Boost Kids Review - Eclectic Homeschool Online



Reviewed by: Beverly Krueger

It's an amazing thing to some people, but when you treat others with respect and employ good manners most people return the favor. Boost Kids is promoted as a self-esteem and confidence building program, but it's not one of those rah, rah you're wonderful because you're wonderful kind of programs. It's loaded with the kind of practical advice most moms and dads readily hand out, like making eye contact, not talking behind people's backs, being passionate about something, and apologizing quickly and sincerely.

Boost Kids has a number of pieces to the program, including a CD-ROM, an activity book, a set of Boost Cards, and a parent guide. The CD-ROM is probably the most appealing portion of the program. The teens in my home were drawn into watching it with me as I sat down to review it. Boost Kids founder Rob Heller presents the lessons in a series of short videos. His presentations are clear and teen friendly. The video segments often include dramatizations by teens that either use or do not use the suggested principles. These are very effective at making the points crystal clear. The CD-ROM includes a pre-test and post-test to see how well you employ the Boost Kids principles. A review and brief quiz also follow each lesson. The software does not track student progress through the lessons or on the quizzes, but it does give the results of the pre-test and post-test. Enter a new username when starting the program to track new users.

The activity book has eight lessons, each with three to six topics. Each topic includes a brief article that addresses the topic. The presentation in the activity book is a little longer than on the CD-ROM. A fill-in-the-blank page reviews the major points of the lesson. There are Boost Cards for each of the topics in the eight lessons. They include helpful tips for implementing the suggestions and a think about it section that reminds users why they should handle things as Boost Kids suggests. The parent's guide contains information for using the program and the answer key to the activity book fill-in-the blank pages.

The program seems best suited for pre-teens and younger teens. Self-confidence often plummets during the junior high years, so the topics covered in this program would be especially helpful during what can be a very painful time for some kids. Although homeschoolers are supposed to be doomed to poor socialization, my experience has found that most older homeschool teens are following Boost Kids precepts. My interactions with schooled teens are more often the opposite. I think that's a function of the barrier that some teens construct between themselves and any adult. Homeschoolers spend more time interacting with adults and are more inclined to develop the habits of making eye contact and engaging in friendly conversation even with adults. Thus, my recommendation to homeschoolers is use this program with your 11 to 14-year-old if you feel that a little extra support for your own efforts would be worthwhile. I think the video dramatizations are especially useful for those kids that can't visualize the difference in behavior you're suggesting they make.

The program is currently available for a 30-day free trial for the cost of shipping and handling. If you do not return the program, you'll be billed after 30 days for the full program cost.

Beverly Krueger
Beverly Krueger is Senior Editor of the Eclectic Homeschool Online and a homeschool conference speaker. The Krueger family also participate in the ministry of Mission of Joy, a Christian mission to the people of India.



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