Lured to the Table

A table is a fine piece of furniture.  In my home, we eat at it, have school at it, make arts and crafts on it, and build with Legos on it.  I confess, our table is also a catch-all.  Mostly it's my pile of school stuff and my computer.  I also have to remind the boys to clear their things off pretty regularly, as well.  Usually a couple of times each day.  "Whose Legos are these?"  "Please take care of your crayons and scissors."  I think many homeschoolers have the same issue.  We're home all day together (except when we aren't!) and there is more free time for the sort of thing that clutters the table.

I'm starting to learn Latin with First Form Latin from Memoria Press.  I already knew one Latin word though, mensa.  Mensa means table.  It's the name of the high IQ society that requires members to score in the 98th percentile or higher on certain allowable exams.  Many years ago, when I was a single mom of one punk and I had zero self-esteem, I splurged on a proctored Mensa exam in Binghamton, NY.

Lo, and behold!  I was accepted into Mensa.  With just a small membership fee, I was awarded a card for my wallet that said I was smart!  Me!  Smart?  Err...  the average student who never did homework.  The "secretary" with an Associates in business administration.  When my friends and family (the few I told) found out, no one congratulated me.  They all said, "If Jodi can be in Mensa, I'm sure I can be, too."  Seriously.  Everyone's first thought was that surely they were smarter than me.  I'm not book smart.  I'm not street smart.  But I have "intelligence." 

Are most Mensans important people?  Don't they all do important work?  I don't know because I've only met a few people I knew were Mensans.  I coordinated activities for my region for a while and no one attended them.  Turns out many Mensans aren't especially sociable.

A friend of mine is a neuro-biology professor at a university.  Is she a Mensan?  I don't think so.  She used to date a Mensan, though.  He was a jerk.  Anyway, my friend liked to "test" her students in Psych 101 with a "guess the Mensan" quiz.  I was an example.  The underachieving, single mom of one who became a stay at home mom of several,   I used to think it was funny.  Now, I'm not so sure.

God gave me a brain.  It's not an Einstein brain, but it's a good brain.  What have I done with it?  Not much.  I don't think I even really have an aptitude for anything.  My husband is "wicked smaht" as they say in these parts,  Or do they?  Anyway, he is book smart, movie quote smart, gEEk smart, and trivia smart.  He's so smart, he never joined Mensa (though he could because his IQ is smarter than mine).

I went to that Mensa exam because I wanted some validation in my life.  I paid for that Mensa card because it reminded me every time I saw it that I wasn't a total waste.  Eventually, I decided I didn't need to spend $XX for that smart declaring card every year, and I don't anymore.  Knowing that I'm Mensa smart used to be a comfort in some odd way.  But now?  Now I want to figure out what I can do with these smarts.  Was I given them for a reason?  How do I figure this all out?

Lamplighter Publishing ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

Mark Hamby first began Cornerstone Family Ministries, which later became Lamplighter Ministries, in order to publish books which inspire Christ-like character.  There are currently over 130 encouraging titles in print by Lamplighter Publishing.  Lamplighter Ministries' mission is “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, by building Christ-like character... one story at a time.”  I believe the most interesting part about Lamplighter Publishing's works is that they carefully edit all of the volumes they sell to remove any problematic content.  If it doesn't reflect God's character, it is faithfully removed.

Today, I'm sharing about a book entitled The Secret Bridge by Amy LeFeuvre.  The Secret Bridge was first written in 1899 and just published by Lamplighter this year.  The 272 page hardcover book boasts a lovely teal cover with leather-like feel and embossed gold insert.  When I first saw it, I was absolutely amazed by the quality of the book.

I'd like to walk you through some of the thought process I went through before requesting The Secret Bridge.  First, it's a romance.  I have boys.  I was pretty sure they would have little to no interest in this book.  The book is intended to be enjoyed by ages 12 and up.  At first, I wanted to avoid this title.  As I read the description on Lamplighter's website, I saw the words, “Acquaint thyself with Him.” and I knew I had to read this one myself.  It's always kind of a surprise when something you don't have a high interest in, just reaches out and grabs you like that.  So, while I was right about the boys' interest levels, I was happy to read the book.

The Secret Bridge, set at the end of the 19th century, is the tale of a young woman in a new country, utterly alone and penniless, through a run of unavoidable circumstances.  Bridget has met a man named Godfrey, who has taken her under his care as best he can.  He even impulsively proposes marriage, which she declines.  Eventually, though, her needs are greater than her pride and she accepts the arrangement the day before he goes to sea.  For various reasons, she is required to keep their marriage a secret and Godfrey provides a room and allowance for her.  I think the fact that Godfrey is away most of their first year, is required so that Bridget can spend her time in the ways she does, becoming acquainted with her new family (who have no idea who she is), learning about developing a relationship with God, and caring for her neighbors in ways a married woman might not have been able to do on her own.

Of course, there is a shocking revelation mid-way through the book, which I didn't even see coming until a chapter or so before, though something was niggling away in the back of my mind!  Suddenly, the complications caused by secret keeping became multiplied and many-faceted.  Through it all, the romance is secondary to the young woman's pursuit of God.  Our heroine goes from knowing of God's existence to developing an adoring love for God and sharing that with all of the people around her.

The *only* thing I did not care for was the overbearing way Godfrey behaved while trying to "win" Bridget's hand.  I think it is pretty typical of romances nowadays as well.  I was just surprised by it in this older novel.  I want to be clear, he was not cruel or anything.  The "courting" of Bridget just seemed odd to me.

Some things I really appreciated about the book were

• the "clean" romance.  I think there were a couple of kisses in the book.
• the copious footnotes.  There were plenty of references for bible verse, poems, definitions, etc., all clearly marked.
• a different font for each letter writer.  Whether it was Bridget, Godfrey, Godfrey's mother, pretty much anyone, all the letters were printed in a different font.
• the illustrations.  There were just a few of these, but the black line drawings were a nice glimpse into homes and situations that were important.

I would recommend this book for teen girls and women.  It's a bit of fluff, but also such a lovely look at romance and the growth of godly character in a strong young woman.



At the end of the book, you'll also find the Lamplighter mission statement, other books published by Lamplighter (including other titles by Amy LeFeuvre), some books listed by recommended ages, and information about the Lamplighter Book & Audio Club.


And just because I enjoy audios with the boys, I wanted to include this information.  Be sure to look for a radio station where you can listen to Lamplighter Theatre dramatic audios.  Depending on where I am locally, we have a station I can pick up in the car and I just love to catch them when I can.


Find Lamplighter Publishing on social media.

Facebook 
Twitter
Google+ 

Drive Thru History® The Gospels ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

If you're familiar with Drive Thru History® courses (Ancient History, American History, or The Holy Land), I think you will really enjoy Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels”.  I had to laugh, when the day the DVDs arrived, Xav started the first disc.  He watched the intro for a moment and said, "Drive Thru History?  Where's his MINI Cooper?"  I have no idea if Dave Stotts drives a MINI in Ancient History.  I guess I don't pay attention to the "important" stuff.  I did note, however, that for this round Dave is apparently driving a 40 year old Land Rover.  You're welcome.  (Well, I'll be.  I just looked up a mini and found a review on Car and Driver for the Mini Cooper S that looks identical.)


Dave Stotts and Drive Thru History® make learning about the past more fun.  Seriously.  I have active boys.  They love the visual action, the quick and concise way Dave presents the information, and the neat graphics that appear on the screen with Stotts.  He even interacts with some of the "holograms," as my boys call them.  You are exposed to various texts, images, and pieces of art through these graphics.  History isn't  just about the dates, but also the action.  The punks love to hear or see the true stories that are connected.  It's a much richer history than the timeline, though that is also very important.

When I watched the trailer, I was so choked up.  I cry my eyes out every time I see a depiction of what my savior did for me.  I am so deeply humbled by that.  You can see the trailer and cry your eyes out, too.  You're welcome for that as well.

The Gospels: The Extraordinary Life of Jesus of Nazareth is a three DVD set with a hardcover booklet/case.  Each of the 18 episodes is nearly 30 minutes long and is broken down more into chapters.  The entire set explores the life and times of Jesus, using the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as well as outside historical information about the lives of rulers and the people at that time.

Disc 1 of the series begins with a quick and historical look at the time, people, and locations covered in the Gospel accounts and the importance of genealogies.  Jesus' birth and the beginning of his ministry is also covered here.

Disc 2 contains Jesus' miracles, The Sermon on the Mount, and His travels with the apostles.

In disc 3, Dave Stotts talks about Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem, His trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.

I'm including a lot of photos this time, because the photography and cinematography are amazing.  Hope you don't mind!


There is a lot of really interesting extra-Biblical information that I think really expands on what the Bible tells us about Christ and the times he lived in.  For instance, in episode 4 we learn about King Herod and his Herodium, one of several of his palaces.  I knew very little about him beyond the Biblical account.  It's mind boggling to me what the wealthy rulers did to show their superiority over other people.

First, Herod had one mountain moved to the top of another mountain.  By hand.  Not his hand, of course.  Herod Antipas, who ruled during Jesus' ministry, had a large bath house with three temperatures in the various pools.  Herod's actual *pool* - in the middle of the desert - held nearly 3,000,000 (that's Million!) gallons of water.  In the desert.  Like his father, he had little regard for the lives of the people.  Whereas, Herod the Great ordered the murder of all sons under the age of two in an attempt to kill the King of the Jews, Antipas murdered John the Baptist as well as a number of prominent men, even family members, to keep his rule secure.





Not knowing how the crucifixion would be portrayed, I chose to watch episode 16, The Crucifixion of Jesus, without the boys.  I think the most dramatic portrayal of the crucifixion they have seen is from What's in the Bible?.

I've seen many graphic portrayals of the suffering of Christ, but rarely in drama is the entire process explained.  Drive Thru History® used art and some live action while explaining what crucifixion does to the human body.  At first, I thought how God must feel about his children who devise ways to torment their brothers and sisters.  My heart was breaking.  When Dave told of Christ on the cross crying, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?!"  I lost it.  I just wept, that gut wrenching, cleansing weeping.  I am telling you this because I want you to know how incredibly moving this was.  This scene was not melodramatic.  It was just deeply moving.

sigh...  OK.  Take a minute if you need it...

The DVD set comes with a book built into the case.  Each video has a four page spread devoted solely to it.

• Title page, which lists a quote.  Most are Bible verses, but there are also quotes from the likes of Mother Teresa, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Harry Truman.
• Summary page with a short synopsis of the content.
• Five discussion questions and a list of the related Biblical readings.
• The Side Road which offers interesting tidbits about minted coins, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Passover, among other subjects.  This page also highlights art or photos from The Gospels episodes.

Following these four pages, another artwork or photograph from the series is featured as a two page spread.


Dave Stotts is often humorous, but never irreverent.  The videos can be many things, but are never boring.  This would make a nice homeschool curriculum or Sunday school or small group study.  One episode each week and the corresponding discussion questions and Bible reading, make an enjoyable and doable study for the target audience of middle school and up, but all ages will really enjoy this exciting look at Biblical history.  It would be an excellent choice for a Lenten study.

At the time of this writing, the first episode is available on the Drive Thru History® – “The Gospels” page.  Just click on the word "here" on that page.  No code is necessary. 

Find Drive Thru History® on social media.
Facebook 
YouTube
Instagram

Day 5 The Scripture Box ~ Scripture Memorization

WHEW!  Well, I did not get this Day 5 post prepared ahead of time.  It was a crazy week with other commitments and I had no time to finish.  So here is Day 5, one day late.  Thanks for being patient!

I've posted about this before in one of my wrap up posts a couple of years ago.  I'm updating our scripture box and decided to share it.  We haven't actually used it in a while, so we're starting from scratch with daily verses.  I suspect we'll move through it much more quickly since all those verses are already rattling around in our heads.  This is also a great time to start Merrick on the scripture box.

If you google it, I'm sure you'll find lots of similar boxes.  We had ours in a plastic container which was fine when we only had a few cards.  As our card collection grew, I realized they were too big when they had to stand upright.  So, I picked up this new box at Dollar General.  It's tall enough to close even when all the cards are standing up.

I keep several sharpies of different colors in the box.  When I write a new card, I choose the color based on where/why we are memorizing it.  Co-op is orange, Rangers (which we no longer attend) is blue, and AWANA is green, etc.

The first verses you want to learn go under the "daily" tab.  You'll practice them, well, daily.  Once you've learned it/them, you move that card to the "odd" or "even" tab to practice on odd or even numbered days.  As you learn more scripture and shift the cards back, they will go under a day of the week, and eventually under a number card to be recited on day each month.  In this way, even verses you've memorized will be practiced at least one day each month.

Besides the cards I've written, we've collected random cards from VBS, magazines, favorite websites...  all over the place.  These are currently tucked in the back.

We used these cards often for a few years and then got out of the habit.  It's definitely a simple way to keep practicing verses and Hiding the Word in Their Hearts.

Thanks again for joining me (and the rest of my Crew mates.  We've enjoyed sharing our thoughts with you and I sincerely hope you are feeling inspired.

Day 4 Philippians in 28 Weeks ~ Scripture Memorization

Hi again!  It's day four of 5 Days of Hiding the Word in Their Hearts and today we'll talk about  memorizing *entire books of the Bible*!  Yikes!  Right?  I confess, I have not yet actually memorized an entire book myself.  I *have* been able to study complete chapters and file them away in my rattly brain.  Our homeschool co-op used to have the parent who presented chapel assign a memory verse, but a few years ago we started memorizing chunks of the Bible.

This post contains affiliate links.

A really excellent tool for memorizing large chunks of the Bible is Stacy Farrell's Philippians in 28 Weeks™.  Stacy provides cards and techniques that you could use in relation to any scripture you wish to commit to memory.

In order to memorize an entire book of the Bible, Stacy recommends you

• Read it daily. 
• Record your insights.
• Repeat the current verse(s) you're working on.
• Recite from memory.

It's both that simple and that difficult. I know that sounds odd.  The process is easy, but the act of follow through can be (monotonous, time consuming, frustrating, or whatever other adverbs you can think of!  Ha ha!).  The actual Philippians book is a workbook of sorts with places to record your reflections and thoughts about what you are reading, a checklist for each day, marking your progress, copywork, and Philippians flash cards.

A Home School Adventure Co., publication, Philippians in 28 Weeks™ is a simple and painless way to memorize an entire book of Scripture.

I've been debating including this part, but in the end I decided I would.

I'm including a SPOILER ALERT.

It's about a non-Christian movie (The Book of Eli) that is rated R.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm not sure how many of you might have seen the film The Book of Eli.  If you haven't, I'm not necessarily recommending it, though I did mostly like it.  It's rated R and is a pretty rough movie about a post-apocalyptic earth.  In it Eli is trying to get a book (the Holy Bible) to the west coast.  Well, he isn't just carrying the Bible there.  He reads it every day.  The trip has taken him a ridiculous amount of time (30 years or so), and (SPOILER ALERT) when he reaches his destination, he realizes he no longer needs the book.  He has memorized every word of the Bible.

Readers in Residence ~ A Homeschool Crew Review

Apologia Educational Ministries helps parents teach their children, using a Christian lens with classes in Bible, sciences, apologetics, and worldview.  We're familiar with several of the elementary science courses and have really enjoyed using them.  The What We Believe series has been on my short list for quite a while.  I am always excited to see the name Apologia Educational Ministries show up on the Crew vendor list.

This time we're taking a look at a language arts course, Readers in Residence Volume 1 (Sleuth). This is a newer homeschool reading curriculum from Apologia.  Where do you go after your child learns to read?  Once a child learns to read, he then uses reading to learn.  RIR is a companion curriculum to Writers in Residence.  Both of these curricula are written by Debra Bell.


Debra Bell is a public speaker, author, and former high school and college English teacher and homeschooler.  I'm going to be ordering one of her famous homeschool planners this summer.

I received the Readers in Residence Volume 1 set which includes

• The All in One Student Text & Workbook which is 562 spiral bound pages.

• The Answer Key which is a 232 page softcover book

The books are sold separately or as a set at a discount.

Each of the six units are divided into modules.  The units cover things like

• Character development
• Book genres
• Reading strategies
• Using Venn diagrams to compare and contrast
• Vocabulary activities
• Personification
• Setting
• Resolution, and just tons more.

In the back of the Student Text & Workbook you'll find a dictionary, Reader's Toolbox Strategies, a glossary, and Appendix with

• Sleuth's Log
• Character Map 
• Comic Strip and Storyboard Templates
• Rubrics for units 1, 3, and 5
• Book Club Flier with room to write the details, copy, and hand out.
• Index
• About the Author page
• Notes

Three assigned books are needed for the course.

• Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.
• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White.
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.
• Three books of the child's choosing, within the parameters set in the book (suggestions are provided for each type).

The units based on a specific book each take approximately 8-9 weeks.  The units in which the students select their own books each take about 3 weeks to complete.  The included suggested schedule is for 4 days of work in each of 32 weeks.  A specific version of each of the assigned books is recommended, only so referenced page numbers will match up.  None of these books are so large, though, that you shouldn't be able to figure out what point in the book is being referred to if you have a different copy.

The suggested books for the On Your Own units cover several grades (3rd to 7/8th) to make it easier to select age appropriate books for older, struggling readers.  While the assigned books might seem "young" for older children, the whole point of the On Your Own section is to learn to carry over the skills from Units 1, 3, and 5 into any book they would choose to read later.

You'll find information about organizing five book club meetings.  A kickoff, a meeting after each of the three assigned books, and a grand finale.  This is a fun way for the students to get together with other people reading the same books and studying the same information.  It's a great idea for a co-op or get together with other Readers in Residence students.  As an alternative, you could start an online book club with friends near and far.  Some of the Crew started a Facebook group to share what our children were doing in RIR.

My first impression when I received the books - Ah Maze Ing.  Xav's first impression - intimidating.  That feeling stuck with him the whole time, unfortunately.  We really struggled to keep him on schedule.  Even reducing the amount of work each day, we were only able to get him through about three weeks of work in the five weeks we have had it.

We talked about book genres and who his favorite authors are.  Xavier has just discovered his dad's old Gordon Korman books. He also likes JK Rowling, anything that makes him laugh (he especially likes Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield comics), and the Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Stations books.

He and Merrick (because Merrick has to do whatever the bigger littles are doing) designed their own book covers.  Xav's book has won some award he created, so he drew a medallion on his cover.  I had to laugh when he asked if he could really publish his book.  I said he'd have to actually write a story first!  Though that's not the point of *Readers* in Residence.  :)

While Xav is certainly capable of reading the books used in this program, he was daunted by the size of the textbook and the amount of reading in the student book (on top of the books studied) that was required to keep him current in it.

This is the first time I have ever had a problem with one of my punks not loving something from Apologia as much as, or more than, I did.  I so wish I could tell you how very much we loved it.  It's a stellar homeschool reading curriculum with solid teaching.  I was amazed with how much is covered.  It is just a bit much for Xavier this year.  At this point, I plan to put it away until the fall of 2018.  That gives him a year and a half to develop the skills needed and the confidence in that deeper understanding to discuss and decipher what he reads.  Xavier is at the low end of the grade range, which is really pretty wide developmentally.

While *I* did look over the huge sample on the landing page (nearly 100 pages - larger than the sample on the product page) and I liked what I saw, I realize now it may have been best to work on it a bit with Xavier before I received Readers in Residence for review.  So, that is my recommendation to you.  If your child is a bit on the younger side or is struggling, work through the sample as best you can.  The entire first three modules of Unit 1 are there.  If you don't feel like your children are quite ready, put it off for a year.


Find Apologia on social media.
Facebook 
Instagram
Twitter 
Pinterest

Day 3 Child Training/Virtue Bible ~ Scripture Memorization

Welcome back to Five Days of Hiding the Work in Their Hearts!  I am so honored that so many people are reading these posts and I really hope some of them inspire you to use them or come up with your own new ideas.

Today, I want to tell you about the Child Training Bible.  This Bible is so much more than a Bible.  I bought the set way back when it first came out and I was so completely moved as I assembled my Child Training Bible (CTB).  It was created by a lovely, young mother named Mindy Dunn.


What's included.
A "key" which is what you see on the left below. 
3 Tabbing guides.

You will need to have post it flags, highlighters that won't bleed in your Bible (or colored pencils), and a Bible.

The key sheet fits in a medium sized Bible (you can find a link on the CTB website which leads you to the perfect items to complete the project or see the size and decide if you already have the perfect fit).  The guides show you the correct color and placement of post it flags needed and tells you which Bible verses to highlight.  You can see in the photo above, by lining up the two images, I have tabbed a verse for Jealousy, one for Laziness, and one for Not Listening.  There are also tabs at the top and bottom of the page and highlights on the left facing page.

The best part about this tool really was preparing it for use.  I got so much out of it myself as I looked up, highlighted, and tabbed our CTB.  It took only a couple of evenings to finish it.  I felt positively inspired by it when I was done.

The only thing I didn't *love* about the Child Training Bible was the focus on negatives.  It sometimes felt like the Bible was only used as a list of don'ts.  I didn't want the punks to sigh, "I did something wrong so mom is getting the Bible out again." 

Enter the next product made by Mindy.

The Virtue Training Bible came out a bit after the CTB.  This set is HUGE with many more keywords to tab.  I do not own the VTB, though, I would *love* to have it some day.  What I really like about this set is the more positive focus on virtues.  Rather than the "don'ts" it consists of more of the "dos" of the Bible.

I saw on the website that the Child Training Bible is also available in French and Spanish.