Discover! Homeschool Curriculum Review

Summary of Discover! Homeschool Curriculum Review

Grades: 1-6
Subjects: Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Math
Category: Faith-based (upon request)
Format: Textbook, Online – Blended
Price: Varies

How to Use Discover! in Your Homeschool

Discover! is unique in its curriculum approach in that they offer core curriculum (Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Math) in textbook form, or you can choose a textbook/online hybrid to enhance the learning experience. By collaborating with Bridgeway Academy, Discover! Online offers the best of both worlds: online, textbook, and instructor-led activities. Fun animal characters will help guide students through the lessons while keeping them engaged in the information. There is a faith element that is optional for parents to choose or not, based on their preference. By implementing critical thinking and allowing students to work at their own pace, Discover! Online is a great option for those seeking a mixture of online and book/pencil/paper lessons.

Discover! Highlights

The Discover! Instructional Design framework includes:

Scenario-based Learning – When presented with a problem to solve, learners are likelier to make connections that will help them retain the information. Discover! uses this type of learning to further your student’s education.
Visuals – With so many children (and adults!) being visual learners, this curriculum utilizes visual lessons and hands-on projects.
Consolidation – Learning to test is never the goal; learning to retain is. By building on what has already been taught and reinforcing concepts, Discover! seeks to aid students in learning retention.
Critical Thinking – It is more important than ever for children to be critical thinkers. Through guided questions and problem-solving skills, Discover! helps students become proficient in the art of thinking critically.
Character Building – Kids need to be confident in their abilities, aware of those around them, and able to work with and help others. Through activities and curriculum enhancement opportunities, your children can not only learn facts and figures but also how to be active, contributing members of society.

Discover! Pros and Cons

Pros:

Blended option of textbook and online
Optional faith element
Focus on critical thinking and building students’ character
Each subsequent lesson builds upon what has already been taught

Cons:

The cost may be high for some families

Additional Comments from Discover! Homeschool Curriculum Reviewer

“I was sent and will be reviewing the Discover! Science textbooks for 6th grade.

The Discover! curriculum arrives in 3 parts – the Instructor Guide, and student workbooks A and B.

The Instructor Guide has not only the answers to the questions in the workbooks but also clear lesson objectives, extra information if your student needs additional support, extension activities for ways to extend the lesson with hands-on projects, and (my favorite thing!) activities for students with different learning styles. There are also assessments at the end of each chapter so you can see what your child has learned and retained.

The student books are interesting. Each lesson begins by telling the student what they will learn in that lesson. It also gives a list of vocabulary words and materials they may need for that lesson. There is also a review section at the end of each chapter.

My biggest takeaways from looking through these materials are:

The lessons reference back to things previously learned. It’s difficult to forget what has already been taught when you keep having to use it. This is an excellent approach to teaching.
6th grade science is hard. These students are learning a lot of details and things that one can’t just halfway pay attention to and still pass. They’re learning genetics, cell structure, viruses and bacteria, the human body and all its systems, animals, and so much more. This could easily be frustrating for parents and students, but Discover! does its best to keep that from happening. This leads to my next point…
This curriculum is interesting! It isn’t just reading scientific words and phrases that kids will tune out until the class has ended. The way Discover! presents the material is engaging and encourages excitement in learning. The reading is broken up by questions to answer – some fill-in-the-blank, some multiple choice, some other methods – and the lesson isn’t just limited to the workbook. By using the additional extension activities in the Instructor Guide, it’s nice to be able to get your hands dirty with a related project to help understand what is being taught.

All in all, I was very impressed with this curriculum and would not be opposed to using it with my son in the future.” – Naomi W., North Carolina