Looking for Reviewers - Free New York History Curriculum Offer!

Here in New York, we've just officially finished the new "school year."  Our state's regulations give us from July 1 through June 30th as a school year.  So, now that we're through with one year, it's time to think about what we'll teach for the next!

I'm hoping to get my New York State History curriculum out to as many people as possible for this school year, so I've decided to give away some free copies to people who would review it for me on Currclick and/or their blog.

I'm very excited to be able to offer this curriculum, and also to find out what people think of it!  Writing it and getting it published has been a little like having a child, and now I want to see what it will do in the "big wide world."

If you are interested, you can see the curriculum here.

Available now at Currclick!

  Included in the PDF is a link to a website which has more resources, including a printable word document for reading out loud, and a store where many of the recommended books can be purchased.

I would also appreciate it if you would share this offer with your friends and blog readers!  Happy reading!

E-Book Review - The Matthew 6:33 Piano Teacher: How to Teach Piano for the Glory of God

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I have been privileged to be allowed a free copy of this book to review, and I do mean it was a privilege.  It is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or 633music.net, and truly costs less than you'll make teaching your first lesson.  It is written to the first-time piano teacher, but I have been teaching for years, and found plenty of information in this book to help me improve both my teaching and my business skills.

The book is set up in a question - answer format, and it covers everything from the spiritual to the practical.  Just the fact that it includes a spiritual component sets it apart from and above other piano teaching books I've read.   The first question addressed is "Can Teaching Piano Really Affect the Kingdom of God?"  I have to admit that as a Christian and a piano teacher, I had never really considered this question.  I am so grateful that K.M. Logan did, and that she has shared her insights with the rest of us!  It really brings a new meaning to my teaching.  

This book has, in fact, given me a jump-start in getting my own business off the ground.  As I said, I've taught piano lessons for years, but I have never considered it a serious business.  This book came along just when I was trying to figure out how to acquire and manage more students, and I am completely inspired!  Using the information in this book, I have been able to work out a teaching schedule, decide how to bill students, and even set up my own website using an online program she recommended in the book.  I also feel better equipped to help students and prospective students with questions they may have.  

I would recommend this book to any piano teacher, or anyone thinking about teaching piano.  I have read it through and have already started implementing some of the ideas, but I expect to go back to it again and again.  It is 104 pages of great information, covering everything from "Is teaching piano something I want to do?" to "How should I file taxes?" and "Should I require my students to participate in music competitions?"   It includes information from the author's own experience, along with a list of her favorite books and resources.    

Now, I have to get back to working on my advertising!  

My Memories Giveaway - 5 days left!

Good morning, all!  It is Wednesday, and I am sad to say I have had no responses for the giveaway for My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software.  I know it can be a busy time of year, but I would really urge you to look at it.  The product you will receive is worth $40, and it really is good!  I am including a video here so that you can see how easy it is, and how much you can do with the program.

  You can also buy more themes and backgrounds, but the great thing is, they are reusable over and over!  If you buy scrapbook paper at the craft store, you will always have to get more when you run out.  I think this is much more cost-effective.  I've also received e-mails already offering free and discounted paper collections, just in a couple weeks from signing up.  So, please visit my full review, and leave a comment to enter the contest!  After all, someone has to win - it might just be you!

Educating the WholeHearted Child -- A Giveaway for the Best Book Ever!

In my search for educational philosophies, I have come across several books I am interested in reading.  One of them is Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson.  The problem was, the new edition was not published yet.  It promises to have much more than the last edition, so I wanted to wait until the new one came out.  Well, I just found out that it is out, and there is actually a giveaway!  So, if you're interested in the book, click on the name link to get to the giveaway.  They will be drawing names next week, so act quickly!  There are only 3 chances to win.

One of the reasons I am interested in this book, is because the Clarksons use a literature-based educational method, which I enjoy using, myself.  The real draw, though, is that they base their philosophy on the Bible.  I have read about them, and have read some of the articles they've written, and I am very excited to find out how to put it all together to teach my children as God wants them to be taught.  I have started using their book "Our 24 Family Ways" for our Family Bible Time, and it is working well, so far.

So, enjoy the giveaway, and good luck!

Raising Musical Kids

I have a new book review on my website.  The book is called "Raising Musical Kids:  A Guide for Parents" by Dr. Robert A. Cutietta.  If you click here, it will take you to right to the review.  I encourage you to check it out, whether you are a musician or not.  It is a very clear guide on things every parent can do to help their child learn to enjoy music throughout their lives.

If you would like to order the book, you can come back here and order directly from the affiliate link on this page.  Or, do as I did and borrow it from your local library.  I actually intend to buy the book, as there is a lot of information here that will come in handy as my children get older.

Book Review - "Created to be His Help Meet" by Debi Pearl

Right off the bat, I have to tell you that this is one challenging book.  Many marriage books give equal weight to the responsibilities of the husband and the wife.  Not this one.  Some tell you subtle things you can do to change your spouse.  Not this one.  Some suggest that there are situations which can't be helped, and you would be better off if one of you left the relationship.  Not this one.  This book is written to women only, and as such, it gives the woman full responsibility for making her marriage work. Well, not total responsibility, as God plays a significant role in this, too.  The book is subtitled "Discover how God can make your marriage glorious," and there are plenty of examples of marriages that have thrived, and have in fact become glorious.  The author uses her marriage as an example many times, not because it is perfect, but because of what she has learned through her mistakes.

I came across this book at the recommendation of a friend, and we are now going through it as a group study.  The group has so far gotten to chapter four.  However, it is one of those books that you just can't put down.  I read through the whole thing in only a few nights, and have since gone back to read it more slowly and carefully, trying to put some of the information into practice.  Amazingly, I have already seen changes in my own marriage, just from following some of this book imperfectly.  And ~ listen up, ladies ~ this has been accomplished without nagging or crying or any of the usual weapons we use against our husbands!  Miraculously, it has come about because of my being a better wife.

"Created to be His Help Meet" is a wonderful book.  It will make you cry, laugh, and want to hit something (probably Debi Pearl, if only she were nearby!), but in the end it will change you.  If you follow the admonitions here, you will find yourself closer to your husband, closer to God, and closer to being the woman and wife you were meant to be.

~NOTE~ I am attempting to be an Amazon affiliate.  The link here is my affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and ultimately end up buying the book through this link, I will make a tiny amount of money.  Just so you know, I will not post links to anything that I do not wholeheartedly recommend.  I am not trying to make a bunch of cash at someone else's expense.  However, there are some books that I am really excited about, so I decided this might be a good way to share them, and hopefully help with the finances a little at the same time.

Book Review - "A Compromised Generation" by Beth Lambert

"A Compromised Generation:  The Epidemic of Chronic Illness In America's Children" was written by Beth Lambert, with Victoria Kobliner, MS, RD.  It was published in 2010 by First Sentienent Publications.

Anyone who has children, or spends time with children, has probably noticed that our children seem to have more medical issues than past generations.  In this book, Beth Lambert gives a compelling argument that our environment and lifestyles are contributing to diverse maladies such as Autism, ADHD, Celiac disease, and allergies.  Many parents are concerned about what has happened to their children, and unsure about what to do about it.  Potential parents are worried about having children at all, given the possibilities of having a chronically ill child.  This book addresses those issues very well.

Ms. Lambert has done a huge amount of research in this area.  She methodically presents her case, which is that our children are in danger, and then proceeds to tell us why.  Her premise is that there is not one thing that causes Autism, for example.  It is a "perfect storm" of influences.  She also presents the idea that each child reacts in a different way to those influences, depending on their own constitution, how many environmental factors they are encountering, and even the timing of those factors.  The reaction could be unnoticeable in one child, and cause neurological or physical problems in another.  She reviews five different factors:  Medication Overusage, Environmental Toxins/Pollution, Diet and Nutrition, Habits and Lifestyles, and Immunizations.  She ends the book with case studies of children who have been healed from their "chronic" diseases, and a chapter on how to prevent these things in our own children.

I was very impressed by this book.  It it very well-organized, well-researched, and well-notated. It gave me insight into things that I can do for my own children, as well as hope that any mistakes I have made can be remedied in some way.  I would recommend it to anyone who has children, wants to have children, or cares for children.  The author includes a note at the beginning, stating that she documented all of the research presented in the endnotes to leave a "breadcrumb trail" for others to follow.  She also hopes to provide support and guidance to parents.  I believe she accomplished her aim.

Ms. Lambert also has a website based on the book, where you can get more information about these issues.  You can also sign up for e-mails as more information becomes available (I just did!).  The website is: acompromisedgeneration.com

Homeschool Curriculum Review - Expedition Australia

 

Expedition Australia is one of the Download N Go series of E-book unit studies by Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse.  It is available at The Old Schoolhouse Store for $7.95.   http://www.theoldschoolhousestore.com/
It is a 5-day unit study based, of course, on Australia! It was written for children from Kindergarten up to 4th grade.

My first grade son and I were both excited to begin this study.  Australia has a bit of mystery about it, because it seems so very different than everything we are used to here in the United States.  This study did not disappoint us.  It was chock-full of information, and included great internet links to pictures, information, and even videos of all of the animals and places discussed in the curriculum.  The information was arranged in a day-to-day schedule, with everything written in the order that it was to be taught.  Each day included a geographical area to study, an animal to learn about, a city to locate, and an Australian word to learn.  There were also extra activities each day, including learning about the seven continents, boomerangs, and Captain Cook.  The study included printable worksheets for each day, along with printable lapbook items.  It also included a  booklist of books which could be purchased, or borrowed from your library.  (Just a note - our local library had very few books about Australia.  You may want to research this ahead of time.)  Also included are outline maps and many links to reference maps on the web.

My favorite section was an Introduction to Lapbooking by Stephanie Ruby.  I had heard about lapbooks, and even seen some videos of their construction, but had never attempted one, myself.  This introduction gave me the confidence to choose this method as our primary activity for the week.  I think the price is worth it, just for this page, which also contains internet links for more instructions.

We started this unit on a Monday, and finished on the following Monday (Friday was our co-op day, so we did not work on it that day).  The activities took a few hours each day to complete.  We did not do all of the worksheets, although I did go through some orally with my son.  They include short answer questions, and activities like circling the pictures and drawing pictures of your own.  There is a wide variety, to challenge children of different ages.  Much of the same information is addressed in the lapbooking activities, so we chose to concentrate on that instead.  If you have a fast worker or want to spend extra time, you could probably do it all.

One thing I liked about this was that you really could pick and choose your activities.  We tried to cover each of the objectives, but did omit some things.  For instance, there is a part each day where you can find out what the time and temperature is in the city you are studying.  We tried this the first day, but my son does not yet understand  time and temperature concepts well, so the actual numbers were lost on him.  It did give me the opportunity to explain that it was summer in Australia, while it was winter here in the U.S.  He was amazed to find out that in Australia, they celebrate Christmas in the summer!  Some of the activities were even interesting to my almost-two-year-old daughter.  She enjoyed seeing the videos and pictures of animals, and some of the links included coloring pages of the different animals.  I printed them out for both kids, and this gave her something to do while my son was working on his lapbook.  I think she enjoyed being part of "school."  My son enjoyed making his lapbook very much (except for the sticky glue, but that's just him!).  He was able to design it himself, and very proudly showed his progress to Dad each night, explaining the information to him.

In retrospect, I think I would have tried to go through the material more slowly.  There really is a lot of information, and I am not sure we covered it very well.  I tried to complete the unit in five days, as it is designed, but in doing so, we really sped through.  It might even be better to concentrate on each section for a few days, covering the information more thoroughly, or to break it up differently - i.e. geography for a week, animals for a week, etc.

PROS:  This unit was very strong on physical geography.  It had a wide variety of activities and information. Everything was well-explained and easily accessible.  It really was ready to go, and involved very little prep work.  ( I did preview the links ahead of time, and printed and cut out the lapbook items.  Some children would be able to cut them out themselves.)  I was able to download the book to my computer, and only printed out the paper items that were needed to work with (maps and lapbook items).  This cut down on the amount of clutter involved!  I was also able to start right away, instead of waiting for a book to be mailed to me.  It was very good for a visual learner who needs to see pictures and videos, or a kinesthetic learner, who can spend time making and arranging the lapbook.

My son said that the best things were that he learned about  Australia, and got to learn new words.  He also enjoyed learning about the animals.

CONS:  Five cities were introduced, but there was no information about them, other than their location, time, and temperature.  There was also little information about the people who live in Australia, aside from one link about Aborigines.  History was also not emphasized.  The pace was a little fast, as written.  I felt that we were skimming over things and rushing through them to get all of the activities accomplished in a day.  This may or may not be a problem with your children, but my son tends to work slowly.  This was not very Charlotte Mason friendly, involving mostly factual information.  It was also very media-driven, with most of the information coming directly off of the internet, much of it in video form.

My son did not really like the gluing and taping.  This was his only con!  Does anyone know how to make a lapbook with no glue or tape?  Please let me know!

FINAL ANALYSIS:  This was a well-written and organized unit study.  It was adaptable to a wide range of ages and abilities.  It was also well-researched.  It saves a lot of  prep time for the homschool teacher, and gives a very good overview of the country.  I actually learned a lot about Australia that I was not aware of!  I would recommend this study to anyone wanting to add something different to their homeschool schedule.