A Beautiful Devotional for My Daughter and Me {A Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women Review}

If you've got a young woman of faith in your life, the Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women by Zondervan could make a lovely gift.  

It is a small, hardcover devotional targeted to young women aged 13-18 that can be enjoyed by older and younger women, too.  

The devotional begins with a single-page introduction that explains that the Bible has "a lot to say about the unique challenges -- the heartaches and the high points -- of being female" and invites women to look at the stories of about 60 women in the Bible and to see how they are relevant to us today as beloved daughters of God.

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women then gets right into 365 one-page devotions.

The devotions are numbered, not dated, which I appreciate, because that means the book is more inviting to pick up and begin at any point during a year. It also means that if you cannot spend time with the book every day, you won't be taunted by a day or week written at the top of page telling you to "catch up". Rather, you can just use the handy attached bookmark ribbon to open up to where you left off and carry on.

Each devotion is laid out in the same eye-pleasing way with a cheerful border of flowers, the number of the devotion, a verse at the top of the page in a reddish font, then several paragraphs in black that bring the tales of tragedy and triumph of ancient women of the Bible into nowadays relevance, and finally a few blank lines in case you want to make notes.

The devotions are also laid out in a logical way, beginning with women from Genesis and ending with those from the Old Testament and ending with those from the New Testament with consecutive days of devotions exploring lessons that can be gleaned from one woman from the Bible before moving on to the next woman that the Bible introduces.

Of course, all the more famous women of the Bible, such as Eve, Ruth, Elizabeth, and Mary are included.

Wonderfully, some lesser known role models are as well.

Each of he 365 devotions in Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women is brief, pointed, and inspiring, written in a language that appeals to many young women (with words such as "cool" and "just sayin'" included at times).

The organization, approach, and language of the devotional make "meaty" matters digestible, relevant and accessible.

A Gift for Daughter-and-Me

When I received Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women, my intention was to see if it would be appropriate as a gift for my 11-year-old daughter.  Thus, I have not read every page of the devotional yet, because I can only enjoy reading it when my daughter is not around - which is a rarity.  However, I have found pockets of time to read a week's worth of devotions here, another week there, a page here, and a page there, and, so far, I have found the material thought-provoking, encouraging, and edifying.

Mind you, I am well beyond the age that Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women is intended for, so the fact that some of the devotions speak to me personally points toward the fact that, although the book is written for Young Women, the stories of Biblical women are timeless and can be illuminating to all women.  Even when the take on them is geared to be relevant to younger women, we aging ones can benefit, too.  
With this in mind - as well as the fact that the print in the book is relatively small and might frustrate my daughter who struggles with dyslexia,  I have decided to gift Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women to my daughter as a mom-and-me devotional. 

My plan is to gift the book to my daughter with some tea bags, a container of cider, and a note saying I'd like to make regular mom-and-me time to read and chat about the book together. 

Why tea and cider? Simple. I favor tea, she favors hot cider, and we both like to spend time outside. This winter, I look forward to making some quiet time for just y daughter and I to read and chat about the devotions outside away from the hullabaloo of family life at home with just her brothers.

I am especially excited about this, because my daughter has been making strides with reading her large-print Bible and other material, and, I think that, with me alongside her, Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women might unlock the gift of reading for my daughter even more. For, I know she will love the stories and verses in it and will be moved by many of the thoughts in the devotions. 

Familiarity with the language of the Bible and desire to see what Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women has to say might motivate my daughter to make strides in reading while also encouraging her to keep blossoming as the beautiful daughter of God she is.

If I am wrong about the reading part, however, and the relatively small print and level of reading in the devotionals proves just a little too much for my daughter, I am still confident that Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women can be a win for us. I can read the devotions to her and, then, we can chat about them. Whether she reads them or I do, the beauty of their meaning will still be there. 

I truly look forward to seeing how our time with Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women will unfold and bless us.

Read all the reviews.

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From what I've read of Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women so far, I recommend the book for young and older women alike.

If you'd like to see what people who are currently using the devotional with their daughters or have daughters using it on their own, be sure to click through reviews from 60 Review Crew families.  Some are written by people who are not saving the book as a gift, like I am, but who are already using it!

Find Zondervan on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zondervan/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zondervan
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKUDMeYSjLvcsSw2JR-fmvg
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zondervanp/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zondervan/

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Try Out Guitar 360 Method Using a Coupon Code!

{This post may contain affiliate links.}

Ooo!  You have to love when you find a course that both a dad and a daughter can enjoy.  That's what's happened here when we were offered a chance to review the Semester 1 Bundle from Guitar 360 Method - an excellent resource for online, immersive lessons which include music theory.


Deal Alert!

If you've already heard of Guitar 360 Method and have just stopped by looking for a coupon code,  you're in luck! Krisz Simonfalvi, the author and instructor of Guitar 360 Method, has kindly offered a limited time only coupon code for Training Happy Hearts readers.  Just use the code HOMESCHOOL20 at checkout for 20% off!

What is Guitar 360 Method?

If this is your first time hearing about Guitar 360 Method, let me explain a bit about what it is and how it works.

Guitar 360 Method is a series of online video guitar lessons designed for students who want to gain confidence in their guitar skills, enjoy freedom in when they learn, and exercise creativity in their playing. 

The program aims to help you do more than JUST learn songs.  It teaches how music works, so you can succeed with your aims, whether they be strumming for fun, playing in a band, or writing your own music.  

Guitar 360 Method is best suited for tweens, teens, or adults, and can be excellent for you if you are an absolute beginner that wants to understand the guitar while learning practical music theory.  It can also be ideal for you if you've been playing for a while, but wish to learn more in order to unleash your creativity.  The author and instructor of the program also states that children as young as nine can do well with Guitar 360 Method if they have a strong personal desire and drive to succeed.

The Semester 1 Bundle comes with:

• the Free 5-week Absolute Beginner Course that takes you through Parts of the Guitar, Left Hand and Right Hand Basics, How to Tune, 4-Finger Warm Up Exercises, Your First Chord, Next chord(s), Basic Strumming, Pickups and Multiplying Chords, Parts of a Song, Practice, etc.
• Bonus Content Songs carefully instruct you with an Introduction and Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, and Practice
• 13 Weeks of Semester One material takes you from being a beginner to confidently playing in any key anywhere on the neck with dynamics, musical interest, and variety.  Among other things, you'll learn about Chords, Strumming, Music Theory, Scales, and Adding Texture and Variety.  By the time you finish the material, you'll have learned enough to a play rhythm or lead guitar.

When learning with Guitar 360 Method, you'll find a Cyclical Pedagogy where every bit of knowledge acquired connects to everything else you are learning, allowing you to build confidence, freedom, and creativity instead of being stuck in the mire of a tedious linear-approach.  

In fact, the instructor and author of the program, Krisz Simonfalvi, has succeeded due to his mix of skill and down-to-earth music theory!  He started playing classical guitar at age six, quickly became good at it, but did not enjoy it, because his teacher never taught him how to understand the guitar.  So, Krisz quit playing after six years.

Then, in Krisz's teens, he picked up an electric guitar and found his music theory teacher's voice ringing in his ears. He realized how easy it is to understand the guitar with practical, down-to-earth music theory and went on to tour with bands, record in studios, produce music, and teach lessons to pros and newbie alike.

In his career, Krisz has:

• taught over 200 private students - from beginners to professionals
• instructed in guitar, bass, music theory, songwriting, stage performance, music production, arranging, and engineering
• recorded 20+ projects for a wide range of international artists on four continents
• and, of course, launched Guitar 360 Method.

That means Guitar 360 Method, though fairly new (launched in 2017), comes with a long history of success.

It also comes with ease of use.

We found log-in super simple, and, pulling up content easy.  There was no wasted time as we navigated the course through targeted, bite-sized lesson videos.

Lessons vary, but, typically, each one contains one or more of these types of videos:

• Goal, where you find out what you'll be learning
• Instruction, where the actual teaching takes place
• Ear, where you practice listening to differences between chords to help you play by ear
• Practice, where you follow instructions and see fingering and chords
• Quiz, where you check up on what you've been learning by taking a multiple choice test with instant feedback

There are also some downloadable files to help you retain your learning.

The course is set up so you can take things at your own pace, reviewing prior material or even jumping ahead as you wish.

Guitar 360 Method truly is solidly designed and taught.

A Happy Girl

My 11 year old was the person in our home who most wanted to try Guitar 360 Method, since she her daddy bought her a guitar a while back that she has been wanting to learn to play.

She was excited to start Guitar 360 Method, and, thanks to Krisz's kind and clear demeanor, was not chagrined by the fact that her fingers are still a bit small and tender and her fingers lack practiced dexterity.  In fact, she is content going slowly with Guitar 360 Method and has this to say:

I have wanted to play guitar for a couple of years. 

On my ninth birthday, my dad got me a guitar and said he'd teach me. That did not go very well.  So, I was excited when I saw we could do the Guitar 360 Method.

I  have only used the beginner lessons, because I am very slow, and the teacher says, "Take it at your own pace."  So, I took him seriously. 

So far, it is going better than lessons with my dad. 

I like how the teacher is up front.  For example, when he teaches how to use the pick, he showed me how to use it a certain way and, then was like, "and right off the bat, my problem with this series... There are people who use the pick this way (the wrong way), and they are legends, but we're going to try it like this."  I like how he says that there is not one way to do things.  Other people are like, "This is the only way to do it, and you have to do it this way!" (Not my dad or Krisz, but many teachers.) 

I also like that the videos are short.  That makes it easier to find videos with a certain skill.  You don't have to go through a long video, but can see it in a short video that is labeled. 

I also like that the teacher seems fairly happy. He is easy to listen to. 

My mom told me Guitar 360 Method is not a subscription that runs out.  That's good, so I can actually finish it. I am slow and there is no pressure.  I like this and would recommend it to kids like me, who are kind of beginners, and people who have started playing but want a refresher and to learn new things.

A Pleased Dad

My husband, who has played guitar on and off for years and even played in a paid band for while, has also been viewing the course.  He says:

As an experienced guitar player, I wasn’t sure if I would get anything out of the Guitar 360 Method program. Much to my surprise, I actually learned some new things. 

For example, I had never heard of Solfege prior to starting the program. Another example is the shortcuts to finding notes. Although I have been playing for many years, I still struggle to find all of the notes on the guitar without having to think about it. This is a common issue with many guitar players. However, Krisz Simonfalvi gives several easy-to-remember tips on how to quickly find notes on the guitar. I found this section to be extremely helpful.

Not only did the program teach me new things, but it also helped re-establish ideas and techniques that I am already familiar with. He spends time going into music theory, teaching the student how to connect minor and major scales, analyzing chord shapes and even string bending. And he also has a check on learning by giving quizzes periodically throughout the program. 

Overall, I think that it’s a good program because it helps the beginner go from the basics of the guitar to music theory which will help students take their playing to the next level. Further, it helps the experienced player learn a few new things and reinforce prior knowledge in a unique and interesting way. I would definitely recommend it for a self-taught, non-classically trained experienced player like myself to learn more.

My husband is also a huge Youtube fan and has viewed countless Youtube videos to pick up different guitar skills through the years.  When I asked him what he thinks about Guitar 360 Method in comparison to most free Youtube videos, he said this program definitely gives a bigger picture and is more methodical.  On Youtube, you have some guy that just quick says, "Here, I am going to show you how to do this," and does just that. With Guitar 360 Method, you can definitely see the whole method.  The program can take a beginner from where they are to where they want to be and can be a resource for more experienced players, too.

No Need to Rush to Finish

One thing I dislike about many online programs is the rush to finish them before a subscription runs out, or, worse, the fact that life sometimes gets in the way of studies and, then, when you return to pick up where you left off, your subscription has ended and you cannot continue without paying again.  With Guitar 360 Method this will not happen!

Once you get Guitar 360 Method its yours to keep, and I love that! For, like many homeschoolers, my family struggles with actually getting the "home" in homeschool. Between work trips for my husband, homeschool community commitments, outside classes and service opportunities, my own work needs, and more, our family often finds that we're short on time at home to enjoy things like learning and playing music.  Add to that that one of our computers recently died, and, once we have attended to priorities of eating, sleeping, chores, and basic lessons, there just are not enough screens to go around for everyone to dive in concurrently with what they wish. For us, that means that subscription-based programs, even when liked, don't always get completed and often become more stress than enjoyment lately.

Because  Guitar 360 Method is not a subscription, though, this has not happened. My daughter has been able to begin to self-pace through the program in small pockets of time while my husband has referenced it around work and family.  My boys - who both want to give it a go - know they can when time allows in another season, and I can, too! You see, I have always wanted to play an instrument, and after seeing parts of Guitar 360 Method in play for my daughter and husband, am confident that when I some of my current commitments and life concerns wind down, I can finally begin learning.

Yes, I just LOVE that Guitar 360 Method does not come as a subscription, but is our family's to keep!

Learn More

Remember, if you want a FREE taste of Krisz's teaching style and the high-quality of his lesson videos, you can use his Free Course for Beginners.  Then, if you like what you see (like we do!), move on to the Semester 1 Bundle using the coupon code HOMESCHOOL20 at checkout, which, for a limited time, will offer you 20% off.

If guitar isn't your thing, keep an eye out at Guitar 360 Method  for the release of upcoming Keys 350 (piano) Method and Drums 360 Method in the near future.

Find Guitar 360 Method on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guitar360method/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelessrock
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krisz_guitar360method/

Find all the reviews!

Read how 50 Review Crew families have been learning how to play guitar online using Guitar 360 Method with tweens, teens, adults, and even younger children.

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Create Your Own Starry Night Masterpiece {A Review}

Would your child enjoy creating artwork inspired by a maser artist using simple tools and techniques?

Some links which follow are affiliate links.

Kidzaw.com makes creating such masterpieces easy with its Master Kitz The Starry Night.

My Daughter - the Test Artist

We ordered our Master Kitz The Starry Night  for review with thanks to Kidzaw.com, and my daughter enjoyed testing it out.

After reading the packaging and playing with the fun magnet closure on the box, we laid all of the enclosed materials out, having to hold down the paper and stencil that wanted to keep rolling up.

Then, after putting brown paper on the table and taping the provided art paper down, my daughter got right to work, following the easy included instructions.

She placed removable adhesive star masks down on the top of her paper and, then, began rolling on blue acrylic paint with a special textured roller.

She, then, went, to layer on the white according to the instructions, but was not happy with how the paints blended to make a lighter blue, leaving no distinct white. So, she paused to let the blue paint dry a bit while I washed the roller.  Then, she continued the project, painting on the white, before taking off the star masking stickers.

At that point, my daughter took another break before taping the flattened but rolling stencil onto her artwork and painting on the black paint using a foam roller.

During another extended pause to let things dry, we read the enclosed background information on Van Gogh with her little brother, chatting about what we read, looking at the images, and connecting to our past art studies. 

Then, my daughter got to work with the included oil pastels.

She was not thrilled by the lack of colors among the pastels, but I asked her to work just with the ones that came with the kit.

After that, she asked if she could add a bit more color using our own oil pastels, and, of course, I said, "yes". For my daughter, as the artist, had every right to want to create her artwork to her liking, I felt, as long as she, first, honored the review by using only included materials - which she had.

So, my daughter added a bit more color and called the project done.

Her little brother then asked if could use the other art paper that came with the kit to make his own artwork another day.  of course, my daughter and I said, he could. My daughter also said she wants to use the textured roller again herself. I have no doubt all my children will be using the roller and kit pieces again!

My Daughter's Thoughts

After my daughter completed her artwork, I asked her for her opinion of Master Kitz The Starry Night.  She said:

This kit makes people feel like they can create great art simply.

The materials themselves are good and the packaging looks cool.  I like how the box closes with a magnet, but when you take out the paper and the stencil, they are all rolled up and hard to work with.  So, you have to tape everything down a lot and, then, your art's corners are white.  

I also felt like I couldn't get the swirl in very well, so I probably will go over it with a paintbrush next time or explore with the roller tool more. 

I would also like a teeny bit more colors with the pastels - like maybe red, so we would have all the primary colors - and I feel like the paper should be a light yellow like pictured on the box and in the directions.

Besides those little things, it was pretty good. I had fun trying it and will use the kit again.  

There is another piece of paper and the rollers can be used over and over again. My favorite roller was the one that makes the squiggly lines in the sky.  I want to use it to paint wrapping paper and skies.

I would recommend this kit to others.  As it says on the package, 'ages 5-105'.  That's true, but it may be a bit hard for a 105 year old depending on their shape.

I agree with my daughter: Master Kitz The Starry Night is simple to use and can be enjoyed by all ages!  If you'd like an easy art project with reusable tools and a bi of art history included, too, Master Kitz could be for you!

Learn More

Find all the reviews!

Fifty Homeschool Review Crew families created personal masterpieces using Master Kitz The Starry Night.  See all the reviews!

You can find Kidzaw.com on socal media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kidzaw-160167827376266/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidzaw
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kidzaw123?blend=1&ob=5

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Math-Whizz Is a Hit Here

My kiddoes like online math programs with a game-like flair, so when I shared with my children about an opportunity to review a 12-month subscription to Math-Whizz from Whizz Education, I was not surprised when they said, "Yes, let's try it!" 

I have since been happily satisfied that all three of my children - despite being at totally different math levels with completely divergent learning styles - are benefiting from the program.

Speedy Success

In just a few weeks, one of my children has spent an average of 107 minutes a week with Math-Whizz and has jumped fro a 9.84 math age to a 9.95 one. (The recommended goal for program usage is a mere 30', but this child truly enjoys it, so I let him have at it!) 


Through parent reporting I have discovered this child does well on exercises, but not as well on tests.  Reviewing parent reports, I also now know which math skills I need to work with him 1:1 on through using provided replay modes or doing offscreen lessons of my own making.

He is succeeding so well with Math-Whizz that I am considering making the program a "spine" for his math studies for he remainder of the year.  My thought is that he can use the program at will on his own, and, then, once a week or so, I can review reports and create some tailor-made pencil and paper exercises, math games, etc. for he and I to tackle together, thus making this supplementary program a full program for us.

I am sure my other son would like if I did the same with him, However different child - different needs.  Unlike my younger son, who truly likes both the learning and the game aspects of Math-Whizz, my older boy tends to do the bare minimum in order to get to the games.  In fact, he has spent an average of 130 minutes a week on Math-Whizz, yet has only increased from a 13.42 math age to a 13.43 one largely due to the fact that about 1/3 of his time has not been used in tutor mode!

A note on the parent report alerted me to his odd time spent vs. progression made ratio, and, after reviewing reports and talking to my child, I realized that was spending a good portion of time in the game mode - earning just enough credits to play, play, play.  This did not surprise me, since this child is one who prefers online play to online learning.  It did not upset me that much either, since I am grateful that he enjoys Math-Whizz and has had to earn his playtime with the program by doing some work at least.  It did, however, make me realize that Math-Whizz can only remain a fun supplement for him this year, not a math spine.  For my son just does not have the attention and diligence to make the most of his math learning time with Math-Whizz.

He can - and does- however, learn some things and, interestingly, I have seen that his exercise scores are unimpressive while his test scores are great.  I am not sure if this is due to his ADHD and sensory things coming into play, with the graphics in the lesson exercises being more of distraction than a help to him, while the plainer style tests allow him more focus, or if it is just because my son prefers trying to quickly work things out in his head rather than using pencil and paper, and so tends to make careless errors sometimes - which are showing up with his exercise scores.  Whatever is the reason, I am confident with observation and persusalof another week or two of report, I will suss it out and, in the meantime, my son is still making incremental progress and thoroughly enjoying Math-Whizz.

His sister is also progressing.  In just a few weeks, she has moved from a math age of 10.84 to 10.86 with only 43 minutes of Math-Whizz use on average.  This pleases me since she has had to overcome frustrations to make such progress.

For, while my daughter likes Math-Whizz, the placement test at the start was tedious and difficult for her and she also has been chagrined by the amount of reading required in the lessons without an audio option to read text to her, plus, for some reason, our computer often glitches when she is on which makes inputting responses difficult for her.

These setbacks aside, my daughter is still progressing with Math-Whizz, and I am getting some good data that can help me help her progress more. Detailed reports help me know what to prepare to work with her on 1:1, so she can improve her math prowess even more.

Getting Started

Read all the reviews.

Upon receiving our log-ins for Math-Whizz, each child had to take a fairly lengthy assessment test that had common math questions based on my children's actual ages, with some questions "above grade level", some "below", and some "at", so the program could see where each child's strengths and weaknesses were.

Because the test was long - and contained too much reading for my child with dyslexia, I was glad that the test could be paused at any point, and, then, resumed without problem during a child's next log in.

I also appreciated how, once the test was over, I was sent a notice about my child's "math age" and my children could then use and play with the program.

The program is designed as a series of interactive, tailored lessons and fun games and is meant to be an affordable alternative to a math tutor for children ages 5 to 13 which can help them develop confidence and improve math abilities by 18 months in as little as a year.  I have yet to see if that kind of result will happen since we have only been using the program for a little while, but with current standings, I can see how it may!

In the Children's Words...

My daughter, as I mentioned, does not like placement tests nor text heavy learning.  So, she said:

When I first started Math-Whizz, I really hated it, because I did not like the placement test.  It felt dry, boring, and long,  What I did like about it, though, was I could pause it whenever I liked and come back to it without losing my place.

After I finished the placement test, I liked the other part when I do it from my study.  I had options to tutor, play games, go to the store, challenge other people, and paint the walls.

The studying is okay, but I wish they had an option to have all text read aloud and I also wish some things were explained a bit better.  Besides that, it's all good.

My favorite game is Mathman.  

I would recommend this to kids who like online programs and who are like my brother and like credits, buying things, and stuff like that.  For kids like me, it's good after the placement test.  (I never like placement tests, so it is not just Math-Whizz.)

I will add that my daughter often does not like online learning, so her liking this program is telling of its quality and appeal!

My youngest child likes overall package - fun and learning.  he said:

It's fun!  You earn credits by doing math questions, taking tests, reviewing, and challenging other people.  Then, you can use the credits for playing games, buying pets, and stuff in the store.

I like the games.  Jimbo Jump, Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road, and Keep 'Em Up are my favorites.  In Jumbo Jump, you jump and try get past ghosts.  In Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road, you use the arrow keys to dodge cars, go over rivers, and stuff.  And, in Keep 'Em Up, you use the moue to move a ping pong paddle to hit balls up.

  None of the games except one have math, but I am learning math, too, so I can play the games and challenge other people.

He liked the idea of challenging other people, and the option to do so motivates him to review and improve his skills.

My oldest son favors the games.  He said:

Math-Whizz is an online math program designed to help kids learn their math.

When you first start, you must take a placement test, which is long, long, long, but, you can take breaks, and, when you are done, you find out your "math age".  I thought this was pretty cool, because my "math age" is greater than my regular age. 

Then, you can get into your virtual study and you can change it by adding pets, toys, and plants which you by with credits.   You can also paint it and change how it looks. 

You can also click through the image of the computer to learn new stuff or on the tablet to review old stuff.
When you are learning, you get taught things with interactive slide shows, graphics, and stuff, and, then, you do problems that will actually challenge you.  The program uses what you know from the placement test, and moves from there.  

Every so often, there are tests, too. 

I think they should add a place onscreen to write, draw, and do your math work with a digital pen, not just the keyboard.  The calculator also needs to be able to shrink smaller.  Now, it covers up a lot of the screen and messes me up.  

When you do math, you earn credits which can be spent in the store or on games.  I like the games.  One of my favorites is a space games where you shoot blobs of goop at enemies who are shooting blobs of goop at you. I also like Pac Man and the panda game. 

I would recommend Math-Whizz.  It is not as fun as some other math programs I have used, but it is better than a majority.  Its greatest aspect is the way there is a study and you can choose to go to any of the digital spaces from there - to buy things, to play games, to learn...  I feel like I am learning.

So, there you have it.  Math-Whizz  is working for all three of my children and holds up to its promise:

• Artificial intelligence adapts to each of my children's needs.

• The program acts as a supplemental tutor, evaluating student progress and guiding a child through advances in math skills

• Included parent reporting helps me track my children's progress and hone in on which math skills and knowledge my children would do well to practice 1:1 with me.

• Between the customized lesson delivery and options for children to skip portions of exercises after proving their prowess with them, there is little wasted math time.  If a child is having trouble with something, practice is there.  If a child get something, the program moves on. 

 I have been pleased with Math-Whizz for its kids appeal, customized math teaching, and ease of implementation.  I appreciate how it works to help my children progress with math independently while keeping me abreast of where hey are succeeding and getting stuck, so I know how be to utilize our precious 1:1 time together.  I am glad the program has come into our homeschool and think it is worth checking out!

Learn More

For more information about Math-Whizz from Whizz Education, connect on social media:

• Facebook: Math Whizz and WhizzEducation
• Twitter: MathWhizz
• YouTube: Whizz Education
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/114065875490611944121

You might also like to see what thirty Homeschool Review Crew families thought when they tried Math-Whizz. Find all  the reviews.

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An Audio Adventure that Makes You Think

Jumping, hollering, and excitement are always part of the scene when a new Heirloom Audio production comes into our home, and, the case was no different when we receiveda 2-CD St. Bartholomew's Eve set for review.

My children were super enthusiastic to listen to St. Bartholomew's Eve and to discover where this latest audio adventure would take them. 

However, silly me failed to prepare them for what they would be listening to...

Pausing the CD to Discuss Truth and Bias

Shortly after beginning to St. Bartholomew's Eve,  my children's comments required me to pause the CD for a chat about truths and perspective.

Truths include:

• St. Bartholomew's Eve is set during the time of the French Wars of Religion - a brutal period when Catholics and Protestants fought in France.

• The audiodrama is an adaptation of a G.A. Henty novel by the same name.

• G.A. Henty was a Protestant English novelist and war correspondent from the late 1800's who wrote popular historical adventure stories.

• People are human, and, therefore, imperfect.  Throughout history, people of all faiths have failed to live their faith well at times, including Catholics. 

Perspective, too, is important to consider.  Of course, when the story of a Protestant-Catholic war is adapted from a novel written by a Protestant author from the late 1800's, there is bound to be some obvious bias.  

Deeper truths, however, are even more important.

My wholly Christian, wholly Catholic children noticed the bias in St. Bartholomew's Eve and were, to varying degrees, jarred by it.  However, after a brief chat about that, they were also swept up in the strong characterization, realistic sound effects, moving score, and excellent adventure that is always a part of  Heirloom Audio productions and was absolutely well done in St. Bartholomew's Eve. 

Thus, in the end, they began to see that although bias was inherit in the combination of the time period and perspective of the story of St. Bartholomew's Eve, deeper messages were ecumenical truths. 

Truths such as:

• You can disagree with someone without despising them.

• There is such a thing as "just war", but many battles are unnecessary and simply bring despair and death. 

• We live God's will for our lives by looking to love and accept, by building one another up, not tearing one another down.

• People in power sometimes abuse their power, working against God's will.  Always consider truth before blindly following orders.  Obey the King of Kings, not the king (president, minister, leader) of (insert location or group).

• Not every (insert faith, type of person, etc.) is good/bad.  Look for the character of individuals; don't make assumptions based on labels.

Moreover, the story made me think about the great suffering of Christians of all denominations throughout history and how, in our current world, those of us who believe in Christ often face increasing hatred and scorn.  We must not get discouraged though.

God sanctifies and strengthens His people even in the midst of terrible trials.  Hardships happen.  Families are broken.  Countries divide.  Individuals make horrific choices that spread ill will like wildfire.  However, God always prevails.

We Christians must think and talk about what it means to be Christian.  We must understand that popular culture and government policies can change and, in doing so, can quickly and dramatically, oppose our Christian values.  And, in the end, we must be prepared to be ready to do God's will, trusting in his providence.

Heavy stuff, I know.

Quality stories do that.  They move you.  They make you think.  And, bias or no, St. Bartholomew's Eve does just that!


A Dramatic Story that Makes You Think

My 11-year old daughter describes the story this way: 

This story is about a boy named Philip Fletcher who is from Britain and goes to France to help his fellow Christian Huguenots in their war for freedom of religion.

When he gets to France, he practices how to use a pistol and prepares to fight with his cousin Francois.

A little bit into the story, when he has already faced a lot of trouble, Philip meets Argento, a boy whose father had died because of he Catholics .  Argento tells Philip where the leaders of his town are, and, after Philip takes care of them, he makes them promise that they will not hurt Argento or his family.   

After Philip leaves, the leaders break their word.  In the process of escaping them, Argento loses another thing - his leg! 

When he gets o Philip, a peg leg is made for him and he joins Philip in peacetime and battles.

The Huguenots go to Paris for a royal wedding where a Catholic princess is to marry a Protestent prince and an unexpected attack takes place.

There are many battles in the story. In one, when the Catholics are coming, the Huguenots block gates with skinned animals.  Then, they use the skinned animals for food at a party.

I enjoyed the characters.  They had strong traits perseverance, loyalty, and determination.  

The story teaches people to stand up for what they believe.

Most definitely, the characters in St. Bartholomew's Eve are well portrayed by the audiodramas star-studded cast, which included Brian Blessed (Star Wars), Elizabeth Counsell (The Chronicles of Narnia), David Shaw-Parker (The Muppet Christmas Carol), Brian Deacon (Bonhoeffer), Andy Harrison (The Secret Garden), and Hugo Docking (Oliver Twist).

Also, without question, growth in virtues and faith is evident in the main characters.

Of course, due to the setting of the story, much of this growth is the result of battles, and the battles is what my 8-year-old keyed into.  

He said:

This audiodrama had a lot of battles in it.  I liked he battle scenes.  The sound effects made them actually sound like battles and the narration was good.  It was exciting, but not too gory. 

The story was a little bit bias, but it was good.  It was exciting and had meaning: People are silly about faith.  They should let other people worship how they want and should worship how they want themselves.  They should only fight when it's in dire need.  They should not kill innocent people.  God doesn't want that.

It's pretty good that a story can inspire a battle-loving 8-year-old to think such thoughts, huh?

It also had my 11-year-old thinking.

He is my most black-and-white thinker and is also someone who believes fervently in his Catholic faith.  So, he had some trouble with this CD, but still appreciated parts of it and thought about its deeper meaning.  

He said:

This story was difficult for me to listen to because of its bias, but I appreciated when they said not all Catholics are bad.  I also felt for the boy in it.  

Argento seemed to have very bad luck.  He was always losing something - his house, his parents, his leg!  He gained friendship with Philip...

I did not expect Philip's cousin to die in the story...

This time period was crazy and chaotic.  No one was living what they believed.  They were murdering each other because of the dumb mother of the kind.  Christians should make peace, not kill each other.

I love all the other Heirloom Audio adventures, but this one - nah.  It was too bias for me.  It only showed the "good Huguenots".  I am sure there were people doing wrong on both sides - people taught lies by Huguenots like people were taught lies by the stupid queen mom.  

I think Christians should not murder each other.  It breaks God's commandments.

Yes, my oldest struggled in hearing about the evil things Catholics did, knows that evil can be pervasive across all sides, and understands God does not want us to murder one another senselessly.St. Bartholomew's Eve may have been difficult for him, but it was a worthwhile story for us to listen to.  It made my family think.  It can be used a tool for all adventure-loving Christians to open discussion about past persecution of Christians - at the hands of people from other faiths and even from fellow Christians - and about the need to be prepared for whatever may come to Christians in our modern society.

I would recommend it to those who love historical audiodrama, with these two caveats:

1. Children under 6, and older children who are sensitive, might be disturbed by some of the scenes in the story.  here are scenes of death, etc., however tastefully portrayed.
2. Children like mine may need to be prepared for the bias of the story and guided to discern the truths of basic historical facts and deeper meanings to apply to the present.

Like all Heirloom Audio productions, St. Bartholomew's Eve is of to--notch professional quality!

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Eighty other Homeschool Review Crew families reviewed St. Bartholomew's Eve, too.  Read all the reviews.

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Discover other audiodramas that can help you "live the adventure".  We've happily reviewed all of the Heirloom Audio productions to date and encourage you to check them out.  They are all top-notch historical adventures told from a Christian perspective.

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