Under Drake's Flag Review

We had the chance to review Under Drake’s Flag, which is 2 CD Audio Drama by Heirloom Audio Productions. It is engaging and family-friendly, ideal for ages 6 and older. It is a fun, unique way to teach children Christian history!
Under Drake’s Flag is about a boy named Ned Hawkshaw who goes on an action-filled adventure with Sir Francis Drake. There is plenty of action, and it was easy for even myself to really get into the story line. We loved following along as Ned was faced with many different challenges that tested his faith and helped him grow. I love that it was a story not only to encourage faith and character but actually helps teach history as well!
The quality of Under Drake’s Flag is impressive! In fact, I have to admit that there were a few times, we looked up at the TV to see what we were hearing! Of course, it was just the audio, but it was so clear and acted so well, that it really felt like we were experiencing the story, and that we could see it! I appreciate that they used movie-quality audio-theater.
Under Drake’s Flag includes 2 audio CD’s, a study guide, and Drake’s Prayer. We also received a longer study guide via PDF download. Unfortunately, I found the Study Guides were above our children’s level, so although I looked them over thoroughly, they aren’t something we could use at this time. I will most definitely be using them in the future, though!
Our children are ages 4, 6, and 8, and although our 6 and 8 year old fit in the target age range for Under Drake’s Flag, they have difficulties with comprehension type questions – particularly if they are complex. Of course, I also need to mention that they have special needs, so it could also be that their maturity level and lower attention span also played a part in why we weren’t able to successfully use the study guides and not just age. I highly suggest checking out the other Schoolhouse Review Crew Member Reviews for their reviews as many of them used the study guides as well!
Although our preschooler did not fit the ideal age range for this product, he was surprisingly interested in it! He sat in and listened to it with us, too! He was really enjoying it as well! This was a pleasant surprise! Although each CD is broken up into multiple chapters that are around 10 minutes or less (making it an ideal length for younger children like ours), we sometimes listened to a few chapters in a row because we were just really enjoying it! Why interrupt a good thing?
After we would listen to a chapter (or a few), I would have a short discussion time afterwards. Since we weren’t using the study guides, I would just base this on what we heard and ask questions or talk about some of what we heard in that chapter. I did try a few of the questions from the short Study Guide included with the CDs that were less complex, and they did answer a few. Many times, though, our children have difficulties with open-ended questions, so I try to just encourage them to talk about what they learned or ask yes or no questions. This method works well for their learning styles. Even our preschooler was able to participate this way!
Overall, we enjoyed Under Drake’s Flag, and I definitely plan on using it more than once. As I mentioned, we will definitely use the Study Guides when the children are older as well! I saw all the rave reviews it received on their website, and I can definitely see why! I love that it offers a family-friendly way to teach Christian History in a manner that is exciting for children and adults alike! The Under Drakes Flag 2 CD Set can be purchased for $29.95.
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