Weekly Wrap Up!

This year we have been doing My Father's World - Creation to Greeks.  I have loved using MFW the last few years, but this year I have definitely tweaked things more than in the past.  

For quite awhile now I have been eyeballing Konos.  For those of you that haven't heard of Konos, they are the granddaddy of unit studies (according to their site).  It is a unit study curriculum that uses character traits as their topic and as their site states, they cover....

elementary science, literature, history, Bible, arts/crafts, music, writing, drama, geography, social studies, health/safety, character, critical thinking, and practical living. ** excluding math, spelling, upper grammar.

I had the chance to buy all 3 original volumes, the timeline characters, timeline wallchart, the Compass Book (this is like the How to use Konos Book) and the Index used, so I did.  Don't you just love getting new curriculum, it feels like the Holiday!

My only hang up so far, is that Konos is not done chronologically for Bible and History.  I have read that the timeline really helps solve this problem but I just haven't settled it in my mind,  Know what I'm sayin'.

After opening up our new curriculum for NEXT year, I decided to do the unthinkable.  If you are thinking, No she didn't, I have to tell ya, yes she did!  We started Konos.  Yes sir ree, with about a month left of school I am starting something totally new, pretty crazy right.  : )

Part of me just wanted to try Konos, as is, to see what I thought.  I have been wondering if I still want to follow the MFW's Rome to Reformation timeline next year and just pull in from Konos or do just Konos alone.  Not really sure yet, still mulling all the over.

Here is what I do know, we had a great week.  We started a new chore system this week, called Children's Miracle Music (I will be reviewing this shortly and have a coupon code for ya'll).  My house has been CLEAN, all week and it has been WONDERFUL!  Usually our living areas are kept up pretty well, but the girl's room generally looks like a tornado has gone thru it, twice!  I always tell the girls that for my health I do not like to even look in their room, looking in there makes my blood pressure rise 50 points.  Really!

As far as school goes, we started Konos.  For the next few weeks we plan to study Attentiveness.  Here are some of the highlights of our week and the Attentiveness Study :

• For Bible we studied Elijah and Elisha (per MFW) and read in the Victor's Journey Through the Bible (love this books BTW)
• The kids and I studied the ear.  We read about the ear and then the kids made model of the ear out of my kitchen table, they had a great time!
• We read about Helen Keller and Louis Braille.  
• We read the biblical account of Samuel and saw how he was attentive to God's voice.
• We learned the meaning of Attentiveness.
• We talked about 15 different jobs that require people to be attentive, like a babysitter, a surgeon, firefighter, etc...
• We listened to some classical music, included Mr. Beethoven Lives Upstairs.
• We talked about ways that we can be Attentive to the Lord and how Christ was attentive to the Father.
• The girls both finished their spelling books for the year and started memorizing poems.
• We finished up our memory work on Psalm 1.
• For PE they rode bikes, and jumped and jumped and jumped on the trampoline 
• For independent reading one of the girls is reading about Corrie Ten Boom and the other is reading a Boxcar Children Book, I have them tell me about (narrate).
• As a fun book we also read The Cat in the Hat's book about money - 1 Cent, 2 Cent, Old Cent, New Cent which was a very cute yet informative little book that the kids and I enjoyed.
• We also read about instruments and an orchestra.   
• To finish out the week, tomorrow we are going to play Simon Says , watch The Miracle Worker which is about Helen Keller's life and hang up our new timeline wall chart.  I think that we are even going to put up all the Bible people that we have studied this year and review them as we hang them.

Like I said, we had a really good week.  Next week we are going to continue with our attentiveness study and focus more on musicians and sight.

Here are the books that we read from this week...

Did anyone else decide to switch up their curriculum at the end of the school year, just wondering ?

TOS Crew: Hey Andrew, Teach Me Some Greek!

We were given Level 1 of the Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! to review for the TOS Crew.  Unfortunately, for us it was not a home run kind of product.

First let me tell you a little bit about the Hey, Andrew!Teach Me Some Greek! Program, by Greek 'n' Stuff.   It is a Greek Language curriculum series that teaches your children koine Greek.  This program has 8 workbooks and offers:

• A Reader - A Primer for Preschoolers and up.  This reader teaches the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet as well as a short Bible Verse.  Pictures and catchy rhymes are used to keep the children interested.
• Workbooks, answer keys and flashcards for each of the 8 levels
• 3 Pronunciation CD's to help the children pronounce the letters and words correctly.  VERY HELPFUL!
• Bible copybook which focuses on The Gospel of John.

We only reviewed Level 1 in the Hey Andrew Series but from reading through all the other levels I can say that it does look like a great program!

For some reason my girls were not thrilled with this program.  They did work through some of the book but really did not have a huge interest in it.  This year we have been learning Greek root words and they really enjoy that, so it really surprised me that they didn't take to this program really well.  I have read about other bloggers who really love the Hey Andrew program.  My plan is to hold onto the workbook and try it again later because I can see the true value in learning Greek when it comes to studying the bible.

You can purchase your own Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! workbooks directly from Greek 'n' Stuff.  The workbooks range in price from $14.95 - $28.95.  You can also purchase the whole curriculum in one package.

If you'd like to see what others on the TOS Crew have to say about Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! you can read their reviews HERE.
We received the Hey, Andrew!  Teach Me Some Greek Level 1 Workbook, Answer Key and Pronunciation CD at now cost to us, for review purposes.  The opinions stated here are my own and I was not in way sway by the free product.

31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House in a Mary Way, Book Giveaway!

I heard about this giveaway that I had to share with you all!  If you are anything like me, you probably LOVE to have a clean house, yet struggle to do so (sigh).  When I heard about the Free eBook, 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way, I was thinking, that sounds like a plan to me! 

I am excited to read this book, Sarah Mae, the books author, addresses the heart and helps with the why to keep our homes clean, verses the how.   Along with each days reading, she even gives a Martha and a Mary Challenge, which sounds very interesting!
 
The eBook is FREE ONLY for TODAY, so ya might wanna scoot on over and check it out.  After today the eBook will cost ya $4.95.

He Lives

Lyrics & Music by Alfred H. Ackley


Stanza 1:
I serve a risen Saviour; He's in the world today.
I know that He is living, whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He's always near.


Chorus:
He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.


Stanza 2:
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary I never will despair.
I know that He is leading, thro' all the stormy blast;
The day of His appearing will come at last.


Chorus:


Stanza 3:
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian! Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.



I praise the Lord that HE Lives! 

The Building on the Rock Series WINNER...

The Hubs picked #14.......


freddie said...                                                                                               14

I liked Christian Focus on Facebook
April 16, 2011 3:04 AM


Thanks to everyone that entered!!