matrips Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 I've did a search and looked at old posts about planners and followed links to look at them. But what format/style works best and why? My kids are going into 7th grade. A generic planner like I use and just fill in daily, weekly or monthly items. We looked at them at staples and doesn't seem user friendly as far as looking to see what needs to be done during a week. More 'to do list' like than school like. A planner that has the school subjects across the top and down the side? Which is better? Something like this is what I had in mind, but the subjects and space seem limited. How many subjects needed? I was hoping to put extracurricular stuff on there too or should that be separate? What features do you really like or wish you had? What features don't get used or aren't as great as you bought they'd be? Last year I printed out a weekly one page schedule with everything they needed to do. It was kind of cramped and I'd like to move them towards managing their stuff. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted July 27, 2017 Share Posted July 27, 2017 I've bought all sorts of student planners (elementary, high school, generic calendars). My kids have never used them. I tried again last year. My three oldest picked out some from Wal-Mart. None got used. I'm done trying. Mine like to either have a checklist for each subject or they just keep a list of assignments in that subject's notebook, depending on the kid and the class. Best of luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theelfqueen Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 My kids planners are actually TO Do list planner inserts from Michael's. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 I gave up on pre-printed student planners because they all had to be massively adjusted to our needs. And sometimes got lost or damaged or whatever. What ended up working better here was putting everything into Homeschool Planet and just printing off everything each of us is doing on Sunday for the rest of the week. Everything can be adjusted on the fly, if we find out we need to take a trip I can shift things around quickly and the kids don't have to worry about erasing and moving stuff around in their already printed and filled out planner. And the kids can log on and add in things they need to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 I like a planner that has days across the top and subjects on the side. I started out making my own until I found one at Rainbow Resources that was basically the same (only better) than what I was making. I have been using it for several years now. I can't link but search for 'scripture planner' at RR if you want to see samples. They have a couple options; my kids use the secondary one. I really like the layout and they are only $5, IIRC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemongoose Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 My upper elementary kids like the smaller 5 star Mead planners. They have a lined section for each day with check boxes and then a whole month calendar. I write appointments in the calendar so they know when something out of the norm is happening. On the daily pages I list their work for a week in the daily slots. They check off the boxes as they complete their tasks. My DD in middle school doesn't like you use her planner, but she has time management issues and always stays more on top of things when she does. Her planner has the month calendar and daily sections too. The only thing different is hers has time blocks so she can plan not just what she needs to do, but when she is going to do it. This helps because she has to be realistic with her time instead of Dorking around thinking she has plenty of time later and can play. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YodaGirl Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 http://www.mardel.com/Homeschool/Homeschool-Resources/A-Simple-Plan/A-Simple-Plan-Homeschool-Student-Planner-20172018-Feathers/p/3537107 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 http://www.mardel.com/Homeschool/Homeschool-Resources/A-Simple-Plan/A-Simple-Plan-Homeschool-Student-Planner-20172018-Feathers/p/3537107 What size is this? And what does the monthly page look like? They don't list the student planner size or show the monthly page online that I could see. I love the look of the it. Is the 6 subjects enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 I like a planner that has days across the top and subjects on the side. I started out making my own until I found one at Rainbow Resources that was basically the same (only better) than what I was making. I have been using it for several years now. I can't link but search for 'scripture planner' at RR if you want to see samples. They have a couple options; my kids use the secondary one. I really like the layout and they are only $5, IIRC. Is the one you use called the Student Homework Book? I like the daily page setup of that of that a lot. Does it have a monthly two page spread as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 Is the one you use called the Student Homework Book? I like the daily page setup of that of that a lot. Does it have a monthly two page spread as well? It is this one. It has a 2 page spread for each month as well as the 2 page weekly spreads. There is a large version and small version. The large version is 8.5x11, which has always given me plenty of room to write assignments. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 It is this one. It has a 2 page spread for each month as well as the 2 page weekly spreads. There is a large version and small version. The large version is 8.5x11, which has always given me plenty of room to write assignments. Okay, thank you. I had bookmarked that one. I wish the daily/weekly pages were more blank instead of them putting information on them, but it's the closest to what I like. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 I hope you find something that fits what you need. I know this can be a somewhat tedious process after a while. Good luck! At least the HIVE is here for all those good suggestions. Love the HIVE. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YodaGirl Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 What size is this? And what does the monthly page look like? They don't list the student planner size or show the monthly page online that I could see. I love the look of the it. Is the 6 subjects enough? I'll post some pictures of DD's when we get home. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted July 28, 2017 Share Posted July 28, 2017 We use cheap student planners from Target with subjects down the left side and days across the top. I prefer the ones with tiny check boxes. I usually complete the planner as a to-do list for DD12 to follow, but with DD8 (and in general, with younger kids) use it to record what we actually do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted July 28, 2017 Author Share Posted July 28, 2017 I'll post some pictures of DD's when we get home. :) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Ds- focused child, dedicated learner- enjoyed detailed lessons plans with checklists when younger, now uses IStudiez Dd- not as focused, not as "bookish"- she did best with very simple instructions pre-written in a huge block planner, for 3 years we used a huge 9x11 one by Teacher Created I think. To tell the truth now that she's older she prefers to have deadlines and then sort of keep checking on them and adjusting her plans as the week goes by. I think the adjusting is part of what keeps her focused! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 I make a simple matrix chart for each week by subject at the beginning of the year. I keep one and the kid has one. The kid uses it as a checklist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YodaGirl Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Thanks! I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you! I'm having issues uploading the pictures but here's a YouTube video that the company made to showcase their student planner: The six subject sections do seem to be enough, but I had to combine subjects (reading & spelling, grammar & writing etc). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKT Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 My oldest is going into 5th, so this is the first year I will be preparing a formal planner for her to reference. (Thus far, and with my younger child, I just go by my own notes/checklists, but I want my fifth grader to start seeing/using her own planner.) So, this year, I will be using Pam Barnhill's Plan Your Year, specifically the calendar pages and the student planner pages. I've been using Plan Your Year for a few years now for myself. I don't use all her available sheets, but I just cherry pick the ones that work for me. I really like these because you can edit the PDFs, fill in the blanks to suit your own needs (you could type in all the subjects you do, days of the week, whatever), and then print it all out. I think I am going to print out a year's worth of her calendar pages, a year's worth of the weekly student planner pages, and then have the whole thing bound at the copy shop so she has her own little customized planner notebook. Then, on a weekly basis, I will fill in her assignments and she will check them off as we go through the week. (I usually am a fan of clear-page-protectors-in-a-binder for homemade notebooks, but in this case, it would be a pain to take the pages out of the clear covers out each time you need to write on them/check things off, so I want to have it bound.) So, I haven't actually used this yet, but I'm hoping it will be a good first planner for her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I make my own. That way I can type in all the actual subjects instead of generic ones. Then I print and proclick. We are already on version two this year. So I don't print out too many pages at once so I can tweak. I also put the subjects loosely in the order of our schedule. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 (edited) I make a table in word and use it. I've never figured out excel, but I get what I need with the table in word. I'm willing to share, just PM me. Edited August 1, 2017 by MotherGoose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q4XMRI0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted August 1, 2017 Share Posted August 1, 2017 http://fivejs.com/homeschool-printables-downloads/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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