TOS Planner and the New Student Planners!

(Scroll down to see the New Student Planners!)

If you have never seen The Old Schoolhouse Planner, you have to check it out!
I had NO idea that this planner was SO BIG!
This planner has everything you could ever want in a planner, and MUCH MORE!
Let me just say that there are 14 pages of just the Table of Contents! YES, I said 14!
OK, I know I seem overly excited about this planner, but I did not know how awesome it really was.
I had heard of the Schoolhouse Planner before, and even looked at it online, but I guess it just never really screamed out to me that this was the planner that I needed.
Boy, was I wrong!

First off I didn't realize that this planner was interactive, and that I could use it on the computer.
Second, I did not know that it literally had every type of form I could ever use, for every part of my life, not just for school.
I know that it said this in the advertisement, but you just can't understand what is included in this planner unless you see it for yourself.
Lastly, I was surprised to see that there was SO much educational content included in this planner.
I can see how you could use this planner to guide you in the decision making of your curriculum for the whole year!

Let me tell you some of what I found in this planner that I particularly liked.
Each month contains helpful articles from well know homeschoolers, such as Amy Pak, Jeannie Fulbright, Malia Russell, Amanda Bennett, Karen Andreola, and Maggie Hogan. (WOW, I love all of these women, don't you?)
Each month is also full of ideas of fun activities for you to do with your family, a resource list full of links to products that correspond with that months supplemental page, art and crafts activities, and ton's of YUMMY RECIPES, (Blueberry Crumble Cake; sounds so good!)
It even has tips on how to cook Gluten and Dairy free!
The miscellaneous educational information is incredible! There is information on The Thirteen Colonies, The Branches of the Government, common Latin roots, famous composers, artists, inventions, cloud types, and SO much more.
They even have a kitchen conversion cheat sheet! I will definitely be printing that one out! HA HA
And of course, we can't forget the forms!
Forms, forms, forms, there are so many forms included in this planner; it is truly amazing.
I have never seen another planner that includes anything close to what this planner does.
This is truly the only planner you will ever need.
It has forms for every aspect of your life: household forms, grocery lists, menu planners, chores, bible reading, Christmas card lists, address book, journaling and notebooking pages, handwriting pages, 12 year planning pages, transcripts, report cards, on and on...
You have your choice of calendar designs.  I especially like the 2 page spread calendars. You can print these off and put them in a binder and when you open it up, both pages will show the whole month at a glance.
This is so much more than a "school" planner. You will find tips on Nature Study, unit studies, even how to make your own soap and cleaners! I have actually been wanting to learn how to make my own soap, and I have been making my own cleaners recently too.
If I would have known what this planner really was, I would have been using it for years now.
Sometimes it takes actually seeing a product in person and trying it out, to fully understand what it is and how it works.
So, if your like me, and have seen or heard of the Schoolhouse planner, but didn't really know what is was, or if it was right for you, I say, trust me on this one, you will LOVE it!
I honestly don't think that you would regret this purchase.
All e-books published though The Old Schoolhouse Magazine come with a money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.

Here are a few more sample pictures of what is included in the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner, so that you can get a better idea if this planner is right for you.

Download your copy HERE.  OR, if you prefer to get yours on CD, you can purchase it HERE.

And now TOS has new Student Planners!

 

Your children can learn to balance their home and school responsibilities!
Easily and affordably tame the home and school chaos with new Student Planners from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
Are school assignments forgotten?
Library materials unaccounted for?
Chores left undone?
Scheduling a never-ending problem?

Then you need the new Student Planners from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine—customizable planners with unlimited options for personalization.
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine brought you The Schoolhouse Planner to help busy homeschool families like yours keep track of everything related to their home and school. Now TOS is bringing you multipurpose Student Planners so your children can learn to balance their home and school responsibilities.

Put your children and teens in charge of their own schedules!
In a busy homeschool household, it can be difficult to maintain a system that monitors not only schoolwork, but also all the responsibilities necessary for daily living. Help your children manage their time, set goals, and develop the skills they need to become productive men and women with The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine Student Planners.

Organizational skills are important for good performance in school and in life.
These versatile planners are the tools your children need to keep your homeschool and home reined in and under control. Teach your children how to track their work and organize their time. Help your teen develop scheduling and planning skills for college or that first job.
Choose from four age-appropriate planners:

• Primary Planner—grades K–3
• Secondary School Planner—grades 4–6
• Middle School Planner—grades 7–8
• High School Planner—grades 9–12

Think of the possibilities!
Select from a wide variety of forms:

• To-do lists (today, tomorrow, next week . . .)
• Audio/Visual log
• Log sheet
• Marking period planners
• Wish list (stuff to buy later)
• Science lab sheets (use to gather all the supplies and record the experiment too)
• General book reports
• Early elementary book reports (with room for pictures!)
• Chore charts (includes tasks and pictures for primary and secondary grades)
• Loaned and borrowed lists (no more lost books, CDs, DVDs . . .)
• Important phone numbers and contacts (never forget a phone number again)
• Address book (from A–Z)
• Family tree
• Community service record (college and scholarship applications may require this information)
• Dates to remember (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, important events)
• Website login/password reference (handy!)

Plus . . .
Schedule with monthly and yearly calendars; assignment and due date sheets; or daily, weekly, and quarterly sheets.

Set daily, weekly, monthly, semester, or yearly goals.

Build high school transcripts and track hours—start now to make transcript creation easy.

Evaluate progress and document curriculum, educational objectives, course of study, test scores, yearly grades, or a 12-year plan.

Capture memories of the first and last days of school with a Beginning/Ending School Year Page.

Record extracurricular activities, music lessons, field trips, memory work, books read, or crafts completed.

Create daily journals or nature journals. Fun journal pages for primary and secondary children include lines to practice handwriting and draw a picture.

Document spiritual milestones with prayer journal sheets, Bible study notes, Bible reading highlights, or discipleship recording sheets. Even add a Bible reading plan to read from Genesis to Revelation or chronologically.

Track library materials and due dates—no more fines.

Not only can each child create a one-of-a-kind planner, but age-appropriate articles and reference sheets will also make the planners a handy reference tool.

Include "How-to" Guides for ready reference:

• Letter writing tips
• Lapbooking directions
• Handwriting guides

Add "Must-Know" Lists for those hard-to-remember facts and figures:

• Thirteen colonies
• Multiplication table
• Branches of government
• Planets
• Measurement conversions
• Elements
• Capitals of states or countries
• Timelines
• Kitchen and measurement conversions
• And more!

Creating and designing their own individualized planners will make scheduling fun for children and teens.

Use the planners on the computer or make a hard copy. Select pages, customize them by typing information directly into the form, and save them or print them. No more struggling with unusable pages or too few pages. Need more pages or a different form later? No problem. Simply modify the form and add it to the planner.

Planners will be delivered with two downloads: one for the planner itself and another for the Parent Pack. Parent Packs include timely, informative homeschooling articles with grade-specific ideas and tips.

Harness those schedules and help your children and teens learn the planning skills they need now and as adults.

Order your Student Planners today and get the planner that adjusts to your home and school.

Don't wait!
Order this unique, flexible planner today!
Pre-purchase and save time and money.
See other Schoolhouse Planner options HERE.
See other products from this publisher HERE.


Purchase today and recieve FREE A Night with the Clarksons MP3 by Clay Clarkson. 

All E-Books published by The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine come with a 7-day, 100% money-back guarantee!

A link to download your MP3 will be available in your account upon checkout.

FREE US & APO Shipping!

 

TOS Review/ Vocabulary Cartoons Elementary Edition by New Monic Books

Vocabulary Cartoons is a book that uses Mnemonics to memorize vocabulary words.


They combine rhyming Mnemonics with picture mnemonics to make it twice as easy to remember a word.

Mnemonics have been proven to be the most effective memory technique in history.

New Monic says that students learn by association, and not memory, so their books are perfect for this type of memorization. 

Vocabulary Cartoons was first published in 1997 and has sold over 1,000,000 copies nationwide!
It is currently being used in over 5,000 schools across the country.

 I received a copy of the Elementary Edition, which is geared for the 3rd-6th grade range, but I think it can definitely be adapted for an older child.

The Elementary Edition covers 210 words for you elementary student.

I was excited when I opened this book because we have used similar type books to learn other things, but I have to say that after trying it out, I am not super excited about it.

My 13 year old has been using it, but she does not care for it either. She says the words don't really rhyme or make a lot of sense, that they don't always go well together, and that it is not helping her to remember the vocabulary words.

I think the sentences that are supposed to help them recall the information, are too long. I think it could be simplified a little, and it would be easier to remember.

I do think that it definitely makes it easier to remember a word having pictures, and reminders, so it would definitely be better than just trying to memorize your vocabulary words the typical way.
This would be great for a visual learner. 

Here is an example on how it works:

You can find more examples here. I would suggest that you and your children try out these samples, and that way you will know whether or not this will work for you.

If you have older children you can check out their other Vocabulary Cartoons SAT books here.

Each of their Vocabulary Cartoons books cost $12.95.  Books are in paperback form, and all pages are black and white.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy, you can find it here.

Check out what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about New Monic's Vocabulary Cartoons.

*I have received a copy of New Monic's Elementary Edition of Vocabulary Cartoons, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

The Book Guardians is Having Their First Giveaway!

Hey guys! The Books Guardians are having our first giveaway!

We are giving away two wonderful classics...

 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 

"Family Life, Family Love! The warmhearted story of the four March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy growing up in 19th century America. Their happy family life is disturbed when their father leaves for the Civil War, and shaken further when mother must leave to nurse their wounded father back to health. But family love and loyalty keeps them together. As the years pass the girls become women and learn more about life and love. Louisa May Alcott's timeless classic shows the joys of growing up in a warm and loving family." AND...

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. 

"Spunk and Spirit! The farm couple wanted to take in an orphan boy - someone they could raise who will help with the chores. But by mistake, they were sent a girl, the lively independent red-headed Anne, who soon turned their lives and their world topsy-turvy with her way of doing things. . .ways very different than anyone in the sleepy country town had ever thought of! But as Anne goes from escapade to achievement, from problem to promise, everyone around her comes to realize what a very special girl they have in their midst. Come delight in Anne's story as friendship and duty turn to love."


These books are brand new, hard cover editions.
Any girl, young or old would love to have these in their collection!!!

So head on over to the giveaway and enter for a chance to win!
Thanks guys and good luck!

TOS Review/ Schleich

What can I say about Schleich? They are awesome! My kids love their animals so much.

I have a 5 year old and a 13 year old and they both play with these. It is hard to find toys that span the ages like these toys do.

My kids were so excited when their package of animals arrived!

 Oh, the anticipation... LOL

 

They couldn't wait to see which ones they were going to get!!!

But they stopped to look at the catalog for a while first! HA 

Surveying the goods...

 

 Oh, it just takes sooo long to get the plastic off!!!

So, what animals did they get?

Aren't they awesome? They look so real!

My kids love playing with Schleich animals much more than other plastic animals because they look so real, and they can use their imaginations much more with these.

 Even my 13 year old daughter loves to play with them!

They are now asking for Schleich animals as rewards! HA

Schleich has become a name so commonly spoken at our house that my husband threatened to ban the name! Too funny!

At first I thought these were too expensive to buy very often, but the more I thought about it, I realized that we spend the same amount on other little toys, and that it really was no different. 

In fact, my kids have stopped asking to buy those other toys so that they can buy the Schleich animals

  instead. 

My son is very rough with his animals as he is making his tigers eat the zebras. (Boy stuff).

These are very durable. They can withstand anything, except that they do scratch fairly easily. 

But, I am OK with it because I would rather him play with his animals, and have fun, than have to worry about scratching them up. 

In all fairness though, I think that any painted toy would scratch as well.

I highly recommend these toys as they will last a lifetime, and you will want to hang on to these figurines to pass on to your grandchildren. 

(At least that is what I am thinking!)

Your kids will enjoy playing with animals from the many different collections that they offer. 

These include farm Life, Wild Life, Prehistoric Animals, The World of Knights, The World of American Indians, Bayala, and The Smurfs!

Schleich was founded in 1935 by Freidrich Schleich, and the figurines came out in the 1950's.

Schleich's philosophy states:

"As a manufacturer of toys we carry a special responsibility towards parents and children. It is our aim to constantly live up to the image of a developer and supplier of top quality products with an educational aspect.
Our products are developed with the assistance of parents, teachers and children and are therefore especially designed for children´s hands.

The design of our products is as realistic and naturalistic as possible. This enables children to experience the large variety of nature - from domestic animals on a farm to wild animals in the jungle.
When deciding on licensing products such as comic figurines we pay careful attention to their character and the message they carry. Educational aspects play a more important part than possible sales potential."

You can also read their quality and safety statement here. 

 You can see that they really care about the toys that your children play with. 

It can take up to 6 weeks to make a mold for just one of their animals!

All of their animals are hand painted, durable and safe. 

I enjoy the fact that they take such good care and time to create these for our children. 

I have found these at Toy's R Us, Tractor Supply, Atwoods, Target, and Hastings. 

You can also find them on Amazon. 

There may also be other retailers that sell them, but these are the ones that I know of. 

You can also use the websites store locator to find other retailers near you. 

The prices range from $2.99-$7.99 at these retailers, for individual animals. 

They also have boxed sets, and barns and castles available. 

You can find these cheaper on Amazon!!!

Check out what my fellow Crew mates have to say about Schleich here.

*I have received 8 animal figurines,  from Schleich, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

TOS Review/ Salem Ridge Press

Salem Ridge Press is a publishing company that brings out of print books from the 1800's and the early 1900's back in print today.
Honestly, the books from that time period are some of the best books there are, and I was glad to hear that there was a company out there that was doing this!
There books are perfect "living books' for those of us that enjoy using living books in our homes.

 

(The Emma Leslie Church History Series)

Daniel Mills is the founder of Salem Ridge Press, and is a homeschool graduate himself!
Daniel says that the philosophy of Salem Ridge Press is found in the scripture, in this verse.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, 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 (Philippians 4:8)."


As a fellow homeschooler, I use this verse myself to line up what we read or learn about,  so I find it very comforting that there is a company out there who is also lining their books up with scripture.

I implore you to take a moment to go on over to their website and read more about their philosophy behind Salem Ridge Press. 



I was also very impressed with the standards they have set for bringing a book back in print. 
Here is a quote form their website about their standards.
 

"I feel very responsible for the content of books that we republish and if I am going to bring a book back into print, I want to be able to stand behind it with no reservations. Very early on we realized that we were going to have to decide carefully what was appropriate in our books and what was not. I sometimes joke that our number one rule is, "No Kissing!" While many books from the 1800's and early 1900's are no problem at all this way, in several cases we have slightly edited passages which included a brief kiss or embrace. We want to be an encouragement to young people to maintain the highest standards of purity in their relationships. We have also edited out some derogatory comments that we felt were unnecessary or offensive. On several occasions the illustrations have presented a challenge and so we edited them to keep things modest and appropriate."

You can read the rest of their standards, and about their books here. 

Salem Ridge Press offers Historical Fiction, Church History, American History, World History, Adventure, Allegory and Young Readers books too.
You will find books for all ages. 

Now, I am a very picky mamma, and while I absolutely love some of their books, there are also some things that are still not up to my standards.

As I was reading through their allegory Down the Snow Stairs, there was just too many violent things, inappropriate words, such as idiot and stupid, the mentioning of snuff, etc.. that I just couldn't read it to my children.

I understand that it is trying to teach about the two different paths we can take, the path of obedience or disobedience, but it was just too much for me. I didn't want my children to have to listen to all of the bad stuff just to get the point.

However, we absolutely loved Soldier Fritz and the Enemies He Fought.
I was just so impressed with this book because it was not afraid to speak the biblical truth and preach against the Roman Church. You just don't find that too often. Most people try to be politically correct, and try to make sure they are not offending anyone, at the expense of the truth.
I won't tell you too much about the book itself but I highly recommend it, and we will be reading their other reformation books.

I think all in all Salem Ridge Press is a wonderful company that tries really hard to bring uplifting and inspiring books to our children, and I think you should definitely give them a try.
I know as for our family, there are many books on their website that we want to read.
Their books range in price from $10.95-$24.95, depending on the book, and whether or not you want it in softcover or hardcover. 

As with any book, just use your own judgment. you know your children best, and what is appropriate for them.
What I find to be inappropriate, you may not, and vice versa.
So check them out for yourselves.

Even though I found a few things that I didn't care for, I myself, would still read the majority of their books, based off of the ones I have read myself, and based off of the descriptions of the books on their website.

An upcoming book that I was particularly excited to see would be coming this fall, was the Henty Biography.




So, go ahead and check out their website, and while you are there sign up for their quarterly newsletter and you will automatically be entered for a chance to win a free book from Salem Ridge Press!

Check out what my fellow crew mates had to say about  Salem Ridge Press.






*I have received books from Salem Ridge Press, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

My must have resources for homeschooling.

There are so many resources out there, but how do you know which ones you need?
Well, I can't tell that for sure, but I can give you a list of my favorite resources that we have used over the years.


My must have homeschooling books:

The Heart of Homeschooling by Christopher Klicka
A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick
Language Arts the Easy Way by Cindy Rushton (this is also an audio set.)
Unit Studies Made Easy by Valerie Bendt.
Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Terri Maxwell


My must have parenting books.

Keeping the Hearts of Your Children by Steve and Terri Maxwell
Ministering to the Heart of Your Child by Cindy Rushton
When You Rise up by R.C Sproul Jr. 9also a homeschooling book)
The BIBLE


My must have magazines:

The Old Schoolhouse
No greater Joy
Above Rubies


My must have websites:

Homeschool Freebie of the Day
Currclick (a freebie each week)
Hands of a Child (Lapbooks)
The Old Schoolhouse magazine


My must have curricula:

Apologias Elementery series
Writing Strands
A Child's geography
Christian Liberty Press
Lapbooks
Unit Studies
Copy Work
Narration
Living Books
(We used to use a lot more textbooks, but have moved to a more unit study approach)

Now, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but I hope it helps you get a head start!

TOS Review/ I See Cards - PYRAMATH

I See Cards is a company that offers educational card games.
They offer three different math card games. Pyramath, Fractazmic, and  Prime Bomb.
The one I received to try out was Pyramath.
Oh, this game is such fun!
My 13 year old daughter and I love to play this together.
This game reinforces basic math skills: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division.
This is such a fun and awesome way to practice, and keep up your kids math skills!
This game can be played solitaire style, or 2 person.
The Pyramath card game contains  54 cards with 10 numbered card designs with the numbers displayed in English, Spanish, Roman Numerals, Chinese, Arabic, and French!
This game has several variations, so you will not get bored playing this game.
There is the basic 2 player game where each player takes turns flipping over a card to see if they can play it on their side of the pyramid. You go until you can't play anymore.
Then the next player does the same, and the first to build their pyramid, wins!

Another variation of this game is Pyramath Speed. This game is similar to the first, except that you both play at the same time, and whoever builds their pyramid first, wins.

You can also play this game Solitaire style, or war style.
If you have younger children who only know addition, or maybe addition or subtraction, you can still use this game.
It will grow with your child from addition to Division, and then you can practice all 4 math skills at once.
I think anywhere from the ages of 5-6, all the way through adult, can play this game, and it is fun!
My five year old didn't quite get the concept, but my 13 year old really enjoyed it.
We still play this game often. 
It really helps children recall their math facts, but it is not boring to them, and they actually want to play this math game!
I really recommend this game, and based on this game, I would definitely get the other math games that they offer.
They look like fun to me!
One deck of  I See Cards is only $6.95!

Check out what other members of the TOS Crew had to say about Pyramath.






*I have received Pyramath, from I See Cards, free, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, in return for my honest opinion. No other compensation has been given to me.*

Garage Sale Find - Poetry book by Emily Dickinson

I so frequently find great deals at garages sales that I thought I would start sharing what I find!
Today I found The Mystery of Beauty Poems by Emily Dickinson!!!

I got this book today for $2! It has beautiful full color pictures on every page. We will be using this for our copywork, and we will be studying Emily Dickinson as well!
YAY! I was excited to find this book. All of the poems in this book are nature related, so we can incorporate science from these poems too!

What great deals have you found at garage sales?

The Old Schoolhouse Planner

If you have never seen The Old Schoolhouse Planner, you have to check it out!
I had NO idea that this planner was SO BIG!
This planner has everything you could ever want in a planner, and MUCH MORE!
Let me just say that there are 14 pages of just the Table of Contents! YES, I said 14!
OK, I know I seem overly excited about this planner, but I did not know how awesome it really was.
I had heard of the Schoolhouse Planner before, and even looked at it online, but I guess it just never really screamed out to me that this was the planner that I needed.
Boy, was I wrong!

First off I didn't realize that this planner was interactive, and that I could use it on the computer.
Second, I did not know that it literally had every type of form I could ever use, for every part of my life, not just for school.
I know that it said this in the advertisement, but you just can't understand what is included in this planner unless you see it for yourself.
Lastly, I was surprised to see that there was SO much educational content included in this planner.
I can see how you could use this planner to guide you in the decision making of your curriculum for the whole year!

Let me tell you some of what I found in this planner that I particularly liked.
Each month contains helpful articles from well know homeschoolers, such as Amy Pak, Jeannie Fulbright, Malia Russell, Amanda Bennett, Karen Andreola, and Maggie Hogan. (WOW, I love all of these women, don't you?)
Each month is also full of ideas of fun activities for you to do with your family, a resource list full of links to products that correspond with that months supplemental page, art and crafts activities, and ton's of YUMMY RECIPES, (Blueberry Crumble Cake; sounds so good!)
It even has tips on how to cook Gluten and Dairy free!
The miscellaneous educational information is incredible! There is information on The Thirteen Colonies, The Branches of the Government, common Latin roots, famous composers, artists, inventions, cloud types, and SO much more.
They even have a kitchen conversion cheat sheet! I will definitely be printing that one out! HA HA
And of course, we can't forget the forms!
Forms, forms, forms, there are so many forms included in this planner; it is truly amazing.
I have never seen another planner that includes anything close to what this planner does.
This is truly the only planner you will ever need.
It has forms for every aspect of your life: household forms, grocery lists, menu planners, chores, bible reading, Christmas card lists, address book, journaling and notebooking pages, handwriting pages, 12 year planning pages, transcripts, report cards, on and on...
You have your choice of calendar designs.  I especially like the 2 page spread calendars. You can print these off and put them in a binder and when you open it up, both pages will show the whole month at a glance.
This is so much more than a "school" planner. You will find tips on Nature Study, unit studies, even how to make your own soap and cleaners! I have actually been wanting to learn how to make my own soap, and I have been making my own cleaners recently too.
If I would have known what this planner really was, I would have been using it for years now.
Sometimes it takes actually seeing a product in person and trying it out, to fully understand what it is and how it works.
So, if your like me, and have seen or heard of the Schoolhouse planner, but didn't really know what is was, or if it was right for you, I say, trust me on this one, you will LOVE it!
I honestly don't think that you would regret this purchase.
All e-books published though The Old Schoolhouse Magazine come with a money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.

Here are a few more sample pictures of what is included in the 2010 Schoolhouse Planner, so that you can get a better idea if this planner is right for you.

Download your copy HERE.  OR, if you prefer to get yours on CD, you can purchase it HERE.

Receive 27 E-Books with a 2010 Planner purchase FREE until September 13, 2010.

 

* As an Independent Contractor for TOS, I have received a  free copy of The Schoolhouse Planner, so that I could participate in The Old Schoolhouse advertising campaign, which makes me eligible to receive a prize. No other compensation has been given to me.*