This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to 6 fabulous kids. We are in our 15th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Literature based approach.

Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.



Friday, October 30, 2020

Inspirational and educational radio station for kids with Smart Kids Radio ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations. 

Happy Friday friends! I’m excited to tell you about an awesome product called Smart Kidz Radio. McKenzie, Micah, and I have been listening to Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Radio Program Library, an educational and inspirational radio station for kids, for the last few weeks.

 

Smart Kidz Radio: Member’s On-Demand Radio Program Library can be described as edutainment with hundreds of songs and stories for kids. We were given access to the online, music streaming for six months. Accessing this program is as easy as using an internet browser and there are so many options on this radio program including radio programs, school programs, as well as family programs, so there is something for everyone!



In our house we listen to the radio when we do chores and as background music during our school day. Each night while the kitchen is being cleaned and the house is being tidied up you will find the radio on at our house. You also will hear the radio on as background music during our school day. We have been enjoying listening to the selections on classical composers. Some nights my son has trouble settling down and falling asleep. On these nights I would put on a story from the Smart Kidz collection to help settle him down.

 


Want to know a fantastic thing about this company? Not only do they have quality children’s programing, they also have a foundation called the SmartKidz Foundation, that encourages young people to make a difference not only in their lives but in the lives of others and in the global community as a whole. When you have a subscription to SmartKidz Radio, the company gives 20% of your subscription price goes directly to the SmartKidz Foundation. As a non-profit foundation they help children build self-confidence, compassion, and respect for the environment and provide educational opportunities to young people.

 




We love this program! I especially love that with Smart Kidz Radio I don’t have to worry about what is going to come on and if it is appropriate for my younger kids. Since it is ad-free, I know that nothing questionable will come up if I step out of the room. That peace of mind is great in these times. But don’t just take my word for it! Check out what 49 of my CrewMates think about the educational and inspirational radio station for kids by clicking the banner below.

 
Smart Kidz Radio: Member's On-Demand Radio Program Library {Smart Kidz Radio Reviews}

 Format ~ online radio subscription 
 Ages ~ 2 years old and up


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 © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. 

http://astablebeginning.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Wordless Wednesday ~ 22 years gone



 



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Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Wordless Wednesday

 



© 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Wordless Wednesday ~ Welcome Home

 


 © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.

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Thursday, October 8, 2020

Relaxed Homeschool Science from NatureGlo's eScience ~ a TOS review

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.


Hey there! I’m excited to tell you about a Homeschool MathArt program that Montana, my science-loving, artistic daughter has been using. She has loved the idea of reviewing NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from NatureGlo's eScience! Let me tell you a little more about it!


NatureGlo’s eScience was created by Gloria Brooks, an eclectic homeschooler who also is an Unschool Coach and teacher for others wanting to follow that path. Her main goal in her program is to bring to life everyday subject and to give children a love of learning through nature. The courses don’t point to a specific worldview and are very neutral. Through her program children aged 12 and up can learn about a variety of topics through unit studies, electives, or supplemental subjects. 


Once logged into the website you will have access to all the courses available. NatureGlo’s eScience is an online subscription that includes access to 31 courses. Each of the courses offers downloadable materials as will as PowerPoint slide shows, engaging videos, and PDF files. With unlimited access your student gets to explore:


~ Exploring The Giant Redwood Trees 
~ Bubbleology 
~ Geology 
~ Herps Explorers 
 ~ Herps Zoology 
 ~ Introduction to MathArt 
~ Invertebrates 
~ Marine Biology 
 ~ Mammals 
~ MathArt 
~ Marine Reptiles 
~ Marine Zoology 
 ~ Math Connections with the Real World 
~ Life and Mathematical Art

 
I will say that I had a bit of difficulty navigating the website at first. I found it hard to find exactly where I was supposed to log in to get started, but once we figured it out navigation through the program has been easy. Montana, who just turned 14 years old, is the lover of all things big cats so I was especially excited to see that they had a course specifically on Mammals. Of course Montana had no issue logging into her course and getting started. She was eager to learn new facts about the wildcat and the gray wolf.

 




The courses are video heavy but Montana liked this format. After watching the video for the day typically there were questions that were asked to check comprehension or to give the student a chance to show what they know about the topic. Montana usually watched several videos in one learning sitting, but that is because she was so interesting in the topic. This was an interesting and exciting course to add to Montana’s curriculum studies. She has always loved cats and now has one because her oldest sister who is allergic has moved out. She has a heart for all animals really, and this course has helped her realized that she does want to focus the rest of her science studies on becoming a zoologist. The next course she plans on completing is the unit study on Komodo Dragons and then dabble into the world of insects.

 


Overall, this is a gentle approach to science. If you favor a relaxed homeschool science approach, you'll want to check out NaturGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle from NatureGlo's eScience. Also be sure to check out what 49 of my CrewMates thought of this program by clicking on the banner below to read their thoughts too!


Product ~ NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle 
Format ~ online, self-paced 
Ages ~ 12 and up



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 © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. http://astablebeginning.com

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Wordless Wednesday





  © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.  

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

Homeschool Coding Classes with SimplyCoding ~ a TOS review

 

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Happy Friday friends! Another week is down and I hope your schooling is going well. If you are looking for a homeschool computer science curriculum, I think you should check into the Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding.
Computers are the wave of the future and even the youngest of children are expected to have some sort of computer knowledge. Simply Coding was started in 2013 by a pair of friends, Joe and Seth who were themselves were never exposed to computer science while they went through high school or college. Once summer they were able to gather 60 nieces and nephews of Joe to test their teaching program. The program took off from that day and is still going strong today having grown to teach 1000’s of students in schools, online, or in summer camps.

Simply Coding features the following features for students aged 11-18:

~ on demand self-paced online courses 
~ live chat / screen share mentor support 
~ Step-by-step written tutorials and video instructions 
~ Bi-monthly live Q&A sessions with the teachers 
~ Month to month memberships available

Membership to Simply Coding is either by single student or family membership and includes over 300 hours of self-directed coding courses. Annual Membership costs $149.00 for a single student while the Family membership cost $229.00. The family membership allows access for up to three students and both options include a 10-day free trial.

There are four different learning pathways available through beginning, intermediate, and advanced courses in web design, Javascript, and game design courses. They include: 

 Simply Coding: 



 Simply Media: 



 Simply Tech Essentials: 



 Simply Tech4Kids:


I used this program with my youngest daughter, McKenzie, who is 11. After receiving access she mostly showed interest in the Photography courses. Getting started on them was as easy as downloading the syllabus and clicking to get started. The activities within the photography course were fun and engaging for McKenzie and she enjoyed them.

 





The bulk of the program is the coding portion. While we did not fully dig into this area I did look over it and I think you should definitely take a look at it if your child has any interest in learning to code. Inside you will find courses from beginner to advanced in:

 

Web Design ~ beginning web design courses to teach students html and CSS. Intermediate web design courses will guide student in making a responsive web design.

Javascript ~ beginning students will learn and design games in about JAVA as well as in Android apps in JAVAscript.

Game Design ~ courses in game design help the student learn to create 3D and multiplayer games.
Overall, I think Simply Coding is a great coding program for homeschoolers or regular schoolers. Because many high school now require a computer science course for graduation, I think this program would fit the bill for your high schooler. While, my daughter was not that interested in coding she did enjoy using the photography course. I hope that my son, when he gets older will love coding and gaming. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this program by clicking the banner below to read their reviews.

Coding for Kids Annual Membership {Simply Coding Reviews}

Company ~ Simply Coding 
Format ~ online, self-paced 
Price ~ $149.00 for a single student , Family membership cost $229.00. 
Ages ~ 11-18 years old

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 © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.

 http://astablebeginning.com