ABEKA:

I used ABEKA years ago for science and history. I've found though that it doesn't go into any real detail about one thing, but tells snipets about several things. The one year that I really liked was 3rd grade history. It was several biographical sketches. Jenn

Elise Foster
Melissa Sisco
Heather Reynolds

ACE - SCHOOL OF TOMORROW:

I really like the ACE PACES because they are divided into smaller booklets with about 35-40 pages in each booklet. Your student must complete on average 12 PACE's in each subject to go to the next grade level. The children get to set their own goals or as a teacher you can set goals for them on how many pages to do each day. When your student passes a PACE test, they earn a star to put on their goal card to keep up with the number of PACE's completed. Each PACE or booklet has checkups, self test and a PACE test at the end of each PACE. The only thing I do not like about the PACE system is the children can score their own work. So instead I score my childrens PACE's using the score Key. The PACE's are very colorful with Scripture to learn in each PACE plus fun comic strips on Bible related issues.

Heather Nutt

ALPHABET ISLAND PHONICS BY EAGLE'S WINGS:

ALPHA OMEGA PUBLICATIONS:

APPOLOGIA SCIENCE:

I've been very please with this science. The elementary courses take the entire year. There are simple experiments at the end of each chapter that are quite easy to use. The highschool level is self taught. Jenn

A REASON FOR SPELLING:

We do like A Reason for Spelling. No teacher prep. Short lessons. Multi sensory approach. Brittney Shideler

A REASON FOR WRITING:

It was okay, but my son's handwriting was very sloppy. I liked that it taught using a tree house and I liked it for practice pages. Melissa Slade

BEAUTIFUL FEET HISTORY:

Kathy Lostritto

Bob Jones University Press:

Heather Reynolds
Amy Jolly

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY PRESS:

They grade everything and keep all the records/transcripts. It's pretty good,but we do skip some of the readers and never complete it all. Melissa Sisco

DAILY GRAMS:

Lori Young
Melissa Slade

EASY GRAMMAR:

ENGLISH FROM THE ROOTS UP:

I've used this for years and am very pleased with the results. It really helps with vocabulary. Jenn

EXPLODE THE CODE:

Heather Nutt

FIVE IN A ROW:

I used this in elementary grades and the kids seem to like it. They were comfortable with hearing the same story over and over. Now years later they still remember the FIAR books we read. Jenn

G.A. HENTY:

We've really enjoyed these historical novels. They are chock full of historical events and very adventuresome. Very well written. Jenn

GOD & THE HISTORY OF ART/BARRY STEBBING:

This one book is enough art lessons for 5 years. Even some of my children who are not artistically inclined enjoy doing these lessons. They're brief and informative. Jenn

GREAT SOURCE WRITING:

It is very colorful and detailed in the forms of writing with lots of examples. Amy Jolly

HISTORY OF THE WORLD:

I used this a few years ago and enjoyed it until about half way through. There were inconsistencies with the Bible and my kids got very bored with it. Jenn

HORIZONS:


We tried it, but it had too little build up and jumped around too much, didn't like it. It was colorful, however. Brittney Shideler

Heather Reynolds

HOT FUDGE MONDAY GRAMMAR:

We have used and liked Hot Fudge Monday. It not only teaches the parts of speech but teaches kids to write well with interesting and descriptive words. It's also a multi sensory approach, although they are asked to do a lot of writing. Brittney Shideler

ITALIC HANDWRITING:

Kathy Lostritto

KONOS:

When using this several years ago, I got very frustrated in trying to locate all of the books that they suggested. Most were out of print. The new curriculum in a box may be better but a bit pricey. Jenn

LYRICAL LIFE SCIENCE:

Kathy Lostritto

MATH-U-SEE:

I've used this for elementary level and like it. However, my children don't use the manipulatives so the concept is somewhat lost! Jenn

We have tried Math-U-See but my visual learner didn't like it, I think because it broke things down and drilled them a little too much. Also, not much for a visual learner in the book.
Kathy Lostritto

Melissa Slade

MUDPIES TO MAGNETS:

Brittney Shideler

MINIMUS:

We've used and loved Minimus. There is really no teacher prep and it is NOT workbooky. In each lesson you translate a simple cartoon telling an ongoing story about a Roman family living in Britain using the supplied vocabulary. The exercises are fun. Brittney Shideler

MYSTERY OF HISTORY:

I love using this. The book has short lessons and has relevant activities at the end. It also goes from creation chronologically through present day. There's a suggestion for a time line that you make to help reinforce names and dates. To date, the first two volumes are out. There are plans to have five volumes total. Jenn.

ROD & STAFF:

I liked the English series because it reviewed previous skills in each section and had a lot of exercises for each skill. Amy Jolly


We have used Rod and Staff's grammar. I found it simple to implement. My daughter found it BORING! Now we use Grammar Rock computer program and Mad Libs. No sweat.
Brittney Shideler

SAXON MATH:

We used Saxon for years but my kids didn't enjoy it. They found it very boring and repititios. We quickly switched to Jacobs when we found out about it!! Jenn

Amy Jolly

SAXON PHONICS:

I tried this a few years ago and got very bogged down in what I thought was mindless trivia. I don't recommend this at all!! Jenn

SHIRLEY GRAMMAR:

We have purchased but never used Spell to Write and Read. The teacher prep is awful.
Ditto for Spelling Power and Shirley Grammar. Not kid or mom friendly. Brittney Shideler

SINGAPORE MATH:

We like it because it works well for visual learners, lessons are short, very little teacher prep is required, and it builds in difficulty. We also love the companion computer games, "Rainbow Rock" and "Vroot and Vroom", bright, fun, educational. Brittney Shideler

SING, SPELL, READ & WRITE:

SNAP! SPELLING:

Mostly we use Snap! Spelling computer game and plenty of letter writing, creative writing, etc. Brittney Shideler

SONLIGHT:

Anita Schroeder
Melissa Slade

SPELLING POWER:


We have purchased but never used Spell to Write and Read. The teacher prep is awful.
Ditto for Spelling Power and Shirley Grammar. Not kid or mom friendly. Brittney Shideler

Kathy Lostritto

SPELL TO WRITE & READ:

We have purchased but never used Spell to Write and Read. The teacher prep is awful.
Ditto for Spelling Power and Shirley Grammar. Not kid or mom friendly. Brittney Shideler

STECK VAUGHN:

Spelling was pretty good. It had a lot of activities. Amy Jolly

SWITCHED ON SCHOOLHOUSE:

I used this for a year or so a few years back when when I started taking care of my mother. The good thing about it is the program grades everything and keeps up with the cumulative scores and kids can do it independently. The draw backs are: a textbook on a screen (albeit with some cool graphics sometimes); have to complete all answers on a test (even if there are 65 of them!); kids get bored after a while having to do everything on a computer. This may be ok for a subject at a time if you're ok with textbooks, but I don't recommend it for more than that. Jenn

UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH:

Kathy Lostritto

VERITAS:

Melissa Slade
Brittney Shideler

VERITAS PRESS PHONICS MUSEUM:

VISUAL MANNA:

Brittney Shideler

WELL-TRAINED MIND:

We have used First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind, boring! Repetition, repetition, repetition. We implemented The Well Trained Mind's entire schedule before the authors came out with Story of the World. Then we stuck with it when Story of the World came out. Then I had a baby. It is thorough but very intense. In the end we abandoned the classical philosophy for a unit study approach because Well Trained Mind was a LOT of reading aloud and I have a visual learner that it wasn't working for. Brittney Shideler

WHERE THE BROOK AND RIVER MEET:

This is a unit study on the Victorian Era and incorporates The Anne of Green Gables series. Like most unit studies, the only added curriculum you need is math and science. It's geared for young ladies in the middle to high school age. It teaches homemaking skills along with other great literature like Mere Christianity and The Pilgrim's Progress. Other studies include What in the World's Going on Here? by Diana Waring. I highly recommend it! Jenn

WORDSMITH APPRENTICE:

Brittney Shideler

CREATED TO BE HIS HELPMEET:

If you want to be challenged to be the best you can be for what God has created you for, then this is the book for you! Even if you have a great marriage relationship, this book will challenge how you think about yourself and your husband. Beware! it's very convicting!!Jenn

BETH MOORE: DANIEL

We do live in a Babylon. Beth Moore explains how the 'Babylonian mindset' is: "I am and there is none besides me." This Bible study is really good to get a fresh perspective on our culture and more importantly, how we're living 'of it' instead of 'not of it'. Highly recommend! Jenn

STICK A GERANIUM IN YOUR HAT AND BE HAPPY!

Reading what Barbara has been through makes the title of this book that much more impressive! Going through some of the same things that she has experienced, this book has really helped me to come to grips with things that have stolen my joy. Highly recommend! Jenn