Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

Search Results for: planner

Step 1. Choose A Pretty Front/Back Cover

STEP 1.
Choose A Pretty Front/Back Cover

When finished, click on the graphic to go to the next STEP.

step-2-of-the-7-step-free-homeschool-planner-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus

Curriculum Pages for Planner

You are at the right place if you want a homeschool planner that is unique.

If you want to see all my pages that are for purchase, then go the MAIN STORE PAGE HERE.

Pre-Homeschool Year Planning

Purpose: I print this page to go in the front of my planner for this year and a blank one at the end to get ready for the next year. You don’t need to bind this in your planner to start using it. I use it to help me get ready for the new year. I then bind in my planner. If you want to read more details about how I use it, go here to 4 Pre-Homeschool Planning Pages.

Download pre-planning page here.

Grab Premium Front Covers Or Choose Free Below

Undated Homeschool Planner Premium Covers

Editable for Family Name – Curriculum Planner Cover

Note: Please read the description carefully for each cover. As I create each one, I will specify the character limitation on each one. Please be sure your family name falls within that character limitation. Too, I have noted which free fonts need to be downloaded and installed on your computer. If you don’t install the font I recommend, then a default font will be used on your computer and your name may or may not fit on the line. Because I can’t give a refund after you have been given access to my printables, though I want you one happy jumping customer, please read the details carefully.

Coral Inklings Illustration Copy

Here is a sample so you can see the free font I paired with a classic or paid font.

1 page Curriculum Planner cover Coral Inklings. Editable box for 9 characters for your family name.

Important: You will need to download Insaniburger Free Font found on DaFont website.

Choose A Free Homeschool Planner Cover Below

See – No stress! Keep it fun!

Not So Serious Free Homeschool Planner 231 x 219 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Purple Haze Free Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus 219 x 303
Summer Loving Free Homeschool Planner 231 x 319 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Point Well Taken Free Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Melting Bubblegum Free Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus 219 x 300
Teal and Green g
chevron blue g
Navy Chevron g
Orange and Gray g
Homeschool Planner Blue | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
red and gray g
Purple Green Spring Cover - 7 Step Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus 231 X 300
Zebra Cover 7 Step Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus 231 X 300
orange pink g
Homeschool Planner - Blue and Animal Print | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Soft Blue Pastels - 7 Step Homeschool Planner @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus 231 X 300

Choose an Inside Homeschool Planner Title Page

Some of you wanted an inside title page, instead of going right to your planner. Okay, I did too.

This page is a place write down your school name, or your beautiful name, the school year and some favorite quotes.

Can you say how AWESOME it is to mix and match pages and have a smokin’ hot planner?

homeschool-planner-inside-title-page-choice-1-for-the-free-7-step-homeschool-planner-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus
grab-this-beautiful-page-for-the-inside-of-your-free-7-step-homeschool-planner-the-color-choice-is-miss-you-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus-231-x-281
inside-title-page-choice-2-for-the-free-7-step-homeschool-planner-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus

Choose a Homeschool Planner Back Cover

Back Cover Homeschool Planner or Home Management Binder | Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Back of Planner Cover scripture b w
Back of Planner Cover 3
Back of Planner Cover 4 g
Back of Planner Cover g
Back of Planner Cover 5 g
Back of Planner Cover 2
Back of Planner Cover 6 g
Back of Planner Cover 4 Pink Luv g

How to Get the 32 Pages of Free Planner Covers, Inside Pages, and Back Covers

Grab the free 32 page freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get this freebie.


 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie instantly.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages
step-2-of-the-7-step-free-homeschool-planner-tinas-dynamic-homeschool-plus

My School Area + Learning Area

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

At times I wish the boys were little again so I could have matching desks and learn your shape posters hanging on the wall.  Just for a moment though, because some of the best times we have had are now when they are teens.

I do want to share the little changes I made this year that has made a big difference already in our area.

First, one organizing tidbit to share with you. When organizing your school area try not to get caught up in the hype that you have to have it all done by August. Hear my heart. You waste less time when you school some, then decide final set up on your school area. I start school and work our way up to more of the subjects we will be doing.  Then take off a few days to decide where *things* are going to land after we finish for the school day. That is why this post is coming to you in September and not August. I wasted less time because I did not set it up, then decide where things were going to be stored, then switch it around again when it’s not working.  I started first, realized what was going to work and what my *needs* are for the year and sat the area up in one try.  No switching. Just one time setting it up please. Patience in the beginning pays off for more time and less energy wasted in the long run.

So here is our learning area slightly updated from last year.

The very first thing I did was to add a lamp to one corner of the room that can be dark. Even though we school by a large front window, the area behind it can be dark. The lampshade on the lamp I had was drab and so not fab. I had this wall stencil and sitting outside by the pool I gave the lampshade an update with some paint. It took just one hour.  I know,  I know, I am not a crafty person but I do love to organize and make things I have to look at every day pretty. Even if that means making it a diy job.

What do you think? I am so pleased with how it turned out. Of course I am still on an orange and pink crush .

Here it is in the new area I changed around. The boys’ drawers were in this corner last year but we needed more room to store reference material like our atlas, encyclopedias, maps and science reference books. Charts for math, grammar or really any subject chart we tend to take with us to our seat. I do not need to hang many things on the wall anymore, but I did need a place to store them. So now we have the clear container, which is actually a table top hanging file organizer, to hold all of our reference material. It is labeled charts and reference and sits right on top of this cheap inexpensive wall unit I put together. Too, I swooned over my new bookends {coral, lemons, oranges and white mustache} this year and am still giddy about them.

Then last year I had changed around some of our history curriculum and added Tapestry of Grace {TOG}. Sorry TOG, the binders are just not that inspiring to look at every day. I don’t need all the years printed off but I did print off a couple of the ones I wanted and put them in the binder.  I took time to find binders I heart with lots of color. Adding in  History and other Teacher’s Manuals to the binders gave this area the pop of color and inspiration I needed.  I had some cute bulldog green and yellow clips {I go insanely crazy over tabs and binder clips that have color, it’s a sickness} and because I don’t like to put tape on my binders, I just clipped the label on. I am pleased with how this top area of my shelf turned out for my teacher reference area.

Then the bottom part of the shelf I used magazine file holders to hold some of the teacher’s manual that I don’t want to take apart. Also we have history magazines we use a little less often than the reference material and this keeps it handy for us too.

Here is how it looks together. I am just tickled pink over being able to finally get them sorted how I wanted to this year.

Then the middle part of this cabinet, where my youngest can reach, becomes a shared area with the boys again. This is the right side and I have the same clear containers from last year but labeled them so my youngest can keep straight what goes back in here.

This is the left side where they are storing their art and there are hardly no small scissors around here anymore.

At the very bottom we store our science supplies, extra school supplies, games and timeline material. Since we take this out once or twice a week and not every day, then it can be in closed storage. Again, label everything so your kids know what you expect.  I am pleased with how this middle unit turned out too.

The on the other side of the middle unit is another orange unit tower of drawers and pink tower. The orange unit of drawers was needed because we really wanted a place to store our unit study material that was accessible by all of us. It also holds our extra paper and art supplies too.  The pink drawers I needed for storing my office supply things. The pink drawers I only use but I labeled the orange unit because the boys use these too.

Also I needed a place, besides inside my planner, to hold some of their work for the week that I find online or create.

The table top file has hanging folders labeled Monday through Sunday and one for me as Teacher. This allows me to plan a week ahead of time and put assignments I want them to do in here. It is my work area. Also with going back and forth at times with hubby to the doctor as he recuperates,  I can leave *special* work for the boys to do that is not in their drawers or regular books. Labeling one for Sunday helps too because when hubby feels a bit sick, we stick around here close and we may do a small assignment on Sunday. I just need that flexibility this year and have it now that the files are labeled. I will mostly use the Monday through Friday tabs, but I have the weekend too if I need it.

I moved the boys set of drawers to the opposite wall. Again, for this year the system with one drawer per subject still works best for us. It allows them to store their pens, books, paper, DVD player and headset in the drawer.  The orange basket has the dry erase markers and it is labeled too. Tiny loves to carry the basket around and it is easier getting to than the cabinet that is closed storage. This is also the best place for our globe because it is pick up and go too.

The orange table top file folder system is for Mr. Senior 2013 who has more deadlines this year with both high school and getting college credit. He really needs his own tracking system. He too has labeled all the days of the week because like me, he won’t leave hubby on Sunday if he feels bad. We will make use of the day around the house. So he put something to do *extra* on Sunday for a backup if we have to stick around the house. Again, he will probably use most of the Monday to Friday tabs, but he has a system to track his deadlines.

I went ahead and put a label on the outside too so it helps him to remember to use it for deadlines or just for planning his own week of school.

Overall, I am so happy that everything we changed this year turned out like I wanted it to. You can see the whole thing with the doors open here ….

……and here it is with all the  doors closed and everything put away.

I am still swooning over orange and pink and our new school area was the little lift I needed after we had a rocky start to this year.

Maybe you saw something that may spark an idea or two in your area.  Would you like to know where I got some of these things from?

I will share where I got some of my items at in the next post.

I hope I inspired you just a bit to heart your school area and make it dynamic.

Hugs, you know I love ya,

5 Days of A Homeschooling Co-op Convert – Day 1:Who needs one anyway?

| 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

 

My homeschool journey has felt like a revolving door at certain times. One point that I kept circling back around to was the need to be part of a co-op. Now before you think I am a social butterfly, most of my close friends know that I love being at home and working on projects. However, because I am fully aware of my need for constant order in my life, I know I can get lop-sided if that part of my personality was left unchecked. Yes, we can grow stagnant when we are not around others.  That is not something I wanted to pass on to my kids.

Before I started a co-op what I did appreciate was that other people can enrich your life and make your homeschool journey incomparable. Yes, they can make it stink it too. But hey now I am focusing on the positives about being around other people on a regular basis.

Starting a homeschool co-op was the furthest thing from my mind. I looked around to join one, not start one. Not me. Seven or eight years later  our co-op is still strong, flourishing and not growing. (I will let you wait just a minute or so for my explanation on that.)

I’m certainly not going to talk you into joining one either because I want you to picky, very picky. All co-ops are not created equal. I do hope by the time you finish reading this series, you will be armed with a Co-op 101 Guide and then maybe decide to look for one.

Indulge the new bee teacher side of me for just a moment too as I give a definition for a co-op so that I don’t lose a new homeschooler who may be getting the glazed look in her eye about now.

Definition: Co-op – One or more families meeting together on a regular basis to enrich their children collectively about any topic. Everything is negotiable. Meeting places, costs and expenses, topics, how to run it, ages involved, whether a parent teaches or not, if the kids are dropped off or not and discipline issues, everything is determined by those who lead or are the founders. They can spring up as quickly as they fold and it all depends on the need in your area. Anybody can form one, but not all succeed.

Control freak Organized person that I am, I determined that it would be best that I be part of leadership. I started a co-op and Kelley joined, then we added one more mom to our group to balance us out. Adding Cynthia to our group, we became the dynamic trio.{She is the mom standing behind me in the first picture above. I chose that picture of us because we all look tattered, complete with painted faces after we had the BEST co-op that year.}

Now comes the honest assessment of your qualities for being part of a co-op. I knew already that I was perfectly content to be at home but realized that other educators possessed strengths that would only enrich and benefit my children. Things I do enjoy are warm conversations, hand-waving as I am speaking {yes I am rather dramatic as I talk} and I don’t have a problem getting up in a huge crowd. Yes I really do like people that are engaging and warm just like everybody else. Think about what contribution you can make to a co-op and focus on that for a start.

Sharing the benefits to my family, I hope you will see that the benefits far outweigh the drama, discipline problems and anything else negative you might think of from fees or cost to possibly driving longer than 15 minutes to get there.

  • By creating a large “family atmosphere”, my children have a sense of extended family. This is not so important when your children are 4 or 5 years old but when they are 14 and 15 years old having friends other than their siblings, stimulates their social development.
  • If some of the local educators and other parents had not taught at our co-op, my sons’ passion for certain subjects like history and geography might not be what it is today.
  • By sticking with the co-op, my sons have had a sense of “class”. They have seen others graduate and leave the co-op and will be graduating at the same time with others who started with them. This builds lifetime friendships. I cannot put a grade in my planner for life time friends.
  • The friends I too have connected with who are caring and selfless leaders year after year like Kelley and Cynthia is unmatched. I only imagined I could have such treasured and dear friends.
  • Let me not forget that my sons won’t fall short in the crafts department of homeschooling because there are plenty of other women who not only love it, but have a gift for it and share it willingly with my children.
  • Because of our attendance in a co-op, we have enjoyed perks by attending educational places that only will allow “school groups” and by our sheer numbers we have received significant discounts that we otherwise would not have received.

Our co-op swelled to over 100 families and we had to split. Now that our co-op is at the size we want and because our members tend to not leave, we have closed the co-op. Our kids will grow, but our co-op will not because we like the size of it now.

I have remembered one saying and I know I have used it before, but it really expresses my sentiment as a homeschooling co-op convert with all the years of hard work I have put into our local co-op. It is only matched with those that share this task with me.

In a full heart there is room for everything, and in an empty heart there is room for nothing.

~Antonio Porchia~

Can you share your heart in a co-op?

Hugs and love ya,

 

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

| 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have some Ancient Maya unit study ideas, free lapbook, and notebooking pages. Also, here is my page Meso-America for more ideas.

This week was a little busier for us as we try to get back into the swing of things. It was busier partly because I have now switched back to following the public school schedule of starting school in August.  It has been a longgg time since I followed it.

For the last four or five years, I have started my school year in January and really liked it because I have a break from workshops during the winter. It was just natural for our family to start a new year and new school year.

Now, I feel like a new kid starting my school year in August. Where is my book? Where is my pen? Where is my planner? Because we are still in the middle of our books, like math, it has made the transition easier this week. On top of that, hubby had more tests this week and some more scheduled next week, but all is good so far.

Slowly each day as we begin a new school year I add a little more to the day. Because we don’t completely stop schooling in the summer, it really is just a matter of getting the kids to school longer for the day. You can see how excited my middle guy is who so looks forward {not} to math.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

It is nice when you have homeschooled long enough that the oldest son “tutors’ the next one. {love it}

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

A fruit smoothie for the fruit smoothie-holic and a few days later in the week got better as we started our unit study of the Mesoamerica world. This would include some of the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and the area of the Yucatan Peninsula. I explained in an early post about our how unit study unfolds. This one is no different. LOTS of information on the surface. We have three cultures we are reviewing: Maya, Aztec and Incas.

But before I go on though, I wanted to share a little bit from my heart because this unit study has sentimental meaning for me.  In my pre LBK {life before kids} I was am an adventurous soul. This area is one of the areas I visited and stayed for a while in. Here are just a few pictures of some of the gorgeous rainforest, that the natives call “bush”. You think my sons would recognize me in this picture? The jungles of Belize.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}
Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

The bird of paradise flower just grew all around and the friends I stayed with would even chop it down to get it out of our way as we trekked through the jungle.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

My friends even kept a toucan as a “pet”.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

But it was the monkey that I enjoyed each day while I was there.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

Taking pictures of the native surroundings that were off the “tourism” beat is where I spent my time. I wanted to get to know the people and culture not make the tourist rounds.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

Just the “normal” every day things like the lady coming down to the river to wash fascinated me.

I still like to travel and hope to make a connection of what I learned about some of these countries and make it special to my sons now. Maybe I should dig out the rest of the pictures.

The countries we are studying about are yes, very hot and humid with lots of insects but the culture, people, wild flowers, blue waters, lush rainforest and history of the area are full of life.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

{reproduction of a Maya Codex – brilliant at math and astronomy}

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

{Chichen Inza on the Yucatan peninsula.} This is a beautiful place to visit. I will have to share more pictures of my visit to these pyramids too some time later.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

Because I don’t put time limits on how long we learn or what we want to learn, we just roll with it until we are satisfied. There are three cultures to study here so I like to start off with some general comparisons and then narrow it down somewhat. We focused on the ancient Maya this week. Guess what that means for you? You know I love ya. I have some notebooking pages for you that we worked on and are still working on. I think  this unit just feels like it may need a lapbook too.

Ancient Maya Unit Study + {Notebooking Pages printable}

My notebooking pages for you today are about Hernan Cortes, one about the general comparisons of the three cultures, one about John Lloyd Stephens – the Father of Maya archaeology, and a geography page and one page that you could print off two copies of on the Ancient World of Maya to tell what your child finds interesting.

Also, I want to point out one thing about the culture of the Aztec and Maya and that is their religion included human sacrifices and well — lots of blood. I have one notebooking sheet that talks about that but I have my teens compare the valuelessness of shedding that human blood and the valuable blood of Jesus Christ.

This certainly could be overlooked with a younger set of kids. Because I have two teens I wanted them to understand or at least be introduced to that culture’s world views. My youngest guy was sensitive to their brutality and I wanted you to know. So with him I will focus just on the sacrifice of Jesus. Just giving you the heads up.

I was inspired by this poetry today as we delight in the study of the Mesoamerica.

“And then they said as they left, “We are going there to the sunrise, Whence our fathers came…”

From Popol Vuh, the most famous of the Maya Chronicles

How to Get the Free Maya Lapbook Free Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the free maya lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

However, not all my freebies are in the library (wink).

I like to keep up to date with what is valuable to you so I can give you more, some freebies you must sign up again on the form below even if you are already a follower.

And it’s the only way I have of freely delivering them to you. Just follow the steps below.

► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you. If you’re already a confirmed subscriber, you will not have to do this. You’ll receive the freebie instantly.
 ►3) Last step. look for my reply AFTER you’ve confirmed your email.

Review of Supercharged Science – Grades K – 8

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If reviews ended up being about homeschool confessions then this would be one. I am the first to admit that I am a hands-on teacher. So turning over the teaching reins to somebody else, even in the form of videos didn’t interest me, or so I thought.

I had heard of Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH before, but I didn’t really understand the e-science program until now. I think what really piqued my interest in wanting to take a gander at reviewing the Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH was the way it is laid out. It utilizes a unit study or theme approach and when I heard that I just had to give it a look. The program touted too that learning isn’t based on an age or grade level but on the child’s intrinsic value. I couldn’t agree more because science textbooks would have us believe that science know how needs to be canned and boxed by grade level.

I think, in public school, is where my science aversion started because of tiresome textbooks. Science programs would have you believe that it has to be austere or rigid in order to learn. And, that unless you are just reading tons and tons of snoring boring pages you will not get it. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Though I love to read, I am a visual and hands-on learner too and the textbooks did not satisfy my desire to learn about science. My phobia of science is not a virtue that I want my sons to follow. So I have spent my homeschool journey poring over programs that were both rigorous and hands-on while keeping it dynamic and fun.

supercharged science

So I don’t  want to make you wait for my eat humble pie confession very long so I will say right now that Supercharged Science has to be one of the best science programs we have ever used. I feel it is important to tell you why though and I will in a minute.

Getting the whole picture of why my first impression of Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH was not exactly favorable may help you to understand this confession session. First, I was under the impression that the Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH was a video only program.  Like you, I homeschool my kids because I want to be a hands-on teacher. It is equally important to me that I understand what concepts my kids are learning.  I can’t help but to vision this picture in my mind about kids perched on a chair with eyes glued to the computer watching videos. It always reminded me of mummy learning and not mommy teaching.

Second, what usually follows my video only thinking is that there are no lesson plans, vocabulary or quizzes that are printable. Now, you know I got off the public school treadmill a long while back and I am not interested in repeating what we left behind, but I do want tools so that I can expand on what my kids are learning.  Sometimes I even prefer to make my own printables or lapbooks, you know that. What I am saying is that having printable lesson plans and tools is equally important to me.

Both of those things I had all wrong about Supercharged Science. It had enough printable .pdfs to make the organized lesson planning teacher part of me happy downloading while the boys could watch any video or topic of their choice. For example, though I wanted to start on an easier topic,  Mr. Awesome and Tiny chose Unit 7 or Astrophysics. I promptly downloaded all 73 pages of the pdf and reviewed it. That is just a standard I set for myself as a teacher because I want to know what they will be learning.  The difference between Supercharged Science and other video based ones I have used before is that Supercharged Science recognizes that some parents want to be involved. As homeschool parents we don’t want to be on the sidelines but in the middle of the lesson planning. The only way to do that is to see how these concepts are being built on by being able to both print the information when desired and to watch alongside our children. I was warming up quickly to Supercharged Science.

The Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH is not a video only mummy watching process either because I determine when and how long my kids watch. I can still have our 1:1 time that I cherish so highly while using the engaging and exciting Aurora Lipper to teach us all.

There is no doubt you could get easily overwhelmed on the site but that is because you see the heart of Aurora Lipper written all over it. I don’t know about you but I will take an enthusiastic teacher who obviously loves the subjects she teaches over a bit of having to swim through a lot of content.  This is a curriculum that you definitely have to start with the Getting Started section. It may sound like that is so basic but it went a long way in me understanding how to get the full benefit of the e-science program.

Don’t just read what she says either, but watch her video as she expresses best how to use the site. Doing that we were able to pick a couple of the easy “hook me onto science” projects like the flying contraption and microwaving soap. The emphasis that science is about doing and not just reading is thinking that I agree with.

Because I have to organize things and because I know I didn’t fully understand the flexibility of this program, I made this simple chart so that you can see the many options of this program.

supercharged science

Glance above at this How to Use Supercharged Science Chart and you will see that you can use it any way you want to. For Unit 7, we started by literally jumping right into it.  We chose a topic and instantly began viewing the videos. Mr. Awesome couldn’t wait to learn about time travel and both Tiny and Mr. Awesome were ready to get started after they completed a few hands-on activities.

The first option above was the part that I did not understand that was offered by the e-science program. For me, there are moments in science when I want the boys to ponder what the Creator has done. I want to discuss with them and have them dwell on their Bible based beliefs before I give them the answer or before they watch a video. Choosing the first option gives me the flexibility to decide when that is important to me.

It’s relative to mention right now too that Supercharged Science does not profess to be secular or Christian which I too happen to appreciate. From the website: (Note: We focus on how to build the robot, take data and measurements, work a microscope, launch the rocket, why a laser works…basically sticking to the physics of what’s going on and how to build the projects. The e-Science program does not cover creation nor evolution so all families may participate.)

It covers K-12th grade Physical Science, Chemistry, Life Science, and Biology. The beauty to this program is that it takes all the work out of lesson planning unless you want to lesson plan. The themes referred to as “Study Units” range in topic from mechanics, motion, energy, sound, astrophysics to life science, chemistry and biology.  There are over 900 experiments to choose from and enough to keep us busy for hours as we pore over science topics.

supercharged science

I know exactly what I want from a science program and that is key to determining if this will work for you. If you are not sure what you want from a program then all of them will be similar. I know hands-on is key for me like I mentioned in the beginning but also I want rigorous standards. So it is a bonus that Supercharged Science meets and even exceeds some state’s standards and is aligned with the National Standards for Science. Not to be overlooked by any means is the engaging attitude of Aurora Lipper as she leads the lessons. She is not like any science teacher I ever had in school. Both Mr. Awesome and Tiny find her witty, entertaining and likable. Did I mention she use to work at NASA and teach at a university? She is not like any professor I knew either.

Supercharged Science Activities - 1

Not only do the units range in variety from topics about life science to  energy and robotics but there are over 1000 videos. So one secret I have been keeping from you are all these pictures of hands-on projects we have been doing. The boys have been so thoroughly captivated by all of the hands-on projects in this program and we have not been doing much else.  I do think this why I am behind on finishing my Home Management Binder but I don’t mind. The boys have literally been jumping from project to project and I have been letting them do so because of their curiosity and thirst for these topics.

The last thing I need to talk about is one slight rub about this program. I received 18 emails in the 5 weeks I reviewed this program. Each email is filled with nuggets of information I want to glean for the benefit of my kids. However, with the other emails I need to read for homeschooling in addition to those, many of them got overlooked. Now, I have created a special file in my inbox and just move them over in there as they come in to save and read later. I know that I would appreciate a newsletter maybe once or twice a month regularly that can be anticipated and planned instead of many emails scattered each week. If new members signed up, they could access the archives as an added membership bonus in case they joined in between emails.

It is no doubt Aurora Lipper is one of the best science teachers my boys have had and her talent shows in her emails. The communication emails could be such a treasure trove if they were all bundle up as science reading tips on a regular basis.

It has been hard to label my metamorphosis about this product into anything other than a mini story.  Summing this all up, this is what I heart about Supercharged Science.

  • At every step of the process, I can adapt the Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH to how I want to use it.
  • I do not have to give up the teaching reins but use Supercharged Science as a superior tutor.
  • I do not have to give up the time I spend 1:1 nurturing my children, but add to their love of science by using engaging and well thought out topics to ignite their passion for it.

supercharged science

  • As Not Technical Tina, I cringe when Mr. Awesome and Tiny said they wanted to make the Hydraulic Pneumatic Earth Mover. However, Supercharged Science took us step by step through the process in the video. We could watch and pause the video and come back anytime. We probably have the most colorful hydraulic pneumatic earth mover ever but my sons won’t ever forget it.
  • I appreciate that we don’t have to keep pace or in sync with any lesson plans. We determine which unit we start on and decide how long to stay and when to move on. We can spend as much or as little time on each topic.
  • All lesson materials are there for me as the organizer so I can print off contently in my curriculum planner and plan. In addition, there is a material lists that can be printed off for each unit.
  • One of the best parts we are finding too is that so many of the experiments can be done with simple things you have around the house. For example, when making the hydraulic pneumatic earth mover, we used diet coke lids as wheels. Dad had clear tubing from our bathtub business and the one thing I had to pick up were syringes from the pharmacy. Everything else we had among the junk stuff in our home.
  • I appreciate the fact evolution or creation is not addressed because I have always preferred adding our own Bible based views.
  • The program can be used by ALL the children in your home without paying extra. What a deal. Whether you have 3 or 6 kids, it can be used for all ages.
  • Even homeschool moms need substitute teachers once in awhile.  With Supercharged Science I can let the kids watch the videos, do the hands-on experiments while I take a teaching break.
  • Last but certainly, not least with over 900 experiments to choose from and with study units still coming like Bonus Advanced Astronomy, Earth Science and Advanced Robotics Lab, Supercharged Science will keep science both fun and captivating for my boys.

Thank you to Supercharged Science and to Aurora and Al Lipper. My family was completely immersed in this review and it is our privilege to be part of this wonderful e-science program. All of your hard work and dedication to the children and to science is obvious once you enter the warm and inviting doors of your website.

{Remember to go to the bottom to click the graphic to try a sampling of the e-science program.}

Product Name: Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH

Website:Supercharged Science  –Online Homeschool e-Science Program SH

Price:$37.00 per month for the K-8 or $57.00 per month for K -12. {Note: During the first month of e-Science K-8 and e-Science 9-12, members get access to the first 7 units, plus additional sections like “The Scientific Method”. In addition, if there is a later unit or two that someone wants to access early, they can just drop us an email and we’ll give them free access to it immediately. This way, if someone is working on a certain topic, they are never made to wait months to have access to it.}

Ages: My review was for K-8, but the program includes K-12.

Type of Product: Online video curriculum for K-12 graders BUT LOTS of pdf downloads and teacher’s notes for the teacher in you.

Free things you’ll love:  Get Your FREE Homeschool Science Guide With Over 30 Fun Activities!

Customer Service: My email with download arrived promptly as promised and I had a log in problem that was corrected immediately. Customer service was prompt and excellent.

Religious Perspective: From the website: (Note: The e-Science program does not cover creation nor evolution so all families may participate.  The focus of the program is on how to launch the rocket, build the robot, use a microscope, take measurements and data, etc.)

iPad or iPhone: Not available yet, but they are working on it.

Technical Requirements: The e-Science program works well on a variety of computer and browser platforms. E-Science supports the following operating systems with the latest available versions of the indicated browsers: Windows Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10Mozilla Firefox 10.0 or higher, Macintosh OS X Safari 3.0, 4.0, 5.0Google Chrome OS Google Chrome

Hugs and love ya,

All product information is correct and accurate as of the date of this review.