Drawing Around the World: Europe {Review}

Over the last few years I have grown an interest in the Charlotte Mason pedagogy of education. The longer I am on this journey the more I want to remove the mundane and twaddle from our Homeschool.

Recently I learned about the curriculum publisher called Brookdale House.  Their passion is "to design curricula that teaches more with less."  I discovered that Ms Mason wrote a couple of Geography books. This new found knowledge has inspired me to search for something to help Nathaniel with his map skills / knowledge.

Brookdale House have a Geography Drawing Series which covers the continent of Europe (Drawing Around the World: Europe) and the USA. The purpose of the curriculum is to help students draw maps from memory.

What we received

• Drawing Around the World: Europe
• 256 page full colour eBook 
• 9,286 kb

Contents

• How to use the program
• Learning objectives
• Suggested weekly schedule
• Memorization Techniques
• Maps
• Drawing Directions 
• Online Resource links
• 50 Countries to learn (spread over a 24 week cycle):

Albania	Germany	Norway
Andorra	Greece	Poland
Armenia	Hungry	Portugal
Austria	Iceland	Romania
Azerbaijan	Ireland	Russia
Belarus	Italy	San Marino
Belgium	Kosovo	Serbia
Bosnia	Latvia	Slovakia
Bulgaria	Liechtenstein	Slovenia
Croatia	Lithuania	Spain
Cyprus	Luxembourg	Sweden
Czech Republic	Macedonia	Switzerland
Denmark	Malta	Turkey
Estonia	Moldavia	Ukraine
Finland	Monaco	United Kingdom
France	Montenegro	Vatican City
Georgia	Netherlands

 How we used it

I printed off the first 14 pages which contained the introduction, instructions and a few sample and reference maps in order to familiarize myself with how the program works.  From here I chose the country we are learning about and printed off the pages for the week.

Learning to draw the country for the week

 Each week follows the same rhythm

• Day 1 - Learn about the country by completing a fact table of the country, locate and label the country on a map, trace the country and draw the country.
• Day 2 - Locate and label the country on a dashed, black and white dashed map. Draw and label the country on a blank map.
• Day 3 - a repeat of day 2
• Day 4 - List from memory all the countries studied so far. Draw the countries on a blank map.

Locating, colouring and labeling the country on a dotted map

Drawing the country on a blank map

If the student would like to practice tracing the country before free hand drawing you can add the maps to a sheet protector and use a dry erase marker. Some students struggle with the slippery writing surface. For these students I recommend using backing paper and a pencil for practice.

Using coloured pencils helps the countries stand out from the rest during practice and review.

**Cost of Drawing Around the World: Europe

• eBook - $22.95
• Printed Book - $25.95

** All prices are current as at October 2015. Price is subject to increase at the discretion of the vendor. Please check the website for current pricing structures.

Recommended Age Range

• There is no recommended minimum age.  As soon as your student is capable of tracing, free hand drawing from memory and writing the country names you can start using Drawing Around the World: Europe.

Connect with Brookdale House



Over All I thought ...
I like the simplicity of this system and the flexibility I have as a home educator to choose which country to learn next. This enables me to line up the country we are studying with our history or our current read aloud.

The system is the same each week which means that for me I don't need to do any new prep work and for Nathaniel it allows him to know what to do without me having to explain it from scratch each time.

Beautifully presented and excellent quality make for a great geography product.

Blessings
Chareen

ASD Reading {Review}

Teaching students to read, write and comprehend can sometimes be a rather anxiety producing journey especially when it seems like it's taking your student a long time to learn a particular skill.  Through in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) into the mix and it becomes a whole new ball game.

Nathaniel was diagnosed with ASD last year and to be honest it was kind of a relief to know because now we are able to source resources to assist him better on his journey to reading and writing well.   In the arena of reading, writing and comprehension Nathaniel is a competent reader and he has a great comprehension but encoding has been a struggle.  Recently we were  asked by Reading Kingdom Kingdom to trial their ASD Reading online program.

"ASD Reading is based on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Marion Blank, a world-renowned literacy and language expert who developed and served as Co-Director of the Columbia University Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program for Autism and Related Disorders."

What we received

• One year of access to the online ASD Reading (Autism Spectrum Disorder Reading) Program

ASD Reading teaches your children in the following six areas:

1. Phonics (Sounds)
2. Sequencing
3. Writing
4. Meaning
5. Grammar
6. Comprehension

How we used it
Signing up to ASD Reading was a really easy smooth process. I received an email from support welcoming us to the program.  This email had a some helpful links and advice on how to use the program along with a link to a tutorial on how to use the program effectively at home. You are also encouraged to contact support any time you have questions or concerns.

You can use your user name or your email to log in.  As the parent you have the option of creating a user name and password for your student to use to log in OR you can log in and click on the student name in order for them to use the program.

When the student page opens you can see their name at the top followed by a summary of how many times a week the student is using the program.  It is recommended that the student use the program once a day five days a week.  This facilitates long term memory retention of the skills learned.

As the student progresses through the program they are able to see at a glance how far through the level they are through the bar progress chart.  To do their days work they click on the dinosaur.

ASD students are highly visual.  On the home page both you the parent and the student can see at a glance what they are working on and the level of proficiency the student has via the icons in each area.

For example the thumbs up means completed, The hour glass means that this level is currently in progress, a tick means it is not required and the cup means Excellent Performance.

One of the main requirements is that the parent NOT help the student. This makes the students learning more effective as the program adjusts to their speed.  The goal is long term memory retention through regular small lessons.

Here is a sample of one of the pages.  The hanger has the sound we are focusing on.  The little boys in the pockets are each holding a word.  The coach is asking for the word bird.  The student is required to click on the correct word. The top right of the page shows the number of points scored so far for the entire program.

The lessons teach the word, the spelling of the word and the sound of the word.  Each lesson uses multiple disciplines to reinforce the new word learned.  The student has to select items representing the word, memorize and then type the word being learned, next they are shown multiple possible words with missing letters to form the word in which they need to select the correct one for the word and then type in the word to complete it.

The ASD Reading website says that each level should take 10-15 weeks to complete, but when you break it down, that’s about two weeks per book. In Level One you learn 36 new words, however, you don’t only learn the words, you learn many variants of that word as well.
For example, a child might learn the word “park”, but then he will also learn the variants “parks”, “parking” and “parked”. So in reality Nathaniel will be learning a lot more than 36 words in Level One.

Type in the word being learned.

Nathaniel likes earning points in order to open his passport and receive stamps.

Cost of ASD Reading

• Sign Up for a 30 Day FREE trial
• There are a number of pricing options available. 

Recommended Age Range

• ASD Reading is aimed at students in the age bracket of 4 to 10 years old.

Connect with ASD Reading




For more information on ASD Reading be sure to look at:

• Parents FAQ area which covers numerous areas.
• Resources to help your ASD student
• Books to equip you

Children on the spectrum tend to like the security of 'sameness' and ASD Reading is consistent and does not change things up which in turn enables the student to confidently use the program as they know what is going to happen and how it is going to happen.  Nathaniel appreciated the fact that this reading program gives precise and clear instructions. He is able to use ASD Reading without my help.

I appreciate the encouraging feedback he receives as well as the points scored for working through the program which are very motivating for my son. The lessons have colorful pictures that are fun and engaging. Often times he calls out to me "hey Mom look at these cute ..."

Overall, I am very happy with ASD Reading and would encourage students who are on the spectrum and struggling to learn to read and write to try ASD Reading.

Blessings
Chareen

Roman Town (iOS App) - {Review}

A couple of years ago I was introduced to Dig-It Games when the Crew did a review of the educational app: Mayan Mysteries.   Recently they launched a brand new app called: Roman Town.

The goal of Roman Town is to train your students to use strategic thinking, memory, logic and math skills while taking an in depth look at the culture and historical background of Pompeii.

Dig-It Games was founded by an archaeologist and a middle school teacher who combined each of their passions to develop educational games.  The goal of their games are to encourage your students to think independently in order to solve problems, become more culturally aware and learn autonomously.


How we used it
We looked for Roman Town in the iTunes store and downloaded it onto our iPad. Initially I left Nathaniel to play this game on his own. Once he had explored the city and games we decided to reset the game and start from the beginning again together.  He took great delight in showing me how the games worked.  Some of them we had to work together at in order to solve them before the timer stopped the game. Each of the games have an explanation before you begin to play.
 

Fiona and Charlie have to work through the following areas in Pompeii:

1. Street - Each of them need to get four clues here.
2. House of the Vettii - Fiona needs three clues and Charlie needs five.
3. Baths - Fiona needs five clues and Charlie needs three.
4. Temple of Jupiter -Each of them need five clues.
5. Basilica -Each of them need one clue here. 

Landrone is on the loose in Pompeii. I will not say too much about this charcter less I give away the end game ...

There are two characters Fiona and Charlie. Each one has to work their way through the Roman city of Pompeii.  You choose which character you would like to play and your job is to speak to all the people that are found in each area of the city.  Some will give you interesting history.

 When you open the screen you will see the guests.  Each guest has a blue exclamation mark above their head.  When you click on a guest your character walks up to them and they speak to you.
Some of the guests have a game that they challenge you with.  IF you win the game you then receive a clue to help you solve where Landrone is.

Code Breaker

Their are a variety of games to be played.  There are a total of nine mini-games to play.

1. Artifact Identification - Ancient artifact identification
2. Calculi - 5 in a row
3. Roman Numerals - Translate Roman numerals.
4. Concentration - pair matching game.
5. Knucklebones - Roll the bones to make up specific combinations
6. Code Breaker - Decipher the numerical code combination.
7. Jigsaw - puzzle
8. Pipes - reconnect the pipes to allow the water to flow
9. Maze - Solve

There are 21achievement levels for the player to unlock. Some of these involve playing a game a certain number of times or collecting a certain number of clues.

Roman Numerals

For the Parent

• This game needs iOS 8.0 or later to run.
• Is compatible with iPad.

Recommended Age Range

• 9 to 11 years old.

Connect with Dig-It Games




Over All I thought ...
Both Nathaniel and I have really enjoyed playing Roman Town and highly recommend this new game from Dig-It Games.

Blessings
Chareen

Charlotte Mason {Day 1/5 Back to School Blog Hop}

When you first start looking at home education one of the things you will notice is that there are a lot of terms and definitions that home educators use. People speak about the method or style of home schooling. They fling around words like: Twaddle Free, living books, delight directed education, trivium education, classical education and more.  Soon you start to hear the words: A Charlotte Mason Education.

Years ago I discovered Memories of a P.N.E.U. Education online and became inspired to search for a more practical application of using the Charlotte Mason approach to home education.

Today I would like to share with you a very brief overview of who Charlotte Mason was followed by a few resources to help you find out more about this educational philosophy and method.  

Who was Charlotte Mason?

She was born in Bangor and christened Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason (1 January 1842 – 16 January 1923). Miss Mason was a pioneering educator who developed a matchless approach to education. She believed that all children should have a wide-ranging, generous education and to be allowed to reach their full potential.

Charlotte Mason

During her life she taught school, was a lecturer at a Teacher Training College, wrote many books and pamphlets, started a training school for governess’ which became Charlotte Mason College, became a popular public lecturer, established the Parents National Education Union (PNEU), and was Editor of it’s magazine, “Parent’s Review”. Miss Mason’s philosophy of education is designed for homes, private schools, and homeschools.

Charlotte Mason had never claimed to have invented the methods that she put forth, rather she modified and combined them in a practical and intelligent way. Her methods include Narration and copywork, Nature Notebooks, Fine Arts, Languages, a Literature based curriculum instead of textbooks, and real-life applications.

My Journey to Charlotte Mason

The first book I ever read on the topic of Homeschooling was: For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (first published in 1984).

This book I am pleased to say is back in print and available from
The Book Depository, Amazon and Christian Book.com For the Children's Sake has six chapters and is 158 pages.

Susan challenged some of the fundamental beliefs I had and the surprising thing is I was not even aware I had them until I read the book. I was introduced to Charlotte Mason in this book and really loved the idea of twaddle free books. 

The idea of real books as a basis of education really appealed and still appeals to me today, and thus began my search for a curriculum that contained 'living' books.  Books that would touch our lives for years to come, books that were not dead, books that were real and did not leave us treading water going nowhere.


A couple of years later Karen Andreola introduced me to the practical side of a Charlotte Mason education and A Charlotte Mason Companion soon become my favourite home schooling resource and is one that I recommend to any homeschool Mom who asks me which books I would recommend they read.

This beautifully illustrated book is full of encouragement and how to chapters. Karen covers practical topics like: The Art of Narration, Mother Culture, Shakespeare and Dickens. Topics of Art and Music appreciation along with Grammar, History, Nature Study and a few more kernels of wisdom.  A beautiful book full of gorgeous line illustrations.

Purchase this book from Book Depository, Amazon. For online encouragement meet Karen over at Moments with Mother Culture.

Books written by Charlotte Mason

• Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography 
• Home Education: Volume I
• Parents and Children: Volume II
• School Education: Volume III 
• Ourselves: Volume IV 
• Formation of Character: Volume V  
• Towards a Philosophy of Education: Volume VI 
• Completed Six Volume boxed series: The Original Homeschooling Series.
• The Original Home Schooling Series by Charlotte Mason Hardback 

The Original Home Schooling Series is available on Kindle  

• The Original Home School Series Kindle Edition (All 6 books in ONE)
• Home Education
• Parents and Children 
• School Education 
• Ourselves 
• Formation Of Character 
• Towards A Philosophy of Education 

FREE:  Charlotte Mason in Modern English

 Books on a Charlotte Mason Education

• A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning
• For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
• A Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-to Manual by Catherine Levison
• More Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-To Manual by Catherine Levison
• When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason's Philosophy for Today by Elaine Cooper
• Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition
• For the Love of Learning: Information & Resources for Combining Charlotte Mason & Classical Education by Jenny Sockey

Online Resource for homeschooling with Charlotte Mason Methods

• Ambleside Online
• Simply Charlotte Mason 
• Charlotte Mason Method 
• Charlotte Mason Twenty Principles of Education Philosophy
• Who and What is the Charlotte Mason Method? 
• Charlotte Mason Approach with Penny Gardner 
• What is the Charlotte Mason Method?
• An Introduction to Charlotte Mason
• More About Charlotte Mason & PNEU (Australia) 
• Charlotte Mason / Living Books Approach - Why we love it! 
• My Favorite Charlotte Mason Homeschool Books  by Latoya Edwards
• Charlotte Mason Basics  by Jimmie Lanley

Connect with Charlotte Mason Home Educators on Facebook

• Charlotte Mason Australia(group)
• Simply Charlotte Mason (Page)
• Charlotte Mason Home Education  (Page)
• Charlotte Mason Inspired Homeschoolers (group)
• Charlotte Mason Homeschoolers (group)

Other posts in the 5 Days of Charlotte Mason Resources Series

1. Charlotte Mason Education Resource List
2. Shakespeare for a Charlotte Mason Education
3. Charlotte Mason inspired homeschool Bloggers
4. Charles Dickens for a Charlotte Mason Education
5. 
   

The Schoolhouse Review Crew will be joining forces with Homeschool Blogging Connection to bring you a week full of back to school encouragement.

I encourage you to grab a cup of tea and take some time to take a look at what my fellow bloggers are sharing this week in the 2015 Back to Homeschool Blog Hop

Marcy @ Ben and Me

Debra @ Footprints in the Butter

Amy @ Homeschool Encouragement

Missica @ The Open Window: An Autism Blog

Misty @ Year Round Homeschooling

Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life

Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity

Clarissa @ Counting Our Blessings

Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool

Monique @ Living Life and Learning

Win a Microscope {1894.99 value}

For your chance to win a Microscope and  microscope Camera be sure to enter the giveaway over at the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Blessings
Chareen

Back to Homeschool Blog Hop coming soon ...

Much excitement is brewing in the homeschool community over the upcoming Back to Homeschool Blog hop.  Be sure to set aside some time next week to be encouraged and equipped in your homeschool journey.

I will be gathering some resources to help with your Charlotte Mason education starting on Monday 10 pm Australian EST (8 am USA EST).

Mark your calendars - 10 to 14 August - it's time for this years Homeschool Blog Hop.  The Schoolhouse Review Crew will be joining forces with Homeschool Blogging Connection to bring you a week full of back to school encouragement.

We have 56 homeschool Mom's sharing their combined wisdom and insights covering everything Homeschool related. That's 280 posts of encouragement and information just for you!

Meet Your Back to Homeschool Blog Hop Hosts

Marcy @ Ben and Me

Debra @ Footprints in the Butter

Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses

Amy @ Homeschool Encouragement

Missica @ The Open Window: An Autism Blog

Misty @ Year Round Homeschooling

Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life

Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity

Clarissa @ Counting Our Blessings

Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool

Monique @ Living Life and Learning

Rebecca @ Raventhreads

Karen @ Tots and Me...Growing Up Together

Rebekah @ There Will Be A $5 Charge For Whining

April @ ElCloud Homeschool

Brenda @ Counting Pinecones

Tara @ This Sweet Life

Tara @ Embark on the Journey

Jennifer @ Chestnut Grove Academy

Annette @ In All You Do

Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures

Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker

Joanie @ Simple Living Mama

Aurie @ Our Good Life

Jennifer @ A Peace of Mind

Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings

Kemi @ Homemaking Organized

Wendy @ Life at Rossmont

Katie @ DailyLife

Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory

Kim @ Homestead Acres

Melissa @ Mom's Plans

Annette @ A Net In Time

Cristi @ Through the Calm and Through the Storm

Meg @ Adventures with Jude

Dawn @ Double O Farms

DaLynn @ For the Display of His Splendor

Monique @ Mountain of Grace Homeschooling

Steph @ Indy Homeschool

Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break

Tawnee @ Adventures in homeschooling

Lisa @ Tales of a Homeschool Family

Jennifer @ Organized Home Organized School

Callie @ Mama's Coffee Shop

Erin @ For Him and My Family

Lori @ At Home: where life happens

Margaret @ Creative Madness Mama

Nicole @ Some Call It Natural

Crystal @ Crystal Starr

Bonnie @ Write Bonnie Rose

Shawna @ Tenacity Divine

Carol @ Home Sweet Life

Kelli @ Adventure Homeschool 

Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning 

Leah Courtney @ As We Walk Along the Road

Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers {Review}

Hands on experiments have never been my thing.  I'm one of those students that is happy to sit at the back of the class and observe.  I don't need to touch to learn.  I'm happy to read about an experiment in a book and watch someone else do the practical. Nathaniel on the other hand loves to try new things and look and touch to learn.

Enter in Funtastic Unit Studies the creator of  Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers. This A4 size book is a treasure trove for homeschool mothers like me out there.  It's 200 pages of science from home goodness. Science is best learned with plenty of hands on application and in this book Susan Kilbride has provided 20 chapters of hands on learning and explanation set out in an easy to teach format. 


What we received

• Physical copy of Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers
• 200 pages
• Soft Cover
• ISBN 9781463549152
• Author: Susan Kilbride (A homeschool Mom with a passion for science and a degree in biology)

How we used it
This book is easy to use.  The table of contents is divided by topic followed by the recommended age for the topic and the page number.

A friend of mine has this neat molecule set that I've been itching to play with so when I discovered that Chapter 13 was all about Atoms and Molecules I decided we could jump in there.

You do NOT need a fancy molecule set to work on this unit.  Susan recommends marshmallows and toothpicks!  Shhh don't tell Nathaniel he missed out on consuming delicious marshmallows ...

After a one paragraph introduction on what molecules were we had a look at the supplied periodic table and then built some water molecules (one red and two white balls), Carbon Dioxide (One black and two red balls), Methane (One black and four white) and Carbon Tetrachloride (One Black and four Chlorine ball).  It was so much fun.

Next we explored microscopes and how they work in Chapter 14. This was so much fun rediscovering the world around us through magnification.  It's been a few years since we used this microscope so we've had to blow the dust off of it and find the slides but it's been so good to use again.

We also took a little detour in Chapter 15 Chemistry is Fun! and learned a little about polymers.  The instruction was to build a paperclip chain.  (I couldn't find the box of paper clips so we improvised with these clips).  Here Nathaniel is holding a chain of 10 clips.  Each clip represents a glucose molecule and the ten clipped together represent starch.


For the Parent

• Each chapter begins with a materials needed for this unit list. 98% of the items were everyday items found in and around our home and the kitchen. 
• If there were any items a little out of the norm Susan has noted where to purchase the items from.
• If there is a form or pattern required for an activity these are supplied in the chapter for you to photocopy and use within your homeschool.

Cost of Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers

• $16.95 (Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Rainbow Resources)
• Download two chapters for free {Plant Unit and Molecules Unit}

Recommended Age Range

• 4 to 13

Over All I thought ...
This is one of those great resource books to have on hand. I love the simplicity and hands on uncomplicated experiments that are presented in the book.  I like the fact that Science Unit Studies For Homeschoolers and Teachers is written in easy to understand conversation with includes the use of the correct scientific jargon along with understandable definitions.  We're enjoying exploring the world around us through this short science unit studies.

Be sure to download Sue's Free Lessons and Activities

Blessings
Chareen