Writing with Sharon Watson- Crew Review

We've had the pleasure of reviewing a Writing with Sharon Watson product called Writing Fiction in High School before and we truly loved it.   So when the opportunity arose to review a second product from her, Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide, I may just have jumped up and down yelling pick me, pick me!  My 17 daughter, who is a junior but technically done with high school, even eagerly agreed to go through it for me.

When Worlds Collide is a literature program written for Christian High Schools and Homeschools.  It focuses on 8 books-

Pudd'nhead Wilson
The War of the Worlds
The Friendly Persuasion
Peter Pan
Warriors Don't Cry
A Tale of Two Cities
Fahrenheit 451
The Screwtape Letters.

We were provided with the Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide Teacher's Guide, When Worlds Collide Student Book, free download of The Student Novel Notebook, When Worlds Collide Quiz and Answer Manuel and the books Pudd'nhead Wilson and The War of the Worlds, neither of which my daughter had read!

The glory of homeschooling- reading anywhere!

In the When Worlds Collide Student Book, each Unit begins with a section called Before You Read the Book.  This section talks about the author as well as any historical context your student may need to know.  Following this section are several lessons to prepare your student for literary concepts they will encounter in each specific book.  After those initial lessons are completed, it is time to read.  Sharon gives a loose weekly lesson plan to help you schedule your chapter reading.  Once the reading is complete, your student then moves on to additional lessons.  These lessons include quizzes, review questions about the literary concepts as well as review questions about the book, and then ends with activities to choose from to complete the book study.  Examples of literary concepts discussed are alliteration, irony, satire, plot stages, hyperbole and more. Activities for each book vary, but include things like short story writing, book and movie comparisons and research and essay writing. Your student is encouraged to choose one.  Each book and its corresponding lessons are completed in four weeks.

The Novel Notebook, a free downloadable PDF file is a fun addition, though not required.  It is used during the reading portion of the study to help your child focus on the story in more detail.  In the notebook, or a composition book if you choose, they will record things like their favorite passages, quotes, examples of the literary devices they have learned, things they liked and parts they disliked.  Think of it as a personal journal of sorts where your child is free to think outside the box critique and even dream.

The Teachers Book has the answers and everything else you may want or need to know.  I have never seen a teacher's guide that is so thorough.  It guides you to lead an individual through the course as well as a group, whether in a class setting or as a reading group.  It has background information, fun facts to share, teaching hints and discussion starters,  and even quotes and links to share with your students.  Grading grids are provided to help you in grading as well as fun treat ideas to provide a little fun in between the work.

The When Worlds Collide Quiz and Answer Manuel provides two quizzes and an opinion survey for each book.  The first quiz is a "Yes, I read it" quiz with multiple choice questions pertaining to the book.  The second quiz is a "Literary Terms" quiz, that tests the students comprehension of the literary terms that have been learned in the study of each particular book.  It too, is multiple choice.  The Opinion Survey for each book is an ungraded quiz that allows your child to express their opinions, but also in a multiple choice format.  Your child can take the quizzes online if you prefer and they will automatically be graded for you.  If you choose that option, an email will be sent to them with their grade and a full report of the questions they got right and wrong.

Doesn't every teen do homework in Disney Minnie ears?

How we used this program-
Because of the age of my daughter, she did do all of this program independently, with me just spot checking her work occasionally.  The program is written with the student in mind and is easy to follow, which is one of the reasons we like Writing With Sharon Watson products so much.  It is my opinion that once your children hit the high school level, they should be self motivated enough to work independently, as well as use products that teach them how to follow directions and learn on their own.  By all means, we should know what are kids are working on, but by the time they are teens, teaching independence is a skill that will behoove them.

Riley therefore followed the suggested schedule in the student book, filled out the Novel Notebook while she read and did all of the quizzes on her own.  She completed the first book, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and all the related quizzes and activities in four weeks.  She is now ready to begin War of the Worlds.

What we thought- In Riley's own words-
I like that Mrs. Watson picked a wide range of authors and genres and they are not all the typical novels that everyone reads.  I also like that she writes conversationally without dumbing things down!

As for me, well, YES, I love this program!  Like others that Sharon has written it is fun and engaging while being a good, solid, unapologetically Christian worldview program.  I love that it it asks deep, thought provoking questions, and yet encourages a little fun like themed based snack ideas if you are hosting a group of students.  I love that it encourages reading good literature and helps students think outside the box while analyzing that literature.  I also love that the activities offered at the end of each book are interesting and varied to fit many students' needs and learning style.  It it not just a one fits all approach.  Illuminating Literature: When Worlds Collide is well written, well organized, and a joy to use!

Now THAT is a good Literature curriculum, don't you think?  Plus now through August 31st, you can use the code HM3US4QH  to get 20% off this program!

Here's the Plan- Homeschool High School Blog Hop

It is often funny to me that people are not amazed that we homeschool, but that we homeschooled for high school.  Teaching reading and math seems insignificant to people, but move it to a high school level and well, that blows them away for some reason.

I have mentioned before that we did not start this journey with the intention of homeschooling our kids forever.  Really, I had all intentions of sending the kids to the private school sector when they got older.  But things changed.  A lot of things. God has a way of doing that, doesn't He?

I loved learning with my kids.
I enjoyed spending time with them.
I loved seeing them grow and mature.
I delighted in seeing their test scores continue to rise
I loved the relationships schooling at home was building between our kids.
And eventually I could not imagine doing things any other way.  Even for high school.

I know, I know, some people think high schoolers are scary.  I love them.  Yes, they can be emotional and wishy washy sometimes, but, hey, so can I!  On a whole though, they are fascinating creatures who have brought me a lot of joy.  And so far we have rather successfully gotten two through the high school years, with two to go.

I can do this!

Good news- you can too!  It all starts with a little planning, so let's talk about that today as we continue in our Homeschool High School Blog Hop.  It is not really that hard, but there are a few things you should know in the beginning of this journey.

• The first step is to know what your state's requirements are for graduation.  Some states require three sciences, some four.  Other want physical education every year, while others couldn't care less.  A quick peek online will tell you what your state requires.

• Your next step is to plan ahead.  While you may not yet know what specific curriculum you will be using, you should at least know what year you will be fitting in each subject.

For example-

8th Grade		Pre-Algebra	Physical Science	U.S. History
9th Grade	English Comp. 1	Algebra  1	Biology	Church History	Elective	Foreign Language
10th Grade	English Comp. 2	Geometry	Chemistry	World History	Elective	Foreign Language
11th Grade	English Comp. 3	Algebra  2	Physics	Government	Elective
12th Grade	English Comp. 4		Science Elective	Geography	Elective

And yes, you read that correctly.  We start some high school subjects in our 8th grade year.  As long as it is highschool level work, it is fine.  Just make sure you document EVERYTHING is case anyone questions you.

I recommend you also begin to look at colleges or any program your child might be interested in by 9th grade.  No one is asking you to make a commitment yet, but you do not want to find out in your child's junior or senior year that there is a requirement for a specific program that you have no time to fit in. Know your options and you will not get yourself into a bind.

If your child is not college bound, begin to look at the options that better suit him or her and help them work in those specific directions.  A student bound for nursing school needs more science and math classes than someone considering a history or art major.  Someone headed to a military academy needs to make sure they have specific boxes checked off to compete for those coveted slots. Technical training, such as needed for an EMT, can begin at age 18.  Don't limit your child - think outside the box.

• Dual Credit what you can! I have mentioned this in the past, but it bears repeating.  If your child can take a college level class during high school and get credit for a high school class AND a college class, why wouldn't you do that?  Many colleges offer a discount for high school juniors and seniors and it is a great way to get ahead of the game.  My high school senior will only be taking dual credit classes her senior year and will be able to enter college as a junior.  It is a win win situation!

Keep in mind that what your state requires for graduation may not be the same as what a specific college require for admittance.  A perfect example of this would be in the foreign language department.  While many states just want two years of a foreign language, some schools request three years and some none at all.

The bottom line is that you need to know the requirements for both and decide what is best for your student.  Homeschooling high school is doable and with a little foresight and planning it can be done well!  And even easily!

Join us back here July 29th as we discuss the world of electives for highschoolers!  Until then you can see what some friends are planning and how they are making those decisions-


Meg from Adventures with Jude on Planning Your Homeschool High School
Chareen at Every Bed of Roses with thoughts on Planning to Homeschool through the High School Years
April from ElCloud Homeschool shares Homeschooling High School: Planning For High School
Debra over at Footprints in the Butter asks: You mean I have to PLAN our Homeschool High School?!?
Lisa at Golden Grasses says Don't Panic! Homeshcooling High School Blog Hop
Debbie at Debbie's Homeschool Corner Planning Out a High School Program
Gena over at I Choose Joy! shares her The Top Tip for Planning Homeschool High School
Kym at Homeschool Coffee Break shares on Planning and Preparing for Success
Tess from Circling Through This Life shares on Planning the High School Years
Erica over at Be The One shares Planning and Record Keeping for High School
Jennifer from A Glimpse of Our Life on Planning For Homeschooling Highschool
Carol over at Home Sweet Life on Making A Plan
Wendy at Life at Rossmont shares thoughts on Planning for High School
Cristi from Through the Calm and Through the Storm shares on Making High School Plans
Dawn Oaks at Double O Farms shares Planning for the High School Years
Leah from As We Walk Along the Road shares her thoughts on Making Plans for Homeschooling Through High School
Leah from As We Walk Along the Road shares her thoughts on Making Plans for Homeschooling Through High School


Linking up with friends!

Blessings,

Homeschooling High School Blog Hop

Yes, you CAN homeschool a highschooler.  Trust me, I have done it.  Our oldest child graduated from college in December, a semester early at that, and did extremely well.  We currently have a high school "junior" who is technically done with highschool and has enough college credits to be a second semester freshman.  Our goal is for her to enter college as a junior.  We also have an 8th grade son who will begin some highschool level classes in August.  It is not easy, but it can be done.  And it can be done successfully.

One of the keys to doing well is having a solid high school background and one of the keys to having a solid high school background is knowledge.  Lots and lots of knowledge.  About classes, choices, curriculum and more.

Luckily for you and me, there are lots who have gone before us and love to share what they have learned.  My friends, that makes our lives easier.

I am teaming up with a group of friends who have been there done that and are also currently in the trenches of homeschooling.  And once a month for the next 7 months they are going to share their wisdom, trials, tears and celebrations!  We hope you will join us in hopping from one blog to another and gleaning valuable information.  Maybe you will even make a new friend in the process!

Here's what you can expect...

·  24 June - Planning for High School 

·  29 July - Electives 
 

·  26 August - Math, Science, Biology 

·  30 September- Language Arts 

·  28 October - "How am I going to teach High School ...?" 

·  25 November -   How do you fit it all in? 

·  30 December - Graduation 

Here are the gals who you can expect to see participating-

Chareenfrom Every Bed of Roses - Introducing the 2015 Homeschool High School Blog Hop
Jennifer from A Glimpse of Our Life - Meet The Bloggers of The Homeschooling High School Blog Hop
Meg from Adventures with Jude - Hints for Homeschooling High School
Cristi from Through the Calm and Through the Storm - Some Homeschooling High School Friends
Debra from Footprints in the Butter - My Three (Homeschooled High School) Sons
Leah from As We Walk Along the Road - Are You Really Homeschooling Through High School?! The Homeschool High School Blog Hop
Lisa from Golden Grasses - You Can Do It! Homeschooling through High School Blog Hop
Wendy from Life at Rossmont - Introducing High School Homeschooling ... {A Monthly Blog Hop}
Gena from I Choose Joy! - Homeschooling High School monthly blog hop- Introduction
Kym from Homeschool Coffee Break - Meet the Homeschooling High School Bloggers!
Debbie from Debbie's Homeschool Corner - Homeschooling High School
Carol from Home Sweet Life - Homeschooling High School ~ What is it REALLY like?
April from ElCloud Homeschool - Introducing Homeshooling High School
Erica from Be The One - Homeschooling High School
Laura from Day by Day in Our World - Homeschooling High School ~ A New Monthly Series of Posts
Tess from Circling Through This Life - Introducing the Homeschool High School Blog Hop!
Dawn from Double O Farms - Tapping into Great Resources for Homeschooling High School

Who is ready to learn?  See ya back soon!

Blessings,

Visual Learning Systems- Schoolhouse Crew Review

I am so excited to share this review with you!  And trust me when I say that it is a big deal, but because quite frankly, science is not always my favorite subject to teach.  Three cheers for a company that has changed my mind!

For the past 6 weeks, we have been blessed to review an online science program by Visual Learning Systems (VLS) called Digital Science Online: Elementary Edition (Grades K-5) and Digital Science Online: Secondary Edition (Grades 6-12).   VLS is an online program for ages K-12, and based on series of videos covering all aspects of Science.  Yes, Earth, Life, and Physical Science are all covered as well as Health and Biology, in hundreds of videos.   When you access a level, you then choose which area you would like to study, (physical, earth or life) and then which sub category under that.  The sky is the limit with hundreds of videos available.  Don't see a subject you are looking for?  No problem!  There is a search button for each level that will help you locate a specific subject quickly.
.

A little about the videos-

• For ease, the videos are grouped according to level- Primary, Elementary, and Middle/High School.
• Primary videos are about 10-11 minutes in length.  Elementary last about  14-15 minutes and the Middle/High School levels are about 20 minutes.
• Each video is broken down into shorter segments, so that you can watch them like "chapters."
• The videos are narrated by a female in a clear and easy to listen to voice.
• Each video begins with an overview, teaches a concept, reviews, and then ends with a video quiz.
• Throughout the videos are areas that allow you to pause the video to answer questions that are presented, or discuss a concept.
• The videos are mostly live action, but there are also animated sections as well, like how the digestive system works.
• In case it matters to you, this program does meet state science standards as well as Next Generation Science Standards.

When you are done with a video, you have only just begun!  On the side menu of each video are several other options.  One of those options is a student activity tab.  Here you will find numerous worksheets you can print off.  Worksheets include pre and post tests, experiments and other hands on materials, and activity worksheets like fill in the blank and puzzles.

A little about the worksheets-

• Just like the videos, the worksheets are age specific.  Worksheets for younger levels have larger writing and fewer questions.  Tests are the same.
• You will find more than several worksheets per video to print off.
• Activities encourage reading comprehension, writing skills and listening comprehension, as well as creativity.
• Other tabs on each side bar include animations of each video and still pictures.  I would assume these would get used more in a public school setting, but we did look at them in a few cases.
• Worksheet answer keys, as well as full teacher guides are available in a separate teacher's account.

So, how did we use this program?
We are currently in the middle of  2nd grade science so I went into this review thinking this would be "just" an extra fun bonus program.  Plans change, right?  (oh, the glory of homeschooling!)  As soon as we watched ONE of the videos we were hooked!  For the first two weeks, we chose a video to watch one day and then picked several corresponding worksheets to do the following day as a review. We did not do the pre tests, but we did choose to do the post tests to see how much CJ was comprehending.  He scored 100% every time!  Because we had just finished studying animals we used those two weeks to watch as many animal based videos as we could, both at the primary AND secondary levels.
After two weeks, I decided I should move on with our full time curriculum so we changed things up a bit.  You will be surprised at what happened.  Instead of doing less with Visual Learning Systems, we ended up doing more.  After our regularly scheduled science EACH day, we would use the search button to find videos on what we had just learned.  My son and I would sit together and watch the video, with his 7th grade brother even joining us occasionally.  After that I printed out the post test and at least one other worksheet to do.  Yes, it added more work for him. No, not ONCE did he ever complain.  I stand amazed!

What did we think?
We clearly love Visual Learning System's online program.  It is a perfect fit for our son who loves to use the computer in his school day.  While he is not an auditory learner per se, the reinforcement that he is getting each day with a different mode of teaching is helping to solidify the information he is learning,  The videos, of course, just make it more fun.  I would highly recommend this program if you have auditory or visual learners, for sure!

While we found that yes, you can see and hear a difference in the first two levels, CJ, as a 2nd grader had no trouble or preference watching either level.  He did however prefer the worksheets for the primary level, due often to less writing  requirements.  He IS a 7 year old boy, remember!

The activities have made it fun as well.  Our third week we began a unit on the human body and he loved the assignment of tracing his body and drawing in the organs he had learned about that day.  Since we already had a set of x-rays, it was a perfect tie in to our other science.  If your child likes hands on activities, you will find lots to choose from to keep them busy!

For those of you who do not love worksheets, not to worry,  They are comprehensive, but not too much to take up tons of time.  You also of course, can choose not to use any of them if so you desire. The videos can stand alone.  The advantage, of course, to using the worksheets offered is that I believe, you could use this as a complete science program, particularly at the two lower levels.  We did watch a few of the highschool level videos but did not do any of those worksheets, for obvious reasons.

A note to you- Visual Learning Systems is not presented from a Christian point of view.  I think I heard one reference (in 6 weeks worth of usage) about the age of fossils that I did not agree with, coming from a young earth perspective. While at this time, that would not deter me from using this program, you should be aware of that if it would bother you.

Would I change anything?
The only thing I think homeschooling moms would LOVE is if there was a checklist of sorts so you can easily see which of the videos you had already viewed.  We are type A bunch of gals you know! There is a catalog you can access which will show you all of the videos available for each of the levels.

Where do we go from here?
Continuing on, just like the past few weeks!  I am so thrilled to have been introduced to this amazing online Science program.  Already I have seen my son's knowledge grow by leaps and bounds, and my anxiety in teaching science diminish.  Can you believe it- science is actually fun!

Visual Learning Systems has a free preview you can sign up for to see what you think.  The homeschool edition can be purchased for $99.00.

Hurray! It's Time for Summer!

I love participating in Crew Carnivals!  What is a carnival you ask?  (I knew you would!)  It is a time that we all are given a subject, and then each of us blogs about it in our own special way.  The fun part is reading them all, as they are as different and unique as the gals who write them.  This month-
Wrapping Up the Homeschool Year!
I mentioned a while back we had about six weeks of school left.  That's down to about 4, so I made an executive decision, with the permission of the principle of course.   This week is our last full schedule week of  the school year.  
Ah, the glory of homeschooling year round!   One kiddo has been done and doing just review material for weeks.  The other two are down to science and math and reading.  Therefore- done!  With a full schedule, that is.
Next week we are taking off a full week for some fun.  (I will tell you about that soon, promise!)  Then we will return to a 2-3 hour schedule to finish those few subjects and then do "summer" work.  I have several Vacation Station books from Bob Jones University that I love that are reviews and prepare you for the next grade.  In addition, my 16 year old will begin online college classes!  We also tend to do a lot of reviewing curriculum in the summer as it is easy to fit those extras in. Don't worry, we have a lot of fun too.  We have several trips planned and plenty of company coming to keep us busy.  August will be here before we know it and then it will be back to full days.  The learning is never done. It has been a good school year for us.  We made a lot of pretty big changes and next week I want to share with you our favorites of the year.  
Until then, Blessings, 

Simply Put: A Study in Economics- Review and Giveaway!

Does just the mention of the word Economics put the fear of God into your hearts?  It does for me!  Seriously, friends!  I do NOT remember talking about economics in high school.  If we did, my apologies to my teachers, I obviously was too busy making googly eyes with my, then boyfriend, now husband.  But I do remember Economics in college and it still makes me want to cry.  I loathed every minute of it.  I was confused every minute of it.  And it was the only proudly earned "C" I made in college!

That is why I have therefore avoided teaching it to my kids.  I do after all get to make those kind of choices as a homeschool mom.  But, yes, I admit, a little self-centered on my part.  Plus, as far as I have seen there are just not many Economics programs out there for homeschooling families that don't bore them to tears or lose them with fancy terms and diagrams. Which is exactly why Catherine Jamie wrote Simply Put: A Study in Economics- she wanted people with children ages 12 and up to have an alternative to what was currently on the market.  And exactly why I am excited to be on the launch team for this new curriculum.  I needed an alternative!

Simply Put is a 136 page paperback book that is divided into 36 chapters.  By reading two chapters a week, one can finish this course in a semester, which is what many high schools require for graduation.  By taking one chapter at a time and adding a few resources that Catherine recommends, you can possibly make this a full year credit if you so desire.  For grading purposes there is a mid term and final test included.  I received a pdf Teacher's Key that has the answers to these tests as well as two additional activities to use with larger groups.  While the first activity is about the National Budget and can be done by an individual, the second is a Fair Trade in Action game and is recommended for a large group.  The cards used to play are included for you to print out.  Looks like fun, but since we do not currently do school with a large group, we have not attempted to play it.

Also included in the actual book are review questions for each chapter, a glossary for unfamiliar words and several appendices with additional information.  One of the things I found interesting about this particular book is that the chapters are short.  As in one- 4 pages each.  That alone made me relax!  The second thing I noticed right away was the lack of a million charts.  That is what I remember about my college class.  Charts and drawings.  And none of them could I explain to you.  Catherine does have some charts here and there, but she relies more heavily on careful explanation and lots of real life examples, which I highly appreciated.  Her information seems at first glance to be slightly on the simplified level, but she does indeed advertise this as a introductory level class.  Because of that, I like how it is written and that it simply introduces various economic concepts such as supply and demand, price gouging and government intervention.  For many high school students, this just the amount of information they need.  If those topics indeed spark an interest in your student to know more, they will have a good foundation level to further their studies.  Bear in mind, Catherine is a conservative and it shows in her writing.  While that did not bother me in the least, it was quite refreshing at times, if that is not your particular stance, you may be bothered by some ideas that she shares.

I like this book.  While it is not terribly in depth, I think it is a good solid introduction to the basics of Economics and I will be using it next semester with my 10th grader.

About the author - Catherine is a homeschooling mom of 12, ten whom have already graduated.  She graduated from MIT and has spent much of her time traveling and schooling her kids, as well as teaching economics and history classes to other homeschoolers.  She is the author of several books, a speaker, and runs her own homeschool resource center, Creative Leaning Connection.  You can also find Catherine on facebook!

Simply Put: A Study in Economics can be purchased on sale for $6.99 from CurrClick and will include the files for both books or from Creative Learning Connection for $25.00 for the physical set of student book and teacher's key.

I have been authorized to give away one set of ebooks- the student book as well as the teacher's key to one of our readers.  Just leave me a comment and tell me what subject scares you the most to teach and you will be entered to win!  Drawing will be next Friday, Dec. 6th.  

Our launch team is also hosting a mega giveaway with some great prizes!  You can visit Bow of Bronze for your chance to win!

Blessings,

CREWReview- I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. 

Intriguing title, isn't it?  Written by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist was a book I just had to read out of curiosity.  Not to mention it was being offered by Apologia, one of my favorite homeschool and family material resources.

Let me begin by saying - a great read!  But not an easy one.  Intended for highschoolers and up, this is a challenging book aimed to challenge you in not just what you believe, but why you believe it and how to convey that knowledge to others.

From the back cover-

"I wish  [this book] had been available when I was an atheist - it would have saved me a lot of time in my spiritual journey toward God!"- Lee Strobel

"If you are still a skeptic after reading I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist , then I suspect you're living in denial!" - Josh McDowell

""I already know 10 people to whom I will give this book to.  It's truly a Godsend." -David Limbaugh

I love these quotes.  And yes, I have a few people in my life that I want to share this book with too!

My favorite part - the additional spiral bound workbook you can buy to supplement your reading.  Written in an organized manner, you all know I LOVE organization, each section pairs with a chapter from the book and encourages you to think deeply about what you have read and put those thoughts into writing.

How will I use this book in the future?  I have been debating this one for a while now.  I want my girls to read it NOW!  It's got a wealth of information in it and I do not want them to miss a thing.  But, for us, I think we will make this either our 11th or 12th grade bible course.  In the workbook, the authors suggest you take 2-3 weeks to read each chapter and complete the workbook section.  In reality, I think two weeks is more than enough time, one week for reading the chapter, they are really not that long, and one week to answer questions.  That will make finishing the coursework in a school year quite a reachable goal.

Another note about the workbook.  Scattered throughout the pages are short biographies of men and women who influenced our faith.  Even for younger children, these would be great starting points for short summaries to long reports for History or writing assignments!

I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist can be ordered through Apologia here for $16.00.  The Curriculum workbook sells for $33.00 and in my opinion is a must have resource!

To see what fellow CREW members had to say, click on the banner below!

  Disclaimer:  I received a copy of in exchange for my honest review of the product I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist and the workbook..  Opinions expressed are my own and were in no way influenced by the company.