Saturday, April 14, 2012

Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space


I do not think there is anything from Bright Ideas Press I do not like. I guess their motto is true - they truly do produce "curriculum moms love." Their products are always well done and their customer service is personal and superior. I was pleased to review volume 1 of All American History, from BIP my first year with the TOS Crew, and last year (year two) I had the privilege of reviewing WonderMaps. Year three finds me reviewing Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space. 




This curriculum is written by a home educating mom, Stephanie Redmond. So, she understands what it's like to juggle teaching multiple subjects to multiple age groups. She understands that time is critical to many of us and that is why she has tried her best to design this curriculum in a way to make the teacher's life easier. The curriculum is geared towards 3rd-6th graders, but she shares ideas of how to include younger children and also children who need or desire a little more depth. The lessons are thorough, yet concise, and she has conveniently listed all the required outside resources needed for each lesson at the beginning of each lesson so preparations can be made ahead of time.

The author shares what a daily lesson COULD look like when using this curriculum:

Tuesdays:
Memory Work - Review flashcards and vocabulary (5 minutes)
Discuss (review) last lesson (5 minutes)
Teaching Time - Read or have students read new lesson; ask comprehension questions as you go (10 minutes)
Discuss new information (2-3 minutes)

  • This is what I can narration time.

Daily Reading Sheet - Have children complete a Daily Reading Sheet (10 minutes)

  • I think of these as a written narration time for the child

Vocabulary - Have children fill out (or assist them) a vocabulary sheet or make flashcards of the key words in the lesson (10 minutes)
Books - Outside reading time. This is where the children have an opportunity to read more about the lessons and many recommended reading resources are found in this book. (30 minutes or more, as necessary)

Thursdays:
Memory Work
Hands-On Time - Complete a relevant experiment or activity. Student can also use part of this time for working on folderbooks and discovery (research) activities.

The author even explains and gives options on how to construct and organize a science notebook for this course. All reproducible are available in the back of the book to be copied or a downloadable student workbook is available for purchase to make printing straight from your computer more convenient.

Below are some helpful links to help you see what is covered in this book as well as how a sample lesson:
Table of Contents
Sample Lesson
List of Materials needed for this course


Pricing and Ordering Information:
The book costs $34.95 and the student workbook (a product to download) is currently priced at $7.95.

The TOS Crew had the opportunity to review four different books in the Christian Kids Explore series. Click over to the blog now to read more. 

*Disclaimer: I received this product free for review purposes only. All opinions are my own.*

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