CHSH-Teach.com TOS Review

Over the summer we have had the privilege to review CHSH-Teach.com otherwise known as the 

Christian HomeSchool Hub Download Club. I was given a years subscription to the CHSH Download Club

CHSH-Teach.com is the creation of  homeschooler, Lynda Ackert. She decided to put her love of creating to good use and designed a website that acts as a hub for all her educational resources - it has over 50,000 down loadable pages including; worksheets, lapbooks, flashcards, notebook pages, reading comprehension, languages, writing prompts, workbooks, posters and many more. It even remembers us and has pages of organisational materials including; planning forms, graphic organisers, awards and calendars as well as daily devotionals and discussion forums. Lynda is continuously adding new contents to the site as she creates them so the list is ever evolving.

CHSH-Teach.com is incredibly easy to use. Once you have registered online created your account you can browse the resource bank and search by subject, search by topic or keyword, search by grade level or search by monthly events. The subjects are broken down into the main topics areas of Bible Related Resources, Languages, Arts Music and Crafts, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Electives, Health.

You can opt to search by grade level - Kindergarden, 1st-3rd grades, 4th-8th grades, 9th-12th grades.

There are two ways to search by month as well.

 

I selected a summer math activity for the girls (fractions) and then gave them free reign to select their own 'lessons' for the summer. 

Rose being the wannabe inventor decided she wanted to know more about inventors and how they did it so we opted for a pack on Thomas Edison. Sunflower and Tulip wanted to look at the industrial revolution (more as an excuse to visit the local museums again) so I downloaded their pack. Basically this had something for every child (even Lilly downloaded some English Lit activities to go alongside her coursework), I downloaded some nice grammar rules and math posters to use as prompts for the new school year.

If you are after simple worksheets for practise or for a more complete lesson plan - its all here. For example the Industrial Revolution pack we used is a 24 page pack including reading, questions, vocab, timelines, discussions, reading comprehension and more. There are a number of additional worksheets and activities to go alongside the main pack.

I've got to be honest and say I'm very impressed with CHSH-Teach.com - whatever we are studying there seems to be something here for every age group. I love that its all in one place and saves me hours of trawling the Internet for suitable materials and I love how versatile it is, whether we want to do lapbooking, notebooking, worksheets, discuss, fill in the blanks, narrate etc. there is something in the hub to use. It makes it so much simpler to homeschool and teach your children.

CHSH-Teach.com offers an annual subscription fee of  $25 or for lifetime only for $99.99. They have freebies so you can trial the site and they have options to buy individual worksheets or workbooks.

You can see what my crew mates thought over at the TOS Blog.

Notebooking Pages - TOS Review

We do lots of notebooking here, this means I've spent hours scouring the internet for pages that would work for us or having to design them. Thankfully that part of my life is over now we've been given a Notebooking Pages Lifetime Membership for NotebookingPages.com to review.

Notebooking is an amazing way to cut out the busy work and really improve your learning, it's flexible, creative and is an excellent way for journaling your students work. Notebooking can be used to assist hand writing, copywork, vocab or spelling lessons, map work, history, grammar, project work, unit studies and more. It can be used for all topics and fits in with many learning styles and most curriculum.

 

NotebookingPages.com was created by Debra Reed, a homeschool Mum of ten, she has designed vast array of notebooking pages for your use. There are thousands of topics to choose from and they are divided into subjects for ease of navigation, these include;

• Any Study (generic pages, mini-books and 3D pages)
• A-Z (alphabet copy work, A-Z animals, A-Z sports, A-Z transportation)
• Bible/character
• Famous People
• Fine Arts
• Geography
• History
• Holidays
• Language Arts
• Science/Nature

Debra's pages are well thought out, she seems to have thought of everything - some are plain, others include spaces to draw in or stick pictures in, some have beautiful images for the child to colour in, still more have fill in the blank spaces and more.

We downloaded some work from her artist study of Georgia O'Keeffe to go along with our current art studies

 

and also from her Plant and Tree study for our nature and botany work,

both were enjoyed by all the girls, they fitted easily into our existing studies and were simple to use.

I was very impressed by both the range available and the quality. I loved that she had created an easy start guide and tutorials to help those who haven't notebooked before. I received a number of emailed tips and video links when I first signed up which were very useful.

My favourite aspect by far was that all the work was done for me, I no longer have to trawl various sites to try and find something suitable - its all in one place, there is a massive variety to choose from and it only takes seconds to download. You just need to pick and choose what page layout and style will work best for your students.

Debra has even added lapbook templates including mini layered books, matchbook books, popup book, top tab books and bordered templates, which you can use to make your own lapbooks.

The lifetime membership is available for $97 which full you full access to all the notebooking pages and any new ones that are added. She even has some free resources for you to try so you can see how it works for your family.

You can see what my crew mates thought over at the TOS Blog.

Homeschool Copywork -TOS Review

One of the reasons I first adopted some Charlotte Mason homeschooling techniques was due to her emphasis on copy work to practice handwriting, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, composition and more. Homeschool Copywork offered the crew a chance to review their Lifetime Membership and I happily volunteered.
                          
Homeschool Copywork is a website created by Amy Belvins, a homeschooling mum of six who has successfully used copy work techniques for years. The site has a number of copywork booklets that, as a member, you can download as a PDF and print at your leisure, and what a lot they have for you to download (and the list is ever growing as more are developed). Each booklet is available with different font choices from tracing for the early years, manuscript, cursive and plain lines for the older ones.

                           

There is a big catalogue to choose from - once you have logged in you can select by age (early elementary, upper elementary, Junior High or High School) or browse the list of titles which includes topics such as;

• Character studies
• Poems
• Scripture studies
• Artist studies
• Inventors
• Science
• Nature studies
• Holidays
• Composer studies
• Famous people

You can also browse their bonus products which include loads of note booking pages and some colouring pages.

Each PDF is different in terms of content and size - some are over 100 pages and others 30. For example we worked on the Claude Monet Artist Study which was 34 pages. It started with an information page telling us about Claude Monet and asked us six questions to think about when looking at his paintings (everything from light, colour & mood to how you would do it differently) it also set a one page essay based on your observations of a Monet painting of your choice. Next came the copywork pages which had a series of six quotes in four different styles (this worked perfectly for me as four children each had an individual style to work on), each handwriting page has a picture at the bottom of the page. The final pages in the pack are six A4 copies of his paintings for you to use in your study.

 

 

 

We have just started working on the John James Audubon Copywork pack which is bigger at 191 pages and has 25 quotes, much longer passages and bird pictures at the bottom ofthe pages.

What impressed me the most about Homeschool Copywork was the depth of content in the PDFs, there was no twaddle just relevant quotes, hymns, poems, famous documents, scriptures, rich literature passages, pictures etc. all available in multiple font options which meant the same PDF was often suitable for multiple ages. It's also incredibly easy to assign a week or month of copywork - just print and go, no more hunting for that perfect quote or frantically typing up something suitable for them to use.

The site could be easier to navigate but in fairness the quality and choice of PDFs was so good that that became irrelevant and I am glad that she chose to focus on producing good quality, relevant and meaningful copywork. I loved that I can have copywork to match our studies so quickly and easily. 

You can purchase a lifetime membership for $45 or a 1 year full membership for $29.95. They even have a free membership where you can try out some of their products to see how they work for you.

You can see what my crew mates thought over at the TOS Blog.

 

The blur that was November

I can't believe November is over - so much has happened and I seem to have lost time : )

One of the best highlights was Sunflower turning 8. Not only did they manage to have a great birthday party but she chose to be Baptised.

We spent ages sewing her dress

and wrote a great acrostic poem for the occasion.

                     Baptism is making a promise

                     All times, all things, all places

                     Promising to stand as a witness

                     To keep all his commandments

                      I promise to comfort those in need

                     Stand up for the truth and right

                     My way of showing, my love to God

Growing up Wild - TOS Review

Growing up Wild is a collection of educational DVDs that takes you deep into the jungles of Indonesia and introduces you the daily life of four brothers from a missionary family. 

They share examples of life in the jungle, local wildlife and introduces you to the Wano tribe and culture. I received two of the DVDs 

Volume 1 which covers

• Home Sweet Hut - you get a glimpse of the Wild brothers house and how the Wano tribe live.
• Supply Trip - all about bulk buying the supplies they can't produce themselves.
• Sun & Water - how they use nature to provide the electricity they need.

and Volume 4 covering

• Amazing World Around Us - takes a look at some of the amazing wildlife. 
• Adventures In Culture - an exploration of the Wano culture including war, hunting and nose piercing.
• Tribal Calling - explores how the Wilds found their calling. 

Each episode is approximatley 15 mins long and for the most part it is narrated by the mother as you watch the boys daily life unfold. Each DVD comes with an additional activity guide (on cd-rom) jam packed with suggested activities to help them explore topics covered in the DVD's. Some additional materials will be needed for a couple of these activities (like clay, sticks, paint etc.) but are usually items you will have around the house. You can view a sample guide to see what you think.

I was so excited when these arrived - we haven't studied Indonesia in detail yet and I thought this would be a fantastic introduction and it is!
But it did so much more that just introduce them to a new culture and a different way of living. It also got them thinking about the important things in life - how family, the Gospel and community are so much more important then objects (Tulip couldn't believe that they only had a lego loft, she's not sure she could cope with just lego but if she could take dolls, lego and colouring then she would be happy to leave the rest behind)

The activity guides were varied and enjoyable. They included reading Scriptures, exploring your surroundings, research, field trips, crafts, worksheets and more. I loved how it incorporated educational elements into real life situations. I think my personal favourite was the girls trying to create their own solar water heaters - it's minus 3 outside but they still tried : )

but they enjoyed the hut building activity the most - which ended up turning into a 3 hour activity building different types of huts.

I loved how the Wilds share the importance of God in their life and the use of scriptural quotes in each episode.

It is aimed at 5-12 year olds, but everyone will enjoy it. Rose joined in (she's just turned 4) and hubby  (30 something) even sat and watched a couple with us - he especially liked the snake episode and it lead to some great tales of his childhood in Nigeria when he apparently had snake for dinner.

Each DVD is available for $18.99 or you can get a 15% discount and buy all 5 for $80.99.

You can see what my crew mates thought over at the TOS Blog

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of the DVD so I could provide an open and honest review.

Proverbs 31 woman - wk 5

Week 5:  Proverbs 31:22-24  Are you or a family member always hunting for a clean pair of socks?  Does the laundry seem to be getting the best of you?  Maybe you are always behind on doing the dishes.  Write a post sharing  how you deal with the never ending loads of laundry and dishes.

Do we ever truly deal with the laundry??
As I sit here writing I am skiving from the never ending pile of laundry that builds up - with 4 small girls who love to play its easy for them to get changed 2 or 3 times a day :(

I try to keep a tight rein on the housework and the girls all help out with their chores but we do often experience a 'bad week' like last week when I was down with flu - the fact that I had prepared lessons meant we got through them all ok but the housework did slide - as a result I spent 4 hours cleaning on Fri - NOT FUN - and the girls were playing and I sooo wanted to join in.

As a general rule I try to stay on top by doing abit each night and having them do their chores first thing in the morning - this lets me spend the day with/focus on the girls and this way I don't miss the important things like seeing them 'teach' each other or being there to answer questions or seeing the hugs they give each other or the smiles on their faces when they see an egg hatch etc...

My big secret - I've learnt not to stress if someone is wearing odd socks today (DD4) or if I haven't hoovered yet. I know cleanliness is next to godliness and I'm still working on it.

PS sorry I missed last week but was ill - FYI re preparing ourselves/children we do insist they know how to make the basic foods (bread, pasta etc), sew clothes (DD8 has made 2 dresses), save money, grow veg and pay tithes.
We are slowly building a food storage and savings storage. I am also striving to prepare our family spiritually to turn to the Lord in times of stress - they already know they can pray and receive answers to any questions they have and they know where to turn to for help.

Proverbs 31 Woman

Week 2:  Proverbs 31:13-15  Do you plan and prepare for the day?  Do you start the day with a quiet time with the Lord?  Are you ready to meet the challenges of the day?  Write a post about how you set aside time to plan and prepare for yourself and your family everyday. 

Planning is a sore point - I never seem to have as much time to plan as I want :)
Seriously though I start for the day on the evening before - prior to bed I always make sure that the kitchen is tidy and organised, milk is defrosted, workboxes full, dishwasher loaded, washing machine on and floors clear (nothing is more annoying than rushing to a crying child in the dark and cutting your foot on a toy).
I usually fit my scripture study/prayers in just before I sleep. If I occasionally feel too tried I just remember that on the nights I miss my scriptures the next day is ALWAYS bad - naughty kids, stressed mum, lack of work completed etc.
Mornings are interesting as I am blessed with early risers (I am sure its a blessing) I have tried for the last week getting up before them but as soon as they heard me they got up to join me - I now have even earlier risers!
I do make sure I take 10 mins for prayer/reflection in the morning (usually when the kids are in the bath) and that sets me up nicely for the day.

Proverbs 31 woman - week 1

Proverbs 31:10-12  
This week we had to ask ourselves the questions -are you a virtuous and capable wife more precious than rubies?  Does your husband trust you, and do you enrich his life?  Do you bring him good everyday?  and then write about something you would like to change about yourself, and something you love about yourself. 

There are 2 main areas I am focusing on changing this year - first I want to take more time to do the things I like. This is a hard one for me because between work, schooling, church and housework I have very little time left, but I was impressed by a fellow blogger who takes 1/2 and hour each day to do something and although I can't manage each day I am determined to take an hour or two each week to catch up on the long list of things I would like to do/make.
Second is to improve on exercise - embarrassingly DH and I did a kick boxing DVD and after the 10 min warm up I was ready to quit !
Until that point I hadn't realised how little stamina I had. My focus for the next two months is to get up before the kids (bearing in mind that the latest they stay in bed is 6:30am) and spend at least 20 mins building up my stamina.

I love that I am capable of turning my hand to anything - be it sewing or DIY or tax - if a problem arises DH and I sit down and think of a way to solve it - for example this week we needed to fit a new chimney flue as we were putting a wood burning stove in the dining room. Neither of us had done any roof work before but with a little help from you tube, lots of rope and even more prayers we managed to fit the flue and as I write I am toasty warm sitting by the fire :)