19 Gifts Promo

Disclaimer: I will receive a FREE copy of this product through SchoolhouseTeachers.com in exchange for this post.

When you sign up for an Ultimate Annual Membership with SchoolhouseTeachers.com in May, you can receive their 19 Gifts Promo! After checking out with coupon code: 19GIFTS, you will have immediate access to your Ultimate Annual Membership and all that SchoolhouseTeachers.com has to offer; and within 6-8 weeks you will receive The Old Schoolhouse tote bag filled with gift cards for the following gifts:

Enrichment Studies for students to study 100 women composers from the Byzantine era, the Renaissance, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, all the way up to contemporary women composers that are still alive and creating music today. As a piano teacher who teaches classical music, I am especially looking forward to this gift!

Character Concepts brings to life 40 fascinating characters from history. A great gift for anyone who loves to study America’s War of Independence.

Learn and Color Books is offering a printable PDF of Color Thru History – The People Of Early Civilization educational coloring book. From Creation to Esther, it can be used as a stand-alone history curriculum or as an addition to what you are already using.

IEW is gifting a Structure and Style Overview video. With highlights from the 14-hour Teaching Writing: Structure and Style course, this 2-hour video will introduce students to IEW’s effective and enjoyable writing methodology.

Travel with Music is gifting a one-year online subscription. TWM offers over 200 proprietary video clips organized into 30 units featuring interviews with master musicians of 15 world cultures.

Writing with Sharon Watson is gifting a 33-page eBook that provides seven weeks of lessons to teach students how to take notes from auditory sources. Students will also learn to recognize important concepts and draw conclusions from oral and written sources.

Apprentice Art Studio is offering a printable PDF with video lesson to teach students the process of preparing a substrate for a mixed media collage. I look forward to using this with my daughter who is pursuing a degree in Studio Art.

Spanish Education Solutions is gifting a two-month online subscription. This program is created and taught by a certified Spanish teacher. This curriculum may help my daughter as she prepares to take Spanish I in high school.

HSLDA is offering a $15 gift certificate that is valid through March 31, 2021. HSLDA offers a variety of products to help you homeschool your children.

Everyday Education focuses on teaching classical literature and evaluating writing. This gift will help you approach high school English with confidence. You will receive the Working It Out eBook and an audio workshop on teaching classical literature to teens.

Step Up Your Performance is a grammar and writing course for 7^th-12^th graders. The courses are subscription-based, self-paced, and college preparatory.

Nallenart makes it easy to teach French. L’Art de LIRE combines beginning conversational French with an introduction to French phonics, enabling children to read simple stories in French. You will receive Level 1 which includes student work pages, teacher key, flashcards, and mp3 audio.

Etiquette Lessons Foundation is gifting a E.L.F. Student Workbook which contains 8 lessons in table manners and good social behavior. Each lesson includes an activity and a quiz and can be shared with the whole family.

Brinkman Adventures is offering an audio download. Each episode will entertain while encouraging the faith of every listener.

Homeschool Court provides Christian mock trial curriculum for homeschoolers. From the basics of the judicial system and types of law to students participating in a mock trial, this curriculum engages students in a fun way. This will be a great addition to our government class.

Chess House is gifting a pocket chess set. The set comes with a starter guides and students learn how to checkmate with confidence as they interact with their opponent.

Grace Works Interactive is offering a download of their 1 Timothy Interactive Bible Game. The game challenges the player with facts, questions, and dialogs. A great Bible-based product for your family, church, or homeschool.

Learn to Play Music Publishers, INC is gifting a one-month online subscription. This family membership provides more than 1,500 step-by-step videos to learn up to 15 instruments. If you choose to continue, it’s only $19.95 monthly for your entire family. My girls play piano, flute, and saxophone, so this may inspire them to learn a new instrument.

Take advantage of the 19 Gifts Promo and receive The Old Schoolhouse tote bag ($527.71 value)! Your bag will contain gift cards providing you with information on how to redeem your complimentary gifts.

Hashtag #19GIFTS on social media.

Happy Homeschooling!

Second Form Latin - 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.


The Second Form Latin Complete Set from Memoria Press makes it easy to teach Latin grammar because it is designed for teachers with or without a Latin background. First Form Latin is a complete set that includes everything you need to lay a solid foundation for your student, and Second Form Latin is a complete set that includes everything you need to further your student’s study of Latin grammar. The complete set includes:

·         Student Text

·         Student Workbook

·         Teacher Manual

·         Teacher Key for Workbook, Quizzes and Tests

·         Quizzes and Tests

·         Pronunciation CD

·         Instructional DVDs

·         Vocabulary Flashcards

There are two major pronunciation systems, Christian and Classical. This text uses Christian pronunciation because it is closer to modern English. The lessons are written for a class, but they can easily be adapted for one student. Second Form Latin is ideal for grades 6 and up. Each lesson plan is designed to be covered in one week; and each lesson plan has four numbered sections in the Teacher Manual. This worked great with our four-day school week.


On Monday, we watched the lesson on the DVD. Each lesson is about 15-20 minutes with superb explanation. After watching the lesson, we worked on recitation. This is an oral recitation of previously learned grammar forms. After recitation, we reviewed grammar questions, Latin sayings, vocabulary, and grammar chalk-talk.  The chalk-talk scripted lessons approach grammar in a fun way, like a detective looking for clues.

On Tuesday, we completed the workbook pages. Each lesson provides 4-6 pages of exercises. The workbook exercises are generally organized into these sections: word study, grammar, conjugations, declensions, oral drills, translation skills, and review. Each section logically follows the one that precedes it and prepares for the one that follows.

On Wednesday, we completed the oral drills. This is also when we reviewed the vocabulary flashcards.


On Thursday, we completed the quiz for that lesson. These have been helpful to see where we need more work. You do not want to move on to the next lesson until you have mastered the previous lesson.


When my girls studied First Form Latin, they learned six indicative active tenses of the first two verb conjugations, five noun declensions, first and second declension adjectives, and 185 vocabulary words. After they complete their studies in Second Form Latin, they will have learned 2^nd declension -er and -ir nouns and adjectives, 3^rd declension i-stem nouns, 3^rd declension adjectives of two terminations, 1^st and 2^nd person pronouns, possessive pronoun adjectives, ablative and accusative prepositions, as well as 3^rd and 4^th conjugations in six tenses. First Form Latin and Second Form Latin teach Latin grammar completely and thoroughly and move the student firmly into translation and reading.


If you are a teacher without any Latin background, a Latin text can be very intimidating. However, you can learn Latin and teach your students at the same time using the Second Form Latin Complete Set. Each item in this complete set has been beneficial and easy to implement.


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

Using Literature to Teach Muliplication

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 multiplication. 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 multiplication in the elementary classroom.


One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor Pinczes uses a rhyming text to describe the progress of one hundred ants marching toward a picnic. To travel faster, the ants start off in 1 row of 100, then 2 rows of 50, and so on until they get to 10 rows of 10. Their frantic reorganization takes so long that the picnic is gone by the time they arrive.


How Do You Count a Dozen Ducklings by Seon Chae does not use a rhyming text; but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the educational value of this book. To keep track of her 12 ducklings, Mama Duck counts her ducklings one by one as they hatch, but soon she finds a clever new way to count to twelve – by twos, threes, fours, and sixes! Each duckling has an individual hairstyle and a personality to go with it, making the bold colorful illustrations fun to follow.


Breakfast at Danny’s Diner by Judith Stamper uses real-life to teach math calculations. While Tina and Tony help out at the diner, they must put their multiplication skills to work as they work through word problems, such as how many eggs are needed to complete three orders of Danny’s breakfast special with each serving needing three eggs. The simple text and cartoons capture the excitement and pressure of actually surviving the morning rush at the diner.


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

Math Essentials - 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.


Mastering Essential Math Skills Book 2 Middle Grades/High School from Math Essentials is not just a math book, but a system of teaching math. Mastering Essential Math Skills is based on a system of teaching that was developed by a math instructor over a twenty-year period. The system has allowed sixth-grade students to bypass the seventh-grade program and move directly into the eighth-grade program. The book is divided into eight chapters, which cover whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percent, geometry, integers, charts and graphs, and problem solving. Each daily lesson contains five key parts: two speed drills, review exercises, helpful hints, a section containing new material, and a daily word problem.

Each lesson in the book has a corresponding video lesson taught by veteran sixth-grade teacher, Richard Fisher. The book also includes a final review, answer key, glossary, important symbols, multiplication table, square roots chart, and fraction/decimal equivalents chart.

Mastering Essential Math Skills is best used on a daily basis. You can use this math program as your main curriculum or use it as a supplement to reinforce concepts your student may be struggling with. This math program is very easy to follow and students can complete their work within 20 minutes each day.


Although this book states it is for middle grades and high school, I would recommend the book for middle school grades only. When my 8^th grader, soon to be 9^th grader, flipped through this book she said, “I already know this.” Even my 12^th grader said, “I am not doing something I already know.” Needless to say, this book was not a good fit for our family; but if you have a middle school student who struggles with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percent, or integers, this book would be a great tool to reinforce math concepts. I would not recommend this book for high school students.


You can learn more about Math Essentials through social media on Facebook.


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

Beyond the Stick Figure - 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.


Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses from Beyond the Stick Figure Art School is an online art curriculum for children. The course provides step by step instruction with 53 lessons in drawing, 15 lessons in pen and ink, 53 lessons in watercolor, 24 lessons in acrylic, and 32 lessons in 3D design. Each section finishes with a “How Am I Doing?” section which allows students to evaluate their progress. Each video lesson varies in length from as little as one minute to ten minutes. Students watch each lesson and then print the download workbook to complete the lesson. Sally encourages students to see the world in shapes as they create their own masterpieces.  


Please note, the course is incremental; and each lesson builds on the last. All students are required to begin with the drawing course and they cannot move on until they have marked the lesson complete. In order to complete the drawing course, students need the following materials – a pack of PRISMACOLOR markers with primary and secondary colors, a pack of copy paper cut into fourths, and a sketch pad.


Throughout the drawing course, Sally teaches students to see the world in shapes. First, students learn to draw with circles; and color in negative space with a different color.

Next, students learn to draw with dots.

Next, students learn to draw with curved lines; and color in negative space with a different color.

Next, students learn to draw with straight lines.

Then, students put together these shapes and create their own masterpiece.

The course progresses as students learn their primary colors and how to create their secondary colors. Students even make a color chart with the listed marker name and number. Sally uses very simple techniques to teach students how to be an artist in a step by step manner. Students trace and connect dots before they draw on their own.

This course was very simple for my senior in high school who will be pursuing a degree in studio art this fall; but she has enjoyed working through the lessons to develop habits like a professional artist. In fact, she even learned that Leonardo Di Vinci could draw a perfect circle by hand. Sally has taught my daughter to see the world as an artist; and that there is no right or wrong way to do art.


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

Fermentools - Crew Review

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


For this review, FERMENTOOLS provided me with a Starter Fermentation Kit which included a stainless-steel lid, a glass fermentation weight, an airlock system, a rubber stopper, a rubber gasket, and a bag of Himalayan powered salt.


Fermenting vegetables might seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually much easier than canning vegetables. During the process of canning, the food in the jar is boiled to kill any micro-organisms that might be living in the food. During boiling, a vacuum seal is created and oxygen cannot enter the jar. During fermentation, you also eliminate the food’s exposure to oxygen by keeping it submerged in a salt brine. Canning focuses on killing exposure to spoilage, whereas fermenting focuses on suppressing bad bacteria and encouraging good bacteria.


While you can ferment any vegetable you like, you will want to make sure the ingredients in your jar are roughly the same shape and size. This will ensure that they all ferment at the same rate.

For this review, our family fermented carrots using the following steps for a tasty, probiotic-rich snack.

1.       We packed a wide-mouthed mason jar with the carrots and covered them with saltwater (a mixture of powdered salt and non-chlorinated water).

2.       We placed the glass weight on top of the carrots to ensure they would stay below water level.

3.       We placed the rubber gasket on the rim and placed the stainless-steel lid on top of that before we tightened it down with the ring from the mason jar lid.

4.       We placed the airlock system within the rubber stopper and we placed it in the hole.

Fermentation is done when the vegetables taste good to you. Fermentation can be fast or slow, depending on the temperature and the vegetables being fermented. So grab a taste every day or so to check flavors. You can store your fermented vegetables in a cool place once they have reached the flavor you like. Cooler temperatures slow down fermentation, so your veggies will stay good for months. The joy of fermenting is making each recipe unique to your palate. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to fermenting. The options are truly endless when you have the FERMENTOOLS you need to ferment with success!


The Starter Fermentation Kit can be purchased for $21.49, but I have a coupon code for 15% off any purchase. To receive the discount, apply coupon code: CREW2020 at checkout. The discount is good through June 30, 2020.


You can learn more about FERMENTOOLS through social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.  


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

Using Literature to Teach Division

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 division. 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 division in the elementary classroom.


The Multiplying Menace Divides by Pam Calvert allows readers to learn about dividing by whole numbers and fractions, as well as division rules for equations involving zero, while they follow Peter and Zero on a math adventure. After being banished to the Abyss of Zero, Rumpelstiltskin is back, and he’s stirring up more trouble than ever. Together with his sidekick, Matilda, Rumpelstiltskin plots his revenge on Peter and uses his magical powers to divide the kingdom into frogs. Peter and his dog, Zero, must locate the Great Multiplier and find a solution that will break the Great Divide before Rumpelstiltskin has a chance to combine the two mighty math sticks. This book is a perfect mix of math, fairy tale, and fun.


Divide and Ride by Stuart Murphy introduces division skills as eleven children sort themselves into smaller groups in order to go on the Dare Devil Coaster and the Twin Spin cars at a carnival. The cartoon illustrations capture the character’s diverse activities.


Cheetah Math: Learning About Division from Baby Cheetahs by Ann Whitehead Nagda allows readers to learn about division from these baby cheetahs and their canine friends. When two young cubs come to the nursery at the San Diego Zoo, the staff hopes they will help visitors learn more about the plight of cheetahs in the wild. Majani and Kubali are very shy; but with the help of their dog buddies, they become perfect animal ambassadors. Readers learn division through animal math.


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

Happy Homeschooling!