Alright fellow homeschool moms, it's that time of year when we need to plan ahead and figure out how to beat the summer slump BEFORE the sunshine hits.
Disclosure: I received this product free of charge for review purposes and was compensated for my time. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not required to post a positive review of the product..
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you make a purchase.
Don't worry, my family recently received Evan-Moor Educational Resources that I hand-picked to review ahead of time so we could give you some ideas.
Why Choose Evan-Moor for Summer Educational Teaching?
Well, first of all, Evan-Moor has been trusted by parents and teachers for over 45 years. That's a long time. Their resources are aligned with current educational standards and best teaching practices. They create engaging, meaningful learning resources for children in grades PreK-8 which encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. What I love most is that each workbook is not very thick, so I have noticed that my students treat it more like an activity book and are more excited about it. That makes my job easier, for sure!
But, another thing I love about them is that they are not very expensive, they often go on sale and sometimes they offer free shipping! I also have a discount code for you at the end of the article to save even more.
What I Hand-Picked To Use for Summer Learning
My homeschool children that I picked these resources for are currently in grades 1, 3 and 7. I wanted a general workbook for each that would cover all the basic topics: Reading, Math, Spelling, Critical Thinking and Geography. The Evan-Moor Daily Summer Activities Workbooks cover all of these.
I also decided to get a Science book as I like to do a few experiments in the summer. The Read and Understand Science Workbook has a few experiments with items you would normally find in your home. It was hard for me to choose which one, but I settled on Grades 2-3.
This summer, I really want to focus on helping my youngest child learn to read better and to have some fun with it. For the learning to read better part, I chose the Evan-Moor Sight Words and Word Families Flash Cards. Then, for the “have some fun with it” part, I chose Evan-Moor Literature Pockets Nursery Rhymes for Grades K-1. I chose this option and level because the words seemed easier for her to read and because she enjoys stories, songs, rhymes and poems – so this seemed like the best choice to keep her interested.
How We Use Educational Resources In The Summer
When we choose something to do for summer learning, I like to keep the lessons short and sweet as I know my kids just want to get outside as soon as possible.
I use a morning routine to my advantage. My kids are used to waking up and eating breakfast while I read the Bible and a portion of a chapter book to them. In the typical school year from September to May, I will then go into reading to them any required reading from subjects and then we start working on paperwork and workbook pages.
In the summer, while the kids are eating breakfast, I read the Bible, a portion of a chapter book, then go right into the paperwork and workbook pages, but I keep it very short with just a few pages a day from the daily summer activities workbooks, a little science or possibly a science experiment, and then a little supplement in whatever I feel a child needs help in. I try to make the supplements fun, like a board game involving math usage or flash cards to help learn reading skills, for example. The full Evan-Moor range on carsondellosa.com of educational resources makes it very easy for me to get what I need.
During workbook time, the older kids usually work on their own. I have one younger child get dressed, make their bed, do their hair and brush their teeth while I teach the other and then switch them. Next, I will bring them all together if there is a science experiment or ask the other kids if they want to join in for games or flash cards. Then I send them off and they usually want to play outside or work in the garden.
We take a few breaks on summer learning for two weeks of swimming lessons and for a family summer vacation.
Daily Summer Activities Workbooks
Between Grades 1 and 2
I love that it tells you right on the workbook what grades the kids are between so I don't have to overthink which level we should be working on when I order workbooks.
Megan is very motivated by stickers. She likes to have me put a sticker on a page when she completes it. She also enjoys getting stickers on her daily sticker chart.
I love the layout of the pages in these workbooks. Look how four subjects are covered on a two page spread!
Between Grades 3 and 4
The workbook covers make it look so fun and inviting. How can the kids not be happy about them?
Each lesson is short and easy to do. Mitchell likes that there are not too many questions.
Between Grades 7 and 8
The style of the between grades 7 and 8 cover is a little more “cool” for the teens. Mason is happy it is not very thick because he has “better things to do” of course.
When I asked Mason if it's too easy or too hard, he said, “it's fine” so I guess it's age-appropriate.
Read and Understand Science Grades 2-3
This Science book is just what I need for summer learning. It does have some experiments you can do at home with objects you would normally find in your home, like magnets, paperclips, spoons, velcro, etc. But also, there are some read and write sections that cover topics like weather, measuring, soil, deserts, etc.
I usually read the reading parts to the kids and then if they are trying to better understand it, they read it to themself while answering any questions there may be. Mitchell loves science experiments.
Evan-Moor Flash Cards
Sight Words
Mitchell is a very good reader and likes to hold the cards for his younger sister Megan. I noticed she is more eager to give answers for him and will work a little longer with him than she does with me teaching. Mitchell likes to play “teacher” in this way, but I have to watch that he doesn't give her the answer too soon.
Word Families
Megan wants to read better but she doesn't like to sit down long enough to put in the work. I like that we have these hands-on cards that we can use frequently. I am hoping she will be a good reader by the end of summer.
Literature Pockets Nursery Rhymes Grades K-1
The nursery rhymes included in this book are as follows:
- A Little Bird
- Little Miss Muffet
- My Black Hen
- Jack and Jill
- Little Bo Peep
- I Caught a Fish Alive!
- Pease Porridge
- Rub-a-Dub-Dub
- Sing a Song of Sixpence
- To Market, To Market
- One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
- Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling
This workbook is so fun! There are lots of coloring, cut-out and gluing projects in here as well as popular nursery rhymes that your children may already know. I am hoping that this will help Megan to learn more reading words over the summer while doing something hands-on.
When I do hands-on activities, my 3rd grader likes to join, so I regret that I didn't order another one of these for him as they are consumable with cutouts and you really need one for each student. I noticed there are several choices for Evan-Moor Literature Pockets in other subjects, not just ELA (English Language Arts). If Mitchell starts to show interest in Megan's book, I will get him the same one too.
Where To Find Evan-Moor Workbooks and Flash Cards…
If you're looking for educational resources to beat the summer slump and keep your kids learning throughout the summer, then I highly recommend Evan-Moor workbooks and flash cards. These products make it easy to add short and meaningful learning activities to cover all the main topics, so they are ready for the next homeschool year. Check out the full Evan-Moor range on carsondellosa.com to see all of the available educational resources for grades PreK to 8.
Plus, right now you can use coupon code 15OFF to save 15% off your order!
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