Review: Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series

One of Issac's favorite sayings is now rush, rush, rush to history! He's learned this catchy phrase while we've been reviewing Adventures of Rush Revere #1 New York Times Bestselling Book Series by Rush and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh.  Rush Revere has been on the radio for years letting America know his political thoughts.  He's decided to branch out in a new direction and teach history to our children is a fun and memorable way.  He and his wife have teamed together to bring us five fantastic books, the Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series,  to teach our kids the story of America. These books are beautiful to look at.  They are hardback with beautifully illustrated covers.  The pages in the books also have an aged look about them as well as some fantastic pictures throughout the stories.  We received ours beautifully wrapped in a blue ribbon!

I think the pictures helped Issac get engaged because he wasn't just sitting there listening to a bunch of words. There were visuals for him to look at and help his understanding.  Also learning about history from a horse that jumps back in time gave learning a new twist.   We decided we'd read the books in order just to help Issac keep track on events, dates, etc.  We read every night before bed, so that's where we started our adventure. The more we got into the books and the more engaged we got we expanded to reading during the day as well!  We started out with Book 1 in the Adventure Series: Brave Pilgrims.  I'm really glad we started out with this one because it gave Issac a good understanding of why America was founded.  We read about how the pilgrims left England because they wanted a fresh start and not to be persecuted for their religious beliefs.  As the book starts we meet Rush Revere, a history teacher that loves to dress in colonial clothing.  His sidekick, Liberty, is a talking horse who also can disappear at will! Rush Revere is substitute teaching at Manchester Middle School in the honors history class.  He's got a fun take on how to teach history to his students.  During this book Rush Revere, Liberty and two students from the class, Tommy & Freedom, time jump back to the Mayflower.  They meet William Bradford & Myles Standish as well as many of the other people moving to America.  They may be jumping back into time, but they are still using Rush Revere's cell phone to take pictures :) Throughout this book they jump to several different times to see how the pilgrims are adjusting.  Freedom learns how to plant from Squanto and they get to help celebrate the first Thanksgiving as well.  

We then moved on to the second book in the series, Book 2 in the Adventure Series-First Patriots.  The story continues as England is trying to hold on to the pilgrims and not let them be free.  I think this was one of Issac's favorites because of the Boston Tea Party. I honestly don't know if Issac's ever heard of the Boston Tea Party, but the way it was portrayed in this book, I don't think he'll forget it!  In this book we add two new students, Cam and Elizabeth.  Cam loves history and is very excited to join the group whereas Elizabeth is the principal's daughter and she just wants to cause trouble for everyone!  Rush and his kids jump back into time and meet some of the wonderful people from our history such as Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, King George III, Samuel Adams, George Washington and John Adams. 

Moving on to the third book, Book 3 in the Adventure Series-The American Revolution. In this book we meet Dr. Warren who is a local doctor, but working behind the scenes for the patriots.  This story taught us more about Paul Revere and his part in history.  We learned what one if by land, two if by sea meant.  Lanterns were put in the window of the Old North Church.  This was a warning system to all that were involved in helping Paul Revere make his ride a success.  

The fourth book, Book 4 in the Adventure Series-Star-Spangled Banner, truly helps us all to understand what it means to be patriotic. In this book we learn that Tommy's grandfather isn't doing well.  Rush Revere decides to take the kids to Washington, D.C. to cheer everyone up.  He even includes Tommy's grandfather! Here they take on a top secret mission to learn all about Washington, D.C. that they can.  They meet James Madison and even share dinner with him. They head to the Constitutional Convention, the capitol and many other important places from history.

In the final book, Book 5 in the Adventure Series-Presidency, we learn about what it means to be president and how the process works.  Without some of our founding fathers I'm not sure where the county would be today.  They gave our country a stable base from which to build further on.  The crew got to experience George Washington taking his presidential vows as well as his farewell address.  

One thing that we really enjoyed about these books is the way the material is presented.  Kids are the main  characters and I think that always helps children relate better to the material being presented.  Issac picked up on the historical figures and information because it was presented in such a fun way.  We all know that a horse can't travel back in time, but it's a fun vehicle to move around in the world of history.  I think these books would be wonderful for middle school age children to read alone and help them build their interest in learning history.  Some older elementary students would probably be able to read this alone as well, but for my son he would have lost the context of what he was reading.  The chapters are a little too long for his comfort, but he really enjoyed us reading them aloud. 

Here's a picture of Issac after we finished the first three books in the series.  

Another wonderful thing about the Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series is all the extra stuff that they've come up with to go along with the books.  You can read the books alone or you can use their fun activities that they've come up with to expand your learning on American History.  They have study guides, activities, games and even scholarship opportunities  You can also follow their social media: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well as read what my fellow crew members thought.  

Thankful Tuesday 6/20/17

I'm thankful for my husband today.  We will be celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary in just two more days. I think it's a true test of how love changes over time. When we first got married we spent every minute together even if he was watching tv and I reading a book in the same room (lol) Add kids into the mix, several health issues and his injury two years ago. Times have NOT always been good and I'm sure there were days that both of us were ready to walk away. We said our vows in front of God, our family and friends and that's what we remember when times are tough. It's easy to love someone in the good times and when life is going smoothly. When the turmoil hits and life isn't fun it can be hard to push through those times.  God is with us every step of the way and sometimes we just need to remember that and keep pushing through the hard times. I'm thankful for my husband and excited that we have many new adventures to look forward to having together.  Here is a picture from our wedding.

Father's Day 6/18/17

My husband has had a rough two years due to an injury on the job.  He's in daily pain and I have to say that some days, most, haven't been pleasant around here over the last 2 years.  We've been trying to get back into doing more things together and I've noticed his irritability lessening some :) I think he had a wonderful day today thanks to his children. Our daughter really tries to go out of her way on holidays to make it special.  She made my husband several personalized gifts this year as well as spending a large chunk of pet sitting money she just earned on some gifts.  He was over the moon with all of them. One of them really touched him.  She made a painting of bricks and drew 2 trowels on it since he's a brick mason.  That really touched him and he told her it seemed like his birthday with so many gifts! She also made him a peanut butter pie and cooked fajitas for the main meal!

Our youngest has this thing he does where he wraps up his toys and books and gives them to people for their gifts.  Today he gave my husband a pack of cards and an atlas that were all his (LOL) Carl actually loved the atlas and didn't realize it was one of Issac's usual gifts :) He did make him a nice card where he drew a picture of the two of them playing cards.

Today is our oldest sons only day off, so it was nice that it fell on Father's Day! I think it made it a perfect day for my husband to have all the kids here.  We watched tv, played cards and just hung out together.  Love days like this and I'm so thankful that I have a wonderful husband to be a loving father to our kids.

Thankful Tuesday~6/13/17

Today I'm thankful for our Lee Co. 4-H Extension Office.  They are so wonderful with the kids and offer a variety of things to do.  When I was growing up 4-H was basically taking care of animals and then going to the fair with them.  At least that's all I ever heard them being :) My kids were introduced a few years ago from friends that were taking over a local homeschool group.  My kids enjoyed the time with friends, the trips, the service projects, the games, etc.  This year the middle and youngest did their first presentation. I wasn't worried about the middle because she seems born to speak in front of others! The youngest I just wasn't sure about.  He told me what he wanted to talk about and I wrote it down for him.  He practice, but honestly not enough in my opinion. That night I had planned to take pictures and video, but he decided at the last minute that he didn't want me to. He got up there, hit most of his points while looking right out at us! He missed talking about one section, but still made his time and that made him happy.  They thought he did a great job of not looking at his notes, so I was really happy about that.

Another things he really enjoys are the summer camps.  For the last 3 or 4 years he's gone to 2 camps each summer. They are usually 4 days long for about 3 hours each day.  This week he's in horticulture camp and he loves it. Yesterday they planted hydroponics lettuce as well as lettuce in a regular pot.  Today they talked about pollinators.  This is one of his favorite camps because they go to a local park for a field trip on the last day!

Review: Marsh Media

Our two older children have each done a health class before because I just felt it covered lots of subjects that need to be covered (LOL) I don't think either of the kids thought it was that interesting or really learned much from it. Jump forward to Marsh Media and their wonderful and interesting way to teach health to kids! Their videos are interesting and full of facts while keeping the student entertained and engaged.  There are lots of subjects that should be covered and some are harder than others to discuss.  Kids don't always want to talk about hygiene, but it's something that needs to be discussed quite frequently as they get older.  There are videos on hand washing, brushing teeth, lice, nutrition, AIDS, puberty education for girls and boys as well as some videos for those with special needs and many more.  Marsh Media is venturing out into the homeschool community with their Homeschool Special.  You can receive access for 1 year to all 59 of their videos to watch and use in your homeschool.  The price is very reasonable at $50.00 for a full year of access to all the videos.  We watched quite a few of the videos and they ranged in their content. Here are a few of the videos that we watched: Go Slow Whoa Keep it Clean Aloha Potter Blood vs. Germs Beas Own Good AIDS Facts for Kids I Know How to Act Take Care of Your Teeth Take Care of Your Ears A Boys Guide to Growing Up We really enjoyed the first video, Go Slow Whoa, because the video was set up like a game show.  It was the good foods verses the bad foods :) We learned the basic food groups, about whether it's better to eat fruit or drink fruit juice and well as that the food you eat is a recipe for your body.  We also learned about go foods and slow foods.  Go foods are those that you can eat almost anytime.  Some of those items are: veggies, fruit, skim milk, low fat yogurt, lean meat, fish, egg whites and beans.  Slow foods are those that you can have a few times a week. Those are fruits with added sugar, sports drinks, baked chips & pretzels, dried fruits, white bread and rice, pasta, whole eggs, peanut butter and ham.  There are also the WHOA foods that you should only have every once in a while.  These are fries, donuts, large amounts of cheese, fried hamburgers, fried chicken, cookies and cakes, candy bars, ice cream, mayo, butter, chips and soda.  We were shocked by some of the facts that we learned!! The average person eats 100 POUNDS of sugar in a year.  Also, that one can of soda contains 1-13 TEASPOONS of sugar.  I know many people try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, but the average person still gets over one PINT a week!! We also learned that the average person eats 4 POUNDS of salt EACH year! This video was chalked FULL of valuable information and the kids didn't see it as them being lectured to about eating right. It was all done in a fun, but yet teachable way.   One of the other favorites was Keep It Clean Hygiene.  This was for 5th-8th grades and we enjoyed the "rap" type feel to it.  I think most kids enjoy when there is music to what they are learning and it helps them to remember facts as well.  One of the key points in this video was that to get along in the world you need to be clean.  I think most kids don't even realize when they get stinky and need to bathe (LOL) This video told the kids that nothing smells better than clean skin! One thing I liked was that they said inexpensive shampoo works just as good as the more expensive stuff. I think sometimes our kids get caught up in using certain soaps, shampoos and sprays. It's ok to use those things, but sometimes the very cheapest items work just as well.  We also learned that acne is MOSTLY genetics.  Girls get it younger than boys, but boys usually have more and worse outbreaks.  I really hadn't thought about or realized how much genetics played into acne. I know so many people will just say wash your face, don't drink sodas and have too much sweets. While that can help, ultimately nothing you may do will be helpful if it's in your genes.   So many things to learn in these videos and they really are well done.  I know that puberty may be a hard subject to talk to kids about, but sometimes there are ways to make it easier. Sometimes letting your child read a book or watch a video before you talk can be very helpful. It's a great way to get the conversation started and sometimes you need a little ice breaker for certain subjects:) Marsh Media has been providing quality educational materials to schools since 1969.  They are branching out and hoping to work with homeschoolers to provide them quality health materials at an affordable price. If you are interested in their Homeschool Special check out https://marshmedia.com/pages/homeschool-offer to get more information.  This is really a wonderful approach to teaching some of our basic health subjects to our children.  Check out their social media: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube as well as what my fellow reviewers thought:

Review: K5 Learning

Issac loves board games and of course video games. I try to use lots of games to help whatever we are learning.  We recently have been using the online program from K5 Learning.  One of the things that attracted me to this program was the assessment process.  Your child does an assessment for reading and math before they do anything else. They base the assessment on your child's age and grade and then make assignments based on how they did on the assessment. Basically whatever area your child is struggling in they'll start them at that level. If your child is doing well in an area they'll start them at that section and move forward.  I really found the assessment interesting because of what it showed me were my son's strengths and weakness's.  My son has struggled with reading for several years and I found it helpful what this assessment showed me!  Here is a part of his math and reading assessment to show you what they are testing.

You also get to see progress reports on what sections your child has been working on and how well they are doing.  At the end of each section there is a light where your child can click go or stop.  I have been telling my son he has to go through the light three times each for math and reading.  Each section is not a lesson.  It can vary on how many stoplights they have to go through to actually complete a lesson. That is a little frustrating for me because I feel almost like I don't know where he is in the lesson.  I wish there were an easier way to see how many segments there were to a lesson, but it's a little complicated.  If I knew there were 5 parts to a lesson I might have him go ahead and do all 5 that day if he was up to it. A few times it felt like we were doing the exactly section, but if you don't pass it then they'll have it come around again for you to practice more.  They want to make sure that the child truly understands what they are learning before they move them on to the next section. I really like this aspect because I don't want my son moving on just because he did the section. I prefer that he understands it and would rather go back and redo missed problem or the entire section rather than just move on.  This is a supplemental program, so you aren't replacing what you are already using, but just adding this to your current programs.  Spelling is also included in the program. We tried it out, but it seemed a bit of a struggle for my son, so I felt we would just focus on the reading and math.  Spelling is a struggle for him and we have to work hard for him to learn his words.  I think the spelling would have been great for our middle child, but it just didn't click with the youngest.  Another great thing about this program is that there is a 14 Day trial for you to have your child do the assessment and some lessons. That's helps to make sure that it works for you and your child.  There are also sample lessons to give you a good idea of what types of things your child will be working through.  You can also check out the intro video to help you understand how the program works.  This is a great program for summers or after school help.  It works well with special needs students as well as those that are gifted.  Children kindergarten through fifth are the target audience.  If your child has a struggle or even an interest in a certain section worksheets are provided as well to further their learning.  Each day there are certain worksheets offered in the student account and they are usually on what was learned/reviewed the day before.

My son complained a bit on the Geometry portions that he was working on. He said that he already knew how to do the problems and didn't need to do them. I explained to him that if he didn't answer them correctly on the assessment then it would assign him those problems to work through.  I also explained to him that if he didn't put his full effort into the assessment and got some wrong that he was still going to have to work through the lessons because he should have worked harder in the assessment :) I figured he may have not tried 100%, but mostly he just didn't like those geometry lessons (LOL) Several times I've sat with him and he seemed to not complain those days :) Overall we have greatly enjoyed this program. I think when a program does an assessment and then lessons are assigned based on what they need to focus on it's always great for the child. There were a few holes in my son's learning and I really feel we are addressing them with K5 Learning and their online program.

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Review: Second Form Latin Complete Set

Several years ago a good friend gave me some homeschooling materials that she didn't need anymore. She thought that since I had three children the items she gave me might work for one of them (LOL) One of the items included was from Memoria Press.  It was a beginning book for Latin and I knew my oldest son wouldn't have any interest in it. I left it sitting on the shelf for a bit and our daughter picked it up one day and started looking through the book. She became so interested that I ordered the dvd set that went along with it and that started out journey through Latin! She developed such a love of Latin through the Memoria Press products that she would make pages of notes and hang them on her wall. She would review her words daily and use them in conversation when she could.  We were recently given the chance to review from Memoria Press.  I knew that we had to request the Second Form Latin Complete Set, so that she could continue studying her Latin :)  We were both so excited when the box arrived and we saw all the goodies that came.  I think if my daughter had to chose only one item to use from the set it would be the dvd set. Thankfully she doesn't have to and she has the complete set :)
    I really like the way the program is set up.  The dvd collection is wonderful and I think it truly helps the student understand how to pronounce the words. That's always been my daughter's favorite part and I don't think she'd like the program as much without them.  The student book is very short and to the point.  There's not lots of reading that makes the student feel frustrated.  It teaches the lesson and moves on to the practice pages.   I like that there are 4 practice pages for each lessons.  It gives the student a chance to practice the same information for almost a week before moving to the next lesson. The cd's that come with the set are also helpful in helping the student learn the pronunciations. The instructor says the word in Latin, English and then Latin again. He expects the students to repeat after him. I like that he says the Latin and English words together to help the student get it straight in their mind.  He reviews words that are needed from previous lessons and I always find that helpful.  Another positive aspect about the cd's is that you can pop them in while driving around and everyone can work on the pronunciations.  I know for several of my kids hearing what they are learning out loud makes a huge difference in their learning.  Over the years we've had many learning cd's that we played in the car on the way to appointments and doing general errands. It's amazing what they pick up by just listening.  For me the hardest part of learning another language is pronouncing the words correctly.  I think having either the cd or the dvd set truly helps the student to better understand what they are doing and how to pronounce the words. 

 When I sit down and work with my daughter on the student booklet or try to help her she always gets a laugh from the way I butcher the words (LOL) A few of them that she has used quite a bit around the house I can remember, but others I just can't.  There is a consistent theme to this program, so that there aren't really any surprises.  The student can easily watch the dvd lesson and then work in the student book independently.  So many extras have been added to the basic program that it really helps the student succeed.  The flashcards are fantastic for reviewing.  There is also the quiz and test booklet to help know how well your child is doing.   This program is a wonderful classical christian homeschool curriculum.  I know that if we weren't homeschooling my daughter probably wouldn't have developed her love of Latin.  I'm thankful for the time she has spent with the Second Form Latin Complete Set.  I know that learning what these Latin words mean can and will greatly help her in the future.  So many words we run into in our daily studies can be figured out with knowing these Latin words.  Many times in her science the last few years she's been able to tell me what words meant that I didn't know.  I know the more times she spends in this program the more it will benefit her.   I'm so thankful for the classical christian education that Memoria Press can provide for our children.  Their programs are challenging and I am thankful that my daughter can be challenged in her studies.  They have multiple Latin programs that range from elementary through highschool.  If you are interested in your child learning Latin check out the programs they have available: Prima Latina Grades 1-4 Latina Christiana Complete Set  Grades 3-6 First Form Latin Complete Set Grades 4-9 Second Form Latin Complete Set Grades 5-10 Third Form Latin Complete Set Grades 6-11 Fourth Form Latin Complete Set They also have some wonderful science programs: Nature's Beautiful Order  Grades 6-9 The Book of Trees Grades 6-8 Memoria Press has so many wonderful programs that I can't list them all :) Check out their social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, YouTube & LinkedIn.  Also read what my fellow crew members thought.