Scientist: Evolution debate will soon be history
Did you happen to catch this article?
Several things in this article bothered me. Aside from the fact that I don't believe in evolution, the part that bothered me the most was his reference to what I believe, as a Christian. I believe in a young earth. I don't believe the earth has existed for billions of years, but a mere 6-8,000. Maybe 12,000, at the most. I believe that because it just makes sense. Articles like this provide theological and scientific evidence that supports a young earth, instead of a billions-of-years-old earth. I know there are some Christians who believe the earth was created through evolution, or that God used evolution in his creation. I won't delve into that, because I want to focus on what really bothered me about the evolution article on yahoo.
You see, he could have just stated what he "knew" as a scientist, and leave the creation debate completely out of it. I know for a fact that not all evolution skeptics are Christian, or have any faith at all, for that matter. Some of the many skeptics of evolution are skeptic simply because it's a hard pill to swallow when you are shown ALL evidence. Some of the skeptics of evolution are actually SCIENTISTS! (gasp) It's not a theory that is supported by all in the scientific community. Only those who refuse to see any other possibility to the evidence that is gathered whole-heartedly believe in evolution, and whole-heartedly refuse to believe in God.
"Leakey insists he has no animosity toward religion." Really? Then why does he feel the need to mention the book of Genesis? It's because those who believe what is taught in Genesis are the most outspoken opponents to evolution. But they're not the only opponents.
What Leakey doesn't understand is that there are a lot of scientists (I don't know the exact number, but I would wager in the thousands) who believe, in light of various forms of evidence (geological, anthropological, astronomical, biological, etc.) that the theory of evolution just does not hold up. Many of these same scientists have since converted to Christianity because of this evidence. But Leakey, and others like him, don't want to take that into consideration. To him, all who believe in what the Bible tells us about the origins of the earth and of mankind, are simple-minded, holding onto "religion" because "people really need a faith." He doesn't want to consider that some people have found "a faith" BECAUSE of that scientific evidence!
Okay, I'm done.
May 27, 2012
March 20, 2012
Reading Eggs
Have you ever heard of Reading Eggs?
I had never heard of it, until recently. I received the opportunity to try it out in exchange for a review. Since I have a pre-reader in my house, this was a perfect opportunity!
Right away, we signed up and got started.
This program is really fun! You select which program to start on, either a pre-reading program, called Reading Eggs, or a program for children 7 and older, called Reading Eggspress. There is an option to take a placement test to get started at the right level, or you can start from the beginning. Once your child begins the program, there is a map of their level that guides them along the path to reading.
As you can see in the picture above, there is a large arrow that guides the child to their next lesson, so it's very easy to navigate. There are also links along the side for additional activities. Here's what the playroom looks like:
As far as the actual lessons go, they are thorough, with plenty of repetition, which is what little ones need when learning reading. Within each lesson there are about 10 different activities that the child must master before he can move to the next lesson. And each lesson ends with a fun, interactive book.
Also, as they complete the lessons they earn eggs, which are used as currency to buy stuff. They can unlock new places to visit or decorate as they move through the lessons, so there is always incentive to continue.
The only downside that we've come across in the lessons is that instead of focusing on all the letter sounds first, it starts teaching sight words. This confused my daughter and she had some trouble with those lessons. Instead of learning about the sound the letter 'T' makes, she's trying to read words like mat, sat, hat, etc. This was a little like putting the cart before the horse, so it can be confusing in that respect.
However, aside from that this is an excellent program and I am definitely considering signing up for the subscription once our trial period is up. They offer a monthly subscription for $9.95, a 6-month subscription for $49.95, or a full 12-months for $75.00, which works out to $6.25 per month - an exceptional bargain!
* I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by The Homeschool Lounge Review Team. I received a 5-week membership to Reading Eggs to facilitate this review. All opinions stated are my own.
I had never heard of it, until recently. I received the opportunity to try it out in exchange for a review. Since I have a pre-reader in my house, this was a perfect opportunity!
Right away, we signed up and got started.
This program is really fun! You select which program to start on, either a pre-reading program, called Reading Eggs, or a program for children 7 and older, called Reading Eggspress. There is an option to take a placement test to get started at the right level, or you can start from the beginning. Once your child begins the program, there is a map of their level that guides them along the path to reading.
As you can see in the picture above, there is a large arrow that guides the child to their next lesson, so it's very easy to navigate. There are also links along the side for additional activities. Here's what the playroom looks like:
As far as the actual lessons go, they are thorough, with plenty of repetition, which is what little ones need when learning reading. Within each lesson there are about 10 different activities that the child must master before he can move to the next lesson. And each lesson ends with a fun, interactive book.
Also, as they complete the lessons they earn eggs, which are used as currency to buy stuff. They can unlock new places to visit or decorate as they move through the lessons, so there is always incentive to continue.
The only downside that we've come across in the lessons is that instead of focusing on all the letter sounds first, it starts teaching sight words. This confused my daughter and she had some trouble with those lessons. Instead of learning about the sound the letter 'T' makes, she's trying to read words like mat, sat, hat, etc. This was a little like putting the cart before the horse, so it can be confusing in that respect.
However, aside from that this is an excellent program and I am definitely considering signing up for the subscription once our trial period is up. They offer a monthly subscription for $9.95, a 6-month subscription for $49.95, or a full 12-months for $75.00, which works out to $6.25 per month - an exceptional bargain!
* I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by The Homeschool Lounge Review Team. I received a 5-week membership to Reading Eggs to facilitate this review. All opinions stated are my own.
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