Inventing Homeschool Curriculum

On the MythBusters show, Jamie and Adam don’t get their experiments done in an hour and neither will your Inventor.

The MythBusters take days and sometimes weeks to finish a project. Expect similar results from your child.

Inventing learners are annoyed by hindrances to their intellectual growth. Anything that resembles busywork, like worksheets or being required to work through material they have already mastered, should be avoided.

Use an experimental, open-ended approach to learning. Inventing children want to know the “why” behind what they are learning.

Unsure of your child's learning style? Find out with this learning style inventory.

Here are my recommendations for Inventing homeschool curriculum... 

American History Language Arts Literature

Math Science World History

American History for Inventing Learners

Inventing learners need plenty of time to question and experiment. Incorporate models, projects, portfolios, dioramas, and collections into your history program.

The American History Detective Book Your Inventing learner will love investigating these 15 historical events you re-create right at home.  Buy at Christianbook.com

Grades 3-8

Build It Yourself Series Use the hands-on projects to create a museum exhibit in your home. Allow your Inventor to figure out fresh approaches to the way things were done in the past. Choose from Great Colonial America Projects, Great Civil War Projects, Great Pioneer Projects, and Great World War II Projects. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 3-8

Interact Simulations These 67 simulations give your Inventing learner opportunities for experimenting within historical events! In the Gold Rush simulation, join one of several mining companies where you stake claims, mine for gold, deal with food shortages, nasty weather and claim jumpers.  Geared for classrooms but would work great for a large family or co-op group.  Time required varies (i.e. 10-13 hours). Buy at Interact-Simulations.com

Grades 4-12

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Language Arts for Inventing Learners

Inventing learners need plenty of time to question and experiment with ideas.  

Games For Writing Uses games to build pre-writing and writing skills. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades K-3

Create-A-Story: The Creative Writing Game A board game for all levels and abilities. Takes you through setting, plot, developing characters, and conflict/resolution. Buy at Createpress.com

Grades K-12

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts A very thorough approach for teaching language arts in non-traditional ways. Loaded with ideas! Buy at Amazon.com

Resource for Grades 4-8

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Literature for Inventing Learners

Inventing learners prefer plenty of time to question and experiment to discover the solution. Incorporate models, projects, portfolios, dioramas, and collections into your literature program.

Teaching With Favorite Newbery Books Projects include drawing pictures of what is happening, writing letters to characters, acting out scenes, writing a newspaper of the events, and writing the next chapter. Brings hands-on projects into literature study. Buy at Christianbook.com Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 4-8

101 Ways to Love a Book Use these activities with any book you choose: character dress-up party, diorama of favorite scene, design a travel brochure, paint a mural, and design a book jacket. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 4-8

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Math for Inventing Learners

Inventing learners prefer plenty of time to question and experiment to discover the solution. Memorizing rules and formulas is tedious and does not tap into their intellect. Computation should be the bi-product of learning to think mathematically with the focus being on concepts and theories.

Open-ended activities from Family Math and Family Math For Middle School are better alternatives, or at least supplements, to a traditional text and workbook approach for math. Inventing children are challenged by solving problems so a step-by-step-here’s-how-to-do-it text is leaving a lot of their intellect and potential on the table and can create a hate-of-learning.

	Family Math "A guide for parents and children to work together, not on passive tasks of rote learning, but in active game play, solving problems, experimenting and even discovering." Review on Amazon.com I use this with my Inventing children and it's a hit. They are learning math in a way they enjoy. Buy at Amazon.com	Grades K-8

 

 

	Family Math : The Middle School Years, Algebraic Reasoning and Number Sense " My family really enjoyed playing the math games and doing the activities in this book. We had to put on our thinking caps and discover different math strategies." Review on Amazon.com This is another favorite at our house. My Inventing daughter enjoys the open-ended challengs and the non-threatening way of learning Algebra concepts. Buy at Amazon.com	Grades 5-8

 

	Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Vol. 1 Read about mathematicians and how they came up with their theories. Take is a step further and let your Inventing child recreate their discoveries. Volume One focuses on moments of mathematical discovery experienced by Thales, Pythagoras, Hypatia, Galileo, Pascal, and others. Buy at Amazon.com	Grades K-12

 

	Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians, Vol. 2 The second volume about mathematicians and how they came up with their theories. Volume Two dramatizes the lives of Omar Khayyam, Albert Einstein, Ada Lovelace, and others. Buy at Amazon.com	Grades K-12

	Math U See The manipulative blocks are perfect for Inventors to discover and explore mathematical concepts and processes. The blocks are used from the Primer level through Algebra. Buy at Mathusee.com	Grades K-12

Mathematics Their Way This activity-centered math program allows Inventors plenty of opportunity to discover math concepts. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades K-2

Math Wizardry For Kids Inventors will enjoy the projects, games, and experiments. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 2-7

Hands-On Equations The manipulatives in this program allow Inventors to discover algebraic concepts. Buy at Borenson.com

Grades 3-8

Mathematical Mystery Tour Inventors will discover higher-level math concepts through hand-on activities. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 5-12

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Science for Inventing Learners

Inventing learners need plenty of time to question and experiment. Inventing children typically enjoy science but traditional science programs are very prescribed in their approach. You can still use these programs by starting out with the experiment of “what happens when you add baking soda to vinegar” but allow your Inventing child to see what happens when you add everything else in the pantry.

TOPS Science Self-directing topics (for readers) allow your inventor to discover science on her own.  Buy at Topscience.com

Grades K-12

The Private Eye Hands-on investigation of everyday objects is the springboard for scientific investigations. Projects also incorporate art, writing and math. Purchase a jeweler's loupe (required) and specimen kits (fun but not required) at The-Private-Eye.com Buy at Amazon.com

Grades K-12

Inventing Toys: Kids Having Fun Learning Science Your inventor will love designing cars, boats, rockets, and planes! All while learning the scientific concepts behind these toys. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 4-8

Interact-Simulations Apply science concepts using these science simulations.  In the Roller Coaster simulation students investigate physics while redesigning five roller coasters.  Geared for classrooms but would work great for a large family or co-op group.  Time required varies (i.e. 10-13 hours). Buy at Interact-Simulations.com

Grades 4-12

Eyewitness Encyclopedia CD-ROM Explore science using illustrations, text, animations, video, and audio footage. Then test your knowledge with the Quizmaster. Titles include: Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Science ...Encylopedia of Space and the Universe Eyewitness Encyclopedia of Nature Be sure and check Windows compatibility! Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 5-12

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World History for Inventing Learners

Inventing learners need plenty of time to question and experiment. Incorporate models, projects, portfolios, dioramas, and collections into your history program.

Where In time Is Carmen Sandiego? CD-ROM Visit 4 major time periods covering 1,500 years of world history. Learn about historical events, famous people, and scientific inventions. Buy at Amazon.com

Grades 4+

Interact-Simulations These 26 simulations make history come alive - literally! In the Greeks simulation students build their own temples, produce mini-dramas, participate in mock athletic events, and debate the day's important issues. Geared for classrooms but would work great for a large family or co-op group.  Time required varies (i.e. 10-13 hours). Buy at Interact-Simulations.com

Grades 4-12

Eyewitness History of the World CD-ROM Visit 10 time periods with illustrations, text, animations, video, and audio footage. Then test your knowledge with the Quizmaster. A Windows Vista compatible version is only available on Amazon.co.uk Buy at Educationmax.com

Grades 5-12

Ancient Civilizations & The Bible Includes assignments for cooking, dramatizations, building models, experiments, and demonstrations. Buy at Christianbook.com

Grades 6-12

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