Archive for Education

Book Review ~ Resumes for Children: 17 Years Old and Under

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Resumes For Children: 17 Years Old and Under

Ever thought of your child having a resume? If your answer is “no” think again. Your child can participate in these “out of the box” activities to begin to build a great resume.

Choosing activities that provide your child with life skills as well as build character is a key element to their success. Documenting those activities is also a key element to their success. Why? Keeping before them a present visual reminder of their activities, accomplishments, etc., gives encouragement, pride in what they do and have done. It also allows them to see how well they have progressed over the years. In other words, you will assist your child in “behaving” their way to success.

With your child’s résumé you can:

  • Use it to accompany an application into an academic program.
  • Use it to seek sponsorship from friends and family ~ obtain OPM (other people’s money) to pay for activities.
  • Use it to seek grants and scholarships.

OUR REVIEW:

I thought this was such an interesting book. Before being presented this book I honestly never thought of having a resume for children. But now I see how far this can take a child. You can use this book from toddlers to teenage years. Yes I said toddlers! I think this is a great way to get children thinking. I mean maybe your toddler is not going to write a resume like an older child but you can definitely use some prompts and ask your toddler questions to get them thinking of what they would like to do and become! For example in the toddler years you can ask children to list activities that they are good at and would like to do…this can range from playing blocks to taking dancing lessons. Eventually applying these things to a resume that the child will build.

But enough about a toddlers view… this book will work really well for an older child! This is great to get the child thinking outside of the ordinary…the child is taught how to use the things they have done in their lives (school, camps, odd jobs) and add them to a working resume. The children can then present their resume to anyone who would like to know more about them…perhaps the child would like a summer job …well a resume is a great way to introduce themselves. Perhaps your child is trying to earn money to go to summer camp…then a resume is a great way to introduce who the child is and what the child can and will do… There are endless possibilities to the unique situations that this book can be used!

As a mother I love this book! As a high school teacher and college professor I think this is also great for the high school student! Introduce them to this book at a young age and get them started on writing and honing their resume and they will not be at a loss when it comes to applying to scholarships for college!

You can find out more about the book here:

http://www.resumesforchildren.com/

 

Free Apps for Kids!

**(When I downloaded these apps they were free, I cannot guarantee if they started charging a fee.) **

Personally, I’m over the Angry Birds frenzy.  How about you?  For the next few weeks I’m going show you 3 apps that my daughter (she’s 3) and I enjoy.  Most of these apps are directed toward the little ones, but there are a few along the way that your older kids might like as well.

Like most free games on iTunes, they are not the entire version.  They want to get you hooked so you’ll buy it.  So, far that hasn’t affected our home and we are happy with what we got. 

The first one is called ABC Animal Puzzle Free.  This game is compatible with an iPhone and iPad.  This is not a complete version.  However, still very playable for your younger ones.  It’s a puzzle game.  There are 5-9 piece puzzles.  Besides the puzzle you are learning animals names, for example there is an elephant puzzle and it says ELEPHANT when you are completing it.  Also, on this app is a Memory Game. (Click the bubbles on the bottom right corner to activate the menu). There is a stickers & score card section that let’s you know which puzzles you’ve completed and how long it took. 

   Baby DJ – this one can get a little annoying after a while, but is still cute!  This app is currently available for the iPhone and iPad.   Got a little musician in your house?  Here’s the app for you.  There are 10 options on this one.  Anywhere from a lion to an octopus.  Even Santa Claus makes his way onto this app.  Once you choose an animal, the next screen opens to 9 ”records” (like the good ol’ black vinyl records).  You touch a record and it spin and start a beat.  Then as you continue pressing the records, they sync up.  Then press them again and that record turns off.  Each animal has different beats. 

The last one for this week is Glow Draw!  Again, this one is available for the iPhone and iPad.  All kids love to draw and this app is kind of like etch a sketch.  You draw and then shake your device to erase it.  On the lower left you can change colors,make your line wider, put a background of your pictures loaded on your device and save or email you pictures!

Fun FREE apps for kids! Now it’s your turn to share you favorite apps!

Little Ace and The Ten Commandments App Review & T-Shirt Giveaway

How cute is this little guy! 

It’s never to early to have your children learning about the Ten Commandments, in a fun way! This little cartoon chick goes on a journey to find “the God”.  While in this travels he learns about the Ten Commandments through other cartoon animals. 

The narrator of this story has a soothing voice, talks smoothly and slowly. With this iPad app you can turn the narrator on or off, so you or your child can read this e-book.  You can also control to turn the pages or have the “story” turn the pages when it’s time.  In addition, there are interactive opportunities for your child to help the animals with tasks, for example to find the goat’s glasses and put then on the goat. This app is available on iTunes for only $2.99.

Here are a few screen shots.

My Review -

This is a MUST HAVE e-book in my house.  My daughter and I loved it.  I let the narrator read to her (he does the animals voices much better than I).  The app says it good for children 4 and over, however my daughter is 3 and LOVED it.  What I like is it’s a book that will grow with your children.  Once they are at reading age, they can read to you.  The learning experience is also wonderful in a fun way.  My daughter loved the cartoon chick.  The graphics are not fancy or overwhelming.  Just very simple with a lot of impact on the story.  My recommendation is to download it now.  You won’t regret this one!

Here’s the download site – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/little-ace-ten-commandments/id481298715?mt=8

Here’s Liitle Ace’s Website – http://www.acethechick.com/

And he’s on Facebook!  Go ahead and “like” him!  It’s hard not to!

Like this t-shirt?  You can win it!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

REVIEW ~ Little Lion AND Little Lamb Bibles

Little Lamb’s Bible and/ or Little Lion Bible is a soft, cuddly Bible that children ages 2 to 5 can call his or her own. Throughout this plush-covered book, children learn that they are loved and cared for by God as they hear about God’s faithfulness in ten stories from the Bible (both Old and New Testaments). With sweet, rhyming text and colorful illustrations, this soft and cuddly character storybook Bible is sure to become a classic with preschoolers!

OUR REVIEW:

We received both the Little Lamb bible AND the Little Lion Bible! They are both very beautifully made and constructed! We loved the fact that they had a plush outside and were a board book inside. This construction is unique and was very attractive to my children. My 3-year-old daughter loved the Lamb and my 5-year-old son loved the lion. I honestly thought that the bible would be too young for my fiver year old… but it was not. It had just enough content to hold his attention and the animal exterior tickled his fancy!

The content is great! Just enough text to hold the attention of little ones! The illustrations are wonderful! My children loved the vibrant pictures that accompanied the stories! The illustrations really captivated them and made the book a hit!

This is a wonderful product! I cannot say enough about the products that Zondervan puts out…they have not disappointed us yet!

Look for this product in stores on January 16, 2012. I think this would make a great gift…especially a wonderful gift for Easter! What a supplement to any bookshelf!

The book retails at $15.99…, which may seem high but remember it is a board book with a beautiful plush exterior and it is very high quality and should last for years!

Thank you ZONDERKIDZ for another great product!

To find The Little Lamb Bible AND The Little Lamb Bible or peruse other collections and items available from Zonderkidz please visit: www.Zondervan.com

You can even visit the product specific page here http://browseinside.zondervan.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780310725510

and see a detailed view of the book and get an inside peek at the illustrations!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

MLK Day – January 16

In just a week it will be Martin Luther King Day – Monday, January 16th.  There is valuable information on this site not only about MLK, but how others can volunteer or serve those in need.

 http://mlkday.gov/plan/library/communications/posters.php

Take your children on an educational tour about a man who made a difference and encourage them to change the world by making a difference too.

REVIEW ~ THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Young readers create versions of their favorite bible stories with the Pocket-Sized Doodle Book!

Youngsters can put their imaginations to work  ~ in an outside the lines ~ with the delightful new addition to the Zonderkiz library. The Pocket Bible Doodle Book! In this new edition, children can draw, color, and doodle their way through the Bible stories in their very own pocket sized book.

The first of its kind, The Pocket Bible doodle Book allows kids to interact with Bible stories in a unique way rather than simply reading them. Unfinished drawings and fun prompts encourage creativity while simple and humorous text relates key Bible stories. Available with two covers (a bright spring blue and an eye-catching green) both include classic stories like the Creation, Noah’s Ark, the Last Supper, and more than 100 Bible pictures for kids to complete.

Click to see a larger image of The Pocket Bible Doodle Book by ZonderKidz Click to see a larger image of The Pocket Bible Doodle Book by ZonderKidz

The Pocket Bible Doodle Book is a must-have for traveling, waiting rooms, restaurants, and families on the go, offering hours of creative learning for kids four and older (and their parents.

OUR REVIEW:

We were very excited to have the opportunity to review THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK! We received one in each color, which made me very happy, as there would be no fighting as to who got to draw in what when! My daughter picked the green book and my son picked the blue book! My children LOVE to doodle in the books! They were very excited to start drawing in the books! My son (5) was excited to finish the pictures and would frequently as “mom what does this say”…since he is just a beginning reader. However, my daughter (7) was self- sufficient reading the directions and stories …and completed her pages with ease!  This has been a great product for us on car rides…this children LOVE to have their Doodle Book on hand to color and create at will! This Book has also proven a wonderful in house activity as well…providing hours of entertainment and learning for my children. As a mother I love that the children are having fun while learning about the Bible and that the Doodle book reinforces key stories that we have taught our children!

There is honestly nothing bad I can say about this product…the only thing I wish is that it came in a third color so that my 3 year old could have her own book too! But I am grateful she is content to share with her sister!

Thank you ZONDERKIDZ for another great product! Look for THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK January 2012!

To find The Pocket Bible Doodle Book or peruse other collections and items available from Zonderkidz please visit this link.

 

REVIEW ~ The Beginner’s Bible: Book of Prayers

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Click to see a larger image of The Beginner's Bible Book of Prayers

Arriving in stores just in time for Christmas, preschoolers and parents are certain to love this new addition to the beloved The Beginner’s Bible collection, The Beginner’s Bible Book of Prayers.

 

This new book presents 20 short prayers as well as Scripture passages that are brought to life with bright and enchanting illustrations. On every page, children will feel the power of God’s will and love. They’ll learn the meaning behind important concepts they encounter every day, like gratitude, forgiveness, patience, and wisdom.

 

Whether though a lesson in hard work and faith taught through the story of Noah’s ark, an example of courage portrayed by the story of David and the giant, or the Good Samaritan’s shining example of kindness, the simple and colorful nature of this edition will encourage children to make connections between familiar Bible stories and their own lives.

 

The padded board book fits comfortably in the hands of youngsters, and parents will treasure time spent in prayer with their child.

 

 

OUR REVIEW:

I was very excited to receive this prayer book to review! I love the Beginner’s Bible series! This book of prayers is a wonderful edition to any bookshelf! Flipping through the pages was a delight…the stories are wonderful and the illustrations are beautiful.

 

All of my children were excited to peruse this book of prayers! My 7 year old was delighted to read the stories to the younger ones…the wording was not difficult and she was able to relay the stories with ease! My 5 year old and 3 year old loved the illustrations and listening to the stories! Ultimately it was my 3 year old who claimed this book as her own… she now takes it along with her wherever her day may take her… it is always at her side while she plays! It has even made more than a few car trips with us…and she has enjoyed flipping through the pages and looking at pictures while riding in the car (makes for a peaceful car ride for mom!)

 

All in all I must say that this is a delightful book! It teaches the stories we all know and love at a level that children can understand and connect with… read the stories over and over and the children will find something different each time! I have also found that while I read the prayers I can open up a conversation afterward about the stories and have a discussion with the children…since the stories are so relatable!

 

Thank you Zonderkidz for another wonderful book!

To find out more about the Beginner’s Bible Collection or other Zonderkids products please visit:

 

www.zonderkids.com

 

 

 


Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North “Poll”

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North “Poll!” You’ll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

HSLDA Survey for a Chance to Win a $500 Visa Gift Card.

HSLDA needs your input to help them better serve you and the homeschooling community! Follow the link below to their short, six-question survey and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a $500 Visa gift card.

http://www.hslda.org/Survey/mvt/Default.aspx?rid=27494

Survey and drawing entries must be submitted by October 9. Winner will be drawn on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, and will be contacted by email. If we do not receive a response within 72 hours, a new winning name will be drawn. Must be age 18 or older to participate. By entering this contest, you agree to have your email address added to HSLDA’s email list. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Fire Sale at LightHome Publications!

We have reviewed and purchased items for our homeschool from LightHome Publications. Now thru Wednesday, September 28th, for just $5 you may purchase any of LightHome Publications products or for just $10 for a magazine subscription (quarterly). This sale ends Wednesday, September 28th at midnight so take advantage of it before it’s too late. It is a great way to support a homeschooling family in need too! These products make wonderful gift ideas too. Buy now!

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