Lifetime Membership by Homeschool Copywork ~ A Schoolhouse Crew Review

I think I've mentioned recently that we have been adding more Charlotte Mason style learning to our day. I never really knew how much I would truly enjoy learning this way. We were recently blessed with a Lifetime Membership to Homeschool Copywork, and we jumped right into the Amazing Grace Hymn Study and Beethoven Quotes from Composers e-books.

Homeschool Copywork was started by Amy Blevins, a homeschooling mom looking for more copywork products to use for her daughter. She could not find many options, so she decided to create her own, and that's how it all got started.

What is Homeschool Copywork?

Charlotte Mason style learning isn't just about reading living books. It also has what we call copywork that is used in addition to the living books. Copywork is not just handwriting practice. It helps to improve handwriting, spelling, and grammar. A child copies sentences that have been properly written and this will build accuracy in their own writing.

What we received ~

Like I said, we received a Lifetime Membership, which means we will have it as long as the site exists. She also offers a One Year Full Membership and a Free Membership if you want to try it out!

How we used Homeschool Copywork in our school ~

I let the kids go through and pick what they wanted to do. There is a large variety of product types, and it was actually hard for Edyn to decide because she liked several topics. It was easy for Gav because he is studying Beethoven, so he of course decided to do Beethoven Quotes from Composers e-book. Edyn chose to do the Amazing Grace Hymn Study and Copywork, and absolutely loved it!

The way we used it was fairly simple. The kids liked to do it first thing in the morning which I thought was a good idea, because it's kind of like a warm up for the day.

Edyn loves the song Amazing Grace so we downloaded the ebook and got started. That process was super simple and we didn't have any issues at all with it. I was so impressed because included was the story about Amazing Grace and why it was written by John Newton. We went over the words of the song, and what we thought they meant. We even listened to the most beautiful version I've ever heard on YouTube. She would do one copy page a day, and she even memorized all of the words. As you can see by the cover page, the colors are rich and beautiful!

Most beautiful version of Amazing Grace ever!

 Gavin's copywork was quotes from Beethoven, so after he wrote his quote we talked about it. What was Beethoven saying in that quote? Why would he say that quote? Those kind of questions can open up some great discussions!

What we thought ~

I think this is a great website if you are looking for copywork. It is very easy to navigate which is important to me. As you can see from the screenshot below, it is laid out into groups. This makes it easy to find what you are looking for whether you have one child or multiple children using this site.

As far as content goes, there's quite a bit to keep you busy for awhile. There are notebooking pages as well as copywork pages. Just to name a few subjects that are offered are:

• Claude Monet Artist Study and Copywork
• 1 Corinthians 13 Cursive Copywork
• The Poems of Emily Dickinson as Copywork
• Character Building Copywork

That is barely scratching the surface. There is definitely something for all ages here!

Edyn has already started on the Charlotte Bronte Copywork. She really enjoys doing it, and already has more picked out so I can safely say she really loves it! Gavin is still working on his Beethoven quotes and will continue to do it also. If you are looking for a website that has engaging copywork then I would definitely recommend the Lifetime Membership to Homeschool Copywork. You won't be disappointed.

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Amy was generous enough to let 100 of us review Homeschool Copywork so if you would like to read other reviews just click the banner below!

W is for We're Moving ~ Part 1 {Blogging through the Alphabet}

This is just a little life update! Yep we're moving and so far it's been a crazy, wild, emotional rollercoaster. I went into this move excited, and have come out feeling like I was tossed around on a football field by a wild rabid dinosaur. How's that for a visual? I can't even tell you how stressful this process has been so far. Calgon, where the heck are you???

Rewind back to the middle of March. We got a letter in the mail saying that our lease was up at our current house and not only was it up, they were going up on our rent. It said something to the effect of, "Yall are top notch clients, but we are going up on your rent $100 a month." Well, I have never liked the part of town we live in because not far from us is quite a bit of crime. Our neighborhood is nice, but if you turn left out of it, and drive about 5 miles, things get pretty shady.  For example, one of the neighborhoods down there is called Sunrise. Well it's better known as "Gunrise" or "Gangville".  Just in the last week across from the Wal-Mart we frequently go to, were two murders! I wasn't a fan when we moved here, so for 2 years I've begged my husband to move me. He decided that it was time.

Exclusive High School Diploma from HomeschoolDiploma.com ~ A Schoolhouse Crew Review

Graduation is a bittersweet time for me when it comes to my babies. It is such a combination of the fact that they accomplished what they needed, to be able to graduate, but it also means that they are growing up, and will soon leave the nest. Drake will be my first homeschool graduate, so I will be super excited to be able to present him with his personalized diploma! I was very impressed the first time I saw the multiple selections offered, including the Exclusive High School Diploma from HomeschoolDiploma.com.

One question that I am constantly asked about homeschool is "What about a diploma?" People are curious where the kids will get it, or who will give it to them. HomeschoolDiploma.com has everything needed for a soon to be homeschool graduate from diplomas and invitations to their caps, gowns, and class rings.

If we are going to talk diplomas, the Exclusive High School Diploma is what I would call the top of the line. With this diploma your school name is arched and shaded at the top, and you are able to add a bible verse or motto. It is professionally printed, and you also get to choose which signature line title that you want. There are 4 wording options to choose from and also 4 engraved seals that you can choose to personalize it even further. It also includes a deluxe padded cover that offers many colors and designs to choose from. If you would like, they can also stamp your student's name in the corner. If you're really wanting to go all out for this special occassion, then you can get hand calligraphy for the student's name, or even the 23kt gold option to highlight one or all initial letters in your school name! With so many options to choose from, it is definitely a great choice for personalizing.

Sample of Exclusive High School Diploma

We had the chance to choose which of the beautiful diplomas we wanted to order, and I let Drake help me pick it out because after all it is his diploma. He chose the Vintage Style High School Diploma with the Engraved Seal and the 8.5" x 11" Deluxe cover. I was beyond impressed with the product that we received. Everything from the cover to the quality of the diploma itself exceeded my expectations. This diploma is also professionally printed with the student's name, date, and your choice of signature lines. It also includes parchment paper and raised printing. For the actual diploma, you get to choose from three different center seals. They are all beautiful, and Drake chose the green "Classical Education" seal which reads "Classical Christian Education" around a central tree. The trunk of the tree has a subtle but definite cross that represents pointing us to Christ! The diploma itself is held into the cover with 4 gold ribbons, and has the parchment paper on top. Another thing that was an added help was the instructions they include on how to sign your diploma since I've never signed one. I am very pleased with the finish product. It's definitely something that he can be proud of. 

Like I said, HomeschoolDiploma.com offers much more than just diplomas.  If you are needing invitations for your homeschool graduate, then they have many to choose from including traditional, photo, and distinctive style announcements. We got a sample in with our diploma of two different styles. Both are beautiful tri-fold announcements with embossed lettering. They are very well made and the foil embossed letters are all rich in color. They offer so many different styles that you will be able to find what you are looking for no matter if you want it on the fancy side of things, or just a nice standard invitation.

Do you need a cap and gown or a class ring? There are many styles and colors to choose from with their grad apparel. Order a cap and gown set that you can get with or without a tassel. Drake chose not to get a class ring, but they have many beautiful ones to choose from in this department for both women and men. They also offer gifts for your graduate and thank you notes too.

Ordering from HomeschoolDiploma.com was so simple, and I had Drake's diploma personalized and ordered within minutes. The website is very user friendly, which I love. There is nothing more aggravating than trying to order a product on a confusing website. You won't have that problem here. The order process walks you through your order step by step. It is super simple. I love all of the options that are given no matter what product you are ordering.

If you are looking for anything to do with graduation, especially a beautifully done diploma like the Exclusive High School Diploma, then HomeschoolDiploma.com should be your first choice!

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HomeschoolDiploma.com was generous enough to let 42 of us on the crew review their diplomas. To read other reviews just click the banner below.

Paper Wasps ~ Wordless Wednesday

Paper wasps we carefully watched. You can even see the eggs in the nest. 

To see other WW posts or if you would like to link up your own just click the link below!

Times Tales by The Trigger Memory Co. - A Schoolhouse Crew Review

I am so excited to tell you about Times Tales by The Trigger Memory Co. so excuse me if I completely gush about it! This program is nothing short of amazing and has really been a blessing to our homeschool. 

Gavin has understood multiplication for quite awhile, but he has never mastered memorizing his upper multiplication facts. Times Tales changed that in 30 minutes. Yes you read that right. 30 minutes!! I have to say, in the years that we've been homeschooling, this is one of my favorite learning tools that we have used yet!

What did we receive?

We received the downloadable product that includes 2 mp4 files and 3 pdf files. There is also a CD version available!

How does Times Tales work?

Times Tales are stories that incorporate the facts and their answers by having the kids memorize the characters and their stories. It is broken down into Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 is the Upper 3's and 4's while Part 2 covers the 6's, 7's, 8's, and 9's. Like I said before, Times Tales takes about 30 minutes to watch each part, but because it's fun and interactive it doesn't even seem like it. So let's break it down into the 6 steps so that you can see what to expect. 

So first, the kids are introduced to the characters. The characters are made out of the numbers and are easier to remember that way. Let me introduce you to just a few. 

Meet the 6th grade class, Mrs. Snowman, and the Treehouse. As you can see the characters are made with the numbers as part of their body. This helps the child to have a visual of the number to go with the story. These characters are repeated through the stories and as the child watches, he or she will start to remember the facts. 

After they are introduced to all of the characters, they will have a brief review over it to make sure they remember all of them. 

So in Step 2, it's time to learn the stories. These are brief stories that are easy to remember. They include the facts and the answers. Here's an example of the fact 7 x 3 = 21. Mrs. Week went butterfly hunting. She caught 20 in her net and 1 landed on her head. The kids know that the butterfly character is the number 3, and Mrs. Week is the number 7. The answer is in the story! 20 in her net and one on her head. 

You can see that the stories are fun and engaging with bright colors and memorable characters!

Step 3 is a Story Quiz. This goes over the stories so that the kids can recall what they remember. Just another step to memorization. Gavin really enjoyed doing this. He only watched the stories once, and remembered everything, but don't be afraid to go back and have your child watch them again!

In Step 4 your child becomes the story teller! In this step, the child tries to recall the entire story by memory. The are reminded that they need to tell the story in the right order because that way they get the answer correct! At this point, Gavin realized that he was learning his facts by remembering the story. He was so excited! It felt good to see his face when he realized that he COULD memorize his multiplication facts!

This step will show the kids flashcards that still have the pictures on them. They see the facts but also see the character that is part of the fact. We did this step a few times just because I wanted Gavin to have a couple of chances at it, but he knew them right off the bat!

And finally we are to step 6, Flashcards

These are just your regular flashcards. The characters are taken away and just the multiplication fact is shown. Gavin did this one a few times too, just because it's what I came back to for a few days for him to practice. 

Last but not least is the Division Challenge. This goes through the division part with the characters. We haven't done this part yet, but we will be doing it next. I wanted to make sure Gavin had the times tables completely memorized before jumping into anything else!

With the stories you also get printables to go with it. This includes some crosswords, fact worksheets, and a game. I printed them and Gav would do one or 2 sheets everyday. They are a great asset to this program. 

After you complete Part 1, you just do it all over again with Part 2. They suggest you wait about a week in between so that they can process what they've learned. 

What did we think about Times Tales?

Well I hope you can tell that we LOVE IT!!! I only wish that I had found it months ago!! It has been the biggest blessing of our homeschool yet. I highly recommend Times Tales by The Trigger Memory Co. to any child but especially to children that may be struggling with memorization like Gavin was. It's learning but also FUN!!

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The Trigger Memory Co. was very generous and allowed 100 of us to review this awesome product, so if you would like to read other reviews, you can click the link below!