Entrepreneurship and Money Management for Kids - Review

Entrepreneurship and money management is something we have talked a lot about with our children.  All around us we see people just spend, spend, spend, and go into debt.  This is not the way of living we want our children to adapt to, so we started discussing these things with them at a young age.  Our oldest son started showing more interest in spending money about a year or so ago.  He knows how hard my husband works to provide for us, so he is very careful with how he approaches his dad when asking for things.  He began working with my husband at the age of 12 and saved his money to buy an iPad.  During the time he was working and saving he made sure he paid tithes.  This was something he started doing on his own without being asked because he had watched my husband do it for so many years he knew it was something he needed to do.  We were so proud of him!  Soon his job came to an end because there was no more work.  He asked his dad if he could start his own business.  My husband and I were both shocked but knew this was something he wanted to do.  He wanted to make money just like his father.  The opportunity for us to review The Complete Starter Kit from The Kingdom Code could not have come at a better time!  This curriculum is designed to help teach children how to make and manage money in a Biblical way.  It is helping us help our son learn that there's more to entrepreneurship than making money.   Go grab your cup of coffee or tea, a notebook, and something to write with so we can tell you all about our experience with The Kingdom Code.

EdAlive - Math and Typing Fun - Review

Can y'all believe we are already near the summer?  I'm still trying to figure out where did the time go.  Although we school year round here at Cooks Christian Academy, our summers are lighter.  I like to make sure they are still learning something but without a lot of book work.  The kids recently spent some time brushing up on their typing and math skills with EdAlive.  We received a one-year subscription to their Typing Tournament Online and Maths Invaders Online in exchange for our honest review.  Using the Typing Tournament has been like having a Typing Tutor in our home and Math Invaders has been a great way for them to get some extra math practice in.  Go grab your coffee or tea and come sit with us for a while so that we can tell you all about them.

CrossWired Science - Review

I don't know about the children in your house, but the ones over here love science.  Well, I mean they never complain about it and they are always trying to create some concoction out of something.  They will dig up worms, create mud puddles, and just get gross with the things God created.  They love learning about God's creations.  So, although we were in the middle of another Science Curriculum I was happy to review Sound, and Fluid Dynamics from CrossWired Science.  

If you have been looking for a self-grading, online-based science curriculum taught from a Christian standpoint this is it!  It can be used for children ages 4 all the way to 18 years old.  I hope you already have your cup of coffee or tea, notepad, and pen becuase I am about to tell you all about it.

Transcripts Made Easy - Review

Hey, y'all! How is life?  We are just about settled in our new place, finally.  Most of you have been asking and waiting for me to talk more about high school well, today is your lucky day!
As a homeschool mom of two teens, I get asked on several occasions how I do it. A few of the things most people want to know is how do I create a transcript, how do I organize their paperwork, how do I choose their classes, etc.  Most of the time my answer is always the same, "Girl, we are learning as we go because I have no idea. However, Pinterest has a plethora of things."  
Well, moving forward I will have more concrete answers!  As part of the Homeschool Review Crew, I was blessed to be able to review Transcripts Made Easy: The Homeschooler's Guide to High-School Paperwork, written by Janice Campbell and published by Everyday Education. 

Homeschool Complete an All-Inclusive Curriculum - Review

When looking for curricula many moms search for a curriculum is an all-in-one curriculum, meaning all subjects are included.  Another word for that is all-inclusive.  I am that mom however, I prefer it to be easily customized to fit each of my children's needs.  I also look for it to be literature-based because we love to read.  My youngest son, Elijah, and I were given the opportunity to review an all-inclusive curriculum from Homeschool Complete.  We reviewed the first semester of their Fourth Grade Complete curriculum.   This curriculum includes all of your basic subjects and more, in the form of Unit Studies.  Do you have your coffee, notebook, and pen?  Well, go get them so that I can fill you in on what we thought about the Homeschool Complete. 

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls - Books 3 and 4 Book Review

Hey, Y'all!  The kids and I are back with an awesome book review, just for you!  This series is one of the kids' favorite.  We all love to read for the most part and we are always looking for a good book to listen to or curl up on the couch and read. It can get tough sometimes trying to find appropriate books that are entertaining and give good life lessons or morals.  I was very curious when we were offered the opportunity to read books 3 and 4 of The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.  We had never heard of the series or of the author, M.J. Thomas, so I did some research.  Needless to say, I was impressed, so go grab your coffee and join us as we take you back to Bible days.

Printable Books of the Bible "Summary Sheets" - Review

Our family has been using Book-By-Book Bible Printables from Teach Sunday School to teach an overview of each book of the Bible.
Have you guys ever wanted an at-a-glance view of a specific book of the Bible?  Do you ever wonder who wrote a particular book in the Bible? I know my children, myself, and even my husband often wonder those things especially about those books we may overlook sometimes. Well if that's ever a problem for you or someone you know, you will love these printables!

Forensic Faith For Kids - Children's Book Review

David C Cook along with Case Makers Academy sent us Forensic Faith for Kids to read and review.  Do you guys ever struggle with making Bible fun? I know a lot of times it can be a bit confusing for younger kids to understand. Even though I typically do an excellent job at explaining it to my kids and they understand it pretty well, I'm always looking for ways to "spice it up" but still hold true to what the Bible actually states. So when I received the email to review Forensic Faith for Kids I was ecstatic especially since we are already familiar with the author.  J Warner Wallace did a great job at explaining Jesus to and his identity in a way that younger kids could understand.
*Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That just means if you click on them and purchase something I will make a small commission from it with no additional charge to you

Interactive Math Supplement - I Know It - Review

Math, Math, Math where do I begin?  I've said it before, and I will repeat it Math is one of those subjects you will either love or hate, there is no in between.  Math is my favorite subject, and I want to make sure my children enjoy it as well.  One of the ways I try to do that is to be sure to incorporate resources that will assist in making it easier to understand.  Especially, when learning new concepts.  For the past couple of months, my children have been using iKnowIt.com as a supplement to their math curriculum.  I Know It is an online math supplement for children in grades K-5 that our family is reviewing for you all!  We are excited to share our thoughts and opinions with you.

By the Way Review - Science, History, and Geography from a Biblical worlview

Geography, history, and science are all subjects that my children do together as a group.  From time to time we like to veer off from our curriculum and learn about something else.  That's one of the many things I love about homeschool!   So recently we put our study of the Romans on hold so that we could check out By the Way. We were given the opportunity to read and review New York City - By the Way, one of the books in the By the Way Book Series.  My youngest son has wanted to take a vacation to New York since as long as I can remember so, I knew I would enjoy reading this to him and the other kids.  However, this is not just a book you can read, this is a book you get involved in!  Many discussions and activities sparked from this book.

Kingdom Files (Barbour Publishing) Review

I have several posts about books and reading so you all already know how we feel about it.  It is just getting harder to find my definition of "kid-friendly" books.  Recently I heard about Barbour Publishing through the Homeschool School Review Crew.  They have a series called Kingdom Files and we had the opportunity to read and review two of the books from that series, Who Was Jonah? and Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus?.  We finished one and we have started on the other and man I am impressed with the way they are written and how engaging they are.  Have you ever read a non-fiction story that opened the door to many different discussions throughout the story?  Well, that is exactly what happened as we read.

Reading Eggs - Review

Learning to read is a very important life skill.  You need reading for just about everything in life.  So one of my main goals in homeschooling my children is for them to be strong readers.  I am not just talking about being able to pronounce words and read a book, I want them to comprehend what they are reading.  So, when given the opportunity to review Reading Eggs I didn't have the learning to read with phonics idea in mind I was looking for something to help him with reading comprehension, his grammar, becoming a better speller, etc.  I saw that they offered all of that so I was a happy parent!  For the last month or so we have been working our way through Reading Eggspress online and the corresponding workbook.
My son enjoys Reading Eggs and now with the new workbook, 200 Essential Reading Skills for Third Grade, offered by them, we can really solidify his reading.  I want to share with you, our thoughts and how we used this program in our homeschool.

Apologia's Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition - Review

Apologia Educational Ministries is one of those curricula we have used since the beginning of our homeschool journey.  We have loved everything we've used, so when I saw they were soon to come out with a Health and Nutrition Basic Set I was excited, to say the least.  I already exhausted our homeschool budget for the next few months so I was thinking of all kinds of ways to present this to my husband so that we could get it.  LOL  The Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition by Dr. Laura Chase was released and I was still trying to figure out how to explain this to my husband that we just had to have this.   Well, yall always hear me say how being apart of the Homeschool Review Crew is a blessing, right?  So get this, we were offered the opportunity to review it in exchange for our honest review.  If I knew how to flip I would have!  So after careful reading what the course would cover, talking to my husband and daughter, and praying we jumped on the opportunity.  My 15-year-old daughter and I will be sharing with you our thoughts on this Health and Nutrition Basic Set.

God Schooling: How God Intended Children to Learn - Book Review

It is the beginning of the new homeschool year for most homeschooling families or this is the time when they do all their planning and purchasing of their new curriculum.  We homeschool year round with occasional breaks here and there, however, this is the time that I start buying curriculum, planning, and making changes to our homeschool.  In the midst of all of that, we sometimes forget to stop and ask God what He wants for our homeschool.  I have come to realize over the past 5 years that I have been homeschooling that when I try to do it my way it never works!  So I learned early on to pray and seek God help daily.  I don't see that a lot in the homeschool community though.  Most moms, myself included sometimes, are frantic about if we are doing enough, are our children getting it, what will people think of our kids if they are not on a certain level, etc.  This is why I was happy to read and review God Schooling: How God Intended Children to Learn written by Julie Polanco.  I needed the encouragement before planning out our school year so it was timely. 

Paddington Bear Unit Study - Review

The Paddington Bear movie was a hit in our home both of them as a matter of fact.  So you can probably imagine my excitement when offered the opportunity to review the Paddington Bear lit-based unit study from Branch Out World.  I already knew which one of my children I wanted to use it with, my youngest son, who requested for us to watch the movie for his 9th birthday.  Although I was thrilled I wanted to be sure he was up for the challenge.   You see the last literature unit study he did he wasn't too fond of it.  He enjoys reading but he doesn't like to do a lot of writing unless it is absolutely necessary.  Well, when I asked him he said, "Ohh yes mama" so it was a go.  I will be sharing with you our feedback on this awesome home education resource.

Enjoy History with Home School in the Woods - Review

History is a subject that can either be interesting or boring.  I always looked at it as a bunch of books with way too many dates to remember.  However, if presented right History can be very interesting and fun.  My son oldest loves history period, no matter how it is presented, but the rest of the kiddos not so much.  Home School in the Woods does an excellent job at making History not only interesting but fun as well! We are learning about the Roman/Middles Ages time period this year so being able to review the Project Passport World History Studies was right on time for us.  Of course, we chose to try Project Passport: The Middle Ages project first!  This has been the perfect hands-on history add-on to our history lessons.

Code for Teens - A Coding Guide for Teenagers - Review

You know how much my son loves coding.  You also may remember the online coding class he did earlier this year.  And you already know how our family feels about electronics and children.  <--- We don't encourage it as much as other parents because we feel kids spend too much time on video games and watching how-to videos instead of actually doing.  However, because the world we are living in is becoming more and more technology-driven we want our kids to have some idea of how to navigate in a world full of "tech-geeks".  So we tried our hands and brains at another coding program.  I'm back today with another review for you, Code for Teens: The Awesome Beginner's Guide to Programming (Volume 1) from Code for Teens.

Reading with MaxScholar - A Homeschool Curriculum Review

As many of you already know I have been working on helping my youngest daughter improve her overall reading skills.  Recently we tried a program that just wasn't a good fit for her.  So, when the homeschool review crew was offered the opportunity to review MaxScholar I was a bit hesitant because I wanted to complete the previous program that we were using and I didn't want to put too much stress on my daughter by having her do both.  So, I went ahead and jumped ship with the other program and signed up to review MaxScholar.  Our family was able to review a 12-month subscription to the Reading Intervention Programs by MaxScholar.   My daughter that is using this program is my "go with the flow" kind of girl so she did not complain at all when I told her I had a new reading program for her to try out.  So we started right away.  I will be sharing all the good and bad with you about this reading software so go grab your notebook and maybe a cup of coffee or tea and let's get started.

Classical Composition I: Fable - Writing Curriculum Review

When I think of Classical Christian Education I think of Memoria Press.  My youngest son doesn't like writing very much.  I'm not just talking about structured writing I mean he doesn't like writing at all, he would rather talk about it than write it.  We have dabbled in a few different writing curriculums in the past but nothing spiked his interest.  I am familiar with Memoria Press so when given the opportunity to review their Classical Composition I: Fable Set, I decided to give it a try with him.

Elementary Comprehensive Language Arts Curriculum - Review

Our family was given a one-year subscription to Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum and interactive notebooks from Home School Navigator in exchange a review.  I am not to fund of teaching Language Arts.  Well, it's not that I don't like it, it's just that I am always doubting myself in that area or I feel like I may be missing or leaving something out.  Home School Navigator was designed for the homeschool parent like me in mind.  They provide your children with a life long learning experience.