Keep Current with Trusted News Delivered Daily for Your Family {A WORLD Watch Review}

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

This world just seems to be getting crazier and crazier, and, as it does, trying to find a safe source for news to share with kids is an increasing challenge.

The balance between keeping kids current on world events and protecting them from the crazy is not always an easy one. That is where WORLD Watch can help!

WORLD Watch does a commendable job of sharing family-friendly news in ten minute episodes. 

Each episode pairs the weightier current events of the world with feature stories that focus on fun and engaging educational information. Thus, kids come away with a clear understanding of current world events, as well as new knowledge of topics involving economics, government, history, language, science, technology, world cultures, and more, like a sweet story of an 100 year old vet making a jump...

A Biblically-based company that began reporting in 1981, WORLD Watch has proven itself to be a positive, uplifting newsource for students and families. Through combining headlines, news briefs, and feature stories that break everything down without the discouraging, disheartening, and sometimes downright twisted and spun aspect of some other news outlets, WORLD Watch offers a refreshingly safe and sound option for families to keep current and learn.

WORLD Watch is presented by host Brian Basham and a team of reporters dedicated to bringing viewers factual stories from a wholesome, professional perspective.

Brian Basham spent 15 years as a news anchor and meteorologist for stations in El Paso, Tucson, Memphis, and finally Charlotte, NC where he currently resides with his wife and children. His industry experience shows, and, together with his team, he ensures that WORLD Watch offers well composed video reports with timely footage and professional editing.

Awesome for busy homeschooling families, WORLD Watch is easy to use as well. 

With a membership, you can log on to watch full episodes, back epsidoes, or even just segments from episodes. 

You also get an email in your inbox each weekday morning which includes a short outline of the topics covered in that day’s segment as well as a convenient link that takes you directly to the video.

Plus, the WORLD Watch site offers a powerful search engine that allows you to type in keywords to find every video segment containing your chosen keywords.

All this adds up to a newsource that is convenient, clear, and offered from a Christian perspective.

In our home, my 11 year old has been a big fan!

When I asked him for his feedback for this review, he said:

My mom told me to come watch the news. I was very confused at first, because we never watch the news, since it's awful and, sometimes, untruthful. So, I went over to the computer and she turned on WORLD Watch.

 

At first, I thought it was hokey, but, then, as I watched it more, it stopped seeming so hokey and I liked it. I asked to watch every single segment.

 

I wanted to watch it every day, but, it was summer and we were busy and sometimes away. So, we would not watch it every day and then not watch it again until we could watch many episodes in one day. Later, I would tell my dad about some of the things I learned.

 

In each day's broadcast there are several segments. Usually there is a current events story, a crazy, interesting, or humorous story, and a hokey thing about where words and prhases come from or something like that.

 

Some stories that stood out for me were the ones about Afghanastan, giant rodents, and a snake in the supermarket.

 

When my mom said it was time for us to write our review, I asked if we could watch more segments instead of reviewing. I also asked if we were still going to get to have WORLD Watch. I like it and want to keep using it.

 

I would recommend WORLD Watch  to families with kids ages 6 and up. It's important to know what's going on the world and interesting to find out new things.

 

WORLD Watch is not awful like regular news.

I agree with my son. WORLD Watch is not awful. In fact, it is engaging, sometimes entertaining, and always chock full of solid reporting. More than once, my older two children have been drawn in when my 11-year-old and I have been watching episodes, and we all have appreciated the way WORLD Watch presents solid news in a safe way.

If you'd like to check out WORLD Watch, head on over to their website to find an opportunity to stream free for 30 days, receive a full-length video direct to your inbox, or get a sneak peek behind the scenes to find out what it is all about.

If you are like my family, you will appreciate how WORLD Watch makes news literacy easy for families and, in doing so, encourages critical thinking, clarifies current events, and divs into various topics from a Biblical worldview. 

Visit WORLD Watch on

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

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Plus, for more thoughts on WORLD Watch, click through to find over 20 video, social media, and blog reviews from members of the Homeschool Review Crew.

What Curriculum Resource Has My Son Thinking about Changing His Future Plans {A Homeschool Court Review}

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

When I was offered a chance to review the digital Student Worktext, Teacher Manual, Case Summary materials, High School Supplement, and High School Teacher Manual, from Homeschool Court recently, I did not even have to ask my children if they'd be interested in doing so. For, I knew it would be right up my eldest son's alley and thought it might be fun to use as a family study.

Unfortunately, in the short period of time between when I jumped at this review and when we received our pdf downloads of all the materials for it, some things at home changed and so did my children's various  outside-of-home classes and work schedules. So, there went my plans for a mom-n-kids foray into law, government, and trying a moot court case together this season.

Fortunately, though, I was able to pivot my plan from a mom-and-kids study to a high schooler-and- mom one and what fruit that has brought!

My son and I began the study by taking turns reading and discussing the opening chapter of the Student Worktext and High School Supplement. Then, my son began doing the reading on his own with us discussing it and doing some of the exercises during 1:1's.

We were not a few sessions into working our way through Homeschool Court materials this way when my son randomly came to me with a jaw dropping statement:

 "I am rethinking what I want to do. I've always wanted to start my own business, and now I am not sure. I may want to go into law."

What?!

That came out of seeming nowhere.

My oldest son had loved the speech and debate club which he participated in until the pandemic canceled tournaments and put the club on indefinite hold, but he has never once been inclined towards making a career in law before.

Now, he is.

Why?

Homeschool Court!

Wow! I did not see that coming and could not be more grateful for how Homeschool Court has been capturing my son's attention and has encouraged him to dive into legal concepts, civics, etc. while also rethinking his future. 

What an unexpected win from a product I thought might offer just a fun family study and moot court activity. Clearly, even though we have yet to get to the actual moot court case yet, Homeschool Court is offering us so much more.

Now, I cannot promise that your child will have the same potentially life path-changing experience that my son is discerning, but I will say that if your child wants to learn about the American legal system, Homeschool Court offers an engaging approach to doing so.

My son agrees. When I asked him for his quick thoughts on Homeschool Court for this review, he said:

It's a very good program that teaches well through an easy to read worktext with good flow and plenty of exercises and opportunities to dig deeper.

I honestly enjoy it besides the heavy Christian influence.

In the beginning chapters, I learned about plaintiffs, prosecutors, and defendants, and we discussed how a "no vehicles in the park" law could be interpreted and also discussed an actual court case.

I also reviewed some history of American figures and saw how they were connected to law. Plus more.

Now, I am looking forward to moving through the rest of the chapters and getting to try the court cases.

I would recommend Homeschool Court to others. It's well put together!

The Student Worktext provides the meat of the program and includes nine chapters that cover everything from basic legal vocabulary and why we have laws, to who's who in the legal system, to crafting persuasive arguments and enjoying a mock trial. There are enrichment ideas at the end of most chapters and, if you get the High School Supplement, too, further concepts are taught. Research, writing, and real-world applications are all there, including up-to-date material on recent Supreme Court nominees.

A Teacher Manual and High School Supplement Teacher Manual correspond to the Student Worktext and High School Supplement and provide everything a parent or teacher might need to learn alongside and/or teach a child. The text from the Worktext is included in the manual along with answers to exercises, discussion tips, activity suggestions, and links to audios. videos, and other recommended resources. Well-written and easy-to-follow, the Teacher Manual is easy to pull up on your computer screen or print out and follow along with as you learn alongside/teach your child.

Then, there are three case summaries and Teacher Case Summaries that include additional notes and materials, including a case overview, roles to fill, etc. The cases are:

• Contested Will - a trial that contests the validity of a signature on a will and includes witness statements, jury instructions, evidence, vocabulary terms, and more.
  
  
  

• School Prayer - a Supreme Court case about whether school prayer is constitutional which includes a summary of facts, lower court decisions, prior case, law, etc. and also requires engaging oral arguments rather than the presentation of evidence.
• Dog Bite at the Dog Show - a civil trial where the plaintiff seeks compensation for injuries sustained from a dog bite and one where there is an evidence summary chart, tips on presenting evidence, and notes on the actual case the mock court case is based on.

Without question, all of these materials are quality ones that my son and I highly recommend to anyone wanting a solid study on civics and law.

If you'd like to see what other families have thought about Homeschool Court, be sure to click through the review links at the Homeschool Review Crew. You can also connect with Homeschool Court through:

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  YouTube

Get Out and Vote, Take the Kids and Remember Your Faith

Yesterday morning found our family at a local political rally.

Last night found us sitting around the table discussing how lucky we are to live in a country where we are free to practice our faith, to defend it and to share it with others.  (We also talked about places in today's world and in "olden days" when this was not true.)

This morning, before going off to Mass, we will pray for out country using the special Prayer for Our Country that we clipped from 1060 AM's October newsletter:

God our Father, Giver of life, we entrust the United States
of America to Your loving care.
You are the rock on which this nation was founded.
You alone are the true source of our cherished rights
to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Reclaim this land for Your glory
and dwell among Your people.
Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts
of our nation´s leaders.
Open their minds to the great worth of human life
and the responsibilities that
accompany human freedom.
Remind Your people that true happiness is rooted
in seeking and doing Your will.
Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate,
Patroness of our land, grant us the courage
to reject the “culture of death.”
Lead us into a new millennium of life.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

And, Tuesday, we will be off to the polls as a family, so Mike and my children can witness how we stand by our values by casting votes for local and national leaders that we feel can best lead our country with integrity and principles that we believe in.

Whatever your political or religious views are, I encourage you to do the same:  Get out there.  Vote.  Take your kids.  Have faith -- both religious an in the future of our country.

And, if, like us, you are Catholic, consider sharing this timely video with your children:

Several weeks ago, a friend from Junior High School who I catch up with on Facebook posted it.  My six year old noticed it and asked to watch it. I let him.

Since then, all of my children have watched it several times. Sure, some of the video is complex for young minds, but it is also thought-provoking for them. And, it inspires questions, which begets conversation, which opens up opportunities for learning.  Not to mention that the video explains a principle of our faith in respect to charity and responsibility that we could all use a reminder of.

 

(If you receive this post via email and cannot see the linky, be sure to actually click over to the blog to read browse the rich catalog of ideas there.)