsNVeLgRz1_5HHBghhbsk_6WPVMrQ81LW_kz6OXPAGh2HDQpQ_xGm_9JVHX5pw1Lm5Q42djGiSQgolmGiziZUbB8sLllhFTWGDv__OSOg_Xw/s640/Screen+Shot+2018-06-27+at+2.10.15+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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To make this course more generally in-depth, I think I would assign more frequent (monthly vs. quarterly) but shorter papers (2 pages each) so a student would have a better opportunity to study a more extensive range of topics. Here, I think quantity is preferable to "quality" because it would broaden his knowledge of art and its place in history.<br /><br /><b>Closing Thoughts</b><br />
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I really wanted to like this program, because I feel, even transcripts aside, a well-rounded education should include the arts. I have another option for Matthew waiting in the wings, but it is a program I will have to build myself in order to reach content and time requirements to count it as a full credit. I admit that it would have been ideal to have something I could just hand him and say, "Do this, please," especially this year as I have a new student transitioning into our homeschool. Perhaps in a group setting, this might be an appropriate course -- each student in the group could take work/period and bring a short presentation to contribute to a discussion. A single-focus five-page paper does allow a student to get in deep with a single idea, but it means risking learning something out of context with the rest of an era of history. Ultimately, I think that this program is more history than art, omits quintessential works under the guise of modesty, and is inadequate for a single student art history course.<br />
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<center>
<a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/the-master-and-his-apprentices-art-history-from-a-christian-perspective-the-master-and-his-apprentices-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="The Master and His Apprentices: Art History from a Christian Perspective {The Master and His Apprentices Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Master-and-His-Apprentices-Art-History-from-a-Christian-Perspective-Homeschool-reviews.jpg" /></a></center>
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-91546954004011890062018-06-25T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-25T09:05:45.811-04:00Celia’s Pay It Forward Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year, the 8th graders at Celia's former school do a service project, called "Pay It Forward." Each child is given an envelope with $40 and charged with making a difference in the world. It sounds daunting when you're barely 13, but I am utterly amazed at the creativity and motivation these kids have. There were 18 students in her class. Collectively, they raised close to $9,000 plus several hundred dollars' worth of donated items that aided a range of close-to-their-heart recipients. Beneficiaries ranged from cancer research to a family that needed a specialized wheelchair for their son to a local family. Celia's BFF created a project to benefit Hearts of Hope, <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/10/in-memory-of-payton.html" target="_blank">in memory of her baby sister, Payton</a>, and Celia was honored to be asked to create a heart to share with other families in need of a reminder that they aren't alone.<br>
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<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/06/a-helping-haircut-donating-to-wigs-for.html" target="_blank">Three years ago,</a> Celia cut her hair to donate and had been growing it out since, in anticipation of her Pay It Forward project. She chose for her project to benefit Wigs for Kids, a non-profit organization that makes prosthetic hairpieces for children with alopecia and cancer. Wigs for Kids relies on donations to make the wigs; patients and their familes are never charged. Celia's goal was to donate half the cost of a wig, along with her hair. Through donations and several parties and vendor shows where she sold Lilla Rose hair accessories with me, she turned her $40 into her goal of $900. She decided that on graduation day, she would cut her hair to finish her project.<br>
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Each spring, the school holds an assembly where the 8th graders present their projects. It's a way for the entire school to take part, and for the younger children to get excited about when their turn comes. (The 7th graders always pay especially close attention, knowing they are next.) Celia needed to write an essay about her project to present that day. As I videotaped the presentation, I struggled to hold my hand steady. I am so proud of this girl -- not just for raising money, not just for donating her hair, but for taking the hurt and struggles she has dealt with and turning it into something that will make a positive difference in another child's life. <br>
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Early on Graduation morning, we started out for the hair salon. <br>
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A few snipped ponytails later, she had plenty of hair to share with someone else.<br>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> I wanted to shout from the rooftops how proud I was of her, but she wouldn't let me show anybody pictures until after graduation -- she wanted to surprise her friends with her new 'do.<br>
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Since not all the families are able to attend the assembly, they repeat the presentation at the Graduation Reception. This allows all the kids' parents and families present to learn how the projects affect them. My mom has been there when Celia has been berated by strangers for her feeding tube, and to say she was proud, too, would be an understatement (My mother is beyond placid, but I've never seen her so mad that my dad had to physically hold her back from going after the idiots.) I had steeled myself, knowing what was coming, but lost my composure when I heard my mother next to me sniffling. Thanks, Mom.<br>
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She's already growing her hair out again, hopefully to donate around when she graduates from high school. I have a feeling I'll be blogging again about how proud I am of her.<br>
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<br>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-86380564175421258172018-06-21T13:32:00.000-04:002018-06-21T13:32:09.882-04:00Silverdale Press: Persuasive Writing and Classical Rhetoric (Homeschool Review Crew)Most students begin learning writing schools in elementary or middle school. Often, they learn a basic skeleton of how to write an essay, and just keep practicing it, repeating the same frame with new topics and supporting ideas. But while I think this is adequate for fledgling writers, students can become stuck in the process. Some people are naturally good writers, but for some -- like Matthew -- good writing isn't an inherently strong skill. As he enters his senior year, I feel like a clock is ticking on getting him to become a good writer. We were happy -- ok, Mama was happy -- to be chosen to review <a href="https://www.silverdalepress.com/persuasive-writing-and-classical-rhetoric.html" rel="nofollow">Persuasive Writing & Classical Rhetoric: Practicing the Habits of Great Writers </a>from <a href="https://www.silverdalepress.com/" rel="nofollow">Silverdale Press LLC</a>.<br />
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Persuasive Writing & Classical Rhetoric: Practicing the Habits of Great Writers is a year-long (36 week) writing course for high school students. This digital curriculum presents iconic speeches and essays for study, where students learn not only to dissect the persuasion but have models of exemplary writing to model their own after. This is helpful for the student who understands the basics of writing and grammar but struggles with varying sentence structure. (Matthew is one of those types -- I've lost track of how many times I've said to him, "Ok, I understand what you're trying to say, but this is boring me. You need to reword that, so you're not writing every sentence subject-verb-object.") I think it really helps students to <i>see</i> a way to get the same point across but in a more engaging manner.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What is Rhetoric, Anyway? </span></b></h3>
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"Rhetoric" is one of those words that has lost its identity over time. In recent times, the word is tossed around to demean or dismiss an opposing and often political, viewpoint. Like the word "ignorant" coming to be a word mis-defined in its substitution for rude, the common use of the word "rhetoric" has come to be synonymous with stereotype and euphemism, implying the speaker is entrenched in "the wrong side." However, a staple of classical education since the time of Aristotle, true rhetoric is probably one of the most eloquent of written and oratorical skills. For all their human faults, I doubt one would accuse the writings of St. Augustine, Benjamin Franklin, or Winston Churchill, as the rantings of "idiots."<br />
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True rhetoric is the art of persuasive speech, supported by skillful discernment, study, and presentation, that logically lays out an argument. Yes, the writer hopes that he has convinced you to see his side and agree, but rhetorical writing lays out a clear case to support his point regardless of the final outcome. For example, included in this study is one of my favorite speeches, JFK's "We Choose to Go to the Moon" speech given at Rice University in 1962. He begins his argument that Americans have never shied away from the difficult, asserting William Bradford stated the same back in 1630 when the Puritans first founded the Plymouth Bay Colony. Kennedy continues, discussing the benefits of space exploration, and builds a case for the benefits to winning the Space Race. He acknowledges that it is going to be financially costly, and seems an impossibility. However, he skillfully rallies the crowd to his side, bringing his speech to a conclusion:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Many years ago, the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.”</b></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.</b></blockquote>
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Well, while it might take a fair bit of experimentation, I don't think rhetoric isn't quite as difficult as launching a "flying thermos bottle," as 3-time astronaut Walter M. Schierra, Jr. called it. <br />
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The program's Table of Contents reads like a "Who's Who" of great writers:<br />
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Every writer has a preferred writing style, but he also brings his own voice to his writings. I like that this program includes so many sample writers! The essays chosen for study have been written by a wide variety of authors. Some are iconic: what American student is unfamiliar with Patrick Henry's emphatic speech that ends, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"? But while other samples are from famed orators, they may be lesser known speeches: Abraham Lincoln is represented not by those proclaimed as President, but the 1854 speech he presented at Peoria. This speech pointed out the flaws in slavery and ultimately began the path that led him to the presidency. Seeing the variety of styles gives a student the opportunity to meld different ideas, makes his writings more authentic and persuasive. He becomes able to develop his own voice, instead of relying on a single-model mold.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Scope and Sequence</span></b></h3>
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This 36-week program introduces a new topic each week. It is divided into sections:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Introduction - about Rhetoric and good writing habits</li>
<li>Invention - Researching and creating rhetorical essays</li>
<li>Arrangement - Structuring the essay</li>
<li>Style - Examining the four qualities that rhetoric must contain to be considered "good" </li>
<li>Conclusion - The student's personal development as a writer</li>
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By the end of the program, the student should have the skills to write classically-influenced persuasive essays suitable for publication.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Implementing the Program</span></b></h3>
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The curriculum consists of three PDF "books." The first document is the Rhetoric Lesson book. This 235-page document is the textbook. Each week, the goal of the lesson is outlined, along with project assignments.<br />
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Because it is a digital program, you have the option of working paperlessly or printing only parts you need. Our printer was the victim of a power surge just as we began this review, so we started working with a combination of reading the PDF documents and a Google Docs file for answers. (Google Docs is fantastic for this because it allows Matthew and I to simultaneously log into the work, to keeping both printing and email inbox clutter to a minimum.)<br />
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The program is laid out so the student can work nearly independently. It's set on a 4-day-per-lesson cycle; we have opted to keep to one lesson/week, which gives him extra time ("Day 5") to work on his essays. The lesson plan generally follows the same weekly pattern:<br />
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<b>Day 1: </b>Read the lesson text. Define any vocabulary and answer comprehension questions about lesson contents.<br />
<b>Day 2:</b> Read the writing sample, and answer questions.<br />
<b>Day 3:</b> Complete workbook exercises that help understand and use the lesson concept.<br />
<b>Day 4: </b>Write a 500-word, prompted-topic essay.<br />
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This is most definitely a writing-intensive course -- "500 words" is approximately two double-spaced pages. The writing is the most time-intensive part of the course as well. So far, Days 1-3 have taken Matthew about 30 minutes a day. He has worked on each writing piece total of about three hours, including research and editing. (This is probably at the lower end of time I would expect for this length of assignment. Luke regularly writes 500-word essays for his college classes, and they usually take him at least double that.) Spreading it over two days -- about two hours to research and draft, and an hour or so the next day to revise -- helps make the assignment both fit into his day better and not become so overwhelming. I think seeing something the next day "with fresh eyes" really helps writing skills develop because the "cold" reading helps the writer see places where he needs to be more explicit or fix a spelling/grammar error that he may have glossed over before.<br />
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The reader, for Day 2, is a 111-page document, containing the sample writings. Samples range from Patrick Henry's not-quite-two-page essay <i>Liberty or Death </i>to Ronald Reagan's 1964 monologue entitled <i>A Time for Choosing</i>. The consumable workbook is 202 pages long, but is probably the one that could most easily be used on a screen instead of printed, if you're using Google Docs like we are for entering answers. (My kids tell me there is a way to turn a PDF into a file you can add the answers to, but I couldn't figure it out. It was easier to just use a separate document.)<br />
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There is also a Teacher Answer Key. YAY!! As much as I often will skim the kids' textbooks, it's just that -- a skim. I appreciate having answers in front of me so I don't have to figure them out, or if I'm not as far in my reading as a kid is.<br />
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First, there is a clear rubric to help guide grading essays. I like rubrics because they clearly outline expectations. Some things do maintain subjectivity, but when you say "I'm docking this for grammar," the student sees it is an essential component and not the grader nitpicking for mistakes to sabotage his grade.<br />
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Obviously, not every answer will be in the key - there are some opinion-based answers, but it gives me a good idea of if Matthew has actually read the text, or if he's skimming, too.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Speedbumps We Hit</span></h3>
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While we're on the subject of what do good writers do -- they read, they think, and they write. One of the exercises in the program is to compile a specific reading list of books. Matthew is still considering the last "Recommended by someone" title but has created a pretty solid reading list for himself.<br />
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I require each child to read for half an hour a day, so he now has a list of books to work through, instead of staring at the bookcase and saying "I don't know what to choose." Because this is a writing-only program, he still needs a literature component for a full English credit, so we are taking a few of those and doing literature studies on them. One of them, <u>The Hound of the Baskervilles</u><i style="text-decoration-line: underline;">,</i> will actually be credited towards a "Read a Sherlock Holmes book" requirement in his Forensics course. This course has so much work that I have no qualms about counting the reading towards another class.</div>
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However, I really think the core course is worth more than a single credit. At 36 weeks, yes, it can fit into one "school year." However, the program is really intense at this speed. Unless the student works faster in the early part of the week and condenses lessons, doing lessons x.1, x.2, and x.3 in only a day or two, it means he's writing a research essay in two days or less. It certainly has Matthew spitting out a large quantity of writing, but I'm not sure that it's quality writing.<br />
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As I said, grammar is an essential element of writing. I have found using online grammar scorers to grade both helps me determine the level of skill mastered and avoids me seeing what I'm "supposed" to see rather than what is actually there. However, is also an independent, algorithm-based program. There are some things I might ignore (if a passive voice sentence makes sense, I don't have an issue with it), but generally, it helps me decide if the essay is worth reading for content or if I hand it right back to Matthew and say, "Try again." </div>
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I think in the interest of time and being able to get all of his work done, Matthew is taking less time than he should. Noted homeschool writing instructor Sharon Watson recommends allocating a minimum one hours' worth of work for every 100 words expected. At two or three hours total effort, Matthew is definitely not using that full expectation, and his writing shows it. It has become more about "just get something to turn in" and less about crafting a well-written essay. </div>
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While I believe college-prep courses should prepare students for college expectations, I think this may overshoot the expectations that should be put on a <i>high school</i> student. For comparison's sake, Luke's full-semester college writing assignments have hovered at 200- to 250-word single-topic essays each week. (He is a Business Administration major, so his courses have included Marketing, Management Principles, and Business Law.) His particularly writing-intensive, six-week session Psychology class involved one 250-word original essay each week (there were also two 150-word each responses to others' essays expected), with one 500-word essay and one five-to-seven page research paper (Luke's clocked in at exactly seven full pages containing 1,750 words.) Silverdale Press recommends <i>Persuasive Writing and Classical Rhetoric</i> for students as young as first-year high schoolers but quickly pulls ahead of even an accelerated pace college-level class. I'm sure there are young students out there who are able to keep up, but I think the average or even above-average underclassman will feel overwhelmed at this pace. The content is appropriate for a 9th grader, but I think this program is better undertaken by a student who is at least at a Junior (grade 11) level.<br />
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One reason I love homeschooling is we don't have to do 11-hour days, and trying to get the entire essay done - and still not done well - at one time puts Matthew precariously close to doing nothing in a day but schoolwork. If I had a student who was able to keep to this curriculum's pace and completed it in a single academic year, I would definitely award an honors designation on a transcript. However, I really think it would be best completed over two years. Due to the volume of writing, I think it could even be appropriate<span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;"> transcripted as "Classical Rhetorical Writing I and </span>II<span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;">" and two earned credits. </span> </div>
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After I started reading through the particulars of the program, I found I really liked its scope, its essay choices, and its general organization of topics. I had intended to tuck this away to be Celia's 12th-grade writing program. However, after seeing how much effort needs to be put in to do it well, I think starting in 11th grade would be a better plan. Alternating weeks will give her three school days to work on the texts and allow the 5-hour minimum for writing/editing to be spread across several days. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Final Thoughts</span></h3>
Overall, I think this is a well-crafted writing curriculum. Rhetoric has gotten a derogatory connotation in recent times because formally presented essays, editorials, and speeches are often manipulative, rather than persuasive. Many have lost the art of persuading others to see their side using facts and logic, and instead become appeals to one's base that entrench the opposition in their views.<br />
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However, while one may consider rhetoric and politics near-synonymous, rhetorical writing isn't a skill that can only be employed in politics! Consider the need for an inventor to persuade venture capitalists to invest in his product. A tradesman would employ rhetoric when pitching his company in a bid. While one might be mounting an informal solicitation, when an individual wants to raise money for a charity, just saying "I'm running for this cause, please donate!" requires a deftly handled appeal to get more than just your immediate friends to open their wallets. When paced appropriately, Silverdale Press' <i>Persuasive Writing and Classical Rhetoric </i>is a good choice for upper-class high school students to learn and practice writing skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.<br />
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Some Crew families have been studying Rhetoric, while others have been studying Silverdale Press' White House Holidays Unit Studies. To read their reviews, click the banner below.<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-17694341969198974622018-06-19T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-19T12:00:01.397-04:00Five things I've Learned It's OK to Do When Homeschooling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever notice that when you start something, you have plenty of ideas, and feel like you can do <i>anything</i>, and then as time goes on, reality sets in and hits you like a brick wall? Yeah, that happened here. Six years in, I don't consider myself an expert at this homeschooling gig, but we've certainly learned a few things. I've been planning out our next year and reading other blogs, to see how other mamas are organizing their years. There's always something so simple yet brilliant that I wonder "WHY on earth didn't I think of that." I'm sharing a list of things that I've learned by watching other homeschooling mamas, or the hard way by making lots of mistakes. I hope they help you!<br />
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<b>It's smart to save re-usable things for the next kid, but it's OK to let them go, too. </b><br />
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I'm currently going through all the stuff on our shelves. (It's amazing what we homeschool moms can accumulate, isn't it?) When I first started homeschooling, I kept so many things after the first kid used it -- I thought I was being smart. I even kept the stuff that didn't work, thinking a different kid would learn differently and maybe it would work. Or I picked up something for "next year" because it was "too good a deal." What I've learned is you have to know what you're saving. It's smart to keep things that you love, or that are adaptable for different learning styles. But you don't <i>have</i> to keep stuff "just in case."<br />
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Even if you're thinking "But I have another kid coming up through," consider if it's a textbook that will have a new edition in that time and be hard to find the workbook for. Is it something you'll have to move from place to place a hundred times until you're ready for it? If you're not willing to pack it up and move it cross country (even if you don't plan ever on going any farther than your current kitchen!), consider if it can do good for someone else.<br />
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Sell it if you can, or loan it out. Barter or trade with a friend if you can't afford to let it go for nothing. Hand-me-down curriculum is like hand-me-down clothes -- SOMEBODY will always fit it, even if it's not your kid. Let it go and bless the universe. Otherwise, you run out of shelf space even faster.<br />
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<b>It's OK to buy curriculum as you go, a little at a time. (Corollary: It's OK if your crystal ball wasn't accurate.) </b><br />
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I was recently having a conversation with another homeschool friend about curriculum ideas and said, "Some year, I'm going make up my mind in July and not change it 72 times." Her retort was "Yeah, Damien's senior year." She's probably right. I envy the mamas who can buy a box of something in August and their kids follow the program! I've learned the hard way that while sometimes things are a fit right from the start, sometimes a plan could be a total dud OR kiddo will zip through at double-time pace, so it's better for us to buy what we need when we need it, rather than a year's worth of books all at one time. While I feel like every time I turn around I'm ordering something, it does help spread costs out rather than being a huge "all on one credit card statement" bill.<br />
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The caveat is you do need to keep a closer eye on "how much is left in the book" to not have two weeks of nothing to do. You don't have the calendar saying "It's May, you're almost done!" Last year, I expected for Damien's grammar book to last well into spring, but with a bit of bravado leading to extra pages completed here and there, he finished it much sooner. Damien wouldn't stop crying because I hadn't ordered the Level 2 grammar book back in September, and I <i>should have known</i> that he'd be done it in February, not after Easter. Sorry kid, the crystal ball was out of service!<br />
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Now when the little boys get new workbooks, I go to the end of the book, count back what I think will take about three weeks to finish, and put a stripe at the top of the page. Even if I forget it's there, a kid will say "Why is this on the top of my paper?" which serves as a reminder for me to order the next step. (Matthew is much better at telling me when he's nearly done so I can plan whatever is next.)<br />
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<b>It's OK to NOT do all subjects all at one time. </b><br />
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For high school, this is pretty easy. Courses tend to have a beginning, middle, and end. As long as you're doing things in a logical order (Algebra I before Algebra II), there's no rule that says you have to do Algebra and English on the same day. We've found success working on a "semester block" calendar helps. Rather than focusing on everything all at once, doing four classes at a time instead of seven or eight, Matthew can see progress and the lights at the end of the tunnel more frequently.<br />
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For the younger boys, we're slowly moving toward this. We still do core subjects, like math and reading, daily but some subjects benefit from working on at different times. While Jude and Damien are apt to binge on history and science in their free time, we only do "formal lessons" for them two days a week each. (I asked them if they'd rather do those "one at a time" and alternate semesters, and we had puzzlement that then approached mutiny.) This works because instead of spending only 15 or 20 minutes a day on something, we can spend an hour or two really digging into a subject once or twice a week.<br />
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<b>It's OK to re-configure your "school year." </b><br />
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<b><br /></b>When we started homeschooling, I knew that taking our time with things was going to be important - one of the reasons we were homeschooling was to be able to work at their paces. We have worked year-round almost from the beginning. We have found that homeschooling year-round lets us have more time to take breaks when they're convenient for our family, rather than dictated by the calendar.<br />
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We've also changed our "year," so that move-up day is in June, not September. We learned the hard way after planning on a September-to-September schedule, and then Luke realized he wanted to graduate in <i>June</i> of his Senior Year, not after the summer. He had to really hustle to get everything done. We still work through the summer so we can take time off during the cooler months, but we don't feel like we're cramming the spring.<br />
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<b>It's OK to not feel like you have to have it all planned out.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>I know there are some mamas who have their kindergartener's high school maths mapped out. I'm glad they're that organized! Me...if I can fill out this week's lesson plan on Monday, we're doing great. My mom says one of my grandfather's favorite prayers was<br />
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<b><i>For tomorrow, we do not pray;</i></b><br /><b><i>keep us, Lord, just for today. </i></b></blockquote>
I think on this often. We may change plans six times in a year if we find something that isn't working or if we try something we think might work better. (Being part of the Homeschool Review Crew means we get lots of opportunities to try new things.) I try not to stress over tomorrow too much and just focus on them learning today's lessons. I figure as long as they're learning and progressing today, we must be doing something right. We'll deal with tomorrow when it gets here!<br />
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What have you learned "It's OK to do"?<br />
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©2012- 2018 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-86452597930285007422018-06-15T16:56:00.000-04:002018-06-15T19:07:28.389-04:00Five Minute Friday: RestoreFive Minute Friday is a blog party where the writer sets a timer for five minutes and starts writing. Timer done? Post done. This week's theme: Restore.<br />
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GO.<br />
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If you've been watching this blog, it's no secret that my blogging capacity has dwindled to all but zero in the last months. I've been keeping up with my reviews, but haven't posted anything new since April. And there wasn't a whole lot posted before that. I admit it...I was tired. I was out of ideas. I felt like I was talking to hear myself talk.<br />
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Maybe I am. But I've decided I'm ok with that.<br />
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The time off has let me really think about where I want to go with the blog. My go-to sharings stopped because we were so busy doing I didn't have time to record in the moment, and then once I did have time, it seemed too much like "old news" to bother.<br />
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The problem is I now have thousands of pictures on my phone, with no stories to go with them. I have a stack of recipes I've worked out for Celia, but she has to always ask me what they are because they're in my head and not written down. I was so worried about, "But I don't have a good, Pinterest-worthy picture for the post!" Honestly, she doesn't care if there is one - she just wants the cake recipe.<br />
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I've always wanted my blog to be a chronicle of our adventures. I got so wrapped up in "what you're 'supposed to do' with a blog" that I lost what I <i>wanted</i> to do. With a new homeschooler, we will definitely be having new adventures. It seems an apropos time to re-boot.<br />
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I'm not going to worry about if it's "old news" -- because the memories are still new. Things might come slowly, but they're coming. I've got a stack of drafts started with notes of things to share. I promise. I'm going to restore this to what I wanted it to be - a way to record what we've done in our homeschool. Even if it happened a while ago.<br />
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STOP.<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-91006966564193473392018-06-13T13:44:00.000-04:002018-06-13T13:44:09.647-04:00ARTistic Pursuits: Building a Visual Vocabulary (Homeschool Review Crew) "Art class" is one of those things that always seems to get back-burnered. My kids enjoy creating art on their own, but it is something that we never seem to have time for instruction in. I've had plenty of art history courses, but I am not an "artist," so my instructions generally are "Get your markers and draw something." We have used art curriculum books from <a href="http://www.artisticpursuits.com/" rel="nofollow">ARTistic Pursuits, Inc</a> in the past, and while I found them to be high quality, they were a bit overwhelming, because it was still mom having to take the lead as the teacher when it was time to create art projects. (I like to think of myself as more of a facilitator; that means sometimes, I'm the best teacher for a subject, but other times it is better for me to find somebody more knowledgeable.) The company has a new program for early elementary students (K-3), titled <a href="https://artisticpursuits.com/k-1st-2nd-3rd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray</a>. This program divides their K-3 program into six hardcover volumes:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary </li>
<li>Art of the Ancients </li>
<li>Art of the Middle Ages </li>
<li>Artists that Shaped the Italian Renaissance</li>
<li>Art of the Northern Countries, Renaissance to Realism</li>
<li>Art of the Impressionists</li>
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Each book is intended to be a one-semester study, presented approximately at a rate of one lesson a week. The set is available as individual volume purchases, or as a complete set. For our review, we received the first book in the series, <a href="https://artisticpursuits.com/product/263132" rel="nofollow">Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary</a>. <br />
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This text and video art instruction contained 18 lessons in total; 12 text-based lessons featured works of master artists, while the remainings six were video-based instruction on using art materials.<br />
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The book teaches are the concepts of "what artists do." It begins with "Artists compose."<br />
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This foundational book contains material featured in the larger Early Elementary Volume 1 book. (You can read our review of that <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/04/artistic-pursuits-early-elementary-schoolhouse-crew-review.html">here</a>.) However, length notwithstanding, it is not precisely the same program. I feel that new book is almost "ARTistic Pursuits Lite." This book uses the same hands-on learning projects but has fewer questions that examine the individual pictures.<br />
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(The current text is on the left, the older book is the spiral bound volume to the right.) While I appreciate the larger photography, I was surprised to see the lesson to have less opportunity to dig into the picture.<br />
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I also was shocked to discover the photo has been mistitled in both books. When we reviewed the program in the past, I took it at face value. This spring, Neal and I experienced an incredible vacation that included a guided, <span style="background-color: #f5f6f5;">"Highlights of the Dutch Masters"</span> tour of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. As I flipped to this page, I thought "Wait, I think we saw this!" (When you only have two hours to see as much as you can cram in, paintings and titles, unfortunately, start to meld in your head.)<br />
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Eh, not quite. But it <b>was</b> a house in Delft. This 1670 painting, entitled <i>View of the Houses in Delft, Known as "The Little Street" </i>is by Johannes Vermeer, a contemporary of Pieter DeHooch. Homeschoolers love rabbit holes, so as I started down this one, I learned from the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_751269708"></span>UK's National Gallery<span id="goog_751269709"></span></a> that the painting pictured below is actually <i>The Courtyard of a House in Delft.</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Pieter_de_Hooch_-_The_Courtyard_of_a_House_in_Delft.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="671" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Pieter_de_Hooch_-_The_Courtyard_of_a_House_in_Delft.jpg" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/2/%3Ca%20title=%22%20[Public%20domain%20or%20Public%20domain],%20via%20Wikimedia%20Commons%22%20href=%22https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_de_Hooch_-_The_Courtyard_of_a_House_in_Delft.jpg%22%3E%3Cimg%20width=%22256%22%20alt=%22Pieter%20de%20Hooch%20-%20The%20Courtyard%20of%20a%20House%20in%20Delft%22%20src=%22https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Pieter_de_Hooch_-_The_Courtyard_of_a_House_in_Delft.jpg/256px-Pieter_de_Hooch_-_The_Courtyard_of_a_House_in_Delft.jpg%22%3E%3C/a%3E">Public domain via Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The painting featured is actually entitled <i><a href="https://useum.org/artwork/Courtyard-with-an-Arbour-Pieter-de-Hooch">Courtyard with an Arbour</a>.</i> I began spot-checking all the book's Masters reference works to make sure titles and artists aligned. I didn't find any further discrepancies, but I feel like this is something that should not be wrong. I know -- it didn't bother me before, and I accepted it at face value. But now, I can't, and between the lighter study and wrong title really overshadowed everything for me. I felt like I had to check everything before we worked on it.<br />
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One of his favorite lessons was about <i>observation</i> - just going outside and looking around, and painting what you see.<br />
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Here, he combined what he remembered from the lesson on <i>imagination</i> (our house doesn't quite have this color palette) with a newer lesson on <i>observation</i>, and painted a bird flying over the sunny field in front of our house. (It's convenient that we have an Incredible Hulk willing to act as painting stand, isn't it?)<br />
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This book contains mostly Masters paintings, and the activities revolve around drawing and painting. There are sculpture choices, including <i>Boy with Bagpipes and Young Bear</i>, that instigates a discussion of form. Instead of painting, construction paper pieces are layered to create paper forms.<br />
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A helpful, detailed materials list is included so that the parent/teacher can procure the supplies at the start of the course, and not have to put off instruction because she doesn't have something on hand. The program suggests specific brands of materials. While these brands are not mandatory, you should try to purchase similar quality items. If you've ever been tempted to buy the cheaper, no-name crayons instead of Crayolas to save a few cents, you've seen how art supplies are something where you truly "get what you pay for." The items they suggest are not cheap, but they aren't expensive either. Let's call these supplies what they are -- an investment in your child's education.<br />
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ARTistic Pursuits also offers a "complete" supply pack kit for each level if you'd prefer everything in one box. It is independent of the book order, so you can easily increase or restock your supplies if you wish to use the curriculum with more than one child.<br />
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The DVD set was a welcome addition to the program. Included are a standard DVD disc and a Blue-ray version. (Matthew tells me that if you don't have an actual Blue-Ray player, Sony Playstations (PS3 and higher) and North American-purchased Microsoft XBox One video game consoles should be able to play Blue-ray discs. I was unable to check this as we do not have either device.) The DVDs added both vocabulary concepts, as well as demonstrated how to use the art materials in the program. While I have an arts degree, my background is in performing arts, not visual arts; the scale required for theater set design doesn't lend itself to the same techniques used for small paper and canvas works. One of this volume's favorite mediums is watercolor crayons, so the first lesson of the DVD showed students how to create works with these and pencils.<br />
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It began with a study in visualizing what you want to draw/paint and then segues into a discussion of composition, line, and color. As the video completes the drawing, it shows how to use watercolor crayons to re-create the colors of your composition.<br />
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It also teaches painting techniques, starting with "how to have <i>just enough</i> water on your brush," and how to properly use the brush.<br />
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The instructors also recognize students in this age bracket may be a bit enthusiastic in their painting, and show how to fix a painting that may get a little flooded.<br />
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It concludes with a reminder of how to clean up after you're done and store your paints and brushes. I honestly think that sometimes it takes outside influence to get a kiddo to clean up properly. Somehow, they accept it as "how it must be done" and not as "mom nagging again." I definitely appreciated this!<br />
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Damien hunted the house and looked for items he could compose to create his own picture. He chose his favorite fruit, strawberries, arranged in a bright blue bowl.<br />
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The second DVD lesson showed color mixing. For some kids, this will be a reminder (as Damien reminded me, he was in <i>third</i> grade!), but it's a good review of what colors combine to secondary and tertiary colors, but it also shows the technique of how to mix them. As Celia looked over his shoulder, I hear her gasp, "Oh! THAT'S how it works!" No, she wasn't shocked that red and yellow made orange, but she had an "aha" moment watching the mechanics of how the on-screen artist blended them. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the program for middle or high school students- the language and perspective are geared toward the younger student - but if you had older art students, the few minutes on technique in each lesson would be worth sitting in on.<br />
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These DVDs are only available with the new book series. I wish they were available as a stand-alone item, especially for those who may already have the older ARTistic Pursuits books and would welcome a video-based supplement.<br />
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Overall, this is a good program. I like that it takes only a few minutes a week for me to sit with Damien and read about/discuss a piece of art, and then it allows him near free-reign over the creative process. This makes it more convenient to fit into our week, and more likely that we will be able to keep up with it.<br />
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Crew families have been studying art with the first four books in the series,<br />
<ul>
<li>Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary </li>
<li>Art of the Ancients </li>
<li>Art of the Middle Ages </li>
<li>Artists that Shaped the Italian Renaissance</li>
</ul>
Click the banner below to read their reviews!<br />
<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-43781756305547636602018-06-07T08:00:00.000-04:002018-06-13T00:09:38.204-04:00Memoria Press: Traditional Logic (Homeschool Review Crew) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/" rel="nofollow">Memoria Press</a> has become a go-to favorite for us; as time has gone on, I've come to appreciate the Classical approach to education. We have done several reviews with them in the past, as well as purchased many of their curriculum programs. This time, we had the opportunity to study their Traditional Logic I and II programs. Even though we would only have time to actually study with one program, Memoria Press generously sent us both semesters' curriculum, <a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/logic-and-rhetoric/traditional-logic-i/" rel="nofollow">Traditional Logic I Complete Set</a> and <a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/logic-and-rhetoric/traditional-logic-ii/" rel="nofollow">Traditional Logic II Complete Set</a>, to review. Each contains a Textbook, Student Workbook, Quizzes and Tests, Teacher's Key (with answers to both the workbook and the quizzes/tests), and instructional DVDs. The program was written and presented by Martin Cothran.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XUex0Cp_gE70aWivPqYWfgO0oY57ItzeFtOVyIYH6uNygNC9CcwDiv97jI2aP_XKCOgyMh7ff_fJSXZxIIq2wsKSN9t4K-piPTA5slXiPTKLcAEq96ArTqRXAIJWkG3nXh7wUnukI24/s1600/Martin_250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="167" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XUex0Cp_gE70aWivPqYWfgO0oY57ItzeFtOVyIYH6uNygNC9CcwDiv97jI2aP_XKCOgyMh7ff_fJSXZxIIq2wsKSN9t4K-piPTA5slXiPTKLcAEq96ArTqRXAIJWkG3nXh7wUnukI24/s320/Martin_250.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Mr. Cothran has compiled an impressive curriculum vitae in the classical field. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from the Simon Greenleaf School (Trinity University). Currently, he is the director of the Classical Latin School Association and editor of Memoria Press' quarterly <i>Classical Teacher</i> magazine. Mr. Cothran was a Latin, Logic, and Rhetoric Instructor at Highlands Latin School in Louisville, Kentucky (also part of the Memoria Press family of educational opportunities). Local (<i>Cincinnati Enquirer, Louisville Courier-Journal, </i>and <i>The Lexington Herald Leader) </i> and National (<i>New York Times, USA Today) </i>outlets have published his writings on current issues, and he has appeared on nearly all major US national television networks. This program is presented by an educator who is both well-versed and well-respected in his field.<br />
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This is a program intended for advanced middle schoolers (grades 7-8) or high school students. (Memoria Press places it in their 9th-grade curriculum package.) This is meant to be a two-semester program (one high school credit) program. While it is a language-based program, I don't intend to count it under "language arts" on either child's transcripts and plan to mark it as a humanities elective credit instead. Regardless of which high school year it is completed in, this program will nicely fill that "fourth-year social studies" space.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix39ex6RpuRhA5kVuEQgEW26XhPdYI7_iwDeI8vSXCvcGsjZIB6GkKijaX5syVFEy84zdL7YN2DplFL5EjccUUt6Ja-uumuNkfQTg10apRS209Kbkaw_dlpSdEQp4I_TZ4r3T1RpcyATg/s1600/IMG_7944.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix39ex6RpuRhA5kVuEQgEW26XhPdYI7_iwDeI8vSXCvcGsjZIB6GkKijaX5syVFEy84zdL7YN2DplFL5EjccUUt6Ja-uumuNkfQTg10apRS209Kbkaw_dlpSdEQp4I_TZ4r3T1RpcyATg/s640/IMG_7944.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>
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Matthew recently completed a Logic and Critical Thinking course that I pieced together from various resources, so my original plan was for him to work on the program for the review period, and then pass it on to Celia. Since the Student Workbooks are single-student consumables, I'd purchase a new Logic I workbook, and continue with the unused Logic II books. Much to Matthew's chagrin, I'm changing the rules. He's now going to complete both semesters' courses, and his sister is getting her own set of student books.<br />
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Why? Well, I could say "Because I'm Mom, that's why," but that wouldn't be a constructive review, would it? After the first few lessons, I have realized that this Logic course is different from what he has already done.<br />
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<b>About Traditional, Formal Logic</b></h3>
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Those critical thinking courses were based on modern, material logic that taught him to evaluate arguments based on math, science, and truths provable by independent confirmation. Think of it as making your arguments "fact-checker proof," or being the fact-checker seeking the flaws in another's argument. <i>Traditional Logic</i> is completely different and based on Aristotelian logic. I think the best way to describe the difference is to share this comparison from the article <a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/zombie-logic/">"Zombie Logic"</a> by Mr. Cothran:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
Traditional logic is not a calculus by which we can “solve” for the truth. Modern logic speaks the language of the computer, which was created by men; traditional logic speaks the language of men, who were created by God. While modern logic is how computers think, traditional logic is how human beings think. We are not computational beings and our language is not some kind of mathematical calculus. When we think and speak and write, we do it not as human machines, but as logocentric (language-centered) creatures. </blockquote>
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Aristotelian logic does not seek confirmation from outside truths, but rather uses deductive reasoning to create arguments where there is no choice but for a statement to follow itself to a truthful conclusion. To quote Mr. Cothran again, this time from his article <i><a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/thinking-logically-logic/">Thinking Logically About Logic</a>, </i>"It is not the purpose of formal logic to discover truth. That is the business of everyday observation and, in certain more formal circumstances, empirical science. Logic serves only to lead us from one truth to another."<br />
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Formal logic goes back to the foundation, or form, of creating an argument. It's not "formal" in the sense of "fancy" vs. not, but "form" as defined by construction or appearance. Traditional Logic I builds to the creation of syllogisms, the concept of "If A is B, and B is C, then A is also C." The course includes the Porphyrian Tree, the four logical statements, how they can be opposites or equivalent, and the seven rules for statement validity. Traditional Logic II builds upon the basic syllogism, introducing complex and oblique syllogisms and hypothetical reasoning. Here, the student begins to build logical arguments. Early examples are theological and philosophical, but later arguments are more "relevant to current events," touching on political and social themes.<br />
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<b>The Traditional Logic program</b></h3>
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The program is easy to use. The program was designed originally to be used in a "cottage school" format, where students met for in-person instruction one day and completed the rest of the work at home. On the first day of the Traditional Logic class' school week, there would be a teacher presentation. Here, this presentation, with instruction by Martin Cothran, is provided by a DVD video. Each lecture is about twenty minutes long.<br />
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Both sets of videos are professionally recorded. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. We have had some programs where the videos are just of such poor production quality that it ruins the program; no matter how good the content The sound is clear and crisp, Mr. Cothran's voice is well modulated, and the in-lecture slides are well-presented. So far in Traditional Logic I, there has only been one thing that has been difficult for us to understand, and that may have been because we are using a small portable DVD player to watch the lectures. If you were using a larger screen (a computer monitor or TV), it may not be an issue.<br />
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Instead of a split screen, Traditional Logic II makes the slides full screen. It has edited the presentations to alternate between Mr. Cothran visage and the slides. The slides have significantly more written content, so I think this is a wise choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBy4rSeBVdziT6EzqFDb4KQAPHDPEzpJ1k9N4W4D-Yy4taqRWl-ppcth4MG6U68IgfRKctGLnLfSgPMnAEbcsF7zBxHB0IjB1MjFl0LhCkoznFbtUKEOE8GSBP7OvVTJ4gZ5sdsq6Mbw/s1600/IMG_7940.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBy4rSeBVdziT6EzqFDb4KQAPHDPEzpJ1k9N4W4D-Yy4taqRWl-ppcth4MG6U68IgfRKctGLnLfSgPMnAEbcsF7zBxHB0IjB1MjFl0LhCkoznFbtUKEOE8GSBP7OvVTJ4gZ5sdsq6Mbw/s640/IMG_7940.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>
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The programs also have different visual appearances. The books in the first part of the Traditional Logic program are predominantly blue; the text has a blue cover and the other books and the DVDs labeled with blue font. The books for latter half of the course have red as their dominant color. I appreciate this because it makes it easier to tell at a glance which books go together. The slides as well are different colors; even though the first semester books and second-semester slides are both blue, I don't think these have any bearing on identification.<br />
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One thing that was a slight bother was the text and workbook pages referred to in the video were not the same place where the materials were in our books. For example, Chapter 2, Day 3's workbook sections began on page 15, not page 21 as indicated. It is something I mention because we had a "Wait, where is he saying?" if we tried to open to the page, but Mr. Cothran is very clear about what material he is referring to. We just stick a pencil or a post-it note at the beginning of the chapter as we start the DVD.<br />
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(Based on the copyright dates, the DVDs are from 2003, while the Workbook is a Second Edition, copyright 2016 and the text is a 3rd edition, copyright 2017. Traditional Logic II has a similar incongruency, with 2005, 2nd Ed/2017, 2nd Ed/2017, respectively. The videos account for their anticipated longevity in discussions.)<br />
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The "bookwork" days are numbered One through Four. Day One expects the student to quickly skim the entire textbook chapter - four to eight pages, including graphics, and then return to the beginning to carefully read the Introduction section. Days Two through Five involve going back to read other specific sections of the chapter more carefully, and then answer accompanying questions in the student workbook. These days take him about the same amount of time.<br />
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Daily work in Traditional Logic I is brief yet comprehensive and mastery-based. Traditional Logic II adds on weekly writing assignments. The program acknowledges this imbalance, and suggests beginning the second program before the end of the first "calendar" semester; if this is impossible, it also suggests sections that can be skipped without losing any overall quality from the course. I think that if time was an issue, one could comfortably do the first semester at two lessons per week without it becoming overly time-consuming and displacing the rest of the day's work. In the second semester, Case Studies for each chapter and a Weekly Analysis writing assignment are added to the workload.<br />
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Celia is new to homeschooling this year, so we're still figuring out what sort of schedule works best for her. I might consider keeping the same timetable, with the Analysis being assigned on Monday and due on Friday, allowing her to figure out how to spread the work out. Matthew, however, tends to have a more "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Traditional Logic II might be better planned with doing the video plus Day 1's workbook on Monday, Exercises for Days 2 and 3 on Tuesday, Day 4 and the Case Study on Wednesday, and then leaving Thursday and Friday to complete the Weekly Analysis Assignment. It does increase the daily workload, but it gives him clear beginning and ending points for his daily tasks. As a 9th grader, if she takes longer, I'm not as concerned, but if Matthew wants to finish 12th grade on time, he will have to stick to a firmer schedule.<br />
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Once again, Memoria Press has filled a need we didn't think we had. Critical thinking skills are, sadly, a skill that many lack in today's society. This is a credit-worth program I would recommend to all homeschooling high schoolers, and I would even suggest that non-homeschoolers consider it as well. I intend for Celia to do a similar "modern logic" program like Matthew did (instead of repeating his program, I have my eye on Memoria Press' <i>Material Logic: A Course in How to Think</i>, also written by Martin Cothran) but I think having this traditional, formal program first will help her develop her reasoning skills better. (I'm not sure if arming a teen girl with better-crafted arguments is a good thing or not, but it will serve her well into adulthood, right?) Despite going "backward" in presentation, I can see where this will still help Matthew craft better arguments going forward; when your truths follow logically, there is less opportunity for gaps for the "other side" to refute. The first semester sets a foundation, and the second applies this knowledge to practical situations, making this nearly 2400-year-old thought process very contemporary.<br />
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Click the links below to read our past reviews of other Memoria Press curricula. For this round of reviews, in addition to Traditional Logic, Crew families have been studying Composition and Penmanship with Memoria Press. Click the banner below to read their reviews.<br />
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<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/04/first-start-reading-memoria-press-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" target="_blank">First Start Reading</a><br />
<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/04/memoria-press-second-grade-literature-schoolhouse-crew-review.html" target="_blank">Second Grade Literature</a><br />
<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2017/04/memoria-press-iliad-odessy-homeschool-review-crew.html" target="_blank">The Iliad and The Odyssey</a><br />
<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2017/06/memoria-press-prima-latina-homeschool-review-crew.html" target="_blank">Prima Latina</a><br />
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<a href="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/new-american-cursive-traditional-logic-memoria-press-reviews/" target="_blank"><img alt="New American Cursive & Traditional Logic {Memoria Press Reviews}" border="0" src="http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/Logic-Penamanship-and-Classical-Compostion-Memoria-Press-Reviews.jpg" /></a></center>
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-22216410334871080862018-06-06T12:57:00.000-04:002018-06-07T00:13:34.344-04:00The Critical Thinking Co.™: Understanding Pre-Algebra (Homeschool Review Crew)Ok, so I want to know how Jude is ready for middle school math. I remember sitting at the kitchen table using crayons as manipulatives to get him to be able to add up to ten. Now he's mastered elementary math and is ready to review a book titled <a href="https://www.criticalthinking.com/understanding-pre-algebra.html" target="_blank"><u>Understanding </u><u>Pre-Algebra</u></a>? STOP THE CLOCK.<br />
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Mama is so not ready for this.<br />
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<u>Understanding Pre-Algebra</u> is a full-course worktext style math offering from <a href="https://www.criticalthinking.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Critical Thinking Co.™</a> This is a standards-based program for students in grades 6 through 8. However, what makes it different is its organization. Unlike many other programs that just teach how to get the answer, this text stresses critical thinking about the problem's process. Rather than just learning the steps for how to get from problem to solution, <u>Understanding Pre-Algebra</u> teaches the student to think about the choice of steps and why he's using those strategies.<br />
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This "learn why, not just how" is why I like programs from The Critical Thinking Co.™ We've used so many things from their line up. In the past, we've reviewed their <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/11/critical-thinking-company-sentence-diagramming-schoolhouse-crew-review.html">Sentence Diagramming</a> book (I'm very happy to have that still on my shelf for when Celia begins homeschooling later this month!), as well as <span id="goog_1476580415"></span><a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/03/critical-thinking-co-schoolhouse-crew-review.html">Pattern Explore<span id="goog_1476580416"></span>r,</a> another math program. We've even branched out and used several other items: Matthew has worked with their Critical Thinking and US History curricula, and Jude and Damien completed grade-appropriate levels of Mathematical Reasoning this past school year. This company is a favorite here!<br />
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I am not a math person, and I freely admit it. I survived high school Algebra by the grace of God and the unwavering patience of and tutoring by a dear friend. He now holds a Ph.D. in math and is a college math professor; clearly, he completely gets math. For whatever reason, the rules of Algebra just did not click for me. My last homeschool forays into Algebra were with kids who came with Pre-Algebra "already installed." Matthew started with Algebra I, while Luke had already completed Algebra I. Their further higher-level maths have been self-contained, online courses because I've always felt it would be better to have people who specialize in math teach them, the same as if they had gone to a brick-and-mortar high school. I have been grateful to hold my own through elementary maths with the boys. <i>Teaching </i>a higher math is new territory for me. I took a deep breath and dove in.<br />
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Chapter 1 focuses on the Family of Numbers...ah, let's just start with a longtime nemesis. Joy. (Can't you just <i>feel</i> the radiating enthusiasm?)<br />
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I mostly understand Whole numbers when you're talking "How many slices does this cake make?" I know numbers are a Real pain and think all math is Irrational. Already, I fear I'm over my head -- how can I explain what I don't understand?<br />
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Ah, but here's were "learn why, not just how" makes the difference. The way number groups are presented is in a logical fashion. They start with Natural numbers. They're the ones that come "naturally" to kids...1, 2, 3. Next come the Whole numbers...the Natural numbers plus the number 0. Then it adds Integers...which is really just all the numbers you know so far AND their opposite. It made sense to Jude, and it made sense to me. I was getting excited -- I've made it through page 1, and I think I get it. Yes, I was doing the happy dance in the living room.<br />
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Page 2 explains Odds, Evens, and Prime numbers -- all familiar concepts to me. Jude struggled a little bit, however. I think it was because his regular math program explained these in a slightly different manner, and he couldn't quite reconcile that they were the "same idea, different words."<br />
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I would say that this "Got some, lost some," was prevalent throughout what Jude did. I know this is supposed to be a full curriculum, but the lessons are presented as reading and explaining, not showing how to do. Jude understood the concept of integers, but the whole "plus and minus" thing right now is a struggle. The book does include a cute story that he's copied and hung by his desk to help him remember what signs change or carry through:<br />
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As a non-mathy person, I really appreciate when it clearly writes out things that you need to know. (Did my school textbooks do this? I have no idea.) I think we will be copying this to hang up as well, as a checklist to refer to until the process becomes ingrained. I wonder if I had thought to copy this order and keep it in front of me (rather than trying to simultaneously memorize and work with it) if later concepts would have come more easily? Chalk one up for second chances.<br />
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Comparing this book to the Algebra I text I just got for Celia, I think this book will do a good job of preparing a middle-schooler for Algebra I. The 15 chapters cover:<br />
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<li>Family of Numbers</li>
<li>Working with Integers, Rational Numbers,</li>
<li>Ratio and Proportion, Percents, Probability and Statistics</li>
<li>Algebraic Expressions, Equations, Word Problems</li>
<li>Inequities</li>
<li>Square Roots and Irrational Numbers</li>
<li>Geometry: 2 Dimensional, Volume & Surface Area, Transformation & Congruency</li>
<li>Graphing: Coordinate Planes</li>
<li>Functions</li>
</ul>
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I'm impressed with the content. I feel that a person who is not naturally mathematically inclined will be able to master the topics and build a strong foundation for higher maths. However, I don't think we are going to switch and use this for Jude's main math program, for several reasons.<br />
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First, this is a text-only book. It is a lot of reading and trying to comprehend, and Jude is a very auditory or kinesthetic kind of learner. This is a book that he struggles to do independently -- he often needs me to read things aloud so he can focus on the content, not decoding. In what we have accomplished, there was only one non-reading based activity - creating integer dice and practicing adding positive and negative integers.<br />
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I also think it teaches very quickly. This book is 367 instructional pages, including an eight-page final exam. Students need to average a lesson a day to complete the book in a typical 180-instructional day year. However, each lesson has 20 to 30 problems for each lesson. I think this quantity of problems is a good number to master a concept, but this book is asking him to do as many as 30 problems in a single day.<br />
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I think it's too much "all at once" -- he seems to get overwhelmed, and I wind up having to sit with him and refocus him frequently. I would rather do the lesson plus three 10-problem practice days to allow time for the ideas to sink in, rather than what feels like hour-long cram sessions. However, to keep to the "year-long" schedule, slowing down isn't an option.<br />
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If I were going to use this book as my primary teaching option, I would slow it down and take closer to 18 months to complete the course. I think if you had a younger child, like Jude, who is just entering middle school at an advanced math level, it might be a good way to help him "slow down" his pace by taking the time to build a solid foundation for Algebra, Geometry, etc. Even if it took Jude two years to complete Pre-Algebra, he'd still start Algebra 1 in 8th grade. If you had an 8th grader who needs to do Pre-Algebra to get to high school maths, I'd be hesitant that it would be too much, too fast and leave him floundering through the levels that build upon these skills.<br />
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There also is no cumulative review. The final exam after Chapter 15 includes questions from Chapter 1, but there is no real opportunity to practice Chapter 1 information once you move on to Chapter 2. You'd have to make up your own review/enrichment/practice pages.<br />
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There is an answer key at the back of the book, which is helpful. However, it only gives the final answer, not the process. This doesn't help me help him if he's stuck on where he went wrong. (Dude, we're paddling in the same leaky boat.)<br />
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We are going to go back and use Jude's regular math program to <i>teach</i> Pre-Algebra. However, we will continue to use this one for extra practice; since my original plan to have him work on the next level of Math Reasoning, we will just stay with this instead. I think it's good that he is being asked to explain WHY he's choosing to answer in a particular way. Figuring out where a hypothetical student went wrong will hopefully help him be more mindful and avoid them himself. These are something that his usual program doesn't ask him to do, and I think something he would greatly benefit from practicing.<br />
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As a person who has learned this stuff before (a VERY long time ago) and still suffers from sweaty palms when it's time to use what I should know, it is an excellent review of concepts and practice. I wouldn't go so far as to say I love algebraic concepts, but I think this book has helped negotiate a truce.<br />
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I might even consider their <u>Understanding Algebra I</u> book as enrichment for Celia, who starts this math level soon. I like the Pre-Algebra book, and The Critical Thinking Co.™ has generously offered to share a coupon with my readers -- FREE SHIPPING plus 15% OFF any order when they use the code TOSCREW18. (It will expire 12/31/2018.)<br />
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Crew families have been working with several products from The Critical Thinking Co.™ Click on the banner below to see what others thought of both <u>Pre-Algebra</u> and the other programs!<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-61039566586570155782018-05-23T14:43:00.001-04:002018-05-23T14:52:46.534-04:00Home School Navigator (Homeschool Review Crew)<br />
<a href="http://www.homeschoolnavigator.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum</a> is an elementary-level program with a unique approach to teaching literature and other language topics. Six color-coded levels help elementary students develop literature, grammar, spelling, and writing skills. Jude and Damien have been working on the blue and green levels, respectively, for this review.<br />
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The color-coded leveling is a unique identification approach. Most programs delineate levels by grade or by age, which can be a bit of an issue if you have a child who is not on par with his grade or age. Most of Jude's language arts skills have finally caught up to his age; some have even surpassed what is expected of a child finishing fifth grade. However, because he was a later reader and closed the gap quickly, he went from easy-readers to novel series in about 18 months. This means in trying to keep up with what was reading-level appropriate for literature, he missed some of the more basic skills usually learned in the early primary years. <a href="http://www.homeschoolnavigator.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home School Navigator</a> colors begin with red and follow the rainbow to indigo. Conveniently for Jude, the approximately 4th-grade level blue doesn't say it's for kids "younger" than his almost-6th-grade self. Conversely, 2nd grader Damien doesn't get a swelled ego being put "up" into 3rd-grade equivalent green. I like this system for keeping egos boosted or in check. When you begin, you have access to all levels so you can place your child where you think he should be, and then work up or down a level if it doesn't seem a good fit. About a month in, you will make a final decision and lock in your choice.<br />
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THEY USE PICTURE BOOKS!! I THINK THIS IS BRILLIANT. It's like using Unit Readers, with shorter stories that cluster in a topic but using a stack of "real" books, not a textbook. This is a different approach than most programs, especially for big kids. They are all about chapter books, and reading a chapter a day, etc., and if it's not a book that kiddo likes (or one that it is and he wants to know what happens next) it's TORTURE. Here, the books are shorter, so they can find out the ending in a sitting. And I think the program doesn't leave really good "picture" books to the preschool shelf but shows them as quality for all ages. The titles for the stories are carefully chosen. Each month centers around a theme. I like that each year revisits a variation on the same theme. All levels do Fairy Tales in Month 1, an author study in Month 2, etc.<br />
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While some held favorite stories, we've discovered some new loves. <u>Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs</u> (Mo Willems) was deliciously sarcastic and amusing. Because it's nice and short, it is easy to read and parse on the same day. Because it is a classic-caliber book, there are enough layers of construction to study that it doesn't feel like "fluff."<br />
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In the green (approximately 3rd grade) and blue (approximately 4th grade) level programs, there were also i<a href="https://www.homeschoolnavigator.com/interactive-notebooks/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nteractive notebooks</a> used to study longer novels. (They also are used at the indigo/5th grade level.) These are longer projects, taking about a week or two, in addition to the small-book studies. These reinforce what the student learns in the daily lessons, making him ready to transition to novel-only studies at the middle school level. (I'll explain more about the interactive notebooks below.)<br />
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I am a big believer in independent reading. In high school, we had a daily ten-minute "Sustained Silent Reading" block, which was probably my favorite part of the day. (I would have preferred a six-hour SSR, but generally, I'd choose to read over anything else. Knowing I have a deadline is the only thing getting this review written; otherwise, I'd still have my nose in my current book.) One of the tick-boxes for the daily program is 30 minutes of reading a "just right" book. The "just right" method has solved a problem we were having here: Jude's ability is much higher than his comfort zone. Isn't it amazing when mom says "that's too easy," she can't possibly be correct, but when "Not Mom" says so, it's completely legit?<br />
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By using their technique, Jude realized that his beloved Magic Tree House series novels were not "just right" books; they were much too easy. We kept moving through books until we found one that was not too comfortable, not too challenging, but just right. His "30 minutes a day" has turned into "I finished my time, but can I keep going for another hour? How about two?" He also discovered that the <i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians</i> series was not "too hard" for him, and in the space of a month has mowed through that five-book series as well as five-book <i>The Heroes of Olympus</i> series. (He's already asked me to get him "everything else by that author." Mr. Riordan, please write faster! We're going to run out of books soon!) Damien still prefers to discovered while he still prefers the comfort of easier Geronimo Stilton books when he's reading on his own time, he's found books like<u> Charlotte's Web</u> and the "Little House" series are good, too.<br />
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There is also a portfolio maintenance option. Once you complete a day's work, you can take a photo with your computer or phone and upload it to your child's file. If you live in a state where you need to compile and submit a portfolio, this would be very handy. We don't have that requirement here, so I didn't upload things. However, I have friends who do live in a state that does, and I can see where it would be beneficial (especially since the uploaded pictures means you don't have to keep a thousand pieces of paper from September until June).<br />
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Do you sense a "but" coming? Unfortunately, there are a few that quickly wore the shine off this program for us. Let's just call them "heads ups."<br />
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I liked the idea of the interactive notebooks. They focus on specific elements of the novel, rather than being a more traditional "all literary topics the author threw in here" project. I liked this perspective and approach. However, they are in a lapbook style. I agree with the company's theory, because it is something different from the daily work and helps create an entirely separate feeling "project" for the novel study.<br />
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However, we have learned the hard way that lap books, while a great hands-on, interactive format for learning, just are not ideal for this homeschool. The reality of this style meant there was more focus on the cutting and assembling than neatly writing correct answers. I have not included pictures of their assembled books because, frankly, I'm embarrassed to show how many cross-outs and re-writes there have been. I think one of our projects will be to re-copy them, and I'll update with those photos. (It will be a lesson in "If you don't want to have to re-do something, pay attention and do it right the first time.")<br />
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The program price includes the curriculum and interactive notebooks, but NOT the literature books. (The interactive notebook studies are also available ala carte.) If keeping costs down is an issue for your family, this may be an issue. If you have an excellent local library, then you can likely acquire most of these books from there. (I know some other Crew members had difficulty getting some of the titles from their libraries.) If you're like us and live in a rural area with limited library services, you might need just to purchase them directly. I was able to buy ours from Amazon. Some came directly from Amazon, while others were from third-party secondhand resellers. There were several instances where a "gently used" book was more economical, but there were also quite a few books that were no longer in print. We had to take a chance on some that might not have been so well treated. Luckily, our books were in reasonably good condition.<br />
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Because of this, Home School Navigator has begun uploading read-aloud videos. This came in handy for Damien's first book. However, while I do like read-aloud books, I think it is difficult to do a detailed literature study without a book follow along with or to refer back to.<br />
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Word study is built in as well. The basis of the program is a "word wall" where the vocabulary/spelling words are posted and added to mostly daily. We wound up skipping much of this activity because we didn't have a place to create a word wall. Because the boys already do separate spelling and vocabulary studies, I didn't feel they missed anything academically because of the program, but it was a portion we weren't able to utilize fully.<br />
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I also felt the grammar presented was more of a review than instructive, so I found myself still assigning the boys their usual grammar. For example, one lesson was called "Banish Boring Verbs" and discussed choosing verbs that were less over-used.<br />
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Grammar is combined with writing, so it is not something specifically focused on daily. However, there was no review of "This is what a verb is and does," and the first time that year a student worked on any formal grammar skill. I felt there should have been a quick review, and then dive into manipulating into synonyms. If your child does not have strong grammar skills, I would use this for extra practice, but I would still use a separate, formal grammar program<br />
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The program is marketed as a "turn it on and go, no planning required" curriculum. This is mostly true; you can print the lesson plans/worksheets for the week, put them in a binder, and hand them over to a kid. He can then go back to the online program and follow along with the video lessons provided. However, for a program that also markets itself as family-friendly, offering discounts for enrolling multiple students, it is not friendly when it is time to do schoolwork. Only one student could be logged in at a time, so there was a constant jockey for "whose turn is it."<br />
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Finally, there are optional poetry studies, which are a nice addition to round out literature studies. However, they are not from a single book or source, and for copyright reasons, are not included with printouts. We were able to google the poems; some were easier to find than others. In order to work with them, Jude copied the poems into his notebook.<br />
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I wish that they had chosen poems from a single volume, where it would have been a "Here's the poetry book, turn to page ___!" situation, and not letting a kid loose searching the internet.<br />
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Will we continue to use Home School Navigator? Yes and no. I think the core literature study part of the program is well-constructed and worth keeping, and much of the writing as well. Despite disliking other parts of the program, I still really do like this approach. Each language arts component is reasonably independent, so skipping one part does not mean kiddo is losing chunks of interactive study.I think I will either adapt the interactive notebooks to suit our needs or just look for other novel-based studies to substitute and continue with our usual grammar and spelling.<br />
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Discover the other levels of Home School Navigator and how the Crew fared with them by clicking the banner below.<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-24365675422741276972018-05-04T13:48:00.001-04:002018-05-04T14:06:43.130-04:00CodeWizardsHQ (Homeschool Review Crew)One thing on Matthew's "wish list" for electives is learning how to code. I've been looking for a program, but he's in an odd age bracket. Most of the programs we've found are online guides targeting elementary-age coding hobbyists, rather than actual classes presenting a program that could be high school credit-worthy. We were given the opportunity to experience and review a class from <a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/our-program/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CodeWizardsHQ</a>, which has a different approach to coding for students in grades five through ten.<br />
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CodeWizardsHQ provides weekly live, instructor-led online classes in a small group setting. Each class has six to eight students, so you get a real interaction with both the instructor and other students. Students can ask questions, and have them answered in real-time. The instructor also has their screens mirrored at her location, and she can help target any single-line errors before they cause a cascade of problems. While they are homeschool-friendly and have a <a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/homeschool/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">homeschool group option</a>, the company <a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/curriculum/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">welcomes children of all educational backgrounds</a>. Classes are available in afternoons and evenings, making it ideal for both home- and traditionally-schooled students. If your child has an exceptionally busy week and misses a class, there is a video option for viewing the course material and "<a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/office-hours/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Office Hours</a>" to get one-on-one assistance from an instructor if he needs clarification.</div>
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The program has four levels of instruction in practical, real-world coding languages. All students, regardless of age, start at the first level. (If you have coding experience, there is a <a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/placement/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">placement exam</a> to test out of the lower levels.) The first level consists of three twelve-week courses that cover Introduction to Programming, HTML/CSS, and Javascript. (There is an <a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/accelerated/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">accelerated summer program</a> that covers these three activities. These sessions last for three weeks of four classes each.) Level II instruction includes courses in Front- and Back End Developments and Web Design. Level III progresses to Mobile App Development, Advanced Algorithms, and Data Science. The program culminates with Level IV's Internship program, which places students in six-month internships with partnering non-profit organizations and allows them to gain real-world experience. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisByPDdDTnw44bAL7EVXbhZdY7LYg-78J23J4IOtbDXR8HbB2CylfFp4CtPdHefbSMr4QS2HKEm72Gr2rIFBgmutx873_IFnrnq5zGkJzHN6ucu1_rs9ceGqWy8hT0-Ozo4cxYfS6OUh4/s1600/CWHQ+Program+Levels.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisByPDdDTnw44bAL7EVXbhZdY7LYg-78J23J4IOtbDXR8HbB2CylfFp4CtPdHefbSMr4QS2HKEm72Gr2rIFBgmutx873_IFnrnq5zGkJzHN6ucu1_rs9ceGqWy8hT0-Ozo4cxYfS6OUh4/s400/CWHQ+Program+Levels.jpeg" width="363" /></a></div>
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Certificates of proficiency are issued at the end of each program, creating achievements that can be highlighted on a college or job resume. This made the program very appealing to us because it would provide instruction that had a practical application to Matthew's long-term academic and career goals.<br />
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The class' instruction platform is GoToMeeting. CodeWizardsHQ recommends using a headset with microphone for better sound quality, but you can use the ones native to your computer. Normally he would use a headset, but since I was sitting in, we used the laptop's devices. The sound quality was fine for us. We didn't really <i>need</i> the microphone, as most communication was through the chat feature. However, I think the microphone might be used more in long-term class sessions. Though our instructor, Lynn, did her best to foster a good camaraderie, I think our group was on the quieter side and content to communicated through texting. It might be different in a long-term class, where students have a few months to get to know each other better.<br />
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Lynn asked everyone to introduce themselves with the answers to three queries: what is their preferred name, what was something fun to know about them, and why do they want to learn coding? She introduced herself as a Seattle-based Front End Developer with over 20 years of experience in the field. She is also an artist. Matthew responded that he likes picking things apart and wants to be able to write video games. Lynn told him that's a pretty common reason why kids take their classes, and if he was interested, further study could get him in that direction.<br />
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The class' goal was to build a simple comic strip on a web page. First, Lynn walked the students through the interface they'd be using. She gave them a brief history of HTML, along with a few pertinent definitions. then they began building.<br />
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One thing she pointed out is the kids aren't in total control of the web page. There is some coding that is pre-written and clearly delineated with "Do not edit above this line" or "...below this line." This means that things like the page background, social media share buttons, etc. are available (and intact!) when students are done. While Lynn did show them how to find/create their own files for customizing their web pages, most of what they worked with were files that had been pre-loaded to the class site. It appears nobody blew up the internet (including my kid), so I call that a win.<br />
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For this class, there was a good deal of cutting/pasting/changing, as opposed to writing from scratch. I don't think this means the instruction takes the lazy way. I know when I've done even simple coding, I've tended to work in "batches" - where I'll cut/paste a frame and then enter in modifications. It takes too long to write the same things over and over, so I will set up the framework of what I want and then just edit in the different details. However, it is easy to get lost in what you've pasted and need to change, so being attentive and careful was an area where they were given special attention. This class was more to show reviewers how the classes worked, and the kids got a simple project.<br />
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I laughed when I saw <a href="https://matthewf.codewizardshq.com/intro/story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew's page.</a> I thought it was quite humorous.<br />
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I noticed that he was pretty quick at running with the ideas. He has a little bit of coding experience (he is an avid Minecrafter and has built a Kano computer), so he had a basic understanding to build on. He really enjoyed the class and is lobbying to be enrolled in the regular program. Quite honestly, it's been some time since I've seen him this intense with schoolwork.<br />
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I don't usually comment on the cost of programs that we have reviewed, but I need to give other parents a heads up. The regular program costs $149 per month, and each class takes about 12 weeks to complete. (The accelerated courses have the same overall cost, but paid in $149/week increments.) If your child has serious dreams of going into fields that require coding knowledge and experience, I think CodeWizardHQ is a worthwhile investment in your child. However, it <i>is</i> expensive, and I would feel my review was a little misleading I didn't share that when you add it up, it <i>does</i> lead to a bit of sticker shock. However, there are<a href="http://www.codewizardshq.com/scholarship-program/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> scholarships available</a>, so I'd look into those before ruling the program out.<br />
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I was impressed with the caliber of the class. I think what Matthew learned was simple enough that the class wasn't overwhelming, but he didn't feel like anything had been dumbed down. (CodeWizardsHQ recommends their course for ages Normally there would be a project to be worked on during the week between classes, but for a single self-contained class, I felt like he learned quite a bit in the time they had. I need to figure out if we can work them into our budget, but we are seriously considering this program for him.<br />
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If you'd like to see an overview video about the program, click the video embedded below. To read about other Crew families' experiences with CodeWizardsHQ, click the banner below!<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-67351613568118330302018-05-02T13:23:00.000-04:002018-05-04T10:11:53.703-04:00YWAM Heroes of History: Thomas Edison (Homeschool Review Crew) <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6P0uDK-BnpRsZaLQWyO2d1a7Hk-tGoISCdWx-TT-TacCTe_Smf1pYsCSk2Wwz3UqQ8NZT3vpO3kk4ZZiEVtr3kbtrZbe5ehit-swkLi4cImFem4FyVp_nY1_yXq9mUpzZLnNEKQhDow/s1600/Thomas-Edison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="164" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6P0uDK-BnpRsZaLQWyO2d1a7Hk-tGoISCdWx-TT-TacCTe_Smf1pYsCSk2Wwz3UqQ8NZT3vpO3kk4ZZiEVtr3kbtrZbe5ehit-swkLi4cImFem4FyVp_nY1_yXq9mUpzZLnNEKQhDow/s320/Thomas-Edison.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
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This review of <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/p-1040-heroes-of-historybrthomas-edison-inspiration-and-hard-work.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thomas Edison: Inspiration and Hard Work</a> is our fifth review for <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YWAM Publishing</a>. It is always a blessing and an honor when vendors come back to the crew, especially multiple times, because it means that we are doing a great job with sharing their products. However, the blessing is not one-sided. I am always excited to work with these books because the <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/p-557-heroes-of-historybrcomplete-setbrbooks-1-28.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Heroes of History</a> series is one of my favorite history resources. When we've reviewed prior volumes, Luke or Matthew has read the books and worked on the Unit Studies that accompany the biography. Our reviews have always come at a time when we're just about at that point in history, so it's a tiny jump to that person's story. This time, Matthew is studying WWII, and ready to re-visit one of our prior reviews, <a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/09/ywam-publishing-douglas-macarthur.html" rel="nofollow">Douglas MacArthur</a>. That meant Jude got to pick a new book -- and it's pretty exciting when a fourth child gets something <i>new</i> and not a hand-me-down. He chose the biography of one of his favorite inventors, Thomas Edison.<br />
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If you ask people, "Can you name famous people from New Jersey?" their lists would be short. Sure, we have Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen in current times, but most people can't name too many historic New Jersey residents. Most do not realize President Grover Cleveland was a native son, or that President Woodrow Wilson was also from our state. General George McClellan, Commander at Antietam, followed his military career with a political one, becoming Governor of New Jersey. However, Thomas Edison tops everyone's list of "Historic New Jersey People." After all, he was nicknamed, "The Wizard of Menlo Park." Between his inventions and being from our state, that makes him one of Jude's favorite people.<br />
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Most biographies focus on Edison's time in New Jersey and his inventions here. Janet and Geoff Benge's story goes all the way back to Edison's childhood in Milan, Ohio, and the very beginnings of his curiosity. A four-year-old Thomas Alva Edison, nicknamed Al, was full of questions. At first, they were wonderings about what life would be like for the people he saw heading west in prairie schooners. His curiosity soon got him in trouble; he nearly drowned in a wheat silo and burned down the town's flour mill. Though he was nearly twenty years younger than his siblings, nobody remembered to tell Al he was only a child, and treated him like an equal. This did not bode well for when 8-year-old Al headed off to school.<br />
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Jude found he <i>really</i> identified with Edison here. He, too, does not learn in a mainstream way. Like Edison, he only lasted three months in a regular school. Al's bout with scarlet fever left him with impaired hearing; Jude has issues with auditory processing. As much as she wanted her son to attend a particular school, Mrs. Edison recognized her son's potential, the damage that school was doing to him, and taught him herself. I don't claim to be raising another Edison, and there were far fewer fireworks when we withdrew Jude, but I feel a kinship to his mama. It's not easy keeping up with a curious mind.<br />
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The story continues through Edison's adulthood, as he invented and worked in telegraphy, and highlight not only his triumphs and his struggles. It includes a retelling of when he sold a stock ticker patent to a New York company. For a child of the rural midwest, New York City was overwhelming. He had hoped to sell his patent for five thousand dollars, but would settle for three. The Gold and Stock company offered him <i>forty</i> thousand. That would set him up with a better workshop in nearby Newark to create even more things. Edison didn't allow near-bankruptcy to stop him; he reapplied himself until he was in the black again. Then, he moved to Menlo Park.<br />
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Jude was particularly interested in this section, because we have been to Edison's workshop in Menlo Park. It was here that Edison perfected the light bulb, lighting the town with incandescent light on December 31, 1879. He developed a way to make Bell's telephone transmit sound better, and then took that knowledge and created the phonograph machine. He determined a way to electrify New York City, and moved his young family there. Unfortunately, just as the now father of three was reaching success there, he found himself a widower. We learned how he reinvented his life again, with a new family and a new research facility in East Orange, New Jersey.<br />
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I don't think it's giving away the ending too much to say that Thomas Alva Edison died in 1831, at the age of 84. The Benges end the story dramatically, including the news reports of his death. Like many of the newspapers, they quote his speech to the National Electric Light Association. Like the writers of the past, they chose fitting last words to honor a man who was motored by the repetition of experimental science. (Sharing those words <i>would</i> be giving away the ending...so you'll just have to read that part yourself.)<br />
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As with the other Heroes of History stories, there is an accompanying <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/c-108-downloadable-unit-studies-curriculum-guides.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Study Guide.</a> Like the others, there are hundreds of activities and resources that you <i>could</i> do. Thankfully, you're given explicit permission that you don't <i>have</i> to do them all. Think of it as a giant brainstorm for all things you might want to do, all in one place. Then you can decide if you want your child to do traditional things, like answer discussion questions and write essays. If you have a "tinkering" style of learner, like Tom was, there are hands-on activities suggested. (And while I'd suggest adult supervision, most are not likely to risk needing to call the fire department.)<br />
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Because Jude is only in fifth grade, we didn't do much of the unit study on paper. We're at the point where we are transitioning from "early reader" or "elementary overview" style books to content-driven biographies. I used the concrete questions to check if he was understanding what was written, saving some of the more open-ended discussions for another time. One thing I really like about both the books and study guides is they are adaptable for so many ages. When my high-school level boys used them, they were great for independent learning and writing practice. For Jude, formal writing is an emerging skill that we haven't really begun to transition to <i>every</i> class, so I was happy to be able to discuss topics with him to help him work through a dilemma in his head and verbalize his thoughts, without the stress of organizing paragraphs.<br />
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Included with the guide are suggestions for further reading on Edison, including both children's and adult-level books. While I will have Jude re-read this book again (likely with a more cursory middle school American History course), long-term planning has me wondering if a third trip through the book when he gets to high school is worthwhile. I can see me keeping the book itself for a long time (he's already made me promise to keep it so he can read it again), but by then it might be good to have a new book to read. Having the list and the notes about individual suggestions helps me choose books that are good quality. In the meantime, there are other books now on his wish list, such as <u>Thomas Edison: The Great Inventor</u> (Ed. Caryn Jenner) because of the description.<br />
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Once again, YWAM has blessed us with a fantastic book and study. We're very happy to add this to our growing collection. Jude has moved on to reading the other editions we already have, and is making a list of books he wants to read next.<br />
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If you'd like to read our prior reviews follow the links below. Click the banner below to read this current round of Crew reviews.<br />
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<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2016/04/ywam-publishing-ronald-reagan.html" rel="" target="_blank">Ronald Reagan</a>, Destiny At His Side<br />
<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2015/09/ywam-publishing-douglas-macarthur.html" rel="" target="_blank">Douglas MacArthur</a>, What Greater Honor<br />
<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2017/06/ywam-publishing-abraham-lincoln.html" rel="" target="_blank">Abraham Lincoln</a>, A New Birth of Freedom<br />
<a href="http://www.adventureswithjude.com/2013/10/George-Washington-True-Patriot-YWAM-Schoolhouse-Crew-Review.html" target="_blank">George Washington</a>, True Patriot<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061250602590393385.post-39966760268852436352018-04-26T10:49:00.000-04:002018-04-26T10:49:59.543-04:00Planet 316 Story Bible and App (Homeschool Review Crew) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxafUq8WCHo02ljrdGtO3mhR5PvHKH9W20qYxDXWNA4xWEJKTA-QLgAFszhPLk0Dt9GaPViQoj6gE-LnwPVg-uElPXVromAWLQuyz6uciZ4ikvn4Fs5Mqmot4L8wipSbLh-6f2SHjXCF0/s1600/planet316storybible.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="512" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxafUq8WCHo02ljrdGtO3mhR5PvHKH9W20qYxDXWNA4xWEJKTA-QLgAFszhPLk0Dt9GaPViQoj6gE-LnwPVg-uElPXVromAWLQuyz6uciZ4ikvn4Fs5Mqmot4L8wipSbLh-6f2SHjXCF0/s640/planet316storybible.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h21MTvRU2l3N7OkDuPOvEFarJxct0ZyBzh7eR1mR5a6YlEN0wYZMYbfNKC95WS8VUNMwyySX6vPhgrTPsXBQRNlWAsxyL8QNO6-NkCTVHez9LoWYCilrkEkWLbvM5w72EKCTkI7YAU8/s1600/IMG_3686.HEIC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h21MTvRU2l3N7OkDuPOvEFarJxct0ZyBzh7eR1mR5a6YlEN0wYZMYbfNKC95WS8VUNMwyySX6vPhgrTPsXBQRNlWAsxyL8QNO6-NkCTVHez9LoWYCilrkEkWLbvM5w72EKCTkI7YAU8/s400/IMG_3686.HEIC" width="300" /></a>My children have no idea what it is like to live in a world without the internet in your pocket. It seems half of my conversations with the kids start out, "You know, back when I was your age, we didn't have..." I was older than Jude when we got our first computer; the tower was the size of a preschooler, and we had those 5 1/4 inch square disks that you handled with the utmost care. (I think at first we weren't even allowed to handle them - if something needed to be saved onto a disk, my parents had to do it for us.) We had a family Bible that we also needed to ask for assistance with, and only to look up passages assigned for homework. Imagine their confusion when they learned that 3D was cutting edge technology, too. Jude's observation: "Wow, Mom, you must have lived in the Dark Ages or something." Thanks, kid. We were given the opportunity to review the <a href="http://planet316storybible.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Planet 316 Story Bible and its companion Planet 316 Story Bible App,</a> complete with augmented reality technology. The concept of this package, produced by <a href="http://planet316.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Planet 316</a> and Worthy Kids/Ideals, blew me away. Their response? "Wow, it's just like Pokemon Go!" I suppose if I am going to be studying a Bible, I might as well be humble, right?</div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Planet 316 Story Bible</span></h3>
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This collection of over 100 Bible stories retells the highlights of that enormous family Bible in a portable and accurate but child-friendly story format. It's a perfect introduction to the Bible for young children. Most of the stories are contained within a two-page spread, but generally, the illustrations seem to dictate the length. For example, the story of Jacob's ladder is only actually one page of text and flows into the second page with illustrations.<br />
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The text of the story of Moses would easily fit across two pages. However, instead of being condensed on a similar form, is two two-page spreads to allow for the pictures to tell the story as much as the words do.<br />
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The illustrations are simple, which makes them perfect for the recommended 4- to 7-year-old group. I would recommend it for even younger preschoolers as a bedtime read-aloud. The reading portion would be completed before a child loses interest in listening; the pictures draw them in but are not distracting. The figures are slightly caricature-ish, but not inappropriately so; they have a child-like quality to them that I really appreciate. They follow classic illustration techniques with good guys having big, expressive eyes and the less-good ones having smaller, beadier ones.<br />
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Color plays an important role as well. The background of Sodom and Gomorrah glows with its destruction and contrasts with the clear, Eden-like beauty of Mt. Moriah surrounding Abraham and Isaac.<br />
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Even without the AR App, I think this would make a fantastic gift for any child.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"> Planet 316 Story Bible App</span></h3>
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I have to admit, I thought this was clever. I was afraid it would be gimmicky, and just be a way to sell a new Bible. As just a book, it compares evenly to the storybook Bible we already had. The Augmented-Reality enabling app (free/no in-app purchase on both App Store/Apple and Google Play/Android) is what makes this Bible stand out. With the app, the story "jumps out" into 3D (no silly glasses required), and is accompanied by animation and audio.<br />
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Damien decided we needed to vlog a review. I agreed because photos truly do not do this interactive feature justice.<br />
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The interactivity is well done, because the experience is not limited to, "Look! The pictures pop out." Tapping on the pictures adds background music, animation, and dialogue. I appreciate how some of the animations added details to the story, while others added personality. As I said, the Bible alone would make a good "short story" read, but the app turned it into a lively experience.<br />
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I have to admit, this is one of the most fun reviews I have done in quite some time. I know I kept taking the Bible back and checking stories "so I could write the review," and I know Damien is looking forward to the review being done so I stop asking for it. Had anybody asked me all those years ago if there'd be a pocket-sized computer to bring the Bible to life (no floppies required!), I would have thought them crazy. I would argue this review is proof that God sees a much bigger picture and has a terrific sense of humor!<br />
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©2012- 2017 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. <a href="http://adventureswithjude.com/">http://adventureswithjude.com</a>Meg Falcianihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01624745402177674937noreply@blogger.com0