Welcome Back to Home Port!

The TOS Review Crew Cruise has finished its sail around the world. As First Mate, I want to thank each and every one of you personally for joining me these past seven months as we explored the vast oceans of homeschool curricula, toys, and books. Altogether, we stopped at nearly fifty different ports of call (or review items, for you landlubbers). Some items were lumped into one larger review for one publisher. Plus, I threw in a few bonus reviews from other vendors.

Uncharted waters are a thing of the past with Knowledge Quest’s The ABCs of Homeschooling course. We stopped at Writers’ Inlet and discovered that it’s not a dry dessert; a fountain of writing ideas abounds with the One Year Adventure Novel and Write Shop curricula. Imagination Island overflowed with toys and books from One2Believe, Schleich, Alphabet Alley, Media Angels, Salem Ridge Press, The Little Man in the Map and more. Smorgasbord Sound had an almost overwhelming number of options with Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace, Core Learning, Critical Thinking, Five in a Row, Memoria Press, and more. Our climb up Math Mountain was a breeze with Times Tales, Mammoth Math, Math Tutor DVDs, and ALEKS. Artistic Pursuits and the Spears Art Studio were our two stops on Artist Alley. Other memorable stops included Apologia Science, Generations of Virtue, SpellQuizzer, and Motherboard Press.

I know some people are putting together a Top 10 or a Top 20 list, but that just seems too hard to me! So, I’m going to wimp out and tell you my children’s top choices instead. My ninth grader jumped up and down and squealed so loudly that the windows rattled when the One Year Adventure Novel arrived. When The Little Man in the Map book arrived, I was skeptical, but my fifth grader snatched the book out of my hands and had the locations of all fifty states memorized in less than an hour. She still looks at a regular map and names the states by saying what part of the little man they are; she also rereads it. That’s a winner in my book!

Thank you for sailing with me on this great adventure. I’ve learned about so many different products and curricula that I would otherwise not have had the chance to even see, let alone hold in my hands and actually try. It’s been challenging, though, to meet so many deadlines and to think of something creative and different to say about each and every item. I like to think that these past few months are just the beginning of a longer voyage for me. I hope you’ll continue to follow my adventures here on my blog. In the mean time, happy sailing!

All About You . . . A to Z on HOTM

Last month Heart of the Matter hosted a delurk-a-thon and we really enjoyed learning more about our readers. It was so much fun that we want to do it again . . . with a twist.

We want to know all about YOU . . . from A to Z and everything in between. Every weekday from now until May 26th we will be hosting a different letter of the alphabet and we invite you to share some things about yourself using the letter of the day.

You can have conversations with each other in the comment section. Scroll down and see. Sweet, huh! So, if you see someone who has something in common with you, leave them a comment back. See how many people you share the same interests with. Let’s all make some new friends!

You can also subscribe to the comments for this post by clicking the checkbox for “notify me of followup comments via e-mail” way down at the bottom of this post. That way, you won’t miss a thing! Also, be sure to post about this on your own blog and invite your friends to join in.

Monday, April 27, 2009 - A; Tuesday, April 28, 2009 - B

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - C; Thursday, April 30, 2009 - D

Friday, May 01, 2009 - E; Monday, May 04, 2009 - F

Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - G; Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - H

Thursday, May 07, 2009 - I; Friday, May 08, 2009 - J

Monday, May 11, 2009 - K; Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - L

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 - M; Thursday, May 14, 2009 - N

Friday, May 15, 2009 - O; Monday, May 18, 2009 - P

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - R; Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - S

Thursday, May 21, 2009 - T; Friday, May 22, 2009 - U and V

Monday, May 25, 2009 - W; Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - X, Y, and Z

So, click here to tell us something about yourself that begins with the letter A. Be sure to leave me a message here so I know you're participating! I'd love to learn more about you, too!

Calling All Classical Homeschoolers!

Calling all classical homeschoolers! If you’re looking for a painless way to integrate the pillars of classical education—Latin, logic, and rhetoric—into your homeschool, look no further than Memoria Press. No Latin background? No problem! First Form Latin is a unique, non-threatening introduction to Latin. Traditional Logic I will ease middle school students into the logic years smoothly. Tenth through twelfth graders need to learn to tie everything together and how to present themselves and their ideals clearly, whether writing or speaking. Classical Rhetoric will help them prepare to write essays and give speeches that are college-worthy.

First Form Latin (geared towards students fifth grade and up) is a brand new, revolutionary Latin program. It teaches the grammar of Latin systematically, not topically. This helps the student understand and retain the information better, and really makes more sense. Copious, but not onerous, exercises guarantee mastery. My favorite feature is the Teacher’s Guide, which is in a binder for easy access to the clear, step-by-step lesson plans, drill sheets (reproducible), vocabulary drill sheets (also reproducible), and all the answer keys. Creative ideas make light work out of the drudgery of necessary repetitiveness. The Teacher’s Guide also helps with general lesson planning and additional information to help you understand the language better. The student textbook and workbook are separate so the textbook can be open for easy reference while the student completes the workbook exercises. Students will learn well-known and some more obscure Latin sayings and the stories behind them. Proper pronunciation and inflection are taught from the very beginning. I have never seen another more thorough, easy-to-understand, beginning Latin program—and I’ve used three or four others.

Traditional Logic 1 is much easier to understand and more user-friendly than other logic texts I have seen. My ninth grader could easily grasp the concepts without watching the DVD lessons, but she thought that younger students would appreciate being led through the lessons by a teacher. Here is your introduction to formal logic and better test scores. This is the way to help your students learn to think for themselves. The textbook is written to the students for independent learning, has many clear examples and nifty diagrams, and written exercises to reinforce the concepts. The student book, answer key, and DVD set is $68.95 (also available separately).

Classical Rhetoric (student book, $39.95 and answer key, $4.95) is a “guided tour through the first part of the greatest single book on communication ever written.” You’ve taught your children what they need to know (the grammar stage); you’ve taught them to think logically and critically through various worldviews (the logic stage); now it’s time to teach them how to communicate their beliefs clearly and concisely. It’s time to teach them rhetoric. While I feel comfortable writing myself, I didn’t feel comfortable teaching rhetoric. Memoria Press to the rescue! The textbook is written to the students on their level with many concrete examples to help them internalize the ideas. Don’t worry, the answer key will help you make sure your students stay on track even if you aren’t familiar with rhetoric. The main text is The Rhetoric and Poetics of Aristotle ($13.75). How to Read a Book ($15) is one of the recommended books. It’s an organized, systematic method of the art of reading, understanding, and retaining books. You can see from the text exactly how to use the examples. It’s so good that I’m making my daughter go through it two years in a row! Your children will be well-prepared to read and study college textbooks after learning from this book! Another recommended book is Figures of Speech ($16). It is full of clever witticisms and well-known examples from classic literature—analyzed and integrated into the program.

I Changed My Template Using HTML!

Well, pat me on the back! While I consider myself fairly compter-savvy, I've never attempted to do more with HTML than cut and paste. I was surfing around the internet and found this nifty site that included changing the width of the main column using HTML coding. I actually made it work!! The author just requested that anyone using his guides post a link back to his site, so here it is: The Blogger Guide.

A Little of This and a Little of That

I've been meaning to post a personal post (not a review) for a while, but just haven't made it this far. So, instead of having a different post for each topic, I'll put several topics into one post. I never confessed to being a TIME organization guru, did I? Good!

First things first: I managed to break my toe and am on enforced bed/couch rest. Ugh! The upside is that I have lots of extra time to work on computer projects. The downside is that I can't do anything that requires standing, walking, or driving. So, it's time to do a reality check on my training my kids to do chores around the house. Hhmmm, a bit of supervision is still needed, but they're trying. Do I hear a home ec class calling?

The other week, I finally organized all of my loose recipes (mostly ones printed from AllRecipes.com or sent in emails from friends) and my Kraft Food magazines. I set up a binder (not a surprise for those of you who've read some of my other organizational posts) with tabs for my most-used categories (chicken, ground meat, salads, sides, etc.). Then I hole-punched every recipe (after quickly reviewing them to make sure I still wanted them) and put them in the appropriate sections. I ripped out my family's favorite recipes from the Kraft Food magazines and filed those as well.

Guess what time of year it is? If you guessed homeschool convention time, you're correct! It's also the time of year when most homeschoolers start thinking about the curricula they'll be using the next year. Many publishers have special sales at this time of year, and used curriucla sales lurk around every corner, so this is definitely the time to buy. The most important thing, whether you plan to attend a convention, buy all your curricula new online, or skulk the used bins, is to make a list. Start by evaluating what you've used this past year to see if you want to continue using the same publisher or style for next year. Go ahead and poll your kids to see what they think, too. Then,ask your friends for recommendations, check out the many available online reviews (like the ones on my blog and on The Homeschool Lounge), and peruse catalogues while you make your list. Make sure you include consummable workbooks for the younger children and the math manipulatives that went missing at Thanksgiving. That's it! You're ready to shop! Drop me a line and let me know how your list making goes.

My true confession for this post is that, yes, I do have my list completed, but I didn't finish it until last week (late for me). One other thing I like to do on my list is to make separate columns for the publisher and/or the cheapest place (online or catalogue) to buy the curriculum and the best price I found. That way I know whether or not I'm getting a bargain when I shop at used sales and book fairs. Do you have a great tip for making your curricula list or for shopping for curricula? Please share it with us!

WriteShop Primary Book A Review - An Early Start for Writing

How do I teach my little ones to write without frustration—for them and for me? I’m so glad you asked! WriteShop has just finished a new curriculum designed for kindergarteners through third graders that is just as helpful and amazing as their other products.

WriteShop Primary Book A will help you plan the lessons to fit the ability of your children; it will give you creative ideas for teaching the lessons; it will provide fun worksheets to get your kids’ excited about writing. The WriteShop Primary series is a non-threatening way to get your children to develop a love for writing early. Several different planning scenarios are provided for slower, younger tracks and for faster, older tracks. Also, many lessons provide additional or alternative lessons for Smaller Steps or Flying Higher to further personalize the curriculum. The activity worksheets are an integral part of the program, and your kids will enjoy having something to show Dad when he gets home from work. Even though my youngest child is in fifth grade and is able to write adequately (when she puts her mind to it), she enjoyed our adaptation of the “You’re the Star” lesson and happily wrote several sentences on each star I had precut.

The WriteShop Primary Book A Teacher’s Guide is $26.95 (plus s/h) for the printed version and $24.25 for the e-book version. The printed version of the Activity Set Worksheet Pack is $4.95 (plus s/h) and the e-book version is $4.50. All are reproducible and reusable. The e-book versions provide instant gratification and are easy to download and store on your computer or a portable drive. I prefer the printed version since I would not be able to print the entire thing for the difference in price. It’s also easier to see the entire scope and sequence and to get a feel for how it all works with an actual print version. Whichever version you choose, you are sure to be pleased with the product and the result. The WriteShop Primary series will produce happy, competent writers, which will produce happy moms.

From Worry to Worship in Six Steps

This is just a teaser—check out the full article at Heart of the Matter Online.

We would all say that, of course, worship is better than worry, but what exactly are we talking about? I like lists. I like knowing the facts. So, I decided to look at the facts and make a list.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines worry as, first of all, choking, strangling, harassing, tormenting, and struggling.

Worship, on the other hand, is focusing totally on someone else.
In my dictionary, there are six words separating worry and worship—so close, and yet so far! How do we make that six-step leap from worry to worship? I found six scripture passages that can act like steppingstones on the path from worry to worship.

1. Isaiah 48:17–18 (NIV) tell us that obedience is the key to peace, which is the opposite of worry. It says, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river.”
2. What does obedience have to do with worship? We are commanded not to worry in the book of Matthew (6:25–34).
3. Jesus tells us in the story of the woman at the well that we must worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, NIV). If our spirits are consumed with worshipping God, we won’t have time to be worried.
4. So, what are we to think about if we can’t worry about next week’s schedule or our health? Philippians 4 lays it out pretty clearly: We are to dwell on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
5. Isn’t worship something that happens on Sunday mornings in the church sanctuary? Do we have to come to church every day in order to worship God, or do we just have to worship on Sundays? The apostle Paul commands us to present our “bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:2, NIV).
6. Now, we’re ready to worship. Psalm 95:6–7 say, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”

I know you all want to know if this is my secret formula for not worrying.
choose worship over worry. You have to read the rest at HOTM in order to find out!

A Woman Inspiried Conference

I'm deviating from my normal blogging style to let everyone know that I'm listening in on A Woman Inspired Conference and IT IS FABULOUS!! See that little button to the right? Click on it to join in on the online conference. Miss a live session? They'll be available to download next month. Come join us!

How did Amy B. know that I really needed to hear her message about friendships? I thought I was the only one who had difficulties in that area?

A Woman Inspired Conference is sponsored by Heart of the Matter, the online homeschool magazine for which I write sometimes.

TOS Isn't Fooling Around--Check Out the Great Deals!

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is not fooling around on April 1st!On April 1st, 2009, ONLY, we are offering our No Fooling Around Deal to new U.S. subscribers. For only $14.09, new subscribers will receive a one-year print and one-year digital subscription to The Old Schoolhouse© Magazine. But, this deal ends at 12:00 a.m. on April 2nd, 2009!It’s a great deal on our one-year, U.S., subscription and earn some quick commissions on April 1st! Just click here for this special deal.


Here's a better-than-chocolate festive treat from The Old Schoolhouse© Magazine designed especially for you to help make your homeschool and Easter holidaycelebration a memorable and more meaningful occasion! Just click here to find out about these three, totally free, instant downloads.