Intellego Unit Studies - Product Review

Unit studies and downloadable curriculum are all over the place these days, but Intellego Unit Studies are not designed like any other product I have seen around the webisphere! Created by a home educator for home educators these PDF formatted units contain interactive internet links for ease of access. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel this publisher has used what is readily available on-line to create customizable, easily adaptable, engaging guides that have something for every type of learner. Other unit guides that I have seen simply have text that is read to or by the child with some worksheets here and there, but these guides include a plethora of internet links that lead the learner to text, video, games, projects and worksheets. The links that are kept up to date using Intellego's database to ensure that the links are current and working.


Each unit has a standard layout which includes clearly outlined objectives, KWL charts, material lists, content specific info and extension activities. Before you begin you are presented with a clearly outlined list of what your child will be learning about during this unit. This can be a great tool to take to the library with you if you would like supplement with living books or plan field trips. The KWL charts are great tools to help organize and focus learning, before starting each unit the child lists the things they already KNOW about a topic, then move on to what they WANT to know and at the end of the unit they recap the things that they have LEARNED. The units include materials lists in two areas, a master list at the beginning of the unit and then a specific list for each chapter and lesson, which is a great way to ensure you haven't missed anything - nothing is worse than getting an experiment underway only to find out that you don't have everything you need!!! The content specific information in each area is broken down into bite-size sections to clearly cover all areas of a topic with an array of multi-media resources.  The key to any great unit study program is the ability to create continuity in cross-curricular skills and Intellego has done so by including extension activities that help solidify the information the learner has gained by showing how it can be used in the real world.


Of course no product is going to be a perfect fit for every family and there were a few drawbacks to this one, which included some dialogue being presented to the teacher and the inconsistency in the resources. For me having the units written to the teacher rather than to the student is a bit of an issue as I have a child who is a very independent learner. Of the three that I reviewed both of the ones that were for grades 6-8 were written this way KM found it a bit difficult, but not impossible, to follow along and this was more of an issue when she got to an external website that was directed to a teacher rather a student. The Health Unit was written directly to the student, but some of the resources were still written directly to the teacher and expected to be used by a class of students rather than a single learner The variance in resources was also a problem when some of the links had higher expectations of prior knowledge in both the middle grades and high school levels.

Overall I am very impressed with the format of these units. As someone who NEVER used a curriculum the way that is was meant to be used, Intellego has cut down my search time and gather a myriad of sources for me all in one clearly laid out unit. I look forward to using more in the future.







~~~Disclaimer: I was given these materials to review, but was not compensated in any other way for this review. I clearly stated to the publisher prior to downloading items that complimentary receipt did not guarantee a favorable review. 

Living Their Lives - Home Educating Teens

There are very few home educating parents who do not cringe when they think about the “high school” years. Many become so intimidated that they spend tons of money on accredited programs, pay “homeschool gurus” to tell them they are doing the right thing and very often still end up enrolling their children in school so that they can get a “diploma.” It can be a very daunting and intimidating situation when you think about the fact that these four years can make or break your child’s ENTIRE FUTURE!!! So why do we think that way? Why do we allow the tape to continue it’s repeated taunt – “THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY”!!??!!??

As always there are many options available from traditional college prep to trade studies to GED prep and no matter which path your child has decided to turn down, school does not have to be one of them. So many young adults get to college or “out into the real world” and suddenly realize that they have no idea what they want to do, how they want to spend their lives and often even what they like. After being intellectually spoon-fed for 12-15 years should anyone really be surprised that they don’t know how to make a decision?

The teen years don’t have to be riddled with academics, extra-curricular activities, and SAT prep. It is the absolute perfect time to allow the child to decide on what path they want to take and how they want to get there. Teens should be permitted and encouraged to try new things, volunteer at places they find interesting, get a part-time job and start living their life. It is ideal timing because they can do so without fear of failure as they are still living at home and don’t have to be 100% responsible.

When planning ahead it is best to leave as many options open for your child, so I am in no way advocating a completely hands-off approach, but rather the same sort of eclectic, child-led learning that I always advocate for. Allow the child to have as much input as possible and be willing to discard things that don’t work – even if that means giving up an instrument, quitting a job, or dropping a class. The best strategy is to continue with a well-rounded education, utilizing real-life opportunities just as much as curriculum and courses. It can be just as easy, often easier even, to translate teen activities into educationese as it is for your children and not only an you create a transcript if necessary, but your child will be building their resume. 

Here are some books that you and your teens may find helpful while navigating this new and sometimes petrifying terrain - 

• The Teenagers Guide to Opting Out (Not Dropping Out) of School
• The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education
• Thomas Jefferson Education for Teens (The Leadership Education Library)
• Homeschooling: The Teen Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- to 18- Year-Old 
• Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School
• Kaplan GED: Complete Self-Study Guide for the GED Tests
• Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition
• College Without High School: A Teenager’s Guide to Skipping High School and Going to College
• Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships

Also be sure to check out the Unplugged Mom’s Educational Resources Section for some great free learning initiatives.

~~~~This post can also be found on Unplugged Mom.

14 Days of Homeschool

All our finds for the next several weeks will be home ed related - either by home learners or about home education! 

Weekly Update - A HECTIC ONE!!!

I feel like we haven't been home much at all and since our internet is out and I am now at the library, I am going to keep this rather short so that I can go get some things done around the house!!!

DN was not with us this week, but reported having no issues with his lessons and that he likes this bi-weekly schedule. KM cruised through her work this week despite our busy in and out schedule. Highlight of the week had to be seeing the BLO final dress rehearsal of Barber of Seville! It was breathtaking and sidesplitting. KM always loves going into Boston for whatever reason, but this was an extra special occasion and we had a blast!

Here are some pics from the show -

You Tube Monday - Ahhh The Joys Of Being Home Schooled

All our finds for the next several weeks will be home ed related - either by home learners or about home education! 

You Tube Monday - Homeschooling: Announcing the decision

All our finds for the next several weeks will be home ed related - either by home learners or about home education! 

You Tube Monday - COOL MORNING 1

All our finds for the next several weeks will be home ed related - either by home learners or about home education!

Weekly Update - Midpoint of Winter

We are halfway through our winter session and for the most part things are going smoothly for KM. She is really enjoying the choices that she has made in her lessons. Her skype poetry class is finishing up next week and although she is really anxious about her critical analysis essay, she is fully enjoying the class. She is working hard to complete her French by the end of the session, as she would like to move on to Japanese, but wants to finish this book first. She has also started researching cosmetology schools and what it will take to become a cosmetologist. We have started in on the "animal" section in biology and have started our ant observations - check out the page where we are chronicling our discoveries! She is also practicing for the World Education Games and can't wait until the Science practice opens next week.

DN on the other hand - not quite so smooth. He is fully and completely compliant, but I am having a very difficult time getting him to truly understand that learning is part of life. Not something that you just "get done." That is what school is about right - but that is NOT what education is. I am trying to be patient and keep things in perspective as I know that it has only been a few months, but it gets really difficult when I am bending and twisting and feeling like there is no appreciation of the lengths that I am going to. I have to remind myself that hindsight is most effective and the fruits of my labor might just take a bit longer to ripen than I would like.

For a sneak peek of our first day with the ants check out our montage ---

Oh and KM's room makeover is complete ---- 

The green looks a bit more yellow in the pics, but you get the gist of it and KM LOVES IT!!! She was so over all the pink! 

Weekly Update - Busy Busy

We had a busy one this week! I picked CJ and DN up on Sunday and we went full throttle from the get go! KM and I had started prepping her room for the big remodel to start on Monday and CJ took some time to prep the walls. He got both coats on the green walls completed and KM is super excited to get the purple walls done in a few weeks. Since CJ is only home two days each week he has to work in stages on this project and will be taking a week off in between so that we can do something else.

While CJ was painting on Monday KM, DN and I got down to work getting lessons done. For part of our history unit on colonial days we made bread and butter - both from scratch - and I didn't even let the kids use the KitchenAid - KM thought this was a bit drastic and DN was shocked that it took us nearly 5 hours to get a loaf of bread. KM brought up the fact that if we had been making it back then it would have taken even longer because the wheat would have had to been ground, the milk gathered and separated from the cows, etc. So even though we were doing it the "old fashioned" way we were still taking advantage of modern conveniences to do so - GREAT POINT!!! We finished prepping and getting ready for the Journey North Mystery Class which will begin next Monday and played Shopping Spree from the What's Your Angle Scholastic Math Games Resource. We also finished up a game of Trivial Pursuit Junior from the night before.

Tuesday the kids got some lessons done in the morning and then we headed to ice skating before we had to bring CJ back to work. I was really glad that we all had a chance to get back on the ice, especially with CJ with us. When we got back KM had just enough time to finish up her poetry for her skype class on Wed, before we had to get her to her friends for youth group. DN and I replaced a blown taillight on my car and had had a follow up conversation in regards to his interest in the armed forces, as he had not read either of the books that he had chosen from the library while he was at home. He disclosed that he feels as though the only reason he had any interest in the military was to impress his brothers and that it really isn't something he is interested in, so we are back at square one with no interest in anything. Not really sure where to go with this beyond keeping up with the core subjects to see if something inspires or intrigues him.

DN worked on some Manga High challenges, while KM finished some history Wednesday morning before her Poetry class and then we headed off to host a teen bowling event. The kids had a great time bowling and though it was a smaller group - 9 kids - it was totally worth it for me to set it up! After dinner I brought DN to swap back and ran some errands while KM finished up her lessons for the day.

KM and I went to see Joyful Noise Thursday. KM really enjoyed it and I was surprised at well it was done. There were a few bits that I just didn't get, but all and all it was worth the matinee. When we came home KM enjoyed her new walls while finishing up some biology.
Friday is going to be a nice quiet down day, exactly what I need to end this whirlwind of a week.

Weekly Update - Turned out quite pleasant

This week did not start out well at all as CJ, KM and I had a stomach bug that had us down for the count, but fortunately it passed quickly and we were able to get back on track. 

I had a talk with DN about trying to find something that interests him and he is willing to put some effort into learning about, as he has a tendency to say he wants to learn something - i.e. keyboarding, video game design, geology, and about 20 other things that he has mentioned - but then when it comes to doing the research or putting the time into practicing he is not willing to put the time in on it. After this discussion he has decided to learn about the branches of the military, as this is something that he has said several times he thinks he might like to do. While I am not a proponent of anyone going into the armed forces, I do feel it is really necessary for him to get as much information on something that interests him as possible and if this is the only area in which he wants to learn this is where we are going to have to start. I had a really hard time locating something at the library that included all the branches in one book even after help from the librarian so when ended up picking up The U.S. Air Force by Sandy Donovan and The U.S. Navy by Tom Streissguth. When I got home I did manage to locate a book that I think will work on Amazon - A Civilian's Guide to the U.S. Military - and then reserved it through my library network. Hopefully this will 

We also had a fabulous day with some friends at the Franklin Park Zoo - 

and we FINALLY had some REAL snow!!! 

You Tube Monday - The Magic of Pronouns: Tips For Aspiring Politicians/Criminals (...and R...

I just discovered that the School Sucks Project has been posting videos as well as podcasts.
The excerpt in this one is from one of my favorite podcasts, really the one that got me hooked - 

If you haven't heard of, listened to or viewed anything from Brett Veinotte he has co-hosted with Laurette a few times on Unplugged Mom Radio - HERE - can be found on Podomatic - HERE - and many other locations which all can be found through his site - The School Sucks Project Education Evolution,


~~~ This is not a political advertisement by me in anyway! I am a proponent of the full message that is being said.

Back to lessons - Winter Session has begun and LOTS OF COLORS!!!

This week has felt really good, as we have gotten back into a flow and routine after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I think we are past the deschooling with DN and are in more of a see how it keeps going point. He is no where near independent, but is open to try anything I put in front of him and eager to learn. I think he has come to the realization that this could actually work.

DN was here at the beginning of the week and managed to get nearly all of his weekly work completed in just a day, which was rather impressive especially considering CJ was here. When we reviewed the History flash cards that they are both memorizing there was such pride in his eyes when he realized that although he hadn't touched them in a week, he remembered 10 out of the 11 cards almost verbatim!
KM has been wanting to spread out her lessons a bit more, so has been doing some in the evening and working on her drawings in the afternoon. KM is excited to be doing a poetry class utilizing Skype this session, she has taken online classes before, but this will be the first fully interactive one that she will be doing. We received the syllabus and I was impressed to see that she jumped right into it.

I have been doing a lot of reading the last few weeks and after finishing The Well Educated Mind decided to try out Susan Wise Bauer's process. I picked up Don Quixote from the library and was surprised to see KM flipping through it this morning. After some discussion about it and the intensity of it she said she thought it sounded interesting and would like to read it with me - I was SHOCKED, but very happy at the same time. I think we will enjoy reading this together and I think she appreciates that I am always continuing my education. I KNOW that we can learn a lot from each other.

As for the colors that were mentioned in the title...KM dyed her hair -

We also tried out the first tube from Test Tube Wonders and it was rather interesting. Here is the video that we made -





Oh and my cat thought she would try to take over the world -

Is the trivium schooled out of us? - My Own Education Story

Here is my latest article posted to Unplugged Mom - HERE

As I learn more about the trivium by listening to various podcasts, reading articles and suggestions of how to implement the practices, I have come to the realization that this is how I have always learned. It is was never taught to me though, so I have to wonder if this "process" is innately coded within us and schooling has replaced it with the various drills, routines and other artificial crowd controlling methods used within the systems.

While I was reading The Well-Educated Mind - which you can find my review of HERE - I began to really understand that this SIMPLY MAKES SENSE. You have to have a base of information, which is gathered during the grammar stage, that you begin to process and review determining whether the information is valid, true, logical, incorrect, misleading or otherwise false, during the logic stage and then as your mind and opinions truly begin to develop you are able to challenge, question or carry on a discourse with someone.

I only fully attended school through 7th grade. Starting in 8th I went when I felt like it, but the school kept passing me on to the next grade. I could miss school for two or three weeks at a time go back for a day or two and then be gone again, with no repercussions other than some finger waving from my mother. I dropped out 3 weeks into the 11th grade when I turned 16 and completed my GED two months later with a near perfect score.

I always read ferociously and retained ridiculous amounts of information from documentaries, books, and conversations. While I was waiting to start college - at that time I couldn't get financial aid, scholarships or grants unless "my class" had already graduated - I tutored at a local GED program and area high schools in Math - yup the guidance counselors recommended the dropout for tutoring - how is that for irony! When I finally started college I tested out of nearly all my prerequisite classes and finished my associates degree in three semesters (would have been two if I hadn't taken medical leave partway through the second to have my daughter, but the morning sickness was killing me). 

Over the years I accumulated stacks and stacks of journals and binders that I kept while taking notes as I read or watched documentaries. My friends used to say "Why on earth do you do that? You are just going to remember it anyway!" never realizing that that was why I remembered it... the writing was a sort of rhetoric. When the notebooks got out of control, I began to use index cards as I read and then would rewrite the key notes and important info on loose leaf paper that I could put in binders and swap around when needed, this has proven to be a much more efficient system. I also have my blog which has become the place that I most often turn to when I need to express my points on a topic or look back to refresh my memory. Although I am not as eloquent as many that I read, I feel I have a pretty decent ability to get my thoughts across and I am improving with practice.

One of the things that always pleasantly surprises me when I speak with teens who don't go to school - whether they are unschooled, homeschooled or whatever other term they feel comfortable using -  is that they are at ease and feel comfortable speaking with anyone on a topic that they are interested in. They don't hesitate in calling someone out that they disagree with and will steadfast in their opinion while taking into consideration others feelings on the matter as well. 

This need to discuss, question and learn from one another just seems to be so alive and present in those who don't go to school. It is also exactly these things that are not allowed in school as the student must not question the teacher, must only learn what is presented to him/her in the order in which it is given and can't possibly learn from peers! It is my assertion that spending 13+ years in a situation where you are oppressed and treated as an inferior has caused those who succumb to its hold to lose their love of learning, ability to gain more obscure concepts and quest for intelligent dialect. 

What I am Reading - Fairie Mom - December

I had read the Well Trained Mind, but after hearing the interview with Susan Wise Bauer on Unplugged Mom I decided to pick up The Well Educated Mind at my library and take a gander through it. I will post a full review when I am done with it! 

Deschooling Update - Week 2

First week went superbly - as you might remember if you read either this post or this one - however we had a few bumps in the road this weekend that were far more dramatic because CJ was here. We did manage to get through them and after much discussion - and some near meltdowns - it was decided that the freedom all at once was far too much for DN to handle and he needs some help to learn how to take responsibility and make smart decisions. So although our weeks may seem a bit strange to some, due to the living arrangements here for DN his week with us is going to be running from mid-day Saturday through late afternoon/evening on Tuesdays. I will have his lessons spread out and scheduled for him - of course they are still tailored to him and I am doing a lot of mixing & matching to try to find those keys, but after the horrific weekend we do seem to be back in a good place.

Monday was lovely - weather and energy wise - we started the morning out with a trip to the library and some time on the tennis courts and then the kids got their lessons and chores done after lunch.

Today - Tuesday - went by very quickly, as they did a few lessons in the morning before we went to public skating. KM was so excited to get back on the ice. Last year I sat out because I was having issues with my sciatic nerve, however I have been feeling pretty good lately so I got myself some skates at our local thrift shop and after having them sharpened they only cost me $14!!! This was the first time that DN had ever gone ice skating and I have to say he did far better than I expected. He definitely needs to build up some stamina, muscle control and strength, but I think he will get there.

I will say it was seriously bizarre to be peeling off the layers when we came out of the rink and it was 68 degrees outside! Is it really only a day until December.

Finding the Key to Fit the Lock

It has been a bit quiet around here lately as I have been busy preparing to enter deschool mode for the second time, but this time it is with DN, as last week was his last attending public school. He is 15 and in the 10th grade so this situation will be quite different from KM's as he is older and not here full time, but we are hopeful that this will be the direction that leads him to where he needs to be.

When I received the call a few weeks ago requesting that I help file the paperwork for his ed plan, I jumped on it and had it written and ready to be delivered within an hour - I was not letting anyone change their mind! Since then we have been discussing what he wants to learn and where he would like to see himself in the future. We have devised a plan and are finding ways to implement it that will work for him and our unique situation.

When I was deschooling with KM I realized that her retention of facts and information from school was similar to Swiss cheese, with lots and lots of holes, however DN's seems to be just the opposite random bits with little connection between them, so my hope is to string those bits together with meaningful connections. I am looking at like there are all these keys and I just need to find the one that will unlock his mind and engage him. I know I may have to try every last one before I find the one that works, but there has to be one!

As they are only a year apart I had hoped to combine some of KM's and DN's subjects - at the very least science and history, however he has a hard time retaining nearly anything - even simple story lines from his favorite book series - so I am going to have to go down an alternative route for subjects like History, which he claims to detest and with very little knowledge base there is no way that he can keep up with KM in science, but they can do their labs together which was one of our beginning areas this week. They will also be doing Logic & Geography together and will be following similar time lines in history in order to watch movies together.

I helped him set up an account for Khan Academy and he has been blowing through that the past few days, I hope that his enthusiasm holds once he gets to the more challenging areas. He was taking Spanish last year in school and really liked it so he is going to try the Spanish Conversation Demystified  that I had gotten for KM before she decided on French and will supplement using the Mango online through our library network.  So far that is our plan - go with what he is interested in and work from there! I really hope that he is able to embrace this lifestyle and truly learn.

So as I take this journey on again, I realize that I am in a COMPLETELY different place than I was when I did this the first time through with KM. I am going to use all the wisdom and experience that I have accrued over these last four years to help this young man discover how incredible learning really can be! I apologize if it seems as though I am neglecting my blog, but I must focus on other areas at the moment, but will be sure to check back in often with updates on how things are going. WISH US LUCK!!!!

What I am Reading - November - GCKMom

Be sure to check out - The Core – The Perfect Name For This Incredible Book – Official Review

A new MUST read for EVERYONE!!!

What I am Reading - October - GCK Mom

This has some great insight and TONS of links! Totally worth a read at the fabulous kindle price of $0.99!!!

You Tube Monday - Apple Steve Jobs The Crazy Ones - NEVER BEFORE AIRED 1997

Cheers to all you home educators who dare to think differently and allow your children to do so as well!!!

You Tube Monday - Project Based Learning: Explained.