Homeschool Review Crew - American Christian Literature Hewitt Homeschooling

I have a high school student this year who loves to read but is extremely careful about her choices for literature so I couldn't have been more excited to get a chance to review the American Christian Gr 11-12 Authors Pack from Hewitt Homeschooling.


Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew received the following. Some even had the opportunity to take part in the Hewitt Homeschooling paper evaluation service where you submit your student's essays and papers for evaluation. So, please be sure to check out their reviews to get a full picture of what Hewitt Homeschooling has to offer: Grade 1 Lightning Lit Set
Grade 2 Lightning Lit Set

Grade 3 Lightning Lit Set

My First Report

Gr 7 Lightning Lit Set 

Gr 8 Lightning Lit Set 

American Early-Mid 19th Century

American Mid-Late 19th Century

Speech

British Early-Mid 19th Century
British Mid-Late 19th Century
British Medieval
Shakespeare Comedies

Shakespeare Tragedies

British Christian

World Lit 1

World Lit 2 *~*

What is the American Christian Author Pack from Hewitt Homeschooling?

Hewitt Homeschooling dates back to 1963 when a group of professionals who were concerned about education and overall health and welfare of the family organized a foundation that was part of the pioneers of the homeschooling movement in America. Hewitt Homeschooling focuses on a flexible approach to schooling with balance with an emphasis on academics, character development, and instilling a work ethic and community service.

The American Christian Literature pack is part of Hewitt Homeschooling's Lightning Literature curriculum which teaches language arts through the use of whole books and classics, teaches deep reading and writing skills with the intent of increasing the student's love for reading.

While the company is very homeschool oriented, their books have also been used successfully in private school settings.

I received a glossy paperback 176-page student guide and corner-stapled, 3-hole-punched, notebook-ready teacher's guide pages.

The Student Guide

The Student Guide

The student guide is set up to cover either a semester or a full year's schedule. If you choose the semester, it is broken down into 18 weeks. If you choose the full year, it is stretched out over 36 weeks. Both cover the same amount of material.

The lessons are broken down into:

• Introduction
• The Selection
• While You Read
• Comprehension Questions
• Literary Lessons
• Writing Exercises
• Perspectives
• Appendices - Discussion Questions, Project Suggestions, Reading List, Schedules

At the beginning of each lesson, there is an introduction that provides a brief biography of the author and additional tidbits about the reading passage in the lesson. The selection portion is the literary work being studied. It will either refer to one of 4 of the books listed for use with this study or will include poems, essays, etc. on the pages of the Student Guide. The While You Read section includes a list of questions for the student to keep in mind while reading. Each section is followed up with Comprehension Questions, literary lessons, and writing exercises. Some include additional perspectives.

There are also Activities to Enhance the study suggested:

• Vocabulary Notebook
• Reading Journal
• Biographies
• Family Reading or Writing Night
• Oral Summaries
• Writing Group

The Teacher Guide

The teacher guide provides an introduction to the parents explaining how the student guide should be used, includes the schedules, writing exercises, discussion questions, and project suggestions. It also contains a grading guide and the answers to the comprehension questions.

How Did We Use It?

I knew from the start that my middle daughter would be perfect for a literature study. She lives to read, but is extremely particular about the words she puts into her mind and prefers Christian authors or topics that are edifying to her spiritual life. So, when I saw that I was chosen for the American Christian Authors Pack, I was excited and told her about it before it even arrived in the mail. I was anxious to get her reaction. Before I handed it off to her, however, I took some time to dive in and find out what it was all about.

My first order of business was to locate a copy of the first book that is covered in the program. I checked with my local library, but they did not have one. Thankfully, I was able to get my hands on the book elsewhere. When you purchase the pack from Hewitt Homeschooling, the books are included but were not for the purposes of my review.

Then, I began by reading the teacher guide which explains the student guide is written directly to the student and is set up in sections:

• Introduction which explains the importance of writing well, includes a short biography of the author, Lucy S. R. Austen, and provides topics to think about while reading.
• Comprehension Questions
• Literary Lesson - Each lesson teaches aspects of writing by using a specific piece of literature.
• Writing Exercises
• (Throughout the Student Guide there are also "Perspectives" which are informative articles that provide historical background to the piece of literature being studied).

The books covered in the course include:

• Can You Drink The Cup? by Henri Nouwen
• A Circle of Quiet by Madeliene L'Engle
• Godric by Frederick Buechner
• No Graven Image by Elisabeth Eliot

There are also short reading selections, poems, and essays that are included in the student's guide.

The student guide suggests that the students keep a journal and that they discuss the things they're reading with their parents.

What Did We Think?

First of all, I can't stress enough how happy I was that there was a literature program that covered Christian authors. Also, I really love the way this pack is presented with not only comprehension questions but also writing assignments and projects. I also appreciate that the importance of the parent/teacher reading along and being actively involved with the student in the study of each piece of literature discussed.

On a somewhat shallow side note, I want to add that when I presented the course to my daughter and asked if she would be interested in making it her full-year study of literature, she responded with glee that the book looks pretty, so she'd be open to the idea. Of course, I explained what the course was all about and talked about the authors and the books in the study before she decided to give it a go beyond whether or not the cover of the book was "pretty".


Please Note: There are some hot-button topics discussed, such as racism, incest, rape, murder, and homosexuality, making the high school level appropriate. When I discovered the authors chosen for this course, I will admit that I took pause and went back and forth wondering if I should present the material to my innocent daughter or not. I  do want to note that all is done in a manner that I did not find controversial or problematic, but rather serves as a critical thinking launching pad that opens up discussions to help walk the student through formulating their own thoughts on deep spiritual matters which establishing a moral framework. Still, I was happy for the heads-up about them presented in the teacher guide. Within the American Christian Literature course, these topics are discussed in light of God's power and love. There is an explanation toward the end of the Student Guide that explains why the spotlighted authors were chosen to be included in a study of American Christian authors. The author of the curriculum writes:

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. - It is my hope that you will do this with the authors and works in this book, and that they will give you the same encoouragement that they have given me.

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Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

My High School Freshman's First Day Back To School

Yes - I have two other children who started school today, but I'm going to focus first on my new high schooler. Hopefully, I'll get time to write about my 4th grader and High School Junior as well, but for now, the focus is on my middle child. By the way, the day went very well for the 4th grader as well and my unschooling High School Junior didn't fight me when I explained that I want him to give me a bit more focused learning this year in addition to his self-directed studies.

So, it was a good day!

Today, we started back to school officially. Yes, I know it sound late in the year to get started, but we technically began school on the road during our 5-week tour with my hubby. My children each began their school year with at least 14 hours of history under their belts thanks to a two-day trip to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Historic Village. If you haven't been there, it's amazing. Make time to go. It may be the only reason to plan a trip to the Detroit area, but it's worth it.

I normally do first day of school pics on the technical starting day as well as the official one. But, today we just dove right in. Here's how she looked on her first technical day of school back in August:

 

Anyway, back to the subject at hand....  She officially started high school today, even though she was already taking high school level courses in 8th Grade. So, how did the day go?

Quite well actually, even though it seemed long in some ways.

She began with Geometry from Bob Jones and was happy to leave Algebra behind for awhile.

She moved into English Comp 10 from Rod and Staff, which is as high as their curriculum goes, but we have found it to be such a good curriculum. She has been using it since the beginning of time.

Next, she dove into a study on the Constitution, written by a senator for whom I used to work at a local law firm many moons ago.

She followed this up with more study in English Composition with Non-Fiction Writing for High Schoolers by Sharon Watson.

For science this year, she is tackling a college level Physical Science course which is off the beaten path of our usual Christian-based science courses, but I think it will work out ok since it is not overtly evolution based, and I feel she is grounded enough to handle it even if it were.

Next, she began her new French course - Getting Started With French from Armfield Academic Press. So far, she loves it!

She finished her day with a Logic course from Memoria Press. I think this was her least favorite of the day, but it was also at the end and included a DVD presentation for this girl who much prefers learning through reading.

So, all things considered, I think the first day went quite well.

My 8th grader just finished 9th grade

I'm flabbergasted!  My daughter is in 8th grade this year, but she has been doing 9th grade and various high school level work.  I just didn't realize to what extent.  

I haven't finished her transcripts yet, but from what she did this year and last year, she has enough high school credits to have completed 9th grade - minus science. She does not have HS science completed.  

So when she enters her freshman high school year, she is really entering her sophomore year, according to her credits. I'm impressed with her so much. 

Here are just a few of her books. 

TOS Review - Exclusive High School Diploma for Homeschoolers

I am homeschooling a high schooler, and next year there will be two high schoolers in our home. When you are a homeschooler with a high schooler facing graduation one rapidly approaching day, the question often arises - What do you do about graduation, a diploma, invitations, and do homeschoolers get class rings? Well, the answer is yes, homeschoolers have the opportunity to obtain a diploma and other high school graduation accessories, and that's why I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Exclusive High School Diploma from HomeschoolDiploma.com.

What is the Exclusive High School Diploma from HomeschoolDiploma.com?

It's an actual diploma printed on quality paper and contained inside a nice book-like cover. It is a beautiful diploma that can be used during a high school graduation as a keepsake that represents a student has accomplished the required work needed to graduate.

Some homeschoolers take part in graduation ceremonies through co-ops, while others hold a small ceremony among family and friends. Still others, simply make the event personal and officially hand the diploma to their child upon completion of high school. Regardless, it's nice to hand to your student a document that signifies one of your child's (and, as his or her teacher, your) biggest academic accomplishments.

The Exclusive High School Diploma comes to you personalized and in a nice cover.

Ordering it was half the fun. When you visit the site, you begin designing your personalized diploma using a series of about a dozen steps and drop-down menus.

When you choose the Exclusive High School Diploma option in Step 1, it then takes you to Step 2 where you enter your student's information. With each of the steps, a large, easy-to-read screen pops up with pictures and drop-down menu choices. Some of these choices are optional and/or carry an additional charge for the selection, but it is clearly noted if there is an extra fee as well as what is an optional choice:

The next step is to enter information about your school. This step includes a section about the authority to issue the diploma. You will need to know your state's requirements as to who is authorized to issue and sign a high school diploma.

Homeschoolers often struggle with the idea and question if they are delivering adequate quality of education to their children. When the high school years hit, naysayers come out of the woodwork expressing the legitimacy of graduating from a home-based learning center. But, honestly, a diploma printed for a public or private school carries the same standard of authenticity as one printed by HomeschoolDiploma.com. Both are simply a keepsake that commemorates an accomplishment. Check your state's requirements for homeschoolers in regard to graduation. Our state gives the parent the authority to issue a diploma upon completion of required credit hours.

Now, you're ready to choose the wording that will appear on the face of the diploma. There are many options to reflect your personal needs:

Select an optional verse or motto. We chose a scripture to place on the finished product.

Now, it's time to enter the graduation date. If you are graduating your child as part of a co-op or group, you will want to make sure the date coincides with the date of the ceremony, or choose the actual date your school year ended or he/she completed the necessary credits needed to graduate.

What type of paper do you want the diploma printed on? Choose ivory parchment or cream-cololored stock. I chose the ivory parchment.

If your child is graduating with honors, you have the option of designating this with an Honors Seal:

Now that the diploma has been designed, it's time to select a cover.

Personalize your cover by adding your student's name for an additional charge.

The final options include your choice to archive a copy of the diploma and to order wallet-sized copies, both for an additional cost.

Now that your diploma has been designed, it is time to place your order.

How Did We Use It?

My son is currently a sophomore, so we won't technically be handing him this diploma for a couple more years, though usually the graduation date options are not available two or more years in advance. The company was excellent to work with my needs for the purpose of the review, so I received a diploma with the proper graduating date for my son.

I told my son that I had received it, and his reaction surprised me a bit. He told me, "Don't show it to me yet, not until I've completed the work." So, I will keep it tucked away as a surprise and authorize it with my and my husband's signatures when the time comes that he has finished earning it.

But, I have to tell you - I'm EXCITED about his graduation day.

After ordering, it arrived quickly in the mail. I opened it up and was very impressed by the quality. And, it really suddenly made the process of my son's graduation seem all the more real.

Along with my son's diploma, I received some samples of other products that HomeschoolDiploma.com carries. They also have a really beautiful collection of class rings to choose from online as well as a wide selection of graduation commemorative items from Kindergarten through high school. And, look at the quality of these graduation invitations, RSVP cards and student name cards.

What Did We Think?

It's getting real! My son's graduation from high school and an end to his homeschooling years is rapidly approaching. For me, holding this diploma in my hands really authenticated his graduation.

The process was personalized and easy to order. The quality of the diploma was beyond what I had hoped.

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Visit on Facebook, Twitter @Cornerstonegrad, and Pinterest.

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Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below: