Composers Activity-Pak - Crew Review

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.


Home School in the Woods provides a wide variety of products that can be used as supplements to any homeschool curriculum. For this review, I was given a digital download of there Composers Activity-Pak for grades 3-8. I am always looking for a way to add hands-on activities and projects to Isabelle’s studies and we have completed many lapbooks to reinforce subject matters. You will notice we did not follow the assembly instructions to create our Composers Lap Book because we have our own methods; but if you have never created a Lap Book, these instructions are included in the digital download.

The Composers Activity-Pak includes six activities to complete an entire Lap Book. Projects includes are Periods of Music, Keyboard Vocabulary, Collection of Composers, Composers Timeline, Pieces with a Purpose, and Music Appreciation. Periods of Music introduces your student to 42 composers from the Middle Ages through the 20^th century. Each period offers a brief description and facts or contributions that made the period distinct. Keyboard Vocabulary offers a unique way to display musical terms and their definitions. Students learn musical terms related to theory, history, form, and technique. Collection of Composers allows students to use books or the internet to research each composer and record facts and music in personal profile booklets. Composers Timeline helps students visualize the period of music in which the composer lived. We did not have time to complete this activity; but I will share the instruction sheet below.

Pieces with a Purpose explores the purpose behind each musician’s piece, whether out of passion, to make a living, or just by request. Students create several mini books to add to their Lap Book – CD player, hymn book, money purse, crown, flag, and opera program. Music Appreciation allows students the opportunity to listen to a variety of pieces from a handful of classical composers while they list some interesting facts about the piece or composer and draw their thoughts in the box on the sheet. MP3 music files are included in the digital download. The Composers Activity-Pak also includes a list of books, audio, and video resources to aid you in your composer study.

Music may not be your subject; but Home School in the Woods has many other resources available, like their US Elections Lap-Pak which would make a great unit study with the upcoming elections. You can learn more about Home School in the Woods through Social Media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.


Visit the Crew Blog to read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew.

Clara Barton - Crew Review

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.


If you enjoy learning about history through literature then I highly recommend the Heroes of History series from YWAM Publishing. I have written several reviews for YWAM Publishing so when I had the opportunity to review another book from the Heroes of History series; I selected Clara Barton.


The book begins with the early childhood years of Clara Barton. At four years old, Clara walked through snowdrifts to the one-room schoolhouse where she surpassed the other students with her reading level. At eight years old, Clara was sent to boarding school but when her father came for a visit and saw her unhappiness, he scooped her up in his arms and took her home. Back home, while ice skating, Clara’s skates hit a patch of rough ice and the sharp edges of ice had slashed her right knee open and severely scraped the other. Three days after this incident, Clara woke her and her right leg felt like it was on fire. It was swollen and blotchy red. She could barely move. It was the first time the doctor had been called for Clara. She was fascinated with the instruments in his medical bag. After recovery, her brother had an incident and the doctor showed Clara how to care for her patient. After his recovery, and her job as nurse was over, she tutored children who had trouble reading and visited sick people in town.


At seventeen years old, Clara passed her teacher’s examination with flying colors, and began teaching on May 14, 1839. In her panic, she read Matthew 5 until her courage grew and she was able to get the children to work on reading and spelling. In 1842, she took time off to nurse her sister Dolly in her final illness. After Dolly’s death, Clara continued to teach, help at church, and nurse the sick people in town.


When she was thirty-two years old, Clara needed a change, so she moved to Washington DC. One thing led to another and she was offered a job working in the Patent Office for Judge Mason. She was the only permanent woman on staff. On March 4, 1861, the office was closed so employees could witness Abraham Lincoln being sworn in as president. On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Clara didn’t have time to panic, she had wounded soldiers to nurse and she gathered supplies to help her boys – the men of the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment. In February 1862, she took leave from her job at the Patent Office to see her father one last time. After Clara poured her heart out to her father about the war, he encouraged her with these words – “Hold your head up. Soldiers, even the roughest of them, always respect a woman who deserves it.” After her father’s funeral, Clara headed back to Washington DC with one goal in mind – to reach the front lines in the fighting. Known during the Civil War as the “Angel of the Battlefield” Clara Barton risked everything to save countless lives on the frontlines of battle. After the war, Clara organized the American Red Cross and tirelessly dedicated her life to its service.  She pressed the point, to adopt the principles of the Red Cross action in peace as well as war. She fought hard to impart this vision to the Red Cross, and she forever shaped its future.


Clara Barton was born on Christmas Day in 1821 and she died on Good Friday in 1912 being ninety-one years old. Once a painfully timid child, Clara was bold as a lion when it came to helping others, whether wayward schoolboys, natural disaster victims, or dying soldiers. Her courage and compassion impacted thousands of people around the globe – black and white, Christian and Muslim, Spanish and American, Confederate and Union.


YWAM Publishing also provides Unit Study Curriculum Guides to accompany the Heroes of History biographies. Each unit study brings to life an individual who powerfully impacted a particular time and place in American history. The Unit Study Curriculum Guide shows the homeschool parent ways to teach each chapter. Key Quotes display quotes and discuss their meaning and relevance to the historical character. Display Corner allows students to collect items from the time and place in which the character lived to create a display. Chapter Questions have your student answer questions for each chapter. Student Explorations are based on your student’s learning style and allow them to complete a project for each chapter. Community Links provide ideas for guest speakers and field trips. Social Studies uses maps and timelines to mark the locations listed in the book and record the list of events on the timeline. Books and Resources provides a collection of books, articles and movies for further study of the Heroes of History character.

You can learn more about YWAM Publishing through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.


Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about this book, Clara Barton, as well as other products from YWAM Publishing.

Family Favorites for Teaching Kindergarten

Every homeschool family is unique. Some know exactly what they want to teach. Some do not know where to begin teaching. If you are unsure what to teach when your student is in Kindergarten, then this post is for you. Our family has used a wide variety of curriculum throughout the years; but my focus today will be sharing family favorites for teaching Kindergarten.

The Adventures in Phonics: Level A course begins with a formal study of phonics – starting with short vowel sounds and logically progressing through consonants, long vowels, and beyond. It uses drill, repetition, and writing activities to ensure comprehension. It is designed to work with the Kindergarten Phonics Readers, which students are prompted to begin reading once the phonics concepts for a given title have been studied.

The Kindergarten Phonics Readers are designed to complement Adventures in Phonics: Level A. The first two readers emphasize single-syllable short vowel words. Simple consonant blends are introduced on a regular basis throughout the series. Each reader is filled with Christ-honoring stories that are one to three pages in length.

In the Beginning is the first of two books devoted to manuscript style handwriting. Students use a modified version of the Palmer method to learn both capital and lower-case letters.

Liberty Mathematics: Level K is a math workbook that introduces students to primary mathematical concepts. Topics covered include counting from 0-100, addition and subtraction facts from 0-10, counting on a line, basic shapes and colors, comparison of sizes, telling time and counting money, basic measurement, and place value.


Our family’s focus was to keep things simple to build a solid foundation for the coming years. In addition to the above curriculum, we played a variety of educational games to reinforce concepts and keep learning fun. With so many curriculum options out there, feel free to share in the comments some of your family favorites for teaching Kindergarten.


Happy Homeschooling!

Continent Race - Crew Review

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.


Our family enjoys playing educational games so we were excited to review Continent Race from Byron’s Games. This is a fun geography game with maps for ages seven and older. The object of the game is to be the first player to collect two cards from Australia/Oceania and four cards each from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. To begin play, the dealer deals seven cards, face down, to each player. Play begins with the player to the dealer’s left. On each turn, players draw one card and discard one card face up. Each time a player discards, they must announce the country name and continent of the discarded card. This was actually comical in our house because we all laughed when my youngest tried to pronounce country names that she was not familiar with; but after we corrected her pronunciation, she remembered for the next round of play. If a player draws a country card that completes one of the continent groups, then the player must place that continent group on the table, face up, and announce the names of the countries in the continent group. This is a great way to review phonetic pronunciation with students. The first player to collect the required number of country cards for each continent group is mere steps from winning the game. The winner must call out and locate their country cards on the map.

There are two levels of play. The basic level of play removes the orange mystery cards from the deck and ignores the optional challenge symbol that appears on some cards. The advanced level of play includes the orange mystery cards and invites players to challenge one another with the cards that feature the challenge symbol. If the player draws a mystery card, they must figure out which continent the country is from. This encourages students to explore the maps and discover locations. Once the player determines the continent, they decide if they want to keep the country card or discard it face up. If you discard it, you still have to announce the name of the country and its continent, so that the next player may determine if they want to draw from the draw pile our from the discard pile. If a player draws a card with a challenge symbol, they have the option to challenge another player to see who can name more countries from that continent. Players have fifteen seconds to look over the map and name as many countries as they can recall. The winner of the challenge gets to draw three additional cards and determine which three they want to discard, so that they only have seven cards in their hand.


I must admit, the first time we read the directions of play, we were puzzled; but after watching a video of play, we were able to play with confidence. My girls loved playing the advance level of play; and it was a joy to see them select an educational game over an electronic game because they had fun this geography game, even my college girl would play when her little sister would ask. I love how this game uses maps and encourages players to find each location.  I am also pleased to announce that a portion of Byron’s Games profits benefit select children’s charities.

Learn more about Byron's Games through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Continent Race as well as other products from Byron’s Games.

Coronavirus Concerns Cause Parents to Consider Homeschooling

As many school districts discuss possible temporary shut downs due to the coronavirus, many parents consider homeschooling as an alternative to protect their children. Homeschooling may be just what you need to put your fears at ease.

Pulling your child out of school mid-year is not a new concept. In fact, every year there are a substantial number of homeschoolers that begin homeschooling in the middle of the school year. Homeschooling is legal in every state of the United States. Though specific requirements and laws vary from state to state. In fact, you could start homeschooling today. I have been homeschooling for fourteen years and I would like to share a few steps to help you get started with homeschooling – whether you plan on homeschooling for the long haul or just temporarily homeschooling while the world sorts out how to get on top of this new virus.

·         Research your state homeschooling laws.

·         Understand your student’s learning styles.

·         Purchase curriculum that supports your homeschool goals.

·         Organize your curriculum and create your lesson plans.

·         Start homeschooling!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I will be happy to help you start homeschooling; and if you live in southeast Texas, THE Book Nook can help you with curriculum.

Happy Homeschooling!

Venturing with God in Congo - Crew Review

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. 


Venturing with God in Congo from Conjurske Publications shares a riveting memoir of Darrell Champlin’s missionary exploits in the Congo jungles. The story begins when Darrell Champlin met Louise Grings at the Fundamental Bible Institute. Darrell was raised in the United States and Louise on the mission field in the Belgian Congo of Africa. They were married on June 18, 1951. God brought the two together for a mutual purpose, to serve the God of Heaven on the mission field.


In June, 1954, Darrell Champlin and his family began their first term on the mission field. After working with the people, Darrell describes them as mentally, philosophically, and physically living in the past. The basic drive of the tribal people of African origin is to repeat the past. The people were brought as slaves in Africa and are still dedicated to the preservation of the ways of their fathers. To live with them, missionaries have to physically and mentally step back in time. Isaiah 8 and Matthew 4 describes the people in Congo, people in a helpless state of obscurity, blindness, darkness, destruction, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness. No one in the Ongo village had ever come near to being friendly to either a missionary or his message. Many attempts to hold a service were spurned by the people. Many departed out of sight; but Darrell continued to preach as loudly as possible, calling upon those behind the houses to listen to the message of Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:9 admonishes us – “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The people which sat in darkness saw great light. Twelve people confessed the Lord Jesus in the village of Ongo! The church grew rapidly and it became an all-Christian village.


The church building was constructed with walls of tampered clay, a roof of palm leaves, a dirt floor, and the door was just an opening between the walls at the front of the building. The pews were made of split logs. They constructed the church building, like they constructed their own home. The house had no window or doors, just holes in the wall, so it was possible for anything (even creepy crawlies) to be in the house at any time.


The family lived on $28 a month their first term in Congo. Their total monthly support averaged $168 the first six years. Of this support, $140 went into the work, and they kept $28 for themselves to purchase flour, sugar, powdered milk, palm oil, rock salt, rice, occasional field corn or sweet potatoes, and the cassava root. Darrell hunted their meat and they would eat a leaf of the cassava plant seven days a week as their basic vegetable.


The Simba Revolution of 1964 in Congo evacuated the family back to the United States where they sought the Lord’s direction. God let them in 1965 to their next mission field in Suriname, South Africa where they worked with descendants of tribal groups whom they had ministered to in Congo. In 1977, the Champlin family began representing Independent Faith Mission part-time. They would make two trips each year, spring and fall, to speak at various churches and Bible colleges; while summer and winter months were spent in Suriname. In 1988, Darrell and Louise returned to Congo where there founding churches and schools were still going on for the Lord.


Darrell came to Congo with one God-given question for the people – “Do you know God?” After years of faithful and fruitful service, he passed away in Suriname on August 26, 2015 and was buried in the jungle where he lived, labored, and loved.

Louise has compiled the stories within this book, along with a photo gallery, to stir your heart and challenge your mind to serve the God of Heaven Who is so worthy. I also want to encourage you to visit https://archive.org/details/DarrellChamplin for a full archive of the author’s sermons. I have always had a heart for missions; but this book has caused me to dig a little deeper and learn to love like Christ loved. Darrell truly loved the people of Congo. He pressed on, despite how he was treated. Luke 6:27-28 admonishes us – “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” May we learn to live out this verse, so that we may be a light in the darkness.

To learn more about this publisher, visit their Facebook page.

Visit the Crew Blog to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Venturing with God in Congo from Conjurske Publications.

Using Literature to Teach Subtraction

Many of us use a curriculum to teach math; but using literature to teach math can be a great teaching tool. I am continuing this math literature series with some of the best books to teach subtraction. With my love for literature and math; it only makes sense to combine the two, so I have gathered some of my favorite books that teach subtraction in the elementary classroom.


Subtraction Action by Loreen Leedy introduces subtraction through the activities of animal students. Readers learn basic subtraction, the definition of the word difference, how to write an equation, and a basic lesson on regrouping while they take a trip with these animal students to the school fair.


The Action of Subtraction by Brian Cleary reinforces the concepts of subtraction through rhyming text filled with funny examples that show what it means to take one number away from another. Readers are also introduced to terminology they’ll encounter as they learn more about subtraction. Use this book to attract the attention of students who think they don’t like math!


Elevator Magic by Stuart Murphy teaches simple subtraction in story form as Ben and his mother are in an elevator and must make a few stops on their way to the ground. When the elevator goes down, the subtraction starts and so does the magic. Ben sees something new every time the door opens. Ride along as he subtracts his way down to the lobby, and decide for yourself if it’s elevator magic.


The Hershey’s Kisses Subtraction Book by Jerry Pallotta teaches subtraction using a sweet treat. Children love chocolate, and what better way to teach them the basics of subtraction that with yummy Hershey’s kisses.


Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart Murphy reinforces the concepts of subtraction through the well-known party game “musical chairs”. With each round, one monster is out and the minus-1 aspect is more visual. After each round, point out subtraction problems to your student; or the fun game aspect of the storyline could completely override the math lesson.


These are only a few of my favorite books that teach subtraction, there are so many more out there! Feel free to share in the comments what you consider the best book to teach subtraction.