Have you ever seen a product that is so smart and so helpful that you just cannot believe no one developed it before? If you have students studying graphing, you know what a mess it is to work with graph paper, which can often hold only one graph per page, which leads to stacks of paper for even a simple homework assignment. The creative company Freestone Peach has developed a very clever little product that will make your graphing challenges a snap! Called MiniPlots, this product is basically 3-inch square pads of graph sheets with "restickable" adhesive (think Post It Notes with various graph grids printed on the front). These innovative pads come in a variety of styles for algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and even elementary math. Within each subject, there are a variety of pads, depending on the particular needs, such as algebra grids with only the first quadrant or with all four quadrants. Geometry includes different shapes, such as cubes, spheres, pyramids and cones. Trigonometry options include pads with polar coordinates for degrees or radians, four quadrant pads and two quadrant pads. The Elementary Math pads include a chart of the numbers up to 100, geographic shapes for measurement problems, and even some very clever addition and multiplication tables for kids to practice as they learn.

How could you use MiniPlots? Students can use this great product as a much easier and more flexible option for graphing problems in their math homework. They simply work through their problem and stick the note on their homework, rather than attaching pages of graph paper. They could also be used to present graphs in reports for any subject. Parents can use the graphs to make tests for students, or to work through problems with the student, or to help the student rework a missed problem quickly and easily. The notes can be easily moved, replaced, erased, etc., as needed. They even come in very handy Individual Pads ($1.29 each with over 20 varieties), various Bundled Packs ($11.99 to $23.99 each depending on the pack), and my favorite, Flat Pack Kits ($7.59 each for Algebra, Geometry, or Trigonometry) which place six pads conveniently on a sturdy sheet of cardstock with holes punched--ready for quick access in a notebook. What could be simpler!

About the only con we could think of is that it is possible a graph could fall off in the shuffle of homework, but this would be unlikely as the adhesive is on two sides of the paper to hold the graph securely to the paper while still allowing easy repositioning when needed. My family thought these pads were easy to use and reasonably priced. And they provided an excellent range of options depending on the graph or item needed.

Product review by Dr. Anne Margaret Wright, Senior Product Reviewer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June 2008