Review of Branch Out World’s Picture Book Explorers – Paddington Bear

 

Today I want to introduce you to Paddington Bear, a lit-based unit study, from Branch Out World.  For this review, we received a downloadable PDF file to print out.  Even though my youngest child is almost sixteen years old, I still love looking at what is available in the Homeschooling marketplace for younger children. As someone who loves to read, anything based on books is bound to get my attention. This unit study is recommended for ages five years old to ten years old, but if your family lives outside of the United Kingdom, you may find this book works for older children as well.  I could definitely see the benefits of using this curriculum if you have more than one child, even if some of those children are older than 10 years old.

Branch Out World is a company ran by a homeschooling family based in West Yorkshire.  Their family started homeschooling over 20 years ago and they love books.  They have created literature-based unit studies that can be tailored to your own child/children’s needs and interests. These studies can be used with multiple children at one time or with one child as they grow into them.

Paddington Bear is part of Branch Out World‘s Picture Book Explorer series.  The unit study is meant to be completed over five days.  I would definitely recommend starting on a Monday when you know your family could complete all five days in a row so that your child maintains their focus and interest.  To complete the study, you need the unit study printed out, the picture book, possibly the chapter book the unit study is based upon, and any other items listed for each day to complete the activities.  All of the extra supplies needed are listed on page 7 of the printable PDF file.  I would definitely recommend assembling these items the week prior to starting the unit study so you do not have to scramble to find anything.  On page 7 a list of optional extras is listed that include other books about Paddington Bear, books about Peru and a list of films and television episodes.

The unit study consists of reading the book every day and then doing different types of activities each day.  The days are broken down as follows:

• Day 1 – Exploring the Setting
• Day 2 – Exploring the Words
• Day 3 – Exploring the Pictures
• Day 4 – Exploring Science
• Day 5 – Exploring Maths, Crafts & More

I have to say as I read through the guide, I was impressed by the variety of activities included and the way those activities are organized.  Each day has background information along with instructions for the day’s activities.  There are suggestions about how to complete the activities.  When my children were younger, they tended to enjoy coloring and map work, which is included on the first day.  I also like the fact that a variety of maps are included so you can pick the one which suits your family the best.  You can pick just one or you can pick more than one.

If I was doing this literature-based unit study with my children, I would definitely probably have them complete it in a binder so they could add pages as needed and keep everything organized.  Also, since my daughter loves art and drawing, I think day 3 would be her favorite day. As a teenager, I could see myself wanting her to recreate the pictures she saw in the book concentrating on the characters and the architecture.

 

I know when our children were younger, they would have loved making their own passports and then would have wanted to have stickers and other things we could add to them to show where they had traveled through the books they were reading and lessons from history and other subjects.  I know they would have enjoyed the hands-on activities better than just reading a normal textbook.  I wish we had this opportunity when they were younger.

You can find Branch Out World on social media including Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you have children who love hands-on learning and a variety of activities, I definitely recommend you check out Branch Out World, their Picture Book Explorer Series and Paddington Bear for yourself.  If you would like to read reviews by other members of the Home School Review Crew, click here or on the graphic below.