Tag: Curriculum

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Online Elementary Technology Class – MYTEK LAB Review

In a world where technology is an integral part of our daily lives, ensuring our children have a solid foundation in computer technology is crucial. As a homeschooling parent, I’ve always been on the lookout for educational opportunities that not only equip my child with essential skills but also make learning an engaging and enjoyable experience. That’s why I was so excited to be offered to learn more about MYTEK Labs and their online technology courses.

I received complimentary access and compensation for this review, but my opinions are entirely honest and unbiased.

In today’s blog post, I’ll be sharing my thoughts and experiences with this innovative course, tailored for students in grades 3-5. MYTEK LAB’s Computer Technology course promises to provide a comprehensive understanding of various technology areas, including programming, creative applications, web design, and general technology concepts.

With its elementary-level approach, it aims to set the stage for a future where technology is not just a tool but a realm of exploration and innovation.

In this review I am focusing on the introductory elementary course, MYTEK LAB offers other courses for older age levels and higher level concepts.

All MYTEK LAB Courses

Why We Love MYTEK LAB

Course Flexibility

I feel that technology is such an important skill to teach our kids and having resources like MYTEK LAB are so value. The flexibility of course options my MYTEK LAB makes it super easy to add into our homeschool week.

I love having the option of having scheduled weekly online courses that are taught and led by an instructor. If you miss a class, or need extra practice, the courses are recorded and available to rewatch.

The weekly courses provide an interactive and engaging experience with the instructor and other students.

If you can’t commit to a weekly course, MYTEK LAB also offers a Flex Pace option.

Flex Pace is a highly adaptable course alternative designed to cater to students’ varying schedules. This learning approach involves weekly recorded videos and lesson releases, allowing students the convenience to engage with the course content according to their own timelines. Given the rapid and frequent evolution of technology, the potential for outdated material is a concern for learners. However, Flex Pace proactively addresses this issue by continuously updating our content, ensuring that all students have access to the most current material and instructional modules. Recordings will be released each Monday.

By releasing the recordings on a weekly basis, we ensure that students consistently benefit from up-to-date technology education that encompasses the latest advancements. Through the Flex Pace, do not have to follow assignment deadlines, allowing students additional time to work on their assignments. Flex Pace empowers students to pursue their education at their own pace, without needing to participate in a specific live class schedule.

Need more flexibility? You can pick when you start the course! Register today and start when you want to.

Jacky Souder, Co-Owner/Vice President MYTEK LAB, INC

Variety of Skills Taught

The world of technology spans so many different areas and skills. I enjoy the introduction approach to multiple skills in the Elementary Computer Technology course.

In this course my daughter was introduced to multiple topics in technology and learned a variety of skills such as:

  • 2D Game Art
  • Programming
  • 3D Modeling for Games
  • VR Development
  • Web Design
  • Robotics
  • 3D Printing
  • & More!

The MYTEK LAB Elementary Computer Technology course not only introduces students to these skills but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability. It’s a comprehensive foundation that empowers young minds to explore, innovate, and prepare for a future where technology plays an ever-expanding role.

MYTEK LAB Course Experience

The online portal for both students and parents is extremely easy to use! My 3rd grader is able to access her courses with limited help and is provided great instruction during her course. She loves the interactive projects and the live help from her instructor!

The lessons start with a video portion with the instructor teaching concepts and providing interactive examples of the topic and project they are working on.

The classes last around 1 hour. The instructor explains the assignment that needs to be completed prior to the next class. In the live sessions your child can ask for assistance if they need any.

As this is a year long course, the students work on a project for a weeks building on one concept at a time. In the first few weeks of course my daughter learned skills to build a game. The build on skills week after week and have all the tools they need to succeed!

Easy Access to Technology Applications

I’ve used other online technology courses before and sometimes they can be a bit daunting with all the additional application requirements you have to download for your child to learn.

With MYTEK LAB, they have all the applications imbedded in the course and it is beyond easy for your students to access them! During the video lessons your child is walked through how to access and use the applications. This makes this course top notch and so user friendly!

Add MYTEK LAB To Your Homeschool

This is a great program to introduce technology to your kids and add to your homeschool! Best past- all the hard work is done for you and can be a pretty independent course.

New families can contact Jacky (Mrs. MYTEK) at jsouders@myteklab.com for a discounted monthly rate of $15 dollars off of the monthly rate. Normally $49 a month, discounted down to $34 a month.

Learn More About MYTEK LAB here
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Our Homeschool Week Using Sonlight’s Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum

As a homeschool mom to three children, choosing a curriculum can be a daunting experience. With my youngest, I was ready to take a different route and try a literature-based approach using Sonlight! Sonlight is a trusted resource offering a comprehensive and engaging curriculum designed to inspire young minds.

In this blog post, I invite you to join us on a week-long journey through our homeschooling experience, as we delve into the enriching activities, captivating stories, and valuable lessons that make up our Sonlight Pre-Kindergarten adventure. Get ready to take a glimpse into our homeschooling adventure with Sonlight’s Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum!

I was provided with Sonlight’s Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum free of charge, and I also received compensation for the time and effort I put into writing this product review. My aim is to provide you with an honest and unbiased evaluation of this curriculum, based on our actual experience using it in our homeschooling journey.

What is Sonlight?

Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum is a popular program for homeschooling families. It’s known for using a literature-based approach, emphasizing reading and books across various subjects and grade levels.

They offer flexible curriculum packages that include materials for subjects like history, literature, and science, with Christian values integrated for families who share that perspective.

Sonlight provides detailed instructor guides, assessment tools, and a supportive community for homeschooling families.

I’ve reviewed Sonlight previously, if you want to read more information about Sonlight check out this blog post: Sonlight Pre-K Homeschool Curriculum Review

What is included in the Sonlight Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum?

Sonlight makes homeschooling easy, packaging together everything you need for your entire homeschool year! The Sonlight Homeschool Curriculum package includes an Instructor’s Guide that helps you plan lessons and activities four days a week.

It also provides developmentally appropriate hands-on activities related to the stories, enhancing daily learning experiences. The literature component for Pre-K focuses on fiction titles and introduces children to more than 1,000 Spanish words, transitioning from picture book enjoyment to gentle teaching. History and science topics are introduced, with missionary biographies and engaging science books.

The package also includes art and poetry books. For Grade K Readers/Language Arts, there are readers and an Instructor’s Guide to teach alphabet and letter sounds, phonics, vocabulary, creative expression, and writing mechanics.

The curriculum offers hands-on materials and activities, including math beads, sensory letters and numbers, and workbooks to reinforce motor, visual, auditory, and comprehension skills.

Our Homeschool Week with Sonlight

Our Sonlight Pre-K curriculum is split up into 4 days a week for 36 weeks. Each week is planned out in detail for you! You will rotate through different literature and educational resources throughout the weeks.

One of my favorite things using Sonlight’s curriculum is the instructor guides. This guide plans out every week and every day- which makes homeschooling that much easier!

Using our instructors guide for the week I know how each of our days will go. There is the overall weekly layout and then you get additional pages of detailed directions for each day’s activities.

We are working through week 24 in our pre-kindergarten curriculum this week! We are continuing reading through different books and practicing different skills. Each week your child learns Language Arts, Art, Bible, Science, Math, and Practical Life Skills

Learning Through Literature

One of the main elements of Sonlight is the literature. We start each day reading through many stories.

This week we are continuing to read chapters from our Milly Molly Mandy storybook.

Each day this week we are reading a chapter. My kids love these stories and the chapters are short enough to keep their attention.

We have been exposed to so many amazing books by using this curriculum!

Science Lessons

This week we are using the book, What’s Under the Sea to learn our science lessons. Each day we focus on a different topic, normally only 1-2 pages of information and pictures.

We learned about Deep-sea Fish, Whales, and Coral Reefs.

Every couple weeks we switch to a different book about various topics in science. My son is so intrigued learning about science with all the amazing books.

I think he is going to be very prepared for his future school years with all the topics he is getting exposed to.

Art History Lessons

On Monday, we discussed seasons while looking in our art book and beautiful art pieces showcasing the different seasons.

This art book covers so many things besides art and always leads to great discussions and rabbit holes for us to expand on.

I like to show the different works of art to all my kids, you can never be to old to learn about different art.

Each week we get excited to learn and see something new.

Daily Bible Study

We spend time each day learning about the bible. We have a weekly bible verse to mezmorize. This weeks verse was:

“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Proverbs 12:18

We read three different stories from our 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible book.

I always include all my children for these bible verses and stories, its always a nice additional to our morning time together.

Learn More about Sonlight Here

Enter to Win – Sonlight Giveaway

Prize Images

Sonlight is hosting a giveaway to win a new Discover & Do Science Experiment Kit. Enter here for your chance to win!

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Self-Paced Online Entrepreneurship Homeschool Class

Do you have a child full of ideas and ready to start a business? Nurture that drive in your young entrepreneurs with this new exciting course!

I received this course free of charge to share my honest thoughts and opinion, and I received compensation for my time.

If you’re like me and you want to help your kids develop some super cool skills, I’ve got something awesome to share. I recently discovered an incredible course that’s all about teaching kids the ins and outs of starting and running their own business. And guess what? It’s not your typical boring stuff – they learn all this by pretending to own a band! How cool is that?

This brand new course is from Mr.D Math, you can check out the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship Self-Paced Course here.

We have used various courses from Mr.D Math and love the easy and flexibility of the self-paced online courses! Interested in learning about Mr.D’s American Sign Language Course– Check out my review on that here.

The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship Course

The Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship course is recommended for grades 7 and up which would be perfect for the middle school and high school years as an elective course or college prep course.

This course is set up as an online self-paced course, your student will access the course via an online portal and complete the lessons on their own time.

Just because this is a self-paced course, you will have a course instructor that you can reach out to for question and assistance with the course.

What to Expect in this Entrepreneurship Course

This course guides you through essential skills for starting and running your own business. You become a band owner (choose your type of band) and learn by making decisions for it. Dive into the entrepreneur’s journey – from innovation and branding to funding, earning, growing market share, and even selling your business.

This online self-paced course is divided into 6 modules. The topics in each module is included below:

Module 1: Innovating the Startup

  • Making decisions and thinking differently
  • Making trade offs to unlock value for others
  • Finding problems and solving them through innovation
  • Identifying and improving on interests
  • Practicing your new entrepreneurship skills by starting a band

Module 2: Branding the Startup

  • Building awareness and trust with a brand
  • Building your personal brand
  • Practicing by branding The Band

Module 3: Funding the Startup

  • Identifying capital needs
  • Raising capital
  • Financial starting point for The Band

Module 4: Status Check Through Storytelling

  • Storytelling in business
  • Understanding the balance sheet
  • Understanding the income statement

Module 5: Building Value

  • Selling more things
  • Selling “stuff” and not just services
  • Setting financial goals

Module 6: Now What?

  • Staying and growing the business
  • Selling and going

Throughout the course the student can expect to work through video lessons with assignments, homework and assessments. The instructor of the course will provide feedback on items submitted by the student.

Prepare your Homeschool Student for College

Another great benefit of using the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship Course from Mr.D Math is preparing your older students for future college courses. The setup of these self-paced courses is very similar to some college courses I’ve taken.

These courses teach kids to be responsible without a teacher or parent harping over them.

The student will be responsible for completing the course material and taking the knowledge they learn to complete assignments and take assessments. They will also receive a grade for the assessments.

This is the perfect way to introduce more independent courses that they may take in the college years.

Why I Love This Self-Paced Entrepreneurship Course

I know how important it is for our kids to learn stuff that’ll really help them in life. This Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship course is a game-changer because it makes learning about business exciting and hands-on. I mean, who knew starting a band could teach so much, right?

Moms, if you’re looking for a super fun way to teach your kids about business and creativity, this course is a must-try. It’s like giving them a backstage pass to the world of entrepreneurship. So, let’s rock their education with something they’ll actually love and use for life!

Learn More about the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship Course
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Sonlight Pre-K Homeschool Curriculum Review

Sonlight is a homeschool curriculum provider that offers a wide range of programs for children of different ages and grades. In this review blog post, we’ll focus specifically on their Pre-K Program. We chose to add the Level K readers to our Pre-K package as well!

We were gifted the Sonlight Pre-K Kit from Sonlight in exchange for our honest review.

The Sonlight Pre-K homeschool curriculum is designed for children aged 4-5 and focuses on developing foundational reading, math, science, and social studies skills. The curriculum comes in a comprehensive package that includes everything you need to teach your child at home, including books, instructor guides, and activity sheets.

Learn More About Sonlight’s Literature Based Curriculum

Fully Planned Out Pre-K Curriculum

Using the fully planned out Instructor guide, you can plan to spend anywhere between 20 mins to 1.5 hours per day, 4x a week. Using the Sonlight Instructor Guide- you can rest assure everything is planned out and nothing is getting missed, just open and go!

Literature Based Pre-K Curriculum

One of the standout features of the Sonlight PreK homeschool curriculum is the emphasis on literature-based learning. The curriculum includes a large selection of classic children’s books that are used as the basis for many of the lessons. This approach to learning is not only engaging for young children but also helps to develop important skills such as listening comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking.

The curriculum also includes hands-on activities and projects that help to reinforce the concepts being taught. These activities are designed to be fun and interactive, making learning an enjoyable experience for both parent and child.

Want to see everything that’s included? Check out this unboxing:

Sonlight Pre-K Covers all Subjects

In terms of the subjects covered, the Sonlight PreK curriculum covers all the basics such as math, science, and social studies. The math lessons focus on developing basic counting and number recognition skills, while the science lessons cover topics such as the human body, animals, and the environment. The social studies lessons introduce children to different cultures and traditions from around the world.

Check out Sonlight’s Pre-K Program Here

Sonlight Teaches Practical Life Skills

As much as we love the traditional school subjects covered in our Sonlight Pre-K program, one of my favorite things is the weekly life skills included. Throughout the year, your child will practice practical life skills like washing dishes, pouring and measuring, watering plants, and much more!

These life sills help build basic foundations for numerous things and are both mine and my sons favorite activities during our weeks.

My Final Thoughts on Sonlight’s Pre-K Program

Overall, the Sonlight Pre-K homeschool curriculum is a well-designed and comprehensive program that provides a great foundation for early learning. The literature-based approach, hands-on activities, and flexibility make it an excellent choice for parents looking to homeschool their young children.

If you are new to homeschooling and have no idea where to start- this is a wonderful option, because it is everything you need.

We are very excited to be adding this curriculum into our homeschool days! We upgraded our program and added the Kindergarten readers and Language arts doing that, we plan to use this both both our Pre-K and Kindergarten year.

Looking for Sales and Special Offers from Sonlight? Click Here!
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The Newest Online Learning System: Homeschool+ Review

Homeschool+ is a new online learning system that aims to make learning fun and engaging for children aged 4-8. Designed by a team of educators, the platform features a range of interactive games and activities that cover topics such as reading, math, science, and social studies.

I was given complimentary and early access to the Homeschool+ beta version to review and share my honest thoughts.

Fun Fact: The creators of Homeschool+ are the same creators from ABCmouse and Adventure Academy!

Overview of Homeschool+ Online Learning System

We were so excited to try out the beta version of Homeschool+! My son, who is 4, loves learning games and took to this right away! I was able to plan a “schedule” with daily lessons for him to complete. After he completed a lesson I was able to review his progress and see the lessons adapt to his needs.

Some of the subjects you will see on Homeschool+ are:

  • Math
  • Reading
  • Art
  • Science
  • Grammar
  • Geography
  • Spanish
  • Community

We can’t wait to see all Homeschool+ has to offer once this learning system is fully released!

Homeschool+ Unique Adaptive Learning Model

One of the strengths of Homeschool+ is its adaptability. The platform adjusts to the child’s individual skill level, providing appropriate challenges and rewards as they progress. This ensures that each child can learn at their own pace and stay motivated throughout the learning process.

Homeschool+ Daily Lessons

When your child first logs on they will see any lessons you planned out prior, or they will be shown free play options. I love the adaptive Match and Ready Academy sections! Once your child is in a lesson they will interact with the lessons by selecting responses and playing games.

My son really loves the Reading Academy and when familiar stories are read to him like “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”.

Homeschool+ Lesson Planner

I really enjoy the lesson planner option. I am able to add or delete lessons and plan out our homeschool week easily. It’s extremely responsive and flexible- which is a must in our homeschool.

Homeschool+ Progress Tracker

Parents will also appreciate the platform’s tracking and reporting tools, which allow them to monitor their child’s progress and identify areas where additional support may be needed.

This progress tracker is perfect to track learning milestones and if you are required to meet certain standards.

Daily Printable Lesson Plans

Homeschool+ not only offers engaging video lessons and online learning games, but they also offer printable lesson plans and activities you can use with your little ones!

I absolutely loved this option to take a break from the screentime but still have educational resources!

This is an example of a Human Body lesson you would download and print to complete:

Try Homeschool+ Here

Our Favorite Things About Homeschool+

Another noteworthy feature of Homeschool+ is its emphasis on learning through play. The platform is designed to be both educational and enjoyable, with games and activities that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Children can earn virtual rewards and badges as they complete challenges, adding an extra layer of fun to the learning experience.

My son doesn’t even call this “school-work” he totally views it as fun games he gets to play!

Overall, Homeschool+ is a fantastic online learning game that provides a fun and effective way for young children to learn and grow. Its adaptability, emphasis on play, and tracking tools make it an ideal choice for homeschooling families or anyone looking to supplement their child’s education.

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2022/2023 Homeschool Curriculum Picks

Better late than never, right? I am sharing the curriculum choices we have been using for the 2022/2023 school. I figured you might be interested to see what we have been using before I share our picks for next school year.

During the 2022/2023 school year I have a preschooler, 2nd grader, and 4th grader.

We made ALOT of changes this year, pretty much all the curriculum we started the year with was changed by mid-year. The good news is we absolutely love everything we changed to, and you will see a lot of that carried into our next school year.

Just to avoid any confusion our 2022/2023 school year is July 2022- June 2023.

Most of the curriculum we use, I have also made YouTube Videos on it, I will make sure to link those below !

2022/2023 Family Subject Homeschool Picks

One of the big changes we made this year was moving some of our subjects from individual to family subjects- at least for my 2nd and 4th grader.

Language Arts

IEW Structure & Style Level A Year 1

After doing the 3-weel FREE trial from IEW, we decided that their structure and style writing program was a perfect fit for both my daughters. The recommended grade level is 3rd – 5th, since we started this mid-year, we will continue working on this next school year.

Guest Hollow Beowulf Grammar

This program is designed for grades 2nd – 6th and was that perfect addition to our homeschool. We needed a more in-depth curriculum on basic grammar principles and this has been the perfect fit.

Unit Studies – Science / History / Social Studies

2022/2023 4th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks

Math

Saxon 5/4 with Nicole the Math Lady Video Lessons

Foreign Language

American Sign Language with Mr.D – Check out my Review Here: Learning American Sign Language: Mr.D’s ASL Course for Homeschool

Handwriting

Cursive – The Good and Beautiful Level 4 Handwriting

2022/2023 2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks

Math

The Good & Beautiful Math 2

Times Tales

Saxon 3

Foreign Language

Song School Spanish

Handwriting

Cursive – Handwriting Without Tears Kick Start Cursive

2022/2023 Preschool Homeschool Curriculum Picks

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Learning American Sign Language: Mr.D’s ASL Course for Homeschool

Learning American Sign Language (ASL) in homeschool is an invaluable skill that can open the door to a world of opportunities. As a parent of a homeschool student who has an interest in learning ASL, and has tried various programs, I was thrilled to discover the Mr.D ASL course for homeschooled students.

I did receive access to this ASL course in exchange for my honest review.

Not only does this course provide my daughter with the opportunity to learn ASL, it also allows her to do so in a convenient and enjoyable way. The course is designed to be both informative and engaging. The materials are accessible and easy to follow, and the instruction is clear and thorough.

My daughter particularly enjoys the interactive activities that help to reinforce the concepts she is learning. Additionally, the instructor, is friendly and engaging, she has a vast knowledge of ASL and sign language. She has been able to answer all of my daughter’s questions and has been extremely helpful in guiding her through the course.

Check out Mr. D’s American Sign Language Course

The Benefits of Learning American Sign Language

The benefits of learning ASL are numerous. For starters, it allows people to communicate with those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. It also introduces students to a whole new language and culture, one which is rich in history and full of interesting people. Learning ASL can also help to improve communication skills and enhance problem solving skills, and can even help to improve literacy.

  • Increased Cognition
    • Studies have shown that learning American Sign Language (ASL) increases cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, memory, and spatial recognition.
  • Increased Empathy
    • Those who learn ASL gain a greater understanding of the deaf community and develop more empathy for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
  • Improved Communication Skills
    • Learning ASL helps improve communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal, which can be beneficial in any profession.
  • Improved Academic Performance
    • Learning ASL has been linked to improved academic performance in areas such as reading and writing.
  • Enhanced Job Opportunities
    • Those who know ASL may have access to jobs in fields such as teaching, healthcare, social work, and interpreting.

Mr. D’s American Sign Language Courses

We have tried various ASL programs, and by far Mr.D’s ASL courses have been our favorite. The self-paced courses, amazing teacher, and quick feedback will keep us continuing to use these courses.

We are currently using the ASL 1 course designed for grades 6th-12th. This is a middle school/ high school level course. They offer ASL 1, 2, &3 at this level. If you have a highschool student and your state requires and accepts ASL as a foreign language, these can be used to complete high school credits.

My daughter has been learning ASL for over 2 years, so we decided to choose this higher level course. If you have an elementary student who is just starting out learning ASL, I would recommend starting with Mr.D’s ASL Elementary course. This course is designed for grades K-5 and is great for beginners.

These courses are self-paced. The student logs onto the portal and works through the course and lessons at their own pace. Each lesson has videos, activities, printables, quizzes, and homework.

In my daughters course at then end of each lesson she has to submit a video as her homework. ASL is something that needs to be visually seen, submitting videos is a perfect way to ensure she understands. I am able to help her take a video on my phone and I just log in to her course to upload the video.

My favorite thing about this course is the feedback she receives after submitting her video assignment. Her teacher is fluent in ASL and gives her quick feedback about hand placement and any tips to work on.

Check out my Youtube Video Review on Mr.D’s ASL Course:

Would I Recommend Mr.D’s American Sign Language Courses?

Overall, I highly recommend the Mr.D ASL course for homeschooled students. Not only does it provide a convenient and enjoyable way for students to learn ASL, but also offers numerous benefits. My daughter has been taking the course for a few months now and has already seen an improvement in her ability to understand and communicate using ASL. I’m confident that with continued practice, she will be able to become proficient in this amazing language.

We plan on continuing to use Mr.D’s American Sign Language courses throughout our homeschool journey and as our foreign language credits in highschool.

The courses cost around $6 per lesson, and $197 for the entire course. These are very well priced, I haven’t seen any lessons on ASL for less than $6. If you need to budget monthly for cost, factor in about $16.50/month for this course. The online program we previously used was $39 per month!

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Why We Stopped Using The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum- The Pros and Cons

Homeschooling is becoming more and more popular as parents take control of their children’s education. As with any educational choice, there are pros and cons to each and every curriculum. One of the most popular homeschool curriculum is The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum, which is designed to be an easy-to-use, open-and-go type of curriculum. We used this curriculum for multiple years and multiple levels and made the decision to stop using the Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum.

We used The Good and Beautiful homeschool curriculum for multiple subjects over multiple years.

Our Experience with The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum

We had been using The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum for multiple levels with multiple children, covering multiple levels and subjects such as math, language arts, history, and science. It helped us get in a good rhythm and routine in our homeschool, but the actual content was lacking. I didn’t feel like my kids were learning and growing their knowledge.

For new homeschool families, this curriculum is an excellent choice because of its ease of use and its straightforward approach. However, after years of use, we found that this curriculum began to lack in-depth teaching of topics and review of subjects.

I will state that the art and geography lessons were truly enjoyable, however, we needed a solid Language Arts curriculum. These extra lessons took away from the normal day to day Language arts lesson. This was another reason we decided to stop using The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum.

We enjoyed the extra art and geography lessons that were included, they were very engaging but took away from our dedicated Language Arts time.

The Issues We Faced Using The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum

The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum is designed for a broad range of learners, from preschoolers to high schoolers. As such, the material is designed to be accessible to all learners. However, because of this, the curriculum lacks the depth and complexity of higher-level learning.

This became problematic for us as our children began to outgrow the basic material. In addition, the curriculum does not provide enough review of the subject material. Without sufficient review, our children struggled to retain the information they were learning. We found that they needed more comprehensive instruction and more opportunities to practice and review the material in order to truly understand the concepts they were learning.

Even after the revisions that the good and beautiful made to their curriculum, we still noticed the lack of depth in the lessons
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The Pros and Cons of Using The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum

Cons

  • Lacks in-depth teaching of topics
  • Does not provide enough review of the subject material
  • Lacks complexity for higher-level learners

Pros

  • Easy to use and open and go type of curriculum
  • Accessible to a broad range of learners
  • Great for new homeschool families

For these reasons, we stopped using The Good and Beautiful Homeschool Curriculum after four years. Although it is a great curriculum for new homeschool families, it is not well-suited for tenured homeschool families who need more depth and complexity in their lessons. We found that as our children advanced, we needed a more comprehensive curriculum that provided more detailed instruction and more opportunities for review.

Want to hear more about our decision to change homeschool curriculums? Check out these videos:

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Teaching a Preschooler to Write Letters – ABC Writing Lesson Review

This past August we “officially” started preschool with my son who was 3 when we started. I say this very lightly as we have no official preschool schedule. We have lots of different resources that we sit down and use whenever we have time and my son is in a school mood. Mostly we focus on things like playing- that’s really all a preschooler needs!

My son actually likes doing school, so that is why it’s more led by him when we ask when we will do some lessons. He has been extremely interested in learning to write his name- which is pretty exciting! I remembered that Timberdoodle gifted me with ABC Writing Lessons and it was the perfect resource to pull out for my preschooler learning to write.

I work with Timberdoodle to test out a product they include in their curriculum for kids. They gift me products at no cost to share my honest review.

From Timberdoodle Website:

ABC Writing Lesson

Because legible handwriting remains an essential skill, necessary for communication, give your pre-K student a valuable edge with the new colorful ABC Writing Lesson. This uncomplicated handwriting method is based on repetition in the form of tracing. There are multiple practice pages devoted to each letter, both uppercase and lowercase. Then, after working to develop muscle memory for that letter, the last letter page is for practicing the letter without tracing. 

An instructional example starts each line, so there is no guessing as to how to form the letter. The ABC Writing Lesson pages are nice and thick and easy to erase if necessary. The spaces are very generous and wide. Also included is practice for numbers 1-9. 

When Should My Child Learn To Write?

Honestly, I don’t know if there is a perfect time. I don’t think preschool is the traditional age- this is more commonly started in PreK – and kindergarten which is why this book is included in Timberdoodle’s PreK Kit.

The only reason we have been focusing on writing is that my son wants to we love taking an interest-led approach in our homeschool so if he wants to learn to write his name, then that’s what we are going to focus on, plus seeing him write out is name is ADORABLE!

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How Do We Use ABC Writing Lessons in Preschool?

Using the ABC Writing Lesson book as been a huge help! Some letters like “O” my son can just look and copy with no issue, but the letter “C” he was having a hard time grasping where to start and stop which is where this workbook came in perfectly!

This work book took out the guess work for me as far as proper letter formation and gave my son colorful practice pages!

In the workbook you get about 4 pages total of each letter practice which includes both capital and lowercase letters. I do wish there were more practice pages, however, inside the front cover it does say you can get a PDF version from the website ReadingLessons.com and print multiple copies of the pages for extra practice.

Our Final Thoughts on ABC Writing Lessons

Overall I think this is a great tool to have in your resource pile for preschool up to Kindergarten. It really helps me as a teacher show proper letter formation and gives us a good path to practice letter writing! Its colorful and great quality- my son is able to follow the instructions and learn his letter formation.

Even a bonus, it starts teaching number 1-9 towards the end. This is an extremely affordable resource you will want to try! Check it out here: ABC Writing Lesson

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5 Ways to Keep Homeschool Kids Engaged in Learning Over Summer – For FREE

If you are like us, we chose to take a nice long break over summer! We had some trips planned as well as, my girls were attending camp multiple weeks throughout summer. Even though we were keeping pretty busy, when we weren’t busy, we were itching to have some educational time. Yes you read that correctly, my kids were actually asking to do school. That’s one joy to homeschool, kids don’t dread it (most of the time).

I didn’t want to break into our curriculum for our upcoming school year, so I came up with 5 ways to keep my kids engaged in learning over summer.

5 Ways to Keep your Kids Engaged in Learning Over Summer:

1. Summer Reading Challenge

This one was so simple, but so fun! Each of my kids found 5 books around the house that they haven’t already read, and added it to their summer reading list. We set a start date and some basic rules and my kids competed against each other to read through their books. Oddly enough my girls finished reading the exact same day. This was a simple and free way to keep them reading over summer.

2. Free Homeschool Curriculum Trials

After we quickly completed the reading challenge, I was looking for something else to keep their attention. I was so pleased to stumble across the Home School Buyers Club! Early in summer I started seeing a lot of chatter about this company and it peaked my interest. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to work with this company and share some great things with you guys! 

Homeschool Buyers Club provided Smart Points to use their product to share my honest review, as always any opinions expressed are my own. 
Summer is here, and what better way to get a jump-start on homeschooling than with free trials on top of curriculum. Explore new programs and tools that will help your child succeed this upcoming year and beyond.
  1. Thinkwell Free Trial
  2. Reading Skills Assessment Ongoing
  3. HomeSchoolPiano Trial
  4. Code Avengers Free Trial
  5. Monarch
  6. Kids Guitar Academy Trial
  7. Mr Henry’s Music World Freebie
  8. Nessy.com Free Trial
  9. Mark Kistler Art Lessons
  10. Creta Class 7 Day Trial
  11. Math Mammoth PDFs
  12. Brilliant.org
  13. Reading Eggs
  14. Doodlemaths
  15. Smile and Learn
  16. History Alive Grades 6-12
  17. History Alive Grades 1-6
  18. Vocabulary Quest
  19. Dynamic Earth Learning (Aquaponics Course)

3. Free Gifts from Homeschool Buyers Club

Any order you place from Homeschool Buyers Club you can also access 3 free gifts that are great learning tools over summer! These free gifts include items on staying safe online, Craft & hobby ideas, plus a whole month access to eSpried Library!

Enjoy up to 3 exclusive free gifts (a $38 value) with any purchase! Simply head to their website place your order, and upon checkout, select your free gift(s).

4. Try a Unit Study over Summer

Unit Studies can be a great way to expand learning through summer! They can be interest led topics that your child chooses, and a fun way to keep busy over summer. If you are interested in a FREE unit study– check out my Human Body Unit Study– this would be perfect for summer!

5. Take those Homeschool Field Trips

I know as a homeschool mom, you planned the most perfect year, with lots of great field trip ideas…..but also as a homeschool mom I know life can get in the way. Take the summer break to catch up on those missed field trips- your kids will love them!

Remember, you are taking a summer break for a reason, refresh and recharge. Don’t over you do it- save that for the new school year! Use these great FREE ideas and get your kids signed up for these amazing free trials…..that way when someone asks what you did over summer, you can replay, we took piano lessons and did an art study– with never learning the house!

Free Homeschool Learning Trials