Category: book reviews

BJU Focus on the Fives ( Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Over the last month, I had to the opportunity to review BJU Press Focus on Fives which is a kindergarten phonics and literature program that also includes science, heritage studies, and Bible.  The program is produced by BJU Press Homeschool.

BJU fives

The program arrived in two boxes and included the teachers manuals, write now book, phonics practice, worktext, review cards, teaching visuals, phonics flip charts, and reading books.

The program is split into five lessons per week. Each week has a theme, for example, week two was Firefighters at Work and week five was Healthcare Workers. The curriculum includes learning center ideas for each week as well as a snack of the week.

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My kindergartner loved the program. He enjoyed singing the songs, learning about the different children that were included in the stories, seeing the puppets that helped you work through the program and the fun activities. He happily asked to do it each day.

Each day includes a variety of activities that may include singing songs, heritage study, listening story, comprehension questions, phonics and English skills, handwriting, science, Bible, and practice. Each day includes a variety of this activities but not all in one day. There are also extension activities that you could use at the end of every day that includes categories such as science, story time, arts and crafts, motor skills, and learning center.

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In addition to the basic reading and phonics, students will learn about different community helpers, planting a garden, pets, and so much more. There are even review lessons included that can be used at different holidays such as: Labor Day, Veterans Day, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Valentine’s and more.

I found that it took us about twenty or thirty minutes to get through a complete lesson without any of the extension activities.  The extension activities varied and based on which ones and how many you chose could take just a few minutes or several hours to complete everything.

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The student does work in three books for their independent practice. The first is the Write Now! book which develops handwriting skills. It starts with lines and tracing, moves into letters, and by the end of the curriculum the student is copying sentences.  The phonics practice book starts with letters and moves into blends and words to coordinate with the lessons in the teacher’s manual. Finally, there is the worktext which includes a variety of activities such as matching, tracing, and cut and paste. The worktext works on different skills and often includes a connection to the theme for the week.

Extension activities includes suggestions such as drawing their favorite patriotic symbol, making a seed mosaic, using a carnation and food dye to understand how plants get water, tic-tac-toe with words, or show and tell of a favorite vegetable.

Overall, I think that this program is well laid out, has some great educational opportunities, and would give a child a firm foundation. I loved that Bible was interwoven into other aspects. For example, the alphabet song they used also taught them about Jesus. However, as a mother of four children, it was honestly more than I would want to try to keep track of and use for a whole year. It was a bit overwhelming with all of the different components and parts of it were more geared towards a classroom with multiple children. They have a series of videos coming out this summer that are designed to help teach the program through distance education. Those videos may help simplify the approach and make it easier for a parent to coordinate everything.

If you only have one or two children, your five-year-old is your youngest, or if you really want to replicate a classroom style program then this may be a great fit for you. It is a solid educational program that includes a lot of topics in one program.  The videos that are being released this summer might also make it more adaptable to large families and lower the parental time commitment.

Be sure to check out BJU Press Focus on Fives at the BJU Press Homeschool website to get more information.   Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members and see how it worked for their families.

BJU Press Focus on Fives {BJU Press Homeschool Reviews}

Reading Unlocked ( Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My kindergartner has been fighting me on learning how to read, so I was excited to review this 12 month subscription to Reading Unlocked.  This program is online and designed to be used three to five days a week for 10 to 15 minutes each day.  Reading Unlocked uses what they term, ‘simplified phonics’ to teach students to blend sounds into words.  They start with simple three letter words that have three sounds and build up to four letter words.

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During each lesson of  Reading Unlocked the student goes through a series of activities related to the letters that are being worked on and reviewing the letters that have previously been covered.  The student has an opportunity to hear the sounds, say the sounds, write the letters and words, match the words with pictures, and at the end of each lesson the parent reads a poem and the student reads one or two words that they learned that day as you reach them in the poem (they are noted in red).

Each lesson has ten to thirteen different short activities that the student completes. There is a series of open dots at the top of the screen that are filled in as the activities are completed to show the student their progress. A student that was very motivated and grasping the concepts could finish this in about fifteen minutes. However, if a student is struggling it could easily take thirty minutes or more.  For example, my son was learning a lot about writing his letter and the letter sounds but really struggled with remembering from one day to the next how to blend the letters to make words. This meant that some of the sections were very challenging for him. to help keep him motivated, some days we only did part of a lesson and then finished it up the next day.

A student could complete most of this program unassisted which is helpful for a busy mom trying to juggle multiple children and lessons. However, I do think it is important to note that on most of the activities they can select multiple answers until they get the answer correct. This is good for building confidence; however, I also sometimes found my son just clicking answers until he got the right one and not trying to figure it out.

 

I think this simplified phonics approach of Reading Unlocked could be very beneficial for some students. Particularly those that are really ready to learn to read and just need some basic instruction. For my son, it moved a bit too fast for him because he struggles with the letter sounds. However, I saw huge improvements in his writing skills because of this program. He diligently practiced the letters that he was learning and was finally able to write his name independently and have the confidence to copy words that I would write for thank you cards and other tasks.

Be sure to check out the Reading Unlocked website if you have a student that is learning to read, they even have a free trial so you can see for yourself if it is a good fit for your student.   Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members.

Reading Unlocked {Reading Unlocked Reviews}

History on Horseback ( Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

History and books are one of my son’s favorite combinations, so we were excited to get a chance to review History on Horseback: The Early Years. This nonfiction book, published by Sonrise Stable Books, shares great stories from history through the eyes of the horses that were present for the events.

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The book was written by Vicki Watson. The illustrations included a variety of pictures and drawings of horses from various sources which are credited at the end of the book. The book is a study paperback book with a full colored cover and black and white illustrations on the interior of the book.

The book is recommended for ages 12 through adult and is good for an independent read or as a supplement to a history curriculum. They are also currently working on a study guide that would allow it to be more of a stand alone history curriculum. My thirteen-year-old son chose to review it and used it as a fun read and not a part of our history curriculum.

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History on Horseback: The Early Years includes stories from the years 1493 through 1866. There are 53 chapters and each chapter is a short story about a different horse or event. For example, one chapter focuses on several different important horses in the Confederate army, another focuses on a horse named Copenhagen from the battle of Waterloo.  Each chapter is relatively short with most of them ranging from two to six pages in length, for a total of just over 180 pages.

“One of my favorite stories is the story about George Washington and his horses Nelson and Blueskin. One of favorite things in this is why he rode the horses for different occasions. He rode Nelson on campaign and in battle because he was much calmer under gun fire. However, he almost always rode Blueskin to formal events as he was a nicer looking horse. I think this would be a good read for anyone who likes history or horses. I think the book is a great book for people between 10 and 15.”  Matthew, age 13

 While my son enjoyed reading the book for fun, I think it would be a great book to use along side of a history program to help give a different perspective. It would also be a great way to engage a student that loves horses but may not be as interested in history. With the chapters being short and specific to a certain horse or event, you could easily read the chapter or chapters that coordinate with the topics in your history curriculum as an introduction to the various events. You could also use it as the basis for creating your own history curriculum by adding some extra research or projects to the reading.

The book is recommended for ages twelve through adult and I think that is a fairly accurate recommendation. The chapters are interesting but contain a lot of factual information that might be a bit dense for younger readers. If you had a younger student that really enjoyed horses or history, you could use it as a read aloud.

Be sure to check out the History on Horseback: The Early Years if you have a horse lover that would enjoy learning more about history.   Don’t forget to click on the graphic below to check out the reviews from other Review Crew members.

History on Horseback: The Early Years {Sonrise Stable Books Reviews}

YWAM: Benjamin Franklin ( Review)

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

We have been blessed this month with an opportunity to review Benjamin Franklin: Live Wire which is a part of the Heroes of History series by YWAM Publishing. Through previous reviews and lots of family reading, we were already very familiar with this series. I did not have to ask my son if he wanted to participate in this review, just which title he wanted to try. There are so many great titles that it was a tough decision, but he finally decided on Benjamin Franklin.

YWAM Pinterest

The Heroes of History series are all biographies of heroes that had a historical impact and told from a Christian perspective. Some of these go back to the founding of our country, men such as William Bradford and Captain John Smith. Others are more modern day heroes like Ben Carson and Billy Graham.

Benjamin Franklin: Live Wire told the story of the life of Benjamin Franklin. The book shared stories from his childhood through his adult life including his inventions and political contributions. My son said his favorite part was when they were talking about Benjamin Franklin’s younger years, after he moved to Philadelphia, when he was working with the post office and helping with the fire service.

In addition to the book, we received a PDF study guide which included 83 pages of ideas and activities. You could use this to make the book into a complete unit study or you can pick and choose activities to make it fit your needs. There are discussion questions for each chapter, writing prompts, creative writing activities, hands on projects, and arts and crafts. The guide also included a timeline activity, basic information sheet, and several maps. We chose to select a variety of activities to expand on his learning through the book but did not attempt to complete all of it since he was also continuing his other studies.

I started by having my son complete the basic information sheet, timeline and a couple of the maps to help him show me what he had learned while reading the book. I also had him answer a small selection of the discussion questions. Then, he was to choose two activities from the wide variety in the study guide.

First, he chose to make a movie about Benjamin Franklin. He decided to use Stop-Motion animation for the movie. It was short and a bit silly (he is a thirteen-year-old boy), but it showed some of what he learned and he had a great time being creative.

Next, he decided to write a one act play about Benjamin Franklin and the Stamp Act. Again, I saw both a good understanding of the content and the silliness of a thirteen-year-old boy. It was a great way to allow him to express himself, share his knowledge, and yet not feel bogged down by a formal paper or book report.

 The books work great as a family read aloud, independent reading, or complete unit studies when combined with the study guides.  For our family, I prefer to use most of the books as read alouds or personal reading, but add in the study guide for a unit study once or twice a year. 

If this book interest you, you might also want to check out my reviews of one of a couple of the other books in the series: Alan Shepard  and Orville Wright. You can also click the graphic below to check out the variety of reviews by other Crew members. There are so many great choices to choose from. Which one would you like to try?

32 Heroes of History {YWAM Publishing Reviews}

Remarkable Read Alouds

We have been focusing on increasing our read-aloud time and had some extra travel time in which we were able to listen to some great books on audio. I wanted to share some of the books we have been enjoying over the last couple of months to hopefully help you find new books for your home.

As a family, we have enjoyed the Father Brown Reader. This series of mysteries based on the Father Brown Mysteries by G. K. Chesterton was a hit with the whole family.

Each one of the four included stories is a short twenty to thirty-minute read, and the children kept asking for more. I am probably going to order the second one in the series for another family read-aloud and the original works for my oldest son to read independently.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links; see below for more information. *

remarkable read alouds pinterest

I have enjoyed reading the Boxcar Children Early Reader set with my five-year-old.  They brought back fond memories of reading the original series as a child. Make sure to check back for the full review in about a week.

We have also been enjoying reading the Tuttle Twins series. There is so much powerful information about the economy, the government, and capitalism wrapped up in these fun and enjoyable stories. While they are designed for elementary-aged children, even my middle school children don’t mind listening to them, and they always learn a thing or two.

We have listened to a variety of audiobooks over the last few months, but the two that stick out the most in my mind are Heroes of History: Alan Shepard and The First Fowler (Green Ember Series).  We listened to Heroes of History: Alan Shepard before and after our trip to Kennedy Space Center. While this certainly made it a special and applicable book, I think we would have enjoyed it whenever we listened.

Everyone learned something new, and my five-year-old has been listening to other books and asking numerous questions about the space program and his ‘favorite astronaut, Alan Shepard’ in the weeks since we have been home.

The First Fowler is a shorter book (under two hours on audio) in the Green Ember Series. We have enjoyed all of the books in this series by S.D. Smith, and this one is no exception. It is a well-written and engaging story of adventure and heroism, all wrapped up in a tale of rabbits and wolves.

We love seeing what happens with our favorite characters and can’t wait until the next book, Ember’s End, is released in April. Though we are all a little sad because the next one is the last one in the series, and we don’t want it to end.

If you listen to The First Fowler, listen out for a character that reminds you of one of the characters in Adventures in Odyssey. We found that one of the new characters reminded us of one of our favorite Adventure in Odyssey characters, and it was a fun connection.

We have been really enjoying our reading (and listening) time over the last couple of months. I would love to hear what books you are enjoying to get some more ideas for us this spring!

If you want a fun way to track your read-alouds, book wish list, or independent reading, be sure to check out our new Reading Journal.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in, and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices are subject to change always check before purchasing.)

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

All About Learning has released the best deal of the day: A FREE Snowman Pack with reading and spelling activities for a variety of ages.

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

2020 Reading List February Update

I have been really enjoying my reading time in 2020! I have tried to be very intentional about using spare minutes to read instead of browse the internet and I am finding that I have more time to read. I am also trying to go to bed a bit earlier and read a chapter or two in the evenings.

2020 Reading List Update

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

So far, I have completed The Hobbit which, I was reading with my oldest son. I am not always a huge fiction reader but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy later this year.  I also read Better Together by Pam Barnhill. This was just the motivation I needed to really get our morning time back on track. She had so many good ideas and real life strategies. Finally, I am in the process of reviewing The Unbreakable Faith course by Pilgrim’s Rock and I read The Box as a part of that review. I will be sharing a full review in a few weeks but I think it is a great introductory book for those wanting to learn more about apologetics.

I am also currently in the process of reading another five books.  That sounds like a large number to be reading, but several of them are intentionally read over a longer period of time and I like to keep a couple of different types of books so that I can chose depending on my mood. We are using Core 52 as a family in conjunction with my church and really enjoying digging deeper into God’s word. I am also enjoying the encouragement of Mom Heart Moments by Sally Clarkson when I can steal a few minutes of quiet in the morning.

I have started Plan Your Year by Pam Barnhill. I love planning but was feeling a little stressed about next year when I will have a high school student, middle school student, 1st grader, and a two year old.  That is a wide range and I want to make sure that I can create a realistic plan for meeting everyone’s needs. One of the things that I have really enjoyed with Plan Your Year was creating a vision for our homeschool that really clarified my goals for our children. I am looking forward to continuing to work my way through the book.

Nurtured by Love was written by Shin’ichi Suzuki and is recommended reading for anyone with a child in Suzuki music lessons. I didn’t take the time to read it when my daughter started violin almost a year and a half ago, but given that she is now in both violin and piano Suzuki lessons and two of my sons are in violin I decided it was time.  So far, it has been a very interesting read. I do not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions, but I think he had some wonderful ideas and his music program is very effective.

Finally, I have been reading Rhythms of Renewal. In our fast pace society it is so easy to be over committed, over tired, and burnt out. I love the idea of intentionally setting up rhythms of renewal. I have been enjoying this book so far and gleaned some great ideas about creating rhythms in my own life.

I look forward to finishing Rhythms of Renewal and Nurtured by Love this month.  Once I have finished those books I will probably start Parenting Beyond the Rules. I also hope to read When Less Becomes More in March. I will also be starting Little Women with my daughter in March once she has finished the book she is currently working on in her literature program. What books are you reading this year? I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these or recommendations of what to add to my list.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

 

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices subject to change always check before purchasing.)

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

All About Learning has released the best deal of the day: A FREE Snowman Pack with reading and spelling activities for a variety of ages.

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

 

 

 

2020 Book List and Plans

I got really slack about tracking my reading in 2019, so much so that I honestly can’t tell you if I met my goal or not. I am hoping to try and go back and figure out how many books I read, but for the moment I am just looking ahead to 2020. I love the feeling of a new year, such a clean slate and a chance to refocus. I am working through my goals and plans for the new year, and will post more about that later in the week but today I thought I would share my reading goals and some ideas for books to get you started on your reading goals for 2020.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

2020 books
The Start of My Reading Stack for 2020

I was very blessed to get a great stack of books for Christmas this year from my mom and my husband. I am hoping to use that stack, a few books that was already working on, and a great new Bible study book that our church is using to get started on my goal of 24 books in 2020. I have also created a very simple tracking sheet to log my books so that I do a better job of keeping track in 2020. I have included a link to the tracking sheet in case anyone else would like to log the books you read in 2020.

I am currently reading The Hobbit with my oldest son and then we plan to dive into the Lord of the Rings Trilogy together. While I do not count books that I read to my children among my list, we are each reading our own copies and discussing these books. It has been a good experience for us so far and a great bonding experience.  Since I am enjoying the shared literature with my son, I am thinking about adding Little Women to my list and having my daughter read it along with me. She is going with a friend to see the movie this week, so I think that will peak her interest. (Just in case you want an audio version, this is my favorite audio version of Little Women.)

One other book that I am counting that will involve my children is Core 52. Our church is going a study this year using Core 52 and I picked up a copy for our family. It seems to be a great way to study the Bible in about 15 minutes a day. I am hoping to include the readings in our morning time as a way for us to go deeper into the Bible together. I will be continuing to use Mom Heart Moments for a personal time in the morning. I read the selection and Bible verse that is included and then go into the Bible and read the chapter or sometimes chapters surrounding that verse for context and study.

On the homeschool front, I was very excited to get Better Together and Plan Your Year both by Pam Barnhill. We have been doing a morning time off and on for years in our homeschool but I felt lately like I needed to revamp our time and I am excited to see what she has to say. I hope to glean some new ideas and some encouragement for the hard days.  Next year I will have a child in ‘tot school’, a child in elementary school, a child in middle school, and a child in high school. I know that it is going to take some strategic planning to make sure that we get time together as a family as well as all of the time they need to be learning their individual subjects. I am looking forward to reading Plan You Year for some ideas and suggestions for streamlining my planning while still meeting everyone’s educational and relational needs. I also began reading Homeschool Bravely this year and look forward to finishing it.  I am also very excited that Sally Clarkson has a new book, Awaking Wonder,  releasing later this year that is focused on homeschooling! You can pre-order it from Amazon and be guaranteed their lowest price between now and launch day. This also often means you will get it delivered to your door on launch day.

For my personal growth, I am going to be reading Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons and When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley. In today’s world, it can seem like all we do is rush from one thing to another. There are so many ways we can use our time and it can be easy to over commit. I am looking forward to reading these books and seeing that ideas and strategies I can glean for simplifying our daily lives and adding rhythms to my days that will as the tag line states, ” trade stress and anxiety for a life of peace and purpose.

I encourage my children to explore various hobbies and to continue to learn and grow. However, I recently realized that I had stopped modeling that behavior in my own life. So I picked up the book Respect the Spindle along with a drop spindle and wool and plan to try to learn how to use a drop spindle to make yarn. This will tie in well with our history interpreting and my daughters weaving hobby.

Finally, my husband gave me an adorable book called My Favorite Christmas. This book includes stories from a variety of famous personalities about their Christmas memories. I plan to read a few of these over the next few days and probably finish it during the 2020 Christmas season.

I know this list does not include 24 books. I like to leave room on my list for books that I see as I go along. I have been asking for recommendations on my Facebook page and hope to incorporate a few of those books into my list as well. I am trying to include a variety of books from religious to fiction. I would love to know what books you recommend or what books you are planning to read this year.

2020 Reading Tracker

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

$10 off $10 coupon for Evan-Moor Books makes for some great deals or maybe even a freebie!

Little Women is only .99 on kindle right now! (Amazon prices subject to change always check before purchasing.)

FREE Baby Yoda Art Lesson from Nana!

If you are looking to add some new electives or switch up some of your classes, SchoolhouseTeachers.comis having a great sale and you can get a whole year for $99, that is over 400 courses to use with all of your children for one low price.

fresh start

All About Learning has released the best deal of the day: A FREE Snowman Pack with reading and spelling activities for a variety of ages.

Apologia has a new FREE Christmas/Advent E-book!

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

Smartick (check out our full review here) is offering a 25% off discount if you use this referral link! Elizabeth is still loving this program.

 

 

Night of the Piper (Review)

You might remember my review of Captain Sun, “Rescue Me”. I am very excited to announce that Bryce Moran has collaborated with five pastors and 20 artists to bring us, Captain Sun, “Night of the Piper“.

Night of the Piper2

This graphic novel contains another wonderful adventure with Captain Sun as he saves children from the evil Piper, a songstress who lures children with her music. In addition to the fun and colorful story, there are some great devotionals to help bring children closer to God. They talk about various topics such as how God is the source of all good, examining our motives, and using words and works. I would say they are ideal for ages 8-12, although my thirteen-year-old still enjoyed the story. It is a fairly short graphic novel being only 26 pages, so it is not overwhelming for reluctant readers.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

The fact that it is a great book with a wonderful message and engaging graphics might be enough to make you want to purchase Night of the Piper, but it gets even better. All proceeds from this book are going to help The Butterfly Project. This ministry in the Philippines helps girls who have been exploited and trafficked.

night of the piper1

If you want a graphic novel that is uplifting and draws your child into God’s word, I highly suggest checking out this series.  If you want to support a wonderful ministry and get a great Christmas gift at the same time, Night of the Piper is a great choice.

I received a FREE copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

 

The Old Schoolhouse is running a great special on their magazine! $19 for a year’s subscription and some fun digital curriculum as a bonus.

2019-thankful-year-with-tos-mag-sale-facebook-meme

 

Sally Clarkson just launched her newest book, a devotional for moms! You can purchase it at Amazon now .

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Enrichment Studies has a great free fine arts memory match game this month!

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

Gift Ideas For Your Budding…Reader

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” JK Rowling

Over the years I have dabbled at a variety of hobbies but the one I love most is reading! I believe that all children can learn to love reading if they have the right help, encouragement, and books! This starts when they are young and we pull them into our laps to share a fun picture book or have them sit on the floor with milk and cookies while we read aloud. As they get older, we teach them to read the books for themselves. Then we begin helping them find books that they can enjoy on their own.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

I have included a list of a few of our favorites for each age range as well as a list of non-book ideas for your budding reader. This list is by no means exhaustive but hopefully you can find something your reader would enjoy. In some ways this list was quite easy and in some ways, it is the hardest list I’ve written. There are so many wonderful books that it made it hard to share just a few good ones for each age level. If you want even more recommendations make sure to check out Blogging Through The Alphabet with Books!!, our book reviews, 5 Days of For the Love of Reading and 2019 Book List.

 

Gift Ideas For Your Budding… Reader

 

Baby/Preschool

  • “That’s Not My” Series (These books are great for the various textures and repetitive words. My children love them from infants up through early elementary grades.)
  • Shine-a-Light Books (These books are excellent for preschoolers. You use a flashlight to see hidden items on the pages and learn more.)
  • Only You Can Be You (this new book about celebrating our differences is Sally Clarkson’s first children’s book. )
  • Otis Books (This lovable tractor is a family favorite.)

Early Elementary Ages

Older Elementary

Middle School

 High School/ Adult

Non Book Gift Ideas

Be sure to check back for each of the posts this week relating to a different interest. If there are other interests or ideas that you have, please feel free to share them. You can also check out Educational Christmas Ideas (that don’t feel like school supplies), Clutter Free Christmas Ideas, and Twelve Christmas Adventures for clutter free Christmas ideas. If you have other interests or hobbies that you would like to see included, please share in the comments.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

Not Consumed has a special early sale on their new Bible studies! Sale ends today!

Evan-Moor is having a 40% off sale on their e-books. use code: VDAY40

The Old Schoolhouse is running a great special on their magazine! $19 for a year’s subscription and some fun digital curriculum as a bonus.

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Sally Clarkson just launched her newest book, a devotional for moms! You can purchase it at Amazon now .

Free Makeover Your Morning 5 Day Challenge! This is a great way to help re-focus and get your day off on the right foot.

Harry The Happy Mouse (Free on Kindle)

Illustrated Would You Rather Book (Free on Kindle)

Enrichment Studies has a great free fine arts memory match game this month!

Free Help Your Child’s Memory Book from All About Learning Press!

Horses of History Appaloosy Books by Mattie Richardson (Review)

Our family loves history and we love reading. So when I learned about Mattie Richardson’s Horses in History Series  by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books I was excited to review them. My thirteen-year-old  son jumped on the opportunity to read and review them. Over the course of the last several weeks, he read all four books and is finishing up an enrichment guide that goes along with the fourth book: Day and Night. My eleven-year-old daughter is going to give them a try based on his review.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

Horses of History Pinterest

These short paperback chapter books are written by a teen author and are full of great historical information through the eyes of horses as they experience historical events. They are a great way to engage students in history and get them interested in learning more.

Matthew’s Thoughts

Appaloosy is a great book for readers 9-14. It is the story of a horse that runs from an Indian village and is caught by white men. The horse goes wild, and no one can ride him except one little girl. One day he runs away with her and trips into a hole. After that, the father, who didn’t know she rode, made her stop riding until she told him the whole story.

Golden Sunrise is a great read for people 9-14. It is the story of Cheyenne, a palomino horse who belongs to a boy named Jared. Jared becomes a soldier in the army of Texas. While he is traveling and fighting in the Alamo he meets men like James Bowie and Davie Crocket.

Dusty’s Trail is a great read for people 9-14. It is the story of Dusty, a horse in the Pony Express. As a pony in the Pony Express he faces Indian attacks and other extremes. One day he rode three shifts because of sick horses that could not run. After that he became very famous to all the people in the pony express.

Day and Night is a good book for people 9-14. It is the story of horses Tucker and Shiloh. They are brothers who were sad to be separated but happy to be having an adventure. Tucker becomes a horse in the U.S. Mounted Infantry and Shiloh is a horse in the Confederate Volunteer Calvary. This story shares a lot about the United States Civil War.

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The enrichment guide for Day and Night was full of great information and worksheets. There were comprehension questions and vocabulary for each section of chapters. Then for each section she included an activity for them to complete to write their own story. If they complete each section, they will have a completed story at the end. There are also historical extension activities for each section. Information about civil war medicine, various important figures from the Civil War, recipes for Johnny cakes and hoe cakes and lots more. It was a great way to really dig deeper into the time period and would work wonderfully as a unit study.

Overall, we really enjoyed these books. I loved that in addition to history, my children had the opportunity to see that teenagers really can accomplish something big like becoming a published author. My son recommends them for ages 9-14 but I think you could read them aloud to even younger children.  Be sure to find out more about the books and the author over at Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books. You can purchase the complete set at Amazon. Finally, don’t forget to click on the graphic below and check out the other Crew Reviews.

Book Set: Appaloosy, Dusty's Trail, Golden Sunrise & Day and Night {Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books Reviews}Crew Disclaimer

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.