Growing Healthy Homes: Nutrition 101

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2

We’ll just start by saying this; Nutrition 101 was one of our absolute favorites to review this year!  But before we get into the details, let’s learn a little about why this product came to be:

Growing Healthy Homes was established, “to educate and train families regarding God’s plan to optimum health as outlined in the Bible. We are wives, mothers, researchers and teachers dedicated to reaching homes with a message of hope and healing. Our product line includes family-centered and health-infused books/e-books, as well as educational materials for user of pure therapeutic-grade essential oils.”

Members of the TOS Crew were given copies of Nutrition 101: Choose Life! to use with their families.   We could not be more amazed at how complete this study is!   “Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is a three-in-one family nutrition and health program for all ages that presents the major body systems, how they function, their common health issues, the benefits of good food and the consequences of bad food.”  The book is broken into these six units:

1. The Brain and Nervous System
2. Digestion and Elimination
3. Respiration and Olfactory
4. Muscular and Skeletal Systems
5. Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
6. Endocrine System and Emotions

Please take a few moments to check out the book for yourself: Read an excerpt  I think you’ll like what you see!

If that’s not enough, you can also watch this short informational video:

 

We are enjoying the hands on activities AND the recipes and plan to continue using this product!   The first recipe we made was Guacamole…it’s good for your brain! 

Now I was excited about this one, but I wasn’t sure how my picky eater would fare…no way he’s eating green mush, right?  (See evidence to the contrary below!)

 But it’s not all about the great recipes, there is also an incredible wealth of detailed scientific information on how nutrition affects the major systems in the human body.  There are learning opportunities for younger students and secondary students, and if that’s  not sufficient, there are lists of additional resources for further studies. 

With 448 pages, this could easily be used for a full year’s curriculum for a very thorough Nutrition course.   Additionally, if you are considering a Human Anatomy course, Nutrition 101 would be an excellent choice for a corresponding elective.   Even for those who are not home educating their children, this would be a great reference to have around the house.  We can ALL benefit from eating a healthier diet, right?

So in a nutshell, we….

Love it!

We are all looking forward to the lessons ahead….Who knows?  By the time we get to the end, maybe my “picky eater” won’t be so picky any more!

Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is available at : Growing Healthy Homes

Age/Grade: Elementary w/Parent, Secondary, Adult

Price:

Book – $99.95, CD-Rom – $79.95, Combo – $129.95

Multiple User License for Co-Op Use Available

Other Products:

“Gentle Babies: Essential Oils and Natural Remedies”

“Is There a Dr. Mom in Your House”

“The Raw Food Feast: 7 Days Through the Rainbow”

 

 Disclaimer:  Members of the TOS Homeschool Crew were given copies of this product in exchange for their honest review.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.  All quotes taken directly from the Growing Healthy Homes website.

Now get up from the computer and go have a healthy snack!

Classical Academic Press: Latin Alive!

Before we get started with our review of LatinAlive! Book 1, let’s look at who Classical  Academic Press is in their own words….

“Classical Academic Press produces superlative educational materials to advance the revival of classical education.  We specialize in subjects such as Latin and logic, presented clearly and creatively, to equip and engage both students and teachers. These programs are the continuing, collaborative effort of distinguished scholars, teachers, and designers.”    All of this is very evident upon first glance at the materials.

Among other things, Classical Academic Press is home to several levels of Latin study:

The first, “Song School Latin“, is for young children.  The next level,called “Latin for Children” Books A – C, covers the elementary grades.  

We had the opportunity to review, LatinAlive! Book 1; the beginning of a  three book series for Junior and Senior High School students.  

In a nutshell, “Latin Alive! is a series of Latin texts for junior high or high school Latin study. Written by experienced and enthusiastic Latin teachers, Latin Alive! is an excellent introduction to the classical language. With an emphasis on grammar and solid understanding of the language, it goes on to frame the study of Latin in Roman culture and mythology, and also to remind us of the many ways Latin is present in our culture today. Latin Alive will be a three year series.”

Please take a moment to meet your instructor, Karen Moore, and learn more about LatinAlive!:

(Note: If you experience a lag watching the video here, please watch here:  LatinAlive! Book1 Curriculum Overview)

We were very impressed by the material received for the LatinAlive! Book 1 Bundle.  The Teacher’s Edition, Student Text, Audio CD and Lessons on DVD’s are very professionally produced.   With twenty-nine full chapters including everything from vocabulary, grammar and pronounciation to Roman culture and history, this course has everything you need for a full year of Latin studies.  

While you can purchase the items in this bundle separately, I would not recommend doing so unless you have a good grasp of the language yourself.   Additionally, if your student is toward the younger end of the spectrum (7th or 8th Grade) and has had no previous Latin exposure, you may wish to start with Latin for Children before beginning Latin Alive.  (For more advise on this issue, be sure to check out the other reviews on the TOS Homeschool Crew blog by clicking the TOS banner below.)

Wondering what a lesson really looks like?  Check out this sample lesson from Book 1.  There are also samples of the Teachers Edition and Reading Supplement on the Classical Academic Press website.   Why not take a few moments to view this short video showing part of the lesson for Chapter 1:

Price: Latin Alive! Book 1 Bundle $139.95 (products can be purchased separately)

Purchase At:

Grade Level: Jr. High – Sr. High

Other Products Available: 

            Song School Latin, Latin for Children, Spanish, Greek, & French

Logic, Bible, and Poetry 

(Please visit Classical Academic Press for full list of products.)

Online Complementary Materials & Games:

Free Resources Available

30-Day Return Policy Available

 

Disclaimer:  Members of the TOS Homeschool Crew where given the LatinAlive! Book 1 Bundle in exchange for their honest review.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.  All quotes on this post taken from the Classical Academic Press website.

TenMarks: A Homeschool Math Solution

“TenMarks curriculums are designed with the help of experienced math curriculum specialists and mapped to state and common core standards. The appropriate curriculum is arranged in a personalized “playlist” for a child, made up of albums (concepts), which in turn are made up of tracks bite-sized topics.”

The TenMarks approach to effective math learning is based on 3 simple principles:

1. Personalized Learning Makes All the Difference.
2. On-Demand Instruction Provides Help When You Need it.
3. Practice Builds Confidence and Improves Achievement.

Watch this short video to get an idea of how it works:

We found TenMarks website easy to navigate and nicely laid out.   The kids enjoyed completing their work online in this type of format.   While we did not add “rewards” to the system, it is a nice option to have if you’re so inclined.  I loved that when you log in as teacher/parent, you can see your child’s progress, both what they completed and what subjects are ahead.  There is also the ability to customize their curriculum to fit your needs, or do practice sets from another level.  You may also “pause” their assignments if you are going out of town or taking a few days off.

The student interface not only has access to current and upcoming lessons, but also has an area to complete different practice sets, take tests, review  progress reports, and play games (provided that they have achieved the required worksheets. )   

Overall, I think this is a great product with only a couple of caveats.   We had a little difficulty trying to determine the correct level for us.  I think, however, this was probably due to the fact that we’re reviewing this in the middle of the year and TenMarks curriculum may not necessarily line up exactly with where we were in our regular curriculum.  If your child is a math wiz, that may not even be an issue.  I’m fairly certain that starting at the beginning of the year would alleviate part of that.   The only other concern I had, was that the video lessons did not always correlate directly enough to all the individual problems in the worksheet.   We were generally able to figure it out by using the “Ask for Hints” feature. 

Why not give it a whirl?  They offer a Free Trial!

Pricing:  “TenMarks is affordable for everyone and offers a money back guarantee.”

Options (per student):

$10 a month, $49 for 6 months, $89 for 12 months

Levels Available: Grades 3 – 8, Algebra I & II, Geometry

Disclaimer:  Members of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s Homeschool Crew were given free access to this website in exchange for their honest reviews of this product.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.

Postive Action for Christ: The Life of Christ

 “Positive Action For Christ is a publishing house specializing in youth curriculum for fundamental churches. It began as a single ProTeen club in 1969 at Falls Road Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Soon other churches wanted to use the materials Frank Hamrick had written for his teens, and by 1971 thirty-five churches were using Frank’s materials. A board was formed to govern the fledgling ProTeen ministry and the organization incorporated as Positive Action For Christ, Inc. in July 1972.”

“Positive Action employs 13 full-time and several seasonal part-time staff and continues to see its product line and its sales volume increase. Thousands of youth in churches and schools in all 50 States and in over 30 countries around the world now use Positive Action For Christ materials.”

Mission Statement:

“Positive Action exists to equip Bible teachers to magnify the majesty of God.” 

To determine if Positive Action for Christ is a good fit for your family, a Doctrinal Statement available at the Positive Action website.

We received a copy of The Life of Christ for review purposes.  One of the first things that got our attention is the professional quality of all the materials provided.    The materials can be used several different ways depending on your needs.  Whether you are looking for a daily devotional, a gradable Bible curriculum, or Sunday School Lessons, this package includes everything you need and more.

What’s included in the Student Deluxe edition:

The student’s manual includes:

• Content age-appropriate for middle school or high school
• Illustrations and notes from the teacher’s lesson
• An introductory section with reading and homework to be completed in advance
• Additional student research for each lesson
• A Digging Deeper section with further ideas for expanding each lesson
• A recommended reading list
• Original artwork to introduce each lesson
• Full-color pages with charts, maps, and photos

A good portion of the lesson is spent on building proper “context” for the material to be studied.  This includes history, political climate, geography,  mapping, and timelines.  There is a section where the student(s) can record notes from the teacher’s lesson right into their own workbook.    There are also great ideas for “Digging Deeper”, with everything from research papers, suggestions for additional reading, word studies, etc.

The Teacher’s Manual is very complete and contains everything you need to teach and lead meaningful discussions, correct the Student Workbook, and administer quizzes and tests.

We were very impressed with this product!

Age/Grade:   High School Level (Other materials available for every age group)

Pricing:  Student Manual: $8.95 – $17.95

Teacher’s Manual: $41.95

Companion Items Available:  Please check Pricing Page

School Curriculum for all ages

Disclaimer:  Members of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew received copies of this product for free in exchange for their honest reviews.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.