Critical Conversations by Tom Gilson (Book Review!)

Critical Conversations: A Christian Parents’ Guide to Disussing Homesexuality with TEENS

by Tom Gilson

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Religion / Christian Life / Family

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2016

Number of pages- 200

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $15.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4396-1

There are many hard subjects that you need talk about with your teens.  Homosexuality is one of them.

Tom Gilson has written this book to empower parents.  He has included:

• practical help.
• what marriage is from both a biblical worlview and a secular worldview.
• how to relate to others.

About the Author-

Tom Gilson blogs at Thinking Christian and The Point.  He is senior editor for apologetics with The Stream.

My thoughts-

I thought this was a well written book.  Gilson included everything I needed to know and how I should approach the subject when my children are teens.

I liked how he included how important marriage is between a man and a woman based on laws and customs.  He included many things in Part Three about challenges, truths your teen needs to know, more information, and tips on talking with your children. 

The most important thing he stressed though was loving others.  I highly recommend this book to parents.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Critical Conversations, by Tom Gilson, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Memoria Press’s Fifth Grade Literature Guide Set (Schoolhouse Review Crew Review!)

We received this for review purposes!

 Product Links: Fifth Grade Literature Guide Set

Vendor Information Link: Memoria Press

Age Appeal: 5th Grade

Format: Physical softcover Student Study Guide and Teacher’s Guide

Price: Please visit the website for current prices and options.

Are you looking for a solid literature curriculum for your children?  Memoria Press has developed a wonderful curriculum for second grade through seventh grade.

Each student literature guide contains questions for each chapter.  Each chapter contains Reading Notes, Vocabulary, Comprehension Questions, Quotations, Discussions Questions, and Enrichment.  Each Enrichment section has diferent activities like questions, drawing pictures, marking of maps, and recipes.

The teacher’s guide contains all of the answers along with the quizzes and final test.

Our Experience: 

My children love to read.  I was excited to learn about Memoria Press’s literature guides, because I wanted B and C to become more active readers.

B chose to read Lassie Come-Home, and C chose The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  I had them look over the work for each chapter, read the chapter, and then work on questions.

They both enjoyed reading the books and answering the questions.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I’m glad that my children enjoy classical books and that they enjoyed these literature guides. 
• I really enjoyed these guides.  I liked how they included Comprehension Questions, Discussion Questions, Vocabulary, and an Enrichment section.  I also liked how the guides were consistent between each other.  Consistent products always make it easier for children to work on them throughout the year.
• The teacher’s guides were awesome.  I liked having the answers at my finger tips if I didn’t know the answer. 
• C’s handwriting is currently rather large, so she had a hard time writing the answers.  B didn’t have a hard time, but I would still like to see the lines wide ruled instead of college ruled.
• The Enrichment section was my favorite, because the children were able to do more activities.  I feel that these activities helped B and C learn more about the book they were reading.
• These literature guides will help them learn to actively read other books.  They will also help them appreciate good classical books. 

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 12, officially in sixth grade):

I thought the Lassie Come-Home Student Study Guide was interesting.  The book was sad, because Lassie can’t live with them anymore. She was sold in the second chapter, which was sad.

I liked how involved the study guide was, with all the questions you had to fill in. I liked how you had to look up words in a dictionary.

I liked the maps in the back of my book.

I would recommend this product to kids my age. 

C’s Thoughts (girl, age 10, officially in fourth grade):

• I liked the fact that there were maps and recipes.
• I think this product would be good for kids my age and older and younger.
• I did The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
• I think that the lines could be farther apart, because my handwriting didn’t fit.
• We got The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lassie Come-Home, and Heidi.
• I got to draw pictures of Tumnus’s cave and the professor’s house.

Dad’s Thoughts:

Dad was not available.

Mama recommends to your homeschooling family!

Social Media Links!

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/memoriapress/
Twitter (@MemoriaPress) - https://twitter.com/MemoriaPress
Instagram (@memoriapress) - https://www.instagram.com/memoriapress/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/memoria-press?trk=nav_account_sub_nav_company_admin
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/memoriapress/
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102017568472649365859/104379865092561103366/about?_ga=1.103684480.147808133.1453409903

   

Picture of the Week! (Week of March 27, 2016)- Nature

We were at our local nature preserve, and I saw this.  I thought it could be the inspiration for an interesting story.  Is it a place to hide?  Or is it a scary monster?

Logic of English: Essentials (Schoolhouse Review Crew Review!)

We received this for review purposes!

 Product Links: Essentials 2nd Edition

Vendor Information Link: Logic of English

Age Appeal: ages seven and up

Format: student workbook, hardback teacher’s book, flash cards

Price: Please visit the website for current prices and options.

Are you looking for a comprehensive language curriculum for your family?  Logic of English Essentials Second Edition, Volume 1, could be exactly what you’re looking for.  Essentials covers reading, spelling, phonics, fluency, grammar, and vocabulary.

In this volume there are 15 weekly lessons, which are divided into five lessons per week.  The set includes:

• Essentials Teacher’s Guide, Volume 1
• Consumable Student Workbook, Volume 1
• Consumable Spelling Journal
• Spelling Analysis Card
• Phonogram and Spelling Rule Quick Reference
• Morpheme Cards, Set 1
• Spelling Rule Flash Cards
• Grammar Flash Cards
• Basic and Advanced Phonogram Flash Cards
• Phonogram Game Cards: Bookface and Manuscript or Cursive
• Phonogram Game Tiles

Our Experience: 

B and C have some problems spelling, because we have yet to find the program that works best for them.  I was excited to try using the second edition of Essentials. 

It was a little overwhelming when the box came in the mail.  But after looking at the Teacher’s Guide, I understood everything and it was easy to teach the children.  The lessons were completely written out, so I couldn’t make a mistake teaching.

The weekly lessons were divided into five days of fun.

• Day One has “Essential Concepts” with new phonograms, exploring sounds, and new spelling rules.
• Day Two has “Building Words” with review, spelling analysis, and spelling journal.
• Day Three has “Words in Context” with review, grammar, and dictation.
• Day Four has “Words in Action” with review, vocabulary, dictation, reading, and composition.
• Day Five has “Check Your Understanding” with basic review and great review to make sure all concepts and words have been learned.

Each lesson has three different levels, so I had B and C each work on level two.  It was challenging for C and good review for B.  I wanted both of them to have a solid foundation.  Each day’s activities took a while, but I felt they were getting a solid spelling foundation. 

Mama’s Thoughts:

• This is a great program.  I really appreciated the all of the detail in the teacher’s book.  It told me everything I needed to do to teach the children.  We have a busy life, so it was nice having a program all done for me.
• B and C enjoyed the different games.  One of their favorite things to do was making words with the Phonogram Game Tiles.  They made their names, phrases, and spelling words.
• I thought each daily lesson took too long (around 45 minutes) for B and C.  They were used to lessons that took around 15 minutes.
• I know that the lessons took a long time, but I think that all of the concepts that are learned are really important.  It’s important to learn the spelling rules and the different phonograms.  If children learn these concepts when they are younger, they will be consistantly strong spellers when they are older.
• I like how each of the weekly lessons has three different levels.  This makes this program great for families who have children at different levels.

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 12, officially in sixth grade):

Logic of English Essentials was not my favorite way to learn how to spell.  Each daily lesson took approximately 45 minutes, which was way too long for me.  I liked the games, like Phonogram Bingo.  I liked making words with the Phonogram Game Tiles.  I spelled my name and "I love reading."  I liked the "Plurals Practice."  For example, it was fun figuring out if the picture showed bag or bags.  

I wouldn't recommend it to people who learn better with short lessons.

 C’s Thoughts (girl, age 10, officially in fourth grade):

I liked the Phonogram Game Tiles.  The teacher's book has instructions for sections that the student book doesn't have.  l liked the Phonogram Bingo game and the other games.  I liked the compound words, they were fun to do!

I think this product would be good for kids my age and youger.

Dad’s Thoughts:

Dad was not available.

Mama recommends to your homeschooling family!

Social Media Links!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLogicOfEnglish/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LogicofEnglish
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/logicofenglish/

   

Picture of the Week! (Week of March 20, 2016)- Mystery Photo

Does anybody know what this is? 

The children were building with Legos.  I saw the shadow of the tree on the table and had to take a photo of one of the branches.  I thought it looked interesting and mysterious.

The Last Ride by Susan K. Marlow (Book Review!)

The Last Ride: An Andrea Carter Book (Circle C Milestones 3)

by Susan K. Marlow

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Historical / Christian / Young Adult

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2016

Number of pages- 176

Age Group- Young Adult (12+)

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $9.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4369-5

Her sixteenth birthday isn’t far away, and Andrea Carter is looking forward to it.  She has been enjoying training Taffy’s colt.  Chad has also given her more responsibilities.

One of those responsibilities is teaching her cousin, Daniel, the important tasks on the ranch.  He doesn’t want to learn what to do and proves to be a danger to everyone.  He causes Andi to become devastated.  Will she be able to heal?

About the Author-

Susan K. Marlow currently lives in Washington.  She writes books, teaches writing workshops, and shares information about being a homeschooling parent.  Her website is CircleCMilestones.com

My thoughts-

I thought this book was very powerful.  Daniel caused Andi so much heartache.  (I would tell you about it, but it would spoil it for you.)  I am glad that she learned to forgive, which is what this book was about, letting go of resentment.

I hope that I would be able to forgive as Andi did.  I know that it was hard for her entire family, especially after they learned what Daniel was doing and had done.

I thought this book was as good as the others in the series.  I hope you take the time to share it with young adults.  There are so many books that have been written that don’t have good values, so this one is a breath of fresh air.

P.S.  Even though it is the third book in the series, it is not necessary to read the other two first.  You will want to read all of the books about Andrea after reading this one.

My review of Heartbreak Trail.

My review of Thick as Thieves.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Last Ride: An Andrea Carter Book, by Susan K. Marlow, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Rainforest Journey from EdTechLens (Schoolhouse Review Crew Review!)

We received this for review purposes!

 Product Links: Rainforest Journey

Vendor Information Link: EdTechLens

Age Appeal: K-5, we used 4th and 5th

Format: Online and downloadable PDF questions and text

Price: Please visit the website for current prices and options.

Does your family want to explore the rainforest from the comfort of your home?  EdTechLens has developed a program called Rainforest journey.  This science program contains five units:

• Big Picture
• Adapt or Die!
• Animals, Plants, and Fungi
• Ecosystem

There are 34 lessons which include stunning photos, text, and video clips.  Each section of text is also linked to an audio version.  There are also interviews with scientists and rainforest trip journals.  At the end of each lesson there are reviews and activities.

Our Experience: 

B and C enjoy science and learning about different ecosystems, so I was excited to be able to review Rainforest Journey.

I had C work on fourth grade and B review fifth grade.  They each did a lesson a day.  At first I had them go in the program’s order, then I decided to open it up for them, so they could see what the rest of the program was like.  I thought C’s program was a lot more detailed than B’s.  Her lesson review pages were usually three to four pages and B only had two.  Her lessons were also a lot more complete, with added descriptions, videos, and other extras.

They both enjoyed this program, so I plan on having them continue working on it.

Mama’s Thoughts:

• I thought the photos were spectacular.  I liked the interviews with the scientists and the rainforest journals.  They were a great addition to the text.
• I was glad that there was audio to go with the text, because it gives those who have diffculties reading a chance to enjoy the program.
• I liked the ability to download the PDFs of each lesson and the lesson review.  I had the children verbally give the answers, but being able to print the reviews was a great option.
• I thought this online science program for kids had a lot of good information, but I would have liked more detail about the animals and plants.  Fifth grade seemed to have a lot less detail and work than fourth grade did.  It would have been nice if the photos had been labeled with the specific name of the item and not the generic name.  The videos were really short and did not contain a lot of detail. 
• I had B and C work on one lesson a day (it took them around 20 minutes each time).  They could have done more though, because they really like to learn.
• I think that more multiple choice questions would have been nice for the lesson review.  It would have been a good break from the essay questions.  

B’s Thoughts (boy, age 12, officially in sixth grade):   

I thought that EdTechLens was an interesting science program.  I liked learning about the rainforest, which is a subject I have learned a whole lot about. 

I thought that the photographs were really nice.  It would have been nice if the photos had been labeled better.  For example, instead of saying “an owl,” it could say “eagle-owl.” 

I would have also like more info. about the topic being studied. 

I would recommend this product for people younger than me. 

 C’s Thoughts (girl, age 10, officially in fourth grade):

• I think that the photos are really beneficial, so that I could see what the plants and animals look like.
• I think audio clips of the text would be good for people who can’t read.
• This science curriculum would be good for people of all ages.
• I thought that the photos could be labeled better.

 

Dad’s Thoughts:

Dad was not available.

Mama recommends!

Social Media Links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/edtechlens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edtechlens
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/edtechlens/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/+Edtechlens
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edtechlens