Planning Resources

Donna Young – Largest selection of homeschool planning forms, everything you can think of!

Organized Home – Free downloadable printouts to organize your planner.

Printable forms – Teacher planning and organization forms.

The Full Year Notebook System helps to costumize one notebook per child. This is a complete scheduling system and planner.

My Planner

I’ve always used some sort of planner. It’s my key to being organized and not forgetting to spend time with someone or do something that may easily get forgotten as the day goes by. From homeschooling one child to now keeping track of five, my planner (in its many forms) has remained a consistent necessity for me. From a simple calender to computer spreadsheets, I’ve morphed my planner into a binder that I decided to create to fit my own tailored needs. It is a 4″ binder that is technically portable but it remains in one spot open and easily accessible. Please note that it’s not fancy or frilly and doesn’t require me to purchase special forms or papers that only fit it. It is practical. So, if you are the fancy frilly type then read no further.

It is divided with tabs into these sections:

Calendar (separated by months) – This is where I put my printed out weekly schedule from Home School Tracker Plus. Using Homeschool Tracker has allowed me to keep organized spreadsheets for each individual child schedule and I use it for lesson planning. It has many uses, but these are the main two that I use it for. At the end of the school year I file this in a filing cabinet by school year, with year end evaluations.
Several science topics – (Life science, chemistry, animals) are the current ones and I hole punch and place reproducibles that I will use here. I also put my lesson plans from HST that I have created for science here.
History – Here I have a chronological movie list and some ideas I have printed off the internet, like recipes for a Medieval feast. My Tapestry of Grace scope and sequence and list of books that I will be using or need to get is kept here also.
Individual tabs for each person – Next I have tabs for my children plus myself. Every 6 months or so I evaluate progress in character, school subjects, list books the child has read and I critique myself to see how I can be a better mother and teacher using Garden Patch Reproducibles.
Field trips – These are written down by date and expense. I keep past and future planned field trips here. Also, information for any museums etc. that we keep a membership to.
Wish list – I keep a running wish list, so when it is time to order books I get this list out.
Borrowed/Loaned – This is the section that I write down books that have been borrowed and when they were returned, and when /what I borrow from friends. I always know where my books are and this makes it very easy for me to graciously lend any books that I am not currently using.
Expenses – I keep all receipts so I can calculate our growing expense. I don’t know why I do this, but maybe some day it will come in handy.
Important papers – Copies of my diplomas, copies of kids health records and letter of intent with the school system. (I don’t keep our evaluations here, I keep our evaluations in a filing cabinet by school year).
There are a few random tabs that change each year depending on our subjects. For instance, I have a Bible memory section and a music appreciation section to house some reproducibles.

I also keep a myriad of stickers in the front pocket for rewards and a zippered pouch with pens and a highlighter. These are the few things that I have to know where to find them easily throughout the day.

Written by Brenda