Review: U.S. Elections Lap-Pak

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.

We have been learning so much about the election process as we have worked out way through the  U.S. Elections Lap-Pak (grades 3-8).  Home School in the Woods has been making products to help homeschoolers for many years. We have used several of their products over the years as we've studied The Industrial Revolution, The Civil War, Ancient Greece and World War II.   They offer great hands-on activities with tons of learning opportunities. The best part of it all is that there are so many options it's easy to tailor the learning to your student's specific needs.


Learning about the election process isn't always easy nor is it often presented in a fun way. Most students tend to shy away from these type subjects because it's typically taught in a dull, dry fashion.  Home School in the Woods is never dull or dry and presents the material in a way that captivates the students attention and fosters that love of learning.  The readings that are provided are usually full of information and can easily be read by the student or to the student whichever you chose. Here is a blog post that gives additional information on this unit as well.  


Typically the first thing I do after I have downloaded my item is start my prep work. These downloads are pretty typically print heavy and I like to get all my printing done in the beginning, so I'm prepped and ready for learning. I like to have the lessons printed for me to read aloud from, but you could just as easily read them aloud from your computer. I just personally prefer having them in hand. I go through and print each lesson, scroll through the activities that are suggested and print the ones I know we'll do. Over the years I have learned that there are some activities, no matter how hard I try, that my son just doesn't want to do. I've realized there are enough activities to chose from and therefore I just print the ones I know he'll enjoy. I'd rather him look back and have learned and had a positive experience rather than remember arguing over doing an activity he didn't care for that day. My boys have never enjoyed coloring, so typically when my youngest does a project like this there won't be much color seen.  The directions given are always very well presented and easily understood whether it's how to print back-to-back or how to fold the booklets that the student is making.  As you can see we had lots of information to work through from the different branches of government, who can be president, what roles the media plays and much more. 

As we read aloud from our printed booklet my son liked to jump in and remind me when he already new certain information. I pointed out that I was proud that he knew that information already, but he needed to listen quietly to not miss out on the information he hadn't already learned. One thing that is SUPER cool about  this U.S. Elections Lap-Pak is that there are audio recordings that you can use rather than reading the book. This would be great for a struggling reader or if you wanted your child to work through these lessons more independently.  I have seen many election units over our 16 years of homeschooling and I have to say that I think this is the best put together that I've seen. It's most certainly the most engaging for the student.  I highly recommend with elections in our near future that all our children are taught a little election history this year. This program is recommended for grades 3-8, but could easily be adjusted for younger or older kids. The younger children could sit in on the readings and do the coloring activities while the older students could have extra readings added to the lessons.  Thankfully Home School in the Woods knows that teacher's often need to adjust the learning according to the students needs and they always set us up for success.  

For updated information and to learn about any new products in the mix check out: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.  Our reviews had several different items to choose from this review. I recommend checking out what others used and seeing if you can find anything new to add to your upcoming school year :)