What kind of planner for a family with 6 kids in school?

[heidip2p]

I have always just written out the assignments for our kids. This year we will have 6 kids in school. I am looking for something that I can print weekly plans for each child, bump lessons when needed, possibly add grades and is easy to use. Any ideas what might work for us? 

[coffeegal]

Homeschool Tracker - computer

  I used it for many years like you mentioned. Grades, tracking, bumping, weekly lesson plans, transcripts, etc.

 

 

[hsmom27]

Yep, Homeschool Tracker Plus. It's easy to reuse lesson plans for your kids year after year too.

[dsbrack]

You could try homeschool skedtrack.  It is a free online planner.  It probably doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a paid option but you can schedule multiple children, bump lessons, assign grades, and print daily or weekly schedules.  You can even set up profiles for your older students to come in a check off what work they've done.  You can also transfer lesson plans from year to year and student to student.

[arcara]

For my crew of five school-aged kids, I type lesson plans for each subject into individual open office documents. I then copy and paste the lessons each week onto an assignment sheet for each child. I've tried several of those computerized planners and everyone of them is more work than this simple method.

[bluedarling]

I do the same thing as arcara (well, except that I use Word rather than open office).  Each subject is planned out, then the kiddos cross off each day as they complete it on their printed copy for that subject, that way if they fall behind in one subject, there's no re-planning!  (This year I'm having them copy everything into a planner, though, and make daily lists....that's new this year.  I want them to start learning organizational skills, including keeping track of assignments.)

 

ETA:  I also found the software programs too time consuming.

[Another Lynn]

Excel.  I use a sheet for each week making a grid (days across top, subjects down the side), starting with combined subjects, then oldest child, next child and so on.  I add page breaks between each child.  I make a new sheet each Sunday night.  I copy and paste the whole sheet (including formats) into a blank one and make changes to page numbers, lesson numbers, other assignments, etc. as needed.  Doesn't take long at all.  I also added a row at the top for what's on the calendar for each day (piano lesson, activities, appointments, etc.) - so theoretically they are in the know about when we're going places.  If I was organized about supper, I would add a row for menu also.  So, each child receives his own sheet (with the calendar row repeated across the top of each one), and I also have a copy.  They keep them all week on a clip board and turn them into me at the end of the week and I file them.

[melmichigan]

I do my own planning on the appendix grids from when I used Sonlight, one for each child.  I then type into this free weekly assignment pdf for each child to mark.  I will probably have my oldest make her own assignment sheet this year.

[rjand6more]

Excel.  I use a sheet for each week making a grid (days across top, subjects down the side), starting with combined subjects, then oldest child, next child and so on.  I add page breaks between each child.  I make a new sheet each Sunday night.  I copy and paste the whole sheet (including formats) into a blank one and make changes to page numbers, lesson numbers, other assignments, etc. as needed.  Doesn't take long at all.  I also added a row at the top for what's on the calendar for each day (piano lesson, activities, appointments, etc.) - so theoretically they are in the know about when we're going places.  If I was organized about supper, I would add a row for menu also.  So, each child receives his own sheet (with the calendar row repeated across the top of each one), and I also have a copy.  They keep them all week on a clip board and turn them into me at the end of the week and I file them.

 

This is exactly what I do for my K-8 kids.  In high school, I use Homeschool Tracker.  We print out the sheets and keep them in a binder.  The kids highlight the assignment when it's done.  Just to clarfify, the kids each have their own binders.

[AmyontheFarm]

The following link just came in my facebook feed an hour ago.

Using Google Calendar for Lesson Plans

[SilverMoon]

I have 6 kids, though the youngest is preschool age and we don't "do" school with him.

 

The teenagers each have their own planbooks. They're Elan... *scratching memory* w-101? It's exactly the same as Rod and Staff's on the inside, which you can see at milestonebooks.com. They fill them out one week ahead at a time, draw a line through finished assignments, write notes, jot grades, and such. During the summer I planned each subject individually using Word and printed a copy for their binders.

 

The younger three are combined into one of those planners. I also only fill in a week in advance, using the syllabi I made during the summer for the subjects that need it.

 

I'm tinkering with the Homeschool Helper tablet app this year, and considering it for the grade records for the teens if nothing else. I'm not taking the time to put very detailed plans into it though, just enough for me to know how to grade it.

[Aloha2U]

OLLY (for Apple only)

 

http://www.ollyhomeschool.com