Joyce Herzog - Choosing and Using Curriculum: A Review

Joyce Herzog is a Christian educator and author who has written many books to help others educate.  She has worked specifically with the learning disabled for 25 years, but her products help students and parents with any and no special needs.   Choosing & Using Curriculum is one of her products that I had the privilege of reviewing.  I received both the e-book and the physical book.  They are geared, understandably, to the parent so that he/she can make more informed decisions about which products to use.

Every year I face the dilemma of choosing the right curriculum for my kids.  I am an eclectic homeschooler simply because there are so many great resources available.  I feel that if I stay with the same curriculum every single year I'll be missing out on something equally as wonderful.  These books have been a great resource in helping me make some decisions.

The set, both books, sells for $15.  The physical book is 108 pages long and contains 28 chapters.  The Resource E-book is 39 pages and has 10 chapters.  The books complement each other but do not duplicate information.  The chapters in the physical book include:

Curriculum Types and Comments

Education Styles

What Grade Level?

What Can They Do By Themselves?

Infant & Early Childhood Training

Bible, Spiritual, Religious & Character Training

Comparing Seven Popular Learn-to-Read Methods

How to Interest a Child in Reading

Teaching Discernment in Literature

Looking at Language Arts

Geography, Science, and History Resources

Tips for Teaching History

Special Help for Our Very Special Students (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia)

and more

The e-book has chapters on:

Helpful Websites

General Resources

Free Resources

Education Resources for Deaf, Blind, Autistic, Dyslexic

Speech and Language Development Resources

Legal Information, Special Needs Support Groups

and

Magazines

Around the time these books arrived, I knew I was going to have to find a good math curriculum for my daughter for summer break since she is slightly behind.  I knew of some curricula out there, but I wasn't sure what would work best.  Then it dawned on me I had a resource that would provide me with the names of other curricula available.  I pulled out the physical book and turned to the math chapter.  Ms. Herzog doesn't just give a list of products available, she spends a bit of time at the beginning of each chapter sharing insights and tips to make teaching a particular subject more rewarding depending on the child's needs and/or learning style.

As I read through the descriptions of the products, I noticed some that I had heard of before.  There were some that were new to me.  Most curricula listed also had a web address beside them.  This was helpful in my search.  If I had any interest from what Ms. Herzog had written, I was able to make a better decision after going to the website.  I did end up choosing a math program for my daughter because I had seen it listed in Choosing & Using Curriculum.  

During the next two days, I will be at a very large homeschooling convention with many vendors.  I am glad I was able to read this book before going.  The introduction gives a list of questions to ask vendors and suggests you take in all that you learn the first day before you buy anything.  Go back to your hotel room and pray about it.  When you go back to the conference (if it is 2 days), you'll be better equipped to make decisions.  I will be taking this advice.  I will also be taking this book!

If you are new to homeschooling, these books would be very helpful.  Ms. Herzog explains the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of curricula and whether or not they would work for children with special needs.

I am able to see myself as "Mrs. Average Homeschooler" whom she describes in chapter 3 ("Which One Is Me?").  I laughed while I read the description.  It describes me to a tee.  I have a bookshelf in almost every room, and I need more room for school stuff.  I re-read homeschool catalogs.  I often wonder if we did enough each day.  After figuring out who I was, I could learn about practical suggestions for my type.  

There is so much in these books, and this blog would go on for days if I described everything in them.  Suffice it to say, there are years of experience contained within the pages.  There is something for everyone.  If you don't have a lot of money to spend on your curriculum, you will benefit from the free resources that are listed.  If you have a child with special needs, you will want to read that specific chapter and see what Ms. Herzog says about using curriculum in the different subjects for your child.

I am thankful to have this resource.  It will continue to be an important component of our homeschooling.  My youngest is in 5th grade, so I have a lot of years left to use it.

Fear the Lord

I have been given the privilege in the past few weeks to mentor some of my friends who are younger in the faith.  As I've been studying some things to share, I have run across good information I thought I'd share.

Psalm 34:11 says, "Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

What?  We are supposed to fear God?  What does this mean?

I stumbled upon the following website today:
http://www.sermonnotebook.org/old%20testament/Pro%201_7.htm.  It explains this idea well.  It is not meant to be a fear that causes the sense of panic and anxiety.

"When we truly fear the Lord, we will recognize that He is the Creator and we are the creatures. He is the Master and we are the servants. He is the Father and we are the children. This attitude will manifest itself in our having a respect for God, His word and in our having a desire to do what He tells us to in His Bible...To put it simply, the fear of the Lord is a deep seated reverence for God that causes men to want to please Him at all costs."

Oswald Chambers said, "The remarkable thing about fearing God is that, when you fear God, you fear nothing else; whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else."

It seems to me that those who don't fear the Lord have the most to be afraid of.  Those who revere God and stand in awe of him have nothing to be afraid of.

Proverbs 8:13 states it simply - To fear the Lord is to hate evil.

I Samuel 12:24 "But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you."

I'm not sure I've ever read the next verse.  It is an amazing promise.

Psalm 25:14 "The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them."

Psalm 33:18 "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love."

The Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.  Those who fear Him will be blessed.

The psalmist tells us to put our hope in His unfailing love.  He has done great things.  He continues to do great things.  I've seen Him working firsthand.  He cares about the big and the little things in our lives.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..."  Once we acknowledge our need for a Savior and submit our lives to Him, he opens our eyes.  He helps us to understand so much about the world that was not evident to us when we were blind.

"I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see."

College Prep Genius Review

College Prep Genius is a company devoted to helping high school students succeed in their future.  Jean Burk, a homeschooling mom, teaches students how to prepare for college.  One step in this approach is scoring well on the standardized exams, which can earn giant scholarships.  Her own children received full scholarships to college.


High School Prep Genius is a broader-scope preparation guide to college.  It begins with students in 7th and 8th grade.  Ms. Burk presents information for every stage of junior high and high school that will make the path to college easier, by being sure that important tasks are taken care of as soon as possible and not at the very end of 12th grade.

For only $29.95, High School Prep Genius is an extremely valuable tool for the college-minded student.  The first chapters also make it a valuable tool for those who want personal success, not just those going to college.  Ms. Burk discusses personal development, developing your interests, figuring out what your beliefs are, gaining financial independence, and building a strong support system.  These ideas are good for anybody, and she presents them in a very professional and caring way.  It seemed a bit strange to me, in a book about preparing for college, to have a chapter on eating correctly and getting enough iron and calcium.  I suppose, though, a student who reads this and attends college will have in the back of their mind somewhere that they need to eat healthy to succeed and do well in school.  They will, hopefully, remember this and eat well.

The introduction to this 440-page book which is written for both the student and the parent contains a timeline from 7th through 12th grade.  It instructs the student to create a College and Career Notebook to keep track of the important information like grades, activities, awards, information about colleges, etc.  Jake spent one afternoon making 14 tables to place in his notebook.

  When I asked Jake what he thought about this book, he said, "It is very informative.  It is full of great tips on what to do in high school to prepare for college.  It also gets you ready for what you are going to face in college."
I like that this book is written to both the student and the parent.  Each chapter ends with a few pages that are a "Guide for Parents."  This book helps the student to think about his/her own life and the steps they will need to take and the responsibility that should be theirs in their future.  It seems like Jake has more of an understanding now about the path he needs to take through the rest of high school.  It certainly takes some pressure off of me as his parent to be sure he is doing what he needs to do when he is aware of what he needs to do and takes ownership of it.
Some of the other chapters in this book are: Academic Development Effective Studying Tests and Papers Getting Organized High School Mechanics Going Beyond the Basics Future Development Choosing a School Standardized Test Prep College Applications Paying for School College Essentials
There are appendices which include: How to Build a Homeschool Transcript Talent Searches Great Books to Get You Started Reduce Test Anxiety Through Relaxation Techniques Admissions Terminology
There are special instructions for homeschooling families in various chapters.
The "Going Beyond the Basics" chapter discusses getting involved in other activities besides basic academics.  It encourages involvement in classes at community colleges, community centers, private lessons (including music), internship opportunities, honors program classes, AP courses, dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate program courses, volunteering, community service, and summer jobs.
Even though this review is about the High School Prep Genius book, I would encourage you to take a look at the College Prep Genius website.  There is information there about classes to help prepare for the SAT, both live and DVD.  There is a comprehensive SAT prep collection that includes DVDs, workbooks, textbooks, vocabulary books, etc.
Take an opportunity to read some of the testimonials as well.  They are amazing!
I look forward to having Jake finish reading this book and then having Nate, who is finishing up 7th grade, begin reading the book and taking ownership of his own school career so that he'll be ahead of the game when it comes to entering college.

Unfolding a Blessing

     For whatever reason, I am not doing very well this year remembering birthdays and holidays where a certain person is supposed to be honored in time to mail a card and/or a gift.  So, today (even though it is almost over), I want to honor my mom.  She has been a HUGE blessing in my life and is a great example of a selfless woman.

     In 1968, my mom got pregnant with my brother, but she wasn't married.  My brother is 43 years old.  Our mom chose LIFE!  Of course, my brother and I fought likes cats and dogs while we grew up, but we are very good friends now; and I am thankful that he is my brother.  Our mom and biological father were married before Gerry was born and had another baby a year later...ME!

     Ten months after I entered the world, our father decided he couldn't handle being a dad or a husband, so he split.  Imagine being 23 years old and having two children under the age of 2 and your husband leaves you, not just leaves you but completely disappears off the face of the earth.  What did my mom do?  She chose to raise us on her own.  Her mother and father watched us some weekends, but she didn't have them raise us.  She did that.  She was alone with us for almost five more years until she got remarried to my stepdad, aka "dad."

     My mom was on welfare those first years, but she was made to pay it all back. When I was 10 (I think maybe 8, I can never remember), she went through the trouble of going to court to have our father declared legally dead.  Because of that, my brother and I received a trust fund from our grandfather, so were able to go to college.  We wouldn't have been able to otherwise.  My mom worked most of our school years as a seamstress out of our house.  I never learned how to sew because I always depended on her to do my sewing.  I still do.

     Throughout my entire life, she has supported me.  She raised me to respect people, to be honest, to be myself.  As most children do, I rebelled.  I walked away from a lot of the advice and teaching, but I came back.  Even during the difficult years, she was there.  Boy was she patient!

    Now that I have my own kids, I often hear myself saying something that sounds like what my mom would have said.  My kids will do or say something that reminds me of when I was a kid.  I am able to say that I have had a great life, and I am thankful that God gave me the mom that he did.  Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

The Case of the Missing Keys

    A little over two weeks ago, I realized that I had lost my mail key.  It was on my key chain with my car and house keys by a smaller cheap key ring.  It fell off somewhere, but I didn't have any idea where.  The loss of my key was cause for concern, on my part, that somebody might be able to steal my mail, but I believed that it would eventually show up.

    While sharing prayer requests at Bible study two weeks ago, I asked for prayer that my mail key would show up.  Amanda shared that she had lost her car key.  This is a key of greater concern, not just because someone could steal your car but because those remote keys are more than $100 to replace.  Jenn shared that she had lost her mail key as well.  I told them I firmly believed they'd just show up.  Things like that happen all the time.

    On Monday at Bible study, Amanda told me that she had thought about me the day before.  She shared the story of how she had gone for a bike ride with her family and, upon arriving back home, took the keys she had taken with her back on the key rack.  She noticed that there was another set of keys hanging there - her keys she had lost.  She asked her husband where he had found them, but he denied ever finding them.  They were just there.

    That evening, I asked Jenn if she had found her mail key.  Sure enough, her husband had found it buried somewhere in their van.  Now it was my turn.  I still believed it would turn up somewhere but was okay if didn't.

    Today, Paige wanted to go play outside.  I told her we could go to the park at the amenities center when I was done making pizza dough (my first attempt at being frugal).  The first game we played was a little like jai alai, a wiffle ball and scoops.  Since I have recently started looking for change everywhere I go, I was spending a lot of time looking at the ground as I retrieved the ball.  (Thankfully, I wasn't very good at catching it.)  Once when I bent over to pick up the ball, I noticed something above the toes of my left foot - my mail key.  The cheap key ring was rusted, but the key was intact.  

    Paige and I had been to the park two and a half weeks ago for a birthday party.  It fell off my key chain then without me noticing.  Within that time, the field had been mowed, three days of torrential rainfall and tornado warnings had occurred, countless people had used the field for their own recreation, but there it was - my mail key.  The kids were so excited to go to the mailbox and make sure it was ours.  Sure enough, it was!

    I love having faith that things will work out.  I love watching God work in the big and little things.  My key is securely on my key ring now.  I am no longer using that cheap key ring.  I can't wait for the next opportunity to have great faith and share it.

Just Believe!!!