If anyone is looking for a free history resource, I am happy to share all my lectures. I am a History professor and put all my lectures on UA-cam as a free resource for homeschoolers.
Hi! I have followed you for awhile now and you and your advice have been a blessing in many ways. I was struck by the “I’m a firm believer in not holding past people to the standards of today” (or something similar) comment. We are studying the constitution and how when it was written black people were considered 3/5 of a person. When my 10 year old realized it still says that he burst into tears. We had a conversation about just because everyone is doing it (slavery) doesn’t make it okay. These men were proclaimed Christians. If they read and followed the Bible they would see that God said He create mankind in His image. Not one race was superior. Also, then and now it is wrong to forcibly take people from their land and ship them across an ocean. Then and now it is wrong to rip families apart. So yes the times were different but I think that they very much understood what they were doing and “that’s the way things were” isn’t an excuse. I’m not trying to be combative and I hope my heart posture has come through. I think that teaching about something that happened to others and teaching about something that happened to family is a very different experience and will bring very different feelings to the surface. Thanks for all you do 💖
Thankyou for your kind reply ❤ as always this is a much more nuanced topic than can be conveyed in a comment on UA-cam with a stranger. However, in this particular instance I was not referring to any specific people group or situation. In this course I was referring to in the video there is ALOT of bias that many others agree on. So as we seek to teach history it is important to teach our kids that while actions were wrong (then and today) different standards and cultural values existed in those times. Many at the time were unaware of why/how this would be wrong in the future. So as we evaluate history and all of those who played a role in it, we must keep this in the forefront of our minds. This is all I was saying.
We love Notgrass! I pretty much agree with you about Masterbooks and Beautiful Feet. We have really only liked Apologetics from MB (tried history, math, geography and science) and we also did BF American History for primary and will be switching my youngest to NG history next year. My oldest has done 3 NG high school history courses so far and he loves it.
You had some really great views on the stuff you're using! I love that you concisely shared what you didn't like because that's so helpful! Sometimes knowing what someone didn't like is a reason i would like it 😊
I am so excited for discovering Campfire Curriculums this year from your beginning of year videos. They are really fun and actually quite information packed and engaging. We have done the holiday ones and are working through zoology now. Thank you for the mid year review! This is extremely helpful and motivating as I am also solidifying my next years homeschool plans. Have you found your older kids to have any thoughts regarding moving from the group/family science and literature based history to now a more textbook style learning in their older years?
No they have all been smooth and easy transitions that they were ready for. I think keeping certain things a group feel (Bible/apologetics/read alouds) has helped with that though. I know they wouldn’t like to be completely separate from me and my younger too. We have a good balance!
Hi Ashlee- How would you compare Notgrass history to the Good and the Beautiful history? I realize they are updating their current version which is not out yet. But if you were choosing between the two which one would you pick? Thanks for the advice.
I’m curious about this as well for my upcoming 9th grader. I am really hoping to find a history I can also with my upcoming 2nd grader, and it seems that tgatb is capable, as long as it’s adequate for my high schooler.
Glad to know we're not alone in TGATB Math 5 lessons getting long toward the end! I thought it was just us. Love, love, love hearing about middle school and high school curriculum! Thank you so much!!
these bundles are really amazing!! I was a skeptic at first but now i’m a loyalist. and whoever is creating these is really stepping up their game - each year the bundles are more creative and academically sound. thanks for always sharing.
Just wanted to tell you that I took your recommendation for Night Zookeeper. My kids absolutely LOVE it and I do too. Thank you so much for introducing it to us. Your content is always so helpful to me as a new homeschooling mama.
Hi Ashlee! You had mentioned that you recommend starting kids young in Apologetics (Cultural issues creation evolution of the Bible). What age do you recommend beginning that? We have really enjoyed the Winter Bundle and look forward to doing the Spring ones too! We’ve just began Obey from Not Consumed and it is fantastic too!
My goodness. You are so uplifting. Your videos really give me encouragement with homeschooling my 4 kids. Thank you for all that you do! I’m so excited to try out the spring bundle! How cute! It’s been forever since we have done charlottes web as well! ❤
If you are looking for a new spelling and vocabulary curriculum we LOVE Sadlier Connect Vocabulary Workshop (Levels A through H) my daughter does Level D (9th Grade). We looked at Wordly Wise 3000 but choose Sadlier because it has an online component for activities and it has real people pronouncing the words - which I love! English may be my first (and only) language but I literally can not pronounce half the words she learns every week - so Sadlier has been a life saver! We have been doing it for 3 years now. I think it is almost exactly like Wordly Wise (story, definition, synonyms, antonyms and other exercises) but the extra online pronunciation and activities.
Thanks for turning me on to these bundles! I have bought the last 2 and love them and will buy this spring one with your link! Love all your videos and encouragement!❤
Do you like the level 8 book studies from TGATB? It's a few years ahead for my son, but I worry about a year off of regular language arts study. If he doesn't use it, I'm confident he'll forget a lot, so that year has me hesitant. We've loved all the years we've used from 2-5 so far!
If he does well with level 7, consider moving right into High School 1. The book studies are only intended to be "filler" if you think your child needs some more time before making the transition or some review. Just another idea - The book studies would be cool to use as summer reading, much like the public school frequently assigns a summer reading project in middle and high school that is due when school begins.
Id love to hear a bit more on how Notgrass is different than traditional textbook-based public school or private school approach to history? Is the text full of stories? Is the text the spine and books are incorporated as an addition to flesh it out? Sounds like the update to BF EAH led it down a bit of a different route than it used to be. DARN! But I will say, we are not LOVING the intermediate level modern american history now. I have to do a video on my full thoughts soon!
Best update ever. Totally agree with you about BFB, we are not going to be using them next year. I have ordered a few things from master books and they are amazing. Going to be using LA highschool level 1, going to be using WW 9 (thanks for the heads up on level 10). With the charter my son is going to do typing with Tg&tb and it gets to count for HS credit as elective. And we are going to continue using not consumed, but going to use the coarse that goes along with ywam books. They are amazing… this is all so exciting…. Thank you for sharing about high school. Many blessings and happy homeschooling ❤️
Just a thought on notgrass for youngers. We are doing star spangled story this year and it is good BUT it does get a little repetitive as far as structure as the year goes on. The content is good but they are getting tired of me reading chapters to them. I'm going to switch over to a modified version of beautiful feet which is what we have done in the past because I looked at Adam to Us but it is a heavy dose of chapter reading like we are doing this year and I just think at the middle of the year we would all be over it. The variation in living books and structured history reading in a spine book breaks it up a little better. I do see where your history buff could enjoy the heavier version though.
I’m sure I watched a video where you discussed why you didn’t recommend “For You They Signed” but I don’t recall. Could you maybe share (again potentially)? I was considering it, and I’m just curious about your thoughts. Thanks!
First off, love the new format of the video (the intro)! And we have been loving Not Consumed! We are almost done with the Obey study and will probably finish the year with Fruit of the Tongue. I already purchased their new Foundations series for us to work through next year so bible curriculum is a ✓ on my list 😍🎉🙌🏻
Thank you so much for your thoughts on Beautiful Feet. I’ve been considering them for next year when mine will be the same age as your two youngers and you’ve confirmed my thoughts.
We used the same bfb course this year for my 2nd and 4th grader and I thought the book selections were perfect for them but have a lot of the same feelings you do about the curriculum. We will not be using bfb next year either! We have tried Notgrass history for our oldest when she was in middle school- I think it was called From Adam to Us? We didn’t love it. She didn’t hate it, but I don’t care for how they go over world history from ancient to modern in one year. I prefer a more classical approach to history where you study history chronologically over the course of four years and repeat the cycle, digging deeper each time. We are using Biblioplan for history next year and I am so excited about it! I don’t hear a ton of people talking about it but it is a really thorough approach that includes literature with a textbook and timelines, map work, etc. I love that there are so many curriculum options to choose from! And I love watching these videos to see what is working for other families!! ❤
For the HS Apologetics course, would you recommend spreading it out over 1.5 or 2yrs?-since you guys are taking it slow to make sure they are retaining and understanding all of the information. We have been planning on this course for HS, and I want to make sure we aren’t rushing things, etc. We ❤️ MasterBooks/AiG for apologetics/Biblical worldview 🥰 We discovered Notgrass last year and are glad to hear you recommend it, especially for HS ☺️ Plus I can’t wait to hear and find out more info on the BJU sale 😁 Thank you!
Hi Ashlee! I’m very interested in your high school science choice, thank you so much for speaking of your love for BJU. Wondering … did you ever look into the DIVE Science? I know you use Dr.Shormann for math and so curious if you considered him for high school science as well? And what your thoughts were on deciding to go with BJU. Thanks so much!
I also feel like BF American History is over the top too. You can see the reviews calling out it’s bias on their site. I wish those reviews would’ve been there beforehand. I choose this over Not grass! 😬 I have to prescreen lessons, books and video links. And I’m just using the k-3 guide!
I loved this quick run down of likes and dislikes. My oldest has loved Notgrass for his HS history. I also plan to use Notgrass with my younger two next year. We've been using apologia, not a favorite, for HS science. It's dry but thorough. I'm definitely going to check out BJU. Tfs.
I have the Apologia General Science course that I got for free. Have you done that one? My daughter has only done very simple, interesting science units so far (like TGTB and Campfire Curriculums). She'll be in 7th grade next year and I'm wondering if jumping into the BJU science will bore her or scare her away. :) Thanks!
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on other History curriculums. I'm going through Year 1 TGTB with my 6&8 year olds, and to be honest, the only thing they seem to really enjoy are the audio recordings, but their eyes glaze over when we get to the actual reading parts. Gonna try to stick it out to the end of it, but I may end up going with Notgrass or Beautiful feet in the future
I'm sad to say we are leaving tgtb math. My girl is teaching Textbooks now, and we are looking forward to buying Apologia 5 math for my son. 45 to 60 mins is just too long for math and the videos bored us. Sad for the change.
My daughter didn't like the videos, so I let her choose to simply read the daily lessons. I personally think the video is better (my personal style), but I told her that so long as I can tell she is actually reading it and learning what she's supposed to learn that it's just fine by me. That's been working this year so far. This is our first year using TGTB math. We actually switched from Teaching Textbooks, but I like both of them and am letting her choose for now. As long as she's not battling me and she's learning that's a win! :) I think your daughter will like TT. And as a mom, it sure makes grading and tracking how she's doing very easy. Good luck!
Hi! I absolutely LOVE your videos. You have been an absolute inspiration to my homeschool.. thank you ❤️ I homeschool my 4th and 6th graders however my 7th grader is still in school. I wrestle with myself on homeschooling him or not.. he’s doing very well in school he’s in GT and going into honors program for 8 th grade. I’m nervous about not giving him all that he needs and especially preparing him for college. How are you preparing your older kids for college as far as paperwork, cumulative records, etc? I would greatly appreciate your advice. Thank you 😊
Would you use Notgrass middle school history for a 4th grader and a 7th grader to keep history together or would you say that is too large of an age gap to try and keep together? We tried Notgrass "Star Spangled Banner" before and neither of them liked it. I feel like it wasn't enough information to keep them engaged but I'm interested in trying the "America the Beautiful" for them.
I am def interested in Not Consumed. We love Masterbooks as well. When do you stop doing handwriting? Journibles thank you...I've been trying to find those.
Thank you for sharing all of this!! We're currently going through the paleontology unit from TGATB and are really enjoying it! My almost 10 year old daughter loves dinosaurs and wants to dig deeper. I'll have to keep the paleontology course through MB in mind for her in the future.
I just tried beautiful feet books this year and I do like it. I feel like there is A LOT in there though in terms of extras (recipes, field trips, library,etc…). I’ll have a 2nd and 5th grader next year so looking at beautiful feet and Notgrass curriculums I’m going to be purchasing two separate levels due to their ages. Is Notgrass more straight forward without the extra? I’ve never seen it in person and I’m really on the fence. Thanks for all your pointers!❤
Thank you for sharing. I am starting to plan for next year. So excited my 5th grader will be returning to full time homeschool leaving a university model school. I am nervous about middle/high school but so excited. Your videos are so helpful. Are either of your high schoolers doing Advanced Placement courses/testing? My third grader's end go year goal was to read Charlotte's Web so I will be picking up the spring bundle. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for this review video Ashlee! I've been making notes for future years (my daughter is in 6th grade). For the Notgrass history, do you use the English and Bible part of the lessons too? I see that you can earn a full credit in all 3 subjects in high school if you do so. But it says it'll take 2-3 hours/day! Whoa. I assume you're only using the history portion. And for Shormann Math, would you still recommend it for a student who does well in math, but doesn't love it and won't be taking college math courses? I'm wondering if it's a little intense for that type of kid. Thanks again!!
We used Masterbooks for 7th grade science this year and I've ordered it for 8th grade next year. I'd love to hear why y'all didn't like MB for science and why BJU is preferred.
It’s much more thorough. It contains actual lab activities which are required for college admissions often. The lessons are more engaging, and challenging. Not just a dry text book.
Yes love notgrass, have upcoming MS'er - in your opinion is shorman math a good fit for a child that doesn't love math/struggles? Love your vids Thanks for sharing
Curious with Notgrass…are you doing it as a history, Bible and English credit as they suggest you can? I noticed it saying that each day’s work for Notgrass History takes 3 hours. 😮
I super appreciated this update!! I always do!! And I am so nervous! We are using BJU for science this year, and we did earth science. My daughter desperately wants to do biology in the fall, and $500, including the lab kit, is such a steep price. I took advantage of the sale they had last year, but I am hoping this sale is just as good. Lol. And I really want to the the masterbooks dinosaurs. You didn’t mention if he reads by the schedule for that one - or if he sort of just reads the books in a way that works for him? Thank you for your time!
We love Notgrass and TGTB! I have littles so I use very little outside of those 2 companies. I would LOVE to know if you have recommendations on master book courses for the apologetics of younger kids? My oldest is 2 grades behind your youngest!
We are doing beautiful feet also. I like the books but not a fan of the teachers guide. A lot of the links don’t work and feel like it could be beefed up a bit lol. We have added on unit studies I found on teachers pay teachers. We will probably try something else next time.
I would love to use Bju press for science but it looks very advance and my son struggles with a lot of reading he gets overwhelm do you have any suggestions for Bju press how to break down the curriculum ??
Thanks for the video! How long does a Notgrass lesson take? We have wanted to try them but I don’t want to spend 1.5 hours on Husotry for a 4th and 6th grader. We are using Masterbooks and it’s ok…
We’ve done a few Bible studies from Not Consumed, and I’d prefer to do it together and it gets a bit difficult for me to sit with my kids that are at different levels, along with the parent guide, and the verbiage in their books are different from each others and mine. My kids get lost, so I had to learn the hard way to just buy all Youth instead of youth, Junior and parents guide. I know that it’s made so that everyone has their own quiet time with God, which is fantastic, but when it comes to coming together for discussion it gets to be a bit confusing. We’re using Masterbooks for all of my 6th graders subjects and science for my 9th grader. I actually really liked the 6th grade math. The other subjects are so boring. So much reading, not enough hands on stuff. I already purchased Notgrass’ America the Beautiful and Exploring America for my kids for next school year, and I’m SO excited for that. We’ll be using Guest Hollow for biology next year, and I’m just going to include my youngest in with it, he just won’t do all of the work my high schooler will. I did switch my 9th grader to Denison algebra from teaching textbooks, and WHOA. Game changer. We’ll be using it for pre-algebra on through high school.
Ashlee how long does it take to complete a notgrass history lesson. I have been looking into this and it looks great but reviews state it is 1 to 2 hours. How long does a lesson take, at is longest lesson, and do yall do the literature recommended?
At what age did you move your kids from family history/science to individual work? My oldest two are about 6th grade age and I am not sure when to break them off to do their own courses so that they will be prepared for college and other future endeavors. I also feel as though some topics haven't been really covered with them because of the younger ones (4th, 2nd, and Kindergarten) and I would really like them to learn about them but am not quite sure how to go about making sure they get the background info. Especially things like the Holocaust. I don't know how to deal with topics of that nature with the younger ones always being a part of the lessons. Curious what your thoughts are.
I don’t update on every piece of curriculum in the video. We still use tgatb for science and La and handwriting and I share about that in the video, and subsequent updates
@@GraceandGrit oh ok…. Just wondering because you are my go to for TGTB curriculum content lol I know I can count on your reviews. Recently, a friend is wanting to homeschool and I directed her to your channel. 😊
I am considering Shormann Math for next Algebra 1. I know there is a digital textbook but how do your children use the program (do they write out problems in a notebook) or is all computer based?
Normally I’d say yes because there are so many crafts:baking:experiences:writing prompts. But not in the newest release. So if you want to try one out I’d go with volume 1! For some fun writing prompts and crafts!
I need to figure out math for my 7th grader next year. He’s finishing math 6 from TGATB this year as a 6th grader and unfortunately Math 7 won’t be available for him in time. (I’m so sad) Did you start pre-algebra in 7th?
I know you once said that BJU physical science was very challenging for your daughter, it was a big jump. Did she use the videos that year? Did it eventually balance out? We used Apologia and it's a struggle but my daughter is wanting a science based career so we're switching to BJU but now I'm worried it may be too difficult
Yes they got used to it. It wasn’t a jump in information but more how to manage the course etc. we’ve done distance learning every year since we started
I second BJU foreign language. It was a game changer for us. After my senior failed to find anything that was actually teaching him we tried BJU for my freshman and we love it.
Thanks for the helpful reviews! We homeschool moms who are a few years behind you really appreciate it!
If anyone is looking for a free history resource, I am happy to share all my lectures. I am a History professor and put all my lectures on UA-cam as a free resource for homeschoolers.
Hi! I have followed you for awhile now and you and your advice have been a blessing in many ways. I was struck by the “I’m a firm believer in not holding past people to the standards of today” (or something similar) comment. We are studying the constitution and how when it was written black people were considered 3/5 of a person. When my 10 year old realized it still says that he burst into tears. We had a conversation about just because everyone is doing it (slavery) doesn’t make it okay. These men were proclaimed Christians. If they read and followed the Bible they would see that God said He create mankind in His image. Not one race was superior. Also, then and now it is wrong to forcibly take people from their land and ship them across an ocean. Then and now it is wrong to rip families apart. So yes the times were different but I think that they very much understood what they were doing and “that’s the way things were” isn’t an excuse.
I’m not trying to be combative and I hope my heart posture has come through. I think that teaching about something that happened to others and teaching about something that happened to family is a very different experience and will bring very different feelings to the surface.
Thanks for all you do 💖
Kudos for this comment!!
This comment is on point. I was not the only person who heard that. I hope she and others who read this can hear your heart as they read your comment
Thankyou for your kind reply ❤ as always this is a much more nuanced topic than can be conveyed in a comment on UA-cam with a stranger. However, in this particular instance I was not referring to any specific people group or situation. In this course I was referring to in the video there is ALOT of bias that many others agree on. So as we seek to teach history it is important to teach our kids that while actions were wrong (then and today) different standards and cultural values existed in those times. Many at the time were unaware of why/how this would be wrong in the future. So as we evaluate history and all of those who played a role in it, we must keep this in the forefront of our minds. This is all I was saying.
@@GraceandGrit thanks for your kind reply as well 🥰 I agree with on lots of levels. I really do appreciate your perspective 💖
We love Notgrass! I pretty much agree with you about Masterbooks and Beautiful Feet. We have really only liked Apologetics from MB (tried history, math, geography and science) and we also did BF American History for primary and will be switching my youngest to NG history next year. My oldest has done 3 NG high school history courses so far and he loves it.
You had some really great views on the stuff you're using! I love that you concisely shared what you didn't like because that's so helpful! Sometimes knowing what someone didn't like is a reason i would like it 😊
Haha so true!
I am so excited for discovering Campfire Curriculums this year from your beginning of year videos. They are really fun and actually quite information packed and engaging. We have done the holiday ones and are working through zoology now.
Thank you for the mid year review! This is extremely helpful and motivating as I am also solidifying my next years homeschool plans.
Have you found your older kids to have any thoughts regarding moving from the group/family science and literature based history to now a more textbook style learning in their older years?
No they have all been smooth and easy transitions that they were ready for. I think keeping certain things a group feel (Bible/apologetics/read alouds) has helped with that though. I know they wouldn’t like to be completely separate from me and my younger too. We have a good balance!
Could you do a lesson on shormann math and notgrass? I am considering those curriculums and would like to see how they work. Thanks!
We are using the Elementary History from Notgrass this year and we love it! I love seeing content for older kids to give me ideas for down the road. ❤
Hi Ashlee- How would you compare Notgrass history to the Good and the Beautiful history? I realize they are updating their current version which is not out yet. But if you were choosing between the two which one would you pick? Thanks for the advice.
Curious about this as well!
Me too!
Me too
I’m curious about this as well for my upcoming 9th grader. I am really hoping to find a history I can also with my upcoming 2nd grader, and it seems that tgatb is capable, as long as it’s adequate for my high schooler.
Me too!
Glad to know we're not alone in TGATB Math 5 lessons getting long toward the end! I thought it was just us. Love, love, love hearing about middle school and high school curriculum! Thank you so much!!
Just discovering your channel and loving it! Will you ever do a makeup tutorial? Just love your makeup!
Yes I will!
We love Shormann!!! We recently switched from tgatb math to Math Mammoth though and my 2nd and 4th grade are loving it!!
these bundles are really amazing!! I was a skeptic at first but now i’m a loyalist. and whoever is creating these is really stepping up their game - each year the bundles are more creative and academically sound. thanks for always sharing.
Thanks for the recommendation on BJU biology.I was wondering where I was going to get a
good biology program for my 16 year old.
THANK you for your comments on the history!! Very helpful.
Just wanted to tell you that I took your recommendation for Night Zookeeper. My kids absolutely LOVE it and I do too. Thank you so much for introducing it to us. Your content is always so helpful to me as a new homeschooling mama.
Hi Ashlee! You had mentioned that you recommend starting kids young in Apologetics (Cultural issues creation evolution of the Bible). What age do you recommend beginning that?
We have really enjoyed the Winter Bundle and look forward to doing the Spring ones too!
We’ve just began Obey from Not Consumed and it is fantastic too!
My goodness. You are so uplifting. Your videos really give me encouragement with homeschooling my 4 kids. Thank you for all that you do! I’m so excited to try out the spring bundle! How cute! It’s been forever since we have done charlottes web as well! ❤
If you are looking for a new spelling and vocabulary curriculum we LOVE Sadlier Connect Vocabulary Workshop (Levels A through H) my daughter does Level D (9th Grade). We looked at Wordly Wise 3000 but choose Sadlier because it has an online component for activities and it has real people pronouncing the words - which I love! English may be my first (and only) language but I literally can not pronounce half the words she learns every week - so Sadlier has been a life saver! We have been doing it for 3 years now. I think it is almost exactly like Wordly Wise (story, definition, synonyms, antonyms and other exercises) but the extra online pronunciation and activities.
Thanks for turning me on to these bundles! I have bought the last 2 and love them and will buy this spring one with your link! Love all your videos and encouragement!❤
Glad you like them!
Masterbooks apologetics is great, we love it too, but YES it is INTENSE as far as the amount of knowledge they pack into each lesson! :)
I totally agree!
Do you like the level 8 book studies from TGATB? It's a few years ahead for my son, but I worry about a year off of regular language arts study. If he doesn't use it, I'm confident he'll forget a lot, so that year has me hesitant. We've loved all the years we've used from 2-5 so far!
If he does well with level 7, consider moving right into High School 1. The book studies are only intended to be "filler" if you think your child needs some more time before making the transition or some review. Just another idea - The book studies would be cool to use as summer reading, much like the public school frequently assigns a summer reading project in middle and high school that is due when school begins.
Not Consumed has free shipping today (2/20/23)! We love their bible studies too.
Id love to hear a bit more on how Notgrass is different than traditional textbook-based public school or private school approach to history? Is the text full of stories? Is the text the spine and books are incorporated as an addition to flesh it out?
Sounds like the update to BF EAH led it down a bit of a different route than it used to be. DARN! But I will say, we are not LOVING the intermediate level modern american history now. I have to do a video on my full thoughts soon!
Best update ever. Totally agree with you about BFB, we are not going to be using them next year. I have ordered a few things from master books and they are amazing. Going to be using LA highschool level 1, going to be using WW 9 (thanks for the heads up on level 10). With the charter my son is going to do typing with Tg&tb and it gets to count for HS credit as elective. And we are going to continue using not consumed, but going to use the coarse that goes along with ywam books. They are amazing… this is all so exciting…. Thank you for sharing about high school. Many blessings and happy homeschooling ❤️
Just a thought on notgrass for youngers. We are doing star spangled story this year and it is good BUT it does get a little repetitive as far as structure as the year goes on. The content is good but they are getting tired of me reading chapters to them. I'm going to switch over to a modified version of beautiful feet which is what we have done in the past because I looked at Adam to Us but it is a heavy dose of chapter reading like we are doing this year and I just think at the middle of the year we would all be over it. The variation in living books and structured history reading in a spine book breaks it up a little better. I do see where your history buff could enjoy the heavier version though.
Great video! Thank you! My kids ages are just a couple years behind yours, so I love to watch these and have a curriculum plan moving forward!
I’m sure I watched a video where you discussed why you didn’t recommend “For You They Signed” but I don’t recall. Could you maybe share (again potentially)? I was considering it, and I’m just curious about your thoughts. Thanks!
Shortly, it was boring, dry, black and white and lacking any substance beyond facts of them. My kids hated it and they are not complainers
Just bought the bundle, thanks for sharing how you’re using it with slightly older kids - really helpful. X
You are so welcome!
First off, love the new format of the video (the intro)!
And we have been loving Not Consumed! We are almost done with the Obey study and will probably finish the year with Fruit of the Tongue. I already purchased their new Foundations series for us to work through next year so bible curriculum is a ✓ on my list 😍🎉🙌🏻
How do you decide which area of history to study each year? World vs US History? Do a multi-year cycle of each???
I take a look at the sequence of the company I’m using, compare it to what is needed for graduation, and then look at what we’ve most recently studied
Thanks for the video!!
At what age would you start a formal history curriculum and what would you use?
I always enjoy these videos. Very helpful as I am looking for a few new things! Thanks
We just started World Watch news in January and love it!
Thank you so much for your thoughts on Beautiful Feet. I’ve been considering them for next year when mine will be the same age as your two youngers and you’ve confirmed my thoughts.
Thank you for sharing all of this! It’s so helpful to hear what has worked and what you are tweaking! 💚
So glad!
Oh and thank you for sharing about campfire. They are becoming a favorite here too. ❤️
Would you recommend the Masterbooks Dinosaur course over TGTB Paleontology? Or are they like comparing apples to oranges?
Totally different focuses 👌
Good stuff TY for sharing!!! Please when you have a sec...so curious where did you find your shirt in this vid??
Thanks for the update! Excited for the BJU sale in March!
Me too!!
Thank you! I always enjoy your reviews.
Thank you! You are such a helpful resource for us mamás!
We used the same bfb course this year for my 2nd and 4th grader and I thought the book selections were perfect for them but have a lot of the same feelings you do about the curriculum. We will not be using bfb next year either! We have tried Notgrass history for our oldest when she was in middle school- I think it was called From Adam to Us? We didn’t love it. She didn’t hate it, but I don’t care for how they go over world history from ancient to modern in one year. I prefer a more classical approach to history where you study history chronologically over the course of four years and repeat the cycle, digging deeper each time. We are using Biblioplan for history next year and I am so excited about it! I don’t hear a ton of people talking about it but it is a really thorough approach that includes literature with a textbook and timelines, map work, etc. I love that there are so many curriculum options to choose from! And I love watching these videos to see what is working for other families!! ❤
For the HS Apologetics course, would you recommend spreading it out over 1.5 or 2yrs?-since you guys are taking it slow to make sure they are retaining and understanding all of the information. We have been planning on this course for HS, and I want to make sure we aren’t rushing things, etc. We ❤️ MasterBooks/AiG for apologetics/Biblical worldview 🥰
We discovered Notgrass last year and are glad to hear you recommend it, especially for HS ☺️
Plus I can’t wait to hear and find out more info on the BJU sale 😁 Thank you!
So the only novels you read are TGTB books from the Language Arts program?
Hi Ashlee! I’m very interested in your high school science choice, thank you so much for speaking of your love for BJU. Wondering … did you ever look into the DIVE Science? I know you use Dr.Shormann for math and so curious if you considered him for high school science as well? And what your thoughts were on deciding to go with BJU. Thanks so much!
Same question here!!
Following!
I also feel like BF American History is over the top too. You can see the reviews calling out it’s bias on their site. I wish those reviews would’ve been there beforehand. I choose this over Not grass! 😬 I have to prescreen lessons, books and video links. And I’m just using the k-3 guide!
Can you explain the bias?
I loved this quick run down of likes and dislikes. My oldest has loved Notgrass for his HS history. I also plan to use Notgrass with my younger two next year. We've been using apologia, not a favorite, for HS science. It's dry but thorough. I'm definitely going to check out BJU. Tfs.
I have the Apologia General Science course that I got for free. Have you done that one? My daughter has only done very simple, interesting science units so far (like TGTB and Campfire Curriculums). She'll be in 7th grade next year and I'm wondering if jumping into the BJU science will bore her or scare her away. :) Thanks!
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on other History curriculums. I'm going through Year 1 TGTB with my 6&8 year olds, and to be honest, the only thing they seem to really enjoy are the audio recordings, but their eyes glaze over when we get to the actual reading parts. Gonna try to stick it out to the end of it, but I may end up going with Notgrass or Beautiful feet in the future
I think they may just be too young! I’d try it again in a few years!
So appreciate these videos on curriculum! I considered beautiful feet for next year but will definitely check out Notgrass.
I'm sad to say we are leaving tgtb math. My girl is teaching Textbooks now, and we are looking forward to buying Apologia 5 math for my son. 45 to 60 mins is just too long for math and the videos bored us. Sad for the change.
My daughter didn't like the videos, so I let her choose to simply read the daily lessons. I personally think the video is better (my personal style), but I told her that so long as I can tell she is actually reading it and learning what she's supposed to learn that it's just fine by me. That's been working this year so far. This is our first year using TGTB math. We actually switched from Teaching Textbooks, but I like both of them and am letting her choose for now. As long as she's not battling me and she's learning that's a win! :) I think your daughter will like TT. And as a mom, it sure makes grading and tracking how she's doing very easy. Good luck!
Would you mind sharing why you did not like Masterbooks For you They Signed??
Hi! I absolutely LOVE your videos. You have been an absolute inspiration to my homeschool.. thank you ❤️ I homeschool my 4th and 6th graders however my 7th grader is still in school. I wrestle with myself on homeschooling him or not.. he’s doing very well in school he’s in GT and going into honors program for 8 th grade. I’m nervous about not giving him all that he needs and especially preparing him for college. How are you preparing your older kids for college as far as paperwork, cumulative records, etc? I would greatly appreciate your advice. Thank you 😊
We have two 10th graders doing the BJU distance learning Biology this year and they love it too!
Would you use Notgrass middle school history for a 4th grader and a 7th grader to keep history together or would you say that is too large of an age gap to try and keep together? We tried Notgrass "Star Spangled Banner" before and neither of them liked it. I feel like it wasn't enough information to keep them engaged but I'm interested in trying the "America the Beautiful" for them.
I am def interested in Not Consumed. We love Masterbooks as well. When do you stop doing handwriting? Journibles thank you...I've been trying to find those.
Thank you for sharing all of this!! We're currently going through the paleontology unit from TGATB and are really enjoying it! My almost 10 year old daughter loves dinosaurs and wants to dig deeper. I'll have to keep the paleontology course through MB in mind for her in the future.
Ps- I can't wait to dig into the new spring bundle with my kiddos!!
Will you have completely finished all the lessons for BFB before moving onto Not Grass?
Just bought the spring time bundle vol 1 may have to purchase the others. Thanks again
Hope you enjoy it!
I just tried beautiful feet books this year and I do like it. I feel like there is A LOT in there though in terms of extras (recipes, field trips, library,etc…). I’ll have a 2nd and 5th grader next year so looking at beautiful feet and Notgrass curriculums I’m going to be purchasing two separate levels due to their ages. Is Notgrass more straight forward without the extra? I’ve never seen it in person and I’m really on the fence. Thanks for all your pointers!❤
Thank you for sharing. I am starting to plan for next year. So excited my 5th grader will be returning to full time homeschool leaving a university model school. I am nervous about middle/high school but so excited. Your videos are so helpful. Are either of your high schoolers doing Advanced Placement courses/testing?
My third grader's end go year goal was to read Charlotte's Web so I will be picking up the spring bundle. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome!
For the notgrass , did you purchase their book pack or just the textbooks and quizz books etc.... is the book pack mandatory?
I've been wondering about Beautiful Feet and Notgrass, thank you for the review!
Thanks so much for this review video Ashlee! I've been making notes for future years (my daughter is in 6th grade). For the Notgrass history, do you use the English and Bible part of the lessons too? I see that you can earn a full credit in all 3 subjects in high school if you do so. But it says it'll take 2-3 hours/day! Whoa. I assume you're only using the history portion.
And for Shormann Math, would you still recommend it for a student who does well in math, but doesn't love it and won't be taking college math courses? I'm wondering if it's a little intense for that type of kid. Thanks again!!
Yes we are using only the history portion this year!
We used Masterbooks for 7th grade science this year and I've ordered it for 8th grade next year. I'd love to hear why y'all didn't like MB for science and why BJU is preferred.
It’s much more thorough. It contains actual lab activities which are required for college admissions often. The lessons are more engaging, and challenging. Not just a dry text book.
@@GraceandGrit thank you!
Master Books high school sciences do include labs for high school credit. They also have the option of using MasterBooks academy for the courses.
Can you link the video where you explain why Masterbooks history course didn't work?
Yes love notgrass, have upcoming MS'er - in your opinion is shorman math a good fit for a child that doesn't love math/struggles?
Love your vids
Thanks for sharing
Have you ever checked out Master books America's story and world story history curriculum?
I’m looking at Shormann Science for my kids. I’m also looking at the math. I’m not good at teaching algebra.
Just curious, have you looked into the Shormann sciences? My son really likes the Prealgebra so I’m considering using the science.
I haven’t just because we love BJU but I’m sure they are wonderful!
Curious with Notgrass…are you doing it as a history, Bible and English credit as they suggest you can? I noticed it saying that each day’s work for Notgrass History takes 3 hours. 😮
Maybe your 10th grader instead if doing Wordly Wise should move to ACT/SAT-specific vocab practice if she is college bound
I super appreciated this update!! I always do!! And I am so nervous! We are using BJU for science this year, and we did earth science. My daughter desperately wants to do biology in the fall, and $500, including the lab kit, is such a steep price. I took advantage of the sale they had last year, but I am hoping this sale is just as good. Lol. And I really want to the the masterbooks dinosaurs. You didn’t mention if he reads by the schedule for that one - or if he sort of just reads the books in a way that works for him? Thank you for your time!
He follows the schedule
Just ordered the Spring Bundle. So excited to start this with the kiddos
Thankyou! Hope you enjoy!
We love Notgrass and TGTB! I have littles so I use very little outside of those 2 companies. I would LOVE to know if you have recommendations on master book courses for the apologetics of younger kids? My oldest is 2 grades behind your youngest!
Cool video! Thank you for the new upload 🥰
We are doing beautiful feet also. I like the books but not a fan of the teachers guide. A lot of the links don’t work and feel like it could be beefed up a bit lol. We have added on unit studies I found on teachers pay teachers. We will probably try something else next time.
What are your thoughts Beautiful Feet vs Sonlight for History?
I preferred sonlight!
I would love to use Bju press for science but it looks very advance and my son struggles with a lot of reading he gets overwhelm do you have any suggestions for Bju press how to break down the curriculum ??
Do you modify bju press at all? Seems like it takes us forever to get through
Thanks for the video! How long does a Notgrass lesson take? We have wanted to try them but I don’t want to spend 1.5 hours on Husotry for a 4th and 6th grader. We are using Masterbooks and it’s ok…
30 min when using only the history portion
We’ve done a few Bible studies from Not Consumed, and I’d prefer to do it together and it gets a bit difficult for me to sit with my kids that are at different levels, along with the parent guide, and the verbiage in their books are different from each others and mine. My kids get lost, so I had to learn the hard way to just buy all Youth instead of youth, Junior and parents guide. I know that it’s made so that everyone has their own quiet time with God, which is fantastic, but when it comes to coming together for discussion it gets to be a bit confusing. We’re using Masterbooks for all of my 6th graders subjects and science for my 9th grader. I actually really liked the 6th grade math. The other subjects are so boring. So much reading, not enough hands on stuff. I already purchased Notgrass’ America the Beautiful and Exploring America for my kids for next school year, and I’m SO excited for that. We’ll be using Guest Hollow for biology next year, and I’m just going to include my youngest in with it, he just won’t do all of the work my high schooler will. I did switch my 9th grader to Denison algebra from teaching textbooks, and WHOA. Game changer. We’ll be using it for pre-algebra on through high school.
Also, we love Shormann! Yay!
Ashlee how long does it take to complete a notgrass history lesson. I have been looking into this and it looks great but reviews state it is 1 to 2 hours. How long does a lesson take, at is longest lesson, and do yall do the literature recommended?
I know I will be taking advantage of that BJU sale. I’ll need French 2, Physical Science for my daughter who will be a freshman next year 🤯🤯
At what age did you move your kids from family history/science to individual work? My oldest two are about 6th grade age and I am not sure when to break them off to do their own courses so that they will be prepared for college and other future endeavors. I also feel as though some topics haven't been really covered with them because of the younger ones (4th, 2nd, and Kindergarten) and I would really like them to learn about them but am not quite sure how to go about making sure they get the background info. Especially things like the Holocaust. I don't know how to deal with topics of that nature with the younger ones always being a part of the lessons. Curious what your thoughts are.
We did family style history up until last year. So 9th grade.
Have you used Apologia HighSchool science before? I was just wondering how it compared with BJU? 😅
Ashley do you have apologetic recommendations for 1st and 2nd grades?
Yes, answers books for kids from MB.
I haven’t finished the video but I don’t see any TGTB in this video. Is she not doing TGTB anymore?
I don’t update on every piece of curriculum in the video. We still use tgatb for science and La and handwriting and I share about that in the video, and subsequent updates
@@GraceandGrit oh ok…. Just wondering because you are my go to for TGTB curriculum content lol I know I can count on your reviews. Recently, a friend is wanting to homeschool and I directed her to your channel. 😊
I am considering Shormann Math for next Algebra 1. I know there is a digital textbook but how do your children use the program (do they write out problems in a notebook) or is all computer based?
They watch the lecture
Then on paper compute each problem
Then type in their answer
Hi there, would you recommend the spring bundles for a fifteen year old? (He is my youngest child)
Normally I’d say yes because there are so many crafts:baking:experiences:writing prompts. But not in the newest release. So if you want to try one out I’d go with volume 1! For some fun writing prompts and crafts!
I need to figure out math for my 7th grader next year. He’s finishing math 6 from TGATB this year as a 6th grader and unfortunately Math 7 won’t be available for him in time. (I’m so sad)
Did you start pre-algebra in 7th?
I know you once said that BJU physical science was very challenging for your daughter, it was a big jump. Did she use the videos that year? Did it eventually balance out? We used Apologia and it's a struggle but my daughter is wanting a science based career so we're switching to BJU but now I'm worried it may be too difficult
Yes they got used to it. It wasn’t a jump in information but more how to manage the course etc. we’ve done distance learning every year since we started
Do your kids do the self paced shorman program or live class option?
Self paced
Amazing reviews thanks babe
I didn’t see a math link
I second BJU foreign language. It was a game changer for us. After my senior failed to find anything that was actually teaching him we tried BJU for my freshman and we love it.
It’s incredible!
Do u thk Shorman would be good for high schoolers that struggle w math?
Yes!
If I’m being honest I come back to your curriculum review videos time after time, because you don’t ridicule a company!😆
❤