Pros: Helpful info, contests for kids, field trip suggestions, not just for religious families
Cons: Lots of advertisements for CDs.
The Bottom Line: Recommended for any family who homeschools. A great magazine that I enjoy reading for homeschool news around the country and loads more
pablothegreat's Full Review: Practical Homeschooling Magazine
I have a friend who subscribes to Practical Homeschooling magazine and she passes the issues on to me when she is done with them. It is a trade off, I give her my news and science magazines that I subscribe to! When you begin homeschooling and look around at other families who homeschool, you begin to wonder just where your family fits in. There are many different ways to homeschool: unschooling, unit studies, deschooling, Christian based, and more. Our way of homeschooling is eclectic and Montessori style. I, as the parent of my daughter, know her and know what she needs to learn so I teach it to her. Sure she is ahead of her peers, but so what? I encourage her to learn every day, all day. My lesson plan is geared around her interests at the moment. Cooking dinner can be a lesson on fractions, counting, science, reading, following instructions, or just plain old home economics!
The best advice I would give to a new homeschooling family would be to look at your child, you know this child and how best he learns, follow that instinct to teach him. (Within local homeschooling laws where you reside of course.) All of our children learn differently, some are visual learners like my daughter who needs to see things to understand them and auditory learners like myself who learn better by listening. Many homeschool resources and magazines are mainly geared towards Christian home learning but this is one that does not concentrate on that. A homeschool magazine for all of us different homeschool families!
Mary Pride publishes Practical Homeschooling. Who better to trust than the queen of the home school movement and mother of nine homeschooled children. Advice from someone who has been there and done that and is now letting us in on the nitty gritty! Around 66 pages in each issue, this magazine is filled with advice from experts to help other families. Articles on all levels of homeschooling from preschool to graduating high school and entering college. I did find that many of the topics for much older children (high school) did not fit for me as that is too far ahead right now but with so many articles, I am never disappointed in flipping through it and just skipping what does not pertain to us.
My favorite part of each issue is A Day At Our House which showcases two or more homeschooling families and goes hour by hour through their day. I enjoy seeing how other families do it and what they are working on, even where they go on field trips. Gives me lots of great ideas for our own fun-filled days! This includes pictures of the family in color. This section is 2-3 pages each time. It is nice to see that I am not the only one and that other parents also struggle and worry about where their children are and goals that are not met for the day but all turns out well in the end.
Show 'N' Tell is also sent in by readers of achievements that homeschoolers have won. These also include pictures of the children and each issue has up to six of these.
Across My Desk is by Mary Pride, the publisher's note. On the issue that I am looking at right now, she speaks of three separate topics on homeschooling.
Contests are on the next section and in this issue there are two separate contests for kids. Children can either mail or email in the contest answer to try and win a learning toy, game, or book. The last winners are posted after the current contests. Only families who subscribe can enter in. This is really a good way to have children do something educational and try to win a prize!
Letters are on two pages and favorable and not so favorable letters are published in the magazine! Actually quite a few disagree with the magazine's various articles on different topics.
News Shorts has two pages of news articles pertaining to homeschooling.
Envelope Gallery showcases art of children. These are shrunk down to small pictures of each. Not all art is put into the magazine. No prize is sent out for this but the child can become a published artist.
Homeschool Mall contains ads, ads, ads. Two full pages of advertisements for products related to homeschooling and some have special offers for subscribers . Many CD sets and Christian items.
Classified is a section of more ads, this is smaller ads and only a half of a page.
Columns are written on homeschool subjects for different ages and written by established authors of homeschool books or highly respected people in the education field. There are eight columns in the current issue.
Spotlight reviews and Reviews is the section where homeschool products are reviewed. From book to curriculum, this section is very informative on new products on the market!
Features can be articles from experts on many topics such as Getting Started in Homeschooling to Which presidential candidate actually supports homeschooling the most - and has been doing it most consistently?
Cover Photo Contest where subscribers send in photos of the family to possibly showcase then on the cover of the magazine!
The Final Word is on the last page and usually has encouraging words about which season homeschool is in and at times activities appropriate for the weather.
The current issue has a section on the eagerly awaited 2008 Practical Homeschooling Reader Awards. Which 205 educational curricula and products were voted the best by your fellow homeschoolers! Plenty to read about and choose from!
A magazine for any type of homeschooling you choose to do. Interesting topics engage your attention while others you can pass by for the multitude of other information! Large enough not to disappoint even if you only need and are interested in topics for homeschooling younger (or older) children. I really enjoy seeing the high school homeschooled students graduating and their plans for the future. Actual pictures of homeschooled families are usually small and most are in color.This is not a flashy magazine with glossy pictures but good nonetheless! Very helpful for new homeschool families to see other families just like them within the pages of this magazine! As I said, you will find Christian based homeschool learning articles but that is not all you will find within these pages! Articles about homeschooling children with ADHD or other special needs can be found at times too plus many other helpful tidbits of information that is not religion based. On the newstands, this magazine costs around $4.95, a year subscription $19.95, and a two year subscription $35.00. Six issues are put out each year. A free issue is available to order on their site for new customers.
Here is a link to tips for classroom management (and can be modified for teaching at home) that can be helpful for special needs children: http://www.adda-sr.org/ClassroommanagementIndex.htm
Tons of helpful information for homeschool families, fun contests for kids, field trip and activities suggestions, not just for religious homeschool families, information for all ages
What is unique about this product?
About homeschooling topics.
Is it worth the price?
Yes, well worth it!
There has to be some bad to this product, right?
Lots of advertisements for CDs.
Any warnings people should be aware of?
None.
Final verdict:
Recommended for any family who homeschools. A great magazine that I enjoy reading for homeschool news around the country, learning about other homeschool families, seeing homeschooled children's achievements, and reading tips from homeschool experts who have homeschooled for a decade or more!
pablo the reader I have never let my schooling interfere with my education Mark Twain
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