Why We Love Our #NotConsumed Reading Journal...

August 11, 2021

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As you probably know, we are very eclectic with our homeschool curriculum. I love using a little bit of everything! Sometimes that leaves me wondering if we're covering everything we need to, but I love that I can cater exactly to how my children learn best. I know that what we're using is the perfect fit rather than trying to fit into a box with a standard boxed curriculum. (Those work great for some, just not us.)

After my boys complete All About Reading, we move on to Arrows with Brave Writer. While we work on the Arrows, I also have my boys read on their own for 30 minutes a day. When doing this, I allow them to read whatever they want. I used to just ask a few questions about it once they were done to know that they comprehended what they read. That was until I ran across this awesome Reading Journal by Not Consumed! It has been an amazing addition to our homeschool! 

Here is an excerpt from Not Consumed about the Reading Journal...

"The Reading Journal is 168 lessons recommended for grades 2-8. Comprised of 28 unique lessons that focus on vocabulary, word study, comprehension, and higher-level thinking skills, the journal cycles through each lesson 6 times throughout the year, providing just the right amount of practice without too much monotony.


About once a week, students are asked to evaluate the content of their book based on God's truth. They will compare/contrast with Scripture, consider a character's behavior/influence, and even write out how they might share Jesus with the character.


Once a child learns how to read, he/she needs to continue skill-building throughout the elementary years. The Reading Journal provides the necessary practice while still allowing the student to choose what he/she would most enjoy reading."



My son has really enjoyed this change to our homeschool! It takes 15 minutes or less for him to work through his lesson after reading a book of his choice for 30 minutes. I should note that instead of having him go through the lessons in the order that they were printed, I let him decide which one he wants to do each day. To start, I printed out the 28 unique lessons and put them in a binder. It is typical to see my son flip through the binder to find the lesson he wants to do that day -- typically, he picks one that best fits the topic pertaining to whatever he read. Since some of the activities work better for non-fiction pieces vs. fiction, this flexibility has worked out really well!

I should also add that Not Consumed sells this in a printed book or a pdf file. I personally opted for the pdf file -- that way I can continue to print this for years to come for both boys!


I highly encourage you to check this out if you are wondering what to use for your budding reader!

As a last note, this is ON SALE for one more day! I was so excited when I saw that they're hosting a 15% off sale -- it made me go look for any other items we might want to add to our homeschool this year, ha! This sale expires tomorrow (8/12/21), so grab it quick! Be sure to use the code * 2NDCHANCE *

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