Welcome to the TOS Homeschool Crew’s Official Blog!

The TOS Homeschool Crew is setting sail on our third voyage!  We have over 200 new members, along with 50 crew mates who are returning for their second or third year (these Crew mates are serving as First Mate mentors, helping the new members learn how to navigate the waters!) We’re looking forward to a very exciting year, filled with great products, informative reviews, and lots of fun.

We’re glad that you are here! This blog will serve as the “hub” for the Homeschool Crew.  Here, you will find information about each and every product that we will review, along with links to all the many blogs that contain Crew reviews. Simply click through the links to see what our Crew members have to say about the products you know and love, or the ones you’re most curious about.  We’ve got a wonderful line-up of products this year (please refer to the Vendors on Deck list in our sidebar).

As the captain of the Crew, I’ll be steering our ship through some uncharted waters this year, but am looking forward to smooth sailing.  If you have any questions about the Crew, please feel free to contact me at any time throughout the course of our voyage.

PLEASE NOTE – The Mr. Linkies are for CREW MEMBERS ONLY!
Please DO NOT SIGN unless you are a Crew Member, posting a link to your review.

A special note to VENDORS – If you are interested in using the Crew’s services as a means to help spread the word about your products, that’s great and we’d be more than happy to help you.  Please DO NOT go down through our list of reviewers and solicit reviews on your own.  You need to go through our sales team at TOS in order to set up reviews through our Crew.  If you know who your sales representative is,  please contact her.  If not, please e-mail me and I will point you in the right direction.

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My Access – Vantage Learning

Writing is often a difficult subject for homeschool parents to teach. Uncertainty over how to grade their child’s writing, or a lack of confidence in their own writing abilities are often at the root of this difficulty.

Vantage Learning has a solution — My Access! Home Edition.

My Access! is an on-line, self-paced writing course which provides immediate feedback and grading for the student. The Artificial Intelligence grading program uses a writing rubric to score the students on their writing’s focus, organization, content development, language use and grammar. It walks the students through each step of the writing process, helping them improve their writing and develop confidence.

Interactive writing lessons can be selected from a variety of topics in each age level. Parents can also assign writing projects that relate to the student’s other studies, using the My Topics feature. My Access! then grades the writing, and sends progress reports to the parents, as often as the parent chooses to receive them.

My Access! Home Edition can be purchased in 12-month subscriptions for 1 parent and your choice of 3 students ($99.95) or 6 students ($129.95). A demonstration video is available to help parents decide if My Access! is right for their family.

TOS Crew members were given a free subscription to My Access! Home Edition in order to review this writing program.

You can see what Crew members had to say about My Access! by clicking on the links below . . .

Special thanks to First Mate April @ Elcloud Homeschool for writing this post!

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Blog Cruise – Using Technology in the Homeschool

There are so many technological advances that we as homeschoolers can take advantage of to aid in the education of our children. From computers to iPods to DVDs and the like, there are a multitude of ways that we can provide an interactive, advanced, and modern education in our homes.

This week’s Blog Cruise question is “Do you use technology in your homeschool?”

Be sure to visit the Crew blogs and read their thoughts on this week’s Blog Cruise topic, and kindly leave a comment or two! We hope you enjoy this week’s Cruise!

Heidi @ Reviews & Reflections shares the technology she uses in her post, “Technology”.

Mrs. Taffy @ My Life on a Taffy Pull writes about “Technology & Homeschool”.

Kristi @ Clothesline Musings discusses “Technology in Homeschooling”.

Alexis @ Shepherding Kind Hearts says, ” I can not homeschool without my Mac”.

April @ Heartfelt Homeschooling talks about “Techno Homeschooling”.

Betty @ Peace Creek on the Prairie writes about “Plugged in Homeschooling ~ A Semi-Advanced Technology Homeschool”.

LaRee @ Broad Horizons details “Technology in Homeschooling…”.

SisterTipster at Tell’n It! shares “SisterT’s Talking Technology in Homeschooling”.

Heidi @ Chatter, Clatter, and Things That Matter says, “Embrace it as a learning tool!”.

Jill @ ClarkClan Craziness asks, “Pencils, Pens, Books, and Computers?”.

Alyson @ Family Style School discusses “Using technology to teach”.

Krissy @ RubySlippersSchool talks about “Doing what I never said I would!!!!”.

Debra @ Footprints in the Butter says, “Welcome to my iSchool”

Laura O @ Day by Day in Our World writes, “Wired for Learning”.

Jesse @ Orange Marmalade Mama details “Technology in the Homeschool…Or How I Can’t Live without My iPod!!”.

Heather @ Faith, Family and Fun shares how she is “Using technology in Our Homeschool”.

Kimberly @ Homeschooling in Nova Scotia, Canada is talking “Homeschool Tech” in her post.

Lisa @ The Happy Homeschool mom shares how “Technology Can Be a Wonderful Thing”.

Tristan @ Our Busy Homeschool asks, “Would Our Homeschool Change Without Technology?”.

Shannon @ Mountaineer Country discusses her thoughts in “Technology in our Homeschool – A Necessity”.

Tess @ Circling Through This Life details “Home Education and Technology”.

Kelly @ Walking Home asks, “Technology…To Be or Not to Be…Used?”.

Isabelle aka Canadianladybug discusses “iHomeschooling”.

And finally, I share my own thoughts in my post, “Homeschooling in the Year 2010″.

Be sure to stop back next week when TOS Crew Members will answer the question, “How do you respond to family or friends that don’t support your decision to homeschool?”

This post was written and compiled by Jodi who blogs at The Homeschool Desk.

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College Prep Genius DVD Set Giveaway

Parents of high school students, this one’s for you!

This week’s featured giveaway is for the College Prep Genius DVD Package (Currently a $99 value).

The College Prep Website opens with this; “FULL SCHOLARSHIP–If these TWO words could change your life,PLEASE read on. . . COLLEGE PREP GENIUS gives the solution to finding scholarships and paying for college through an exclusive program designed to increase standardized test scores. With our help you can:

• Go to college for FREE!
• Raise your SAT score as much as 600 points!
• Get accepted to the college of your choice!”

Peaked your interest?  Click the link, read more of what they have to say, and then be sure to check out what the Crew had to say HERE.  Then pop back and leave a comment on this site (not Facebook, please!), and you’re entered to win!

If you’d like an extra entry, you may share this giveaway on your blog, Twitter, and/or Facebook.  Leave an extra comment for each additional entry.

All entries must be in by Sunday at 11:59 pm EST. Drawing will be held on Monday and winner announced, along with a brand new giveaway.  Please be sure to leave your email. If I have no contact information, I cannot award you as winner. Thanks!

NOTES:  If winner has not responded by the Friday following the announcement, a new winner will be drawn. So be sure to check out this page every Monday!

No members of the current Homeschool Crew or employees/independent contractors of TOS may participate in these giveaways. To make my life easier, please note that you are a TOS Crew member or TOS employee if leaving a comment of support. Thanks!

~Lori
www.HomeschoolReviewsandMore.com

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Peterson Handwriting

The first official review for this Crew year is Peterson Handwriting.

Our Port Crew (which primarily reviews products for infants through upper elementary) was divided into three testing groups – the print writing, the cursive writing, and the PDF By Hand (which requires the Wacom Digital Tablet).

Peterson Directed Handwriting is a personalized handwriting program.  Each crew member have worked directly with Rand Nelson from Peterson Directed Handwriting to tailor a course that will be personalized to their child(ren).

The print and cursive writing programs are the original products from Peterson Directed Handwriting.  They can be used from preschool up to advanced grades.   Each level concentrates on a specific area of either print or cursive writing.

The Wacom Digital Tablet Software – PDF By Hand contains all the print and cursive writing programs directly on your computer.   All you need is a digital tablet.   This handwriting practice can be done anywhere when you bring your laptop and you can reuse the pages anytime.

Peterson is proud to bring handwriting instruction and practice into the digital age.   You simply have to open a PDF file in this software and use your pen to write on the pages.   Then you could print the page if you wish or simply attach it to e-mail to send handwritten greetings and/or thank-you notes.    The software is available alone, or with preloaded E-workbooks for teaching and practice of handwriting at every level, print and cursive.   The workbook pages can be used again and again.

Crew Members will sign below with links to their review posts.  Please click through to read what they think of Peterson Directed Handwriting.  You can also read past reviews of Peterson Handwriting by clicking on the links in the sidebar.

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Special thanks to First Mate Isabelle from Canadian Ladybug Reviews for writing this post.

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Blog Cruise – Making homeschooling affordable

Welcome back to this week’s Blog Cruise! We have even more TOS Crew Members joining us in answering this week’s question, “How do you afford to homeschool? What are some ways to save money on homeschooling supplies?”

Homeschoolers are like most families, with different styles and different backgrounds. They are also teeming of ideas when it comes to saving money and being able to afford to continue their homeschool ventures. Be sure to visit the Crew blogs and read their thoughts on this week’s Blog Cruise topic, and kindly leave a comment or two! We hope you enjoy this week’s Cruise!

Shannon @ Mom Loves Books talks about “The Cost of Homeschooling”.

April @ Heartfelt Homeschooling talks about “Frugal Homeschooling“.

Renita @ Homedaze is Counting the Cost in her post.

Rodna @ Training Children Up for Christ says, “Homeschooling Doesn’t Have to be Expensive”.

Mrs. Taffy @ My Life on a Taffy Pull says, “Show me the Money!”.

Tristan @ Our Busy Homeschool shares how “It can be done anyway”.

Briana @ I Can’t Decide answers the question, “Isn’t Homeschooling Expensive?”.

LaRee @ Broad Horizons discusses “Affordable Homeschooling”.

Shannon @ Mountaineer Country tells us that “Homeschooling Doesn’t have to Break Your Budget!”

Debbie @ Debbie’s Digest talks about “Penny Pinching and Homeschooling”.

Debra @ Footprints in the Butter answers the question, “Isn’t homeschooling awfully expensive?”.

April @ Heartfelt Homeschooling shares her thoughts on  “Frugal Homeschooling”.

Lynn @ Ladybug Chronicles tells us about “Saving on Homeschooling”.

Lisa @ The Berry Patch discusses “The Real Cost of Homeschooling”.

Michelle @ A Life Better Than I Deserve writes “Homeschooling Dollars and Cents”.

Sister Tipster @ Tellin’ It shares her words of wisdom in her post “Sister T’s TALKING MONEY for Homeschooling!”

Amanda @ All American Family writes, “Wow! It must be really expensive to Homeschool?”

Dawn @ Guiding Light details “Frugal Homeschooling” in her post.

Lisa @ The Happy Homeschool Mom talks about “The Cost of Homeschooling”.

Christine @ Our Homeschool Reviews asks “Homeschooling – Can You Afford It?”

Michelle @ Patriots of the Republic Academy writes “You Don’t Have to Spend Money to Homeschool”.

Angela @ My Journey talks about “Saving Money with Homeschooling”.

Catherine @ Serenades and Solace details “Weighing in the costs homeschooling, literally”.

Heidi @ Reviews & Reflections shares her thoughts on “Affordable Homeschooling”.

Kristi @ Clothesline Musings has advice for “Thrifty Homeschooling”.

Laura O @ Day by Day in Our World says, “Don’t Break the Bank to Homeschool”.

Lexi @ Pink and Orange Coffee shares how “A penny saved…means more to spend!”.

Julie @ A Teaching Heart tells us how to “Homeschool on a Budget”.

Kimberly @ Homeschooling in Nova Scotia, Canada asks, “Can you homeschool on a shoestring?”.

Heidi @ Chatter, Clatter, and Things That Matter writes, “A quality education doesn’t have to be expensive!”.

Lori @ Hearthside Homeschool Reviews and More shares about “Homeschooling With Less of Those “Small Pieces of Paper”".

Tess @ Circling Through This Life writes about “Making Homeschooling More Affordable”.

Heather @ The Blessings Pour Out shows how to “Homeschool for Free (or at least more inexpensively)”.

Isabelle aka Canadianladybug @ Life at Oak Grove discusses “The Cost of Homeschooling”.

Alyson @ Family Style School talks about how “Homeschooling is expensive, or is it?”

And, finally in my post this week, I share “My tips for saving money homeschooling”.

Be sure to stop back next week when TOS Crew Members will answer the question, “Do you use technology in your homeschool?”

This post was written and compiled by Jodi who blogs at The Homeschool Desk.

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