Makes Homeschool Planning Easier
I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be able to host this giveaway of the Applecore Gold Plan. Because I know it will bless the lives of one great homeschool mom. Be sure to read through the post to find out more about Applecore and register for the giveaway.
Working with Applecore, an online digital planner and record keeping system, allows me to serve as a reviewer and affiliate blogger, so that I can share my honest review of the product they offer. I received a free subscription to the gold plan so that I can try out all of the features they have available. All opinions expressed are my own and I gladly share them with you because I truly think this system has made my life easier.
When I was in first grade I sat in wonder and watched as my teacher Mrs. Ratti opened a spiral bound leather book and added tiny check marks next to the the names of all the students present in her class. Then she’d flip a few pages and I’d see a calendar with all kinds of writing in it and she would go to the board and start the school day. Whenever we completed an assignment, she would grade it, then flip to the back of that book and write down our scores next to our names. I’d watch her and think, I want to do that when I grow up.
Since I began homeschooling 5 1/2 years ago, I have done just that. It didn’t take me long to discover the monotony associated with a paper planner. I searched high and low for a homeschool planner that would simplify the process. Yet, I constantly found myself writing the same basic school routine every week, then filling it in with details.
In November that all changed. When I received the subscription to Applecore I had my doubts because I had never used a digital planner and I was concerned that I wouldn’t transition to it very well. But I was wrong!
The Simplicity of the Applecore System
The online system is simple to use. Once I set up my login, I added my student, but you are not limited by a set number of students. I then set up the course tracker, which allows me to enter the subjects being studied along with textbooks being used. The course tracker automatically coordinates with test scores and grade report, making it easy to enter grades per test and create a grade card either by semester or by year.
The grade report and course tracker automatically coordinate with the transcript which makes it simple to track students progress through high school while at the same time creating a transcript for college applications.
I then began setting up weekly schedules. I plugged in the subjects and created a general weekly routine by setting how often that subject recurs. Because I can set a general recurring schedule I am not re-writing; Tuesday, Math, Wednesday Grammar, etc. I simply plug in the daily details, with specific descriptions. I do this apx. 2 weeks at a time.
My Favorite Features
- As a homeschool mom to an advanced learner I love that this system doesn’t limit me to grade level and/or anticipated age leveled work.
- I am thrilled that I can create a transcript based upon course of study rather than age/grade level.
- The ease of setting up a regular routine, makes it easy to keep track of what subjects need focus and the days they will be focused upon.
- The drag and drop feature makes it easy to make changes to the routine.
- By right clicking any page I can simply print directly from the online app or I can download into a pdf document for digital record keeping.
I really like how Applecore has made my homeschool planning easier. If I had a wish or 2 for how I would update the program it would be these:
I wish the program allowed me to set my own time-out settings rather than the automated time-out settings. But I do understand that it may be a website server issue, rather than a program issue.
I wish that I could choose my daily subject routine from the integrated course of study.
But those are really minor wishes. I do love this planner and think you will too. Here’s what you need to know about Applecore Systems pricing.
- Basic – Course Tracker & Grade Reporting, Free
- Silver – Course Tracker, Grade Reporting, Report Cards, Portfolio & Attendance, $45 per year.
- Gold – Course Tracker, Grade Reporting, Report Cards, Portfolio, Attendance, Scheduler & Transcript, $55 per year.
You May Also Like
I don’t actually assign grades because I find that so arbitrary, especially since I teach each subject to mastery. In other words, when we are done with the subjectI am certain that my children fully understand it. I would assume that would be worth an A. Grading in traditional schools of occur because teachers cannot spend the time with each individual to make sure they each master the subject. However, I guess I will need to come up with some sort of grading system to create a transcript for my children to apply to college. I need to figure this out and maybe this product will help with that.
I don’t grade either and also teach to mastery. But there are some states that require grade reporting and that is why this system would work great for those people. I do like having the course of study feature in that it helps me to put into visual perspective the overall plan for the year. I LOVE the scheduling feature, and you might find that a good fit for the kind of schooling you do? Think of it as a place to organize your homeschooling thoughts rather than specific lesson planner with specific rules to follow.
I’m a very eclectic homeschooler so having the drag and drop feature has been of great benefit to me!
I need to be better organized
Lezli,
Well I do hope that you will find Applecore to be of benefit for that purpose.
Renee, this sounds amazing! I would love to have the opportunity to try this out at our home:)
Heather, I know you would just love it!
I want flexibility to roll over to the next day or week things we don’t do as scheduled – with the click of a button. I don’t want to retype it all. I want reports printed by subject, by child, and for the whole family for any period of time I choose (a week, month, three months, year). I want chocolate…wait! That doesn’t have to do with a planner….
Tristan,
The Drag and Drop Feature will be perfect for you. I just open the weekly scheduler and whatever didn’t get finished I drag it and drop it in the next day. 🙂
OH and I want chocolate too, sadly though I am allergic. Isn’t that terrible!!!!
Oh this sounds awesome! The drag and drop feature is EXACTLY what I need. Sometimes we do spontaneous activities and other activities have to get bumped. I write my plans in pencil exactly for this reason. This is perfect. I hope I win. If I don’t… well, I might just have to take advantage of this deal.
Fabulous review! Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Oh good! I’m so glad you have found a digital planner that may be just right for you! Today is the last day for the giveaway so we should know soon who wins. 🙂