A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks ~ Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook ~ a TOS review

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My girls are hands on learners! Give them something to color and put together and they will happily work for hours with no complaints. So when we were offered to review the Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook from A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks I knew it would be a perfect fit for Montana. She has been working through this science curriculum since last year in addition to her normal science rotation because she loves animals.


This lapbook is just one of the many Apologia Elementary titles available at the Apologia Curriculum page so be sure to check them out if you are working through any of the other Apologia titles. With over 160 pages this lapbook is choke full of hands-on learning that correspondes with the textbook. The lapbook comes in a PDF file with both color and black and white versions. Since I utilize an awesome printing service with my printer, I can print in color without worrying about ink costs. These are geared for students in grades 2-7 and go together with the 14 lessons that accompany the textbook.

Getting started is really simple. Just gather your supplies including:

 ~ A printed copy of the Land Animals of the Sixth Day Learning Lapbook™ - Full Color Version by A Journey Through Learning 

~ Land Animals of the Sixth Day book by Jeannie Fulbright

 ~ 14 manila or colored file folders

 ~ Scissors 

~ Glue sticks

 ~ Hole puncher 

~ Brads

 ~ Stapler 

~ Crayons and/or colored pencils

Words like “hamburger folds” and “hotdog folds” might be confusing if you have never constructed a lapbook but thorough Instructions are given in the beginning of the PDF file if this is your first time assembling one. The Lapbook folder when take you through each of the 14 lessons in the book and includes mini books on specific topics in each lesson. The lapbook feature copywork, diagrams, flaps, wheels and more!

Montana thought she was just coloring and cutting and pasting but the knowledge is sticking with one dab of glue at a time. The best part is everything is planned for you! If you’re a busy mom like me, this is a big plus to my day. I simply print and give to my daughter and she checks in if and when she needs help. A full answer key is also provided at the end in case you get truly stumped.

This is a great lapbook and I plan to continue using it with Montana for the rest of the school year. I love that she will have a written collection of knowledge and work that she completed at the end of the year. Be sure to check out the other products that were reviewed by my CrewMates including:

  Classical Conversations Cycle 3 JUNIOR Activity Book
 Classical Conversations Cycle 3 Activity Book
  Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day Lapbook
 Apologia Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day Lapbook
 Apologia Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook
 Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany Lapbook
Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy (1st Edition) Lapbook
 Apologia Exploring Creation with Astronomy (2nd Edition) Lapbook
  Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Lapbook
 An Overview of the 20th Century
 The Greatest Inventors

 Click the banner below to read the reviews!

Company ~ A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks 

 Product ~ Apologia : Land Animals of the Sixth Day Lapbook

 Format ~ PDF file 

 Price ~ $20.00

 Ages ~ 2nd-7th graders

Social Media Links: 

 Facebook ~ Twiiter  @AJTL_lapbooks ~ Google+ ~ Instagram

 Hashtags: #hsreviews #lapbooks #lapbooking #historynotebooking #sciencenotebooking

©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

Weekly Check-Up: Week 4 ~ Eclipse, Field Trips, and New Schedules

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So, I completely missed getting Week 3 posted last week.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember anything significant that happened during week either. So I am going to progress to week 4 and try my hardest to not let that happen again.

Week 4 was a busy week for us. I made the executive decision to pull Mikayla and McKenzie from the gym for the week…yes, they both were going through withdrawals but it was so needed for both of their bodies to get some rest. Plus we had the Solar Eclipse, the first day of Tapestry of Grace History virtual co-op, field trips, and taking our oldest back to University for her Junior year. A full week for sure!

This week I also experimented with a new school schedule for Mikayla and Montana. It is more of a block schedule having them complete our necessaries daily and then having focus days for the rest of the subjects. This schedule worked a lot better this week for both girls. I am still trying to figure out how to get all the school in for Mikayla as homeschool 2-a-day schedule starts after Labor Day. She will only have 2.5 hours to eat and do some school work before heading back to training.  Trust me, the thought of pulling her from morning training has entered my mind several times but I know she gets the best training during the morning with the smaller groups. This year a group of gym moms and I will be taking turns sitting with the girls during break hours to make sure the girls stay on task and are not playing around. Plus, Mikayla knows that we will be working from 630-930PM every night to finish her daily work. 

Below, this is what I have for both girls:

Mikayla

Unfortunately, I have not figured out how to get our Morning Time Recitations in for September which makes me a bit sad…but I am still thinking. If you have any suggestions, please do share! My weekly goal is to only need to work with Mikayla on Saturday’s but I know that history progresses it may be necessary to work with Montana to make sure she is well prepared for Co-op discussions on Tuesday.

Madison and I check in daily.  We do math together at 9AM and then I typically make my corrections to her work she has already done for the morning right before starting school at 930AM with my younger kids.  In the afternoon, we check-in and she turns in the rest of her work for corrections. Next week, her AP Language class starts and I am so excited for her! Reading the syllabus, I know she will get the push she craves along with having some great teaching. Her teacher is AWESOME already and class has not even started! A lot of the students are from the surrounding area, including having one boy in the next town over. AP Government and Honors Physics with Dr. Wile start in September and they both are equally exciting from reading the syllabuses! 

McKenzie and Micah are my easy students, yay! They both love to learn and this past week we spent learning through play. McKenzie’s reading has really picked up which makes me happy! She wants to read now which is great. She turns 8 on Monday and will be having her birthday party on Saturday with many of her gym friends on Saturday afternoon.

On Monday, we watched the solar eclipse like the rest of the country. We did not have glasses because I was weary of them, but we did experience a darkening of the skies and saw the shadow. We watched on NASA TV and I told Madison that we will go to TX when the next one occurs to be in a section of totality.

Wednesday, we went on our first scheduled field trip to the National Weather Station that is about 5 minutes from our house. It was an awesome experience to see firsthand how they predict the watches and warnings along with the weather forecast. We learned what to do in a Thunderstorm, how they send out the weekly emergency test signal, and were even able to see the approaching Tropical Depression that turned into Hurricane Harvey. Madison is taking Meteorology as her elective science course and is working on her cloud brochure project so this was all helpful information. She still wants to be an Astrophysicist, but Meteorology has peaked her interest. McKenzie and Micah were not old enough to go to the weather station so they went on a field trip to the big park with daddy. They had a lot of fun and enjoyed the morning out that ended with eating lunch out.

Friday morning, we headed back to Lynchburg to drop Marie off for her Junior year. Sigh, it does get easier Mama’s but man it is still tough. I know she is safe and she is excelling in her Graphic Design Major and meeting so many new people. This year, she chose to work in the human resources department in the Advising office. She starts on Monday morning and I know it will be such a great fit for her! We won’t see her again until Thanksgiving break, but I know the time will fly by!

Well, that’s a wrap for now! I am knee deep in prepping my lecture slides for history class on Tuesday. I am teaching the first two weeks of the curriculum on the Rise of Egypt and Pharaohs. The kids have presentations to do on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and man the work I have received so far is impressive! The new students have put a lot of effort into their reports and I can’t wait. Montana is reporting on The Great Pyramids of Giza. If I can figure it out I will link her report next week.

Until next week, be blessed!

Reviews posted this week:

Everyday Homemaking: Everyday Cooking

Veritas Press: Phonics Museum App

©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

Everyday Homemaking: Everyday Cooking ~ a TOS review

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As you know I have 5 daughters, ranging from 20 down to 7 (almost 8) and in our house I like to start my girls cooking when they turn 10 ½. Nothing fancy at that point, just to learn how to cook scrambled eggs without burning the house down. By the time they are 15 they have the knowledge to prepare a full course meal. I have several cookbooks to help the girls learn to cook, but recently we have been using and loving the variety of recipes from the Everyday Cooking cookbook from Everyday Homemaking because she cooks like me!

Vicki Bentley is the mother of eight daughters, foster mom to over fifty, and grandma to nineteen wonderful grandbabies (and great-grandma to one!). Everyday Homemaking is her website that she created to sell her homemaking products and is filled with practical ideas, tips, products, and resources to help families. Not only that, she also offers parents from all walks of life practical ideas and tools to help manage our time and households. Vicki believes in getting the kids involved and having them help.

Vicki knows just how busy a schedule can get and has great ideas to help combat the busy lifestyle and still get dinner on the table. This cookbook focuses on whole food without all the processed junk. With sample menus, low carb staples, pressure cooking basics, and shopping tips this book is choke full ideas.


The cookbook is available as a physical book with a glossy cover and coil bound pages or as a digital PDF eBook. We received the latter. Each book is exactly the same at 198 pages, except the print book features black and white photos while the digital includes color photos. Two cover designs are available in red or blue, but the content is the same inside.

The Table of Contents include:

 • Preface 

• Introduction

 • Time Saving Tips

 • Breakfast Ideas 

• Appetizers and Dressings

 • Bread and Grains 

• Main Dishes & Soups & Sides

 • Desserts and Snacks 

• Homemade Vanilla Extract

 • Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Pantry Helpers 

• Basic Measurements and Helps 

• Meal Planning and Shopping Hints 

• Sample Menus & Menu Planning Masters 

• Basic Cooking Skills Checklist

 • Basic Kitchen Accessories

 • Kitchen Equipment

 • The Tortoise and the Hare 

• Pressure Cooker Tips and Favorites 

• Index of Recipes

 • Index of Practical Tips 

What a great little cookbook this is to have! It is jam packed with quick and easy recipes that will make you feel like your Julia Child’s, just without having to spend all day in the kitchen. We made several recipes using this cookbook. The recipes are simple enough that I could have my children flip through and pick what they wanted to make.

With recipe categories like appetizers & dressings, main dishes, soups & sides, grains & breads, and desserts and snacks there is plenty to cook up and try. I love that this is perfect for using in a homeschool home economics class. Not only is there a checklist of when each recipe is made but time saving tips that are helpful to new cooks and seasoned ones as well. Also included is a helpful menu plan to give you a start if you struggle in that area.

The Everyday Homemaking website is chock full of great encouragement tips and tidbits for homemaking and homeschoolers, so be sure to check it out. There are several other books available for purchase on there and you can even find a copy of Vicki’s bread recipe. I highly recommend this cookbook! We have enjoyed preparing these recipes and I think this cookbook would be a great gift for a new wife, a young teen, or a homeschooling mom.

Right now you can get 10% off The Everyday Family Chore System and/or Everyday Cooking (print or e-book) through Labor Day! Use the code TOS10books -- apply it to as many books in your cart as you'd like. Just be sure to shop first and apply the coupon code last to get the best deal. Don’t delay though, the coupon code expires Sept 5th.

Be sure to click on the banner below and read the other reviews for Everyday Homemaking from my CrewMates.

Company ~ Everyday Homemaking

 Product ~ Everyday Cooking

 Format ~ PDF eBook

 Price ~ $15.99

Social Media Links:

 •Facebook @everydayhomemaking

©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

Wordless Wednesday

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©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

Veritas Press: Phonics Museum App ~ a TOS review

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Teaching a child to read can seem like a daunting task. I have taught my three youngest daughters to read at home and now my son is in the beginning stages and learning his alphabet letters and sounds. Did you know that Veritas Press now offers their Phonics Museum program as a Phonics Museum App? 

Veritas Press is a Christian publisher that is a leader in Classical education and offers literature based curriculum for classical education. They wholeheartedly believe that classical Christian education is the best way for children to reach their full, God-given potential. From this belief the founders and the company are dedicated to providing the best learning tools for educating your children . . . One Young Heart and Mind at a Time!

Now, we normally limit technology use during the school week as much as possible but I have to tell you this app is one that I do allow Micah, 3, and McKenzie, 7 to play daily even just for 20 minutes. This app makes learning to read and reading an engaging process. With fun characters and eye catching graphics your child will explore each level of the museum and begin to read.



Getting started is super easy! Just download the app and choose between Wendy or William to be your guide along with Percival, a young knight. To round out the cast of characters you are introduced to the museums curator, Miss Biddle, who always has a catchy song to offer or fun games to play to help teach all the rules of phonics in the English language.

Phonics museum comes to life with over 900 interactive activities and features:

~ catch memory songs

~ fun games and activities

~ early reader books

~ interactive finger tracing activities

This app works well for all types of learners including visual, kinesthetic, and/or auditory learners because of the wide variety of activities available within the app. With regular use of the app your child will learn all of the phonics rules with the help of Wendy or William, Percival and Miss Biddle. Your child can begin to read the included beginning reading books in as little as four weeks.

As I stated earlier, I let McKenzie (7) and Micah (3) use this app daily during our review period. They are both in the target age range for the app so it was a win-win for us. McKenzie already knows how to read so we used the app to review phonics skills were she is weak while Micah is just beginning to learn his letters and the sounds they make. 

I installed the app on both my iPhone and iPad mini for them to use at the same time. When logging in for the very first time the child gets to pick a unique to them avatar, enter their name, and pick whether they want to be Wendy or William. After that you begin your journey through the museum, which is really awesome! Especially since we are studying Ancient History this year and their are ancient artifacts  that show up around the museum. 



Each child begins with learning the letter "A". Once a letter is mastered you receive an email in your inbox saying that they mastered the letter and are ready to move on to the next one. There were no complaints from either of my children when it was app time. The only argument was who got to use which device.

So does this sound too good to be true? Well, it's not! Membership to Phonics Museum includes unlimited access to the app on any device and allows you to have up to three students working through the program. Membership is just $9.99 a month if you like it, and trust me you will not only like it, you will LOVE it!  You can even take a trial of the app for free access for two weeks! Membership fees are charged to your iTunes account automatically each month unless you cancel. For more information be sure to check out their FAQ page to have all your questions answered.

We love this app! I have no problem letting my children play this app daily. I love that I am sneaking in learning while they are having fun. I truly think you should check this app out for yourself, I think you will love it as much as we do! Also be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this app by clicking the banner below!




Company ~ Veritas Press
Product ~ Phonics Museum App
Format ~ app
Price ~ $9.99/month
Ages ~ 3-7 year olds

©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

Dear Homeschool Mom... You are ENOUGH

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Dear Homeschool Mom,
I just want to tell you that you are enough. Enough for your God, enough for your husband, enough for your children. There may be days when that yellow bus that goes down your street looks so enticing... you may even want to flag it down.

But know that you are enough! You are doing enough. After all it is a marathon and not a sprint. You do not have to be Pinterest perfect, just be YOU! Because those who truly matter in your life know that YOU are enough. Stay the course and Do the Work of Homeschooling!

I hope this has made some kind of sense to you. I wrote it as a reminder for myself because even as a "veteran" homeschooler with 9 years under my belt, I struggle with being enough. And the weird thing is that as I am penning this blog I don't even know what "enough" is, but maybe, just maybe, I do.

This year I am following this adaptation of Charlotte Mason's motto: I am, I can, I ought, I will

"I am a child of God. 

I ought to do His Will.

I can do what He tells me.

By Grace alone I will.

 ~ Perimeter School 

Your "enough" is probably something totally different than mine but keep the faith that the One who called you to do this task of homeschooling will guide you through. The days may seem long but the time and memories will last forever in the hearts of your children. Thanks for joining me on the Back to Homeschool Blog Hop this week.

Be encouraged as you start your new year! 

©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