Age recommendations can be tricky to navigate when it comes to curriculum for families, often not aligning neatly with each child's level or resulting in managing multiple curricula for each child.
Bookish Adventure offers family studies that cater to a wide range of ages within your family. You can engage all ages in one read-aloud and explore topics deeply together without needing multiple guides simultaneously. This approach sparks engaging conversations within the family, as everyone learns the same material and can exchange thoughts and opinions. It also promotes cohesion in homeschooling and streamlines teaching, eliminating the need to switch between different curricula.
Remember, the age recommendations in the guides serve as “sweet spots”. While they work best within certain age ranges, all guides can be adapted to suit a variety of children. The key is to prioritize your children's interest in the specific read-aloud from the guide.
To manage using one guide for all your children, here are two methods to consider for your school year:
Family Studies Planning Methods:
- Find your sweet spot and make adjustments: Pick the guide level that falls in the middle of your children's ages and tailor activities for younger and older ages as needed. For instance, adjust activities for younger children by taking on the role of their scribe or partnering with them in research-based tasks, while older children can work independently.
- Alternate and adapt: Consider having each child select two books from their level, and modify the activities in those guides for the other children. Additionally, choose two family favorites that everyone can participate in, creating a balanced mix of individual and group interests.
Avoid overloading your curriculum—it can lead to overwhelm and eventually switching to new materials, restarting the cycle. Bookish Adventure guides aim to consolidate learning into a manageable, enjoyable experience, allowing families to explore science, history, geography, writing, and art together.
Here is a breakdown of our various levels:
Bookworm (ages 4-6):
- Illustrated chapter books to encourage delight in chapter book read alouds
- Activities: reading aloud, picture books, copywork, math, language arts, videos, art, music, play, nature adventures, culinary delights, and discussions
- Focus on one topic per book
Page Mage (ages 7-10):
- Early middle-grade novels with occasional illustrations
- Activities: reading aloud, picture books, science, math, history, geography, language arts, arts and crafts, games, videos, podcasts, and recipes
- Focus three-four topics per book
Ink Drinker (ages 11-12):
- Middle-grade novels
- Monthly writing project with recommended adjustments for younger ages
- Activities: reading aloud, picture books, science, math, history, geography, arts and crafts, games, videos, podcasts, and recipes
- Focus on two topics per book