Meet UsWinterPromise started as an idea.
An idea that parents could enjoy all the benefits of the best of all homeschooling approaches, with little to none of the drawbacks.
Working from the idea that literature communicates powerfully to young minds, we developed a curriculum that is strongly literature-based. This helps us offer to parents the opportunity to do less teaching and more "learning together" with their children. This "Learning Together" method has the additional benefit of requiring almost no preparation for the parent, preserving as many moments as possible for "face-to-face" time with their children.
These living, wonderful books were able to capture the imagination of children, turn them into better, curious readers, and help them to remember historical detail in a way nothing else would. In addition, we chose books, especially for our younger learners, that drew them in visually first. The graphic approach of these books also helped include kinesthetic learners, as they are able to trace maps with their fingers, find objects on the page, or search for visual clues to questions their parents asked.
Literature is marvelous, but it has its limitations, especially with hands-on learners. Thus, we add a vibrant activity set to each of our programs. These sets offer activity kits, books, and ideas to help parents introduce a hands-on aspect to the time with their children. These times create family memories and a family culture.
In our language arts, we add interesting workbooks so some of your children can be working independently while you work one-on-one in another area with another student.
In short, we've taken all of the best for you and combined it into one package. With your guidebook in hand, you have everything you need to begin a journey with your family this year that can continue for a lifetime.
It's why we say we offer you "Literature, Activities, Memories."
Come make some memories with us!
About the Authors
There are many contributors to WinterPromise. Much of the writing and editing is done by Kaeryn Brooks, but her husband Don and several other writers all write and contribute to the final product you bring into your family life.
Don and Kaeryn Brooks have both been active in the field of education for many years. In addition to their educational training, each has had years of experience working directly with children and young adults in a variety of settings.
Don has been privileged to serve in a number of Christian educational settings as youth pastor and pastor, youth mentor and counselor, teacher, camp ministry leader and more. He has led youth survival and witnessing outings, developed mentoring curriculums, and led after-school children's programs. He has worked with underprivileged youth in an inner city setting and dealt with the needs of children from both abusive and neglectful homes. He has developed and led several chess clubs and leagues for children and youth alike, served as a chess tournament director for both adults and young people, and established week-long summer chess camps for children. Don has a heart for people-to-people ministry, and this comes across clearly in his work with children and youth who feel he cares about them as individuals.
Kaeryn has also had many years of experience with children and young people in addition to her training. Kaeryn began teaching a class for children when she was just thirteen years of age, developing her own curriculum for the class without supervision. She served as a Child Evangelism Fellowship missionary, spending a summer ministering to underprivileged city children. She has led such varied programs as summer camps and schools, youth outreach banquets, children's drama programs, and teacher training seminars. She has taught children, young people and adults in a variety of settings. Prior to her work with WinterPromise she wrote dramas and songs for children, Christian teaching resources, short stories, and articles.
When Kaeryn began teaching her own children in a homeschool setting, she tried many curriculums, searching for the one that offered a great family experience and reached all of her children, without being overwhelming. After years of making do, combining curriculums, and “tweaking,” she earnestly began researching alternative schooling methods and newer educational theories for better ways of reaching her own children. She found that the variety of learning styles reflected in her own family was not well-reached by any one curriculum. Kaeryn’s research led her to believe that an entirely new and integrated way of teaching would yield better results for schooling children with varied learning styles.
Based upon what Kaeryn learned, she developed the "Experience” approach and used it with her own children. She then established a school that also used this type of approach. Its success led her to create a homeschool version of this "Experience" curriculum, resulting in WinterPromise Publishing's themed curriculum packages. The “Experience” approach she created drew upon Charlotte Mason’s ideals of joy in learning, journaling and discovery, but added the great literature, themed units, notebooking, activities, experiments, and alternative media that are key components of other major homeschooling approaches. By combining all of these components, instead of embracing just one, WinterPromise would offer an entirely new way of homeschooling. A student could have many different “experiences,” and a family could teach to every learning style! This “Experience” approach would offer real-life experiences to students, but would also be largely “open and go” – a joy to use for both parent and student. WinterPromise has grown simply by word of mouth, spreading quickly across the United States and around the world.
WinterPromise also makes use of various other authors and illustrators in some of its publications. Each have years of practical experience with children and often have a special interest or background in homeschooling in particular.
Today, WinterPromise continues to make use of the newest methods to help reach children educationally, encouraging a spirit of curiosity and wonder in learning, while offering practical, can-do-it programs that parents feel confident in using, making memories with their children.