Travel the World Review

The Old Schoolhouse has a wonderful addition to their annual Schoolhouse Planner – monthly modules. Each module is available as a downloadable e-book ($7.95 each) and is a great way to supplement your homeschooling efforts (you don’t have to have the Planner to use these).

I had the opportunity to review the June 2010 Module, Travel the World, which offers a fun and interactive journey into geography. The beginning section is geared toward younger kids, and then there’s a high school portion for the older students.

I thought that the younger kids section was quite interesting and enjoyable. This module has an amazing number of links and resources that really help your children as they learn about geography. They'll have access to games, informational pages, and quizzes. If they’re old enough to read on their own, they can do this independently. If not, you can sit down at the computer with them, read it aloud, and work through the games and resources together. I showed my husband some of the links and he and I even had fun playing the country matching games and refreshing our memories.

The geography concepts are explained in a very clear and straight-forward manner, along with handy ditties and ways of remembering facts. Sometimes we may find those a little silly, but let’s face it – they really do work. Is there anyone who can’t complete this?

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two . . .

There are also puzzles, colorings sheets, lapbook ideas and links, manuscript and cursive copywork, and recipes. Because it's an e-book, you can print out the specific pages you want and as many copies you need. With such a variety of activities, you’re sure to keep your kids engaged, whatever their learning style.

I think that for the younger kids, especially those who haven’t had any geography, this is a terrific program. The section for high schoolers is quite a bit smaller than for the younger kids, but by that age, they really should have the basics down. There are still some ideas and resources that can be implemented in conjunction with their current high school studies, which is a nice way to supplement what you’re already doing. With the many links available throughout the module, you’ll have access to plenty of activities to help your children learn about geography.

Remember, there are different modules every month, and you can purchase them all the way back to 2008, so if geography isn’t on your list of needs right now, take a look at what else the Schoolhouse Store has to offer. At just $7.95, you’ll find a wealth of information, and best of all, since it’s an e-book, you’ll have access to it right away with no trips to the store or waiting for the mail!

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of the June 2010 Module to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

**Edited to add: You can go here to read more reviews.