Fun Evangelism Tools for Kids {a review}

by Meghan // October 31, 2017 // Comments off

Happy Fall to everyone! We have been using and enjoying the Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack from Let the Little Children Come. If you are involved in work with young children, you are going to want to check out these great little evangelism tools for kids!

These have been so much fun for my children; they’re ages 7, 5, 3 and 1. Obviously the baby hasn’t been using them much, but the older three have.

The Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack includes 10 tracts for children to learn about Jesus and His love for them:

John 3:16 Animated Tract
Gospel Buttons Flip About
The Most Amazing House Pop-up Tract
Wordless Bracelet Kit
The True Story of Christmas Animated Tract
The Lost Easter Egg Pop-up Tract
John 3:16 Flip About
Silicone Salvation Bracelet
Where’s Everybody Going? Animated Tract
Wordless Book

Each of these items have continued discussions about salvation with my own children; I can only imagine how far a full set of one or two items could reach in a Sunday school class, sports team, etc. These are also perfect as Halloween bag goodies!

The pack comes with colorful, detailed instructions for each of the items, as well as a summary of how to use them. (The website also helps with what to say, how to use/present each tract, etc.)

The animated tracts are by far one of the favorites in our home; by sliding the black plastic sheet over the images in the book, the images move “like a movie,” as my daughter said. My children have spent countless hours using these animated tracts.

The flip abouts are definitely made for busy little hands and inquisitive minds! These are perfect for those that enjoy puzzles. My 7 year old find them fun and really enjoyed showing me how it is “so easy” to use, after I told her it was frustrating for me. I think of the flip abouts like a Gospel-speaking fidget toy!

Each of the tracts and flip abouts are the perfect size for little hands, children’s pockets, to use as bookmarks, and easy to carry in their favorite bag. I would also say they are durable and well made. They have survived a few weeks of constant use by 3 children on a farm- that says something!

The pop-up tracts are again, well made. The pages are thick enough to be durable, but the entire book is small enough to go anywhere in a tiny human’s hand. My 3 year old is especially entranced by the pop up images, and let me tell you, they are actually really neat little books! The images are detailed, informative, and simple enough for children to grasp the meaning of the message. I was impressed with the quality of the pop-ups themselves.

The wordless bracelet kit was lots of fun and so simple to make; perfect as an end of semester gift for a craft class at co-op. We made the bracelet together, and discussed the meaning of all the colors. This might be my favorite item from the sample pack. It will fit most wrists from age 3+ because of the adjustable sliding knot assembly (which is very easy!).

The colors on the bracelet’s beads can also be found on the silicone bracelet, and in the wordless book- again, another favorite by the 3 year old. Each of the colors in the wordless book pages represents the following:

Gold/yellow reminds us of heaven.
God wants us all to be with him in heaven.
The dark color/page reminds us of sin.
Because we have all sinned, we cannot get to heaven on our own.
Red reminds us of the blood of Jesus.
Jesus came to earth to take the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross.
The clean/white page reminds us that we can be made clean from sin by believing in Jesus.
When we believe in Jesus, we can have a relationship with God and will one day be with him in heaven.
Green reminds us of things that grow.
It is important that we grow in our relationship with Jesus.

This is a very simple explanation of the Gospel to plant the seed of knowing Jesus in the hear of children. My son was really interested in the bracelet and the colors of each of the beads.

The sampler pack has items that are just right for a large age range- from preschoolers to tweens. Another thought goes beyond children, to perhaps nursing and retirement homes, community centers, etc. I feel like everyone enjoys getting a little special from children, and these are a great way for children to give the Gospel to others, in a way that they can understand the work they are doing for the Lord.

The uses for any of the tools is really endless- I am thinking stocking stuffers, Christmas goodie-bag exchange, thank you’s for children working hard in a play/presentation at church, graduation goodies from a program, VBS awards, co-op classes, etc.

The Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack has truly been a delight in our home. (And now, per the request of my 7 and 5 year olds, we have to spend a day researching & learning how exactly the animated tracts work …)

You can check out my review of Let the Little Children Come’s Is there Anything Better Than Candy? box tract here.

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In the Reign of Terror Audio Drama {a review}

by Meghan // August 3, 2017 // Comments off

We *love love love* audiobooks and audio dramas, so when offered a chance to review In the Reign of Terror by Heirloom Audio Productions I knew we should say yes, please! What better time to listen to an adventure filled audio drama than summertime travels?! That’s just what our family did.

What It Is How We Used It*

Let me begin with Heirloom Audio Productions- I truly can’t say enough good things about this company, the integrity they uphold with historical stories, and what they stand for. You can read more about who they are HERE, which clearly outlines what they believe, and how they get these stories which are shared with listeners. The best part is their stories is they are wholesome (ie: safe for my kids to listen to without me needing to know every detail before pressing play).

Heirloom Audio offers several audio adventures, and this time we listened to In the Reign of Terror. We received the 2-cd set, along with access to their Live the Adventure Club, which is really cool (more details to follow).

This 2.5 hour audio drama is full of non stop adventure and action! Recreating a story by G.A. Henty and set during the French Revolution, executive producer Bill Heid and cast have blown this production out of the water! You will recognize star voices (from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Downton Abbey and more!) which have made this one-of-a-kind audio adventure so much fun and full of life.

The synopsis is a boy, Harry, (16 years old) visiting France during the French Revolution. All that ensues challenges his faith and expectations, after he is taken in by a family which he grows to love. He struggles to survive, while his new found friends are taken captive and persecuted for something they cannot control-the blood line from which they were born.

What We Thought

Heirloom Audio does a beautiful job showing these stories of history are imbedded in Christianity. The story shows the faithfulness of God in all circumstances, and how our faith in God brings people out of this darkness. This production is exceptional.

My daughter who is almost 7 years old, was better able to keep up with the story than my son, who is almost 5. They both said they liked listening to Victor the most. They loved the music and how it made them “fill with excitement!” (per my daughter haha) I wasn’t in the car the first time they listened, but my husband said he really enjoyed it too!

I have since been able to listen to parts and pieces, and can say I am so thankful for the values and lessons taught in this adventure. Unlike twaddly books and shows, In the Reign of Terror teaches lessons of love, truth, and history deeply rooted in God without jeopardizing quality and rigor. Yes- rigor! It takes great listening skills to truly capture all of this multifaceted story at once. I suspect the more we listen, the more we will learn. The settings throughout are really brought to life with the birds, crowds, and other background sounds, that are so clear you can picture the action- I felt like I was right there.

I love that on a basic level, this is a fun, adventure of a story that brings everything back to God; but as my children grow and develop in their understanding of history and the Lord, we can delve deeper and deeper into this production, over and over again!

Truly lifelong learning.

The digital study guide is *amazing.* It includes everything from comprehension questions and vocabulary to recipes, deeper understanding/background information, and Bible study! Not only is it a helpful tool, turning the listening experience into a great educational experience, it is beautifully written and designed.

You can learn how to get the study guide and other extra features below.

Live the Adventure Club

The Live the Adventure Club is a subscription service that provides access to tons of bonus features. There are really too many to list, but some of my favorites include:

the many study guides-one for each audio adventure
a free crash course on Christianity and our constitution
early American curriculum resources- all rare, from American and world history, to biographies and readers (this is so cool!)
a club member discount on future audio purchases
access to purchased audio adventures, via mp3 listening
an old time radio vault of wholesome, public domain, listening from years gone by- all in one place!
daily devotionals
a plethora of kids activities

Inside the Club site you will find all these extra resources and much, much more!

I really like that you can follow along with a script, look over defining words, read thinking further questions, as well as take chapter quizzes while listening to the audio, thanks to screen in screen technology! They have really thought of it all.

The website runs seamlessly (even with my ~~15 million~~ many tabs open), is streamlined, and so easy to use.

Below are screen shots of the study guides and a few radio shows from Live the Adventure Club site:

I am not exaggerating when I say I can’t believe all of these resources have been included for such easy access, at a subscription rate. This is so exciting, and I can’t wait to use these during our history lessons this school year. Thank you Heirloom Audio Productions!

**Right now you can purchase an audio adventure and receive a 3 month trial of Live the Adventure Club for $1! After your trial is over, Live the Adventure Club is $24.75 every 3 months, which includes a new audio adventure and access to all the club benefits. (click the links for more details about the subscription).

If you want a fun way to include audio dramas and adventure in your homeschool, this is it!

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Your Magnificent Chooser: Teaching Kids to Make Godly Choices

by Meghan // July 25, 2017 // Comments off

We were able to review the title, Your Magnificent Chooser, by John Ortberg, illustrated by Robert Dunn. John Ortberg is a senior pastor, author, speaker, and has served as a teaching pastor. He has done a wonderful job reaching young children in his latest book.

My children have enjoyed this book so much! It is a simple rhyming book that teaches children they have the power to control their choices, using their chooser, given to them by God. With every situation they have a choice to make, and it is their job to use their chooser wisely.

The rhyming is fun, and the illustrations are lovely. It is a beautiful hardback with crisp, clear pages that hold up well to the many little hands in this house! I think it is perfect for younger preschoolers, however my almost 5 year old son requests it often.

Learning about Godly choices is important for our family, and there is no better way than snuggling up with a book. =)

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The Resolution {from a 6 year old}

by Meghan // July 11, 2017 // Comments off

Today, we were working in our Sonlight Language Arts, grade 2, for my oldest’s language arts. The lesson was about the major parts of a story- plot, setting, characters, conflict, and resolution. We talked about how all stories, from all cultures and parts of history, have each of these elements.

As her assignment, Lexie was to choose a Bible story and go through the elements of the story.

I asked her if we needed to grab the Bible for her to choose a story, and she promptly informed me that she had her story already in mind-

Adam and Eve.

So I asked her, what was the plot? She responded with the obvious, “Adam and Eve turned away from God when they listened to the serpent, or Satan, instead of God.”

The setting, she said, was the Garden of Eden.

The characters were Adam, Eve, Satan, and God.

The conflict she said, was when Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan, hide from God, and were then sent away from the Garden. <—now mind you, most people would have said that the resolution was God sending them away.

So I asked her, then what was the resolution?

She replied, “God sent Jesus.”

That’s it, y’all.

God sent Jesus.

There’s the resolution to it all.

Every tear, every doubt, every suffering we experience. Every time we battle the desires of the flesh, every time the enemy is on our backs or working actively on our family; for every single lie we believe because we are human and not perfect,

there is Jesus.

And He bears it all. He gives us grace to make new our mistakes, He hears us when we need a quiet moment before we lose our minds in the chaos of our home. He resolved it all. His death brings meaning to everything we endure here, because we know This. Isn’t. It. We cannot even imagine what He went through, so that we don’t have to endure everything on our own.

No matter how unbearable, how lonely, how sickly or fallen life is here, God has taken care of all that.

The resolution, is Jesus.

And thank you, Sonlight.

PS- Yes I know the resolution to the small story of Adam and Eve was probably God making them leaving the garden; but the resolution to the *whole* story, is definitely Jesus.

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Mornings With Jesus

by Meghan // April 10, 2017 // Comments off

(Written in January 2017, published in April)

I heard God telling me he knew my hurt, he knew my disappointment and sadness.

Then I heard His promise- he would fulfill the desires of my heart. He wasn’t going to get the job done half way.

He wouldn’t provide a home, the little farm, the body and ability for hard work, and then just leave the rest unfulfilled.

He will provide that fellowship- but first I have to find it in Him.

And I did. This week I started back to getting up early, reading a devotional from Youversion, and following along in my Bible. Then journaling and praying about it. Trying to keep that intention through my day.

It is amazing what the Word of God can do in your spirit when you just give Him a few minutes every morning.

Thankfully, the baby’s eating & nap schedule has lengthened a bit; she has gone from a 3.5 hour to 4 hour routine, which means instead of my day being broken up into a million little 10-25 minute segments (between feedings, making meals, doing school, picking up, etc), I now have longer stretches between.

I was wondering why it seemed so hard to get everything squeezed into our day around here, and now I realize why! When baby moves to a 4 hour schedule life is so. much. easier. (this usually happens between 4-6 months of age.)

This gives me more time in the morning to read to the kids, do devotionals, get our morning basket time in. *yay* I thought we were getting into a groove before, but now we are REALLY getting there! YAY

I am thankful for my early mornings, my precious husband that wakes me up sweetly and has the coffee brewing before my feet hit the floor, and an Almighty that wants me to succeed, and be the best mama I can be.

How Do You Do Your Mornings?

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When Jesus Finds You

by Meghan // April 4, 2017 // Comments off

If someone had told me when I was 18, that the man I just met would one day be my husband, that we would go on adventures together and have all the same loves; that we would one day have 4 babies, a small farm, and be blessed beyond measure, I would have told them they were crazy.

I never imagined the partying, depressed, anxious, and shy girl who was that 18 year old, would become the 31 year old I am today. I am not done, rather God is not done, and He makes that perfectly clear every day as he uses my children, marriage, and dreams-come-true to smooth out my rough edges.

But I lived to tell about that girl. I lived to tell about the bad choices, and the sadness, the broken family that still gave so much love; I lived to tell about the friends who didn’t live to tell about it.

Not to be dramatic, but that could’ve been me. I was one bad choice away from being a statistic, like my brother, my best friend, and many, many other people I have known.

I think God has plans, He knows all. His end goal is the same, how we get there and whether we get there or not, is up to us. Free will and all…

But God can redeem it all. He can redeem the heart and soul of every person on this planet for his Glory. He surely redeemed my life.

Growing up, maturing, did a lot for my heart. Marriage and learning to grow together with someone did too. But after my brother died, I wrote God off (I think I have written about that before). I knew He was there, I knew He existed, but I wanted nothing to do with Him. I didn’t really have a relationship with Jesus, so it was easy to write off God.

And then I got pregnant- unexpectedly, in the middle of my last year at university, J.Tom and I found ourselves expecting a baby. I was terrified, unsure, not ready for a baby, wasn’t even sure I even wanted kids, and God threw me for a real loop.

It was through that baby that I found Jesus.

And it has been through her, and each pregnancy and baby after, that He has worked in my life, so that I may work in theirs. I couldn’t be a good mama to them, if I didn’t have Jesus.

Maybe He found me, while I was wandering aimlessly for those several months, and at my most vulnerable grabbed me, shook me awake, and made me realize what was at stake. A life. Another human life was going to depend on me, and what was I going to teach her?

What was the world about?

What was the world NOT about?

What was life?

What would I tell her?

Jesus.

Jesus is life.

And the only way to prove that to her, to all of the world, is to live it.

I don’t live it perfectly; I make so many mistakes. But reading the Word, talking the Word, worshiping Him with my babies each morning during morning basket, all helps get my feet where they should be so the kids and I can all stand firm in Him.

He meets us where we are, no matter where that might be.

How do you get your day started with Jesus? Where in life did He meet you?

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Learning About Colorado {by the way book series}

by Meghan // March 2, 2017 // Comments off

The past few weeks we have had the pleasure of using and reviewing Colorado- By The Way, from By The Way Book Series. We took a trip a few years back to Colorado, and since then we have discussed the state a lot here and there. My oldest daughter who is 6 years old, remembers the trip and is very interested in learning about Colorado, so this book was perfect!

What It Is {about the book}

Let me just say, this is a beautiful book! We are most definitely book junkies in this house, especially books that don’t involve twaddle. Colorado- By The Way is so nicely put together; the photographs included are clear and detailed, while the words flow easily and are a wonderful help to learning about the state of Colorado.

Colorado is a beautiful state, and it does not surprise me at all that so many people call this place their home. A good friend of mine recently moved to Colorado after finding a gorgeous home in Centennial. She had always wanted to live in Cherry Knolls and after working alongside a cherry knolls realtor, her dreams have become a reality. I cannot wait to visit her really soon as her new property looks amazing from the photographs that I have seen. I might even bring her a copy of this book all about Colorado as a housewarming gift!

By The Way Book Series has created a captivating book all about the facts and history of Colorado (there are other books in the series: Ohio State, Smoky Mountains, and more!).

The story begins with Alex and Lexi joining a By The Way RV team, where they go on to see all that God’s imagination holds. All throughout the book there are examples of the evidence of God’s work-that nothing was created by chance, but in a very deliberate way. You will also find Bible verses that point to God’s glory.

The book has 48 full color pages, and is recommended for ages 5-12. My children (ages 2-6) really enjoyed this book, and I absolutely think this would be a wonderful book for older children because it is so informative, and not “childish,” in the story line. It is appropriate for a large age range. The book is a large 8×10 hardback, with a nice sturdy binding and thick, beautiful pages.

Written from a Biblical worldview, this is a terrific book for anyone wanting to learn more about Colorado.

What We Thought

We love this book! We have a house full of books, and this one is probably right at the top of my favorites list. I hope to add more books from the series to our shelf, because I know they will be accurate, appropriate, and educational. This is a wonderful travel book to prepare for a trip, or when doing a unit study on both the state of Colorado, the midwest, the mountains, and/or wildlife.

I really love the illustrations in this book- they are a mix of drawings and photographs-both of which grab children’s attention and show great detail. We were able to see inside the homes and life if “cliff dwellers” of the Mesa Verde; which led into an entire discussion of the meanings of mesa and verde, where they originated and how the english language is a great mix of Latin and Spanish. Colorado- By The Way covers state history as well as life in Colorado for both people and nature.

Something else I noticed and really liked, was that the adults in this book are respected- they are wonderful examples for the children, and they are always presented as someone the children respect. Adults are not made fun of, or made to look silly or foolish as is often found in children’s books (and especially tv shows).

I loved talking about all the different topics we came across; I think my daughter’s favorite part was about the horses and ponies. The adventures encountered by the characters are fun, educational, and always point to God.

It isn’t very often we come across great new books that span many school subjects/units but this book does just that!

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Jesus, Peace, Freedom & our Homeschool

by Meghan // January 30, 2017 // Comments off

The theme this week is Seeking Beauty: the Fine Arts, and Everything that Brings Beauty into our Homeschools. Find other posts HERE, and visit the host Susan, HERE.

I had no idea what I would title this post, often I have the title before the actual content comes to mind, it is how my brain works .. As I went through writing it I was still going back and forth on what to call it.

Then I saw it~

We began homeschooling for many reasons, and like most homeschoolers quickly found that what we fell in love with about homeschool was the building of relationships, the freedom to choose, and the peace.

Isn’t it funny how when you know and come to Jesus, peace and freedom follow?

OK, maybe not funny, but amazing and wonderful.

Our days are often not as ideal as I’d like, but for the most part, they are pretty enjoyable and peaceful. Our mornings aren’t rushed, our relationships are strong and growing daily (praise the Lord), and we try to keep Jesus the center of our home and education.

Each morning I really do feel a peace about our day starting out (it may or may not stay that way depending on the 2 year old’s disposition =P) .. I wake up and I don’t dread it. The absolute beauty in our homeschool is that we enjoy it. It comes with Jesus, peace, and freedom.

What Brings Beauty to Our Homeschool

Jesus.

Truly, Jesus brings the most beauty in our home and homeschool. From reminding me to give grace, to giving me grace, Jesus is why I am confident this homeschooling thing will work out. I have no doubt in my mind that if we raise our 4 babies with Jesus and lead them by example that God will take care of the details. He is going to make sure everything else falls into place; as long as we do our part we can sleep well at night. I don’t need to worry or fret, and I especially don’t need to be concerned with what other people think of our decision. We’ve got this, because He’s got this. His grace is enough.

The homestead.

I know people every where homeschool, and we would regardless on having the farm. But the farm makes is so much fun. There is so much beauty in going outside and being free of confinement. No walls, no city streets, no city noises. Just freedom and peace. Our family really enjoys that, and it enriches our homeschool day.

Books.

I would specifically say Sonlight here, but this year we took a break from SL for age purposes. But I would definitely say Sonlight enriches and brings so much beauty to our homeschool. And then books in general. There are so many obvious reasons for this, but my favorite include the lessons, the imagination & creativity, and again, freedom, that books bring to our home and school. I am very excited because my 2 year old is finally getting into the “I will sit still and be quiet long enough for everyone to enjoy a book,” which means we can get back to reading aloud more often. I am already looking forward to next year when we redo Sonlight’s Core A with my then 7 and 5 year olds. We also love the Before Five in a Row and Five in a Row books.

Freedom.

I keep mentioning this- maybe THAT should be my word for 2017 (ha). One reason we homeschool is so we have time for what we love. We school on a year round schedule, so we can take every other Friday off for co-op, and every other Wednesday off for cleaning day. This also helps with catch up days. I try to block off one week every 6 weeks for a week off. So far this year they have been used when family came in town, when we went on vacation, or when we needed to catch up from a sick week. But there is freedom in our weekly schedule.

There is also freedom in our daily routine- we can do as much or as little as needed, focus on what we want, do extra studies of interest, read any book we like (banned from public school or not), learn with books, the computer, create lapbooks.

We get to talk about Jesus, sin, death, life, babies being born, how to butcher a cow, what taxes really are (haha), what it means to serve others, and how anything works any time we want to.

We can stop what we’re doing for a video, a dance session, a board game; we can do school in our pajamas (or sans clothes if you are a certain 2year old), outside, read on the swing, under a tree, school in the morning, in the afternoon, take naps, eat nutritious home cooked meals and snacks, play in the mud before school starts, and of course have our chickens tag along. Freedom.

And of course that freedom encompasses so much more, but I just touched on a few of the obvious choices.

Community.

We have recently found a comfortable community that is accepting and fun, loves Jesus, and is our own little comfy place. We meet every other Friday for co-op classes that (for now at least) are fitting our schedule and needs. The kids are doing fun things we don’t always have time for at home, and mama gets a brain break (though it is physically exhausting and takes a lot of prep on my end).
I have been craving a community & I feel like God took care of that. I heard him telling me to just be still, and wait. And once I finally let go, and let Him just hold us, he took care of it all. Duh.

Then there is the online homeschool community, which mostly just rocks. There is no limit to the questions I can ask and have help with in one of my favorite Sonlight groups. There is also the homeschool opportunities we will get to be more involved in as my children get older. Just 1-2 years will make a huge different in what they can participate in, in terms of activities and groups. They are still little, and we don’t believe in a go-go-go lifestyle for our young family, but there will be a time and place to take advantage of those things.

So much goes into our homeschool, but mostly it is a lifestyle. And we really enjoy it. Becoming lifelong learners that don’t stress over learning because it is just what we do makes this fun for all of us.

Putting Jesus front and center brings the peace and freedom that forms our homeschool.

What brings beauty to your homeschool?

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The Beginner’s Bible {with new artwork}

by Meghan // January 4, 2017 // Comments off

The start of a new year tends to bring new books into our home. This year we have been so blessed to review The Beginner’s Bible from Zonderkidz.

How We Have Used It

We have gone through 2 copies of The Beginner’s Bibles in our home since my now 6 year old was 2 years old. Growing up The Beginner’s Bible was my first Bible. For my children, it was an every single night story book for several years, and my oldest could recite the stories to you by heart before she was 4. My son and second daughter have also loved this book, and when our last copy was so well loved that most of the pages were taped in, they were excited to receive our newest copy!

They were even more excited to see the illustrations were different, and more vibrant (they used the words “more colorful”). This updated version is perfect for my oldest to read to her younger siblings, and also for my son to begin reading as he learns to read. Daddy often lets everyone pick a different story to read from it for bedtime. My 2 year old is a “page flipper,” she *loves* to sit and flip through the pages of books while talking about the pictures. This is one of her very favorite books to pick up.

The book is a hardcover edition with beautiful colors, with 512 pages containing over 90 Bible stories.

What We Think About The (updated) Beginner’s Bible

I appreciate that the pages are thick and durable; with so many little hands using this book it is important that it stands up to lots of love. The cover is sturdy, and colorful-it definitely draws my children’s eye when choosing a book to have read to them.

I like that my 6 year old, who reads on a higher level, is able to read this book with ease. Something new I noticed is that in the back is a short glossary of terms used in the stories! Woo hoo! This is so neat, and a great way to introduce glossaries to young children. My daughter really likes this section of The Beginner’s Bible.

I feel like I can trust Zonderkidz and especially The Beginner’s Bible product line, because I grew up with it. Reading the stories nightly to my children helped me (even as an adult) have a better understanding of some of the history in the Bible.

Though simple, it is thorough enough for children to get a great view of Biblical truths without the use of fantastical additions. This is so important to our family. The Beginner’s Bible doesn’t discuss the more mature content of the Bible, but is still able to tell the stories with beauty and truth, while also avoiding adding in details that aren’t Biblically sound.

We are very choosy about books in our home; I want to make sure that what my children read is quality, safe, and appropriate while still being fun, engaging and lining up with our values. Zonderkidz does just that with The Beginner’s Bible.

You can click HERE to see comparisons of the old artwork with the new. The images are now more vibrant, and I think easier for little eyes to decipher. They also include lots of fun resources to download through that link. Enjoy!

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Homeschool Weekly Wrap Up {October 21, 2016}

by Meghan // November 3, 2016 // Comments off

The past few weeks have been so fun in our homeschool! Everyone is growing by leaps and bounds and I love being being part of it; the big squeeze hugs Mister gives me after each word he reads while exclaiming, “I read another word!” makes every hard homeschool moment worth it.

We are reading about Pocahontas in our Beautiful Feet study right now; Lexie has already read the book to herself, but reading it aloud to all of the kids makes it fun and she takes that opportunity to ask for clarification about vocabulary words she doesn’t understand or parts of the plot that she wants further explanation about.

In math Lexie and Max have both enjoyed using cusinaire rods to learn about how numbers work with each other, build on each other, and to help with skip counting. Lexie is moving through her math curriculum really well, pretty much on her own. But she is thinking about numbers so much outside of school in her play and conversations with us, I knew she needed a little more number sense to build on to better understand the math she is exploring in every day life.

$hands-on-math-with-cusinaire-rods$

Next week we are going to use base ten blocks to explore place value, skip counting, and changing numbers.

Max is following along with us, but mostly enjoys using the manipulatives to build hammers and trucks.

Mister is reading! He is so proud of himself; he has known his letter sounds for ages now. A few months back he began sounding out words, but couldn’t quite blend the sounds together, even with modeling. And about 2 weeks ago, it just clicked! It was SO wonderful and fun; he asks to read new words every school day. We are using This Reading Mama’s Reading the Alphabet curriculum in conjunction with AAR Level 1. He loves the little books that TRM’s curriculum includes, as well as the activities. Next week I told him we could start reading Bob Books if he wanted.

I think his favorite part about learning to read isn’t just that he can read, which is huge for his confidence, but that he gets 1:1 time with mama just for reading. =) He is reading to his sisters, and to me whenever he can. Hopefully he enjoys growing and learning more; we probably won’t move as quickly as Lexie did, but who knows? I didn’t think he would want to read this early, but we enjoyed playing with letters and words until he did. Surprise!

In science we are covering the sun; we are moving really slowly through our science curriculum, but we are enjoying it. Lexie enjoys working through the journal and *loves* the crossword puzzles. Mister is tagging along. We made our first KWL chart so they could visualize and learn about organizing their thoughts. One thing I really loved using in college for my methods courses were graphic organizers.

Lexie and Max are both working through their handwriting programs. Lexie’s handwriting has improved so much, but only shows when she really tries to write neatly (which she likes to do and surprise me). At the end of each week she is excited to show me her final copywork which is a Bible verse. She uses A Reason for Handwriting’s B program. Max has been working on pre-writing skills with Handwriting Without Tears and loves it. He sits in my lap while we practice the different strokes while he colors. Soon he gets to begin writing letters in his book.

We have been spending lots of time outside in this beautiful fall weather! The kids all went through an obsession with caterpillars a few weeks back when they were everywhere. Now, we are covered in beetles that look like lady bugs! So we are about to start learning a bit about them.

We are also doing some FIAR activities with our FIAR books as we want. Mostly we are discussing parts of the stories for now, like character traits and social awareness. I *love* *love* *love* FIAR and the books that it covers- it is just great literature! And because I don’t feel like we have to do every. single. thing. in the guide, we can just enjoy and savor quality books. (and I don’t have to go on a hunt and make lists of books .. less work for me!)

And of course we like to follow other interest led learning trails, so whenever we come across something they want to know more about we just dive in!

We love homeschooling because we can be eclectic. We can use curricula we love, and do our own thing without any boundaries to hold us back. It’s a beautiful way to structure their education and build that love for learning!

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