Friday, November 15, 2013

Stories of the Pilgrims: Review and Giveaway

Okay, one of the very first reviews I ever posted to my blog related to how much I love iSchool.  You know, get a good audiobook, rip it over to an iPod, and school on the go.

Stories of the Pilgrims, put out by Jim Hodges Audiobooks, is the perfect iSchool product, I tell you.  We've been listening here for a bit (I'll confess we have not finished it... mostly because we've been sick a lot and just not driving anywhere!) and the really awesome part is that there's a fabulous study guide to go with it.

One thing I am simply loving is that the individual chapters are a perfect length.  With only three exceptions, the chapters are under ten minutes each, and most are in the 4-6 minute range.

I love that.  Although we typically end up in the car for an hour or two at a time, these chapters are short enough that we can listen to one on our drive to church, or listen to two while we drive to the bookmobile.  We don't end up hanging out in the driveway for 15 minutes waiting for a chapter to end.  In fact, so far, I don't think we've ever sat for more than a minute.

The reading is clear, well-paced, and without distractions that make it tough to listen in the car.  I always appreciate that!

We are also making use of the study guide.  Now, I'll confess that I wasn't so sure about using a study guide with an audio book.  We're usually doing audio while out and about, and it isn't like I really have time or a desire to be reading questions or doing complicated activities.

This study guide, however, can be really simple, or a bit more in-depth, and the guide is appropriate for a fairly wide range of ages. Every four chapters, there is a study guide "assignment" that includes vocabulary (love that!), discussion questions, and activities.  Some activities are great for hands-on fun (cooking, crafts), some involve maps, some have you watching videos, and some involve research.

I'm very impressed.

I got this with my younger children in mind (2nd grade, 4th grade, 7th grade).  But since obtaining this audiobook, my 16 year old has switched gears and is studying US history for his junior year.  This (with the study guide) is absolutely part of his classwork.  The audiobook is a bit over four hours, and he can listen while he runs.  He is not likely to go making clothespin Pilgrims, but using a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Puritans and Separatists?  Yeah, that sounds like a perfect activity.

Right now, the audiobook is available for only $15, and the study guide is $5. 


http://www.bowofbronze.com/2013/10/27/ultimate-audio-book-homeschool-giveaway-from-jim-hodges-audio-books/


Or you can win it, plus loads and loads of other amazing books.  I want to win this set, let me tell you...

a Rafflecopter giveaway



You can read more reviews from the Bow of Bronze Launch Team.  There are some great ones there.


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