Feature Friday: KONOS
12:31 PM, Feb. 3, 2006
KONOS
is a biblically based unit studies curriculum first written in 1984 by
two educators, who are also homeschooling moms, Carole Thaxton and
Jessica Hulcy. Jessica and Carole wrote KONOS for their first
graders, who were bright, inquisitive, wiggly, six-year-old boys.
After a year in public kindergarten, the Thaxtons decided to homeschool
C.J. their six-year-old son. In kindergarten, C.J. had become
friends with the Hulcy's son, Jason. Jason went back to school
for first grade and C.J. was not there. Jason came home and told
Jessica that C.J. was being homeschooled and Jessica promptly went over
to Carole's house to "straigten her out." Carole, a counselor by
training, sat and listened intently. Little did Jessica know that
Carole had prayed for the Lord to raise up someone with whom she could
write curriculum. Carole patiently prayed for the Holy Spirit to
work in Jessica's heart. Within a month, the Hulcys were
homeschooling with the Thaxtons!
Carole
and Jessica recognized that the tell-and-regurgitate method of the
public schools was often necessary in public schools because of the 20
to 25 children one teacher had in her classroom. Since neither
Carole nor Jessica had 20 first graders in their homeschool, they
refused to use the workbook/textbook approach. They chose to do homeschool, not school at home.
Instead of textbooks, they used real books and classics from the
library. Instead of sitting at a desk filling in blanks, they
used the garage, flowerbeds, and kitchen as their classroom.
Instead of sending every child to his room to study independently, the
taught all of their children together as much as possible.
Instead of telling every answer to their children, they allowed their
children to discover the answers on their own. Instead of
teaching topical units, the authors designed units that pointed to the
character of God.
KONOS takes hands on activities to turn minds on. There are tons of mindless hands on activities, and then there are hands on activities that turn minds on. That is what KONOS has been doing for 25 years.
There is mindless hands on that is a waste of time.
Then there is KONOS
hands on that turns minds on.
Experience the difference.
In Him,
Jessica Hulcy
Comments
KONOS
6:27 PM, Feb. 3, 2006, posted by Anonymous
I have used this curriculum for 3 different types of learners and it has proven successful in teaching all 3!
Great method.
"hands on that turns minds on"
8:45 PM, Feb. 3, 2006, posted by Malenki
Now that makes a lot more sense than just activities for activity sake. Going to take a harder look at KONOS, thank you!
Little Did Carole and Jessica Know...
Little Did Carole and Jessica Know that they would one day be the answer to so many other women's prayers for GOOD, FUN, CHRISTIAN CURRICULUM for their kids! I am sooooooooooooo thankful for Konos and the Konos E-loop. God bless you Carole and Jessica (and families). :)
Love in Him,
Heather
12 years of Konos
8:04 AM, Feb. 4, 2006, posted by Jan S.
After using Konos for the last 12 years, I can truthfully say it is the best curriculum for all learning styles and all teaching styles! Both of my oldest are in college now and doing wonderfully! They have both commented to me that they never appreciated their homeschool education using Konos as much as they do now that they are in college. They were prepared! Most importantly to me though, is that using Konos reinforced our Biblical education and praise God, they both have very strong walks with the Lord. We recently adopted a little special needs child and are starting all over again. I'm so grateful to know that Konos will work just fine and I need look no further. Thanks so much Jessica and Carole for doing such a great job and thanks again to Jessica for leading such a fantastic European trip last year. My kids will never forget it!!! Blessings to you all, Jan S.
flexible fun
1:43 PM, Feb. 4, 2006, posted by Anonymous
My children are 5 and under, and they all participate: it's that easy, that flexible, that fun! I love especially how it blends with Charlotte Mason's "Living Books" method, but gives structure and shape to the year by being based on Godly character traits.
KONOS is the Best!
7:41 PM, Feb. 4, 2006, posted by Lindy
We have used KONOS curriculum for the past 8 years now (homeschooled for 12 years), with one ds currently using History of the World high school curriculum, and another ds using the KONOS volumes in 2nd grade. There is no way to describe the amazing things we have all learned through KONOS, and how much fun this learning has been!! I only wish that our (now married) dd could have homeschooled with KONOS, too, instead of the traditional homeschool curriculums we used with her. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to Jessica & Carole, and also good friend and KONOS rep, Phyllis Phipps! We are so blessed to be KONOS addicts!!!
KONOS Is Wonderful!
7:58 PM, Feb. 7, 2006, posted by
wencla
We have been using KONOS for almost 4 years and it has totally changed our homeschool! The kids love the units, the activities and I love what they are learning.
Thank you Jessica, for designing something that allows us to teach all our kids together and make it fun in the process!
The kids retain so much from the way all learning styles are engaged in the process of studying a character trait. My kids love the dressing up and re-enacting all they have learned--even long after we have finished a unit!
Blessings,
Wendy in TX
Fabulous Curriculum!
We started using Konos last August, and we've loved every minute of it! I thank God we found Konos before muddling through textbook-style curricula. We bought all 3 volumes, and I like to read the ones we're not currently using...just for fun!
KONOS is great !
5:40 AM, Feb. 8, 2006, posted by Anonymous
We have been using KONOS for 5 years, homeschooling for 7. My kids still don't think KONOS time is really school because it is so much fun. And I am learning a lot too!
KONOS is definitely spreading in Quebec where it is used by French families with french library books. Thank you KONOS for such a versatile Godly program.
Anne-Marie
