What a Helpful 2-in-1 Resource for Essay Writing, Style and Usage! {An Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers Review}

Disclosure: I received this product free through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Do you have a middle school or high school student who could benefit from a writing reference resource which is comprehensive yet offers clear, concise explanations and examples?

The Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers from Everyday Education could be just what you are looking for.

We have recently had the opportunity to review this 400+-page reference guide, which addresses essay writing, including style, grammar, usage, and punctuation, and is effectively two books in one.

The first "book" introduces and details essays and arguments. It devotes over 200 pages to illuminating for students how to structure an effective essay, emphasizing that a thesis must be "arguable" - not simply a point of fact or an opinion most already agree with.

Part One then takes students through the "anatomy" of an essay step by step, explaining how to write paragraphs that define terms, give background information, provide details examples, etc.
 discussion of essays arguments and more.

Through clear examples and exercise, Part One can truly help students craft effective and passionate arguments in clear and engaging writing. 

The second "book" of the Handbook is a style and usage guide. It includes more than 200 pages that offer tips and guidelines for grammar and word usage, covering spelling, punctuation, parallel structure, formatting, APA and MLA guidelines, and so much more - all listed in an extensive table of contents explained clearly with effective example, and numbered by paragraph for easy reference.

Together, the two-books-in-one work as a thorough teaching and reference tool which is designed to be used with high school through college students, yet is written and organized in such a way that it can he helpful for eager middle school students, parents, tutors, and teachers, too, I believe.

Middle school and high school students can take a break from other ELA studies to use the Handbook to fill in gaps in knowledge and to learn how to write strong essays. They can also use the reference in tandem with other resources, checking style, grammar, and usage points in the Handbook as they move through other curricula. 

College students can access the reference to tighten and improve their writing. They can also take comfort in knowing that by looking up key points in this vetted Handbook rather than, say, some random article they find on Google, they are getting sound examples and explanations.

Parents, teachers, and tutors can use the rubric in the Handbook to grade and give feedback to students. They can also direct students to specific numbered sections of the Handbook to review specific points. Plus, they can use the material in the Handbook to improve their own writing.

Most definitely,  I see the Handbook as a guide that can help students (and grown-ups) now, and also for years to come.

How Have We Been Using the Handbook?

I have been browsing the Handbook to become familiar with al of its parts so I can use portions of it to direct all three of my children to as I edit and evaluate their writing.

I have also been using the book as my high school age son's current ELA studies. Having had him fail to fully utilize other writing resources he has begun, I have opted to use this one together with him during 1:1's.

Basically, we read portions of it together, do the exercises in them aloud, and discuss examples. I also use the Handbook as a reference when I see mistakes and areas of improvement in my son's creative writing.

My Son's Thoughts

When I asked my son for a few words for this review he said:

When you first told me we would begin work with this Handbook, I thought, "Whatever." I have begun a multitude of writing programs - especially about essays - but never finished one, because they tend to bore me. I prefer creative writing, particularly writing fantasy tales. 

Since then, we have taken time to sit together, read this, and do the exercises out loud, and I think the Handbook is well written, besides its overuse of the words "very", "really", and other such weak words.

 

I would recommend this Handbook to others.

My son also made me smile at the end of our 1:1 the other day, when, after balking at having to come do the 1:1, he said, "Mom, this Handbook is good. It makes sense." 

I am glad it is working for him!

My Thoughts

My son, who loves to write fantasy fiction and does so well, still has much room to grow in writing nonfiction pieces. He also has always had trouble formulating clear, interesting theses and following them with on-point and effective arguments.

As we've been moving through Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers, I am seeing his understanding of how to craft persuasive writing grow.

I appreciate that the Handbook is part teaching tool and part ready reference. It does well encompassing many aspects of style, grammar, and usage and I like that it:

• teaches how to construct logical, engaging arguments for essays, debates, and research papers
• dives into different ways to organize essays and literary critiques, from research papers to narratives, outlining essential components for each.
• offers images, outlines, examples, and more to drive home ideas.
  
  
  
• offers a thorough treatment of paragraph structure, teaching about transitional words interpreting evidence, paragraph coherence, and more.
• discusses how to read and write thoughtfully about literature including Shakespeare, classics, short stories, poetry, etc.
• presents how to use inductive and deductive reasoning.
• gives topic sentence outline examples for papers across curricula.
• is organized with numbered paragraphs in the grammar and usage portion
• provides multiple examples and exercises
• goes over basics such as phrases, clauses, and dependent clauses, confusing words, etc.
  

There truly is much "meat" in this 2-for-1 Handbook.

The only things I have not liked so far are the overuse of unnecessary words such as "really", the lack of an index, and the fact that I don't have a physical copy of the book.

To this last point, we  received a PDF edition of 

Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers and, although it is handy to have it available on my computer so that no one can misplace it around the house, I find myself missing the ability to pick up a print copy to flip through. Thus, I would recommend that if you - like me - prefer to have your reference resources in a physical format, it might be worthwhile to get the print version of this resource.

The Handbook for Writers Excellence in Literature is available in both print and ebook.

You'll find a complete list of contents and more information on the Handbook page at the Everyday Education website and, I believe, will find this Handbook an excellent resource for writing!

Learn More

More than 25 Homeschool Review Crew families have been using the Handbook for Writers Excellence in Literature. Click on through to find links to video, social media and blog reviews.

You can also connect with via social media:

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A Mini-Convention in a Bag {Don't Miss This May Promo!}

Did you miss going to a homeschool convention this spring and getting all the goodies there?

{This post contains affiliate links.}

SchoolhouseTeachers.com can fill the void with the May 2020 19 Gifts Promo!

Through the end of May 2020, new members who live in the United States can subscribe to the Ultimate (PreK-12) Annual Membership for only $139 (reg. $224.97) PLUS receive a sturdy tote bag filled with 18 gifts brought to you by SchoolhouseTeachers.com,The Old Schoolhouse®, and over a dozen homeschooling and family-friendly companies that they have teamed up with.

Essentially, the promo is a mini-convention in a bag that comes right to your home. You order the Ultimate Annual Membership and get INSTANT access to a complete PreK-12 curriculum with over 400+ courses, videos, World Book content, TOS Print subscription, and so much more that your ENTIRE family can enjoy. Then, within 6-8 weeks, a mini-convention in a bag, with a value of $527.71 arrives at your door! The bag will be filled with gift cards that provide you with information on how to redeem 18 complimentary gifts with no credit cards or additional purchases required, just following the instructions on the gift cards! Amazing, huh? A great discount on the Ultimate Annual Membership, a handy tote, and these 18 additional gifts:

• Enrichment Studies: 100 Women Composers Through the Ages course
• Character Concepts: Profiles of Valor: True Stories from the War of Independence eBook
• Learn and Color Books: Color Thru History™ The People of Early Civilization AND Color Thru History™ The People of Early Civilization Elementary Supplement digital versions
• IEW: Structure and Style Overview DVD
• Travels with Music: One-Year Online Subscription to Travels with Music
• Writing with Sharon Watson: Teach Your Child to Take Notes eBook
• Apprentice Art Studio: How to Cultivate a Creative Life Video Lesson w/PDF
• Spanish Educational Solutions: Online Elementary Program for the Entire Family (2 months)
• HSLDA: $15 Gift Certificate
• Everyday Education: Working It Out: Growing Spiritually with the Poetry of George Herbert AND Evaluate Writing the Easy Way eBooks PLUS bonus How to Teach Classic Literature to Teens MP3
• Step Up Your Performance: Two-month Subscription to either Grammar for Proofreading OR The Simple Essay: Its Organization and Development
• Nallenart: L'Art de LIRE Level 1
• Etiquette Lessons Foundation: Etiquette Lessons Student Print Workbook
• Brinkman Adventures: Brinkman Adventures Audio Download
• Homeschool Court: Homeschool Court Digital Student Edition
• Chess House: Pocket Chess Set
• Grace Works Interactive: 1 Timothy Interactive Bible Game (Windows-Based Download)
• Learn to Play Music Publishers, Inc.: Learn to Play Music One-month Family Membership
• The Old Schoolhouse®: Tote Bag (colors vary)

That is some list of goodies with plenty I'm excited to check out, too!

Of the whole list, I am most looking forward to seeing Character Concepts: Profiles of Valor, because I love history, Scripture, and focus on virtues and character and this resource marries all three, telling the true stories of famous and lesser known heroes of America's War of Independence. Such stories are, of course, timeless - inspiring us to aim for heroic virtue. They also seem timely, for now is a time when a fight for continued independence looms largely in my mind and that of my children's. This resource - along with the other gifts in the promo - is sure to be appreciated!
So, if you'd love to enter into the summer and fall with fantastic resources at your door and onscreen, sign up NOW to receive your tote filled with goodies before they run out!
Use Coupon Code: 19GIFTS at checkout to receive this awesome promo!

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Learn About 16 Amazing Saints & Their Awesome Animals

If you have children that enjoy love saints, animals, and visual feasts, then let me introduce you to a vibrant book and its companion coloring book.

{Disclosure: Some if the links which follow are affiliate ones. Should you click through them and make any purchase, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.}

In preparing to celebrate St. Verdiana's, St. Brigid's, and St. Blaise's feast days with my children on February 1 and 3, I pulled out my copies of Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals and its companion, the Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals Coloring Book. As soon as my daughter saw the books, she smiled, remembering how delightful these slim paperbacks are.

Heartwarming Stories about 16 Saints and Their Animal Friends

Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals opens with brief commentary about the compassion, respect, and affection shared between holy people and animals through the ages.

The book then gets right into the stories of 16 saints and their animal friends.  Each story is told briefly, but well on a 2-page spread that holds much visual appeal.

Then, end pages include the Prayer of Saint Francis for Animals, information about the author Sherry Boas and illustrator Maria Boas, followed by quick blurbs about other books offered through Caritas Press.

Over the time I have had the book, I have found myself taking it off the shelves many times and recommend it as one that is happily revisited.

One of the only things I wish was different about Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals is the order the saints are presented in.  As I use the book mostly on saint days, I would love for the saints to be in order by the month of their feast days.  Alternately, I would appreciate an index page in calendar order.  This is a large thing, though, and one I have "fixed" by making my own calendar order list:

• February 1 - St. Verdiana and the Snakes
• February 1 - St. Bridget and the Fox
• February 3 - St. Blaise and the Wild Beasts 
• February 13 - St. Modomnoc and the Bees
• May 27 - Blessed Maria Bagnesia and the Cats
• June 9 - St. Columba and the Horse
  June 13 - St. Anthony and the Donkey
• July 11 - St. Benedict and the Raven
• August 16 - St. Rocco and the Dog
• September 1 - St. Giles and the Deer
• September 18 - St. Joseph of Cupertino and the Lamb
• September 30 - St. Jerome and the Lion
• October 4 - St. Francis and the Wolf
• October 16 - St. Gall and the Bear
• November 3 - St. Martin de Porres and the Mice
• November 17 - St. Hugh and the Swan
  
  
  
  
  

The companion Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals Coloring Book is handy to have, too. It includes 2-page, hand drawn, original artwork of each saint-animal combination contained in the storybook.  Each line-drawing is presented on single-sided sheets, which can be colored or painted right in the book without concern for the colors bleeding through and ruining a coloring page on a reverse side.  I appreciate this feature of the coloring book.

I would appreciate even more if the coloring book came with perforated pages and a copyright clause that allowed for reprinting for family or classroom use, or if a printable e-book version were sold.  Perhaps Caritas Press will consider these suggestions for future printings.

My Children's Thoughts

My youngest, at eight, said:

I like how the books focus on saints and animals.  One of my favorite pictures is the one with Saint Francis and the Wolf.  I would recommend these books for younger listeners because they aren't very intense and there are animal stories.

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My daughter, 11, said:

I like the book.  The stories are simple and short and tell about saints and animals. I like how the stories are laid out on the pages with an old-fashioned open book that has more cartoony animals and people illustrated inside and more realistic animals and backgrounds around the edges.

I also like the coloring book because it goes so well with the saint book.  While Mom reads about a saint, I can color a picture that goes along with it.  The coloring pages are illustrated with simple, but fun pictures and fancy, illuminated words.

My oldest, 13, appreciates the books, too.  He said:

The book has a good selection of stories in it with different saints and animals. Some of the saints are familiar, like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Martin de Porres, and some are not, like St. Rocco and S. Gall.  The saints also come from different time periods.

I think the coloring book art is pretty simple, but good for little kids and fun. I'd recommend these books to people who like animals.  

I would have liked them a lot when I was younger.  Now, we use them for saint days. 

I love that the succinct, yet engaging stories in Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals and the ready-to-go coloring pages in the companion Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals Coloring Book make learning about and celebrating the saints super easy.

Whether you have young children, animal lovers, or are just looking for quick, easy-to-read saint stories for a class or morning time selection, Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals is worth a look.

Learn More

Both Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals and its companion Coloring Book, obviously, are helpful resources for living the liturgical year on particular saint days and will hold appeal for young children.  Some other times the books might be great to pull off your shelf are:

• on St. Francis of Assisi's feast day as he is a patron to animals.

• when seeking inspiration for art projects, because the anime-style line drawings in the coloring book show how saints can be depicted in modern styles while the page designs in the storybook can prompt the creation of vibrant collages.

• when focusing on virtues, because many are apparent in the stories.

• when planning a co-op class. You could consider making a class session based on each saint-animal combination.  Doing so would allow students to enjoy cross-curricula learning, learning science about the animal, geography and history related to the saints, virtues, etc.

• doing unit studies on particular animals, saints, or locations.

• when discussing illuminated manuscripts, since the lettering of each saint story title is reminiscent of this style.

• when looking for saint reading for young readers.  For, although the font the stories are written in is on the largeer side, the length of the stories is just right for young readers.

• when researching saints or writing reports on them, since the short stories are engaging and contain interesting facts that could make strong jumping off points.

Undoubtedly, there are plenty of other times that Amazing Saints & their Awesome Animals and its companion Coloring Book could be enjoyed as well. 

Caritas Press publishes a host of other wonderful faith-focused books, including:

 Saint John Bosco and His Big Gray Dog which I previously reviewed, and which would be perfect to read on January 31, the feast day of S. John Bosco

the fun Encyclopedia of Peg Saints which I previously reviewed

Jackie's Special Halloween which I previously reviewed

I encourage you to check out other fiction, non-fiction, rosary books, and children's books from Caritas Press at their website, or they have an expanding line of Catholic and pro-life books with a wonderful mission:

"...shedding light on things eternal in a culture that is becoming increasingly blind to the wonders of God’s works and numb to his boundless love. Making use of the subtle and the beautiful.. to play a part in igniting in children and adults a desire to know God more fully."

Caritas Press can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

{Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of these books along with a book I requested for review.  Pleased by the books, I decided to write an honest review of them.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions expressed are my own of those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.}

Printable Books of the Bible Summary Sheets {A Review}

I admit, although I know many Bible verses, can retell many Bible stories, and have no problem sharing Bible truths, if you named a book of the Bible and asked me to offer you a handful of its salient points, a summary of its stories, or highlights of its verses, I may not be able to do so on my own without some research and thought.  A quick look at Books of the Bible At-a-Glance by Teach Sunday School, though, can help me remedy that!

It can also help me tell you who wrote ache book of the Bible, when, and where the books are found in the Bible, and what the "claim to fame" of each is.

I just love how each of the Printable Books of the Bible "Summary Sheets" offers a well-organized, easy-to-digest snapshot of an entire book on the Bible in a visually appealing way.  It is so handy!

Recently, my children and I have been reading a Christian fiction book about Jericho.  Enter the Book of Joshua page to give us some quick context and food for thought...

...and also some quotes for copywork.

One of my children is reading through books of the Gospel this year as part of his studies. 

So, enter the Luke page to give him an overview to pin his readings on.

Indeed, having the 74-page Books of the Bible At-a-Glance pdf e-file on hand has proven a helpful resource for my family when we find allusions to Bible stories in the various books, videos, and audios we dive into. It makes it easy to key into when different Bible stories happened in history, what important points about them are, and more.

We use Books of the Bible At-a-Glance as a quick reference in our home.  I can also see it being used as a stand-alone resource for anyone who would like to do a concise study of the books of the Bible.

Anyone, that is, who does not mind that the Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is missing the deuterocanonical books.   Fellow Catholics, do take note that this Bible resource comes up seven books short according to our Bible.  However, do not let that deter you from considering Books of the Bible At-a-Glance.  I can attest that in using it so far we have found it convenient, quick, eye-pleasing, and helpful and my children have not yet noticed the missing books.  (I am waiting for them to so we can chat more about the development of the Bible and also so I can challenge them to make their own summary pages for the deuterocanonical books.)

Any which way, I am glad to have Books of the Bible At-a-Glance in our collection of resources and have found it to be a quick and handy go-to.

As indicated, I have only used it as an at-our-fingertips electronic resource to go along with reading we are already doing - sometimes printing out pages for easy off-screen reading.  I can also see Books of the Bible At-a-Glance working as:

• a conversation starter (using the "Important Points" section
• an introduction or review of the Bible as a whole (minus the  seven Old Testament books found in the Catholic Bible that some other Bibles disclude)
• a help for timelining and placing Bible history in context
• a source for quotes for copywork, speeches, and more
• a resource for quiz-show like games (using the claims to game, famous stories, and more)

Simple, streamlined, and successful in its goal to "give famous characters, Bible verses and situations placement and context", Books of the Bible At-a-Glance is a resource I can recommend.


Learn More

Find all the reviews.

Seventy-five Review Crew families have been using Books of the Bible At-a-Glance in various ways.  Check out the other reviews for more ideas on how to use this wonderfully handy product.

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3 Resources for Your Homeschool {An IEW Resource Set Review}

This post, 3 Resources for Your Homeschool, was made possible through our review of Timeline of Classics, A Word Write Now, and Teaching with Games Set by Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). 

• A fan of read-togethers.  
• A believer in games.  
• A lover of words.  
• An admitted resource junkie.  
• A mom who still prefers to pull a printed resource off my shelf rather than having everything be digital.

All of these statements describe me and offer insight into why I chose to review IEW's resource set, for the set speaks to all of these facets of me.  Further, I was impressed by another IEW product I reviewed earlier this year and, so, was excited to see more of IEW's well-lauded curriculum resources.

Just What I Have Been Wanting 

Among the three resources I received for my second review of IEW materials, Timeline of Classics was my favorite. 

When author Gail Ledbetter put together a chronological list of living books and other resources for her family, she did exactly what I have been hoping to do, but have yet to pull together the time, focus, and notes to make my vision a reality.  What a delight for me, then, was it to discover that Gail Ledbetter had not only done what I have been wanting to do, but blessed others by publishing her work.  Now, I can use her work as a jumping off point, simply adding to it with my own family's fun and useful finds as we move along through our home education journey. 

Thank you, Gail!  Having your 87+ page, spiral-bound index of tried-and-true resources broken in hand saves me so much time, energy and thought.



Timeline of Classics is broken down into the following sections:

• Ancients (5000BC- AD400)
• The Middle Ages (AD400-1450)
• Renaissance and Reformation (1450-1850)
• The Modern World (1850-Present)

Each of these sections is then further broken down by more specific historical topics, making it a breeze to find ideal literature, biographies, plays, recordings, and films that correspond to whichever particular historical period you and your children might be exploring.  Of course, not every possible resource is listed; only the ones that Gail Ledbetter and her children came to treasure.  What is better than that?  A vetted list of resources that help bring together the people, places, and events of the past in engaging ways! 

Well, I'll tell you what's better:  The list is an especially helpful one, because it is not not just titles and authors.  Rather, it contains a brief descriptions of the resources and a key to determine if specific resources are appropriate for elementary, middle school or high school level students.   Further, every page of the index has a quote taken from one of the mentioned sources.  Oh, what a practical feast for a mama like me who loves learning about history alongside her children, discovering new resources, digging into classic ones, and being inspired by quotes that can come in handy as copywork for the kids.

Further, because Timeline of Classics is a printed resource, it is uber-easy to pull down from the shelf to consult as particular historical periods pique my kiddoes' interests or come up in our homeschool adventures.  The book is also easy to pop into our library bag so I can browse for new titles to take out as the kids do their thing at the library.  And, because the index contained in it is printed on the front side of each page only, the blank back sides can be used for me to expand the list with my own notes and finds.  So handy!

Save one tiny detail, I would say that Timeline of Classics  is a perfect resource for my needs.  What is that detail?  The fonts that the quotations sprinkled throughout the book is printed in.  In a future publication of the book, I would encourage the publishers to reset that font as the current one, although readable, is a bit small and tough on eyes like mine.  But, as I said, this is but a tiny detail.  Even just as the book stands now, I love it!
 
I have been happily consulting Timeline of Classics and consider it a gem.  I can see it proving so for Charlotte Mason, Classical, Unschooling, and Eclectic aficionados alike.  Any person interested in history and living books will likely appreciate this treasure trove index!

Concise, Practical and Inviting

A Word Write Now was my second favorite resource among the collection I received. Loranna Schwacofer certainly packed a lot of practicality into the glossy-finished, full-color pages of this spiral-bound resource.  


The book begins with an introduction and two pages that offer simple definitions of parts of speech.  Then, it continues on with three sections of theme-based word lists and an appendix that contains common literary devices with sentences examples, as well as teaching tips, games ideas, and lists of words for transitions, prepositions, and literary genres.

The theme-based word lists center on:

• 23 character traits and related words categorized by nouns, adjectives, verbs, phrases, etc. 
• words to describe appearance, color, size, temperature, texture and shape
• words to describe movement and senses

Many of the pages also contain definitions for traits, thoughts on the traits, excerpts from classic literature, inspiring quotes, and blank spaces where students can write additional words.  A complete bibliography is also included.

What a concise, colorful, inviting, user-friendly resource it is.  My nine-year-old son enjoyed using it.  Friends who saw it on the blanket at one of our art-music-and-poetry club meetings thought it was a useful reference, too, as we wrote acrostic poems.
 

My only complaint since opening its pages is one that is no fault of the publisher's.  Because we like the resource so well, we left it on our kitchen table for ready reference.  Unfortunately, one day a vase got tipped over onto it and large portions of the book got soaked.  Because I had a geography club to run at my house minutes after the accident, I did not have time to deal with the spill right away and, by the time I took it outside to dry in the sun, many pages of it were already sticking together. 

Thankfully, a friend who came early for geography club helped me to try to pry the pages apart without ripping too many.  Then, we had our kids collect small, clean stones so we could put them between each of the 106 pages of the book to prevent the pages from re-sticking as they dried in the sun. 

By the time our club activities ended, all of the pages dried and I laid the book under a mattress for several days to flatten everything out a bit.  That worked to some degree.  Some pages did re-stick and rip when I pried them apart.  Other pages are stained from the dirty water in the vase.  Most, however, are still usable, thank goodness.

My son still appreciates our copy of A Word Write Now and references it.  In fact, one day I was incredibly humored when I found in in a towel referencing the book.  It seemed he had thought of something in the shower and wanted a better word for it... 
 

Some of my tutoring students have used the book with me, too, finding it helpful when doing writing exercises and projects.

Everyone who has looked at my copy likes it.  I just wish it was still as crisp and inviting as it was before the vase accident!

My recommendation?  Of course, if you get a copy, do not allow fluids near it, because the glossy pages do stick together more than non-glossy pages do when spilled upon, and it's too good a resource for such a mishap to occur.  User-friendly inviting, compact, yet complete, A Word Write Now, in my opinion,  is a quality resource for any student homeschooled or otherwise. 

Helpful for Those Seeking Read-to-Use Adaptable Game Ideas

Oddly, the Teaching with Games Set, which I expected to be my favorite among the resources, was the one that left me least-wowed from a personal standpoint.  It was also a resource, however, that I have already recommended to friends and will continue to recommend to people.
 

Now, why would I recommend something that has not wowed me as much as other things?  Simply put:  because it is a fabulous resource for the right person!

What makes it great?

In short, the Teaching with Games Set is a 3-in-1 tool for teaching parents and educators how to enliven home and classroom learning through purposeful games. 

The set I received came with two DVD's, a CD-rom, and a-117 page spiral bound book that all have one aim:  to make teaching with games a regular part of how you teach and review content across subject areas.  Each component of the set helps folks do this in a different way.

The DVD's show author Lori Verstegen teaching other parents how to play 20 different kinds of games in a seminar setting. Although I did not learn much in viewing these videos, I enjoyed watching them.  They reminded me of workshops that I used to offer when I taught ESL in Japan and was asked to teach both Japanese and fellow foreign teachers of English how to utilize games in classrooms: interactive, practical, and filled with ideas that teachers can go home to apply right away.  In watching the videos, I appreciated how Lori Verstegen clearly explained and demonstrated a wide variety of learning games and can see how viewing her presentation could help those less expert at the use of learning games come away with the motivation and confidence to make games a part of everyday learning.

The CD-rom compliments the DVD's with clearly written instructions for the games demonstrated on the videos, read-to-go sample games, and blank game boards all in e-book format.  It also contains some bonuses, including a game called Synonym Sheninagans which I have never heard of before and have adapted as an oral game until my younger children become stronger spellers. 

Many of the other games on the CD-rom are similar to those already in my repertoire of teaching ideas.  However, there are, of course, new twists on them and helpful ready-made samples, which inspire me.   Further, for folks who seek simple templates that can be printed to customize games for current studies and age levels, this CD-rom is quite handy.  The digital format makes printing a breeze so that folks can use ready-made games and templates right away.

The soft-cover, spiral-bound book offers basically the same materials as the CD-rom, minus the bonus materials.  Having this hard copy of the book in conjunction with the digital version on the CD-rom is super handy.  Parents and teachers can take the book down from the shelf to page through it, and, then, choose to photocopy games from the book, print  them from the CD-rom, or create them freehand, modeled after ideas in the book and on the CD-rom.

Just what kind of ideas?  

Lots! 

Game ideas are broken down into five categories:

• "No Prep" Games
• Matching Card Games
• Question Games
• Math Facts Games
• "Make as You Teach" Games

Some of these are variations of games most people are already familiar with, like Academic 20 Questions, Lotto, Bingo, Tic-Tac-Toe and the like.  Others are more unique, but also known in one variation or another to experienced teachers. Think Lightening, Avoid the Card, etc.  Still more are ones I had not played any version of before seeing the resource.  Number Line Tug of War, for example.  All in all, there are a wide array of games included that appeal to all different ages and styles of learners.  Better still, the games are adaptable to almost any curriculum topic and setting.  They can be used by family, co-ops, religious education classes, etc.  I always love games like that!

Regarding the ready-to-go samples of games included on the CD-rom and in the books, a number of have engaging hand-drawn images on them that I appreciate for their authenticity. No cookie cutter clip art there! 

Other sample games contain more "boring" textual materials according to my kiddoes.  However, this is because two of my three children are not strong readers yet.  Children that read well know that not everything has to have a graphic and textual game pieces and clues can still be fun.

A small portion of the sample games included in the Teaching with Games Set have a "photocopy of a photocopy" quality which surprised me.  These pages reminded me of hand-made and many-times-copied handbooks that I created and shared with colleagues when teaching in Japan over two decades ago.  These handbooks, like the sample game pages in the resource that I refer to, are useful, but not up to par with today's highly visual world with laser-quality printing.  Thus, I did not expect to see such homemade quality mixed in with the typical modern-quality of IEW materials.  That aside, I want to emphasize that, although the quality of such pages surprised me, it did not disturb me.  The pages may not be contain the clear, crisp, sharp visual quality that the rest of the pages in the resource and those in most IEW resources do, but they are still chock-full of use!

As someone who has been playing learning games with children for decades now, I appreciate that the Teaching with Games Set promotes a passion of mine and makes what comes naturally to me more accessible for others.  Yes, many of the games in the resource are variations on ones I was already familiar with, but I still found inspiration in the presentation of the book, CD-rom, and DVD's.  Further, in browsing the materials with others, I discovered that many of the games that are "old hat" to me are new and "wow"ing to others.  With tried-and-true examples of how to engage students with learning games, this resource set is quite worthwhile.  Parents and classroom teachers who are novices at learning through games can easily become more experienced.  "Old timers" like me can discover new tweaks.

Surely, my Teaching with Games Set, is a resource that I will continue to share with home educators and classroom teachers who ask me about games and learning.  I love that I now have it on my shelves to offer as a resource when fielding homeschool support questions and appreciate that it offers some interesting tweaks to favorite games that I already use as well as a few new ideas to add to my "bag of tricks".  I'd recommend the resource to others, especially those who lack confidence in creating and playing learning games.

Sample Pages
 
You may view sample pages of Timeline of Classics and A Word Write Now, as well as see a game sample from Teaching with Games on the IEW website.  Once you do, I think you may see why Timeline of Classics, A Word Write Now, and the Teaching with Games Set by Institute for Excellence in Writing are three resources you may want to consider for your homeschool shelves.  I know I am thankful to have them on mine!

Learn More

• Get social with IEW on Facebook, Pinterest, Vimeo, Twitter, Youtube, their blog, Google + and Instagram.

• Read how other families are putting this resource set, as well as Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A, Level B, and Level C to us at the Schoolhouse Review Crew. 

 

What resources are you seeking to keep handy on your homeschool shelves?