I received two wonderful books to review for Bright Ideas Press.
A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers filled a big gap for me. I had scheduled our Composer study for every Friday, but was having trouble piecing it all together. This book is one-stop shopping! It is written for grades 4-8, but is easily adaptable for younger grades. It is a full year’s curriculum, but it will last us much longer since we are just doing it one day a week. All of these wonderful resources are included:
- 32 weekly lessons
- 26 Bios of Famous Composers
- 6 Eras of Music Explained
- Easy-to-Use Comparative Timeline
- Easy-to-Use Maps
- Composer Info-Cards & Game Directions
- Note-Taking Pages
- Quizzes
- Answer Keys Listening Suggestions
- Intricate Coloring Pages
- Resource Books
The only thing I am not crazy about is the binding. It makes copying pages difficult – I will eventually have the spine cut off of mine. It is available in CD-Rom, but I like having the book in front of me while teaching. You can view sample pages HERE.
The Nitty Gritty:
- CD-Rom $29.95
- Paperback $34.95
Things I Like:
- Lessons are written from the viewpoint that music is from the Lord.
- The composers are in chronological order.
- There is a good variety of activities.
- It is a very complete curriculum.
Value: Worth every penny.
(I am looking forward to the release of A Young Scholar’s Guide to Poetry!)
Over Our Heads in Wonder was the perfect way to kick off our school year. It is a lovely little science book that shows God’s power through studying the weather and the sky. These topics are discussed:
- Clouds
- Rainbows
- Sun
- Stars
- Snow
- Wind
- Storms
- Air
This book was written for grades K-5. We used it for our morning devotional time & it worked great for my whole gang. I think it could serve as a science curruculum for the younger grades. You can view sample pages HERE.
The Nitty Gritty:
- $9.95 Paperback
Things I Like:
- The experiments use items commonly found around the house.
- Each section has its own Table of Contents. It is very easy to mix & match the lessons.
- My kids loved heading outside each day to observe God’s world in a new way.
Value: I think this is a great deal!
See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about Bright Ideas Press!
