Making hands on learning a part of your homeschool is a wonderful way to make your studies real and interesting to your children. Pitsco Education has a wonderful selection of products that can provide the hands on learning you might be looking for! We recently had the opportunity to utilize their Siege Machines Kit.

The Siege Machine Kit includes:  a Trebuchet Kit, Catapult Kit, Mass Plates and the Siege Machines book. Through building these medieval machines your child will incorporate learning in science, math and experiments.  They will learn the history of these devices and build their problem solving abilities.

While we are not currently studying the medieval time period, my children knew exactly what these machines were designed for and couldn’t wait to assemble them. The Siege Machine Kit is for middle school and up. Although my son is only 10, we decided to let him take charge of this project. Dad provided the adult supervision and guidance and “the boys” had a great time. They discussed the process and design as they progressed through the project and there was much satisfaction for my son when they were ready to fire!

The Siege Machine Kit is available from Pitsco Education for $21.95. From our experience, this is an excellent price for this kit. Although I did have to put a stop to firing at mom while she was in the kitchen, boys.

Pitsco Education has a wide variety of items that can enhance your learning experience so please take time to look around their site! Also make sure to swing by the Crew and see what other review families though of the Siege Machine Kit!

*Disclaimer – As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made.

Sure, we cut and glue and create all kinds of colorful creations when they are in the preschool years. I am more than willing to buy sketch pads, pencils and let them create to their hearts content. But a focused study? Not so much.

We recently had the opportunity to review a product from Artistic Pursuits. After some debating on the best fit for our family, I chose Book One for grades 4-6The Elements of Art and Composition.  My most dedicated artists are 3rd and 6th grade. I also have a 5th and 7th grader that I felt would enjoy the course as well. We definitely made the right choice to stretch this course to work for our family.

Artistic Pursuits is a comprehensive art program that provides  methods to encouraged the creative process while building observational skills. It is designed to be an independent learning program which I love. I struggle greatly with art so a program like Artistic Pursuits is exactly what I need to get art instruction for my children.

The Elements of Art and Composition includes 16 units. Each unit contains:

*Visual Vocabulary – creative assignment designed to bring together environment, experience and create a work of art.

*American Art Appreciation and History – Master works are used to demonstrate the focus of the lesson. They also learn about the artist and the time they lived.

* Techniques – Learning the use of tools and materials that is then used in original works.

* Application – Final project incorporating all that has been learned.

In the Elements of Art and Composition book topics such as space, texture, form, depth and contrast are covered. Your child will learn to use pencils, markers and even some scratch art throughout this course.

My thoughts…

I had heard of Artistic Pursuits in the past and the price of the course and the supplies had always given me pause. Our homeschool budget is very limited for “extras” so I had never looked too in depth at Artistic Pursuits.

I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was mistaken about the value of this program. As a mom of seven, one of my favorite words for curriculum is “non-consumable”. Even though, to me, at first glance the price for the book seemed high. However, when I break down that cost over all the children who will use it, it really isn’t bad at all!

I also had a concern about the art supplies. I know the recommendation would  be for each child to have their own set of supplies. However, we are use to sharing in our home, so we make sharing of art supplies the standard practice as well. It works for our budget and provides access to the materials needed.

I did find trying to find the supplies I needed, like the ebony pencils, a bit challenging since I was clueless. However, Artistic Pursuits simplifies this process and all needed supplies can be purchased directly from them! Outstanding!

Due to a computer virus, I can’t share any great works of art created by my children but will try to come back and update later!

Interested in Artistic Pursuits for your child? They have products for preschool to senior high. Art supply kits are available for those as well. Take a moment and check out Artistic Pursuits and make art instructions a part of your homeschool

The Elements of Art and Composition can be purchased for $42.95.

The Art Supply Kit for this book is available for $45.00.

Other reviewers tried different products from Artistic Pursuits, so make sure you swing by the Crew to see what others are saying!

*Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made.

The Reading Game was created by Kenneth Hodkinson, the author of Wordly Wise vocabulary products.  After watching one of his young granddaughters pretend to read, he was inspired to create a product that would help her to learn to read.  After a week of using The Reading Game, his granddaughter was reading! What a wonderful testimonial for a product!

So what exactly is The Reading Game and how does it work?

It is beautiful in its simplicity. I love simple. I’m not a song and dance kind of gal when it comes to reading. The Reading Game consist of 6 packets of cards. Each packet of cards has 6 memory games; 10 cards making 5 matches. After the packet of cards is mastered (meaning the child can quickly read each word), a coordinating book can be read using the words from the packet of cards.

The first set of 10 cards is placed face down. Taking turns with your child, you flip two cards at a time. When a match is made you read the word and have the child repeat. Once the child knows the words, he can read the word when the match is made. Every two games, test sentences are given so you can access whether your child is fluent in the reading of those words. Once all 6 memory games are mastered, it is time to grab the book and read!

This process continues until all six packets of cards and books have been mastered. Simple! And effective!

I used The Reading Game with my 5 year old daughter who was already in the midst of her phonics lessons. However, I felt it would serve her well to give her confidence and fluency. I was right. She loves to play The Reading Game. Tackling the first two memory games and knowing most of the words already delighted her. When she encountered new words in later games, she picked up on them quickly. Her excitement over reading the first book was a joy to watch.  It has carried over into her phonics lessons in the sense that she has greater confidence in her ability to read and doesn’t doubt herself as much.

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that she plays a mean game of memory and well, I’m not so good at it. She enjoyed beating mom at her reading game. I did try The Reading Game with my 3 year old but she isn’t quite ready. She doesn’t have the focus or desire right now. But I will be pulling it out again for her when she shows signs of being ready.

I also want to comment on the actual books. They are made of sturdy paper that isn’t going to easily get torn or worn from use. The illustrations are black and white. Nothing flashy to distract your reader but engaging. My daughter giggled her way through her first book; enjoying the pictures of a not so happy encounter between a skunk and a dog.  The Reading Game is a well made, simple yet effective product that can be so helpful for new readers!

You can purchase The Reading Game for $24.95. That includes the six packet of cards, six books and a teacher/parent guide.

As always, other Crew Members were able to review this product as well. Take a moment and see what others are saying about The Reading Game!

*Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Reviewing this product could not have come at a better time!

Introduction to Literature: English 1 is designed for 8th grade and up. However, it can be adapted as needed. This course is designed to be independent study and the text is written directly to the student. It focuses on various works: short stories, poems, drama and novels. Context readings have been provided to give background on the authors and help to give that valuable literary context.

The student will demonstrate understanding through approach papers, essays and other writings. Excellent samples of each type of written paper is given in the text and so very helpful!

Introduction to Literature consists of  9 units. The first unit is a collection of six short stories. The other units include the works: Around the World in Eighty Days, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Jane Eyre, Pygmalion, Treasure Island, Animal Farm, The Tempest, and Gulliver’s Travels. An honors tract is also available and you can read more about it here.

If you are interested in why these particular works were chosen, you can read about the selection process here.

Beginning this course with a 7th grader who had not encountered such writing assignments in the past was a bit of a challenge. I decided quickly that we were going to take it a bit slow with the units to make sure we covered them thoroughly. This is one of the reasons this review is so difficult for me to write. I wish that we had progressed  a bit further in the program to have experience with a couple of units. We are just finishing up with unit 1. It took my daughter, who loves long novels, a bit of time to enjoy the short story writings. Then we both had to learn how to produce an adequate approach paper. We are making progress and she is learning so much. And to her surprise, she is actually enjoying the writing!

I love that it is independent study. She takes her assignment and runs with it. She is an excellent independent student and I love when courses encourage this and make it easy on both of us to implement.  We will continue to progress through this course at a steady pace, taking longer when needed since she is on the younger side for this course. I do hope to continue with the other levels of the Excellence in Literature program. I have loved what I have seen so far!

Personally, I always enjoy thumbing through a product before buying and you can sample a whole unit from Introduction to Literature here.  There are 5 years of study in the Excellence in Literature course and you can see a complete book listing for these.

It would also be wise to read the FAQ as it covers such topics as: How to Prepare a Younger Student, How to Determine Placement (each level increases in difficulty) and more. Very helpful information!

I even love the price of Excellence in Literature:  Introduction to Literature! You have a choice between two different formats:

Introduction to Literature: English 1 – Print Book, 132 pages $29 + $4.95 shipping/handling

Introduction to Literature: English 1 – E Book -  $27. It is already laid out to be printed double sided to easily slip into a 3 ring binder.

Please stop by the Crew and see what other families thought of Excellence in Literature: Introduction to Literature.

**Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

George Washington Carver: His Life and His Work is a 30 minute DVD that takes you through the life of Mr. Carver. From being born into slavery to his work as a creative scientist, we are taken through his life and are introduced to his achievements, his character and his challenges.

I found it interesting to discover information like why Mr. Carver never married,  that he always wore a flower in his lapel and that he never used the name Washington.  Mr. Carver was a great example of diligence and dedication in spite of the obstacles placed in your path and the DVD did an excellent job of presenting this.

George Washington Carver: His Life and His Works is recommended for 4th grade and up.  The content is not objectionable and our little ones joined us during our viewing. However, the information presented is at the level recommended. While the DVD was enjoyed, my older children were not presented with new information. Various readings they had done on George Washington Carver had already given them what was discussed in the DVD.  So if you have already studied Mr. Carver, this DVD might not be a wise purchase. If you are just beginning a study of Mr. Carver, this time period in history or scientists, it would be a worthwhile purchase.

Marshall Publishing currently has George Washington Carver: His Life and His Work on sale for $19.95.  But!!! if you use this special TOS code: TOSC1 you get another 15% off!

Make sure you take a peek around Marshall Publishing. They have several historical documentaries that could enhance your studies. They cover topics such as: Lincoln at Gettysburg, The Historic Expedition of Lewis and Clark and more. They also have DVDs for the younger students such as Lots and Lots of Fire Safety Songs and Safety Tips. The Fire Safety DVD was reviewed by Crew Members as well.

So when you head over to the Crew, make sure you check out reviews on both products!

Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made. The opinions/thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

Educating the Wholehearted Child is an encouraging, informative read for homeschool families no matter where they are in the journey. As a mom who has been homeschooling several years, it was a refreshing and inspiring read.  We all go through various seasons of educating our children and sometimes we need a bit of help in getting our focus and methods back on track. Or possibly moving on to something new we hadn’t tried before depending on the needs of our child.

While the Clarksons methods and principles may not completely line up with yours personally, there is such wealth in this book. The chapters on Biblical discipleship, the margins filled with Scriptures and the Clarksons sharing personal experiences are so worthwhile. Page after page is full of practical advice of a family who has walked this road and have much to share.

Educating the Wholehearted Child has 4 Sections: Home, Learning, Methods, and Living.  To view a complete Table of Contents, you can go here to take a peek. They have also made Chapter 1:    The Christian Home: Learning to Be at Home with Christ available to read online as well. This gives you an opportunity to get a sense of the writing style of the Clarksons.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book again (I read an older edition several years ago) and gleaning from it bits of wisdom throughout. Often as I read such books, I end up putting it down feeling like I have more questions than answers. The Clarksons use of Scripture as the focus throughout the text provides a comforting foundation to build upon; whether you agree with their method or not.

Educating the Wholehearted Child is available from Apologia Press for $22.00. It is well worth that price as you will refer to it time and again; you will share it with friends on this homeschool journey.

Please take time to head over to the Crew and see what others are saying about Educating the Wholehearted Child!

**Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for the purpose of review. No compensation was made. All thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Recently, we had the opportunity to review Visual Latin. When I informed the children that a new Latin program was on the way, there was a bit of groaning. We were (sporadically) using a different Latin program. It seemed to be working well and we were all a bit hesitant to work with something new.

What a delight to find that Visual Latin is an outstanding foreign language program that truly engages the student and is enjoyable to learn! Dwane Thomas does a wonderful job of presenting the information to the student. He speaks to the student, adds a bit of humor and is very down to earth. His excitement and enjoyment of the Latin language is clear to see from the beginning.

Visual Latin is simple to use. So simple that you might be fooled into thinking that real learning could not be happening. I think the short lessons and the method of presentation are two of the things that make this program so effective.

Here is how a lesson is presented:

First is Grammar. Dwane presents one or two grammatical concepts; clearly and simply.  He explains the concepts and gives plenty of examples to reinforce it for the student. After viewing the grammar lesson, a worksheet is given that reviews the material.

Once Grammar has been covered, the second part of the lesson is Sentences. In this section of the lesson, Dwane takes what was learned in Grammar and breaks it down. It really aids in the understanding of Latin. This section also has a worksheet that helps reinforce what was covered.

The finally part of the lesson is Reading. When my girls first saw this part they were a bit freaked out. Now they love it! In this section of the lesson, Dwane actually reads Latin text. As Dwane reads, the student is to repeat the text in Latin. When Dwane is finished, the student has a worksheet with the Latin text and the student has to translate it. So the student is seeing, hearing, speaking and writing Latin. What an effective way to learn the language!

What Latin text is Dwane reading? Dwane used the Latin Vulgate Bible so the children are familiar with the accounts that are read.  Having this background knowledge aids in the speed of learning Latin.

Visual Latin has been a huge success in our home. My girls are learning and enjoying a foreign language that will build a foundation to make other languages easier to learn. And it is independent. They do not need me at all for this course.  With Visual Latin, Latin has become an everyday thing in our home. During some free time, when the girls were entertaining my younger ones, they gave Latin names to them.  They are constantly sharing with their dad what different Latin words mean. I love that they are retaining so much and enjoying it in the process!

Intrigued? Want to take a little peek? Visual Latin provides a wonderful opportunity for you to sample the course for free!

Interested in viewing a sample lesson? Just go here.

Want to really put it to the test? You can download the first six lessons here. Yes! For free!

Ready to make a purchase? There are two ways you can bring Visual Latin into your home. You can purchase Visual Latin DVDS or chose to Download the lessons to your computer. The PDF worksheets for the course are contained on the DVDs/Download.

There are 30 lesson for Latin 1. You can choose to purchase them all at once or Visual Latin gives you the option to buy 10 lessons at a time.  Pricing ranges from $25 for Download of Lesson 1-10 to $80 for all 30 lessons on DVD. With these options, you can easily work Visual Latin into your home education budget!

Make sure you head over to the Crew and see what other families thought of Visual Latin!

Disclaimer: As a member of TOS Review Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product for review. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

However, something odd happened. My cute, little delightful son  turned into a boy. A 9 year old boy who was suddenly determined to test all the boundaries, climb every tree and take dominion over everything from my kitchen to the van. Thankfully, I could still count on the dirt.

When Timberdoodle provided the opportunity to read Raising Real Men by Hal and Melanie Young, I grabbed it. I am familiar with the Youngs and knew they were the parents of a boy or six. If someone could help in my journey to understand and mother my sons better, it would be the Youngs. What a blessing to be able to gain wisdom from those who are ahead of you on the journey!

At the end of the day, I often struggled with feeling like I had failed being the mom my sons needed. I knew that boys were different from girls and that I couldn’t hold them to the same standards but it was so frustrating. From chores to math I sometimes felt that we were both beating our heads against the wall. Not the picture I had of motherhood when I held that bundle of blue so many years ago.  Raising Real Men was so refreshing to read, so helpful in its practicality and so simple that I wasn’t overwhelmed with information. The Youngs do not have page after page of psychobabble. They are real parents who have been down the road with real boys that have become real men.

In Raising Real Men, the Youngs cover a multitude of topics that really hit home. Boys need to conquer, take risk and push themselves. They need to develop that boldness that will one day make them warriors for Christ. We don’t need to hold them back in fear but provide opportunities to face new experiences.  Responsibility needs to be developed and as he shows maturity and ability, you need to give more responsibility. One day he will be a leader in his home, workplace, church and community. Are you preparing him to meet those demands?

The Youngs cover everything from school, chores, play to stewardship, love and leadership. What I absolutely loved was that they back it all up with Scripture. These are not random ideas or suggestions. The Youngs have parented their boys diligently and have sought out Scripture to guide them and guide their sons. It provides a balanced, practical help when you are in the midst of a struggle in parenting and need someone to help guide you to a solution, help you gain wisdom all balanced on the Word.

Want to take a closer look at Raising Real Men? Even read a sample chapter? You can head over to Timberdoodle and check out Raising Real Men. You can purchase Raising Real Men by Hal and Melanie Young for $12.75 from Timberdoodle!

Timberdoodle provides other resources that could be a help to you as your parent your sons so you might be interested in Boy Friendly Outdoor Learning and other Parenting Helps.  Don’t forget that Timberdoodle offers a wide range of products so browse through their catalog; I love to add to my wish list!

Legal Disclosure:
As a member of Timberdoodle’s Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of Raising Real Men in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

Thankfully, since we home educate we can grab teachable moments throughout the day to guide our children in these skills. Even at a young age, we can begin to build the foundation for those much needed social skills.

On the day of this interaction, we found the opportunity to work on sharing. While Sarah might have preferred to lick the spoon all on her own, she was willing, even happy, to share with her brother. Sweet, isn’t it? Why, yes it was. Yummy chocolate chip cookie dough! Would you share?

I will admit that we still have those days where it is evident that work is still needed for some on the sharing skill. It makes those days of victory, oh so sweet!!

Tune in next time when we discuss the challenging social skill of Verbal Communication 101!

**Disclaimer: This post was made purely to show off my cute kiddos. No compensation other than smiles, giggles and sticky finger hugs were made.

Over the past few weeks, anytime there has been a slight break in the heat, the kiddos have been outside. I love to hear their laughter and their play going on outside.

But it isn’t always fun and games outside. Sometimes we are discovering bugs and new plants. We could find new and creative ways to utilize what God has created. Moss, for example. Yes, moss, sand, rocks and a few sticks and you have created a new place to live and play….

I can’t remember what each “thing” was but I’m sure there was a kitchen and maybe a bedroom? This is why I don’t see the need in an endless supply of toys and gadgets. God has provided the perfect playground for imaginations and energy!

Is it really wise to play soccer barefoot? I’m thinking not, but what do I know. I just take the pictures, folks.

I suppose anyone could get tired of just playing, playing, playing.  Why not do a bit of work outside as well? Be a good steward of what the Lord has entrusted to you!

Sweep the yard! Now that is some serious dedication to yard work!

Or cut the grass. Literally. Do you see what she is using to cut the grass?

Scissors, people. Scissors. This girl might just have too much time on her hands!!!

The grass inspectors. They take their job very seriously. This is their playground after all. Can’t have people going crazy with the scissors!

Just our spin on nature study….what does yours look like?