NatureGlo's eScience

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Our family loves learning about science and the world around with a natural, hands-on approach. That's why I was pleased to review NatureGlo's eScience, a site filled with nature-based online math and science unit studies.

Gloria Brooks has over 20 years of eclectic teaching with child-directed learning. She has helped students all over the globe to fall in love with the natural world while also covering other subjects. By leaving dry textbooks behind and heading into nature, her goal is to ignite passion and curiosity to produce lifelong learners. She created the NatureGlo's eScience MathArt and Science Course Bundle as a one-stop, nature-based eLearning center for ages 10-18.

NatureGlo's eScience (NeS) offers 31 courses divided in 5 categories:

• MathArt
• Marine Biology
• Herps (reptiles and amphibians)
• Botany
• Geology

The topics that are taught vary greatly and cover all sorts of interesting things: Galapagos tortoises, deep sea creatures, polygons and patterns in nature, giant redwood trees, gray wolves, rock hounding, Komodo dragons, chameleons, tide pools, queen conchs, Leonardo da Vinci, geometric snowflakes, and more. There's even a one-lesson class on bubbleology. 

The classes are easy to use. Once you begin a course, a list of the lessons is given, showing what is included. Many of the courses contain a PowerPoint slideshow, pre-lesson activity, main lesson videos, and activities.

The lessons may contain instructions, reading texts, downloads, videos, and additional links. The main lesson videos are pre-recorded live classes that Gloria has done with her students. They can be a bit awkward to watch as an outsider. There are pauses as you wait for a student to respond along with the feeling of being left out during discussions in which you can't partake. My kids enjoy when Gloria is teaching, but are somewhat aloof with the interaction of the students.

As you finish each lesson, there is a Mark Complete button to click. That will cross off the lesson from the list and highlight a checkmark next to it. There is also a bar to show progress along with the percentage that is completed for the entire course.

My middle child (10 years) is my biggest nature kid. He especially loves learning about animals and can rattle off multiple facts about all sorts of creatures. He's currently working through the Herps Zoology: Poison Dart Frog, Python, and Caiman course. He has completed a Venn diagram, colored realistic pages, watched people handle pythons, learned that there's more than one type of reticulated python and that poison dart frogs lay their eggs and then transfer the tadpoles to water, and is working on drawing a caiman.

My daughter (12 years) is my artistic child. Of course, she was drawn to the MathArt courses and The Geometric Beauty of Snowflakes. She learned that there are triangular flakes and ice needles and created snowflakes out of popsicle sticks.

The dashboard has all the record-keeping: courses, achievements, certificates, grades, and more. You can see the date a course was started, the percentage that's been completed, and the grade. If your child doesn't click that Mark Complete button at the bottom of the lessons, none of that information will be recorded. Ask me how I know, ha.

I allow my kids to choose which classes they want to complete, but if you're looking for a more formal schedule for study, Gloria has created a RoadMap of courses. Following this plan will take you on a learning journey through all of the mathart and science lessons in a systematic way.

My kids can work through the courses mostly by themselves. Some of lesson pages feel distracting because of the amount of information on each page. My son was confused by all the links on the DK Find Out! sections. Also, we had issues with various videos and links and would get error codes such as 404 Not Found, Sorry the file you have requested does not exist, Video unavailable, and File is in owner's trash. We have also had videos that have either not played at all or have taken an extremely long time to load.

Despite the issues, we have enjoyed the information in the classes. Whenever possible, we just look for a similar video or print coloring pages from a different source. I do wish there were more hands-on activities though. If you'd like a virtual tour the site and all it has to offer, there is a video that explains it in detail.

My son told me, "I really like the slideshows and videos that show the animals." If you, too, want to delve deeper into MathArt and Science classes in a self-paced, natural way, you should check out NatureGlo's eScience.

You can connect with NatureGlo's eScience on the following social media sites:
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You can read more reviews of NatureGlo's eScience on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Pitsco STEM Pack

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Hands-on learning is a priority in our home! I believe in the importance of learning by doing, so I love when we review resources that are focused on actively engaging. This Middle School STEM Creator Pack from Pitsco Education perfectly meets our needs.

Pitsco Education has been dedicated to hands-on exploration and problem solving for over 40 years. Their materials and curricula are STEM-based, meaning they incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math skills while making real-world applications. Their philosophy of education, "What will you bring to the world?" is manifested through experiences that engage both hands and minds. It is their desire to put a piece of the world in students' hands and help them understand how it applies to their lives.

The STEM Creator Pack is geared toward the 6th-8th grade crowd. It includes all the materials, instructions, and curriculum to build 5 projects with 15 activities.

• Catapults
• Balloon Cars
• Da Vinci Bridges
• Personal Inventions
• Friction Climbers

All the projects come individually bagged with everything you need. I have been doing hands-on activities with my kids for more than a decade; I am not afraid to gather random household supplies to complete an assignment, but this kit is so convenient! It cuts back on excuses for not doing projects with your kids such as not having enough time or not being able to find materials or not wanting to look for ideas. All you have to do is grab a bag. Truly, it could not be simpler!

Even though the kit was designed for middle schoolers, I chose to use the Creator Pack with my science-loving, engineer-minded, always-building, busy boys ages 5, 8, and 10.

Each project comes with a Creator's Guide booklet which includes step-by-step building instructions with pictures, interesting facts, and engaging questions. I found that since the instructions are written in an easy-to-understand way and have visual clues for each step, my boys did not even need my help with building some of the projects. Even my second grader had no trouble with things such as folding the car template, taping it, and assembling the wheels. Though I did help with cutting it out and teaching him how to score for easy folding, he was able to follow their instructions just fine.

Most of the projects also include additional activities to extend the learning. For instance, after the boys each took a couple turns playing with the catapult, there were 4 suggested ways to use it: testing the distance, hitting a target, designing a multi-player game, and playing the game. Each activity lists needed supplies (some of which are not included in the kit, but are common), instructions, charts for recording data, and additional relative facts and discussion questions.

Some of their favorite times were testing their theories and trying new ways to use their projects. They learned the best placement of the straw to get their balloon-powered car to go the fastest, that the friction climber is a fun way to get a Lego minifigure to higher heights, how to accurately shoot the catapult so someone can catch the projectile, what happens when you change the angle of a ramp, and various other real-world things.

We did not have the best of luck with the Da Vinci bridge project, unfortunately. That was one set of instructions that I found confusing. Even my engineer husband who easily understands things like this had a difficult time getting the popsicle sticks to stay together long enough to form a long bridge. That is one that we will definitely have to try again as a family.

We still have one final project to complete. They saved their favorite for last--creating their own inventions, which opens up all possibilities for creativity. The kit comes with tons of provided materials like chipboard, string, clay, spools, rubber bands, and straws, but encourages the use of any supplies. There are a few suggested inventions, but  the main purpose is getting kids to come up with ideas--whether it's improving something or creating an entirely new concept--and then creating them. I know that my boys will spend days being engineers and testing their contraptions.

 
My boys absolutely love this kit! It's fun, engaging, and gets them doing what they love best--building and creating.

I absolutely love this kit! It's organized, thorough, easy-to-follow, and gets my kids doing what I love best--learning by doing. 


Pitsco Education is generously sharing their learning kits with their followers! You can enter to win your own STEM Creator Pack by filling out a brief form for the giveaway. Good luck!  Then you, too, can create this fun catapult like my boys did.

Middle School STEM Creator Pack is a must-have for anyone who values hands-on education, incorporates STEM activities, or just likes to have fun. It's the perfect summer activity kit as you can grab a bag once a week and learn without feeling like work. They offer products focusing on robotics, aerospace, coding, sustainable energy, drafting, structures, and more, so there is something to pique your child's interest.

I can't wait to surprise my little engineers with more hands-on fun from Pitsco Education!

You can connect with Pitsco Education on the following social media sites:

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Pinterest

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Pitsco Education offers many fun and engaging learning products. My Crewmates were able to review things such as elementary and high school kits, coding cubes, Smart Buddies, and Arduino kits. You can read more reviews of these products on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Literature Study Guides

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Our family loves reading. Literature is the foundation of our education, so we always appreciate reviewing products that are based around books. There's something very special about opening a story and getting lost in its pages together as a family.

When we want to take our learning deeper than just simply reading the book, we utilize the help of study guides. These aids enrich the experience and help the reader fully grasp the themes within the pages. One of our favorite companies to use for this purpose is Progeny Press. We've used their products multiple times in the past and were excited to work with them again. This time, we were able to use two of their downloadable resources: A New Coat for Anna Study Guide for elementary and My Side of the Mountain Study Guide for middle school.

Progeny Press is a Christian company owned by Michael and Rebecca Gilleland. It is their mission to "teach our children to think clearly, to understand literature, and to rely on the scripture for truth and values, and enjoy themselves while they do it!" They offer more than 100 study guides for classic, popular, and award-winning books. The guides are designed to help students better understand and enjoy literature by getting them to think through the themes and ideas written in the stories. The study guides are available in three formats: a physical book, a CD with a PDF ebook, and a downloadable PDF file.

The A New Coat for Anna Study Guide is designed for grades K-3. The guide accompanies the book by Harriet Ziefert. A New Coat for Anna is a picture book that is based on a true story. In it, young Anna had outgrown her winter coat. Because of WWII, stores were empty and money was scarce. Anna's mother used her resourcefulness to meet her daughter's needs. Anna learned the art of bartering and the value of hard work as she watched her mother trade her possessions for goods. She learned about sheering sheep, spinning wool to get yarn, using berries to make dye, weaving yarn into cloth, and sewing the bolts into a coat. It is a story of patience, sacrifice, thankfulness, and planning ahead.

The study guide has 30 pages of learning activities. It starts with a synopsis of the book and background information about WWII.  There are a handful of Before-You-Read activities including map work, questions to ask relatives who lived during the war, watching a movie, taking a field trip, and more. The next sections are the As-You-Read activities, Vocabulary, and Looking at the Story exercises. Each portion reviews the story through various means such as short answer, matching, defining, and chart work.

There are Bible verses that complement the lessons in the story in the Dig Deeper sections. The verses are written out in the guide itself, but we chose to pull out our KJV and read directly from the Bible. There are also questions that accompany the verses and reinforce the themes.

The study continues even after the story is finished through the After-You-Read activities. This is our favorite section as it is filled with hands-on learning! There is a recipe for a silver cake (reminds me of my favorite childhood recipe!), a craft idea and template, a writing and art project, and fill-in-the-blank questions which correspond with a word search. The guide ends with suggestions for further reading of other books by the author and those of related interest for the age range. A full answer key is available as a separate download.

My younger boys (ages 5 and 8) completed this study together. We enjoyed reading the story and expounding on the hardships of the war. We took advantage of the editable PDF and filled in the answers together on the computer. The boys learned some new things like how to take clothing measurements, the meaning of various words like garnet and bolt, how to paraphrase, and what the Bible teaches us about patience.

Because we like to learn as a family as much as possible, I chose a second study guide. The My Side of the Mountain Study Guide is for the 5th-8th grade group and has 63 pages. My kids range from preschool-9th grade, but everyone can benefit from spending time together enjoying a good story and hearing rich vocabulary used in context. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George brings to life the dream of many people--running away from the hustle and bustle of city life and responsibility and living secluded off the land. It follows the story of young Sam as he learns to care for himself by finding what he needs to survive on the mountain. Though the story is fictional in nature, it mentions many factual survival skills such as how to find food in the river and on land, using all parts of an animal for various uses, finding necessary nutrients in foraged food, storing and planning ahead for difficult weather, building a fire, finding shelter, and more.  The story will resonate with anyone who loves the wilderness and adventure.

The guide begins with the same type of sections as the other (synopsis, author and background information, and pre-reading activities), but then suggests reading the entire book before delving into the meat of the study. This format worked well for us as the kids got to simply enjoy the story without stopping to work. There were a few times when we had to go back to review parts of the story where they didn't remember exactly, but that's all part of the process.

This guide for middle school includes vocabulary skills and comprehension questions, but they are more difficult than the elementary level. This guide also has an editable PDF so a student can type the answers directly without having to print it out. Because of that option, a separate file with the answer key is given, so a student does not have access to the answers himself. One way that this level is different is that the Bible verses are not written out, encouraging the learner to grab his Bible to look them up himself. There are a lot of "what do you think," "what does this mean,'' "why or why not" questions. The guide is also broken into sections that correspond with chapters of the book.

Other activities include discussing safety protocols and choosing a family safe word; measuring rooms in your house and calculating square footage; determining flashbacks and foreshadowing in stories; creating a shelter in your home using blankets and furniture; creating a journal and learning to record daily entries; making a wooden slide whistle; learning about skunk spray through videos and articles; following recipes for candied nuts, mock frog soup, and more; making snow dough with common household supplies, and more. There are multiple ideas for research topics, field trips, art ideas, and writing assignments. The study could easily take 8-10 weeks to complete by incorporating many of the learning exercises.

As always, my kids enjoyed these studies from Progeny Press. We had many thoughtful conversations about life of the past and how blessed we are now, about utilizing the resources that God has given us, and being content with what we have. The books were a good reminder that we could live a simpler lifestyle with many fewer possessions and that we take too much for granted. We make family read aloud part of our regular schooling, but it's good to take our learning deeper. I appreciate that these guides incorporate Bible lessons to help kids see a deeper meaning behind the stories.Whenever you can apply a lesson, rather than just hear about it, it's much more likely to make a lasting difference.

We reviewed an elementary guide and a middle school guide, but Progeny Press offers many different study guides ranging from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade and cover many popular books. There truly is something for everyone. If you have older students, make sure to check out the upper level guides, as well. Their resources are greatly enjoyed in our home.

You can connect with Progeny Press on the following social media sites:

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You can read more reviews of these study guides along with additional choices reviewed by my Crewmates on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Computer Science and Coding Big Fat Notebook

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

My husband is an extremely tech-savvy guy, so it's no surprise that an interest in technology and its workings has passed on to our kids. When we get a review that focuses on computer learning, I usually think of my oldest child as he has a growing interest in various outlets such as coding, graphics software, 3D design, and the like. The only problem for him is that many books are geared toward beginners, like this book from Workman Publishing.

Thankfully though, I have another son who is following in his steps toward being a tech guru. I knew that Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook would be a perfect option for him.

Workman Publishing was started in 1968 and has since grown to be the largest independently owned trade book publisher in the United States. They represent many well-known brands, including the best-selling Brain Quest line. The editors of those materials have created a new series called the Big Fat Notebooks. Each book acts an innovative study guide for a school subject: math, science, world history, American history, English language arts, and computer science and coding. They are designed to feel like the reader borrowed notes from the smartest student in class as there are highlighted portions, doodles, notes "taped" into the pages, and more all in a thick composition notebook format.   

Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook is the newest Big Fat Notebook and teaches key concepts while covering the basics of computer science and the fundamentals of multiple coding languages.

• Computer Systems
• Data and Analysis
• Software Engineering
• Algorithms and Programming
• Universal Programming Principles
• Programming with Scratch
• Programming in Python
• Web Development

The Big Fat Notebooks are geared toward helping middle schoolers ace their classes by making the information easy-to-understand and visually appealing. Even though my son is in only second grade, I felt confident that he could use the book since he has had a bit of experience using Scratch after watching his big brother. I knew he would be excited to have his own book and be able to create fun projects for school.

I had him read the first chapter, "What Is Computer Science?," which talks about what a computer is, what it does, how they are used in our lives, and what kind of jobs and tasks rely on them. It also touches on data, analysis, networks, the internet, and the impact of computing.

After that, I allowed him to jump straight to the Scratch unit.  The book immediately drew him in with its realistic notebooking style. The first chapter explains that Scratch is a simple programming language to use (that's why our kids learn it young) and how it uses blocks to create scripts. It explains different aspects of the program and what each component is.

The second chapter of the unit (chapter 20 of the whole book), is when he really started to learn more about using the language. He learned about parameters, the glide block, and the pen block which he used to recreate a turtle from the book. The chapter also covers some of his favorite features like the sound blocks and look blocks.

The remaining chapters cover storing information in variables, performing calculations on values with operator, evaluating information with boolean blocks, understanding the difference between control blocks and event blocks, repeating with loops, using conditional blocks, cloning, making your own block functions, and more.

Some of the information he was already familiar with using, but other features were new. It has been so fun watching him work through this unit. Many times I've heard, "Mom! Come see what I made!" For the most part, he has been able to work through the steps on his own, but when he has had difficulty understanding, his big brother has been right there to help him. That is one of my favorite things about my kids learning at home.

Since my little guy is still years away from middle school, he's been slowly working through the book. But he has been working through it! That shows me that the material is laid out in a way that's easy for kids to understand. Not only that, but he likes it. The book is colorful and eye-catching and doesn't feel at all like a textbook.

Other things he will learn from the book include collecting and using information, designing computer systems, computational thinking, understanding Python, creating a basic web page with HTML, styling elements with CSS, and much more. There are 39 chapters and over 560 pages packed with computer science learning. There is a brief Check Your Knowledge section at the end of each chapter to review key concepts with the answers on the following page that my boy and I always work through together. There are also color-coded tabs at the bottom of the pages that make each unit easy to access and an index at the back to find specific terms.

Our book came in pretty rough shape. It was mailed in a regular shipping envelope and sustained damage. The cover is creased in multiple places and the corners are torn. My daughter even asked, "We got this used, right?"

While I love that the inside looks like study notes, I don't want the outside to look like it's been tossed in a locker all school year and repeatedly abused. 

Here's what my guy thought of his Big Fat Notebook:

"I like it! All of it!"

He asks to do his coding work first thing every day. For a boy who conveniently "forgets" to do his schoolwork and gets distracted often, that's saying a lot.


Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook is a fantastic resource for kids who are interested in technology. It is engaging, written in simple terms, and entertaining. We like it so much that I can't wait to check out some of the other Big Fat Notebooks for the other subjects.

Using these study guides, you can be the smartest kid in class!

You can connect with Workman Publishing on the following social media sites:

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You can read more reviews of this book on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

The Kingdom Code Review

Homeschooling involves so much more than learning book work. It's not just reading, writing, and arithmetic to get a passing grade. I believe in the importance of giving my kids a full education that focuses on not only traditional school subjects, but experiences that will help them throughout life with practical applications.

The Kingdom Code is dedicated to that same life skills mentality. This hands-on program is all about money management and entrepreneurship--for kids! In a day when large sums of debt and needless spending are common, it is vital to teach our children how to handle money. The Complete Starter Kit comes with everything you need to not only help your kids make money at a young age, but also what to do with that money.

The Kingdom Code: Make and Manage Money... God's Way! was created by Jimmie Byler to answer God's call for her life. A combination of her successful businesses, a supportive family, and classroom teaching made this course possible. Its purpose is to "equip students at an early age with money management skills based upon Biblical principals." Jimmie believes it's important for kids to grow their own business to not only understand the joys and challenges that accompany entrepreneurship, but also to learn financial, social, and organizational skills. Wrapped in Biblical truths, this course is filled with many life skills and practical advice.   

The Complete Start Kit comes with the following materials:

• Student Textbook
• Student Pack
• Teacher's Guide

The Student Textbook is the actual curriculum of the program. This spiral-bound book has 244 glossy, thick, full-color pages with 800 pictures and images. Throughout the 27 lessons, kids will learn "to build a business, manage money successfully, and develop valuable life skills" all with a gentle study of economics, budgeting, history, math, Bible, and practical thinking. Each lesson follows the same format with 8 main sections:

• Proclamation -- Biblical principle
• Check Your Path -- worksheets
• Quest for the Clue -- introduction to the theme and goals of the lesson
• Code of Honor -- the target skill of the lesson, incorporates a Bible verse
• Treasure Seeking -- practical skills taught through stories, ideas, activities, and other methods
• On Your Own -- activities and projects completed apart from class time
• Kingdom Keys -- review of lesson with 3 key ideas
• Congratulations -- celebratory end of lesson with placing a sticker on the Treasure Map
• Bonus Code Work -- optional projects to supplement the lesson

The lessons may also include various other components such as Action Time, History Highlights, and Share Your Thoughts. Another fun addition is the Letters from Aunt Jimmi sections which stories from the author's real life experiences. 

Each lesson covers many educational elements including essential questions, a learning goal, skills, vocabulary words, review, and enrichment projects. These parts all work together to make a thorough entrepreneurial and money-management program. 

The Student Pack has all the consumable pages of the curriculum, including over 100 vocabulary flashcards and a receipt book. There is a worksheet to complement every lesson. Each one follows the same format (Check Your Path, Key to the Lesson, Key Ideas, Key Terms) and fills the front and back of a single page, except for the review lessons which use two sheets. The majority of the exercises are fill-in-the-blank, but a few other types are also woven throughout, such as multiple choice, matching, and crossword puzzles. 

Also contained in the Student Pack is a list of activity pages. These pages include things like a business plan, surveys, tips and exercises for means of sale, various planning techniques, business math, ledgers and checkbook examples, and more. These activities are filled with many strategy helps and practical explanations and are designed to give students a working knowledge of these life skills. 

The forms and notices section of the Student Pack is where the student will find calendar pages, a sale form, ledger, business permit, income statement, business ideas, and the like. These pages, along with the activity pages, are on thick paper with pictures, images, and pops of color.

One final aspect is a large, glossy map that guides the budding entrepreneur through the curriculum. As a lesson is completed, a sticker from the provided sheet is placed on the corresponding number. The map resembles a real treasure map complete with castles, ships, and even a sea monster. Of course, X marks the spot on the true treasure--the final lesson of the course signifying all the student has learned about managing both a business and money.

The Teacher's Guide makes the curriculum easy to teach because it takes the work out of planning. The guide takes the teacher step-by-step through the lessons with ideas and tips. There is a place for lesson notes, worksheet answers, and additional enrichment suggestions of online videos, games, teaching sites, stories, inspirational things, projects, activities, and more.

The Teacher's Guide also contains directions for setting up the program (with 3-ring binders, tabs, bags), master sheets and forms, feedback cards, assessments and tests, and additional enrichment links.   

There are additional supplies you can purchase to enhance the experience, as well. The JR KCK (Kingdom Code Kids) Budget kit is designed to teach kids who are too young for the full program about budgeting. It includes a simplified plan, a handful of coloring pages, and a sticker sheet.

The coloring book is also great for little learners. This 32-page book has many fun medieval pictures of knights, castles, and treasure along with more modern drawings of KCKs and budget coloring sheets. Each page has a Bible verse (various translations) and/or a character quality proclamation.

The Kingdom Code was originally written to be taught as two 45-minutes classes per week over 34 weeks, but is easily adaptable for any schedule. Though it is designed for grades 3-6, I have been working through the program with my upcoming 6th grader and 9th grader. Both kids have shown interest in entrepreneurship, so I knew this material would be very beneficial for them. Besides, it is vital for all kids to learn the importance of managing money well. The Complete Starter Kit has everything you need for one student; to add another, you need only an additional Student Pack.

The kids and I sit together as we work through the lessons. I read the portions in the student book and discuss the ideas with them. The lessons can last anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on how much our conversation twists and turns with the topics. They each fill out their worksheets during this time. Any activities vary between completing by self and completing together as a group.

The book is divided in short sections, making it both easy-to-follow and non-overwhelming. There are charts, graphs, and plenty of pictures to help visual learners. There are many Bible verse sprinkled throughout the pages. Many different versions are used, so we choose to take turns looking up the passages in our own Bibles.

Though the curriculum is geared toward a younger crowd, we have been able to easily adapt the suggestions for our family. No, I don't require my 13-year-old to stand and shout the proclamations or insist the kids play some of the more juvenile games, but the vast majority of the program is applicable and beneficial for any age. Our favorite parts are the additional enrichment ideas. In fact, my kids still talk about a video we watched many weeks ago about free enterprise. We also like to quiz each other with the flashcards.

   
The book focuses on  services businesses, but both of my kids are interested in goods businesses (sewing and 3D printing). Some of the aspects we've had to be flexible with, but over all, the instruction is relevant.

There are so many valuable skills taught through this curriculum. I could never list them all, but here are a few of the big ones:

• Budgeting
• Contentment
• Giving
• Work Ethic
• Self-Confidence
• Problem Solving
• Communication Skills
• Economics
• Organization
• Character

I have been very impressed with The Kingdom Code and all that is taught through this curriculum. Teaching kids a strong work ethic and money management skills are incredibly important, but this program prepares kids for much more than those. Even if your child isn't showing interest in entrepreneurship now, The Complete Starter Kit is still a valuable resource for many life skills.

If you'd like to take a closer look at the curriculum you can sign up for free lesson samples on their site and let them know we sent you! Also, you can save 10% off all Kingdom Code products using my coupon code 10TKC11.

Have fun making and managing money God's way!



You can connect with The Kingdom Code on the following social media sites:
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You can read more reviews and see what other businesses kids have created on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Middle School Lightning Literature

I am excited every time we get to review things that focus on reading. The foundation of our schooling is literature based, so the kids spend a large portion of their school day lost in a book. While I do appreciate the need for some fluff in their reading, we rely on quality writings most of the time. That's why when the Homeschool Review Crew had the opportunity to choose one of many products offered by Hewitt Homeschooling Resources, I was immediately drawn to the Gr 8 Lightning Lit Set. Not only does their Lightning Literature & Composition series focus on whole books and classical literature, but it also teaches deep reading and writing skills.

Hewitt Homeschooling offers a balanced, flexible, and complete approach to home education. They believe that the best option is home school, not school at home, by providing hands-on activities and great literature. Their goals are to combine excellent academics with character development, to instill a strong work ethic, and to cultivate a spirit of community service.

There is a Lightning Literature & Composition level for every student from grades 1-12. For the elementary and junior high years, the curriculum is grade-specific; for the high school years, it is based on a time, place, topic, or author per semester. The early levels focus on a variety of books to instill a love of reading and gently incorporate grammar skills. By the advanced levels, the students will be introduced to exciting authors, strengthen their comprehension skills, and concentrate on strong writing exercises. 

I chose the Gr 8 Lightning Lit Set by Elizabeth Kamath for our oldest child. Even though he will be starting high school classes in the fall, this is his first experience with the Lightning Lit courses. I knew this would be a good challenge for him, because while he reads a lot, we haven't spent too much time on his writing abilities. 

The course utilizes 6 classic books with an additional collection of short stories and poems.

• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• A Day of Pleasure by Isaac Bashevis Singer
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children (various authors) by Harold Bloom 

The books, written between the early 1800s through the mid 1900s, cover both fiction and nonfiction and take the reader on a journey from a Greek Island to Middle Earth to the high seas to a home in Poland to a small town in Alabama and more. The stories were chosen to combine both fun and enlightening works as they introduce the student to a world beyond his immediate experience. 

The complete set includes the curriculum and all necessary reading materials, but for the purpose of this review, we received only the following curriculum books:

• Student's Guide
• Workbook
• Teacher's Guide

The Student's Guide is the textbook of the course. It contains all the teaching materials as the lessons are written directly to the student. The chapters of the Student's Guide alternate between a classic book from the list and a portion of the Stories and Poems book. Each chapter follows the same format:

• Introduction -- a brief biography of the author(s) in the lesson; an explanation of the lesson
• While You Read -- questions or aspects to consider while reading 
• Vocabulary List -- various words from the story divided by chapters and a brief definition of each
• Comprehension Questions -- questions to help discern the student's attention to and understand of the reading material 
• Literary Lesson -- "the heart and soul" of the curriculum; teaches concepts such as figurative language, character, symbolism, imagery, and more
• Mini-Lesson -- one per chapter; can relate to the reading or introduce a composition skill; most chapters involve writing a research report
• Writing Exercises -- may pertain to the literary lesson, research paper, or essay; students should complete one or more of the suggestions listed

The Workbook is a 277-page, consumable book that complements the Student's Guide. The pages should be completed after the reading has been done but before the writing assignments. There are 7 types of exercises: relating to the literary lessons, relating to the mini-lessons, thinking skills, grammar and mechanics, literary analysis, puzzles, and extra-challenge. There can be more than one type in a chapter or none of one type at all. The first ones are required, but the last two exercises (puzzles and extra-challenge) are optional. The elective exercises include word searches, crossword puzzles, and various language arts topics. The number of exercises varies per chapter, but there is a total of over 100 exercises throughout the course. 

The Teacher's Guide is a must-have addition to the curriculum. Not only does it contain all of the answers to the workbook pages, but has additional teaching helps and valuable tips to aid struggling students.

The format is identical to the Student's Guide, making it simple to follow along. The beginning of the book gives and explanation of the course and its components, explains the importance of both reading and writing, and lists a weekly schedule for the curriculum with check boxes.

In the 6 weeks that my son has been using this curriculum, he has read "A Crazy Tale" from Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children and Treasure Island. He has learned about an author's purpose in writing, taking notes, setting, and rewriting in his own words. He has practiced capitalization and apostrophes; described sights, sound, touch, smell, and taste for various settings in the house; identified bias, analyzed literature; determined fact or opinion; and more. In the coming weeks, he will learn about free verse and ballad, sharing culture through nonfiction, citing sources, character development, narration, figurative language, sentence structure, and much more.

There is a great variety of exercises throughout the book that include short answer, multiple choice, underlining, and markings along with the longer assignments. It's a good combination that teaches the concepts without making my son feel overwhelmed. I've already seen an improvement in not only his writing abilities but his confidence, as well. I'm excited about the possibilities as we progress through the materials.

I have been thoroughly impressed with the Gr 8 Lightning Lit Set. I appreciate the combination of strong, classical literature with a thorough teaching of composition and writing. I feel confident that Hewitt Homeschooling Resources will benefit my son as he enters his high school years.


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My crewmates and I had many options to review including other levels of Lightning Lit, a few My First Reports, and various high school courses. You can read those reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.