Tyson’s Run, Streaming Now!

by Meghan // June 24, 2022 // No Comments

Tyson's Run

Tyson’s Run is streaming now, and you definitely want to check it out! You can buy it on DVD or digital now!

This feel-good story of faith, grit, and courage is a welcome change to the cultural norm on our TVs right now. The unlikely alliances that support a teen on the autism spectrum will have your family walking away inspired! Fifteen year old Tyson watches his hero father lead the high school football team, and yearns for his approval. This leads Tyson to push himself further than anyone thought possible.

Tyson’s Run is relatable, and an absolutely beautiful picture of the blessings that pour out of determination and building relationships, and accepting others. The heart warming story of overcoming odds, changing perceptions, and of loving others is going to be a family favorite. This is probably most appropriate for kids 12+, but as always, make sure it is okay for your family-everyone is different.

I enjoyed the soundtrack, Tyson’s sweet disposition and innocence, watching his character change and grow, but especially seeing the “normal” mold being broken. I loved that the film gave Tyson, and children on the spectrum, a voice that shows they are not abnormal. We are all different, and that’s a good thing. Things have a way of working out for the best (a doctor in the show)- boy, don’t they! 😉

Thank you for a film we can watch without worrying what messages are being sent to our children. The messages in Tyson’s Run are clear- love, genuine kindness, and determination always pay big dividends.

Four-time Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams recorded If You Be-
lieve, an original song, just for Tyson’s Run.

Buy your digital copy or DVD of Tyson’s Run today!

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Parents should know: There is some bullying in the school (the characters are not glorified who do this, but cause several obstacles for the main character). There are a some words/name calling our family doesn’t use, though these are not main themes or in the majority of the film. There is also standing up for what’s right, and defending those that cannot defend themselves. All of these situations are used to show the changes and redemption of characters in the show, but also how to do what’s right when others are doing wrong.

Giveaway: One digital copy of Tyson’s Run- Leave a comment on this post, or the Quiet in the Chaos Facebook post of Tyson’s Run for your chance to win. Comment in both places for an extra entry.

Giveway closes July 4, 2022

Disclosure: Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Building Thinking Skills with The Critical Thinking Company

by Meghan // June 15, 2022 // No Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

If you’ve been hanging around a while, you probably know that we really enjoy The Critical Thinking Co. products in our homeschool (their catalogue is really fun to browse, too! I always love it when we get one in the mail). We have been using Building Thinking Skills® Level 2 -Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12) for a little summer enrichment.

What Is It?

Building Thinking Skills® Level 2 -Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12) is a full, complete logic/critical thinking skills program. We are using it to sort of … sum up, refresh and expand our learning over the summer. While we are continuing with our regular school subjects 3+ days a week, we are also being intentional about fun and supplemental learning. This book definitely falls into the fun and supplemental categories for us.

If your student(s) are specifically in need of a critical thinking curriculum for state/transcript purposes, this is perfect for you! It is also a reproducible license within your home, so families with multiple children can make copies without fear of copyright problems. I have children in 4th and 6th grades, so they have both been working through this.

This is is a physical, full color workbook that is designed to help students build higher order thinking skills, by working through areas of logical thinking, vocabulary, spatial awareness, classification, analogies, and so, so much more! This book is 412 pages, broken up into 10 chapters, with an answer key and expansions, in the back.

Students will focus on a specific area for each chapter:

describing shapes
figural similarities and differences
figural sequence
figural classification
figural analogies
describing things
similarities
sequencing
verbal classification
verbal analogies

The chapters are broken down further, into categories. For example, chapter 1- Describing Shapes- is broken down into topics of describing shapes, quadrilaterals, triangles, and solids, recognizing folded patterns for solids, describing position, describing stacks of shapes, and estimating area.

Building Critical Thinking Skills: The Critical Thinking Company

This book really does help build thinking skills for reading, writing, math, and science. For example, the language used to describe and classify is a huge help for expanding on descriptive writing. The engaging activities are developmentally sequenced, meaning they begin first in the semi-concrete, figural-spatial form. Then move forward from there to verbal, or more abstract concepts. This is so great, because not all students in the same grade are at the same level, but also it is a gradual growth. Children are getting the foundational work in that is required for the more abstract thinking. So even if the beginning chapters seem too simple, they aren’t!

Building Critical Thinking Skills: The Critical Thinking Company

Analyzing relationships between objects, words, and then both together builds academic vocabulary, math concepts, and skills. Skills such as observing, recognizing and describing characteristics, understanding similarities and differences, and working through analogies. (Anyone else struggle to get their children to use their great vocabulary and language in their writing?! Well, this helps tremendously.) The verbal skills used and built later in the book help with spelling, writing, following multiple step directions, map reading, logic, orientation and so much more.

This is going to be developmentally appropriate for you kids, and a great curriculum to build those critical, independent thinking skills we want our kids to have.

The Critical Thinking Company also offers free Math & Critical Thinking Worksheets (PDFs), and a few other things on their site.

Read other reviews from the Crew for this and other The Critical Thinking Co. programs:

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Recipe Box: Summer Fettucine (AIP and allergen friendly)

by Meghan // June 10, 2022 // Comments off

Updated from several years ago, now AIP and allergen friendly

This is a recipe I threw together a few years ago. It was created with a few things I had left in the fridge and needed to get rid of before they went bad. Waste not, want not and all that.

It is a family favorite (pre gluten free and AIP days, but you can easily substitute the pasta for zucchini noodles)

You will want a large skillet (20″ or so), or a very large pot, and a pot for cooking pasta or veggie noodles.

Print
Recipe Box: Summer Fettuccine AIP and Allergen Friendly

Number of servings: 6

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients
- broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 2-3 carrots
- purple or Vidalia onion
- cherry tomatoes (OMIT for AIP, you can replace with mushrooms)
- zucchini
- pink salt
- pepper (OMIT for AIP, you can use mace instead)
- 2/3 cup milk of choice- for AIP coconut milk works great
- oil of your choice- coconut, olive, or avocado work
- Parmesan or goat cheese- OMT for AIP
- fettuccine pasta- AIP use zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash or other veggie noodle of your choice
Instructions
1. Toss the broccoli into boiling water for about a minute, until bright green, and drain. If using frozen broccoli, steam in the microwave or pot first, then drain.
2. You can keep a cup or so of the water out to add for liquid later.
3. Throw everything except the tomatoes, in the pan with 1-2TB oil to sauté.
4. season to taste with salt and mace/pepper
5. While that is going on, cook your fettuccine. I LOVE the fettuccine nests; these cook in 4 minutes and taste SO much better than regular box fettuccine
6. If using zucchini or other veggie noodle, give it a quick blanch, or steam to soften
7. After your veggies are all soft and yummy, add in your tomatoes, so they can get warm and plum up.
8. Stir in the non dairy milk, reserved water if you saved some, and cheese. This was the last of our Parmesan from Italy. =(
9. Drain your pasta/veggie noddles, add it to the big skillet of veggies, and mix all around.

What is your favorite summer recipe from the garden? Share in the comments!

Singapore Math Live- Challenging Word Problems {homeschool math supplement}

by Meghan // June 1, 2022 // Comments off

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Since we sorta started our summer homeschool schedule earlier than expected, we have been using Singapore Math Live – Challenging Word Problems as a supplement for my 11 and 9 year olds. This is a 2-step program that involves an easy to use math workbook, and online videos. The videos give explanation to the practice problems found in the book; the workbook and videos are purchased separately. Singapore Math Live member dashboard and courses are simple to navigate for parents and students, easy to utilize, and a fun challenge for students!

Live! Singapore Challenging Word Problems

I truly found the challenging word problems to be a good brain teaser for my kids. The online site is so easy and straight forward, while the video lessons are very clear for students to understand. The explanations are broken-down in a way that is going to help students use higher order thinking skills to really see and analyze using the most efficient problem solving skills. I *really* like that students can solve the problem their own way, and can compare how they did it to how the program solved it in the videos. This gives them freedom to be creative in their thinking skills, while also giving them more tools for their math toolbox.

This is a common core edition, but I did not see anything in the problem solving that made me pause or think I did not like how the math was taught. As an adult I see math completely different than I did as a child, I break numbers down in a much different way, and I always solve problems in an out of the box way (and not always the fastest way …). So I really liked the perspective the teacher gives in the explanation videos. I also like that just because it has cc stamped on the cover, doesn’t mean that my kids are learning for the purpose of test scores. Because they can solve the problem however they need to, it is still individualized.

Live! Singapore Challenging Word Problems

How We Used It

I mainly used this for my 9 year old who is now in 5th grade math, but my oldest also worked through some of the problems and used the online videos. We used the program exactly how the instructions in the book suggested. First, I had them read through and try to solve the worked examples, then compare their steps and answer. If their answer was incorrect, then they looked back and tried to figure out what they did wrong. If they just got their answer in a different way, then they now have 2 strategies for the type of problem!

Then they moved onto the practice problems in the lesson. Here, if they struggled we were able to pull up the videos from the Singapore Math Live – Challenging Word Problems page numbers they were on, and figure it out. Even ifs they knew the answer and how to get it, I liked them to watch the video explanations because of the terms and math language used by the teacher. I think it’s really important for them to regularly see, hear, and use the math vocabulary they learn in our full curriculum.

I like the daily exposure to the math strategies and the methods required to solve them. I really do think with the consistent “extra” practice, we have seen some growth in their problem solving skills, or maybe just in how they perceive problem solving in general. It definitely helps them in analyzing, and breaking down the steps. The challenging word problems really are challenging! They’re for sure a brain puzzle that kids can enjoy.

Live! Singapore Challenging Word Problems

The topics covered in level 3 include:

addition and subtraction
multiplication and division
mental calculations
length
mass and weight
capacity
money
frations
time
data analysis
geometry
area and perimeter
and 3 sets of review questions

The videos take a lot of the pressure off, and make the problems seem much less intimidating- you know there is a solution, and you know someone is going to clearly explain to you how to do it. So if you can’t figure it out, there’s help! And no one is going to fail you for needing some help on challenging word problems … So it is a win-win for parents and their students.

If you’re looking for a supplement for summer math practice, or just a challenge for an ambitious student, I think the Singapore Math Live – Challenging Word Problems is a great choice. The workbook is simple and great, but the videos are really where it’s at!

Live! Singapore Challenging Word Problems

Connect with Singapore Math live

Check out more reviews from the Crew for other levels of Singapore Math Live – Challenging Word Problems by clicking the banner below!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Holland Lops, Health, and Herbs: Friday on the Farm

by Meghan // May 13, 2022 // Comments off

This Friday on the Farm is brought to you by a dear friend, who shared some bunnies with our family.

I always joke with my husband that about the time my youngest is turning 2, I get antsy because Im used to having another baby on the way! So when we don’t have another human baby on the way, we end up with more baby animals… This addition is bunnies!

These bunnies came in a larger group at a sale; they were all a bit sickly and needed some extra care. My friend nursed them for a while, and then we took on these 2. We are still nursing them, and I can get into those details in a bit.

Meet Dandelion and Plantain- affectionately named after their favorite foods. 😂

These girls appear to be Holland Lops; Im going off of the crown of hair on the back of their heads, the size of their heads, and their personalities. Dandy is the brown girl, and Plantain is the tri-color. These girls are so sweet, but Plantain isn’t super excited about being held yet. She is getting much easier to pet though. Dandy is a happy, chill girl while Plantain is much more curious and bouncy.

These girls have already fattened up a bit. We pick buckets of dandelions and plantain leaves for them every day, and they love them! They had a little soft poop when they got here last Sunday, probably due to stress, so I looked up what plants to feed them. So far these have helped them a lot! At the bottom of this post, I will add links to the websites I’ve been using to reference herbs.

Before they made it here, my friend was using echinacea tea and diluted silver in a spray bottle. They were improving. Once I got them here, I thought it might be good to switch things up every few weeks. So we began:

Vetericyn Spray in eyes and nose (they dont mind this a bit)
grapefruit seed extract in their water
dandelions and plantain leaves from the yard, for their medicinal and immune building benefits
I just started them back on ecchinacea tea (had to order some without elderberry in it)
Im adding 1/4tsp a week of Molly’s Herbal wormer. This is what we use for our goats, I need to use it for our dogs, and so I thought it would be a great addition for these girls.

Side note: We got the C Virus in January and it came along with pink eye. Ever since then whenever we get sick, I end up with pink eye and so do a few of the kids. Because it is usually viral, my colloidal silver will make it go away, but hasn’t been keeping it from coming back a day or 2 later. This time someone recommended we try the Vetericyn spray in our eyes. IT WORKED! it took about 2 days each, and our eyes were clear. It took a little longer for the toddler, but that’s probably because he’s obsessed with blowing his nose right now, and wiping it all over his face 🤦‍♀️ I know. I know. He’s almost 2 y’all, and I give up. 😂

We always use this on our animals, but I am not keeping it in our human first aid kit as well.

Here are the links Ive been referencing so far:

Medicinal herbs for Rabbits
Lisa’s Holland Lops- Common Rabbit Medicine

If you have any tips for a new rabbit owner, feel free to share those with me. Also, we may have miss on one, so I think we will call the vet and ask about that.

And if you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back with you. If I can’t help, I will ask someone who can. =)

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Wholesome Family Chapter Books (mid grade): Whatsoever Stories

by Meghan // May 10, 2022 // Comments off

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

(Can we just take a minute and appreciate the logo above?! 😍)

I am always running out of books for my oldest. She is almost 12, a voracious reader, and loves to read anything she can get her hands on. My oldest son is almost 10, and he really enjoys adventure animal stories, and historical fiction.

I love finding wholesome books that leave an impact on my children; the kind of books that have them asking questions while they’re reading, and when they’ve finished. That’s why I was so excited for Whatsoever Stories‘s Trial At The Ridge, by Kinsey M. Rockett. This is a beautiful fiction book that your entire family will enjoy!

Trial At the Ridge

This is the story of the Whitlocks, a God loving family, and their life on the place they call home. Their farm. When they are threatened with foreclosure, we watch as the family handles it with grace, and love. Although the plans put in place to save the farm continuously get derailed, they find a way to make it work, all the while working together.

My daughter says:

My favorite part was when the too friendly cat jumped on the shoulder of a man wanting to buy the farm. I also liked that there were some hard words, and it gave their definitions. I enjoyed the book because it was dangerous and they were Godly people, that makes it different from a lot of books I’ve read.

While this book is generally written for a 10+ audience on an independent reading level, it will make a wonderful family read aloud! Kinsey has written a book that is definitely going to be enjoyed by parents, grandparents, and kids alike. With the beautiful glossy cover, easy to turn pages, and easy to read font, the 188 page book is going to make a great read aloud, or reader. I would say that using copywork from the book would be super easy too, with witty dialogue and scripture throughout (did I mention the vocabulary?!). Of course it would make great leisure reading as well. The binding is sturdy, and overall I love how the book feels in my hands- it really is just right. =)

What I love is that my children are reading books by a Christian author, the storyline isn’t introducing my kids to a plot or attitudes we do not value (no agenda, or worldly kid/teen “problems” here!), and the* vocabulary!* I loved reading the language Kinsey used in her book to draw in the reader. Add to that actual vocabulary words and references in footnotes throughout the book, a glossary, and her Not All Fiction section at the back of the book, and I am here for it! Kinsey is a homeschool graduate 🥳, and her love for the Lord clearly shines through her writing.

I can’t wait to read her book, Prisoner of War, which features many of the same characters. I know the kids will love it as a fun read aloud this summer.

To read more Crew reviews of Kinsey M. Rockett’s books by Whatsoever Stories, click the banner below:

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Anne Wilson: My Jesus {debut album}

by Meghan // May 1, 2022 // Comments off

Our hearts were won over by Anne Wilson’s My Jesus, the message the song gives to listeners, as well as her powerhouse vocals. Now, you can check out her debut album, “My Jesus,” which dropped on April 22!

The album’s rootsy, country vibes, and signature vocals set it apart from other debut offerings– staying true to Wilson’s Kentucky upbringing and showcasing her joy and effervescent outlook. Each song on the album, co-written with songwriting heavy-hitters like Ben Glover, Matthew West, MiaFields, Jonathan Smith, Jeff Pardo, Emily Weisband, and more, is specifically crafted.

Stream Anne’s new album now

The track line up is:

Prelude (Scatter)
Scatter
My Jesus
Devil
Sunday Sermons
Hey Girl
This House
Mansions
Mamas (with Hillary Scott)
No Place Like Home
God Thing
That’s What We Need
Something About That Name
Closer To God
My Jesus (feat. Crowder)

The powerful ballad Scatter is about the power of God to scatter the enemy. Devil gives the glory of life to Jesus, and “death to the devil.” Everyone is going to love the Sunday Sermons and Hey Girl tracks; they’re easy to listen to and bring you back to your roots. This House describes how the world builds everything, churches, steeples, beautiful buildings, but if it isn’t build on the Lord, it is going to fall. And how true it is!

Along with the beautiful My Jesus hit, you will find Hillary Scott is featured on the song Mamas. The official music video for Mamas will release 5/4/22 just in time for Mother’s Day, and includes exclusive footage of Anne surprising her mother with the song, and Hillary Scott with her daughters. God Thing is maybe one of my favorite songs on the album, because I love for people to hear that things in life aren’t lucky, or by chance. It’s a God thing!

Something About that Name, however is definitely my #1 favorite song on the entire album!

Stream Anne’s new album right now, because you don’t want to miss it! You daughter’s are also going to love this one …

Anne Wilson is the first female solo artist debut single to reach #1 on the Billboard ChristianAirplay chart, and My Jesus was the longest #1 single on Billboard’s Christian Air-play chart of 2021 at 7 weeks total. That’s a pretty incredible run. The Lord has big plans for Anne, and her ability to reach the hearts of others by sharing the Gospel through music.

Fun Facts:

“My Jesus” was nominated for a 2022 Billboard Music Award for “Top Christian Song” against Kayne West.
The awards will broadcast live coast-to-coast on May 15 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m PT on NBC. It will also stream live on Peacock- We are all rooting for Anne!
“My Jesus” Hit #1 on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and #19 on the Rolling Stone Top 25. Trending charts

Many thanks to Universal Music Group for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own, and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Famous Men of Rome- Classical Education Homeschool History

by Meghan // April 27, 2022 // Comments off

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Memoria Press is known for their great classical education curricula and programs. We’ve used their Latin program, and a few other products. The last few weeks my 11 year old has been working through their Famous Men of Rome program. This is geared towards grades 4-5, and is an introduction to the great drama and action, beginning to end, that was the men of Rome. This is going to be a wonderful addition to any classical history, or eclectic homeschool.

Famous Men of Rome: Memoria Press

What It Is

Famous Men of Rome is a year long study consisting of 3 books and flash cards. The text or reader contains 30 stories documenting the rise and fall of this civilization via 30 biographies of men from Rome. The illustrations and artwork in the textbook are absolutely beautiful; this is one of my and my daughter’s favorite parts of this book! The pages are thick, and glossy. The pages are not hard on my eyes, but are just glossy enough to make the artwork pop. The pages are also the thickness and material that allows the pages to stay open more easily, which I really like!

Famous Men of Rome: Memoria Press

There are 160 pages in the textbook, including the maps, pronunciation guide, and glossary. The program covers
the biographical stories of:

ROMULUS
NUMA POMPILIUS
THE HORATII AND THE CURIATII
THE TARQUINS
JUNIUS BRUTUS
HORATIUS
MUCIUS THE LEFT-HANDED
CORIOLANUS
THE FABII
CINCINNATUS
CAMILLUS
MANLIUS TOR
QUATUS
APPIUS CLAUDIUS CÆCUS
REGULUS
SCIPIO AFRICANUS
CATO THE CENSOR
THE GRACCHI
MARIUS
SULLA
POMPEY THE GREAT
JULIUS CÆSAR
CICERO
AUGUSTUS
NERO
TITUS
TRAJAN
MARCUS AURELIUS
DIOCLETIAN
CONSTANTINE THE GREAT
END OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE

The student guide is where most of the work will be done by the student. This newest edition also contains maps of: Rome, Italy, and the Roman Empire, as well as a glossary of people and places. These pages are a regular paper, easy for writing, and do not feature any distractions. Students will find interesting lessons that include famous quotes, key people and places, vocabulary words, and comprehension questions. There is map work as well, which most homeschool parents love to include in our studies. =)

Along with all the comprehension questions, facts to know, vocabulary, and review lessons, I really like the activities listed for each lesson. The lessons help make this an even more comprehensive program, but add hands on elements.

example of activities at end of lesson

These activities include discussion questions, but also many will translate well to discussion questions and starters. There are also research activities in some lessons. My daughter really enjoyed the family tree activity, and because we enjoy mapping, that has been fun for her as well.

Famous Men of Rome: Memoria Press

In true classical education style, the program includes memorization for the student. The Drill Questions found in the appendix of the study guide and on the flashcards, will be memorized to help student have instant recall. How to do this, and how to use the program in general is all outlined for the teacher in the teacher’s guide. The teacher’s guide is just that- you will find detailed answers, examples, and what is expected of the student. I *love* this because it helps those of us learning right along side our children know what is expected of them, and how to better help them get there. I also like to have my child look at the teacher’s guide once we have completed a lesson, so they can see where they needed improvement and where they did exactly what was asked of them.

I am working more closely with my 5th grader on this program, because she is ready for more detailed responses in her work (clearly … haha). This is a great program for student to begin more independent work, or to be used as a family/with the parent. The text can be shared between students in a family, or read aloud by the teacher during morning time. Each child can have their own student book, or some students may work from the student guide, and others work orally (for younger kiddos), or maybe orally and by drawing illustrations.

I think this is going to work well for any family that is learning about Rome in history (one of our favorite things we have studied!), whether they are a classical education family, or more eclectic like ours. We love learning using many educational philosophies, and tweak anything we use to work for us! So if memorization isn’t your thing, this program can still work well for you. This is also going to work well for independent learners or as a family subject. The possibilities are truly endless.

Lastly, the flashcards are exactly that. They feature questions about people and places learned about in the stories from Famous Men of Rome, and are used to help their recall and easy memorization of what they are learning.

Memoria Press always offers great programs and supplements, and their Famous Men of Rome set is no different. I highly recommend this for any family studying this phase of history.

Famous Men of Rome: Memoria Press

Connect with Memoria Press

IEW Fix It! Grammar

by Meghan // April 13, 2022 // Comments off

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

I’m pretty sure the reputation of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) has a reputation that precedes itself. The founder, Andrew Pudewa, has created one of the best homeschool writing and grammar companies out there. My son has really enjoyed the new and improved third edition of Fix It! Grammar for Level 2 Town Mouse and Country Mouse. The improved updated editions of their grammar program are more engaging and useful for students and parents. We are used the super helpful Fix It! Grammar Cards.

What It Is

IEW Fit It! Grammar is an easy, effective and engaging grammar program for grades 3+. Each book is labeled for its appropriate grade levels; the level 2 we used is for grades 3-5. Lessons are divided into weeks, number 1-30, with 4 days of work scheduled. Lessons are short and fun! students will find each week has a few pages of parts of speech definitions for the week. This is where they Learn It!- students read over the definitions and clearly laid out example before applying their knowledge to the day’s lesson.

Each day’s lesson is divided into sections across the top of the page:

Read It- Here, students read the passage and use the dictionary to find the word, and write the definition. This can be done in the blank space on the page, or in a notebook. Each of my kids keep a writing notebook, so we made a spot for definitions there
Mark It!- Students use the marks taught for the different parts of speech to label the passage.
Fix It!- Now they get to correct the mistakes in the sentence, using the editing marks provided on the instructions page of the student book
Re-Write It!- Students rewrite the passage correctly on the given lines found on the page.

I really like that the new edition lets students know how many of each label is needed for the passage. The complete story being focused on for the level is found in the back of the student book.

IEW Fix It! Grammar

Each day we discussed his work, and made corrections (yes, I did have him go back and correct is spelling mistakes 😂). This could be done with older students 1x per week. I really love that he gets to use the teacher’s manual to go back and fix his mistakes. because the pages are laid out so clearly and look just like his (plus a few extra notes to help), he gets to see where he made a mistake and why. Over time this helps him recognize and avoid them later. Lessons are short and sweet, so they will fit many homeschooler’s lifestyle well.

It took my 9yo about 15 minutes total, including me looking over it and helping if he was not grasping something. He really enjoys that these are like doing a puzzle; he especially likes checking his own work and seeing what he need to correct.

The Teacher’s Guide is important for this program, simply because students use it also. This will help homeschool parents get their students learning independently, with review and corrections done with the parent. Because we want our kids to be self motivated, independent learners! That’s one of the goals for many homeschoolers (and certainly our family). I like that the teacher’s guide not only gives the corrections in bold, but also the vocabulary definition, and end mark explanations.

Teacher’s Guide correlating lesson page

The scope and sequence will help families plan their weeks/term/year as necessary to span the year. The scope and sequence lists what will be learned broken down into weeks. There is also page with the full vocabulary list for each week.

Fix It! Grammar level 2 covers:

parts of speech
capitalization
punctuation
commas
clauses
homophones
indention
numbers
subject-verb pairs
and 8 stylistic techniques

IEW Fix It! Grammar

The grammar cards are a great addition to the grammar; 30 cards highlight key grammar concepts. These are very helpful for review and quick reference. The program will also come with free downloads to help parents with implementing the IEW method of learning writing. These are very helpful mp3s- I love how Andrew Pudewa talks about aptitude and appetite, and how this affects our children and homeschool atmosphere. You’re going to love it!

I’m very excited to continue using Fix It! Grammar level 2 in our homeschool; it is going to be a lot of fun for my son and I know he is learning while doing it.

IEW Fix It! Grammar- level 2

Connect With Institute for Excellence in Writing

Check out more reviews for varying levels of IEW Fix It! Grammar from the Crew:

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Spring Activities for Your Homeschool

by Meghan // April 13, 2022 // Comments off

This time of year is one of my absolute favorites! I’ll be honest, it doesn’t feel like we have a “real” spring every year; most years we either have an extended winter, and go right into summer, or it gets hot fast, making spring short.

This year, we are getting a beautiful, *real* spring and it makes me want to do all the things!

I have always lived in seasons-from the foods I cook for my family, the decor in our home, to the books I read, it all revolves around the mood of the season. So I was thinking about blog ideas I could share with my readers that include the things I love, but would encourage putting down our phones/devices and get outdoors.

homeschool Spring Activities

School outside-It is windy most of the time in KS, so we have to pick and choose the best days during any season to school outside. But spring offers the most days. We love to sit outside on the porch and do our morning time. Or read on the picnic blankets out back, in the afternoon. If you live in the north or the south, it can be a challenge catching a warm or cool enough day. SO take advantage of the spring weather!
Walk in the woods-just like any other time of the year, walking in the woods provides so much opportunity for learning! Listening to birds, bugs, frogs, and identifying each is so much fun in spring! The flowers, wildflowers, and trees are all coming to life, and attracting wildlife.
No Sweat Nature Study– this is a beautiful, easy addition to any homeschool; we especially love it in spring! The weather is so perfect for exploring all the nature we are learning about in Cindy’s videos.
No Sweat Nature Study podcast- this is all new, created by Cindy. We listened to 2 episodes this morning and all my kids were instantly inspired to go on a nature walk, sketch a peeper, or read about the topic.
Camping and hiking- Depending on the age of your kids, camping can be so easy. But even with 5 kiddos, one of those being a baby, it is always *worth it* for our family to venture out. Time spent outside as a family, uninterrupted by “work” or other stressors, allows for a lot of bonding time.
If you’re interested in hearing more about adventuring with your family, even when it feels like more work than play, check out this podcast episode from Read Aloud Revival . I love how they discuss that when all we remember are the not fun parts, getting frustrated, etc kids always remember the fun.
Enjoy arts and crafts more- this time of year inspires me so much to paint and doodle, and to encourage my children to do the same. Sending them outside to explore, and come back with something they want to draw into their journals. Or just finding a good video online to follow, is perfect.
Homemade play dough- I love making homemade play dough because I don’t feel bad when it gets dirty or “ruined.” Plus it is a lot of fun to add in leaves, grasses, and flowers such as lavender. Spring is the perfect time to do this.
Plant a garden– this is pretty obvious… but really! Get outside and plant a garden with the kids. Or just do some pots inside, that you can transfer to the patio later. On our farm we look the most forward to 2 things: baby animals being born, and the garden!
Write Poetry– there is never as much inspiration for writing poetry as in spring! Kids typically love spring and will enjoy writing all about it
Study rainbows- read books about them, make rainbows from fun items like beads or cereal, paint rainbows, and read about God’s rainbow
Fly a kite at home or in the park/an open field
Play baseball as a family– this is super fun if you have. large enough family for everyone to get involved. one of my favorite memories is running the bases, while pregnant with our last baby (#5), after hitting the ball out back. We love playing baseball as a family.
Get outside for a sunrise together
Stay up late for a sunset together
Hit the farmer’s market- this is so fun, and if kids earn an allowance, let them help purchase some produce for the family themselves. Or let them pick out their favorite produce to buy, and share
Hunt 4 leaf clovers
Get a flower press like this one, and use it for spring flowers

There are so many amazing ways to enjoy God’s creation, and combine life with homeschool. What’s your families favorite thing to do during the spring?

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