Catholic Homeschool Support
Review Archive
7/26/08 - My daughter, a somewhat reluctant reader, just inhaled a level 2 saint story from a
series that has been reprinted by www.marys-books.com
. You can read my complete review of these reprints of 2 saint book series aimed at the
early reader at the blog.
Faith Facts for Young Catholics
I wrote a very long review of this resource that I became aware of and wanted to pass along to you.
First of all is a set of 400 "Faith Facts Now Cards". They are divided into sets of 100 cards each.
Each set is printed on a different color of card stock, each card is numbered and the cards are in
alphabetical order. What the cards provide are words and their definitions - a "vocabulary" of the Church.
These could be a stand alone resource, valuable in and of itself.
But they also are designed to work with
two other books, "Faith Facts for Young Catholics" and "more Faith Facts for Young Catholics". The first
book offers 25 different activities that use the above mentioned Faith Fact cards, and black line
masters for a number of other games and activities like Gospel Trivia and Scripture Passage Cards.
The second book, "more Faith Facts for Young Catholics" carries on with the theme, but also
provides some unique items like a time line activity. 16 pages of content are provided include 4 pages
of material to create a timeline, and 40 timeline cards.
For a complete description of the resources, please visit my blog site.
01/13/08 -
Character-Based Writing Lessons is a theme-based writing program that follows the
Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) program. I noted in a post on my
blog about how IEW was
such a blessing to find after five years of avoiding teaching writing to my students. So, I wanted to take
a moment and introduce this little gem. If you like IEW, and you need some affordable lesson plans
either to teach writing in a co-op or to get you off to a stronger start with IEW, or to practice the
models and stylistic techniques, this might be a winner. One of the characters that is written about
in at least 5 units is Mother Teresa. St. Francis of Assisi is another "character" of focus in the program in
addition to Abraham Lincoln. I plan on beginning a writing co-op for my local Catholic homeschool group
using this program.
3/12/08- -Palm Sunday and Holy Week Activities I have compiled a list
of links for coloring pages, Resurrection Cookie recipes, Christian Seder meal ideas and more to
help us focus on this most holy of weeks. God bless you - and - I pray that this Lent has changed
you and brought you closer to our Lord.
1/22/08 - This is a resource for families who have children with special needs, especially those children with
Trisomy 21. Please view the video and then you can visit the blog.
Hidden Treasures: The Trisomy 21 Journey
12/26/07 - Catholic Radio
International is a relative new comer to online audio programming, but they have managed to pull
together a number of weekly shows that are thoughtful, current and uplifting. The newest show that
has been added to the lineup is "Swimming with Scapulars". Three times a week, you can listen to the latest chapters
of the current book - .
You can easily subscribe to the RSS feed for this show right from the show page. So, if you're looking
for free content to listen to while you work out, drive to soccer or clean the house, check out Catholic Radio
International.
12/26/07 - 2007 / 2008 Catholic Homeschool Conferences - I have updated the Conference page - we're blessed as Catholic homeschoolers to find conferences
across the country. I hope that you are able to find one in order to be motivated, inspired and encouraged
by some of the finest Catholic homeschool speakers available, as well as to preview and purchase authentically
Catholic homeschool materials.
11/3/07 - I have added a new online store, courtesy of Amazon that features my favorite homeschool
resources. I hope you find it helpful. Purchase help to support this site.
11/3/07 - I am adding another resource - a review of Catholic and secular homeschool resources.
These are items I have received for review or use with my family. I thought I would share my
experiences with you. I know that it is always a blessing when I find a resource that fits especially
well for our family. Of course no resource is going to be a perfect fit for everyone. So, "Caveat emptor" and
understand these are just my opinons.
Additional shows produced by Catholic Radio International include "Poetry of Pavel Chichikov", "Mary's Touch: Real Life Stories
of Mary's Love", "Heart of the Matter" and "Thread of Grace" and most offer RSS and Itunes feeds.
11/2/07 -
First, to preface this, I am a "revert" and grew up in the Church during the time when I learned that "God is love" - ok, and that is about it.
So, I didn't know a lot about my faith. When God called me back to His Church, I began reading everything
I could find, from
Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians" ,
Surprised by Truth: 11 Converts Give the Biblical and Historical Reasons for Becoming Catholic ,
The Fathers of the Church, Expanded Edition
and more. I fell in deeply in love with the Church and Her Teachings.
The problem was I had no "rote" memory for key concepts of faith - and given the sad state of my brain after eight children,
I had little hope of being able to memorize them. Then I found this treasure of a book. In one evening, I memorize the 10 commandments,
the Beatitudes, the Seven Deady Sins, and more - all in one evening. And, best of all, with a bit of
practice periodically, those facts are mine! Forever!
Softbasics Software
Cost: You may request a free copy of the 7 program Softpak (4 math, 1 language arts, 2 testing) for just a $4.50 s&h.
Scott Cary from Softbasics is a Catholic educator. He contacted me to inquire about passing the word on about his software. I was happy to download it and have my kids try it out - the price is right - later on in the newsletter, I have details of the special offer he is making. I want to support his effort. He is a Catholic parishioner in Massachusetts and I always enjoy passing on information to support Catholic small businesses.
The product uses a very basic interface - and it offers lots of features.
Math User - there are two types of exercises - either true / false or multiple choice. You will find three levels (A, B, and C) with 20 exercises in each level. The problems are word problems.
An example of a T/F, Level A, Exercise 18 is:
The coach wanted us to run for 10 minutes on the track. We ran 10 laps around the 200 yard track so we ran 2000 yards. You answer True or False and then Click Next. If you select the incorrect answer, it simply states that it is incorrect.
Complete Review
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