student planners?

[JennyD]

 

Next year my oldest will be a 5th grader and I'd like to set him up with some kind of student assignment book or planner.  We're going to have a very busy schedule during the academic year and he is itching to have more autonomy with his work.   I talked this over with him and he is very gung-ho about the idea of me giving him a list of weekly assignments and then setting aside specific times for us to go over them together.  I imagine it will take some fiddling for us to work all of this out, but it's worth a try, I think.

 

Anyway, any suggestions for a good student planner for him?  Ideally, I'd like something where he can simply check off the things that are done daily (math, music practice, etc.) but also has room for assignments that are, say, due next Tuesday, as well as notes about our daily schedule (outside class, soccer practice, etc.)  Does such a thing exist?

 

And if anyone has ideas about a planner for me, I am all ears!  To date I've been using something I made on Word, but it's not quite adequate for what I'm envisioning next year (I'll also have a 2nd grader and a pre-K'er).

 

 

 

[susankhan]

http://www.donnayoung.org/forms/planners/index.htm

[Clear Creek]

This is what my 5th & 7th graders used this year. Fully customizable for each student and lots of room for long-range planning/extracurriculars.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

http://www.elanpublish.com/

 

 

I use this company for both teacher and student planners.  There is a lot to choose from, so just grab a cup of coffee and enjoy looking at what they have.

[happypamama]

I use OneNote for this. I keep it on the computer for DD, and I print it out for DS1. Nice little checkboxes and everything!

[JennyD]

 

Thanks for all the suggestions!  I will check them all out.

[nansk]

If you are willing to print and bind, here is a list of 20 free student planners. I mix-and-match pages from different planners for dd's binder.

[Ali in OR]

I make a custom planner using excel--a two page spread covers one week. The left-hand side is the work we do together--mostly history reading, and the right hand side is the independent work. There are check-off boxes for each assignment. Print a bunch of two-sided copies and spiral bind them. I'm attaching the photo I've posted before--this is from last year when I still had two home schoolers. Now it's just a plan book for one! I write the plans in pencil, usually planning about a third of a year at a time. We've used this system for many years now; the girls know what they are supposed to get done, they're good about marking it off when done, and I can tell at a glance if they have completed everything.

 

 

[JennyD]

If you are willing to print and bind, here is a list of 20 free student planners. I mix-and-match pages from different planners for dd's binder.

 

I hadn't been thinking seriously of doing this, but DS is extremely enthusiastic about putting a planner together himself, so maybe I'll just let him at it over the summer.  Thanks for this link!

 

I make a custom planner using excel--a two page spread covers one week. The left-hand side is the work we do together--mostly history reading, and the right hand side is the independent work. There are check-off boxes for each assignment. Print a bunch of two-sided copies and spiral bind them. I'm attaching the photo I've posted before--this is from last year when I still had two home schoolers. Now it's just a plan book for one! I write the plans in pencil, usually planning about a third of a year at a time. We've used this system for many years now; the girls know what they are supposed to get done, they're good about marking it off when done, and I can tell at a glance if they have completed everything.

 

 

Wow, impressive!!!  I am so very bad with excel -- I had no idea that this sort of thing was even possible.  

[MamaSprout]

Here's a couple forms I use: check boxes and classical weekly. DC prefers the check box style (and I like it because I cut and paste from my planning spread sheets), but we seem to get more done with the classical one.

[MamaSprout]

Here's a couple forms I use: check boxes and classical weekly. DC prefers the check box style (and I like it because I cut and paste from my planning spread sheets), but we seem to get more done with the classical one.

 

We do tape our weekly planner pages printed at 80% and trimmed into a notebook "bullet journal" style. That way 1.) there are no papers to lose. 2.) I can still create/ print the check off pages each week 3.) I can tape to left had page and we can use the right hand page for notes, reminders, memories, definitions of words she doesn't know and notes on books we've read (although we're keeping reading lists on a separate page.) Most importantly 4.) I added page numbers and an index.

 

I'm still about 50% managing her journal, but it has been a useful tool

 

good luck!

[SilverMoon]

Mine each use a teacher planbook. There is way more room to write assignments, room for notes, better descriptions of expectations from me, and such. We used Elan's w-101 planbook for many years. Then I realized the one R&S sells is exactly the same inside, for less $$.  Then my closet was so full of R&S books that I no longer needed to place a yearly order with them, and shipping for a lone planner made them more expensive than the Elan ones. Now we're using House of Doolittle planbooks with free Prime shipping.

[MamaSprout]

Mine each use a teacher planbook. There is way more room to write assignments, room for notes, better descriptions of expectations from me, and such. We used Elan's w-101 planbook for many years. Then I realized the one R&S sells is exactly the same inside, for less $$.  Then my closet was so full of R&S books that I no longer needed to place a yearly order with them, and shipping for a lone planner made them more expensive than the Elan ones. Now we're using House of Doolittle planbooks with free Prime shipping.

 

When I was writing out lessons by hand, this was my preferred format (and at a good price.)

[PollyOR]

Another idea.  My Student Logbook.

 

The video shows you how it is used.