Friday, April 22, 2011

TOS Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner



Most of us have seen the Teacher Planners at the  Parent Teacher stores in the neighborhood. You know the ones I mean, the ones that are geared for 30 students in one classroom.  No matter how large your homeschool, you probably are not home educating that many children! The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has solved all of our planning dilemmas by creating  a whole line of planners specifically made for (and by) homeschoolers in mind!


For several years now, I have added the TOS Schoolhouse  Planner to our homeschool.  I strive for organization and would like to have everything planned out and put in it's correct box. However, several things have gotten in my way over the years... It is simply too much work to make our homeschool life, fit into the generic boxes of most planners. However, because TOS has created planners specifically for the homeschooler, you will find planning sheets that are useful and relevant, no matter your teaching method or philosophy!


Over the years we have used them in several different ways. We have printed them, meaning I printed a master copy, and then pulled out the forms I needed throughout the year and made copies. I have also not printed a master, and simply used the pages I needed, straight from the computer. Now what is fabulous about this option, is that you can type into the forms and then print them off. I like this! This is actually one of my favorite aspects to the planners!


I had the privelege of looking at and using the TOS Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner, this planner is geared for the 5-8th grade set! (you can see my resident 6th grader and her best friend here!)

As with all the TOS planners, this planner is chock full of homeschool planning forms, both that you the parent can use and forms the child can use.

 

I like the aspect of  not only the parent being organized, but also teaching our children how to be orderly as well. After all, our God is a God of order!  1 Corinthians 14:40 says, "Let all things be done decently and in order." The Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner, gives us the tools to give to our children, to live an orderly life.  Which helps us fulfill another duty as parents, Proverbs 22:6 tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

 

So, practically speaking, how can you help your children attain this goal by using the Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner.  In our family we have implemented several things, in the short time that we have had the planner!

First, I went ahead and printed out the entire planner and had it bound.



And we have begun to print out the sheets that the kids are going to start using.

This first one is a great one to use to have the children begin to think about their own day, and what they would like to accomplish!


 

This is really just the beginning as far as forms to help your children think about their own education and to help them organize their lives. You will also find pages like; People I'd like to Learn About, Place's I've Visited, My Daily Chores, and their own Bible Reading Schedule just to name a few. 

We have also printed out for all the children to use, not just the 5th - 8th grader, the musical instrument practice sheets, piano in our case! All of the kids need an incentive to practice!



 

We are also taking advantage of the option of working within the planner and we have begun to store our info on the calendar provided.


 

Because the planner gives you the option of typing within it, you can also do things like comment or highlight. What we have done here is highlighted the section of the multiplication tables that we wanted to be learned.



Also included in the planner you will find age appropriate recipes,  notebooking pages and forms for both parent and child alike!  You will also find a wonderful array of Must Know lists and charts such as; A Timeline of Events  in the Life of Jesus Christ,  Common Latin & Greek Roots,  Basic English Grammar Rules,  General Writing Prompts, Kitchen Conversions Chart, Body Systems, US Presidents and much, much more. .  Some of the lists and charts also come with accompany worksheets for the child to work through what they have learned!

What is really neat, is there are several articles included as well. And these articles are written directly to the student, and draw the child into their topic and encourages deeper learning regarding their specific topic!

Many of the forms, worksheets, lists, etc.. that you will find in the Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner, you will not find in other planners!  To get a sampling of all that the Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner has to offer, click here to see a sample!

You can pick up your very own copy of the Intermediate Schoolhouse  Planner for $19 for a downloadable version, and $24 for a CD version, by visiting the Schoolhouse Store!

Visit the Schoolhouse Store today and check out the entire family of Schoolhouse Planners and get your family planning, and organizing! Let's honor God by living a life that is decent and orderly!  Happy Planning!

**I was provided a copy of the Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner in exchange for my honest opinion. **

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