K-3 Old and New Testament
The Picture Smart Bible has been a great fit for our family for a couple of years now. We use the K-3 manual, but the 4-A is great for many ages, as well, as you can give younger students the master drawing, like a coloring sheet, rather than having them tracing or writing in detail. This curriculum feels like a TRUE curriculum, rather than simply a "bible study", as we do our own devotions as a family, and I feel conflicted about teaching my kids that being in the written word of God is a "subject" rather than a lifestyle. The Picture Smart Bible covers the themes, characters, timelines, and an overview of each book of the bible, without personal commentary added in, so that by the end of the curriculum, they will have illustrated or colored the entire bible, one book on each page, and can tell you exactly what each book entails. My husband and I continue to grow in our understanding of the bible as a whole thanks to this curriculum, and we're so thankful to have found it for our kids, as well. They have been so generous as to offer my subscribers a 50% off code, as listed:
Use code TPSB2018
Drawing Americana
As someone who has very little artistic training, yet desires to know and understand art, this program blew me away. I have struggled to make any sort of connection between crafting with my kids, studying an artist, and doing a picture study, but with this program, all of the bases are covered. Drawing Americana, just like is sounds, features American artists and their pieces, as well as teaching your students how to critique art, recreate variations of their own art, and learn about said artist. I actually completed this curriculum WITH the kids, and look forward to using another one of Marrissa's bundles this upcoming year. Psst...be sure to come back next week to win a bundle of your choice!!!
As someone who has very little artistic training, yet desires to know and understand art, this program blew me away. I have struggled to make any sort of connection between crafting with my kids, studying an artist, and doing a picture study, but with this program, all of the bases are covered. Drawing Americana, just like is sounds, features American artists and their pieces, as well as teaching your students how to critique art, recreate variations of their own art, and learn about said artist. I actually completed this curriculum WITH the kids, and look forward to using another one of Marrissa's bundles this upcoming year. Psst...be sure to come back next week to win a bundle of your choice!!!
The Middle Ages, v. 2
This is our third year using SOTW, and we have now completed all of volume 1 and volume 2. We do this with friends, so I read the book aloud during the week, and we work on the projects together on the day that we meet. We absolutely love it, and will be moving onto volume 3 this upcoming year. The stories are engaging and descriptive, it's hard to recognize it as "history", as my experience with history was quite boring in school. It really comes to life through SOTW.
Simply Charlotte Mason
Visits to Europe
I love the approach that Visits to Europe takes for teaching geography. If you would like either a little guidance, or a full curriculum, this, along with Material World and Hungry Planet, is a great option. We didn't finish, per se, but used it as a launching pad to explore the books on our own.
Swimming Creatures
This is a hard one for me to write, because I REALLY wanted it to be a "yes" for us. Unfortunately, it was a "no", but NOT because of the curriculum. I still love Apologia's immersive approach and hope to continue to use their curriculum as reference, but I see that my family prefers to be a little more interest led, so a full year study of the ocean was wearing on them.
Grade 1
Keeping with the same structure that worked for my daughter, this program worked well for my son. Bright, colorful, and engaging, the lessons aren't too exhausting, and the curriculum does a great job at reinforcing concepts as the lessons move on.
Level 4
It's no secret around here that we LOVE TT Math! My daughter has about 10 lessons to go before she can start level 5, and she's super excited about seeing what her new "buddies" will be! Check out my video below to see how and why we use TT math!
Spelling Wisdom & Using Language Well
I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. That's my full review. Just kidding! Short lessons, encompassing both spelling and grammar, and only twice a week. Need I say more? There...now THAT's my full review ;)
Delightful Handwriting
Unfortunately, this is another "the program is great but not the right fit" books for us. It was actually a good fit for my 1st grader, and he may continue, but I need something for a child struggling with handwriting, vs. something that is teaching from Point A. I do wish that I had started with this years ago, as the WAY it is taught, very calm, simple, and self correcting, is something that I really appreciate about the curriculum.
Level 2
We are big fans of "All About Reading" levels 1 and 2 in our house. My daughter flew through at 4 and 5 years old, and my son, who was a reluctant reader, completed levels 1 and 2 in about two full school years. He still has a few lessons to go, but as his desire to read took off, he no longer needed the curriculum to assist him. However, we will still complete it in order to reinforce good habits. This program has been great, therefore, for both a child who does, and a child who does not, naturally read well. I beleive that is due to their multi-sensory approach (flash cards, games, magnet tiles, etc.)
I hope that helps any of you who are doing your curriculum research for the upcoming school year. Let me know if you have any questions, and be sure to check out my video for an in depth review!
Some links provided are affiliate links, and I may receive commission if you choose to purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!
Some links provided are affiliate links, and I may receive commission if you choose to purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!
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