Our Own Personal Favorites and the TOS Review Blue Ribbon Awards (2015)

This has been an AMAZING review year and I’m happy to announce that I have been invited back for another year with The Schoolhouse Review Crew!  This will be my 4th year on the Review Crew, and it’s been nothing short of an amazing experience!

 

Below you can find the Crew Favorites (we all voted, our kid did too!), but I wanted to take a second to highlight a few of MY personal favorites!  Many of what we have reviewed over this year, I am currently using as part of our curriculum for the current school year. 

 

First and foremost I want to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to IEW!  This is a program I always wanted to try, and I so thankful and feel so blessed to have been able to try this program this year.   I love it!  We use IEW for Writing, Grammar and Spelling!  I recommend it to everyone I talk to, particularly those whose children are struggling in writing and spelling!   It has been an amazing gift! 

You can read my reviews for IEW Writing and IEW Spelling to learn more about these amazing programs!  You can also see below that it won OVERALL favorite for the crew!

 

The more kids I am homeschooling, the harder it is to spend the one on one time with them.  The more they can do on their own, the easier it is for me.  My 9 year old has become a lot more independent over this year and CTC Math couldn’t have come about at a better time!  It has been great for my son to have the freedom and independence to complete his math assignments ON HIS OWN! 

 

Another great digital program is Visual Learning Systems, Digital Online Science!  My kids love to watch TV, and these short clips, followed by worksheets and experimental applications have been an awesome way to do science with my kids (together, all at once!).  We are still loving this program and using it for our core science program.

 

Reading Kingdom has also been an amazing blessing for my 6.5 year old.  The lessons are short and sweet, and I really feel like they fit his learning style. This was our second round with this program, and it definitely came around at the right time this round.

 

And last, but not least… Homeschool Planet has been an amazing tool!  I have not really liked any planner that I have tried, it was never flexible enough for our crazy, (sometimes up in the air) schedules.  This program has worked perfectly!  I also love that I can print off a daily checklist for my 9yo, to further his independence! 

 

I’m really looking forward to the coming year!  I really enjoy doing reviews, and hope somehow my reviews are benefiting you! 

 

 

Favorite Reading Curriculum: Reading Kingdom

Favorite Writing Curriculum: Institute for Excellence in Writing

Favorite Vocabulary Program: Dynamic Literacy Favorite Spelling Program: Institute for Excellence in Writing: Phonetic Zoo

Favorite Grammar Program: Institute for Excellence in Writing: Fix-It! Grammar Favorite Penmanship Program: CursiveLogic

Favorite Literature Curriculum: Progeny Press

Favorite History Curriculum: Home School in the Woods

Favorite History Supplement: Heirloom Audio Productions: In Freedom's Cause Favorite Science Curriculum: Visual Learning Systems

Favorite Science Supplement: Ann McCallum Books: Eat Your Science Homework Favorite Math Curriculum: CTC Math

Favorite Math Supplement: SimplyFun

Favorite Christian Education Curriculum: Grapevine Studies

Favorite Christian Education Supplement: Brinkman Adventures

Favorite Foreign Language Curriculum: Middlebury Interactive Language Favorite Fine Arts Product: Maestro Classics

Favorite Elective Curriculum: Apologia Educational Ministries: Field Trip Journal Favorite Audio Drama: Brinkman Adventures

Favorite Video: FishFlix.com

Favorite Preschool Product: La La Logic

Favorite Elementary Product: Star Toaster

Favorite Middle School Product: The Critical Thinking Co

Favorite High School Product: Writing with Sharon Watson

Favorite College or College-Prep Product: Freedom Project Education

Favorite Parent Product: Koru Naturals

Favorite Planning Product: Apologia Educational Ministries: The Ultimate Homeschool Planner

Best Resource I Didn't Know I Needed: Homeschool Planet

Best Online Resource: Super Teacher Worksheets

Best e-Product: Home School in the Woods

Just for Fun: USAopoly

Kids' Choice: La La Logic

Teens' Choice: YWAM Publishing

All Around Crew Favorite: Institute for Excellence in Writing