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, April 29, 2022

Happy birthday to me!

  

© 2008 - 2022 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. 


Dynamic Christian Living from Positive Action Bible Curriculum ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary 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. 

 Morning friends! Another week has passed and we are closer and closer to the end of our school year. Today happens to be my birthday and I am excited to share with you the Good News found within the Dynamic Christian Living course from Positive Action Bible Curriculum. Positive Action Bible Curriculum
As a Christian parent the greatest thing I can give my children is a firm foundation in faith and a love of Christ. There are so many distractions out in the world and its easy to get distracted. Over the course of our homeschooling years, we have been blessed to use many of the products from Positive Action Bible Curriculum. This course, like their other courses does not disappoint, let me tell you more about it. 
If you are new to homeschooling you may be wondering who is Positive Action for Christ? They are a Christian publishing company that started way back in 1969, specializing in educational material for students from Kindergarten to High School. Their “mission is to equip Bible teachers to magnify the majesty of God” by seeking His glory and grace in all things. 
Since we have had success with this program before, you can be sure that I jumped at the chance to review the Dynamic Christian Living course, which is recommended for 7th-9th graders, with McKenzie (12) who will be in 7th grade come August when we start our new year.

We received the softbound 7”x 9” Student Manual and 3-ring binder that contains the Teacher’s Manual. Both are also available in digital PDF files if you like that option. 
 Student workbook {$19.95} includes:

 ~ student exercise that challenge the student to explore God’s Word 
~ Lesson notes that include fill-in-the-blank questions 
 ~ Engaging design with original black and white artwork 
 Teacher’s Manual {$49.95} includes:

 ~ 35 lessons for each average school year 
 ~Weekly schedule that includes outlines for a three-, four-, or five-day school week 
 ~ Target truths that cover the core learning objectives 
 ~ Teaching strategies include notes on presenting the lesson effectively 
 ~ Scripture memory plan for option memorization 
 ~ Testing and evaluation include weekly quizzes if you want to test. Answer keys are provided
 ~ Student manual pages that are exact copies of the student pages with answers filled in 
The Student Manual is a consumable workbook so each of your students will need their own copy. In addition, they will also need a personal Bible so they can look up the relevant scripture needed to answer the questions. Over the last six weeks McKenzie and I have been plugging away with this course in addition to our current Bible curriculum. We have been following the 3-day schedule and been working in it on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays. In our homeschool Bible is the first subject to be completed. I love how it sets the tone for our day.

During our Bible time, my daughter and I have been plugging through Unit One of this curriculum. There are 35 lessons spread out over 5 units that include study on: 

• Unit 1: Birth 
 • Unit 2: Growth 
 • Unit 3: Breath 
 • Unit 4: Communication 
 • Unit 5: Behavior 
We have just four weeks left of our regular school year before we break for summer. My plan is to finish out Unit One and Lesson 4 next week. We will then take a break for the summer before jumping back into the curriculum in August when our school year begins again. At that time, we will use the program following the 4-day schedule which will work with McKenzie’s gymnastics training schedule.
I really like that this curriculum is teaching McKenzie and I to live out our love for God. When people see us, I want them to see Christ through us. Overall, I am once again super impressed with this Bible curriculum, it has made a fantastic addition to our daily Bible study. If you are looking for a homeschool Bible curriculum for your middle school student, I highly recommend you check out Dynamic Christian Living from Positive Action Bible Curriculum.
Several of my CrewMates were also able to review Exploring God’s Love for Preschoolers and Behold Your God for 9th-11th graders. Be sure to click on the banner below and read the reviews and see for yourself just how dynamic life can be when you put God first! Bible Curriculum for Homeschool 
 Format ~ physical copy 
 Price ~ Student Manual ~ $19.95; Teacher’s Manual ~ $49.95 
 Ages ~ 7th-9th graders
Positive Action Bible Curriculum 
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 © 2008 - 2022 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. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Wordless Wednesday


 © 2008 - 2022 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. 


 

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Classical history with The Book of the Ancient Romans from Memoria Press ~ a TOS review

Classical history with The Book of the Ancient Romans from Memoria Press Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary 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 friend! If you are a long-time reader you know that we follow the classical method to homeschooling. As Classical homeschoolers we are no stranger to the high-quality curriculum that Memoria Press produces. In fact, we use quite a bit of Memoria Press curriculum in our yearly studies already. We love Memoria Press so I was thrilled to be able to use The Book of the Ancient Romans with McKenzie as we finish out our study of Ancient Rome. Memoria Press  
If you are new to homeschooling, Memoria Press (MP) is a family-run publishing company founded by Cheryl Lowe in 1994. The company creates simple, easy-to-use classical Christian education curriculum for home and private schools all over the world. Memoria Press's produces many popular Latin, logic, literature, and classical studies courses for children in PreK-12th grade. Their products are written and field-tested with the students who attend the highly acclaimed Highlands Latin School. We were blessed to receive the Ancient Romans set from Memoria Press for review.


History is an important component to our homeschool studies. After all, you learn to not repeat past mistakes when you learn the history of the past. The Book of the Ancient Romans set is a wonderful history book that was written for middle schoolers in the 1920’s by Dorothy Mills. Memoria Press has brought this book back into publication and has added in illustrations to make the story come alive. Memoria Press has made study guides to accompany this year year study all about the ancient romans. 
Memoria Press  
The set comes with a reader, a student guide, and a teacher guide. With 26 weekly lessons and midterm and final exam reviews you will find a comprehensive study on classical historians such as Herodotus and Cicero. Each lesson in the student guide is set up with the same four-part format that includes:

I. Facts to know 
 II. Vocabulary 
 III. Comprehension questions 
 IV. Enrichment activities 
  Since we begin towards the end of our school year I had McKenzie, my rising 7th grader, help me find the spot where to start. We checked the book and found that she could start at Lesson 18 which tells about Roman education. I did however have her fill out the midterm review before going on to Lesson 18 just to make sure we were good with prior knowledge.
 McKenzie and I really liked this curriculum and the format of the Student Guide. On Sunday evenings during my planning time, I would schedule out the reading over the course of 3 days, Tuesday-Thursday. We spent Monday’s going over the Facts to Know, Reading Notes, and Vocabulary. Many times, on Friday’s we choose to do an oral review of the Comprehension Questions because of scheduling and time restraints, but it seems to be working for us and her retention of the material is great.
If you are looking to teach classical history, then The Book of the Ancient Romans from Memoria Press is a great place to check into. McKenzie is currently working through Lesson 22 on Rome in the Age of Trajan and Under the Antonines which will have us completing this study of Ancient Roman history at the end of May when our school year is complete. Memoria Press  
When people ask for my recommendation of curriculum products, Memoria Press is always at the top of my list to recommend. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this product and the following products that were also reviewed by clicking the banner below. Prima Latina, Latina Christiana,  First Form Latin,  Memoria Math Challenge,   Famous Men of Rome,  Famous Men of Greece,  The Book of the Ancient Greeks Classical Christian Education 
 Company ~ Memoria Press  
Format ~ hard copy  
Price~ $56.40 
Ages~ 7th-8th gradeMemoria Press  

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 © 2008 - 2022 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. 

 https://astablebeginning.com

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Telling Stories in New Ways with Original ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary 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. 

 Morning friends! Over the last four weeks my son, Micah, has been able to take part in an online class called Telling Stories in New Ways from Original.
Original offers project-based classes for children aged 7 thru 14 years old to get the creative juices flowing. I don’t know about you but we have a lot of legos and building toys at our house. Micah is just starting to get into building and creating his own Lego creations this year so this class was a great opportunity to encourage him to use his imagination and create something, dare I say…original. 
Original was created by Bill Triant and his wife a few years ago during the pandemic that shut down the world. Like many other parents scrambling to find activities for their kids during this time to keep their children occupied while they worked online, Bill and his wife faced this same dilemma. After shelling out money on multiple courses for their children only to find that they would give up because of lost interest or a learning experience that was different than what they craved from the class, Bill put his thinking cap on. After brainstorming just what children like his own were wanting he set out to create classes that gave children the creative spaces to freely work on projects they desired with as little or much guidance they needed from the instructors.
Micah was enrolled in the Telling Stories in New Ways which is designed for kids aged 7-10. During his class he met with his instructor, Mrs. Vanessa, and the other students enrolled over Google classroom for approximately 45 minutes. Logging in was a simple process as Mr. Bill sent the link to the class so we just needed to click on it to load the classroom.

During the class time the students were to create different media based off their interests while the teacher encouraged and guided them. For Micah, that is video games and baseball. Frequently during the school week, I will find him creating a ball field or elaborate mazes with his miniature action figures and or Lego’s.
 Micah seemed to really enjoy his class time and I will say he did spend more time playing and creating with his toys than requesting to play on the computer. That is a win-win in my book!
I liked that the classes were online. The end of March/early April is a busy time for us with the gymnastics season winding down and State/Regional meets. For Micah's first class I had to set him up for class at the sportsplex where I was helping run the meet hospitality set up. I ended up having to use my phone's hotspot but he was able to fully participate with my there in the room.  The classes for this course are reasonably priced in my opinion. The first week is free and then each subsequent week is just $25. Since you are not locked into a contract you are free to cancel anytime. 
Micah has enjoyed his class and I love that his imagination has taken off during his playtime. I am looking forward to coming back to Original when Micah is a bit older as he would like to partake in their Amazing Video Game Idea course.
Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this course and the Original Lego Creations course that was reviewed by clicking the banner below.

Online Workshops Foster Student Centered Learning 
 Company ~ Original 
 Product ~ Telling Stories in New Ways 
 Format ~ online course 
 Price ~ First class free, $25.00 per class afterwards 
 Ages ~ 7-10 years old
Original 
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 © 2008 - 2022 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. 

https://astablebeginning.com

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Wordless Wednesday


 

© 2008 - 2022 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. 


https://astablebeginning.com

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Happy Easter ~ He has Risen!

 



© 2008 - 2022 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. 


https://astablebeginning.com

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Spanish Immersion for kids with Whistlefritz ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary 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. Whistlefritz
Morning friends! Have you ever wanted to teach your young child Spanish or French? If so, I am sure you know that the easiest way to learn a modern foreign language when you are young is through day-to-day immersion. Live and breathe the language just as you learned your native tongue. Whistlefritz includes bilingual foreign language immersion music videos in their Educator's Spanish Collection.
Knowing that research shows the greatest language growth with learning a new language happens in early childhood, Whistlefritz was created by a Spanish speaking mom who wanted to teach her own children to speak Spanish. The Whistlefritz program is a fun mutli-sensory curriculum that uses videos with live speakers, music, and creative storylines. The Spanish is taught the same way that you learned your own native tongue, by using everyday words in context. With games, music, and dance your child will start to learn from live speakers in a playful and engaging process. 
We received the Educator’s Spanish Collection which is geared for kids aged 1-7 and I used the program with Micah, my 7-year-old 2nd grader. The Educator’s Spanish Collection includes:
 Lesson Plans book 
5 DVD videos 
3 Music CDs 
Matching Cards Game 
Translation Guides and extra Lesson Plans are available 
The Spanish program is taught in 40 lessons with an adorable little mouse named Fritzi who guides you through the program. The entire program includes: 
~ 40 scripted lesson plans that provide engaging and fun learning activities. Lessons are easy to use for parents even if you have little to no knowledge of the language. 
 ~ Videos that are short and sweet to keep the child’s attention. They feature native speakers and characters and provide catchy melodies. 
 ~ Music CD’s that offer a great selection of musical styles to get your child moving to the beat. Musical translation guides and a lyric sheet are also available on the website for each of the CD’s. 
~ Memory Matching Cards with approximately 50 illustrated cards for playing memory.
Using Whistlefritz with Micah is super easy! I simply schedule time during the week and follow the weekly calendar that has everything scheduled out for us. On Day 1 I follow the scripted lesson in the lesson plan book and then throughout the week we continue the immersion learning with the music, activities, and videos.

Micah is on the older end of this Spanish for kids curriculum but I like that he has already learned so much in such a short time. Even knowing just a little bit of Spanish is so helpful in his daily activities. I am a huge proponent of learning new languages and I plan to continue using this with Micah throughout the summer as he prepares to take his first official Latin course in the fall. Since older sister, Montana, is also learning Spanish using this curriculum gives both of them speaking opportunities with each other and myself as I know a bit of Spanish as well.
  Whistlefritz
Several of my CrewMates also had the opportunity to review this Spanish for kids program along with the Educator's French Collection. Be sure to click the banner below to read their thoughts.

Spanish for Kids
 
Company ~ Whistlefritz 
 Format ~ physical copy 
Price ~ $199.00 
Ages ~ 1-7 years old
Whistlefritz 

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 © 2008 - 2022 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. 

 https://astablebeginning.com