curriculum Archives - The Sparrow's Home

The beautiful children’s book that tackles loneliness, fear, & the vulnerability it takes to find connection.

April 6, 2021 by Susan 6 Comments

A lovely children’s book to teach kids to reach out to the lonely, encouragement be kind, or just to enjoy reading with your favorite little person.

Every once in awhile you stumble upon something remarkably great.

I was looking for books to use in the literature-based class I teach at a homeschool co-op when I found a book to order that I thought would fit nicely into a theme of reaching out to the elderly, the lonely, especially during this season of separation that we’ve been enduring.

It wasn’t until it arrived and I read it in full, complete with the lovely illustrations that I wept and knew that this was no ordinary children’s book.

This book is not just for those with littles in their lives…trust me.

When your child struggles with reading…finding a reading curriculum and resources that are easy to use is everything.

January 4, 2021 by Susan Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a veteran teacher, or phrases like “phonics” and “reading comprehension” freak you out…you will love this reading program for struggling readers.

I was compensated for my time in writing this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

When I receive inquiries about tutoring, reading comprehension is often at the top of the list of concerns for elementary aged students. It doesn’t seem to matter if I’m working with kids who are in homeschool, public, private, or charter school. Lots of kids struggle with reading comprehension.

I’m always on the lookout for resources to use with my clients, as well as things I can wholeheartedly recommend to readers here. And after using PRIDE Reading Program with my own students I thought, as we sometimes say around my house…quoting a movie we enjoy… “That’s a Bingo!”

Nurture your child’s head, hands and heart

October 29, 2018 by Susan 5 Comments

Young children learn best in gentle ways. Making crafts, telling stories, cooking together. Even more than the fun of the experience, they build memories with your child. How wonderful would it be if someone did all the legwork, laid it all out, and you could just choose what would work with your family?s

I am being compensated for my time in reviewing Rooted Childhood. As always, all opinions are my own.

Teenage boys don’t particularly like doing crafts. Nor do they like to read poetry or snuggle, for that matter. Thankfully, although my boys are getting older, I have some delightful littles in my life that I can do all this fun stuff with.

I thought of them immediately when I discovered Rooted Childhood. Well, first I thought how much fun it would be to have had this collection when my boys were young…then I thought of my little friends. I invited them over right away.

Meet DSST, the CLEP test’s lesser known cousin

October 15, 2018 by Susan Leave a Comment

Earning college credits with DSST tests is an amazing way to save money on college. With a few resources to help you study, you can be earning credits in no time!

I was compensated for my time in writing this review. Opinions are always my own.

$30,000. That’s my estimate of how much we’ve saved on our boys’ college through earning credits by exam. Thirty-thousand-dollars!

Credits by exam is exactly what it sounds like. A person takes a test and if they pass, they are awarded college credits. If you’ve heard of this amazing money-saver, you’ve likely heard of CLEP. CLEP tests are the most commonly known college credit granting tests.

We love CLEP tests! But there’s another way to earn these credits by exam that many people miss… DSST tests. (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests).

I think it’s time more people were introduced to this overlooked resource.

Ever wonder if you can learn languages on your own?

July 23, 2018 by Susan 2 Comments

I was compensated for my time reviewing this product/service, writing this review, and hosting the giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own.

What do you do when your child wants to learn a language that you don’t know, and there aren’t any convenient and affordable classes nearby?

We dipped our toes into a number of different languages in our homeschooling. Over the years the boys tried Spanish, Greek, Russian and French. I learned quickly that trying to learn a language, even at an introductory level, without a teacher who knows that language is not super productive.

I knew Spanish well and had studied Russian a bit. And not surprisingly, those two courses went so much better than the ones I didn’t know. We even used a computer program for one course and it was terribly confusing and not intuitive at all.

So when my youngest expressed an interest in learning Japanese, I was kind of at a loss. Japanese?

No prep. No busy work. No Kidding. Homeschoolers, this is the high school literature curriculum you’ve been looking for.

June 25, 2018 by Susan 6 Comments

I was compensated for my time in writing this review. As always, all opinions are genuinely my own.

One of the best parts of homeschooling is that you can do what works for your family. But what about when what works for you as a teacher doesn’t necessarily work for your kids as students?

As hard as it is, moms, this is when we need to defer to their learning style above our own.

I looooved English classes in high school. Exploring different kinds of literature, short stories, poetry, writing…swoon. My two boys gag at the sight of a poem. One enjoys reading, one endures it, but neither would pick many of the novels that they are assigned.

When it comes to literature studies, finding something that works for both them and me was challenging. But I did it!