We had reached a point in our homeschool where we had finished up a year of study with a curriculum. I was really torn on moving forward with it for another year. After much thought and prayer, I decided I would create my own course of study for history. And then I had the opportunity to review TruthQuest History. God’s timing is perfect,yes? I was thrilled to choose the Age of Revolution II guide. It was almost exactly where we need to pick up in history!

Age of Revolution II 1800-1865

Taken from the TruthQuest Website:

TruthQuest History is a deep and rich literature-based history study…but with a difference. You will not learn the story of mankind; you will learn the lovestory of mankind. You will not focus on the rise and fall of human civilizations; you will focus on the arrow-straight line of God’s unchanging existence, power, love, truth, and plan for civilization. You will not simply ‘meet the culture’ or ‘get the facts;’ you will probe the truths of history so deeply that your students will be equipped to change their world!

The Age of Revolution II might be mistaken for a lovely booklist but that would be such a disservice to this resource! In this guide, this period of time is divided by significant events and important people. For each section commentary is given to help the student (teacher) pull the previous studies in line with what is up ahead, to offer reminders to see and think about how God’s hand is moving and what that means for that time and for now.  ThinkWrite questions are offered with each major section and can serve as great “writing prompts” for the student or a starting point for some in depth family discussions.

Family discussions are an important part of what I desire our day to hold. With children ranging in ages from baby to teenager, I love having the ability to bring us all together and to share in our studies. While that doesn’t work so well in math, it is attainable with history! The Age of Revolution II guide is designed for grades 5-12. However, book suggestions are included for the elementary years. (If your family just has younger learners right now, TruthQuest has American History guides just for them.) While my older daughter may be reading How Should We Then Live and my little ones are cuddled up with a picture book, we are all learning and studying the same part of history. It can make for lively discussion around the dinner table. Maybe more like a race to see who can tell daddy the most information first!

In the Age to Revolution II and other guides, several types of books are suggested. Spine books that provide a steady course as you travel through history. More in-depth, focused books on a particular person or events and even subtopics are provided. Mrs. Miller also includes activity books and movies when applicable.

I know that some will look at the TruthQuest Guides and think “That will never work for me!” , “Why doesn’t it come with a schedule?” or “I can’t buy all those books!” It can seem overwhelming at first glance. Take a deep breath. Here is how I make it work for me:

For me. Very important words. What I enjoy doing is reading a core or spine book aloud to everyone. We are a read aloud family so this flows along with how we spend our time. While I’m read aloud they may be drawing pictures, writing, building with Legos or knitting. I learned early on that if you keep the hands busy, the mind stays engaged so well. Once I’m done with our read aloud, the independent readers will have their reading assignments and can go about their day. Throughout the day I can sit with my younger ones and share some picture books on our topic or person so they are learning as well. (It is not surprising to catch my older ones listening in or reading the picture books on their own. There are some fabulous picture books!)

To enhance our reading, I have the children do other activities as well. I assign them to pick a person or event to write about that week. We may use the Think Write for the writing assignment or just discussion. Some will just narrate to me what they have read or draw a picture of something that they found interesting. It is sometimes helpful to have the older ones search Scripture for issues we see occurring in history.

A schedule/lesson plan isn’t provided so we move at our own pace and I don’t have to feel guilty for spending two weeks studying Madison and only a few days on Lincoln.  I love having flexibility with our learning. It is one of the beauties in homeschooling! as we work through the guide I don’t even attempt to utilize all the books suggested. I am a faithful patron of our local library. While I sometimes can’t find as many books as I desired or just the one I wanted, I usually find just what we need.  There is no way our budget would allow for purchasing a huge bundle of books and it has not been an issue with Age of Revolution II.

Key Thoughts on Why TruthQuest May or May Not Be For You:

*Christian Perspective - this curricula is written clearly from a strong Christian perspective. The purpose behind TruthQuest is to see how God’s hand has moved through History.

*Learning is mainly through living books. By reading a through living books, we learn so much. You can choose to incorporate other methods such as notebooking, geography, timelines, writing, etc but at the core, TruthQuest is about using literature to bring about understanding.

*No Schedule or Lesson Plan. If you like to check off little boxes you will have to make your own. While TruthQuest.com offers suggestions on how to “plan out” a guide, it is completely up to the discretion of each family how they work through the guide and how long it takes.

*Conversational Commentary. Throughout the Age of Revolution II guide, Mrs. Miller’s commentary may come across as “too relaxed” or “simplified”. She is writing to the student and she is aiming it at various grade levels. I don’t care for books that “dumb down” the information for children. By no means, do I think Mrs. Miller has over simplified the information. It is just in a more casual tone. At times, I may chose to summarize it in my own words.

*Supports/encourages family learning. While you could definitely keep your children separate and learning on their own cycle of history, TruthQuest is definitely a curriculum that can work for a wide variety of ages and learning abilities. If you are looking to study history as a family, then check out TruthQuest.

Age of Revolution II is available in two formats.

Print copy -  $29.95

PDF copy – $24.95

Interested?  Take a look at a sample lesson, table of contents and spine information. Be sure to check out FAQ , How to Choose and Families Share for some great information on using TruthQuest.

TOS Crew members reviewed various guides. So if Age of Revolution II (1800-1865) isn’t the guide you need, check out what others are using!

Disclaimer: As a meber of TOS Review crew, I received a complimentary PDF copy of this product for the purpose of review. No compensation was made. The opinion/thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

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.

Alone and despairing, Quinlan wanders the kingdom, fleeing his past. His providential encounter with Taras, a mysterious Silent Warrior and former trainer of Valor Knights, offers Quinlan a chance to redeem himself and learn the ways of the secret warriors.

The training is grueling, and just when Quinlan seems to have left his failures behind, he receives an impossible challenge from the Prince—one that will force him to face his past…and the mighty men who blame him for the tragedy that ruined them.

Can Quinlan reunite the Valor Knights in time to save the people from the Dark Knight’s evil plot to rule the Kingdom of Arrethtrae, or will the Valor Knights lose the most important battle of all?

Several months ago, a friend recommended Chuck Black’s Kingdom Series to me. My children devour books quickly so I am always looking for quality selections. We were give book one of the Kingdom Series and my daughter was hooked. When Sir Quilan and the Sword of Valor arrived at our door, I had to remind her that I needed to read it first.

From the first few pages I was captured into the story of Twitch. Twitch was a young man that was average or even a bit below average. He had given himself to service for the Prince but wasn’t the greatest swordsman and walked in the shadow of his friend Tav.

However, the Prince, uses the unlikely and the ordinary to do great things. When Twitch gives himself to whatever the Prince needs him for, the Prince changes Twitch and helps Twitch to see who he is in the Prince’s eyes. Along this journey, Twitch transforms into Sir Quilan and encounters many challenges and obstacles that make him a mighty servant of the Prince. Sadly, not all heed the call of the Prince and their journey does not end well.

Mr. Black does an excellent job with this allegory. The setting of knights and swords and mighty battles engages young readers and opens the door for great conversation. Discussion questions are provided in the back of the book. My daughter and I have discussed much about the book and how it relates to our walk with Christ. As a father of 6, Mr. Black knows his audience well. We look forward to reading more of Mr. Black’s Knight’s series. Sir Quilan and the Swords of Valor is one we would recommend to others.

You can go here to read the first two chapters of Sir Quilan and the Swords of Valor.

About the Author:

CHUCK BLACK, a former F-16 fi ghter pilot and tactical communications engineer, is the best-selling, award-winning author of the Kingdom series and the Knights of Arrethtrae series. He has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling biblical truths. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. He lives with his family in North Dakota.

Please rank my review!

Disclaimer: Waterbrook-Multnomah provided a complimetary copy of this book for review. No compensation was made. The thoughts/opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Zeezok Publishing was established in 2003 and has been a supplier of quality literature and educational books. Zeezok has a wonderful resource, z-guides to the Movies, that I was thrilled to take a peek at.

There are a variety of z-guides to choose from and I chose Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This z-guide is targeted at high school age students. The z-guide tells you what topics will be addressed in the study. For instance, in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington you will cover US Government, US Senate Procedures, Innocence vs. Corruption and more. A topical overview and movie synopsis are given.

The guides gives a suggested viewing/activity plan. In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington z-guide, it was to be used over a 5 day period. After watching the movie the first time, there were discussion questions. Each day after that you can choose from suggested activities for further learning. Some activities will call for you to view parts of the movie again or the movie in its entirety.

One suggested activity for the Mr. Smith z-guide is to write a news article on the Smith Filibuster.  The activity could be as simple as a crossword puzzle or an in-depth activity called Filmmaker’s Art. In Filmmaker’s Art you take a look at the movie and study the importance of how a scene was lighted or character’s name.

Family discussion questions are provided so everyone can join in and gain knowledge from the film. Thankfully, an answer key is provided!

What did we think of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington z-guide?

I must share a disclaimer first. Due to family circumstances, I had to go with a film we owned so that I was sure we could view it. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was the only film we personally owned. Our oldest is only 12 so I don’t feel we used the guide to the greatest potential. We will be using the guide again soon to dig a bit deeper.

Despite those issues, I was thoroughly impressed with the z-guide. The questions and activities didn’t take away from enjoying the movie but really aided in understanding so much about government. It is a perfect resource for anyone studying government.

For anyone who likes to utilize methods outside of the “box” for learning, the z-guides are an excellent choice. Maybe you want to take a break from the normal routine and have a week of a more relaxed study. With z-guides you can easily make movie night a time of great discussion and learning with little work. Zeezok has done the work for you!

I hope that we can soon grab a few more z-guides such as; Johnny Tremain, The Adventures of Robin Hood or My Side of the Mountain. Take a peek and see the wonderful selection of z-guides!

Want to know what others think of Zeezok’s Publishing z-guides to the Movies? Head on over to the Crew!

**Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a complimentary copy of this product. No compensation was made. The opinions, thoughts and experiences share in this post are my own.

www.speekee.co.uk

My children have desired to learn Spanish for some time. When we had the opportunity to review SpeekeeTV they were beyond excited! The hardest part about this review is to make sure I tell you all the wonderful things about Speekee. So in an effort to keep this concise and informative, I’m going to break the review down so I don’t write a novel about why I love this program!

What is Speekee?

Speekee is an immersion Spanish program designed for children ages 2-10. In the program, there are native Spanish speaking children so you have the benefit of correct pronunciation and accent. Information is presented through real children, puppets, songs and everyday locations and situations that will be familiar to your child.

This is Speekee. Speekee is loved by my 3 year old!

Another great feature about this program is the encouragement to participate. Your child (and you) will quickly join in with the songs. (Trust me, I sing them all day long.) Throughout the program, Speekee will look to your child and say “y tu?” (and you?) There is a pause that gives the child an opportunity to speak the Spanish back.

Some of the places you will go are el mercado (the market), la playa (the beach) and el parque (the park). We shop for naranjas y pinas. (oranges and pineapple). We go to el zoo and see el leones (lions) . We learn to cuidado! (be careful) when crossing the street.

Sock puppets. What child can resist cute sock puppets?

How can you enjoy Speekee?

Speekee is 10 episodes and over 150 minutes of Spanish immersion. There are three different ways to obtain the program. They have Speekee TV (online), Speekee via DVD and Speekee at school.

If you are interested in learning more about purchasing for a school you can go here. The school option gives 2 years of “scheme of work” (lessons) for the school setting, activities and online access to more resources. There is a 30-day free trial available for schools.

Speekee DVD has the episodes on 4 DVD discs. It also includes a songbook, parent guide and audio CD with the songs. However, Speekee is a UK based company so their DVD are PAL format and are not compatible with most North American DVD players. You can read more about the Speekee DVD here.

Speekee TV is where you can view the episodes online and the method that I reviewed. Online viewing still gives you the 10 episodes of over 150 minutes of immersion Spanish.  With each episode there are worksheets available to download for reinforcement of what they have learned. The worksheets will have them writing a few words, matching pictures to words, etc. My 7 year old loved the worksheets.

Adorable Spanish children in Spain.

Speekee TV is available through a monthly subscription of $7.50 (or 4.95 pounds for the UK).  Why would you want a monthly subscription? You are going to watch the episodes again and again. Your children are going to beg you to watch them. They are going to squeal with delight when they Speekee on the screen. (OK, my almost 12 year didn’t squeal but she learned a good bit of Spanish.) It is the beauty of the immersion method. The more they watch, the more they learn.

You can try Speekee TV two weeks for free and then decide if you want to continue with a monthly subscription.

There's Jim. Speekee's friend.

Why do you want to try Speekee?

*10 episodes/150 minutes of Spanish

*Engaging songs, children and puppets

*Real life settings make it fun and practical

*Immersion method helps your child to learn quickly

*It is fun! I watch it with my children every time.

*You can try it for free!

My family has thoroughly enjoyed Speekee. Throughout the day they are speaking Spanish because Speekee teaches real life and practical Spanish. I can tell my children to “eschucha” (listen) and they can say “como?” (pardon? ).  At the dinner table they can say “me gusta” ( I like it) and can ask me to buy “naranjas y pinas” (oranges and pineapple) from the store.

If you want to see what others have to say about Speekee, head on over to the Crew!

**Disclaimer – As a member of the TOS Crew, I was given complimentary access to this program for review purposes. No compensation was made. Opinions expressed are my own.

Suddenly, there was a change in the discussion. A change that I believe needs to be shared with other moms who are sitting back and thinking of their dream home. I think Mary has stumbled upon the perfect dream home.

Hershey’s Kiss House. Mmhmmm. You read that right. A chocolate house. You buy your gigantic Hershey’s Kiss and you eat out your doors and windows. Once that is completed you eat out rooms, hallways, stairs and secret passages, of course.

Won’t we get sick from all this eating, Mary?

Oh, no. We are specially made to be able to eat the chocolate without getting sick.

Sign. Me. Up.

Brilliant, yes?

I did not burst her dream home bubble. I was enjoying it myself. However, in the South, it would be more of a chocolate pool than a house. Sigh. Back to dreaming……