Adventures in the Sea & Sky

Be prepared to traverse the high seas in this adventurous program.  Discover how history was made by explorers, commanders, traders, daredevils, astronauts, and even pirates who captained sailing ships and flying machines!   World history will unfold from the earliest traders on the Mediterranean to astronauts building the space station even now. As you travel through “Adventures in the Sea and Sky,” you’ll encounter the technologies that let sailors conquer the stormy Atlantic and Vikings raid the northern seas. You’ll find out what caused the Age of Exploration and how controlled flight became a reality — and changed the world forever.

Adventures in the Sea & Sky is a world history in a year program designed for students from 4th – 7th grade.  With the simple addition of our “Younger Learner’s Guide” you can even include your K – 2nd grade students in your adventures! To easily include your 8th – 9th graders just add our “Older Learner’s Guide” to the program.

Educationally Unique

This program contains many unique experiences, but before we dive into those, let’s look at how this program can be a great launching pad for further history study.  In Adventures in the Sea & Sky you’ll discover history from a unique perspective — looking at the development of the technology of sailing, flight, and space travel.  You’ll be amazed at how the major trends in history originate in the technologies around ships and sailing!  This program offers a bird’s eye view of history, and is a great launching pad for a four-year world history study.  Families are encouraged to experience our other history programs after seeing the big picture in Sea & Sky.

Adventurous Resources

The resources in our Sea & Sky program are now printed in stunning full color! We have uniquely selected each resource to create a world of adventure for you to enjoy every day.  See some of those resources highlighted below.

 

Sailors_Whalers_and_Astronauts_Cover

Sailors, Whalers & Astronauts

What was life like on a ship? What was it like to live aboard sailing ships, airships, and spaceships in history?  Discover life on rolling seas, in the atmosphere, and out in the vastness of space.  There’s a lot to explore!

You will learn all that a sailor would need to know and the skills they needed to survive in the open ocean. You’ll check out sailor lingo and the different watches on a ship. You will learn what sailors believed and what they wore. You will even to know what kind of knots sailors would have to tie.

Once you master the basics of being a sailor you will be promoted to a whaler. Master the basics of a whaling ship and understand how lighthouses were used to keep them safe. Want some bean soup? Cook some bean soup and really understand how good your family’s cooking is compared to what these sailors ate!  You will even get to go along on a whale chase!

Next, you will be transported to the experiences of an astronaut! Find out how to stay healthy in space and what kind of food you would eat.  You won’t want to complain about cleaning your room after hearing about how astronauts kept things clean in outer space. Get geared up as an astronaut and discover how much equipment it takes to explore — and survive in — space!

“Sailors, Whalers & Astronauts” will bring the adventure of the open ocean, the atmosphere, and outer space right into your living room.

 

MYO_Captains_Log_Cover Make-Your-Own Captain’s Log

This notebooking resource puts you right in the middle of a grand adventure. You begin by being brought onboard “The Seafarer” as a cabin boy named “Crow.” A man named Hawk will be training you in the ways of all things ship and sailing. As you work through our “Sailors, Whalers & Astronauts” resource, your Captain’s Log will bring your story to life.

With interactive notebooking pages, you will constantly be applying what you learn and engaging with the material you encounter in other resources. Learn about sailing culture with engaging questions, activities and mapping assignments. Discover how the technology aboard ships advanced and even changed sailing completely!  Read about how ships were used in war time and see us highlight important ships throughout history. After spending time on ships, you will go on to learning about flight and even space exploration!

 

Another wonderful part of this notebook and this program as a whole is that a science component is woven throughout the program. For students 6th grade and younger it is a full science credit! Each week in your Captain’s Log you will have a science section that gives another layer of education and enjoyment to this notebook.

As you learn from your mentor Hawk about the ins and outs of sailing, the advances in technology, and even the invention of flight, your students will experience an adventure that lasts the entire year and can be kept for a lifetime! To see a sample of this resource click on the title above and then select “Resource Sample” at the top of the description. You will want to see inside this amazing 300+ page resource.

 

Under_the_Sea_and_In_the_Air_CoverUnder the Sea & In the Air

To add to your science component that is included in your Make-Your-Own Captain’s Log you will receive the “Under the Sea & In the Air” resource. This will be your primary science resource.

You will study the ocean floor, learning about its features. You will get a taste of what saltwater is and learn about ice on the ocean. You will learn about different marine life such as penguins, whales, and other sea mammals.

After the ocean you will explore the atmosphere.  Your students will create a weather log and learn about the atmospheric conditions. They will get to know how the sun affects our weather as well!

Once your travels in the atmosphere are finished, you will shoot up into outer space to discover our sun, the planets and the moons that circle them.  Read about the life of a star and think about how many galaxies there are in the universe!

Every week you will get to enjoy an activity that is fun and educational.  Together with your Captain’s Log and the other science books in Sea and Sky, this resource will cover your science for the whole year!

Other exclusive resources that are included are our Bible resource, “God of All Creation”, and our spine history resource “An Unfurling Sail.”

Sea & Sky is an Adventure

In this blogging series we are going to show how we have uniquely crafted each Themed Program to provide the same wonderful educational ideals but offer very unique experiences. Each program has a unique feel and experience to it so that your family doesn’t feel as if every year is the same.

In our Adventures in the Sea & Sky program your family will go on a high-flying and exciting adventure across history on the decks of ships, the seats of airplanes, and the cockpits of space craft. This program marries a rich and wonderful education with amazing adventure and enjoyment.

We would like to invite you to go on an adventure with your family this year.  You’ll truly understand why history unfolded the way it did, live the life of sailors, crew members, and astronauts, and make memories!

“The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy.  It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.” – Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

 

 

 

 

 

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When you hear a carpenter talk about a custom cabinet he just installed you will hear about the quality wood used, the dovetail edges, the solid hardware, and the attention to detail that make it a solid piece. But you will also hear about the special touches he added to make the cabinet unique. When a builder talks about that beautiful home he just built you get the sense that he spent time and energy to make this home solid, firm, and safe, while also making it one-of-a-kind. An artist works to create a unique experience for the observer in each painting that he creates, even though he uses his well-practiced technique and eye for color to also make sure it is as beautiful as can be.

This craftsmanship is what we hope you find in WinterPromise’s Themed programs. Inside each of our themed programs there are numerous foundational aspects that are similar, but those special touches are still there – the pieces of each program that make it unique. WinterPromise programs are based on solid educational principles, proven to give academic success, but still contain unique and individual touches that make them one-of-a-kind, joyous learning experiences.

What is the same?

Here is a short summary of the universal aspects of our themed programs. These things are consistent in our programs because they grow out of our core educational values.

Every themed program is inspired by strong Charlotte Mason principles. In each one of our Themed Programs we pick living books that pull your readers into a story that helps teach the material. This is much more effective than using stale textbooks. Each of our programs has a heavy focus on narration and discussion as a way to measure your children’s comprehension and understanding of what they are learning. In each of our programs you will find that we seek to elicit excitement for the material and find joy in learning. These principles are foundational to everything we do.

Another part of our themed programs that is true across the board is that we incorporate multiple avenues or “paths” of learning for your children. Whether you have a child that is auditory, visual, hands-on, people-oriented, or one that enjoys learning digitally, we have a way for them to learn week to week. We do this through activities, research projects, reading assignments, opportunities for presentations, DVD and documentary suggestions and much more!

Our themed programs are all designed to do as much work for the parents as possible. Many of our parents come to WinterPromise saying, “I liked curriculum but I felt like I had to work hours and hours just to make it work for us.” We understand that our moms are busy enough as it is, and any curriculum that asks you to do more work than it did is just not worth it. That means we have designed our programs and our Teacher’s Guides as “Open & Go” resources. If you have your books and your guide, you are all set to start your day. Discussion questions have notes for the parent to help guide the discussion, online links are given for extra research, activities are suggested for older students, and everything is scheduled daily for you.

These ideals are consistent through every program no matter which one you choose. You will find these things in each experience you have with us. That does not mean each program is stale and every year is the same. In fact, it is exactly the opposite of that! We have handcrafted each themed program to give a unique experience for your family. One program will have a certain look and feel while another program may provide a completely different experience from the year before!

Why did we do this?

WinterPromise is a company that puts our heart and soul into every product and program that we design. We want every program, every book, every activity, every memory you make with us, to be something that is a wonderfully rich experience. We want our families to make new memories and go to new places with their family every single year.

Yes, our educational values that we hold dear are consistently present throughout all of our materials. Yes, you will see great notebooking across the board. Yes, you will read wonderful books as a family in every program you experience. Yes, you will have a wealth of great activities to choose from each week in every program. No, you will not think of every year as the same.

Why?

Every program and every year is designed to be completely unique. We do this so that every year you are challenged to grow as a family in new ways. We present our material in new ways in our programs so that your children are given every opportunity to enjoy what they learn. Giving new experiences and new ways to learn keeps your children expanding their imaginations and increasing their sense of adventure. When they open their WP resources for the first time they get to wonder, “What adventure are we having this year!?” Joyful and excited learning, inspired through new adventures, is a cornerstone of the WP educational model.

Joyful and excited learning, inspired through new adventures, is a cornerstone of the WP educational model.

In this blogging series we will go program by program and help you discover how each program is unique in what it can offer your family. We want to show you how each program not only teaches new material to your children, but takes your family on a handcrafted adventure designed to increase your children’s love and joy for learning.
 

 

 

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As a company we are new to a lot of people. This year a lot of you have called into our office for the first time, never hearing about us before recently! We love the opportunity to be able to impact so many families and to see our WinterPromise family grow!

With so many new families contacting us we get a lot of questions, and some questions we hear more often than others. For that reason we wanted to write an article that dealt with a few of the common questions that we hear on the phones, in emails, on Facebook and beyond! Our desire is that this helps you understand us as a company better, and what you can expect when you choose us as your homeschool curriculum.

This will be split into a few posts, this week we are only answering one question!

What kind of curriculum is WinterPromise/What makes

WinterPromise unique?

This question we have heard a lot this year and have really enjoyed being able to tell people what kind of company we are, and what sets us apart. The answer to this question is not a one sentence answer, so please be patient and read along.

1. The first thing that comes out of our mouths when describing WinterPromise is that we are Charlotte Mason inspiredEverything we do starts with the foundation of the ideals and philosophies of Charlotte Mason. (If you don’t know who she is please Google her!) She was a British educator in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She has had a profound impact on education in general and we endorse her ideals whole-heartedly. They are central and foundational to everything we do. What are her ideals you ask? (or maybe you weren’t asking but you may as well read!)

There are many ideals that Charlotte Mason held too, but we will highlight just a few key ones. The first is: Curiosity and Discovery. Charlotte Mason believed that curiosity and discovery should be the primary motivators and backbone of learning. Young children have a deep curiosity about the world around them. This curiosity should lead to an active discovery on the child’s part during their education. They should be on an adventure of discovery while they are at school. But it shouldn’t stop when they get older It should continue throughout their childhood and even into adulthood.

Charlotte Mason also believed that the books that children learn from should be what she called, “Living Books.” Dry textbooks that merely communicate facts do not engage children. This impacts learning. We all learn something quicker if we are having fun doing it! They also do not insight curiosity or a desire to discover in the child. We here at WinterPromise have chosen books specifically designed to be exciting, engaging, educationally rich, and feed the curiosity of those reading. DRY BOOKS ARE A NO-NO!

I am going to mention only two more ideals so that we don’t drowned in Charlotte Mason information! Another ideal that Charlotte Mason held to, was the strong exposure to nature and the direct observation of it. Nature walks and observation are a huge part of education for children! WinterPromise offers animal and nature studies, and in our nature studies (for example Animals and Their Worlds!) we encourage the active engagement of nature. We want our kids outdoors and engaged with the world around them!

Finally, Charlotte Mason also held to the ideal that learning should be as joyful as possible. Although with Algebra, I am not sure how joyful it can be! 😉 Learning should not be joyless. Learning can be challenging and full of hard work but it should never be joyless. We here at WinterPromise always strive to present the information in a way that excites, engages and puts a smile on the face of those learning. Just a few examples are: Your students can go on adventures with Quest for the Ancient World, see what life on a ship is like in our Adventures in the Sea & Sky, learn to read while meeting new friends in our Early Language Arts and much more! We want to make learning fun!

Everything we do at WinterPromise seeks to include and be underlined by these ideals! Joy, Curiosity and Discovery, Living Books, and Nature Study.

2. We are multi-faceted in our method!

There is a great graphic on our website that summarizes how we incorporate all the different homeschool methods into one curriculum. You can find that here!

When Kaeryn started on this journey of writing curriculum it was for a very personal reason. It was for one of her sons. This son is very unique in how he learns. He is really smart, logical, great at putting things together, but struggled in a lot of different homeschooling curriculums! Because of this Kaeryn tried out just about everything that was offered at the time and none of them really fit. What was the problem?

Each curriculum had a method, and it did have benefits but for every benefit there were also weaknesses. This led to frustration for Kaeryn and her son. For example: one problem was that if she went with a curriculum that was Literature Based she found that at a certain point her son’s attention span and general boy-ness distracted him from really having a rich learning experience. Besides the fact that her son did not learn nearly as easily when hearing something read to him as opposed to other more hands-on ways. It worked for a while but as we know, in a literature based curriculum you read and read and read and Kaeryn needed more.

On the other hand, she then found that if she used a curriculum that was very hands-on and activity based,  it was successful at keeping him busy and engaged but that created other problems. The problems were two-fold: 1) the activities created a lot of prep work that then led to busy work. This was exhausting considering she had 5 kids to handle! 2) The activities did not offer a truly rich educational experience, and therefore the busy work and prep work were just that. Busy and prep work.

Kaeryn found that she wanted wonderfully rich books and she wanted great educationally beneficial activities. She also wanted as much of the prep work done as was possible because she was busy enough! Kaeryn wanted these things for her son and herself but could not find them!

This inspired WinterPromise. Kaeryn designed WinterPromise to offer rich learning experiences through books, activities, multi-media, observation, notebooking, interactive content. This would create curriculum. Kaeryn was inspired to bring together the unique strengths of all the different homeschool approaches while using those approaches to offset the weaknesses! This was a lot of work. But now we have done the work so you don’t have to!

3. We offer full programs!

WinterPromise offers history, social studies, language arts, science and math. In all of our programs we underline everything with the ideals listed above. We also have designed the programs so that if you were to get one of our Themed Programs (which include history, social studies and some science!) you could include multiple students within the same program that are in different ages and grades.

WinterPromise is unique in how we create each program so that you can easily tailor is to your students needs. Whether that means you have a slightly lighter work-load for one student or you do every single project, activity, and reading assignment for the student that is older. We make it easy for you to include multiple students into one Themed Program, and this saves you money and time!

There may be lot more questions you may have and if so please visit our FAQ page or call us if you have a more specific question: 802-372-9200! We are open weekdays, 9-5, EST.

 

 

 

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This week I have another wonderful review to share with you from Wendy who blogs at Following In His Footsteps! Wendy is using Children Around the World this year with her children and has written an introduction on how they are liking this program so far!

Children Around the World review

 

Here are some of the things that Wendy is looking forward to as her family uses Children Around the World:

What I  Look forward to about reviewing Children Around the World

  • We will be learning more about many countries, which will mesh well with our overall studies as a family.  We were already planning to learn more about other countries and cultures this year when this review opportunity came along. God knew what I needed well before I did!
  • We will get to plan and take part in what Winter Promise calls ‘Cultural Gatherings’, which includes planning and cooking food from several of the countries we will study, for family, and sometimes friends. A celebration, something I love!
  • Included along with all of the other components of the digital program is a guide for how to use Children Around the World. I especially enjoy this feature, as I always like to read the directions before preparing a recipe, playing a game, or building anything.I am very much the same with a curriculum package. Once I know the ins and outs of how it is supposed to run, I may then make changes to suit my family.
  • Though this program is digital, I am not stuck using it only on the computer or printing it out for use! While one can print out all of the files and store them in a large binder if preferred, the files can also be placed in Dropbox and read on my iPad. I can even open it with Kindle and read that way. This will be so much easier than printing everything out or reading on my Mac, and I am grateful that it is an option available to me, so I had to share it with you!

To read Wendy’s full post, hop over to her blog!

 

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Today I want to share with you how Jennifer, from Royal Little Lambs is using Animals & Their Worlds in their home!

Jennifer says…

I cannot express how pleased I am with Glow in the Dark Fish. I had never heard of it before. It is a whole family Bible study, worshiping God through creation. It’s a book after my little naturalist heart. We’ve been in awe of God through spirals and Fibonacci and other patterns in nature. Liz and Alex drew spirals in spider webs and snail shells as I read that lesson. 

It is ah-may-zing! The kids want to read it every day, but it’s listed on the curriculum guide as once a week. It’s a fave. 

We went ahead and completed the animal height chart (we’re supposed to do just the animal we’re learning about each week, but I didn’t have the heart to tell them no after we completed the construction and first sticker). The kids loved this so much! We also made little stickers for the kids and our cats. 

Jennifer shares a lot more on her blog, so check out her full review of Animals & Their Worlds!

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I am so excited to share with you today about another Winter Promise family and how they use the curriculum in their home!!

Pauline shares on her blog about how she combines Animals and Their Worlds with Children Around the World!! I’m going to share some of her info here on our blog, but click over to her place to read the full post!

Here’s what Pauline has to say about using Winter Promise and how they combine the 2 programs!

SCIENCE
max absolutely LOVES animals and learning about them. so when i stumbled upon winter promise’s animals and their worlds, which a science-based curriculum, i totally jumped on it. we will be going through seven different habitats and studying the animals that are found in them. i’ve spent the last couple weeks going through the teacher’s guide and the resources/books that come with the boxed curriculum, and we even tried out some of the lessons, as random topics of discussion about specific animals came up throughout our days. i have to say that, from what i see and what we’ve tried so far, we are SUPER EXCITED about it!

Here are the Winter Promise exclusives they are using from Animals & Their Worlds: 

– the teacher’s guide

– the habitats, hallows & homes journal

– the animal notebooking pages

– the animal height chart

More subjects & how they included Children Around the World

GEOGRAPHY/WORLD CULTURES/BIBLE
i am also adding my own component to it as well. since being convicted about some things lately, i’ve been trying to communicate with the kids that there is a world out there with children just like them, yet whose lives may not necessarily look the same. i decided that if we were going to essentially be traveling the globe studying habitats, we might as well take a closer look at the countries those habitats are located in, and meet children who live there! so basically i am adding a very, very, light, introduction to geography/world cultures component to our animals/habitats studies to help give max a global perspective of the world and to enlighten him on the needs of those in other countries so we can pray for them and find ways to help them.i found out winter promise offers a children around the world curriculum that focuses on the plight of children in different countries, but it’s lessons are geared towards older children. i ended up spending a lot of time looking through the specific resources contained in that curriculum and ordered only a few things from them that i thought would possibly compliment our studies this year, and would be age appropriate.

Winter Promise Exclusives they are using from Children Around the World

– children of many lands (i like how the book is written as if you are meeting a child from that country, and he or she is basically giving you a tour of their country)

– the maps & map figures (which are SUPER COOL!!!)

– and the personal involvement and prayer journal (which i purchased in ebook format, and will be the base of our bible-related studies this year)

I love reading about how other families are using Winter Promise! This is the first time I’ve personally read about a family using TWO programs and combining them! How fabulous does their school year sound?!?! If you want to read more details, please check out Pauline’s blog!

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Sometimes for Winter Promise Wednesday I will be sharing links around the web with you that might be of interest to Winter Promise families!! I also would like to highlight some of our programs or products that you may not be aware of!!

First up: Hole Up in a Homemade Hideaway!

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Hideaways in History is a year long program geared towards Kindergarten and First grade students, focusing on history and science! You can read more here about what this program involves and what you will be studying. But, it includes learning about some of the most significant times in history and creating your own hideaway as you learn! FUN!

You will see several individual resources that go along with this year long program. One of those is called Hole Up in a Homemade Hideaway! This is one small product that goes along with the year long program. You could use it with Hideaways in History, or you could use it on its own!

You can find Hole Up in a Homemade Hideaway here on our store site.

Amy, from A Nest in the Rocks, shares how they will be using this product in their home! Here is what Amy says…

I must say, I’m fascinated with this book.  My Little Man is now in first grade, but my Big Helper is in third, so she’s a few years’ past what this book is geared towards, but she’s looked it over and can’t wait to get started.

There is a full years’ worth of hideaway directions in this book, so that’s 30+ building plans.  We won’t be using the book in this way –  we usually park ourselves in a given time period and stay there for several weeks, so we won’t get through the entire book in a year; but who says we have to?

We’ll be using this book for years to come.  Rather than use it as the base of our curriculum (which would be great, if that’s how you plan) we tend to use it as an extension.  It will be a fabulous supplement to the units that we’re already planning.

Come October, when we are learning about ancient Egypt, both as a family and in our book club groups, we’ll be building cardboard pyramids and decorating them with hieroglyphics.

Read Amy’s full post here.

winterpromisefreebie

 

We are so excited to share with you a brand new freebie for you to try out from Winter Promise!

This time, we are offering a freebie for PRESCHOOLERS!

Preschool Mini-Study Cover

 

So, if you would like to try out this mini-study with your preschoolers, please click on the link below! And let us know what you think!!

Preschool Mini-Study on Frogs & Pond Plants {click here to download your freebie!}

More about I’m Ready to Learn

This preschool curriculum includes 4 fun filled themes: farm, garden, pond, zoo. The freebie on this post contains the POND theme from this study!  You could use this with your preschooler over a span of 1-2 years, spending as much or as little time on each skill as you would like!

Includes these skills:

Logic & Thinking Skills or Readiness Skills

  • Sorting
  • Sequencing
  • Categorizing
  • Tactile Awareness
  • Guessing & Conclusions
  • Print Concepts and Writing Left to Right
  • Same & Different, Comparisons
  • Telephone Skills
  • Fine Motor Skills

Language Skills

  • Rhyming
  • Distinguishing Syllables
  • Letter Sounds – A to Z (You can pair this with just our Phonics Cards (#LA-201) or the whole Pre-K/K Basic Phonics LA program for even more phonics instruction)
  • Distinguishing First-Letter Sounds in Words
  • Sound Discrimination
  • Blending Sounds
  • Separating Sounds
  • Sound Manipulation
  • Beginning Handwriting
  • Recognizing Typed Letters
  • Word Building
  • Beginning Sight Words – am, can, see, and, are, a, at, is, go, like, here, my, you, the, dad, mom, I, to, me, we, look, love, was, said
  • High Frequency Words
  • Recognizing Word Meaning

Math Skills

  • Counting 1-3, 1-5, 1-10, 1-13, 1-19
  • Number Names
  • Number Recognition, increasing in speed
  • Writing Numerals
  • Pattern Recognition
  • Calendar
  • Time & Clocks
  • Liquid Volume
  • Measuring, in inches, feet and yards
  • Judging Distance
  • Shapes: Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle, Oval
  • Pairs
  • Arranging in Order
  • Money & Cost – Pennies and later, Nickels
  • Beginning Addition
  • Beginning Subtraction
  • Number Manipulation
  • Story Problems

 Go to our store if you’d like to purchase the entire study!

 

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Understanding How WP Offers Something for Every Learning Style

Of all the things you want in a curriculum, you’d like to be sure that it is going to really work for your family. So you’ve got to wonder if WP is the right choice for the kiddos you’ve got!

WinterPromise has made sure we can offer tons of great experiences for your kids because we base our curriculum not only on the ideals of Charlotte Mason, but on reaching out to the Multiple Intelligences, or, as applied when talking about how we best “receive information” — the learning styles.

Let’s start by learning a little about the theory of multiple intelligences. This theory was first offered by a man named Howard Gardner in 1983 to more accurately define the concept of intelligence. His theory helps us to understand the different ways that people learn new material, processs their world, and even interact with others. Gardner’s theory puts forward that traditional views of intelligence do not sufficiently encompass the wide variety of abilities humans display, and that intelligence, as it has traditionally been defined, is too narrow, and defines only one or two types of intelligence.

This theory integrates beautifully with Charlotte Mason’s ideals, and in method, her ideals carry out Gardner’s theory. The activities or learning avenues she defined appeal to many of the very “types of intelligences” that Howard Gardner defined. With that in mind, WinterPromise deliberately integrates learning experiences that reach out to every one of the multiple intelligences.

Below, you’ll probably find 2-3 intelligences that are very strong in each of your children, and a couple that they demonstrate relative competency with. As you look them over, see how WP provides experiences in our curriculum that “teach” to that style!

Then you’ll be on your way to discovering what a fit WP will be for your family!

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences & How WP Integrates Them for You!

Visual-Spatial Intelligence
This area deals with the ability to visualize with the mind’s eye, so to speak and spatial judgment. Students with this intelligence may demonstrate an interest in drawing buildings, creating fashion or home design, illustrating, or artistic pursuits. Learning Avenue Examples in WP: drawing, notebooking, creative activities, looking at a timeline, and highly illustrated books.

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence
This area has to do with words, spoken or written. Students with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a facility with words and languages. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and discussion and debate, and therefore are typically labeled as “good students.”  They are also frequently skilled at explaining, teaching. and oration or persuasive speaking. Students with verbal-linguistic intelligence learn foreign languages very easily as they have high verbal memory and recall, and demonstrate an ability to understand and manipulate syntax and structure.  Students with these abilities should consider becoming writers, journalists, philosophers, lawyers, politicians, poets, or teachers.   Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  reading, narration, timeline cards, writing in language arts and in notebooking, DVDs, and discussion about books and resources read as a family.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers. While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming and logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places less emphasis on traditional mathematical ability and more reasoning capabilities, abstract patterns of recognition, scientific thinking and investigation, and the ability to perform complex calculations.  It correlates strongly with traditional concepts of “intelligence” or IQ.  They may become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and economists.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  key fact narration, discussion of important topics, activities that use logic or are labeled “geeked-up,” and chess programs.

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
Students who have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by actually getting involved physically in the learning experience, especially by trying things for themselves.  They are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance.  They may enjoy acting or performing, and in general they are good at building and making things. They often learn best by doing something physically, rather than  by reading or hearing about it. Students with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence seem to use what might be termed “body memory” – they remember things they have experienced through their body such as verbal memory or images.  Students with this strength may go on to become athletes, dancers, musicians, actors, surgeons, doctors, builders, police officers, and soldiers.  As you see, although these careers can be duplicated through virtual simulation, they will not produce the actual physical learning that is needed in this intelligence.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  hands-on activities, experiments, “try it for yourself” types of activities in which the student reproduces history, or games.

Musical-Rhythmic Intelligence
This area has to do with, rhythm, music, and hearing. Those who have a high level of musical-rhythmic intelligence display greater sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. They normally have good pitch and may even have absolute pitch and are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music.   Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. Language skills are typically highly developed in those whose base intelligence is musical. In addition, they will sometimes use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information.  It should be no surprise these students are interesting in becoming instrumentalists, singers, conductors, disc-jockeys, orators, writers and composers.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  singing, musical games, hearing songs or sound bites from other eras, listening to books read aloud, concerts on DVD, and reading and discussing aloud.

Interpersonal Intelligence
This area has to do with interaction with others. In theory, people who have a high interpersonal intelligence tend to be extroverts, characterized by their sensitivity to others’ moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations, and their ability to cooperate in order to work as part of a group. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.  Students with these abilities may be headed for work as salespeople, politicians, managers, teachers, and even social workers.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  family projects, teamwork and responsibility, leadership tasks, people-oriented activities or ministry opportunities, group discussion, talking about the feelings or motivations of characters they’ve read about, and helping others.

Intrapersonal Intelligence
This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. People with intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and typically introverted. They are skillful at deciphering their own feelings and motivations. This refers to having a deep understanding of the self; what are your strengths/ weaknesses, what makes you unique, can you predict your own reactions/ emotions.  Not surprisingly, students with this type of intelligence make wonderful philosophers, psychologists, theologians, lawyers, and writers.   People with intrapersonal intelligence also prefer to work alone.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  journaling, devotional life, independent activities, character goals, and understanding and connecting with characters in books.

Naturalistic Intelligence
This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings.  Students with this intelligence demonstrate a strong connection to animals, caring for plants or a sensitivity to what they see or experience in the natural world around them.  They may be interested in becoming a naturalist, park ranger, animal trainer, farmer, or gardener.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  themed and science programs keyed to natural topics, nature journaling, activities involving animal or nature study, and observation activities.

Existential Intelligence
This area has do to with philosophical and abstract issues of life. Students with this type of intelligence learn best by thinking about analytical questions.  Careers which suit those with this intelligence include readers, writers, philosophers, and religious speakers.  Learning Avenue Examples in WP:  discussing topics together as a family, abstract questions to be answered, clarifying a position or belief system.

So you see . . . WinterPromise allows you to choose experiences that utilize common learning styles when you work together, yet still tailor the experience for kids who really need to receive information presented to their own learning style!   And because you know your children so well, you quickly see which experiences REALLY WORK, and reach your child in that special way!

 

willwpwork

It’s a great question! How do you know WinterPromise will work for your family? Is it the right choice? Chances are, as you look around at curriculum, you’ve got three things you’re considering — Can I effectively use it? Does the cost work for us? Will it be the right fit for us?

Here’s some help that might make you SURE that WP is just right for you!

Can I Effectively Use WinterPromise?
Yes, yes, yes! And yes, of course we’d SAY that, but is it really true? Well, here’s the skinny. WP was designed from the ground up on a foundation of practicality. Practicality to us means that (1) you CAN do it, and (2) you WILL do it. How do we know you can do it? Because every effort has been made to give you an easy-to-follow, glance-and-get-going guide. It’s not a technical manual, it’s simple to use, and the individual guide pages cover just one page, so it’s easy to see your week as a whole and make realistic plans. Resources have this same base practicality. If it isn’t clear, we really don’t want you to have to mess with it. How do we know you WILL do it? Because we’ve created a curriculum that perfectly functions together and has achievable activities for real families. Every year parents tell us that their first year with WP was their first year to EVER finish a curriculum! That says a lot!

Does the Cost Work for Us?
Every family has a real budget they have to work inside, and so this is something a lot of families might wonder. WinterPromise offers some of the best resources in homeschooling, and expects to provide everything you need for a topic you are buying. If you purchase a themed program, you are typically covering your needs for history, culture, art, humanities, social science, geography, and Bible. It can also cover some or all of your reading. With other companies, you may feel as though you need to add the “fun stuff” — a proposition which can be expensive and may not provide the experience you were really hoping for in the first place. Have you ever purchased one of those “fun” resources, only to find that it wasn’t what you expected or didn’t live up to what it promised. That won’t happen with WinterPromise. Families get all these “fun” experiences right within the curriculum, and WP delivers an enjoyable, practical, I-can-do-it experience that families love. It is worth every penny and more!

Will It Be the Right Fit for Us?
Each family has its own unique personality — and is made up of unique personalities! Think about how risky it is to purchase a curriculum like one that is solely a literature approach program that works for a few learning styles, but not for many others. The same is true for purchasing a solely hands-on curriculum. WinterPromise utilizes its own “Experience Approach,” integrating all types of experiences based upon multiple learning styles. Using solid educational advances in multiple learning styles, WP integrates an array of experiences. Some reach out to one or more learning styles, while others utilize different learning styles. This means you can tailor the curriculum to your family, rather than making the curriculum fit you! It means you can do together experiences that fit everyone, and then let some students specialize in some types of activities, and others focus on a different type that fits their own learning style. In this way, WinterPromise is everyone’s curriculum. It will work for you!

Oooh – You say — but I guess I have one more thing I’d like to ask — What if I’m not Super Mom? Will WinterPromise still work if I would rather keep things simple? Oh, of course! WinterPromise provides you with high-impact choices that let you enjoy your own trimmer version and still immerse yourself in an easy-to-complete, well-rounded study! You really can have it all! Really!