Homeschool Happenings: 2016 Blue Ribbon Awards

The 2016 SchoolhouseReviewCrew.com year has come to an end. This past year I have had the opportunity to review so many amazing curriculums and products. Each year those on the CREW vote for their favorites in a handful of categories. So without further ado........

This years winners for this category are:

Favorite Reading Curriculum – Logic of English
Favorite Writing Curriculum –  Here to Help Learning
Favorite Vocabulary Program –  The Critical Thinking Co.
Favorite Spelling Program –  Talking Fingers: Read, Write and Type

I reviewed the following for this category:

Logic of English

The Critical Thinking Co.

I really enjoyed using Logic of English Essentials ~ Multi Level Reading, Spelling, Grammar, and Vocabulary. Having one curriculum that covers all of these elements is amazing. Logic of English does an amazing job at pairing and complementing each of these elements together to make for one cohesive curriculum. The fact that Essentials has three levels is great too. Learning a curriculum is definitely a learning curve and to be able to have three full years that build upon each other is definitely a plus.

This years winners for this category are:

Favorite Grammar Program –  The Critical Thinking Co.
Favorite Penmanship Program –  Homeschool Copywork
Favorite Literature Curriculum –  Institute for Excellence in Writing: Poetry
Favorite Literature Resource –  Heirloom Audio

I reviewed the following for this category:

The Critical Thinking Co.

Homeschool Copywork

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Heirloom Audio

Homeschool Copywork was a great supplement to our curriculum. Often times handwriting gets neglected with all of the academics that children in the elementary years have to learn. This was a fun and enjoyable way to not only get extra handwriting and cursive practice in by also learning some great literary, scripture, history, poetry, and other written texts. My daughters enjoyed coloring the pictures that were included on the copywork sheets.

The winners for this category are:

Favorite History Curriculum –  Home School in the Woods
Favorite History Supplement –  Carole P. Roman
Favorite Science Curriculum –  Apologia: Astronomy
Favorite Science Supplement –  NotebookingPages.com
Favorite Math Curriculum –  CTC Math
Favorite Math Supplement –  Trigger Memory System

I reviewed the following for this category:

Homeschool in the Woods

Trigger Memory System

I absolutely fell in love with Carole P. Roman's If You Were Me and Lived In series. These charming books take your children back in time were they will get aquatinted with periods of time such as Renaissance Italy, Elizabethan England, Colonial America, and Ancient Egypt to name just a few. My daughter absolutely loved learning history with Carole P. Roman.

The winners for this category are:

Favorite Foreign Language Curriculum –  Middlebury Interactive Languages
Favorite Fine Arts Product/Curriculum –  ArtAchieve
Favorite Elective Curriculum –  Stop Motion Explosion
Favorite Christian Education Curriculum –  Veritas Press
Favorite Christian Education Product –  Chara Games

I have reviewed the following for this category:

Middlebury Interactive Languages

ArtAchieve

Veritas Press

Chara Games

My children had so much fun learning to draw with ArtAchieve. Not only did they learn how to draw but they also learned interesting facts about what they were drawing. Simple step-by-step instructions guide your child as they draw a Dragonfly from Ecuador, a Sheep from Wales, a Haitian Gecko, and many more.

The winners for this category are:

Favorite Preschool Product –  The Pencil Grip
Favorite Elementary Product –  Veritas Press
Favorite Middle School Product –  Apologia: Writers in Residence
Favorite High School Product –  101 Series
Favorite College or College-Prep Product –  Everyday Education

I have reviewed the following from this category:

The Pencil Grip

Veritas Press

Apologia: Writers In Residence

101 Series

Everyday Education

I discovered a gem when reviewing the 101 Series ~ Physics. This science curriculum makes learning Physics possible for any student. Wes Olsen will guide your student through the science of physics, while all along the way, untangling and decoding the most complex of Physics terms and ideas into easy to understand terms. After completing the course your student will have a thorough understanding of the world of Physics.

The Pencil Grip has a must have product for a mess free painting experience. Kwik Stix are AMAZING!! Instead of the typical paint palette and brush your child will paint with handheld sticks much like what a glue stick looks like. The colors are vibrant. The paint dries within seconds. Once you have discovered Kwik Stix you will never go back to ordinary paint again. I LOVE this product!!

The winners for this category are:

Favorite Parent Product –  MyFreezEasy
Best Resource I Didn’t Know I Needed –  ForBrain
Best Online Resource –  Veritas Press
Best E-Product –  Grapevine Studies
Favorite Book, Novel, Audio Book, or Audio Drama –  Heirloom Audio
Just for Fun! –  FlipStir

I reviewed the following from this category:

Heirloom Audio brings history to life with amazing audio dramas. Go back in time and hear stories of daring adventures of figures in history such as Beric The Briton. Based on stories from G.A. Henty's books your family will truly be living an adventure.