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. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
While discussing math classes for high school with Miss Grace recently, we talked about her needed life skills that incorporated math, that isn't quite taught in math classes anymore- thinks like loans, budgets, checkbooks and annual tax forms. So I was on the lookout for a Financial Literacy class that we could add to her high school layout of classes. And then I got an email about a younger kid's program to review from an amazing company:
The Kingdom Code is a Southern raised company devoted to "teaching the principles of money management to young students so they can become debt-free and self-sufficient adults. I believe students should understand what it means to be content, have a strong, positive work ethic, an appreciation for the free enterprise system, a dependency on God, and respect for others." And that concept resulted in their program called The Kingdom Code, from which we have been able to sample their The Complete Starter Kit!
The Complete Starter Kit is everything you need to teach this financial business course to your student, ages 10-13, grades 4-8 (although you could go a bit younger and older, based on your child's level of understanding). The course is aimed at being 34 weeks long, making it a full year's elective or core course. The ideal is for it to be taught twice a week for 45 minutes each, and then for the student to be working on different projects and their business during the week as well.And because their are built in bible lessons each week, you can get the half credit for bible as well (you know how we LOVE multi-subject courses!)!
The Complete Starter Kit is JUST that- it has everything you need for the class, except for 3 three ring binders and divider tabs. If you're like most homeschoolers, you have those handy anyways, so you really don't need anything besides a pencil and your student! The kit IS aimed at one student, you would need more Student Packets for different students. You can also purchase the PDF version, but honestly it's not that much cheaper, and as the set even comes with holes punched for you, it's just worth the extra cost, to be able to 'open and go'!
The set includes
The Kingdom Code Textbook- left, which is a spiral-bound, full-color (over 800 pictures!) book for your student. They are to read from it and answer questions to you, and then work on included pages.It's not small either, at 244 pages! The text uses 27 lessons to teach kids about budgeting, consumer math, economics, Bible codes, critical thinking, life skills, entrepreneurship, mentoring and even some interesting Texas history! All of which means this is NOT a boring textbook! Most kids in this age group still love all things medieval, so adding in that as the sub-theme that ties it all together also makes the course more fun! parents will like that it also teaches moral values of : Honor, Integrity, Kindness, Bravery, and Perseverance. As you can see, each of the weekly lessons covers one of the Bible lessons (including Bible verses) and it is also split into multiple sections, like Quest for the Clue, Code of Honor, Treasure Seeking, and more to tie in with the medieval theme, but also for consistency, so that your child knows what will be in each section (like finances, budgeting, history), each week. This gives it the textbook feel as well. Miss Grace really liked the layout, as the sections also offer good stopping points for discussion and activities. Some weeks our lessons were short and extra days, other weeks, we did 2 days, but did the lessons off and on, all day.
The included Student Packet contains needed forms, notices, worksheets, KCK treasure map and stickers, KCK budget stickers, flashcards, posters, activity pages, and a receipt book. The
lessons are set up the same each week, also for consistency. Each lessons starts with a Proclamation to introduce the theme, then students read a small section and start the first worksheet. Then they progress to the quest and finding clues, which can include reading about different economic situations, historical people, and modern business people. These examples really help to illustrate the the moral lesson being taught that lesson, and offer ideas for businesses. Along the way, your student also gets in a good amount of reading, and reading comprehension- sneaky but true! From there students learn the Code of Honor and how to apply it not only to their life, but to the business. Kids will enjoy being able to use the included stickers to mark their Quest Map and seeing how long it takes them to find the treasure!
Then there may be additional worksheets, or activities to do on their own, that can include research into what business they want to start, and even reaching out t people currently in those businesses, for more info! I love it when a program teaches life skills, don't you? The extra credit work doesn't even feel like it is that,as the activities are fun and easy to do! Miss Graced really liked the trip to the bank, as now it made more sense to her, what we had been doing!
Each lesson also includes use of the flashcards, via weekly vocabulary words, that they learn in the lesson, that are financial nature, but ones they need to learn, as a future business owner! Score- English vocabulary done for the week too! The vocabulary word WITH pronunciation (all dyslexic kids THANK you for that!) on one side, and then the definition is on the back side. These will need to be cut out, as they come on 8 x 11 sheets!
The goal of the program is to take your student from thinking about starting a business, working out what they might be good at, finding out if there is a need for such a business and then taking all the necessary steps to get it off the ground and running properly, and ethically, along the biblical moral lessons they have learned in the program! Even parents can learn about starting a business alongside their student! The program is SO thorough, just about everything is covered (local government needs might be different)! I loved how the kids actually have to go through all the processes, like getting tax ids and permits- those real life skills (even if being handled by the parent as the entity for approval), will serve them ALL of their lives, once they are learned! But it doesn't just stop at getting your business running, like other programs! It keeps helping your student to actually RUNNING their business, with things like ongoing budgets, customer billing and issues, and making needed changes!
The Teacher's Guide includes the lesson plan and schedule, for those that want to adhere to it exactly. The first 8 lessons are made to be Teacher led, so you DO need the Teacher's Guide as you lead your student in doing the included activities and worksheets and setting up their business. These also include step by step instructions for the teacher, in case you need help teaching the course. Once your student has their business up and running, the rest of the lessons refer to that business, so your student just needs minimal oversight form you at that point with the text and their business activities, like balancing their budget, keeping records, making sure their customer service needs are met, etc. It also is hole punched and ready for you to use. Answer sheets are also included for the different worksheets, especially those that refer back to the readings. It also includes helps for the different bonus activities, feedback forms and additional ones you might need as a teacher.
Miss Grace opted for a landscaping business for her business model. While she has friends who mow yards, they don't do any landscaping. So she contacted those customers, using business contact lists she 'bought' (aka they exchanged services for list-her helping them on yards) from her friends, and worked out a few customers already, doing needed gardening and landscaping, that no one wants to get out in this 90 degree heat and do! Plus for those who wanted a small vegetable garden, she developed small container gardens that she can install for them, that can easily be rolled around and moved where they want them to be. Or she can come over and keep them up, and they benefit from organically grown produce on their patio!
Look at those pepper plants from her first customer- does she have a green thumb or what?
She's also cleaned up quite a few current flower beds and helped plant new ones for Summer, She is at 6 customers already, with 2 more to start next week, while they are on vacation. Yup- she even added in 'vacation' care for yards and plants!
While she hasn't made a huge amount of profit yet, after another couple of weeks, she will be at pure profit (she had a big initial cost outlay, in getting new tools, etc). She is loving the work, and her customers love what she has accomplished in such a short time for them! AND as she told me, she is serving other people and that gives her a really good feeling! Parental score!!!!
You could even teach this course as a family unit, including older teens, but they probably would not be interested in the map and earning stickers. But you could walk them through all the entrepreneurship worksheets and info, just like the younger students, and get them running their own business, or updating the side business they already have (ie babysitting, yard care, paper route) too! This is a solid financial course, and we love how it is bible based, and would highly recommend it!
Check out what my fellow reviews thought of the course, by clicking the picture below, and then come back, because I not only have a discount code for you, I have a VERY special giveaway!
Ready for your discount code?
Our friends at The Kingdom Code are offering all BTHM readers a special Coupon Code offering YOU 10% off of their products, purchased online from their website at The Kingdom Code , like the The Complete Starter Kit, we reviewed!
Just use Coupon Code: 10TKC38 at check out!
Ready to win?
Giveaway:
Our lovely friends at The Kingdom Code have blessed our readers with a sample pack for giveaway here at BTHM!
The Giveaway set is aimed at kids ages 4-10 and includes:
1.JR. KCK Budget Kit - teaches kids how to budget their money at home (no business program). Includes a budget poster, a sticker set, six coloring pages, budgeting percentages page, and instructions on using the budget kit. It uses the same budgeting allocation as the business kit, only does not include putting money into the business.
2. Kingdom Code coloring book - The Kingdom Code Coloring Book is a 32-page book of coloring pages for students, dealing with the Kingdom Code lessons, with pictures of bible verses, knights, treasure boxes, budgeting shields, and more!
Ready to win?
Enter here:
Be sure to follow the Kingdom Code on their social media channels for more great offers and new products:
