Beauty, Connection, and Adventure in Homeschool

Building relationships with our children, and between siblings is still one of the big motivations for our homeschool, but this year in our homeschool and family my focus has been on a few different things than in the past-

Our goals this year were to include more beauty, build a closer homeschool community, and add in more adventure as a family.
It takes a *lot* of dying to self and letting the Lord lead, for this introvert (except maybe the adventure part). As I told a dear friend- growing pains are hard.
But something has shifted. Somehow adding “more” of these things, when we needed less of so much, has created a peace and abundance that is not my own. It is ???? the Lord. He has met every need along the way.
He always does. So I will continue praying for the peace He has blessed us with so far, the adventure, beauty, and community.
To Do List

This trifecta of a goal has led us to do a few things differently this year.

We are still doing our No Sweat Nature Study regularly. This is just something we love, and I find so much value in as a homeschooler and mama. I love owning the kids to work in my own nature notebook. It’s just a great time all around.

Read Aloud Revival is still a guiding light in our homeschool. I love the read alouds, the writing workshops, the author access, and the many other benefits RAR brings to our home. It enriches my own life as a homeschool mama, and even if I didn’t use to for enriching our homeschool, I would probably get it just for me ????

This year we have added 2 things that I *love.* They help me add beauty and wonder to our homeschool days, the encourage me when I need it the most and more importantly, when I don’t know I need it.

Morning Virtues provides so much in their bimonthly subscription. I will leave a link here, but this is where we get our folk song, Bible readings, poetry, Shakespeare, music and art studies, as well as our virtue focus which also lines up with our Charlotte Mason habits I’ve lined out from Laying Down the Rails. ???? (was that a giant run on sentence? ???? )

Now we are also back to using the Wild + Free content bundles to enrich our homeschool as well. It’s hard to say that, because our homeschool is every day life for us. Yes we sit down and do table work for a while in the mornings (most) days, but overall, we learn all. day. long. So while Wild + Free is enriching our homeschool, it is one of my favorite additions to our home in general. I just love everything they stand for, and it is my biggest reminder that this is it. This is our time with our children, 12 to 2 years old (y’all, my youngest is already 2!).

Not time for Facebook, the news, tv, or running around like crazy from one activity to another.

This is it. In 6 years our oldest will be 18, and I know how fast that is going to go.

So we are using all these resources to slow down, focus on the little things, enjoy one another, and grow in Christ. It’s been a fun switch up, and even though it looks like a lot, it has simplified our life so much because I don’t have to waste time searching for what I need. It’s all right here and we use it at our leisure.

Giving our children a simple, slow, old-fashioned childhood is hopefully one of the best gifts they will get from us.

I pray they grow up to be adults that seek slow, peaceful lives, set goals that are not only financially motivated, and love the Lord. That will all be up to them, but we can certainly lay the foundation for it now.

Old Fashioned Childhood

————-
I’ve been sitting outside this morning, listening to the birds and enjoying the crisp air that tells me fall will be here soon. Too soon.

and I have to wonder, when does it stop being magical? When does it stop being full of wonder? Do we grow up, and it changes?

I remember being 13 and 14, and still wanting to play, still wanting to be in my own world, while all my friends were “dating,” and saying yes to boys they didn’t know … while I was the outsider that said no. While I still longed for being in the woods with my brother, fishing with my Memaw, and riding 4 wheelers at the lake.

Like it used to be.

I don’t think it changes though.

We don’t lose a sense of wonder. I don’t think we become grown ups who don’t remember what it is like to be a little kid. We start to feel an obligation to the world, and it quickly becomes difficult to be in the world but not of it… and with the world and its problems we leave behind all the things we knew as a child.

We grow up, but our imaginations can keep growing. We can continue to grow into who God made us to be, and quite frankly, you have to have a big imagination to do that! Because who could actually think the amazing blessings of the Lord- the sunrise, the birds singing, your perfectly matched to you spouse, your children, watching seeds become plants in the garden- could become reality? and He uses it all to grow us.

I’d also like to add, if you haven’t checked out the 1,000 Outside Podcast, it is phenomenal! Whether you have kids at home or not, the people she interviews and their massive amounts of information are fascinating. There is so much happening to our children and young adults because of technology. The world is changing in BIG ways (80% of jobs in 2030 haven’t even been created yet!), and knowledge about how and why is one of our greatest weapon to protecting our kids. And she has it!

 

Nature Walk with kids

 

What is your Why? Why are you homeschooling? What have you done, or used, to meet the needs of your people and help you along with your why?

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Middle Grade Book- Quest for the King’s Crown {Focus on the Family with Tyndale House Publishers}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

Focus on the Family 

Did you know Focus on the Family with Tyndale House Publishers offers children’s books with Christian values, for all ages and stages of childhood? Some of my children recently read Quest for the King’s Crown, the 7th chapter book in The Last Chance Detectives series. They have really enjoyed it. This series has been updated with new stories, and is rereleased just in time for your adventure loving kids!

This is going to make a great Christmas gift for independent readers on a 2nd grade+ level, and a read aloud for all ages.

Quest for the King's Crown from Focus on the Family with Tyndale House

In this adventure friends Mike, Winnie, Ben, and Spence are searching for a lost treasure that could make them richer beyond their wildest dreams, but they aren’t the only ones searching for the treasure. Readers will learn along side the friends what discernment is, and that some things aren’t worth all the riches in the world.

My 12 year old thought it wasn’t long enough ???? which is about right for a girl that wants books to have 300+ pages. But overall she said it was a fun story, and thought her younger siblings (8 and 10) would enjoy it more than her. There wasn’t anything objectionable she wished wasn’t in the book, and she is a little more particular than even I am. haha

This is a 160 pages softcover chapter book that offers adventure from the beginning to the end, with twists and turns that will keep your kiddos reading. From my perspective, there is quite a bit of dialogue, which isn’t my favorite for a read aloud. But I do think this series, and the Quest for the King’s Crown in particular, is a great way to get our kids reading on their own. My 10 year old has started it, but hasn’t yet finished. He is enjoying the plot, and for a boy who only wants to read hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure books, that is saying something.

My 12yo says the funniest part of Quest for the King’s Crown was “the hot sauce part- when the person they think is the bad guy approaches them, and the little old throws hot sauce on him.” Lessons learned include discernment, judgement, and what a treasure really is (hint, it isn’t riches ???? ).  I would say there is a definite Indiana Jone’s vibe with mystery and excitement, without the violence and gore, which most boys especially are going to enjoy.

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Focus on the Family


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Historical Fiction Horse Series Appaloosy- Blue Skies West

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew
Appaloosy Books

A few years ago I told yall about the Appaloosy Books, and now there is another one for me to share with you. Blue Skies West is  the fifth book in an adventure series for kids and families. Mattie is a young woman now but began writing books in her early teens. Her stories are adventurous and written from the point of view of the horse. Your horse loving, adventure seeking kiddos are going to love this series!

Blue Skies West- middle grade horse series

I knew we wanted to read this one because my oldest enjoyed the first books we read several years ago, but also because I now have an 8 year old who is *obsessed* with horses. Blue Skies West is a 140 page, soft cover chapter book, with sturdy binding.

Blue Skies West- middle grade horse series

My daughter says,

In the story, Charlie is the horse’s boy. The whole family decide they’re going to take the Oregon Trail to Oregon, where part of their family has settled. Charlie takes Blue with the family, along the way many of the children in the family get sick, they have ford a river, with adventure along the way.

The story is told from the perspective of the horse, Blue which makes the narration unique and interesting. I really like that in the front of the book there is an informative introduction about the Oregon Trail as well as a large, easy to read map of the Oregon Trail. In the back of the book readers will find a Blast From the Past section where they can read and learn about the history which the book is based upon, an Author’s Note and Historical Disclaimer section, this is a brief note to readers from Mattie herself. Lastly, there is a Bibliography/Further Reading page with a list of books and additional reading for those who would like to dig deeper into the history that Blue Skies West was written in.

I think most of your historical fiction loving families will enjoy Blue Skies West, and the other books in the Appaloosy series. It will be a big bonus for animal and horse loving kids! These are going to make great gifts this Christmas season, and you will be supporting a young, Christian author who just may sign your books!

Blue Skies West- middle grade horse series

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The Adventum: Volume 1 (plus a coupon code!)

 Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

The Adventum

Let me tell you about a little something my children are absolutely obsessed with and quote all day long- The Adventum. This is an audio drama style recording of God’s story of redemption; The Adventum, Volume 1 covers stories from creation to Abraham. At just over 4 hours, this is absolutely loved by all 5 of my children, and I promise your kiddos will love it as well. The Adventum is an entertaining, family friendly, creative, full- cast Bible epic with over 50 voice actors, music, and sounds.

Our family loves *loves* audio dramas, and this audio drama is going to be for anyone of any age. I’d say if they’re old enough to listen to stories on audio, kids can start enjoying The Adventum. Parents and grandparents are going to enjoys this Christian, family friendly audio drama, as well.

The Adventum Volume 1

 

What is The Adventum, Volume 1

There are 4 CDs in the volume 1 set. We received the physical CDs, but you can also choose to order the downloadable mp3 version. Not only are the stories told with great detail and energy, but the actors voices are great! If you are someone that listens to audiobooks or podcasts, you know the narrator’s voice makes or breaks the listening experience. The voice actors in The Adventum bring the stories to life with vibrance and energy that shows their love for telling God’s story. The quality of the sound and music is just beautiful; but it isn’t overbearing or over the top.

It’s just right, it’s just the right amount of everything-excitement, drama, sound, quiet, nature- to go along with God’s redeeming story, with the gospel.

What I really love as a mom, is that I have watched and listened as my children have fallen even more in love with God’s Word. They are actively looking up stories they hear on The Adventum and reading them from scripture. The audio definitely takes creative liberties to get a laugh from kiddos or grab their attention with sounds, music and details, but it is so wholesome and easy to listen to. This has been on repeat in our home since the day I handed it to them!

The Adventum Volume 1

The Adventum has been a wonderful addition to our home for those hot summer afternoons when we are worn out from playing, swimming, and choring, and need to rest indoors for a while. The girls even took the CD player and cds downstairs so they could act it out with dolls while listening.

My almost 10 year old son has created inside jokes with his siblings about all the silly parts in their favorite stories; he enjoys acting out the parts for his sisters.

This isn’t going to be the Bible word for word. If you are like our family, you have Bible time together, and devotional time together. Your children have probably had the Bible read to them since they were babies and knew many Bible stories by the time they were 3 years old. This won’t replace that. But it will be a fun, relaxing addition to your day and a wonderful way for your children to interact with the Bible. And maybe they haven’t heard God’s word daily since they were born, maybe you know a family that doesn’t know much about the Bible, or maybe you’d like your kiddos to want to dive in more deeply. I can honestly tell you that The Adventum will do just that.

I have found turning on The Adventum definitely creates an atmosphere in our home where there is a lot of excited talking about the Bible all. day. long.  And who can complain about that?

And guess what?! The Adventum, Volume 1 is currently discounted by 50% on the website. A special offer for readers includes Free Shipping (US only) using Discount code: advcrew2

I would love to get the remaining volumes for our family. We don’t really do big birthdays or Christmas, but I think this will be just right for those occasions. The other volumes would also make great Advent openers leading into the Christmas season, or even as a Resurrection Sunday tradition.

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Homeschool Printables from SuperTeacherWorksheets.com 

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.
Super Teacher Worksheets

SuperTeacherWorksheets.com is possibly the largest online worksheet resource for homeschoolers, offering over 20,000 printable PDF resource! As homeschoolers, many of us approach elementary education from a Charlotte Mason, classical, or eclectic viewpoint. I would say in any homeschool style, there is always room for a little fun review, extra practice, or a seasonal activity printable. These PDFs are going to be best for K-5th grade level students. We received the 1 year membership, and I have so many plans for using it over the next year! The unlimited year membership is only $24.95 for an individual and include *unlimited* downloads. No more searching the internet for hours, getting side tracked with 100 tabs open, and never printing off what you were looking for … (just me? ???? )

SuperTeacherWorksheets.com  24.95 for a year unlimited downloads

What Is It?

SuperTeacherWorksheets.com is a perfect resource for any homeschool family that needs custom printables for specific learning areas or skills.If you ever find yourself looking online for printables, look no more! Because you will find worksheets for math, reading, writing, phonics, spelling, science (and more!), all your printable-needs will be met with this one subscription. I like to use them for weaker areas where we need extra time for learning a specific skill. The worksheets are super easy to use as a supplement with manipulatives like snap cubes, real money, counting bears, and shapes for hands-0n learning!

I also like to have printables ready for our on the go clipboard work. I will print off a few sheets for each child, put them on their clipboards so they can work while we wait at the doctor, the dentist, or drive to town. Some skills just need extra time, and that’s okay! With SuperTeacherWorksheets.com we have access to all the printables we need, in one place. Woo hoo!

We often do a fun school season around Christmas, or add in extra activities for Resurrection Sunday, so I really like that they offer printouts for holidays and other seasonal activities. The autumn scarecrow letter mix-up example below includes the page to write the letters, but also has the letters students can cut (fine motor skills), and scramble around to see and build the words they are making before writing them. This adds a hands component to the worksheet; I have found many of the worksheets

SuperTeacherWorksheets.com  24.95 for a year unlimited downloadshomeschool printables SuperTeacherWorksheets.com  24.95 for a year unlimited downloads

Parents will find math games, cut and paste activities to encourage fine motor skills, puzzles, entire spelling units, phonics mini-books, and more! There is also a worksheet generator feature that allows you to create worksheets for math skills, games and flashcards, different kinds of puzzles, ABC order sheets, quizzes, teaching tools, and there is an area to save your generated worksheets! So you don’t have to recreate worksheets you’ve made before. Im telling you, the uses are endless and the resources are such go0d quality.

homeschool printables SuperTeacherWorksheets.com  24.95 for a year unlimited downloads

This is maybe one of my favorite reviews … ???? but also one of the most utilized in our homeschool. I can even set my 11 year old up on the website and have her search for what we need, and let her do the organizing. Delegating is the best. ????

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Art Class at Home- ARTistic Pursuits Homeschool Art

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

ARTistic Pursuits 

If you are looking for a great art core series for your homeschool, look no further than ARTistic Pursuits.  My oldest daughter has been so interested in art the last few years; she has always been a creative girl doing all sorts of handicrafts. But in the last year or 2 she has really taken by art, drawing, and doodling on everything (including her math work). She has never had a formal art class, outside of a co op art class which would be similar to elementary art, so we began with Drawing with Graphite Pencils, Art Core 1.

We have been using the physical product, but also received the streaming flip book and videos. This is a great option for families that do not want/need a physical product and only want an online resource. The streamed flip book is an exact copy of the hardcover textbook, with thumbnails, note taking capabilities, zoom in and full screen features, as well as a table of contents tab for easy navigation to the lessons.

ARTistic Pursuits Graphite Drawing Core 1

What Is It?

Drawing with Graphite Pencils, Art Core 1 is a non-consumable (it can be reused) beginner art program focusing on Element of Art. The program comes with a high quality hard cover textbook, dvd video lessons, and you can choose to add lifetime streaming if you’d like. This is an independent course that does not require intense parent involvement- students will read the 10 minute lesson material from the textbook (which can be led/ discussed with parent, but isn’t required), set up the video, have materials ready and begin!

ARTistic Pursuits Graphite Drawing Core 1

Materials needed include:

  • the program textbook and videos (physical or streaming)
  • paper- we used a sketch book
  • 4 graphite pencils
  • vinyl eraser
  • pencil sharpener
  • 8 sheets of black construction paper

Each of the 4 units is divided into 4 lessons, and has students observing the art element from that lesson in their environment, studying the element in art of the masters, and how to incorporate each element into their own works of art. Then students will complete a project for each lesson; projects may take up to 50 minutes, but if you child is like mine, they will most definitely enjoy it and the time will fly by. While lessons are designed for 2x a week, my daughter was doing them as often as she could! I can already see we will be needing the next program, Core 2, very soon!

homeschool art ARTistic Pursuits Graphite Drawing Core 1

Units included in the program cover:

  • lines
  • space
  • shape
  • texture
  • value
  • form
  • animal forms
  • human forms
  • man-made forms

homeschool art ARTistic Pursuits Graphite Drawing Core 1

You will also find objectives listed in the back of the book for documentation/grading purposes (if that is required for your state).

Drawing with Graphite Pencils, Art Core 1 can be used with multiple students, and because it is non consumable can be used over and over gain. ????  my 7 year old is already watching along with big sister and wants so badly to begin her lessons.

So, what did we think? It is probably pretty clear that this is one of our very favorite reviews this year! However, it is more than that … it is probably one of our favorite homeschool programs we’ve used. It has brought joy into our homeschool day; it is simple, my daughter has learned so much already, and I can see her confidence growing. (and did I mention it’s independent at this age/level if I need it to be?!). The videos aren’t cheesy or boring, they’re concise, fun, easy to follow, and very clear on explanations.

Thank you ARTistic Pursuits for a wonderful homeschool art program we can count on and enjoy! We look forward to using the rest of the cores offered!

 

Video #4 Texture Drawing from ARTistic Pursuits Inc. on Vimeo.

 

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Homeschool Geography and History Maps Combo-Pak {homeschool in the woods}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew

 Home School in the Woods

Home School in the Woods is one of our favorite homeschool resources, from timeline figures, to lap book paks, they truly have made so many quality resources for homeschoolers. In recent weeks we have been using their Maps Combo-Pak (US & World Maps). These printable US and World maps are so great for hands-on learning, homeschool history and homeschool geography activities.

There are so many uses for all the maps found in this combo-pak, and the many other resources included are going to be a great addition to any homeschool.  No more searching the internet endlessly for just the right map, state unit study, or country themed lap books. It is all right here in one downloadable file.

Homeschool in the Woods- Maps park

What Is It?

This Maps Combo-Pak is a set of olde world style maps of all kinds. It also includes notebook pages such as brochures for Christmas, family vacations, explorers of the world, and flags for al the countries, graphics of the country in relation to others (seen below), and so much more!
Homeschool in the Woods- Maps park

 

My favorite way to use this is to look at the books we are currently reading aloud as a family, and individually as independent readers, and print out resources for those locations. It is a great way to get some geography in, or create a unit study (even a mini study) based on the literature in your homeschool.

For example, we are currently reading Skylark, the second book in the Sarah Plain and Tall series. We have already finished Sarah Plain and Tall. Because the series is set in the midwest, and influenced on the author’s own family history in several of the midwestern states, we have decided to focus on Kansas. We also are reading Sweet Home Alaska as a family at bedtime, which is daddy’s read aloud time, so we have also been working on some Alaskan lap book pages.

Homeschool in the Woods- Maps park

I do not actually create lap books with most of our printouts. I put all of their completed work into a folder, and at the end of the year I have it spiral bound into a portfolio. This is so easy, and a great memory keepsake.  All of the products we have used from Homeschool in the Woods have been perfect for adding into this annual portfolio for each child. You could also print out each of the items included in the combo-pak, and file them away by topic, location, etc. And if you’re a super planner, you could print out just the items you know you will be using in the upcoming school year. =) This used to be me … but not so much anymore. ????

I love that we can count on Homeschool in the Woods to provide accurate, simple, easy to use products like their Maps Combo-Pak (US & World Maps). The versatility in their products make them useful for just about every homeschool setting I can think of … classical, Charlotte Mason inspired, unschooling, unit study, or eclectic style like our family!

Homeschool in the Woods- Maps park

 

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Friday on the Farm: Mid Summer 2022 goat videos

Mid summer has brought much joy to the homestead so far.

Goat kids on the farm 2022

While we are still waiting on most of our garden to come in, we have been experiencing babies! ???? Goats that is. We have 3 kids and they’re so much fun!

Lucy gave us a moon spotted doeling, and Wendy gave us 2 bucklings- 1 moon spotted and 1 that is tan and white. The little doeling (Bristol, named after a fox in my son’s favorite book series, Pax) look like a regular on one side, but is beautifully spotted on the other. Her legs are also spotted.

We have always named our goats after the books we’ve read over the past year. So this year, we have a Bristol, a Bombur, and a Bilbo. Ill let you figure out who the boys were named after…

In the clip above, the bigger kid jumping straight onto the playground is the girl. Because she was a singleton, she is super big and healthy! The boys are so romp and play all day.

 

In the clip below, Bristol is deciding she’s been left behind (she has not…) , and needs to know where everyone is ????

 

 

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Healthy Habit Trackers for the Whole Family:

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew
American Coaching Academy

American Coaching Academy offers many digital resources for parents, teachers, and coaches to keep their students active and healthy. Our family has been using their Healthy Habit Trackers in our homeschool. These trackers are lots of fun, and the set has so many different options to choose from. Just download and print at home, and your family is ready for a new challenge! Also, included for a limited time is a set of habit tracking templates, that you can use endlessly in your home.

We have kids from 2-11 years old, and even the 2 year old got involved in the movement activities! These are probably great for ages 4+, depending on the habit your family is working on.

 What Is It?

Healthy Habit Trackers offers 12 different monthly habit tracker challenges, created for families to track their habits in a fun and unique way. There is a different theme for each challenge, (muscular endurance, kindness, household chores, muscular strength, etc) so there is something for everyone. They characters include on the pages are colorful, fun, and inclusive.

See the list below for all the great options offered in this set:

Healthy habit Trackers-12 months and free blank templates!

Not only do you get the challenges included, but (this is my favorite part) right now you can get blank versions of all the trackers! So your family can create a tracker for whatever you are working on- scripture memorization, poetry reciting, daily reading, practicing for whatever sport you are a part of, days spent out of doors … the possibilities are endless!

And, mamas! This is such an easy way to keep your children (and yourselves) accountable without constantly asking if they’ve done something for the day. Our family has been working on the Morning Virtue Kindness (more about this in another post), and some motor skill challenges. I used a kindness tracker for each child so they could be excited about coloring in their sheet when I recognized their act of kindness. Then I used 1 sheet for all kids together, for our motor challenge.

Healthy habit Trackers-12 months and free blank templates!

We did our motor skills outside, and had so much fun together- but I really enjoyed watching them improve in their skills. I also printed several copies of each tracker, including the blank templates, and put them in a folder. This way in the depths of winter gray days, we can pull out whatever fits our needs, and be ready to go!

There are so many ways to use the Healthy Habit Trackers, the possibilities really are endless! But a few of my favorites are

  • brain breaks between homeschool subjects
  • morning movement before school time
  • cleaning breaks for tidying the house between transitions
  • quiet/Bible time during independent time
  • prayer break to create the habit of prayer throughout the day
  • practicing drills for sports team

I love that these trackers are ready to go, involve the kids (coloring) in the process of tracking, and help create accountability without nagging, or  trying to find time in the already full days of life. The fact that I don’t have to look for a tracker online, or search for exactly what I am looking for is such a time saver for this mama! I can print as many copies as we need, and can do what I want with them.

What are some ways you would use these Healthy Habit Trackers in your homeschool?


American Coaching Academy

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Building Thinking Skills with The Critical Thinking Company

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew
The Critical Thinking Co.™

If you’ve been hanging around a while, you probably know that we really enjoy The Critical Thinking Co. products in our homeschool (their catalogue is really fun to browse, too! I always love it when we get one in the mail). We have been using Building Thinking Skills® Level 2 -Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12) for a little summer enrichment.

What Is It?

Building Thinking Skills® Level 2 -Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12) is a full, complete logic/critical thinking skills program. We are using it to sort of … sum up, refresh and expand our learning over the summer. While we are continuing with our regular school subjects 3+ days a week, we are also being intentional about fun and supplemental learning. This book definitely falls into the fun and supplemental categories for us.

If your student(s) are specifically in need of a critical thinking curriculum for state/transcript purposes, this is perfect for you! It is also a reproducible license within your home, so families with multiple children can make copies without fear of copyright problems. I have children in 4th and 6th grades, so they have both been working through this.

This is is a physical, full color workbook that is designed to help students build higher order thinking skills, by working through areas of logical thinking, vocabulary, spatial awareness, classification, analogies, and so, so much more! This book is 412 pages, broken up into 10 chapters, with an answer key and expansions, in the back.

Students will focus on a specific area for each chapter:

  1. describing shapes
  2. figural similarities and differences
  3. figural sequence
  4. figural classification
  5. figural analogies
  6. describing things
  7. similarities
  8. sequencing
  9. verbal classification
  10. verbal analogies

The chapters are broken down further, into categories. For example, chapter 1- Describing Shapes- is broken down into topics of describing shapes, quadrilaterals, triangles, and solids, recognizing folded patterns for solids, describing position, describing stacks of shapes, and estimating area.

Building Critical Thinking Skills: The Critical Thinking Company

This book really does help build thinking skills for reading, writing, math, and science. For example, the language used to describe and classify is a huge help for expanding on descriptive writing. The engaging activities are developmentally sequenced, meaning they begin first in the semi-concrete, figural-spatial form. Then move forward from there to verbal, or more abstract concepts. This is so great, because not all students in the same grade are at the same level, but also it is a gradual growth. Children are getting the foundational work in that is required for the more abstract thinking. So even if the beginning chapters seem too simple, they aren’t!

Building Critical Thinking Skills: The Critical Thinking Company

Analyzing relationships between objects, words, and then both together builds academic vocabulary, math concepts, and skills. Skills such as observing, recognizing and describing characteristics, understanding similarities and differences, and working through analogies. (Anyone else struggle to get their children to use their great vocabulary and language in their writing?! Well, this helps tremendously.) The verbal skills used and built later in the book help with spelling, writing, following multiple step directions, map reading, logic, orientation and so much more.

This is going to be developmentally appropriate for you kids, and a great curriculum to build those critical, independent thinking skills we want our kids to have.

The Critical Thinking Company also offers free Math & Critical Thinking Worksheets (PDFs), and a few other things on their site.

Read other reviews from the Crew for this and other The Critical Thinking Co. programs:

Critical Thinking

 

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