Archives for February 2010

The TOS Homeschool Crew is getting ready to set sail on it’s third adventure. We have really enjoyed sailing with the Crew this year. Not only was it fun to try out new products (& keep them!), I was able to be a part of a wonderful community as well.

Wondering what a tour on the Crew involves? You must be willing to use whatever products are sent to you and then post an honest review. You need to be flexible – sometimes you have to set aside your main curriculum and try something new.

Try out for the 2010-2011 TOS Homeschool Crew HERE.

I will be glad to answer any questions you have. Leave a comment or send me an email!

I was a little unsure when I found out we would be reviewing Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting. I’ve never liked the italic style of handwriting, or anything that even resembles it. On the other hand, I’ve asked God to send us the products that we need so we decided to give it a fair shot. Guess what? We all really like it!

Beginners’ Handwriting introduces rhythmic movement to pre-writers. It consists of twenty-eight very large sheets and a teacher’s guide. The sheets are reusable, like a dry erase board. My 5 year old loves to trace the patterns and letters. Because of the large size of the line to be traced, she had a very easy time staying on the line with her marker.

Fluent Handwriting comes with a manual & CD-Rom and is for all ages. The manual is a comprehensive reference guide. The Cd-Rom has instructional videos and tons of printable worksheets. Our favorites were the animal worksheets to be used when learning the proper rhythym. 🙂

I am able to teach all of my older kids, ages 7-12, at the same time. I demonstrate on the dry erase board and they follow along on their worksheets.

I used Fix It…Write to tackle my own sloppy handwriting. It is written for an older student or an adult – kind of a remedial course. My handwriting is a jumbled mix of print and cursive. Barchowsky Handwriting lets me write quickly AND neatly. I was surprised at how easy it is to write with this method once I got the hang of the slant & rhythm.  It looks so pretty!

The Nitty Gritty:

• Beginners’ Handwriting w/Teacher’s Guide   $29.95
• Fluent Handwriting  Manual & CD-Rom  $69.95
• Fix It…Write  $19.95

Value: The price might seem a little high, but Barchowsky is very different from the other handwriting programs I’ve seen. It is easy to teach and has so many practice pages from which to choose. Because it is non-consumable, it is a great choice for families with multiple kids.

See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting!

I received a free set of books for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.