Reformed Free Publishing Association: T is for Tree: A Bible ABC ~ a TOS review

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This morning I want to tell you about a sweet Christian children's book called T is for Tree: A Bible ABC from Reformed Free Publishing Association. Each page in this hardcover book is beautifully illustrated and includes a corresponding Bible verse as you make your way through the alphabet.

I primarily shared this book with Micah, my newly turned 4-year-old son. He is the youngest of 6 kids and has been immersed in a world of learning from the beginning. Now that he is getting older he is reaping the benefits of being able to participate in the Crew reviews just as his sisters have. This 32 page book is written and illustrated by the talented Connie L. Meyer and published by Reformed Free Publishing. Reformed Free Publishing is “an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1924 for the purpose of witnessing to the distinctive Reformed truth”.

This alphabet book is new to their collection and is filled with Bible passages, short rhymes, and detailed illustrations to teach the youngest ages about their heavenly Father’s almighty power and faithfulness. My son loves looking at the beautiful pictures in  T is for Tree: A Bible ABC from Reformed Free Publishing Association.

I think we have read this book every single day since it arrived. The beautiful page layouts are perfect for instructing your children in the truths of salvation for all of God’s children and they keep his attention. We have had some thoughtful conversations about what is included in each letter picture. I especially enjoy the fact that there is a corresponding scripture reference. Micah’s favorite letter just happens to be letter “M is for Moon”.

In the fall I plan to use this book as a spine to Micah’s preschool learning by studying just one letter a week. My plan is to have him memorize the memory verse that corresponds with each letter each week. That may seem like a big task but children are capable of doing big things if we set that expectation. It may not be perfect, but at least I will be doing my part in laying that foundation and helping him hide the Word in his heart.

Overall, this has been a great addition to our family library. I appreciate that it is hardcover because I know it will get many years of use with my children and future grandchildren to come. I would really love to see these pages shrunk down and made into flashcards. Even if it was a digital file that I could print at home. We travel a lot and that format would be an excellent extension to the book for our family for learning and reviewing on the go.

Be sure to check out what my CrewMates though of this book by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Reformed Free Publishing Association 

 Product ~ T is for Tree: A Bible ABC 

 Format ~ hardcover book

ISBN ~ 978-1-944555-27-6 

 Price ~ $17.95 

 Ages ~ 3-6 year olds

Social Media Links: 

 • Facebook  • Twitter    

© 2008 - 2018 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 

PandaParents: MessyLearning for Preschoolers and Kindergartners ~ a TOS review

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My resident preschooler, Micah, was given the opportunity to use the first three months of a new preschool learning program called MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTNERS from PandaParents.


Don’t let the name scare you away! This program is not messy in any way but rather it is a fun filled experience where early learning takes shape. In fact MESSY is just a fun acronym for learning. It stands for: Mixed subjects & activities for integrative learning Engagining activities that challenge young minds Simple 1-2-3- steps: Read, Learn, Create Smart designs for creative learning Yeah, a new way to promote preschool STEM & early brain growth!

The folks at PandaParents have one main goal and that is to “bridge the early learning gap” that is sometimes found with the youngest set of learners, the preschool group, aged 3 to 6. Spending just 30 minutes a day, 2 to 3 days a week is all that is needed to see the benefits with this program. This is a fun online program that really caught and held my son’s attention right from the start. We received the three units called A Jingle Jolly Journey, Scotty Skunk Hears a Scary Sound, and Mommy’s Baby. With videos include bright graphics and are animated to teach colors, letters, vocabulary, patterns, short stories, and more. Also included with our access what a PDF copy of the story that you can read over and over again just like preschoolers like.

Each story also included workbook pages. These are roughly 40 pages of worksheets that you can print out. These worksheets include skills such as visual tracking, math, science, reading, writing, cutting, coloring and more. They are pretty thorough for this age group and a definite assest for the complete program. I didn’t necessarily print out all 40 pages of the worksheets when using this with my son and just printed certain sheets here and there when he wanted to work on coloring or tracing. The cutting portions were definitely his favorite activities though because he loves using his scissors.

One of the best parts of this program is that each month focuses on a different theme with new ideas being added in and taught. If you want to try this program yourself, you are in luck! PandaParents is offering a free 10-day trial when you sign up you get immediate access to the first unit. If you find you need to cancel, just do so within the first 10 days and you will not be charged. If you love it, keep the subscription and receive a new unit every month!

We have enjoyed our subscription so I encourage you to check out yourself. See what my Crewmates thought by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ PandaParents 

 Product ~ MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTNERS 

 Format ~ online 

 Ages ~ 3 to 6 years

Social Media Links: 

 • Facebook @PandaParentsABC • Twitter @Panda_Parents • Instagram @pandaparents

© 2008 - 2018 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 

Planet 316 Story Bible ~ a TOS review

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Remember last year about this time that I told you about a cool new Daily Bible Jigsaw app from Planet 316? Well Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals have developed this wonderful interactive Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App. that I am excited to tell you about!

I am of the belief that you can never have too many Bibles so I was especially excited to get a copy of this story Bible with Augmented Reality. Planet 316 seeks to connect people throughout the generations to bring them closer to God. With this new Bible they hope to help spark conversations about God for the youngest ages and to share the love of the gospel.

This is not just an ordinary Bible though! The Augmented Reality brings the pages to life right before your eyes! Because your little one will be eager to get started, set up is quick and easy. Just grab your smart phone or tablet and download the App from the App Store or Google play store. Once the App is installed your adventure through 100 beloved Bible stories is set to begin.

Each of the stories included in this Bible Storybook are written and illustrated to introduce your child to the big story of God’s love for all people. They are meant to be read aloud and you will see your child’s faith will grow as they learn of David defeated Goliath, Esther, Daniel and the lions’ den, and the overwhelming love of God through Jesus his only Son. Once you have enjoyed a story, open up the App on your device and hold it over the page for a real treat! The Augmented Reality helps put you within the story and brings it to life with 3D animation and sounds. It is truly a real treat!

Originally, I intended this to be just a Bible for my young son, but my 8 and 11 year olds loves it too! I love that the stories are indexed and I can search and find just the right one I need at a glance. Each story is a two page spread with detailed illustrations. Even when I was not reading a story aloud to my son, he would look through the Bible on his own making comments and asking questions about the story.

This book would make a great gift at Christmas, Easter, a birthday, or just because! Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this book by clicking the banner below to read their reviews.

Company ~ Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals 

 Product ~ Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App 

 Format ~ hard back book, ISBN-13: 978-0-8249-5688-2 , FREE App

 Price ~ $18.99 

 Ages ~ preschool and up

Social Media Links: 

 • Facebook • Twitter @planet_316     

© 2008 - 2018 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 

Starfall Education Foundation: Starfall Home Membership ~ a TOS review

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Daily screen time is important to my kids, especially my younger ones. I like to be able to give them quality time while using their electronics, so I am always on the lookout to turn learning into play. We get just that with The Starfall Home Membership from Starfall Education Foundation.

So, have you heard of Starfall? If not, let me tell you a little more about it. Over the last six weeks my 3-year old preschooler, Micah, has been using the program. And let me tell you he loves it! Truth be told my 15, 11, and 8 year olds enjoy it too!

Starfall is an awesome interactive early education program for your youngest students aged PreK through 2nd grade. As a stand- alone program, it teaches early language arts and math skills through games, songs, and activities. The program covers a wide range of topics including numbers, phonics, nursery rhymes, letter and sound recognition, as well as patterns. The interactive features the program offers makes it one of the most engaging early learning programs available today. As your child progresses in age and skill more advanced topics such as addition, subtraction, and advanced phonics are introduced as well.

Setting up the program is as easy as establishing an account and logging on. In fact, my son knows exactly how to do that by himself. One of the features I enjoy most is that a single yearly membership can be used by all immediate family, including grandparents, and accessed on all of our devices, computers or tablets, alike. Just use the email and password you entered at registration and you are set.

My son loves changing his personal avatar. In fact he changes it everytime he logs on to play. Some days he has a Mohawk and other days he is bald with glasses. It's quite funny, but he loves being able to customize himself as well as change the different clothes he wears on the program. Hands down though, my son's favorite part of the program are the math songs! He loves all of the songs but the Today is Monday song is by far his favorite one. Click HERE to see him singing. Maybe it's because it is a song about food and pizza is his favorite. I don't know, but I know it is played all the time and he sings along to it. In the Talking Library section you can choose to have Nonfiction and Fiction & Poetry books read aloud to you. These stories are interactive and fun with engaging graphics to keep my little guys attention.

I am not quite sure how I had never looked into a membership with Starfall, but let me tell you it has changed the way I look at daily screen time. About two weeks after using the program daily I noticed my son was more interested in learning his letters and counting. He sings songs like The More we get Together, The Alphabet Song, and many of the nursery rhymes from memory. When we are out and about he frequently tells me the letters he sees on signs, cars, or buildings.

Micah loves his Starfall time! So much so, he gets a little grumpy when the computer automatically turns off because it is time for bed. His knowledge has expanded exponentially just from using the program daily for the last six weeks. I have told many of my friends with preschoolers to get a membership to Starfall! This is one program that has my highest recommendations for online learning for preschoolers through 2nd grade.

Be sure to see what my CrewMates think of the Starfall Home Membership by clicking the banner below!

Company ~ Starfall Education Foundation 

Product ~ Starfall Home Membership

Format ~ online, or through the Starfall app 

Price ~ $35.00 yearly membership 

Ages ~ Preschoolers - 2nd grade

Social Media Links:

  Facebook ~ Twitter @starfalledu  ~ Pinterest ~ 

Instagram @starfalleducation

©2008 - 2018 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

Wordless Wednesday

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2008 - 2018 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

The Crafty Classroom: Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook ~ a TOS review

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It’s hard to believe that my little guy Micah is ready for preschool! I mean, after all, he was just a tiny little squishy baby, right? Sigh, fast forward 3 years and I have an eager to learn little boy which is a blessing in and of itself!
Preschool is one of my favorite developmental stages. The wonder that fills their eyes when they experience something for the first time is truly awesome. The past few weeks we have started working on preschool activities and learning letter recognition with the help of the Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook from The Crafty Classroom.


The Crafty Classroom is the brainchild of Valerie McClintick who produces top quality educational resources for math, reading, science, alphabet, Bible, writing, and more! All of her products are priced affordably so you are not going to break the bank getting quality curriculum material. We have been using the Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook and it has been a fun, gentle approach to teaching Micah his letters.

This is a digital download PDF curriculum designed for children in preschool to K4 that includes everything you need to teach your young student the alphabet and grow their faith in God. With 658 pages, it is choke full of illustrated full color activities for each of the 26 letters of the alphabet. In fact, each letter includes over 20 pages of activities! For just $15.00 you get a lot of bang for your buck! Don’t fret if printing in color gives you the willies, there are black and white options too.

Using the curriculum is really simple and low teacher prep which is good for busy moms like myself. Each week you will print the pages needed for the letter and corresponding Bible verse. You also don’t need a lot of supplies for this curriculum, just the basics like a pencil, crayons or markers, and a Bible. For 26 weeks, you will find enough material for 4 days of work with about 4 to 5 worksheets. My younger children enjoy worksheets. I appreciate the fact that lesson plans and a suggested schedule is included for each letter.

Inside the curriculum you will find many activities like:

 ~ Bible activities 

~ charts 

~ math explorations 

~ alphabet letter pages 

~ games

 ~ coloring pages 

~ copy work and more

Using this program with Micah has been great! We have taken it really slow because he is not quite ready for all that it contains. My focus during this review period was on recognizing the five letters in his name and vocabulary building with associated letter pictures. Anything that required writing he just was not ready for. Personally, I think this curriculum is geared more towards PreK4 to K5 learners but we made the best of it for our family.

For the remainder of the curriculum and year I plan to dabble here and there and come back to it full force next year when Micah is 4. I think then he will be ready for the full curriculum and everything it entails.

Overall, I give this curriculum 2 thumbs up! It is really great; my guy just is not quite ready for it. We have used several other products produced by The Crafty Classroom including the U.S.A Activity Pack and The Ten Commandments BM4K.

Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this Bible Alphabet curriculum and the other products being reviewed, including:

For Preschool: 

 Alphabet Curriculum Notebook (26-week Curriculum) 

For Kindergarten: 

Learn to R.E.A.D. Curriculum Notebook (36-week Curriculum) 

 *and* 

R.E.A.D. Review Pack (28 Early Readers that Correspond with R.E.A.D. Notebook)

For Older Kids:

 USA Activity Bundle

 How to Write a Paragraph

Company ~ The Crafty Classroom 

Product ~ Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook

 Format ~ PDF Download 

Price ~ $15.00

 Ages ~ Preschool – K4

Social Media Links:  Facebook   ~   Twitter Tag @CraftyClassroom   ~ Pinterest Tag @craftyclassroom   ~ Instagram Tag @thecraftyclassroom   

©2008 - 2017 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