This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to6 fabulous kids. We are in our 17th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Literature based approach. Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.
Happy Friday friends! I am so excited to share an awesome hands-on STEM curriculum with you today. Since January I have been using the STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading curriculum from Tied 2 Teaching weekly with my co-op kids. Let me tell you why it has changed the way I teach this particular class.
Providing STEM activities is all the rage now, and rightly so. Giving kids the tools to focus on science, technology, engineering, and math will give them a leg up as they approach college and beyond. And who doesn’t like to use their imagination and figure out how to make things “work”!?
Tied 2 Teaching is the brainchild of homeschool dad and full-time teacher, Matthew Kelly who has been teaching full time for 7 years. Mr. Kelly believes learning should be fun and filled with joy and laughter. He and his wife also homeschool their own children where in and out of the traditional classroom he tries to create ways to incorporate math, science, and literacy instruction into daily learning. If you haven’t checked out his TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) account you are missing out!
Back in December before we went to Christmas break the Academic Coordinator approached me and asked if I would consider combining my Kindergarten Science class with the 1st-2nd grade STEM class. At first I was a bit hesitant because of the wide age span in the group but dove head first after the New Year. We were offered the STEM Activities curriculum at the end of January and it was perfect timing because what I was piecing together just was not what I envisioned for the class when I took over. I have one main aide in the class and I sought her opinion about the program and she was on board and we have been going full steam ahead since.
The STEM Activities, Full Year of Challenges with Close Reading are a bundle of seasonal STEM Activities the reflect Mr. Kelly’s vision and passion for learning. Each the monthly hands-on challenges includes a “close reading” which ties literacy into the math, science, and engineering lesson. And sometimes you might even find a history lesson or two in the close readings.
So you might be wondering just what kind of actives will we be doing? Below is a list of all the activities included in the bundle. You will have so much to choose from and best of all it is fun and the kids will be learning at the same time.
As you can see from the listed challenges that your kids will be busy learning for a whole year.
Many of the items you will need to create your creations can be found around the house. Things like, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, newspapers, straws, tape, and glue. Because I used this product mainly with my co-op class I had to purchase items in bulk because we range from 12-16 students on a given week. But with this kind of learning the more the merrier in my opinion!
Each assignment includes:
~ STEM design challenge with a list of suggested supplies to have on hand.
~ example photos of completed projects.
~ a link to a close reading document relevant to the topic.
~ worksheets to test comprehension and to help stimulate brainstorming.
My co-op kids, including my own son, LOVE this class time and so do I! With the K-2 age range we have, my aide and I decided we did not necessarily have the time to include the worksheet parts of the curriculum but I am glad to have it as an option for the future. We have completed six challenges from the bundle and the kids had a blast each time! Yes, we get messy and sometimes have to call in reinforcements when there are only three adults and 14 kids needing our help. The best part is that each child leaves with a huge smile on their face at the end of the class hour.
I love how this is really just an open and go curriculum with minimum preparation needed on my part. I just need to make sure I have the supplies each week and then I turn the kids loose to their creativity.
I love that each week the students are excited about class and often want to know “what are we making this week?” As soon as they walk in the classroom. Having them excited for STEM makes me excited to teach them. For the remainder of the year, my plan is to skip around a bit and hit on some of the challenges we missed earlier in the year.
But don’t just take my word for it! 69 of my CrewMates also took part of this review so be sure to read their thoughts by clicking the banner below. And head over to Tied 2 Teaching on TPT and check out all the wonderful STEM activities available.
Have you ever wondered what life was truly like for the disciples after the Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ? In the newest series of Drive Thru History® Acts to Revelation. Drive Thru History® Dave Stotts, takes you on an engaging and entertaining tour as we travel the Mediterranean region using the Book of Acts as the roadmap.
I was so excited when I found out I was on this review! You see I was on the first review two years ago as we walked in the footsteps of Jesus with The Gospels. So when I found out I was going to get the chance to review the next installment I was a little bit over the moon!
In this next series, you get a first hand look at the fascinating lives of the first Christians. Each of the 18 video lessons is meant to teach the history and events that shaped the Christian church. Each episode is roughly 30 minutes long but high paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting more. Since I wanted to use these as we traveled, and I am the main driver, I may have binge watched for a “few” hours one Saturday night so I would know what was going on as I listened while driving.
Can I tell you that I love the way this item is packaged! The Drive Thru History ~ Acts to Revelation comes packaged in a hard cover book-like case. Inside you will find the three DVDs, two in the front cover and the third disk set inside the back cover. The hard cover book contains a full color study guide book that includes scripture readings and discussions questions.
The full color photographs are breathtakingly stunning! Some photographs are two page spreads while others are just one to a page and immerse you right into the action. As I said earlier, there are 18 episodes that cover the life of early Christians from the Day of Pentecost through the New Testament. Specifically the episodes include:
Episode 1: The Gospel shared at Pentecost
Episode 2: The Church grows at Jerusalem
Episode 3: The Gospel Spreads o the Gentiles
Episode 4: Saul of Tarsus & the Road to Damascus
Episode 5: Paul’s first Missionary Journey: The island of Cyprus
Episode 6: The Journey Continues: Pamphylia, Glatia & Asia Minor
Episode 7: The Jerusalem Council & Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
Episode 8: The Second Journey Continues: Philippi and Thessalonica
Episode 9: A Road Trip to Athens
Episode 10: Ancient Corinth
Episode 11: Paul’s Third Missionary Journey: Ephesus
Episode 12: Paul’s Final Trip to Trip to Jerusalem & Caesarea
These DVD’s arrived just as we started our traveling adventures for gymnastics meets and and been a great way to squeeze in some learning in between listening to the radio and DVD movies. For this review I used the videos and corresponding study guide this with all my children but the main reviewers were my 6th and 10th grader daughters.
While we were traveling we watched 1 lesson a day and I printed out the corresponding study guide sheets for the girls to complete in the van on their lap desks. The study guide is a short series of questions that are great for discussion that check for comprehension of the episode. My girls had no problem answering them, especially if they were paying attention. The study guide also includes scripture reading to tie the episode directly back to the Bible.
When we returned home we slowed the pace to just one lesson a week. With this schedule, we have made it through Episode 6. Because Drive thru History is a fast-paced, content-rich history experience it hasn’t actually been hard work for anyone. From the people, places, and events, our host, Dave Stotts, helps make you feel as if you are right there as it happened.
So what are my final thoughts? Hands down I think you should get your hands on a copy of this DVD set! But don’t just take my word for it. 79 of my CrewMates also reviewed these DVD’s so be sure to check out what they have to say by clicking the banner below.
It’s time for another fun review of the newest homeschool art book from ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Oftentimes I struggle to incorporate art into our week even though I know how important it is to let kids express themselves. However, the K-3rd Grade Level, Volumes 1-8 from ARTistic Pursuits Inc. makes art instruction easy for this Mama!
We love ARTistic Pursuits Inc. here at A Stable Beginning so we were thrilled to receive another volume of the K-3rd Grade Level, specifically Volume 8, Art in America. For this review I knew it would be perfect for my youngest daughter, McKenzie (9-years old).
ARTistic Pursuits offers a wonderful Art program for many different grade levels all the way from Preschool through High School. We have a few older editions of the other books that my older girls have used in the past. For this review I focused mainly on McKenzie.
There are eight books total in this series:
Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary (Vol. 1)
Art of the Ancients (Vol. 2)
Art of the Middle Ages (Vol. 3)
Artists that Shaped the Italian Renaissance (Vol. 4)
Art of the Northern Countries, Renaissance to Realism (Vol. 5)
Art of the Impressionists (Vol. 6)
Art of the Modern Age (Vol. 7)
Art in America (Vol. 8)
We received Art in America, K-3 Vol. 8 which is a beautiful hardcover textbook filled with 18 projects that focus on pencil drawing instruction using graphite and colored pencils. McKenzie loves the girl on the front because she has pink glasses just like her.
With 64 color rich pages the book features drawings and painting by famous American artists from the 18th to the 20th centuries. For your visual learner you will find video lessons that teach how to use the graphite and colored pencil techniques described. Video lessons are provided on Blu-ray and DVD disc.
You’ll need to purchase a few high quality art supplies to get you started. They include:
Prismacolor colored pencils
Ebony pencils
Pencil sharpener
Drawing pad
Ruler
Compass with pencil
Construction paper
In the past, McKenzie has had some vision issues as a younger child and it just now within the last year and a half starting to actually like to color and draw. Sometimes, however, she gets frustrated because she doesn't think her drawing are "good" enough compared to her older siblings. My hope was that working through this program would help her learn the techniques of drawing and using her colored pencils too.
Since she has an older sister who is about to graduate with a Graphic Design degree and other older sisters who love to draw, McKenzie already had access to many of the supplies needed. These lessons were a fun fun Friday morning lesson for her to complete before heading to the gymnastics gym to train.
ARTistic Pursuits has met all of my expectations and then some! This art program has taken the struggle to incorporate art into our week away. They will always be my go to curriculum when it comes to Art for my children because of the ease of lessons and the open and go format of the books. It’s no wonder they have won so many awards. These books are fabulous and we will continue to use them in our homeschool for many years to come!
54 of my CrewMates also tried out different volumes so be sure to check out their reviews by clicking the banner below and find the right one for your homeschool!
Would you believe me if I told you there was a complete homeschool program that includes everything you need to teach First Grade? Well guess what!? There is and it is called First Grade Complete from Homeschool Complete.
The main goal of Homeschool Complete is: “not only to teach facts and figures but also to instill higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills that create a love of learning”.
We received the PDF download of the first semester of the first grade curriculum that includes Bible, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Science, Physical Development, Fitness, and Character Development in a theme based units.
The entire first semester curriculum came to my email as a two-part PDF download. It was a hefty download too, with the teachers manual having 600 pages and the corresponding student workbook just under 300 pages. The Teacher’s Manual is very detailed and includes step-by-step scripted instructions for each day of the program. It also includes detailed lesson plans and material lists so you will be fully prepared. The student workbook contains all the consumable worksheets your child will need for the semester.
The First Grade Complete includes 4 engaging mini units on a variety of topics per month. Each unit is based off a typical five-day school week and gives you the flexibility of have four days of planned activities and one day to catch up or do other activities of your own choosing. In the First Grade program you child will learn about topics including:
Family
Animals
My Body
Manners
Money
Transportation
Hibernation
U.S. Symbols and more!
My little guy is just now starting to review curriculum like his big sisters. Micah, (almost 5) is an eager learner so I just knew this would be a great program to try with him. Unfortunately, I misjudged the curriculum depth of the First Grade program.
Some of the material, especially the Language Arts that required reading and writing, is above his readiness. However, the math, physical education, and calendar portions are right on target! So, we focused on those sections for our review. When his LA skills catch up, we can definitely come back to these lessons. If we had to choose again, I think the second semester of K would have been a better fit for us.
I really like the concept of the Homeschool Complete program. My favorite aspects would definitely be the included book lists and the ease of use. I am always on the look out for new readers or read-aloud books. The appendix also holds a wealth of information with the recipes, songs, and pledges used in the program. This program is really well written and might be the perfect fit for your homeschool so please be sure to check it out. They have several different levels including, Kindergarten Complete, Second Grade Complete, Third Grade Complete,Fourth Grade Complete, and Unit Studies for grades K-6 to check out.
59 of my CrewMates also reviewed different grades and unit studies so be sure to click on the banner below and read some of their thoughts.
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