REVIEW: Song School Spanish by Classical Academic Press

My daughter, Haylee (8), and I had the pleasure of reviewing Song School Spanish Book and CD and Teacher’s Edition by Classical Academic Press.

What Is It?

Song School Spanish is a program that engages early elementary students in grade K-3 with 30 lively lessons that include songs, vocabulary, illustrations, handwriting practice, stories, games, and activities.  It includes a mild introduction to grammar, and its CD of 42 songs and chants gets auditory learners motivated to learn and remember Spanish words, phrases, and pronunciation.

The complete curriculum consists of:

• Song School Spanish student workbook with CD – $24.95
  
  • Includes 30 weekly lessons including review chapters, CD of 42 songs and chants, over 100 everyday vocabulary words, lots of activities and workbook pages.
   
• Song School Spanish teacher’s edition – $24.95
  • Includes the entire student text, answer keys, additional teacher’s notes, and fun ideas for interactive activities.  It also includes over 40 pages (plus answer keys) of additional workbook pages and activities for advanced students or for those wanting additional practice.

Spanish Amigo Match – $26.95

• This is a suggested supplemental activity that is not required to complete the core curriculum, but can enhance learning through flashcard and matching activities.

All 3 of the components listed above can be purchased in a money-saving bundle for $66.95.

In addition, the Classical Academic Press website provides you with some very nice downloadable bonus tracks to aid in teaching and learning.  These are available at the bottom of this page under Bonus Files:

• Pronunciation Guide
• Bonus Songs

They also suggest heading over to the HeadventureLand website to have your student play games, read stories, and watch video adventures that correspond to Song School Spanish materials.

Our Experience:

I used the teacher’s edition and student workbook with CD with my 3rd grade daughter, Haylee, during the review period.  The text laid out a suggested schedule for me that seemed really reasonable.  It went something like this:

Day 1:  Haylee would read through the list of vocabulary words or phrases for the week.  She would then listen to the pronunciation guide audio file, which we downloaded from the website.  (This is nicely catalogued and easy to use.  I was really thankful for this resource, because I have never engaged in any Spanish studies myself, so it was important for her to hear the words spoken by a native speaker.)  Then she would listen to the corresponding song or chant on the CD.

Day 2:  Haylee would read through the list of vocabulary words or phrases again and speak them aloud to me.  Then she would listen to and sing along with the song from the CD again.  She would then read the chapter lesson in the workbook and do the exercises that followed it, stopping when she reached the Show What You Know section. 

Day 3:  Haylee would say all of the vocabulary words or phrases aloud, sing the chant or song along with the CD, and practice singing it without accompaniment.  She would review previous words/phrases and songs from other chapters, and then complete the Show What You Know section to finish out the chapter.

We did not own the Spanish Amigo Cards, so I can’t attest to those personally, but I can imagine they would be a great supplemental activity, allowing the student to match together Spanish and English phrases and words that they’ve learned.

We found the lists of vocabulary words to be just about right in terms of the amount of material to work with at one time. 

Haylee enjoyed the songs/chants very much and found herself singing them randomly around the house!  In fact, both of us had the tunes stuck in our heads from time to time.  Each tune repeated the lyrics 3 or 4 times before the song ended, so you were able to practice the words a number of times without replaying the song, but we didn’t find the repetition annoying. On the contrary, we found it helped us to master singing along by the time the songs came to an end, and then we’d usually repeat it again for good measure once we’d gotten the hang of them.

The workbook activities provided a wide range of varying pencil assignments like matching, fill-in-the-blanks, circle the best answer, and direct translation.

The review chapter that we did included all of the songs and words from the previous 3 chapters, a short play, and a chapter story that used the words that had been learned.  The Chapter Story provided a wonderful opportunity to see the words and phrases used in context, which helped solidify what we’d studied.

Overall, we found the Song School Spanish program to be fun, engaging, highly interactive, and effective in teaching practical everyday Spanish vocabulary.  Haylee enjoyed it so much that she has decided to continue using the program to the end.  I can definitely recommend it as a way to make basic early foreign language learning fun and memorable!

See what other Crew members had to say about this and other products from Classical Academic Press by clicking the banner below.

     Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse 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. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Our Valentine’s tradition in the Burgess household is to have heart-shaped waffles for breakfast.  But this year, we decided to try something a little different. 

So I broke out the Babycakes Cake Pop maker and whipped up some pancake batter.  I served pancake puppies in a bowl topped with their choice of cinnamon apples or strawberries in light syrup with whipped cream on top. YUM!  That was fun!  It was a big hit with all of three of them.  I think a new tradition has been born this day!

Later this afternoon, we’re hosting a Valentine’s Card Exchange and Dessert Potluck with fellow homeschoolers at Redwing Park.  Then tonight, I’m headed off with a friend to see “A Streetcar Named Desire” performed by the Virginia Opera.  This should be a fun day! 

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

My kids were talking about planets the other day, and I was reminded of the funniest little thing my oldest son used to do when he was little.

Hayden is thirteen now…but once upon a time, he was a big-time fan of Blue’s Clues…you know, way back when Steve was the main guy in the show (instead of his dorky cousin or whatever).  Hayden had the little “thinking pad” notebook with the giant red plastic spiral at the top and a giant blue crayon, he had the little “mailbox” and loved to visit the local Children’s Museum to sit in the giant “thinking chair.”  He even had the striped polo shirt and khaki pants that Steve wore on the show.  He sang the songs all.the.time…and he cracked me up singing “Mail Time” and swinging his arms back and forth, LOL.

But the best part was this little electronic toy he had from the show that taught you the names and order of the planets through a song.  We still sing it today, and it goes like this:

Well, the sun’s a hot star,

And Mercury’s hot, too.

Venus is the brightest planet;

Earth’s home to me and you!

Mars is the red one,

And Jupiter’s most wide.

Saturn’s got those icy rings,

And Uranus spins on its side.

Neptune’s really windy,

And Pluto’s really small.

Well, we wanted to name the planets,

And now we’ve named them all!

Cute, huh?  Well, the hilarious part is that when Hayden was a preschooler, he misunderstood the words and used to sing it as “Saturn’s got those SPICY rings”…ROFL!  His dad and I used to crack up laughing, ‘cause he really thought that’s what it said!  He always did love food, so it didn’t surprise me that he thought of it as some big onion ring or something!  LOL. 

I think Steve and I will laugh about that until our dying day.  Too funny.  And just think…we get to embarrass Hayden with that story for the rest of our lives. 

Kids really do say the darndest things!   

So do tell…what funny thing did one of your children used to say?  Please share in the comments.  I could use a good laugh today.

REVIEW: Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day by Apologia

We had the opportunity to review Exploring Creation with Zoology 3:  Land Animals and the corresponding Junior Notebooking Journal by Apologia.

WHAT IS IT?:

Apologia offers a series of science books for elementary, middle, and high school students.  The Zoology series is designed for elementary students in grades K-6.  The Land Animals book we reviewed is the third book in the Zoology series.  The material allows children to explore God’s amazing land animals, including carnivorous animals, marsupials, primates, rodents, ungulates, artiodactyla, squam ata, rhynchocephalia, repitles, amphibians, dinosaurs, arthropods, gastropods, and worms.  Children investigate a variety of terrains such as jungles, deserts, forests, farms, and even their own backyards!




The corresponding Junior Notebooking Journal is designed for younger elementary students, particularly in grades K-2.  The Junior Notebooking Journal is recommended for younger or older students who have not yet mastered handwriting, older students with learning disabilities, or students that are new to written narration.
Each lesson in the Junior Notebooking Journal starts with two fun coloring pages that the students can complete while they listen to the material being read to them.  Then there are opportunities for creative expression where children can draw and write a couple of sentences about what they’ve learned.  Then there are activities that help the child learn vocabulary words in a fun and engaging way with things like beginner crosswords, matching activities, etc.  There are also Map-It activities that include bright animal stickers.



The hardcover student textbook is available from Apologia for $39.00.  The softcover, spiral-bound Notebooking Journals (regular or junior versions) are available for $24.00 each.

OUR EXPERIENCE:
 

I am happy to say that we thoroughly enjoyed this product, right from the very start!  I love how the junior notebooking journal lays out a suggested schedule for me with what to read and which activities to do per day and per week.  The suggested pace is 1 chapter per 2 weeks.  If I had been using this as my primary science curriculum, that would have worked out quite well, I think.  But since we used this as a supplement to our regular science during the review period, we set aside one or two days per week and completed all of the reading on one day, and all of the activities on another day.  This worked well for us, but the children did say it was a lot of reading for one sitting.  That’s why I think the suggested pace would probably be just right for the kids.  I, on the other hand, was so intrigued with the reading that I found it hard to stop until it was finished!  Interestingly enough, my 13-year old son also found it very interesting, and even he picked up some facts along the way that were new and fascinating, even for him.

I can’t express how impressed I am with this product!  The text is very engaging and informative, yet in a way that is not dry and boring like many public school science textbooks I can remember.  The illustrations and photographs are vivid and relevant to the text at hand.  I absolutely love the way science topics are explained from a creationist perspective.  After biting my tongue all through my years in public school when the theory of evolution was readily spoon-fed to me, I was absolutely delighted by Apologia Zoology 3’s explanation of natural selection, which made absolute sense to me and my children.  Ask yourself:  does it make more sense that a cat evolved into a horse due to adaptation to its environment over millions of years, or is it more sensible that the combinations of genes through breeding within a “kind” created variations, where only those best fitting their environment survived in a given area and subsequently continued to reproduce?  BINGO!  Not only does it match my beliefs, but it also just plain makes sense!  This is the kind of science I want my children learning.  I’ve concluded that Apologia is for us!

As for the journaling activities, I was just as pleased with those.  Apologia recommends that you select your journal level based on whether or not the children are comfortable writing paragraphs, not based solely upon their age or grade level. I wanted to make sure my youngest could participate, while my 3rd grader is a beginner writer who lacks confidence, and my oldest just plain does not enjoy writing at all. For these reasons, I thought the junior journal would allow active participation of the younger two while keeping it fun for the oldest. Our goal was to do a fun group study of the material while using it as a supplement to our regular science programs, so keeping it fun and light was important for us.  I am happy with my choice of the Junior Notebooking Journal.  It included such activities as coloring pages with scripture related to the reading, fill-in-the-blank pages to review facts covered in the material, experiments that illustrate a concept in the chapter, and hands-on activities that help the student recall facts learned through the creation of mini-books, lift-the-flap pages, newsletters, etc. The text also included mapping activities, and there were stickers in the back of the journal to use for those.  The purpose of this is to identify where each type of animal is typically found.  You need a large wall map for this.

For my family, I found that we all enjoyed the reading and learned things we didn’t know, and my 3rd grade daughter especially enjoyed the journaling activities.  My older son and my daughter often took turns recording facts that we learned, but any creative activities were best matched to her.

I also really like the “What Do You Remember?” section in the textbook.  This was a great way to recall information and check for understanding from the chapter.  We did those as a group, and my kids loved racing to see who could answer first.  I was impressed that each of them remembered so much from the reading, which I did aloud.  That demonstrated to me how interesting they found the material to be, since they had clearly paid such close attention to details while I read to them.

In looking back at the chapters we’ve covered during the review period, I can see how useful a tool the journal can be, since it becomes a storehouse of tools for reviewing what they’ve learned over time.  What a wonderful keepsake to refer to again and again!  I love how everything is printed in the book so I don’t have any printing or copying or prep work to do in order to complete the activities.

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to review this wonderful product, and I highly recommend it to any Christian homeschool family that wishes to study science from a creationist perspective.  I look forward to using other books in the series with my kids in the future. 

Take a look at what other Crew members had to say about this and other science books and journals from Apologia by clicking the banner below.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse 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.  All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Holden’s 5th Burgess Birthday Bash!

The big day for Holden’s birthday party finally came.  We always do it on the first Saturday in January, after everyone’s holiday happenings have drawn to a close.  We still managed to find a few of our friends traveling or working on this weekend, but it usually works out best for most around that time.

He was really, really excited.  I think this Christmas and this birthday were the most memorable for him…he was old enough to really “get” what was going on, and young enough to think they were the coolest events ever!

So this year, he wanted a football theme.  I set out to draw half of a football field on his cake.  I would have gone for the whole thing if I’d made a half sheet cake, but half a field was the best I could do on a 13”x9”!  LOL.  Steve and Hayden worked on the goal post out of toothpicks and play-doh.

Holden thought it was awesome, and that was all that mattered to me!                                                                                                  

                                 

Next up was the cake pops.  He really, really wanted cake pops.  I was already doing the strawberry 1/4 sheet cake and 24 Funfetti cupcakes with cold whipped frosting, but he insisted on the chocolate cake pops, too.  So I stayed up until 2 AM the night before and got busy baking, frosting, dipping, and sprinkling my heart out.  I ended up with 50 cake pops dipped in chocolate with 8 different kinds of sprinkles, all individually wrapped and tied with a bow.  Oh, and they were delicious, if I may say so myself!

                                   

 

 

When we all gathered around to sing happy birthday to him, he kept blowing out the candles before we were done singing…I tried twice, and he did the same thing both times!  So no pictures of him blowing out the candles this time.  Crazy boy!  He sure was in a hurry to make his wish. 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon trying the cake, Holden declared it a winner with a double thumbs up!  That’s a winner in my book any day.  

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to open gifts.  He got some really thoughtful gifts from his friends and appreciated all of them, but the big hit of the day was a shiny new reflective Nerf football with night goggles that light it up in red and green.  Totally awesome!  They boys have been playing with it ever since.  I have to admit that it’s pretty darn cool!  Thanks, Andra & Stef!

 

All of the kids seemed to have a lot of fun playing outside and generally enjoying each other’s company.  It was a beautiful day!  And in lieu of an overpriced pinata this year, I opted to use a cardboard box with a flap cut in the front where the kids could reach inside the “mystery treasure box” and retrieve handfuls of candy surprises to fill up their goody bags.  That seemed to go over really well with the kids, too.  No one went home short on sugar this day.  LOL.

 

Thanks to all of our dear friends who came to take part in this wonderful day in Holden’s little life.  And to my dear, sweet, Holden, may this be one of many blessed and happy years in your beautiful life, my darling!  I love you forever!

My Baby is 5!!!

It's true. There are no more babies in my house. I've passed from the childbearing season to the mothering season of my life. My kids are now 5, 8, and 13. Sniff, sniff.

I'm forced to admit I have no more babies now that Holden has officially turned 5! How exactly did that happen?!? Despite his age and the fact that by law, he would officially start school in September if he attended public school, the truth remains that he will *ALWAYS* be my baby! ALWAYS!  Now that I’ve made that clear, let’s talk about this special little man’s recent birthday that took place on December 28, 2012.

I always make my kids the cake of their choice on their actual birthday, along with dinner of their choosing. Holden eyed Haylee's giant colossal cupcake with envy this summer, and he never forgot that he wanted one for HIS birthday, too! So here it is:

That’s one big cupcake, huh?  It’s equivalent (minus some trimmings) to 48 regular cupcakes!  Seriously!  Not only that, but it takes a whole can of Easy Frost, down to the very last squirt just to frost the top, plus a bag of chocolate candy melts to make the chocolate shell for the bottom half of the cake!  Not to mention all those sprinkles on top.  It’s a real feast, for sure!  He was really excited when he saw it.  It’s worth the effort for the look on your kid’s face when you bring it out.

We had to wait for daddy to get home from work to celebrate, but that was okay, because it took all day to make the colossal cupcake, anyway!  LOL.

Miss Rosyln, my dearest long-time friend since 1992 and stand-in grandma for my kids, came over after work to have dinner with us and join in on the celebration.  A great time was had by all!

Hooray for 5!  We told him that now he has to go stand in the unemployment line and get a job.  LOL.  He was nervous for just a split second and then said “no-ooooooooo” in that silly way we all love.  LOVE HIM!  Happy birthday, little man!

Then on to the BIG celebration…his subsequent party on January 5, 2013.  Stay tuned for details of the festivities!  You never want to miss a Burgess Birthday Bash…trust me.

My Journey with P.I.N.K. Method

On December 19, 2011, I began my journey with the P.I.N.K. Method. P.I.N.K. stands for Power, Intensity, Nutrition, and Kardio. It was the one thing I asked my husband to get me for Christmas that year, and I started it as soon as it came in the mail. I had seen it featured on Dr. Phil, and while I've never been wowed by a tv-endorsed product before, this was different. It struck a cord with me.

In 2011, I had gained an extra 5-6 pounds, and no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to get it back off again. I had started walking 1-3 miles a day every day, and it had absolutely no impact whatsoever. My 40th birthday was looming ahead of me on 01-01-12, and I was feeling very depressed and unhappy with my physical self. So when I saw PINK on Dr. Phil that day, it was like a message sent straight to my heart.

5 days into PINK Reset (the detox portion at the beginning of the nutrition program), I had my checkup with my doctor. My family has a history of high cholesterol, and I've had high numbers in the past, even in my 20's. My daughter turned 7 in the summer of 2011, and she was also diagnosed with high cholesterol. It's in our genes. Despite our low-fat diet, our livers just make too much cholesterol. We have to compensate for that. So off to the doctor I went, as her pediatric cardiologist wanted current numbers on both of her parents. Let's just say it wasn't good! My LDL and total cholesterol were high again, even with fasting. I told my doctor that I was just beginning a nutrition and exercise program, so he told me to try that out and come back in 6-8 weeks to be rechecked. So that's what I did.

My willpower on PINK nutrition was amazing. Right through Christmas, my son's birthday, his birthday party, my birthday, and my husband's birthday in a span of two weeks, I tasted not one bit of cake or anything else that wasn't on the nutrition plan. Seriously! I was determined to make PINK work for me. I had even received a cake pop maker for Christmas, and I made a ton of cake pops for my son's party, and I didn't even take a nibble. Now that's willpower!

At the end of January, I had surpassed my weight loss goal. I was looking a little too thin, in fact, so I switched to PINK Preservation, the maintenance phase of the nutrition plan, and continued right along with the PINK workouts. 7 weeks into the program, I returned to have my cholesterol checked again. WOW! Not only had I lost 11 pounds and 11 inches in that 7 weeks, but I had also lowered my LDL cholesterol by 54 points! AMAZING! My doctor was shocked and told me to continue doing whatever I had been doing, because it had worked beautifully. My cholesterol levels were now within normal range! Woo-hoo!

So fast forward now to a year later. By Christmas 2012, I had completed the PINK workouts 4 times through, and I had been on the program for 1 year. I had been eating normal foods since January 27th, and I stopped counting calories at the end of October. Yet I have still maintained my original weight loss goal (to be 123 lbs. or better), and I feel amazing! I'm stronger and fitter and healthier inside and out than I've ever been in my life. I'm in a size 2 or 4. My husband told me it was hard to buy me clothes for Christmas this year because everything was too big. That was a compliment, for sure!

So I just celebrated my 41st birthday on 01-01-13, and I told my husband I felt 10 times better turning 41 than I did turning 40...all because I feel like a million bucks! I don't feel pudgy and tired and lacking self-confidence. I feel strong and fit and healthy, and I feel great about myself. No doubt about it...I am PINK for life!

If you're wondering what I'm doing now that a year has passed, don't wonder too long...I'm continuing my PINK workouts, of course!

I injured my back moving some heavy tubs of school books in the shed this week...I was standing in an awkward position and pulled something in my back. My first concern was that I can't work out until it heals! You see, the workouts have become a way of life for me...a part of my morning routine that I look forward to. They make me feel great and get my day off to an energized start. I drink a PINK Drink (protein shake) after my workout for breakfast, and I'm ready to go with whatever the day has in store.

So if you're feeling discouraged or unhappy with your physical self, or you lack the energy to tackle your day, I encourage you to give PINK Method a try. It is designed specifically for women, and even with my physical limitations (I have no cartilage in my knees due to a birth defect), there were modifications offered for the exercises that made it possible for me to still give it my all. It starts out simple and gradually builds in intensity and duration. And even the nutrition plan is totally doable. Lots and lots of fresh veggies,4 oz. of lean protein with every meal, and no refined sugars or caffeine. You'll look and feel amazing as the weight just naturally falls away.

I'm so glad I made 2012 a year of getting myself healthy. I am 100% better for it. Now my husband has taken a cue from me and asked for P90X for Christmas 2012. Now he's working on getting fit and healthy, too.

Here's a little picture comparison I put together to show my PINK Transformation...the first picture was taken the night before I started PINK, and the second picture was taken on the same date one year later. AMAZING! You can do it, too...just THINK PINK!