The Happy Housewife™ :: Home Schooling

homeschool tips, printables, curriculum reviews, and more

Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

by

Before you purchase curriculum for the next school year check out these homeschool curriculum reviews These homeschool reviews are written by real homeschooling moms, sharing their unbiased opinions. They are a great resource for anyone considering homeschooling or interested in changing curriculum.

Like you, I’ve wandered homeschool convention floors for hours looking at all the amazing products available to homeschoolers. I’ve also purchased homeschool curriculum only to realize a few months later that it didn’t work for my kids!

homeschool curriculum reviews written by homeschool moms

These homeschool curriculum reviews are a great place to start if you are buying new curriculum this year.

We’ve organized these reviews into four categories, preschool, elementary, middle, and high school. When you click on a link it will take you to a website with the curriculum review. Almost every review on this page was written by a homeschooling mom who actually used the curriculum with her kids.

Jump to:

If you have a homeschool curriculum review you would like added to the list, submit it here.

preschool-curriculum-reviews

elementary-school-curriculum-reviews

All in One

Bible

Electives

History

Language Arts

Math

Science

Unit Studies

middle-school-curriculum-reviews

Electives

Language Arts

Math

History

Science

high-school-curriculum-reviews

Electives

How To’s

Language Arts

Math

Science

Homeschool curriculum reviews from preschool to high school

Winston Grammar: Curriculum Review

by

winston grammar curriculum review

Grammar is not my favorite subject to teach even though I loved it in middle school. For many years I used Easy Grammar with my children. It worked well with my oldest, but I noticed my next two children (boys) were not remembering the concepts taught in the lesson. They would do well on a lesson immediately after they learned a new concept, but in a few weeks they would forget everything they learned.

One thing I did like about Easy Grammar was that they gave a list of the 40 prepositions in the beginning of the book. Knowing the prepositions made decoding everything else much easier, in my opinion.

Last year I switched to Winston Grammar. While my boys haven’t loved grammar (they didn’t love it before the switch either) I have noticed that their retention of concepts has improved. I’m using the basic course with my 10 year-old and the advanced course with my 14 year-old.

Pros

Simple Format: There are no songs to sing or cute characters to teach you grammar. There is a workbook, a teacher’s guide, and parts-of-speech cards. If you have a child who needs something basic with no frills to distract them, Winston Grammar is a good fit.

Parts-of-Speech Cards: If you are using this program don’t skip the cards! We lost a few in our move and I plan on replacing them at the homeschool convention next week. Before a child does any work in the book, they “diagram” the sentence using cards. This works great with fidgety kids who need to be doing something at all times. It is also a great hand’s on teaching tool. Once the child has worked out a few sentences with the cards they start working in the book, but they can still use the cards to reference a grammar rule if necessary.

Lots of Review: A new grammar rule is introduced every two to four lessons, but the old rules are still practiced in the new lesson. Each rules builds on the last rule so it helps the child remember what they learned weeks prior to the current lesson.

Sentences Make Sense: Have you ever used a curriculum that was trying so hard to teach a concept or rule that the sentences didn’t make much sense? The sentences used in Winston Grammar are all things a child could potentially say or write over their lifetime.

Inexpensive: The complete set is only $36, (teacher’s manual, workbook, and cards) which makes is a bargain in my opinion.

Cons

Prepositional Phrase approach: We used Easy Grammar for years before I switched my older children to Winston Grammar. One thing I loved about Easy Grammar is that it taught kids to eliminate the prepositional phrase first in a sentence. This really helped my children determine the other parts of speech. Winston Grammar does not take this approach, so my kids struggled at first finding the subject as well as the noun functions. I’ve ended up having my kids cross out the prepositional phrase in Winston Grammar to make it easier and it has worked.

Heavy Teacher Involvement: I don’t think being involved in teaching your child is a bad thing. But with Winston Grammar a child cannot do a lesson unless the teacher has explained it to him. All of the lesson information is contained in the teacher’s manual. The workbook only has the sentences. There is no way a child could work ahead or get started on the lesson without the teacher. Unless of course they were born knowing the difference between independent and dependent clauses.

Teaches Only Grammar: It is a grammar course, so I wouldn’t expect anything different. But if your child struggles with spelling, capitalization or punctuation you will need to find additional curriculum that covers those topics.

What grammar curriculum works for your family?

The Story of the World: Curriculum Review

by

The Story of the World: Curriculum Review

This is our second year using The Story of the World history curriculum. We used Volume Two: The Middle Ages last year and are halfway through Volume Three: Early Modern Times this year.

Pros:

  • Audio CD’s: You can purchase a CD which narrates the textbook. The narration is done by Jim Weiss and is very well done. (If you aren’t familiar with Jim Weiss’ storytelling CD’s you need to check them out. My kids love them.) My kids really enjoy listening to the CD’s and both my boys have loaded it on their ipods. Often we have discussed a lesson and they are very familiar with the story because they have listened to them before bed in their room.
  • Activity Book: The activity book which can be purchased separately contains numerous activities, coloring worksheets, maps, and questions. Personally, I wouldn’t use this curriculum without the activity book. If you use the activity book the teacher prep time is minimal and there are answers to all the review questions. You can make copies of the coloring sheets in the back of the book or buy a separate worksheet pack if you are using it with more than one child.
  • Multi-level course: With six school-aged kids I’m always looking for curriculum that I can use with several children at a time. I am currently using this curriculum with my seven, nine and ten year old. My five year old listens along to the CD, but doesn’t always participate in the questions.
  • Comprehensive: I’m surprised at the level of depth in The Story of the World. My kids are learning things in elementary school that I didn’t learn until college!

Cons

  • Secular Worldview: Several years ago we used The Mystery of History and I loved how it wove together history and the Bible. This is my main problem with The Story of the World curriculum. While it isn’t anti-Christian it definitely isn’t presenting a biblical worldview. If this is a must- have for you, skip this curriculum and go with The Mystery of History.
  • Difficult Discussion Questions: According to the CDB website, this curriculum is designed for grades 1-4. My kids might not be little Einsteins, but the end of lesson questions are very difficult. Even after listening to the chapters twice my 10-year old is able to answer about 70% of the questions correctly. My younger kids know the answers to about 40% of the questions. The discussion questions are not mandatory and we do them orally, I do feel like my kids can get discouraged when they don’t know most of the answers. It is hard to facilitate a discussion when every other answer is “I don’t know.”

This is how I’ve adapted The Story of the World for our homeschool.  The kids listen to the lesson on CD while coloring the worksheet for that chapter. After listening to the lesson I ask them the discussion questions from the workbook. If they can’t remember anything from the lesson we listed to it again. We usually skip the narration questions. After the discussion questions we work on the maps together and then sometimes we do one of the projects. The entire lesson takes us about 45 minutes from beginning to end.

The workbook has an extensive list of reading supplements and occasionally we read from those too, but most of the time the lesson is comprehensive enough for the ages of my kids. If I was using this program with a middle school aged child I would definitely be using the supplements.

For the most part I have enjoyed The Story of the World. My kids are having fun learning about history. They enjoy the map work (most of them time) and the teacher’s edition is adequate. There is some teacher planning involved but it is minimal. They love listening to the CD’s before bed and it has definitely helped their retention.

Reading Pathways: Making Big Words Little for Beginning Readers

by

I have to apologize in advance for the slew of review posts that will be coming this week. I had planned to spread them out over the next two weeks, but with the technical difficulties I experienced this week these posts are now going to be coming daily. Don’t forget next Friday is the Homeschool Curriculum Review Roundup. We have over 80 reviews submitted already! Get a jump on your summer planning by checking them out next week.

Several years ago I discovered a reading program called Phonics Pathways. It was the key to getting my child, who is dyslexic, reading fluently. While Phonics Pathways taught him to read, he would still get overwhelmed when he came to a “big” word or long sentence. He wanted to give up before he even started.

Then I discovered Reading Pathways (formally titled Pyramid). This book was the key to building confidence in my very reluctant reader. Suddenly large imposing words were small, easy to read words. Long sentences were broken down into bite sized pieces that didn’t cause his eyes to glaze over when he looked at the page.

Several years later our third child is starting Reading Pathways. This little guy has also struggled with reading, although not to the extent that his older brother did. He begs to read from his Pathways book each day. Usually it is sitting on the table waiting for me even before we eat breakfast.

The concept of the book is very simple. Large words are divided into smaller sections which are read by the student and then read all together. Sentences are presented in one and two word segments. The child reads the segments, and every line adds another word or two. By the time the student gets to the bottom of the page they have read a 10 to 15 word sentence.

I love how this program builds confidence in young and / or struggling readers. It has been a great supplement to our phonics program. You don’t have to homeschool to use this program. One page takes less than 10 minutes, so it would be a perfect after school activity for those kids who need a little extra help in the reading department.

Summer Reading Programs: Encourage Your Reluctant Reader

by

I’m convinced some kids are born with a love of books while others need a bit more encouragement. An easy and free way to encourage your child to read is by participating in a summer reading program. It seems like every summer another company creates their own program so it should be easy to find one that fits your family’s needs.

I’ve compiled a list of some of the more popular summer reading programs or you can create your own. Most if not all of these programs are open to Home Educators.

Borders Double Dog Dare

Borders is giving a free book to anyone under twelve who reads ten books this summer. Those who complete the program can pick from a list of free books.

Pizza Hut Book It

While this program isn’t a summer reading program, enrollment is now open and closes in June. The program runs from October to March and is a great way to encourage kids to get reading. Kids get a free pizza from Pizza Hut every month they reach their reading goals.

Scholastic Summer Challenge

Kids can log their weekly reading minutes and earn digital prizes. They can also participate in setting a new world record for summer reading.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program

Kids need to read eight books and record them in their reading journal. They can turn their journals in for a free book (chose from preselected titles) from Barnes and Noble.

TD Bank Summer Reading Program

If you live in the NorthEast you might want to participate in TD Bank’s program. Children need to read 10 books, write them down on a form, then turn them into their local TD Bank and receive $10 in their savings account.

Local Library

Most libraries host a summer reading program for card holders. Each program varies, but the kids usually track their progress and receive a prize at the end of the summer.

Have you used a summer reading program to encourage your reluctant reader? I’d love to hear if it worked!

How To Create Unit Studies

by

Photobucket

I believe the best part of homeschooling is the flexibility. For the most part – you can school when you want, how you want, where you want, and what you wan. Each day is a new adventure! Especially so when we create our own unit studies.

In my home it all begins with one question, “What do you want to learn about now“?  I give my son a few days to think about our next science or geography unit study.  He picks a topic – most times it’s been animals – bugs, wolves, alligators and other times more broad: planets, knights, oceans to our most recent unit study on flight and evolution of airplanes.

A few points to consider when creating unit studies to keep them interesting:

Duration

Once we decide what we’re going to learn about –  I decide how long the unit study will take.  Some have taken one week because there is nothing more I can offer about honeybees.  Others have taken two weeks, but due to my son’s attention span … we have never stretched a unit study beyond three weeks.

Resources

I live at the library!  Every time we go – we stock up!  I check out every single book I can find on that one topic.  Then we look for movies (National Geographic or Animal Atlas) .  Once  home I check out a few websites like Homeschool Share, Enchanted Learning, and ABC Teach for any free printables.

Vocabulary

As we read through our stack of books I write down the vocabulary words he does not know and encourage him to look them up in his (age appropriate) dictionary.  Later in the week he will write sentences using these words.  (I try to pick 10-15 words for the whole unit study).

Geography & Science

Whenever there are locations mentioned – we check those out spending a day studying the globe.  I print out a few black and white maps to label the appropriate hemisphere, continent, country, biome, etc.  We discuss language, culture, time zones, and weather.  If we started with a geographic region – then we discuss the animals, habitats, etc. living there.

History

When we see historical names – we also pull more resource books and read a few junior biographies.  (my son loves the Animated Hero Classics dvds by Nest Learning).  If there is a time “period” mentioned we check out a few more books.

Reading

After we’ve exhausted those resources I try to incorporate chapter books – currently his reading level includes Magic Tree House (the Teacher Guides are fantastic so do not forget them), and A-Z Mysteries.

Art

We pick up a few craft or art project books.  Most times we try to incorporate Legos or play dough for my tactile learner!  Our recent flight unit study my son put together a model airplane purchased at Michaels.  During our  Ancient Greece unit study we cut apart a Huggies diaper box, painted it white, and drew Corinthian columns for a Greek temple.  Projects do not have to be award winning as long as they are educational and fun.

After all the “paper work” we throw in a field trip for some out of the house fun!

TIPS –  Be sure to document all book & DVD titles, snap photos of art work or crafts to put in your folder – print out your resource list, staple it to your vocabulary sheet or slide into a folder with the completed printables, and you’ve created your 1st unit study!

Learning is so much fun and we have the ability to guide our children in the direction of their interests.  You do not have to work for a curriculum company to create a unit study.  We can customize lessons according to our children’s learning styles and most of all … have fun learning together!

You might also enjoy:

Homeschool Fun with Toddlers: Water Painting

by

Remember last week we used the egg carton to sort buttons? This week I used the egg carton to hold some water.

I filled a few of the sections with water and gave Cora several paint brushes and a piece of paper. Cora painted the paper with the water. She love “painting” with water and after she grew tired of painting she happily splashed the water all over her tray.

This fun water painting activity bought me 20 minutes of bible time with the older kids. Clean up time, less than a minute. Definitely worth it and I’ll be doing it again.

You might also like…

Homeschool Fun With Toddlers

by

Homeschooling with toddlers can be hard. I’ve had a few toddlers who happily sit and color for hours, but most of my toddlers are quick to find a sharpie and a piece of furniture when I’m not looking. Since everyone enjoyed Tabitha’s post on homeschooling with toddlers (aka distractions) I thought it would be fun for post a toddler activity each week in order to help all of us homeschool our older kids!

Remember, it usually isn’t hard to think of things to do with our toddlers, it is actually doing them that is challenging!

My first activity: Buttons! Cora loves to sort buttons, and while this activity might not be suited for children who still put things in their mouth, older toddlers will find this activity really fun. Button sorting usually buys me about 20 minutes of schooling!

Clean out an empty egg carton and give your child a box of colorful buttons. They will have fun sorting and putting buttons in the little sections. If your child is older you can draw numbers at the bottom of the egg carton and have them put the buttons in each section according to the number. You can also cut out a piece of colored construction paper and have them sort according to color.

If your child is too young for buttons, or is one of those kids who is always putting things in their mouth you can use Froot Loops. The different colored rings are fun to sort and if they put one in their mouth it’s edible.

The only problem with this button activity is your school-aged kids will probably want to join in the fun!

If you have a great idea for homeschooling with toddlers I’d love to share it. Send me your ideas (or links) and I’ll post it on the site!

Homeschooling Under Stress

by

Stress is a canker. It not only rots your insides but it also damages little hearts who are on the receiving end of it.  I believe there are two types of stress – voluntary and involuntary stress.  Voluntary stress usually flares when my hands are involved.  Involuntary stress usually comes into the house through situations we have no control over.

Regardless how the stress forms when it comes time to sit down at the table and teach pre-algebra, handwriting, or reading … it is nearly impossible to pull off a successful lesson without a quick pulse, agitated heart, or bubbling anger.

Before you entertain thoughts of throwing in the homeschool towel, or driving up to the closest public school and threatening to leave your son there (not because anyone writing this post has done anything remotely close to that – ever … maybe .. just once) … there are a few simple things we can do to reduce the tension in our homes when we’re feeling overly stressed.

1. Don’t do it. Take the day off – play hookie.  No child needs the Hulk teaching fractions! Get outside, breathe some fresh air, go for a walk (it’s p.e.) – sometimes pushing away from the school supplies can do wonders.  Ever notice cultures who celebrate the siesta have lower heart attack rates than Americans?

2. Rearrange.  School in the afternoon, on the couch, or outside – which is our favorite.  Change the day up to school when you are not feeling the stress. You do not have to stick to someone else’s schedule.  Have a child read to you while you wash the evening dishes – another favorite.  Discuss assignments rather than fill in the 15th worksheet for the day.  Homeschooling is beautiful because it is flexible.

3. Share it. I firmly believe our backs were not made to carry heavy burdens.  Talk to a friend you trust; do not blast it online. Share what is weighing you down – most times another perspective, encouragement, skype emoticon, or joke always lightens my heart.

4. Turn it up. There is something about music that transformers our feelings.  I believe that’s one reason why silent films are no longer popular.  Find what you like and turn it up.  Most children love music too – take a break and dance together, or take a load off and enjoy it.  Let it wash over you and calm those nerves.  It might lead to a school lesson on Bach!  Slow dance with your spouse again right there in the kitchen!

5. Exercise. I hate exercise, but I always feel great after it’s done.  Exercise does wonders for releasing tension. Can’t take that kickboxing class?  Take the kids to the tennis courts, swim, run around the house, go for a bike ride, take a walk with the whole family, go sledding, do 20 jumping jacks together, or invest in an exercise dvd. Just get moving!

6. Laugh.  Laughter is an antidote for stress.  “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” Proverbs 31:25.  Keep a picture of something that always makes you smile or have easy access to home movies!  Watch a comedian on You Tube, start a tickle fight with your children.  Literally LOL – it’s okay, do it often!  You need it!

During those stressful days we all encounter I encourage you to put on your long term bifocals and see this is a small season of the big picture.  Do not multiply your stress by comparing yourself to Suzie NeverStressful, (the homeschooling champ in your co-op).  Be proactive in addressing stress and making efforts of getting rid of it before losing your cool with your kids!  I regret that my son has seen me act out of control because I allowed my stress to overwhelm me.

 Most importantly – keep open lines of communication with your spouse and keep praying!
photocredit – flickr

Homeschooling with Toddlers (aka “Little Distractions”)

by

Anyone who homeschools more than one child will eventually face the situation… what do I do with the little ones when learning with the older ones? This can happen with ANY age difference, whether they are just a year or two apart but one isn’t ready for some things or with different math levels, or with a high schooler and a toddler, or anything in between. I have experience with all of the above and more (my kids are are in 9th, 6th, 5th, 2nd, and 1st grade plus we have one preschooler and two toddlers.) So, how does learning happen with such great built in distractions?

Tips on How to Homeschool with Toddlers | The Happy Housewife

I can definitely say that we are successfully learning even with toddlers in tow.

Here are several strategies that work for us in Homeschooling with Toddlers:

Something Different

Bring out some toys that they are only allowed to play with when we’re doing homeschooling. A few options that work for us are puzzles and alphabet magnets, but can also include dinosaur and animal toys, felt activity sets, and blocks. They feel like they are doing something new and fun. It keeps them happy while you are busy. Keep them in the same room and everyone (at least for us) is engaged in something.

Something Related

No matter what you are learning (yes, even AP Biology or Calculus) there is a younger version. Get out number magnets or fraction manipulatives. Any math manipulatives work, actually, as long as they are age appropriate and can’t be swallowed. Have them color pictures of frog anatomy. Alphabet puzzles while studying writing.

Some of my younger boys get little white boards they are only allowed to use when we are homeschooling. This doesn’t work for all ages, but can be adapted to your individual situation. This also works for cooking with older kids, or practicing music. What little kids don’t like pouring flour or beans from container to container? (Or if you don’t mind puddles, use water!) Banging on pots and pans with spoons, playing with toy pianos, or listening to a kid safe tape recorder all help them learn, too.

They are naturally curious at this age, and something great about homeschooling is that you can continue this fun on through high school, though it can certainly start now!

Something With Somebody

Do you have family or friends who want someone for their little one to play with? Set up playdates at times when you know your homeschool difficulties will be greatest. Ask for help. Trade off with another homeschooling family or someone with preschoolers. Sometimes when one of my older children are really motivated and done with their work before the others, I offer them some reward for helping with the little kids.

They go outside, they go read a story together, they go build train tracks, they go build a fort in one of the bedrooms. (As an added bonus, this can also motivate some kids still working to finish faster so they can go join the fun!)

Something Electronic

Yes, I do this too. We watch movies. We watch PBS. We play computer games. These all serve as great tools to use when I need them not only to occupy some of my other children, but also to teach, inspire, kick off some new topic, provide a change of pace, and sometimes just to enjoy a few hours together laughing. This is not a bad thing. Yes, it can be overused.

Kids do not need all the screen time they sometimes get. TV, computer, DVDs, phones, mp3 players can all be great tools when used appropriately. I’ve even used the closed captioning in other languages to add some additional foreign language practice. (These choices have been especially useful when I have been pregnant or recovering from having a baby and we just need some down time.)

Something Together

Take a break. Do something EVERYONE can enjoy and skip the intensive stuff for a day. You don’t homeschool so the older kids never see the younger kids. They learn together no matter what you are doing. Go to a park. Go to the zoo. Do laundry together (yes, this can actually be fun in a big group…). Visit family. Go to the library. Go on a walk. Your family will be happier and ready to get back to whatever has to be done.

The main thing here is, include them and realize that even the little ones need to have your attention and your time. It’s just difficult at times to prioritize and figure out when to do what with each of them. Try different strategies to see what works, and then try something new every now and then.

This works in every family, homeschooling or not, whatever you are trying to do, with any size family. Make sure everyone gets that time and find out a way to do this that works for you.

You might also enjoy:

See more posts by Tabitha.

STAY UPDATED!

Get every article delivered to your inbox!

homeschool curriculum reviews

CONNECT WITH ME