The Learner's Journal and other books by Virginia Knowles

#1 · July 26, 2007, 9:47 am

Quote from Forum Archives on July 26, 2007, 9:47 am
Posted by: hopechestnews <hopechestnews@...>
Dear Hope Chest friends,

Here is a little extra information on the Learner's Journal lesson planners and resource logs and my other books which I mentioned this past week. As always, profits from the Learner's Journals will be sent to Malawi to aid the ministry of Pastor Headson Makazinga.

I am hoping to know by the end of this weekend how many to get printed, so if you are planning to order, please drop me an e-mail with quantity and color, as well as whether you are ordering The Real Life Home School Mom: It's a Life in ReVision ($18) and/or Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade ($20).   For more information on any of the books, you can go to www.VirginiaKnowles.com/BooksByVirginia

My PayPal account is now fully functional. You can use the [email protected] account for payment.

My address for mailing checks is: Virginia Knowles / 1925 Blossom Lane / Maitland, FL 32751

The books should be ready for shipping by around August 8.

You might be interested to see a comment I just received from a happy Learner's Journal user:

"I just wanted to let you know how much we all appreciated your Learner's Journals last year!! It was so nice to be able to open the journals and see the entire week laid out before our eyes. Because my oldest son operates best knowing what is expected of him each day/week, this journal was an incredible blessing to him. My second son learned to plan his week better by using the journal as well. I am a person who continually re-evaluates what I utilize in our homeschool - even after having a successful year with something.  So of course I looked around again this year while I was waiting for a response from you regarding the availability of journals this year. While there are many, many planners on the market, none could compare to what you've created! So we will be back for the second year, ordering new journals for this upcoming school year. Thanks for creating and sharing such a wonderful resource with us!  ~~ Amy S. (MN)"

Here is a review of The Learner's Journal from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which was written a couple of years ago

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/reviews.php?rid=373

The Learner's Journal by Virginia Knowles is a really useful organizational tool. In fact, it is so nifty that I am going to tell you all about it! The Learner's Journal is for planning lessons and recording accomplishments for one student. If you have five students you will need five Learner's Journals. It can be used for a variety of teaching/learning styles and is extremely user friendly. The journal is divided into sections to record major resources used this year, important literature read, special accomplishments, projects, field trips, and work samples. There are 50 undated weekly lesson plans. Each week is on a two-page spread and includes a schedule of events, a resource log, notes, and the lesson plan. Mrs. Knowles has included several pages of tips for parents that include samples of how to customize The Learner's Journal. The Learner's Journal features a heavy-duty clear plastic front and back cover (great for wiping off sticky fingerprints and protecting important information) over colored cardstockand can be purchased in a number of vibrant colors. I really appreciated the sturdiness of the cover and the lay flat, toddler-proof comb binding [Virginia's note in 2006 -- It is now a spiral binding.] I have four kids, so durability is essential.

-- Product Review by: Tina Rice, The Old Schoolhouse™ Magazine

I have also included reviews of Common Sense Excellence by Cindy Prechtel of Home Schooling from the Heart and Tina Rice of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine: at the bottom of this message.

Here is my official Learner's Journal blurb...

~*~*~

Are you looking for a way for you or your child to keep school records in an attractive, orderly, and durable way? Please consider The Learner's Journal lesson planner and resource log! The Learner's Journal is flexible in format, and can be used for all kinds of different educational -- traditional textbook, unit studies, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, or whatever. (We use a mix of all of the above!) Even if you don't plan lessons ahead of time, you can record what you did after the fact.   You will need one for each child.

The Learner's Journal covers are durable wipe-clean plastic over cardstock, and come in six eye-catching colors (other colors may be available by request):

Rocket Red
Solar Yellow
Pulsar Pink
Terra Green
Lunar Blue
Ivory

The books are spiral bound and lay flat for easy writing. The front cover is attractive and uncluttered so you and your children won't get tired of looking at it all year. It has an oval surrounding the The Learner's Journal title in very large print, and Name: and Year: in smaller print. The font is the very sophisticated Tempus Sans ITC, suitable for both boys and girls. The back cover has nine quotes about books to inspire readers young and old.

Inside, you will find introductory pages for:

How to Use the Learner's Journal
Major Resources Used This Year (a place to record text books and work books with abbreviations)
Most Important Literature (2 pages for a quick summary of the best stuff you read!)
Special Accomplishments & Projects (summarize your most noteworthy achievements)
Field Trip Summary (list date, location and description)
Progress Samples (show beginning and progress samples)

After that, you will find 50 weeks worth of lesson plan sheets and resource pages.

On the left hand side of each double page spread you will find the lesson plan sheets. At the top there is a spot for noting the week. Then there are nine large blocks. Six of them are labeled as follows:

Bible & Character
Language Arts (literature, creative writing, spelling, grammar, handwriting, etc.)
Math
Social Studies (history, geography, sociology, etc.)
Science and Health
Arts (music, art, crafts, drama, and more.)

The bottom three blocks are unlabeled.

For those who like to give daily assignments, the blocks are marked off with horizontal lines into five sections each. Even those who give weekly assignments will appreciate these lines for writing different assignments. For example, for Language Arts, you could use these lined sections for literature, spelling, handwriting, grammar and creative writing.

Across the bottom of this left hand page, there are five smaller schedule blocks for Monday through Friday. Here you can note any appointments, out-of-the-home lessons, deadlines, field trips, etc. This helps you and your child prepare for and plan around what's coming up. Now you're less likely to be scrambling to finish up that science fair project that everyone could have forgotten about!

On the right hand side is the Resource Log which has columns for Date, Title, Author, and Format & Topic. Use this last column to specify whether the resource is a book, tape, video, kit or something else, and what it is about, which is not always apparent from the title! For example, Beyond the Next Mountain is a video about missionaries in India, while Cell Wars is a book about the immune system. This will make your portfolio much more meaningful when it is evaluated.

People who have used the Learner's Journal over the past four or five years have appreciated the format and the durability! I think you will, too.

Click on the Hope Chest Resources page (http://www.virginiaknowles.com/booksbyvirginia) for more information on ordering the Learner's Journal or my other books. You can click on any of the links there to see information on the individual books. The Learner's Journal page has examples of the page formats and colors.

Learner's Journals are $10 each, but there is a $1 discount per copy if you order 3 or more at the same time. Shipping is 10%, with a minimum fee of $2.50. Florida residents need to add 7% tax to this total.   If you wish, you can also order my books The Real Life Home School Mom (regularly $18) and Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade (regularly $20) at the same time for the $1 quantity discount!

My address for mailing checks is: Virginia Knowles / 1925 Blossom Lane / Maitland, FL 32751
You can also order by PayPal -- my payment address is [email protected]

Whether you order by check or PayPal, please e-mail me your color choices as soon as possible.

~~

Here are reviews of Common Sense Excellence by Cindy Prechtel at Home Schooling from the Heart and Tina Rice of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine:

http://www.homeschoolingfromtheheart.com/hsreviews/commonsense.html

Common Sense Excellence:
Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade
Author: Virginia Knowles

Common Sense Excellence is an incredibly comprehensive guide to giving your children a well balanced and indeed, excellent, education. If experience is the best teacher, then we can all benefit from the practical wisdom of a homeschool mom of 8, who has been busy educating her own children for over a decade. Writing from a decidedly Christian perspective, Virginia Knowles has filled this spiral-bound book with over 225 pages of how-to's, encouragement and resource recommendations for those teaching preschool - 5th grade.

Covering a wide range of subjects including Bible, math, reading, history, science, art, health and life skills, Common Sense Excellence is a book one reads with a highlighter in hand. Mrs. Knowles has divided her book into three sections. In Part 1, Common Sense Excellence, we are introduced to the author and her family, as well as being encouraged to strive for the goals of Faith-Filled Education, rather than just the filling of the head with knowledge. In this section, the author also covers the importance of respecting the stages of childhood learning, multi-level teaching, settling on your own homeschool methodology and more. After laying a strong foundation in Part 1, the reader is then introduced to a guide for teaching each subject area in Part 2, Academic Subjects. Here you will find encouragement to include learning in every aspect of your day, what is typically covered in the elementary years for each subject and practical ways to "teach" these subjects, often without textbooks. If you've ever wondered how subjects can be integrated and learned in a more natural approach, you will appreciate the clear explanations and resources suggested in this section. Speaking of resources, throughout Common Sense Excellence you will find specific titles recommended by the author. Being a book lover herself, you will find lots of reading suggestions for every age level and occasionally a more "traditional" curriculum listed as well. After covering some the "nuts and bolts" of teaching specific subjects, we move on to Part 3, Practical Matters. For many, this section will be a favorite as Virginia covers important topics such as organization of all those school materials, scheduling, lesson planning, record keeping, and evaluating your child's progress. Also included in Part 3 is a section titled, "Problem Solving" in which the voice of experience chimes in with scriptural encouragement and practical tips for specific challenges that one might face including academic struggles, resistant or lazy attitudes, lack of confidence, bickering children, on being overwhelmed, and more.

Consistent with the author's Biblical worldview, throughout Common Sense Excellence you will find lots of Scripture and at least one "Vintage Quote" per chapter. These (and the author's own words of wisdom) serve as a reminder that, as Christians, we have an obligation to not only provide an excellent education, but a more important responsibility to instill in our children a love of God and family.

The homeschool market is flooded with "how-to" books, and books by small publishers can often be overlooked. I'm pleased to shine a spotlight on Common Sense Excellence. I believe this book is destined to become a classic, must-read book for Christian homeschool families.

Making the grade: A+
Cost: $20.00
Value for your homeschool dollar: 10
Reviewed by Cindy Prechtel, Editor

And finally, a review of Common Sense Excellence from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/reviews.php?rid=373

Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade by Virginia Knowles is one of two books I believe every Christian home educator should read. It is a comprehensive guide to home educating your child in a variety of subjects (such as Bible, math, reading, language arts, art, and health). Mrs. Knowles is the mother of eight children (tot to teen) and has been home schooling for over a decade. Add this experience to a huge amount of research and you have an incredible resource person for your home school (24/7 with her book). Common Sense Excellence is divided into three sections. Part 1 is titled Common Sense Excellence, Part two is titled Academic Subjects, and Part three is titled Practical Matters. Chapter titles included in part one are: What is Common Sense Excellence, Faith Filled Education, Through the Years, and Choosing your Approach to Education. Part two covers all academic subjects plus Bible and life skills. Part three was my favorite and deals with organization, problem solving, education away from home, and planning a unit study. Also included in Common Sense Excellence are a list of home schooling suppliers and a bibliography of resource books.

Each chapter in Common Sense Excellence includes related Scripture. If you skim books, don't skip over the Bible verses. They are uplifting and fit in very well with the material presented. At the end of each chapter you will find a quote (Mrs. Knowles calls these vintage quotes) relating to the chapter and a box of 1-2-3 Ideas to Remember that sum up the chapter.

Common Sense Excellence is well laid out and easy to navigate. The clear, waterproof cover is easily cleaned (a must have with toddlers). Common Sense Excellence is comb bound which allows it to open flat. All of these features, on top of fabulous material, make this a must-have book (in my humble opinion). If you have limited finances and can only purchase two books on home education, make this one of them!
-- To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected] To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected] Visit my web site at www.homeschoolblogger.com/virginiaknowles or www://thehopechest.net   

Posted by: hopechestnews <hopechestnews@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,

Here is a little extra information on the Learner's Journal lesson planners and resource logs and my other books which I mentioned this past week. As always, profits from the Learner's Journals will be sent to Malawi to aid the ministry of Pastor Headson Makazinga.

I am hoping to know by the end of this weekend how many to get printed, so if you are planning to order, please drop me an e-mail with quantity and color, as well as whether you are ordering The Real Life Home School Mom: It's a Life in ReVision ($18) and/or Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade ($20). For more information on any of the books, you can go to http://www.VirginiaKnowles.com/BooksByVirginia

My PayPal account is now fully functional. You can use the [email protected] account for payment.

My address for mailing checks is: Virginia Knowles / 1925 Blossom Lane / Maitland, FL 32751

The books should be ready for shipping by around August 8.

You might be interested to see a comment I just received from a happy Learner's Journal user:

"I just wanted to let you know how much we all appreciated your Learner's Journals last year!! It was so nice to be able to open the journals and see the entire week laid out before our eyes. Because my oldest son operates best knowing what is expected of him each day/week, this journal was an incredible blessing to him. My second son learned to plan his week better by using the journal as well. I am a person who continually re-evaluates what I utilize in our homeschool - even after having a successful year with something. So of course I looked around again this year while I was waiting for a response from you regarding the availability of journals this year. While there are many, many planners on the market, none could compare to what you've created! So we will be back for the second year, ordering new journals for this upcoming school year. Thanks for creating and sharing such a wonderful resource with us! ~~ Amy S. (MN)"

Here is a review of The Learner's Journal from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which was written a couple of years ago

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/reviews.php?rid=373

The Learner's Journal by Virginia Knowles is a really useful organizational tool. In fact, it is so nifty that I am going to tell you all about it! The Learner's Journal is for planning lessons and recording accomplishments for one student. If you have five students you will need five Learner's Journals. It can be used for a variety of teaching/learning styles and is extremely user friendly. The journal is divided into sections to record major resources used this year, important literature read, special accomplishments, projects, field trips, and work samples. There are 50 undated weekly lesson plans. Each week is on a two-page spread and includes a schedule of events, a resource log, notes, and the lesson plan. Mrs. Knowles has included several pages of tips for parents that include samples of how to customize The Learner's Journal. The Learner's Journal features a heavy-duty clear plastic front and back cover (great for wiping off sticky fingerprints and protecting important information) over colored cardstockand can be purchased in a number of vibrant colors. I really appreciated the sturdiness of the cover and the lay flat, toddler-proof comb binding [Virginia's note in 2006 -- It is now a spiral binding.] I have four kids, so durability is essential.

-- Product Review by: Tina Rice, The Old Schoolhouse™ Magazine

I have also included reviews of Common Sense Excellence by Cindy Prechtel of Home Schooling from the Heart and Tina Rice of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine: at the bottom of this message.

Here is my official Learner's Journal blurb...

~*~*~

Are you looking for a way for you or your child to keep school records in an attractive, orderly, and durable way? Please consider The Learner's Journal lesson planner and resource log! The Learner's Journal is flexible in format, and can be used for all kinds of different educational -- traditional textbook, unit studies, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, or whatever. (We use a mix of all of the above!) Even if you don't plan lessons ahead of time, you can record what you did after the fact. You will need one for each child.

The Learner's Journal covers are durable wipe-clean plastic over cardstock, and come in six eye-catching colors (other colors may be available by request):

Rocket Red
Solar Yellow
Pulsar Pink
Terra Green
Lunar Blue
Ivory

The books are spiral bound and lay flat for easy writing. The front cover is attractive and uncluttered so you and your children won't get tired of looking at it all year. It has an oval surrounding the The Learner's Journal title in very large print, and Name: and Year: in smaller print. The font is the very sophisticated Tempus Sans ITC, suitable for both boys and girls. The back cover has nine quotes about books to inspire readers young and old.

Inside, you will find introductory pages for:

How to Use the Learner's Journal
Major Resources Used This Year (a place to record text books and work books with abbreviations)
Most Important Literature (2 pages for a quick summary of the best stuff you read!)
Special Accomplishments & Projects (summarize your most noteworthy achievements)
Field Trip Summary (list date, location and description)
Progress Samples (show beginning and progress samples)

After that, you will find 50 weeks worth of lesson plan sheets and resource pages.

On the left hand side of each double page spread you will find the lesson plan sheets. At the top there is a spot for noting the week. Then there are nine large blocks. Six of them are labeled as follows:

Bible & Character
Language Arts (literature, creative writing, spelling, grammar, handwriting, etc.)
Math
Social Studies (history, geography, sociology, etc.)
Science and Health
Arts (music, art, crafts, drama, and more.)

The bottom three blocks are unlabeled.

For those who like to give daily assignments, the blocks are marked off with horizontal lines into five sections each. Even those who give weekly assignments will appreciate these lines for writing different assignments. For example, for Language Arts, you could use these lined sections for literature, spelling, handwriting, grammar and creative writing.

Across the bottom of this left hand page, there are five smaller schedule blocks for Monday through Friday. Here you can note any appointments, out-of-the-home lessons, deadlines, field trips, etc. This helps you and your child prepare for and plan around what's coming up. Now you're less likely to be scrambling to finish up that science fair project that everyone could have forgotten about!

On the right hand side is the Resource Log which has columns for Date, Title, Author, and Format & Topic. Use this last column to specify whether the resource is a book, tape, video, kit or something else, and what it is about, which is not always apparent from the title! For example, Beyond the Next Mountain is a video about missionaries in India, while Cell Wars is a book about the immune system. This will make your portfolio much more meaningful when it is evaluated.

People who have used the Learner's Journal over the past four or five years have appreciated the format and the durability! I think you will, too.

Click on the Hope Chest Resources page (http://www.virginiaknowles.com/booksbyvirginia) for more information on ordering the Learner's Journal or my other books. You can click on any of the links there to see information on the individual books. The Learner's Journal page has examples of the page formats and colors.

Learner's Journals are $10 each, but there is a $1 discount per copy if you order 3 or more at the same time. Shipping is 10%, with a minimum fee of $2.50. Florida residents need to add 7% tax to this total. If you wish, you can also order my books The Real Life Home School Mom (regularly $18) and Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade (regularly $20) at the same time for the $1 quantity discount!

My address for mailing checks is: Virginia Knowles / 1925 Blossom Lane / Maitland, FL 32751
You can also order by PayPal -- my payment address is [email protected]

Whether you order by check or PayPal, please e-mail me your color choices as soon as possible.

Here are reviews of Common Sense Excellence by Cindy Prechtel at Home Schooling from the Heart and Tina Rice of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine:

http://www.homeschoolingfromtheheart.com/hsreviews/commonsense.html

Common Sense Excellence:
Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade
Author: Virginia Knowles

Common Sense Excellence is an incredibly comprehensive guide to giving your children a well balanced and indeed, excellent, education. If experience is the best teacher, then we can all benefit from the practical wisdom of a homeschool mom of 8, who has been busy educating her own children for over a decade. Writing from a decidedly Christian perspective, Virginia Knowles has filled this spiral-bound book with over 225 pages of how-to's, encouragement and resource recommendations for those teaching preschool - 5th grade.

Covering a wide range of subjects including Bible, math, reading, history, science, art, health and life skills, Common Sense Excellence is a book one reads with a highlighter in hand. Mrs. Knowles has divided her book into three sections. In Part 1, Common Sense Excellence, we are introduced to the author and her family, as well as being encouraged to strive for the goals of Faith-Filled Education, rather than just the filling of the head with knowledge. In this section, the author also covers the importance of respecting the stages of childhood learning, multi-level teaching, settling on your own homeschool methodology and more. After laying a strong foundation in Part 1, the reader is then introduced to a guide for teaching each subject area in Part 2, Academic Subjects. Here you will find encouragement to include learning in every aspect of your day, what is typically covered in the elementary years for each subject and practical ways to "teach" these subjects, often without textbooks. If you've ever wondered how subjects can be integrated and learned in a more natural approach, you will appreciate the clear explanations and resources suggested in this section. Speaking of resources, throughout Common Sense Excellence you will find specific titles recommended by the author. Being a book lover herself, you will find lots of reading suggestions for every age level and occasionally a more "traditional" curriculum listed as well. After covering some the "nuts and bolts" of teaching specific subjects, we move on to Part 3, Practical Matters. For many, this section will be a favorite as Virginia covers important topics such as organization of all those school materials, scheduling, lesson planning, record keeping, and evaluating your child's progress. Also included in Part 3 is a section titled, "Problem Solving" in which the voice of experience chimes in with scriptural encouragement and practical tips for specific challenges that one might face including academic struggles, resistant or lazy attitudes, lack of confidence, bickering children, on being overwhelmed, and more.

Consistent with the author's Biblical worldview, throughout Common Sense Excellence you will find lots of Scripture and at least one "Vintage Quote" per chapter. These (and the author's own words of wisdom) serve as a reminder that, as Christians, we have an obligation to not only provide an excellent education, but a more important responsibility to instill in our children a love of God and family.

The homeschool market is flooded with "how-to" books, and books by small publishers can often be overlooked. I'm pleased to shine a spotlight on Common Sense Excellence. I believe this book is destined to become a classic, must-read book for Christian homeschool families.

Making the grade: A+
Cost: $20.00
Value for your homeschool dollar: 10
Reviewed by Cindy Prechtel, Editor

And finally, a review of Common Sense Excellence from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/reviews.php?rid=373

Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade by Virginia Knowles is one of two books I believe every Christian home educator should read. It is a comprehensive guide to home educating your child in a variety of subjects (such as Bible, math, reading, language arts, art, and health). Mrs. Knowles is the mother of eight children (tot to teen) and has been home schooling for over a decade. Add this experience to a huge amount of research and you have an incredible resource person for your home school (24/7 with her book). Common Sense Excellence is divided into three sections. Part 1 is titled Common Sense Excellence, Part two is titled Academic Subjects, and Part three is titled Practical Matters. Chapter titles included in part one are: What is Common Sense Excellence, Faith Filled Education, Through the Years, and Choosing your Approach to Education. Part two covers all academic subjects plus Bible and life skills. Part three was my favorite and deals with organization, problem solving, education away from home, and planning a unit study. Also included in Common Sense Excellence are a list of home schooling suppliers and a bibliography of resource books.

Each chapter in Common Sense Excellence includes related Scripture. If you skim books, don't skip over the Bible verses. They are uplifting and fit in very well with the material presented. At the end of each chapter you will find a quote (Mrs. Knowles calls these vintage quotes) relating to the chapter and a box of 1-2-3 Ideas to Remember that sum up the chapter.

Common Sense Excellence is well laid out and easy to navigate. The clear, waterproof cover is easily cleaned (a must have with toddlers). Common Sense Excellence is comb bound which allows it to open flat. All of these features, on top of fabulous material, make this a must-have book (in my humble opinion). If you have limited finances and can only purchase two books on home education, make this one of them!

-- To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected] To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected] Visit my web site at www.homeschoolblogger.com/virginiaknowles or www://thehopechest.net