NotebookingPages.com {TOS Review}

I've been interested in Notebooking for awhile, and while we have tried a few things here and there, my kids weren't all that into it. So I was a bit hesitant when we were asked to do a review for NotebookingPages.com. I wanted to give it another go, so I was excited when we were chosen to review the NotebookingPages.com Lifetime Membership. I think my previous problem was my lack of choices and just not knowing how to do it.  My daughter and I went onto NotebookingPages.com and had a look around. I think our biggest problem was there were too many choices (which I don't think is a problem at all!).  They have 1000s of options from Bible to history to music to art to science.  Pretty much anything you can think of, there is a notebooking page for it. It can seem overwhelming, but I received several emails with helps to get started.  As they recommended, I took some time to look around the website and get an idea of all they had to offer.

My daughter is currently doing US history, so I encouraged her to pick one that had to do with someone she was learning about.  So she chose George Washington. With every topic you have several layout choices.  Here is one...

We printed out the George Washington Notebook Pages, and for some reason, the notebooking finally clicked with my daughter and she loved it!  It is a great way for her to share what she has learned without being confined to multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, matching, etc.

She has since did a drawing on the bottom, 

but she isn't thrilled with it so she didn't want me to share.  :)

We've printed a few others and she is currently working on them. It will be fun to see how she continues to add more information, drawings, and continues to work on grammar, spelling, and all that fun stuff.  :)

They recommend you put all your notebooking pages in a 3 ring binder and make one large notebook. I think this would be great to have them all in one place (especially if you make portfolios for your school year).

What I really love about NotebookingPages.com is that I can really see what she's learning. It's one thing to answer questions on a test, but to write it out and explain what you've learned is another.  It's easy to memorise material quickly for a test, but to write out what you've learned makes you really think about what you have learned.  And I think helps you retain the information longer. 

If you're not sure what notebooking is please watch the video below.  I didn't realise the variety of ways to do it.  I feel like we're just scratching the surface with what we have done.

Having the Lifetime Membership is amazing, it's great to go on anytime to download what I want. My daughter has also gone onto NotebookingPages.com and printed out her own pages.  I am planning to start doing the notebooking with my son as well.  There is some great ideas for children (like my son) who do not enjoy writing.  So, I'm anxious to give it a try.

If you are wanting to give it a try, click here to see their free resources.

Visit NotebookingPages.com on Facebook and Twitter.

To read more reviews for NotebookingPages.com click below...

Veritas Press {TOS Review}

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We love Veritas Press, and my daughter was so excited when we were given the opportunity to review Self-Paced Bible - Old Testament 1: Genesis to Joshua.  (Also available is Old Testament 2: Judges to Kings and New Testament: The Gospels.  And coming soon, Chronicles to Malachi and Acts to Revelation.)
Each of these Bible courses have 128 class periods covering 32 Biblical events.  My kids love the fun, interactive videos, the music to memorise the chronology of events, and the fun activities.  They look forward to doing their Bible course because Veritas Press has made learning the Bible so much fun!
When you purchase the Self-Paced Bible course of your choice, you will receive an email with your login information, and from there you have a one year subcription.  
Veritas Press is an online program.  I do hope that someday they will have these available on dvd.


Here is a video that shares a little more information about Veritas Press... I hope you took the two minutes to watch the video, it gives you a little glimpse into the program.

The video lessons are my kids' favourite!
Both the parent and the child have an account.  In the parent's account you are able to check their completed work, test scores, and see their progress.  You can also see their test scores and such from the child's account.  For the parent, there is absolutely no prep work!  The child can log on and it's all set up for them.  You don't even have to score the tests!

In the child's account, it has their lessons, assignments, worksheets, tests, etc.  Starting up is quite easy, and my daughter did most of that on her own.  She would logon about 3 times a week and do her lessons.  I never have to monitor this and make sure it gets done because she loves doing it.  If anything, I have to remind her she has other work to do and she needs to get off.  But that's a good problem to have!

All course work is done online and all quizzes and tests are graded automatically.



I highly recommend Veritas Press.  We've used it in the past, and have thoroughly enjoyed the Self-Paced Bible course.  In looking through their website, I did not see a statement of faith, but I have not seen anything that we disagree with.

In case you are interested, they also have a history curriculum.




Check out Veritas Press on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.  Click here to view their online catalog.

Sights Around the Territory

From gorgeous sunsets...

to bush fires..

to cattle crossings...

there's nothing like life in the territory!

Friends...

I'm so thankful for the good Christian friends my kids have.

It's also a blessing that they homeschool!

It makes these midweek visits possible!

I'm also thankful for good Christians friends for me!

MySchoolYear.Com (Homeschool Record Keeping) {TOS Review}

I think one thing most homeschooling moms dread is record keeping.  If you're anything like me, you're at the end of the term or semester and trying to play catch up.  If you're looking for a little bit of help with not only keeping track of test scores, but also your lesson plans, then I may have the answer.  I've been reviewing My School Year (Homeschool Record Keeping) from MySchoolYear.comhttps://www.myschoolyear.com/.  This is an online program that you can access via laptop, iPhone, tablet, etc.
Setting up your account and adding your student's information takes just a few minutes.  Then for each child you are able to add classes, daily lesson plans, grades, attendance, extra-curricular activities, a reading log, and more.  This is so nice to have all your information in one place. It does take some time to learn to use, and after using it for a few weeks, I still feel I have a ways to go until I've mastered this online planner. Thankfully, it helps guide you along, and gives helpful reminders along the way.
I began by setting up our daily lesson plans.  This didn't take too long and you can chose to have a daily or weekly email sent to you (as well as your child if they have email).  If you like to plan out weeks or months at a time, this is great for you.  You can sit back and have the lesson plans emailed to you on a weekly basis.  Because our schedule is so crazy, I set our work schedule from week to week.    If your child does the same time of work each day, you are able to use the option "Rapid Repeat". This is what I chose as it helps us to be a bit more flexible.  I love that they give you the choice.
One option that I couldn't find, but maybe I just missed it, is to have both of my children's lessons for the week come up on the same page, rather than individual.
I really liked the book log.  You can list the book your child is reading, and it helps keep track of the books they have read for the year.
There is also a section for extra-curricular activities.  This would be a great place to add their sports or any other activities your child is involved in.  My kids both do scouts, so I was able to add this here.

MySchoolYear.Com also allows you to enter all your child's test and they do the averaging for you.  There is also a section that help you make a transcript for your high schooler (something I need to think about next year!).

If you'd like more information, you can go on a tour here of MySchoolYear.com.  It may answer any questions that I've missed.

All in all, MySchoolYear.com isn't a great fit for me, but mainly because I'm a pen and paper girl.  I love paper planners, and find that works best for me.  But I know many of you love online planners, and if you want to give this a go click here for a free 30 day trial.

Visit MySchoolYear.Com on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.





To read more reviews for MySchoolYear.com click below...

LearnBop {TOS Review}

Math is a subject that my kids seem to struggle in.  Some days it can be their favourite (those days when they master a concept), but other days they put it off to last which only causes more problems.  We recently had the privilege to review a fun math program called LearnBop for Families which is created by LearnBop. I'm always keen for any program that makes math a bit easier, so I was excited to give it a go. LearnBop is for grades 3-12.  We used this for my son who is in grade 3, but after using it, I am planning to also have my daughter begin the program after the school holidays.  




Who is LearnBop for?
For students who want to...

• Catch up or get ahead for grades 3-12 math
• Prepare for high level exams
• Avoid summer learning slump
• Master math faster
• Build confidence in math

For parents who want to...

• Aren't comfortable helping their child with math concepts
• Don't have consistent time in their schedule to help
• Want a more affordable option than a tutor
• Need a proven math solution

How LearnBop works...

1. Chose a Learning Roadmap - This is where you chose the grade level or math concept. Starting at 3rd grade was a bit hard for us since my son is only in 3rd grade, so there were many things he has not learned yet.  But we were able to pick concepts to continue building on what he is currently learning, and skip others that he has not learned yet.  For us, it may have been better to start him in 4th grade and use this as a review of 3rd grade.  Having the option to pick a grade lever or a concept is a clever idea.  Not all students learn math concepts in the same order, so you can jump around and do the work you chose.
   
2. Identify Knowledge Gaps - After you have chosen your grade level or math concept, they will have your child do a warm-up that shows any areas the child needs improvement.  LearnBop then personalizes the child's Roadmap so they can focus on areas the child needs to work on.  How awesome is that?!
3. Learn and Master Concepts - As your child begins their Roadmap, they will learn from thousands of instructional videos.  This was my son's favourite!  Once they watch the video they will do the exercises.  Every math problem has helps along the way.  
4. Build Confidence - As your child completes the math problems they can track their progress and see how they have improved, in turn this builds their confidence to continue on.  I loved how they encouraged my son not stay focused and not give up.  Here's an example of the chart:
   
5. Get Real Time Insight - Another bonus to this online math program was the parent section.  Here I could see my son's Roadmap and his progress.  It always makes you feel good to see your child progressing.

For $14.95/month (single student price), I think it's worth giving LearnBop a try.  You can cancel at any time.  I have seen my son's math skills improve throughout the course of using LearnBop for Families.  Like I mentioned, I plan to have my daughter start using LearnBop after the school holidays.  She's in pre-algebra, and I'd like her to master these skills before moving onto Algebra. As a side note, if you struggle with math, this would be an awesome program for you!  I like math, but still struggle with some concepts.  I found myself going over a few things, and found it to be very helpful! Check out LearnBop on Facebook and Twitter.

Where do you homeschool?

Some days we school at our table, 

some days it's on our lounge, 

and other days it's outside like this.

That's the beauty of homeschooling!

Progeny Press - Give Me Liberty E-Guide {TOS Review}

Recently we had the opportunity to review the Give Me Liberty E-Guide from Progeny Press.  We have been searching for a good literature program.  Many programs limit what you can read, or make the choices for you.  It was refreshing to see the large selection of books and guides that you can chose from. 

We received the Give Me Liberty E-Guide and purchased the Give Me Liberty book separately.  You can purchase the book through Progeny Press when you purchase the E-Guide.  This E-Guide is recommended for middle school (grades 6-8).

I printed the E-Guide and added the binding myself.

How we used the E-Guide and book. 

There was not a lot of prep for me to do. (Yay!) I printed the book, did the binding, and gave it a quick read through.  This is what we found to work best for us, my daughter would read a chapter or two each day, and then would answer the questions on the following day.  She enjoyed this method, and didn't seem overwhelmed.  The E-Guide was easy to follow.  The questions were not always easy, and you had to do the actual reading to find the answers.  No skim reading!

There are many activities for comprehension, so my daughter wasn't bored with doing the same thing every day.  The work includes multiple choice questions, matching, crossword puzzles, answer questions in your own words, and much more.

There is also a vocabulary section for each chapter.  So many literature courses skip this, and I feel it's so important.  I've found with my daughter (and I'm sure like most kids) she will skim over words she can't pronounce or if she doesn't know what they mean.  The first part of every section have vocabulary words and you match with the definition.

Another favorite of mine is the Dig Deeper sections - I loved this section because it has the student search the Scriptures and compare with things they have read in the book.  For example, in the book it talks about a person who had a dangerous burst of rage and destroyed something.  The E-Guide has you look up Scriptures on self-control, anger, shame, and remorse.  It then has the student tell how the situation should have been handled.  To me, the Dig Deeper sections are the best part of the E-Guide. 

At the end of the E-Guide there is a section called "Writing and After-You-Read Activities".  The student can pick one or two of the assignments to do.  Of course, if they're really keen they can do more.  We are not quite at the end of the book, but one of the suggestions is a field trip to Colonial Williamsburg.  I thought it would be fun to find some things online, and look at photos of a trip we took there a few years back.

There are 15 activities to chose from focusing on art, music, creative writing, journalism, drama, and more.

At the end of the E-Guide is the answer key for the entire course.

Table of Contents

The study guides are divided up into 4 categories that make it easy for searching: lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school.  There are so many books to chose from, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The Mission of Progeny Press

"To teach our children to think clearly, to understand literature,

and to rely on the scripture for truth and values, and enjoy themselves while they do it!"

Check out Progeny Press on Facebook or Twitter.

To learn the history and purpose of Progeny Press, watch the video below...

Katherine Outback Experience

We had a lovely evening at the Katherine Outback Experience.  We have lived in Katherine for over 2 years and have never been here before.  It is now on our list of places to take guests.   My kids enjoyed watching Tom Curtain brake in a wild horse and he also showed us how he trains dogs to work on the cattle stations.  It was a fun evening!

He even sang to us while riding a horse.

Cody was in love with all the animals running around.

While we were getting ready to leave,

we got to enjoy this beautiful sunset.

What I Learned at the Mum Heart Conference

I have just returned from my first Mum Heart Conference.  It was the most encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, convicting, and relaxing weekend I have had in a long time.

 

My friend and I left at 9am on Friday morning.  13 hours later we arrived at our hotel.  We drove 3 hours to Darwin, flew 4 hours to Brisbane, sat on the train for 2 hours, and then a new friend picked us up at the train station and drove us to the hotel.  It was a long journey, and honestly, that part is what almost made us decide not to go.  But I'm so glad we decided to make the long trek to Kingscliff, NSW.

 

It's hard to sum up an entire weekend all in one post, but I'd like to touch on the highlights and how God spoke to me.

 

When you meet with over 150 other ladies who are all in the same boat, it's quite an experience.  We all had several things in common: we are all women, we are all mums, we all are Christians, and we all homeschool.  It was a judgment free zone!

 

 

You could think of the Mum Heart Conference as a Ladies Retreat for homeschoolers.  If you know anything about Sally Clarkson's Mom Heart Conference in America, this is Australia's version.  The purpose behind it is to bring like-minded women together for fellowship, and to help encourage them in the Lord.

Sally Clarkson sent us a beautiful video message.

 

 

There wasn't one main speaker throughout the weekend, which honestly, I loved hearing from so many different women from all walks of life.  It was so wonderful to listen to these ladies' amazing stories, and to remind myself that I'm not alone in this journey.  I am not alone.  I needed that reminder.

 



I can't say I went home with the major secret to homeschooling success (well, actually, I kind of did - it's all God!), but I was given gentle reminders of things I knew in my head, and was then given the tools to move them to my heart and then to my hands.

 

 

 

There was a severe storm moving down the coast,  and all day Saturday it rained.  But Sunday, the sun came out and we were able to enjoy some time at the beach, which was a minute walk from the hotel.  I was able to go sit in the sand and talk with God about all I had heard the day before.

 

Some of my favourite talks with God I've had sitting at the ocean.  It's such a peaceful place for me.

 

As I sat there looking over my notes and praying for the remainder of the conference, the Lord reminded me of some verses that He had given me awhile back as my homeschooling purpose, theme, motto, or whatever you want to call it. 

 

 

 

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: 

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul,

and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand,

and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 

And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

 

I realised I had lost my focus.  I had become so focused on my children finishing their workbooks and ticking of each subject, that I forgot why I homeschool.  Yes, it is wonderful to be able to choose our curriculum, and it's amazing to have Christian curriculum to choose from, but when that becomes our focus, we've lost the plot.

 

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom."

 



 

God spoke to my heart and showed me how I was going about this all wrong, how my focus had moved from Him to curriculum, and how I was trying to do this all in my own strength.  Thankfully, God is good, and He doesn't just show us these things and leave it for us to fix.  He is there, ready and willing, to help us fix it.

 

My (renewed) focus is (as the Scripture above teaches) to teach my children to love God with all their heart, and soul, and might.  By doing this, everything else tends to fall into place. 

 

Yes, the education part is important, but if I fail to lead my children to Christ, if I fail to show them by example how to have a close relationship with God, then...I have failed.

 

Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart.  It takes work. It takes determination.  It takes a lot of love, a lot of grace, and a lot of God.

 

But the benefits, the rewards, they are worth every difficult moment.

 

Like, I said, there was so much that I know in my head, but we get so busy in the mundane that we tend to forget it.  I know it's important for me to make time to spend with the Lord, to focus on Him.  But it's easy to get busy, and quickly read some Scripture and get on with our day without truly spending time with the Lord and focusing on Him.  And if I neglect that time with the Lord, my husband and children feel it.

 

(Photo  from Google search images)

 

One of the speakers spoke and use the analogy of a fountain.  I absolutely loved this analogy.  She spoke on John 4 and the Woman at the Well.  Jesus lovingly tells her about the Living Water.  The speaker talked about the fountain and how the spring is the Living Water, Jesus.  As the mum, we are the top tier.  We need to be in the Word and walking closely with the Lord so that we can drink from this Living Water.  By doing this, the Living Water spills over onto the next tier, our husband, and then onto the third tier, our children.  She cautioned us to be careful not to skip our husband's tier, and only spill over onto our children.  My husband needs me, and he is to come next after the Lord. 

 

I continued to think about this fountain, and how when we are flowing over into our husband and our children, then it also flows out onto others around us.  And isn't that the next greatest commandment?

 

 

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength,

and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Luke10:27

 

 

I walked away from the conference so refreshed and ready to continue this homeschooling journey.  It was so comforting to hear stories from other mums, from stories of struggle to stories of success.  I can't recommend this conference enough, and have talked with my husband and have committed that if it all possible I will make this a priority every year.

 

I'm still spending time looking over my notes and Scripture verses that I wrote down, and will continue to share in the weeks ahead. 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested, the sessions will soon be made available on the Mum Heart Conference website.  Check it out here.

 

 

 

My friend and I on our way home.