Elementary

Language of God for Little Folks (Level A)

Book cover: 'Language of God for Little Folks (Level A)'
Author(s): 
Nancy Nicholson

This is a simple and charming, Catholic grammar workbook designed for use in the second grade. It reinforces very basic grammar concepts such as - what constitutes a sentence, nouns and verbs, past and present tense (choosing the correct verb), singular and plural, opposites, simple synonyms, and capitalizing words such as - the days of the week, the months of the year, special titles and the names of God.

AntWorks Ant Habitat

Book cover: 'AntWorks Ant Habitat'

AntWorks was one of the highlights of our summer natural history studies! This simple kit became a quirky centerpiece on our dinner table, engaging the entire family from the 18-month-old who insists that they are "Nants" to a 40-something daddy. AntWorks comes as a thick-walled plastic home with a stable base; this became important as the little ones spent time watching the ants. We have tried the sand-filled ant farms with dismal spills that freed too many of the inhabitants. The AntWorks home is filled with a blue gel-like substance that provides both nourishment and liquid to the ants.

Math-U-See

Book cover: 'Math-U-See'
Author(s): 
Steve Demme

Math-U-See is a fairly new Math program, designed especially for homeschoolers, which runs from Kindergarten all the way through high school. The author is a former high school Math teacher who has attempted to balance a solid conceptual understanding of math with enough practice to let it "sink in." The program consists of a student text (workbook format), a teacher's manual, and optional practice sheets, special Math-U-See blocks and a teacher training DVD. I am very impressed with this program.

Stories from Herodotus

Author(s): 
Glanville Downey
Illustrator(s): 
Enrico Arno
This young people's version of some of the most famous stories from Herodotus focuses primarily on the Persian Wars - most notably the battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis. This is a very accessible volume for young people (and makes a great read-aloud) collecting many of the most interesting stories from Herodotus and presenting them in a suitable format for children (some of the content in the unabridged Herodotus have mature themes).

The First Christians

Book cover: The First Christians, The Acts of the Apostles
Author(s): 
Marigold Hunt
Illustrator(s): 
Ted Schluenderfritz

The sequel to A Life of Our Lord for Children, this title by Marigold Hunt tells the story of the infant Church. After a few introductory remarks, the story begins with the Pentecost (Acts 1) and ends with Paul's visit to the Jews of Rome (Acts 28). The beauty of this book is the wonderful storytelling style of Hunt. It is a great book to read aloud because then it really sounds as if she is speaking to us. One day I was reading out loud to my nine year-old and all the other children had gathered around.

Up and Down the River

Book cover: 'Up and Down the River'
Author(s): 
Rebecca Caudill
Six year old Bonnie and eight year old Debbie decide early one summer that they want to get rich. Nosing their way through magazines they decide upon some simple investments - selling a few items around to their neighbors and raising ducklings. They keep up the projects all summer, but the rewards don't turn out quite the way they expected. Rejoin the Fairchild family for a charming summertime in a time and place where the pace of life was a little slower and the joys of childhood were many.

The Blue Knights Boys Club

Author(s): 
Dan McGuire
General Overview... The Blue Knights Boys Club is “a catechetical program” for young boys modeled after the Little Flowers program by Rachel Watkins. The age group that is targeted is 4-7, but it could be used for older boys up to age 12. The goal of the Blue Knights program is to develop in the boys a devotion to St. Joseph, using the theme of Knighthood based on virtues. This program “seeks to lay a foundation of virtue on which subsequent stages of catechesis can build.” Each month members will be building the "armor of God" loosely based on Ephesians 6:10-20.

Stories with a View, Narrative Inspirations, Selected Poetry and Paintings, Story starters for Grades 3-4

Book cover: 'Stories with a View, Narrative Inspirations, Selected Poetry and Paintings, Story starters for Grades 3-4'
Author(s): 
Margot Davidson

I must admit a bias. Because I have used the method suggested in Stories with a View for years with my own children, I highly recommend this resource. Why? It works! By observing and interacting with pictures and poetry, young writers are inspired to write interesting fiction.

In fact, Mrs. Davidson makes this method even easier to implement by offering discussion questions and suggested "story starters" to prompt the young writer. For example, with A Restful Tune (a painting about a shepherd boy playing a reed pipe) the questions include:

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