Review of Zeezok Publishing LLC

Music appreciation is something that always seems to fall through the cracks in our homeschool, so I was beyond thrilled to receive for review this amazing homeschool music program, Music Appreciation: Book 1 for the Elementary Grades, from Zeezok Publishing LLC. With so many wonderful composers to choose from, it was hard to pick a favorite, but we ended up starting our study with the inimitable Beethoven. There is so much to this comprehensive music appreciation study that the only way to do it justice is to begin by listing everything that's included, so here goes!

• Individual biographies of seven different composers (Paganini, Bach, Beethoven, Hayden, Mozart, Handel, and Schubert) containing both pictures and the composers' compositions.
• 5 compact discs of music
• a 354 page softcover, three-hole punched workbook
• a CD containing lapbook masters for each of the composers

Each composer study is designed to last four weeks. A schedule is provided at the beginning of each study (in the workbook) to tell you exactly what you should accomplish that week. There is always a diverse mix of reading (from the biography), answering comprehension questions (from the workbook), lapbook activities, character qualities (as noted from the biography), Tidbits of Interest (also from the reading), and sundry other activities that vary by week (it could be an oral report, a recipe, or a music lesson. The activities are always interesting, and the work load for any one week is not overwhelming. There is enough variety to keep different ages engaged, and the materials, from the biographies, to the workbook, to the lapbook, are all of the highest quality. When combined with the music selections, you truly do have a complete music appreciation program that any child would feel lucky to be able to complete. How We Used It As I indicated previously, we began with Beethoven. Ever since Nicholas (12) learned to play "Ode to Joy" on the piano, and then had the chance to play it on a famous organ here in Houston (the organ at the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral Downtown), Beethoven has been a favorite. It was decided that everyone (the three youngest, that is, so the 11 year-old twins and Nicholas) would read the chapter to themselves, Michael would complete the workbook pages, Mary-Catherine would complete the lapbook, and we would do a group discussion of all of the material and listen to the musical selections together. Whew!

For the most part, we followed the weekly plan. Because it has been high debate season here, it actually took us six weeks to complete Beethoven, instead of the suggested four, but that's the beauty and flexibility of homeschooling! Beethoven was completed just in time for the kids to grab Paganini's biography on their way out the door as we drove to debate regionals last week! The best part is, they were excited to continue on to a new composer. Now *that* is a successful program. The other best part is (two best parts? We're going to go with it.) that because the music selections are all provided on CD, we could take the CD to listen to in the car. It means we're a little out of order (because we have listened to all of the Paganini), but I can't really see that as being any kind of a negative. It just means that we all have a little familiarity as we begin the "book study" part of his life. The balance in this program between scheduling and flexibility is one of its great assets. For example, it doesn't tell you to do this on Monday, this on Tuesday, etc. It just tells you what to do in one week. That means that for families who like a schedule, but don't adhere to a strict M-F (because of co-op or some other reason), they can still follow a schedule, but not have to feel like they are tinkering with it too much.

So for us, composer study looked like this: the day we got the box from Zeezok, the three youngest kids all read the Beethoven book (it's less than 150 illustrated pages - I would classify it as a beginner's chapter book - except it also includes many pages of sheet music). (I forgot to tell them they only had to read part of it, but I doubt they would have stopped anyway - the kids are all fast readers, and they all read well above grade level). Then, Michael did the questions for Week 1 and Mary-Catherine began cutting out the pieces for the lapbook. We did the rest of the activities for Week 1 over the next couple of days. Weeks 3-4 evolved in much the same way (with the exception that the reading had already been done, so when Michael did the comprehension questions in the book, he only needed sometimes to refresh his memory with the book).

In reality, the composer study of Beethoven has looked more like a unit study for us. For example, right off the bat in Week 1, we were able to tie in our study of Beethoven with our normal geography work, as the awesome student workbook has a Geography Oral Report to assign. Listing nine cities Beethoven visited in his lifetime (in Germany, Austria, Holland, and the Czech Republic), students are asked to write a short essay on one of the cities to present to the rest of the class. My kids were delighted! They have very recently studied all of those countries! Being able to relate them to Beethoven, and then being able to research one of them again in light of his life added a new layer to both studies.

Later on in Week 4, the kids got to do something they have done before, but really enjoyed: make Attribute Acronyms! They got to take the first letters of their first names and make acronyms of virtues they associate with themselves after looking at one of Beethoven's. They did so after reviewing examples Beethoven's character qualities from the biography they read.

To think that there are seven different composer unit studies within this one workbook is truly amazing. To think that we still have 5 1/2 to go is truly exciting!

What We Thought

The kids are really enjoying this program! They all love the biographies, which are quick and very interesting and engaging reads. Mary-Catherine has loved how well-done the lapbooks are. The pieces are colorful and the folds are simple and easy to understand (we are not hugely clever lapbooking people). She keeps commenting on how much extra she is learning through the lapbooking phase of the program (Beethoven is done and she is now working on Paganini).

The extra activities provided in the workbook are varied and not overly demanding (we have not had to sew any costumes or anything so far!). As I said at the outset, music appreciation is something that I just never seem to find time for. Zeezok Publishing LLC makes it easy to find the time. They do everything for you. Be sure to click the banner below to read all the reviews, because different Crew members began their studies with different composers!

What Am I?

The kids are doing standardized testing this week. I have been dreading it for awhile for a variety of reasons. First, it comes on the heels of regionals and I'm still tired. Second, I worry about how they'll do for a variety of reasons. Third, Therese has trio practice this week and it's just a lot all at once. Whine, whine, whine (all mine, naturally).

The real reason for the post, though, is that I am confused. I know I'm an introvert. I have no doubt about that. However, I really enjoy interacting with kids (adults...well, depends on the adult). I am proctoring the exam for 4-8 graders (7 in total), and I am having a blast. I definitely feed off of their energy. I like to make them laugh. I like making this process less boring and irritating for them. Having said that, I know I'll be dead this afternoon. Completely dead. I'll have an hour before I have to take Therese to dance, and I will be using that hour to sleep (of course, I woke up at 4:30 this morning, so there's that). I don't know. It's like debate tournaments. You see truly introverted people. But I like interacting with the kids (and the fun adults). After a tournament, though, I need *days* to recover. I sleep for literally days. I'm completely drained.

41 and still trying to figure myself out. Oh, and am I ever going to grow up? 'Cause sometimes I think that needs to start happening.

Wordless Wednesday -- Tears on my Flow Pad

I know it's not Wednesday, but I couldn't get my phone to post on Wednesday, so...when the round is going poorly, this happens:

Ha - not really. But when my water dripped on my pretty flow, I could have cried!

#tournamentlife

Review of Devonian's GREEMU

When I saw a review coming up for Devonian, I didn't know what to think; I'd never heard of them. BUT, when I saw that Devonian was making GREEMU, AND that GREEMU is distributed by Koru Naturals, I practically jumped for joy. See, in my house we love Koru Naturals. I have previously reviewed them here and here. I was just perusing their site the other day for more Manuka Honey products, since their moisturizer containing that ingredient has been great for my rosacea. But I digress. In the second review I linked, you can see Therese's magnificent frizz-ball hair. Then you can see it tamed by Emu Oil. That's right - Emu Oil. She has loved what that stuff has done for her hair. She has not loved that it's Emu Oil. Enter -- GREEMU! All of the amazing benefits of Emu Oil with none of the Emu!

I had my doubts that GREEMU could live up to its animal-based cousin, but I was wrong. More on that in a minute.

GREEMU comes from Devonian, a company named for that geologic period and committed to replacing animal products with plant-based ones. They are off to an amazing start with this one. GREEMU looks and feels just like Emu Oil. I have no idea how you replicate the feel of animal fat (I know, I know) with plant-based substances, but Devonian did it. 

Now, Therese and I are obsessed with GREEMU for what it does for her hair, but you can use it for other things; namely it's excellent for dry, chapped skin (hello, allergy season!). It can also be used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (should such things trouble you - I earned mine; I have no desire to fight them). If you would use any facial oil for it (and facial oils like argan oil are all the rage), you can use GREEMU and it will probably work better (dry cuticles, split ends, chapped lips - really almost anything you can think of). I'm telling you, though, if you have dry, frizzy hair, you NEED GREEMU in your life. Witness Therese's before and after using GREEMU. No time has elapsed in these pictures, apart from the time it took her to smooth GREEMU through her hair. (N.B.,  the first ingredient in GREEMU is Macadamia Seed Oil. If you pay any attention at all to hair products, you know that Macadamia is HUGE with expensive hair products and masks. You're getting it here for a fraction of the price!)

Before GREEMU:

GREEMU in half Therese's hair:

GREEMU in all of Therese's hair (but no styling at all done):

All Therese did in the preceding two pictures was smooth GREEMU through her hair. She didn't scrunch her curls, use gel, or do anything else. The difference really is amazing.

GREEMU is available through Koru Naturals for only $10.80 for a 4 oz. bottle (and through 5/31/16 it is 20% off with coupon code GN395Z1). I strongly encourage you to browse the Koru Naturals website while you're there. They have so many amazing products! 

There are, as I have indicated, many uses for GREEMU, so be sure to see how 84 other Crew members have been using it! Click the banner below to read their reviews!

Review of YWAM's Christian Heroes

YWAM Publishing is not a new company to our homeschool, and Corrie Ten Boom is not a new name, but the marriage of the two has turned out to be the perfect way to formally introduce this inspirational figure to my four kids. Christian Heroes - Corrie Ten Boom is part of YWAM Publishing's Christian Heroes series (they also have a Heroes of History series whose books follow the same format). It is a 208 page paperback book recommended for ages 10+. There are 15 chapters and a Bibliography. The book is written by a husband and wife writing team with more than 30 years experience; the authors have also written dozens of other titles for YWAM Publishing. 
Along with the paperback book, we also received a Digital Unit Study.  There is way too much in the unit study to accomplish, which leads to the dreaded picking and choosing (I say dreaded because I, like many homeschool moms, am afflicted with the dread "I must do all of it!!" disorder). It's actually a good thing, though, because the variety allows plenty of choice so that you can select what works for your family. For me, the core of the unit study is the chapter questions section. There are six questions for each chapter of the book, and each chapter's questions follow the same format: a vocabulary question, a factual question, two comprehension questions, and two open-ended more essay-style questions. All of these questions are found in a single section of the study guide, meaning that if chapter questions are the only part of the study guide you're interested in, you don't have to hunt and search for them; that is, the activities are not done by chapter, they are done thematically. I really love that about this study guide. The chapter questions are the one part of the guide we did for every chapter, and I loved being able to find them right away. It would have been frustrating to have to search through "Chapter 1 Activities - Art, Music, Chapter Questions, Drama, Bible, etc." and then do the same thing for Chapter 2. Sorting things thematically makes so much sense, but it's not something I see done in study guides very often.
Another great thing about the study guide is its "Student Explorations" section. The guide allows for many different kinds of learners to shine. From essays to A/V presentations, all students can find something to showcase their understanding of Corrie Ten Boom. Many study guides focus almost exclusively on essay and creative writing exercises (with some cooking or art thrown in because, hey - we're homeschoolers), but this one has drawing, pamphlet design, and TV screenwriting!
How We Used It
I started out reading Corrie Ten Boom to my three youngest children (11, 11, and 12), but quickly realized that I was not going to be able to read fast enough to keep up with their interest. Things like this kept happening:

So I had to turn them loose. All I required was that as they completed a chapter, they told me so that I could have them answer the chapter questions in the study guide. The questions were a great way to check that they had actually read what they thought they read and that they had understood the reading. It turned out to be a great system.

We have read YWAM Publishing's books before, and I anticipate reading more of them. They are well-written and cover some great people that you don't always seem biographies of. Ninety-nine other Crew members read many other books by these great publishers, so be sure to click the banner below to read their thoughts!

Review of Apologia Educational Ministries' Writers in Residence

Apologia Educational Ministries has so many amazing homeschool products, so it really shouldn't be a surprise that they have yet another amazing one for me to talk about, but I have to say that I am really in love with this writing program. Writers in Residence is a Language Arts program with an intensive writing focus. Through the process of writing, students learn about grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. Because it is published by Apologia, you can be sure that your student will be exposed to great Christian content all the way through the curriculum (content that is appropriate for 4th-8th graders). 
Writers in Residence comes as a two-part set with a GINORMOUS 576 page all-in-one, full-color, spiral bound Student Text and Workbook and a much more modest (although still very attractive), green, black, and white print parent answer key (which looks hardbound in the picture above, but is really a very stiff paperbound with nice heavy pages).The parent answer key eliminates all of the instruction portion of the student text, instead focusing only on the questions and answers, providing parents with everything they need to check their student's work.
The Writers in Residence curriculum is designed around a 128 day schedule (yes - a schedule is provided! The whole process of teaching is really made incredibly painless!). Units are divided into easily digested Modules, which are further broken down.

No single day's work is overwhelming at all. One day you might be brainstorming, another day you might be writing a rough draft, and yet another day might see revising. Throughout you will be tackling grammar in the context of what is good writing. Everything flows seamlessly and nothing seems extraneous to the process. After all, why do we want to have good grammar? It makes for more meaningful communication. This curriculum recognizes this fact and teaches grammar in this context. I find it a very effective approach. To get the best idea of how colorful, user-friendly, and *meaty* this program is, I strongly encourage you to check out the sample on this page.




Mary-Catherine (11) and Writers in Residence
To say that Mary-Catherine loves this program is an understatement. When she saw me writing this review, her quote was, "Say that I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this program." Yes, Ma'am! In fact, when I told her I needed her book because I needed to look something up for the review, she protested giving it to me because she was working on writing at the moment and didn't want to stop. Now, *that* is an endorsement!
Mary-Catherine enjoys writing, but her writing lacked structure and discipline (because she's, you know, 11). I was so excited to see that this curriculum allowed her imagination free reign before it called it back to revising and editing....and best of all, it is Mary-Catherine who does the revising and editing! She also scores her writing according to a rubric provided for each exercise:

Talk about taking the tension out of going over writing assignments!

Mary-Catherine began working in the book the day we got it. She didn't wait for instruction and she didn't wait for a schedule. She took it and ran with it:

She's still running with it.

She loves this writing program. She works on it every day. We don't adhere to the schedule. I pretty much just let her do however much she wants. She doesn't do writing as part of her normal school day, because to her it's not school, it's fun. She typically does it at dance class or in her room at night. Don't think that we don't take it seriously, though! She takes it VERY seriously. She always uses her best handwriting and is very careful about how she proceeds in the book. She wants to have the right answers, and she wants her writing assignments to be good (after all, she knows who is going to be evaluating them!). 

If you have a child who is in at least 4th grade, I would strongly encourage you to take a look at this program. The fact that it is all-inclusive is so wonderful, and the fact that it is so attractive is a huge bonus. I'm all for the inexpensive, bare-bones, merely photocopied curriculum, but it just doesn't draw kids in the way something this beautiful does, and let's face it - a kid's *wanting* to work on a class is worth its weight in gold. This is one beautiful curriculum.

Don't take my word for it - click the banner below to read dozens of other Crew members' experiences with Writers in Residence; I bet you'll be convinced!

Flooding in Houston...

15" overnight...no flooding in the house! Flood insurance just in case. Somehow, it seems like there's a haiku there waiting for me.