Thinkwell’s Instructor Led Geometry (Review)

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.

*Links are referral links, see disclosure below*

6/17/22 Update:

We are continuing to use Thinkwell and love the program! We have started using their regular student courses that we work through at our own pace and adding in live office hours during the months he needs extra help! You can use the links in this post to get 15% off your purchase of a Thinkwell course!

Math has been a bit of a challenge in our homeschool for the last several years. As my son has reached high school level math, he needed more and more help. The increasingly complex maths, which I hadn’t really used in quite a while, were a big challenge to jump back into. So, I couldn’t always remember how to help him. My husband is a huge help in this area, but couldn’t always stop work to help during our normal school time, and more and more often he was having to do extensive review to be able to help out. It was also causing some friction in our relationship because while my son does well in math, he does not enjoy it. Based on those struggles, I was very happy to try out THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED GEOMETRY from Thinkwell Homeschool.

My son was not planning to start geometry until the spring semester, so I allowed him to decide if he wanted to take the review. However, he recognized the math struggles we had been having and was excited to try out this instructor-led course. The basic set-up for this course is that each week he receives an e-mail with links and instructions. The lessons are done via a pre-recorded video and he completes work using Thinkwell’s website, which is then automatically graded. When a question in the practice is answered incorrectly, the student is shown detailed instructions for getting the correct answer. I appreciated this rapid and specific feedback. My son also specifically liked that the videos were broken down into shorter chunks and not one long video.

There are also some additional worksheets and practice work that he can complete if he is struggling. Where this program is different than many online programs, is the instructor office hours feature. Each week he has two opportunities to log in via zoom and get help directly from his instructor.

The course has set weeks for work with scheduled holidays and breaks, however, as long as you have finished within one week after the scheduled end date there is no penalty for working at a different pace. This was a benefit to us because we had already scheduled a different fall break.

Geometry seems to be easier for my son than algebra, so he has not needed help from his instructor. However, he has logged into the office hours just to make sure he understood the process. It was very simple to log in and the instructor was happy to explain the process and talk about what to expect. He is completing his week’s work in about 3 hours, spread over several days. This may get a bit longer as the difficulty of the work increases.

As a parent, I appreciate that other than checking in to make sure my son was completing his work, I could be very hands-off. It’s a complete course bundle, necessitating very little parent involvement. Each week I received a copy of the e-mail that shared what the assignments were and I could go in to check on his quiz and test grades, which does allow for nearly immediate feedback. We are working on week six of the course and are scheduled to get his first progress report e-mailed to us next week.

Overall, due to the direct availability of the instructor, these courses are more expensive than most of the courses that our family uses. However, we felt that it was a great program and my son is doing math without any fighting or struggle! For a student that needs some extra help or support, a busy working parent, or a parent that doesn’t feel comfortable helping with upper-level math courses this can be a great program. In addition to the THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED GEOMETRY course, other Review Crew members reviewed THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 1 and THINKWELL’S INSTRUCTOR-LED ALGEBRA 2. Be sure to click on the graphic below to check out the other Review Crew reviews.

Thinkwell Instructor-Led Algebra 1 / Algebra 2 / Geometry {Thinkwell Homeschool Reviews}

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Musik At Home Membership (Review)

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.

This post contains affiliate links, see the disclaimer below for more information.

Most of the product reviews I share with you are products that were new to me at the beginning of the review period; however, our family has been using the Musik at Home Membership for almost a year!  Since we found it, we have really enjoyed the Musik at Home Membership and I am excited to share more about it with you.

The main courses are broken down by age level. The Musik at Home Membership has the Family Music for Babies and Toddlers course for ages Infant to 24 months, Family Music for Mixed Ages (Ages 1-5), Family Music for Preschoolers (Ages 3-5), and Family Music for Ages 4-7.  Each course has 6-9 full length classes (about 15-25 minutes long) as well as some bonus two to three minute activities. In addition, there are short one to three minute videos of each activity that are broken down by type of activity. For example, the activities that use rhythm instruments, dancing activities, singing games, etc.  Also, coming on October 23, is a Christmas music course. We love Christmas music in our house and I am super excited to try that one with my boys.

These courses are very low prep for the parent. We keep a small container of supplies (scarves, rhythm sticks, and shakers) beside the television so that anytime we want to do a class they are ready. Then all I have to do is turn on the videos and follow her directions. I started using only supplies we had in the house and it was fine, but I did later purchase a set of rhythm sticks for that portion (though pencils or sticks from outside will work).

Each class contains multiple different activities that help to keep young children engaged. There are songs to sing, dances and movements to follow, call and repeat activities and more. We did some classes from the babies and Toddlers course with my two year old and enjoyed them, but the family favorite was the Family Music for Mixed Ages. I would often do those with both the two-year-old and the six-year-old. They had more of the musical instrument components which were definitely the favorite part for my six-year-old. 

Most of the time, I use our Musik at Home Membership as a chance for me to slow down and focus on my younger children. We get to sing and dance together and enjoy the time. This is the way the program was designed to work and it works well. However, mom to mom, I need to admit that sometimes when life is crazy I just turn on one of the classes and let them enjoy it all on their own. While they get more out of it when we do it together, it is also a great way to keep them safely occupied for a few minutes while I get dinner going, send a few e-mails, or sit down and breath after a long day.

Overall, we really enjoy our Musik at Home Membership. I love that it gives me an easy way to connect and engage with my toddler. It gets us moving and helps him begin to learn about music. I recommend this program for any parent of young children (babies through early elementary school) that wants to teach their child more about music or wants a fun way they can connect and learn together. While we focused on the classes for children that were toddlers and older, other families focused on other courses. Make sure to check out the other reviews from the Review Crew by clicking on the graphic below.

Musik at Home Membership {Musik at Home Reviews}

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Educational Amazon Prime Day Deals 2020

Amazon’s Prime Day was moved from the summer to October this year! I actually really like it this way because I am much more prepared to get my Christmas shopping done. There are lots of great deals on educational toys, microscopes, school supplies, and electronics to help in your homeschool! I will share some of the best deals I see below (and I will try to add new deals throughout the next two days as I find them). Please share any other deals or items you are looking for in the comments. I am blessed by your choice to purchase through my affiliate links and your support of the blog.

Links are affiliate links, see disclaimer below for more information.

Kids Kindle Fire

Prime Channel Deals 99 cents for 2 months (includes Noggin, Up Family and Faith, PBS Documentaries, and more)

STEM Toys ( Lego, Tinker Toys, Magna-Tiles, Science Kits)

Aqua Magic Mat (great way to keep the little ones occupied during school time)

Trekking the Parks (National Park Board Game)

Active Play Products ( Sand and Water Tables, Stepping Logs, and More)

Math Manipulative Clings ( Base Ten, Ten Frames, Fractions, Shapes, and More)

Hands-On Math Manipulatives ( Clocks, Shapes, Base Ten Blocks, Fractions, etc)

School Specialty School Supplies  ( Lined Paper, Railroad Board, composition books, and more)

Classroom Furniture (Bean bag seating)

Microscopes

$50 off of a year of Audible Premium

Discounts on Kindle Unlimited

Get an extra $10 Promotional Credit when buy a $40 Gift Card

Board Games (included our family favorite: Ticket to Ride)

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Lunch Theme Ideas For Easier Meal Planning

I have been meal planning for years and I love how much it relieves the stress of figuring out what to each each day. However, lunch has been a struggle. It was always hard to come up with good healthy ideas that were simple and easy so that I could throw them together when we were finished with school for the morning.

I decided to make my life a bit simpler and go with a daily theme that would help with planning but give us some flexibility. I will also adjust as needed for field trips and other days away from the house. This just gives me a good basis to start with each week.

Lunch Theme Ideas

Monday: Soup or Salad

I love that soups can often be made ahead of time or thrown into the crockpot that morning. It is also easy to make a batch big enough to have leftovers as needed. Salads are great especially when it is hot because they don’t heat up the kitchen. These simple but filling meals will help us get a good start to the week. These are just a few ideas and recipes that you can use to get you started.

Tuesday:  Mexican (Taco Tuesday)

  • Tacos
  • Nachos
  • Bean Burritos
  • Carnitas Bowls (Super simple recipe: Take 1 plain ham steak or boneless chicken and put into a crockpot, dump one jar or Trader Joes Salsa Verde and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6. Serve over rice, lettuce, or tortilla chips. )

Wednesday: Loaded Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese is always a hit but we like to mix it up to add variety and vegetables. The noodles are quick, easy, and inexpensive,  and a little bit of meat or veggies keeps it interesting. My personal favorite is pizza mac using mozzarella cheese and chopped up pepperoni. The children always appreciate hot dog mac. You can add whatever meat and veggies you have on hand to give it a twist.  I’ve shared some of our favorites below to get you started.

  • ham and broccoli
  • mozzarella and pepperoni
  • bacon
  • ground beef and tomatoes
  • hot dog mac

bagel pizza cropped

Thursday: Cold Plate/Sandwich

We do not eat a lot of sandwiches because of a sensitivity to dough conditioners but sometimes a salad or cold plate lunch is the easiest choice. I love that I can make the pimento cheese, chicken salad, or egg salad ahead of time and have it ready to go in the fridge. I can serve it as a sandwich, lettuce wrap, or on a plate with crackers.

  • Pimento Cheese
  • Chicken Salad
  • Egg Salad
  • Grilled Cheese
  • Bagel or English Muffin Pizzas

Friday: Leftovers or Frozen Meals

By the end of the week, there are almost always leftovers from various meals that need to be used. Most weeks I can just pull out the various containers and everyone can choose from the leftovers. This makes it easy for me, keeps the fridge from being overrun, and helps us be less wasteful. However, if we get to a Friday and do not have leftovers, I always try to keep a couple of frozen meals from Trader Joes in the freezer. They are my fall back plan when I need a quick meal without a lot of prep.

We have been using this plan for a couple of weeks now and it seems to have really helped me keep the meal plan simple but varied. I am sure we will make some adjustments as time goes on, but I am enjoying this format. What are some of your favorite lunches? Do you like to have themes?

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

NatureGlo’s eScience (Review)

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.

I recently had the opportunity to review a bundle of MathArt and Science courses from NatureGlo’s eScience.  This NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle contained a variety of online courses on different MathArt  and science topics. The courses were created by Gloria Brooks and are video based with additional links and activities to help the students go deeper into each topic. The courses are presented from a neutral worldview. 

Topics included rockhounding (which I want to try), herps, invertebrates, mammals, sharks, marine biology, MathArt, polygons, snowflakes, Leonardo da Vinci, botany, and bubbleology (my son’s favorite). I know that I am not the only one who wondered what the term ‘MathArt ‘ meant. The description that Gloria Brooks shared was “MathArt introduction is a unique journey exploring the mathematical connections there are with math, nature, science, art, and architecture.” The courses covered common patterns and geometric shapes in nature, concentric rings, hexagons, etc.

As we looked at the variety of courses offered, I allowed my children to choose which courses they wanted to try. We did three different courses (as well as looking at parts of some others) during our time reviewing this program. The three programs we focused on were the Tide Pool Communities, Bubbleology, and Exploring he Giant Redwood Trees. We look forward to continuing to use some of the other programs this year as time allows.

Each NatureGlo’s eScience includes a main video lesson, a slideshow which is used in the main lesson, a study guide the students can complete, and additional information and activities. For example, there may be several shorter videos with more information, suggested experiments, and web links to other related resources.

They started with bubbleology because my six-year-old son thought it sounded like a lot of fun. He loves bubbles and was excited to get to spend his science time that week studying them. They enjoyed the lesson and were excited to learn some new tricks about creating stronger and better bubbles. There was even a section on how to make shaped bubbles.

Next, they decided on Exploring the Giant Redwood Trees. We had learned a little about the Redwood trees in our geography program last semester and a visit to the Redwood Forest is on our family bucket list. They enjoyed this course and particularly liked the extra videos which included a video of people climbing the trees.

They chose Tide Pool Communities because our family really enjoys spending time at the beach and playing in the tide pools. One of the things that my twelve-year-old daughter noticed and appreciated about this course was that the creatures found in the tide pools in the course were different than those we normally find locally.

Once we were logged in with our courses purchased the website and courses were easy to navigate. However, when we clicked on the link before logging in, I noticed that the website was a bit confusing to navigate. I would have expected the courses to be a challenge to navigate based on the website, but in reality my twelve-year-old did not have any problem navigating through the courses and completed the required activities. The membership portion of the website was much more user friendly than the main site.

My son and daughter both enjoyed the courses. They liked the variety of information and being able to choose topics that were of interest to them. They did learn that the beginning of each main video went over the same ‘housekeeping’ type of information that explained each course. After the first couple of videos, I told them that they could skip to where the lesson actually started. This saved us about ten to fifteen minutes for each lesson. However, we understood the need to include it since it could be the first course for other people.

Overall, while I found the initial website to be a bit of a challenge to navigate, the e-courses were lots of fun and very educational. For our family, they work well as a supplemental program that helps my children learn more about areas of interest. For homeschoolers that take a more child directed or relaxed approach they could easily be your entire science curriculum. Be sure to check out all of the other Crew Reviews to see which courses they tried and how the program worked for their families.


NatureGlo's eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle { NatureGlo's eScience Reviews}

Explore with Books: Corduroy (Review)

I received this product free in exchange for my honest review. Some links in this post may be affiliate links. Please see the disclosure below for more information.

When my oldest two children were in preschool, I would make lots of cute activities and lessons for us to do together. It was a fun creative outlet for me and I wanted to make sure I was creating a learning rich environment for them. Fast forward a few years and I have a high school student, a middle school student, a first grader, and a two-year-old. Now that I am juggling all of those plates, finding time to create fun activities for my two-year-old felt out of reach, but I still wanted to provide him with that same learning rich environment.

Children learn through play so I knew that I didn’t need an academic lesson plan, but some ideas for intentional play. I was blessed with the opportunity to review several “Explore with Books” units from MyFullHeartShop. These units solved my problem of not having time to plan by having everything laid out for me, and allowed me to use my time engaging with my son.

I reviewed the digital version of the units, which meant that I received a PDF that included all of the instructions and activities. I could then choose which ones I wanted to complete, gather a few simple materials, and enjoy learning with my son. The instructions were not hard and I only spent about 20 minutes gathering materials and getting things set up for a week of activities. However, if even that feels overwhelming right now , you can buy a physical kit that is shipped to your door with everything you need ready to go.

We chose to focus first on the unit that went along with the book, Corduroy. I have always loved that book and was excited to share it with my two-year-old (and my six-year-old that listened along with us). Once we had read the book there were a variety of activities to choose from.

There was a bear sorting activity, texture activities, fine motor skills, counting, and even colors. Each of the five days had a main activity as well as an additional activity that you could complete. Our favorite activity with the Corduroy book was a series of texture cards. My son enjoyed playing with them and we were able to use different adjectives to describe them.

Overall, I really appreciated that these kits made it easier for me to spend less time planning and more time engaging with my son. I also loved that it was flexible and the activities only took a few minutes because like most toddlers, my two-year-old does not have a long attention span. In addition to this Corduroy kit, MyFullHeartShop has a great selection of different kits and files to help you engage in intentional play with your young children. There are kits that focus on birds, colors, fine motor skills and more. There are options regarding digital files and ready to go kits that are shipped to your door. Check out all of the fun kits and share with me how you like to engage your young children in fun educational play.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you are looking for ways to keep your young children learning but active, join the FREE Learning Without Worksheets Challenge. Starts on October 5th but sign-ups are open now!

Tired, stressed, overwhelmed? Check out the virtual Real Refreshment Retreat! with Rachael Carman October 9th and 10th. Sign-up today!

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

Letters From Katie Luther (Review)

  • *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Please see disclosure below for more details.*

Earlier this month when I shared about what I had read this summer, I did not tell you about this fun book that I had a chance to review. I was privileged to receive a copy of Letters From Katie Luther by Shirley Casemier, which I read and then passed along to my twelve year old daughter.

While I know and understand the basics of the life of Martin Luther, I had never really considered his wife. I loved that this book provided more information about her as well as a different perspective on his life. The book is written as a series of letters from Martin’s wife Katie to her friend Ave.

The story begins while they are still in a convent, shares their escape, tells of how Martin Luther helped them, and then goes on to share about Katie’s marriage to Martin, how they raised their children, his work and ministry, and eventually their deaths.  While there was a lot of heart ache and tragedy in their lives (the death of children, plagues, persecution), there was also much to be thankful for. The book read in such a way as to deal with those tragedies without being overly morose or sad.

The way the book was written in letters really helped to make the people ‘come alive’ in my mind. It is easy to read facts in biographies and yet not connect with their stories. However, by writing it as a series of letters and including family information, I felt like I was viewing Katie not just as the wife of Martin Luther, but as a mother, a friend, and a fellow sister in Christ.

“I really liked the way it described Katie Luther life in letters with her best friend that was a great way and easy to keep track of what was going on.” Elizabeth, age 12

At the end of the book the author provides a section of information that lets you know which parts of the book were non-fiction and which parts were fictionalized. I really appreciated that section.  While I understand why the author took some creative liberty, I think it was important to understand the differences in the book and real life. For example, a few of the names were changed in the story for clarity, some of the ages were different, and the friend with whom the letters were exchanged actually died before Katie, but the author had her die later so she could finish the story with the letters.  The author also includes a list of some of the books and resources she used for the factual components of this fictionalized biography.

Overall, we really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it for ages 12+ or possibly as a family read aloud. There is a lot of great information in an easy to understand format. It could work well to supplement a Reformation Day study or as an introduction to Martin Luther. You can find out more or purchase your own copy at Reformed Free Publishing Association or from Amazon.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you are looking for ways to keep your young children learning but active, join the FREE Learning Without Worksheets Challenge. Starts on October 5th but sign-ups are open now!

Tired, stressed, overwhelmed? Check out the virtual Real Refreshment Retreat! with Rachael Carman October 9th and 10th. Sign-up today!

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

The Color Orange

The Review Crew is writing about the color orange this week. While I don’t have any deep thoughts or insightful ponderings about the color, I did want to share a few of my favorite things that are orange.

  • *Some links in this post are referral links. Please see the disclosure below for more information. *

Pumpkins and Fall Leaves

Sunsets

(because I don’t often get up early enough for the sunrise)

Campbell University

( I spent six and half years at Campbell getting an undergraduate and a masters degree. It is where I meet my husband as well as some of the best lifelong friends a girl could ever ask for.  We are all quite disappointed to not be going back for Homecoming this year due to COVID. Can’t wait for next year. Go Camels!)

What do you love about the color orange? Make sure to check out all of the other Review Crew posts this week to see what they have to say about the color orange. Also, if you want a little more orange fun, check out this series of Orange Workouts from my friend Beth over at Fit2B.

Resource
Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource
library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the
library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter
email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including
Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t
believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links.
It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

If you are looking for ways to keep your young children learning but active,
join the FREE Learning
Without Worksheets Challenge
. Starts on October 5th but sign-ups are open
now!

Tired, stressed, overwhelmed? Check out the virtual Real
Refreshment Retreat!
with Rachael Carman October 9th and 10th. Sign-up
today!

If you have not tried
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
, you don’t want to miss this sale!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins

This time of year, you start hearing a lot about pumpkin spice, but at the risk of offending half my readers, I do not care for pumpkin spice. However, I love pumpkins. I am excited to share some fun pumpkin activities, books, and recipes that you can use with your children.

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links; see below for more information. *

Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkins are not only tasty but also super nutritious, so I love being able to add them to various recipes during the fall and winter months. Pumpkin has lots of vitamins but is particularly well known for being high in vitamin A and antioxidants.

Some of our favorite ways to incorporate pumpkin are pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, and of course, pumpkin pie. We also love to roast pumpkin seeds for a tasty snack. This year I want to try this pumpkin hummus recipe and pumpkin french toast

You can also check out this super simple pumpkin cookie recipe.

Decorating Pumpkins

While people often carve pumpkins in October, we prefer to find other ways to decorate them. A carved pumpkin will only last a couple days, but if you use other methods, it can last for weeks. Last year we melted crayons onto pumpkins, but we have also used paint, markers, stickers, and even these Mr. Potatohead Pumpkin kits.

Thankful Pumpkin

If you don’t want to decorate your pumpkin in the traditional sense, you might enjoy using it as a way to share your gratitude. I have seen some great pictures of people who have used their pumpkins to write down what they are thankful for. They start at the top of the pumpkin and add more daily until it is full.

Pumpkin Books

We always like adding books to our studies. Some of our favorite pumpkin books are Spookley the Square Pumpkin and The Pumpkin Runner. I plan to check out some additional pumpkin books from the library this week and would love for you to share your favorite titles in the comments.

This year we are hoping to finish out our study with a trip to a local farm with friends. They have pumpkins, hay rides, and a corn maze. Many activities have been canceled, so we were excited to find this fun fall activity still open.

If you are looking for a few more ideas, make sure to check out our post about pumpkins from last year and check out all of the other Review Crew posts this week.  You can also check out some of the pumpkin activities that we did with our Teaching Library Review.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library, you will get a link and password to the library; we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you updated on what we have going on.

Resource Library 

This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always, I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Deals and Freebies

Family and relationships are so important in our homes, but they can also be challenging. Check out this FREE homeschooling summit that is focusing on family relationships.

If you have not tried SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t want to miss this sale!

My Teaching Library Download Club (Review)

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.

This post contains affiliate links, see below for more information.

Our family has been spending some time checking out the My Teaching Library Download Club over the last month. The Download Club membership allowed us to use as many of the products on the site as we wanted during the time of our membership and we found lots of resources to try.

The site offers resources for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and even resources for organization and classroom management. The resources can be sorted by grade and topic and there are thousands to choose from. In addition to sorting activities by grade and subject, they also have monthly activities, seasonal activities, and special holiday activities. All of the resources are included in the membership or they can be purchased individually.

Most of the resources that we utilized were for my toddler and my first grader. As we were starting back to school and enjoying the slightly cooler weather (at least for a few days), I wanted to do some fall and pumpkin activities with them. There were quite a variety to choose from that included coloring pages, poetry, writing, science projects, and more. There were 39 different fall packs to choose from with activities for a variety of ages.

We started by using some of the pages from the P is for Pumpkin pack and the Funny Pumpkins unit. My son really enjoyed the letter finding and word making activities. We also liked the page with a pumpkin picture that my youngest could finish with dot markers. We have been reviewing upper and lower case letters and the pumpkin pages were a great way to incorporate pumpkins and fall into that review. There was even a fun short video that explains the life cycle of a pumpkin.

In science, my seventh grader and my first grader are studying anatomy. I had been hoping to find some pages that were a little easier for my first grader and was delighted to find some coloring pages that will work great as we go through the curriculum. There were also some great diagrams and pages that will help my seventh grader.

My oldest child is in ninth grade and taking a pretty full course load this year. I had not planned to use this program with him because I did not want to add anything to his load. However, I was surprised to find that there was a guitar tutorial included with the membership. This 62 page document takes you step by step through learning the guitar. He has just started lessons and I shared this with him to help him study and practice.

In addition, there were lots of great resources for organization including a transcript record, course of study records, activities log, desk toppers, calendars, and more. These would be great for homeschool, co-op, or a classroom teacher. There were also glossaries for various subjects, lined papers, templates, and even a college application guide.

Overall, we thought there were lots of great products included with this membership. We will use it as a supplement to our regular curriculum. I could also see it being very beneficial to someone who wanted to create their own curriculum or use student directed learning because you have access to so many different resources on such a variety of topics.  If you want to learn more, make sure to check out the My Teaching Library website and click on the graphic below to check out the other reviews.

My Teaching Library Download Club {My Teaching Library}

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