TOS REVIEW ~ Latin's Not So Tough Level 3

Latin's Not So Tough is a product of Greek N' Stuff.  As part of this review I was sent the Level 3 workbook ($21.95),full text answer key ($21.95)and pronunciation cd ($10.00).
Latin's Not So Tough Level 3 is geared towards the beginner Latin student in upper elementary or above.  I started this program with my 3 oldest (14,13,11) and let my two younger ones (8,6) tag along.  At first we were going along great.  The beginning lessons are mostly vocabulary and my children were picking up the vocabulary quite quickly.  The pronunciation cd was very helpful with pronunciation.
Where Latin got tough for us was where the conjugation began without teaching how to conjugate.  According to the teacher guide "the third level uses an inductive (parts to whole) approach...Level four transitions to a deductive(whole to parts) approach".  So the kids are learning conjugated verbs and are just memorizing what the all ready conjugated verb means.  For example, Amō nautam, means I like the sailor. Therefore the kids are memorizing that Amō means I like.  On the same page they learn others as well all with the ō , being told to recognize it but it will be explained later.  It is just a different approach than I am used to and one that caused a stumbling point for us in our studies.
That being said we enjoyed the large font of the sprial bound workbook.  The minimal exercises per day were enough to sharpen their vocabulary skills without boring or exhausting them.   The flashcards were invaluable as well.  The little checkbox on the bottom of each page reminding the student to study their flashcards was a great way to remove me from the nagging role :)  I went ahead and ordered the accompanying test booklets as well available from Greek N Stuff.
This was our first exposure to Latin studies and it did seem tough because no one in our household is versed in Latin. Latin is tough but it is made easier with this program.  After just a few lessons my kids were spotting Latin everywhere, root words in English, on coins etc.  
In the end though, Latin's Not so Tough is a good program.  


See what my crewmates thought here


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the workbook, full text answer book, and cd for free for review purposes only.

Mothers Day Giveaway

Holy bag of loot Batman! Check out this mothers day giveaway over at Econobusters!  Seriously great stuff. The cute pillow :: drool::, the bloom necklace ::drool::  get over there and drool for yourself.

Feeling blue and very non metal binding

I have been remiss on blogging.....why?  Because I just haven't plain felt like it.  You see I was once again diagnosed with low iron.  I've shared it before.  But this time it has me reeling.  I was feeling fine until I got the diagnosis and THEN I needed sleep every afternoon!  I have my last iron infusion today.  I'm probably sitting in the recliner watching the metal drip ever so slowly into my veins.  I'm lucky if I can focus for very long on it as the benydryl takes over and makes the whole world just a little wonky.
This process has had me in a mini depression.  I need to take steps to get to the bottom of this iron issue.  I need to find a doctor who will take time and talk this out with me.  I have a lead and I need to follow up on it.  But I am currently in a mode of procrastination or rather denial.  I'll get through it and once that little red bag of iron isn't hanging over my head once a week I will once again grab life by the horns and the Good Book and get myself off the edge of this pit where I have plunked my happy behind on the edge to dangle my feet in the abyss.  I will graduate C25K, I will finish up the last six weeks of school with the kids and I will start cooking again.  Just let me get a little metal in me and I should be good to go.
Please accept this as my apology for not boring you with more posts on my life :)

TOS Review ~ Nutrition 101:Choose Life!

What an honor to review Nutrition 101:Choose Life! by Growing Healthy Homes.  This a a fabulous 448 page Biblically based book chock full of information.  I hate to call it a text book because it has such valuable information.  I would call it a christian family resource, one well worth the price of $99.95 for the book version and $79.95 for the electronic version (the version I received for review).

Nutrition 101 is labeled a "family nutrition and health program" and I couldn't agree more.  This is a book you can use for the whole family.  If used by a high schooler it counts as a nutrition/health credit.
Within the book you will find that 12 main body systems are covered in 6 units which are then broken down into four chapters.  The 6 units are:
The brain and nervous system
The digestive system
The respiratory, olfactory, auditory and visual systems
The muscular and skeletal systems
The endocrine system and emotions

Each chapter includes information, scripture, discussion questions, activities, resources, fun facts, word power(vocabulary), power recipes and illustrations.  Folks these are jammed packed chapters, however you will not feel overwhelmed.  The book held my interest and kept me coming back for more.  It made me call out to the kids "hey did you know this cool thing about the digestive system?"  The recipes at the end of each unit are designed to go with the system just studied. It motivates the parents to get the kids involved and in the kitchen making healthy food with the explanation of why we need healthy foods for our bodies to work the way God designed them.

As if 6 units with four chapters each isn't enough, this book has appendices.......from A -EE!  They cover a myriad of charts, share debates on milk, talk sugar alternatives, spices, etc.  This is the section you will keep coming back too.  For me personally I plan on printing out the appendices and placing them in sheet protectors and putting them in a kitchen binder for easy access.

This resource has made me think about the food I feed my family.  It has encouraged me that change in habits takes time, that each step taken in the right direction is good.  It has given me a tool that I can use to share with my family the interesting systems God created in our bodies.  I plan on making it a portion of our science curriculum for my high schooler in the fall .  I also plan on pulling details from it as I do anatomy with my younger set as well as trying the recipes that go with each system as way to reconnect with my kids in the kitchen.  This resource has me digging deeper into health issues that I have experienced since being diagnosed with and surviving breast cancer a year and a half ago.  This book, this wonderful resource, has me seeing scripture and knowing that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

But wait did you tune out just a bit when I mentioned the price tag of this resource?  Don't  Growing Healthy Homes has offered all the readers a 15% discount coupon using the codeTOScrew11! 

To see what my other crew members thought go here.  I'm sure you will read many more positive reviews of this product as last year it was voted best e product of the year by the crew.
 Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this product for review purposes only.

TOS Review ~ Zeezok Z Guide

The latest review is from Zeezok Publishing. Zeezok provides a host of products from penmanship to movie guides.  The product I was asked to review was a movie guide.  I chose the high school guide for the movie "The Hiding Place"  My seventh grader had read this book for an English class and I thought it would help her with understanding the time frame.  The guides are priced at $12.99 for an e-book download.
I was impressed immediately with the guide.  It had questions to answer during and after the movie, activities for understanding the time period, and an answer key.  The company does strive to "develop your family's love for God and Country" which means faith is talked about.
I asked my daughter Hannah to write about the guide.  Here is what she had to say:

The Hiding Place movie guide was fun. It allowed me to learn some new things about the different aspects of the movie and life in World War II. I learned that Ravensbruck was just as bad as it was portrayed in the movie, if not worse. The guide made me explore details of the hiding place in Corrie's room in detail,
and challenged me to pick a room in our house that would be best for a hiding place of our own. Would I hide Jews if it meant going to Ravensbruck?
Where would I hide them? It challenged me with these questions and more. It made me respect the Ten Boom family even more than I used to.
They sacrificed so much, and expected nothing in return. This movie guide was great because it made me look beyond the surface of this movie.

 So there you have it.  Two thumbs up from my girl for Zeezok movie guides.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this movie guide for free for review purposes only