I must admit I was hesitant to read this book. I’ve already taught three children through their early years, after having served as a private school preschool teacher. I was even a long-time “Early Learning” columnist for a national home education magazine (ironically, as the successor to this book’s author). I know what the vowels say by now, and how to teach skip-counting. I’ve been around the block with the literal-learning/rote memory debate. I didn’t think anything in preschool could surprise me.

This book surprised me. Susan Lemons starts off explaining the why for learning at home during the early years, with a brief explanation of homeschooling itself. Then, Susan dives right into the real issues parents of toddlers and preschoolers are wrestling with:

• Can I provide enough stimulation for my child at home?
• How do I set the stage for later academic hunger and ability?
• How do I make the most of these “crucial early years”?
• What is the most important skill for my child to master?
• What do I read to my child?
• When is my child ready to read?
• How do I choose curriculum?
• What are unit studies?
• How do I know when my child is ready for Kindergarten?

Susan includes copious quotes within each of her twenty-seven chapters, both to strengthen her claims from Scripture and homeschool experts and to demonstrate opposing viewpoints (and their fallacies). Each chapter ends with suggested resources for further study.

One of the hidden surprises of Homepreschool and Beyond is the book lists. I nearly squealed when I stumbled upon nearly twenty pages of preschool books hidden in the middle of the book, listed by subject matter. Parents new to homeschooling will appreciate the lists of homeschool resources and recommended reading.

I was surprised by this book’s depth and breadth. I came away with some fun ideas to try with my fourth and last “homepreschooler.” More than that, I found a quality book on early education I can whole-heartedly recommend to parents.

Under Drakes Flag: A Tale of the Spanish Main, (which teaches about Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe) is a well known favorite among Henty fans. The story is of the young hero, Ned Hearne, who is privileged to serve on Sir Francis’ expedition to the Americas in 1580. It is an exciting account of the harsh, seafaring life, unexplored lands, and dangerous missions.

This complete and unabridged recording of Under Drake’s Flag is read by Jim Hodges. Jim Hodges Audio Books have been in business since 1999. They currently offer sixteen Henty titles, with two more to be released soon. This makes it the most complete collection of unabridged recordings of G.A. Henty novels available.

Both of my boys listened to the audio, and both offered different feedback. My 15 year old son (who is a dramatized audio fan) said the audio sounded monotone and had a computer generated feel. My 8 year old loved the audio and would ask to listen to it during quiet time and at bedtime. Hodges voice was not distracting to him which enabled him to focus upon the story and create descriptive pictures in his mind. I understood both perspectives and overall enjoyed the book.

This story is 10 hours and 9 minutes.  My only complaint is the MP3 format it comes in. The audio does not play on a regular CD player. Our favorite listening time is on the go and in the car, and we were not able to listen to it there. So we downloaded it onto the computer and put it on our MP3 players. Hodges addresses this on his website explaining,

“Technology is advancing so quickly, and becoming so affordable, that I thought I’d drag my customers along into the 21st century and produce the recordings on MP3.” 

For more information about Jim Hodges and his G.A. Henty audio books visit, http://jimhodgesaudiobooks.com.

Subitize Me! is a DVD produced by the Lammiman family – owners of the company Movie Makers – to teach children the valuable skill of subitizing. To be perfectly frank, I hadn’t the foggiest clue what ‘subitizing’ was when this product arrived in the mail so, for those readers who are as befuddled as I was about the meaning, here is the definition from Dictionary.com:

“to perceive at a glance the number of items presented, the limit for humans being about seven.”

The DVD contains a featurette and subitizing exercises. The story line is about two children explorers, TT and Bebo, who have been given an opportunity to obtain a vast sum of gold but in order to do so, they must first determine how many gold pieces there are. Unsuccessful in their first attempt, they go on a series of mini-missions and learn how to subitize. The exercises on the DVD are essentially the same as those used in the featurette, but designed so that children can practice subitizing themselves, utilizing the concepts presented.

In terms of production quality, Subitize Me! scores poorly. The actors were filmed on a green-screen and placed in distracting two-dimensional, computer-animated settings. The featurette does not have a polished, professional feel with regard to pace, script, or acting.  However, in terms of educational value, I feel that Subitize Me! was a success. It clearly demonstrates both the method and application of subitizing in a way that most young children will likely enjoy. I think it is particularly beneficial that the featurette demonstrates multiple ways of subitizing; after naming the correct number of objects in each exercise, the actors explain how they arrived at the answer – describing their own particular method. Note: whilst perusing Movie Maker’s website, I was thrilled to find a treasure trove of subitizing flash cards which parents can download and print, free of charge!

If you have young children just starting out in the wild world of math, this DVD may be worth adding to your library.

First in the series is Self-Government, for the primary age level. It gives younger children a good overview of the concept of biblical government and hits the major points of American history. Next up is Liberty and Justice for All, for elementary students. Included are stories of people from the Bible, and a number of early Americans. There seems to be a bit more emphasis on various explorers in this book. Last in the series is Divine Providence for middle elementary students. It covers some of the same points as the previous books, and spends a lot of time on the American War for Independence.

The teacher’s guides for The Mighty Works of God are geared for the Principle Approach. The guide suggests that each student keep a notebook to record what they have learned, including key ideas from each lesson. The CD contains a number of worksheets that may be used as well. There is no scripted lesson plan, but the guide includes discussion and project ideas to accompany each chapter. There are no tests or quizzes included in the curriculum.

What is great about The Mighty Works of God:

• History is taught through the stories of people who lived through it.
• Each book in the series includes the gospel and quite a bit of Biblical history.
• The series is written from a distinctly Christian worldview, and addresses the subject of Biblical government and divine providence.

What isn’t as great about The Mighty Works of God:

• The teacher’s guides, while helpful, still leave a lot of lesson planning up to the teacher.
• I was unimpressed with the quality of the worksheets on the CD.

Self-Government included a chapter about Abraham Lincoln. Much of his early life was included, which I found fascinating as most history books skim over it. However, the book also made this statement:

Finally, he [Lincoln] decided he must free the slaves. He declared the slaves free. At last, all men were to be free.

This is not entirely accurate. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to the slaves in the border states, Northern states, or certain areas of the Confederacy that had already come under the control of the Union army. Of course, the states that had seceded did not recognize President Lincoln’s Proclamation and free their slaves. Practically speaking, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves, but it did help the North gain more widespread public support during the war. It was, in fact, the 13^th amendment later ratified by Congress that abolished slavery at last.

However, my children and I enjoyed the student texts tremendously. I would probably not get the teacher’s guides myself, but there are definitely some good ideas in them. In my opinion, The Mighty Works of God is a truly interesting history series for elementary students!

The Angel of Marye’s Heights is a very touching 28-minute documentary that reminds us that there are real people behind every story. It is a narrative of Sergeant Richard Rowland Kirkland who is perhaps the most compassionate and heroic character of the entire Civil War. If you are teaching your children about the War Between the States, you will find his account very interesting. The story takes place on December 13, 1862 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This brutal battle left thousands dead and many more wounded and dying. After the fighting ceased, the Federal troops attempted to rescue their comrades, but they were too close to the Confederate line to be successful. Throughout the night, the Confederate soldiers listened to the screams and cries of their wounded enemies who were left on the battlefield. Standing alone, Kirkland requested permission to aid these dying men. What followed gave him the title “The Angel of Marye’s Heights.”

We all enjoyed watching this video. It held my children’s attention and gave them a story worth retelling at the dinner table that evening. I would have liked to have seen a little more about Kirkland’s beliefs brought out in the documentary. What moved him to risk his life for his enemies? It couldn’t have been that he was just a good man, it seemed that something more had to drive him. After all, thousands of good, decent men stood by, watching Richard single-handedly minister to his wounded and dying adversaries. Was there an aspect of faith that could have been brought out more in this film? However, I will say that the bonus features did include some mention of faith, and I was touched with director Clint Ross and his humble gratitude toward Jesus Christ.

Friedrich Hegel once said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history.” There is legitimacy to this statement. But my prayer is that with the help of documentaries, like this one that depicts such a moving story, we will learn from history. As we are taught from these past heroes, let us once again discover humanity. Let us be reminded that love and mercy always triumphs in the end.   And may we learn to live sacrificial lives filled with compassion for even our greatest enemies.

Worldview marked indeterminate because there is no clear biblical teaching or scriptural truths in this documentary. However, it should be noted that the bonus features do mention a little about faith.

Synonyms gives a recommended age range of 10 to adult, but a bright younger child could easily play, with some modifications. The game offers a few different options for play, and is easily adapted to more simple use. We’ve included a child as young as six at our house, with only minor adjustments. Players can also pass, or challenge another player to make the game livelier, although we’ve also had fun making it a more cooperative effort (older siblings helping younger ones).

The 453 cards offer over 10,000 words, but keep your thesaurus on hand—we’ve needed ours a time or two, to confirm an answer that wasn’t listed. Synonyms offers a great lesson on the complexity of the English language, as well as a great vocabulary builder.

Little Pilgrim’s Progress follows the storyline of the original. The first part of the book takes us on a journey with Christian to the Celestial City. At the cross, our hero lays his burden down before continuing on his way. He faces adversaries and places with names like the “hill of difficulty”. He meets characters such as Hypocrisy and Unbelief who are illustrations of particular vices. Yet, he meets friends along the way as well, such as Faithful. The second half of the book follows the journey of his friend Christiana.

What I love about Little Pilgrim’s Progress:

• Even though it is written for children, the prose retains a “literary” feel.
• The chapters are short, making it easy to fit in a chapter each day.
• This adventurous story is a great introduction to allegorical writing!

Something to consider: like the original Pilgrim’s Progress, this adaptation includes many difficulties that Christian faced. For example, Christian’s friend, Faithful, is killed by people in the city of Vanity Fair. While I appreciate the author not sugar-coating the Christian walk, very sensitive children might be upset by the character’s death.

I loved this book as a child, and I’m glad that it’s still around for me to share with my own children. The Christian walk is not always easy. Little Pilgrim’s Progress addresses that, but still does it in a manner that is appropriate for children. True, there are some difficult concepts addressed. Trials and temptations, as well as the consequences, are not glossed over or ignored. Yet, those parts of the book give me the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with my kids.

I have always enjoyed early American history, but I know that is not the case for many people. Beck’s stated goal for the book is to present history in an engaging way, and I believe he accomplishes this. For our family, my husband and I believe accurate historical teaching is important. I think this book could be a helpful tool for parents as they educate their children, and older students could even use it as part of their history study.

George Washington, to many of us, is a larger than life hero as a general in the Revolutionary War and our nation’s first president. I appreciate how Being George Washington reminds us that he was human. He liked ice cream. He missed his wife and home when he was away. He struggled with the institution of slavery as a plantation owner. He had a temper that he worked diligently to train and control. He was an ordinary person who was used in an extraordinary way.

A few other key features I appreciated:

• I knew some of the basics about events or battles discussed, but I enjoyed learning crucial details.
• God’s providence in the hand of early American history is shown.
• When certain facts were unclear within various events, Beck clearly mentions that those facts might be legend.
• Washington’s character is emphasized in his leadership.

Being George Washington reminds us how much our founding fathers sacrificed for our country, and I am challenged with how much we take for granted. George Washington fought for what he believed was important. He had to fight against Britain’s army, and later had to fight Congress to get what his army deserved. He led men without uniforms, funds, or supplies, yet inspired them to continue on. When was the last time we fought for something with that dedication? Throughout the book, Beck gives encouragement that even today, we can be George Washington.

The Presidents’ Day Note Pack can be used as a stand-alone unit study or to complement an existing curriculum. It begins with an explanation of notebooking, including the benefits of notebooking and necessary supplies. An overview schedules the notebook pages by day. Three notebook pages are scheduled per day for five days. There are also instruction pages with related books and websites, instructions for each activity, and extension activities. A research guide is included with information for all of the notebook pages, so the teacher is not required to complete any further research. The end of the e-book includes vocabulary words and an answer key.

The Presidents’ Day Lapbook Project Pack is simple to use. The only preparation time required is to print the notebook pages. Some of the instructions for completing the pages is rather short and could use a little more detail, but overall it was an easy way to add a great deal to our study of Presidents’ Day with very little time involvement on my part.

The version of the Presidents’ Day Note Pack that I received for review was the e-book version. In the Hands of a Child has several different options available for their project packs, including the e-books as well as CDs, printed paperbacks and combinations. You can find the Presidents’ Day Note Pack at the In the Hands of a Child Website.

The Presidents’ Day Lapbook Project Pack can be used as a stand-alone unit study or to complement an existing curriculum. All of the information to create the lapbook is included. It begins with an explanation of lapbooking, including the benefits, necessary supplies, and adaptation instructions. An overview schedules the projects by day, and three projects a day are scheduled for each of five days. There are also instruction pages with related books and websites, project instructions for each activity, and extension activities. A research guide is included with information for all of the projects, so the teacher is not required to complete any further research. The end of the e-book includes vocabulary words and an answer key.

Simple step-by-step instructions in the Presidents’ Day Lapbook Project Pack show new lapbook users how to make a lapbook base and attach the projects. The folding instructions for the booklets are fairly easy to follow. For the more difficult booklets, a drawing is included to help with understanding. There are several pieces that need to be cut out, but since the unit targets a grade level in which students would likely be able to do all of the cutting themselves, there is very little preparation needed by the teacher.

I found the Presidents’ Day Lapbook Project Pack to be straightforward and simple to use. The instructions were easy enough to follow that my daughter was able to complete many of the projects on her own. The version of the Presidents’ Day Lapbook Project Pack that I received for review was the e-book version. In the Hands of a Child has several different options available for their project packs, including the e-books, CDs, printed paperbacks and combinations. You can find the Presidents’ Day Lapbook Project Pack at the In the Hands of a Child Website.