HI there friends,and welcome to my home on the web!
I hope you're enjoying your day!
Thank you for clicking over to check out my latest post~
I was recently granted the opportunity to review
the online version of the
November/December 2013 issue of
And boy. what an opportunity !!
If you homeschool and you're not
subscribing to, immersed in, living and loving this
absolutely free gem,
which you can subscribe to here,
seriously,
what on Earth are you waiting for?
is packed with
info, tips, encouragement, seasonal goodies
for homeschoolers and families of all ages.
Now, how inviting is this?
The cover photo alone just inspires you to curl up
and dive right in, doesn't it?
I'm really excited to tell you alllllll about it...
truth is, I love chatting about all things
curricular and homeschool-ish;
so let's get started!
~Apps and Social Media~
First of all, check out TOS magazine's super app page,
and accessible for the busy homeschool mom.
One can download the issue onto any number of appliances,
or
scan the QR code
or
go right to the online magazine from the app page.
Talk about simple, no-frills.
Next, let's talk social media and TOS and how
super easy it is for
a multi-taskin' homeschool mama to access TOS
and
I had already followed TOS on FB and Twitter
and through this review. was thrilled to find them
on P, G+ and YT as well!
So, go "like," "follow"
and "subscribe" on all platforms!
~The Nov/Dec Issue of TOS Magazine~
Navigating through the issue online couldn't be more of a breeze.
From the "faculty," ( the contributing writers)
to the "teachers' lounge," (letters from readers)
to "the informed homeschooler"
a column by Dr Ray on homeschool issues,
to "Show and Tell" a focus on one homeschool family's
journey and methods,
to other cleverly titled magazine departments,
there is something to grab each of us.
There's even a pop out menu from the left
for the issue itself,
a search bar and
an icon which takes one to
"more than 44,000 homeschool resources."
I absolutely loved the latter feature and spent so much time
clicking around through the resources to check availability
of items across the curriculum on a couple of different grade levels.
~Favored Feature~
One feature of the magazine that I found
incredibly helpful is the department entitled,
"Vendor Hall."
I am currently using with my 10 year old.
However, I learned more about
the company and its offerings from this article and my conviction
in their reputation was solidified.
~A few articles of focus~
Another article I particularly enjoyed,
an "open article" featured on the cover,
is one entitled,
In my pre-Mommy days, I was a reading specialist and
then a third grade teacher whose focus
was primarily at risk children with learning disabilities.
Currently, in my homeschool, I struggle with needing encouragement
and practical tips for immediate usage,
however, as my son is dyslexic.
(God certainly knew what He was doing, it
becomes evident to me more each day,
when He guided me to
focus on a reading and learning
disabilities Master's degree eons ago....!
My background knowledge has come in handy
as a homeschooler) )
One would presume that an article tackling
frustration around the teaching of reading
to a child who's struggling would be rather superficial,
given the space constraints.
Rather, I found
Dr Glavach's suggestions in the article section,
compelling. I'm eager to try a few of them this week.
I do think, however, that the title of the article
implies that its content is one of
developing phonic ability and/or enhancing
reading comprehension.
Yet, the focus is on oral reading fluency.
I adjusted my expectations as I read and as I suggested above,
the article did not disappoint
once I did so.
I also found the resources at the link to his site
practical. I would love to implement a couple of the items sold there, actually,
in my homeschool!
I encourage you to click over
if your kids, too, struggle with any aspect reading fluency,
comprehension or phonic development.
Lastly, I must share that I thoroughly enjoyed
and gleaned useful information from
as well as Senior Editor,
Deborah Wuehler's editorial ,
Seven Reasons to Celebrate."
Reviewing The Old Schoolhouse's
Nov/Dec issue was an absolute joy and just plain fun!
I plan to refer back to the issue from time to time as there
several articles that I'd like to reread and digest more thoroughly.
This review is my trial for the School House Review Crew.
Informative and helpful reviews aplenty
can be found here at their very user friendly blog,
Thanks for stopping in to check out my review!
I hope you will read and enjoy the issue
and find it a solid addition to your library
of homeschooling resources.
And, friends, if you have not entered my giveaway for one
Don't forget to subscribe to Campfires and Cleats
by scrolling to the subscribe button at the top left sidebar.
I'd love to stay in touch regularly!
Until next time,
