I have a pretty creative student and I am a HUGE fan of Thinking Tree Books. I really thought this planner would be a smash hit with my oldest daughter, 14. 

Here's the thing: She is an A-typical learner. We suspect she has A.D.D, but (if so) it's minor enough that she is quite successful without any  medications.

I handed this book to her like it was gold and I expected her to make beautiful art on every page, noting her life in vivid detail and cementing in a flawless record of this year in her education. 

Instead, she had tears. The details in the margins, the whimsical invitations to color and relax, just totally stressed her out. It felt like an impossible work to her.

For her, this was not a workable planner. She needs simplicity. The "noise" of the book overwhelmed her. 

To me, it was beautiful. 

Ultimately, only you know your child and what will work best for them (who am I to say this? I got it way wrong this time). I recommend looking at example pages of this book prior to purchasing. If your student swoons at the pages like I did, you're good. If their eyes go dazed and then brim with tears, it might not be the best fit. 

Here's the beauty in homeschooling, and in family in general: not every child is wired the same. That's okay. My second daughter is already begging for this book.  You just never know. 

I give this book four stars because, though it might not be a great fit for every kid, (and wasn't for mine) I see potential and beauty in it nonetheless. 

You can find the DIY 180 Day Homeschooling Planner & Organizer For the Creative Student on Amazon.

Series A Books 1-6
Teach Your Child To Read, Write & Spell:
100 Easy Bible Verses Psalms for Beginners

Dyslexia Games 
The Thinking Tree LLC
617 N. Swope St.
Greenfield, IN 46140
United States
317.622.8852  PHONE (Dial +1 outside of the USA)
267.712.7889  FAX

​I admit that I discovered the DyslexiaGames.com website through a Facebook ad. It was their colorful, whimsical covers that caught my eye and my interest was piqued by the fact that they were materials designed with special needs learners in mind.

Inventor, Sarah Janisse Brown, was just a homeschool mom like us. She wasn’t planning a business, she was solving a problem. When Sarah’s daughter, Anna, was found to have Dyslexia she did what many of us have done, she went searching for answers. However, unlike many of us, Sarah found the answer she was seeking as she began to work with her daughter’s creativity to combat the symptoms of dyslexia. Her experiments proved helpful to her daughter, equipping her with the power to read fluently. These pretty, whimsical books give me hope that my daughter can also use these tools to correct her dyslexia symptoms.

Sarah’s products also work well with children on the autism spectrum or those with ADD/ ADHD. Since I have all of these issues present in my home, I’m very anxious to see how each product works for my children.

I recently received a box filled with goodies to try and I’m expecting another box coming in a couple of days. I can’t even tell you how eager I am to give them all a whirl. These are beautiful books, well made and homegrown from the heart of a mommy who wanted to help her child learn. What can beat that?

Consider this my teaser. In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing my thoughts with you on each specific item I receive. In the meantime, let me show you what I’ll be trying:

• ART FIRST: Art Games & Puzzles to Build a Foundation for Reading Success (Series A, Book 1)
• Puzzling Patterns: Puzzles & Patterns Games to Challenge the Mind (Series A, Book 2)
• Letter Challenge: Learn to Form Letters and Symbols Correctly with Art and Puzzle Games (Series A, Book 3)
• Draw & Spell: Learn to Spell with Art & Puzzle Games (Series A, Book 4)
• Practice Pages: A Unique Method of Writing Symbols, Letters & Numbers for Dyslexic Students (Series A, Book 5)
• WORD HUNT 1: Words! Words! Everywhere! Learn to Spell with a Scavenger Hunt for Active Kids! (Series A, Book 6)

We’ll also be trying:

 Teach Your Child To Read, Write & Spell: 100 Easy Bible Verses Psalms for Beginners (Current value $34.99)
This workbook is truly beautiful and packed full scriptures to copy, illustrate and subtly engage children in the act of spelling, writing and reading. When pages are completed they can be colored and the book preserved as a faith-filled keepsake of your child’s learning journey.

We also received a .pdf copy of the Devotional Homeschooling Journal & Handbook (Current value $24.50). This resource claims to enable students to study eight subjects with daily Bible reading. Comprised of over 350 pages, I have confidence it will live up to those claims.
In the next few days I’ll be receiving:

• 180 Day Homeschooling Planner (Current value $34.50)
• Kitty Doodle’s Homeschooling Curriculum (Current value $30.85)
• Master The Top 150 Misspelled Words- dyslexia Games Therapy (Current value $24.95)
• Mom’s Homeschooling Handbook (Current value $35)
• Nature Study- 180 Day Journal (Current value $20.69)
• Life, Love & Dyslexia (Current value $14.99)

Can I just say I feel really, really spoiled? Stay tuned for reviews of each individual item as we test them out. I’ll take plenty of pictures so you can see exactly what you’ll be getting if you chose to order.

​If you’re already sold, hop by Amazon to see the full range of books available for homeschooling, creativity and dyslexia.