Chess Made Easy - Chess House Review

I have always wanted to learn how to play chess, but for some reason have been a little intimidated.  I have always thought of chess as being too hard to learn to play.

Several weeks back we were sent a Starter Chess Learning Kit from Chess House. Our kit included:

Elliot's Chess School Level 1 DVD "Pawn School"

1 Vinyl Chess Board

Full 32 Piece Chess Set (plastic)

Travel Bag to hold the board, pieces and DVD (several color choices are available)

Two of my children have had a real interest in learning to play chess.  Once our package arrived Computer Girl and Alpha Boy wasted no time and dug right in.  The package was open and the DVD was playing with in minutes of the UPS man leaving our house.  

Chess School is taught by National Master Elliot Neff, who has been coaching students in chess for the last 18 years.  The Chess House teacher, shows beginners the in's and out's of chess in this 49 minute video.  The DVD is broken into 10 different topics, which explain the value and best strategy for each chess piece. 

• Intro to Chess (board, names of pieces, values)
• Pawns
• Rooks
• Bishops
• The Queen
• The King
• Knight
• Castling
• Pawn shields and when to break it
• Development

The Chess School Level 1 video simplified learning the game of chess for us.  The video gave us enough knowledge, strategy, and confidence to now be able to play chess with ease. 

We felt that the DVD was very easy to understand, as well as easy to rewind if we missed something {wink, wink}.  I liked how this DVD takes you step by step with each piece, so that you really have good foundation for understanding the game of chess.

The chess set that we received has a vinyl board that rolls up easily for storage and travel.  The board is 20"x20" and features a built in grid.  I love that it comes in such a portable bag!

My children that used the chess set and DVD are 10 and 7, but this starter kit is really for all ages. 

This Starter Chess Learning Kit was a blessing to us!  We have unsuccessfully tried to learn to play before from a book, but the DVD was much easier to understand.  The kids are happy to pull out the chess set and play, now that they know how!

The Chess House Starter Chess Learning Kit that we received is available online for $39.95, plus shipping.  It would make a great

We would like to continue learning with Chess School, they actually offer four levels in this series.  They are available as a set, or individually.  

• 1 of Elliott's Chess School #1 PAWN Level DVD ($20.00)
• 1 of Elliott's Chess School #2 KNIGHT Level DVD ($40.00)
• 1 of Elliott's Chess School #3 BISHOP Level DVD ($40.00)
• 1 of Elliott's Chess School #4 ROOK Level DVD ($50.00)

Be sure to checkout what other TOS Crew members are saying about Chess House!

A chess board that is odor free and made in the US

A full plastic chess set that is durable and has easy to replace pieces

A handy carrying case that holds all 32 chess pieces, the roll-up game board, and the DVD all in one handy place.

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/chess-house-review/#sthash.rBuvrTo3.dpuf

ludes:

• Elliot’s Chess School DVD one ‘Pawn level‘
• A chess board that is odor free and made in the US
• A full plastic chess set that is durable and has easy to replace pieces
• A handy carrying case that holds all 32 chess pieces, the roll-up game board, and the DVD all in one handy place.

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/chess-house-review/#sthash.rBuvrTo3.dpuf

ludes:

• Elliot’s Chess School DVD one ‘Pawn level‘
• A chess board that is odor free and made in the US
• A full plastic chess set that is durable and has easy to replace pieces
• A handy carrying case that holds all 32 chess pieces, the roll-up game board, and the DVD all in one handy place.

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/chess-house-review/#sthash.rBuvrTo3.dpuf

Running for President in The Presidential Game

We love games!  They are a wonderful way to get in some family time.  If you were to come to our house, you might possibly notice that we have a whole 3 tiered shelving unit solely dedicated to games.  We like action games, card games, board games and last but certainly not least, educational games!

Recently we were given the opportunity to review a game called The Presidential Game.  The Presidential Game

I thought it would fit in nicely with our study of the states and presidents this year.

The Presidential Game is really neat, it is fun and it gives the kids a really good understanding of how the election process works.  It is a strategy type of game that teaches kids (and lets face it, adults too!), exactly how those electoral votes work.  The object of the game is to get to 270 electoral votes to take the win, well the Presidency.

All of the kids, ages 5-12, have played this with me, but it is suggested for ages 11 and up. 

At the start of the game you decide how many weeks until the election, the amount of weeks you choose are actually the amount of rounds you play the game.  You split into two teams, Republicans and Democrats - this actually opened up a great discussion of what each party stands for.

There is also an optional WebMap Calculator that is available online to use during the game.  This calculator is a map that calculates the electoral votes each party has, as well as who is leading in the state or if it is still neutral.  The WebMap was a great visual for the kids, and it really added to the fun factor.  I thought that the WebMap was also a great way to help with keeping score.

This is the WebMap Calculator that can be used online.

To get started you pick teams, ,roll and the high rolling team goes first.  During each turn, the playing team can choose to campaign or fund-raise for their party.  Both of these choices include rolling the dice and placing votes, well chips, on various states.  For each turn your team rolls three dice, when you are campaigning the each one of the dice rolled end up being the amount of votes that you can place on three states of your choice. 

When you fund-raise, you can pick either Texas, California, New York or Florida.  You roll the dice and then you can use all or at least half of your total roll for votes in that state.  We seemed to be in constant battle of the state of California, because they have the most electoral votes.  One of the added benefits of fundraising is that you get to draw Politics Cards, depending on the card these can help or hurt you.  Here are two examples:

Wisconsin Teachers Union lays off 30% of it's employees. Your opponent adds 2 votes to Wisconsin.

Your opponent appears as a guest host on a popular late night comedy show and is very stiff and not very funny at all.  Pick up 5 votes to be used any way to like.

During each turn you have the opportunity to win the vote of different states, even those that are controlled by the opposing team.  We really enjoyed this part of the game, and we all became quite competitive too! The team controlling the state is the team that has the most votes, or coins on that state.  If you add votes to a state that an opponent "controls," each chip you place on that state knocks out one of their votes or chip.  So, if you have enough chips you can take the lead and control the state. 

After the allotted weeks, or turns are up, then all the teams each roll the dice to decide who wins the neutral states.  The team with the highest number of electoral votes wins the game, and takes the presidency.

Once you understand the game, and play a few rounds it is a lot of fun!  The kids and I all really enjoyed this, but they did mention that they preferred to play with about 15 weeks verses 30. 

You can purchase The Presidential Game online for $35.00.  It makes a great addition to any study on U.S. History, presidents, states or elections.  This game would also be an excellent choice for family game night.  My favorite games are the kind that are fun and have educational value, this game has both! 

Check out what other TOS Crew members have to say about The Presidential Game!

Notgrass American History {Review}

 

 

A few years ago a friend of mine mentioned the Notgrass Company's History Curriculum, America the Beautiful and how her kids really loved it.  After hearing her rave review, I knew that once my kids were old enough I wanted to check it out.

The America the Beautiful History Curriculum from the Notgrass Company was given to us to review for the TOS Crew.  Let me tell you what we were given to review and what we thought of them.  

 

America the Beautiful Parts 1 & 2

These two hardcover textbooks are the meat and potatoes of the curriculum.  They are beautifully bound hardcover books with pictures on most every page, some black & white and some color.

Part 1 takes you from 1000 to 1877, and Part 2 continues from the Late 1800's the Present.  Together they tell American history from a Biblical Worldview.  

I have to say, I am not usually a fan of textbooks, but these are pretty impressive.  

The books are set in chronological order and consist of 15 units each, making a total of 30 units.  There are several different types of lessons in the America the Beautiful books:

• Our American Story - These lessons are about the major events in the time period the unit is based on.
• God's Wonders - These lessons teach students about God's creation, like the Chesapeake Bay, Yellowstone and the great Mississippi River.  
• American Landmark - Here you learn about important sites in American history, like Plymouth, the Erie Canal and the Alamo.
• American Biography - This focuses on a particular person that lived during the time period being studied.  In these lessons you get to learn more about people like John Jay, President of the American Bible Society, George Washington and Robert E. Lee.
• Daily Life - These lessons give a glimpse into the day to day lives of the people of the time period.  In the unit on the Civil War, the daily Life lesson is called Two First Ladies.  Here we learn about Mary Todd Lincoln and Varina Howell Davis.

I liked the layout of the books.  I found them to be very informative and enjoyable.  I do however wish they were a little more on the conversational style that we are used to.  

If you have read some of my other reviews, you probably know that I love to learn from living books.  I think using only a textbook can quench a child's love for learning.  In saying that, I do feel that there is a time and a place for a textbook.  Currently, the kids and I are starting to read about the American Revolution.  We are learning a ton from biographies, chapter and picture books, but there were several things in the America the Beautiful that did not read about in our other books. 

   

After reading each lesson, there is a list of several activities, usually about 4-6, that include writing, vocabulary, timeline, map, and workbook assignments.  There are also Thinking Biblically assignments that have the students looking up scriputre to answer questions.  There are literature assignments from We the People and recommended living books, like Amos Fortune, Across Five Aprils and Little Town on the Prairie.  You or the student can pick one or several of the assignments to be completed for the day. 

They encourage family discussions about the days lesson.  The book also has family activities, like making an Iroquoian Longhouse, have a peaceful Boston Tea Party, and make a Liberty Bell Mosaic.  

The way that we have been using this, is that my 8th grader has been reading the lessons independently and doing some of the actitivies on her own.  

I have also found myself picking it up and reading it for fun.  Yes really, for fun.  I have also used it to better educate myself on the topics we are studying, so that I can casually pass the information along to my younger kids. 

We the People

This hardcover black & white book is a wonderful collection of writings from America's history, that include historical documents, poems, letters, songs, newspaper clippings and songs. 

One of the assignment suggestions is to read selections from the book that relate to the lessons topic. We like this book and find it to be a wonderful addition to the curriculum.

Maps of America the Beautiful

This workbook has maps that correlate with the lessons.  Students are given assignments to color and label the various maps. 

Timeline of America the Beautiful

Also in workbook form, this black & white timeline allows students to color and label the timeline as they work through history.  

 

America the Beautiful Student Workbook

This workbook includes fun word searches, matching, multiple choice questions and drawing assignment.  Probably best suited for children in 4th-6th grade.  

 

America the Beautiful Lesson Review 

Full of daily lesson and literature review questions to help parents measure children's comprehension of the material being studied.

My 8th grader and I have done several of these together orally.  

 

America the Beautiful Answer Key

You guessed it, this is where all the answers are {smile}.  This includes answers to the timeline, vocabulary, Student Workbook and Lesson Review questions.  

  

Over all, I really love this curriculum.  I know it will remain on my shelf for the duration of our homeschooling years.  It is excellent as a source of reference for American history. It also makes a well rounded American History curriculum for 5th-8th graders, that could be used independently for older students.  I also believe this would work wonderfully for multilevel teaching.

America the Beautiful is designed to be completed in one school year, working on it 5 days per week.  It would, however, be very simple to adjust the schedule to complete it in two years.  

I appreciate the flexibility America the Beautiful offers with the variety of student assignments,  and literature suggestions. They offer all the bells and whistles of a traditional textbook, but also have a unit study type feel to them.  This my friends is a keeper! 

You can purchase the America the Beautiful curriculum, for $99.95.

The Student Workbook and Lesson Review can be purchased separately.

Please see what other TOS Crew members have to say about Notgrass products including America the Beautiful and the Draw the Learn Bible Series. 

Bible Study For All Ages {Review}

I love all things multi-level teaching, meaning subjects that I can teach everyone the same thing, at the same time.  Bible is one of those subjects where I try to keep everyone on the topic or study.  

I had not heard of Bible Study For All Ages, until the opportunity to review for them came about from the TOS Crew.  

The Bible Study For All Ages is a curriculum that has families {or Sunday school classes} studying the same part of the Bible at the same time, but on their own levels.  This curriculum takes you and your family through several parts of the Old and New Testaments each year. 

There are 416 Bible Lessons that take you through an in depth study of the Bible. 

We were given the following materials for this review:

 

Beginner Level Student Pages 

Beginner Time Line

 

Children's Songs CD Set

 

 Advanced Level Student Pages

Bible Book Summary Cards 

Let me give you an example of how the lessons are laid out.  Let's take a look at lesson 14, we are studying Genesis 49-50, which is the account of Joseph.  We have been studying Joseph since lesson 1, which started at Genesis 37.  

Here is a sample of one of the Beginner Student Pages.

Here is the layout for the Beginner Student Pages and how it works for us.

Learn the Basics 

• We review our timeline cards, which we have hanging on a large kitchen doorway.  

These have been really helpful to us.  The kids love to take turns reviewing the cards.

Sing & Remember 

• In this portion we told to review books of the Bible we are memorizing (Matthew - Galatians)
• We sing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, which is on our Children's Songs CD
• We also do about 4 or 5 review questions.  

The kids love to do the review questions, they especially LOVE THE SONGS!  They now know all of the names of the sons of Jacob thanks to a song we've been singing!  

Get Active 

• This section give ideas to get up and do something. This one has you blindfolding one child and talk about who takes care of us.  

Discover the Bible

• Here is where are read over the scripture for the day.  Most days it is a one chapter in the Bible, today there are two.  
• There are several pictures that show what happens in the scriptures we just read.  Each picture has an explanation and something to do.  For instance, one of the pictures talks about Jacob wanting to be buried in a cave, so the child is asked to color the cave brown.

This is the main part of our study.  We read through the scriptures, discuss and follow along with the activities they has us do.  I fell like this part is really helpful.  

Apply It!

• This part has a picture to color and application questions.

At the end of our study we talk about the picture and go over the review questions together.

Now for the Advanced Student Pages, these pages are set up a little differently.  Here is how we use them...

Remember It?

• This is the portion with review questions.  They are a little more difficult than the Beginner Student Pages.  Today the review is in the form of a matching/fill in the blank activity.

My girls do these on their own.  I do the review questions for the Beginner Pages aloud with everyone.

Memory Workout

• Here the kids are asked to review the New Testament Books and the Genesis Bible Book Summary.

We do the Bible Summary Card reviews together.  These are 8x11 flash cards that summarize the books of the Bible with one or more pictures.  On the opposite side of the picture there is a description that summarizes the book of the Bible that the card represents.
 

Guess What...

• These are mostly Bible facts like what a cup bearer and baker were to the Pharaoh. 

My girls usually read these on their own and share their new fond information with the rest of us.

Discover the Bible

• Just like with the younger pages, this is where we read the scripture and go through the pictures and questions.

We do this part together as a family. The Advanced Questions are more challenging than the ones on the Beginner Pages.  My girls have been fine following along with us for the scripture reading and then doing the questions on their own, asking me for help when needed.

Timeline or Map

• The timeline has several questions that the kids get to answer from reading a biblical timeline on their student page.
• The timeline portion alternates with mapping skills.  Which include labeling areas that were discussed in our Bible readings.
  

My girls do this on their own as well, of course I am available if they have a question. 

Get Active

• This is basically the same activity as the one on the Beginner Page, except this one goes more in depth with the application on blind faith.

We generally don't get to these.  

Apply It!

• This is the application part of the study.  Today's lesson includes re-reading a scripture, answering several questions related to our scripture and a prayer suggestion.

You guessed it, they answer these on their own as well{smile}

Conclusion

I like the over all idea of this program, a lot!  But I found it was hard to get into a "groove" with the different student pages.  It was a little frustrating at first, to be honest.  I felt like everyone was all over the place and Bible was taking a really looong time. 

The way that I tweaked this to work for us was that I stopped reading the scriptures twice.  At first I read the scripture while the boys colored the application picture. THEN, I would re-read the scriptures as we did the Discover the Bible portion of the study.  

I decided to pick and choose what was most important to me and focus on those things.  So we do the songs, timeline and review questions from the Beginner Student Pages.  Then we do the Discover the Bible portion, this is the scripture reading and discussion part.  Then we finish with the application.

At first I was trying to go over all the parts of both levels together, this did not work for us.  I am really glad that I found a way to make this work, because I love many things about this study.  

All of the different components in this Bible Study really set it apart from the rest.  The constant review through questions, songs, timeline and summary cards help the children to remember what they learned even two weeks prior.   I am amazed at what the kids have learned and retained about Joseph by using this study.  I believe my 5 year old could tell you Joseph's whole life story!

Another thing I want to mention, I liked that they did not include scripture on the student pages.  I know that may sound strange, but I think it makes it much easier to use your own Bible version

The student page booklets each have 26 lessons, priced at $5.95 per booklet.  To complete the whole program you would need 16 booklets per student.  First, you need to choose the products that would best suit your family, depending on grade and reading levels. 

I would love to continue with this program, but I am not sure it would not be affordable for us. I am figuring that it would cost a total of $380.00 for all four children to complete the whole study.  

If this was more affordable for me, like say if I could purchase the all the lessons together as a pdf download at a discounted rate, this would be what we used for Bible. 

You can see what other TOS Crew Members have to say about Bible Study for All Ages by clicking HERE!

See the Light - Paper Jungle Project

Recently, I got the chance to learn from a master artist, right from my kitchen table!  The kids and I got the chance to review the Art Project - Paper Jungle DVD from See the Light artist Pat Knepley.

Talk about cool!  Rarely do I get into a project like I did with this one.  It was a lot of fun!!  The day we finished our paper jungles, I grabbed my completed Paper Jungle and showed my husband my picture the minute he walked in the door.  Like a child, I kid you not, I said "Honey, look what I made!"  The poor guy barely had time to walk in the door and put his bags down.{wink}

If you have never heard of the See the Light art lessons please let me introduce you.  Pat Knepley has started a Christian based, homeschool, video art curriculum.  When I say Christian based, I don't mean Christian friendly, I mean Pat actually weaves scripture into the art lessons.  

As we watched the 4 lessons on the Paper Jungle video we got to learn about artist Henri Rousseau, listen to scripture and watch Pat take us step by step through the lesson.  I felt that she was very detailed in her lesson.  She encourages you to pause the video if you need a little extra time, which we did a few times.  

The Paper Jungle video is broken down into 4 lessons, the entire DVD is 100 minutes long.  The entire project should take about 3-4 hours to complete.  You could take an afternoon to work on the project all at once, or spread it out over several days.  Here is the lesson break down for this particular video:

• BACKGROUND: CUTTING TREES (22 minutes)
• FOREGROUND: GRASS AND LEAF SHAPES (27 minutes)
• FOCAL POINT: FLORA AND FAUNA (26 minutes)
• THE FINAL STEP: OVERLAPPING AND GLUING (25 minutes)

The Paper Jungle Project is recommended for ages 10 and up.  I think I agree with that, especially since there is a pretty good amount of cutting.  If you desired to have a younger child do this they would most likely need some help.  My older daughter (12) and I really enjoyed this video.  My younger daughter (9) struggled a bit to keep up, but I just encouraged her to press on, and paused when we needed to.  Once her Paper Jungle started coming together a bit more she was a happy camper.  

We have another one of Pat's videos, Art Class - Lesson 1 The Basics.  That class focuses on drawing.  The kids have really enjoyed that one as well.  

See the Light currently has several lessons, with different topics and mediums with which she uses.

Art Projects

• Tiffany Window - IN THE STYLE OF LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY
• Repeated Sweets -IN THE STYLE OF WAYNE THIEBAUD
• Paper Jungle - IN THE STYLE OF HENRI ROUSSEAU
• Pointillism Fruit - IN THE STYLE OF GEORGES SEURAT
• Poppy Collage -IN THE STYLE OF GEORGIA O’KEEFFE 
• Dreams of Joseph - IN THE STYLE OF MARC CHAGALL 
• Horsing Around - IN THE STYLE OF EDGAR DEGAS 
• Peaceful Seas - IN THE STYLE OF WINSLOW HOMER 
• Sunflowers - IN THE STYLE OF VICENT VAN GOGH  
• Cartooning - WITH PAT KNEPLEY

Art Class

VOLUME 1- The Basics VOLUME 2 - Shape & Space VOLUME 3 -Value & Color VOLUME 4 - Color Blending Techniques VOLUME 5 -Proportions For Composition VOLUME 6 -Texture & Form  VOLUME 7- Perspective For the Landscape VOLUME 8 -Balancing & Foreshortening VOLUME 9 -The Portrait Bible Stories  Each DVD in this series has a Bible and Art Lesson. The Crossmaker  Shipwrecked God's Runaway The Gift of Love God's Special Surprise I really do like this program, and hope to collect more of the lessons.  I think that the lessons are very well done and that each step is well explained.  The videos Pat is a very good encourager to her students, that was something I picked up on and appreciated.  So even for the reluctant artist, this program would be a great fit! In addition to Pat's art lessons, I was glad to see that she includes the Lord in her lessons.  The way that she pulls scripture in and tries it to the lesson is brilliant! See the Light would make a great addition to any homeschool curriculum.  You can purchase the See the Light art lessons that I have mentioned directly from their website.  The lessons are all available individually, as well as in boxed sets according to the series.  The individual DVD's are $14.99 and the box sets range from $74.95 to $99.99. Members of the TOS Crew reviewed The Paper Jungle DVD, as well as many others.  Be sure to check out their reviews too! You can see more reviews by clicking here.

Paperless Organization from Simplified Pantry

Once upon a time, in the land of make believe, there was a fair homeschool mama.  She had four lovely children, a well organized house and life.  She never missed an appointment or a birthday, and had it all together.

Ha! Ha! Well, at least the lovely children part is right! {smile} For some reason, I used to think that I was organized, not sure sure what gave me that idea, but I have hit reality.  As my children have multiplied and gotten older, it seems that for me, organization is more like a dream than a reality.  Until now.

Recently, I was given a much needed eBook called Paperless Organization, to review for the Molly Crew.  It was written by Mystie Winckler from Simplified Pantry, a homeschool mom of 5.

 

Paperless Organization, just as the name implies, has the goal to helping us harried homeschool mama's (well anyone really) to get organized. Minus stacks, piles and binders.

Right off the bat I felt like this was a product written for my stage of life.  Busy. Homeschooling. Busy. Somewhat disorganized.  Oh, and busy.  Mystie is herself in the trenches of raising kids, homeschooling and running a household.  She is a great source of organizational wisdom, especially since she is there herself. 

Ok, enough rambling.  Here's the nitty gritty of what Paperless Organization teaches you.  First, Mystie explains all of the wonderful benefits of having a homemaking binder.  To be honest, this was not really new information to me. I have liked the idea of a homemaking binder ever since I had heard of it.  I have actually tried to make them before, but I think I got buried in the whole idea of a binder for this and a binder for that.  But Mystie's idea of paperless binders sounded a like a dream come true.  Ahhh, organization at last!

Mystie gives detailed instructions on making a paperless home binder.  Her plan utilizes 3 online programs/ apps that are F-R-E-E!  You can get organized on your computer, pad, pod or phone.

One of the apps she uses is Evernote.  I frequently use Evernote, but I didn't realize what all I could be doing with it until reading Paperless Organization.  Basically, she shows you step by step how to turn Evernote into  personal home binder files.  This is the spot where you dump everything from your brain into - to do lists, curriculum plans, shopping lists, recipes, menu plans, clothing sizes, ideas to try, and chore charts, it all goes in Evernote.  She also suggests having a blogging binder for those that blog.

Mystie also shares how to set up Remember the Milk, a task management app, and Google Calendar and Mail.

Getting organized is not an over night thing, at least not for me, but I am on my way.  Thanks to this little eBook, I am in the process of transferring everything over from paper files to paperless files.  I really love all of her ideas with Evernote and Remember the Milk.  I have been the queen of spiral notebooks, but I am moving on to being paperless.  It just makes sense for many reasons.  Here's lookin forward to never losing a list again!

You can get a copy of Paperless Organization for yourself in either pdf or kindle format for just $3.99.  

Right now, Mystie is currently offering 30% off of any of her e-books!  To take advantage of this offer use the code TOS2013 when you checkout.

Mystie has also written two other eBooks that are worth checking out, Simplified Dinners and Simplified Dinners Gluten Free/Dairy Free.

The Molly Crew has reviewed all three of these books, you can read the reviews by clicking here. 

Budding Authors & 6 Weeks to Understanding Grammar

If you have been a LSG reader for any length of time, you have probably heard me mention that we struggle with writing.  For the most part, my girls can be pretty reluctant writers.  They are good with grammar, but I think they just lack confidence with writing.

Joyce Herzog's Budding Authors Series and 6 Weeks to Understanding Grammar, a review we received from the TOS Crew, seemed like just the thing to get us going. 

Let me tell you a little about the series. The Budding Author series is a five book series that takes students from copywork and dictation to writing their own stories, researching topics and writing reports.  The books are not grade specific, you would just use the book that best suits where your student currently is with their writing. 

• Step Into Writing ($10) is the first book in this series.  It starts off gently by introducing dictation of simple stories, copywork and then "experiencing the story," which is when the child dictates their story for someone else to write down for them.This book also includes helpful checklists that remind students to capitalize, and check their spelling and puntuation.  
• Step On Into Writing ($10), the second book in the series, continues with the same format as book one, this time adding in vocabulary and "Write Your Own Story" pages.
• Adventuring In Writing ($10), which is book three, is a bit different then the first two books.  Here students see a picture, are given questions and a word bank to draw from.  This book encourages students to think more on their own.  
• Then and Now ($12), the fourth book, focuses on writing paragraph.  Indenting is automatic with built in indentions on the page.  This book includes pictures from the early 20th century, students are encouraged to compare then and now.  Then and Now helps students to develop thinking skills while learning to write paragraphs.  
• Writing US History ($15) is the final book in the series.  This level takes students through US History while teaching them research and writing skills.  Students write about topics such as Pilgrims, Patrick Henry, George Washington, the Gold Rush and the Roaring Twenties. 

 

6 Weeks to Understanding Grammar ($12) is a small, yet meaty, booklet that gives a compressive overview of grammar.  This book covers topics such as parts of a sentence, nouns, pronouns, prepositional phrases, capitalization rules, spelling rules, verbs and irregualr verbs.   

This is not a traditional grammar workbook.  It follows the teaching style from many years ago, state it simply and give an example.  This little gem helps to make grammar concepts clear in a very simple fashion. 

What we thought:

I found that I really liked this whole series, it is quite the breath of fresh air from many grammar and writing books I have seen.  Very Charlotte Mason friendly in my opinion, the lessons are short and to the point. The books have a gentle start and progression.  

The assignments are not overwhelming for the student (or for mom), but they are enough to get them thinking and writing.

I think that the Writing US History was my favorite book in the series. I like that it starts the students out with a picture and several key words, the student then has to go research based on the keywords given and write about their findings. For instance, one assignment shows a picture of the state of California, a man on horseback and 2 men panning for gold. The keywords for the assignment are 1849, Gold Discovered and California. Not only are they writing, but they are learning able the California Gold Rush.

Joyce Herzog is a veteran teacher that has many products helpful to homeschoolers. The TOS Crew

Members reviewed several of her products, click here to check out their reviews. 

The books that I have reviewed, as well as Joyce's other homeschool products are available directly through her web store.