Creek Edge Press Review

Classical . Charlotte Mason . Montessori...these are terms many homeschool families are familiar with.  I tend to think our homeschooling approach has always been slightly Classical (memorization) with a bit of Charlotte Mason (Narration and Living Books) thrown in.  I've never really practiced the Montessori approach though, at least not on purpose.  ;)

That's where Creek Edge Press comes in.  They introduce the Task Card Approach, which pulls together the best of Classical, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori education. 

So what are Task Cards?  I had never heard of these before and so I was intrigued.  The Task Card Sets are non-consumable and designed for use by multiple grades.  Each card is topic based and facilitates discovery based, research oriented, independent learning.

We received the Life Science Task Cards, which includes 37 cards.  This course is designed for grades K-8 and includes topics on habitat, the animal kingdom, the human body, and the plant kingdom.  Below is the first card in the set.

To use the Task Cards, it was recommended that I set up a learning environment, where the cards are displayed along with the materials necessary for completing the tasks.  The child can work at their own pace and mark tasks as they are completed.  Emergent readers will need more assistance, but independent readers can use the cards on their own, with little or no help.  Completing one card a week is sufficient.

We have never tried this approach before.  I have always been more involved in Funny Bunny's work.  With the Task Cards I am setting aside about 30 min a day for her to work at her own pace, with no direction or instruction from me (unless she asks for it).  I told her I was not going to tell her what to do and to just follow the tasks on the cards.

So what was the result?  She has been happy to work on her cards and actually works on the tasks without me asking!  Below she is listing the features of living and non-living things.

She was also asked to make a booklet that shows living and non-living things.

For more samples of cards and pictures of learning environments, you can visit their gallery.

The cards come with an instruction booklet with helpful tips and ideas on approaching the tasks and preparing the learning environment.  It also includes a nice book list to go along with the Task Card topics.

My Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to think of these cards at first but if Funny Bunny continues to use them like she has, we will continue with them.  Since they are non-consumable she can use them now and then again in a few years.  They are also great for families who have many children at different ages.  They can all be working on the same card, but at their own level.  And for the price, you can't beat it, especially if you are using one set with multiple children.

Thoughts of an 8-Year Old:  I like the Life Science Task Cards because they are interactive, fun, and kids can do them on their own.  The books I am using for research are The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia, The Animal Kingdom, and Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habits.  They are all library books I checked out.  Right now I am making a booklet called Living and Non-living Things.  I'm only three pages in, but that's OK.  The best part is I don't have to work on this during "school" -- it's sit-down, anytime Science!

Find Out More: You can find out more by going online to Creek Edge Press.  Cards are available in the areas of Science, History/Geography/Culture, Art, Music, and Grammar.  The Life and Science Task Card Set I received is just $18.

Their website is full of resources, including Book Lists and Supporting Links, FAQs, and Articles about the Task Card Approach.

My Crewmates are also reviewing K5 Learning, so you can check out what they think HERE.

Disclosure:  This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor.  I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.