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As a former public-school teacher, weekly planning was mandatory. It became my routine; every Thursday I would start working on the lessons for the next week. Although we are homeschooling now, it is something that I still do. My instructions aren’t to appease the administration. I plan for me, and I plan so that my kids can easily see what their weekly schedule will be. Many would disagree, but we need these plans to hold us accountable. We can’t just wing it through the week. I know some can and I applaud them, but that’s just not how my brain works. I need the written schedule. I have also found that it helps my kids to learn organization skills.
Please keep in mind that the process I’m sharing is mine. What works for me may not work for you and that’s just fine. I’ll explain what I do and then it’s up to you to learn and adjust your method as you go. There is not one perfect way.
Planners are a huge deal in the homeschooling world. Big, elaborate, multi-page, and themed spiral-bound books of everything to organize your day. Some are digital but most that I have ever looked at are spiral-bound paper planners with neat covers. Although the fancy ones are pretty, they are not for me. I’m a simple person who needs a simple planner where I can just write my kids lessons each week. The simpler the better, so this is the one I use https://amzn.to/34eGkTW. The one you choose should be one that helps you organize in the way that is best for you.
You have your curriculum and your planner, now what? How do you decide what to do and when to do it? Because I was a teacher, I began homeschooling on a strict, timed schedule. I calculated how much time it would take to complete each subject. I think I even wrote times in my planner. I’m sure that works for some, but I found out very quickly that homeschool days don’t look like public school days. Homeschooling gives you freedom to do what your kids need to do in whatever amount of time it takes to do it. My mantra quickly became “let it go, be flexible.”
Having said all of that, here is just my way of planning. By the way, how I plan now for my middle school kids is not the same as I planned when they were in kindergarten. I’ll give you both examples.
I usually start planning on Friday. I gather our schoolbooks, my planner, my pencil, and my good eraser. I never plan with a pen because I tend to adjust as I go. From my training I knew that kids are almost always at their freshest first thing in the morning, so I made sure to start our day with the subjects that required more focus. A typical day would have been Bible, math, reading, writing, and science. Since my planner has five days and eight subject slots, and because I have two kids who learn at different rates, I chose one side of the planner for one and the other side for the other. I listed the subjects at the top of the columns and filled in the lesson I expected to do for each day. As my kids completed each day, I checked it off. For us, we usually only spent a couple of hours a day schooling. At this early age, attention spans are short. I suggest doing what you can each day. There is no hurry. In the end, they will know what they need to know.
My kids are older now and their school day is much longer. My basic planning is still the same, I just do it in two different planner books, and I add as much detail as my kids need. Getting the work completed is now resting on their shoulders. I am here to teach the subjects that need me, but overall, they have become very independent learners. My planning takes place either Saturday or Sunday. I still gather my kid’s books, my pencil, and my trusty eraser, it just doesn't take as long as it once did. The following is a typical week for my 8th/9th grader.
I write the subjects at the top and then the lessons in the squares for each day. I added the little checkbox so that my kids and I can see what they have completed. I keep a close eye on this because I have seen some boxes checked when clearly, they should not have been. I list the lessons in the order I think my kids should do them. Except for Bible, they typically choose the order. These days, I usually spend the morning time doing all the lessons that require my instruction or teaching. Once we finish, they know to finish what hasn’t been checked. When my kids were younger, we had a more strict/structured day. My kids want to go to college therefore, they need to learn to be responsible with their learning. We have been working on this a little each year and it seems to be very empowering to them.
In my state, homeschool isn’t regulated in any way. I understand that other states have other requirements. If you must keep a record of each day, then make sure your planner is easy to read and organized. What I have shared with you is just my way that works for me. It may look foreign, but we’ve been doing this long enough that my shorthand is easy for my kids to read. In the beginning, I was much more detailed. I find that as the year goes by, I abbreviate more and more. Planning tends to be such a stressful thing and it really doesn’t need to be. Keep it simple, don’t overthink, and be flexible.
If you are interested in how I plan a specific lesson, please stay tuned.
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