Splish! And Then Mama Said...

And Then Mama Said It Takes Time to Learn to Read
By Gena Suarez
Illustrated by Kevin Collier

One of the co-publishers of The Old Schoolhouse magazine, Gena Suarez, has come out with a children's book with an endearing young frog, Splish, the main character who is trying learning to read.

Personally, I found this book to be encouraging. My son Josiah, who's 10, has had a difficult time learning how to read. As a homeschooling mom, I tend to instruct him on specifics, allow him to practice and then sometime later we see results. With him it's been a continuous cycle of this process of learning! There are weeks where reading gets put on the back burner and we focus on math or science. Funny how in those times, it seems like his reading was "hibernating" and one day, he'll just figure something out! This last summer, we've gotten to the point where he can read a "Big Kid" book. I say "we" because it's taken the both of us to get him there.

My kids loved the story of Splish. You too will be able to use this book to encourage your children who are on their way down the road to learning how to read. Definitely a story every homeschooling Mom & child can relate to!

And Then Mama Said can by ordered at The Old Schoolhouse store. Right now, there is free shipping! And if you'd like, the author, Gena Suarez will sign the book for you! The book is $9.95 (which includes the free download of the 36 page activity workbook!)

The workbook includes activity pages along with content enriched copy work (for young readers as well as older readers), coloring pages and mazes and fun fact science pages. Click HERE to see sample pages from the workbook.

Click HERE to visit Splish on The Old Schoolhouse's website.

Media Angels, The Missing Link: Found

Media Angels has come out with a book titled, The Missing Link: Found by Felice and Christina Gerwitz.

The Missing Link: Found is the first book in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series. It's a fun, clean, homeschool friendly as well as christian friendly novel.

The story begins with a mystery, written from the perspective of Christian teens, a brother and a sister. They are challenged to live their lives in a Christian manner despite the situations that arise.

As Christians, evolution is a topic we struggle with especially when talking with non believers. In the book, they deal directly with evolution and how to talk with others about it in a nonthreatening way. Issues like carbon dating are also discussed in a way that is easy to understand.

What I really like about reading this novel, is that it is written for the pre-teen & teen age group. The pre-teens/teens who are really questioning evolution can get a basis in biblical truth through quality content and an engrossing storyline.

Positive Christian topics reinforced in this novel:
*Debunking evolution in a logical way.
*Witnessing in a Life-like manner.
*Sticking together through tough situations.
*Living as a Christian in a non Christian world.
*Standing up for one's faith.

Book 2 in the Truth Seeker Mystery Series: Keys to the Past: Unlocked and Book 3 Dinosaur Quest @: Diamond Peak have already been written. Book 4 is on it's way!

Other Media Angels publications include: Creation Science (A Study Guide to Creation), Creation Geology (A Study Guide to Fossils, Formations and the Flood), DVD's on publishing & writing, Literature, Christian fiction and more. Visit Media Angels and check out their newsletter (get a free ebook) and their free science downloads!
www.mediaangels.com

TOS Planner November: Amusing Mathematics

The Old Schoolhouse Store has come out with another monthly module to accompany the original planner.

The November Module: Amusing Mathematics is an addition to the TOS Planner. You do not have to have the original planner to be able to use the November Module.

The November Module: Amusing Mathematics, lives up to it's name! You can use Amusing Mathematics all year round. It may have come out in November, but it is not have a November theme (Thanksgiving, Turkeys, etc.).

What's inside? Tangrams, musical math, patterns, math jokes and more mathematical games. Coloring pages and copy work for the younger ones and soduku and worksheets for the older ones. November recipes for Mom. It also includes the answer keys.

Cost is $7.95
Lots of fun filled activities for - everyone in the family. Supplement your regular homeschool materials with something fun (& educational)!!

Click Here to visit the schoolhouse store.

Family time with Tangrams out of Amusing Mathematics:

Help Me 2 Teach Site Review

Have you ever wished that there was an online encyclopedia of homeschool friendly websites? HelpMe2Teach is precisely that. A site where you either search for a subject and a website is displayed OR you can browse through subjects/topics where websites are listed. All websites listed are family friendly, safe-searchable sites.

What I really liked about HelpMe2Teach is that they have done all the homework for you. If you are interested in creating mazes or crossword puzzles etc., they already know where you will find free maze or crossword puzzle creators online.

Do you want to know what the school standards/benchmarks are for your homeschooled child? At HelpMe2Teach you'll find many many legitimate websites to see what grade standards/benchmarks are for any grade. These are just a couple examples of many.

Personally, I don't mind digging around online to find things that i'm looking for. So this site isn't something that I would use on a yearly basis. If you are someone who doesn't like searching online, I would recommend it for at least month or two. You'll find enough at HelpMe2Teach.com to make it worth your while.

Link to site: helpme2teach.com
From now until Dec 31st there is a special subscription price of Buy one year, get one free ($29.95). Prices are also available for 3 months, one month and 3 day subscriptions.

Something New!

Awhile ago, I got an email from The Old Schoolhouse magazine. They asked people if they would be interested in being a product reviewer for TOS. I thought is something that I could do! So I emailed them back. Well, after a short process later, I was picked as one of their reviewers! Out of 500 applicants, they chose 100. So I am one of 100! We are still the new phase of the program which should last for about 9 months. I will probably review about 50 homeschool products.

TOS gets to use anything I write, and I get to keep the products!
So, keep an eye out for a few reviews, cause that's what i'm doing! That's how we are getting "paid". I believe that they are also going to put a diddy about each of us in the actual magazine, once our nine months is about up.

I've always thought it would be fun to write for a magazine.. and i'm one step closer! How cool is that? So i'm going to be using a blogger blog for it...
here's the web address: www.homeschooling4life.com

TOS Crewmember!

Awhile ago, I got an email from The Old Schoolhouse magazine. They asked people if they would be interested in being a product reviewer for TOS. I thought is something that I could do! So I emailed them back. Well, after a short process later, I was picked as one of their reviewers! Out of 500 applicants, they chose 100. So I am one of 100! We are still the new phase of the program which should last for about 9 months. I will probably review about 50 homeschool products.

TOS gets to use anything I write, and I get to keep the products!
So, keep an eye out for a few reviews, cause that's what i'm doing! That's how we are getting "paid". I believe that they are also going to put a diddy about each of us in the actual magazine, once our nine months is about up.

I've always thought it would be fun to write for a magazine.. and i'm one step closer! How cool is that?

The Old Schoolhouse Fall 2008 -PLUS Free Digital Back Issue!

For those of you who don't know what TOS is, it is a couple of things...
It is a place to keep up to date on what's going on in the homeschooling world.
It is a place to find curriculum and other homeschooling products.
It is a place to get connected and encouraged.
It is a magazine that Homeschooling Moms should have!

I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall
Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical
gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The
Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school
year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash!

It really is one of their best deals ever and you don't want to miss
out. In fact, they've got a really cute Homeschooling with Heart tote
bag (valued at $13.95) for the first 1000 to subscribe. About half of
them are gone, but you should still be able to get one if you hurry!
(They will remove the info from the subscription page when the bags
are all gone.) The total value is over $212, but you receive it all
for only $39 - 50% off of cover price! Plus subscribers get their
online monthly Teacher's Toolbox which focuses on a different topic
each month, giving you words of encouragement, hands-on teaching
ideas, book recommendations, field trip ideas, and a bonus download
item. To subscribe or get more information, click on the TOS picture!

If you want to take a sneak peek - click on this link to get a free Digital Back issue of TOS!

Product Review: TOS' Digital Magazine

Have you ever read a magazine and thought to yourself, "I need to remember that web page!" Subscribe to the The Old Schoolhouse magazine in digital format and you won't need to!

You will absolutely love reading a digital magazine, as long as you can get over the fact you are not holding a paper magazine in your hand! You won't have any bent-page magazines to recycle either - and that's definitely a bonus. You get the same magazine, only digital, at a discounted price. Plus you have access to it 24/7 via your computer.

The digital interface is friendly and easy to use. There is a toolbar across the top with many options to personalize your reading experience. Turn the digital pages by clicking the left and right arrows. Figuring out how to adjust the settings to meet your personal visual needs is self explanatory.

Two of the toolbar items that are helpful in navigating the magazine are the "Contents" tab and the "Pages" tab. By clicking on "Contents" you fill find links to the contents of the entire magazine. By clicking on "Pages" you will see the entire magazine in thumbnail sized pages (that are clickable to full pages).

The best reason to subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse digital magazine is the clickable links. You have access to clickable links for homeschool related articles and homeschool related products. If you are interested in a homeschool product, you don't have to find their url and type in in the address bar correctly... you just click on it and it magically takes you to their site!

View the sample Summer 2007 edition of The Old Schoolhouse HERE.

Subscribe to TOS HERE.

If you would like to receive a free one-year subscription to the digital version of The Old Schoolhouse magazine, leave me a comment in the comment box on my blog before the end of August be entered into my drawing! Forward this on to friends to give them the chance to win a subscription too! www.homeschooling4life.com

Product Review: The Schoolhouse Planner by TOS

The Schoolhouse Planner is a downloadable ebook for homeschooling moms. An all inclusive planner that has just about every conceivable fill-in-able form that any homeschooling mom would ever want.

It should have been called
"TOS' Great Big Book of Everything!"

So, what's inside?
*July 2008-June 2009 Monthly Calendars
*2008 & 2009 At-A-Glance Calendars
*Recipes for each calendar month
*Monthly Teaching Tips on writing, unit studies, foreign language, and more.
*Monthly Resource Lists that correlate with the teaching tips.
*Almost every homeschool form you can think of (from curriculum planning pages to nature journal pages).
*Household forms (from chore charts to meal planning).
*Over 240 pages of helpful planning materials!

The Schoolhouse Planner has two *incredible* features:
First, the table of contents items are clickable to the actual pages of the items; which means that if you want to find the "field trip log," you can click on "field trip log" in the table of contents and it will click you there!

Second, unlike many .pdf files you open in adobe acrobat, TOS has published the planner so that you may fill in the blanks and save the file with your own personal information in it! Fill it in, save it and print it out at your discretion. Thank you TOS!

Print only the pages you use and put them into a binder for your own personal use!

You'll find The Schoolhouse Planner HERE at The Old Schoolhouse Store!

Not familiar with ebooks? Save it to your hard drive, and view it with a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat (a free download at www.adobe.com).

To see a special sneek peek click HERE.

Post kudos on my blog (by clicking on "comments" below) and I will put you into a drawing for a free copy of The Schoolhouse Planner at the end of August! www.homeschooling4life.com