Home School Navigator {Review}

Language Arts is an important part of our homeschool.   There is nothing more important than being able to use language to take in information about the world around us and then communicate our own ideas to others effectively. Although I wasn't actively looking for a new language arts program to use I am always interested in learning about new programs and resources to see if they might help in our school.  The Home School Review Crew offered us an opportunity to try Home School Navigator for the purpose of a review so Rachel and I have been working through it together.  She received a one year subscription to Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts curriculum which includes access to their Interactive Notebooks.

Home School Navigator is a online comprehensive language arts program for building strong readers and writers.  It is written for homeschool families and it can be used with multiple students.  There are 6 levels named for different colors.  Each level consists of 36 weeks of material to cover one year of instruction. At first I wasn't sure which level to choose for Rachel.  She is finishing third grade and she is a good reader.  I looked over the Home School Navigator Scope and Sequence for the various levels and decided that Level Blue would be a good fit for her.  However, the subscription provides access for her to use the entire 6 years of coursework so it would be no problem if we started using the Blue level and then decided that it wasn't the best fit for her.  Since we have access to the entire program, we could just move her up a level or down a level to best fit her needs.
Home School Navigator curriculum teaches Literature/Comprehension, Reading Skills Strategy, Writing Skills, Grammar, Phonics, Poetry, and Vocabulary.  The first thing I fell in love with in this program is the organization.  Every day is planned out for you.  Your child may not cover each subject every day but if you follow the lesson plans then all of the subjects will be covered over the week.  

I like to print out the lesson plans.  I just have to have printed versions so I can make notes and make check marks when a lesson is complete.  However, the online version presents the same lesson plans for each day and at the end of the week you just click the box to mark it complete.  This way it will keep track of your progress online.

The curriculum is very rich and covers a lot of material.  However, you can choose which subjects and/or activities you want your child to complete.  It is completely flexible and I love that because you can really customize it to meet your particular child's needs.

There are a lot of books to read throughout the program.  To save money, you might be able to find a lot of them at your local library but the creators of Home School Navigator have also made video read alouds so your child can just listen and watch as the story is being read to them.  We already had the book Rapunzel so Rachel wanted to read along with the video.

The weekly vocabulary lists are short so it doesn't get overwhelming.  There are games to make learning fun.  On this week, Rachel learned words with the prefix "pre" and then had to sort and match the definitions with the vocabulary words.

Rachel's favorite part of the program is the literature that she is reading. Her current Independent Reading selection is "The Invention of Hugo Cabret". 

I just love this book and it was fun watching Rachel discover how fun it is to read a story that is mostly just pictures.

The Interactive Notebooks that are included with the curriculum make for a fun way to review what has been read, study the traits of the characters, analyze the story, look up vocabulary words, and more.  It is recommended that you get a binder or even a composition notebook for your child to use for this notebook.  We already had several blank composition notebooks on hand so Rachel chose one of those.  Then she wanted to make a nice cover for it so this is what hers looks like.

The Interactive Notebook pages are printable pages that correspond with chapters in the assigned reading.  There are little flaps to be cut out and glued into the pages of the notebook.

Some are vocabulary words where Rachel had to look up the definition in the dictionary then write it on the booklet.

Somehow just adding flaps and little booklets makes the work more fun.  She never would have enjoyed this so much if I just handed her a regular worksheet to complete.

The Home School Navigator Reading and Language Arts Curriculum is available as an annual online subscription for just $97/year.  If you aren't ready to dive into the full program yet, you might want to start with just trying a few of the interactive notebooks which can be purchased separately for $8.00 each.  

If you would like to see what some other homeschool families had to say about Home School Navigator, just click on the banner below.

May 2018 Homeschool Days in DFW

I love living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  I don't think there is a more homeschool-friendly place in the world.  One of the wonderful things about it is that the local businesses recognize how large the homeschool community is here and they offer special homeschool days just for us!  There are usually special educational talks and usually discounted tickets because we go during their slow times when most kids are in school.

Here are a few of the upcoming homeschool days in the DFW area:

Monday, May 21, 2018

Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT)

Come and GROW with us in our outdoor classrooms at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and BRIT! Homeschool Day is a custom experience designed to assist exploration for homeschool students and energize their quest to discover more! Learners from K—2nd and 3rd–5th will have meaningful experiences in the Backyard Vegetable Garden. Students 6th–10th will explore energy in nature at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT).

Time: 10:00—Noon

Cost: $4 per person

Location: 

K-5th will meet at the Backyard Vegetable Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard Fort Worth, TX)

6th-10th will meet at BRIT (1700 University Drive Fort Worth, TX)

Children will be divided by grade levels: K-2nd, 3rd-5th, and 6th-10th. We encourage you to stay with your younger child if you have children in different grade levels.

Register here: http://www.brit.org/field-trips/homeschool-day

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Hawaiian Falls, Mansfield location
NOTE: This event has been cancelled due to low registration numbers.  However, Melissa at Hawaiian Falls said that we can still use the discount code to get tickets and they can be used on any date over the summer.

• Follow this link: https://hfalls.aluvii.com/store/Home/Index/2
• Ticket Price $18 each- Enter this code at checkout (TXHOMESCHOOL18)
• Cooler Passes are also discounted to $10 with this code
• 2 years old and under are FREE

1. Go to https://hfalls.aluvii.com/store/Home/Index/2
2. Click the Buy Products button 
3. Click the Daily Tickets button
4. Click Big Kahuna to add to your cart (Quantity is chosen by how many times the button is clicked)
5. Click Categories link at the top of the page
6. Click Coolers button to add to cart
7. Click Orange Checkout button on the right
8. Enter the discount code (TXHOMESCHOOL18100) and select apply to receive your discount
9. Click Orange Checkout button again to finish the Transaction

Time: 10:00 - 1:00

Cost: $18 each, ages 2 and under are FREE.  Cooler passes are discounted to $10

Location:  490 Heritage Pkwy S., Mansfield, TX 76063

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Hawaiian Falls, Garland location

Time: 10:00 - 2:00

Cost: $16.99 per person without meal; $20 per person to include admission, hot dog, chips, and a drink.

Location:  4550 North Garland Avenue, Garland, TX 75040

Tickets will be sold at the gate the day of the event!

Sandy Lake Amusement Park

We invite you to bring your family, enjoy the attractions and see for yourself,all at a huge discount. This exclusive home school offer allows your family to enjoy the park at a fraction of regular prices. DON’T MISS IT! 

You must bring a PRINTED COPY of their homeschool flyer:  http://www.sandylake.com/home_school/html/home_school.html

No pets please, except service animals.

Plan a picnic! You may bring home cooked food, bring a grill for a cookout or purchase food at the park refreshment stands.  However, no outside commercially prepared food is allowed (this means no food from outside restaurants is allowed).

For questions e-mail: frank@sandylake.comVisit our website at www.sandylake.com

Activities Schedule: 

Unlimited miniature golf - 10:00 - 2:00

Unlimited amusement rides, live pony rides, and paddle boats - 11:00 - 2:00

Free hula hoop contest - age 5 and under 11:30, age 9-11 12:30, age 6-8 12:00 noon, age 12 and older 1:00

Door prizes will be given away and there will be homeschool vendor booths set up until 2:00

Falcon Flyers Jump Rope Performance: 2:00

Time: 10:00 - 4:00

Cost: With printed copy of THIS FLYER, prices are $10 per person, children 2 and under are FREE.  Without flyer, prices are $15.  Swimming is an add on for $5.  CASH ONLY. An ATM is on site.

Location: 1800 Sandy Lake Road, Carrollton, TX

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Fort Worth Zoo

All home-schooled children and their families are invited to a fun-filled educational day in the wilds of the Zoo.  Learn amazing facts from our zookeepers at more than 20 Wild Encounters and enjoy asking Zoo staff your best animal questions around the Zoo's world-class exhibits!

Education Program: Chew on This - Animal Show at the Outdoor Learning Theater

Could you please help us set the dinner table? Animal silverware looks different than ours. Join us at the Outdoor Learning Theater as we explore the adaptations different creatures use to gobble up their food. Don’t miss out on this educational program that is exclusive for our Home School Day participants. The show will be great for all ages, so bring the entire family! 

• Come meet us at the Outdoor Learning Theater at either of the following show times: 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Adults must also purchase a ticket to this program. Tickets are $3 per person, ages 3 and up.
• Outside organizations such as Barnes and Nobles, Texas Wildlife Association and American Heritage Girls have booths set up in Texas Wild!.
• Wild Encounter keeper chats around the zoo.
• Texas Nature Traders program in Texas Wild!. Bring a nature item to trade from your backyard.

Time: 10:00 - 5:00

Cost: 

Toddlers, 2 and younger - free

Children, age 3-12 - $4.50

Adults, age 13+ - $6.00

Education Program tickets - $3.00

Parking - $5.00

Location:

Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76110
phone: 817-759-7200

Please note:

• Zoo members do not need to register for the event unless purchasing education program tickets.
• Education program tickets can be purchased at the Train Depot in Texas Wild! Every person attending attending the show must purchase a ticket.
• Tickets purchased at the gate the day of the event will be $7 for adults and $5.50 for children 3 to 12 years.
• Add-on purchases (water bottles, backpacks) can be picked up at the registration tent the morning of the event. Please bring proof of purchase.
• Online registration closes 10 hours before the event (12 a.m.).
• Tickets are nonrefundable, non-exchangeable and no rain checks will be issued. 

Don't forget to visit the Texas Wild! section of our zoo! Local organizations will be placed in booths to talk to you about other home school opportunities. Texas Nature Traders will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration for zoo members here:  https://tickets.fortworthzoo.org/WebStore/shop/PassLookup.aspx?RedirectURL=PassValidation&SalesChannelDetailID=19616

Registration for non-zoo members here:   https://tickets.fortworthzoo.org/WebStore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=HS&C=HomeSchool

Choose Nature

Rachel had a friend over to play for a while.  I thought they would probably play outside some, play with dolls, make a mess with craft materials.  I had been feeling a little down so I was looking forward to just enjoying some time to myself while they played.  I made plans to sort through that ever-growing pile of random papers and books that have been neglected in the corner of the school room.  It would be to finally have some time to just get that pile cleared out and I thought that might help to lift my spirits.

After about 10 minutes I was getting settled into my project when the girls came bounding up to me begging for me to walk with them down the street to the playground.  I groaned quietly in my head.  I didn't really want to leave the house.  I didn't feel like being social with other moms at the park.  I was so looking forward to just getting some things done around here.  Walking the whole two blocks to the playground in the heat of the day just sounded like too much for me at that moment.  But these girls had such sweet pleading eyes and I felt guilty for not being more excited about my mantra that kids should spend more time playing and exploring outside.  Of course, I eventually gave in.  I knew they would have more fun at the playground than at the house plus they would get some exercise climbing around the play equipment.  Besides we could all benefit from some fresh air and sunshine.

So I filled a backpack with bottles of water and snacks and we headed to the playground.  I found a bench in the shade and settled down to watch the girls play and just let my mind rest, hoping that maybe just sitting and relaxing outside might cheer me up.  But alas, that wasn't meant to be either.  We didn't stay long at the playground.  Almost immediately upon arriving, Rachel told her friend about the dry creek bed in the woods next to the playground and sure enough they chose to go exploring in nature instead of playing at the playground.  Again, I really didn't want to go.  I had resigned that I would just sit on the bench and not have to do anything.

But I do love the woods and exploring a creek... In the end, the call of nature was too strong and I chose to follow its call.  I'm so glad I did.

The girls quickly got to the bridge and went down to the creek bed to explore.

Before they got too involved in exploring I stopped them to have my usual safety in nature talk.  Part of this includes reviewing how to recognize poison ivy.  The most common identifier is leaves of three.  Often the outer two leaves look like they are mittens with a thumb sticking out.  There is often red on the stem.  Poison ivy can be found as a vine, on the ground, or as a bush so you have just keep your eye out for it where ever you go.  It is abundant in the parks in our area.

I showed them Virginia Creeper and explained that many people mistake it for poison ivy but it has five leaves and it is perfectly safe to touch.

They soon found some little bugs swimming around in the creek.

We found these furry little balls hanging from a tree.  I'm not positive but I think these could be young osage oranges.  I will have to go back and look for thorns on the branches to be sure of that though.

We watched some bees scurrying around on a rock.  I wonder if someone had spilled a soft drink there and the bees were enjoying a new kind of "nectar".

Here is a picture of part of the creek bed.  Rocks, shade, beautiful trees, and birds singing overhead.  I was feeling happy just being out here.  Nature has a way of doing that and there are scientific studies to prove it.  Just being in nature can reduce stress and improve mood for many people.  It is certainly a "happy place" for me.

We found several little damselflies.  I think this one might be a familiar bluet damselfly.  It's hard to say for sure without being able to inspect his markings and wings more closely. He didn't seem interested in that and he quickly flew away when I tried to get closer.

The girls were constantly finding a new area of the creek to check out.  They found frogs here.

I found some insect galls on this cedar elm tree.  Cedar elm is interesting.  The top of the leaves are rough like a fine sandpaper and the undersides of the leaves are smooth.

This tree caught our attention. It has these bright seed pods hanging down close to the branches.  I sent a picture of it to a nature group that I'm in and learned that the tree is a green ash.  The girls looked closely at the seed pods and realized that their concave shape would help it float better in the wind which would help spread the seeds farther.

Those sneaky girls were trying to hurry up and hide from me under the bridge.  We were all giggling and being silly.

By the time I crossed the bridge they were already on the other side, feet submerged in the creek and big grins on their faces.  I was so happy that they were having fun.  And to be honest, I was having a lot of fun too!

A little more inspection of the water.

They found a damselfly larva swimming around in there!

Then they found this other one who is a little younger.  It was swimming around too but the girls put it on a leaf just to contain it while they kept searching for more.

I noticed this piece of possible fossil sticking out from a chipped piece of a rock.  Oh if only I had brought my rock hammer with us....

I found this black flying insect munching away on a cedar elm leaf.  I haven't figured out what kind of bug he is but he seems to have a long stinger on him.

The girls found this interesting thing which looks like seeds.  It looks spiky but it was actually very soft and pliable, not spiky at all.  I don't have a clue as to what type of plant it came from.  

My favorite part of the day was when Rachel cried out, "Lobster!  We found a lobster!"  I smiled and without even seeing it I told her it probably more likely a crawfish.  Yep, they found two crawfish.  They thought they wanted to try to catch them but I had to remind them that crawfish had pinchers and we probably didn't want to try to catch them with our bare hands.  They were ok with that and decided to just watch them walk around under water for a while.

We were only out in the woods for an hour or two but we had a great time!  The girls got exercise, built some confidence through exploring, and learned some new things about trees, plants, and critters.  When we got home, I was surprised to realize just how much that fog had lifted from me and I felt happy again, almost excited about what we had found.  Being out in nature is an amazing experience.  No matter what I might be worrying about or feeling down about, being out among the trees always helps me see things in a better light.  I'm so glad we didn't just stay at the house or play at the playground.  I'm so glad we chose nature to explore nature instead.  

Imagine if we all just stepped away from our cell phones and video games and spent even just an hour out in nature once a week.  Do you think we as a society might be a little less stressed, a little more focused, and a lot more happy?

This post is a part of the Homeschool Review Crew's Homeschool Link Up. Want to learn more?  Click on the image below:

Media-Enhanced Digital Books from Weigl Publishers {Review}

Weigl Publishers offers an impressive array of media-enhanced digital books for students in grades K-12.  A student can read the book themselves or they have the option to have the book read aloud to them as well as using other multi-media features that enhance the learning experience.  Once the digital content has been unlocked for a book, your student will have access to those multi-media features indefinitely.  This is not a subscription that will expire in a year.
Rachel was most excited about the book called Glaciers which is part of the Earth's Water series through Lightbox. It is intended for students in grades 3-6.  

The digital content for Glaciers is amazing.  Each page of the book shows symbols for the types of features that are available for it.  Here is a picture of all of the different symbols that could appear on a page. 

They include audio, video, an activity, weblink, slideshow, transparency, Google map, quiz, and key words.  These features add so much more to the content than just what is included in the book.
Here are some examples below.  This picture is of a map of glaciers around the world.  You can see on the left hand side of the page that this page includes audio, an activity, transparency, and Google maps.

The transparency features takes a plain map and glaciers all around it along with some identified featured glaciers that appear in the boxes around the map.  What happens when you click on one of these boxes?  You get a screen that shows an actual Google map of that specific glacier so you can zoom in and out or look all around it.  It is like you are visiting the actual glacier from your home!

Rachel loves the video features on the pages.  The graphics are great and the information is presented in a clear, easy-to-understand way.  Here is part of a video she watched of glacier crevasses.


There is also a quiz feature.  If the student has read the book it will be a very easy quiz.  Rachel thought it was actually a fun quiz to take.

The second book we reviewed is A Lion's World which is part of the Eye Discover series (www.eyediscover.com).  This book is a great non-fiction easy reader that is intended for students in grades K-2.



Because A Lion's World is intended for younger students, it does not contain as much media content as Glaciers does.  However it does have amazing videos of lions on each page.  Rachel's favorite was listening to and watching the lion roar.




Finally, the last book we reviewed was There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant by Helen Ketteman.  This book is an AV2 Fiction Readalong.  It has sound effects and can read the book aloud for the student.  This particular one is a really cute spin on the classic book by a similar title.  There Once Was a Cowpoke Who Swallowed an Ant is intended for students in grades K-2.



Weigl Publishers has done a great job with their media-enhanced books.  Rachel has learned a lot while reading and exploring the digital content of the Glaciers book.  She wants to get more of their books so we looked at their list of the Lightbox Elementary books.  My son Nicholas will be starting high school this fall so I think I will get him some of the Lightbox Secondary books.  



If you would like to read additional reviews about these books from Weigl Publishers from other members of the Homeschool Review Crew, please click on the banner below:

HEROES OF HISTORY, Billy Graham: America's Pastor {Review}

The Heroes of History series is a collection of books by YWAM Publishing that cover the fascinating timeline of American history.  They are perfect as stand alone books or they can be used as supplements for a history curriculum.  These books are written as wonderful anecdotes that make reading biographies interesting and memorable.

In February of this year, the famous pastor Billy Graham passed away.  I had heard about Billy Graham over the years and I knew that he was a great preacher but I realized I really didn't know much about the man and his story.  So when the Homeschool Review Crew gave me the chance to read and review a book by YWAM Publishing, I easily chose Heroes of History - Billy Graham: America's Pastor. 

My children really enjoyed this book and every time we finished a chapter they asked to read "just one more chapter!"  Nicholas' favorite part of the book was in the first chapter when "Billy Frank" Graham was a young boy and his father had held a prayer rally at their house.  The book reads, "Later that night Billy Frank overheard his father telling his mother how a man named Vernon Patterson had prayed at the prayer rally and asked God to raise up out of the Charlotte area someone to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.  Billy Frank wasn't so sure there was such a person in all of North Carolina, let alone the Charlotte area."  Nicholas said that through the rest of the book God just kept putting new opportunities before Billy that challenged him beyond what he thought he could do but that each new step allowed Billy to reach more and more people with God's message.  God was raising up Billy to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Billy Graham: America's Pastor is a paperback book recommended for ages 10 and up. It costs $7.50 at the YWAM website.  We used it as a read aloud.  Usually I read it aloud to the kids because they like the way I change my voice for the different characters but they take turns reading aloud as well.  When we pick it up to read, I have the kids take turns narrating to me what happened in the previous chapter.  This is a great way to refresh our memories and let the kids process what they have already read.  Then we read the next chapter and we will discuss it further and talk about any questions or ideas they may have.  
YWAM Publishing has downloadable Unit Studies/Curriculum Guides that go along with their books for just $5.49.  The guides provide questions for discussion at the end of each chapter.  The questions involve vocabulary, facts, comprehension, and open-ended questions to get students thinking.  I use these for our discussions at the end of each chapter and they are very helpful.

When you download the guide, there is a 2-part 79 page unit study document you can print or you can access all of the information from main screen of the guide.

There is a wealth of information and ideas here to enhance our book study.  There are ideas for essay/research topics, creative writing, hands-on projects, audio/visual projects, arts & crafts, and field trips.  The guide also includes several maps and a timeline for students to track Billy Graham's life as well as a list of for additional books and resources to learn more about him.  There is even a section on preparing a culminating event for the students to celebrate and share what they have learned.  

Since we first started homeschooling, I have enjoyed using books by YWAM Publishing for biographies and missionary stories.  As you can see I already have the start of a nice collection of their books.

For more information about YWAM Publishing, check them out on social media:

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/YWAM-Publishing-482973445102/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/YWAMpublishing
• Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/YWAMpublishing
• Blog - https://ywampublishingblog.com/

To read additional YWAM Publishing reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew for this Billy Graham book as well as other great books by YWAM, please click on the banner below: