Review~ Help Teaching Pro from HelpTeaching.com

Today, I get to share with you a wonderful resource for homeschoolers. HelpTeaching.com is a website filled with thousands of worksheets, tests, and lessons. You can even create your own worksheets! For this review, received a one year subscription to Help Teaching Pro.

HelpTeaching.com offers parents lessons, worksheets, printable and online test, and games for students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. They offer thousands of resources for the busy homeschooling family. Parents and educators can make their own worksheets and tests. 

For this review, we received a subscription to the Help Teaching Pro. This is a one year subscription. It costs $39 for the year. The Help Teaching Pro allows parents and teachers access to tests, worksheets, the ability to create tests, and  the test room. The entire site is a wonderful addition to any homeschool curriculum. With all the lessons and worksheets available, I'm sure you could create your very own curriculum to fit your students needs.

So What is the Help Teaching Pro?

HelpTeaching.com offers a variety of tools for homeschool parents and educators. 

The site offers a variety of subjects for all grade levels.

Early Education

Arts

English & Grammar

Language Arts

Life Skills

Math

Science

Social Studies

Geography

Study Skills & Strategies

Physical Education

Vocational Education

and more

The span of grades covered allows parents and educators the ability to find worksheets and lessons for every student. This is essential for the homeschooling family teaching children of all ages. If you have a high school student and a preschooler, you'll be able to find something for both. I did take a peak at the little kids section and was impressed with the lessons and worksheets available. The seasons and holiday section is fantastic. There are some great resources for the younger kids. I wish I still had a few myself.

HelpTeaching.com is broken up into 3 sections. The sections are colored coded to make navigation on the website simple and easy. There is a lot of information on this website. This is my second time reviewing this amazing site and I'll still learning new things. I keep finding more and more things to be impressed about.

Tests & Worksheets

Over 3,000 free worksheets (even more with the Pro subscription)

Worksheets, tests, & activities for K-12th grade

Early education, elementary, middle school, high school, and AP materials

Common Core Aligned

Test Marker

Create custom worksheets & tests

Fill in the Blank, Multiple Choice, True or False, & Question 

1,000+ images to use on worksheets & tests

Test Room

Online Tests & Assessments

Track student groups & performance

Practice mode for review and exam preparation

The site offers online lessons. They include videos from Help Teaching, Khan Academy, YouTube, and Educator.com. They range anywhere from 15-120 minutes long. 

So How Did I Use Help Teaching Pro?

I went on to the site and poked around to find worksheets to go along with what we were already studying. I even looked into worksheets for next year. The collection is huge and can be a little overwhelming at first. Heck...I'm still a little overwhelmed with the selection. Thankfully the site is easy to use. 

I looked into the English, Language Arts, and Science sections. I was thrilled to find a a few worksheets pertaining to the books the kids were reading for English and history right now. For Michael, I found a worksheet/test about the Lord of the Flies. For both of them, I found a worksheet about The Diary of Anne Frank. The kids are currently reading this book for out World War II study. These are perfect for me to see f they are actually reading the books. I honestly don't think that they are not, but it's nice to have a way to check their reading compression and memory. 

I found a World War II worksheet that I can use as a quiz for them once we complete our study in a few weeks. 

We watched a lesson about the digestive system. I was pleasantly surprised that it played without any issues. It didn't freeze or just sit there loading. The lesson added a wonderful addition to our human anatomy lesson we were already doing. I liked how these lessons offer the kids another option and more information. 

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Till Next Time, Monique

Wordless Wednesday~ Spring Flowers

Till Next Time,

Monique

Review~ Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology from Apologia

The kids were recently given the opportunity to work through Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology from Apologia. Over the years, we have used Apologia and have always enjoyed the materials they have provided.

Apologia is a Christian company and a leader in the homeschool curriculum world. Almost all homeschooling families have used it at sometime during their homeschooling journey. Even if they haven't used any of the curriculum offered from Apologia, they definitely have heard about it. Apologia offers courses in science, English, Language Arts, Bible, Geography, and more. They even offer homeschooling adds for students and parents!

Over the years, we have used a variety of Apologia's Exploring Creation science curriculum. The Exploring Creation series is geared for students in grades kindergarten through 6th grade, but can easily be adapted for use with students in 7th and 8th grade.

For this review, we received a wonderful collection of books from the Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology science curriculum. Our set included the Exploring Creation Anatomy and Physiology Textbook, the Human Anatomy Notebooking Journal, the Human Anatomy Junior Notebooking Journal, and the Human Anatomy and Physiology MP3 Audio CD.

So let's look at the materials a little closer. The kids and I have always enjoyed the textbooks from Apologia. The Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology is a hardback textbook with thick sturdy pages. The printing is crisp and clear.

The books is filled with bright, colorful pictures and graphics. These images help the students understand the science topic being covered. The diagrams are absolutely amazing. The textbook is extremely well done and keeps the students attention. You'll never hear a student say this is boring! Even your non-loving science students will enjoy learning all about science.

The textbook is broken up into 14 lessons (chapters). Students will learn all about the human body.

Lesson 1~ Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

Lesson 2~ The Skeletal System

Lesson 3~ The Muscular System

Lesson 4~ The Digestive System and Renal System

Lesson 5~ Health and Nutrition

Lesson 6~ The Respiratory System

Lesson 7~ Life in the Blood

Lesson 8~ The Cardiovascular System

Lesson 9~ The Nervous and Endocrine System

Lesson 10~ The Nervous System Extended

Lesson 11~ Your Senses

Lesson 12~ The Integumentary System

Lesson 13~ The Lymphatic and Immune System

Lesson 14~ Growth and Development

The lessons are broken up into various sections. This allows the student to read and understand the topics being discussed. The lessons can easily be broken up into sections for easy lesson planning. Throughout the lessons, students will come across sections labeled Try This.

These sections help the students have a hands-on approach with science. They encourage students to try different activities to see how the body works, why things are as they are, and so on. Some of the suggested activities are fun especially for the younger students. My two, found some of the Try This sections too juvenile and many they had already done over the years. 

At the end of each lesson is a What Do You Remember section and a hands-on project or experiment to complete. Both of these sections provide students with more opportunities for learning. The review section helps the student see what they have learned and maybe what they may need to study a little more of. The hands-on project is a fun experiment or activity for kids to bring science to life. What child wouldn't want to create an edible cell, construct a digestion theme park, figure out lung capacity with balloons, or test your blood.

To go along with the student textbook is the notebooking journals. Apologia offers two different versions of the notebooking journal, the regular Human Anatomy Notebooking Journal and the Human Antamony Junior Notebooking Journal.

The junior notebooking journal is geared for students in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade. It can also be used for the older student who may be slightly behind or have difficulty with handwriting. The junior notebooking journal offers a more simpler version for younger students. Students will find coloring pages, an easier version of a crossword puzzle, and much more.

The regular notebooking journal is geared for students in the upper elementary grades, 4th grade and up. This notebook can be used for students in 7th and 8th grade too. There is plenty of space for them to take detailed notes!

The notebooking journal offers students pages for note taking, diagramming pages, a crossword puzzle to help reinforce vocabulary, a biblical bible verse copywork page to practice handwriting, a page to secure their mini-book projects, and a what do you remember page. At the end of the lesson, there is a page that offers students opportunities to further explore the material covered int he lesson. Books, DVDS, and projects are often suggested.

The last few pages for each lesson offer students a page to record their scientific experiments that they worked on during the lesson. I love how the notebooking journal keeps everything contained nice and neat. Students don't have to search notebooks, binders, and folders. Everything is located in one place!

Finally. the last item we received was the Human Antaomy and Physiology MP3 Audio CD. This a recorded version of the textbook. It allows families to take the learning with them. Running errands, heading to sports practice, music lessons, a trip to visit the grandparents just pop in the CD and you can listen to the textbook. It's perfect for car schooling. The quality is phenomenal. The readings are clear and easy to understand. The voice of the reader is calm and well timed. Students could easily take notes while listening to the CD. It really is an important component for the family on the go. The CD could also be used for that struggling reader, especially if they do better when read to.

So How Did We Use Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology?

We were already studying the human body with another science program we were working through this year. After a few months with this particular science program, I knew it was not enough to keep my science loving kids interested. I jumped at the chance to add this fantastic curriculum to our already planned lessons. It was the perfect addition.

I ordered an additional notebooking journal for Michael and we got started. We worked through the books a little faster than the recommended timeline. Apologia does offer a suggested timeline for completing the lessons. It can be found in the front of the notebooking journal. They have the lessons spread out over 2 weeks. We did a one lesson per week. Since my kids were older, it was a good fit for us. I broke up each lesson into 5 days. Michael and Therese read the chapter and completed the notebooking journal on their own. We reviewed the material together and I tied in the other science curriculum I had already planned out. So far, so good. Therese has enjoyed working through the book. I think she enjoys working through the material on her own and completing her school work. It's a good transition for her to work on her skill of working independently. Michael has said the material is too easy, but he's been working on the high school levels. To help him feel like he is getting more out of the program, he has checked out books to read about the human body.


Find out more about Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology or about any of the other great products Apologia has to offer.....

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Be sure to check out what the other the other members of the Review Crew had to say about Apologia's Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology.

Till Next Time,

Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ April 16th

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Well, good morning! Welcome back to another Happy Homemaker Monday. I'm joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom again. I hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend.

Well after a few beautiful days filled with sunshine, we woke to cooler temperatures again. It's currently in the 40's and raining. A huge difference from the 80 degree weather we had last week. We enjoyed sitting outside reading and soaking up the sun. I have to admit, I am so over this crazy spring weather. I just want it to get warm and stay warm!

We have a packed filled week this week. We have a kitty's birthday, two wedding anniversaries, and Therese has a birthday this week too. I will be a mom to TWO teenagers! Were has the time gown. It seems like yesterday I was holding sweet, little babies in my arms. I miss those fun, filled days. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and who they are becoming, but teens are a lot different from adorable toddlers. New adventures and new challenges.

On the to do list this week....

Monday~

School

Clean the bathrooms~ I'm switching out the shower curtain and changing some of the decor

Laundry~ Does it ever end?

Tuesday~

Founding Fathers

Target Run

Sweet Frogs- to celebrate Therese's birthday this week

Library

Walmart

Thrift Store

School (we have to fit in a few lessons)

Wednesday~

School

Vacuum and mop house

Used Book Sale 

Thursday~

School

Laundry

Work in the garden

Friday~

School Holiday

Out to Dinner

Saturday~

Celebrating our anniversary(finally)

Sunday~

Church 

Religious Education classes for the kids

What's on the menu for this week....

Monday~ Leftover Grilled honey mustard chicken with salad

Tuesday~ Pizza

Wednesday~ Burgers, Macaroni Salad

Thursday~Spaghetti & Meatballs

Friday~ Mexican 

Saturday~ ?

What I'm Reading~

I picked up a new book from Nora Roberts this past week at the library. 

It's different from her other books and I have to admit I didn't like it at first, but I persevered and ending up thinking it was O.K. Not my favorite book by her, but not the worst book I've ever read either. We're heading to the library tomorrow so hopefully I'll find something good to read!

What I creating this week....

I'm heading out to the craft store on Tuesday, so I'll be getting the items I need to make my new spring wreath. I can't wait to get started. Hopefully, I'll have photos next week!

Photo captured this week.....

Till Next Time,

Monique

Living Like a Saint~ April 15, 2018

Till Next Time,

Monique

Weekly Wrap-Up # 3~ School's half way over

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It has been forever since I did a weekly wrap-up. September was my last one to be exact. Where have these past few months gone? I swear this year has flown by. We have been busy. I honestly can't tell you exactly with what, but each week has brought on new challenges and adventures. Some years are just like that when you home school.

So what have we been up to?

School, of course! Things have been going so-so. We've made a few switches over the past few months. The biggest one is Michael is back to using Saxon for math. Teaching Textbooks was just too easy. I felt is was a complete waste of time for him. Oddly, he is enjoying Saxon now where before he dreaded. Sometimes mom does know best. I guess he needed to learn this on his own. He now has to do math over the summer, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Therese had try-outs for a play. She is now officially old enough to join our local drama club and was thrilled to be able to try out. She did a great job. Prayers she lands a role would be greatly appreciated. We're looking into voice lessons for her. She's thinking about joining the swim team if she doesn't make the play.

Michael started a new shooting team. He gets to practice his shooting and hopefully be able to compete if he's good enough. He was excited to be able to actually join the team.

Their Founding Fathers class is going exceptionally well. They really enjoy the class and have learned a lot from their teacher.

I've been planning for next year already. I am about half way done with our lesson plans. I hoping to be able to enjoy the summer months!

What I'm reading....

For my mom's book club, I've been reading The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos. I've also been reading through various curricula for next year. We officially start high school next year.....ugh! 

What the kids are reading......

For English, Therese is reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and Michael is reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

For history they are currently reading a handful of books about World War II. I really need to post about all the fun stuff they are working on in history.

For fun, Therese is reading Botanical Beauty, Your Own Beautiful: Advice and Inspiration from Chelsea Crockett , and Fabulous Teen Hairstyles.

Michael is reading a ton of books about Star Wars. This is probably because the new movie was released on DVD and he got it in his Easter basket. 

Photo of the week....

Till Next Time,

Monique

Review~ Princess Cut from Watchman Pictures

Recently, Therese and I were given the opportunity to watch and review Princess Cut from Watchman Pictures. This wonderful movie is about a young girl's search for love. 

Watchman Pictures is a Christian film company whose focus is to provide movies for families to enjoy together. They want their films to be pleasing to families and God. Not only is an important to provide families with clean, wholesome movies, they want the films to be well done.

For this review, we received a DVD copy of Princess Cut. The DVD sells for $14.99 but is currently on sale for $9.99. The film runs 97 minutes. It has earned various awards from the Christian Worldview Film Festival and the Pan Pacific Awards. It's earned the approval of the Dove Foundation. 

What is the story behind Princess Cut?

Princess Cut tells the story of a Carolina farm girl named Grace, played by Ashley Bratcher. Grace, a young lady in her early 20's, has been dreaming about her knight in shining armor or "Mr. Right" for years. She longs for the day when her prince charming will slip a princess cut diamond on her finger. After 15 months of dating Stewart, Grace is looking forward to a special evening out. Will her dreams come true? Will Stewart vow to love her forever? 

"Stop chasing love and let God lead you"

Grace's evening doesn't go as planned. Stewart turns out to be a not-so-nice guy. He leaves her dreams crushed and heart broken. Grace turns to her parents for help and guidance. With the help of her dad, Grace sets out on a journey to discover what love is and what it truly means to love someone.

What Did We Think of Princess Cut?

Therese and I both enjoyed the movie. Therese turns 13 this month and I think it was a wonderful film to watch together. I loved the Christian themes portrayed in this film. Trusting in God and waiting for the right time is a wonderful lesson for young adults to hear and learn. I felt the movie did a wonderful job getting the Christian belief of dating and marriage across. It portrayed society's view of what dating should be like, while showing why that way doesn't always work. I loved how the film delicately approached issue many young girls face while dating. Some issues that are scary. We live in a very different world. I worry what my children will face when they are dating. I know I had my own issues to face while traveling the dating scene. This film offers a wonderful starting point for those dating concerns and issues that may arise.

The film is well done. The quality of the film is superb. The graphics and images are crisp and clear. The actors did a fantastic job. They brought the story to life right before our eyes.

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Wordless Wednesday~ Easter

Happy Easter!

Till Next Time,

Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ April 9, 2018

I haven't done this in awhile, but I am joining Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy Homemaker Monday.

We had a busy weekend. Therese needed some new clothes for summer (not like we need shorts yet here), so we had a fun filled girl's day out shopping. She found a comforter she likes...maybe a gift for her upcoming birthday.


Of course on Sunday, we attended Mass and I taught my religious education class filled with energetic first graders. It was donuts Sunday...need I say more.


Hello Monday Morning~

We woke up to chilly temperatures and snow flurries. Hello spring....where are you? Thankfully, we had a cozy fire already going to stay warm and toasty. I really am ready for sunshine, warm temperatures, and open windows.

After my morning coffee, I headed out to check on the girls and Colonel. They haven't been liking these fluctuating temps either. I took a special treat with and was shocked when our favorite hen didn't show up.

She always comes running for her yummy goodies. Michael headed over to the coop and saw her laying against the wall. Sadly, she had passed away sometime last night. She was a sweet girl, full of spunk, and we will miss having her following us around the yard. Blackberry season will never be the same without her.

Today, we are back to school after a 2 week break for Easter. The kids and I were actually looking forward to getting back to our lessons. I honestly think this was a first.


This week's to do list...

Monday...
Back to school
Laundry
Vacuum, since a certain kitty likes to pull out the Easter grass from the kid's Easter Baskets
Tuesday...
Founding Fathers coop
School
Auditions for Therese
Wednesday...
School
Trip to the library
Laundry
Shooting team practice for Michael
Thursday...
School
Laundry (hoping for warm temps so I can hang out the clothes)
Friday...
School
Homeschool skate in the afternoon
Laser tag with friends
Date night with hubby
Saturday....
No plans yet


What I'm currently reading...
Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos

The menu for this week....
Monday~ Leftover pot roast, mashed potatoes, & veggies
Tuesday~Instant Pot Italian Chicken, potatoes, & salad
Wednesday~Lemon Chicken, rice, & green beans
Thursday~Chicken Fried Rice
Friday~ Night Out
Saturday~ ?

Favorite Photo captured...

What I'm creating this week~

Absolutely nothing! I need to head to the craft store to get supplies to make some new spring wreaths for the house. Oddly, I can't find my old ones and I can't remember what happened to them.

Words for thought~

Over the past few weeks, I've been planning the kids lessons for next year. We enter high school next year and I'm a tad bit worried. Suddenly it seems so much harder. The self-doubt has definitely set in and i'm constantly worrying about if we are doing the right thing, are they taking the right classes, will they do well, will this prepare them for college, will they succeed in life, etc. Prayers for finding peace during this transition would be greatly appreciated. 

Till Next Time,

Monique

Living Like a Saint~ April 8, 2018

Till Next Time,

Monique

Review~ Nature Unit Studies from Creation Illustrated

Unit Studies have been a huge part of our educational learning over the years. They are a great way for kids to learn more about something they love. Recently, we were given the opportunity to review two unit studies from Creation Illustrated.  Creation Illustrated not only sent us two unit studies to review, but they gave us access to the magazines, Fall '17 Digital Edition and Winter '18 Digital Edition, that go along with those studies for us to review. 

What is Creation Illustrated?

Creation Illustrated is a Christian company that wants to share the wonders of God with others. They are currently in their 25th year of sharing their wonderful nature magazine.

Creation Illustrated is separated into 3 sections...Nature, Scripture, and Living. The magazines is for nature lovers of all ages. The magazines offer a another addition to any homeschool families curriculum. It's perfect for a nature study that brings in the beauty of God and the world He created for us.

For this review, we received two unit studies, Snow and Pine Trees, from Creation Illustrated. These unit study are available as a digital download. Click on the unit study you want to learn about, add it to your cart, and buy it. The Snow Unit study and the Pine Tree Unit Study are $9.95 each, but are currently on sale for $6.95. That's a 30% saving for you.

Creation Illustrated currently offers eight unit studies for purchase. Students can learn about animals, a National Park, trees, flowers, and weather. They offer a small, yet wonderful collection for nature lovers. 

We choose to focus on the Pine Trees Unit Study and the Fall '17 Digital Edition of the magazine. The Pine Trees Unit Study is geared for students in grades 5th through 8th. The unit study is 16 pages long. It is filled with lessons that incorporate reading, Bible study, science, geography, vocabulary, spelling, and art. There are links to articles to read, educational videos to watch, puzzles to solve, and fun facts to learn. 

The Pine Tree unit study offers students seven links to read to learn more about Pine Trees. They even offer 5 links to various YouTube videos about pine tree.  It's nice to have all the information ready to go. There was no searching for information and videos on the internet. It saves homeschooling moms time with the planning allowing more time for fun. An answer key is located at the end of the unit study. Parents and students can easily check their work and find out an answer if they have troubling finding it during their studies.

The other unit study we received to review was all about Snow. The Winter '18 Digital Edition magazine had a wonderful collection of articles about snow and Alaska to go along with this unit study. I would have loved to review this one when we had snow, but sadly this past winter was not filled with snow. Maybe next year we can dig in deeper into this unit study about snow.

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Till Next Time, Monique