2018

Kayla Jarmon – Author {Crew Review}

May 8, 2018 by Dana Leave a Comment

For this review, we were given access to digital copies of three books from Kayla Jarmon. A Boy and His Dog, Dying Is A Part Of This World, and Don’t Forget Me are the titles we were allowed access to read and review for you. Don’t Forget Me and Dying Is A Part Of This World are the first and second books in a series of Discussion Books that Kayla Jarmon has written. Each of these books are wonderfully unique.

A Boy And His Dog

A Boy and His Dog shares the story of a boy who loves his dog deeply. His dog is his best friend. They do everything together. They dig in dirt and get messy, they clean themselves up, Dog wakes boy and they spend their day together. Each day they look forward to sharing with each other and being together to enjoy each other’s love and company. The book shares their entire day with one another from beginning to end.

This is a wonderful book that encourages a love of dogs, care like no other and that special friendship that can only be found with a K-9 friend. Dogs are wonderful creatures and this book really brings that out for the reader to see first hand, through antics and fun that the boy and his dog share together. This book is sure to warm the hearts of any dog lover!

Don’t Forget Me (Discussion Series Book 1)

Don’t Forget Me is my personal favorite of these three books. It tells the story of Life. It begins with conception of a child and goes past birth to show God’s Love for us. God is with this small being from day one and His wish is that we know He is with us always, that we never forget Him.

This book shows that we are forever in God’s favor, that He is with us from the very first day of our lives and that He leads our way even when we no longer feel He is there. The story is a blessing to read and really makes you see how deeply God loves us. It is beautifully written and leaves you in awe of God’s love for us all.

Dying Is A Part Of This World (Discussion Series Book 2)

Dying Is A Part Of This World is the second book of the discussion book series. It is a Chapter book that helps you process death. This is designed to be easy to read and comes with discussion questions at the end of each chapter as you read through it.

This book is designed to help you prepare ahead for Death and see that it’s just another part of our lives that must be dealt with, even when we aren’t prepared or do not like it. Like birth, death happens to us all and there is no preventing or changing it but this book can hopefully help make it a little easier to understand and deal with. This is truly a ministry book that is needed though most of us wish we never had to prepare for death to happen.

Kayla Jarmon is a wonderful author who has a heart for those who she reaches out to through her ministry. She is a family person and a sister in Christ, who love to share with others through her story-telling pursuits. Her love of writing has lead her to her ministry of creating wonderful books for others to share, read and learn from.

Each of these titles are available for purchase on Kindle and Createspace online.

You can find Kayla Jarmon online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylajarmonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaylajarmon Tag: @kaylajarmon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylajarmon/ Tag: @kaylajarmon

Read More Reviews:

Discussion Book Series and A Boy and His Dog {Kayla Jarmon Reviews}

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Wordless Wednesday: May 2, 2018 {Wordless Wednesday}

May 2, 2018 by Dana Leave a Comment

Wordless Wednesday: May 2, 2018

The Essence of Courage {Celebrate Lit Review}

April 30, 2018 by Dana Leave a Comment

The Essence of Courageby Lynn U. Watson

The Essence of Courage by Lynn U. Watson is a devotional experience like no other before it. Lynn combines her love of the Lord, her love of Essential Oils and herbs, with her love of stories and writing to create a story-book devotional that truly speaks to your heart. This book is just amazing and one I have truly enjoyed.

The Essence of Courage is the first of a series of devotional books created to educate and share about God’s love for us, diving deep into the stories within Solomon’s locked Garden. Lynn creates lovable characters based on the Fruits of the Spirit shared within the Bible itself. Essences of these strong women, who though sometimes unnamed, their stories speak out like no other.

She also includes fun facts about essential oils and spices that go along with these stories, educating you even more as you read and learn. You learn how to use these oils to relax and inspire yourself each day, helping you to remember the Fruits in your day to day life. Learning with this devotional is an experience you definitely won’t want to miss.

Each chapter shares stories of Cinnamah-Brosia and her friends. To begin there are suggested oils and herbs to use to encourage you. Their aromatic influence is described. A suggested Daily Delight is mentioned, along with some musical suggestions to inspire you. Then the day’s verse is shared, followed by an inspiring story that ends with another inspiring scripture.

You will greatly enjoy this fun devotional from Lynn U. Watson. Her encouragement is inspiring. You can grab your copy online for $14.99 in Paperback or $3.99 on Kindle.

Planet 316 Story Bible {Crew Review}

April 26, 2018 by Dana Leave a Comment

Last year we reviewed Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals Daily Bible Jigsaw app and we loved it! You can read that review here: Daily Bible Jigsaw. This year we were asked to review the Planet 316 Story Bible and the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App. They are amazing!

I chose this review because I thought it was something that Jack and Laycie would love. We love reading Bible stories together and I’m always looking for new books that share God’s love with them. The cover of the Planet 316 Story Bible is adorable.

The cover features different Bible characters from the stories shared throughout this beautifully designed Bible for children. The back of the Bible shows you how to bring the Bible to life with images that explain how to use the app along with the Bible.

The Planet 316 Story Bible begins with a dedication page like most Bibles. It contains more than 100 beautifully designed Bible stories inside it’s semi-glossy pages. In the front, you will find a note to parents and another page sharing about the companion Planet 316 Story Bible App. There is a full Table of Contents so you can easily locate any Bible story favorite you and your child may have. Then begins the Old Testament with a brightly colored image sharing several stories from this section of the Bible.

Creation, Noah’s Ark, the story of Moses are all included in the Old Testament. The imagery is gorgeous and the characters are adorable. This Bible is designed for you children to truly enjoy.

The New Testament follows with the story of Jesus’ Birth, the miracles he performed, and his Resurrection. All the favorite stories you could wish to share with your little ones. In the back of the Bible, there is a People, Places, and Things in the Bible reference for you and your child that is helpful to find things you may be looking for within the stories. This is a great asset for when you can’t recall the name of the story but know what it contains.

The companion Planet 316 Story Bible App is available for Apple products and for Google as well. It opens to an instructions page that shows you how to use the app. It’s really quite simple to use. You turn on the app, scan the image from the Bible with your device and the pages just come to life. Each page pops up with a 3D image from the page that shows action and movement as you view it. This augmented reality makes reading the Bible fun and exciting for children.

We really LOVE our Planet 316 Story Bible and have already recommended it to many others. The stories are fun to read. Jack loves reading this Bible nightly now.

The Planet 316 Story Bible from Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals is available for $18.99 US. The Planet 316 Story Bible App is a free download that works along with the Planet 316 Story Bible. This would make a great addition to any children’s library.

You can find Planet 316 and WorthyKids/Ideals online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Planet316/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/planet_316 Tag: @planet_316

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Watchman Pictures: Princess Cut {Crew Review}

April 13, 2018 by Dana Leave a Comment

Watchman Pictures provided us with a copy of their movie, Princess Cut. This is a beautiful movie that families really should watch and enjoy together. It’s approximately 97 minutes in length and just overall one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

Princess Cut shares the story of Grace and her family, The Andersons. It’s a young woman’s journey to respect God and find love in today’s world. Today we are often pushed to do things we otherwise would not. Things like kissing before we are ready, becoming intimate, living together before marriage. Things that often lead to heartbreak.

Princess Cut focuses on saving yourself for marriage and developing yourself in the meantime while you wait on God to provide for your life and marriage. Through the movie, you see Grace get her heartbroken by the guy she thought was right for her. She then meets Jared, a cocky young man who thinks he knows best and tries to push Grace into a deeper, physical relationship. Grace faces feelings of regret and feeling she’s let her family and God down through the pressure her relationship with Jared provides.

But God has a plan for Grace and her future. Grace meets the new doctor in town, a true man of God who seeks a relationship with her by gaining her parents blessing before moving forward. Clint has nothing but respect for Grace and her beliefs. He allows God to lead them, allowing God to show them if marriage is for them or not and allowing them to remain friends if their relationship doesn’t work out.

There are other twists and turns along the way. Clint’s ex-girlfriend comes in to win him back. The Anderson family’s farm is having challenges. The family faces some obstacles themselves. But through it all there faith in God shines.

This is one movie you must add to your home collection so you can watch it again and again. I promise you’ll love it as much as my family has. There’s so many lessons to glean from the movie itself. It’s just a beautiful movie overall.

Set in NC, this movie made me miss our previous home. The beauty of the Farms are undeniable. The scenery is gorgeous and only adds to the enjoyment of the movie overall.

And if you’re looking for a way to teach your children how to go about finding true love, this movie can be a wonderful help with that. So encouraging to not see a beautiful girl having an advanced relationship that should be saved for her husband. Such a wonderful lesson for young women and men alike.

You can purchase Princess Cut from Watchman Pictures for $9.99.

You Can Find Watchman Pictures and Princess Cut Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrincessCutMovie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrincessCutFilm Tag: @PrincessCutFilm

Pinterest: https://www.pinterst.com/princesscutfilm/pins/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/paulmungernc Tag: @paulmungernc

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Princesscutmovie

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PrincessCutMovie/videos

Memoria Press: Traditional Spelling I {Crew Review}

April 12, 2018 by Dana Leave a Comment

Many years ago, when I began with the Homeschool Review Crew, I was introduced to Memoria Press. I remember receiving that package and being a little intimidated and overwhelmed by the product we received as that first time user of this curriculum. I didn’t know what to expect or what I was even doing. But the setup of Memoria Press made educating with their materials super easy.

When this review came up, we were given several things to choose from so that choice is always tough. This time, I decided to go with something specifically for Laycie. I chose Traditional Spelling I. This is a phonetic approach to learning to spell. It is intended for Grades 1-2 and those learning to spell. There is also a Traditional Spelling II for students in grades 2-3 as they finish this course.

Laycie is a very hands-on, auditory learner. Things that rhyme or are musical just make more sense to her. Seeing it on paper bores her out of her mind. She thrives on fun and excitement. Even though, Traditional Spelling I is a little more formal that we usually use, it’s been a great introduction to formal education for her, yet still fun enough to keep her wanting to continue learning with it.

What We Received:

Classical Phonics: A Child’s Guide to Word Mastery by Cheryl Lowe, Second Edition

Phonics Flashcards

Traditional Spelling I Student Book by Cheryl Lowe

Traditional Spelling I Teacher Manual by Cheryl Lowe

Spelling Practice Sheets for use with Traditional Spelling I by Cheryl Lowe

Each of these work together to create a full spelling curriculum for your child.

Classical Phonics: A Child’s Guide to Word Mastery by Cheryl Lowe

This little book is a wonder of itself. We have used it for years now as an introduction to phonics so I was happy to see it included for this program. It’s a great way to get your child started with learning the ABC’s and then spelling. It relates words to things your child can understand. It’s simple in format so that it engages your child but doesn’t overwhelm them.

This book is broken into four parts and eight total units, with an appendix at the end. Part one covers short-vowel words. Part two covers long-vowel words. Part 3 covers 10 More Vowel Sounds. Part 4 is about Advanced Phonics. The appendix covers phonics rules and spelling, common words and offers suggestions for teachers. It’s a complex book that covers so much within the pages.

Traditional Spelling I Student Book

This is the student workbook. It comes with spiral binding so it can lay flat as you use it. It is 146 pages with 34 lessons included, as well as a dictionary in the back. Throughout you fill find Phonic Focus tips. There are spelling lists that build as you go through the lessons. Each lesson contains 10 words.

Each lesson is formatted so the student is writing the words and learning to define the differences in the words. Lessons are around 4 pages long. They also encourage reading and sentence development through the use of the program. Dictation is another included element for each lesson.

The dictionary in the back of the book is easy to read and follow. It contains the words that are taught throughout the lessons in the book. The words are broken down by letter. They do not include breaking down the words for speech or their parts of speech, only the word itself with the definition.

The format is the same throughout the book for each lesson. It is very easy for your student and you to follow and each page flows into the other. You could set this up as one page a day for your student or have your student work through two pages on one day and two on another. The book is designed for one student to use.

Traditional Spelling I Teacher Manual

This is the Teacher’s Guide Manual for the program. It includes 34 lessons, a dictionary and appendix for the teacher. It is 179 pages in length and comes with a spiral binding that lays flat.

After the Table of Contents, there is a general overview of the lessons. This section explains how to prepare for the lessons. How to set up your lessons through the week. It suggests a 5 day plan with definitions and word study on day one. Phonics Flashcards and worksheet suggestions for Day 2 and 3. Dictation on day 4. And a final test on day 5. This is followed by a sample lesson plan to give you an idea of how to utilize this curriculum and make it work best.

Lesson 1 begins as an actual lesson plan, providing an introduction for you to use with your students if you choose, then jumping right into the lesson itself. There are fun suggestions throughout that also help you to further develop this curriculum for your student. Things like writing words on strips for sentences or writing the words with letters missing to find the missing sounds in the words. There are many, many ideas provided throughout the book for that.

The dictionary in the back is set up just like the on in the student guide. It’s divided by letter. There’s no breakdown of the word or suggestion of part of speech. It simply gives the word and the definition used by the lesson itself.

The teacher’s guide does include an Appendix in the back that contains a spelling test form, spelling review games, spelling rules reference sheets, common English contractions, phonics overview, and a colorful letters key. This is designed to help you to build better spelling skills for your student in the simplest way possible. It is very easy to use.

The spelling test is simple. It allows space for name and date. This is followed by space for the 10 words from each lesson. And a space at the bottom for sentence dictation and copywork.

The Spelling Review Games contains an area for individual games and group games. Things like ABC order, sentence writing, tracing, using scrabble for spelling, playing concentration with words, connect the dots and so much more are provided. Such fun ways to learn to spell.

The spelling rules sheets are designed in larger font so that you can use it in a classroom setting with your student. Rules like 1-1-1 and the drop rule are covered here. Many others as well.

The phonics overview is a review provided for the teacher themselves. It helps you recall what the sounds are, how to say them correctly, and what are vowels and consonants. Phonograms and more are included in this section of the appendix. It’s just a great gathering of a multitude of things related to spelling and reading as well.

There is a short guide to the Phonics Rules and Spelling Rules as well that is located in the Appendix. These are followed by the Colorful Letters Key which lists all the words for each lesson and breaks them down phonetically for you. This key shows short and long vowels with color, silent letters and helps with speech.

Spelling Practice Sheets for use with Traditional Spelling I

This is a 37 page practice work book that includes a practice sheet for each lesson in the program. It is thin like a coloring book and designed in black and white which is easy to see and follow. Each page has a lesson header, features the adorable Owl used throughout the program, and has a place for the students name. This is followed by the list of words for the student to practice writing. This is a wonderful addition for the program.

Phonics Flashcards

This is a HUGE stack of flashcards just for phonics. They are well designed and sturdy. They are each in black and white which makes them less distracting and easy to learn with. Clear with a large font for lessons.

How We Used It

Of course, we were not able to complete this program during the review period but we were able to get a great feel for it. You can tweak the program to fit you and your student but it’s really designed to be followed as is and it’s really easy to do that. We began the program with a review of the phonics book provided which took about a week for us since we’ve used the book previously.

I simply followed along the program as it directed with Laycie. We played games to learn. We did the simple and easy worksheets. This was really easy for her. We created songs with the words that she sings daily now. The flashcards were fun for her too. She likes using those with her baby brother as well.

We did not do everything suggested in the book but we did work through most of the suggestions. Some days she was just too distracted to follow what we were doing. Other days, she was focused and able to stay the course. This is a challenge in her learning but this course actually helped because it wasn’t too intensive for us to follow or pick back up as we went along.