Join the 2020 Homeschool Review Crew

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Homeschool Coffee Break helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! 

Not that long ago I posted my last review for the Homeschool Review Crew. It was a strange thing to hit "publish" and know that it was the last time I'd write this kind of review, and that soon I'd be saying good-bye to the Crew, because these people have been a huge part of my homeschooling world for so long! It's just one more aspect of my life that is changing as I figure out what I want to be when my kids grow up.

The Homeschool Review Crew is preparing for the annual holiday break, but they are also accepting applications for new Crew members for 2020. Maybe some of my homeschooling friends and followers would like to join the Crew - if you're interested, I'd love to answer any questions you have. I'll start with some FAQs here, but if want to know more, please ask!

What do Homeschool Review Crew members do?
Obviously, we use and review homeschool products, but what sets the Crew apart is that we are actually using the curriculum and resources in our homeschools and with our families for a few weeks before we share our reviews on our blogs. Our honest and thoughtful reviews are sought out by many publishers of homeschool resources, and it's because we are committed to trying out the products for more than just a quick glance at a sample. We have time to really get to know the products, and the products are ours to keep after the review period too.

You get free curriculum?
That's right! Some from big names in the homeschool publishing world and some brand new things. We've been introduced to products that were completely new to me; and we've been able to try things that I wouldn't have thought of or that I wouldn't have felt I could spend the money on.

So do you love everything you review?
I have to admit we didn't love everything. Crew members do have the chance to give feedback on our interest levels on the products before they are assigned. Crew leaders do their best to select the Crew members that can best use and review each product. So most of the time, the resources were a relatively good fit for us, but not everything can be a favorite, and occasionally we reviewed something that we thought would be perfect but it wasn't. Since we strive for honest reviews, I always tried to explain what didn't suit us or why it didn't work out great in our homeschool, and the crazy thing is that some of the things we didn't like turn out to be exactly what someone else is looking for! For the most part we liked what we reviewed, even though we couldn't possibly use everything all the time! There were also curriculum products we absolutely loved, and those were the ones we kept using, and kept talking about. And often become loyal return customers.

How can you use all kinds of different curriculum and still maintain continuity in your homeschool?
There are different ways of handling this, depending on the ages and personalities of students. I was much more flexible with what I was willing to try when I had younger students. As they got older, I was more careful about how many extras we took on. Some products we review are able to be used as supplements, so they can be added to a regular line-up with just a few adjustments. With things that require more time, we sometimes put something else on hold for a bit, or thought of a way to fit the review product into our current study.

What else does the Crew offer?
Believe me, there's a lot more to the Crew than just reviewing curriculum! There's a private forum where all the news and information about the reviews is shared, but that forum also provides a home base for this wonderful group of homeschool bloggers to enjoy a special camaraderie. Along with talk about the reviews we're working on and 'business' things, there are funny stories and prayer requests. It's also a place to ask questions and share advice about everything homeschool. For new Crew members, there is a mentoring program, to help them learn the ropes.

In addition, the Crew blog hosts blog hops, round-ups, and guest post opportunities. Being on the Crew means there's plenty of encouragement to improve and grow as bloggers.


What are the qualifications for being on the Crew?

You need to have a blog, and you need to post to it regularly. You need to be homeschooling at least one student currently. You need to be active on a social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram). And you need to love books and curriculum! If you're a homeschooler, you probably already do, so that's easy. As a Crew member, you'll be expected to maintain your blog by posting at least one non-sponsored article per week. You'll be committing to using the review products as expected and posting your reviews on time, and to sharing your reviews on social media. You don't have to be a big name blogger. Crew members range from "little" blogs like mine to big name blogs with huge readership. There are both blogging newbies and blogging experts; brand new homeschoolers and veteran homeschoolers. All have their own unique perspective to bring to the Crew and to the reviews.



Want to find out more?

You can check out the products I've reviewed for the Crew by using the TOS Homeschool Crew Review tag. There a lot of them! You can also use the list in the sidebar which has links to the products that I've reviewed in 2019, and on the page My Reviews I've listed all the reviews from previous years and linked them. TOS is shorthand for The Old Schoolhouse, by the way, and that's because the Crew is the review arm of the magazine publisher and online store. SchoolhouseTeachers.com is also part of the The Old Schoolhouse family, and Crew members get some generous benefits from this amazing online curriculum source as well.





 If you'd be interested in being part of the Homeschool Review Crew in 2020, head over to the Homeschool Review Crew blog to find out more. See the news release article on Faith Newswire for information and for the link to the 2020 Review Crew application.

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to Homeschool Coffee Break by Email!

 ©2006-2019 Homeschool Coffee Break. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kympossibleblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.