This school year I am teaching my 5 year old, Evan, to read. In my short two years as a homeschooler, I had somehow collected about 8 books to teach reading, as well as a huge boxed reading curriculum. We went through the most widely recommended curriculum with Emma, now 7, and she hated them all. Since we had such a difficult time with Emma, I wanted to try to avoid that with Evan. I went … [Read more...] about The Ordinary Parent’s Guide To Teaching Reading
Art of the Argument
By now, y'all know I love logic. Whether the more mathematical side of logic puzzlers or the more formal side of logical thinking, I'm on board (and so are my kids!) And I'm on a mission to get your family excited about this important subject. This time around, I'm reviewing Art of the Argument: An Introduction to the Informal Fallacies by Aaron Lawson and Joelle Hodge. Written for middle … [Read more...] about Art of the Argument
Real Science 4 Kids
I ran across the Real Science 4 Kids while attending our local curriculum fair this year. Right from the start I was attracted to the colorful, yet informative, hands-on learning style. I didn't pick up a copy at the time mainly because I really wanted to see what was out there and approach the pros and cons. In the vast array of options, I really thought I wanted to do Apologia for our first … [Read more...] about Real Science 4 Kids
Educational Apps
Technology continues to advance, and with it, comes many opportunities to learn. Today, cell phones have become much more than just a way to call someone. But, did you know that beyond Facebook and Angry Birds (a game), there are some really great learning gems available for smart phones? 5 Great Apps For Education Super WHY! Originally just a TV show, Super Why! has transitioned … [Read more...] about Educational Apps
English for a Thoughtful Child
Every online homeschool forum that I belong to eventually gets around to the question of teaching grammar. Parents are concerned about what to teach, how to teach it, and, the biggie, at what age to begin formal grammar studies. For our family, the answer to these concerns differs with each child, but one resource that has become a staple for this subject in our homeschool is English for a … [Read more...] about English for a Thoughtful Child
The Nature Game
Kendra from the blog, Aussie Pumpkin Patch, has developed a fun game that nature lovers everywhere will get excited about! She originally asked me to review this for Shining Dawn Books since our main line is the NaturExplorers series, but I thought it deserved the attention of The Curriculum Choice instead. The Nature Game comes to you as two PDF flies. On one file, you get directions for … [Read more...] about The Nature Game
Nature in Your Pocket
Waterford Press has a tagline that says, “Putting the World in Your Pocket.” With Waterford Press it is amazing just how much of the world you can fit into your pocket. You can store information about animal tracks, the cosmos, plants, wildlife and more right in your back pocket. These naturalist pocket guides are durable, easy to read, colorful, and fun for children or anyone who appreciates … [Read more...] about Nature in Your Pocket
Sequential Spelling
Our family has used several things through the years to help our kids in the area of spelling. Some have worked well. Others have not. My oldest son (14) was really struggling this past year with his spelling and programs that we had previously tried just didn't seem to be doing the trick with him. He was a late reader. He has always struggled a bit with the concept of phonics. He tends to be very … [Read more...] about Sequential Spelling
Life Lessons: Sponsor a Child
Our family sponsors two children with Compassion International. It isn't exactly a curriculum, but my family is receiving an education through it. The educational benefits are numerous: 1. Geography becomes a real, living subject rather than a flat, oddly shaped spot on a globe. Someone lives there! Someone who writes you letters! You send letters back! Geography lives. 2. … [Read more...] about Life Lessons: Sponsor a Child
Max Axiom Graphic Science Books
I'm in love - or, better yet, my son is in love! We've had the opportunity to review graphic science books on all sorts of topics that are fun and easy to read. Comic book style science sounds really fluffy doesn't it? Believe it or not, the Max Axiom series is full of "real" science that goes deep enough to be appropriate for any upper elementary/early middle school child. My son is a … [Read more...] about Max Axiom Graphic Science Books
Train up a Child Publishing
Looking for a Bible based Charlotte Mason style curriculum for homeschool? Then Train up a Child Publishing may be just what you are looking for! Editor's Note: This curriculum was reviewed under its original name of Epi Kardia but this updated post has the current company name, links, and images. To me, this curriculum gets right to the heart of what we want homeschooling to be in our … [Read more...] about Train up a Child Publishing
Wordsmith
Wordsmith by Janie Cheaney is a creative writing course for 7-9th grades. Written to the child in a casual, humorous tone, it gives encouragement that writing isn’t something to hate and shouldn’t be considered too hard. Broken into three parts, lessons in parts 1 and 2 are incremental and break writing into doable steps which focus on various writing techniques. Even though the author begins … [Read more...] about Wordsmith