2010-2011 Primary Student Schoolhouse Planner - A Review

Product: 2010-2011 Primary Student Schoolhouse Planner

Price: $9.95

Company: This Old Schoolhouse

To Purchase: Primary Planner

Age Range: Grades K-3




Other Planners Available:
Secondary School Planner - $19.00 - Grades 4-6
Middle School Planner - $19.00 - Grades 7-8
High School Planner - $29.00 - Grades 9-12

Brief Introduction:
203 pages of forms, lists and helpful tips to help your K-3rd grade student get organized for the 2010-2011 school year.

In-Depth Look:
When I first heard that TOS was coming out with a Primary Student Planner, my first thought was "What would my 3rd grader do with a planner?" Sure, I can see why I need one. I have plenty of things to plan and organize and keep track of. But I couldn't see my 3rd grader needing or using one.

So, when I received my planner, I was eager to open it up and see just what all the fuss was about. Now I see that there is plenty to fuss about, 203 pages worth of things to fuss about.

CALENDARS
-BY YEAR
-BY MONTH

MUST-KNOW LISTS
-MIRACLES OF JESUS
-SIMPLE SIGN LANGUAGE
-MULTIPLICATION TABLE
-THE PLANETS
-THIRTEEN COLONIES
-INVENTIONS
-U.S. PRESIDENTS
-JUST TO NAME A FEW

HOMESCHOOL FORMS
-ATTENDANCE CHART
-DAILY PLANNER
-ALPHABET PRACTICE
-FIELD TRIP LOG
-JOURNALS
-PLUS MANY MORE

ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS
-CHORES
-FAMILY TREE
-FAMILY RULES
-AND MORE

ARTICLES
-ABCs OF TIME MANAGEMENT
-STORY PUZZLES


The neat thing is that the forms are in a PDF file. Your child can't lose it. It is always right there on your computer. Your child can't run out of forms. He can always print another one. He also has the option of printing it out and then filling it in. Or, he can fill it out on the computer and then print it. I think that is a super neat bonus, especially for little ones who have barely mastered handwriting and aren't able to squeeze their letters into the spaces on forms.

I like the lists about Jesus very much. What a neat way to get an overview of His life on Earth. The planner has Jesus' miracles, parables and a timeline of events in His life.

I also love the list of Newberry and Caldecott book winners for the past 30 years. This would make a great book-reading list . . . one from each award list for the next 30 weeks. (Of course, I can't vouch for all of these books. No amount of awards can replace a parent's discretion.)

In my opinion, it would be beneficial for every student to know at least the ABCs in sign language. If a child ever needs to interact with a deaf person, she could at least spell out the necessary words. This is a much slower process, but in a pinch, it would do the trick. And guess where your child can find the ABCs in sign language. Well, in this planner, of course.


















The timeline of inventions is so interesting. I found myself reading it just for the fun.
1128-CANNON
1500-SCISSORS
1892- THE ZIPPER
1913-CROSSWORD PUZZLE
1975-DIGITAL CAMERA

Neat stuff, huh? There are tons more inventions listed. This would make a great jumping off point into some interesting research. Have your child pick one topic a month to delve into deeper. They will have lots of choices. And one of them is sure to prick their interest.

The list of famous composers is another of my favorites. It lists the composer, his birth and death, his country, and one or two of their famous works. Another great jumping off point. Your student can pick a composer once a month to study in greater detail. They will probably find the famous works online on sites like YouTube. They can listen to the music while doing some research about these famous men. The Primary Planner has a similar list of famous artists, which will be just as useful.


















A variety of journal templates are included. Once your student finds the one she likes, the sky is the limit. Her journal is only limited by her imagination. A journal of nature observations, a journal of hopes and dreams, a journal of daily events.

Okay, here is another favorite of mine. The templates for reports. These look sharp and are very helpful. They include a box for a drawing and questions to help summarize the learning.
- EXPLORERS
-MISSIONARIES
-HISTORICAL FIGURES
-INVENTORS
-PRESIDENTS
-FIRST LADIES
















There are so many more forms provided in the Primary Planner. But I have listed some of my favorites. In my opinion, this is an amazing resource. It will help your primary student get organized, learn some really cool facts, and feel like one of the "big kids" with their very own planner.

I received this Primary Planner, free of charge, in exchange for my review.

The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.