PandaParents Review
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In my pre-mom days, I was a certified kindergarten teacher. I absolutely loved teaching kindergarten, both in the classroom and at home. It is one of my favorite ages! I hope to one day open a private kindergarten, so I always keep my eyes open for new kindergarten programs. I recently got the chance to review MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS by PandaParents.
MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS is a early childhood curriculum that aims to combine various content areas into one engaging story. I am a big fan of mixing content areas. In my experience, this approach increases understanding and engagement. There is something to interest every type of learner.
This monthly subscription includes a pdf storybook, video, and workbook delivered right to your email.
PandaParents aims to get kids out from in front of screens, so the materials are meant to be downloaded. It is recommended that you print the storybooks and workbooks, but the pages are full of bright bold colors. Printing will use a ton of ink. I chose to review the materials on my computer rather than burn through pricy color ink.
Nothing seems to be lost by reading the book digitally, but there definitely are workbook pages that are best used in the intended printed form.
MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS
The first step is to read the story with your child.
The stories are short, containing only a few sentences per page. This is the perfect length for the 3-6 age group.
The text felt a little choppy, but that happens with short stories. The illustrations are very simple and have a clip art quality to them, but they are very brightly colored, which will appeal to young kids. Interactive pages are interspersed in the book.
After reading the story it is time to watch the video.
The videos are about 10 minutes long. That length is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The videos are cute. They include the bright colors from the storybooks, although the quality of the images reminds me a bit of clipart.
I really like that the words are written on the bottom of the screen. Subtitles are a great way to include reading opportunities while watching a video. The featured letter for the story is even highlighted to draw extra attention.
The final portion of the curriculum is the workbook.
This is where your student will spend the majority of the program because each workbook is 20-45 pages long.
The workbooks introduce a lot of extra interesting information to incorporate additional content areas. The pages are intended to be printed, but I would print them judiciously. Some pages can be done on a parent’s lap just pointing to the correct answer on the screen. Other pages, such as tracing, are best printed. I do think that many preschoolers will find the workbooks interesting.
Courses
I checked out three storybooks and their accompanying videos and workbooks. MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS does a great job integrating many content areas in an interesting way.
Jolly Jingling Journey
The title gives you a little clue that the themes are the letter J and Christmas. The story is technically about Santa, reindeer, and the North Pole, but other skills are included as well:
- Patterning
- Counting
- Visual discrimination
- Reindeer facts
- Foreign languages
- Vocabulary
Mommy Baby
This section of the curriculum is about animal moms and babies. It also included:
- Shapes
- Story recall
- Counting
- Colors
- Animal tails
Scotty Skunk Hears a Scary Sound
This learning course involves a skunk hearing the various sounds of spring – birds, a river, and even a thunderstorm. It also teaches:
- Number sequence
- Seasons
- Story sequencing
- Emotions
- Letters
- Habitats
- Shadows
Final Thoughts
MESSYLEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTENERS is a cute program.
I do not think it is involved enough to be a complete curriculum, but it can certainly be a fun addition. I think that most kindergarteners will find the program too easy. This could be a fun introduction to ‘school’ for preschool students.
This curriculum would be even better if it was available already printed. That would go a long way towards decreasing screen time, helping PandaParents reach their goal of getting kids away from screens.
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