Review: Cheaper By the Dozen Study Guide by Kristina Campbell

Posted by Nikowa Lee | 0 comments

Wanting a house full of children myself, I was eager to read Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. Since this novel was based on real-life, I knew it would be a testament, good and bad, to what life was really like with a full household. It did not fail.
The Gilbreth’s were the epitome of hands-on homeschooling parents, always learning while having fun too. Extremely efficient, they always utilized what they had -often writing on the walls, teaching all of the children everything from Morse code to astronomy. Mr. Gilbreth even had the children listening to French, German and Italian on victrola’s placed strategically through out the house. Now that’s learning by emersion!

Along with reading the novel, I also studied the Cheaper by the Dozen Study Guide by Kristina Campbell. The Study Guide breaks down each chapter of the novel and provides various thoughts to ponder, questions to discuss, and great hands-on project ideas. Each chapter lists various topics that cover every subject imaginable from geography and grammar to religion and cooking. There are even strategically placed links that accompany some of the projects, providing even more hands-on learning!

The Cheaper by the Dozen Study Guide by Kristina Campbell is a great companion for the novel. It’s a must-have for Unit Studies! I plan on using it this coming school year as a literature based unit study for my two children.

After reading the novel and the study guide, and even seeing the movie (which wasn’t as good as the novel) I still feel the same way about wanting a house full. My husband and I would love to test this theory, “Cheaper By The Dozen.” Then maybe we could say what Mr. Gilbreth used to say, “Hey! Do my Irishmen come cheaper by the dozen?”

Nikowa is a 2nd year homeschooling mom to two boys. (Ages 8 and 5) With her “learning never ends” philosophy, they have an eclectic year-round approach to learning. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys photography, organizing, cooking, reading, and knitting. She is a #1 LOST fan and watches UGA football too! (Go Dawgs!) You can visit Nikowa at Knowledge House Academy.