Time4Learning
http://www.Time4Learning.com
$19.95 for first student, $14.95 each additional student.

If you’re one who assumes that computer-based learning is somehow easier than other forms, Time4Learning will test your assumptions.  Seriously, while it is not rocket science, it is not an “intuitive” or user-friendly website; however, once you get on board and learn its quirks, Time4Learning is quite possibly the most fun you can have with this kind of program and still call it learning.

Ouch…that hurt!

When you first become a member of Time4Learning, you have to pay careful attention to the details to make sure you actually get signed up, get logged in and if neither of those happens, you understand why.  First, you’ll open a master account as the parent.  Then you set up sub-accounts for each child.  This is where things get weird:  The Time4Learning system asks what grade your child is in.  Below that is a series of questions to determine whether your child knows his colors, ABCs and numbers 1 through 0 and other primary information.  I was puzzled that Time4Learning would need to know this for a seventh grader.  Had I read the fine print above the questions, I would have seen that that section is only for lower grades.  The setup process would be much easier if the form changed based on the grade level of the student.

Your Own Adventure
One Year Adventure Novel
http://www.OneYearNovel.com
$199

Some kids love to write and others hate to write. All of them write easily in certain circumstances. When some of our kids were immersed in online storytelling adventures, it occurred to me that story telling beyond the narrative mom requires during class might be a great teaching tool.

One of our guys was reviewing a novel written by his cousin, also a homeschooler at the same time he and another online friend were exchanging almost daily snippets of stories they were writing. Imagine if there were a way to harness all that energy in a structured way that almost guarantees each student successfully writes – an actual novel. That’s what the One Year Adventure Novel (OYAN for short) is all about.

Practical Spelling Practice
Spell Quizzer
http://www.SpellQuizzer.com
$29.95

Spell Quizzer is exactly what the name implies. It is a software program that quizzes students on their spelling words. The program reads a word and uses it in a sentence and then the child writes the word out in a text box. Get it right and the quizzer gives you another word. Get it wrong and the quizzer shows the correct spelling.

Virtually Unlimited Practice

The twist in this unique software offering is that you can create spelling lists and export them for other Spell Quizzer users to use. Spell Quizzer can be used with any spelling curriculum. You can release your inner radio announcer and create new quizzes with the handy built-in recording tool and then save them for review.

Because you can import quizzes saved by other users, you have a virtually unlimited resource for spelling practice.

That sounds familiar….
All About Homophones
http://www.all-about-homophones.com/
$29.95 Soft Cover; $27.95 eBook.

Spelling in the English language is hard enough without the odd collection of words that sound like each other but generally don’t hang out together. If you’ve discovered too many times that there is no they’re there, you probably belong to the family of homophone victims in desperate need of relief. Take heart. Marie Rippel has come to the rescue with her book, All About Homophones. This book is a must-have resource for a complete vocabulary and spelling program.

Fun and Easy to Use

One of the most effective tools in the curriculum is graphic organizers – ways of sorting information to better understand what you’re looking at. There are several types of organizers you can print out and use in your quest for homophone pairs. Some will give the student an opportunity to identify a word, give a definition and use the word in a sentence. Others use a similar approach to identify word pairs. The graphic organizers are beautifully designed and encourage creativity.

The curriculum also includes worksheets for grades one through eight with activities that are fun, creative and designed to get the student engaged in learning about homophones. Some include interesting facts at the bottom; others tongue twisters, fun facts or writing activities.