I was introduced to the Pearson Homeschool curriculum this year, and I’m happy to share my experience with you in this post. Disclosure: As I share my review with you, please know that I have been compensated for my time and that I received this product for free. Opinions I express with you- either positive or negative- are honest and completely mine :-).
What comes with Pearson social studies, grade 1
This curriculum was a homeschool package deal complete with:
- student work text
- myStory Video on DVD
- Teacher Resource Library DVD
- additional access to the myStoryBook Digital Storytelling Tool
The Teacher Resource Library is essential
Without the Teacher Resource Library, this set really doesn’t make sense, so you have to make sure you get the entire package. Simply pop the Teacher Resource Library DVD into your computer and scroll through the chapter helps to brief yourself and how to teach each lesson. Here’s a screenshot of one of the teacher assessments.Everything you need to complete each lesson is included in the Teacher Resource Library- including tests, hands-on activities, additional reading lessons– and a podcast just for the teacher -you- for the chapter subject. I’ll admit, I was a bit overwhelmed at first with the layout of the different options on the DVD, but with a little navigating the table of contents, I started to get comfortable with the idea of finding what I needed on the DVD. Everything is there in one spot- even a copy of the student text – which allows you to see on your screen at a glance what your child will be reading each day. Besides the assignments, key concepts, main ideas of the lesson, and questions to ask, you’ll also be given potential field trip ideas and any materials and resources you’ll need to complete the teaching portion.
Workbook is user-friendly
I had my 1st grader work through these workbook pages, and with just a little assistance, she enjoyed the process. The pages are colorful and peppered with new vocabulary words, directions to underline or circle key concepts, and opportunities to practice handwriting skills by filling in the blanks. Although fairly intuitive, the workbook follows the structure laid out in the Teacher Resource Library, so it pays to take a look at that before you assign workbook pages.
Includes critical thinking
You do need to interact with your child throughout the lessons for lower grades and walk them through the process. The myStory Video DVD was fun for my daughter because she got to see children her own age explore the Big Question in each chapter and voice her own opinions as well. Exploring the Big Question really got her wheels turning and we had some pretty awesome conversations! It’s much easier to make a personal connection with the lesson this way, and really helps your child to learn to think critically about key concepts in a practical way.
Extra activities are engaging
I love that this curriculum isn’t just a collection of dates and facts that my child needs to learn. Each lesson is engaging and interactive. For example, in one lesson she learned about trade-offs. The question for her to ponder was “Think of a time you had to choose between two things. What did you choose? How did you decide?” She is then given three lines in which to write her answer on the page. Questions like these throughout the workbook caused my daughter to apply the key concept to her life practically. There is also plenty of opportunity to draw pictures to answer the questions. Many of the lessons start with a chapter song as well, which help to bring the lesson to life. For example, Chapter 1 is all about “My School, My Community” and it begins with the song “You’re a Grand Old Flag”. This was the first time my first-grader has ever learned the song, and I thought it was key to begin a chapter focusing on community and country with a patriotic song. Another resource we really enjoyed was TikaTok– which is the myStory Book Digital Storytelling Tool. Access to this site really gave my daughter something to look forward to and made her experience fun.With access to TikaTok, she was able to write and illustrate her own digital book which was tied in to the social studies program topics. Overall, we enjoyed this program.
Check out Pearson around the web.
You can follow Pearson Homeschool in a number of ways.● Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PearsonHomeschool● Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PHomeschool● Follow them on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/phomeschool/● Follow them on Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+Pearsonhomeschool/posts
Ready to purchase?
To see what Pearson has to offer homeschoolers, check out the Pearson Homeschool site and see which grade levels and materials might interest you.Then, when you’re ready to purchase, Pearson is offering some nice discounts. You can get 25% off any K6 myWorld Social Studies bundle through August 15th using Promo Code BLG25.Get your discounts on the Grade 1 curriculum I just reviewed or on any of the following K6 myWorld Social Studies grade levels:
You can also get 25% off with code BLG25 on other subjects until August 15, 2014.● enVisionMath Bundle Grades K6● myWorld Social Studies Bundle Grades K6● MCP Plaid Phonics Bundle Grades K6● Interactive Science Bundle Grades K5I hope you enjoyed reading this review as much as we liked using Pearson Homeschool social studies! Do you have any questions? Leave me a comment below and I’ll be sure to give you a reply.
I’ve tried K12 and Calvert so far. I’m looking for something a bit different for next year. I was wondering if you had any experience with Pearson’s 4th grade English?