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Review: Skill Sharpeners Geography - Grade 1

If you are looking to supplement your geography curriculum with high-quality, engaging material, the Skill Sharpeners Geography workbook is an outstanding choice. This series focuses on the core competencies young students need to master, utilizing a "Read-Work-Do" structure that is incredibly effective for retention. Each lesson begins with a focused reading section to introduce the topic, followed by reinforcing exercises, and concludes with a hands-on activity to drive the concept home.


The curriculum is organized into five main topics, each expanded upon to ensure a deep understanding of the material. One of the immediate draws for our daughter is how colorful and vibrant the pages are; in our experience, black-and-white workbooks can sometimes feel stagnant and fail to capture a child's imagination. The lessons are intentionally concise, making it completely doable to finish a full concept in a single day. However, since we school year-round and prefer to stretch our resources, we find that doing just a few pages a week works perfectly for our schedule.


The reading segments are straightforward and move quickly to the point—a vital feature for maintaining the attention of younger students. Spanning only two pages, these sections are captivating rather than overwhelming, supported by bright and cheerful illustrations. I particularly love that the book caters to both auditory and visual learners. Even if a student primarily learns by listening, seeing the concepts visually represented through shapes, matching, and drawing helps solidify their understanding of geographical relationships. 


The vocabulary sections keep things interesting by rotating through word searches, drawing prompts, and fill-in-the-blank exercises. While our daughter is an early reader, some of the specialized geographical terms are a bit advanced, so I am always happy to read along and assist her as needed. The "hands-on" finale of each unit is consistently the highlight of her week. Most of these activities involve cutting and pasting, which serves a dual purpose: it actively engages her in the lesson while allowing her to refine her fine motor skills.


If your child thrives on variety and creative interaction, I highly encourage you to explore the other Skill Sharpeners titles available through Timberdoodle. It is a fantastic way to transform geography from a dry subject into a vibrant, hands-on exploration of the world.



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  1. Kristen of A Mom's Quest to TeachJune 28, 2021 at 1:14 PM

    This looks like a great resource. I have always wondered about picking one up. Thank you for the review!

    ReplyDelete

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