Category: 2nd Grade Curriculum

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, Curriculum Resource, Homeschool, homeschool curriculum, homeschool science, S.T.E.A.M, Science

Real Science-4-Kids Book 2: A Full-Circle Homeschool Win

Little Learner and Mom

As a homeschool mom, I often reflect on the resources that shaped our early years. One of the very first science programs we used was the Real Science-4-Kids Focus On series, back when my son was in K–2nd grade. He enjoyed it so much, but honestly, I can’t help but wish this new and updated version Real Science-4-Kids Book 2 had been available back then. He would have absolutely thrived with it as a 2nd grader and loved every minute of it.

Now, years later, I’m thrilled to be reviewing this curriculum from the perspective of having used the earlier editions. And let me tell you—this new edition is every bit as engaging and rigorous, with even more structure and vibrant illustrations that make science come alive. Best of all, it’s secular and included in the brand-new Timberdoodle Co. Curriculum Kit 2025–2026 for 2nd grade. For families who value both solid science and ease of teaching, this update is a fantastic addition.

What’s New and Noteworthy in Real Science-4-Kids Book 2

1. Multi-Disciplinary Approach:
This curriculum weaves Chemistry, Biology, and Physics together in one year. Instead of siloing topics, it introduces kids to the interconnectedness of science exactly how real scientists approach the world.

2. Open-and-Go Format:
The clean layout, short readings, and step-by-step lessons make it incredibly user-friendly. I don’t need to spend hours preparing—everything is laid out for both parent and child.

3. Hands-On Experiments that Work:
One of my favorite aspects is that the experiments are doable and meaningful. They don’t require obscure supplies, and they actually reinforce the lesson concepts in a memorable way.

4. Vibrant Visuals & Engaging Content:
The colorful illustrations and clear diagrams make each page appealing. It’s structured enough for serious learning but still fun and approachable for young learners.

Digital Resources Included

Each set comes with digital access to the student book and teacher guide, which is great for flexible learning and printing.

On the Real Science-4-Kids website, you can preview free samples of the curriculum before you commit, and for those who want even more, there’s a Digital Library available at an additional cost. That library includes extended readings, quizzes, experiments, and enrichment opportunities perfect for science-loving kids who want to go further.

Who This Curriculum Is Great For

Families using Timberdoodle Kits who want a rigorous, secular science program.

Young learners ready for an academic challenge it feels about a year ahead of grade level.

  • Students who truly love science and thrive on digging deeper.
  • Homeschool parents who appreciate an open-and-go, structured program.
  • Families who enjoy hands-on learning with vibrant, engaging visuals.

My Honest Opinion

In my opinion, Real Science-4-Kids Book 2 is about a year ahead—and that’s a strength. For kids who love science, this program is a goldmine. It’s structured, user-friendly, and filled with vibrant illustrations that capture attention while keeping the focus on learning.

I can’t help but think how much my son would have loved this curriculum if it had been available during his 2nd grade year. It’s exactly the kind of science program he would have thrived on hands-on, engaging, and deeply satisfying to his curiosity.

Final Thoughts from This Homeschool Mom

As a mom who has used earlier Real Science-4-Kids editions, I can confidently say this updated version is a win. It builds on the strengths of the original series and delivers a more polished, vibrant, and structured experience.

If you’re looking for a secular, rigorous, and joyful science curriculum, you’ll be just as excited as I was to see Real Science-4-Kids Book 2 included in the Timberdoodle Co. Curriculum Kit 2025–2026 for 2nd grade. This is one science program that will both challenge and inspire your young learner—and it’s already a new favorite in our homeschool.

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, Curriculum Resource, Geography, History, homeschool curriculum, self-paced

A Homeschool Adventure Around the Globe and Across the States: A Review of Sonlight’s Unit Studies

Little Learner and Mom

We received 50 States Unit Study and the Hands-on History: World Cultures Kit for our honest review.

Hey fellow homeschooling parents! If you’re searching for engaging and immersive resources to enrich your homeschooling journey, you’re in luck. Today, I’m thrilled to share our experience with two incredible unit studies from Sonlight: the 50 States Unit Study and the Hands-on History: World Cultures Kit. These resources have brought joy, learning, and adventure into our homeschooling routine, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Sonlight’s 50 States Unit Study

Exploring America, One State at a Time

Designed for grades 2nd through 6th, with adaptability for advanced 1st graders, the 50 States Unit Study takes students on a captivating journey through the diverse landscape, history, and culture of each state in the USA. From the rugged beauty of Alaska to the sunny shores of Florida, every state comes alive with engaging lessons and activities.

Fun Fridays

We’ve incorporated the 50 States Unit Study into our Fun Friday homeschool days, and let me tell you, it’s been a game-changer. Each week, we dive into a new state, exploring its geography, history, and culture through hands-on activities, videos, and discussions. It’s the perfect way to wrap up the week with excitement and learning!

Adding a Personal Touch

To enhance our learning experience, we’ve personalized some of the assignments by adding pictures we found on the internet. Whether it’s stunning landscapes or famous landmarks, these visuals bring the lessons to life and make them more memorable for our kids.

Discovering Georgia’s Hidden Gems

During our study of Georgia, we stumbled upon fascinating facts about indigenous mounds and delved into documentaries about Martin Luther King Jr., the Cherokee Indigenous tribes, and the Trail of Tears. Learning about Georgia’s involvement in slavery opened up important conversations and deepened our understanding of American history. The 50 States Unit Study isn’t just about learning facts – it’s a gateway into the rich tapestry of our nation’s past.

Hands-on History: World Cultures Kit

A Global Adventure for Young Explorers

The Hands-on History: World Cultures Kit is designed for kindergarten through 2nd grade, but older students can also benefit from its fun and interactive activities. We’ve incorporated it into our homeschooling routine, aligning it with my son’s World History spine curriculum and making it a part of our Fun Fridays.

Catapulting into Learning

While my son isn’t the biggest fan of studying medieval history, he absolutely loved building the catapult from the Hands-on History: World Cultures Kit. It sparked his curiosity and led him to want to learn more about this fascinating time period. It’s amazing how hands-on activities can ignite a passion for learning!

Sonlight’s unit studies have truly transformed our homeschooling experience, making learning fun, interactive, and memorable. From exploring the nooks and crannies of America to embarking on a global adventure around the world, these resources have sparked curiosity, fostered empathy, and ignited a passion for learning in our children. So, if you’re looking to add some excitement and enrichment to your homeschooling journey, I highly recommend giving Sonlight’s unit studies a try. Also check out the Sonlight’s sales page to see if they have any great sales happening. One last thing before I go be sure to enter a chance to win a 50 States Unit Study by clicking the banner below.

Happy homeschooling adventures!

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Reviews, Science

Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary review for Melanated Gold Review Squad!

January is usually the time of the year a fair amount of homeschool moms start researching and planning their curriculum choices for the upcoming school year. We all anticipate this new journey but at the same time, we are trying to make sure we find the best curriculum for our kids. One of the science curricula I reviewed for my son for his 3rd-grade year was Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3. I was really happy with what I saw in this curriculum and I thought this may be a good time to share with my followers this unique science curriculum.

About Scientifc Connection through Inquiry

Scientific Connection through Inquiry curriculum is designed to teach young students advanced interdisciplinary science in a way they can understand. The lessons allow students to connect science with the world around them by inquiry. Students embark on learning these lessons using:

  • Hands on Exploration
  • Movement
  • Discussion
  • Inquiry
  • Observation

Scientific Connection through Inquiry foundations is based on Dr. Bernard Nebe Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding. Scientific Connection through Inquiry can be started at any level but having done the previous level will guarantee that your student has a full understanding of scientific lessons as they progress.

Unit Breakdown

Each of the levels units give an overview, supply list, and resources. The unit begins with a discussion. The discussion is meant to open the door to the unit’s inquiry. Scientific Connection through Inquiry provides helpful information through the educator’s guide. The opening discussion prepares students for their learning experience. The unit continues to progress to the activity, student pages, videos, and end-of-unit checklist of what they have learned.

Level 3

Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 is for grades 2nd through 5th grade, but you can start at any level. Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 comes in pdf format (64-page student book and a 154-page educator guide). I appreciate both of these books are limited on pages which makes it affordable to have printed at home. I do think it is nice that the levels can be stretched across 3-grade levels this works well with families with multiple grade levels. Level 3 has 11 units that will cover chemistry, biology, physics, earth, and space. The discovery in these are:

  • Cells I and II
  • Flight
  • Atomic/Molecular Motion I
  • Balance
  • Fungi & Bacteria I
  • Density
  • Seasons
  • Life of Plants
  • Energy and Motion
  • Buyancy

Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 is a 36-week curriculum that can be done at your own pace or you can follow the recommended schedule. At the beginning of the first unit, students are taught how to ” discern a good argument from a bad one which is a necessary skill in life, and particularly in science.” -SCI The “Baloney Detection Kit” has 13 points your student will learn these points and use them throughout level 3 and in my honest opinion, they will use theses skill throughout all their future studies. The biggest purchase I noticed in the supply list was a microscope, there is a helpful guide included for purchasing suggestions.

My son went through a fungi and bacteria phase, he was very much intrigued by Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 Fungi & Bacteria I. We jumped to this unit, and let’s just say my son enjoyed it immensely he had stuff growing in the fridge and Petri dishes. He confiscated bread and the mushrooms we had in the fridge all in the name of science. He loved one of the books suggested in the educator’s guide so much I purchased it.

Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 educator guide is laid out beautifully. If you have no knowledge of the concept presented you are given enough support with guided scripts and resources. Each unit also is divided into sessions (lessons) the number of sessions varies for each unit. The hands-on activities provide plenty of exploration and fun!

Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 offers sample lessons on their website for you to preview. Even though we have a science curriculum we are very happy with Scientific Connection through Inquiry is an excellent science curriculum or even a supplemental resource. I feel like this is great for summer science. We will be revisiting level 3 and checking out level 4 for science fun this summer.

Scientific Connection through Inquiry is $40 and your receive both student and educators guide. You will need to invest in that microscope and supplies but the supplies are easily found at the Dollar Tree or your local dollar store. The curriculum is easy to follow and will work well with any homeschool setting.

Mom and J

1st Grade, 2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, Art, Charlotte Mason, Curriculum, Education, Family, Geography, History, Homeschool, Math, Reviews, Science

The Schoolnest History Notebook and Timeline Review!

Little Learner and Mom
The Schoolnest

Last year when my son and I were studying voting rights I remember the frustration I had writing down the timeline of the sequence of events on our board. I wanted him to have a visual keepsake of this important historical time period. So on our little whiteboard, I squeezed as much as I could and left it up there for a week as we studied. When it came time to erase it I took a picture of it and went on a hunt to find a way to record things for our history. What I was finding I wasn’t happy with so our timeline would have to live on my phone in the meantime. Then it happened The Schoolnest published a History Timeline notebook.

About The Schoolnest

Megan is a Michigan homeschool mom of 2 littles who is bringing love for learning through art, nature, creativity, and reading. Her approach to education is respecting the beauty of childhood and play. You can’t help but notice how she embraces Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, and Montessori philosophies in her homeschool. Her website is full of beautifully crafted simple journals, notebooks, and homeschool resources. She also writes a wonderful blog that is full of helpful ideas for parenting, homeschooling, art, and mindfulness. All are welcome on The Schoolnest website and blog, I found several diverse blog posts and literature recommendations.

I was so happy when Megan the founder of The Schoolnest launched her rainbow notebooks, from the first glance on her Instagram I knew I had to have them all. I purchased several of the notebooks for our school year then she published her History Timeline and it blew me away because it was exactly what I needed.

History Notebook and History Timeline

The History Timeline notebook is one the most unique books I have seen. The notebook gives you the ability to track history from:

  • Prehistory
  • Ancient
  • Middle Ages
  • Early Modern
  • Modern Times

What I feel like is a great family heirloom in History Timeline, is the beginning pages called “My History” I love these pages because we can record our family history and document things we felt were important to us during a year. The paper quality is excellent there are 115 pages and there are blank pages at the end. The entire is book is grid paper except for the dates, there is also B.C.E-C.E also included. There is plenty of space to write and post pictures, drawings, and clippings for creativity. The grid paper is excellent for writing and helping students contain their writings neatly. What I like about this timeline notebook is that it is just that a notebook. I can keep everything contained neatly in one spot and it is easy to flip through and we can use this 1 notebook over a long period of time.

The History Notebook is great for notebooking. We have used ours to notebook our unit study of Mesoamerica and currently, we are working on Ancient China. We study so much history in our home and notebooking has allowed him to have fun with notebooking. In the history notebook, there are 100 pages on the left page is 1/3 blank and the rest of the page is a grid. On the right side, the bottom is lined and the top is blank. There is a blank table of contents page and a study reference page. Kids can draw, color, cut and paste, make notes, and be creative. We have added pictures and written notes in our history notebook and added notebook printables. The paper quality is excellent, writes, glues, and colors smoothly.

Rainbow Notebooks

If you are looking to explore the other notebooks in The Schoolnest collection you will not be disappointed. So far we have collected:

  • Science
  • Vocabulary
  • Spelling
  • Mathematics
  • Commonplace
  • Project Planner
  • Reading Journal
  • 4th Grade

All of the notebooks come in 12 vibrant rainbow colors, 8.5 x 11, matte softcover, and superior binding. The Schoolnest notebooks are inexpensive ($8) and can be purchased from Amazon. If you are in the market for a planner The Schoolnest has you covered she has a Homeschool Lesson Planning Notebook, you can check out a review of this great planner on Brittany Olga Youtube and Home Life with Quin 5 Instagram (Planner and Reading Journal) and check out Mama Sweet Baby (Spelling Notebook).

The Schoolnest notebooks are a must-have for your homeschool if you haven’t checked them out I highly recommend you do. We love our notebooks and I am looking forward to seeing any new books The Schoolnest publishes.

Blessings,

Mom and J

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1st Grade, 2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, Critical Thinking and Logic, Curriculum, dyslexia, Education, Games and Apps, Homeschool, Language Arts, spelling, Vocabulary, Writing

Mrs.Wordsmith Word Tag Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary review through Mrs. Wordsmith!

Word Tag

Are you looking to add some excitement to vocabulary building? Have you ever heard of Mrs. Wordsmith? Well if you haven’t heard about Mrs. Wordsmith what better way to introduce you to this company than telling you about their new app Word Tag.

Mrs. Wordsmith is an award-winning company based originally in the UK. The company was founded in 2015 by Sofia Fenuchell who wanted to create educational materials that actually worked and kids would love it. Using quality animations and game design to improve how kids learned vocabulary, Mrs. Worthsmith was born. Mrs. Wordsmith since their early beginning the company has grown and developed a full line of products for kids ages 4-13. The company has created books, games, curriculums, tons of free resources. We own several of the curriculums, books, and vocabulary sets. Mrs. Wordsmith’s newest addition to their line of literacy and vocabulary materials is the Word Tag app.

We were invited in July to join the team as a tester and my son has loved playing the Word Tag app. The company has taken video games to an entirely new level with fun vocabulary-building adventures. My son loves Hip-Hop culture so the game won him over instantly with the graffiti. The game takes place in Los Angeles, kids will go on a quest of collecting spray cans and spraying words while trying to avoid the street cleaners. Kids will complete daily activities at their paces, challenges, and pop quizzes.

With a methodology designed to teach challenging vocabulary, Word Tag boosts reading comprehension, advances creative and academic writing, and improves exam performance.

Mrs. Wordsmith

Word Tag 3D adventure is visually appealing to players and it encourages them to keep playing and learning new words. The kids are constantly reviewing the words they have learned. Kids will learn up to 1,000 words. Words a present in context to help reinforce their learning. The more words your student’s master more levels open for them to play. Players can earn more coins and unlock materials from the pop quizzes. I love how the words show the kids the definitions, parts of speech, and synonyms. The vocabulary the kids learn is Tier 2 academic words that are frequently used on SSSA. ISEE, SAT, STAR, and MAP exams. Word Tag also will increase your students reading levels.

Word Tag also allows students to connect with other players and their friends if they are using Word Tag to share the gameplay and compete with each other. Word Tag takes your student’s safety seriously and incorporated a safe social player. The program is adaptive and you will have access to player reports. The company also provides a parent guide that includes a sample word list and learning objectives.

So why does Word Tag work :

  • Active engagement
  • Word repetition
  • Learning progressin
  • Self-directed learning
  • Character-based learning

Our Review

I love Word Tag for all the reasons above I mentioned. I am familiar with the company and its products, so their brand is one I trust with my child. Now my son is crazy about Word Tag he was super excited when the Mall level opened for him and he has been playing non-stop. He said the graphics are cool and it is fun to learn the new words. The other great thing is he sees characters from Mrs. Wordsmith’s Storyteller’s Illustrated Dictionary, How to Write a Story, and Reading Comprehension Vocabulary.

I highly recommend you try out Mrs. Wordsmith’s Word Tag it is available on Apple Store and Google Play and is currently a free download.

Until the Next Time,

Mom & J

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2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, dyslexia, Homeschool, Language Arts, Orton-Gillingham, Reviews, spelling, Writing

Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary product received.

We were sent Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales for us to check out and look at spelling from a different approach. We currently use a curriculum we have used for the last 2 years, but my son isn’t 100% in love with it, So when the opportunity to review Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales was presented I decided this would be a good chance to look over a new program.

When my son first started down our path of homeschooling we used Demme Learning Math U See Primer and Spelling U See A. He did extremely well with both programs and we were happy, but he needed a little more of a challenge when it came to both areas as we entered 1st grade. Spelling You See uses the five development stages of spelling:

  1. Preliterate
  2. Phonetic
  3. Skills Development
  4. Word Extenstions
  5. Derivational Constancy

Wild Tales provides opportunities for students to study words in the context of factual passages about animals.

Spelling You See

Spelling U See is different from other spelling programs, there are no list, grade levels, or extensive prepping of lessons. We were sent Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales it picks up from where Level B ends, so it is really important that you check out the placement assessment on Spelling You See if you haven’t done the previous levels. The Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales comes with an instructor guide, 2 student workbooks, and erasable Crayola color pencils. There are 36 lessons students will work on:

  • Vowel, Consonant, Bossy R Chunks
  • Tricky Y
  • Silent Letters
  • Various Combinations.

You can check out a full scope sequence on the website. The lessons are simple for students the Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales takes the students on an adventure with nonfiction passages about animals. The program does require parent involvement and your student needs to read the passages, day 1-3 students will do copy work (only 10 mins ). You should tell your student to stop writing and then chunk their words with you and that’s it for the day. Day 4 is No Rules day students draw something related to that week’s passage and write at least one sentence about the weekly passage. On day 5 it is dictation day you will dictate to the student the passage of the week and help them when prompted.

Chunking – provides hands-on experience with the many irregular letter patterns in English. Copywork – requires the brain to pay attention to details in print. Dictation – gives the student the opportunity to recall the proper letter patterns from memory.

Spelling You See

Our Review

Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales is a stress-free way to teach spelling, you don’t feel pressured to have your student memorize these ridiculously long lists of words and busywork. Students are able to use their phonetic knowledge and learn to spell. The really nice part is that once the 10 mins are over we are done. In observing our current curriculum I noticed how stressed he was doing word lists, activities and having to move on to the next list. In my heart I felt like is he just moving from the list to list and not really retaining all of the words? There were so many activities he needed to get through during the weekly lessons that we started stretching the lessons to 2 weeks.

Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales just makes things so much easier and it just flows better for us and our new path with homeschooling. We did the sample lessons of Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales first before we dove into the entire book and he said he liked the way it works and that it seem easier and he didn’t feel anxious to get things done in a hurry. I do think we need the Spelling You See Level D Americana, but we will work on the Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales as a review, possibly making the change to Spelling You See Level D Americana in the Spring. We aren’t in a rush so we will take our time and I will move at his pace. I do wish the upper level themes would be different topics for the passages, I did look over levels D – G. My son is able to read all of the passages with no problems and he is familiar with all the different areas of phonics and targeted areas of spelling.

The cost of the Spelling You See Level C Wild Tales at the time of this review is $53 plus taxes and shipping.

Until the Next Time ,

Mom and J

1st Grade, 2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Math, Reviews

Buck Academy: BUCK Making Cents for ages 5-10 Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We received BUCK Making Cents for ages 5-10 from Buck Academy to review. We spent the last 2 years working on financial literacy with our son so he is no stranger to learning about money and how to build financial wealth.

BUCK Making Cents is for ages 5-10 is a hardcover book that is divided into 3 short chapters:

  • Making Cents
  • How Many Cents Can A Buck Buy
  • Memory Bank

The book tells the story about money readers are introduced to the character of the friendly book named Buck. Buck takes your young readers on the adventure of meeting his friend’s the Coins. Kids will learn about their appearance, value, and how they work together to make a buck. Students will also learn a little about the United States and the history of money. The book also tells you about Buck story (dollar bill) and his appearance.

BUCK Making Cents book has a question and answers section to help you review with your student. The book has a nice illustration of a great combination of real money and foil coins. We were also sent the Quick Cents To A Buck activity workbook that is 6 pages and it just reviews the information in the BUCK Making Cents

The Review

BUCK Making Cents the overall book in my opinion is for readers ages 5-7. I think the history part of the book can stretch to 8-9 years, but the book felt like it was geared to younger students. My son found the book a little too easy, this may be because he has been studying money for a very long time and it didn’t interest him. I did find the explanations of the symbols on the back of the dollar bill misinforming and didn’t give an accurate account of the origins of the symbols. I also felt that the mention of two presidents one being a know slave owner as an American hero was a little disheartening for my son to read along with Thomas Jefferson being a famous contributor of the Declaration of Independence that only granted freedom to the colonists but left many Indigenous and Africans enslaved. As a mom of a little Afro-Latino 8-year-old who is well versed in American history those few pages stuck out to him.

BUCK Making Cents is a cute book and does give an introduction to the money I think some of the history areas need more accuracy and the content needs to be sensitive to diverse readers. At the time of this review BUCK Making Cents from Buck Academy is $17.95 including the Quick Cents To A Buck activity workbook.

Be sure to check out the the other crew’s by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BUCKacademy.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BUCK_academy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buckacademy/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/BUCKAcademy/_saved/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrwVZl0j3v5OeKI_h2JXLhQ

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, S.T.E.A.M, Science

Mad Science Loop Lab: Gross Science Box Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Complimentary product received through Melanated Gold Review Squad!

We received the Gross Science Mad Science Loop Lab box to review and my son really enjoyed the experiments.

Our mission is to inspire children through science, sparking lifelong imagination and curiosity.

Loop Lab

Inside the box we recieved:

  • beaker, flask, and funnel (reusable)
  • corn starch, small bottle of peroxide, liquid glue
  • wooden stirrer, mesh material
  • balloon, rubberband, yeast
  • gloves
  • instruction book
  • lab coat

The kit came with a complete guide book that walked my student through all of the experiments, written instructions for measuring, and illustrations for every step. Upon first opening, the box my son first guess looking that the materials he said we are going to be making oobleck. He was seriously surprised when he got into the guidebook and saw all 3 experiments.

The Gross Science is box 1 in the series of the current 6 boxes now available for ages 8+. The experiments are quick and easy to follow, and my son was able to do them on his own. I check all the experiments beforehand to see if he needed any extra supplies, the only thing I had to add was zip lock bag, dish liquid, water, bowl, an egg, and a bin to catch any mess.

Inside the experiment books, students will find the safety steps, mess factors, and what they need. Each experiment also includes a think green, safe disposals, and clean-up checklist. At the end of the experiments you will find the How does it work description along with vocabulary. You will also notice the experiments encourage the kids to observe and then get messy. In the back of the book, you will also see the vocabulary words again along with their definitions, I had my son copy these in his science notebook and write down a little about the experiment. There is also a hidden objects search for kids to search the Gross Science Mad Science Loop Lab box and a Certificate of Awesomeness.

Foaming Fountain Experiment #1

Gross Science Mad Science Loop Lab box is a fun way to bring a little STEM into your home, they make great boxes for rainy days or if you are needing to add a little more hands-on science into your homeschool. Mad Science Loop Lab boxes are available to purchase on monthly, 3 months, and 6-month subscriptions. The cost starts at $32.99 plus $4.99 for shipping. I would love to try out the other 5 boxes, my son enjoyed doing the Gross Science box.

Be sure to check the other review of Gross Science Mad Science Loop Lab box by clicking the banner below.

1st Grade, 2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, mindfulness, Parenting, Reviews

Tommy Nelson Books: Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

As part of our morning time together my son and I have been reading Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith from Tommy Nelson Books. As a 4th grader he is becoming more aware of world issues and social dynamics. I am also trying to foster an environment of open communication and build his self-esteem.

Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith is a great little devotional book for students for Christians and non-Christians. Each of the lessons comes a quick little story, that does reference scripture and then you have a Did You Know or Get Ready to Roar section. The Did You Know the kids will learn stuff from history and the Get Ready to Roar gives the kid missions to help build their confidence so they can tactile things they may come their way.

Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith encourages students to try something new, facing fears. The book also covers topics such as :

  • Peer Pressure
  • Bullying
  • Facing fears with friendship and school

One of the lessons I refer to when my son is frustrated when doing his school work and making mistakes is lesson 27 Goofs, Mistakes and Mess-Ups. My son gets really angry and frustrated when he isn’t getting a concept or making mistakes. We have a motto in our house “Mistakes are proof we are trying”, sometimes that works but there are times when it doesn’t and we have to reset. Lessons 27 really solidified what I have been trying to get him to understand. Lesson 31 Who You Really Are has been great for us to reference these days as we continue our journey through developing a healthy growth mindset and him starting to learn more about himself.

My son likes to use the Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith along side when he is using his journal. Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith book is colorful, friendly, and has a culturally diverse illustration. This is a really nice book if you are looking to cover some the issues kids may be experiencing as they grow.

Be sure to check out the other crew’s reviews of Roar Like a Lion: 90 Devotions to a Courageous Faith by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommynelsonbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommynelsonbooks/

1st Grade, 2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, Curriculum, dyslexia, Homeschool, Language Arts, Read Alouds, Reviews, spelling, Writing

LightSail for Homeschoolers Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

For the last few weeks, we have been using LightSail for Homeschoolers Premium Subscription. The crew was given given a 1-year online subscription to review. LightSail for Homeschoolers focuses on four areas Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, and Fluency it also includes World Book.

LightSail for Homeschoolers program focuses on the 4 areas of literacy. Before students can venture into the program they are given an assessment to determine their Lexile level. The assessment is lengthy so I recommend breaking it up into 2 days. After the children finish the assessment you will see their score and you as a the parent can assign books for them to read that are on on that level or any level you would like. LightSail for Homeschoolers has excellent content security, I noticed that a lot of books I went to assign my student or I was just researching to add for him to read I had to grant permission for him to access.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Reading has a huge selection of literature, I was very pleased to see lots of culturally diverse materials and topics. My son has a major passion for the Negro Baseball League and we found several books, videos, and documentaries about the players that I created him a unit study so he could access them faster. Speaking of unit studies WOW this feature is fabulous, I was able to create unit studies for our science, history, and language arts lessons. The unit study feature allows you to assign the study to all the students or to individual students. The LightSail for Homeschoolers Reading provides:

  • Unit Studies, Booklist and Memory Work
  • Read-Alouds
  • Assessments
  • Augment Reality
  • Interactive Books
  • Videos
  • Parental Control

We really enjoyed the augmented reality section we were able to explore areas of the world and places. The LightSail for Homeschoolers Reading also helps you set reading goals, track your students data, reading badges, and much more.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Writing from what is reviewed is going to be a great program that will encourage your student to work on grammar skills, writing, journal, and write books. Parents will be able to assign writing assignments, grades and provided feedback to their students writing. At the time of this review, this section was not available.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Vocabulary is fabulous students can work on vocabulary building and spelling both of which we really need assistance in this area. Students will work on definitions and interactive activities. One of my absolute favorite sections is the Clozes in text, how can sing this practice praises. Several of the books in the library uses the clozes. The books the students read are missing words, and have interactive in-text activities. The students can’t move on in the book until they do the activities. The activities require the student to use comprehension, context clues and vocabulary skills to fill in the blanks.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Fluency will work on improving your students fluency, through read-alouds & re-telling, memory work, listening, speaking and writing.

LightSail for Homeschoolers Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, and Fluency is an excellent language arts online platform. There is a lot of content in the LightSail for Homeschoolers , you will need to undergo a learning curve when using the platform. I highly recommend you watch all of the videos and take some time getting use to the platform. I am still learning the platform myself, several of the areas are still under development so you will not have access to all areas. The one thing I was very disappointed with is that this program will only work with Chrome and Edge. We are an Apple family and I had to download the Chrome browser on my iMac so I could manage the parent dashboard. My son also wasn’t a big fan that he couldn’t use this on his iPad and had to be stationary in front of his laptop. I would encourage the company to make this available on Safari and Firefox.

At the time of this review, the company offers a 7 day free trial, thereafter $99 for the LightSail for Homeschoolers Premium account. Be sure to check out the other crew’s reviews of LightSail for Homeschoolers by clicking the banner below.