Curriculum Reviews – The Oaxacaborn Blog

Learn Eastern Hemisphere history with Sonlight's History / Bible / Literature F homeschool curriculum for middle school grades

Disclosure: Sonlight provided me with History/Bible/Literature F: Eastern Hemisphere (4-day version) and compensated me financially for this post. I have used many Sonlight products in our homeschool prior to reviewing this product. All opinions — and photographs! ;) — are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.

The case for exploring non-Western cultures in your homeschool

Finally, Level F! I’ve been waiting to study Eastern Hemisphere countries with Sonlight ever since we opened our first big blue binder years ago. And at last, Aveline is the right age. I’m so excited!

Sonlight’s History / Bible / Literature F: Eastern Hemisphere (HBL F) — designed for students ages 11-14 or grades 6-9 — is a year-long history and literature curriculum focused on non-Western countries. I don’t know of any other program quite like this! (Take a look.)

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

Creating an American History Lapbook with Sonlight

June 11, 2023June 11, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Disclosure: Sonlight provided me with a lapbook kit and compensated me financially for this post. I have used many Sonlight products in our homeschool prior to reviewing this product. All opinions — and photographs! ;) — are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.

I tend to struggle with keeping engaged when it comes to American history. I’m so much more of a globetrotter in my preferred reading material! But Sonlight’s American history literature selections are impressive. (I rave about them here.)

In addition to reading through Sonlight’s extensive US history booklists this year, my twelve-year-old has also spent hours pouring over Sonlight’s incredible US history lapbooking kits.

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

Create Pixel Art with Pix Brix: Great Wave Off Kanagawa Review

March 22, 2023March 22, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Aveline has spent the last several weeks creating a pixel art reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai’s famous woodblock print The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. (Do you think Hokusai realized we’d still be obsessed with his views of Mount Fuji all these centuries later?) With 13 different shades of blues, greys, and browns, she’s brought Hokusai’s masterpiece to life — I love it so much.

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

Using Sonlight Hands-On History as Homeschool Enrichment

March 20, 2023April 28, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

A cheerful student sits at a table, unboxing Sonlight Curriculum's Hands-on History project box.

Disclosure: Sonlight provided me with a Hands-on History box, and compensated me financially for this post. I have used many Sonlight products in our homeschool prior to reviewing this product. All opinions — and photographs! ;) — are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.]

Sonlight is synonymous with literature-based learning. Think Sonlight, and you immediately think excellent books. (The phrase “no more boring textbooks” leads Sonlight’s educational philosophy.) But over the past several years, Sonlight has added more and more hands-on homeschool options to complement the treasure trove of literature.

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

A-Z Magnatab: A Hands-on Activity for Teaching Preschoolers Letters

March 13, 2023March 25, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

It’s been so fascinating watching as Lochlan (age 3.5) begins to be enamored with the alphabet. Aveline was obsessed with letters from an early age, but since I knew her journey wasn’t typical, I didn’t expect Lochlan to be the same. I assumed he wouldn’t show much interest on his own, and imagined I’d teach him his letters at five or six, especially since — as everyone keeps reminding me — “He’s a boy!“

But I also believe in honoring the marvelously individual child God created, truly seeing their unique individuality, and following their cues.

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

Teaching Chinese Brush Painting in your Homeschool

March 1, 2023March 6, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Mandarin Chinese has been a foundational part of Aveline’s educational experience for years. In fact, six out of seven days of the week involve some sort of Chinese learning, and she’s spent spent every Saturday at Chinese school for the past 9 years. (Josiah, her faithful chauffeur, is a saint. And Aveline is incredibly devoted and focused, because she’s the only one in our family who speaks Chinese.)

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 Pencils (A Timberdoodle Review)

February 20, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

It’s been a rough school year. It really has. February is always a strange month in homeschool — and private school — subculture, anyway. We’re really only a few weeks into the second semester, but people begin to talk as though the school year is over. (Maybe they subconsciously want it to be.) It’s only just past Valentine’s Day, but people are already rolling out the class schedules for 2023/2024. I’ve been there, too. I’ve spent over-caffeinated Februaries gleefully pre-reading stacks of books for co-op classes, mapping out assignments for next year’s sweater weather while still wearing this year’s sweaters.

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Curriculum Reviews, Homeschooling

Illusion Cubes: Create Your Own Optical Illusions

February 9, 2023February 7, 2023 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Aveline likes to circle wishlist items in the Timberdoodle catalog (seriously; who needs Toys R Us?) She’s a mathy kid with an artistic twist — a fan of tessellations, logic puzzles, intricate geometric art, and Mondrian’s blocky masterpieces — so Illusion Cubes immediately intrigued her.

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