The Potter’s Hand Academy


From 2011 till the end of 2013 this was the thoughtfully, sharing of information website of The Potter’s Hand Academy. For some reason this site's domain registration was not renewed by the original owner, Kristi.
The new owner of ThePottersHandAcademy.com has chosen to keep an edited version of the site's 2012 -2014 archived pages.

 

Welcome to The Potter’s Hand Academy!

A little about us: I’m Kristi, and my beloved and I have been married since 2000. We have 6 amazing blessings at the moment, and they are Katie, Patrick, Sean, Caeleigh, Delaeney (twin tornadoes), and Liam. In the 2011-2012 school year, Katie will be going into 5th grade, Patrick into 3rd, and Sean will be playing along in PreK. We use a neo-classical model for our school, with a Charlotte Mason twist.

We live in a small, rural town in the middle of Kansas, and we’re really enjoying our time down here. We are a Christian family, and love following the Lord in all we do. The kids are just getting into Scouting, with Patrick heading into the Cub Scouts this year and Katie using the American Heritage Girls Trailblazers program, since there isn’t a troop near us.

I’m Kristi, the Christian, Waldorf/Classical/Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom of 6 and the owner and main contributor for The Potter’s Hand Academy. You can contact me at thepottershandacademy (at) gmail.com.

Our goal at The Potter’s Hand Academy is to connect with parents as we share our homeschooling and parenting journey through resources, experiences and personal stories. We seek to encourage parents, give them ideas, and help them through the day to day business of raising a large family, homeschooling, afterschooling, summer schooling, or any combination of “alternative” education.

We currently review homeschool curriculum through The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, and are regular contributors to various link ups, such as Trivium Tuesday and the 2013 Virtual Curriculum Fair. We love to host giveaways, and to show our wonderful readers the latest and greatest products for their families.

Thank you for joining us at The Potter’s Hand Academy! Grab a cup of coffee and browse around. We’re glad to have you!


 



 

Disclosure/Statement of Faith

I am a Christian.

I believe in the Trinity–one God, personified in three ways by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

I believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son, the Sacrificial Lamb, come to save us from our sins. I believe His Sacrifice on the Cross covers all of the sins of those who accept the Gift. I believe that Jesus was 100% human, and 100% divine simultaneously. I believe Jesus literally lives today, in Heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father. I believe that Jesus will return to this earth in bodily form, resurrecting the dead and gathering the living faithful to Him. I believe that the only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ.

I believe that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God. 

Disclosure

Effective as of 6/5/2011.

Affiliates
Most (not all, but most) of my links are affiliate links. That means, when you click on one of them and end up buying that product, I get a small commission. I use these commissions to later buy curriculum and other products for my family. I am currently an affiliate of Amazon.com, Tapestry of Grace, NotebookingPages.com, and Sharper Edge. I am hoping to add more soon, and will update accordingly. It’s probably good to assume that if there’s a link to a store on my blog, I’m receiving a small compensation from it.

Reviews

I occasionally review curricula. When I do, one of two things has happened. Either I bought it myself to use or review, or the product was given to me by the company to review. I make no money off of reviews. The only compensation to me is the product I’m reviewing. Any reviews done by me (Kristi) are my honest opinions. The opinions are strictly my own, and no one else’s.

Giveaways
Giveaway and contest winners will be chosen using the And The Winner Is… plugin for WordPress. Rules for each contest or giveaway will be posted at the time the contest opens.

If you have an questions regarding this blog, please email me at [email protected] or use the “Follow Us by Contact Us” tab to the right. (It’s the little envelope all the way to the right.)

 

"As a homeschooling mom, I appreciate the feedback and inspiration coming from like minded people. We share ideas, information, and inspiration - all of which are requirements to succeed. Although many who do not homeschool see us as undisciplined and carefree, we always provide a routine and keep a regular schedule which provides the structure that kids need. But we also have fun and do interesting life affirming projects. We recently found a tiny puppy in our yard and when we could not find the owner, we adopted her - she's a project all the kids are into. Caring for an animal is a great lesson all be itself - feeding, grooming and nurturing skills that don't get taught in school. We found a wonderful website where we purchased the perfect dog bed for Killer - tiny dog, funny counterintuitive name. She loves her new bed and it serves as a floor pillow for the kids as well. The website is GoodNightDog.com and they also sell matching kerchiefs or bandanas - take a look at this link to see these cool dog beds. The children have written many stories about Killer's adventures and we're working math into planning her meals - how many nuggets per cup, how many cups per week - stuff like that. The children love to read stories to her and although she probably does not understand the text, she definitely feels the warmth and caring that goes into the effort. Just wanted to give you all a positive note about how schooling at home is a wonderful way to bond with your children and give them an education at the same time." Kathy Simon

 




2013-14 Curriculum

Kaitlyn Crochet

Kaitlyn is working VERY hard on getting her chain stitch down cold.

Kailtyn (12 years old, 6th grade)

Grammar and Latin: The Latin Road to English Grammar (finishing up Level 1, completeling Level 2)

Math: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 6, A Journey Through Waldorf Geometry, Khan Academy

Science: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 6, Supercharged Science, Ambleside Online Year 6 Rotation

Literature, History, Geography: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 6, A Child’s Geography Volume 3, Ambleside Online Year 6 Rotation

Philosophy, Worldview, Bible: Philosophy Adventure: Pre-Socratics, Philippians in 28 Weeks, The Wise Woman Literary Guide

Logic: The Art of Argument

Poetry: The Grammar of Poetry

Art/Fine Arts/Music/Handwork: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 6 (and previous grades as we feel led), Classical Composers Monthly’s Fine Arts Pages, Classical Composers Monthly, Harmony Fine Arts, private violin lessons, Drawing with Children

Shakespeare studies as we feel led.

Danny coloring

Danny is VERY serious about learning to draw and color with these. He wants so much to make the beautiful pictures we’ve seen in other kids’ Main Lesson Books.

Danny (10 years old, 5th Grade)

Grammar and Latin: The Latin Road to English Grammar (finishing up The Bridge, completeling Level 1)

Math: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 5, A Journey Through Waldorf Geometry, Khan Academy

Science: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 5, Supercharged Science, Ambleside Online Year 5 Rotation

Literature, History, Geography: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 5, A Child’s Geography Volume 3, Ambleside Online Year 5 Rotation

Art/Fine Arts/Music/Handwork: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 5 (and previous grades as we feel led), Classical Composers Monthly’s Fine Arts Pages, Classical Composers Monthly, Harmony Fine Arts, Drawing with Children, private guitar lessons

Shakespeare studies as we feel led.

Sean

Sean (6 years old, Grade 1)

Latin: Song School Latin Book 1

Math: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 1, Arithmetic Villiage

Science: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 1, Handbook of Nature Study, Ambleside Online Year 1 Rotation

Reading, Phonics, Literature, History, Geography: A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 1, A Child’s Geography Volume 3, Ambleside Online Year 1 Rotation,

finishing up Funnix 2

Art/Fine Arts/Music/Handwork:A Journey Through Waldorf Grade 1, Classical Composers Monthly’s Fine Arts Pages, Classical Composers Monthly, Harmony Fine Arts, Drawing with Children, beginning pentatonic flute

Shakespeare studies as we feel led.

Twincess Love Liam

Liam (2 years old), Caeleigh and Delaeney (4 years old)

Little Acorn Learning

 



POSTS 2012 -2014

 

Peparing with Pinterest: Menu Planning

Written on October 24, 2012 by Kristi

We’re trucking ahead!  Thanksgiving will be here in less than a month, and, although I’m focusing on Christmas for the most part, you know it’s in there, too.   Many of us recycle our favorite recipes from Thanksgiving to Christmas, so… might as well menu plan both at the same time!  Are you ready?

I don’t suppose I need to tell you to make a food and/or recipes board on Pinterest.  That’s pretty much half of the point of the site.  Now, however, is the time to really be honest about what you’re going to make.  Pour yourself a cuppa.  Grab your notebook and a pen.  Open your board.  Take a deep breath.  Dive. in.

First, label your sheet in your notebook.  You might make a separate page for Thanksgiving, since Christmas is usually more of an all-day menu issue.  Decide exactly how you’re going to do your meals this year.  Are you going to someone’s house, and you just need to bring a REALLY AWESOME dish?  (SCORE!!!)  Are you hosting, and need something you can prep ahead of time, to spend time with your guests?   How many meals are you cooking for?  Is it a combination of all of the above?  And do you have special, CAN’T BE MISSED UNDER THREAT OF DEATH recipes that MUST be included?

OK, now that you’ve got that out of the way… start your menu planning.  Start by listing the stuff that has to be had.  These are the recipes that, if missing, might cause a mutiny in your house.   Start with those.  A word to the wise here:  You might ask your family’s input on this one.  In our family, there is a certain coffee cake that I adore.  I would make it every. single. year.  It’s awesome, IMO.  No one, and I mean not one other person in my family agrees.   I thought everyone loved it.  ((shrug))  Turns out, they were scheduling a mutiny if I made it again.  That’s now off our list.  So, make sure that you are accurate in what your family wants, what they can live without, and what they hate.

Next, hit your board.  This might take a while.  You and I both know this is probably the biggest board you have.  That’s OK.  Take your time, and find a couple of new, fun recipes to make.  Make sure that they’re realistic for you.  If you’re a boxed-mac-n-cheese level cook and you’re attempting a gourmet dessert, complete with flambe and extravagant garnishes, you might end up a tad bit frustrated.  If you need something that can be made in advance, and you find something that must be served right away, no matter how cute it is, it just ain’t gonna work.  So, be realistic.

Finally, make your grocery list and print out your recipes.  Again, when you know you have the (non-perishable) ingredients on hand, half of your stress is gone.  Also, you’re able to buy a bit at a time, and not break your budget.   Get the things that can be set aside in a special corner of the pantry (and… let your family know not to touch the special corner.  Your daughter’s Very Special All By Herself Cookies won’t taste nearly as good when you realized she used all of the spices you were saving for your mulled cider), and relax.  If you have room in your freezer, you might go ahead and get your turkey, duck, lamb, roast… whatever you’re making.  Getting it now ensures you actually get the size you want, which might be a bigger deal to us larger families.

I HIGHLY encourage you to make one new Pinterest recipe this year!  Involve your kids and your husband, and make it fun!  Even if it’s a complete bust, you’ll have a great new tradition!  And, I want to hear all about it!  Leave me a comment, and let me know what new recipe you’ll be trying!


NOTE:  We’re NOT focusing on presentation and decorations at this point.  That will be a whole ‘nother issue.  Right now, just focus on the food.  Don’t overwhelm yourself!  We have time!


 

TOS Review Crew: Legacy Documentaries: Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Written on August 6, 2013 byKristi


Few writers have captured the hearts and minds of young Americans the way Laura Ingalls Wilder has.  Her Little House series is absolutely iconic, to say the least.  We were blessed to be able to review a documentary of her life, Little House on the Prairie:  The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Dean Butler and Legacy Documentaries.

Legacy Documentaries and Dean Butler (who played Almanzo Wilder, in The Little House on the Prairie TV series), have put together a beautiful documentary , chronicaling Laura Ingalls Wilder’s adult years.  I really liked this, it got very much into Laura’s adult life, the life after Little House.  It takes you through the travels she had with Almanzo before they finally settled at Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri.  The film is 75 minutes long, and the DVD also includes a “making of” feature, and trailers for two other documentaries,Almanzo Wilder:  Life Before Laura and Pa’s Fiddle:  The Music of America (Homage to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Her Father). Both look very good to me, and are DVDs we hope to add to our collection soon.

I have to admit, we hadn’t actually read the Little House books with our kids before we watched this.  Well, I have read them, and I had tried with the kids, but they never seemed to get into them.  I tried again when I found out that we were going to be reviewing this documentary, and, still, it was a no-go.  Until we got the DVD that is!  As we sat down to watch about the life of this extraordinary woman, the kids wanted to learn more.  They wanted to read these books that she had written, that had made such an impact on our culture and country.  And, so they dove into them.  I couldn’t be happier!

Not being one to generally study biographies, I was happy to learn about Mrs. Wilder.  Her life spanned some of the most amazing times in history–from covered wagons to airplanes, and everything in between.  Her life with her daughter, Rose, was tumultous, like so many mother/daughter relationships, but in the end, they loved each other deeply.  And her love for her husband was so very obvious, and beautiful.

One of the parts I really appreciated was that the documentary explains some of the parts of the Little House series that weren’t true to Laura’s life, or were somehow altered.  For example, there never was a girl named “Nelly Olsen.”  Did you know that?  Instead, that character is the compilation of three girls from Laura’s childhood days, put into one.

Overall, we found this documentary to be extremely well done.  Rather than just a voice over still shots, Legacy Documentaries have taken actors and replayed scenes of Laura’s life.  I think this makes the production much more interesting, and able to hold a child’s attention more.  However, the actors take no speaking roles, so this is definitely not a docu-drama type of production.  We also really appreciated that, showing only the events that happened, without elaborating to make it more “interesting.”

You can buy Legacy Documentaries‘ Little House on the Prairie:  The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder for $24.95.  Also available is Almanzo Wilder:  Life Before Laura for $21.95, and Pa’s Fiddle:  The Music of America (Homage to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Her Father) for $15.00.

 


 

TOS Review Crew: Analytical Grammar

JULY 28, 2014 BY: KRISTI

Analytical Grammar Review

I hated writing book reports growing up. Now, I can see the purpose in them, but I dreaded teaching them, because I hated writing them.  And so I haven’t.  But now, I’ve found a great course that will do it for me in a fun, not-your-typical-book-report way!  I have found the Beyond the Book Report program from Analytical Grammar, and the kids are having so much fun!

Analytical Grammar Review

Beyond the Book Report is a research and essay writing program from Analytical Grammar, designed for middle-to-early-high-schoolers.  There is a three year schedule that you can use for grades 6th, 7th, and 8th, or a 2 year program if you’re beginning in grade 8, and continuing through 9.  We’re using this program with Kaitlyn (13, 7th grade) and Danny (11, 6th grade), and we’re going to be putting them through the 3 year program. There are three “Seasons” in the Beyond the Book Report program.  Season One teaches the fundamentals of research and essay writing, and has the student write three different types of book reports:  a basic book report, a pamphlet book report, and a journalism book report.  Season Two focuses on poetry and drama, including figurative language and stage forms.  Season Three moves into deeper aspects of research and essay writing, and adds in public speaking.  All together, they are a solid informative writing curriculum for the middle school years.

Beyond the Book Report is video based, and each Season comes with a DVD for your student to watch.  In addition, there are printables, including slides to print off so the students can practice taking notes as they listen to the DVD.  There is also a teacher’s binder, which gives detailed instructions and shows you how to use the program in a 2 or 3 year schedule, three days a week.

We really liked this program.  It lays out everything from choosing the book and getting it approved, to writing really interesting reports.  Season Three even takes the student into things that I just wouldn’t think about, like writing an SAT essay.  The videos were not too long for my middle schoolers to watch, and Kaitlyn is starting to improve on her note taking, I’ve noticed, while watching them.  Since I am in college online, I know this is not the easiest skill for me to develop, and one I want her to have down before she heads off to college.  There are also rubrics not just for me, but for the kids.  Again, as an online college student, I love this, because I routinely go back to my own rubrics for papers I turn in.  That wasn’t available to me in high school, so getting into that habit now is excellent for my kids, in my opinion.

We kicked up the program’s schedule slightly for summer, but I’m really looking forward to taking the kids through it again this year at the slower, 3-day-a-week pace.  While they’ve learned a lot, I think they’ll be able to glean even more when we go through it again.  And, they’re not complaining about the idea, which I love.  Kaitlyn, especially, is really enjoying the drama aspects (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which she adores, anyway), and I want her to enjoy it without feeling rushed.  This is definitely something we’re keeping around long term.

Beyond the Book Report is available for $24.95 per season, or, you can bundle all three seasons together for $69.95.  Make sure you head to the Beyond the Book Report page, where you’ll get a thorough breakdown of exactly what each Season, and each report, consists of.  This is a really great, step by step program that will take ALL of the guesswork out of teaching your children how to write informative research papers and essays, as well as teach them to study poetry and drama.  We’re really looking forward to continuing with Beyond the Book Report.

Want to see what the rest of the Crew thought about their products from Analytical Grammar?  Click the banner below to find out!

 


 

TOS Review Crew: Veritas Press’ Self Paced Omnibus I

JULY 27, 2014 BY: KRISTI

My kids are getting into the upper grades. I have one officially heading into middle school this year. That, frankly, is terrifying to me. Plus, I have my Second Wave, four little ones coming up behind my two big kids. It’s time I readjusted some things, and finding courses that the big kids can do themselves, that still provides a strong, rigorous education is high on our priority list for the next few years. With that in mind, I was really excited to begin reviewing Veritas Press Self-Paced Omnibus I, the new self-paced option for middle-and-high-schoolers from Veritas Press. Kaitlyn (13 years old, heading into 7th grade) helped me with this review.

Veritas Press has been noted as a premiere curriculum provider for those looking to use the classical method in their homeschools and even in brick-and-mortar schools.  Now, they’re offering their highly-recommended Omnibus I program in a self-paced format for middle-to-high-schoolers.  The Omnibus I Primary Course is $295 for a year’s access.  The Omnibus I Primary Self-Paced Course Kit with the Omnibus ebook is $151.32, and the kit with no ebook is $137.63.  If this is the first child you have going through Omnibus, you’re going to want the ebook.

So, how does it work?  After you register, you child will have access to the course, a series of videos, games, and quizzes.  Each day, on your schedule, you access the course.  Most days, there is also outside reading that will be required for the course.  During the review period, we read out of the Bible books of Genesis and Exodus, and the Epic of Gilgamesh.  There are sensitive topics that will be worked through during Omnibus.  Omnibus comes with an advisory to teachers and parents:  It is assumed that the course will only be used with students in 7th grade and up, and those dialectic-aged students are able to biblically discuss topics such as sex and violence, and that there is no part of the Bible inappropriate to discuss with students.  So, this is not necessarily a course you want to just set your kids at and go.  This course will require teacher involvement.  Your children will probably have questions, and you will want to be there to discuss with them.  We also found Omnibus to have a very overt Calvinistic/Reformed tone, so if that’s not your theology, you’d want to take that into consideration, as well.
The course covers the topics of Worldview, Literature, Bible, History, Theology, Art Appreciation, and can cover writing.  It’s not all-inclusive, though, and while this would be a solid core, you’ll need to add in math, science, and foreign language.  That said, in the subjects covered, it is quite in depth.  Omnibus travels throughout history, with Omnibus I covering the Ancient Period, from Creation until AD 70.  Omnibus is designed to be started at 7th grade, so the emphasis is on Logic in the first three years.

Each section of Omnibus is divided into sessions:  Session I is the Prelude, and gives an overall study of the topic.  Sessions II and III are Discussion.  In these sections, you analyze and discuss the topic.  Session IV is Recitation, this is when the comprehension and thinking comes in.  And Session V is Evaluation, with wonderful review questions to get your child thinking deeply.  There are also Optional Sessions if you want to go deeper.  We found that each day of Omnibus I took us at least 2 hours to go through, between the online segment, discussions, and readings.

Kaitlyn’s favorite part of the course was the Art Appreciation.  She loved learning about the Sistine Chapel, and taking a detailed look at some of those scenes.  I have an art guide on my Bible app, and she spent quite a while looking though other scenes of the Sistine Chapel on that, after studying it in Omnibus.

So, what did we like about Omnibus I?  Well, we loved that it was online and self paced.  The quality is really top notch.  While we did encounter some glitches, they were generally worked through pretty quickly, and I have a feeling that a few of them had to do with us being on an iPad instead of on a regular computer.  (NOTE:  You do need Flash to use Omnibus I.  During the review, my hard drive crashed, and we had to move to the iPad.  We found that by downloading a Flash-appropriate browser for iPad we were able to continue to use Omnibus on the iPad.  I would recommend using it primarily on a regular computer, though.)  I liked how deep it went into each subject, and required Kaitlyn to think hard and really expand her writing skills.

What didn’t we like?  I didn’t like the way the Omnibus ebook was set up.  You have to download another program to access it, it just seemed to add a complication in.  I would have preferred it to be in a PDF file or something similar.  Also, you can’t print it off, which, for someone who really works best when physically taking notes, this can be a struggle.  You can, however, highlight, so there is that.

Omnibus is quite Reformed.  You need to be prepared for that, if you are going to use this.  If you do not adhere to the Reformed theology, be prepared to sit with your child and have a lot of discussions throughout the program.  The theology can be a pro to some, and a con to others.  It really depends on your family.

Overall, while this is not something that is going to work for our family, it would be a wonderful resource for many, many families, especially those who are really desiring a classical education for their children.

Want to hear what the rest of the Crew thought about their Veritas Press Self Paced products?  Click the banner below to find out!

 


 

TOS Review Crew: Go Science

JUNE 24, 2014 BY: KRISTI

Science is so much fun! And it’s better when you have a really great DVD to help you through it. Recently, we had the opportunity to review a couple of the Go Science DVDs sold by Library and Educational Services. For this review, we were able to use Volume 2: Life Science and Weather and Volume 6: Chemistry.

The Go Science DVDs are recommended for ages 4-12. We found this appropriate on the lower end, but I wouldn’t use these for kids above 10 or so. My older kids (11 and 13) were somewhat engaged by them, but not nearly as much as the littles were. The DVDs have a running time of about 1 hour. During each DVD Ben Roy, your host who teaches science methods at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, takes real kids through real experiments to give them hands on, real life examples of the scientific concepts they’re learning. At the end of every demonstration, he points the children back to the Creator, by saying, “The more that we learn about science, the more that we learn about our Creator–God!”

Hosted by Ben Roy, a science teacher at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and former director of a television science program, these high-energy DVDs for students ages 4 to 11 will enthrall both the avid scientist and the recalcitrant student.  Mr. Roy brings to life the fundamentals of science, including how sound works, why gravity causes your textbook to hit the ground, and the principles of Newton’s Third Law (“for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,”) with an oversized Newtonian cradle.  Between the seven volumes, there are 80 demonstrations of physical and chemical science.   The Go Science DVDs help make laboratory science accessible to all children.

There are a total of seven DVDs in the series.  Each has a list price of $14.95. Each is priced at $8.97. Available for review were:

Volume 1: Sound, Gravity, Space

Volume 2: Life Science, Weather

Volume 3: Air

Volume 4: Motion, Friction, Electricity, Light

Volume 5: States of Matter, Water

Volume 6: Chemistry

Volume 7: Engineering, Design, Flight

What makes this program unique is how Mr. Roy correlates science with God’s creation.  For example:

  • There are many sounds around us, but we need to be in tune with God’s frequency in order to hear Him so we can be filled with His power.
  • If we were to remove the atmosphere, we would keep objects from falling, but without the atmosphere, we would be in need of another oxygen source to be able to breathe as God designed us.
  • Outside forces in our lives go into our hearts and affect us; we show this in how we act toward others.

As Mr. Roy states at the end of each episode, “When we learn more about
science, we learn more about our Creator, God.”  The Go Science DVDs help students learn how God’s hand is in everything.


 

 

TOS Review Crew: We Choose Virtues

JUNE 12, 2014 BY:KRISTI

We Choose Virtues Review

 

Character training is close to the heart of most of our reasons for homeschooling, as it should be. But it’s not that easy. Character training can be hard, and children won’t respond forever to a constant barrage of correction. We Choose Virtues has set out to make character training fun and simple, with their Parenting Cards and Download Bundle. The Parenting Cards are available in KJV or NiRV format. We chose the latter, because the verses used are both Old and New Testament, whereas the KJV cards only use the Old Testament. We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards are recommended for children ages 3-11.

 

We Choose Virtues Review

We Choose Virtues uses the metaphor of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, to show our kids how they can change their character, and become something truly beautiful in God. The Cards are 8.5 x 5.5″, so good sized, and are printed double sided on high quality cardstock. You begin by the entire family taking the Character Assessment. Getting children to reflect on where they could use areas of improvement is always a good thing, and, in my opinion, helps them “own” their character training. We found that while our kids understood some of the obvious character qualities we wanted them to grow (kindness, obedience, ect.), some of them, such as attentiveness, diligence, and preserverence, they hadn’t quite thought of. So the Character Assessment was very good for them.

We Choose Virtues Review

The Download Bundle comes with a Teacher’s Handbook, Family Character Assessment, Coloring Pages, Butterfly Award, and Sing-along Song Sheets. We chose one virtue a week to focus on, and used the recommended activities in the Teacher’s Handbook. Some of the activities were geared towards a classroom setting, but I felt that they were easily enough adaptable to a homeschool, or even Sunday School setting, that it didn’t really matter that much.

We introduced each card by introducing the character on the card. There are 12 multi-ethinic children from VirtueVille, one on each card, that your child “meets” as he journeys through We Choose Virtues. My kids really enjoyed meeting the children, and had a lot of fun coloring in the coloring book with their pictures in them. Each virtue also has a song that goes along with it. In the Bundle Package is a songbook, but no music. This isn’t a problem, though, as the songs are all set to common tunes, such as London Bridge and B-I-N-G-O.

The front of the card has two positive statements (in the case of the “Content” card above, the statements would be “I am CONTENT” followed by “I have my wanter under control”), followed by a negative statement (“I am NOT…bored or greedy or always wanting more and I don’t beg or whine!”). This shows the child both what to do and what not to do. Also on the front is a Bible verse in either the NiRV or KJV translations. (Just a note: The KJV version is only available in Old Testament verses. The NiRV version of these cards uses both the Old and New Testaments.) On the back, you meet the Kid of VirtueVille, and have resources for teaching the Virtue, along with the Virtue User Challenge to bring that virtue into your life, and even a “What to Say After ‘I’m Sorry’” section, where kids learn really wonderful ways to apologize, that leads them back to the Virtue they’re working on.

This is a really easy-to-implement, fun program. You will see character improvement after using the cards, but, really, this is something that I don’t believe you can never just “graduate” from the program and be done. It’s something that will need to be reinforced over and over, which makes having the coloring book and resources downloadable a really good thing. Because it’s only meant to be used for about 10 minutes a day, and is easily brought into your circle or devotional time, I’m perfectly fine with going through the program over and over again. The We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards are available for $38.49, and the WCV Download Bundle is $7.99. There are many other products available, though, sticker charts and posters and just a bunch, on the We Choose Virtues store, so you’ll want to head over there and check it out. In addition, there are products for youth and teens, so really, something for the whole family!

We really enjoy using We Choose Virtues, and plan on continuing to use it in our daily circle time. It’s easy to use, fun, and the kids really liked it! Want to know what the rest of the Crew thought about We Choose Virtues? Just click the banner below to find out!

 



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