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

If you have been around here very long, you know we love all things audiobook and audio drama. So I jumped on the chance for our family to review Jonathan Park, The Adventure Begins, Series 1. We received a physical, 4 disc set covering all four albums of the first Jonathan Park adventure. This is a wonderful Christian audio drama, and perfect for your home and homeschool. My kids listen to audio dramas almost daily in our home; they’re a great way to get reading in (through the ears, yes it’s thing…), and I love when they’re Christian based, adding Biblical truths.

I would say this is definitely appropriate for 5+ years old. A younger 5 year old may not quite understand what is happening, but my just turned 6 year old definitely does. There is a lot of adventure, and some “bad guys,” so especially sensitive kiddos may struggle there, but I have a few sensitive kids and they haven’t had any trouble with it. My just turned 12 year old enjoys it as well, and she said older kids would probably like it, too.

What Is It?

Jonathan Park, The Adventure Begins, Series 1 is a Christian audio drama chronicling the adventure of Jonathan and his father when they run into the Brenan family. They go on to discover a huge area of dinosaur bones, which prompts them to open a creation science museum. The adventures they go on, and trials they face make the listening experience so fun and exciting for families.

In our home, we have a lot to do during our day- farm chores, meals, quiet time for Bible reading, and home educating require a lot from all of us. We work very hard to keep things slow and peaceful, so down-time is a must for everyone. Jonathan Park has been a perfect addition to our days. Listening while they color and do puzzles or even play board games, is one of my kids’ favorite ways to spend their free time. Jonathan Park is  a series they have listened to over and over again over the last several weeks; each kiddo has their favorite parts (my 10 year old even has his favorite disc 😂 ), they quote it to one another throughout the day, and have little inside jokes about different things said. Mister (10yo) says:

My favorite part is when Eddie is late, and has to tell the password to get into the treehouse, and it’s funny. The tune and song they put in is hilarious! I also liked the last CD, The Mystery of Deadman’s Curve, when Mr. Moriarty is trying to scare the Brenan’s and the Parks out of making their science museum, so he can make his top secret spy vehicles and sell them to the government. If the museum goes up, it won’t be a top secret operation anymore. He’s the bad guy”

Why You’ll Love It

I love that as a mama with a full day, I can trust that what my kids are exposed to through Jonathan Park, is safe; I don’t have to worry about bad language, inappropriate scenarios, or bad attitudes that may influence them. The story line is interesting for everyone, and gives them a chance to build comprehension through listening. We know that listening to build comprehension is an important skill, and rereading/relistening gives a different experience each time. The first time we read, it is to learn what happens, each time after that is for enjoyment and building our understanding even more, without knowing it. All 4 of my oldest ask for this audio drama because they truly enjoy it.

I know we will be needing to get the other series, soon! They will make a perfect stocking stuffer, gift from grandparents, or a great enrichment to the homeschool year! You can listen together in the car, or just during downtime at home. The Adventure Begins, Series 1, is a series parents and grandparents will enjoy listening along to, as well- my meter of how enriching something is (movies, music, books, etc.) is this- would an adult enjoy it as well? If not, it is probably a bit twaddle-y (using language that talks down to kids, unintelligent, reading-made-easy language, etc). If an adult would enjoy it with their family, it’s probably high quality and worth spending my time or money on. This is definitely enjoyable by the whole family!

Right now you can get The Adventure Begins, Series 1 discounted nearly 60%, PLUS a discount code for free shipping. Don’t miss this offer, and the experience of Jonathan Park! Enter jpcrew22 for free shipping on your order!

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

We have been using 14:6 – The Way (ESV version) as a scripture memory work course in our homeschool. This is a great way for anyone, adults included, to memorize scripture. While it isn’t a full blown Bible study, Scripture Memory Fellowship has put together a wonderful program that isn’t just rote memorization, but also offers context, for meaningful lessons. No need to look up specific verses or context to find just the right thing for each topic- the work is done for you! This is a great way for anyone to memorize scripture to help share the gospel with others, and understand the why behind the verses they’re learning.

What is it?

14:6 The Way has 28 weeks of memorization with 7 units of 4 lessons each. This book covers seven gospel-centric questions that point to Jesus from the beginning of creation, to God’s plan and finally His redemption story. There are options of learning 1, 2, or 3 verses each week. The doctrine covered is in the title of each lesson. On the reverse side of each week’s lesson is the Consider the Meaning section, where students learn more about the context of their verses by:

1. reading the context in the Bible
2. completing a short activity about the context
3. completing a few multiple choice questions about comprehension
4. completing a fill in the blank statement using a word bank of key phrases from the Scripture’s context

Let me start by saying we use this program a bit differently than it is intended. We use it during morning time, and we do it as a family working and answering questions orally. I do not keep track of if I have to help each kiddo or not, though some do a lot better with the memorization than others. (This is pretty typical, and something I’ve seen in our homeschool no matter what we are memorizing. One of my children is just really good at memorization, even though she is younger.) But we are all learning quite a bit as we go through the book together.

I like that each unit covers a specific doctrine, like What did God Do? and then each of the 4 lessons in that unit fall under that umbrella. So for example, in unit 3 (What Did God Do?) we learn through memorization that God:

• Planned Our Redemption
• Gave His Word
• God Promised a Savior
• God Sent His Son as a Man

The scripture covered is especially meaningful because it is *in context* to what is being learned. I really love this, because so often we see scripture that sounds nice, and seems great but is actually being used incorrectly, out of context, and doesn’t actually apply in the way it is being used. But not with Scripture Memory Fellowship, 14:6 – The Way. This is so refreshing, and really helps take a lot of the pressure off of the homeschool mom who may otherwise need to find verses for specific topics. It definitely made teaching and preparing for these lessons at morning time more enjoyable for me.

The Keep it Sharp section at the back of the book covers the importance of retaining what Scripture we have memorized. The icons from the lessons help with triggering the memory based on the particular doctrine that was focused on during that lesson. This is especially helpful for visual learners, or anyone that needs other ways to remember things.

The ultimate purpose for memorizing scripture is so that it is always on our hearts, and with the Holy Spirit we can use it in our every day life. This includes sharing the gospel with others; not only unbelievers, but our children, our friends when they’re low, and of course for our children to share with others. It isn’t just something to memorize so they can say they’ve done it- it is something to be used and valued, because what is more valuable than God’s Word?

This has been a great way for us to learn doctrine and memory verses in our homeschool, and I think it is going to work for just about any family or individual. Always remember to make the program work for you! Which is what we did here by using it as a family, but it is a perfect program for an individual to work on independently, aside from reciting what they’ve learned to someone else.

We will definitely be continuing with this one!

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I just wanted to share their hints for memorization, because I think no matter how you decide to memorize scripture in your homeschool or personal life, these are really great ideas:

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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!

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!