My Little Pony Behavior Chart

While the school year started out good, the girls quickly started dragging their feet when it came to finishing school work. After a couple weeks of banging my head against a wall extremely long days, I gave up and made them a new behavior chart. I hadn't intended to go back to using a behavior chart again (we had a simple one when the girls we're a couple years younger), but I was hopeful since it had worked well the first time! This time, however, I decided to base it on ponies. 

You see my girls are obsessed with My Little Ponies, and fortunately for me my oldest's favorite is Applejack. For those of you don't know anything about My Little Ponies, Applejack is known for being hardworking and honest. This is in stark contrast to the silliness that usually is my girls, but it is also a great incentive for them to try harder.  They would much rather be compared to Applejack then the fun loving Pinkie Pie.

So I made this little chart (just pictures glued to scrapbook paper and laminated) and allowed the girls to put the ponies in order starting with the hardest working. (I didn't agree with the order, but hey, it is their chart, right!) I threw Sunset Shimmer in at the bottom for bad attitude. It doesn't make them happy at all to be put down there! 

So far I think the chart is really helping. I have it on our white board, and they frequently ask me what pony they are. While they do still fuss, they usually straighten up quickly if they get moved down.  Hopefully in time they will stop getting moved down as often.

If your kids aren't into ponies just pick a theme they are into and figure out who their favorite is. It is amazing how hard they will try to be compared to their favorite character!

1st Day of School 2013

Compared to many others, we started our school year a little late. Actually, we waited until the day after Labor Day to start because we were gone the majority of August!

Prior to that day I spent way too much time reading every homeschool planning post I could find trying to decide how to plan our year. In the end I realized I would just have to try it to truly find what would work for us. The way I currently have our year planned is according the Sabbath Schooling method of 6 weeks on, 1 week off. I figured this would work well since it gives me flexibility to skip a day if needed and then make it up in the week off. As much as I tried to come up with good goals for the year, I ended up not making any, other then just to finish the curriculum in the year because I had no idea how quickly the girls would go through the material I have. I decided I would reassess at the end of the first 6 weeks and see if we seem to be progressing fast enough. I came up with a (very) rough idea of how I wanted ours days to go too.

I picked out  three core subjects to start the first week figuring we would add to them as the girls got used to the routine. So that first day I was armed with phonics, math, and handwriting.  It ended up being a good thing that I didn't want to start everything right away because our first official day of homeschooling wasn't even at home. My husband was starting a new job, and he had to travel for training. It happened that he had to go toward my mom's so we all went along!

We started our first day outside which was exciting for all the kids! The girls were even cooperative for their pictures! (If you are wondering the signs are made from colored pencil shavings.) Don't let the signs fool you they are working above grade level for most subjects, but we have decided for now to call the year whatever grade it would be in school no matter what grade they are working on. That may change as they get older.

Even Eli wanted in on school the first day!

The girls happily worked on their handwriting. They requested cursive back in the spring, so that is what we are doing! The were quite cooperative for their math (they hunted for 3D Shapes) and phonics that day as well! Of course reading is much better while wearing a princess dress!

They spent a lot of the day hunting for cicadas too, so we started our science notebook with cicadas! Yep, we even got an extra subject in!

I was pleased with how the first day went, but I should have known not to get too optimistic about the entire year as the second was not as smooth. We made it through the first week though, and in time they will get used to the new routine.

In fact with their daddy working from home now, we all have to get used to a very new normal! I'm not sure what that will look like yet, so please grant me a measure of grace if I don't post as often as I used to. I will certainly try because I know we have lots to share, but life may get in the way a bit until things settle down! Wishing you all a wonderful school year whether at home or away! 

How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child (Part 5 - Positive Reinforcement)

Today is the fifth and final day of the How Do I Teach....Series! I hope you have enjoyed all the topics covered and pinned or bookmarked the ones you want to refer back to! So far my series on How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child has included my Introduction: Defining the Strong Willed Child, the Key Ingredient of Respect, Rules and Disobedience, and Maintaining a Routine. Today we will talk about an element that is very important although often overlooked with a Strong Willed Child.....Positive Reinforcement!

We already know that disciplining a strong willed child in a negative way can be frustrating since they don't respond to it like other children.  Something that is extremely useful with these kids is to make sure you are giving them positive reinforcement. Strong willed kids tend to be in trouble a lot and see a lot of the glares or annoyed looks from their caregivers. Just smiling at them more often will help your relationship tremendously. But if you really want them to take off catch them doing something right. My kids just beam with pride when I thank them for their behavior in a given situation. Just make your praise honest and meaningful. Praise them for appropriate behavior. Praise them for kindness. Praise them for the effort they put forth on a project. Praise them for their determination (that's that strong will shining through)!

Another thing you can do to change your own point of view when it comes to your strong willed child is to change the labels you use. Just like I chose to use the word determination in the previous paragraph rather then stubborn. Stubborn, difficult, dramatic all have a negative connotation and bring about negative feelings when you think them. But all negative traits are also positive in some ways. Being stubborn means they won't give up on things. While it can be taken to an extreme (and often strong willed kids will) it often leads to extreme determination when they want to do something and makes them less likely to fall to peer pressure when they have already established their opinions. Difficult is a pretty general term, but many people use it to refer to particularly sensitive individuals. Sensitivity can be bad, but sometimes it can be good. People who are more sensitive are more perceptive and more aware of their surroundings and can be more aware of others feelings. This perceptiveness can also lead them to be more creative then others. And that overly dramatic child, we all know them, they are really just very passionate about the way they feel and the things around them. Being passionate can drive them to achieve anything they want! Being passionate can also make them a lot of fun to be around when they learn to properly control their emotions!

So why not use determined or decisive instead of stubborn. Use perceptive for difficult or sensitive. And use passionate rather then dramatic. A few other labels you might want to add to your vocabulary are assertive, purposeful, spirited, tenacious, persistent, creative, driven, exciting, resourceful and ambitious. All of these are labels most people would love to have describe them, and that is just how your child was made!

Just changing the labels you use for your kids can change the way you feel about them and allow you to start building a better relationship with them! After all strong willed children are still children and desire to be loved and understood.

Obviously all the tips I have given you are general parenting/ living with a strong willed person tips, but they all translate into schooling as well. If you use them to improve your relationship it will naturally flow into your homeschool and improve how effective you are as a teacher.

I do have to say that even all these tips will take time to implement effectively, and there will always be days that feel impossible, but steady improvement is what you are looking for. Don't be discouraged if you don't see a miracle over night! And as for schooling, you have 18 years to teach them what they need to know. Repair the relationship and then work on reading! 

I feel as though I have written too much and yet barely touched the surface this week! A couple good books that have really helped me in dealing with my strong willed children and in understanding myself are:

"You Can't Make Me" (but I can be persuaded) by Cynthia Tobias, another strong willed child.

And Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

So remember to Respect your Child, Be Consistent and Creative with Discipline, Keep a Flexible Routine, and use Positive Reinforcement, and you are on your way to a better relationship with your Amazing Child!

Many Blessing from our Strong Willed Family to Yours!

If you haven't checked them out, be sure to stop by the other participating blogs and read their great topics! Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ Homeschool Gameschool ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ No Doubt Learning ~ Mrs. Redd’s Classroom Blog ~ Proverbial Homemaker ~ My Joy Filled Life ~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Vicki Arnold ~ Only Passionate Curiosity ~ Living Life and Learning ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ For This Season

How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child (Part 4 - Routine)

It is Day 4 of the How Do I Teach... Series!  I know the week is going fast, and a lot of information is being thrown your way! Please refer back to my Introduction on the Strong Willed Child, my post on the Key Ingredient of Respect, and my post on Rules and Discipline if you haven't read them yet! All caught up, lets talk Routine! 

Living with a strong willed child can be intense, and another way you can help your strong willed child is through a daily routine. Notice I say routine and not schedule.  Many strong willed children would be described as energetic,  poor sleepers, or poor eaters. They seem random as to what they do when. These kids can also be a bit sensitive to things like smell, sound, and touch. Mind you not all strong willed kids are sensitive to the same things, but for those parents who have a sensitive one, the days of erratic schedules, eating habits, or seemingly pointless meltdowns can be exhausting.  A routine can help you have a little more control and help them have more predictability, but realize you may never be able to wrap days into a neat little package like mothers with more compliant children. And please realize that this is OKAY! Your child is different then their child, and while I know mom's of strong willed children will likely envy those more compliant children of other mothers (I know I have), your strong willed child is an amazing person and just needs your help to figure it out! 

Some of the previous tips apply to routines too. Make sure you tell kids ahead of time what will happen and why, and ask if things are okay (see the post on Respect for more information). This is why a loose routine that includes set meal times and quiet (or nap) time works well for these kids. All the other activities you want to get done during the day need to be as flexible as possible so your child can have some say in how their day goes (even if it is an indirect say). The flexibility will help you feel like a better parent too because you can quickly rearrange things to fit your child's current mood. No one really wants to go to the grocery store with a cranky, whiny kid, so just go after nap time instead of in the morning. This applies to chores and homeschooling to. If you can allow your child to choose the order in which they complete there daily chores or school subjects.

Of course there will be times when things simply cannot be changed. Prepare your child ahead of time as much as possible (I have found my girls really like to see a written list of what we need to get done that day) not just by letting them know what will happen, but if it is something that will directly involve them like a doctor's appointment, role play with them how they should behave.  Make sure they have had something to eat and are comfortable. When I say comfortable it is mainly for those sensitive kids that may have trouble if you dress them in the wrong outfit or if things are too loud or too hot. When you leave remind them of any consequences should they misbehave, and make sure they are consequences you can follow through with (don't threaten to leave the store if you aren't actually prepared to leave the store).

If the do have a meltdown, because they will occur, do what you can to stop them without giving in to the child. And as frustrating as they can be, remember to stay as calm as possible and talk quietly, so they will have to listen to you. (A couple phrases that help my older ones are "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" and "Already asked and  already answered")  If you are at home you may be able to redirect the child towards something that calms them down. For my kids this is usually reading a book or playing in water.  If you are in public you can choose to leave or choose to ignore the tantrum. For my kids ignoring it until we can get to a place where we can calm down and talk works best, but that may not be the case for yours. Maybe you can come up with a more creative option; I'd love to hear if you do! Once they are calm, you have to discuss the tantrum and the appropriate behavior with them.

I do have one child that has an especially hard time calming herself down. This is the one when presented with those lovely calm down jars you see all over Pinterest, launches it across the room. I usually have to sit with her (usually physically restraining holding her) and count to ten with her. She seems to get so scared of her intense emotions that she cannot control it. Then we discuss why she felt that way, that tantrums are not fun and do not get us what we want, and how we should behave instead. She usually feels terrible afterward, and needs to know that the feelings are okay, but her actions are not. We can usually proceed with our plans after that.

Make sure to read all the other topics:

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ Homeschool Gameschool ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ No Doubt Learning ~ Mrs. Redd’s Classroom Blog ~ Proverbial Homemaker ~ My Joy Filled Life ~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Vicki Arnold ~ Only Passionate Curiosity ~ Living Life and Learning ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ For This Season

How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child (Part 2-Respect)

This is the second post in our How Do I Teach... Series. My topic is How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child, and you can read my Introduction HERE. Already read it, great! You are ready for the next part! 

Yesterday I gave you a personal example of what happens when a strong willed child doesn't feel respected. In fact respect is pretty much the biggest trigger of poor behavior in the strong willed child. If they feel disrespected in anyway they are very unlikely to do what you ask. Sometimes it isn't even that they don't want to do it, but simply because of the way you requested it.  It is frustrating when children disobey, but please remember you really don't want your child to be blindly obedient to anyone older then them. It is good for them to be able to think and make their own choices, but they need you to teach them which choices are wise. They are likely to follow you if they respect you, but the only way to gain their respect is by respecting them!

There are a few things you can do to help your child feel respected leading to a better relationship and an easier time teaching them.

Let them know what is going to happen. If you have a plan for the day let them know ahead of time! This way they aren't surprised and feel like they have more control in what is going on. Likewise when it comes to misbehavior let them know the consequence ahead of time. They may still choose to misbehave, but they need to be aware of what will happen if they do (more on that in another post).

Give them a choice. If you can let them choose. I know this goes for all kids, but choices give strong willed kids the control they need.  If they make a choice you really aren't fond of, but isn't going to physically hurt them, stand back.  Don't try to make them feel bad about their choice.  If there is something you don't want your child to choose then don't offer it as a choice!

Tell them why! Kids ask a lot of questions, and strong willed kids seem to ask even more! Having the answers can really change the way they look at something. Explain to your kid why they need to behave a certain way rather then just telling them to. Tell them how they make others feel when they treat them a certain way or what will happen when things aren't properly cared for. After all strong willed people in general think rules only apply to people who don't know how to behave, so if they see no sense in a rule, they are pretty much guaranteed not to follow it!

Ask them why. If they complain about something ask them why they don't like it. It may be the dress is too scratchy for them to wear or their room is too hot for them to sleep in. Many strong willed kids are actually sensitive to various aspects in their environment. Even though we may not see it at first, these kids usually do have a reason for their protests!

We knew early on that our son was strong willed. When he was very little, 2 and 3 months old, he would scream and cry most any time he was inside. The second you walked outside he was calm; walk back in and he would scream even if he appeared to be asleep. For some reason he was particularly sensitive to something in the house. Never really figured out what it was, but thankfully he got over it before winter came! However, his strong will shows through even more as a two year old! 

Ask if it is okay. It is amazing what a little question like "Okay?" can do for these kids. The reaction you get from saying "we are picking up toys and then we will eat lunch" versus "we are picking up toys and then we'll eat lunch, okay?" is drastic. That one little word gives your child a chance to say no.  I know that sounds counter intuitive, but giving them an out or a way to explain themselves before the tears start is a much better option for everyone! If they have a problem with your plans, you can resolve it immediately rather then fighting them because they don't want to pick up the blocks before their building was finished. You ask okay, they tell you they aren't finished, you come up with a suitable solution like they finish their building then put blocks away or they clean up everything but the blocks and come back to them later. Many times when you show your child that you do indeed respect their opinion with this little question they will be perfectly happy to do things your way.  

I know many of you may be thinking that you shouldn't have to ask because you are in charge (maybe you are strong willed like me if you are); I mean these are kids you are dealing with not adults! But I promise with these kids a little respect goes a long way!  Besides you really are raising adults!

Have you checked out the other blogs particiapting in the How Do I Teach Series?

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ Homeschool Gameschool ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ No Doubt Learning ~ Mrs. Redd’s Classroom Blog ~ Proverbial Homemaker ~ My Joy Filled Life ~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Vicki Arnold ~ Only Passionate Curiosity ~ Living Life and Learning ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ For This Season

How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child (Part 1-Defining)

This week I will be participating the the How Do I Teach... 5 Day Series by some of your favorite homeschooling bloggers (visit the above link to check out all the topics)! My topic is very personal to me as I have chosen How Do I Teach a Strong Willed Child.

When you hear the term Strong-Willed what do you think of? I have a feeling most of the words you are thinking of right now (stubborn, difficult, dramatic) are negatives. In fact when I started looking for information on teaching strong willed kids, I really couldn't find any except a couple blogs asking for tips if anyone had them! (Note: There may be some out there, but I didn't find them in the first 3 pages on Google, so if you have one I would love to read it!) Most of what I did find were tips for coping with or dealing with your strong willed child. This struck me the wrong way! I am one of those strong willed children, and I never wanted to just be dealt with.

You see strong will isn't a negative! Quite the opposite really. Having a strong will can be one of the greatest assets your child has!  When used properly, strong will can propel your child to be successful in whatever they do!

So do you have a strong willed child? You probably already know if you do, but let me give you an example from my own childhood that should explain it pretty clearly. (I am sure my mother will love me telling this story)!

During middle school (11 or 12 ish) I did something that terrified me at the time and  I am sure terrified my mother as well. It started at my aunts house which was between 4 and 5 miles away from our house, and I did NOT want to be there. I don't remember why we were there or why I didn't want to be there, but I didn't. I told my mom that I didn't, and that I was going home. She told me not to dare to walk down the street. Well my strong willed and overly literal mind decided if I couldn't walk down the street that walking up it was perfectly fine, and I went! I didn't know the way home as well up the street because it was a bunch of back roads instead of major roads I knew, but I knew the general direction and I started walking. I walked and walked, many times being so scared I wanted to turn back, but I couldn't. I knew I would be in trouble when I got home, I didn't care. In my mind, my mom didn't care how I felt, so I was going to do what I wanted no matter the cost. So I kept walking. It was summertime in the middle of the city. I was hot and tired and thirsty, but I kept walking. I walked all the way home so angry with the disrespect I felt I had been given. I walked all the way home so determined to prove to my mom that I could do it without her. I walked all the way home because that is where I wanted to go, and it really didn't matter to me what other people thought.  (At this point I figure some of you are probably think I was a spoiled brat, but really that is the furthest thing from the truth.) I made it home and made myself some lemonade and then kindly called my mom (you see this all happened before cell phones). As a parent now I can only imagine how angry and yet happy my mom was when she heard my voice and knew I was safe. And I did get punished. I was grounded, I can't even remember how long, because it really didn't matter. I never regretted what I did despite being punished because to me I had every right to feel the way I felt and go where I wanted to go.

This is a defining characteristic of strong willed people: they want what they want no matter what punishment they receive because of it. 

This is important to remember when parenting or teaching a strong willed child. It is also important to remember that there are ways that you can convince them to do what you want done, at least most of the time.

The key points we will cover in this series are:

• Respect
• Rules, Battles, and Discipline
• Routine and Flexibility
• Positive Reinforcement and Labels

By using these tools you can strengthen your relationship with your Strong Willed Child.  And relationship is always more important than reading!

Be sure to check out all the blogs in this series; each with their own unique topic!

Enchanted Homeschooling Mom ~ Homeschool Gameschool ~ Are We There Yet? ~ Life with Moore Babies ~ No Doubt Learning ~ Mrs. Redd’s Classroom Blog ~ Proverbial Homemaker ~ My Joy Filled Life ~ Preschool Powol Packets ~ Adventures in Mommydom ~ Vicki Arnold ~ Only Passionate Curiosity ~ Living Life and Learning ~ Farm Fresh Adventures ~ 3 Dinosaurs ~ For This Season

Homeschool Planning 101

So much planning goes into each homeschool year, and when you are just starting (like me) it is really easy to become overwhelmed! So many choices in curriculum and planning ideas; not to mention how to schedule your day! I have collected some posts to help you (and me) get it all together before it is time to actually start!

Curriculum

I think the first thing everyone worries about is choosing curriculum. For good reason! There are so many choices in so many price ranges, and they all fit different learning and teaching styles. Some are time intensive, some are packaged with lesson plans included, and some choose to make their own! Where do you even start???

Planning with a Purpose with Curriculum Selection and Making Your Own fro Are We There Yet

Tips on Finding the Perfect Curriculum form Mimi's House

Curriculum Choices from the Folks over at Curriculum Choice

Curriculum Cost for their first year of homeschooling at Hiding the Peas

Curriculum Choices for preschool, high school, and elementary over at Good Work Academy

How to Make Homeschool Unit Studies from How to Homeschool my Child

Free Printable Curriculum Wish List from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

Schedule

Once you have the curriculum you have to start thinking about a schedule.  How often are you going to teach these subjects, and for how long each time? Where will we fit in extra curricular activities and that dreaded socialization? (please note the sarcasm)

How to Create a Homeschool Schedule from Tales of a Pee Dee Mama

More on Scheduling your Homeschool with free printables on Thinking Kids

Tips on Creating the Perfect Homeschool Schedule from Upside Down Homeschooling

 Days to Scheduling Your Entire Homeschool Year with The Unlikely Homeschool

Steps to Planning your Homeschool Day from Homeschool Creations

 Parts to a Homeschool Schedule from Hodgepodge

Advice on Homeschooling the Large Family and How to Get it All Done from Abundant Life

Planners

Have a schedule idea in your head, better write it down before it gets lost among all the other things you have to think about right now! You will need a planner for that, and there is a lot of selection there too! Here are some printable options and tips on how to make your own!

Free Printable Calender from My Joy Filled Life

Printable Curriculum Planner from Vicki Arnold

Do-it-yourself Homeschool Planner from The Hands-On Homeschooler

Printable Lesson Planning Page and Elementary Grade Book from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

Organization

You have curriculum, a schedule, and a planner, and now you have to organize it all! Keep things easy to find with these tips!

Tips on Organizing Curriculum from Chestnut Grove Academy

Tips for organizing students assignments from Loving and Learning on the High Plains

A behind the scenes look at Filing and Organization over at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

Virtual Workboxes from Good Work Academy

General Planning

Still overwhelmed? here are some great posts with steps to take and general tips to keep you on track!

Before starting Define Your Intended Outcomes at Enchanted Homeschooling Mom

Set Your Homeschool Goals with Forever, For Always, No Matter What

Tips on Planning Your First Year of Homeschooling from House, Barn, Farm

7 Steps to Homeschooling Planning from Upside Down Homeschooling

10 Things to do when Planning a New Homeschool Year from Apron Strings and Other Things


Now it looks like I need to get some reading done, so I can get started on our own homeschool planning!

Blue Manor PreK & K Curriculum Review and Giveaway

Today I am pleased to be reviewing both the Blue Manor Academy Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum! Both of these curriculum are made up of a series of ebooks that cover a wide variety of topics with life like pictures.

Books included are:

Preschool Curriculum: 

Teaching Manual and Quick Start Guide
Letters, Phonics Level 1, and 3 Early Readers
Colors and General Concepts
Learn to Draw
Shapes, Counting and Numbers, and Money Recognition
Vocabulary Builders (Animals, Food, Electronics, People and Occupations, and Transportation)
Anatomy and Senses
Seasons and Weather
Strength and Ability
Character and Etiquette
Bible Story
Printable Bible Verses, Responsibility Charts, and Prewriting Worksheets

Kindergarten Curriculum

Quick Start Guide

Phonics Level 2 and 3 Early Readers

Anatomy Systems

History (God and Mankind, American History, Nations and Empires)

Book of Virtues

Signs and Signals

Basic Drawing

Geography (United States, World Geography, Terrain Features)

Math (Addition, Subtraction, Time, Memory Building, Understanding Patterns)

Vocabulary Builders (Building and Places, Food Recognition, People and Occupations)

Printable Prewriting Worksheets, Penmanship Worksheets, Drawing Worksheets, and Math worksheets

**You may have noticed similar titles in each set, but they are not the same book. The kindergarten level is more advanced then the preschool level.

Let me say, I typically shy away from all electronic curriculum just because things go on my computer and have a tendency to be forgotten. I also like the feel of a book in my hand, call me old fashioned. This curriculum was a bit different though as it can be printed out or even better, viewed on the iPad. My kids love the iPad, so that was actually a big plus!

At first this curriculum appears a bit simplistic because of the lack of large amounts of worksheets. This actually works to its advantage for my kids, and really for most kids in the age range. I have found that large amounts of writing tends to frustrate young kids who are just beginning to gain fine motor control needed for writing.   

The other good thing about the simplicity of the curriculum is it is there are no set lesson plans making it easy to follow the interests of your child, and if you follow their interests they are much more likely to learn. You can read and reread any book they are interested in on a particular day. The books are not terribly long and the lifelike pictures seem to hold their attention well. The first day we looked at ours I think the girls went through 7 books before they wanted to move on!

Not only can you follow interests, but you can also be sure to cover the information you child has trouble with more often. Since the curriculum is mainly books, they are meant to be read and reread often. The more you repeat it the more likely they are to remember it! If you notice you child having trouble in one particular area, you can make a point of reading that book more often!

There are a few worksheets included for the writing and math sections especially in the kindergarten curriculum when kids can handle more seat work.

We went through most of the books  in the few weeks we took to review this curriculum, and my kids really seemed to enjoy them.  They already knew most of the information in the preschool curriculum which allowed them to show them to Eli too. This was great because he loved the life like pictures, and they enjoy teaching him which is also a great way to reinforce information!

The other good thing about the simplicity of this curriculum is all the flexibility it gives. As is, it works well for auditory and visual learners, but it leaves time to add activities for the kinesthetic learners as well.  Mine are visual and kinesthetic learners, and I intend to continue using this curriculum along with what I already have this next year!

The strengths of the curriculum can be drawbacks for some. This curriculum has no lesson plans, so if you are someone who needs things planned out, I wouldn't use this exclusively. The books would still work well to supplement though!  

I asked my kids which books their favorites were and I was not at all surprised by the answers. Bria said the Early Readers (because she can read them), Nadia liked the Animal Recognition, and Eli liked the Transportation!

Each complete curriculum is $39.99 which is not bad for a full curriculum, or you can purchase sets of books (like all the early readers or all the vocabulary builders). Now through the end of July (I know not much time left) you can save $10 on your order with the code July10Gift! That only lasts for a couple more days, so head over to Blue Manor now!

Blue Manor Academy has also been generous enough to provide a copy of either the Preschool or Kindergarten Curriculum for one of our readers! 

(Click on the link below to enter!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway