Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures (age 5-8)
Prepare to be amazed as you watch your differently-wired kiddo make real friends, explore this unique content, grow under the guidance of this expert mentor, and be seen in all their glory!
Ages: 5-8
Class size: Maximum- 8 Students
Level: All
Price Per Session: $44
Why Take This Course?
🪄 🦄 Enter a world of magic, where unicorns, dragons, and other imaginary creatures are all around us! We'll let our imaginations guide us on our journey.
** This course refreshes each semester with new amazing creatures to learn about!
This course will introduce your curious child an array of fantastic creatures within their cultural, historical, and even scientific contexts. By drawing upon young students' boundless imaginations, each class will encourage students to observe and discuss mythologies, legends, symbols, and cultural themes from around the world.
Each meeting, a brief lesson will be presented about a featured mythical creature: what it looks like, what special powers (if any) it possesses, what culture(s) it belongs to, and it's legendary origins.
As we hone our observation skills by examining illustrations of the creature together, we will discuss any noticeable special attributes of these fantastic creatures, Once we have shared our observations, students will color or draw the creature in their "Field Guide" journal and label it.
Weekly printed fact sheets will be provided, which students may cut out and add to their journals, plus a coloring page for students who are not as adventurous about drawing on their own.
Watch Our Students in Action
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Enter a world of magic, where unicorns, dragons, and other imaginary creatures are all around us! We'll let our imaginations guide us on our journey. This course will introduce your curious child an array of fantastic creatures within their cultural, historical, and even scientific contexts. By drawing upon young students' boundless imaginations, each class will encourage students to observe and discuss mythologies, legends, symbols, and cultural themes from around the world.
Each meeting, a brief lesson will be presented about a featured mythical creature: what it looks like, what special powers (if any) it possesses, what culture(s) it belongs to, and it's legendary origins. As we hone our observation skills by examining illustrations of the creature together, we will discuss any noticeable special attributes of these fantastic creatures. Once we have shared our observations, students will color or draw the creature in their "Field Guide" journal and label it. Weekly printed fact sheets will be provided, which students may cut out and add to their journals, plus a coloring page for students who are not as adventurous about drawing on their own.
In addition to completing our journal entries, class time will be spent exchanging creature facts and lore, sharing favorite fantasy-inspired toys and books, and generally "geeking out" about imaginary worlds and magical creatures together. We will also intermittently play related interactive games or engage in themed movement activities. Students will be encouraged to bring something "magical" to share each week, and will also occasionally be provided with extension activities between meetings.
In each short, introductory lesson, students will learn about the weekly featured creature through a variety of approaches, such as read aloud stories, informative slides, video clips, and graphics, and more. We will also intermittently add playful learning activities such as: building and sculpting, movement activities, games, discussion, repetition and more.
Vocabulary words such as observe, investigate, legend, fiction, mythology, culture, origin, mythical, geography, parts of the globe, and more will be introduced and used during these interactive, engaging lessons.
All lessons will be age-appropriate in content and themes.
While the main focus of this weekly club will be on allowing young fantasy enthusiasts to share their love of magical beings, we will also be practicing important primary-age social and educational skills as we learn about habitats, adaptation, and other STEAM concepts. The short creature lesson at the beginning will provide a framework for these discussions and will help the young explorer to build and develop observation, recreation, and communication skills, as well as to foster curiosity, wonder, and interest in the world around them--big and small, real and imagined. The "Field Guide" we create will serve as a fun keepsake and reference for future fantasy studies and reflection.
Part 1 Creatures:
Manticore
Dragon
Gryphon
Ratatoskr
Kraken
Medusa
Werewolf
Sea Serpent
Chimera
Get ready for an adventure of epic proportions!
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Champion young fantasy enthusiasts to share their love of magical beings while they learn to build and develop observation, recreation, and communication skills, as well as to foster curiosity, wonder, and interest in the world around them--big and small, real and imagined.
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Access to a printer is required for this class.
Supplies needed include: a sketchbook, colored pencils, crayons, markers, pencil, eraser, scissors and glue.
Other creative materials may occasionally be requested, such as LEGO or DUPLO bricks, clay, playdough, or other building/making supplies.
Extension activities may require additional materials, but will mostly be easy-to-find, common household items, and are always optional.
Our Promise To You
Satisfaction Guarantee:
Your child must attend the class in question to qualify.
If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your courses, here are your options:
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Refund requests must be received up to 24 hours after the first course begins to do one of the following options:
transfer to another course of the same price
get a 100% refund credit toward a future class
get a 75% money-back to the original payment method
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The deposit made at the time of enrollment is non-refundable.
Cancellation options are:
Payment plan: Cancellation requests received up to 24 hours after the first course begins will stop any future payments.
Any cancellation requests beyond that require a 30-day notice to stop the membership/billing.
Paid in full:
Cancellation requests require a 30-day notice.
The remaining balance at the end of the 30-day cancellation period can be used to transfer to another class or be converted to credit toward a future class.
How To Enroll
Explore Times
Click below to discover when this transformative course is blasting off:
What Our Parents Say…
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"As a former [special education] teacher and a parent on the spectrum, I have 4 neurodiverse kiddos I homeschool. Miss Alex has been fantastic. The key is finding a teacher that is just as passionate about learning as the kids. She is an excellent teacher for ANY student."
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“Miss Alex is a great teacher!:-) she is not scared to talk to her students as people who can understand scientific language. The classes are a mixture of knowledge, a project, reading a book, a fun and something serious (that's what kids need in my opinion to know a new material and at the same time to be interested in the subject). The teacher is always prepared and well-organized...And there is always something unexpected at the class:-)”
Meet Your Mentor
Miss Alex
Miss Alex has been teaching one thing or another (mostly art and STEM) for the better part of her adult life--although she often has trouble remembering that she is, indeed, a grown up! Often described as "weird," "nerdy" or "unlike the other kids" when she was in school (very long ago), she's grown to embrace her quirkiness, especially as a parent and educator. Her favorite part about her work is that she gets to do the very serious job of teaching while also spending her whole day "geeking out" with awesome kids about the best stuff: science, magical creatures, nature, animals, dinosaurs, imagination, art. She is inspired by how incredibly smart and curious her learners are, and enjoys exploring the wonders of the world right alongside them.
Miss Alex has been a STEAM and art educator for 8 years, as well as a homeschool parent, teacher, and advisor for nearly a decade. She applies an eclectic approach to teaching, seeing herself as more of a facilitator and fellow life-long learner than lecturer. She loves getting to know her students and building relationships with them as they explore and investigate together.
Miss Alex combines different learning styles in her lessons, and uses humor, lots of interactive discussion, and an approachable attitude to help everyone feel included and valued. As an ADHD parent of ADHD and neuro-diverse children, it is important to Miss Alex that all types of learners are able to have a positive, meaningful experience in her classes. Her goal is to open each child up to the joy of wondering, learning and connecting with the wide world all around us.
Explore Other Courses Offered by Young Scholars Academy
Questions Asked By Fellow Parents
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4 KEY things:
1- A focus on the positive! We don’t focus on what students aren’t doing, we support what they are and we know the rest will come. We develop strengths, interests, and relationships. We build students up so they can build a better world! And do it with the new friends they make in our program!
2- Like-minded neurodivergent peers. Our asynchronous students need one another and YSA is a safe haven for these kiddos to connect around their asynchronies, quirks, and interests. We’re a place where they can be their authentic selves and make friends while doing so!
3- Passionate, masterful neurodivergent mentors who have walked the walk and can authentically validate and support your child with personal experience and care AND expertise as we all have advanced masters + degrees
4-Content your students care about taught in a way they love! We offer the courses they need to be taking, not the ones they’re required to take.
Come by and see for yourself!
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Please don’t confuse reactive “distance learning” and virtual enrichment programming. After all, a student who is completely fried from a boring zoom class is often quick to pick up a tablet or phone, right?
Our courses are not at all the same animal =)
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THIS IS A SATISFACTION GUARANTEE, so your child must attend the class in question to qualify.
If you’re not 100% IN LOVE with your courses, here are your options:
1- 8-Week Courses Refund requests must be received up to 24 hours after the first course begins to do one of the following options:
Payment plan or Paid in full- 3 options: transfer to another course of the same price, get a 100% refund credit toward a future class, or get a 75% money-back to the original payment method.
2- 16+ Week CoursesThe deposit made at the time of enrollment is non-refundable. Cancellation options are:
Payment plan- Cancellation requests received up to 24 hours after the first course begins will stop any future payments. Any cancellation requests beyond that require a 30-day notice to stop the membership/billing.
Paid in full- Cancellation requests require a 30-day notice. The remaining balance at the end of the 30-day cancellation period can be used to transfer to another class or be converted to credit toward a future class.
Please read the description of each course before enrolling.
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We do! We have 3 kinds:
1- Word of mouth: 25% off- we know that the best way to reach new families is word of mouth. When you help another family enroll in a YSA class and they name you at checkout, you will get 25% off the cost of the course you’re currently enrolled in once they stay past the refund period. Note— this applies to all regular courses, BUT only applies to the first month of membership courses.
2- Multi-sibling: 10% off- We believe in supporting whole families and we are willing to put our money where our mouth is! When you sign-up 2 or more kiddos you will receive 10% off. Note— this does not apply to our membership courses.
3-Multi-course: 10% off- To fully serve your family, we hope to provide your child with all the courses they dream of taking! To make this more affordable, when you enroll in 3 or more classes, you will receive 10% off. Note— this does not apply to our membership courses.
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Of course!
As we like to say, if you’re on our site, you’re in the right place.
Our programming is for students who are not being supported or challenged enough in school.
If you have an asynchronous kiddo who you know has strengths and struggles, our courses are for your child.
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2e students experience such asynchronous development that it proves difficult to have hard age limits.
We often evaluate students on a case by case basis =)
Please email us and we’ll discuss: sam@youngscholarsacademy.org
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All of our programs are 100% virtual. This allows us to bring together the twice-exceptional/neurodivergent students of the world, connect them, and nurture them!
Your child may very well enter a 6-person class with 5 other students from 5 different states/countries!
Cool, right?