Using Comics in Your Homeschool (A Timberdoodle Review)

The 4th Grade Timberdoodle Kit continues to gain momentum as my son works through it. The beginning stages of the homeschool year are crucial when it comes to igniting a passion for learning, but how does this happen with a struggling reader? 

Graphic novels (comic books) have been working surprisingly well when it comes to encouraging independent reading—even with history, generally a topic that can be met with resistance. 

The Disasters in History 8-Book Compilation is a book that can be read anytime, anywhere, by a child of almost any reading level. 

This book is divided into two sections:

Part One: Exploration and Space Disasters

• The Donner Party
• Shackleton and the Lost Antarctic Expedition
• The Apollo 13 Mission
• The Challenger Explosion

Part Two: Fire and Wartime Disasters

• The Great Chicago Fire of 1871
• The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
• The Hindenburg Disaster
• The Attack on Pearl Harbor

Teaching about historical disasters needs to be handled with care—though I am not opposed to it. I am a huge supporter of teaching our children about such events and am even in the process of writing resources about WWII for middle grade readers. In this, I am learning that this needs to be done with tact, care, and grace. 

Certain books that I have read in my research share too much, too fast for sensitive readers, but again, it depends on the reader.

As the parent, you know your child, and you know what he can handle. The events in the first story of this book about the Donners are important to know, but it is up to you as the parent to know at which age your child is ready. 

The Donner Party, addresses the reality of cannibalism in America's early Westward Expansion. This happened. This is part of our history, and it is heartbreaking. When members of the expedition died, some of the remaining survivors felt that their only option was to eat the recently deceased. This is a hard and true fact. As the parent, it is up to you to decide whether and when to share this with your child. Personally, as the parent, I want to be the one having this conversation with my children. One of the reasons I love homeschooling. I am the teacher, not someone else. 

As for the other disasters, I appreciated seeing the Challenger as one of them since I vividly remember that day when I watched the explosion happen on live TV in my third-grade classroom. We ended up leaving school early that day. Teaching our children the realities of these aspects of history is important, and doing this through graphic novels provides a gentle introduction.  

Once my son started diving into the historical graphic novel, he began to piece two and two together. The concepts he was learning in his Write and Draw Your Own Comics workbook were something that could be put to practical use. I mentioned in a previous post that the Write and Draw Your Own Comics was his favorite kit component, and still is. He loves learning about how to create comics and looks forward to each lesson. He doesn't even feel like it is school—but it is! Once he was able to see the different aspects that he was learning about from speech bubbles to caption boxes were found in an actual book, the excitement began to grow even more. 

To break up the homeschool day, the Peanuts Beagle Scouts Miniature was a perfect addition. This shadow box kit was a several-hour afternoon project that kept my son entertained and excited knowing he would have a sturdy project on hand when completed. It helps that he is a Peanuts fan, one of the most popular comics of all time! You can see his finished product below and one aspect of the project that is difficult to see in the photo is that it lights up! That's right it is actually a light box! As soon as my son was finished, we added this to our homeschool room and used it as a decoration, turning on the light when we needed something a little extra for ambiance. This sturdy craft uses high-quality materials and is perfect for little hands with big ambitions. 

The best way to end my Using Comics in Your Homeschool review is to offer a suggestion for writing implements. The Faber-Castell Grip Colored EcoPencils were included in this year's kit and are high-quality colored pencils that my son cannot get enough of. When I go back-to-school shopping for supplies, I no longer buy markers and crayons because colored pencils win every time. My son will only color with colored pencils, and now these eco pencils are at the top of his list. They are thick, bright, and worth coming back to time and time again. I hope you are enjoying reading my reviews of this year's kit as much as I am enjoying reviewing it. I've always enjoyed homeschooling, and it keeps getting better as the years go on!

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Timberdoodle for providing the above product in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.