Homeschool Easy ~ 1st Grade Entire School Year Curriculum ~ a TOS review

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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. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.  

Howdy friends! If you are new to homeschooling, today I have a great homeschool curriculum to share with you. Are you looking for a complete packaged curriculum that doesn’t implement the Common Core? If so, be sure to check out or need a complete package, you'll want to check out the Entire School Year Curriculum sets from Homeschool Easy. We received the 1st Grade Entire School Year Curriculum and I have been using it with my son, Micah who is 6. This easy-to-use curriculum gets the job done without the extra fluff! Your children will learn all subjects including math the way you were taught, straight forward and to the point.
Through daily worksheets your child with work through the 32 weeks of curriculum material covering the 6 core subjects of: ~ Grammar: focuses on beginning English grammar ~ History: includes links to videos with a focus on basic American history and geography, art projects included too
 ~ Math: Common Core free. Includes flash cards to focus on traditional number sense ~ Reading: daily reading lists, books with corresponding comprehension sheets, flash cards, puzzle games, word search, and other materials to learn 1st grade level words. ~ Science: hands-on science related art projects and videos to cover basic science knowledge ~ Writing: beginning writing process Internet access is needed to access the curriculum materials and video lessons. You will also need access to a printer to print out the worksheets.
I love how organized this curriculum is! Every subject is tucked away into folders and subfolders. Finding exactly what you need is easy because everything is clearly labeled by week.

 

During this unprecedented time when parents are faced with what to do for their children education this year, Homeschool Easy is here to provide an affordable solution. For just $100.00 you can gain access to this consumable curriculum. You get access to an entire year of curriculum that not only is comprehensive but will save you the parent time and undue stress of what exactly you are supposed to teach your child.

 

For our review period I have spent time focusing on Micah’s reading. He, like his sisters excels in math, so while we did look over it, we didn’t spend too much time on this component. His reading has come a long way and he is reading even more fluently within the past 6 weeks. While he is not a huge worksheet fan I have tried to remedy that by printing the reading lists on vibrant colorful paper.

 

Overall, this program has been a great fit for us and we will continue to use it throughout the year. It is engaging and complete if you are looking for an all in one curriculum. Homeschool Easy also has complete grade level curriculum up through 5th grade so be sure to check out the other levels offered too. And don’t just take my word for it! Click the banner below to read some of the review of my 45 CrewMates and see what they thought of the 1st Grade Entire School Year curriculum and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, an 5th grade programs as well.

 

Company ~ Homeschool Easy

 Product ~  1st Grade Entire School Year Curriculum 

 Format ~ online, PDF files

 Price ~ $100.00 

 Ages ~ 1st graders

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Grammar lessons in just 10 minutes with Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: Grade 11 ~ a TOS review

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I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to Grammar in our homeschool. Why? Because if you have a solid foundation in grammar, other subjects like writing will be a bit easier. I am trying to raise strong readers writers who can express their thoughts effectively in writing so I was so excited to get some extra help with Mikayla with the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series:  Grade 11 from Easy Grammar Systems.

Now, I’ve been homeschooling awhile now and I have always heard of Easy Grammar but never have jumped in to see what it is all about. I am sorry I waited so long because I love the quick and easy lessons it provides for my busy girl.

We received the digital copy of the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: Grade 11 that also includes the Grade 11 Test Booklet. This curriculum includes 180 daily teaching lessons geared towards any student beyond 6th grade. With short 10 minute lessons, students will get step-by-step teaching lessons written at a fourth-grade reading level so that they can focus on learning the grammar concepts without all the fluff.

Each daily lesson includes several different types of grammar instruction including: 

~ sentence structure 

~ parts of speech

~ punctuation 

~ sentence combining and more

In our house, we have been using the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: Grade 11 since the end of July to help Mikayla prepare for her upcoming ACT. Before we started back to school in mid-August, I had scheduled Mikayla to complete 3-4 daily lessons three to four days a week. Now that we are full force into our school year she only completes 2 daily lessons on the days that she doubles at the gym, which is two days a week.

Since we received the digital copy, I simply just print the worksheet pages Mikayla needs each week. She keeps her completed papers filed within her school binder. As you work through the lessons you will find an assessment test after every 10 lessons. I found these to be a good assessment of how much information Mikayla had retained and helpful to know what she needed to spend a little more time on.
Overall, Mikayla and I have both enjoyed this language arts curriculum. She especially likes the short and sweet lessons because it makes it easy for her to get her grammar lessons completed, especially on our busy days. I love that the program is spiral and comprehensive but doesn’t take all day to learn and/or teach. I also like that the answers are provided. I have other children that need to be taught and having the ability to grade Mikayla’s work without having to spend too much time on my end is priceless for me.
Sixty-nine of my CrewMates reviewed several different curriculum including: Easy Grammar:  Grade 1,  Easy Grammar:  Grade 3, Daily GRAMS:  Grade 3, Easy Grammar Plus, Daily GRAMS:  Grade 7, and Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: Grade 9. Be sure to check out their reviews and see what their thoughts are on these language arts curriculums. As for us, Mikayla will continue to use this grammar curriculum in her weekly studies as well as her test prep.

Company ~ Easy Grammar Systems 

Product ~ Easy Grammar Ultimate Series: Grade 11 

Format ~ digital copy 

Price ~ $29.95 

Ages ~ 6th grade and up

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© 2008 - 2019 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.         

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Christian HomeSchool Hub Download Club ~ a TOS review

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I am always on the lookout for quality resource materials to enrich our homeschool day. I am really excited to tell you about the CHSH Download Club from CHSH-Teach.com.

CHSH Download Club stands for the Christian Homeschool Hub Download Club and it was created in 2010 by Lynda Ackert, a veteran educator of 20+ years. Mrs. Ackert has a passion for teaching and creating educational material for teachers and homeschoolers alike. She pours her heart into her online community as a way of giving back.


The CHSH Download Club gives subscribers access to over 50,000 downloadable pages of quality educational material on an easy to navigate website. With products on everything from Preschoolers to High Schoolers, this club has you covered. And if you like creating products, you can upload your items to the site too and share with the community.


Since CHSH is also a community, you can connect with other members through the self-contained forum and receive helpful information and newsletters too. Membership to the CHSH community is free. A subscription to the Download Club affords you access to all the member benefits plus access to all 50,000+ downloadable products. There are two subscription levels, Annual for $25.00 or Lifetime membership for just $99.00. One of the best features, in my opinion, is that since the founder creates and sells hundreds of educational products on sites such as Teachers Pay Teachers {my favorite go to site}, I now have access to all the products she creates, SCRORE!


Finding the download you need is as easy as clicking in the “search for downloads” box. You can also view the downloads by category, subject, or grade by looking at the handy download catalog.

This year we are concentrating on character building within the walls of our Academy. I found the perfect companion in the Character Traits, Volume 1 and Volume 2 to help guide us. Getting started was super easy. I just clicked on the link and the download started right up. This character curriculum is literature based and included 2 volumes which teach 40 character traits. The curriculum helps students to start thinking about both positive and negative character traits. It helps children see and start discussing how to make the right connections within their own lives. A suggested book list is included which is super helpful.

Volume 1 teaches the following traits through characters in literature:

 ~ Grateful

 ~ Greedy 

~ Confident

 ~ Sincere 

~ Diligent

 ~ Hopeless

 ~ Courageous

 ~ Optimistic

 ~ Pessimistic 

~ Compassionate 

~ Fearless 

~ Persistent 

~ Impatient 

~ Ambitious 

~ Stubborn 

~ Forgiving 

~ Loyal 

~ Arrogant 

~ Wise 

 ~ Generous 

To begin, I printed both Volume 1 and 2 and put the posters inside sheet protectors. The corresponding weekly papers are included in each week. My favorite part of the worksheets is the little box that includes a quote from a famous person or just a helpful saying corresponding to the specific trait being covered. So far we have loved this set and incorporating it into our Morning Time routine.

I also have been using the worksheets in the preschool category for my 2 year old son who loves to do school. Printing pages for him to work on is super easy and it makes him feel special to be apart of the group learning with his own papers.

Overall, I give this product two thumbs up! Having access to all of this quality material is really priceless because of the sheer amount of products available to download. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates think of this product by clicking the banner below!

Company ~ CHSH-Teach.com

 Product ~ CHSH Download Club

 Format ~ digital 

Price ~ Annual for $25.00 or Lifetime membership for just $99.00. 

Ages ~ Mom’s and preschool – high school

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 Hashtags: #hsreviews #CHSH #homeschool #homeschoolresources

©2008 - 2016 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. 

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Successful homeschooling MADE EASY ~ a TOS review

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The thought of homeschooling can a new parent shake in their boots. There seemingly is so much information to take in and learn as a newbie that quite frankly it can become overwhelming really quick. But you know what?! It doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you break it down into bite sized chunks. That is exactly what Successful Homeschooling Made Easy does!

Successful Homeschooling Made Easy Course was started by Stephanie Walmsley, a Christian wife, mother, and grandmother whom started her own school at home journey in 1985. It is a 26-week-long online course for homeschooling parents, whether you are a newbie or a seasoned veteran.

So how does it work?

Immediately after purchase you are emailed a PDF lesson of your first week which is on creating a homeschool schedule that works for your family. Each subsequent week thereafter the course member gets an email with a the next weeks lesson.

So, just what’s on the lessons? A wealth of practical information to make this homeschooling journey a little bit less stressful and overwhelming. With helpful scheduling templates and weekly assignments you will not only save time but also money with helpful topics like:

  ~ Practicalities

~ Schedules

~ Lesson plans

~ Organization

~ Planning

~ Teaching

~ Housekeeping

~ Extracurricular activities

~ How to choose curriculum and much more!

I have been on this homeschooling journey for 6 years now. While it hasn’t always been butterflies and rainbows, we have made strides and I am happy to say my oldest, Marie will be finished with her formal schooling next week and then graduating in June. We have tried many schedules and many more curricula during these 6 years and have finally settled into a comfortable groove to our day.

Following along with this program is super easy. You can either print out the weekly lessons and store in a binder as I have done or just read on the computer or Kindle. I will say that some of the lessons are quite long, but printing double sided has helped me.

While I did not change our schedule as the topic covered in week one suggested, we did tweak our schedule. I have been racking my brain these past few weeks before getting the opportunity to use this subscription program. Things just were not getting done each day.

Taking the time to read the first lesson and really think and focus on our schedule helped me to see that I needed to go back to the 4-day school week for my younger girls, Montana (2nd) and McKenzie (JrK), so that I could really focus with Mikayla (6th) and Madison (8th) on that 5th day. Just that little reminder has made a world of difference over the last 6 weeks in our school. Things are getting down and that makes this box checking Mama excited!!!

Overall, I am really excited for this program. It has definitely arrived at the right time to help me avoid the classical homeschool burnout that comes with Spring. I enjoy checking my mailbox on Tuesdays, the day my email arrives, and finding out what my assignment for the week will be.

If this sounds like something that may interest you, I recommend you preview the course. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran or anything in between there is something for you to gleam and put into action in your homeschool. Be sure to check out what my Crewmates thought of this program by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Successful Homeschooling Made Easy

Product ~ Successful Homeschooling Made Easy Course

Price ~ $10 (£6) per month. There is a 20% discount if you choose to pay for the full course up-front - $48 (£30)

Ages ~ homeschooling Mom’s

Format ~ weekly email subscription

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©2008- 2015 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. http://astablebeginning.com

Calvert Homeschool Online ~ a TOS review

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About six weeks into our new homeschool year I felt as if I were drowning. Things were not going as planned and I felt like we were falling behind each and every day. Like throw me a life vest because I can’t even tread water anymore. That’s about the time that I saw that Calvert Homeschool Online was going to be offered for review. After checking into the program I knew I needed to get on this review to use specifically with Mikayla, my Junior.  Calvert Homeschool gave us 6 months of access to their full line of courses for three students.

Calvert Homeschool Online is an online curriculum that offers individual and family plans for grades 3-12. While my focus was for Mikayla, I did have Montana, 7th grade, and McKenzie, 4th grade, sign up for an account as well. I have Mikayla enrolled in Physics, Economics, and Government, while Montana and McKenzie each did grade level science courses.

There are placement tests for those needing help selecting the best fit for courses. Your student is able to work at or below grade level which is a nice feature and the amount of courses to choose from is a great variety.

Getting started was relatively easy once I received my log in information. I simply signed up for an account and then created student accounts for the girls. To get the program running I had to select start and end dates as well as how many days the courses would be used. There are several options for the parent to select as far as how tests and quizzes are handled and how much feedback is supplied to the student.

The parent dashboard is the hub of the program where you can track everything from grades to assignments. You can also conveniently reschedule assignments to another day if needed. Everything you need is at your fingertips to see how your child is progressing.

I have always been curious about Calvert Homeschool since I have heard their name in homeschool circles for years.  When they offered their Calvert Homeschool Online program with access to all the courses, I knew I wanted to check it out to help supplement her online studies. Mikayla was my main focus for this review because she was struggling to keep up with her online physics course. I wanted her to see the physics presented in a different way and I am happy to say that the Calvert approach is working for Physics and Government. The ability to have the material read to her as she follows along helps her tremendously. There are several different voices to choose from. She enjoyed picking the voice to be read to her in a British accent.  The ability to have the material read aloud is also my favorite feature of the program.

She is now back on track with her courses and I owe that to Calvert for giving the extra support and different teaching style. The fact that it is portable is another huge plus for us! We were able to take her school work on the go so she could work on it while at the gym or on the way to physical therapy. Montana and McKenzie did not mesh well with this program. But that’s OK! They are very much book learners so this was not a good fit for them.

Overall, Mikayla will continue to use the program for the rest of our subscription to help her in Physics and Government. Be sure to read the other reviews from my CrewMates to see if this would be a good fit for your family and students by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Calvert Homeschool 


Products ~ Calvert Homeschool Online 

Price ~ Family plan $ 

Ages ~3rd-12th grades

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© 2008 - 2019 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.     

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Homeschool Legacy: Birds of a Feather ~ a TOS review

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Imagine spending a week or more studying any topic that peaks your interest. Or just for fun, learning something totally new for enrichment or afterschool. Whether it be Native Americans, Knights & Nobles, Weather, or digging into our Constitution Homeschool Legacy has you covered with there Once-A-Week Unit Studies.

Over the last six weeks we have had the opportunity to review the Once-a-Week Unit Study called Birds of a Feather published by Homeschool Legacy. Once-a-Week Unit Studies were designed by Sharon Gibson, a veteran homeschooling mom of 16 years.

For the purpose of this review I received a digital copy of this unit study in PDF format by e-mail.  Once-a-Week Unit Studies purchased from Homeschool Legacy are also available as physical, hard copies also.

Homeschool Legacy’s Once a Week Studies are a great companion for busy parents. Preparation time is minimal and you only need to make a quick stop to the library to pick up corresponding literature books. Unit studies are a great way to learn about any topic you fancy all the while covering the basics like Bible, reading, writing, history, and/or science.

Want to know something else? These Once-A-Week Unit Studies correlate to your Boy Scouts or American Heritage Girls merit badges. How great is that! Your Boy Scout or American Heritage Girl will be able to earn merit badges all the while completing their everyday school work.

We were able to review the Birds of a Feather Unit Study that is spread out over a four week period. It retails for $14.00-$18.95, depending on whether you choose digital or physical copy and is appropriate for grades 2-12. The best part is that it can be used by the whole family and is easily adaptable so your younger children can participate too.

Birds of a Feather unit is divided into four weekly studies:

Week 1 ~ Bird basics and your backyard habitat

Week 2 ~ Bird identification

Week 3 ~ Ornithology

Week 4 ~ Birds of prey

The unit study covers a wide variety of subjects and activities  to help you get the most out of your studies.

Subjects and Activities included:

Family Devotions from the Bible

Independent and Family Reading

Language Arts

History

Geography

Traditions and Culture

Research

Music Appreciation and History

Arts and Crafts

Life Skills and Gift Giving

Field Trips

Family Trivia Game

Family Movie Night

Fun and Science

Like other unit studies from Homeschool Legacy, the author provides a suggested schedule to show you how to fit it all in throughout the week.

Monday:

Your regular daily studies

Unit Study library reading selections

Unit Study Family Read-Aloud

Tuesday:

Your regular daily studies

Unit Study library reading selections

Unit Study Family Read-Aloud

Wednesday - Unit Study Day

Eliminate regular daily studies

Unit study Family Devotional

Unit study library reading selections

Unit Study Family Read-Aloud

Unit study Activities

Thursday:

Your regular daily studies

Unit Study library reading selections

Unit Study Family Read-Aloud

Friday:

The 3 R’s (including your unit study reading)

Unit Study Family Read-Aloud

Unit Study Field Trip (or on Saturday with Dad)

Family Movie Movie/Game Night (unit study related)

~ Scheduling your unit study from website

I was able to use this unit study with Montana {8} who loves all kinds of animals. While we were not able to keep up with the schedule provided and fit this study into 4 weeks, instead we have taken each week and stretched it to fit two weeks. we have enjoyed our time learning all about birds and will continue to use this study over the summer.

OVerall, the unit studies from Homeschool Legacy are fantastic! They provide such rich learning experiences that they make homeschooling with unit studies an easy experience for all. I would love to see these unit studies somehow line up to Girl Scouts badges if possible in the future. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this study and the 12 other studies {pictured above} that were reviewed by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Homeschool Legacy

Product ~ Birds of a Feather

Price ~ $14.00 - $18.95 *depending on format

Ages ~ 2nd - 12th grade

Format ~ digital PDF file or hard copy

 

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©2008- 2015 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. http://astablebeginning.com

Biochemistry/Microbiology for 7th - 12th graders with Greg Landry's Homeschool Science

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Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary 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. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

   

Morning friends! Earlier this year I was able to share a review of the half-semester, self-paced Study Skills / Measurement / Lab Reports / Graphing, course from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science. I was so excited when Mr. Landry did another crew run since McKenzie was interested in enrolling in a science course, specifically the Biochemistry / Microbiology - Self-paced 7th-12th grade. 

Mr. Greg Landry is an experienced science teacher who is also a homeschool dad. He has not only taught homeschoolers, but also university students as a former college professor. He has brought his love of teaching science to the internet through the Canvas learning platform.

  

 ~ For 3rd - 12th Grade Homeschooled Students ~

The Biochemistry / Microbiology course is a pre-recorded course. We received 12 months of access so it’s perfect for McKenzie so she can take her time learning over the course of the year, especially since this is an add-on science for her. The course comes with a PDF study guide and contains the reading and reference material that you need to complete the course. You can choose to either download and print the file or just read it from your computer/tablet. For this course I choose to just have the file stored on the computer for easy access.

  ~ Christ-Centered Live & Self-Paced Online Classes ~

Since Mr. Landry is a follower of Christ he begins each video lesson with prayer, which I love. Then you get into the actual lesson. The Biochemistry / Microbiology course includes 20-30 minutes worth of video instruction on a multiple of topics including: 

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, DNA, vitamins, hormones, viruses, bacteria, epidemics, antibiotics, pathogen cultures, top 10 pathogen diseases. 

 Since McKenzie is already enrolled in an online course for science this year, we have had to take this course slow. She has been working on this course over the weekends about twice a month. The first weekend she will watch the lesson fully. The second time she will watch the video and take notes and complete any work necessary. This is probably not the best way to complete the course but it works for us and her busy training/school schedule. 

 - Christ-Centered Focus

 - See & Hear Teacher

 - "Life Prep" & "College Prep" Options 

- Veteran Science Teacher 

- Community with Other Students 

While I am fully confident in my ability to teach upper level science as well as to complete labs at home, I am grateful for homeschool science labs online such as the Virtual, interactive homeschool laboratory courses from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science. Not only did McKenzie learn a about an interesting topic of Biochemistry, but it has also sparked her interest in the topic more and she thinks she wants to study Chemistry at University down the road. 

Since it is almost time to start thinking about next year’s science course, Greg Landry’s Homeschool Science is at the top of our list! We are thinking that McKenzie will jump into his Live Pre-Anatomy & Physiology and Pre-Biology courses for her 7th grade year. Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this course or the other course options that were reviewed including: 

1. Virtual, interactive homeschool laboratory  

 self paced online - start any time:

 - biology / anatomy and physiology - chemistry - physics 

2. Self-paced 4th-7th grade one-semester classes

- Young Scientist Anatomy & Physiology - Young Scientist Biology - Young Scientist Chemistry - Young Scientist Physics - Young Scientist Earth & Space Science 

3. Self-paced 7th-12th grade half-semester classes 

 - Exercise & Sports Physiology - Biochemistry / Microbiology - Embryology / Endocrinology - Earth & Space Science - Study Skills / Measurement / Lab Reports / Graphing 

 Click on the banner below to read their thoughts!  

Company ~ Greg Landry's Homeschool Science 

 Product ~ Self-paced 7th-12th grade half-semester classes in Biochemistry / Microbiology 

 Format ~ online, 12 months access 

Price ~ $120.00 

Ages ~ 7th-12th graders

 

 © 2008 - 2021 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.

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