DISCLOSURE: I received this product FREE through the Homeschool Review Crew. I also receive commissions for items purchased through links in this post.
So, here we are. Diving into 2021, ready or not. When it comes to lesson planning and curriculum, things don't always work out the way we plan. And clearly, our plans for 2020 in general didn't exactly pan out, right? Sometimes there are gaps we don't anticipate. Other times a good idea completely fails due to learning differences. If you're in need of options and alternatives, then keep reading for my review of Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
This membership provides complete access to their entire digital curriculum offerings and resources for all grades.
Who Is This Product For?
Any family with access to a computer and printer can find useful content for home education. It is especially great for families with multiple children.
How SchoolhouseTeachers.com Works:
With the Annual Membership, parents can build an education for multiple children however they see fit. There are multiple ways to search - by grade, by subject or simply browse collections. One of their latest additions is boxed curriculum for every grade level, which provides a complete program for an entire grade level complete with lesson plans, electives and a host of optional further research suggestions. They also offer planning tools, a robust video library, access to World Book online encyclopedia, a members forum, and a seasonal content corner. SchoolhouseTeachers.com is the ultimate buffet of educational content while also letting the cook choose your meal if you would like!
My Family's Experience:
I have been working with SchoolhouseTeachers.com for 4-5 years, as long as I have been associated with the Homeschool Review Crew, and it has been amazing to see the continual growth and expansion of what they make available to their members. Since the landscape of our homeschool regularly shifts with review products, SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a constant backup and resource library. When I need copywork pages or some math facts help, I can dig up something pretty quickly. If there is a subject we've overlooked, I can find something to fill that gap easily. For this review, we took a look at their new boxed curriculum for 4th grade for my oldest. While I didn't need an entire curriculum, especially over a holiday break, trying out a 4th grade Health curriculum worked well.
If you're a regular reader, you know healthy living and how we care for our bodies is a big priority in my family. Health principles are kind of ingrained in our daily life anyway so it hasn't necessarily been on my radar to include it in curriculum. That being said, I LOVE the approach this class takes by infusing scripture into every lesson. One of the main reasons I healthy living is important to me is because God has given us an amazing earth that is full of solutions for staying healthy if we'll just look for them. So why wouldn't you teach health on the basis of scripture first?
Each class comes with a curriculum guide that shows you what to expect and plan for by the week. In this class the authors incorporated reading from other courses as well with links provided and pdfs available. For the well prepared parent, you have the ability to print out all elements from day one. But as for those of us who might forget something or lose other things, you can always come back for more or have the option to save contents to your device.
In addition to building the content on religious principles, I loved the incorporation of World Book resources, including games like the one pictured below. Digital (printable) content can sometimes feel a little boring to this ADHD brain of mine - even though the subject matter may not be - but with a variety of elements (like World Book, videos, etc.) the learning experience is good for all kinds of learners!
As usual, SchoolhouseTeachers.com continues to surpass expectations in making home education easy, rich and full of possibilities! If you're in the market for alternatives and options, consider trying SchoolhouseTeachers.com with your family.
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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
When I first became a part of the Homeschool Review Crew, I was excited for the chance to try new different educational products and utilize my blog more, but I had no idea the kind of resources that were going to be at my fingertips. After 4 years on the Crew, I feel like I have finally woken up to the full toolbox I have as a homeschool educator. Between the village of experienced parents I can poll at any time and exciting products to try out, I have always felt in pretty good shape. What I didn't completely appreciate was the vast options at my disposal through the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com that we are given every year as part of the Old Schoolhouse Magazine family. It seems fitting then that our first curriculum review of the year would be of this amazing collection of all kinds of courses, planning materials, videos, and support for the homeschool family.
What We Received:
We were given a year membership - the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership - to Schoolhouseteachers.com. This means that we are given one account that has full access to everything they offer for all of my children. So, for my PreK, 1st and 3rd grade students as well as my husband and I, we can access curriculum and supporting materials at the appropriate level. Or any level for that matter. Sign language has always been something I have toyed around with and want my family to know so we pulled up the ASL Adventures course and tried it out, despite it being labeled for 6th-12th grade.
What It Includes:
Their newest slogan is 'Every Subject. Every Grade. Every Student.' that highlights their recent achievement of providing a complete curriculum for every grade level. That means Art, Bible, Computer, Drama, Electives, Language, Geography, Health, History, Language Arts, Math, Music, Science, Socials to start with. For planning, they provide lesson planners, schedule builders, scope and sequence help, and record keeping with Applecore. They provide a fantastic video library through RightNow Media with all kinds of Christian worldview videos. One of the things we explored was The Slugs and Bugs Show from the creator of Veggie Tales. Through silliness and songs, the characters discuss quality concepts that reinforce our faith. It's been a big hit so far.
The videos weren't just for kids either. The library seemed to cover all kinds of subjects from Christian Living, Leadership and Apologetics.
What We Thought: One of the ways I love using SchoolhouseTeachers.com is for filling in gaps. It's a great resource for handwriting practice sheets! When I realize either I've missed a subject or something needs reinforcing, I can always find something to do the trick without having to buy anything extra. Daily Grammar is one of the courses we used to review and reinforce some ideas that might have gotten lost along the way. It's straightforward, effective and digital so of course reproducible too. The more students you have, the more important that option becomes to you! For large families who are likely on a budget, a membership to Schoolhouseteachers.com becomes very cost effective when you consider how far it can go with various level students, parent and ministry support.
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