Planning long-term? Spreadsheet?

[4maybabies]

Now that we 'almost' have our first year under our belt, I'm looking to plan out the next few years. Of course, it will change a bazillion times before then, but I like to take the pen to paper and plan:tongue_smilie:

 

Does anyone have a spreadsheet they use that they would like to share?

[Julie Smith]

Te only spreadsheet I use if for the books I read out loud, and the books I want to read out loud.

 

Are you thinking of a spread sheet covering what you want to accomplish on a yearly basis, or something more along the ends of a daily basis?

[ALB]

I made something like that in a MS word table. I have subjects listed across the top and grades down the left hand side. In each box, I have either the curriculum I plan to use or the topic of study. Some boxes are blank because we won't do that subject every single year (Latin, logic, typing).

 

I'm sure it will change tons as I go along, but I like to have a visual of where we are going.

[desertmum]

Now that we 'almost' have our first year under our belt, I'm looking to plan out the next few years. Of course, it will change a bazillion times before then, but I like to take the pen to paper and plan:tongue_smilie:

 

Does anyone have a spreadsheet they use that they would like to share?

 

There are a few floating around if you google "planner".

 

However, I tried going that way and I nearly burned my eyes out going through each one. You could try Homeschooling Tracker (the free besic version), of you can cave-in and try the plus version. I did and my life is so much easier.

 

There is a free excel worksheet on donnayoung.org website (free) and she sells an advanced version for about $20. Hope this helps.

[Mama_Rana]

I make a spreadsheet every year. Subject areas/topics across the top, and the weeks down the side. I mark weeks I think we'll take off in pink and weeks we might not get as much done due to birthdays or whatever in yellow. I sketch in what I'd like to see get done each week in general terms in the boxes.

For example, I went through the math curriculum and looked at its scope and sequence, and filled in the weeks' topics out for the year. I did the same for history and science. For language arts, I sketched out which books I wanted to read in the order of reading difficulty. I created a column for special days like birthdays and holidays so I'd see them as I was planning more specifically for the week. I plugged in art techniques and musical composers I wanted to touch on since those don't happen every week, and I wanted to remember. I also jotted down ideas for potential field trips and ideas for things I could do with DS's little brother that might tie in to what we were doing.

It changes as we delay or move ahead, and then I have to do some finagling, but I like having it mapped out so I can say, see, this is where we're going. If you really want to see it, I could probably find a way to share it with you, but it's so personalized to our situation I don't know if seeing it would be much help to you. :)

Each week I copy/paste the weeks row into a new sheet, and then flesh out the lessons and plan around whatever other commitments we have. [last year I did this in a paper plan book] At the end of the year, I'll have a electronic ledger of what I'd PLANNED to get done each week. If we don't finish something one week, I can c/p it into the next week.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Mama_Rana

[Mandy in TN]

I have made that spreadsheet many, many times. :001_smile:

 

The current one is based on the AZ BASIS schools, has some wiggle room, and only goes through 8th grade.

Mandy

[ErinE]

Now that we 'almost' have our first year under our belt, I'm looking to plan out the next few years. Of course, it will change a bazillion times before then, but I like to take the pen to paper and plan:tongue_smilie:

 

Does anyone have a spreadsheet they use that they would like to share?

 

In Excel, I made one with Grades 1 - 12 across the top and then subjects going down the side. I use it to keep track of mentioned curriculum that I think would fit our family. Since I am a visual person, I like to see the sequence neatly laid out. It has helped me understand where I'm going. When I input SWB's composition lectures, it finally helped me see the purpose of the writing sequence. It isn't set in stone, I don't make notes on everything, and I don't spend a lot of time on it. For example, I love what people say about MCT, but given its teaching style, I know I wouldn't use it. Generally, I use the planner as a guide for the next academic year so I won't get halfway through the year and realize I didn't start typing lessons or my son hasn't started logic.

 

 

 

STEM: All subjects related to STEM field.

• Math: Primary Grades 1-6, then traditional upper level sequence with headers like Pre-Algebra, Algebra, etc. and recommended textbooks listed under each category.
  
• Science: Brief notes on what to cover in Grades 1-4. Textbooks other members use for Grades 5-8. Nothing right now for 9-12 as we'll probably use college level texts.
  
• Computer: General use Grades 1-2. Typing Grades 3-4. Computer language Grades 5-8. Computer Science Grade 9-12. No curriculum mentioned for most grades because the field changes so much.
  
• Logic: Nothing filled in yet.
  

Language Arts

• Reading/Literature: The list of books is too extensive to keep in the core planner so I just put in the history rotation as a reminder plus general notes from SWB's Great Books lecture.
  
• Grammar: Recommended books from here and WTM.
  
• Composition: Recommended sequence in WWE, WTM, and SWB's lectures with rhetoric texts listed in Grades 9-12.
  
• Spelling/Vocabulary: Spelling Grades 2-6/7. Vocab study Grades 8-12.
  

History

• Period: Rotation based on WTM with recommended texts from here and the book.
  
• Social Studies: A four-year general studies rotation of finance, government, country geography, and world geography that goes more in depth each year.
  

Foreign Languages

• Spanish: Notes from here.
  
• Latin: Notes from here.
  

Fine Arts: General notes on music and art. No curricula.

 

 

 

Testing

• I don't have much under this heading except a reminder for next year's Duke TiPS application.
  

Edited March 18, 2012 by ErinE

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

In Excel, I made one with Grades 1 - 12 across the top and then subjects going down the side. I use it to keep track of mentioned curriculum that I think would fit our family. Since I am a visual person, I like to see the sequence neatly laid out. It has helped me understand where I'm going. When I input SWB's composition lectures, it finally helped me see the purpose of the writing sequence. It isn't set in stone, I don't make notes on everything, and I don't spend a lot of time on it. For example, I love what people say about MCT, but given its teaching style, I know I wouldn't use it. Generally, I use the planner as a guide for the next academic year so I won't get halfway through the year and realize I didn't start typing lessons or my son hasn't started logic.

 

Thanks for sharing all of this!

[boscopup]

I have a spreadsheet that I keep curriculum ideas in. I label the tabs with the grade(s) I plan to use them for. For example, last year I had a "2nd grade" tab, and this year I have "3rd grade and K", since I'll have two in school. I listed both kids' stuff in there, with name in the first column, then subject, curriculum title, where to buy it, price new, price used, then any other comments. I update this throughout the year as I plan for the following year. That way I can estimate how much I'm going to spend, plus I can keep in mind curricula I was drawn to.

 

I don't plan out years ahead though. I have a mental plan for my oldest son's math and history and writing, but I don't really need to write it down. It may change a zillion times before we get there. Planning to detail that far ahead just isn't a good use of my time. He changes so much from year to year, and I never know how fast he'll get through things.

 

I can't plan for my middle son yet either, as he's about to start "K", and we've only been doing K work up to this point. I can't tell much about his learning style or how fast he'll go through things because he always surprises me by not knowing anything, then suddenly knowing more than I planned to teach him (math has very much gone that way).

 

And the youngest just scares me, so I'm especially avoiding any long term planning for him. :lol:

 

Now I have done long term planning spreadsheets when I first started out, and honestly, they weren't helpful, they didn't get used, and they were a complete waste of my time. I am an over-planner, and I'm having to reign myself in in that area. Some things you can't plan for. ;) I'll just stick with having overall goals for different stages, which my kids may hit much earlier (algebra is a good example - my goal is 8th grade, but reality will probably be 5th). I have a rough history plan. I'm not really planning science at this point... it's just elementary. And my goal for writing is WWS in 5th, though I'm willing to bump it to 6th if I need to. As far as saying I'll use xyz in 3rd, abc in 4th, def in 5th, etc... Planning more than a year ahead isn't really that useful for me.