Notes From the Parsonage

Bible Tabs

November 4, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 1 Comment

I’ve been tabbing Bibles left and right around the parsonage. And now that I’ve tried quite a few Bible tabs, I figured I’d review them for you and tell you which ones were best. These are in order of how much I personally liked them. I did not purchase every tab available. That’d be a lot. But I did purchase quite a few. (Bible pictured above is here. Mug is here.)

Black bible with pink and blue Bible Tabs and an Axe Cop mug

Tabbies Bible Indexing Tabs

First up, Tabbies. These are the rainbow version. I got these from Christianbook.com for $3.49 a pack.

Adventures in Odyssey Bible with rainbow colored tabs

These are peel and stick. They are easy to apply. They come with a little guide to line them up easily. I also really like that with the rainbow version, the different sections are different colors. These have been perfect for my younger kids learning the look up passages in the Bible because I can say, “Turn to Proverbs. That is the third yellow tab.” So easy. Plus, these are the cheapest tabs I tried and I really liked them. If you accidentally put one down in the wrong spot, you can move them provided you haven’t completely pressed it down yet. They do have a little clear sticker bit that goes over the edge of the writing and it is shiny so it can’t be written on. These are the smallest tabs I tried. For the price, the ease of application, and the durability– these were the best tabs. They aren’t as pretty, though. They do have other colors, but nothing super fancy. (This is the NIrV Adventures in Odyssey Bible.)

Roseycheeks US Bible Tabs

Bible opened with highlighted verses and blue floral tabs

Close up of blue floral Bible tab with "Jeremiah" written in cursive font

These were my favorite tabs. I know they aren’t at the top of the list, but that is only because they are a little pricier. These were purchased from Rosycheeks US on Etsy and I paid $24.44 including shipping. These are the Floral Bible Tabs in Turquoise.

These Bible tabs are peel and stick tabs, but the paper is a matte sticker paper that feels like vellum. The front of the sticker has a clear portion that fits onto the page, while the back of the sticker stops at the tab portion. I slightly overlapped the tab onto the back of the page.

These had no guide. They’re really large. Only 4 stickers fits down the length of my Bible. These are really easy to apply. If you mess up while putting it down, you can reposition it prior to fully pressing both sides down. They are very durable.

These are the prettiest and most legible tabs, as well. The turquoise color, which is more of a baby blue, looks great with my navy Bible. The books of the Bible are on the front and back of the tabs. These combine 1, 2, & 3 John. These are thin and don’t add bulk to your Bible. (This is the ESV Single-Column Heirloom Legacy Bible in blue goatskin leather.)

Find Wondrous Things Bible Tabs

pink, rose gold, and blue Bible tabs still on the sticker paper

Black Bible with pink and blue Bible tabs and an Axe Cop mug on a table

Next are these Bible Tabs from Find Wondrous Things. This is the Storm colorway. These are also peel and stick, but the paper is more of a matte sticker paper. These are the same format and paper as the Rosycheeks tabs. I also found that the colors were much more subdued than the images on the website. The rose gold looked metallic on the website, but in person it isn’t at all. (This is the ESV Personal Size Study Bible in black genuine leather. Mug is here.)

Backside of Find Wondrous Things Bible Tabs on a Bible

I paid $28.62 for these on their Etsy site including shipping. So they are on the pricier side. They come with no guide, so you either have to craft one yourself, eyeball it, or use a ruler.

These have the book of the Bible on the front of the tab and a little quote about the book of the back of the tab. I like that little extra touch.

These are also much larger tabs. They feel more durable, though if you stick it down wrong you can reposition it before you fully press it down.

These were easy to apply. These feel like vellum. They have a larger sticker on the front side, with the back note fully covering on the page. I wasn’t sure if I would like this style, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. They’re pretty. They aren’t so thick they alter the way your Bible closes. But they are durable. I do love these, too. They’re the same as the Rosycheeks tabs, just different colors. They’re not as vivid of a print as the Rosycheeks.

The Daily Grace Co. Bible Tabs

Blue Floral Bible with pink, purple, and blue Bible tabs

Close up of handwriting in the side margin of a Bible with pink, purple, and blue Bible tabs printed with florals and a cursive font

Bible with lion cover with tabs barely showing

Close up of Bible tabs with crosses on them and gold all caps lettering

Both of these sets are from The Daily Grace Co. They were $5 a set on sale. (The normal price is $10 a set, but I feel like they always have a sale going.) This is the Floral set and the Crosses set.

They are the thickest of the Bible tabs I tried. They have a heavy cardstock feel to them. The entire tab is this cardstock material. They also come with extra tabs for marking your favorite verses or other things you might want to mark. They even come with “Song of Songs” and “Song of Solomon” so you can use whichever your Bible version uses.

These tabs are smaller than the others, a little larger than the Tabbies. This set has every single book of the Bible. These tabs are not laminated, so they will show wear pretty quickly. (These are both ESV Single-Column Journaling Bibles. The blue floral is here, the lions are here. The lion and the lamb cover is by Joshua Noom and is in their Artist Series line of Journaling Bibles.)

Salt and Charm Standard Bible Tabs (Not Peel and Stick)

Edge of a brown leather Bible with tabs barely visible

Gilded Bible page with pink and blue floral tabs

Brown Bible with closed pages of Bible tabs on it

These were the most expensive tabs I tried. These are from Salt and Charm and were $30.94 including shipping. This is the Stay Here Forever colorway. It is a little difficult to describe how these tabs feels.

They feel like cardstock that is folded over and covered with a clear plastic lamination sticker. The tab portion isn’t sticky. The front and back bottom portion that connects to the Bible page is sticky. These were not super difficult to apply. The cardstock/lamination was off in a few places on a few tabs. Nothing serious and nothing that would affect the use of the tab, but it is noticeable.

They come stuck to folded up squares of sticker backing paper. And they are in order.

On these, the gold is actually foiled and metallic. Some of the fonts used are more legible than others. The book names are on both sides of the tabs. This set oddly combine 1 & 2 Thessalonians and 2&3 John. That just feels more awkward than combining 1, 2, & 3 John.

These tabs are thick. They feel very durable. But the thickness does alter the way you Bible closes and lays. It makes the outer edge noticeable thicker than the spine. If you’re Bible journaling, this likely won’t be a big deal because I find that my art journaling Bible tends to do that anyway. But in my study Bible, that is a bigger issue. So, I do like them, but they aren’t my favorite. (This is the ESV Women’s Study Bible in British Tan genuine leather.)

Beautiful Bible Tabs

Worn cloth hardcover Bible with business card on top

Close up of Bible Tabs on edge of a Bible

These are peel and stick Bible tabs from Beautiful Bible on Etsy. This is the Colorful Map version. I paid $20.36 including shipping for these tabs.

These are just thin sticker paper. They did come with a guide, but it wasn’t as tall as my Bible, so I did have to do some maneuvering to use it. These came with every book of the Bible, plus some extra tabs you can write on to label your favorite verse or maps or whatever.

They were a little tricky to apply because of how thin they were. Folding them over onto the page was a little tricky. You can see from the photos that they are often “off”. They are printed on the front of the tab only. They also don’t reposition well or at all, really.

I did have one tab that had a cut through the front of the tab. I was still able to use the tab, but it didn’t look great. (You can see Galatians above.)

These are not durable tabs. They are also pretty small. They are thin, but they are very flimsy matte paper. I do like the legibility of the print and I do like the map print. But these are not among my favorites and I would not purchase these again. (This is the CEB Wesley Study Bible. It is no longer available in this clothbound cover, but is available in a leather look version.)

Be Still Bible Journal Tabs

Purple and Mauve Bible tabs on the edge of a single column journaling Bible

Ruth Chou Journaling Bible with floral tabs

This set is from Be Still Bible Journal. I paid $24.44 with shipping for this set through their Etsy shop. This is the Crimson Season set (no clue why they were named that as there is no crimson in the tabs at all).

This was, by far, the hardest set to apply. Each tab was completely cut out, so you had to fold the tab in half, then remove the sticker paper, and then apply it.

These came with no guide. They also didn’t come in order. So there was just a pile of stickers to sort. I sorted them as I went, which may not have been the best solution. Maybe I should have taken the time to put them all in order before beginning the application process. This set combines 1, 2, & 3 John and 1 & 2 Peter.

These are also made from very thin paper. They are regular matte paper with a sticker backing. They are not going to hold up well at all. These are my least favorite tabs I tried.

They’re hard to apply. They are super flimsy. They aren’t durable. And they’re expensive. The only thing they have going for them is that they are pretty and they are legible. (This is another ESV Single-Column Journaling Bible. This is the Ruth Chou Simons artist version.)

Open Bible with pink and Blue Bible tabs and empty Axe Cop mug.

ESV Personal Study Bible Review

September 30, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 8 Comments

The Personal Study Bible has quickly become my favorite Bible! It has all the extras that I need as I study and the perfect size for holding or setting on the table while I annotate away.

Open Bible with teal pen next to a cup of coffee

Crossway sent me the ESV Personal Size Study Bible to review. I’m not obligated to give it a favorable review. So when I say this is my favorite Bible of all time, it has nothing to do with it being sent to me. It is just a fantastic Bible. (Even the Pastor is jealous.)

I got the Black Genuine Leather version. But it comes in six other cover options. There is a really pretty turquoise version that is too cute. Or a TruTone brown that looks awesome, as well. The leather cover option comes in the box shown– other covers may be packaged differently.

Personal Study Bible Open next to a Pen and cup of coffee

My favorite aspect of this Bible is the size. It is the perfect size. Substantial without being massive. It is very thick, don’t get me wrong. But it isn’t flopping all over the place while I read with a baby in my lap. (And these Le Pens are perfect for Bible study. They are a great size and don’t bleed through the pages. Great for underlining, circling, and writing notes.) (Mug is from Anthropologie.)

Open Bible page with notes and charts on bottom of page

I also love the single column layout. That is my personal preference. It also has cross references in the center margin, which I love. And it has study notes at the bottom of the page. These notes are so incredibly helpful in personal study. You might be anti-study notes, but I like them.

Open Bible with map in the lower note section

It also contains maps, charts, and images as you go. That was incredibly helpful when reading through Joshua. It gave me a concrete image of all those promises fulfilled.

Picture in Bible of the city plan of Corinth

Each book also has a pretty detailed introduction. It lets you know the context of the book. Who wrote this? Why did they write this? Where are the places? What is the outline of the book? I have found these introductions to be helpful when diving into a new book.

Introduction to the book of Zephaniah in Study Bible

There are also so many resources in the back: God’s Plan of Salvation, Biblical Doctrine, Biblical Ethics, Interpreting the Bible, Reading the Bible, The Canon of Scripture, The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts, Archaeology and the Bible, The Original Languages of the Bible, The Septuagint, How the New Testament Quotes and Interprets the Old Testament, The Bible in Christianity, The Bible and World Religions, The Bible and Religious Cults, History of Salvation in the Old Testament, Charts and Diagrams Index, Map Index, Concordance, Weights and Measures, and Full Color Maps.

The only part about this Bible that could be improved is the lack of ribbon markers. This fantastic Bible only has 1. (You know my ideal is 4.) But have no fear, I’m already at work tricking this beauty out to make up for the lack of ribbons.

Edge of Personal Size Study Bible with pink and blue Bible tabs next to an Axe Cop mug on wood table

I’ve already added these lovely Bible tabs (Storm) from Find Wondrous Things. (I’ll be discussing Bible tabs sometime soon. I’ve been buying, applying, and will be reviewing them in the near future.) (This mug is from Ethan Nicolle’s store.)

Do I recommend the ESV Personal Study Bible?

Absolutely! This is an excellent Bible for new and old believers alike. The size is perfect for study. No tiny print. But not so tall and wide it gets awkward. I absolutely love it. As usual, the cheapest place to buy this Bible is Christian Book Distributors.

Medieval History Curriculum for the Rhetoric Stage

August 28, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 4 Comments

I put together a Medieval History Curriculum for the Rhetoric Stage for my kids’ school year. This isn’t just for history– but also includes literature, science, Bible, logic, math, and other key subjects.

Stack of books on table for every subject using the medieval history timeline as a guide for book choice.

The Rhetoric Stage is roughly high school. These students should be completely independent. Though, I do still include mine in Morning Basket, and choose at least one subject each year to do with them– not because they cannot do it on their own, but just to connect.

High school girl sitting on a rock reading a book on a bright day in late spring.

Bible/ Apologetics Curriculum

For Bible, all my kids who can read use the SOAP method of Bible study to do personal Bible reading each day. They keep this in a notebook. They choose whatever book of the Bible they want to read.

Stack of apologetics books on blue table

This year, I put together an Apologetics Course for my rhetoric stage students. Each book they read has a student guide that I created. We also have weekly discussion sessions to talk about what they are learning. The books they’ll be reading for Apologetics are:

Can Science Explain Everything?

True for You, But Not for Me

A Student’s Guide to Culture

Medieval History Curriculum

For history, they’ll be using The History of the Medieval World as their spine. A spine is simply the book that they slowly throughout the year to keep their “timeline” moving. All other books are stacked and scheduled around this “spine”. They’ll be outlining each chapter as they read. They’re also reading The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England.

Medieval Literature Curriculum

For literature, they have quite a heavy load to read. (Which is why I went a little lighter in the history section.) I have them keep notes as they read so they can use them to write a book summary when they finish a book. There are a couple books where we’ll be using the Canon Press Worldview Guide as they read. I also had a hard time deciding on a version of Beowulf. If you want to see my side by side comparison of three versions, check out my Instagram story titled “Compare Beowulf”.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The Once and Future King

Pearl

Sir Orfeo

Beowulf

Hamlet (with Canon Press Worldview Guide)

The Canterbury Tales

The Three Musketeers

Don Quixote

Macbeth (with Canon Press Worldview Guide)

Romeo and Juliet

The Prince

Grammar and Writing Curriculum

For grammar, these students are actually using Rudiments of Anglo-Saxon. It is a guide for understanding and translating old English.

For writing, they’ll be using The Creative Writer, Volume 2 per their request. And they’re also reading Wordsmithy.

I noticed their handwriting has been slipping, so I’m having them do copywork into a handwriting notebook two days each week. They can copy something they have read, Scripture, or their memory work. They can choose print or cursive, just so long as they write neatly and cleanly. I’m not going to harass them about their handwriting outside of this notebook.

Biology Curriculum

For science, they’re using The Riot and The Dance including the labs. They’ll also be reading On the Origin of Species with the Canon Press Worldview Guide. They’re very excited about this class.

Character Curriculum

For character, they’ll be reading Confessions and Ivanhoe.

Logic Curriculum

I was going to replace logic with apologetics this year, but one of my rhetoric students revolted at that idea. So, they’ll be doing Canon Press’s Introductory Logic this year.

Foreign Languages Curriculum

For languages, they’ll be using Rosetta Stone for the language of their choice 4 days per week.

Math Curriculum

For math, they use Life of Fred. They’ve also been enjoying watching some Khan Academy videos, so they’ll do that, as well. This year, they’ll both be using Advanced Algebra.

For math, I always recommend that others stick with what is working for them. Math is so personal with what works for one kid might not work for another. And kids tend to get used to how their math is laid out, so changing curriculum can be quite a set back for them. So if it works, keep with it.

Medieval History Curriculum for the Logic Stage

August 28, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 4 Comments

This Medieval History Curriculum for the Logic stage covers history, literature, science, and more during the medieval time period in a classical four-year history rotation.

Stacks of books chosen for the medieval history curriculum for the logic stage on an ink smudged table.

The logic stage is about fifth to eighth grade. These students are largely independent, though I do try to pick a subject each year to do with them just to connect with them a little more. While the curriculum is based around the medieval time period, it is NOT just for history!

Bible/Apologetics Curriculum for Middle Grades

For Bible, all my kids who can read use the SOAP method of Bible study to do their own personal Bible reading each day. They choose the book of the Bible they’re reading. They keep their notes in a notebook of their choice. This helps them learn to read, analyze, and apply the Bible for themselves without always counting on someone else to tell them what to see and what to think.

This year, Logic and Rhetoric stages are doing Apologetics for Bible class. They read these books on their own and at the end of each book, we sit and discuss. I encourage them to write down questions they may have as they go. We’ll discuss the questions that didn’t get answered in their reading as they finish each book. For logic, these books include:

Case for Christ for Kids

Case for Faith for Kids

Case for a Creator for Kids

Case for Grace for Kids

God’s Crime Scene for Kids

Cold-Case Christianity for Kids

It Couldn’t Just Happen

Medieval History Curriculum for Logic Stage Students

Stack of medieval history books for logic stage students

For history, my logic stage students also use The Story of the World, Volume 2. I do print all the coloring sheets and maps for them, as well, and include them in projects from the Activity Guide that I do with the grammar stage kids. We use this as a “spine”. We read it slowly through the year and work the rest of our supplemental readings into the timeline of the “spine” book.

They also have history supplements that they read by themselves to supplement their learning. I don’t have them answer questions or do worksheets for these books. I don’t find worksheets particularly useful for homeschooling. I find note taking guides or study guides to be better when they are necessary. But for most book, they keep notes as they read and at the end of each book, they’ll write a book summary. I also have them keep a master timeline, adding things from all the books they read to the timeline as they go.

Queen Eleanor

The Dragon and The Raven

Where is the Great Wall?

Who Was Confucius?

Guts & Glory: The Vikings

Who Was Leif Erikson?

The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow

Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?

The Bard of Avon

The World of Columbus and Sons

Who Was Queen Elizabeth?

Who Was Genghis Khan?

Fine Print

Marco Polo: His Travels and Adventures

Medieval Literature for Logic Students

Stack of fairy tales and medieval tales for middle grade students

For literature, all reading is based on the medieval time period. Again, the students keep notes on what they are reading and write a book summary at the end of each book. If a book has a movie based on it, even loosely, I’ll make sure we watch that once they finish reading the book.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table

Tales from Shakespeare

Jack

Red

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

Winning His Spurs

Grump

English Literature for Boys and Girls

Time Castaway: The Mona Lisa Key

The Adventures of Robin Hood

The White Company

Beowulf (This is a retelling! They’ll read the real one when we circle back through medieval history in four years.)

Viking Tales

The Door in the Wall

Adam of the Road

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Grammar and Writing Curriculum

For grammar, my middle school students are using 180 Daily Lessons on their level. I usually rotate years with Easy Grammar one year and 180 Daily Lessons the next. These are quick grammar reminders each day, since they should be grammar proficient by this stage.

For writing, my logic stage kids are using The Creative Writer, Level 2. They used Level 1 last year and loved it. They begged to continue the series.

For handwriting, my logic stage students do copywork twice a week. They pick a paragraph from something they’ve read this week or can use their memory verse or poetry memory. They keep a handwriting notebook for this copywork. They are expected to write cleanly and neatly in this notebook. I don’t usually harass them about their handwriting anywhere but this notebook. I just need to know they CAN write well. I also let them choose if they want to print or use cursive.

Biology Curriculum for Logic Stage Students

Stack of biology books for logic stage students on a wood table with ink markings

For science, my logic stage kids are doing biology, as well. They’re reading independently, keeping notes as they read, and they’ll be doing some experiments from Janice VanCleave’s Biology for Every Kid.

Super Simple Biology

Cells Close Up

Barron’s Visual Learning Biology

GIANTmicrobes Cells Coloring Book

My First Book About Genetics

Basher Science: Microbiology

Basher Science: Biology: Life as We Know It!

The Biology Coloring Book

Exploring the World of Biology

Who Was George Washington Carver?

Who Was Jacques Cousteau?

Who Was Jane Goodall?

Who Was Rachel Carson?

Where are the Galapagos Islands?

Logic for Middle Grade Students

For logic, this stage is using The Fallacy Detective this year. This is one of my kids’ favorite logic books. I think they’d use it every year if I let them.

Foreign Languages Curriculum

For foreign languages, my logic stage students use Rosetta Stone 3-4 days a week to learn their language of choice. They can pick a new language at the beginning of the year, but must stick with it all year.

Math Curriculum

For math, my logic stage kids are using Life of Fred. They use Fractions, Decimals and Percents, and then the Pre-Algebra series.

Math is so specific to each kid. If what you have is working– keep using it! Don’t switch a kid’s math curriculum unless you really have to as the switch will set them back in the subject. If a math program is working– keep using it until it isn’t or they graduate!

Medieval History Curriculum for the Grammar Stage

August 28, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 5 Comments

This Medieval History Curriculum for the Grammar Stage is not just for history! It includes literature, science, logic, Bible, and more for the medieval history time period. Medieval history is year 2 in a four-year classical history cycle.

Four stacks of books for medieval history curriculum for the grammar stage on an ink stained wood table.

The grammar stage is roughly first through fourth grade. I group my kids together by stage because it allows me to work with them more easily. I still do phonics and math one-on-one during this stage.

By the end of grammar stage, I expect my kids to be self-sufficient learners. So that is something I work with them on as they grow through this stage. Most things, I read aloud during this stage. We do projects together. I don’t give tests in the grammar stage. I don’t give tests much at all– but I intentionally avoid the test/quiz format for grammar students.

Two young boys sitting on pink chair with pink pillow examining a sticker book

Bible Curriculum for the Grammar Stage

For Bible, I purchased my grammar stage kids the same Bible. We’ll spend time in Morning Basket reading, but also during their group work. I find it easier to have the stage in the exact same Bible because it makes it easier to help them as they find their place and learn to read the Scriptures out loud. I’m not having to look over their shoulder because we all have the same version in our hands.

I chose the Adventures in Odyssey NIrV Bible for my kids in this stage this year. I added rainbow Bible tabs to help them find the books of the Bible. The format, the colors, and the little devotional aspects in the Adventures in Odyssey Bible encourage kids to keep looking, keep reading, and keep searching. It really draws them in.

My older grammar kids will also learn the SOAP method of Bible study and do that independently each day. We’ll also be reading The Dragon and the Garden and The Answers Books for Kids Set during our Bible time each day.

Three copies of the Adventures in Odyssey NIrV Bible fanned out on a blue wood table.

Three Adventures in Odyssey NIrV Bibles with Rainbow Bible Tabs on a wood table.

Adventures in Odyssey NIrV Bible opened on table showing book intro and Scripture.

Close up of article in the Adventures in Odyssey NIrV Bible

Medieval History Curriculum for the Grammar Stage

For history, I’m using Story of the World, Volume 2 as the “spine”. We’ll read a chapter 1-2 days each week. I use the Activity Guide to find activities each week, and I use the coloring pages so they can color as I read out loud. (My logic stage kids also use SOTW as a spine. They have the option to sit and listen to me read it or they can read it on their own in their own time. They usually opt to listen in.)

A history “spine” is just the book we’ll use to keep our timeline going. We’ll add additional readings in as they fit along the timeline of the “spine” book. So none of our books get read out of order. It is just a nice, easy way to keep your real books curriculum moving forward in a cohesive and logical way.

Stack of medieval history books for the grammar stage student on a blue wood table with Story fo the World, Volume 2 placed in front.

In addition to a history “spine”, I use additional books to help us explore the time and events deeper. For the grammar stage, this means we read quite a lot of picture books about history. I usually buy mine from ThiftBooks, because they are cheaper. (That is a referral link. If you’ve never used ThriftBooks before, you can sign up, spend $30 and you’ll get a free book credit! I will also get a free book credit if you use my link.) Though, I do sometimes have to buy them new. You can also check your local library. (I do not use our library as much as I could. I get anxious about borrowed books.) My history supplements for the grammar stage:

I Wonder Why the Romans Wore Togas

Beowulf the Warrior

How the Bible Came to Us

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Stories of the Saints

Once a Mouse

The Dragon and The Raven

Islam

Cat andRat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

Favorite Medieval Tales

Legends of Charlemagne

Yo, Vikings!

Cathedral

A Street Through Time

A Medieval Feast

Design Your Own Coat of Arms

Saint George and the Dragon

Sir Cumference and the Frist Round Table

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

Chanticleer and the Fox

The Bravest Knight

The Sword in the Stone

The Rabbi Who Flew

Ling and the Magic Paintbrush

Marco Polo: A Journey Through China

Baby Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave

Joan of Arc

How the Zebra Got Its Stripes

Columbus

The Discovery of the Americas

The Ordinary Princess

Do Pirates Take Baths?

The Paper Bag Princess

The Kitchen Knight

Pedro’s Journal

Castle

The Illuminated Alphabet Coloring Book

Medieval History Curriculum Literature for the Grammar Stage

Stack of fairy tale books on a blue wood table with ink splatters and stains

For literature this year, we’re doing fairy tales! I find that a fairy tale literature base works extremely well with Medieval History. I like to compare and contrast different tellings of the same stories. So, we’ll have a story each week, but we’ll read it several different ways. And if there is a movie version, we’ll definitely watch that, too. We can discuss how each author tells the story in their own way. It is a lot of fun to compare and contrast different fairy tales.

I will warn you, if your kids are super sensitive, some fairy tales are quite dark and disturbing– especially in their original forms. So you may want to pre-read (particularly Grimm’s) and make sure your little one won’t be traumatized. My kids are not sensitive, so it isn’t something I generally worry about with fairy tales.

Main Fairy Tale Books

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Classic Fairy Tales

Time Lord Fairy Tales (if your kids have not been introduced to Doctor Who, this won’t make a whole lot of sense for them)

Hans Christian Andersen’s Complete Fairy Tales

Blue Fairy Book

Supplemental Fairy Tale Books

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Listen, My Bridge is So Cool

The Three Bears

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

The Princess and the Pea

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Dick Whittington and His Cat

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Henny Penny

Little Red Hen

Three Little Kittens

Medieval History Curriculum Reading Books

My older grammar students also have independent reading. I have had some at that age that could choose their own “free reading” books. But my current group of grammar stage students are more reading hesitant, so I assign their reading to them. The choices are also reflective of reading hesitant students. Their options this school year are:

My Father’s Dragon

Max and the Midnights

Max and the Midnights: Battle of the Bodkins

Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon

Dragon Masters: Saving the Sun Dragon

Dragon Masters: Secret of the Water Dragon

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive

Eerie Elementary: The Locker Ate Lucy

Eerie Elementary: Recess is a Jungle!

Prince Martin Wins His Sword

Prince Martin and the Theives

Prince Martin and the Dragons

Grammar and Writing for Grammar Stage Students

For grammar, all of my grammar stage kids are doing Beowulf Grammar— even the ones who have done it before. It is an excellent program that has plenty of variety for different learners. And it includes sentence diagramming! I cannot recommend this program highly enough! Even for logic stage kids who are poor in grammar or who haven’t really had formal grammar before– this program is excellent!

For writing, the younger grammar stage kids will simply be doing copywork. The older grammar stage kids will be doing this Interactive Writing Notebook and Interactive Poetry Notebook along with keeping a journal.

For handwriting, we’ll be using Draw, Write, Now. We use it every year twice a week for grammar stage kids. They learn to write along with drawing. My older grammar stage student is interested in cursive, so I’ll write his in cursive and the other kids will do print. I draw the picture step-by-step onto our chalkboard wall and then write the sentences for them to copy.

Biology for Grammar Stage Students

Stack of biology books for grammar students on a blue wood table.

For science, everyone is doing biology. The younger kids will do a few activities from Janice VancCleave’s Biology for Every Kid. They’ll also have the opportunity to see what the older kids are doing in biology. The books I’ll be reading to them for science:

Super Simple Biology

Cells Up Close

Barron’s Visual Learning Biology

GIANTmicrobes Cells Coloring Book

My First Book About Genetics

Basher Science: Microbiology

Mr. DNA’s Book of Dinosaurs.

Math for Grammar Students

For math, my grammar students use Math Mammoth at their particular level. First grade, I usually need to sit next to them and work with them one on one. Second grade, I can usually read the instructions to them and let them do the work. Usually by third grade, I can just get it out for them and check it when they are done.

Phonics for Grammar Students

For phonics, we’re finishing up Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with two of my kids. They’ll begin the Treadwell Readers and Christian Liberty Press Nature Readers as soon as they finish phonics.

Character for Grammar Students

For character, I let them choose what books they’d like. They chose The Berenstain Bears this year. One day a week, we take turns picking a book from the character list. We usually do repeat them. So we have:

The Forgiving Tree

Kindness Counts

The Berenstain Bears and the Truth

The Berenstain Bears Do the Right Thing

The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings

The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers

The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Influence

The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Chores

That’s So Rude!

Patience Please!

Logic for the Grammar Stage

For logic in the grammar stage, you’re mostly just teaching critical thinking skills. This year, the kids are using the Critical and Creative workbooks at their level. These books do have some aspects that don’t apply to homeschool kids (a unit on things in a classroom), but for the most part, we like them. I’m not a fan of the holiday unit, but I usually just skip that one.

Foreign Languages for the Grammar Stage

For foreign languages, my kids who can read well will begin using Rosetta Stone to learn their language of choice. We have a lifetime subscription (that I got free for review) and we have definitely used it a ton! Not all the languages are available on the app version, so be sure to check if you’ll be primarily using the app and not the website. We use a mix of both, depending on the kid.

Medieval History Morning Basket Plans

August 28, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 3 Comments

These morning basket plans are set to go along with the medieval timeline during a four-year classical history cycle. My students range from preschoolers to high schoolers, so this is a full family plan.

Stack of books for a full family morning basket set in medieval times

Morning basket is just a time that the whole family can be together each day. It is the thread that connects all the various ages together. We spend about an hour each morning together for Morning Basket before we break off into our three groups- rhetoric (high school), logic (middle grades), and grammar (the younger students).

Prayer & Bible Reading

We start morning basket by praying together. I usually ask for one of the kids to volunteer. It gives them an opportunity to practice their praying out loud skills. Then we open our Bibles and take turns reading a passage together. Once my kids learn to read, they are expected to participate in daily Bible reading. This year, we’ll be reading Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Acts together during Morning Basket.

Memory Verse and Poem Memorization

After we’ve read the Bible, we practice our memory tasks. We have a chunk of verses for Scripture Memory each term that everyone learns. We take turns going around and saying these verses. We start with a phrase and add on each week until we have the entire passage memorized. Older kids can read it until the memorize it. Younger kids repeat it after me until they memorize it. You’ll be surprised how easily you memorize something you read and say each day. Even toddlers can memorize Scripture! This year, we’re memorizing Roman 8:1-11 for term 1, John 1:1-5 for Advent, Psalm 100 for term 2, and Matthew 5:13-16 for term 3.

Once we’ve all said our memory verse, we move to poetry memory. Each stage has a different poem, but sometimes the kids will learn everyone’s poem. Our poetry selections for term one (in order of stage from youngest to oldest) are: The Teapot Dragon by Rupert Sargent Holland; Defeat by Edgar A. Guest; and the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. During Advent, all stages will learn Hark! the Herald Angels Sing by Charles Wesley. For term two, our poems are A Pig Tale by James Reeves; A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns; and The Walrus and The Carpenter by Lewis Carroll. For term three, we’ll memorize The Maldive Shark by Herman Melville; The Kraken by Lord Alfred Tennyson; and Sonnet XVIII by William Shakespeare.

Devotional Reading

After our memorization work, we’ll read a devotional type read. This year, we’ll be reading God’s Good News and Wise Words. After that, we’ll read something Biblically interesting– be it a biography, church history, or scientific in nature. This year, those books will be Dragons of the Deep, Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs, and Trial and Triumph.

Grammar Fun Time

Three days a week, we’ll do some grammar. Two days a week, that is just doing Mad Libs. My younger kids have all picked up grammar very easily because they had fun playing Mad Libs to learn the parts of speech when they were small. The older kids also love Mad Libs. One day a week we’ll be reading Grammarland.

Manners

One day each week, we focus some time on manners. I find it important to teach kids manners. Yes, they learn the proper fork to use. But it also teaches them how to introduce themselves, how to introduce others, how to involve others in a conversation in a way that makes them comfortable– just a whole host of useful interpersonal skills.

So, one day a week, we pull out Emily Post Etiquette and I read a portion. If it is something we can practice, like shaking hands, we’ll stop and practice, too. (If you aren’t sure you’re up for Emily Post, check out Modern Manners. It is more of a business manners book and is a little easier to tackle than Emily Post.)

Fun Family Literature

Reading books aloud is one of my kids favorite parts of the school day. Even my older kids who could easily read the books on their own find that they love read aloud time. I usually try to pick interesting Middle Grade type books. This year, the read aloud book list includes: The Wild Robot, The Giver, Pax, The Princess and The Goblin, The Westing Game , The Dragon’s Tooth, The Drowned Vault, and the Empire of Bones.

Games

I also add a couple games into our Morning Basket. We usually play them on Fridays instead of doing a read loud. This year, Camelot Jr. and Muchkin Deluxe are our games of choice.

Godbold Academy: Medieval History

August 28, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 2 Comments

This year our students will be moving into Medieval History, which is year two in a four-year classical history cycle. For some of our kids, this is their first time through medieval history. For others, this is their last cycle through. Moving all the kids through a four year cycle together makes it possible for our family to “do school” together, despite the huge age differences.

This school year, we’ll have 6 students, plus a preschooler and a baby. I arrange my kids’ education so that they are all in the same time period and the same science subject each year. This allows us to do more exploring and learning as a family. It allows the kids the opportunity to share what they’re learning with one another in much more meaningful ways.

We also approach history chronologically. This gives us the story of how events unfold and not just viewing the event in isolation. We do a four year cycle, so by the time the kids graduate, they’ve been through the entire story of history three times. The first time, they’re just exposed to the story. This occurs from about 1st -4th grade. The second time, they dig a little deeper during 5th-8th grade. Then even more in depth 9th-12th grade.

This year, our science subject is biology. So, all the kids will be doing biology, though it will be at different levels. The older kids will be doing experiments that they can then show and explain to the younger kids.

Find All the Curriculum Plans

Find the Morning Basket plans here. Morning Basket time is for the whole family!

Find the Grammar Stage plans here. The grammar stage is roughly 1st to 4th grade, but I certainly include my preschoolers here as much as I can. Some kids may still be at the grammar stage when they are 5th grade age– that is fine. The beauty of homeschooling is how much you can customize it to fit your needs. My goal for grammar stage students is to introduce and expose them to the ideas and stories.

Find the Logic Stage plans here. The logic stage is roughly 5th to 8th grade, or “middle school”. Some kids may be younger, some may be older. These kids have already been exposed to the ideas and stories and are ready to go a little bit deeper.

Find the Rhetoric Stage plans here. The rhetoric stage is roughly 9th to 12th grade, or “high school”. Some may be ready earlier, some later. These students have gone through these ideas twice now and are ready for some in depth reading and analyzing the topics.

Faith and Action

May 17, 2021 by notesfromtheparsonage 4 Comments

We spend our days living out whatever faith we have in some sort of action. How we spend our days and the ways we point and shape our children matter! Let’s stop and do a quick performance review on how we’ve done through these trying times.

Preschool and Baby sisters in matching blue dresses in front of azalea bush

This past year gave us a lot of opportunities to show real faith in action. Through all the turmoil of the year, what is the take away that your kids will remember? Let’s give ourselves a bit of a performance review, shall we? Not to beat ourselves up, but to see where we have failed, where we have succeeded, and how we can better show faith and action.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, ESV

Faith with Hope

Through all the scary medical stuff and navigating a new virus in the world, did your kids see your faith? You had the opportunity to show them in a real-life situation where we, as Christians, place our hope. Did you display that faith for them? Did you walk them through praying and hoping and trusting even when things were uncertain? Did they see you panic, make decisions out of fear, or try to secure your own future?

This past year, we got the chance to show our kids and the world that we place our trust in Jesus— that we are not a people without hope. We got to show what life lived-out in hope looks like. We get to show them the action side of faith. I’m not saying this was easy, at all. I’m not suggesting it wasn’t a struggle. But did you struggle? Did you come to the altar with your concerns and your heart or did you just stockpile toilet paper and binge on the news?

Action in Love

Through political disagreement and national hurting and turmoil, did your kids see your love for your neighbors? Did you help them see the world as Jesus does? A world of hurt and pain crying out for justice and desperately seeking truth (whether they find it or not)? Did you show them that “the other side” (whatever that might be for you) is filled with the faces of men and women made in His image?

We had the opportunity to not vilify those with whom we disagreed but to love them and pray for them. I am not suggesting we back away from the truth or let lies dig deep into the soil of culture; I’m simply asking if we were able to love the people even while rejecting their ideas. It may be a difficult task, but loving our neighbors isn’t optional. We should destroy ideas, not people. (Thank you, Mama Bear Apologetics.) Those people are people whom Jesus died to save. He loves them to the end.

Prayer As Faith and Action

Through unemployment, supply shortages, and general uncertainty, did your kids see you pray? Did they see you seek the Kingdom of God? Did they see you stepping out to do what it took to help others in your community— others who may have lost jobs, who may not have been able to find supplies, or who found themselves spiraling in the uncertainty? Did they see you step up and be the hands and feet of Jesus in a lost and dying world? Did they see you earnestly seeking the Lord and calling on Him?

We had the opportunity to show people the love of Jesus in such tangible ways. We were able to feed those who had no food. We had the opportunity to be salt and light in a very dark and decaying time. Did we take the opportunity? Or did we let the darkness, the decay hold us down?

If You Did Poorly…

If you find that, in retrospect, you didn’t do such a great job, you didn’t take the opportunities as you could have, you let fear rule your heart instead of King Jesus, you let disagreement turn to bitterness and hate and failed to see the person made in God’s image underneath the ideas, you hoarded up for yourself here on earth to protect yourself instead of looking for opportunities to spread the Gospel in a tangible way, you shut yourself off from the grace of God because you would not seek His face. If you find that you’ve pretty much failed this performance review— great!

You now have the opportunity to adjust. You’ve recognized your own insufficiency and know even more deeply how much you need a Savior. It is never too late to change our ways. No, we won’t get those missed opportunities back, but other opportunities lie around the corner. The world is still hurting. The world is still lost. The world is still dying. And you’re still here— still here to hope, still here to trust, still here to seek truth, still here to love your neighbor, still here to be salt and light, still here to cling to Jesus with all that you have and gather those little ones around the foot of the Cross with you. You’re still here to show your faith in action.

If You Did Well…

If you find that you did a pretty good job, keep it up. I’m sure you’re well aware that it isn’t of your own accord you’ve been able to do any of this. If you’ve assessed yourself honestly and find that you did use the opportunities given to you, you know this was only through God’s grace.

You clung to Jesus hard this past year, maybe harder than ever before. You were bombarded on all sides, so you knelt at the foot of the Cross and dug in for the long haul. Keep that up. Keep relying on Jesus. Keep clinging to Him. Keep taking His yoke upon you and placing your children under His wing. We’ve got more to go. The Kingdom is here and not yet, so we must keep choosing each morning to live our lives with Jesus as King.

Let’s Keep Showing Our Faith in Action

Today, the world is still in turmoil. There are still hurting people all around us. Political opinions and agendas still divide us. People are still getting sick. Even though the toilet paper shelves at the store now look properly stocked, other supplies are now in shortage.

The world is still dark. You still have the opportunity to show your children what faith-in-action looks like. You still have the opportunity to turn your fear over to Jesus and live in faith instead. You still have the opportunity to love your neighbor. Take the opportunity you’re given to live for Jesus in front of your kids. Your life is a megaphone into theirs. Be salt and light and show them what it means to preserve and show the way in a dark, twisted, dying world.

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the hods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15, ESV

ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions Review

July 29, 2020 by notesfromtheparsonage Leave a Comment

Is the Bible with Creeds and Confessions the right Bible for you? Let’s look at the pictures and features and see!

ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions box on wooden table

Crossway sent me this Bible with Creeds and Confessions to review. It is a standard ESV Bible with Creeds at the end of the Bible. I received the imitation leather version, which looks really nice. I was honestly surprised at how nice the cover is, because I’m usually not a fan of imitation leather. It also comes in a hardback imitation leather cover and a goatskin leather version.

Imitation leather cover of the ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions on a wooden table.

I don’t think the pictures do it justice. It feels really nice in the hand. It also has 2 ribbon markers. You know me, the more ribbon markers– the better! And 2 ribbons is halfway to my ideal of 4 ribbon markers. I should also mention it comes with Crossway’s lifetime warranty!

The actual Scripture is very easy to read. Double columns with 10 point font and references throughout. It is very readable.

Bible with Creeds and Confessions Extra Features

List of the content extras for the ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions.

Is this the Bible for you?

The selling point of this Bible is the Creeds and Confessions. However, it just falls a bit short– especially if you aren’t Reformed. A Reformed homeschool mom would probably LOVE this Bible. I am not Reformed. So I don’t. I like the Scripture part. The feel of the Bible is extraordinary. I love the readability. However, the Creeds and Confessions portion is just… lack luster.

I really thought there would be more statements and parts of the Creeds woven into the Scripture in the form of notes. But it is just a collection placed in the back of the Bible.

Creeds and Confessions Bible opened to Westminster Confession

Who knows, this Bible might be EXACTLY what you’re looking for. If you’re Wesley Armenian… it probably is not.

The quality is outstanding. I really can’t say that enough. The readability and references in the Bible portion of this Bible are amazing! I’m just not Reformed, so I don’t care to have so much focus on Reformed confessions and catechism.

ESV Bible with Creeds and Confessions spine facing out on wooden table.

This Bible was sent to me free for review. I am not obligated to review it favorably or say anything specific about it, other than my own thoughts. Links in this post may be affiliate links, which do help me out.

Godbold Academy 2020-2021: Rhetoric Stage Plans

February 2, 2020 by notesfromtheparsonage 2 Comments

The rhetoric stage is essentially the high school stage. This level bumps up in difficulty quite a bit, as students are able to handle deeper and more difficult books. I expect my rhetoric students to be fully independent, except they do join us for Morning Basket. I keep all my kids running along the same history timeline, though they may be at a slightly different pace and very different difficulty levels. I give my rhetoric students a checklist of work for the week and they are responsible for doing it and checking it off. I usually check their work only weekly, though we do discuss their readings over dinner daily.

Bible

The Bible Among the Myths (1 chapter per week; weeks 1-11)

The Epic of Eden (1 chapter per week; weeks 13-23)

The Epic of Eden Small Group Study (daily reading plus weekly video and discussion; weeks 25-36)

History

The History of the Ancient World (1-3 days per week; weeks 1-31)(Keep a list of important people and dates in history notebook)

The Iliad with Memoria Press Student Guide (weeks 1-24)

The Odyssey with Memoria Press Student Guide (weeks 25-36)

The Epic of Gilgamesh (weeks 25-36)

Science

Nature Study: The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling (weeks 1-36)

General Science 2: Survey of Geology and Archaeology (weeks 1-36)

Language Arts

Grammar: 180 Daily Teaching Lessons for grade level (5 days/week; weeks 1-36)

Writing: The Creative Writer (weeks 1-36)

Literature

Till We Have Faces (weeks 1-6)

The Lightening Thief (weeks 1-17)

The Hobbit with Memoria Press Study Guide (weeks 7-11)

The Lord of the Rings (weeks 13-30)

The Sea of Monsters (weeks 18-30)

The Titan’s Curse (weeks 30-34)

Logic

Introduction to Logic (weeks 1-36)

Languages

Latin: Canon Press Latin Primer (weeks 1-36)

French: Rosetta Stone French (2-3 days/week; weeks 1-36)

Math

Life of Fred at level

Character

Plutarch Lives, Volume 1 (2 days/week; weeks 1-21)

Plutarch Lives, Volume 2 (2 days/week; weeks 21-35)

I keep everything planned out as seen above for each week.

** This post contains affiliate links. Using affiliate links is a great way to support your favorite content creators. **

I encourage you, don’t feel like you have to buy all your school books new! Check out ThriftBooks.com for some great deals on used books. (That link is my referral link!) Also, check out Scribd, which is like Netflix for ebooks and audiobooks. (That link is my referral link!) There are so many great books available through both that will save you money. Also, remember to check your library. Libby is a great app that many library systems use where you can get ebooks and audiobooks through your local library. Of course, you can also max out your library card checking out great books, as well.

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Manners

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Games

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Faith with Hope

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