Two great products I just had to share with you . . .

I was recently blessed with two great products from the people who bring you The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I just had to pop in and tell you about them. In case you are wondering, no, I am not getting paid for this. I am only getting to keep the products I have been asked to review.

It is not hard to find planners specifically designed for homeschoolers. Homeschoolers are a huge market. Products abound geared towards those who have chosen to teach their children at home. You can find curricula, textbooks, workbooks, and the like, by the oodles. Visit any homeschool conference and visit the vendor area. You will see what I mean. It is all rather overwhelming unless you are a veteran.

But what about how to use those great educational books and manipulatives? A homeschool mom (or dad!) could have an armful of great materials and yet still be as confused about how to go about this educational adventure as they did before they began. I think the key word here is organization. This is where The Schoolhouse Planner comes in.

Described as a "complete Home and School planner," this resource really does have it all. A look at the table of contents reveals the treasure trove of calendars, forms, and educational facts that were thoughtfully organized into an easily accessible, 247-page e-book. Yes, I said 247 pages. That should give you an idea of how packed this planner is!

I love how this planner is organized into monthly segments. You will find for each month a calendar for that month, and a theme on a specific academic topic. Yummy recipes, great articles, and lists that show available resources to be purchased all give a little added creative push towards planning what one might want to do for schooling.

At the back of the planner, oodles and oodles of forms are provided. These are professional-looking forms and they are type-able, which means you can type in your needed information and then print out as needed. Some of the forms included are a Curriculum Planning sheet, weekly planning sheets (which can be done either by subject or by child), nature journal sheets, and a list to record field trips made.

The forms and sheets are not limited to school. Home planning is also included. I especially appreciate the Monthly Homekeeping Reminders - think rotating mattresses, changing smoke alarm batteries, etc., with plenty of lines to add your own household needs - as well as the Food Inventory Log and the Garden Planning Checklist. Because homeschooling is more of a way of life rather than just academics, I am able to integrate homeschooling and home keeping duties very easily.

Last but not least, this comes in e-book form. After purchase through The Schoolhouse Store you simply download onto your computer. You do not have to print out all 247 pages but can just pick-and-choose what you need for that month or year. That way you can organize your school year in a way that best matches your family's personal needs.

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Over the years I have picked up a copy here and there of The Old Schoolhouse. I have always appreciated the practical articles written and the product reviews. When I was given a digital subscription to this great homeschool magazine, I was a little dubious of reading a magazine that wasn't in paper form. What I did not expect was how easy it was to use!

Once purchased you are emailed a link to your first issue. Upon opening the web page you can easily browse the magazine with a simple click of the mouse. If you need to easily access the contents you just press the "Contents" button and voila! you are taken immediately to the table of contents. You can also search the magazine by keyword - and we all know that you definitely cannot do that with the paper version - or you can go straight to any page by pressing on the thumbnail version of that page in the under the "Pages" button.

If you read an article that you think your friend or sister or Mom would enjoy, you can easily email it as well through the "Share"option. And for those of you who are wondering about having to open a web page up each time you want to read your magazine there is a download option provided. That way you can read the magazine without having to hook up to the Internet!

Besides the ease of use that the digital version of The Old Schoolhouse provides, the content is really what drew me in to this particular magazine. The Summer 2008 issue is a needed blessing and hits on a subject that is of great interest to me: Charlotte Mason. A section entitled Homeschool Watch addresses issues and concerns about the freedoms many are trying to steal from homeschooling parents. I especially appreciated this because it will help keep me up to date on legal issues as well as give me specifics to add to my prayer times. Those who incorporate unit studies into their homeschool will enjoy the unit studies provided into each issue. Summer 2008's unit studies were centered around aircraft and flight.

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I hope I have been able to give a clear view of these two great products. As a reminder, I was NOT paid to do these reviews. If anyone has any questions or would like more specifics about the products, please feel free to email me: mamarussell at gmail dot com (replacing "at" with "@" and "dot" with ".")

In His grace,
Kelly