TOS Review: Science Weekly

The Product:
Science Weekly is a science newsletter for kids. You can subscribe via snail mail (which I LOVED) but they also have a new online interactive area where you can access the newspapers from your computer.


The creators of Science Weekly understand the importance of science in the academic career of our little citizens so they have created a fun and age appropriate newspaper for kids grades K-6th.

Included with each newspaper bundle is the all important Teacher's Guide. This guide includes notes on all levels along with helpful information. Think, already completed lesson plans!! Let the angels sing!!! :)


The pricing for Science Weekly is as follows:

• Classroom Rate is $4.95 per student for a duration of 15 issues.     
• The individual rate (or families) is $19.95 per student for a duration of 15 issues. 
• Each has a minimum order of 20.

So this sounds pricey for homeschoolers right? I mean I have 3 that I could use this with. At $19.95 each that would be $60! Yikes!! However, upon checking out (and according to the email I received in response to this question)  I noticed that at the classroom rate, as long as I have a minimum of 20 orders then I can choose from any grade levels. Say you go and ask some other homeschooling (or non-homeschooling) friends and they become interested and they pass it along etc. As long as you have at least 20 different levels being purchased you get the classroom rate. THAT makes it MUCH better!!!


Here are some of the topics that they have covered so far:

• Composting
• Cats
• Glass
• Poisonous animals
• Caves
• Fractions and much more!!

And in the months to come:

• Teeth
• Deserts
• Green Buildings
• The Moon

See a sample for all levels and Teacher's Guide on Coral Reefs here. (Please note that the interactive newspapers may not reflect exactly what you would get in your physical newspapers...I think there's more available in the interactive papers.)

McMama's Opinion:
We received the issue on Influenza and it came at a great time because we were just getting over the flu here at our house!


I really like these newsletters! I love the convenience of having all the information on a particular subject ready and organized. I love that with Science Weekly you can sit down with all of your children and study the same topic but have grade level material for each child ready and waiting to be poured over. The Teacher's Guide is wonderful! It gives background information, initiating questions and follow-up questions. The Guide also has notes for each individual level. 


For example, Pre-Level A (the Kindergarten level) has vocabulary which is just tracing letters in the words, weekly labs, math-counting 30 seconds while washing hands, storytelling-the child has the opportunity to talk about a time that he had the flu, and a challenge section-putting pictures in order. Doing one section a day makes this quick and fun!!


My children loved the colorful pictures and the experiments and enjoyed being able to work together. This was a nice change from our regular routine and would be welcomed sprinkled in throughout the year.


The only complaint that I have is the cost. I mean, don't get me wrong, paying $4.95 per student is great but having to gather up 20 orders for homeschoolers isn't always easy. I could easily come up with about 10 but not 20. It would be great if they could lower the minimum number of required purchases for homeschoolers. Yes, there are some who are involved in large co-ops and can easily get 20 orders but there are those of us who would have a harder time with it. It is just my personal opinion on how Science Weekly could be made more homeschool friendly. Also, from what I understand, only 1 Teacher's Notes is sent with every 25 orders (according to their order page.) Great for classrooms but not beneficial for multiple homeschooling families purchasing at one time in order to reach the minimum 20, which wouldn't even qualify for the Teaching Notes as it's not 25.  Maybe contacting them before ordering would change this?


The Breakdown:

• I really like these newsletters! I think that they are beneficial to homeschoolers in many ways, and at $4.95 (as of the time of this review) per student they are affordable, very affordable!!
• I think they give a pretty good overview of the topic at hand.
• If they would maybe work on a more homeschool-friendly minimum for orders many would jump at the chance to purchase these!!

To read the reviews on this Newsletter and other topics from my Crew Mates click here.

**Any opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. I was not compensated in anyway for doing this review other than receiving a set of Newsletters to complete the review. I want to express my gratitude to the makers of for Science Weekly allowing me to review their product!!**

Lovin' Learnin'