Tied 2 Teaching STEM Challenges (Review)

Can I be honest with you for a minute? We love science in this house, but our formal science program had fallen to the wayside this year due to other life events. I really wanted to get some science going again but knew that right now I just couldn’t tackle our regular program. I knew that my personality would not do well with just doing part of a textbook and I didn’t have time to complete an entire textbook between March and May. I didn’t want to be doing school all summer, but I didn’t want to ignore science completely. The STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading from Tied 2 Teaching offered just the solution I had been looking for.

While this is a full year of challenges, each challenge stands on it’s on which means I do not feel like I have to complete all of the challenges or do them in any particular order. Many of them are designed around monthly themes. For example, there is a Leprechaun trap as one of the March activities and a spider web activity for October. They do download with each activity as a separate PDF, so if you want to use them thematically, you need to look at the list on the website. If I was going to be using them thematically I would probably separate them into monthly folders on my computer to make them easier to find.

I love that aside from finding a few fairly readily available supplies, these were very open and go activities. The supplies consisted of things like marshmallows, toothpicks, recycled materials, building blocks (we used Legos), a card deck, and dried cranberries. Aside from the fact that we ran out of toothpicks after a couple of challenges I did not have to buy any materials to complete the challenges that we have tried.

I could print off the sheets, make sure we had the supplies, and hand the papers over to my children to work through the challenge. We utilized the challenges in a several ways. Some of them I had my 12 and 11 year olds work through together, some I had both of them do the challenge individually, and then I was also able to do some of them individually based on interests.

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Each challenge starts with a reading passage. I chose to copy and paste those into a word document and print them out, but they can be accessed through a QR code on the paper or linking on the computer. Once the students have read the passage, they answer some comprehension questions about the passage. Then they are issued a related STEM challenge. There are several different forms included in the package that can be used for planning and commenting their work. There are also follow up questions to help them reflect on what they learned and explore the topic more in depth.The challenges tend to be fairly open ended and allow for a lot of creativity and not necessarily a right/wrong answer.

I found that most of them could be completed from start to finish in about an hour. This varied somewhat depending on how focused my children were and how much time they wanted to spend working on different ideas and variations. For example, they had multiple ideas for the spider web and so it took them a little longer as they tested out several theories. The Lego flags that they made did not take as long because they knew exactly what they wanted to do and just built them.

Finished product

Little brother wanted to try!

The first project that we did was the spider’s web design challenge. For this project they read an article about spiders and their webs. Then the challenge was, “using toothpicks and yummy marshmallows, design and build a super cool and slightly creepy spider web.” They ended up building one that they called a bat mobile after trying out a couple of different ideas.

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Their favorite project so far was a flag building block challenge. Both of my older children love building with their Legos and being allowed to use them during school is a sure way to get their attention. My oldest son is also a flag enthusiast, so I knew this challenge would be a hit. They had to research the flags of five different countries and recreate them using only building blocks. I loved that they were dealing with history/geography while also working on the building/engineering skills. They decided they wanted to do the American flag but thought that it would be hard to get one with 50 stars, so they went with the historic Hopkinson flag which only needed 13 stars.

In addition to those two projects they were able to make bugs from Lego’s, towers from dried cranberries, and more. We have also picked out our next two projects which are a house made from cards and a model of a lighthouse. We are hoping to go on a field trip to see a lighthouse next week and then complete the lighthouse challenge when we return home. While I would not want these challenges to replace my children’s entire science education we felt like there were a great fit for this semester. I think that they are perfect for those times in life when you need open and go science/ STEM activities or as a fun addition to your regular curriculum. It is also a fun way to get in a little bit of reading comprehension practice with the reading passages that go along with each project.

Visit the website to see a full list of the challenges that are included in STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading. You can also click below to see all of the different reviews from the Review Crew to see which challenges each person chose and how they utilized them in their home.

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Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” ( Review)

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Our family does not watch a lot of television or movies. While each week is different, on a given week our television is not normally on more than once or twice and it is not unusual to go an entire week without turning it on at all. Since we watch so little television, I like to make sure that what we do watch is very high quality entertainment or educational material. Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” is one of those programs that fits the bill of both educational and entertaining. Drive Thru History® is a company that we have come to love and trust and this newest production is no different.

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These DVDs could easily be assigned as schoolwork to coordinate with your Bible and/or history studies. However, my children love them and ask to watch them in their free time. Dave Stotts is funny or ‘punny’ as my children like to say but also does a great job providing an amazing amount of Biblical and historical knowledge in each episode.

Last year we were blessed with the opportunity to review Drive Thru History®: The Gospels as a part of Drive Thru History Adventures. When the opportunity came to review Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” , I knew it would be a great chance to continue with our studies. This time instead of getting the online subscription, we received the DVDs and study guide that are ours to keep and revisit as we wish.

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Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” is an 18 episode series on three DVDs. In each episode, the host, Dave Stotts, goes on site to learn and teach. Being able to see the actual locations where Biblical events took place really helps make them real to my children. They know that Athens, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Malta are all real locations but it can be so hard to conceptualize. This allowed them to see what they look like today, see the historic sites, and visualize what it might have been like in the days of Paul.

In this series, we start at Pentecost and follow along as Saul becomes Paul. Then we follow Paul through his missionary journeys. The final disk includes the martyrdom of Paul and Peter as well as John on the Island of Patmos and the book of Revelation.

We have been going through the episodes together as a family and using the included study guide to help facilitate our discussions afterwards. The study guide is a great resource and is conveniently located inside the DVD case. The study guide includes beautiful pictures, a summary and discussion questions (and answers) for each episode, and Bible readings for each episode. Since we watched the episodes together, I generally did not need the answers to the discussion questions, but they would be really helpful if you were having your child go through the series independently.

Drive Thur History 4 — The VW that my son liked so much!

I love how he drives to all the different places that Paul visited and lets us see them. I also like all the different cars he drives. My favorite car was the VW Beetle. Matthew, Age 12

We watched two of the discs during our review period look forward to finishing the last disc over the next few weeks. Each episode is just under 30 minutes, includes a short review of the last episode and then moves forward in the story of the New Testament. My children would have binge watched all of them if I had allowed it, but we felt that this program was best utilized by watching one episode at a time and discussing it together before we moved on to the next episode.

Included in each episode was the relevant scripture, a video or retelling of that part of the story, and the sights and information about the modern day place. For example, in one episode we heard a reading from Acts 27 and saw the story of Paul’s shipwreck on the Island of Malta. We then were able to see what modern day Malta looks like. They also included maps with most episodes to help you understand the geography of the locations that he was visiting in that episode.

I recommend Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” for any family that is looking to learn more about the Bible or wants a fun and entertaining series to watch together. We watched with children ranging from 4-12 and they all enjoyed it, but I would say it is probably best for upper elementary through adult to get the full understanding. This is a great addition to your home school curriculum or your family Bible study time. You can also check our my review of their Drive Thru History ® Adventures program. For more information on how other Homeschool Review Crew families used Drive Thru History® “Acts to Revelation” click the link below.

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Homeschool Complete (Review)

What do you do with a child that is ready to start kindergarten work, when you are already balancing two other older children and a baby? You look for a product that will give him what he needs in a simple easy to use format that doesn’t take all day. I’m researching curriculum for my son who turns five next month and is in that very situation. Homeschool Complete offers full programs that are all inclusive and feature a unit study format. I decided to try out the first semester of Kindergarten Complete with my son and see how it worked with him and with our schedule.

What Does Homeschool Complete Look Like?

The semester is broken up into various units including: All About My Family, Fall, Farm Animals, Zoo Animals, Winter, Sea Life, Martin Luther King Jr. and more. Most of the units are about four lessons long with each lesson being one day’s work. They suggest using the unit for four days and having the fifth day of the week be activities of your own choice.

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My son was excited about ‘doing school’ and eager to try this program most days. I found that it took us between 45 and 60 minutes to do the lessons most days. He really enjoyed the math and reading components (which at this point were mostly read alouds with comprehension questions). He was starting to learn some of the letter sounds but struggled with those as well as the writing components. I felt like the math was moving at a really good pace. He could easily keep up but was not becoming bored.

He struggled to keep up with the writing even though it was mostly copying words that I had written. He enjoyed learning how to write his name but when he had to write other words, he seemed to struggle. This will vary based on the child and it is worth noting that he is on the younger side and another 6 months or a year’s worth of fine motor skills may make the writing much more attainable for him.

Each day they would go through their calendar activities, talking about the date, days of the week, moths of the year, etc. There was a short math lesson, followed by language arts which generally consisted of reading a book or passage aloud and then discussing it. Often the book or passage related to the theme of the unit study and included the science or social studies for the day.

Most days also include some type of enrichment activity. Also days often include a Bible lesson, physical education lesson, art lesson or music lesson. These extras are typically very simple and easy to implement. For example, practice a low crawl for fire escape is one of the physical education ideas. An example of an art lesson was to create colorful fall trees by painting with sponges. One of the enrichment/science activities was carving a pumpkin and having the child feel the inside and then use adjectives to describe it.

What Did We Think About Homeschool Complete?

I thought this program was well thought out and provided good coverage of the basics with some other fun activities. We are a very science and history heavy family and I would include more of that in our studies but those would be easy to supplement. If you are a family that starts those subjects later or puts less emphasis on them at a young age, there is probably plenty included in the curriculum.

In addition to the curriculum you do need to be prepared to purchase or borrow books for each unit. Many of them are fairly common and not difficult to find. We also utilized videos of a couple of them being read aloud on YouTube for books that we did not have. There are materials needed for some of the art and science projects but in general they are common materials or inexpensive. For example, we needed pennies for counting one day and paper and crayons for an activity.

Overall, if you are looking for a simple and easy to implement complete kindergarten curriculum Homeschool Complete may be a good choice for you. They also offer complete curriculum for grades first through fourth and unit studies for grades K-6. I encourage you to check out their website as well as the other crew reviews to see if this might be a good fit for your students.

Discounts and Updates

**Update** Homeschool Complete is offering 5% off to our readers right now!! Just click on that link and use code SWAG through July 31.

Also, since the time that I wrote the review they have added art kits, Grade 5 and just recently Pre-K. They are a faith based program, but also offer a secular version for those that may need that for state funding or personal reasons.

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Victus Study Skills System (Review)

All students’ need good study skills but knowing how to teach those skills can be a challenge. For some reason teaching study skills has always been a difficult abstract topic for me and with my oldest being a 7th grader I knew that it was something we needed to focus on. I enjoyed this opportunity to review the Victus Study Skills System particularly using Level 2: Elementary and Level 3 (Grades 5/6-10/11). This included a workbook for each level, a teachers manual, and a supplemental manual for the elementary level. I used level 2 with my fifth grade daughter and level 3 with my seventh grade son.

The Victus Study Skills System is built on three major parts or cornerstones. First, “Where am I now?” This section focuses on learning strengths and an assessment of current study habits. Second, “Where do I want to be?” This covers creating a mission statement and setting goals. Finally, “How do I get there?” This is where you really get into learning new study habits and skills to help you achieve the goals that you created in the second section. This cornerstone focuses on things like time management, listening, note taking and test taking.

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There are examples for each section or lesson and then opportunities to practice. When comparing the elementary level with level 3 (5/6-10/11) you see a very similar layout of concepts, but the elementary level has shorter assignments and does not always go as in depth. Sometimes, the assignments are are entirely different. For example, in one of the lessons my daughter was doing a word search and my son was working on a calendar. There are other lessons where they both needed to answer questions or fill in the blanks but the elementary lesson has fewer questions.

Lessons in which my daughter had the same but fewer questions were very easy to combine. I would teach the lesson and we would go through the work together. However, for some of them I felt like they really needed my individual attention because of the differences in the layout. In hindsight, when I use this program again, I will give an introduction the program together, but plan to spend time individually with each child.

Level 2 Example

Level 3 Example

Level 2 Example

I liked how, instead of just telling them that note taking was a good study strategy, it went through and taught them how to take good notes. The book explained using short hand, keeping things brief, not needing to use complete sentences, and even how to determine which things are important to note. They then have the opportunity to practice taking notes using several sets of information. Once they have practiced, they can compare their notes to a set of well-taken sample notes on the same information.

Elementary Supplement

Teacher’s Guide

I also really appreciated how it showed them how to get from where they are to where they want to be. By starting with an assessment of their own learning styles, they can progress into self advocates and choose to study and use the strategies that work best for them. Another step that I think was really important was setting goals. If you do not know where you want to go, you will not be able to figure out how to get there. I think that helped them to understand why the study skills that they learned in the the third part of the program were important.

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Overall, we enjoyed this product but I do feel that it is worth noting that while they say you can teach multiple levels at a time, I found it very difficult to teach both Level 2 and Level 3 together. The overall topics were similar but the activities and such were different enough that it became confusing for my students. I recommend considering individual times for different levels. If you had multiple students on the same level, I think it would work fine with group instruction. The other thing that I would note is that while they say it is a five hour course, it took us significantly more than 5 hours to work through the course. That might change somewhat if I was not trying to do two different levels at once. The extra time is not a big deal in a home setting like ours, but an important consideration for planning if you are using it for a larger time bound setting like a co-op.

I think that the Victus Study Skills System is a good system to teach study skills and help students understand the importance of those skills. I love that it helps each child look at themselves as individuals and teaches them a variety of tools and strategies that they can work with to best meet their individual learning styles and goals. There is also a primary level (K-2) and a college level that we did not use at this time. If you would like to find out more about the other levels or see how other families utilized the program, I encourage you to check out the other Review Crew reviews using the link below.

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Pre-Kindergarten Dimensions Math (Review)

I have a pretty laid-back philosophy on preschool and believe that most learning is done through just living life together and play. I also have a four year old that has been telling me that he was ready to ‘do school’ like his older brother and sister. When I was given the opportunity to review Dimensions Math PK-5 by Singapore Math Inc. I was hesitant. I knew that my son wanted more ‘schoolwork’ but I was not sure that a formal math program was going to be the best fit. I decided that it would not hurt anything to give a try and see how it went.

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I requested and received PKA, which is the first semester of Pre-Kindergarten. When it arrived it reminded me very much of curricula for a tradition classroom in the sense that it had a large teachers manual, a student textbook, and a student workbook. For the Pre-Kindergarten level both the workbook and the textbook are consumable resources designed to be written in by the student. They also have some printable blackline masters and cute videos on their website to accompany the curriculum.

When I started looking through the teacher’s manual, I was pleasantly surprised to find many hands on and play based activities. This curriculum is often used in classrooms and so they have group activities, centers, and individual activities included. There were art activities, snacks, and even book recommendations to extend the lessons.

Most days when we did math I would go through the short lesson with him, pick one or two activities and then do the textbook and workbook pages. This generally only took about 15 minutes per lesson unless he wanted to spend longer on an art activity or something like that. My four year old thought it was great fun and would ask when he could do math.

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Since it was also designed for classroom use I wanted to give it a try with a small group of children. I only have one preschooler but I had friends that were generously willing to loan me a few more for the morning. I tried a lesson with four children to see how the group activities would flow and how the curriculum might work in a co-op or classroom setting.

The children really seemed to enjoy the activities. The lesson that I chose to use was part of a unit where they were learning to compare and contrast various objects. This particular lesson taught the concepts of smooth, rough, and bumpy. Since I only had one workbook we could not do that portion (if you were going to use this regularly with a group you would have each one purchase a textbook and a workbook) but we read through the lesson, looked at the examples in the textbook and then completed some of the group and center activities.

They had chance to feel objects in a bag that they couldn’t see. Then they guessed what they were along with describing them using one of the three descriptive words. They had a chance to feel various objects like smooth satin, rough burlap, bumpy bubble wrap and more. Then they sorted objects into the three categories, sanded rough wood until it was smooth (or they were bored), and used various rough and bumpy objects to do rubbings as an art project. We finished up with a smooth and bumpy snack of apples and pretzels.

I felt that the PKA level was a little easy for my son, but I could have avoided that by having him take the kindergarten placement test before we chose a level. I really like starting at the beginning of a curriculum and since he had never done a formal math curriculum I thought that would be a good place to start. He enjoyed it but it was mostly review of concepts that he already knew. I think this would be better for a child that was a little younger or not as advanced, though again he enjoyed it and it worked well for getting him in the habit of doing a math lesson about three times a week.

While I still do not believe that most children need a formal math curriculum for Pre-Kindergarten, if you wanted the structure of a program at that level or if you had the opportunity to work with a co-op or other small group of children Dimensions Math PK-5 has a lot to offer. I love the hands on nature of many of the activities and the reasonably short lessons to match the attention spans of young children. I am looking forward to reading the reviews of other Review Crew members to see if the other levels were as hands on and interactive as PKA.

$Dimensions Math PK-5 {Singapore Math Inc. Reviews}$

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls (Book Review)

Does your child love adventure? Do you want to instill a love and understanding of the events in the Bible? The The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls by WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group may be just the series you are looking for. It combines lots of adventure with wonderful true Bible stories in a way that is fun and easy to follow.

My daughter was assigned to read The Great Escape (Book #3) during her school reading time over the course of a week. However, on that Monday evening she came to me and said that she hoped it was okay that she had read the entire book that day. When I asked her what she thought she said, ” I loved them. I really liked that the main characters were kids. I also like how they include the Bible while still making it an adventure.” She was thrilled that I also had Journey to Jericho (Book #4) for her to read and was excited to know that there are several others in the series.

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I had the opportunity to read through The Great Escape (Book #3) and found it to be simple, easy to follow and a great introduction to the first chapters in Exodus which tell of the plagues of Egypt and the Egyptians escape including the parting of the Red Sea. As an adult it only took about 30 minutes or so to read but I would expect it to take young readers longer than that. The chapters were short enough to not feel overwhelming to most young readers.

I felt like they did a good job of staying true to the Bible though there are obviously fictionalized components. The book begins in modern times with two siblings staying at their uncle’s house. Since this is not their first adventure they know when they find an old scroll that it is going to take them on a time traveling adventure. They end up traveling to the time of the Exodus, meeting a fictional Princess and getting a firsthand view of the plagues in Egypt before leaving with the Israelites.

I really liked that at the end of the book there is a section which explains where in the Bible you can read the story and a little about the fictionalization of the story (in this instance the Princess was not based on a specific real person).

As you can probably guess Journey to Jericho (Book #4) is about the story of the walls of Jericho. Once again, the main characters are two siblings Peter and Mary along with their dog Hank. The story is set up in a very similar way with the siblings going on an adventure to solve the mystery of another scroll.

Overall, we really enjoyed these books. My daughter did not seem to mind that we started with books 3 and 4 as they can certainly stand alone. However, if I were purchasing the books I would probably start with book one and read them in order. Reading in order would have given you a little more information on the scrolls and the power surrounding them. I am also just a little peculiar about preferring to read series in order. There are five books in the series and my daughter has already ordered book one to add to her collection using some birthday money that she had set aside.

Worthy Kids recommends this book for first through third grades. I think the story is great for an even wider range, maybe kindergarten through fifth grades read aloud. The independent reading level is probably closer to second or third grade, though a strong first grader may be able to read it. It was easy reading for my fifth grade daughter but she enjoyed the story. I highly encourage you to check out The Great Escape (Book #3) and Journey to Jericho (Book #4) for adventure filled journey through stories from the Bible. Don’t forget to click below to check out what the other Review Crew members thought about these books. Tell me in the comments what Bible story you think the author should turn into the next book in the series.

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IXL Annual Subscription (Review)

At an event in December, a friend of mine who works in a traditional classroom ask me if I had ever used a subscription to IXL with my children, I told him that I had not heard of the program. It was a busy month and I honestly forgot to even go check it out until January rolled around and I saw IXL Learning show up as a vendor on our list of Crew reviews. If he had not mentioned it in December I’m not sure I would have given it a chance but I am so glad that I did.

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I started out trying the full annual subscription to IXL with both my four year old son and my eleven year old daughter. The four year old tried several different objectives and did well with the ones that he worked on but honestly did not enjoy the program. I think that it was too repetitive and not interactive enough for his age group. He fought me on doing activities after the first few attempts and eventually we decided it was just not working for him and let him stop.

My daughter, however, had a completely different experience. When we first started I made the mistake of trying to have her do the diagnostic component all in one sitting. That test took hours and she still was not done. It narrows down the levels of each component and that takes quite a few questions. It is good information but looking back I would have had her break that up and do a few diagnostic questions each day until we had the data we needed. Once we moved from the diagnostic component to the practice component she absolutely loved the program. She was able to earn virtual prizes (nesting dolls for the fifth grade lessons) that really seemed to motivate her to keep going. She was actually doing more lessons that I required in order to earn more prizes.

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My daughter asked if she could use it for her complete curriculum as she was really enjoying it. However, the program is set up as a practice component and not a complete curriculum. It has review in many different areas and is very comprehensive that way, but it does not include lessons to teach new material. There is some information and explanation for questions that are incorrect but not enough to be a primary curriculum. For fifth grade alone there are questions for over 700 skills spread across the areas of math, language arts, social studies, and science. I do intend to allow her to continue to use this annual subscription to IXL to practice and review her skills throughout the year. She is very motivated to do well and I am pleased with the growth. We primarily focused on grammar because those were areas that I knew she needed more practice and I could see growth in her performance as she went through the practice questions.

Overall, I think that the format of IXL does not lend itself well for Pre-K but that it is a great resource for older students. My fifth grader loved it and I could see it also being beneficial to my seventh grader. While we have not yet reached those levels the math even goes up to Calculus. I know that could come in handy with high schoolers who need more practice or review. I think it would be a great way to review skills before placement test, SATs, etc. To find out how the other Crew members utilized the program and what they thought don’t forget to click below and read more reviews.

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Heirloom Audio: For The Temple (Review)

Often when a new review opportunity is posted I take a look at the product and then talk to whichever children would be working with it during the review period. This gives me a chance to get some input from them before making a decision about whether or not to request that review. However, when a chance to review the newest Heirloom Audio came through I knew there was no need to ask for their opinion, they love audio books, and the GA Henty audio dramas from Heirloom are among their favorites.

We had grand plans of listening to this particular drama, For The Temple, on the ride to and from an aquarium field trip that we had scheduled last week. Unfortunately, instead of the aquarium we ended up at home sick with a stomach virus. However, we made the most of a difficult situation and gathered together in the living room and listened while we rested and recovered. They were even able to work on a little drawing, weaving, and slime creation while they listened.

20190206_162520 — Playing with slime while she listens to For The Temple!

For the Temple is based on the novel by G.A Henty by the same title. This is the story of John, a vinter, who lives near the Shores of the Sea of Galilee. More importantly, it is the tale of the battle over the Temple in Jerusalem and its fall in 70 AD. In classic Henty style the story tells the true history of this momentous event through a fictitious story. While many of the characters are made up, you also hear the names of the very real people, such as Josephus, that played key roles. This story is mostly a tale of battle, determination, political unrest, and adventure. However, for those romantics in the group we do get John’s quiet love story woven throughout the tale.

In addition to the audio drama Heirloom has created an over 50 page study guide that can be used with this story. The study guide has comprehension questions to go along with each chapter as well as addition discussion and thought provoking questions for the chapters. As we listened, I was able to use the study guide to help guide some discussion and make sure they were understanding the story. I think it is a well thought out guide that adds to the study of the story. I will note that it does not include an answer key so whoever is checking or assisting with the study guide will need to have also listened to the story. This worked well for us since we did it as a family, but would be important if you were assigning it as an independent project.

In a very convenient coincidence, this audio drama was based off of a G.A. Henty novel that my son read just a couple months ago as part of his literature course. This added to our discussions by allowing us to discuss the differences in the audio drama and the book.

I do want to note that I think due to the nature of this story there are some scenes that may be difficult for younger listeners. They are handled well and are not overly graphic but there are scenes that involve, mass murders, bodies being thrown off the walls, crucifixion and other persecution of Christians. I do not think you could leave them out and keep the story historically accurate but I do think parents of young children need to be aware before making a decision for your family. Heirloom recommends this story for ages 6 to adult but while I think younger children could listen along I would recommend this more for children 8-10 years old up to adult.

Heirloom Audio dramas are a great supplement to your history program or a fun just to listen to together as a family. Check out their website for more information on For the Temple. You can also check out my reviews of two other Heirloom Audio titles: St. Bartholomew’s Eve and Wulf the Saxon. For more reviews of For the Temple, click below and see what the other Review Crew families thought.

Changing Up Curriculum Without Overspending!

It is January, a new calendar year, but for most folks the middle of a school year. It is often a time we reevaluate what were are doing in our home school to see what is working well and what needs some tweaks. Sometimes we can make minor adjustments and see big changes. For example, I shared last week about how I switched my son from regular chalk pastels to chalk pastel pencils and renewed his love of art. However, sometimes you need to make bigger changes. It could be that the spelling program you are using just is not working for your child, or they are frustrated and not understanding math because of the way it is presented.

How to stay flexible and change curriculum without wasting money.

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It can seem so simple to change things up on one hand, but I also know that curriculum can be a financial investment. It can feel like a waste to toss aside old curriculum without using it and purchase more curriculum (which may or may not be the right fit). However, continuing on with a curriculum that is not working is not just wasting money but time. So how do you manage to not waste money or time and still have the flexibility to find the right fit for each child?

One solution is to buy used curriculum. If you can find the curriculum you want used you can save money upfront. Assuming that it is not a consumable product you should also be able to sell it when you are finished or realize it is not the right fit for your family and recoup much of your investment. You can ask around on your local homeschool Facebook groups or e-mail loops, your local homeschool store (if you are lucky enough to have one), or check online at places like Amazon or eBay.

What if you want even more flexibility or do not want to hassle with buying and selling curriculum? You might want to the ability for your children to pick out some of their curriculum based on interests or to add electives as the year progresses. This is where a family membership to Schoolhouse Teachers can be the perfect solution. They have a variety of classes for each grade level in most subjects with a total of over 425 courses for the whole family. This means that if you are working through one of their 7th grade literature courses and decide it is not quite right, you just switch and take a different one. All of the courses for ALL of the students in your family are included for the same low price. You can also combine courses or just do certain lessons depending on what you need for your child.

I personally use a combination of both of those approaches to give me flexibility to work with what each of my children needs, to change things up as we go along, and yet to stick to a reasonable budget. We use math from other programs, but love the literature courses on Schoolhouse Teachers. I love the fun hands on courses for my preschooler and enjoy being able to give my children access to instruction in a variety of electives based on their interests.

If you were looking for an inexpensive way to change things up or just wanting to add in some fun electives like music, drama, bread making, photography, homesteading, graphic design, or wild life adventures, you should consider a membership to Schoolhouse Teachers. Right now they are running a great special that makes their already good value even better. You can get access to all 425+ courses, World Book resources, and lots of parent resources for your entire family for only $90 a year. You can pick and choose as many or as few courses as you would like and change them whenever you see fit. You can do lessons from various courses or do the entire course straight through.

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Deals and Freebies!

Starting August 31st all of Evan Moor’s Daily Practice titles will be on sale 20% off!

The NEW color edition of All About Reading is ready to order!

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

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

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women (review)

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If you have a teenage daughter, this review of Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women by Zondervan is for you! This beautiful hardcover devotional book is as powerful on the inside as it is beautiful on the outside and I am excited to share this resource with you.

When I started reviewing this book, I was looking at it from the perspective of the mother of a ten year old daughter. As I read the devotional I came to two conclusions. My first conclusion was that this was a well done devotional that would be great for a mother and teenage daughter to work through together. The second, was that my daughter was not quite ready for some of the content and so I am putting it up for a year or two before we work through it together.

The devotional is laid out with 365 devotions to take you through the entire year. Each day consists of a small scripture verse, a devotional thought, and a bit of journaling space at the bottom of the page for your notes and thoughts. While I wish that the scripture verses had been longer to give more context, that is easily remedied by reading the scripture in your Bible.

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One thing I really like is that many of the devotions go in a series by following through an entire story of scripture. For example, one series is from day 213 to day 227. On those days the reading is in 1 Samuel chapter 25 focusing on Abigail who was Nabal’s wife. I love how it focused on various women in the Bible to help a teenage girl see how God used women and continues to use women to do amazing things for the kingdom of God. I think it handled subject of women in ministry well by explaining that each person can use their gifts even if not behind a pulpit.

You may be wondering why if I enjoyed it so much I put it aside for another year or two before going through it with my daughter. I should mention that my daughter is still a bit younger than the recommended age but I was hoping she was ready. However, since it does address the topic of sex and adultery in several of the devotions I did not feel my daughter was ready for this book yet. The topics were handled well and appropriately but I would not recommend them for a girl who did not yet know about sex unless you were going to read it with them and were ready to have that conversation and offer explanations.

Overall, I do recommend Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women for teenage girls. It is simple enough for them to do on their own but I think it would be a great mother-daughter devotional time. You can sit down for a few minutes each day with a warm drink and read through it together; drawing closer to each other as you draw near to God. I encourage you to check out the other Review Crew reviews below to see how they used the devotional and what those with older girls felt about the devotional.

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