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Clean 'n' Flip Charts
Don’t you just hate telling your kids over and over and over and over again how to do the same simple chores? Don’t you just wish they would actually clean their rooms or clean the kitchen thoroughly with a one-sentence command from you? With Trigger Memory Systems Chore Flip Charts, they can! Kids get it! Kids remember! With the chore flip charts, the “I forgot what I was supposed to do next” excuse goes out the window. The flip charts include step-by-step, easy-to-understand instructions, and cute illustrations for non-readers. I thought my kids (ages 10 and 13) would be too old for the cutesy flip charts, but they're not! My 13 year old had my entire kitchen—including the usually overlooked counters—sparkling clean in no time flat. My 10 year old snagged the Laundry Flip Chart and announced that since she was now tall enough to reach the controls, it was high time she learned how to use the washer and dryer. I helped her figure out the specific settings I like to use, but the flip chart showed her the rest. The flip chart reminded her of what to do the next few times as well and I was happy not to have to watch her do the laundry every single time (like I had to do with my older daughter when she learned how to do it). Individual flip charts (bedroom and laundry) are $7.95 each. The Zone Cleaning Flip Chart is $17.95 because it’s fully laminated. The best buy is the bundle of all three chore flip charts for $29.95. Times Tales Wish there was an easy, fun, fast way to get your kids to memorize the multiplication tables—especially the higher numbers? Well, now there is! Times Tales uses cute pictures to illustrate each number (three through nine, but not five). The basic facts are taught using memorable mnemonic stories and pictures. The stories are so much fun your kids won’t even realize they’re learning their times tables! Most kids learn all of the basic upper-level multiplication facts in two forty-five minute sessions. Times Tales also incorporates the cute illustrations to teach the division facts (they’re just the opposite of multiplication facts). What could be simpler? Times Tales costs $29.95 and includes the two-part Story Flipchart, Trigger Memory & Regular Flashcards (multiplication & division), Roll 'Em Cube Game, easy instruction manual, memory story discussion guide, and various tests & challenges. It’s well worth the money if you (and your kids) are tired of doing the same old worksheets over and over again, with little success. |
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Ever forget a spelling rule? You won’t forget again after using All About Spelling with your kids, and neither will they. I wish it had been available when my youngest daughter was struggling through spelling in first and second grades. All About Spelling offers a phonetic, multi-sensory, no-fail approach to spelling. It is the most thorough and well-organized spelling program I have ever seen (in over eight years of homeschooling). “All About Spelling approaches spelling as a thinking subject, not merely as a subject for memorization.” It is a great program for tactile and auditory learners, as well as for children with auditory processing disorders. It can be used as a phonics program in addition to a spelling program. It is thorough and reusable for other children in your family. If you want to teach more than one child at a time, just make sure you purchase a separate materials packet for each child in order to ensure complete customization of the program. All About Spelling costs more than a cheap spelling workbook, but it is well worth it if you’ve got a struggling or reluctant learner. Costs: Levels 1 & 2 are $29.95 each for the teacher and materials packet set. Levels 3 & 4 are $39.95 for each set. The letter tiles (essential to the program) are $9.95. The magnets for the letter tiles (helpful for keeping your tiles organized on a magnetic board or cookie sheet) are $5.95. The phonogram CD is $14.95—this will ensure that each phoneme is pronounced, and therefore spelled, correctly. This item is especially helpful for those who live in areas of the country which have strong accents (i.e., the drawl of southerners, or the dropped r’s of New Englanders). |
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Do the words “time for school” bring groans from your technologically savvy children? With Time 4 Learning, you’ll never hear “I wish I could do my schoolwork on the computer” again. Time 4 Learning brings core curriculum straight to your computer for grades Preschool–8 with no software to install. How it works: Your children each get their own login with daily, new, multimedia lessons, interactive exercises, assessments, and printable worksheets. The snapshot reports provide an ongoing record of activities and progress. Parents can use Time 4 Learning for enrichment, as core curriculum for homeschooled students, or as part of an overall homeschool program. The lessons and assessments are self-paced and national standards based. The curriculum is based on CompassLearning Odyssey. Pros: It’s interactive. It can be a complete curriculum or a supplement. It comes with a 14-day money back guarantee. Kids can work at their own pace and be on different levels in different subjects; the computer tracks kids’ progress and generates reports for parents. It covers math, language arts, social studies and science and it’s based on national standards. Parents can have full control in assigning which lessons kids work on each day. It has a fun playground area with games as a reward for finishing schoolwork. A new Christian parent-discussion forum has been added. Cons: There were some instances of what our family considers crude humor. If you’re looking for a Christian program, this is not it—it is clearly secular. The science curriculum promotes evolution. I found the parent/teacher area and lesson plans hard to navigate. It didn’t hold my fifth grader’s attention. Cost: $19.95/month for the first child; the second child is an additional $14.95/month. Time 4 Learning could be a cost-effective way to cover the basics if that’s all you’re using. If you’re using it as a supplement, the monthly fees could really add up. |
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We can’t live on one income! Have you seen the price of gas lately? I’ve got eight kids—that’s a lot of grocery money! We’re too used to eating at nice restaurants to give up the habit. Homeschool cheaply—yeah right. We have a mortgage, and car payments, and orthodontist bills, and . . . and . . . In Living and Learning on One Income, you are introduced to twelve different authors, twelve different perspectives, twelve different parts of the country (and even a different country), and twelve different situations. All of them live and homeschool on one income. Not only that, but they are thriving. This e-book is more than just a reminder to clip coupons and delay gratification. It’s twelve families sharing their secrets, hints, and practical ideas for living off of only one income. It’s the nitty-gritty of how it actually works in everyday living. It’s also a big dose of Christian encouragement. Yes, you can be frugal and enjoy it!
Living and Learning on One Income is coming soon to The Old Schoolhouse Store. |
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If you think some of the best children’s literature was written before 1950, you’re not alone. Salem Ridge Press brings wholesome, exciting, well-written children’s literature of the 1800s and early 1900s back into print. Salem Ridge Press has very stringent guidelines for portraying boy/girl relationships (absolutely NO kissing, let alone anything else questionable), only modest clothing, no derogatory language, and no misleading business dealings. Their motto is Philippians 4:8, “Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (KJV). You can hand your child any book published by Salem Ridge Press without worrying about previewing it for appropriateness. The books published by Salem Ridge Press fall under a few select categories: inspirational, historical fiction (church, world, and American), allegorical, adventure, and young readers. Most books appeal to both boys and girls. Their Web site has all of the books categorized so you can choose books to go along with your history or Bible studies if you wish. Each book has a short, but thorough, synopsis, and you can even download a free sample chapter. While the prices (reasonable) and ISBN numbers are listed, the books are not for sale on Salem Ridge Press’s Web site. Instead, you are directed to a number of homeschool business that sell their books. They are also available at major retail bookstores, Amazon.com, and BarnesAndNoble.com. The founder is a homeschool graduate himself, so he knows what homeschooling families look for in good literature. Both of my children (ages 10 and 13) enjoyed the three books we received, Glaucia the Greek Slave, The White Seneca, and Mary Jane—Her Book. I enjoyed knowing that they were reading good, wholesome literature.
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I bound out of bed full of energy at 6:00 a.m. I do my daily devotions, breeze through my exercise routine, and put on my newest size 6 J. Crew outfit. As I stroll into my gleaming kitchen to make omelets and fruit cups for breakfast, my darling children, perfectly groomed, joyfully help set the table and care for their pets. Schoolwork is quietly buzzing along by 8:00 a.m., so I decide to start the first load of laundry. After hanging the clothes out to dry, I sweep off the deck and water my lush, fall flower garden. While the children contentedly self-teach, I work on an editing job. At mid-morning, we pause for a healthful snack and a poetry recitation. After our morning recess comes more learning for the children and more work for me. For lunch, my children whip up a delicious recipe from their home economics course. Following a general clean up of the kitchen, we’re ready for our art history lesson accompanied by our classical listening music time. Every afternoon includes a different extra-curricular activity for each well-rounded child, so mom’s sparkling minivan is always on the move. A home-cooked meal followed by family devotions sets up our relaxed evenings of enjoying each other’s company as we play educational games until bedtime. Buzz, buzz, buzz!! What’s that? Oh, time to get up. That’s the third time I’ve hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. Too bad, I was having such a lovely dream . . . Maybe next time I’ll be a little more practical about real time organization tips. |
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Spears Art Studio K-8 Christian Art Curriculum and High School Art Survey CDs Are you looking for a COMPLETE, COMPREHENSIVE, CHRISTIAN, CLASSICAL art curriculum that will last your child(ren) all the way from kindergarten through eighth grade or that will fulfill a complete fine arts credit for your high schooler? Then look no further than the Spears Art Studio curricula! The Spears Art Studio K-8 Christian Art Curriculum Teacher's Manual has a main theme (including seasonal and holiday themes) for each of the thirty-six school weeks, with one or more activities for each of the nine grade levels based on that main theme. Each lesson addresses art elements, art principles, design elements, scripture integration, art history, and more on an age-appropriate level. The CD-Rom ($39.95) has full-color illustrations in PDF, while the paper copy is in black and white. You can get both the hard copy and the CD-Rom for $134.95 (including shipping). The lessons are completely divided by grade level, then subdivided into months and weeks. It is possible to teach multiple children at the same time and for the curriculum to be used year after year (without repeating projects or lessons). When I first looked at it, I was quite overwhelmed. I consider myself fairly art challenged and I don’t place a high emphasis on art in our homeschool. Yes, I can see some of you cringing! In order to do justice to this thorough art study, I would need way more time (and space on my walls) than I’m willing to allot to art for my fifth grader right now. We have had fun with some of the projects, though. For those of you looking for a comprehensive, Christ-centered art curriculum, take a good look at the Spears Art Studio. If you’re teaching art in a homeschool co-op, you will LOVE it! Look at what’s included: • wow! The • art elements - line, shape, space, color, texture, form Need more incentives to check out the Spears Art Studio Web site and curricula? How ‘bout these: free sample lessons online, send in a photo of your students’ artwork for them to display on their Web site, how to teach drawing article (for the drawing impaired).
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The Little Man in the Map, by E. Andrew Martonyi, illus. by Ed Olson, Schoolside Press “Geography that’s fun to learn and easy to remember!” Really? Yes, really! The Little Man in the Map uses cute rhyming stories with coordinating pictures to help kids remember the placement of the states. WOW!!!!!! My kids knew basically where some of the states are (such as the one in which we live and the ones in which the grandparents live), but certainly not the location of every state. When I first saw The Little Man in the Map, I thought it would be too immature for my kids (ages 10 and 13) since it’s written in a cartoon style. My 10 year old snatched it right out of my hands, then returned twenty minutes later with the location of every state memorized! It even passed my 13 year old’s “coolness” test. Wait! There’s more! Schoolside Press’s Web site offers 2 FREE coloring pages to download. They also offer a large (38 x 22 in.), colorful wall map for $21.95 to reinforce the state names and go along with the book. If you are teaching |
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Rime to Read: A program for Beginning Readers, by Sara Hines and Lynn Klaiman, illustrated by Shari Hookman Berger Don’t you mean Rhyme to Read? No, I don’t, but that’s what I thought, too, until I got to the Web site’s home page. So, what are rimes? Rimes are words that sound and look alike. Rhymes sound alike, but may or may not look alike. Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, what is the Rime to Read program about? It is a highly effective approach to beginning reading skills; it emphasizes word families (rimes); it utilizes a unique color-coded system; and it will read to you (if you click on a word). It is a cumulative, 20-book program that can be accessed from the computer or printed. They are similar to the Bob Books in that they emphasize one short vowel sound per set (four books per set).
That sounds great! What else can you tell me? Here’s what else is great about the Rime to Read program: 1. You can try it before you buy—receive a FREE trial book. 2. The illustrations are cute, but don’t detract from reading skills. 3. Kids can read through the books themselves by clicking on the words they don’t know to hear them read out loud. 4. Each sound is color coded to reinforce the concepts. 5. You can sign up for a free newsletter to receive additional beginning reading tips. 6. Books can be saved on the computer to save paper and space, or printed so kids can carry them around to read whenever they wish. 7. The authors themselves will personally answer any questions not addressed in the faqs. Are there any cons? Yep, I found a few: 1. I found the books a little hard to evaluate since I don’t have any beginning readers at home any more. I had to stretch back in my memory to remember what they liked and what worked for them. 2. You have to sign up (name and email address) on the Web site to see the free book. 3. I still prefer actual books that I can hold in my hands. Printing them out just isn’t the same. 4. The cost is a bit steep. Each set of four books (one set for each short vowel sound) costs $9.99. True, there is the audio component, but I still thought it was a bit much for beginning reading books. The bottom line: If you’ve got an emerging reader and enjoy e-books, Rime to Read is for you. If you still prefer actual books you can hold in your hands, go a different direction. |
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The Missing Link: Found, by Christina and Felice Gerwitz, Media Angels Have you taken a look, a good look, at popular pre-teen and teen literature recently? I have and I have not been impressed. Media Angels, a publishing company owned by homeschool veterans, is dedicated to bringing fun, clean, Christian literature back into the young adult genre. The Truth Seekers Mystery Series is co-authored by a teenager and her mother. My aspiring fiction writer enjoyed and was encouraged by reading a book authored by a fellow teen. My preteen was practically biting her fingernails throughout the book wondering what would happen next. They actually fought over The Missing Link: Found when it arrived. I will be ordering the other two books in the series! The Missing Link: Found was written by a teenager, not a professional writer. If you’re looking for non-fluff, this is not it. If you’re looking for fluff with Christian values, then this series is for you. The entire three-book set is only $22.00, and each book is $8.99. |
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If you’re looking for biblical, cute play sets for Christmas gifts, look no further. One 2 Believe has one of the most adorable, sturdy play sets I have ever seen. The Nativity Set is a 17-piece set with all the necessary pieces to help your kids learn the story of the nativity. Also included are a mini story book (in English, Spanish, and French) and a guide to help parents recognize the basic spiritual learning stages of children. The nativity set is only $24.99—a bargain for such a quality toy that will last for years to come. “With Tales of Glory PVC Figurine Sets, children can bring the greatest stories of the Bible to life. Each set contains a mini-storybook and a collection of 3” PVC figurines. The 3” size is designed to fit perfectly in a young child’s hand. Add a Tales of Glory Play-mat to any of the figurine sets and watch your child’s imagination soar.” The play sets are designed for children ages three and up; even older children will enjoy a nativity set that they can touch and rearrange. Since my kids are older, I suggested sending the nativity set to my niece and nephew, who are much younger, after we finished evaluating it. “No way!” said my 10-year-old daughter. It’s set up in our living room (and will probably stay there until after Christmas) and she has already spent several hours playing with it. |
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What is the Homeschool Library Builder? Homeschool Library Builder is your resource for literature-based homeschooling! They offer quality new and used living books at bargain prices—selections recommended and categorized by your favorite curricula, including Five in a Row, Sonlight, Beautiful Feet, Veritas Press, Tapestry of Grace, Ambleside Online, and others. They also offer newsletters, sales and bargain bins ($1, $2, $3, and $5 bins). The Homeschool Library Builder Web site is a Christian, family-run book business dedicated to providing great literature at affordable prices. They stock new and used, hardcover and soft cover titles. Most of the new titles are publisher’s remainders and overstocks, while the used books are rated by condition and priced accordingly. What are the pros? Homeschool Library Builder is a non-subscription based, FREE (newsletter and perusal) Web site with books for all ages and styles, including parent resources. The site is easy to search and the categories on the sidebar are well defined. They also have a satisfaction guarantee. What are the cons? Not many! Since it is a resale site, stock changes frequently, so you have to check back often. Also, they may not have the exact books you need when you need them. What’s It looks like a great resource! Hey, you can’t beat a FREE newsletter and a FREE peek at a great set of books!
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Help me, I’m drowning! If that’s your cry as you surf the rough waves of the internet in search of the perfect Web site, then the Help Me 2 Teach Web site is for you. Help Me 2 Teach is a subscription-based Web site service. Here’s what it offers: “This educational tool provides over 2,300 prescreened websites categorized by subject and user-type with a brief description of each site’s contents. It can be used to provide a total curriculum or to provide supplemental resources. Sites are marked according to their appropriateness for parents, teachers, or the students themselves. This unique resource provides curriculum from Pre-K through High School. Users can safely click on a link and travel directly to that site.” To try it out, start with a three-day subscription for just $4.95. Like it, but not sure you want to commit to paying for a full year? Try it for one month for $9.95 or for three months for $15.95. One full year’s subscription is only $29.95. The price includes quarterly newsletters and FREE research for anyone with a paid, one year subscription or longer. SPECIAL OFFER: If you purchase a one year subscription, you’ll get another year for free. So that’s two years for $29.95.That means the subscription would only cost $1.25 a month! What a great deal! Just as the ocean is filled with dangerous jellyfish and sharks, slimy seaweed, and useless garbage, so the internet is filled with dangerous, slimy, and useless sites. Help Me 2 Teach is not only a nice, safe surf board, it’s also a surfing instructor. The site boasts over 2,300 links to pre-screened, relevant Web sites. The subject categories and other categories make it easy to find what you need. The search box is also a useful feature. The best part of this Web site is its owner; she is very responsive to questions and suggestions, so if you don’t see something you need, just shoot off an email. But what if you’re already a confident surfer, a real |
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Did you know that computers can be as messy or more messy than desks? Computers need to be organized regularly, just like desks. You know all those nifty Web sites you bookmarked to look at later? Remember the cool, free e-books you downloaded to read when you had more time? What happened to them? Are they lost in the dark hole of “My Documents” or “My Favorites?” That’s what I thought! That’s why I love folders. Computer folders are a great organizational tool; you can have folders in “My Documents” on your desktop and folders in your favorites online. That way, when you go to look for that great Web site or the short story your seventh grader wrote, you’ll know right where to look. The best way to set up folders is to look at the documents and/or Web sites you need to organize. Decide on several main categories to start with, then start filing. As you file, you may decide you need more folders; that’s fine. I hesitate to suggest a list of specific titles since everyone’s needs are very different and the kinds of files you save are probably different from the kinds of files I save. |
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The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has something for everyone! There are many product advertisements and reviews so you can keep up with what’s new in the homeschool curriculum world. 12 pages of reader comments satisfy your desire to see your name in print and to hear what other real homeschool moms like you are thinking. The encouraging articles cover a wide array of topics with something for everyone. All of this is from an unabashed Christian point of view. Quite a few authors are household names (at least in the homeschool community), which lends credibility. Still not sure if it’s for you? You can get a FREE peek at a past issue to check out the buzz. I wanted to tell you all about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Fall Special. You can get two years of the magazine, 6 fabulous physical gifts (no downloads!) worth over $120, plus the current issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine that is full of ideas for the new school year, so you start receiving your magazine in a flash! Hurry and subscribe before these great deals end! I’m getting a subscription and the cute Homeschooling with Heart tote bag! J Just click the link on the side of my blog to go straight to The Old Schoolhouse Store page. |
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It worked, it worked - much to my great amazement! I jumped through all the hoops (not that hard, really) and fulfilled Share A Sale's requirements to become an affiliate. Then I joined the TOS program, got the html code and posted the links to my blog (that's the amazing part!). The link showed up (mostly) where I wanted it to and it actually works! So, now if someone reads my blog, then clicks on the TOS icon (which will take her to the official TOS store Web site) then buys something, I will earn a percentage of the profits. Something for nothing! How cool is that? Since this is the first time I have ever done anything with the actual html code stuff, I even managed to impress myself. The only thing that would be cooler is if I actually won the prize that TOS is giving away :-D. |
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This is your personal invitation to join me on a cruise! Yes, a cruise. No, not on an ocean liner, but a cruise through the uncharted waters of new curriculum and new homeschool products. I will be your private first mate, providing you with an exclusive first glimpse at new products and giving you tips on how best to utilize them in your homeschool. Remember the reviews I posted for The Old Schoolhouse Planner and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, online edition? Those were the maiden voyage. Now I’m officially a member the TOS Crew! What does that mean? It means that The Old Schoolhouse chose me to be part of its Focus Marketing Group for the next nine months or so. Numerous of homeschooling companies will send me NEW and COOL products to try out and keep! My task will be to review each product thoroughly and to get those reviews out to as many people as possible. I’m very excited about being able to check out new homeschooling curriculum and, as you know, I always have an opinion! Please feel free to comment on my reviews, to ask questions about a product, or to pass on the reviews to fellow homeschoolers you know would benefit from a particular item. I will be posting my reviews here on “Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom,” so be sure to check back often for the latest homeschool product reviews. I’ll still be posting organizational tips occasionally though. Reading my blog is your ticket for our fabulous cruise through the uncharted waters of new homeschool products. |
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The Tutor promises to be a tool to provide “a richer and fuller education experience for [your] children.” It focuses on art, music, geography, classic literature, elocution and more. Every quarterly issue is packed with a wide variety of subjects in each category. Some sections concentrate on one theme (like ants in the Nature section of Volume 1), while other segments have different topics. But, you may wonder, how many trips to the library will I need to make in order to find the music resources and art prints recommended in The Tutor? None! Your purchase of The Tutor includes two CDs containing all of the referenced music (full-length pieces, not just samples) and six full-color art prints on nice paper by the featured artist. The Tutor is not dated and not a rigid curriculum. A plethora of information (nearly 200 pages) makes it useful for as long as you wish, although four issues are published each year. Spiral bound books with sticky-finger-proof covers will last for years to come and all age groups will find something useful. What’s not to like? Nothing. So far we’ve dabbled in the art, music and literature sections and are really looking forward to diving in deeper into other topics. The only thing that would make The Tutor more user friendly is the addition of a more detailed index for easier referencing. How can you get The Tutor? Check out The Home Educator Tutor Web site. If you prefer to download it, the cost is $15 and includes the art prints, but not the music. The music is available to purchase for downloading separately, though. Cost of one issue of The Tutor: $24.95 (plus s/h). Cost of well-educated children: priceless. |
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What did the very organized homeschool mom’s first day of school look like? Were all the desks cleared off? Were all the pencils sharpened and in neat little pencil holders? Were all the lesson plans ready, printed off and sitting on each child’s desk? Yes, yes, and yes. But the answer to the first question is that the very organized homeschool mom had a panic attack about everything not being completely perfect! Yikes! Okay, a side note here: the downside to being very organized and somewhat of a perfectionist is that I tend to be quite tense and get stressed out easily. Whew! There’s another true confession for those of you who are keeping track of those.
Oooo, here comes another true confession: I was so busy trying to make sure that everything was organized and just right that I didn’t take any pictures on the first day of school (except for the annual one of the kids standing outside the front door with bare feet). So, let me go reorganize their desks, take pictures and then I’ll add those here. I can honestly say that, yes, my desk looks like this all the time! There are a few exceptions, for instance, I have papers and books out while I grade and do lesson planning. Oh, and I usually have a bottle of water on it. The kids’ desks, on the other hand, do not usually look like this. Good grief, is this three true confessions in one blog post? I’d better quit before I get any further behind! How was your first day of school? Was everything as organized as you would like for it to have been? Or did you spend the day trying to find the workbooks and keep the kids on task? Leave me a comment letting me know how your first day of school was. P.S. - For some reason I cannot get my pictures to upload here. Sorry! You'll just have to imagine how pristine they are :-). |
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Review for TOS Planner: Schoolhouse Rocks! The Schoolhouse Planner, that is. Binder queens, this one’s for you. The Old Schoolhouse claims they incorporated ALL requests for EVERY possible type of homeschool and home planning forms. At 247 pages, it’s possible that they succeeded. TOS recognizes both the home and the school parts of a busy homeschool mom’s life. Many home organization charts and planning schedules are included, from the daily and weekly cleaning charts and grocery shopping lists to seasonal guides to things like gardening schedules and vacation budgets. The school-type forms encompass everything for beginning homeschoolers and veterans, for preschoolers and high schoolers. It doesn’t matter what type of schooling ideology you espouse, there are forms to suit you. Many bonus, encouraging articles and links are included as well. Since it’s in a digital format, you only print out the forms you need, thereby saving paper and shelf space. The best part is that you can personalize every form (including the calendars) before printing it out. Just a few caveats to be noted: First of all, The Schoolhouse Planner is a memory hog. When I had it open, even in the background, all my other computer programs ran much more slowly than normal. Perhaps that is more a comment on the quality of my computer, but I thought it a noteworthy point. Second of all, the organization was somewhat confusing for online use, even though there is a table of contents. The first part of the planner is set up with monthly calendars followed by themed essays and helps. That’s great if you want a surprise topic every month. It’s not so great if you want an overview of all the different subjects available. An alphabetical listing by subject would be much more user friendly in my opinion. Overall, The Schoolhouse Planner is a great value at only $39. In addition to the actual planner, you also receive 19 FREE gifts in the form of e-books and downloads from a variety of notable homeschool companies. These forms are a great addition to any binder queen’s notebook. They’ll also give a boost to anyone who wants to become more organized. As a lover of organization and planning, I heartily recommend investing in The Schoolhouse Planner. See more details and order here. Review for digital version of TOS magazine: The digital version of The Old Schoolhouse magazine combines two of my favorite things: a full-featured magazine and computer convenience. Digital TOS is exactly the same as paper TOS, so you’re not missing out on anything. In fact, you’re saving trees and making archiving favorite articles much easier. It’s a real flip-page magazine with clickable links (a plus), not a pdf file. There are many product advertisements and reviews so you can keep up with what’s new in the homeschool curriculum world. 12 pages of reader comments satisfy your desire to see your name in print and to hear what other real homeschool moms like you are thinking. The encouraging articles cover a wide array of topics with something for everyone. All of this is from an unabashed Christian point of view. Quite a few authors are household names (at least in the homeschool community), which lends credibility. Still not sure if it’s for you? You can get a FREE peek at a past issue to check out the buzz. At $16.95 for four quarterly issues, plus 19 FREE gifts (e-books and downloads from excellent vendors), the digital version of the TOS magazine is a great deal! See more details and order here. |