Happenings from the Bush homestead

It's time to shop with the bloggers again!

Do your Christmas shopping from home, supporting small businesses ... shop with your fellow bloggers!  Click on the button below to find other bloggers with home businesses.

And if you have a home business, stop by the HSB Front Porch to add your name to the Mr. Linky. 

Trusting in Him,

April

Trigger Memory Systems -- Clean N' Flip Charts

I've heard about the Trigger Memory Systems Clean N' Flip Charts for several years, and I'm glad I was finally able to see them and try them with my children.

When we received the Clean N' Flip Charts, my children said, "We don't need those.  We know how to clean the house."  I looked at them and said, "Then why do I always have to point out things you missed or need to re-do?"  Well, a few days later we were able to put it to the test.  I informed the children that I wanted the entire house cleaned, and vacuumed!  My 11 yo organizer quickly ran for the charts and put herself in charge.

The children raided my laundry basket stack and went to work.  They cleaned the living room together, following the system.  Then they moved into the dining/school room, and the kitchen.  They even picked up their bedrooms!  As a room was cleaned, the assigned person went in and vacuumed the room.  My 7 yo son emptied the trash in each room, as well.  He's been keeping an eye on the cans and emptying them ever since then ... a miracle since my children usually pile the living room trash can so high it overflows onto the floor. 

And the best part was ... I didn't have to say anything.  I didn't have to follow them around or point out things they had missed.  There weren't toys lingering under chairs or in the corners of the room.  It was clean.  My children are known to respond to a direction to pick up by saying, "What?  It's clean already.  Why do we have to pick up?"  Then I have to point out the mess to them.  So, it was a blessing to have them truly clean the house, without any effort on my part. 

As an added bonus, my 13 yo daughter has decided to try to do the laundry for me.  She still wants me to watch her load and start the washing machine, but the Laundry for Kids chart gave her confidence that she could do it herself.  Now I just need to simplify my array of laundry products for her.

I'm sure that it won't always be this easy.  In the future there will likely be feet-dragging and complaining again.  But the Clean N' Flip charts do work.  They break the task of cleaning down into easy to follow steps for our kids. 

I have friends who have made their own "how to clean a room" charts.  They've printed them and laminated them, or put them in page protectors in a 3-ring binder.  They've then taught them to their children, and actually used them.  I know it can be done.  But I am full of good intentions and not always the follow-through.  It can also be difficult to discern how to break it down into steps without being too detailed, or leaving things out.  Trigger Memory Systems has done a good job of dividing the jobs into easy clear steps ... and they followed through with creating the system, so I don't have to.

There are three sturdy write-on/wipe-off spiral bound flip-charts:  Zone cleaning for Kids, Bedroom Cleaning for Kids, and Laundry for Kids.  Zone Cleaning for Kids covers the living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom.  A set of all 3 is available at a savings for $29.95, or you can buy them individually:  Bedroom Cleaning for Kids or Laundry for Kids flip charts are $7.95 each, and Zone Cleaning for Kids is $17.95.

Right now, Trigger Memory Systems is offering a special.  If you order their Times Tales Deluxe  OR the Zone Cleaning for Kids chart, you get one Bedroom Cleaning for Kids  chart FREE.   You just need to enter FREEFLIP in the comments section during your order process.  Not in the coupon code section, but the comments section.  

(Psst!  I did the math for you.  If you buy the Zone Cleaning for Kids, and the Laundry for Kids, then get Bedroom Cleaning for Kids free ... it is even less than the cost of their 3-pack.  Or if you don't think you need the Laundry one ... just buy Zone and get Bedroom free ... for $18.  That's a great price!  Maybe your kids need some stocking stuffers ... or better yet, maybe MOM needs some stocking stuffers.  Speaking of which, these would make a great Mother's Day gift.)

Click the banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting in Him,
April

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!

Maybe no one else sings that song, except my sister and I.  But we sing it around this time of year, whenever we are thinking about Christmas, and preparing for Christmas.

I've been filling shopping carts and browsing online today.  I've got sisters, parents, two nieces and a nephew to shop for.  It's fun to window shop from home.  I just fill a huge cart and wait for Steve to get home and help me put stuff back on the shelf, figuratively speaking.  He helps me set spending limits and decide what to buy, after I've done the brainstorming. 

I do enjoy shopping in physical stores, but as our family has grown, and we've become more busy, I've begun to prefer shopping from home, via the internet.  It saves me from dragging my kids from store to store in the cold, as they grow more tired and more cranky.  I can't lose a toddler or preschooler when I'm shopping from home, either.  We don't have to stop to eat out, or waste gas.  The kids watch a movie, or play, and I shop.  What could be better?

As I speak, my Amazon cart is full, waiting for Steve to review.  I wish I had unlimited funds.  Most of my kids' toys would be replaced with better quality, more basic, educational, imagination-building toys.  Well, one birthday and holiday at a time, I can do that over time.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.  Please to put a penny in an old man's hat.  If you haven't got a penny, a ha-penny will do.  If you haven't got a ha-penny, then God bless you!

Hmm ... my guineas are getting fat, but we're not going to roast them.  I hope every one else is having a wonderful time preparing for Christmas, too.

Trusting in Him,

April

Schoolside Press -- "Geography that's fun to learn and easy to remember!"

The Little Man In The Map, by E. Andrew Martonyi.  Illustrated by Ed Olson.  $19.95.

Schoolside Press   Learning with Imagination. 

FrogsJumpUSA blog for The Little Man In The Map

I was delighted to receive this book to review.  I didn't know what to expect when I saw it on the list, but when it arrived I was so pleased with its quality.  It is a large hardcover children's book, with engaging colorful illustrations.  The illustrations draw you in immediately.  Once you pick it up and start reading, the rhyming lyrics and unique description of  each of the 50 states keeps your interest.  My kids enjoyed learning that Kansas is MIM's backpack.

My husband sat down to read this book to our children the first night we received it.  A few pages into it, he said ... "And we get to keep this book?  Cool!"  My 13 year old daughter keeps picking it up to read it again.  My 7, 9, and 11 year olds were studying our United States wall map and pointing out the states that make up MIM (Man In the Map).  My 4 year old pointed to Oklahoma and said "this state scoots over so MIM can sit on this state,"  as he then pointed to Texas.   All that was after the first reading!  We'll never see the map of the United States the same way again.

This book will help your children learn the names and locations of the 50 states, and they will enjoy the learning process.  Andrew Martonyi has also written an accompanying teacher's guide with math, writing, geography, art, and music activities designed for K - 6th grade students.  It can be used for a unit study in the homeschool, or for classroom activities in a co-op or school setting.  The teacher's guide will be available soon at the website.   Schoolside Press sells an accompanying wall map, and there are free coloring pages available for download on the Schoolside Press website.  

The Little Man In The Map by E. Andrew Martonyi is delightfully well-written and illustrated.   It's a beautiful book that every home library, school library, and public library would benefit from having in its collection.  The Little Man In The Map would also make a wonderful gift for the elementary-aged children in your life.

Click the banner to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting in Him,
April

Spears Art Studio -- teaching art at home

I love art!  My kids are creative, but I rarely do art lessons with them.  I help them figure out how to use a new art medium or how to draw something when they ask me, but I don't do formal lessons with them.  Every year, I vow to add in art ... but never do.

That is why I was glad to receive a copy of Spears Art Studio to review for the TOS Homeschool Crew.  Our family received the K-8 curriculum, and I love it!  I love that there is a weekly lesson for each age, for every month of the school year.  It includes seasonal ideas, as well as more general art projects.  There are simple lessons for the elementary students, and a more in-depth art lesson for the middle school children.  The middle school students will learn several art techniques through the year, such as shading, pointillism, and layering colors.

For the K-8 students, I wouldn't feel it necessary to do every lesson in the curriculum.  But even if I only chose 1 or 2 lessons per month, and used it for several years, it would be a worthwhile investment at $39.95.   No more relying on myself to come up with lessons or activities, and follow through.  All that is required is to acquire the art supplies, read the lesson, and teach it!   Dr. Diane Spears has done the hard part, and has provided an easy to follow teacher's guide for the rest of us.

Every Christmas, we make calendars to give to our extended family.  Each calendar page includes a photo of someone in our family, and a piece of artwork from the children.  Usually I give them stacks of small sheets of paper and just tell them to draw.  Well, obviously they run out of ideas after the first 10 or so pictures.  Artist's block!!   This year, I printed ideas from our Spears Art Studio and gave them to the children.  We are working our way through the ideas, one project each day.  Making the calendar art has never been easier!  And we won't end up with 30 robot drawings from my 7 year old son, either.

Each Spears Art Studio lesson includes a list of supplies, lesson objectives, a theme Scripture, art history ideas, teacher's inspiration and preparation, instructions for the project, and directions on how to assess the artwork.  The curriculum provides a rubric to use in grading the finished art, as well.  Spears Art Studio could be used in your own homeschool, a homeschool co-op, or in a group setting where a craft is needed.  It is a versatile product.

Each level of Spears Art Studio is available in hard copy, or in .pdf format on a CD-Rom.  You can buy the hard copy, the CD-Rom, or both, at affordable prices.  Diane Spears even has a bundle which includes theK-8 CD ($39.95), the high school CD ($29.95), and recieves the calligraphy CD ($14.95) FREE.   Total cost for the bundle is $69.90.  $70 to cover your art curriculum for K-12th grade -- that is wonderful!! 

The Spears Art Studio website has free sample art lessons available at their website.  You can find them on the Curriculum Introduction page.  And while you're there, you can take a look at the literature guides she has prepared for several children's books, including Mr. Popper's Penguins.

I'm looking forward to using Spears Art with my children, currently K-8.   I hope to buy the high school curriculum to use with my daughters as they enter high school in the coming years, as well.  I'm thankful to find an affordable Christian curriculum that will enable me to easily teach art at home.

Note:  While I do love this art program, there is occasionally a problem printing some of the templates in Adobe Acrobat.  Occasionally, and randomly, a few of the images invert so they either appear black with white on it in the document, or they print out black with white outlines.  If this happens in your copy, you can email Dr. Spears  and she will email a new copy of the image back to you.  So far, only one of the images I needed did this, and it wasn't a vital part of the project, so we just skipped that one image.  On the pumpkin project I was considering doing, I just decided to use her template as a visual guide for drawing my own, instead.

Click the banner to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting in Him,
April

Rime to Read -- help for the early reader

Rime to Read is a new website designed to help parents teach their children to read.  Rimes are rhyming words that sound alike, and are spelled alike:  pat, cat, rat, mat.  Rime to Read contains  20 rime based books.  Each short-vowel sound has 4 books in its set.  These books introduce new rimes, reinforce previously learned rimes, and introduce sight words.  Each book builds on previously learned rimes and sight words to provide reading practice and build confidence in new readers. 

In our homeschool, we teach phonics to our children, however we always struggle to find appropriate books for our very early readers.  Even those designed for early readers often include words that are too difficult for them to sound out, or the illustrations in the books were too distracting.   We have finally realized that we can not rely on major publishers or the library for these books, and have begun to buy them whenever we find them.

Written by a reading specialist and a first grade teacher, the Rime to Read books are simple, their illustrations are not distracting, and they are short.  The books also increase in difficulty as you progress.   They differ from most other early readers, in that they are rime based, making it less confusing for the struggling reader.  The books are also color-coded, with different colors for rimes and sight words.

One of the benefits of the Rime to Read program is that it combines the virtual product with the physical product.  Because they are a web-based product, your children can repeatedly access the books via the internet, and take advantage of the program that lets them hear the rimes spoken to them.  The books can also be downloaded to your computer once, to save or print.  This allows you to hold the book in your hand, to read with your child whenever, or wherever, you want.  For some children, the allure of the computer itself may entice them to practice reading.

My current early reader needs the practice.  I would love to tell you that he adores this product, but to be honest, he doesn't adore any curriculum at the moment.  He doesn't like to stop his play to do any type of schoolwork, even if it's on the computer.  Despite his lack of enthusiasm (which is not a reflection on the product itself) I can see the benefits of Rime to Read for him.  The rimes did make it easier, and the books are structured for success.  He is easily discouraged, and needs the encouragement of frequent success at reading.  Every time he succeeds at finishing a book, his confidence grows.  Being more confident makes him willing to try to sound out longer words and read more difficult books in the future.  Rime to Read provides a framework of success and increasing challenge for him.

The Rime to Read books are available at the price of $9.99 for each set of 4 same-vowel books.  The first set includes these books:  Pat, Dan, Dad, Pam and Sam.   The entire 20 book set is available for $44.99.  The first book can be previewed free, after you register HERE.   You can also read what the authors themselves say about the Rime to Read books and why they work.

I confess that at first I felt $45 was a little expensive for 20 beginning reader books.  I spent less than that for our phonics curriculum, bought on sale, which is non-consummable and has been used with 4 children so far.  (I always try to buy curriculum that is non-consummable and re-usable.)  However, I realize that sometimes we have to buy additional products, and spend more than we normally would, to help a child succeed in a subject.  It also encouraged me when I realized this product is non-consummable, and can be used with subsequent children.  $45 buys lifetime access to the website and its books.  If you save the books when you download them, you also have lifetime access to printed copies of the book. 

I do believe that Rime to Read is a worthwhile investment for  homeschool parents.  Although all children can benefit from Rime to Read, its greatest value will be for the children who struggle with reading.  For those children and their parents, Rime to Read is a wonderful tool.   As a parent of struggling readers, I'm thankful I was given the opportunity to review this product.

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Trusting in Him,
April

Salem Ridge Press ... classic wholesome books for the family

I was excited that the TOS Homeschool Crew was going to be reviewing Salem Ridge Press.  I was already familiar with this publishing company, since I had won some of their books from blog contests in the past.  If you aren't familiar with them, I hope you'll take the time to explore their website, especially their goal of re-publishing out of print books that are wholesome and educational.  They only publish books that meet the guidelines of Philippians 4:8 -- "Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."   That means none of their books include even one little kiss.

Our family was sent 3 books to review.  The first one we already owned:  Mary Jane - Her Book.  We had given this book, and its sequel (Mary Jane - Her Visit)  to our 9 year old daughter for her birthday.  I had been worried she might not enjoy them, since she was in a Nancy Drew phase at the time.  But she read them both quickly, and she DID enjoy them.  They're sweet stories about a 5 year old girl, and her daily life.  They're perfect for girls beginning to read longer chapter books themselves, or for reading aloud to younger girls.

We were also given Glaucia, the Greek Slave to review.  It is part of the Emma Leslie church history series.  I've been reading it, and enjoying the story.  Roman and Greek history, and the Early Christian church, are not eras I've studied very well.  I have never read an historical fiction book set in that era before, but I'm enjoying it.   It helps that new words (especially those pertaining to Greek and Roman culture) are defined at the bottom of the page.  I can't wait for us to cycle around to Roman history in Tapestry of Grace again; I'll be assigning this to my junior and senior high students.

My personal favorite of the three books was The American Twins of the Revolution, by Lucy Fitch Perkins.  It would be an excellent chapter book to assign to your 3rd and 4th grade readers, or for reading aloud as a family.  It is the true story of a colonial family, and how they helped George Washington and his troops during the Revolutionary War.  I enjoyed it very much.  Although I really enjoyed this book, the speaking style of the family's cook may be hard for children to read and decipher themselves. 

I am thankful for the mission that the Mills family of Salem Ridge Press has to republish quality books for Christian families.  They've republished 23 books so far, with several more coming soon.  Each book is available in hardcover, or softcover.  They're bound well, with a print size that is easy to read.  You can find a listing of websites that carry their books at THIS LINK.   

Would you like a chance to win some of the Salem Ridge Press books?  You can!  If you fill out a WISHLIST at the Salem Ridge Press website, and email it to one person, you will be entered in a drawing.  On December 1st they will choose 5 people to win their wishlists.  It's a great chance to win some quality books.  I hope you'll stop by their website and enter to win .

Click the banner to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.

Trusting in Him,

April

It's a Boy!

A Too Large Pot Roast...

Time is flying ... just do the next thing