*This post contains affiliate links. I received a free trial of this product in exchange for my honest review and was not required to write a positive review. See my full disclosure policy for more information.*
My family has now been homeschooling for three years and in the course of that time, I have tried numerous programs, printables, and basically anything I could to organize our homeschool. As a planner and someone who blogs, I obviously lean more towards something computer-based. In year one, I started out with pen and paper at the beginning. I think I printed out probably what amounted to a whole ream of paper and then wrote in pen. That was a bad move! If you homeschool, you know, never write down your lessons in pen because inevitably, you will have to change something!
Then last year, I decided to try one computer-based program. Not only was the interface not easy to work with, the program didn’t offer everything I needed it to do. And then the dreaded screen of death came and I lost everything! Imagine being halfway through the year and having to re-write everything! There had to be something different. There had to be a better way of organizing our homeschool.
Enter Homeschool Minder.
Not only does this program run off of big servers in the sky which means I don’t have to worry about losing everything should my computer decide to freak out, but it is so user-friendly. When I say user-friendly, I mean that the interface is clean, has all the bells and whistles you might be looking for, and best of all, it is easy to use! The creators of this program have really taken into account what homeschoolers need and have packaged it in such a way that takes the craziness out of homeschool organization.
What can you do with Homeschool Minder? Here’s a quick look!
Easy to use lesson planner! You have the ability to copy lessons from one student to another and have the lessons auto-number. I love that because with Abeka, our lessons are numbered and this helps tremendously!
Grading has never been easier than with the Homeschool Minder gradebook. Plus, if you have a high school student and need to track credits etc., Homeschool Minder makes it easy!
The calendar is probably one of my favorite features. Not only does it keep track of the lessons, but you can add holidays, community service, and field trips. I am so happy they included community service because that is a big part of our homeschool!
Reports! Reports! Reports! Homeschool Minder gives you the option to print out just about any kind of report you might want. The reports that are generated are high quality, informative reports and do not look like something done on a typewriter. (I know, aging myself there!) These are reports that can be handed in to any business, college, or other organization.
What has impressed me the most about Homeschool Minder and the people behind it, is their willingness to listen to what their customers need. They have a presence on both Twitter and Facebook. On their Facebook page, they interact daily with their customers and love getting feedback. They are always willing to listen to new ideas. You, the consumer, is given the chance to voice your opinions and ask questions if there is anything you are trying to do, but don’t know how to do it. They also answer you quickly. I have yet to see customer service from another homeschool software company like this! They know how to do things right.
Do they update their software? Absolutely! If you have “liked” their page on Facebook, follow on Twitter or read their blog, you will be the first to know when new updates occur. The last update added some amazing new features. Check this out
- The ability to record Core & Non-Core hourly attendance. This option must first be selected by clicking on Settings > Attendance.
- The option to auto-number recurring events (e.g. assignments, instructional plans, chores, etc…)
- Multiple students can now be added to any event. However, to add multiple students to assignments or lesson plan, those students must first be enrolled in the same course.
- HSM should now be smarter about recognizing which term users are in and default to that term upon login.
They are not even done with adding new features! The next update will be adding the ability to define non-school days and much more!
If you are interested in trying out Homeschool Minder for yourself, please visit their site for a free trial.
The price for unlimited students is $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year, which is amazing for unlimited students and full access, but it gets better!
Don’t want to wait and want to get started organizing your homeschool today? The great people at Homeschool Minder have given me a special promo code for only readers of Guard the Door for the life of your subscription. Yes, you read that correctly! 20% off for the life of your subscription! How cool is that? I told you they are a great company! Here is the promo code! 14GTD20
If you do sign up, please visit their Facebook page and let them know that Jeanni from Guard the Door sent you!
