A Reason For... materials are designed for Christian parents and students to "incorporate Scripture Values and provide options for Differentiated Instruction." The materials include leveled readers with biblical stories, spelling based on contemporary stories based on biblical themes, and a handwriting course built around Bible verses with challenging letter combinations. The courses include workbooks, teacher’s guides, text and CDs of supplemental materials. A Reason for Science offers everything needed for a year of science education Between grades one and eight. The kit includes supplies for weekly experiments, and the workbook contains an overview of the experiments, questions, and a Scriptural tie-in. The parent book provides additional instructions. Each year the topics of life, earth, and physical science are cycled through using the weekly experiment themes. This curriculum is given from a Christian perspective.
Website: A Reason For… Series
(20 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Cons: None
Grades Used: K-6
We have used A Reason for Spelling from 1st to 6th grade and A Reason for Handwriting from Kindergarten to 4th grade. They both have been wonderful programs. My daughter especially loves the stories that accompany the spelling lessons; the various activities and games to help solidify spelling concepts have been very helpful too. Spelling is not her strong suite, but she does it happily because of the format of these lessons and her spelling grades on standardized tests (CAT exam) have gradually come up from at or slightly below grade level to a year above grade level when she was tested during this, her sixth grade, year. She is very disappointed that the spelling program ends after 6th grade! The handwriting curriculum has also been enjoyable and effective; many people have commented on my daughter's neat cursive handwriting. This is a curriculum in which I would highly recommend getting and using a teacher's manual, especially for the spelling lessons. The stories, teaching suggestions, and other resources are invaluable in fully implementing the program.
We have now used A Reason for Handwriting for 2 years. We love it! My kids love sending scripture to people they now. A lot of times they received letters back from these people. It's been a great experience for them in sending and receiving mail and passing on the Word of God!
Cons: Cursive writing, not as good as good in helping teach it.
Grades Used: K-4
Highly recommend it....not too repetitive but allows practice. Also, like the focus on scriptures....and the opportunity to be creative as well.
Cons: Costly
Grades Used: 1-8 science
This science program is a ton of fun, and always holds my son's interest. Even my high school son stops what he is doing to come and watch the weekly experiments. It is a great way to learn science through experience. I like that the creators stop at grade 8, as it isn't a format that would work well for high school if post secondary studies is your goal. The only drawback for us is the cost of the kits, but we still love it!
Cons: Couldn't buy Reading in Canada
Grades Used: K,3,4,5,6,7
We use Handwriting, and Reading. The handwriting involves short daily lessons with a Bible theme. Great books. The transition book was a bit confusing, but we made it work. We LOVE the reading books, which are a great investment alone. This year we will be trying the learn-to-read program using the books.
Cons: lots of LA review at the beginning
Grades Used: 1st
We picked out A Reason for Spelling for Spelling on the 1st grade level. I looked at a lot of the programs and many were more LA with spelling than spelling and since we already had LA that we wanted just spelling words. I really couldn't find what I wanted so I settled for this.
I have been happy with it once we got into the spelling lessons themselves. The beginning lessons are all LA and it was very repetitive and eventually we just skipped them and went to the spelling lessons. Then my daughter liked them.
There is a good variety of activities to work with the spelling words. I did not purchase the teacher guide and that has caused a few of the activities to be skipped or difficult but we have made them our own and they have worked for us. My daughter likes to have spelling tests and likes to work with plastic letter so we use the plastic letters as one of the exercises to practice making the spelling words (the book has 4 suggestions like make them with crayons, make them in sand, etc we always do it with the letters as one of them).
Overall I would say its a good program that is fairly easy to use that my dd likes. I"m not sure that we'll use it next year but we'll definitely finish off this year. I do like the journal suggestions and Bible verses at the bottom, though we don't always use them since we do them in other subjects.
Cons: Price if purchased new
Spelling is not one of my childs strong points, due to dyslexia, but this program really "put a fire under her" for spelling.
There is very cute stories that build character included and the ideas they give you for studying and remembering her spelling words were wonderful!!!
If your child is a "hands on" learner like mine, they will enjoy this. Does involve some worksheets but also has great hands on activities too!
Grades Used: 4th, 5th
Son and daughter enjoy these easy practice sheets and having them displayed for the week on the fridge when they are colored beautifully. They have truly improved in their cursive h.w. Perhaps because I waited a little longer than normal and they have more hand eye coordination.
We tried this program one year, and my kids didn't really enjoy it. Maybe it was a tough year in other subjects or in daily life; I'm not sure. Perhaps we will try it again later.
Grades Used: K
My son has improved his handwriting skills so much since we started this handwriting book. I love how much he enjoys writing now!
Cons: Better for the classroom
Grades Used: Early elementary
I also used A Reason for Spelling since we loved A Reason for Handwriting. We liked the lists and the colorful workbook but some of the activities were better suited for a classroom and most difficult to complete with only one child.
Grades Used: Variety
I used this with my oldest all the way through elementary and we both loved it. I liked the ease of teaching/assignments and she liked the page on day 5 each week. She took pride in picking out just the right border page and making sure she did a good job so she could give them away to grandparents.
My oldest like to sit down and write so even on the days that the page looked like it was full of writing, she would get it all done without complaining. I wouldn't recommend it for someone that is not a fan of seat work. I had to research to find something else for my next two kids who like short lessons in everything. I do see some signs that my fourth child may be one to enjoy this program when she is ready.
Grades Used: 4
We use "A Reason for Handwriting" as well as "A Reason for Spelling" and my son enjoys them both. Both workbooks are colorful and simple enough for him to do on his own.
Cons: Maybe not as much biblical emphasis as I would have liked
Grades Used: K, 1st
The format of these worked really well in improving my daughter's handwriting. There was a definite difference from the beginning page to the middle and then end of the workbooks. She really enjoyed writing the verses too and was a great tie into our devotional times. Would recommend this product. Loved it!
Grades Used: 2-3
My boys would post their favorite writing sheets after they were colored. Sometimes it would make a great mailing to send out to their grandmother who loved getting them. Simple to use, cute illustrations, nothing heavy to add to your curriculum.
Cons: None
Grades Used: K.1
My little guy despises writing. This series has not made him love it, but it is not tolerable. :0) I personally think it is written very nicely and easy for little ones to do.
Grades Used: 3-5
They make it not only fun but exciting even for the reluctant writer. So much more information and products here: http://www.areasonfor.com/ .
Cons: It may be hard for some children to understand the "treehouse" metaphor
Grades Used: K
We've used the K and will be using the next levels. Letter formation is taught using the image of a treehouse superimposed on the manuscript paper. The roof is the top line, the ceiling is the dotted line, the floor is the bottom line, and the basement is where lower-case g's, q's, etc. go. Using a start dot (the two o'clock dot, for example), the student is told what shape to make and where the lines must reach to.
This program worked well for my child with slower small motor skills. Working slowly and carefully, proper letter formation is taught, and the letters are introduced in a logical order (lower case "o", then lower case "a" for example.) Using the proper order of strokes makes for beautiful printing, and less possibility for reversals.
The teacher manual is a great buy--the same book is used for K-6 with different options for when and how to transition to cursive. The Bible verses are a bonus, and the K version has an animal picture to color corresponding to the letter just learned.
I highly recommend this resource and the kids love it.
Grades Used: K - 4
The lessons are short which help keep the child focused on using their best handwriting. My using the same series for a number of years, my children know what to expect every day so it is easy to use.
Handwriting is not a favorite subject of my children, so it would probably be difficult to find any handwriting program that was "fun" for them. But, they generally do this without complaining.
Grades Used: K-end of series
This is my 12th year of homeschooling, and I have not used anything else for teaching handwriting. The student is given a practice lesson each day, only a few lines/day, of letters and words and by the end of the week, they are practicing writing whole Bible verses. Often this is also my child's Bible verse memory work as well. There is a "Day 5 sheet" that the kids can decorate and give away as an act of service or piece of art. It's a great way to share what a child is learning with grandparents, or to cheer up a sick or elderly church member. Even my children with some visual learning problems have enjoyed this curriculum.