The Curriculum Choice

Drawing Basics by Thomas Kinkade

Apr 182011

I count it a benefit of homeschooling when one of the masters can step in and teach my children. Thomas Kinkade has led my children in Drawing Basics several times already. That is with the Alpha Omega DVD Lifepac. An Alpha Omega Lifepac is a full subject of study “built upon the principle of mastery learning.” Drawing Basics is an elective Lifepac.

Our two eldest children went through all the lessons with the accompanying workbooks. We just added drawing tablets, pencils and erasers. Drawing Basics is truly the basics. The study begins with line and shape and leads all the way to art history.

The five units each include three sections. Thomas Kinkade teaches the concept at the beginning of each section, encouraging students to sketch along in their drawing tablets.

Next the student is directed to pause the DVD and to “return to your workbook” for practice in the concept.

Also included:

18 weeks of study
extra enrichment activities
review questions
tests
teacher guide
5 unit workbooks
instructional DVD

Unit workbooks and instructional DVD can be purchased separately. Alpha Omega Publications offers the DVD for purchase by itself for $13.95 here.

Intended for:

Grades 3 to 5 but can be adapted for up to grade 8. (Guess what? My 5-year-old, 3^rd grader and two middle schoolers all enjoy it).

Plus:

Thomas Kinkade teaches from a Biblical worldview and includes a Bible lesson in each section.

This resource is great to use as an elective, a unit study and/or to compliment history studies. Plus when you’ve already enjoyed his lessons several times, the DVD is so nice to pull out on a sick day. There is always something new we didn’t notice before. And that day, not long ago, when I was on the couch, it was sure fun to tell my fellow homeschoolers, “Oh Thomas Kinkade taught school today!”

For more information on all Alpha Omega Lifepac Curriculum, visit their site.

View a video sample on the AOP website by creating an account here.

How about you? Wouldn’t you like the ‘Painter of Light’ to teach your children?

~Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. She contributes a blend of writing at parenting and homeschool sites as well as her own daily Hodgepodge.

Weaver Interlock

Preschool No Responses »

Jan 222010

Weaver Interlock is a hands-on curriculum for preschoolers and kindergartners made by Alpha-Omega. It offers a flexible, fully outlined lesson plan that covers Creation through the Flood. The program integrates Bible with additional subjects such as science, math, language arts, and social studies.

We started using Interlock Weaver as our first curriculum for my oldest as his preschool curriculum. We continue to use it as a unit study, bible add-on, and intend to use it for my younger boy as well.

Right off the bat, I loved how well planned the curriculum is and how easy it was to follow. Each day is laid out with your bible theme which then “weaves” that theme into multiple subjects. They even include reading suggestions as well as craft projects that use primarily household items.

The program includes a tab in the big binder that is filled with reproducible worksheets and projects, which the kids loved! I loved it too because it saved me so much time not having to separately source printable or crafts for each topic on the internet. The program also comes with a music tape and an introduction to phonics.

If you choose to use Weaver for both preschool and kindergarten, I do suggest you order their full phonics or outside program as the phonics included is really just an introduction. (We didn’t delve too deeply into the phonics introduction because my son was already well versed in the phonetic sounds of the alphabet.)

I found this program a joy and it continues to be a fantastic resource for us. The curriculum runs for $99.00 and is available at http://www.aophomeschooling.com.

Written by Diana, eclectic homeschooling mom of two boys ages 2 and 5, and blogger at Life Curves.