On how I finally stopped hating workbooks
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool
When we first began homeschooling, workbooks represented two things I desperately wanted to avoid: an impersonalized learning system and the idea of fitting all children into the same box/grade level.
We had a few workbooks on our shelf, but I only used them at a child’s request–not very often.
However, as my kids became older, I slowly began to see two benefits that workbooks also have to offer:
1. They leave a paper trail. This comes in handy when you need proof of all the learning, both informal and formal, that happens under your roof.
2. They can calm a mama’s or papa’s homeschool jitters.
Sometimes when you’re homeschooling, you feel completely out of your element. Making a habit of even one workbook page a day can take the edge off those insecurities.
When my kids were littles, my main goal was for them to fall in love with learning. It still is! But I think having the tiniest amount of book work might have settled my own worries just a tad while giving them 95+% interest-led learning freedom.
If this is something you’d like to try, look for a way to encourage your kids to agree to the idea, too, so that even this small minimum will not become a battleground.
Tip: I often tape a $5 bill in the back of a workbook and find that to be quite the compelling incentive! We also use our positivity bean jar to encourage this type of work.
Over the years we have found a few workbooks that worked well for us. So when the opportunity came to partner with Workman Publishing, creators of the colorful Big Fat Notebooks and our favorite Star Wars workbooks, I eagerly agreed to take a peek at their new line of summer workbooks.
Here’s an official overview:
“SUMMER BRAIN QUEST (just released this month) is an exciting new extension of our #1 bestselling Brain Quest brand (with 45 million copies in print).
SUMMER BRAIN QUEST is notable because it offers a one-of-a-kind learning experience that delivers personalized learning to every kid. Personalized learning tailors exercises to each child’s strengths, needs and interests.
Our goal was to empower kids to have a voice in what and how they learn. The workbooks achieve this through their interactive format.
SUMMER BRAIN QUEST is structured like a game; each book includes a pull-out map that guides kids on a learning quest. They fill in their route on the map by earning stickers for completing workbook pages as well as pursuing outdoor activities.”
“The map offers a choice of routes, allowing kids to customize their learning path and pursue what excites them most, and also encouraging them to jump around within the book to follow their curiosity.
Original artwork by video game artist Edison Yan makes every book feel fresh and fun. These are the most visually appealing books in the market.”
A quick guide to what’s covered in each workbook:
Since homeschool families don’t always follow specific grade levels, I thought it would be helpful to show you what’s included in each book so you can choose the one that fits your child best:
Summer Brain Quest: Between Grades K & 1 – phonics, reading, writing, counting, shapes, seasons, habitats, map skills, and more.
Between Grades 1 & 2 – reading comprehension, writing, addition and subtraction, earth science, the seasons, telling time, and more.
Between Grades 2 & 3 – adjectives versus adverbs, reading comprehension, writing opinions, word problems, place value, measurement, map skills, and more.
Between Grades 3 & 4 – writing, reading, number patterns, natural science, timelines, parts of speech, and more.
Between Grades 4 & 5 – reading comprehension, research and informative writing, grammar, multiplication and division, American history, and more.
Between Grades 5 & 6 – reading comprehension, writing essays, ancient history, grammar, fractions and decimals, climate, and more.
In all honesty, I would love these even more if they weren’t categorized by grade levels. I prefer it when workbooks are numbered (like Level 1, 2, 3) but without referring to specific grades–that way they offer more flexibility to homeschool families.
Yet there are many things I find appealing about the Summer Brain Quest series:
– Each page is beautiful, colorful, and well-designed! The gaming concept is fun for kids.
– Each book includes real-life suggestions for the summer, like outdoor games and quests to earn stickers for your map.
– There’s a certificate at the end to give to your child after completing the workbook.
– The back of each workbook features a recommended reading list to take to the library. There’s a little bit of twaddle included here and there, but most of the choices are lovely ones. I appreciate the emphasis on summer reading!
– Many of the activity pages could also be done alongside a parent orally if your child finds writing frustrating.
– Each book contains a section of Brain Quest questions on make-your-own flashcards. I cut several of these out to integrate into our morning homeschool time in a casual way over the months ahead!
This giveaway has ended; thanks for your interest!
To be entered to win, leave a comment on this post answering this question: How old are your kids and what has been your experience with workbooks thus far?
This post is sponsored by Workman Publishing. All opinions are my own!
My boys are 11 and 7. If the workbook is assigned then it’s not as fun but they will do them. Sometimes my 7 year old will just go through and do pages because he wants to. This set looks like it would be fun for them. Thanks for this opportunity.
My kids are 14, 12, 10, and 7. We don’t use a ton of workbooks so it is usually considered fun when we do, especially high quality color ones like these!
My kids are 11, 8, and 6. We haven’t used many notebooks, but these look fun! I love that they encourage kids to be active too.
Our children are 15, 14, 13 & 6. The curriculum we use for most subjects is workbook based; it makes reporting much easier for me.
My kids are 13 and 9. If I use any workbooks, it’s for my youngest.
I have 9, 8 and 6 year olds. We’ve used workbooks off and on for several reasons, but mainly as a way to switch up the way we’re learn something. We may practice certain facts or concepts for days, so being able to print off a new/colorful/cute-sy version of those facts can keep it fresh and less monotonous. TeachersPayTeachers is my last minute go-to for worksheets!
I have a 9.6 year-old who has loved workbooks when she was tiny, and a 7-year-old son who sometimes finds his math workbook “boring” but also gets a lot of satisfaction out of completing his pages for the day. These summer workbooks look like a lot of fun! What an easy way to keep kids’ brains growing without too much effort on the part of the mama. 🙂
I have four children ages 8, 11, 14, and 17. Some of my children have loved workbooks, but some want nothing to do with them. It depends on the subject/activity, too.
My kids are 4 & 6. I usually stick a few workbooks in the coloring book stack and they pull them out and do them as they feel like it (which is sometimes pretty often!). We haven’t had any brain quest ones yet though. They look fun!
Our boys are 11, 9, and 6 and I’ve tried summer workbooks before with the insentive of cash at the end but they always loose interest. $5 taped to the back of the book is brilliant! We’re definitely doing that this summer and these workbooks sound like a great fit for us! Thanks for introducing them and giving the chance to win.
My kids are 6, 9, and 11. Two of these kids LOVE small doses of workbooks, and the third will do the work required of him, and this momma would love some independent learning time over the summer!
My kids are 23,20,17,15,13,10,8 (five are still homeschooling) and we have always used workbooks on some level over the last 19 years. For pre-school years the little always liked doing workbooks that were colorful b/c they felt ‘big’ sitting at the table with a pencil. 😉 During elementary and middle school they were helpful for drill-type subjects or subjects that we needed to “refresh” and in high school they were often an easy way to help the kids be more independent in some subjects. I’m all for a good workbook!
I have a 7 and 3 year old I homeschool. My oldest daughter loves workbooks some times and hates them other times. I think it depends on her mood! I think I would feel sooooo much better if she would do one or two pages a day from the various books we do have. Thanks for the giveaway!
My kids are 8, 5, and 3. Workbook use depends on the subject; we use them for the early years of grammar and phonics, map skills, Latin. My kids enjoy the variety. These look great–thanks for the chance to win!
My daughter is 12, and I pretty much avoid workbooks completely except for math. These, however, look pretty interesting!
My children are 12, 10 and 5. We are starting our homeschooling adventure in the fall, so I’m enjoying your blog, thinking about all the things we will do. When my oldest was preschool/ kindergarten age, he loved workbooks. Since being in structured school outside the home, they all like them less. It will be interesting to see what happens when we homeschool. These workbooks look so fun!
My kids are 5, 2, and newborn. My 5 year old looooooooves workbooks–they go right along with how his brain works. It’s also been really good for him to read directions and figure out what the author is intending him to do, since skills like that don’t necessarily come naturally to him (yes, he’s a fluent reader at 5. It’s ben so fun!) These do look fantastic, and I love that they have a game-like thing to follow. (I would love to hear how you deal with using “graded” materials in a different grade–if a kid is usually ahead, would it tend to give him a big head?)
I have a 7, 8 and 11 year old. My youngest loves workbooks and whizzes through them. The others enjoy them as well but a bit slower pace. These look like great books.
These workbooks look great, especially as independent summer work for kids to help keep their skills sharp. My kids are 11, 9, 6, 4, and 7 months. A couple of my kids like workbooks, but one of them really resists any work from a workbook. None of my kids are workbook-lovers, but they may find these more appealing. They look fun to me!
My kids are 2 1/2 and 1, so we haven’t done workbooks yet, but this is the kind of thing I enjoyed doing as a home schooled kid!
Oh these would be wonderful! We have 16, 14, 11, 8 and 4. I have tried various books over the years but mostly just during the summer and not very consistently. We love the brain quest cards we have and always bring them on the summer road trips.
I have a 9 yr-old and she tends to like workbooks if the activities are really fun. Thanks for the opportunity to win. I had never heard of these and they look great!
My kids are 11, 9, 7, 5, 3 and due in August. I have used a few workbooks here and there, but never very consistently. I like the idea of between grades, though. That would be especially helpful during my 6 week “maternity leave”! And, all the books cover right where all my kiddos are at, lol
I’ve got 3 boys: 6, 3, and 8 months. The 6 year old we consider to be finishing first grade and going into second grade. He has a few workbook type lessons, but I made and bound them all excerpt for math. Little brother is doing preschool type activities so I got him a math primer for next year (math u see like we use for big brother) and he’s super into it. He wants to “do school” all the time!
I have two boys age 9 and 3. I feel like workbooks have been torture for my older son, they are maybe not hands on enough for him. Always trying to find the right workbooks.