The Geography Drawing Series: Initial Thoughts

Hi! I have the pleasure of trying a brand new product from Brookdale House! It's the geography drawing series which has a USA and Europe edition. I will be continuing to use the USA edition with my kids in the coming weeks.

How this program works

Each week there's one state to study. The activities are broken down into four days worth of practice.

Day 1: Study the New State.
Complete the State Fact Table.
Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.
Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 2: Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.
Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 3: Locate and label each new state onto the dashed, black and white map.
Draw all states studied thus far.

Day 4: List, from memory, the states studied thus far.
Using the blank text box, draw, also from memory, all of the states you
have learned.

What I think So Far

I love that it's scheduled for you and broken down in a way that is quick and easy to follow. You're not just given a packet of worksheets to figure out how to use. The schedule slowly introduces kids to each state, lets them practice drawing it alone and then moves on to placing it on the map.
ve that it's already

The states are introduced in a way that makes sense. They aren't just sporadically introduced. They start in the north east with Maine and work across the map toward the west.

Drawing Around the World can be used with a wide age range. Younger kids can learn how to trace the states and all the information while older kids can have more of a challenge with timed drills.

I really like that you're not just teaching geography with this program. While that's the focus, it's also teaching information about each state such as the capital, big industries, state bird and other interesting facts.

Be on the lookout in July for how my kids liked using this program! 

One Sentence Storybooks Review

This winter I was quite excited when Tyndale offered to send me a set of the "One Sentence Storybooks" in exchange for my review of this lovely little book set.When you open the box you'll find ten Bible story books. 

In the back of each book there is a page with pictures and the corresponding words to help your kids learn to read the sentence. On the opposite page you'll find a Bible verse to memorize and information to go over with your child. This takes the one sentence a bit deeper than just the basic Bible "story." 

What I thought: As you can see, my five year old really enjoyed these! Each page of the book builds on the sentence which helps with sight word recognition. They are quick and easy for kids to read which is nice. I really liked that they had the additional information and passages to read with her. You could use this as a quick read through or make it into a themed lesson with the verses to memorize and other activities to go along with it. 

Lesson Trek Review

Lesson Trek is a great tool for homeschoolers and I was quite excited to get the chance to use it and tell you about it! 

Pros:

• Quick and easy to navigate
• You can add multiple children and subjects for each
• It keeps track of time spent on lessons and grades.
• Children and subjects are color coded so they are easy to recognize.

Con:

• You can only see one week at I time. I wish there was an option for looking at a few weeks or even a month at a time. 

Week of Reviews Day 5: Classroom Friendly Supplies Pencil Sharpener

I know many homeschoolers go through many, many pencils in a short period of time and I can only imagine how many a classroom of twenty plus kids would go through! I found this great pencil sharpener and was asked to give my opinion of it. So here is my review of the pencil sharpeners offered at Classroom Friendly Supplies. 

On the site you'll find a variety of color options. Here's a list of the features as listed on the shopping pag. 

• A "must have" for every teacher.
• A unique and practical teacher gift.
• Old-school retro look.
• Quiet sharpening eliminates classroom interruptions. 
• Automatic stopping once the perfect point is formed. This prevents over-sharpening.
• Works on standard sized pencils.
• Clear plastic disposal tray for easy cleaning.
• Easy to use (as young as 5 years of age.)
• Sturdy metal frame (approximately 3"x 3"x 5")
• Portable or mounts to a surface. Clamp included

What I Like

• I like that you can mount it to your table or shelf fairly easily
• The pencil is held in place 
• The clear container makes it easy to see when it's full
• Can be taken apart easily to find any lead that gets stuck inside
• Sharpens very well and doesn't break off the lead
• Fun colors

What I didn't like

• The box had no instructions on assembling or mounting so it took me a few minutes
• It seems rather finicky to get it to sharpen at times. I had to turn the pencil a certain way to get it to sharpen sometimes. 

Overall Opinion

Overall I like this sharpener! It's way better than the cheap ones sold in most stores that do little more than break your lead over and over again. Throw a simple diagram into the box and I'd say it's good to go! Grab one for your homeschool or if you are a classroom teacher, they have a special deal on several. Check back next week for a giveaway for a chance to WIN one! 

Have you tried Classroom Friendly Supplies pencil sharpeners? What did you think? 

Week of Reviews Day 4: "Intentional Marriage" by Chrystal Brothers

As wives (and husbands too) we should always be looking for ways to strengthen our marriages. So many things pull for our attention but it's important to remember to pray for our husbands and strive to strengthen our marriages! Chrystal Brothers has a wonderful devotional for having an "Intentional Marriage." 

In this devotional book you'll find a daily verse and then a quick challenge to you for the day. Something like praising your husband may seem simple but if you're not in the practice of doing so it may take time to get used to. Find something to praise your husband for today! 

Week of Reviews Day 3: "Healing with God's Earthly Gifts"

I had the privilege of reviewing an advance copy of "Healing with God's Earthly Gifts" by Kate Tietje to be released in August. In this ebook Kate lists her ten favorite herbs and what they can be used for. I'm a newbie to all of this natural healing so this was a great resource. After the top ten there is a section for recipes. This includes, teas, detox bathes and even making your own vitamins.