Alicia Van Hecke
Learning Styles Test and Evaluation
I just had three of my children (grades 1, 3 and 6) tested for learning styles through Mercy Academy. The test is quite simple and has to do with likes, dislikes, ways of interacting and how they think about problems. Older children can take the test on their own, while younger ones might need a little supervision. I was very impressed with the thoroughness and usefulness of the analysis and evaluation given.
Each of my children received a unique 7-10 page analysis based on five different "preferences and modes of learning":
Up and Down the River
The Mass Book for Children
This little booklet is a colorfully illustrated and simply written explanation of what happens during the Mass and why. It is broken up into seven main sections: "The Mass Begins!", "The Introductory Rite", "The Penitential Rite", "The Liturgy of the Word", "The Profession of Faith", "The Liturgy of the Eucharist", and "The Concluding Rite". Rather than a missal for children, this is intended to be used outside of Church in preparation to understand the Mass better. (It would be particularly effective when used with the Miniature Mass Kit.
The Global Puzzle
Power-Glide Adventure Tools for Building Language Vocabulary
This elegantly simple resource provides an introduction to nouns in six different languages in a way accessible to young children. (The point isn't necessarily to overwhelm them with all six languages at once - you pick your language of interest or let them play around and see what they like.) The front of each large glossy card has a simple, child-like illustration of the object or a symbol representing the noun.
Latina Christiana: Book I
Basic Set includes Student Book, Teacher's Manual and an audio tape or CD Teacher's Manual, 138 pages, softcover
This text is intended to introduce grade-schoolers to the Latin language. It is useful in preparing for future Latin studies in high school (particularly helpful for studying Henle Latin), but also teaches children some basics of grammar and vocabulary that sharpen thinking skills and assist in understanding the English Language more thoroughly.
The King of the Golden City
This is a simple, old-fashioned allegory about our relationship with Jesus and our journey to heaven (the "King" and the "Golden City"). The story is about a girl named Dilecta who struggles in the "Land of Exile" to keep her "hut" in order in order to be prepared for the King's visits, keep her "lamp" of peace burning brightly and control "Self", and listen to her "Prince Guardian" who helps to keep her out of the snatches of Malignus.