Progeny Press Study Guide REVIEW

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. 

I just love Progeny Press study guides.  I was more than happy to have the opportunity to review a couple more of their study guides for both my kids.  I chose the Animal Farm Study Guide High School Grades 9-12 (70 pages) for my son and A New Coat for Anna Study Guide Grades K-3 (28 pages) for my daughter.  I received download links for these two ebook PDF format study guides.  I was able to easily download both guides and printed them both out so I could bind them for my students for easier use.  Both guides also came with downloadable answer keys that I also bound for myself.

Sample Answer Key page for A New Coat for Anna

Sample Answer key page for Animal Farm

Why do I love these study guides so much?  They are not only wonderful resources but they are created from a Christian perspective.  What does this mean?  I can be assured my kids are not only going to learn concepts and ideas from the books that they read and study but that what is learned will be wholesome and God-honoring.  Progeny Press was born from a desire of two parents to educate their kids with good resources that have a biblical foundation.  That can be difficult to find in literature, especially in the study guide area.  Thus, Progeny Press was born.

Biblically-based with wonderful scripture references throughout.

A New Coat for Anna Study Guide was written for grades K-3.  I did have to purchase the book separately for this study.  It's a delightful little story about a little girl, Anna, who needs a new coat.  You follow Anna and her story as her mom acquires the necessary materials one by one needed to complete the coat.  From the initial wool needed to the final tailored product, it shows kids what goes into producing a product that is often not appreciated when it is simply on a store rack or shelf.  It also shares a time (after WWII) when money was scarce and the need for supplies often meant trading one thing for another.

Sample book pages.

Since the study guide is written for grades K-3 there are some aspects that were a little more challenging for her or that we worked on together verbally. But, for the most part, she kept up with the suggested workload of at least 3 pages per week.  If it was a simple lesson on two pages then she generally completed those in one day.  This guide is packed with all kinds of goodies (as are all their study guides).  There is a note to the instructor (explains how to use the guide) at the beginning and a synopsis of the story included.  They also supply you with background information about the story and include some "Before-you-read Activities" (in this case it was some map work, personal questions about your own family, a suggested viewing of Sound of Music, and field trip to visit a sheep farm).  We haven't viewed the movie yet nor are we able to visit a sheep farm, but YouTube is great for virtual field trips!  This study guide can easily be completed in 3-4 weeks if you cover all of the activities.  I really like the diversity of their content and Little Bug just loves completing the lessons.  There is a great assortment of vocabulary, dictionary work, puzzles (word search and hidden keys), and plenty of writing practice too!

Sample workbook page

Sample completed pages

Fun activities!

Last but not least is a few words about the Animal Farm Study Guide.  I had an electronic copy of this book already.  My high schooler does NOT like language arts or writing or any kind of "study guide" activities.  That being said, I caught him really getting intrigued and doing a little of his own research online when he was asked to complete some of the sections in the study guide.  He is not liking the story because of the sadness and opposition but I think he will surely glean from it by the time he is finished.  All things aside and with no political or religious discussion, I think the story is timely for right now and what is going on in our world.

Sample pages completed

Written for grades 9-12 this is a much more in-depth study guide.  It is recommended that you read the book the first week and then complete approximately one lesson per week in the study guide.  Most will take 8-10 weeks to complete a guide.  For my struggling learner, I am predicting that he will complete this in about 10-12 weeks, but that is ok with me.  He is getting through it and learning!  It is also suggested that you have a dictionary, thesaurus, and a bible to help with the questions.  Four completed study guides will qualify you for 1 high school credit.

Animal Farm Table of Contents

The general format in each section (lesson) follows the following:

• Vocabulary (lots of dictionary work!)
• Analogous Characters and Events (great discussion!)
• General (general questions about the chapters read)
• Analysis
• Dig Deeper (provokes you to think more, dig deeper, and covers scriptural concepts and ideas)
• Optional Projects and Activities

I also appreciate the extensive background information in this guide that explains some governing systems including communism, socialism, and capitalism among a few.  The optional extra projects, activities, and essays make this a wonderful resource for your high schooler. 

   

I definitely give A New Coat for Anna Study Guide Grades K-3 and Animal Farm Study Guide High School Grades 9-12 two thumbs up!  You can connect with Progeny Press on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, and YOUTUBE.

Feel free to check out my other Progeny Press Study Guides REVIEW.  Also, be sure to take the time to see what other study guides were reviewed by my fellow Crew members by clicking on the graphical link below.  Happy reading!!