by Erica Johns | Aug 7, 2017 | Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms, Language Arts, Literature, Spring Fling Giveaways
If you are connected to any groups of Christian homeschoolers on the internet, you have probably heard about The Good and the Beautiful. This newcomer to the homeschool world has taken off as one of the fastest-growing and incredibly popular choices for home education.
One thing that got my attention about The Good and the Beautiful was the mention that they integrate art into their materials. For anyone that has followed me for awhile, you know that I like to say that Art IS History. I know that the works of great artists can enhance our understanding and appreciation of other times, cultures, and historical events in a way that words cannot. So, I had to check it out!
The Good and the Beautiful sponsored this review and giveaway so I could let you know my thoughts on their programs. I’m excited to share with you today what I’ve learned.
The Good and the Beautiful is a non-denominational Christian program that aims to connect learning to the good and beautiful things in life, such as family, God, high moral character, wholesome literature, nature, and more.
Year 1 History
The first collection I reviewed was their Year 1 History. All of their history levels are meant to work for grades 1-12, and to be revisited every 3-4 years. All 4 years of their history cover the same sweep of history, from Ancient times through to Modern history, but each year stops at different spots along the way to dig in and learn more about particular people and events. The family-style intent of the program allows you to gather all of your children around 2 or 3 times a week for an hour-long lesson that includes a wide variety of activities that will keep your children interested and delighted. Leveled Student Explorer books enable each child to work at their own ability level, while the whole family learns the same basic content together, taking the guesswork out of trying to figure out what each age child should be doing. Designed to require very little prep time, I believe homeschool moms will find that a quick glance over the next several lessons will easily allow you to anticipate any extra materials you will need.
The Good and the Beautiful keeps things interesting in their history program by offering a wide variety of activities, which will virtually guarantee that your kids are never bored. Each lesson includes several different elements, which normally include reading to your children, but then spin off into other areas such as:
- memorization
- crafts
- map activities
- timeline activities
- high-quality audio presentations and stories
- opportunities for oral presentations/public speaking
- review activities
- printables
- food activities to enhance the lesson
- cutting activities
- playdough creation
- Keys of History game
- art projects
- writing activities
- fun and interesting learning activities
- videos/documentaries
- copywork/dictation/notebooking elements
- vocabulary
- science activities
I was VERY impressed with the range of different activities that are included, and I appreciated it that you are not bombarded with too many to choose from. In Year 1 History you’ll find that there is a nice balance of interesting variety that will not take too much time or be too overwhelming.
Who is this great for?
- Families homeschooling multiple children that want to simplify and streamline learning
- Families that enjoy bringing together elements from Classical, Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, and traditional approaches to education. The Good and the Beautiful combines them all, without burning you (or your kids) out on any one thing.
- Conservative Christian families that desire Bible-based teaching, completely wholesome literature, and strong instruction about high moral character
Language Arts & Literature
The Good and the Beautiful Language Arts & Literature program has a lot of similarities in the approach to the way the history program is set up:
- Very little prep time required
- wide range of activities throughout
- thoroughly Christian viewpoint
- wholesome content
This program has several components:
- a Course book (one needed per child)
- the course companion (non-consumable and can be shared)
- the reader for this level (non-consumable and can be shared)
- Daily Checklists (each child needs their own copy)
- Geography & Grammar Cards (non-consumable and can be shared)
Lessons are designed to be open-and-go, with little or no prep time required. Children over level 4 are expected/encouraged to work independently through their lessons, and the lessons are written in such a way that they are guided through the steps to actually take ownership of the process. Having had two dyslexic children and some non-typical learners myself, I know that the goal of total independence in learning is not necessarily realistic for all people at a particular stage, but I do like that each step the student should take is clearly communicated, giving them the tools they need to organize themselves and learn to study and progress through the lessons carefully.
Similar to the history program, the Language Arts offers a wide range of activities and approaches to the lessons, so it’s not the same-old-same-old day after day. Instead, new surprises and activity types await with each turn of the page! Included throughout the program are things like:
- memorization (classical educators will especially appreciate this)
- maps
- grammar terms
- literary terms
- sentence diagramming
- drawing
- art appreciation and art history
- reading comprehension
- editing activities
- Latin and Greek roots
- Writing activities
- grammar activities
- poetry appreciation, response, and analysis
- and more!
Several times as I read through the lessons I had the thought that this course would be good for someone that was interested in the grammar portion of Classical Conversations’ Essentials program, but wanted a much less expensive alternative. Classical educators are sure to appreciate the inclusion of sentence diagramming and grammar instruction. Charlotte Mason-style educators are likely to enjoy the inclusion of art and poetry. For those of us that appreciate the practical and efficient route to learning, one of my favorite parts of this program is that they use factual, historical, and informational content while teaching other concepts. So, for instance, instead of a silly made up story used for reading comprehension, your child will be reading about a famous person or event from history, or perhaps about some interesting geographical information. So, you’re getting more “bang for your buck” simply because The Good and the Beautiful capitalizes on these learning opportunities in a meaningful, valuable way.
This Language Arts program has a lot of different components, and it switches things up frequently. For some kids this will be an absolutely delight. For others it may be too unpredictable. Levels 1-5 are available FREE in PDF format, so I think that’s an excellent opportunity to dig in and see if you think this sort of approach is a good fit for your particular children. Personally, I would recommend that once you know The Good and the Beautiful is right for your family, go ahead and order the physical versions. The books are nicely printed, the colored pages are lovely, and it will cost you so much more to try to print it on your own. I believe that these materials are priced at a very good value, with many non-consumable components. You’ll be glad to have the printed versions available to you.
I know that a lot of Enrichment Studies families are curious to know about the inclusion of art and drawing in this program. In the History program, the art was more specifically linked to the content and felt like an enhancement. In the Language Arts & Literature program, the art and drawing activities seemed independent of the content in most cases. I would have loved to see more connections throughout, but for families that enjoy a sprinkle of art throughout their day, it may fit that need very well.
Who is this great for?
- Conservative Christian homeschoolers that want a thoroughly Christian perspective presented and completely wholesome content
- Families that enjoy combining elements of classical, Charlotte Mason, and traditional styles
- Students that thrive on variety and surprise
- Students that can manage multiple different books and materials without difficulty
- Families that enjoy a splash of art and creativity every now and then
Wondering about other materials from The Good and the Beautiful? Check out my review of their Creative Writing Notebook and their Nature Notebook here:
by Erica Johns | Jul 6, 2017 | Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms, Spring Fling Giveaways
Learning about foreign countries and cultures can delight and inspire our children for a lifetime. My own experience as a child doing a research project about Norway fueled a life-long interest in that country and a visit there remains on my bucket list! Carole P. Roman‘s If You Were Me and Lived in…. series offers a delightful walk across the globe for you and your children, so I am very happy that she sent me some books so I could review them for you!
This award-winning collection manages to engage, entertain, inform, and delight the reader with a wide spectrum of sights and sounds from the featured nation. Each book typically tells about the food, families, pasttimes, schools, toys, money, culture, and climate in a way that’s conversational, and also gets the reader thinking and responding to the information. One of the things I appreciated was the pronunciation guides. I can easily imagine a family reading these books together and trying out new names from each culture, and learning a few vocabulary words from the new language. Sounding less “gringo” is a bonus! 🙂 I also enjoyed that the illustrations are full-color, and often combine actual photographs with the friendly artwork.
Officially aimed at ages 5-8, I believe these books will be enjoyed by your older children as well. I had my 14, 16, and 17 year old sons take a look, and they all enjoyed reading through a few of the books, and said that they thought they were well-done and informative, though certainly geared toward somewhat younger readers. I read through my entire stack of If You Were Me books, and learned so many things that I did not already know! I’m sharing some of those insights this week on Instagram this week, so come check those out for some fun.
As I often say, you never know what will inspire your child and spark a flame of interest and exploration, so it is well worth it to provide a nice range of interesting and appealing resources and experiences for our children to draw from. These books would be a wonderful addition to your home library because they provide a nice starting point for becoming more aware of how people in other places live.
Countries included in this series (aff): Italy, Australia, Mexico, India, Cuba, South Korea, France, Scotland, Germany, Greece, Russia, Portugal, Kenya, Turkey, Peru, China, Hungary, Norway, Egypt, Israel, Poland, and Brazil.
Carole P. Roman has many other books for homeschoolers as well, including her If You Were Me and Lived In…History Series! I can enthusiastically recommend her work to other homeschool families. I hope you’ll check her books out!
by Erica Johns | Feb 12, 2017 | Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms, Reviews
I think most parents today realize that, while awesome and helpful and fun in so many ways, the internet also has inherent dangers that we need to be careful of. And don’t even get me started on all the issues with screen time and sensible limits!
In our family, we’ve used an internet safety filter on our computers for probably at least 10 years or more, and while it has been a comfort to have it, it’s not been all that I needed it to be. Every time my kids get a new kindle, phone, or game system, I go through the dance of trying to set up parental controls, and hoping that I’m doing it right, but never really feeling sure that I’ve covered all the bases to keep them safe. And THEN, what about when their friends come over and brings their phones or devices with them? I don’t know what’s safe or not safe on those items at all. Eesh. It’s a lot of responsibility, and even if you trust your kids, you definitely can’t trust that nothing bad will pop up in front of your kids and lead them on a path that you don’t want them on.
Recently I found out that the service we’ve been using is going out of business, so I knew we needed something else for our basic coverage on our computers. Thankfully, I found out about Torch, and it’s a solution to most of my additional concerns about the other devices as well.
Torch is a wifi router that has internet filtering built right into it. Basically, it works to filter content before it comes into your home. Every device that’s connected to it will be able to be made safe for your family, according to your specifications. As a person who really, really hates setting up new technology, Torch is fairly painless. They say it should take about 5 minutes. For me it was a little longer because I didn’t realize that our setup with a combo router/modem required a different approach than it will for folks that are just replacing a router. Once I understood that, it was fairly straightforward to get it going.
Parents can login to the Parental Dashboard to set up users and devices, set bedtimes or other time limits for users, and select what types of content you want filtered for your home. You can choose categories, as well as enter specific sites that you want blocked. There are currently over 30 categories, including adult sites/porn, various types of social media, violence, extremism, weapons, hate, gambling, and more. You can customize this as you see fit.
The Parental Dashboard can be accessed on your computer, tablet, or phone, so even if you’re off at the store or at work, you can manage what’s going on if you need to. The Dashboard also offers you Reporting, so you can see what your kids have been doing online.
Things I liked about it the most:
One thing that I really appreciate about Torch is that it is a tool that helps me control when devices are available. We’ve tried various methods over the years for handling this issue, but overall none have been entirely successful. (Yes, if my kids were perfect, that would have helped, but alas, they are normal kids….) Torch allows me to set my time frame solution once, and forget it. It’s done. So if I want the kindles and game systems to stop being available for my teens at 10pm on school nights, that’s how it goes down even if I’m not there to enforce it. Boom. The end. Parent power!
And if we’re having a hard time getting people to focus on chores or some other task because of all the bright and shiny things vying for their attention on their devices? I can easily hit Pause for the whole house, and amazingly, chores can get done at lightning speed! It’s amazing how motivating the lack of internet access can be. lol
As a family that uses out laptops for school time, I wanted a solution that lets the computers be on, but the rest of the devices off. All I had to do was create a user for School and attach the laptops to that, and give it the parameters I wanted, and then each kid can have their personal devices set for other parameters. For instance, if I don’t want any gaming or kindle access til after school, and stopped before bedtime, that’s easy to set up too.
What it won’t do:
- While I think Torch is a great help for keeping my family safer, it isn’t a replacement for actual parental oversight and awareness.
- If someone turns their phone from wifi to 4G, Torch is no longer working for them. Internal parental controls on all devices are still important and you need to learn how to use them. For my kids, all devices other than computers have parental controls with browsers turned off, app store turned off, and limits on types of music, TV, and movies that can be watched. All that still needs to be there, because most of their devices are portable and aren’t always home, having their content filtered by Torch.
- If you, like us, have a combo router/modem, your Torch is going to connect to that, instead of replacing it. That means that you’ll have to change the password on your old wifi network, therefore forcing everybody to link up with Torch for their wifi instead. If they can still use the old wifi, they can bypass Torch, and that’s not what you want.
Specs and Details:
Torch covers up to 4000 square feet and offers 1 gig per second connection speed
It’s attractive! You won’t hate seeing this on your desk.
Torch will help you
- Pause the internet
- Set bedtimes
- Customize for each child
- Block bad content including adult content
- See reporting and insights to know what your kids are doing online
Torch is available for a one time purchase of the wifi router, and then a monthly fee of $9.99. The purpose of the monthly fee is to support the continuous need for indexing new sites as they come up, and keeping ahead of all the new ways that bad guys have to try to mess with your family through the web. Having seen my own longtime filtering service go out of business, I can see that it is essential for a business like this to have the proper financial setup to be able to keep doing their job of keeping our families safe. That being said, you are not locked into any time commitments for the monthly fee. If you ever choose to stop paying that, you’ll still have the working router and the ability to manually block websites through the Parental Dashboard.
Click here to visit the Torch website.
This review has been underwritten by the kind folks at Torch.
by Erica Johns | Feb 11, 2017 | Freebies, Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms
If grammar gets groans at your house, you’ll love Grammar Galaxy. Using story to engage children in every aspect of language arts, Grammar Galaxy isn’t your typical English curriculum. In fact, moms tell author and homeschool mom, Melanie Wilson, that their children beg to do the lessons every day!
This week I’m hosting a fabulous giveaway from Grammar Galaxy Books. One fortunate winner will receive:
Grammar Galaxy Nebula (Volume 1 for 1st – 6th graders) in the winner’s choice of print or digital
Grammar Galaxy Protostar (Volume 2 for 3rd – 6th graders) in the winner’s choice of print or digital
Winner can be from anywhere in the world! YES, even a non-US resident can win and choose the physical books! Woot!
The value of this giveaway is $120!
What Your Child Will Learn in the Galaxy
Short, comical stories teach concepts in a memorable way. Students discover the havoc that ensues when the evil Gremlin tampers with the English language. Fiction books are labeled as nonfiction and begin coming to life. Rhyming poems and books are ruined when Word Harmony matches words that don’t rhyme. Classic books are relegated to a long-term care library and can’t be checked out.
The royal English children invite students to become fellow grammar guardians in order to save the galaxy from crises like these. Students or teachers read one of the mysteries. Vocabulary words are defined in the text. Discussion questions follow each lesson to check for understanding. Students then complete a corresponding mission in the mission manual that reinforces the concepts. Missions require a minimum of written work and typically include a game or activity to engage students.
Grammar Galaxy: Nebula, the first in a series of language arts texts for first to sixth graders, teaches:
*reading skill development
*literary concepts
*vocabulary
*spelling
*grammar
*composition and
*public speaking
Grammar Galaxy: Protostar, the second in a series of language arts texts for first to sixth graders, teaches:
*literary concepts
*vocabulary
*spelling
*grammar
*dictionary skills
*composition and
*speaking
Grammar Galaxy is a great choice for homeschoolers, teachers, and parents:
*Who want their student to have excellent reading, writing, and speaking skills
*Who want their student to spend less time doing seatwork and more time reading and writing
*Who have a student who is a beginning or reluctant reader (1st/2nd grade and up) or who has mastered Nebula skills (3rd grade and up)
Free for all!
Everyone who enters will be able to be guest guardians with a free, complete lesson from Nebula and Protostar.
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for entering!
by Erica Johns | Dec 11, 2016 | Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms
If you are a Christian homeschooling family that’s looking for materials that will educate your children about creation and a biblical view of origins, you will love this!
Mission: Imperative offers DVDs, books, and actual safari excursions that are focused on creation-related topics, including materials specifically for children.
Their The Adventures of Ranger Mike DVDs are geared toward teaching kids about creation mysteries in a fun way.
In Search of Behemoth: While sneaking quietly through the grass, Ranger Mike comes across some huge creatures. He is on a quest to find some clues about the age-old puzzle of “behemoth.” The Book of Job mentions behemoth, and Ranger Mike shows how the Bible can solve this mystery!
Hide and Seek: Something’s there! Lurking in the shadows! What is it? Join Ranger Mike in South Africa as he plays and unusual game of “hide and seek” while trying to solve the mystery of the elusive “monster.” During the adventure he’ll show all sorts of secret wonders of God’s creation.
The giveaway has ended. Our winner is Christina. Thanks to all who entered!
by Erica Johns | Dec 5, 2016 | Freebies, Great Stuff for Homeschool Moms
Are you wanting to be educated, encouraged, and equipped in your homeschool journey? Then you will want to attend one of the Great Homeschool Conventions in 2017!
The 2017 dates and locations are:
TEXAS Homeschool Convention, Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX – February 23-25, 2017
SOUTHEAST Homeschool Convention, TD Convention Center, Greenville, SC, March 16-18, 2017
MIDWEST Homeschool Convention, Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH, April 20 – 22, 2017
CALIFORNIA Homeschool Convention, Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, CA, June 15 – 17, 2017
This year, GHC will feature more than 230 speaking sessions, led by a world-class featured speaker roster which also includes a number of highly-focused special tracks.
Special Tracks
- Cynthia Tobias, a regular contributor and radio broadcaster for Focus on the Family, will be speaking in our Parenting Track along with Norm Wakefield, Drive Thru History’s Dave Stotts, Dr. Thomas White, Pastor Randy Frazee, and more.
- J. Warner Wallace, atheist-turned-Christian author and homicide detective, will speak to our teens during the Real Faith for the Real World teen track.
- Sarah Mackenzie, Dr. Christopher Perrin, Adam Andrews, John De Gree, Dr. Carol Reynolds, S.D. Smith, and more, are back and better than ever, presenting invaluable sessions for the Classical Education Track.
- New this year is our Charlotte Mason Track with guest presenters Brandy Vencel, Dr. Jen Spencer, and Sheila Carroll.
- Janice Campbell will be sharing her wisdom and years of experience as a seasoned homeschooler in the Homeschool 101 track structured to guide beginning homeschooling families and those just considering homeschooling.
- Our College Track, sponsored by Cedarville University, will address theme Life Beyond High School: How to pay for and go through the process of choosing the right college.
Workshop Sessions
In addition to these focused tracks, we also have a host of other speaking sessions covering how-to’s and tips of teaching math, language arts, science, writing, foreign language, and more. Check out our posted workshop preview which is only a sample of what is to come.
Moms will benefit from sessions encouraging them to continue their homeschooling journey, despite the obstacles and stresses that may be involved.
Children will have the option to enjoy a conference of their own! Hosted by Giant Cow Ministries, your children will love this high-energy, Biblical-based children’s conference.
Exhibit Hall
A huge exhibit hall will be available for you to explore all the best curriculum and homeschooling resources available under one roof. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes! Many of the curriculum authors will be present to answer your questions and help you decide which curriculum best fits your child’s learning style. There is no better way to make that all-important curriculum decision than to have “hands-on” access to every possible resource, right before your eyes.
Special Events
As each day winds down after a full schedule of presentations and shopping, you will have the opportunity to spend valuable time with your family and enjoy the evenings at our special events.
Jeff Foxworthy
Jeff Foxworthy Live! 13 Million Albums Sold….Largest Selling Comedian of all Time! Coming to the Texas Homeschool Convention.
Jeff Foxworthy is one of the most respected and successful comedians in the country. He is the largest-selling comedy-recording artist in history, a multiple Grammy Award nominee, and best-selling author of more than 26 books. In 2014, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Widely known for his redneck jokes, his act goes well beyond them to explore the humor in everyday family interactions and human nature, a style that has been compared to Mark Twain’s.
Holocaust Survivor Dr. Inge Auerbacher
Coming to Texas!
Holocaust survivor Dr. Inge Auerbacher will give an account of her time spent in a concentration camp beginning as a 7-year-old child. She spent the worst years of her life surviving as best she could with her family in the cruelest of conditions. Her story helps us to “Never Forget.” Dr. Auerbacher is living history that you and your children may never have the opportunity to witness again.
Andrew Peterson
Coming to all four 2017 GHC events!
Christian homeschooling dad and musician Andrew Peterson will perform on Thursday evening and lead a very special workshop session on Friday morning! As a musician in Nashville, he has “been about the business of quietly changing lives in four-minute increments.” Join us for an evening enjoying Andrew’s music, as well as his special Friday morning session!
Nick Vujicic
Coming to Texas and California events!
We are very honored to also welcome Nick Vujicic! Born without arms or legs, Nick has chosen to be “better instead of bitter.” He will deliver an inspirational and compelling testimony about his determination to enjoy the life and purpose God has given him.
Michael Franzese
Coming to all four 2017 events!
Michael Franzese, former mobster with the feared Colombo crime family, will give his testimony as a born-again Christian. This session is described by past listeners as “…open and honest…fresh and unique. Audiences are captivated by stories of his personal experiences in organized crime and genuinely affected by his powerful anti-crime messages and eye-opening revelations.”
Mike Berenstain
Coming to the MidWest event!
Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962. Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Though Stan died in 2005, and Jan in 2012, Mike continues to create the delightful Bear adventures from his studio in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks much like the sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country.
Bob Smiley
Coming to the SouthEast, MidWest, and California events!
Many moons ago—before the invention of Ritalin or the Internet—a young, broke college student named Roberto Antonio Smiley (Bob) signed up for a stand-up competition at his Student Union Building. The prize money was $500, which was nearly 5 months rent for the “efficiency” closet Smiley was living in at the time. Though he had never stepped on a stage, and the only prior laughs he had gotten were due to his colossal leprechaun ears, he went for the gold. When he arrived, his only competition was a grown man wearing an oversized sombrero with no act…so…he won the money and the tender hearts of his fellow students. The rest is history.
John Crist
Coming to the MidWest event!
John Crist continues to gain momentum as one of America’s young rising stars of comedy. Crist’s style of edgy but clean comedy keeps him on the road for a whirlwind schedule of over 250 live shows per year.
When asked how he finds the inspiration to write jokes, Crist says, “Shoot, I grew up in the south. My dad is a pastor, and I was the third of eight homeschooled children. Coming from a background like that, how do you not write jokes?!”
FREE Gifts to all that register:
As an additional benefit, those who register for the convention receive the following:
- A free Andrew Peterson album download (8 songs, a $7.99 value!)
- Free streaming access ($59 value) to all twelve episodes of “Ancient History” as well as “The Gospels” (episode 1) from our friends at DriveThru History. (Don’t wait though—the free access to these awesome history episodes is available only until October 1, 2017.)
- A free download of The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers e-book by Mike Berenstain (a $1.99 value) E-book offer is from the publisher, Zondervan.
- A free download of Focus on the Family audio recording: Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom ($9.99 value)
- A free download of Adventures in Odyssey episode of Amazing Grace ($1.99 value)
Accommodations
Don’t forget to book your accommodations! Partnering hotels offer great rates to convention attendees, but our reserved blocks of hotel rooms sell out quickly, so be sure to book early. Find a hotel here.
As you can see, this coming year is going to be better than ever. We strive to educate by presenting speakers who are professionals in their field and who can better prepare you for the journey, aspire to encourage you as you connect with like-minded, grace-filled families, and endeavor to equip you with comprehensive curriculum choices in the largest homeschool curriculum halls in the country.
Our mission is to help you and your children’s homeschooling journey so that it may be more successful and less stressful in your God-given right to home-educate your children.
Invite your friends and family to a homeschooling event like none other!! Early-bird discounts are on-sale now.
Here’s what others are saying:
I was so overwhelmed as this is my first year homeschooling. I walked away with a greater sense of confidence and direction.
—Michele
My husband got the encouragement he needed to be a part of our homeschool experience.
—Nicole
The quality and variety of speakers is what sets this convention apart from others.
—Coreline
Definitely the place to go to get answers to any questions you may have about curriculum.
—Nikki G
Go! It’s worth every minute and every penny!
—Melissa T
Great Homeschool Conventions is very thankful for their sponsors: World News Group, World Vision, Focus on the Family/Adventures in Odyssey, National Center for Life and Liberty, and Cedarville University!
This giveaway has ended. The winner is Leesa. Congratulations!
