Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Review and Giveaway

Are you looking for a character program for younger children? Many parents want to instruct their child with the right tools to become good citizens with Godly character especially in today's world. I have a strong desire to raise my daughter to be a virtuous woman with good character. I started teaching Alyssa about character qualities at a very young age, because I believe children learn a tremendous amount the first five years of their life. As a parent, I also understand that it is my responsibility to teach, raise, and disciple my child using the Bible if that is my wish. It was a blessing and privilege to review Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue written by Kathie Morrissey, the owner of The Character Corner. The Character Corner offers character, purity, courtship, and parenting products. Kathie's well organized curriculum will help your children develop and grow Godly character traits.

Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue is a character curriculum containing scripture-based weekly lessons. You'll receive a 121-page curriculum book giving you at least 6 months worth of planned character training lessons if you teach one character quality five days a week. You can easily extend the lessons if desired. However, extensions are not necessary. The curriculum is designed to be used with preschool and early elementary aged children between the ages of 4-8. It addresses 24 character qualities focusing on one character trait per week. Bible verses related to the character quality are memorized. Each weekly lesson is arranged to be done on a daily basis with minimal prep for approximately 5-10 minutes.

Each lesson follows a similar format which helps your child become familiar with the lesson routine. The weekly curriculum lessons emphasize the definition of one character quality or trait, a related referenced Bible memory verse, three "I Will" statements to commit to their hearts, and a specific prayer. Adaptable object lessons, games, and role play activities are also integrated into the lessons. Alyssa really liked the "Attentiveness" and "Mama Says" games. Little did she know, we always play the "attentiveness" game but I never called it that.

The author recommends that you consistently review older material at least once a week to keep it fresh in their minds. She also encourages you to develop creative ways to make learning memory verses more fun by using motions, drawings, or different intonations. You can also view a sample lesson.

The curriculum consists of acknowledgements, an introduction, lesson instructions, a resource and materials list, color pages, "Something to Crow About" reward chart, and character ribbon badges in addition to the weekly lessons. Most of the materials used for the hands-on object lessons were easily found at home. The acknowledgement list gives other resources credit for ideas utilized. This list also contains website links with additional activity enrichment ideas.

Furthermore, optional manuscript copywork is available for elementary children. The copywork correlates with the curriculum. Your child will have the opportunity to copy the definition, Bible verse, and the three "I Will" statements. The pages reinforce the character quality being taught while your child practices good penmanship skills. If the lines are too small for your older elementary children, then you can always use a lined paper of your choice with or without the dotted help lines.

Character Traits Covered

• Attentiveness
• Contentment
• Courage 
• Deference
• Diligence
• Faithfulness
• Forgiveness
• Gratitude
• Helpfulness
• Humility
• Initiative
• Joyfulness
• Kindness
• Love
• Loyalty 
• Obedience
• Orderliness
• Perseverance
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Self Control
• Truthfulness
• Virtue
• Wisdom

How We Used The Curriculum Bundle
I must say . . . thanks to the idea of a fellow reviewer on the team, I decided to downloaded the PDF file of the main curriculum book to iBooks on my iPad instead of printing the pages. This made the lessons portable and saved money on ink cost. You can also read the lessons on your computer which is extremely helpful.

I followed the weekly lessons as intended. My six-year-old daughter loved completing the copywork sentences and looked forward to her daily lessons. I asked her to complete one copywork page each day. We could easily complete two pages on busier days. The coloring page was completed on the first day. Alyssa strived to memorize the material before the fifth day and in most cases met that challenge. On many occasions, we would sing the information to be memorized by using familiar tune.

Funny story . . . one day while completing household duties I caught her reciting (singing) the definition, Bible verse, and "I Will" statements in the shower. I was surprised yet thrilled to find out that the curriculum did indeed inspire her to remember what she was learning and hide God's Word in her heart. She was definitely motivated by the ribbon badges too! She felt successful when she accomplished her memorization goals. I really appreciate that the author focused on the character trait opposites while introducing the definition. This helps children understand the meaning of the trait better.

A Glance at Our Weekly Schedule
Day 1
Introduce the definition and scripture memory verse. Color the character quality page and complete the definition copywork page. End with prayer.

Day 2
The beginning of each day begins with a review of what was previously learned. Review definition and memory verse. Introduce the "I Will" statements. Complete the Bible verse copywork page and end the lesson with a prayer.

Day 3
Review definition, memory verse, and "I Will" statements. Introduce any role play scenarios, object lessons, or play games. End with a specific prayer relating to the trait.

Contentment: Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
Alyssa said, "Half-full." 

We modified the following fort building "Courage vs. Foolishness" game by using a Disney playhut we already owned. She didn't have an interest in building a fort, but I bet many younger children would. Statements were read aloud. Alyssa made a decision as to whether they revealed foolishness (lack of courage) or if they showed courage.

Courage 

Foolishness
(Hiding Behind the Hut)

Looking Ahead: I can't wait to do the object lesson with the egg on Day 4 when discussing forgiveness!

Day 4
Review all information once again. Continue playing games or read books if stated. Complete any new role play activities. Another daily copywork section is completed.

Day 5
The final section of copywork is completed on this day. Review and receive ribbon badge to display on reward chart for memorized concepts. You can store the previously earned badges, but we chose to display them all at once. One of the reviewers created a memorization chart that I hope to make soon! Visit Karen's Tots and Me Facebook page to see her awesome chart creation!

What We Liked

• Affordability
• Scripture-Based
• Simplicity
• Minimal Preparation
• Object Lessons and Games
• Quick Lessons
• Well-Organized Weekly Lesson Plans

Possible Improvements
One problem I ran into was with regards to the games that required more than one player such as "David, David, Goliath" which is played like "Duck, Duck, Goose." I wish there were alternative suggestions for those of us teaching only one child, but you can easily adapt the activity to your circumstances. Further into the curriculum, activities such as the Gratitude Circle and the Joyful Bean Bag Toss will be slightly modified for two people. We'll just toss the bean bag bag and forth several times. With that being said, we are thoroughly enjoying and will definitely continue using this curriculum! I have noticed a difference in Alyssa's attitude and have seen her apply the information learned to her life.

Possible Vendor Suggestions

• Character Trait Book List
• Prayer Journal
• Prayer Copywork
• Different Colored Ribbon Badges With Colorful Matching Certificates
• Cut and Paste Bible Verse Printables
• Scripture Charts or Posters
• Definition Word Study Notebooking Sheets and Vocabulary Games
• Long Term Review Suggestions 
• Cursive Copywork Option
• Would love to see another book covering additional character qualities in the future! 

Price
Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Ebook $9
Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Copywork (57 Pages) $5
Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Curriculum and Copywork Bundle $12

Don't you just LOVE those low, affordable prices! 

Visit the Character Store to purchase Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue in addition to other character training products and tools written by a variety of popular authors. I am especially interested in Learning to Treasure God's Word: A Study of Psalm 119, Parenting is Heart Work, and Training and Correcting the Heart with Scripture.

Recommendations
I highly recommend this simple and effective character curriculum to private schools, home educators, preschools, day care facilities, Christian summer camps, after school care, and to families wanting a quick and easy morning Bible devotional to use with their young children. This curriculum was easy to implement and add to any daily routine requiring very little time and preparation each day. I was pleased with the material and short lessons. Kathie Morrissey did an fantabulous job creating a complete character training curriculum for younger children between the ages of 4-8.

Social Media and Helpful Links
The Character Corner Facebook Page
Twitter
Kathie Morrissey on Pinterest
Website
Free Handouts - Check out the Character Handout
Blog
Contact Us

Have you entered the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY yet? 

Guess What? I Have More Good News! 

Kathie Morrissey has graciously offered to giveaway one DIGITAL copy of her Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue curriculum and copywork to one of my lucky readers. It could be YOU! This giveaway ends June 4th at midnight. Please allow the Rafflecopter giveaway widget time to load in order to enter the giveaway. Thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will link this post up at My Fab Fit Forties, Money Saving Mom's Giveaway Galore Linky, 5 Minutes for Mom, Living Montessori Now Family Friendly Giveaways, Diana Rambles Weekly Giveaway Linky, Mama to Five Blessings: Super Saturday Giveaway Linky, Musings from a Stay At Home Mom Rafflecopter Only Giveaway Linky, Mom Saves Money Blog Giveaway, ConserveaMome Monday Giveaway LinkUp, I Choose Joy From House to Home Link Party 67, Rock-A-By-Parents Giveaway Link-Up, and Super Saturday Giveaway link at The Review Wire.

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary (free) copy of the Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue character training curriculum from the author through the Bow of Bronze Launch and Promotion Team to utilize in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was also expected to promote the curriculum through social media for the duration of the four-week launch period. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Homeschool Mother's Journal: The Busy Week in May

What's New in Our Life This Week?
It has been a busy week. We have so much going on right now between homeschool, extracurricular classes, family activities, purging belongings, preparing for my niece's visit, writing reviews, and reading everything in sight.

Where We Went . . . 
We went to the theater to see Heaven is for Real. It was a great family movie! Yep, I cried.

We went to see Pinocchio at the Magik Theater in San Antonio. It was funny.

Credit: Photo From Magik Theater (San Antonio) Website

Grateful For . . .

God's Forgiveness, Mercy, Grace, and LOVE
Fast UPS Deliveries
Curriculum Blessings and Giveaway Winnings

Friends who are still friends no matter how much time has passed since our last visit

Husband's Safety 

Praying For . . . 

My Marriage

Our Curriculum Choices
All Mothers
All Home Educators
Husband's Health - He's sick this week! 

Wondering . . . 

How my sister-n-law and her twin girls are doing.

Homeschool This Week . . . 

Bible and History
Character Training- We started a new character training curriculum called Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue. The review will hopefully post tomorrow or sometime this week. The ease of use is a sweet blessing. Thankfully, it is scripture-based. We are discussing the Bible verses that she memorizes.

Art
We have been using Classical Composers Monthly and several different art DVD's. Check out Alyssa's turtle drawing!

Language Arts: Writing, Grammar, Spelling

Grammar - Alyssa has been reviewing adjectives, nouns, adverbs, articles, commas, and verbs while integrating that knowledge into her poetry and writing assignments. She also completed the second grade (added components) to the IXL program. Months ago they added new material, but the entire grade level has been completed again. She is zipping through the third grade language arts. 

Poetry - We are still having a blast writing poetry! I posted Alyssa's Acrostic and Cinquain poems if you are interested in reading them and seeing what we did. She is currently working on a Father's Day poem. She plans on writing my niece each day during her visit next week. 

Spelling - I was contacted by Spelling You See. I was offered the chance to review their brand new spelling curriculum. We chose Americana and it recently arrived in the mail! We started the third lesson. Things are going smoothly. We became familiar with the method quickly. The review will post in August. 

Simple Schooling Classroom
Alyssa has been reviewing material in her Let's Learn About Bug units. She actually completed both bug units and started learning about mammals too. She recently learned about the botfly. Gross!!!! I visited several You Tube videos to learn more and was disgusted. Have you ever heard of a botfly? Check out the following videos. Please watch videos BEFORE allowing your children to view them.

• Monsters Inside Me: Botfly Invasion
• World's Weirdest: Larva Removed From A Girl's Scalp

Literature and Science
Since Alyssa completed her phonics curriculum early, we've been SLOWLY working through her Black Beauty literature and horse lapbooks. We are both eager to begin a new literature lapbook. Her chapter summaries are improving. She is focusing more on the important chapter ideas.

This week we talked about plot. She's trying to write a summary by focusing on the beginning, middle, and end key events. She also answers comprehension questions after reading non-fiction passages from a teaching resource book. I have her mark the evidence for the answers in the passage.   

She's been learning about horse care, training, horse uses, horses power, and this week we also discussed horse breeds.

I am using the following lapbook resources:

• Confession of a Homeschooler's Black Beauty Literature Lapbook Unit Study
• Hands of a Child Horse Project Pack
• A Journey Through Learning Horse Lapbook

These resources have kept us busy for a long time. I can't believe Alyssa is still interested in learning about horses. We only have one more page to complete in the HOAC project pack. We talked about Chapter 44 today. There are 49 chapters in the book so we still have a bit more to do.

Our Nature Finds

Back Porch Nest
The mama is VERY protective and attentive!

Can you see the bird? 

On Our Front Door

Outside the Classroom Door

Looking for Food

Math 

I am confident that my daughter has a strong foundation in Math - thanks to Math-U-See! She's been multiplying three and four digit numbers by three digit numbers. Word problems have been easier. She knows the difference between prime and composite numbers now. She completed GAMMA!!!

Alyssa is also using A+ Interactive Math Online (2nd grade) as a review to maintain skills. She's completed the 11th chapter test with a 100%. She's been working on geometry concepts, equivalent fractions, and algebraic expressions.  Here is my review of the 1st grade online curriculum if you are interested in reading about our experiences.

She also hit a Dreambox Math milestone months ago. She is currently working on 3-5th grade concepts and completed the K-2nd grade curriculum levels. We are using this program less and less since they changed the program.

She started using Ten Marks Math this week. I am having a difficult time getting her off the computer now. She seems to be motivated by the certificates, percentages, rewards, characters, and points. See the link below for a special FREEBIE deal!!!!!

One of Alyssa's favorite subjects is Math - can you tell?

Extracurricular Activities

She attended her weekly piano and dance classes. They are practicing dances and recital songs in preparation for the June recitals. Alyssa received her second costume which is adorable. We found out the dance company wants the children to wear make-up and no under garments. Jeff and I decided that Alyssa will not be wearing make-up and will be wearing her undies. They do a clothing change in between performances and we aren't comfortable with the "no panties" rule since we aren't allowed in the back to help. Her last dance class is the performance so we are looking into summer physical activities now.

Her piano teacher started giving her two songs to learn each week. She also asked Alyssa to play a solo song at the recital a couple weeks ago. Yesterday, she announced her decision to perform a solo! YAH! I'm thankful that her confidence with the song has gone up. She also has several more weeks to practice it.   

Whew . . . that's just a small sample of what's going on in school here!

What We're Reading

She finished reading Magic Treehouse Station Starlight, Horse Heroes, Horse Diaries Elska, Horse Diaries Maestoso Petra, Horse Diaries Koda in addition to a zillion other horse books. I requested Susan Marlow's Circle C Beginning Series and thankfully the library bought them. Alyssa and I finished the first book and we are more than halfway through the second one. We are reading these books aloud since I've heard so much about them. THANK YOU Tye Preston Library! Here is a pic of a few books she's reading.

Alyssa has also been reading through the set of books we won written by Carol P. Roman too. She sent us the pirate book series, the yoga book and mat, and her "If You Were Me and Lived In . . . " series as a giveaway prize. My favorite is the geography series! Thank you Carol Roman! It is truly a blessing.

My Book List
What I've Been Rereading

25 Ways to Communicate Respect With Your Husband
Stress Less: 10 Balancing Insights on Work and Life
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode - Such good information worth revisiting often!

What I'm Currently Reading
The Virtuous Life of a Christ-Centered Wife by Darlene Schacht
Smart Kids, Smart Money by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze

Speaking of books check out a recent deal I came across for only $5. The Alice in Wonderland book alone was being sold for $5 a couple weeks ago, but I was able to snatch all of these books for the same price. Now . . . where do I store them?

What I'm Listening To . . .
I'm listening to Kari Jobe, Jamie Grace, and my new favorite Carly Rose Soneclar. I have been listening to many X Factor performances by amazing singers. Let's just say I've cried a few times this week!

What We're Baking . . . 

We made moist and sweet banana nut bread. I froze two mini loaves to pull out during my niece's visit next week.

Random Five: Weather This Week . . . 
Rainy, Windy, Humid, Sunny, Hot - yep that about sums it up!

Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies Worth Checking Out
TenMarks Math Program - They are offering a FREE summer Math program. I signed Alyssa up! She took the assessment and made a 100% for that particular grade level. She's reviewing concepts and skills using different approaches and methods. We are really liking this program. It's a nice change for the summer. They have concept videos, a reward system that can be customized, certificates, and games. She's asking to use it during her free time.

Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Launch Homeschool Giveaway - I wanted to share this giveaway in case you missed it. Visit my blog or click on the image below for more information and to enter for your chance to win! Pin the following image for all your friends to see.

A+ Interactive Math Online - 3 months FREE Math 4 Summer deal. If you are already a subscriber, then send them an e-mail. We received our activation code and are waiting to redeem it until needed.  

The Old Schoolhouse (TOS) Summer Celebration Bundle

I will link-up this post at Great Peace Academy Homeschool Happenings, Managing Your Blessings: The Homeschool Mother's Journal, and Weekly Wrap-Up, 

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey!

God bless,

Tracey M.

Grand Prize Giveaway: Launching Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue

We have been using Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue for a couple of weeks. Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue is a character curriculum designed for preschool through early elementary aged children. I am VERY thankful that the curriculum requires minimal prep and can be completed in a short amount of time each day. The curriculum addresses 24 character qualities covering one trait each week. You’ll have access to at least 6 months of weekly character lessons. The Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue curriculum provides you with a character trait definition, memory verse, and 3 “I Will” statements to focus on each week. The complete curriculum lessons include object lessons, games, role playing opportunities, color pages, ribbon badges, a reward chart, and a prayer related to the trait. Furthermore, manuscript copywork pages were created to correlate with the curriculum.

I am telling you all this because Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue is included in the following GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY. The package of products that will bless ONE winner has a retail cost worth over $318. What a generous giveaway! 

I can personally tell you that my memberships to Notebookingpages.com and MomsToolbelt.com have been absolute lifesavers this year. We also use A Journey Through Learning lapbooks to complement our Science, History, Geography, and Literature lessons quite often. I've had many positive experiences using the high quality Homeschool Copywork ebooks and notebooking pages created by Amy Blevins. She offers her products in several handwriting styles covering a variety of topics.

Thank you for joining our team as we celebrate the launch of Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue! You can view and download a sample lesson from the book by clicking on the link above.  

This giveaway will truly bless ANY homeschool family! Be sure to enter it now so that you don’t forget later.   

As members of the launch team, we are so excited to bring you this giveaway to celebrate the release of Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue.

One winner will be blessed to receive:  

1 Copy of Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Ebook ($9) 

1 Copy of Little Lads and Ladies of Virtue Copywork Ebook ($5)

   

 1 Year Membership to NotebookingPages.com ($99.95)

 

Lifetime Membership to MomsToolbelt.com ($24.95)

   

1 Year Membership to Words With Wings ($84.)

   

A $50 Gift Certificate To A Journey Through Learning ($50) 

  

 

1 Year Membership to Homeschool Copywork ($14.95)


Three paperback books from Laurie White of The Shorter Word ($32.80)

Wow! That's quite a big blessing with a grand total over $318 in prizes!

   a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey! 

God bless, 

Tracey 

Virtual Refrigerator: D is for Turtle Drawing

Alyssa drew this adorable turtle after viewing a drawing tutorial using Mike's Inspiration Station Volume 2. My daughter has been using the entire set since Christmas. Her drawings always amaze me - this is one of my favorite drawings! I am most grateful that we won this set. I have definitely seen my daughter's drawings improve. I wish I had access to products like this when I was a child. Alyssa used her Mr. Sketch markers to color it.

I will link this post up at the Virtual Refrigerator, a weekly blog hop co-hosted by Angels of Heart, Every Bed of Roses, Homeschool Coffee Break, and a Glimpse of our Life. I will also link this up at Marcy's Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky at Ben and Me for "Letter D." Come join the fun!

Cinquain Poem Celebration

If you've been reading my blog lately, then you know that we did a lot of poetry writing in April for National Poetry Month. I try my best to integrate subjects whenever possible. Alyssa was taught how to write a cinquain poem. She took the poem through the entire writing process.

What is a Cinquain Poem?

I used a poetry poster to introduce the term "cinquain." 

Features or Steps to Write a Cinquain:

• It is a five line poem.
• 1st line is the noun or subject of the poem.
• 2nd line consists of two adjectives that describe the noun.
• 3rd line contains three (-ing) action verbs describing the noun.
• 4th line is a four word feeling phrase.
• 5th line is another noun that relates to, is associated with, or is a synonym of the noun.
• The 1-2-3-2-1 pattern will help you remember the format for writing the poem. 

Note: Please understand that there are different types of cinquain poems. I have seen another version that emphasizes the number of syllables.

I decided to integrate technology into her poetry writing assignment. I asked her to type her poem into a Pages document. Then, she needed to add a clipart image to the poem. We did this together.

Here is a copy of the final draft of her cinquain horse poem. Alyssa (Age 6) titled it, "A Love for Horses." She submitted this poem as one of her two entries into the Children's Poetry Celebration and Contest in April. Click on the link to read the winning entries for each age group.

We recently found out that her horse poem won first place for her age group (4-6). Yah Alyssa! Way to Go Baby Girl! I'm so proud of your accomplishment! She won a Starter Fossil Kit from Discover with Dr. Cool and a Little Blast Magnet Blast kit. We also received a copy of the Poetry Guide from BraveWriter. Her "Easter Morning" poem made the runner up list for first place in her age group.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF THE VENDORS AND THOSE INVOLVED IN CREATING THIS EVENT. WE HAD A BLAST PARTICIPATING! 

Free Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) Poetry Posters

Across the Hall in 2nd Grade has a FREE set of Poetry Posters.

25 Types of Poetry

Poetry Cinquain Poem (4-6th Grade)

I will link this post up at Marcy's Blogging Through the Alphabet Linky. This week she's focusing on "Letter C." Come join the fun! 

God bless, 

Tracey 

Writing Acrostic Poetry: Integrating Subjects

April was National Poetry Month. We spent the entire month learning about and writing different types of poetry. One of the poetry formats that Alyssa (Age 6) enjoyed was acrostic poetry. She wrote acrostic poems last year as part of her Moving Beyond the Page literature unit study about Avi's book titled, "Poppy." You can read my Moving Beyond the Page review here. It was a lot of fun! When I taught in the public schools, the children in my class would always write a name acrostic poem at the beginning of the year.

Here's What Alyssa and I Did:

1. We read examples of acrostic poems in books and online. Most of the examples came from the Internet.
2. I modeled how to write an acrostic poem using Alyssa's suggestions. We chose "God" and "Joseph" as two separate Bible topics. I showed her how to add details and descriptive words to one of our poems in order to make it sound better. We also corrected any errors. This was NOT done in ONE sitting. It was broken into steps over several days.
3. I told her that she was going to have the opportunity to write her own acrostic poem.
4. I helped Alyssa brainstorm a list of possible topics for her own poem. Many of the topics chosen were based on interesting people or events she was learning about in school. This is a great way to integrate school subjects into writing lessons.  
5. After choosing a topic, I gave her several books related to the topic to read. This helps with the brainstorming process when listing possible words related to the topic. She read several books about The Easter Story.  
6. She began the brainstorming process - writing ideas down for each letter in the topic word EASTER.
7. Alyssa wrote her rough draft the next day. She eagerly started editing and revising the poem.
8. I reminded her to add descriptive words when possible. She clarified any confusing sentences that didn't flow easily. She checked the poem for punctuation and spelling errors. She would often use the books she read to help with spelling. For example, the word "ascended" was very difficult to spell but part of the word was in the book. Once she had the beginning of the word, she checked the dictionary for the correct spelling. 
9. The final draft of her acrostic poem was written on a different day. I discussed the purpose of poem titles. She jotted down a few of her ideas for titles and decided which one she liked the most. She added the title "Easter Morning" to her poem. 
10. The last step for writing acrostic poems is to add drawings or illustrations. I told her that the illustrations must relate to and add more meaning to the poem. First, I check our Draw Write Now books to see if there is a step-by-step drawing tutorial for her topic. If not, I will google online drawing tutorials specific to her topic.  

Alyssa recently submitted her Easter acrostic poem titled, Easter Morning," into a poetry contest. I absolutely LOVE this poem and appreciate how much time she put into writing it. Her final draft was written on raised primary lined paper. She colored, cut out, and glued the picture of Jesus to the page instead of adding an illustration.

Another acrostic poem she wrote was about George Washington. I modeled a poem about Abraham Lincoln using the same teaching steps. After completing her final draft and reading several more books about George Washington, she realized that she should have used the word "Revolutionary War" for the letter "R" in his name. She wanted to erase the entire line. I told her that she could write another poem about him later using any new information. I love integrating subjects! As you can see we can easily integrate Reading, Bible, and History subjects into Writing Poetry. We will often choose Science topics when writing poetry.

Has your child written an acrostic poem? 

If Not, Give it a Try!

I will link this post up at Share It Saturday.

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey! Visit us again soon.

Copyright Note: These are original poems written by my six-year-old daughter. Please do not claim them as your own. All content is copyrighted. You must have permission to use the content on this blog.  

God bless,

Tracey M. 

Christian Easter Book Countdown for Young Children

I wanted to share our Easter Egg Countdown activity with you today. Yes, I know . . . Easter is done and over with, but you can always prepare or use this simple idea next year. I love using books as countdowns. You could even place the books in your thematic or monthly book baskets if you use them. This book list is in no particular order. You can start shopping now while these items may still be on sale.  

Be sure to read about our Christmas Book Tree Countdown.

Easter Egg Countdown
First, I typed and printed a list of our Easter books. I cut each strip and placed it into a plastic egg. Each day leading up to Easter, my daughter opened an egg and we read the book aloud. 

The Christian Easter Book List
Benjamin’s Box: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs by Melody Carlson

The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan

What is Easter? by Michelle Medlock Adams

Easter Bunny: Are You for Real? by Harold Myra

The Parable of the Lily by Liz Curtis Higgs

My Jellybean Prayer Book By Diane Darr

J is for Jesus: An Easter Alphabet and Activity Book by Debbie Trafton O’Neal

He is Alive! by Helen Haidle

Celebrating Easter: The Easter Egg Hunt by Joel Kupperstein

My Easter Basket and the True Story of Easter by Mary Manz Simon

The Legend of the Three Trees by Dahl Taylor

The Story of Easter (Read and Share) Retold by Gwen Ellis

The Story of Easter by Patricia A. Pingry (Large Board Book)

The Story of the First Easter (Children’s Bible Classics) Retold by Bill Yenne

Best Thing About Easter Storybook to Color By Christine Harder Tangvald

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale by Angela Elwell Hunt

The Easterville Miracle (REVIEW COMING SOON)

Petook: An Easter Story by Caryll Houselander

The Easter Story: (Usborne Bible Tales) Retold By Heather Amery. We have the 1st edition. 

The Glory of Easter by Mary Frances Lamport - This is an out-of-print book.

What's on Next Year's Easter Book Wish List?

Amon's Adventure: A Family Story for Easter by Arnold Ytreeide

The Sparkle Egg by Jill Hardie

The Very First Easter by Paul L. Maier

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith

The Glorious Impossible by Madeleine L'Engle

Some Graphic Images May NOT be Appropriate for Children

The Easter Donkey by Donna Thornton

The Legend of the Easter Egg

The Legend of the Easter Egg by Lori Walburg VandenBosch

Lily's Easter party: The Story of the Resurrection Eggs 

The Donkey That No One Could Ride By Anthony DeStefano 

The Donkey Who Carried the King by R.C. Sproul

Humphrey's First Palm Sunday by Carol Heyer

Little Colt's Palm Sunday by Michelle Medlock Adams

What's Your Favorite Christian Easter Book?

I will link this post up at Marcy's Blogging Through the Alphabet Link-Up at Ben and Me. I missed "Letter A" even though I had my post all written. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the Linky was closed. I forgot. Click on the Ben and Me link above to read the Link-Up rules. Next week will be "Letter C." Hmmm . . . I have a few ideas for this letter now I just need to narrow down my thoughts. I will also link up at The Home School Link-Up with Squishable Baby, Hearts for the Home Blog Hop, and The Weekly Kids Co-op.

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey. Come back again real soon! 

God bless, 

Tracey