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As part of LEARNING STYLES Month, we're working with Mariaemma Willis, one of the founders of LearningSuccess Institute, and a bona-fide expert on learning styles with a deep knowledge of homeschoolers and their needs.
We have asked Mariaemma to identify products currently offered by the Co-op that are particularly effective for kids with different learning styles and provide her assessment of them. Throughout the month, we'll be publishing these reviews in our newsletters for some of the best curriculum the Co-op has to offer.
And, Mariaemma has agreed to let us offer a Learning Style Assessment for only $3.50 (saving you 90%!) per child. You are welcome to purchase the Learning Style Assessment for as many children as you'd like in your homeschooling family. Just register for the Promo Code at the Co-op and then follow the instructions to redeem and take the Learning Styles Self-Portrait Profile before June 5, 2013.
Members tell us time and again that their kids just LOVE IXL Math. In fact, the the word "love" and its variants appears 83 times in the 100+ rave reviews submitted by members, lending credence to our view that IXL is one of the most popular math practice websites around.
1000+ topics, 100+ skills, unlimited math questions. We were told that a child can literally use this program for hours and hours and never repeat a single question. That offers a LOT of challenges to keep their math skills sharp this summer!
You'll not only save 37%, but if you purchase this Deal of the Day today, you'll also receive 400 SmartPoints!
And, if you're wondering if IXL Math might be "right" for your child, here's Mariaemma's review:
"IXL is a supplemental math practice program that is colorful and easy to interact with. Students who enjoy organized, step-by-step programs (Producing Pete/Pam) are likely to be the ones most drawn to this program. The colorful graphics and quality illustrations will also appeal to the Picture Learners. Instructions are presented in print with the option of hearing spoken instructions for Pre-K – 1st grade. The company is working on adding this element for Auditory Learners for the other grade levels. At present there is not an Auditory component for the explanations that are provided when the student misses an answer, and the company is working on this as well. One of the nice things about this program is that there is only one math problem per screen so the pages are not overwhelming, making it an option for non-Print learners as well. Each screen is bright and welcoming, short and easy to look at, so this program could appeal to many students of all learning styles who prefer working on the computer rather than on paper." -- Mariaemma Willis, M.S. (Learning Style Specialist)
The Co-op is pleased to offer PLATO Learning Online Sciences for high schoolers.
Alongside our previous Science selections: Life, Physical, Earth & Space, Chemistry, and Biology, this new program also offers the long-awaited introductory Physics program.
Members save 75% on year-long access to these award-winning PLATO Science courses available as either a time slot choice in a 24-hour window or as 24-hour access. Plus, you'll receive 600 SmartPoints, if you decide to purchase today as a Deal of the Day.
If you're interested in PLATO Science for middle schoolers, we'll also give you 600 Bonus SmartPoints, if you decide to purchase today!
Here's Mariaemma's review for PLATO Science:
"PLATO Science is one of the best online programs I have ever seen. It is very well thought out and utilizes teaching principles that are lacking in most programs. The engaging lessons are like movies (Picture Learners), with very high quality graphics and voice. Text appears on all screens for the Print Learners, and there is the option of muting the voice for those Print Learners who are distracted by an auditory component. There are many interactive screens and real life applications that simulate Hands-On experiences (e.g. dragging a microscope to see cells). The practice tests have printed questions with a voice option. The program even offers the ability to change colors on the screen background, in order to make it as inviting as possible for the student. This program’s format should appeal to all the Dispositions: Performing Paul/Paula, Producing Pete/Pam, Inventing Isabel/Ian, Relating-Inspiring Rita/Ron, and Thinking-Creating Ted/Terry. Unless your child cannot stand working on the computer, this program should be a hit. Even students who think they do not like science will probably change their minds after using PLATO Science." -- Mariaemma Willis, M.S. (Learning Style Specialist)
For years, students in conventional schools have had access to the award-winning Discovery Education Science, one of the premier video-based supplements to elementary and middle school science curricula.
That's why the Homeschool Buyers Co-op is pleased to make Discovery Education Science available to homeschoolers at an outstanding discount.
What's more, through this offer Co-op members can enjoy access to BOTH the elementary and middle school versions of Science for only $129. That's a savings of over $400 off the combined retail price of $530 for these award-winning science supplements. This is one of the best offers in our science line-up. Plus, if purchased as a part of this promotion, we'll also throw in 700 SmartPoints!
Deals of the Week - LAST CALL!
Note: We will continue to offer the BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET for these products after this week, but the SmartPoints* bonuses will be reduced or removed altogether.
Deals of the Week end on Saturday, 05/25.
* The Deals of the Week SmartPoints will be awarded based on purchases from 05/19 to 05/25 and will be posted to your account upon purchase.
If you can't decide which health curriculum to purchase, look no further. An annual subscription to Discovery Education Health includes 14 full health curriculums, over 400 videos, an interactive Human Body Atlas, e-puzzles, electronic books, and 800 lesson plans for Grades K-12.
As always, members save 51%, and, if purchased as a Deal of the Week this week, we'll also throw in 400 SmartPoints!
If your child loves Garfield the cat or animated characters in general, Professor Garfield's Infinite Learning Lab could be a fun and effective resource to help you teach life skills and core curriculum concepts in math, science, and language arts.
Created by the Virginia Department of Education in collaboration with The Professor Garfield Foundation, Professor Garfield's Infinite Learning Lab is an online educational suite of standards-driven, interactive animated lessons featuring Garfield the Cat and friends. It leverages Garfield's long history of entertaining children to teach basic life skills and core curriculum concepts to children in grades 3-6.
A 1-year subscription to Professor Garfield's Infinite Learning Lab retails for $95, but the Co-op has negotiated a special 3-year subscription for members for only $39.95 -- an 86% savings off a retail price of $285 for 3 years.
If you're looking for a new supplement for your day-to-day or want to introduce your children to Professor Garfield for the summer, take a look at this BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET. If you decide to purchase this week as a Deal of the Week, we'll also throw in 400 SmartPoints!
For K-12 students, Type To Learn 4: Agents of Information's creators have gone to extraordinary lengths to make typing instruction FUN, as well as pedagogically sound.
Students become "secret agents" who are tasked with saving the world's information (hence the extended product name "Type to Learn 4: Agents of Information"). Students must start their training immediately to move up the 7 ranks from Recruit to accurate, fast-typing Master Agents.
We are pleased to offer you 400 SmartPoints if you purchase this week as a Deal of the Week, plus you'll save up to 72%.
Are you teaching multiple grade levels? A single 1-year subscription to Typing Pal Online gives you up to five student accounts. Choose from FOUR distinct learning environments: elementary, middle school, high school, and "classic." You can also mix and match your grade levels for your account to cater to each of your students' needs.
Save 46% on this BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET and get 400 Bonus SmartPoints, if you purchase this week as a Deal of the Week!
More Learning Styles Product Reviews
This month, we present some of the best learning styles curriculum and supplements available to homeschoolers featuring, of course, the BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET for each of them. Plus many of them have Bonus SmartPoints this month, too. Be sure to check them out here!
We are pleased to have The Happy Scientist return for another spring visit! The Happy Scientist is a popular online science resource created by Robert Krampf, a lifelong science educator. Co-op members rave about how much their kids "love" The Happy Scientist!
A one-year subscription to The Happy Scientist costs only $10, and gives you 24/7/365 access to Robert's library of science resources, including over 190 science videos on everything from bird dissection to making paper to measuring lightening, and over 330 science experiments that can be performed at home with simple, inexpensive materials -- a perfect supplement to any science curriculum!
Check out what Mariaemma has to say about The Happy Scientist:
"The Happy Scientist presents science as a fun and entertaining subject. Certainly students who love science will find this website interesting and informative. In terms of learning styles, The Happy Scientist has plenty of hands-on experiments to appeal to the Hands-On and Whole Body Learner. And the beautiful videos and photos will appeal to the Picture Learners. Inventing Isabel/Ian will probably be particularly attracted to the format of this website, with its photos of the day, video demonstrations, challenging questions, and hands-on activities. Because there is plenty of humor and “drama” in the videos, Performing Paul/Paula will probably also be engaged. My guess is that most Picture and Hands-On Learners will like The Happy Scientist, even if they’ve decided they don’t like science as presented in a textbook." -- Mariaemma Willis, M.S. (Learning Style Specialist)
Are you still looking for the right math program for your child? A Cathy Duffy "Top 101 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum," YourTeacher is a popular online video math curriculum that covers four subjects:
- Pre-Algebra
- Algebra 1
- Geometry
- Algebra 2
Save 40% on an annual subscription to YourTeacher, chock full of video tutorials, audio, video, text and Flash animations, practice exercises, with step-by-step audio explanations, self-tests, reports, correlations with standard math texts plus built-in Bonus SAT and ACT preparation. Based on our member testimonials, parents and kids love it. We have even had kids submit testimonials for YourTeacher!
As a Deal of the Month, you'll also receive 500 SmartPoints, if you place your order this month. Plus, when you place your order, you'll receive access to get started right away with YourTeacher within minutes of placing your order!
If you'd like to try it out, we have a FREE Summer Subscription, which you can register for here.
Below is Mariaemma's review:
"YourTeacher provides teachers on video who introduce concepts and demonstrate lessons. This format would definitely work well for Auditory Learners, as well as Producing Pete/Pam who need orderly, step-by-step presentation of information. However, this program goes further by providing graphic demos for the Picture Learners, and printed out explanations for the Print Learner. Print Learners can also print out lecture notes and practice worksheets. In addition, the online practice screens and online tests give relief to those who are NOT Print/Writing Learners. These screens are interactive with some game-like qualities and short lessons that would also appeal to Performing Paul/Paula. Some students might never LOVE math, but this program makes it doable by putting it in a format that meets these learning style needs." -- Mariaemma Willis, M.S. (Learning Style Specialist)
The Co-op is pleased to welcome Digital Theatre Plus for a new GroupBuy at tremendous signature savings --- as low as $75!
Digital Theatre Plus online subscriptions offer you front-row access to live British Theatre Productions, as well as access to a wide selection of teacher resources to bring Drama, English Literature, and Fine Arts direct to your homeschool classroom. Subscriptions include access to productions like Macbeth, Into the Woods, Comedy of Errors, Billy the Kid, Much Ado about Nothing, A Doll's House, and many more.
You also get access to behind-the-scenes Making Theatre documentaries, interviews with professionals, resource-rich Study Guides, Teaching Support recorded workshops, and so much more.
This new program has something for all ages and is designed to give you personal access to live Theatre, while enhancing your studies of Drama, English Literature, and Fine Arts.
We only need 51 members to get us to the lowest price, so jump into these savings before they’re gone and please tell all your homeschool friends!
The Magic School Bus Science Club from The Young Scientists Club for children ages 5 and up is back at the Co-op for the week!
Join Ms. Frizzle and her students on The Magic School Bus each month in exploring one of twelve different science topics through hands-on experiments for a year. The science kits will be mailed each month around the 15th in a colorful envelope, which can be addressed directly to your child.
Developed by a team of Harvard graduates, scientists, and educators, the award-winning kits will help your young scientist experience science in a fun and engaging manner. The kit topics cover: Acids/Bases, Air, Bacteria/Fungi, Fossils, Human Body, Light/Rainbows and Mirrors, Magnets, Solids/Liquids/Gases, Stars/Planets, Volcanoes, Water, and Weather Station. Note that the sequence of the kit topics is predefined and not specifically in the alphabetical order listed.
Members save 50% plus receive 750 Bonus SmartPoints!
Here's a learning styles review from Mariaemma on both the TYSC programs we offer:
"The Magic School Bus and Young Scientist Clubs are very hands-on programs that provide materials and instructions for doing experiments. They should especially appeal to Inventing Isabel/Ian and to Whole Body and Hands-On Learners. Some of the guides are also colorful and provide interesting graphics for the Picture Learners. Besides these specific learning styles, the programs will appeal to all students who enjoy experimenting and discovering. There are reading / writing components to the guides, but these are minimal, and can also be adapted for students who are not Print Learners." -- Mariaemma Willis, M.S. (Learning Style Specialist)
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have ordered The Magic School Bus Science Club in the past, please note that the 12 kits are the same for each year so will not differ from what you completed. The Young Scientists Club also offers the TYSC Monthly Subscription Club through the Co-op which is a 12 science kit subscription program, too.
This month, as part of Learning Styles Month, we're highlighting our Special Needs products through Thursday, May 23rd.
There are several FREE Trials for some of the products so be sure to take a look to see if any are right for your child before May 23rd. For many of our Special Needs products, you'll not only get the BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET but also earn Bonus SmartPoints!
To see all the Special Needs products, click here.
It's LAST CALL for their first-ever GroupBuy, GrammarActive, at the Co-op !
GrammarActive is an award-winning, research-based provider of hands-on tools, supplements, and games for your English Language Arts studies. Their programs are designed to help your students master the Parts of Speech in a fun and engaging way.
Programs include:
GrammarActive Parts of Speech Series Complete Set (Important Note: only 25 sets available at the special GroupBuy price)
GrammarActive Parts of Speech Series Vol. 1-4 on CD-Roms
Grammar Games for Active Learning (2 different versions)
GrammarActive Tic Tac Toe (CD or online)
Members save up to 40% on this new BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET so be sure to check it out before it leaves!
It's LAST CALL for Always Icecream and Clever Dragons at the Co-op. Always Icecream and Clever Dragons are play and learn websites, created for girls and boys from K-8. Members save up to 65% on this new exclusive offer!
Developed by homeschool parents, Always Icecream and Clever Dragons strive to offer fun and relevant drills in core academic subjects embedded in a safe, engaging and rewarding environment. Just check out what our members have to say!
Included in this GroupBuy, is the Enhanced Parent Premium Account which can be an add-on to new or existing child accounts. Parents can now set goals, have their child take specific assessments in more than 100 learning areas, track the time children are working in certain subject areas, and document progress with customizable report cards.
Also, only available at the Co-op, a Premium Family Combo which offers a Family Lifetime Membership (up to 4 students) and the Enhanced Parent Premium Account. This GroupBuy is only here through today so be sure to take a look. Subscriptions are fulfilled in 24 hours so you can begin right away!
In the Pipeline
These GroupBuys and Special Offers are "in the bag". Read below to see what's coming!
For some, there are a few more details to be worked out before we can go live. We hope to take these Group Buys live in the few weeks. Stay tuned!
It's official! GameSalad will be joining the Co-op's menu ;-) of GroupBuys!
Creator software from GameSalad is a leading game development platform for the major mobile platforms. According to the company, over 60 of the Top 100 Games in the U.S. App Store, including a #1 hit (Escape 3d), were created with GameSalad Creator.
So, we were pleased to learn that GameSalad has created a curriculum, with a fully documented game-creation lab, that aims to give students a "deep understanding" of game design and the GameSalad Creator software. The materials include all necessary art, sound, animation and other assets to make the game Sea Sprint (click the link to see a video of the game).
14-year old Kuwaiti student, Aalanki, used GameSalad Creator to build Doodle Destroy in 3 days. His game has generated over 900,000 downloads, and has been featured on CNN.
A GameSalad Creator "Professional" License goes for $299/year, and the curriculum is a couple hundred on top of that, but we members could probably get the entire package for $99 with sufficient GroupBuy participation.
If you'd like to be reminded when this GroupBuy launches, click here.
It's official! MiVRC, a comprehensive reading solution for all readers, from struggling readers to gifted readers in grades 1-12, is coming to the Co-op. MVRC is completely online, and covers virtually all aspects of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, grammar & meaning, fluency, and comprehension.
A distinguishing feature of this program is the use of "virtual reading coaches" -- short video segments in which speech pathologists and experienced teachers coach the student through the points covered in the curriculum.
As the company says, "what the student needs, the student gets, automatically" based on an initial diagnostic assessment and your students' responses to questions as they move through the curriculum. If they are struggling, they get additional, targeted assistance. If reading comes easily, they'll move quickly through the curriculum until they reach a level that is properly challenging to them.
This program would cost you $3,150 if you were to purchase it on your own, but we have negotiated a member price of $199/student with sufficient participation. If you would like to be reminded when this GroupBuy launches, click here.
It's official! Shmoop, an award-winning provider of Test Prep curriculum is coming to the Co-op. (They also have TONS of FREE learning guides, teacher resources, flash cards, and more.)
The Smoop Online Test Prep Complete Suite features 6 months of access to 30 different AP exams, 26 different college exams (including ACT, SAT, and all the SAT Subject Tests), as well as high school exit, Texas and Florida ECO, and ISEE Exam Prep -- in all, a bundle of 68 different prep courses with a retail value of $319.
Smoop currently sells the Complete Suite for $166 on their website, but by purchasing a school license we can the member price as low as $39.95 (a 75% discount off the already discounted Shmoop price!).
If you'd like to be reminded when this GroupBuy launches, click here!
Want to know what GroupBuys are in the pipeline? Check out the GroupBuy Calendar, available by clicking "GroupBuy Calendar" in navigation bar in the left menu (pictured to the left).
On the GroupBuy Calendar page, you'll not only see what's coming up, grouped by subject, but you can select the new "Remind Me" link to get notified when the GroupBuy launches via (a) a reminder email from us or (b) an entry in your calendar.
Note: Some of our suppliers don't want us to pre-announce their GroupBuys, so they won't show up in the GroupBuy Calendar. Stay subscribed to this email and the newsletter to get announcements for all GroupBuys as they come and go.
Member Meter
Negotiating and sponsoring a GroupBuy is an expensive and time-consuming proposition, but we love doing it, especially when there is strong member interest.
This section of the newsletter is your opportunity to see -- and influence -- what GroupBuys we bring to our membership.
Please take a look, then let us know: What do you think?
We are pleased to announce that Blake eLearning, the creators of the hugely popular phonics program Reading Eggs, has expressed interest in offering Mathseeds through the Co-op.
Mathseeds teaches kids aged 3-6 the core math and problem solving skills needed to be successful at school with fun, highly interactive and rewarding lessons. We were pleased to learn that it works just as well on tablets as on computers, so this is truly a program that your child can use at home or on the go.
Mathseeds retails for $49.95 for a 1-year subscription. Blake is not offering a discount, and we won't be allowed to do so either, but they have agreed to let us offer a generous SmartPoints Bonus, so we will, as always, have the BEST DEAL ON THE PLANET for Mathseeds if there is sufficient interest, so please:
A member recently brought MusicLearningCommunity to our attention. We like their stated goal "to provide exceptional multimedia music instruction in a fun and exciting learning environment that inspires active participation, promotes the lifelong enjoyment of music and transforms students into Lifetime Musicians." To that end, they offer hundreds of learning games of varying levels, all "carefully planned to gain mastery of the elements of music theory, ear training and rhythmic skills in an exciting, challenging environment."
We have NOT spoken with them yet, so we don't know what sort of deal we could get, if any. A family membership retails for $79.95/year. You can sign up for a free, 3-week trial. We WILL reach out to them if there is sufficient interest, so please:
A member recently brought HealthTeacher to our attention. The company claims that their program is used by over 6 million kids in 11,000+ schools, and they have obviously put a lot of work into its development. We like their stated goal "to make health awesome for kids", and that they are partnered with Mercy Children's Hospital, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, and others. It is completely online, and supplemented with video, online games, educational apps, and more.
We have NOT spoken with them yet, so we don't know what sort of deal we could get, if any. HealthTeacher retails for $149/year. At what price would you be interested? We WILL reach out to them if there is sufficient interest, so please:
Please let us know if YOU find any great educational websites!
Cathy Duffy Reviews
By special arrangement with Cathy Duffy (author of the new "101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum"), Co-op members hear about Cathy's latest reviews.
Do you have any videos, games, jokes, quotes or other light-hearted or inspirational Internet discoveries that you would like to share with us? Tell us about it.
We appreciate you at the Co-op!
Brett Walter
President
Homeschool Buyers Co-op
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