Mozart, Bach, Chopin…
When my oldest daughter was a baby, I remember playing a Mozart CD during the day. That CD has long been misplaced but classical music is still a part of our day. My children enjoy listening to Bach, Mozart, Chopin etc. They often turn on the radio to play in the background as they work on math, color or read. As time goes by they are beginning to recognize different pieces or maybe note that they have heard a selection played in a movie.
I have always wanted to include a composer study into our homeschool but it was one of those areas of study that would find its way at the bottom of the list. So when the opportunity to choose from a selection of products from Bright Ideas Press, I had no doubt on the product I would bring into our homeschool. A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers was too tempting to pass!
A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers serves as a full year’s curriculum with 32 weekly lessons. In those 32 weeks you will meet 26 composers and gain understanding of different musical eras. As you read about the composers you are introduced to their lives, character and for some, their Christian testimony.
One fabulous feature about A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers is its ease of use! Minimal preparations are needed to utilize this guide! Here is what is included with your composers’ biographies:
* Timeline – see how composers connect and overlap
*Maps – show how location may or may not affect the composer/music of the time
*Coloring pages – great for keeping hands busy to help the mind focus
*Composer cards – my girls were excited about these. You add a photo of the composers and biographical information. Great for quick review!
*Game suggestions – Classical Composers Jeopardy was one my girls wanted to play!
*Notetaking pages and quizzes
*Answer keys
*Listening suggestions – I loved this! The budget doesn’t allow me right now to purchase a collection of CDs and time restraints make searching everything out difficult. I love how I could just type in the recommended web site and have the classical piece I needed. Another great help was the “warning” that parents might want to use caution on certain suggestions. Maybe the music was part of a video clip and you would only want your child to listen and not watch.
*Resource books – great if you want to do further study
A Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers was written for grades 4-8 but we are using it from K-6 in our home. Will my soon to be 5 year old remember all that my 11 year old does? No, but that is ok! She is getting a great introduction to the composers. This guide is truly flexible to your learners.
I am very please with this guide. I love that everything I need is included in the book and I don’t have to make extra purchases. I can keep it as simple as I want or make it more challenging. As we continue through the book, I will have my older students read from the resource list to enhance it for them. However, my 3rd grader will gain much from just the reading of the biographies, listening to the music and completing the composer cards.
I had planned on using this guide as a stand alone subject. However, we are changing course a bit. We are going to add it in with our history studies and cover the composers as we hit that time period in history. I think it is going to be a great fit.
We are not using it as independent study, but it lends itself well to that. My 10 and 11 year old daughters could easily use this guide on their own. The presentation is clear and concise.
Want to know what makes this guide even better? The affordability! The CD-Rom book can be purchased for $29.95 and the paperback book (298 pages) is only $34.95. Remember, no other purchases are needed to use this guide! Co-op licenses are available as well.
Interested in taking a peek? Bright Ideas Press offers some sample pages so you can get an inside peek.
Want to see what other Bright Ideas Press items were reviewed? Head on over the Crew Blog and find out!
**Disclaimer – As a member of TOS Homeschool Crew, a complimentary copy of the product was given to me for review. No compensation was made to me. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Great review! We really LOVED this study as well! So organized and, as you said, everything you need is included!
Jerald’s had this on his wishlist for a while…
[...] the past couple of years, I have reviewed other products from Bright Ideas Press. (Young Scholar’s Guide to Composers, WonderMaps) I have always been pleased with a curriculum/product that meets my needs and my [...]