“The Kingdom Code: The Complete Starter Kit” – Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Big Helper is a born entrepreneur. From a very young age, she had all sorts of ideas for businesses that she could run, and she started several of them. Since starting and running a business has never really been on my radar, I’ve been looking for ways to guide her – and that’s why we’re thrilled to review The Complete Starter Kit by The Kingdom Code.

This is such a great tool! The Kingdom Code book walks students through basic economics and entrepreneurship. It teaches the kinds of lessons that people need to know in order to plan and run a business.

The Kingdom Code really walks kids through every step of running a business – from making the initial plans to evaluating how it goes after it’s up and running. Worksheets and templates are provided for tracking purposes, and marketing and other plans are included – more about that later. What really makes this program stand out, though, is that it’s not isolated. Character and Biblical principles are taught in every step of the program. It’s not just about making money, here – it’s about being a strong person of faith and good character and doing what’s right. For example, it’s not enough to make a sale and take the money from your customer – TKC suggests that you carry thank you cards so that you can give them to your customers. Thank you cards are pretty rare these days, but they definitely make an impression, and it’s a good practice to have.

Another aspect of The Kingdom Code’s program that I like is that it’s reinforcing real economic principles. It doesn’t water down ideas or terminology; instead, there are flashcards to help with learning vocabulary words and pages to help you use them so that you’re sure you’ve got the concept down.

Have I mentioned the business plan? The Kingdom Code really drills this home – they advocate doing this right, the real way, and not throwing stuff into a wagon and taking off. As she worked on the sheet above, My Big Helper paused from her writing to think for a week or two, and then to ask for a sit-down discussion with me, and then started sketching ideas on more paper. To that end, there are planning sheets, and even ….

things like this survey. This is great because it’s important for your student to recognize his/her own strengths and weaknesses. You need to know what you can do and what you’re willing to do before you get started!

I know a lot of kids who like to track their progress. They like to be able to see how much they’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done, and this treasure map and stickers is a great way to track your progress through the Kingdom Code lessons!

I love this receipt book! It’s the perfect business tool for young entrepreneurs, but it’s very professional, too, with lightweight paper and double pages inside, just like a checkbook. It’s a great feature of the program.

The Kingdom Code company was generous and provided us with a few products that are not part of the packaged kit – including this Kingdom Code Coloring Book. I very much appreciate their generosity, but I do have mixed feelings about this piece. On one hand, coloring pages are in vogue right now, and it’s a great way for kids to internalize the ideas they’re learning. On the other hand, many kids put away their crayons at a young age – and with this program geared for fourth- to eight-grade students, it feels a bit young. It’s a great add-on product, though, if you think it would benefit your particular student. As an incoming freshman, my Big Helper preferred to spend her time working out the details of her business over coloring, but she is at the upper end of the targeted age range.

I like the way that The Kingdom Code breaks down business principles so that they’re accessible and understandable even for upper-elementary students. Having put so much time and effort into businesses of her own in prior years, My Big Helper found some of these lessons to be a bit simplistic; however, there were still many things that made her stop and think, and it’s a very worthwhile program, even for a kid with some experience under her belt.

In fact, she’s spent a lot of time doing just that – thinking through exactly what kind of business she’d like to start, what parameters it might have, and how she can run it. She’s really taken the ideas in the business planning portion of this program to heart and is working really hard – and it’s evident by the way she randomly starts shouting out ideas she’s pondering.

Another bonus piece we received is the Jr. Budget Kit. The Kingdom Code program takes all aspects of entrepreneurship to a new level; it’s not just about making money. They also teach you how to budget and track the money that you make. The formula they use is a new one to me, but I’m all for all of the categories that they include, and I think it’s great to start this way right from the start. There are also lessons that go further into depth with this.

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The Kingdom Code is a complete, year-long program that is designed to be taught twice each week in 45-minute blocks. While the first few lessons require parental help, the program becomes much more independent after that. Also, it’s important to note that while students can share the textbook, they should each have their own consumable student book.

I see a lot of value in The Kingdom Code program. With its emphasis on both Biblical principles and sound financial teaching, this is a great, hands-on way to learn important lessons that all adults need to know – and what better, more fun way to learn them than to start your own business? My Big Helper is excited to continue working her way through this program over the summer – and I bet your student would be, too. Don’t take my word for it, though – click on the banner below to read other Homeschool Review Crew reviews of this product.