Review of Speeches and Writings in American History from CursiveLogic

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this product from Timberdoodle in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review or be compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page for more information. Thank you. 

Do you plan on teaching cursive in your homeschool? Have you included cursive in your homeschool in previous years, but you are looking for a new approach? We were pleased to use and review Speeches and Writings in American History from CursiveLogic this summer in preparation for our sixth-grade year. 

Please note this workbook is actually part of the 2024 Fifth-Grade Curriculum Kit from Timberdoodle, but we will be using it during sixth grade. I love the flexibility of homeschooling! 

Our younger son learned how to write cursive using a different style, but I wanted to offer him the choice to learn a different approach. The goal is to let him find what style of cursive works best for him. Enter CursiveLogic! 

About Speeches and Writings in American History

We have not used any other materials from CursiveLogic prior to Speeches and Writings in American History. I do not feel that was a detriment because there were several pages of practice and review before jumping into the speeches and writings. It starts out with reviewing orange ovals to form the first stroke and moves through connecting the letters, forming loops, and finally, capital letters. 

Before the student moves on to the speeches and writings, they check their posture, paper, pencil, and grip. And finally, "check your form" includes five more sets of questions to ask: 

• Questions about the shape of the letters,
• Questions about the size of the letters,
• Questions about linking,
• Question about spacing, and
• A question about slant

The front of the book (which is laminated) has an alphabet reference chart with all 26 letters (lower and upper case), numbers 1-9, and the four types of connected letters. The back of the book has a vocabulary list from the speeches and writings.

Whose Speeches and Writings in American History Will Your Child Be Writing? 

There are 18 individuals chosen to represent American History from Patrick Henry to Ronald Reagan. Speeches such as George Washington's Farewell Address and Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream are included. Witticisms from Poor Richard's Almanac and Helen Keller's essay on Optimism are also included. There is a wide range of people and periods in Speeches and Writings in American History. 

 A few other individuals are: 

• Sojourner Truth 
• Geronimo 
• Susan B. Anthony 
• John F. Kennedy 

How We Used Speeches and Writings in American History in Our Homeschool 

When our 11-year-old started the book, I assigned one page of the review sheets daily. I went over them and checked to see if he needed to make any corrections to his form. After he had completed those review pages, I started to assign the speeches and writings. One day was set aside for reading about the individuals and their writing. Some days, that first day also included the warm-up and vocabulary exercises. Other times, I saved that for a second day. In general, the lessons are designed to take place over four days. 

While each writing section has a spot for the student to check off the following items, I haven't yet used that with our son. 

• Shape
• Size
• Linking
• Spacing
• Slant 
• 3 P's
• Relaxed Hand
• Light Pressure 

"Explore American history through cursive writing! Delve into the lives of 18 notable figures, from presidents to activists, honing handwriting skills." 

My Thoughts 

I really appreciate having a different way to teach cursive to our son. And the fact that this book can connect to American History is fantastic. We can connect his handwriting lessons to both history and language arts by using these lessons. We could even pull in spelling by using some of the vocabulary words for those lessons, too. 

How did we connect this to our other homeschool lessons? I printed out a copy of the entire poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to read. I have been having him read parts of the poem aloud. Eventually, I might ask him to copy the entire thing in cursive, too. 

There are a few other things in Speeches and Writings in American History that I really like. There is a midline review and a section on flourishes and signatures. One of the things we were talking about before we started the book was the fact that he would be able to pull from his experience with both styles to create his own signature. So, having this information presented in the book itself is wonderful. 

Finally, I like the inclusion of the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln's handwriting. I love primary documents, so we will be looking for more examples of the speeches and writings in this book to incorporate into our homeschool lessons. 

Are You Looking For More Homeschooling Products? 

I have several reviews of products from Timberdoodle. Check them out using the following links. 

• Supplementing Fifth Grade with a Geography Workbook 
• Develop Critical Thinking with Discover! Science 3
• History in Your Homeschool: A Review of Discover! Social Studies 6

Book Club: Book Review of The Beginner's Bible Craft and Activity Book

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review or be compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page for more information. Thank you.

The Beginner's Bible Craft and Activity Book is a good resource for families, Christian schools, and Sunday Schools. It is full of 30 fun projects based on Bible stories. The paperback book published by Zonderkidz features color photographs and illustrations. 

About the Book 

Everyday objects can be easily made to help bring your Bible time to life. There are 30 projects that align with stories in both the Old and New Testaments found in The Beginner's Bible. However, I do not think you need to have The Beginner's Bible in order to use this book in your home. You can easily seek out the stories referenced in the Bible translation of your choice. 

Some of the crafts include: 

• Snake sock puppet
• Decorating a t-shirt 
• Friendship bracelet 
• Paper plate crown 

Some of the activities include: 

• Making a banana boat dessert
• Baking bread 
• Creating a blanket tent 

Some of the Bible stories include: 

• Creation 
• Joseph 
• David and Goliath 
• Jonah
• John the Baptist 
• Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) 

Our Thoughts 

This is a great resource for homeschooling families and children's church leaders who need help making connections to the Bible fun and relatable. I found quite a few crafts and activities that would I like to do with our children. For example, I would like to make the three crafts connected with the flood and Noah, the Ten Commandments, and Psalm 23. Our son and daughter are looking forward to building a tent under our dining room table. And our daughter is eager to help me bake bread.

We made one craft so far (the handprint dove) and read through a few of the stories shared before the craft instructions. The only recommendation I would have for the book is to include step-by-step instructions for parents (and children) who need extra help to complete projects. If that can't be included in the book, perhaps a website could have the images as additional content. 

Looking for More Crafts? 

• Crafts: Noah's Ark Paper Plate Craft 
• Crafts: Purposeful Living – Bring a Light into Your Home
• Crafts: Wisdom Keepsake

Book Club: Book Review of The Berenstain Bears Let's Go Play Collection

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review or compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page for more information. Thank you.

The Berenstain Bears series has always been a favorite in our house. So, I was delighted to read and review The Berenstain Bears Let's Go Play Collection. The Let's Go Play Collection contains six books in one and includes ten outdoor activities. It is published by Zonderkidz and is part of The Berenstain Bears Living Lights series.

About the Collection 

Each story presents a problem or event that upsets Brother and Sister. We see how they or others react to it and resolve it. The stories include: 

• The Berenstain Bears Faithful Friends
• Sister makes a new friend—a new cub in town. Eventually all the girls become friends. 
• The Berenstain Bears God Made You Special
• Brother and Sister knew God loved them. They could see it in the sunshine and the world around them. When the Bruins visit, they bring Tommy, who is special. The cubs all learn how to play together. 
• The Berenstain Bears Why Do Good Bears Have Bad Days?
• While trying to spend a pleasant day fishing, Brother and Sister have a very bad day. The story helps children see how God watches over them but does not stop rain storms or broken fishing rods.  
• The Berenstain Bears Honesty Counts 
• At the yearly Chapel in the Woods' cub campout, the cubs prepare to win the race down the rapids. 
• The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game
• Papa Bear coaches Brother and Sister in a difficult soccer game. Both teams learn the importance of fair play. 
• The Berenstain Bears God's Wonderful Game (previously titled All Things Bright and Beautiful) 
• Missus Ursula takes the children on a nature walk to see the beauty of God's world. 

Favorite Return and New Characters Join the Stories 

• The entire Bear Family including Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey 
• The Bruin Family, including Lizzy 
• Suzy MacGrizzie 
• Cousin Fred
• Preacher Brown
• Too-Tall Grizzly
• Missus Ursula
• And other bears

My Thoughts 

The stories are easy to read aloud, which make them easy for bedtime stories. Each page is beautifully illustrated. One could flip through the pages and look for new details each time. A blue bird, a purple butterfly, or new bears in the soccer stands are all waiting to be spied. 

My favorite story of the six is Faithful Friends. My daughter's favorite two are Honesty Counts and Play a Good Game. 

I like that reading these stories is like returning to a simpler time. Brother and Sister are friends from my own childhood, so it is nice to share them with my own children. 

Looking for Some Fun Crafts 

• Crafts: Bear Figure 
• Crafts: Bear Collage
• Crafts: Bear Painting

Book Club: Book Review of The Sisters of Corinth

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review or be compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page for more information. Thank you.

Without knowing it, I picked book 2 in The Emissaries Series to review. While it would have been nice to have read the first book, I did not find it necessary to my enjoyment of The Sisters of Corinth by Angela Hunt. 

About the Book 

This work of Biblical fiction is set in Corinth during the early days of the Christian Church. Paul is in Rome and Aquilla and Priscilla visit our main character in the opening pages of the novel. The story revolves around two sisters—Mariana and Prima. The interactions with religions and the politics of the day surround the sisters and their family. 

Mariana and her mother, Hester, worship Adonai and trust in Yeshua. Prima, Mariana's stepsister, worships the Roman gods and goddesses (using the Greek name for some, as they live in the Greek city of Corinth). Prima visits the temple of Aphrodite throughout the novel and calls upon the goddess to help her. Narkis—the paterfamilias—worships the Roman gods but is not upset about his wife and stepdaughter worshiping Adonai. Prima is the one who sees this as an affront to the Roman empire.  

While Mariana merely seeks to honor Adonai, Prima is interested in wealth and social status. With the arrival of a new provincial governor in Corinth, Narkis, as chief magistrate, sees an opportunity to secure his power and fortune. And since Memmius—the provincial governor—has a young son who is an eligible bachelor, this provides the perfect opportunity to secure a betrothal for Prima. 

Much to Prima's dismay, things do not turn out to her liking, and she seeks the favor and assistance of Aphrodite. This leads to many visits to the temple and the gladiatorial arena. 

My Thoughts 

I enjoyed reading The Sisters of Corinth. It was definitely a page-turner. With chapters going back and forth between the viewpoints of the sisters, it was easy to keep reading.

The historical description was also very accurate. It is clear that Hunt does extensive research to help bring her novels to life. 

My only complaint is in regard to the character choices of Prima. She went to the arena to have relations with a gladiator, allowed the high priestess of Aphrodite to influence her morals, and frequented taverns. I would have preferred the author to share fewer details about the prostitute-like actions of Prima. 

If you enjoy Biblical historical fiction, I would recommend The Sisters of Corinth. 

Looking For More Book Reviews? 

• Book Club: Book Review of Up from Dust
• Book Club: Book Review of These Tangled Threads

Book Club: Book Review of Girls of the World

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review or be compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page for more information. Thank you. 

I am always looking for ways to encourage both of our children. I think it is wonderful to share books that highlight different jobs available to girls and boys. Girls of the World: Doing More Than Ever Before, written by Linsey Davis and Michael Tyler and illustrated by Lucy Fleming, celebrates "equality and fairness and encourages all children to use their voices, talents, and intelligence to spread the word that it's time to recognize just how powerful girls are and can be in this challenging world." 

About Girls of the World 

This is a 32-page hardcover book written for children ages 4 to 8 years old. The opening page has a spot to write the child's name along with who presented the gift and when. The story is told in an easy-to-read rhyme: 

"The sun will shine and the moon will glow. The birds will fly and the wind will blow. There's another great truth all people should know. The girls of the world are ready to go!" 

Many of the pages are illustrated with one large picture, such as a classroom or car mechanic shop, while others don't spread across both pages. For example, there is one page depicting two girls running for class president and on the opposite side are two girls in a science lab with a microscope. 

Davis is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchors World News Tonight on Sunday, as well as other news programs. At the end of the book, Davis mentions Simone Biles, Mo'ne Davis, Carole Simpson, and Oprah Winfrey as women who succeeded despite being girls.

My Thoughts 

Unfortunately, I do not think it is the right book for our family. One of the lines of the book implies that we—girls—are not equal. And I don't believe that. Girls and women are an important part of God's plan for the world. While we may do different things, hold different jobs, or perform different tasks, we are loved equally by God. That is what is important to me. 

My other concern is that there is a page about pollution with the text: "It's time we all work to care for our Earth. Let's guard our great planet and honor its worth." As a former zoo educator, I found the text and illustration to not be completely age-appropriate. It has been many years since a workshop where we discussed at what age we could share about pollution, deforestation, introduced species, etc. But I remember that younger children are not able to process heavy tasks. An ocean with lots of trash would not have been my choice for the illustration or concept. Picking up trash in one's backyard or park would be more age-appropriate. 

Are You Looking for a Book For Your Children? 

• Book Club: Book Review of I'm So Glad You Were Born
• Book Club: Book Review of Operation: Happy
• Book Club: Book Review of Kit and the Missing Notebook