Homeschool Review Crew Review: Homeschool Planet

Recently, I was granted the opportunity to review Homeschool Planet from Homeschool Buyers Co-op. The Co-op is currently running a special thirty day free trial period of Homeschool Planet, their homeschool planner, with the addition of a free lesson plan from their Lesson Plan Marketplace. Signing up to become a member of Homeschool Buyers Co-op is also free. One of the things I like about Homeschool Planet is the calendar that can be set to accommodate every member of my family and keep everyone's schedule organized. You can assign different colors to daily activities. For example, my calendar shows birthdays in blue and appointments in purple. This helps give me a clue as to what my week entails just with a quick glance. The calendar is also able to be printed. The calendar view also has a To Do List where I can record different chores that need to be completed. I also like the daily quote the calendar has to help encourage me with some words of wisdom.

Homeschool Planet Calendar View

The lower section of the calendar allows the user to customize the apps. On my calendar, I decided to use the Lookup app that allows me to find information without leaving the calendar, a To Do List for my son with the activities I expect him to accomplish, and a Shopping List. There are additional spaces for more apps to be added as I deem necessary or as more To Do Lists need to be added. An email reminder can also be sent for To Do Lists, which is helpful to procrastinators and those who, like myself, tend to be forgetful.

Homeschool Planet Calendar View Two

Homeschool Planet also has a weekly view that breaks down each day's activities by person and time frame. This way, you can tell what each person has going that week.

Homeschool Planet Weekly Plan View

One of the other things I like about Homeschool Planet is the ability to create and assign my own lesson plans for my student based upon the courses he is currently studying. Below is a view of my Lesson Plan view. I can apply these lessons to whichever student I choose.

Homeschool Planet My Created Lesson Plans View

I can easily go in and edit the Lesson Plan for any given day as well as readjust the assignments if for some reason, for example your child is ill for a day, you have to miss classes. Below is a view of the Lesson Plan Editor. Each day, you can assign an activity. You can also include a link to a website for educational videos, activities, or games. You can also download worksheets for your child to complete as part of that day's assignment as well. When your student logs in to their planner, they will know exactly what to accomplish for that day's lessons. I like this feature as it will help my teenaged student become more independent in his daily routine and lessons.

Lesson Plan Editor

If you choose to purchase lesson plans for products you already own or choose to buy at a discount from the Homeschool Buyers Co-op, they will appear in the Purchased Lesson Plans section. This is also where you will find your free lesson plan that comes with your trial offer. Below is a view of my Purchased/Free Lesson Plans. I can apply them to whichever student I choose at any time.

Homeschool Planet My Purchased/Free Lesson Plans View

Below is a view from my child's Assignment List. As you can see, each day lists the assignments due and has a checkbox for your student to mark once they've completed that day's assignments.

Homeschool Planet Student Assignment List View

Another item I like about Homeschool Planet is the Resource List with links to helpful websites. Below is a brief view of this useful tool. For those with High School students, the editable and printable transcript feature will also be extremely helpful.

Homeschool Planet Resource List View

As I mentioned previously, Homeschool Buyers Co-op is currently running a special offer during which you can try a thirty day free trial of Homeschool Planet. In addition, you can choose a free Lesson Plan from their Lesson Plan Marketplace. For my free Lesson Plan, I chose Fix It Grammar Level 6 from IEW. This program helps students learn grammar by providing them opportunities to proofread and edit. The Lesson Plan provides a breakdown of the lessons with activities for each day. One of the other Lesson Plans I acquired a few years ago for free from Homeschool Buyers Co-op was the Virtual Field Trips Lesson Plan. This lesson plan is all-inclusive. It contains twelve field trip destinations, a Teacher's Guide, an Activity Sheet, a Do-It-Yourself Activity , and additional resources. Destinations include the National Aquarium, the United States Capitol, the home of Mark Twain, wreck of the USS Monitor, Ireland, Africa, and France as well as other places.

Another feature of Homeschool Buyers Co-op that I appreciate are the freebies they offer throughout the year. During the summer, they are offering nine amazing programs for you to try for free. These courses are fun but will also prevent your students from experiencing the summer slide. Another freebie offered by the Co-op is their student and teacher homeschool ID cards. They also offer free Diploma Templates for graduating homeschoolers.

To learn more about Homeschool Planet, Homeschool Buyers Co-op, and Lesson Plan Marketplace visit their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+. To read additional reviews on Homeschool Planet and various Lesson Plans, visit Homeschool Review Crew.