Flowering Baby Review/Giveaway

I firmly believe that our children’s education begins the day we bring baby home from the hospital.  Even if you do not plan on homeschooling, every parent should take a proactive approach to their child’s education and provide various activities to encourage learning.  In my opinion, I have found the best curriculum to assist parents do just that – Flowering Baby Curriculum.  They offer the following years:

Birth to One

One to Two

Two to Three

Three to Four

Four to Five

Each year offers age-appropriate activities covering a variety of subjects.

What I like about the program:

• Each year offers a booklist for use throughout the year.  I have enjoyed the books suggested, and so have my children!  Most books could be checked out from the library, although we had quite a few already.  I was able to purchase the others from Better World Books for a very good price (I have a problem returning library books on time and have found that I save money by just buying them).  You could also easily substitute books you already have.  For instance, one book for colors was suggested, but I already have a color book that we love.
• Many of the suggested books are used every year!  Children love repetition and there are enough books listed to provide variety, so reusing some books from year-to-year is money-saving and fun!  I cannot tell you how many times I have read Brown Bear, Brown Bear to my babies, and I still have requests for it!
• The activities are perfect for every family!  This program is not just for homeschoolers!!!!  Working parents will not have trouble fitting the daily activities into a busy schedule.  Everything is laid out for you and the tasks do not take too long to complete.  With our baby, I work our activities into a play time before his first morning nap, and you could easily adjust and do the activities as part of the bedtime routine.
• The items needed for the activities can be found around my house!  In fact, the only item I had to buy was a clear plastic tube (from a tennis ball), and I barely spent anything.
• All developmental areas are covered (art, music, language, math, etc.).  Songs/rhymes are suggested, books are read, and little art projects to help reinforce bigger concepts (like shapes and colors) are given.  I truly feel my children are learning a lot from this special time I spend with them.  I spend a lot of time schooling the older girls, and it is nice to have this special time with the little ones.

What I dislike about the program:

• Um….nothing!!!!  I have re-read both years I have and thought about the many activities we have done, and I cannot think of any negative feedback!  I am a HUGE fan, and I think that this curriculum offers a great starting point for parents and children.  I feel my children have developed a love of learning by using this program because learning is presented in a fun way.

Are you hooked yet?!  Well, thanks to Flowering Baby‘s generosity, I have a giveaway for you!  They have offered to give away one year of YOUR choice of the Flowering Baby curriculum to one lucky reader!  Enter below for your chance to win.

Ways to Enter:

• Visit Flowering Baby and leave a blog post comment below letting me know which year you  would like if you win.
• Leave a comment indicating that you follow Hernandez Homeschool Blog.
• Leave a comment indicating that you tweeted about this giveaway.
• Leave a comment indicating that you follow @hernhomeschool on Twitter.

Winner will be drawn randomly on September 20, 2012.  Winner will need to respond to my email within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.  Winner must provide name and address so the prize can be mailed to them.

*Disclaimer – I was given one year free for giving a review.  However, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.