We’ve homeschooled since the beginning and have tried our fair share of products. Some won us over and some were flops.
While I knew there were fantastic products online, being a traditionalist, I’ve preferred hard copy materials. Most online programs have glitches, don’t run correctly, or not up to the quality standards to which I’ve become accustomed.
After reading others asking if it was worth the $139 price tag, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review SchoolhouseTeachers.com’s yearly membership option to see for myself.
Whether you have a small or large family, a family with all “typical” children or a family blessed with multi-abled, special needs children, there’s something for everyone on the site–from toddlers through high school, and even a few offerings for the college aged crew and moms!
Because of the vast amount of options, we haven’t been able to experience all of them, but here are a few highlights that caught my eye:
- Dailies: If you’re looking for bite-size educational choices for spelling, English, writing, even Astronomy and more, this section will quickly become a favorite.
- Library: As an avid reader, I already know this section will be used on a regular basis. Printable monthly reading lists that are based on age, lesson plans, downloadable e-books, copy books, plus more, are readily available.
- Teacher’s Lessons: My favorite place on the site. Lesson plans for a variety of subjects, including art, math, nutrition, geography, keyboarding, logic, and virtually any other topic you can think of, are covered. Many are broken down by monthly lessons, making it easy to stay organized and see how your family is progressing through a subject.
Other offerings are broken down by age groups:
- Pre-K/Elementary
- Middle/High School
- Family
Since I spend so much of my school day working with my older children and have a variety of ages and abilities, I began my journey by perusing the Pre-K/Elementary and Family sections.
From the Pre-K/Elementary Section:
As for my toddler and preschooler, I absolutely adored the program, “The Homegrown Preschooler,” which covers:
- ABC’s
- preschool spelling
- hands-on activities
- literature selections, etc.
Unfortunately I haven’t been able to print out the pictures. I don’t know if this was a glitch on my computer’s part or if it’s within the program. Because of the specific issue I had, I’m fairly sure it has something to do with my computer compatibility.
So instead, we downloaded an activity for The Nutcracker and watched the accompanying video. How perfect for this time of year. The embedded video didn’t play, but after being redirected to youtube, it worked fine. Soon, all of my children were surrounded in front of the screen.
Here are a few pictures of my 4 year old son working on his Nutcracker craft.
Me: You’re going to color his face blue?
Four-year-old: YES! Isn’t it cool!?!
Working on his fine motor skills!
“I did it! He’s the cool Nutcracker, Mama!”
Special Needs (and what impressed me most):
Since many of you are homeschooling special needs children, I’m pleased to let you know that there’s a section to meet your unique situation. I discovered articles for building confidence, how to help those with language-based delays to learn by explaining how they acquire and organize information, and other useful advice.
My son on the autism spectrum is also diagnosed with dyslexia and working on his reading. To give SchoolhouseTeachers.com a real run for its money, I visited their reading section and printed out one of the lessons to see how he would fare. Included in the activity was a downloadable book, writing exercises, comprehension questions, and vocabulary builders.
Out of everything I viewed, the reading section is what most impressed me. The vocabulary activities and worksheets that accompany each downloadable book are remarkable and thorough. While my son struggled, and I can’t imagine him fully enjoying future lessons without becoming frustrated, my bookworm daughter will benefit from them on days when she wants a new activity or to keep her thinking skills fresh. As for other children who don’t have severe reading difficulties, the reading section will be an asset.
Here are a few pictures of my son reading the first “article” and working through a couple of the worksheets:
He struggled through the article, but was able to comprehend most of what he read.
Review words we covered before reading the article.
Excellent worksheets to boost vocabulary.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine:
In case you didn’t know, The Old Schoolhouse is the parent company for SchoolhouseTeachers.com. I’ve read TOS since I started homeschooling my children when they were preschoolers. As part of membership, you’ll receive the digital copy of this fantastic resource, as well as back issues, delivered to your inbox.
The Bottom Line:
Even with the minor technical issues, I think this program is worth the annual subscription rate, especially considering the variety included and the age ranges it covers. On the SchoolhouseTeachers.com site, it states that the program could be used as a core curriculum, but for our family, I feel it’ll be best utilized as a supplement or when we need an extra activity on a rainy day.
Because of the ongoing addition of new curriculum, as well as access to the archives, and the variety of options, such as the print outs, recommended book lists, and other recommended physical items, I believe SchoolhouseTeachers.com will be a great enhancement to our homeschool journey.
To keep up with The Old Schoolhouse and its offerings for your family, you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.
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Dawn @ Our Little Monkeys says
Great review – I love how organized your review is! 🙂
The Mama Behind the Story says
Thanks, Dawn!! I wanted to lay things out clearly so busy homeschool mamas could scan for the info they needed, so it sounds as though I accomplished my goal! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Lisa M. (aka. Lisa @ Farm Fresh) says
Great review, Sara! I have enjoyed how each reviewer thus far has analyzed a different aspect of this site! Thanks for sharing!
The Mama Behind the Story says
Lisa, I noticed the same thing! I haven’t had a chance to visit all of the reviews but hope to do so soon. There’s so much there! Thanks for visiting. 🙂
Adena (aka cre82learn) says
Can I just first say that I LOVE your blog banner??? You did an awesome review, I love the way you laid all the info out for it. (AdenaF.com)
The Mama Behind the Story says
Why thank you. 🙂 I’m considering a change and talking with the designer about how to preserve the banner as much as possible because I love it, too. 🙂 Thanks for visiting and for the feedback. 🙂
Lisa Rupertus says
That nutcracker is adorable! Going to have to print that off for next week! Thanks for spotlighting it!
The Mama Behind the Story says
Lisa, I danced in The Nutcracker 3 times so it has a special place in my heart. I thought the activity was very sweet and loved that my little fella enjoyed it, too. 🙂
Jill R. says
Thank you pointing out that there are teacher’s lesson plans. It is easy to forget that even though we all learned the materials ages ago, we might just need those special notes to let us know how to teach it as it is presented. What a great review! Thank you 🙂
The Mama Behind the Story says
Absolutely!!! There are times when I’ve become so familiar with a curriculum that I no longer use the TM. When I revisit it, it’s as though I learn all kinds of new things, which is usually great because undoubtedly the child I’m currently teaching is a complete opposite from others. ;)Thanks for visiting and for the feedback. 🙂
Nikki Hinkle says
I also loved how organized your review was and plan to grab that nutcracker activity this week. With the busy of the season might as well add something simple to our day and yet organized . 🙂 Welcome to the crew.
The Mama Behind the Story says
Thanks, Nikki!! Yes the activity was very simple and yet enjoyable. I’d love to see how other four year old little ones envision The Nutcracker. 🙂 Blessings. 🙂
Monica Pruett says
Thanks for linking to Family Fun Friday! Pinned.
Monica