Quarantine 2020, Day...I don’t know anymore

This quarantine continues. What’s a person to do? We can start the garden. After a rainy week, today was sunny with temps in the mid 60’s. Sooo, it was a good day to move our seedlings to slightly bigger pots.

We’re trying out some new things this year. I’m the most excited about our artichokes- I’ve been wanting to grow one for years, and this year I finally remembered to get my seeds going early.

We also have petunias, shasta daisies, cosmos, nasturtiums, and a mixed flower collection.

And now...we watch, water, and wait.

Can You Relate?

Does anyone else feel like this GIF? Feeling completely lost and foggy? Generally, I've been staying positive, but tonight, I'm feeling cranky and fed up with this kooky year. Oh well, this too shall pas, right?

Time4Learning - A Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.





It's a great time to be a homeschooler. There has probably been no other point in recent homeschool history where parents taking this educational path have had more opportunities to implement a full and rich curriculum for their children. Still, it can be overwhelming to put a year's worth of material together for a student. How do you know what to choose for every subject? How do you plan out a school year? How do you keep records? How do you handle multiple students in multiple grades? What about teaching for varying learning styles? It can certainly be stressful. Fortunately, Time4Learning has considered these issues, and can help. They were kind enough to provide us with a 6 month subscription to their program use and review, so join me for a few minutes while I tell you about our experience.

Time4Learning is an online program that offers courses for students in PreK all the way through 12th grade. Subjects include:

* LANGUAGE ARTS

- Phonics
- Reading
- Grammar

* MATH
-Elementary Math
-Algebra
-Geometry
-Pre-Calculus
-Trigonometry

* SCIENCE
-Elementary Science
-Earth Science
-Life Science
-Physical Science
-Biology
-Chemistry
-Physics

* SOCIAL STUDIES
-Geography
-Government
-History
-World History

They also offer electives in languages and writing, but we did not review those this time around.

Graphics introduce each activity section.

The lesson without the transcript.

The lesson with the transcript on the left.

My 9th grader has/is using the high school program. I've had her take a look at each subject in order to get an idea for the way each works, but she has focused most of her time on English and Social Studies. The format of the program is great for a range of learning styles. Each lesson in a subject includes fun graphics with audio and music, a video of the teacher that is providing the lecture, and an option to read the transcript of the lecture. My daughter likes that last feature, as it helps her focus and stay on track with a given lesson. There are more than one instructor for each subject, and they switch off every so often.

A history lesson.

She took a cursory glance at the math, which for us was geometry. We already have a current program that we're using, but wanted to check it out. It wasn't a great fit, as my teen found the instructor hard to follow. For example, she would give an instruction and then backtrack because she was correcting herself. Videos and graphics helped underscore the lessons.

We also have a science program that we're using, but looked at Time4Learning's biology course. The teacher was engaging and interesting, incorporating plenty of humor. He reminded me of a favorite science from my own high school days. Again, videos and graphics help reinforce the material.

There are separate log in's for parents and students. There is a good amount of help available for parents on the parent dashboard. You can create lesson plans, reports, and student planners. Also, you have access to one grade above your student's selected level, and one grade below. If you or your child is finding the material too easy or too difficult, you can easily make the switch without any fuss.

Time4Learning costs $30.00/ monthly per student for high school, and $19.95/monthly per student for PreK-8th. What if you don't want to use this program year round? No problem, they offer an option to pause your subscription at any time, and pick it up again when you're ready. The courses are self paced, allowing your student to work ahead or slow down as needed. over all, it offers flexibility.

Creating lesson plans is easy by following the prompts and clicking on the sections you need.

Everything is broken down for you.

This is a secular program, not faith based, so there is talk of the Big Bang Theory, Evolution, etc.. That will be good news for some of you, but not so good news for others. A typical lesson will take my teen anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on the material. There is a lecture, questions, and a quiz. Each activity is marked off in sections, and recorded for your convenience.

What my daughter likes about Time4Learning:

- The introductory video clips and graphics are fun and whimsical, and not just for the elementary grades!
- Lessons are taught with the teacher on screen, but the option to read along with the transcript helps her stay attentive.
- She can work at her own pace, completing more lessons when she wants to work ahead, or take a relaxed pace on other days.
- She likes the overall format, and the flexibility the program provides.

What my daughter doesn't like:

- When taking a quiz, if a question is answered incorrectly, the correct answer is not given, so she doesn't know what the right response is.
- We are a faith based family, and the secular worldview is emphasized.
- The reading selections for English have been a little gruesome for my daughter's preferences.

Will we continue using this program? Yes, most of it. I think that we will continue with the English section, as the layout has been a good fit. We'll also use the history and social studies to supplement our current curriculum. My daughter has found these subjects that she's focused on to be in depth and rich. You can watch some demos on their site, and they offer a 14 day, money back guarantee if you decide it's not for you. Why not give them a try?

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Happy Easter 2020!

Happy Easter, He is Risen!

Sonrise Stable Books - A Crew Review

Disclaimer: I received a FREE COPY of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My daughters are polar opposites. They are only about a year and a half apart in age, so you would think that they would have fairly similar interests, right? Nope, not really. While there are some things that they both agree on and enjoy, for the most part, their tastes are miles apart. This extends to each of their approaches to their schoolwork. My oldest could sleep until 10 every morning if I let her, and wouldn't mind not finishing her studies until 4. My youngest, on the other hand, is an early riser who prefers to get her work completed by 1. The differences extend to pretty much every subject. Take history, for example. My oldest approaches the majority of history curriculum with disdain, while my youngest has great enthusiasm for the past. If you find yourself nodding your head in agreement with my situation, stay tuned, because Sonrise Stable Books may be the history resource that you've been waiting for, that will engage even the most turned off students. They provided our family with a copy of History on Horseback: The Early Years to read and review. 

Horses allowed preachers to bring the Gospel all over America.

History on Horseback: The Early Years focuses on the arrival of horses, and their contribution to American history from 1493 to 1866. It is written for those that are 12 years and up. This is a softcover book with 53 chapters, as well as a bonus preview from Volume 2. The chapters are fairly short, with some containing as few as 2 pages. This makes it an easy read. The stories included are factual, historical accounts. It is not meant to be a stand alone history curriculum, but an extra resource. A study guide is in the works, that will then make it possible to make this a complete course. You could also put together your own materials as well to make this its own subject. 

A sidebar is included in every chapter, noting the main points.

This book is written with such an interesting perspective, and adds a great level of richness for history studies. Every chapter focuses on a specific period in history, whether it's the arrival of horses to America from Spain, the Thoroughbred Family Tree, the travels of Lewis and Clark, or the Gold Rush. That's a pitifully small sample out of these 53 chapters, but it would take too much time to list them all, and then you wouldn't need to read the book, so there you are. Readers will learn about historical figures yes, but with a focus on the horses that were an important part of their lives. The text is peppered with journal entries from various featured figures. Every chapter also includes a sidebar that provides a list of the main points and highlights discussed. Those aspects are good, but what I really love is that every section includes little tidbits that explain how certain things got their name, or where specific phrases originated. Let me give you a few examples:

A Conestoga wagon, which is where "stogies" got their nickname.

- Did you know how Americans came to drive on the right side of the road? In the days of riding a horse drawn wagon, when driving a narrow path, drivers would pull to the right side of the road, beginning the practice.

- Did you ever wonder how some cigars acquired the name "stogies"? They were named after the wagon drivers who drove wagons called Conestogas, called stogies for short.

- Methodists were given there name by some who actually looked down on their "method" of living, that is, praying, fasting, and generally living a disciplined life.

- How did the phrase, "I'll be there with bells on", come to be? Horses wore bells on their harnesses. If a driver's wagon broke down, he had to wait for another driver to come along and assist. In return, the one assisted would give the helper his horses bells. It was a thing of shame to arrive at your destination with no bells, and it was a source of pride to arrive with all if your bells. Thus, the phrase, to arrive "with my bells on", was born.

I enjoy these extra facts so much that now I keep a sharpened pencil with me as I read, just so I can underline the ones I really want to remember.

The book includes actual historical photos, as well as drawings.

Our whole family is really enjoying this book. Even my husband is waiting his turn. My oldest, the one who generally dislikes history, has been pretty happy to have this as a part of our studies, and has conceded that it's an interesting read. It doesn't sound like it, but that's high praise from her, hee hee. We're just about halfway through with 22 chapters under our belt, and looking forward to the rest. History as a subject aside, this makes a great family read, for all ages. I cannot wait for the other volumes, and the study guide. We've read on average, 5 days weekly, just to get through as many chapters as we could to get a good feel for the material. If you're supplementing your current curriculum, or simply want to go at a slower pace, 3 days a week would work well and provide a good semester's worth of work. 

Whether you use this as a supplement or read aloud, I'm confident that most everyone will be fascinated with how instrumental horses have been in our lives, practically, emotionally, and spiritually. Don't miss this book, pick up a copy!

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Is this week 2 or 3?

We're now going into what, our third week of shelter in place. I'm grateful for the nice weather. We can at least get outside and walk, garden, and enjoy the sunshine. I saw the following post on facebook, and it's a great summation of events. I'm putting it here as a way to document and remember this time in history.

Gas price a mile from home was $1.51
School cancelled March 16 until April 30th and maybe longer.
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from the President. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.