Walking with the Waodani Unit Study Review

What a blessing to be able to review Walking with the Waodani Adventures in Ecuador, a Unit Study by Stacy Farrell of Home School Adventure Co.  This Unit Study is still currently being finalized and it was a joy to be able to implement this study in our homeschool. My son has always been fascinated with the story of Jim Elliott and Nate Saint and their interactions with the Waodanis.  It is one of his favorite missionary stories.
This study consists of four lessons that can be used for weekly or monthly lessons.  Each lesson consists of the following components:

• Lesson Introduction
• People & Places
• Meals & Markets
• Animals & Agriculture
• Worlds & Worldview

There is also a Travel Journal component that allows for more writing and creativity from your student. Your student will:

• answer questions related to the lessons on notebook pages
• mark maps or discuss a ministry
• assume the role of a recipe critic
• use their drawing talents
• engage in creative freewriting

Walking with the Waodani is an excellent unit study focusing on the story of the five missionaries who were martyred trying to evangelize a group of Auca Indians now known as the Waodani. Anyone who has delved into any stories on missionaries has certainly come across the story of Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, and their missionary friends.  Stacy spent two years of research study to compile this wonderful resource.

One of the meal options in the study

I really like that it incorporates so many subjects including history, language arts, geography, home ec, and social studies. It is a wonderful Charlotte Mason type study and I like that it is not too deep.  There is a plethora of knowledge, but it is presented in a simple way and the assignments are not too long to bog your child down.  My 13 year old 7th grader had no trouble tackling the assignments.  If you have multi aged children it is easily adaptable for different age ranges.  There are links provided for further study and additional resources for each lesson.  I would think this study is best suited for age 12 and above because of the nature of some of story (they were violent before they were saved), but that being said that is not a focus and there is plenty of material that can accommodate most age ranges.

Vampire Bat my son chose to draw

The author is still currently finalizing this resource but the final study will include four lessons that can easily be completed in a month's time.  We had access to the first two lessons and just recently received the third addition.  We chose to complete each lesson in two weeks time. We spent the first week mostly reading and following the extended research links.  We watched the movie again (it was already part of our video library). The second week we concentrated on the writing lessons and more research.  My son dislikes writing very much but the lessons are short and the subject really interested him.  We are looking forward to continuing with this study and can't wait for the finished product!  You can be notified when this study is completed and ready for purchase by going to their website and selecting the link at the bottom of the page.

We are enjoying this study and would recommend it especially if you like Charlotte Mason type Unit Studies and if anyone is interested in missionaries or missions work for the future.

You can connect with Home School Adventure Co. at their social media links:
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Follow the link below to read other reviews on this study and a few other fun resources available.

Spring Fever or Chick Fever?

I think I have both!  I am so ready for winter to be over.  We had such a mild winter here and then such hints of an early spring.  Seventy degrees one day and down to freezing and below temps within the week!  Crazy weather.  Even more than usual for us.  I'm sure my chickens are just not happy right now.  Though they are only down a few eggs a day, so grateful for that.

This is the time of year for chicks.  It is SOOOOOO hard to go to the local farm store and not walk away with armfuls of baby chicks!!  Especially when they are marking them down to seventy-five then fifty cents each!!!  Oh my. I have had self-control thus far.  Not sure how much longer I can hold out LOL!!

Seriously though.  The past six months or so have been such a season for us around our homestead.  The adoption that still isn't happening yet and just dragging on.  Sickness that finally hit and just won't get gone. Weather that can't make up its mind. Spring cleaning that needs done, but the weather won't cooperate with our schedules. Lots of craziness, yet so much to be grateful and thankful for.  We are blessed.  Everything in its own time.  God's word reminds us that there is a time and season for everything. 

To everything there is a season, 
A time for every purpose under heaven Ecc 3:1 NKJV

I have so intended to get this blog going on a steady, regular basis, but have really struggled.  I am once again going to try to commit to at LEAST one post a week if not three.  I really need to work on this.  Be watching for my newest review tomorrow.  We really enjoyed this one.  I also need to get going on the blog hops and what not again.  I so miss really interacting with everyone.  So my goal for this next week.  Get going!  Hope your day is blessed! 

Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level A REVIEW

 We recently had the privilege to review Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level A from Eclectic Foundations.  Level A is geared towards K-1st grade.  I was able to review this with my 4 year old preschooler.  She won't be age eligible in the public school system to start Kindergarten until the fall of 2018 but she is advanced in several areas and she did pretty well with this curriculum.  I said that so you would realize she is underage for this but was still quite able to complete most of the assignments and really enjoyed it!

This curriculum is available in either print or download form.  Their print prices are going up soon so you may want to take advantage of the lower pricing by ordering soon if you choose to try this out. The student workbook is designed to be consumable as are the word cards.  The word cards are also available as a FREE download from their site if you choose to do that.  The print items available are the Teacher's Guide, Student Workbook, and Appendixes and Word Cards (McGuffey Flashcards).  The download version includes each one of the print items.  The program uses McGuffey's Eclectic Primer which is available as a free download and the link is available on their site.

The curriculum is designed to be used four days a week and we used it as suggested. The Teacher's Guide walks you through each short lesson step by step.  It is really a turnkey program that requires no prep work.  I like that!  My little one loved doing her "lessons."  Especially when play doh was involved!!

Letter recognition with play doh

The lessons include reviewing the letters and using wonderful hands on and sensory techniques such as play doh, glue and glitter, drawing in flour, and using pipe cleaners or wax sticks to name a few. I absolutely LOVE the Charlotte Mason way this curriculum works. There are 144 lessons in the program that cover

• reading
• reading comprehension
• spelling
• grammar
• phonics
• handwriting
• poetry

Each lesson also includes a Mother Goose rhyme from the 1916 version.

The Eclectic Primer is not even used until the second half of the program.  Of course my little one isn't reading yet, but as I stated, the beginning lessons are perfect for her and a good review for what she knows and a challenge for what she has yet to learn.

The general format for the lesson is to review the alphabet (sing the alphabet song), work on letter recognition, work on the Start With? Game, and then recite the Mother Goose rhyme at the end. Other lesson include different variations.  Sometimes you will work on word sounds, sometimes "where is the sound" of the letter (beginning, middle, end of word), mazes following the letter or circling the letter in a reading selection. You can easily complete a lesson within 20 minutes if not less depending on what is covered for the day.

Following the letter M maze

Working on tracing and writing the letter M

My little one had a lot of fun with the Start With? Game even though she seemed to have trouble in this area understanding what I was asking.  If a word from the list given to you in the Teacher's Guide "starts with" the letter of the day you are supposed to point to the smiley face.  If it DOES NOT "start with" the letter you are supposed to point to the sad face.

Playing the Start With? Game

We are really enjoying this curriculum and I would definitely recommend you check this out.  They currently only have up through LEVEL C (4th grade) available, but LEVEL D (5th-6th grade) is scheduled to be out April 2017. They list all the way to LEVEL I (9th grade to college) on their website so I am excited that my older one will soon be able to try this out.

You can connect with Eclectic Foundations through their website or on Facebook.

Read other reviews from this level as well as Levels B and C through the link below.