Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My oldest is dyslexic (you wouldn't hardly know it now), dysgraphic, and couldn't read until the end of 2nd grade.  My youngest was reading in kindergarten and is an avid reader and good speller.  Both of my kids always need handwriting practice.  I was glad to be able to review the Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook (The Intelligent Parent's Complete Step-by-Step Program for Teaching Any Child How to Read & Write in 60 Days!) by Caroline Joy Adams from Everyday Education, LLC.  It can be used for ages 4 to adult.

Italics uses fewer strokes and is more fluid for the writer

It uses italic style handwriting which uses fewer strokes to write.  I received a digital copy of this 215-page ebook.  I was able to easily download it and print it out.  I chose to bind it in my binding machine to keep it neat and usable for Little Bug.  It is a consumable book and is not in digital format to be shared or copied except for those pages listed as reproducible in the Table of Contents for your own family only.

Notice Chapter 2 has a reproducible guide sheet

I am using it with my 1st grader.  Even though she can already read, she needs work on her handwriting!  Even though Chapter 2 covers the alphabet, it is suggested to go over it to acquaint your child with the italic formation of the letters.  Once they understand the simpler strokes you can move on to Chapter 6 for older students if necessary.

sample of the reproducible handwriting page

We went ahead and continued with Chapter 3 with lessons 2-23. She knows her short vowel sounds, consonant blends, plural words, and compound words that it covers, but she needs the writing practice. We could have just jumped to Chapter 6 but, she is only in 1st grade and though very advanced in reading, she still needs the content of the later lessons in the earlier chapters.

teaching suggestions from the foreword

The book includes a foreword, introduction, and 6 chapters that include 60 lessons and an entire chapter on handwriting practice (Chapter 6).  The foreward includes how to teach the lessons and scheduling options.  The introduction covers 4 ways to use the book (teaching young children to read and write, teaching children with reading difficulties to read effectively, teaching children to have fast, legible, attractive handwriting, and teaching yourself beautiful handwriting).  Daily use is best but for the younger ones it is not necessary to complete an entire lesson at once.  We use it daily for handwriting practice.

Little Bug working on a lesson

suggested scheduling option for younger student

If you use Model-Based Writing (ModelBasedWriting.com) there are suggestions and schedule options in the foreword.  It's also important to say that this is definitely a Charlotte Mason based approach book.  It is best to keep most lessons to only 10 to 15 minutes, especially for the younger ones.

A typical lesson in Chapters 3-5 (lessons 2-60) generally contains a list of words on the left side of the page and handwriting practice on the right side.  The left side of words is based on what the lesson is covering (i.e. short vowel sounds, consonant blends, etc).  The right side has sentences with blank spaces below each sentence for copywork practice.  I REALLY like this.  She doesn't have to flip pages back and forth or shuffle pages to do her copywork.  She writes immediately below the sentence she is copying.

List of words

Copywork page with first word started in each line

Little Bugs completed page

Chapter 6 begins with simple copywork then advances to slanted letters with guides.  Also included in Chapter 6 are:

• Joining Letters Together
• Using the Edged Pen
• Adding Serifs (beginning and ending strokes to letters)
• Variations (making letters fancier)

Joining letters

Practicing slant

Sample serifs

I wasn't sure when we first started but I am determined to continue this with Little Bug.  I know it will help her handwriting once I can get her to follow the guides.  She is so stubborn and wants to keep making the letters her own way.  Time and maturity will help that.  I did like the format and recommend that you check out Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting ebook by Caroline Joy Adams.  You can connect with Everyday Education, LLC. on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST.  Also, be sure to check out what my fellow Crew members had to say about this by clicking on the graphic link below. 

Gardening Game Changer

This is not a sponsored post, I'm just sharing my experience with this wonderful tool.

Have you ever heard of a Hori Hori (dig dig) gardening tool?  It is also known as a soil knife or weeding knife.  I found out about it from one of my favorite homesteading youtube channels that I follow.  I had never heard of or seen one before.  It looked intriguing and very useful.  I decided I needed such a tool.  Oh my goodness, best tool ever!!!  If you have never tried one I HIGHLY recommend it.  It has a sharp knife edge on one side and a serrated knife edge on the other.  The blade is slightly concave and there are inch markings on the blade for planting guides.

If you like to garden or pot plants, then this is the tool for you.  It digs, cuts, and weeds with ease.  It makes light work out of any garden task.  I have bent and destroyed so many of my trowels over the years trying to dig up deep, stubborn rooted weeds. It was so easy to harvest the asparagus pictured above.  I just used the serrated knife edge to cut the stalk at the base as is preferred when harvesting asparagus.  Mine also came with a wonderful leather sheath to store it in (the blade is quite sharp).

We get these horrible, invasive, vine type plants in the garden that are near impossible to keep up with.  The hori hori takes care of every one of them as they start to come up.   I couldn't be happier with how easy it is to use and how much work I can get done with it.  Its narrow blade allows me to easily slip in between plants to eradicate any unwanted weeds within my raised beds.  It has proved invaluable to me in the short time that I have used it and I couldn't be happier. I highly suggest you check it out.  There are many different types from Amazon at varying prices.  I scored mine for about $20 and it came with a sharpening stone and nice leather sheath with a snap band to keep the knife from falling out.  I am so glad I tried it.  Gardening and weeding will never be the same!  :)  Try it, you'll like it!

The Hidden Message BOOK REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

History, some like it, some don't.  I must say, growing up that history was one of my least favorite subjects.  As I've gotten older it has become more interesting and important to me.  Our newest book review is The Hidden Message of the Great Seal (How Foundational Truth from The Dawn of Liberty May Rescue a Republic in Peril) by Michael Kanis from The Hidden Message, LLC.  I received a free copy of this 256-page softcover book.  It has a nice glossy front and back cover and heavy duty semi gloss interior pages.  It is a fairly heavy book!  It's approximately 9" x 12" and printed in landscape format.

Because of its size and orientation, it is a little awkward holding it to read.  The author clearly states that this is NOT a history book, but boy is it loaded with wonderful historical facts that supplement any historical study.  What a great supplement to any studies covering our founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence, or other histories from that time period (1774-1783).

1782 version of seal (it went through many revisions over the years)

Wow, can I just say "Wow?"  Sometimes I am easily impressed and I must say that I was not disappointed with the wonderful "nuggets" found in this book.  Our Great Seal.  From its creation, the seal had great meaning.  Just like the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers had a great fear of God and their intent for all purposes was for us to be a nation founded on the principles of our God.  I LOVE how the author, Michael Kanis, has woven scripture throughout the entire book showing the connection to Godly principles.

Sample page

There are 24 chapters that carefully walk you through the history of the seal including important characters such as Charles Thomson and Francis Hopkinson (very well known for his allegorical stories and strongly extroverted personality).  Michael explains how the idea was birthed and who was involved in its creation.  He explains how much of the symbolism has been misinterpreted and corrupted over the years.  The Bible says there is "nothing new under the sun," and that is never more true than in the explanations of how many of the meanings about the symbols in the seal have been twisted to mean something else, something to do with the occult or contradictory to God's word.

Satan has always used diversion and confusion as a tactic in distorting true meanings.  As I read what Michael had researched I remembered hearing about many of the "meanings" he said we are used to hearing.  About what the seal stands for and means.  Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams were tasked with creating the seal and before it was finalized it was turned over to Charles Thomson who completed it in two weeks.  Learning more about the history of Charles Thomson (the seal's final creator) was very insightful and interesting.

Partial timeline that is included in the book

The Seal is an allegory. Symbols with deep meanings and stories behind those meanings.  With its creation over 236 years ago, why are we just now hearing about or learning more about the meaning behind the seal?  Over time, explanations have been given that seemed complete at the time so generally, no one questioned it anymore. I also believe that God moves in many ways and situations for "such a time as this."  We are in one of those times for sure and I believe that God tasked Michael Kanis with the job of digging back into what the Founding Fathers intended when the seal was created.  The deep meanings are timely for what we are experiencing these days and the historical and biblical connections are not just "coincidences."  There is a lot to learn from this text.

Michael spent thousands of hours on the research for this book and it is evident by the plethora of information that it contains.  He weaves into the story how everything was connected historically and it helps to understand what he has found and definitely broadens your horizons with the knowledge that comes from his research.

I am so glad that I decided to review The Hidden Message of the Great Seal (How Foundational Truth from The Dawn of Liberty May Rescue a Republic in Peril) from The Hidden Message, LLC and I highly recommend it.  There is so much more than just the history of the Great Seal.  Be sure to click on the graphic link below to read what my fellow Crew members have to say about this book.  Be sure to use the 50% discount code (HOMESCHOOL) before May 30, 2020 if you decide to get this book.  The coupon code is only valid on his website, https://www.TheHiddenMessage.org.