This year throughout lent we have been reading a new book published by David C Cook called The Easter Storybook by Laura Richie. This book is filled with 40 stories that tell the story of Jesus' life, reading it one small story at a time from Ash Wednesday through Easter.

The Easter Storybook is a hardback book about 8x10 in size. The cover is colorful has beautiful biblical illustrations, the pages are nice thick glossy colorful pages. The illustrations, by Ian Dale are very nicely done, specific to the stories. Each day includes a reference quote from the bible, the story translated for kids and comprehension/conversational questions to follow. All together it's about 5-7 minutes to read aloud.

The recommended age range is 4-8 with a 1st-2nd grade reading level. We use this book as a family each morning after/during breakfast time. Karter (10) enjoys leading us with it. His favorite part is the comprehension/conversational questions at the end, he likes playing teacher! Krissy (6) is capable of reading it but prefers it read aloud by someone else, he engages well with the story, questions and illustrations. I wouldn't expect most 1st-2nd graders to be able to read it.

​We have enjoyed The Easter Storybook published by David C Cook, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed it as well so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

The election process can be quite the intriquit process, many well educated adults don't even fully grasp it, myself included.  Home School In The Woods has created an all inclusive lap-pak that really puts everything together in a fun hands on visually pleasing way. With it being an election year we couldn't have asked for a better resource than the US Elections Lap-Pak.  

What's a lapbook?
Think of a project board, but made to fit in your lap.  It has one topic and each section of the lap-pak has information and details about that topic.

Benefits of lapbooks:

• Visual with pictures and pop ups
• Tactile learning
• Can be used over time gradually building on to a topic

I like this blog post from Home School In The Woods on the benifits of teaching with Lapbooks. Lapbooks can be made with any main topic, all you really need to put it together is a file folder, cardstock, tape and some writing utilsils.  Getting your creative juices flowing might take some work but Home School In The Woods has created many different lap-paks that have everything you need to make your lapbooks in easy to print PDF paks.  Topics include:

• US Elections
• Benjamin Franklin
• Knights
• Wonders of the World
• 20th Century America
• Mount St. Helens Erupts

​We have been working our way through the US Elections Lap-Pak, the boys have learned about:

• Definition of elections
• Forms of Gorvernment
• Branches of Government
• Sufferage
• Terms of Office
• Caucuses & Primaries

The pak comes with a HTML website that you follow along as you go, telling you the order for each project, has a lesson to read aloud or an audible option for the lesson, and a link to the PDF's.

This project has been fun to go through over the past few weeks, we even let the kids be apart of doing the mail-in ballots for the primaries and they got our "We Voted By Mail" stickers.  We will continue to build on to this lap-pak throughout the year as the election process unfolds.  I love that I'm learning new things right along with them!! 

We have enjoyed this Home School In The Woods Lap-pack, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed this lap-pak and others as well so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

We break up screentime in our house to 15 minutes each of "educational" and  "free time". We screen all of our apps and are very diligent about the safety of apps on our devices.  After I've screened the apps thoroughly I break them up based on if their educational or leisure on different slides on our ipads. Educational apps are usually games that include educational facts or lessons built into them.  Learning can be fun too!!  Lately during the kids educational screentime they've been brushing up on their math skills with these apps from Math Galaxy. 

• Fractions & Decimal Riddles
• Preschool Math - Math Galaxy
• Math Galaxy Word Problems Fun
• Times Tables Balloon Pop
• Zombie Numbers and Counting
• 5th Grade Math - Math Galaxy

Math Galaxy Word Problem Fun is a neat monopoly style game. Can be played single player or multi-player. you move around the board and solve a problem for a change to go cave mining where you might find treasure!  It has a calculator build in so you can use it for assistance or figure the problem out in your head and just type the answer in and hit enter. This game was Krissy's (6) favorite Math Galaxy app!

5th Grade Math Galaxy was loaded with all kinds of challenges, in each section you can work to earn robots and with the robots you can play in the labryinth.  Karter definitely was able to brush up on some skills in here, some he had forgotten because we haven't done them in a while and some were some new skills that we haven't gotten to yet. This was Karter's (10) favorite Math Galaxy app.

Please note these apps are iOs apps only available in the Apple App Store. Another little note to make is that we found with most if not all of the apps  that they worked much better on the iPads than on an iPhone.  Also they are so touch sensitive that it's important for the screen to be clean.  If the screen is not clean the apps can get glitchy.

Some of these Math Galaxy apps also have ebook that could go with them as a companion or be used individually.  The ebook is printable and has worksheets similar to the apps themselves without the actual scorekeeping.  Karter really liked that instead of the boring times table worksheets that I've been adding to his work recently he got these riddle worksheets.  It feels like it's still a little bit like his game.  The ebooks include the answer key and for the fractions also has visuals to help aid them if the answer isn't understood.

Our family has enjoyed these Math Galaxy apps and ebooks, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed many different Math Galaxy products so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

Do you remember that fun adventure through the wardrobe and into Narnia?  The Chronicals of Narnia by C.S. Lewis are a childhood favorite of mine and Karter has taken a love for it as well. He's read majority of the series (we never could find the prequel book at the library).  We have loved the chonicals of Narnia so much that a couple of our cars were named after characters! Narnia nerds...I know!  We were more than tickled to get this book about the author who made that awesome series.  

YWAM Publishing (Youth With A Mission) has a series of books called "Christian Heroes: Then & Now" with various well known christian heroes and their life stories, we chose C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller by Janet & Geoff Benge.

The book is a 6x9 paperback book 189 pages long.  It is rated for ages 10 and up, Karter, my 10 year old, was plenty able to read this book on his own but I held him back so we could read it a little slower as a family read aloud.  This allowed us to talk about things more in depth.  Things like war, abuse/discipline, how others have viewed christianity negatively. This is and has been a great starting point for many conversations for us.

There was a study guide that goes with this which has been a great resource.  Within the study guide there is bible quotes, and comprehension questions, geography mapping activities, creative writing and essay prompts, craft projects, but I think our favorite part was creating a display corner.  We created our display coner on a project board because I intend to keep repeating this probably annually, we can pull this project board out whenever we revisit this book.  Ireland was already on our bucketlist of places to visit but now we have a few more sights to add to our trip whenever we go!  

Karter and I thoroughly enjoyed this YWAM Publication book, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed this book and other YWAM books as well so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

We got an awesome new childrens devotional to try out.  It's called The Action Bible Anytime Devotional by David C Cook. My boys have enjoyed the almost comic strip style illustrations that this book has.  It's geared for 8-12 year olds, I'd say the reading level is about there and some of the content but also peeks the interest of younger kids. . Karter, my 10 year old looks forward to reading us a devotional from out it each morning after breakfast.  It's about a five minute read aloud, and includes a bible verse, a story with relatable content, a scripted prayer and references to go further in the lesson straight from the bible. My 6 year old, Krissy, enjoys peeking in to see the illustrations as Karter reads it.

​This book is a 6x9" paperback book about 1/2 an inch thick with colorful illustrations on the cover that compliments what will be on each page in the book.  The illustrations do repeat themselves throughout the book about every 30 pages in order, my kids were the more observant ones who noticed that though.  The pages have a nice easy to read font with bullet points for the followup ideas and prayers. It includes 90 devotionals total.  

​I really like that this devotional can meet the needs of our day or season of life.  It doesn't have to be in order, we can pick our devotional based on our need. The theme of the devotional is at the top right corner and on the table of contents pages in parenthesis. This week, with all that going on in the world we have been reading the faith and courage ones, even momma needed to hear these messages.

​Karter says he wishes it had a comprehension question, he likes being "teacher" when he reads and wants to know if his siblings are listening.  I've been encouraging him to make sure he's interactive with them and letting them resond on the personal thought questions and prayers.

​My family enjoyed this devotional by David C Cook, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed it as well so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

I can remember as a kid running to the mailbox hoping that there was something for me, more often than not it was for my parents, they were so lucky to get mail everyday!! Or so I thought! Anyone else remember that joy as a kid? Even now when the Amazon packages arrive, our poor parents didn't have that luxery!  So I guess the joy of receiving mail never really fades but for kids it's thought of even higher because there's never bills, notices or IRS audits mixed in with those occassional letters to rain their parades!

As a military family we started pen pals at a very young age, the best part is our pen pals aren't just strangers we've never met they're friends that have moved away and letters are how kids stay in touch.  We have pen pals all over the country and even some international.  Connections Stationary Kit by Byron's Games is a great kit that puts everything together for you to make writing to pen pals that much easier.

Here's what's included in the kit:
25 Sheets of thick carstock stationary - great for markers, won't bleed
25 Envelopes- sized to only need to fold the paper once
36 Stickers
1 Stamp - says "Thank You"
2 Stamp Pads - pink and blue
1 fine tip felt pen - blue (doesn't bleed on the thick cardstock included)

Here's what I also use when we're writing letters:
Dry erase lapboard
Dry erase marker
Postage stamps

The stationary paper is made of thick cardstock which are great for markers, it comes with a fine tip felt marker and they don't bleed through.  The stationary is 6x8.5" in size and folds in half once to fit perfectly into the envelopes.  You can seal the envelopes by licking it and/or the stickers that are included.  The stamp and stamp pads are perfect for writing thank you cards with.

I like to have a the dry erase lapboards so the kids can dictate to me the letter they want to write and then they can focus on their handwriting when they copy it.  I erase it when they're done and write out the address for them to write on the envelope. As they get older we get away from the lapboard so they can focus more on grammar and spelling. 

For this Connections Stationary Kit in particular I knew handwriting was going to be a focus because of the lack of lines.  I am a line fan and so I usually always provide lined paper for my kids, however unlined paper has it's advantages.  Writing on unlined paper actually triggers different parts of your brain and creativity is effected by it. I actually heard this for the first time at Home Educators Association of Virginia Convention a few years ago, but I haven't done a great job at implementing it because I myself am hooked on lines.

Karter, my 10 year old, had no complaints at all but Krissy, my 6 year old, put up a stink about "the paper not having lines and being too small."  I told him to atleast try it and if needed he could use the back or another sheet of paper.  He was able to fit it all on one and afterwards told me it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be.  He has also used the Connections Stationary Kit numerous more times on his own, with no complaints!  I was pleased with how all of their letters came out.

​They ofcourse fold them up and add a few Pokemon cards to their letters because that's as good as cash for elementary age boys.  Karter also sealed up his letters with his personal wax seal that he's so proud of! They then picked out their stamps and were off to the mailbox to send these off.

My family thoroughly enjoyed this Byron's Games product, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed it and other Byron's Games products too so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

With all the illness going around we decided today’s adventure should be an outdoor adventure. Good news is despite all the closures the National Parks are staying open! So we went off on an adventure and explored Booker T Washington National Monument.

The monument itself was rather small but the plantation was large. There’s a visitors center with an educational showroom and a video, then outdoors there were farm animals and building replicas on the Plantation to give you an idea of what it was like in the 1850’s and 1860’s. On the far end of the plantation was a mile and a half walking trail along a pretty creek.

Booker T Washington was a child who was born into slavery on this tobacco plantation in Roanoke, VA. He endured slavery until he was 9 when it was abolished. Booker worked in these fields and walked these trails and was deprived of an education. He later went on to become a very well educated man and worked hard to educate other African Americans to be teachers so that they could disperse and allow education to be available for more children.

My kids got to feel what it was like to manually fan the dinner table and lift a 60lb bag of corn, feeling how heavy it was and how hard Booker worked, even at a young age. I know we will never be able to truly put our feet in their shoes but being able to educate my kids hands on like this is so much more impactful to them than just reading it in a book! I’m so grateful for the National Park Service and their dedication to providing these opportunities for us!

The National Parks Service has a program called the Jr. Park Ranger Program where they give kids a workbook and have them do some educational age appropriate activities. The activities differ per location but upon completion they say the park ranger oath and get a Jr Park Ranger Badge. My kids have come to love this tradition!

Every National Park also has stamps so you can stamp your National Park Passport.

“Solid rest“ is so true!! Not much beats getting out in the heart of nature with some air, flowers, sunshine, exercise and education! If you’re healthy and feeling cooped up during this shutdown I urge you to go check out your local National Parks!!

​Find your park here!

#NationalParks
#FindYourPark
#OnTheRoadSchool

We have received a new missionary book called "Venturing With God in Congo" by Darrell Champlin and published by Conjurske Publications.  Darrell Champlin is a pastor and wrote this book as a recollection of memories from when he and his wife were doing missions in the Congo.  The timeline is early 2000's. 

The book is a sturdy binded hardback book with 304 pages, there's a few glossy pages that serve as a collection of photos in the center of the book. The size is roughly 9x6. The cover is beautifully designed and very intriguing with vibrant green shrubery, a snake, an elephant and mysterious eyes! I assigned the book to Karter, my 10 year old son to read.

It was a little tough for him to get interested in the beginning but around the middle of the book action picked up and sucked him right in. The climax of the story was a bit dramatic and graphic. It involved people being killed and tortured but the end result was the missionaries won and the rebels retreated.

Take aways Karter got from this book are:

• Snakes are bad
• Elephants can be deadly
• Never pick a fight you can't win
• Have faith in god and nothing shall harm you
• Sometimes sacrifices have to be made

​This was Karter’s written book review:

My family enjoyed Conjurske Publication's Venturing With God in Congo, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed this book too so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

Dress up is a favorite for most kids, I can tell by the constant cleanup my dress up stash requires.  For the girls there are fabulous dresses, fairy wings, jewelry, and high heels while boys tend to get firefighters, policeman, chef, and superheroes. I've always encouraged my kids to dress up how they please during make-believe time and it especially makes my heart happy when I see my 2 year old daughter in a princess dress with a firefighter hat and cowboy boots.  So when I first browsed through the MANY books available by Carole P. Roman I was immediately drawn to "Can A Princess be A Firefighter?"  It is definitely our most loved book among the four books we received from Carole P. Roman's assorted series.

We have been reading "Can A Princess be A Firefighter" daily to Kandy, I love that it speaks life into her. Not only the overall concept that you can be anything you set your mind to but also the small phrases that I like to repeat (and have her repeat) like "You are smart, talented, sweet and kind.” This book is such an empowering girl power book with relatable illustrations and dress up that any girl will love and be inspired by!

"Capain No Beard: An Imaginary Tail of a Pirate's Life" was another fantastic book by Carole P. Roman. It's part one of the ten Captain No Beard series. It is about a few kids dressing up and their imagination taking control. Karter and Krissy especially loved learning “shiver me timbers” is pirate for “oh my goodness”.

"Being a Captain is Hard Work" is the last book of the Captain No Beard series by Carole P. Roman. You can see the progress of the series and the growth of the Author and Publisher from book one through book ten, which progresses well with the growth of a reader. There was a couple new character in this book that wasn't in the first, we figured them out by process of elimination. It made us all the more intrigued to read all the books between the two! I really like that it incorporates big words like “stratocumulus” and explains it as well (dark dense clouds that mean rain). This fable shares the message that we have 2 ears and 1 mouth and we should listen twice as much as we speak. It repeats the message twice which is great because we can benefit from hearing it more often.

We also received "If You Were Me and Lived In Germany" by Carole P. Roman. This book is a part of the 25 book "If you were me and lived in” series which is geared toward elementary world cultures. Each book focuses on one country. Germany was a great choice for my family because I want them to learn the culture of their ancestors. This book is about a 15 minute read aloud and was great at showing geographics, pictures, drawings and informing on things like where you’d like to visit, what to eat or do for fun. I really appreciated the pronunciations being provided. We read this as a family and Cody was great at speaking the German words, he’s got that guttural accent down! We all learned something new in this book and it has us hoping to one day actually go visit!

My family loved these Carole P. Roman books, but don't just take our word for it other families from the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed a variety of her books too so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner.

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. ​

"The Boxcar Children" book is the beginning of a new chapter in life for four orphaned children.  They're parents died and they wanted to live on their own out of fear of their grandfather whom they've never met.  They found an abandoned boxcar to live in, scavaged for supplies and were working for money.  They were eventually intruduced to their grandfather and it opened up new possiblities and relationships for them that weren't so bad after all.  

The "Surprise Island" book is about a family vacation to a family owned remote island where they spend the summer.  They got to live up all the island life and  learned a lot about their family and even unexpectedly met another new family member along the way.

"The Yellow House Mystery" book was about the kids investigating into the mystery of a missing person after finding a vacant yellow home.  They are always up for an adventure, especially if it means solving a mystery,

The "Mystery Ranch" book is about the four kids going to visit their great-aunt, exploring her ranch and helping cheer her help!  This was Krissy's favorite, it reminds him of going to visit family and exploring their fun homesteads.

Krissy is 6 years old on approximately a second grade level and was able to read each of these books independently in one sitting. It's approximately a  13-15 minute read for him. Every book is less than 40 pages with large easy to follow print and has beautiful colorful artwork on every page.  After finishing the first two books I treated him to watching the movies as well, they're available to be rented from Amazon.  We all really loved how the books have tied in artwork from the movie!  Both the movies had more content than these Level 2 Time to Read versions but the same storyline.

​Karter is 10 years old and has read all of the classic chapter book versions of these numerous time and says in the comparison the level 2 Time to Read version has mostly the same storyline minus some non-essential parts of the story, some character adjustments as well. Little things like removing rudeness from a character, or skipping the part where characters are searching for them, making the books a little more age appropriate and more concise.

We received a set of the first 4 in hardback edition, however they currently have 7 books released with a total of 8 books planned through 2020, so this is a fast growing series. I highly recommend it for any early reader, even if you already have the chapter books.  The colorful illustrations and adapted version of the stories will keep children intrigued, then once they develop the love for the series they will quickly want more and move right into the chapter books!! It's the perfect natural bridge!