Homeschool planner (What do you use)

[bttrflyvld]

What do you use?

 

Do you use one you write down on paper or a computer/online one?

 

I think a online or computer one would be neat if I can find one that is free or fairly inexpensive. As we start our homeschooling adventure I just want to keep good records. I've seen some online that let you schedule the whole year out and then it you can pull up what needs to be done for any given day. It will also keep a record of all that you have completed and a grade for assignments and tests (if you keep them). Are there any you've tried that you'd recommend?

Edited June 16, 2012 by bttrflyvld
Corrected some gramatical errors

[boscopup]

I love HST+, the desktop version. It is $50 for life with free upgrades.

 

For K, you probably won't need much though. You might try Homeschool Skedtrack, since it's free.

[bttrflyvld]

I've looked into skedtrack. Looks nice

 

I'm more doing some research for the fututure. I love doing research on curriculum and this was something I've been looking into. I'm not necessarily planning on using it for K but in a couple years it be nice to have.

[Amy Jo]

I keep going around on this. For online/computer you might try Skedtrack (free). It would be perfect if they didn't have such an emphasis on hours. Donna Young has a free spreadsheet planner as well.

 

My issue is I really like paper. I want to plan on paper. I do not want to go back to read that paper for our records. I'd love to have a pretty printout at the end of the year of records, by subject or week, for each child. So I'm thinking of handwriting my plans, then putting the results of what we DID in Skedtrack. On the other hand, I don't need to keep records for my state. I might be better off with a weekly review on my blog. (On the third hand, I'm hoping to use Memoria Press, so I won't have to make plans at all!)

 

Donna Young also has the V-Planner, if you have excel. I have open office, so I haven't bought her CD. But it might be worth looking at for you.

[kemilie]

I tried using Skedtrack but didn't love it. It seemed like a lot of work for basic tracking for my 6 year old with how everything had to be put in. I printed 1 page 12 month calendar templates and wrote a subject title at the top of each one. I highlight the day if we did the subject that day. I have a quarterly report I write up that summarizes what we studied in each topic during the past 10 or so weeks. For the age my kids are at that seems to work best!

[Dinsfamily]

I'd definitely start with a free program until you have a better idea of what you'll need. I dabbled with the free version of HST when my ds8 was a K'er. It was enough to show me that I didn't need a full program. My state doesn't require anything from me and most of my curriculum is do-the-next-thing.

 

I do like to hyper-research and plan, but I've found that Donna Young's free printables plus the Pages and Numbers apps on my iPad do what I need.

 

I'm still eyeing new programs but they are all just too involved for my use.

[lillehei]

I know you don't want to spend a lot but I LOVE HSTOnline! I can use it from any of my computers or tablets and that is a big deal to me. It is a steep learning curve, especially putting in complex repeating lesson plans, but their customer service is friendly and always helps out if I am in a jam. I have the whole lesson plan done for many of my subjects and then I like to just schedule one week at a time by pulling it into the agenda. Then I print a daily assignment list for each kid for the week and they check off what they have done. I love that I can use my older's lesson plan when my younger starts a subject or course because I already have the lesson plan done.

[Mom in High Heels]

I'm a paper kind of girl. I like having it written (in pencil) and find it a whole lot easier and less time consuming than typing everything on the computer. I print off free pages from Donna Young.

[nov05mama]

I love HST+...I love the lifetime upgrades, etc. I love the look of the Well Planned Day software too, but it's REALLY pricey and way to far in the beta stage right now to even consider it. The price is still a really big deterrent even without the kinks...

[edeemarie]

I'm a paper kind of girl. I like having it written (in pencil) and find it a whole lot easier and less time consuming than typing everything on the computer. I print off free pages from Donna Young.

 

This is what we do- only I laminate and use dry erase markers:)

[Sue G in PA]

I like the idea of laminating and using dry erase. I don't want to spend the $ on HSTOnline (can't use the Plus version b/c I have a Mac), have tried and not liked Skedtrack, tried the free trial of Scholaric and liked that (I might use that since it is ONLY $1 per child/month). That isn't too bad. If you are using an all-in-one curriculum (we use HOD and MFW for high school), you might not need a detailed planner. For the first time in many years, we have strayed from the HOD/MFW program for the younger kids and so I am looking for something to help keep me on track. We will be using AAH and interest led science topics. I think I might like to have something on the computer...b/c I have to keep records for my state. :glare: (Sorry to hijack...just wanted to put my thoughts down on the matter. :tongue_smilie:)

[threedogfarm]

I thought I would want to use a computer program for my planning but after using different free trials I found:

 

1. I didn't like having my computer on and at the table/couch/coffee table while we were doing school (too much of a distraction and took up too much space)

2. the printouts for the day/week didn't always fit on one page or look good. (I really wanted all my subjects to fit on one page for both my children. If they couldn't fit on one page I wanted it to be easy to have them fit on one page, double sided BUT break at the right spot between subjects. I couldn't manage to get that to work. . .)

 

So I went back to pen and paper on pre-printed sheets. It's low tech. I never have to worry about the wireless network in my house or the internet going down.

 

I plan out the subjects by the quarter or the year and then fill in a week's work at a time. That way if the unexpected comes up I don't have to rewrite a whole bunch of plans.

[Stef03]

My kids are still quite young and I've found that using Google Calendar http://google.com/calendar is fine for now. I put on repeat the subjects we aim to do on certain days of the week (I have them as All Day Events) then at the end of the day I update the calendar with what we actually accomplished. It's super easy to use, quick to drag things across and repeat etc. Once the kids are older I will probably look for something else that adds up the total time spent on which subject etc but at the moment this free option is working well for us.

[Ecclecticmum]

I spent a fair amount of time making a Sonlight-inspired planner for this year. I do like it, but the effort and "all over the place" of it, is just too much for me to deal with next year, and I want something that I can have both paper & electronic copies.

 

We've just begun our new school year, but I purchased Homeschool Tracker + for next year. This allows me time to get used to it, and to slowly start inputting stuff for next year, thus eliminating "the learning curve" part that would cause panic if doing during summer.

 

I like the idea of planning slowly during the current year for the next year, so as not to be rushing around at the last minute trying to get everything planned.

 

HST+ does have a steep learning curve, but the program is brilliant, capable of doing practically anything you would want. I like the fact you only pay once too, and its available offline. A lot of planners lately are doing yearly payments ($60-100 a year) and only available online. This can cause a lot of problems my end, as I don't want my info to disappear because their site got a virus, or something was hacked, or either their end or my end goes offline and I can't access it when I want.

 

I pretty much own all the PDF planners as well LOL, but now that I've found HST+, I'm finally :lol: happy.

[heritagelearningacademy]

I have HST+ as well. Didn't use it a lot last year, but have already really started entering things for this year. I have a 7th grader and somehow, I have to get things figured out for him! So, we will be grading, etc. and using this year as a dry run on using HST.

 

I also did purchase the well-planned day online version. I know they are growing, etc. I like the idea of it and for a year, I will probably keep some things on it, but I don't see it really meeting my needs long term.

[happymomofboys]

I use the Well-Planned Day. I like being able to write things down and make changes without having to be on the computer.

[EducationX2]

Paper planners all the way for me. My system is extremely complicated and ridiculous, and I'm sure could be simplified somehow, but it works for me and why fix it if it ain't broke, right? :D I end up with 2 different daily planners and 3 binders (just for planning and record keeping- this is not counting school work binders.)

 

For the planners, I just go browsing and find ones that fit my needs. One planner is full size, and at the beginning of each of my school semesters I go through and write down all the due dates of assignments, plus as the semester goes on I write in mini-goals to stay on track (such as, finish rough draft of paper by now, or make sure to have read half the book by now, etc.). I also use this planner to write other deadlines in, such as the millions of grad school applications I have coming up, and (gulp!) the GRE exam.

The second planner covers where DD and I need to physically BE at any one time. All my class meeting times and places go in here, plus DD's dance class times, violin lessons, PE classes, meet ups we've scheduled with friends, any concerts or shows we want to see, doctors appointments, etc.

Then the binders. Two binders are for planning. The first is just a binder full of paper. I do a lot of scribbling and jotting down ideas, moving things around, etc, before settling on a plan. Much of what we do I pull together myself. So this is basically my ideas book. In the front of the book I have our yearly schedule written out, our subject list written out with what we do on each day of the week, and I plan by week. Once I've settled on the plan for the week and decided what we'll be doing for an entire week, I go to the second binder, which is stocked with... to-do lists. :lol: Each day gets it's own list, so we can check things off as we go.

 

The final binder is the official review portfolio. I'm perpetually losing things, so before schoolwork has a chance to get lost, I make copies of the good stuff and put it in there for the end of the year.

 

Are you confused yet? All this for only one child..... :tongue_smilie:

[Critterfixer]

My planner is a graph paper notebook, and necessarily vague. I jot down the general plan and go with it.

But I'm actually pretty attached to hours as a way of planning things. I want to be sure that I allot the right amount of time for an activity and also that I don't go over that scheduled time. I've a bad habit of getting wrapped up in a subject (read-aloud literature would be an example of going over time, and history) and getting behind. I also can get hung up on the "finish it!" line of thinking, and the time slot helps me to be quite comfortable with breaking a difficult lesson into two days if needed. Hence the need for the schedule to be vague. The best laid lesson plans for a week have to be seriously amended by the end of a week if a lesson of math or spelling turns out to need a day or so spent on it. I used to feel behind. Now I take it one day at a time on my graph paper.

Pretty low-tech, and relaxed, but it works pretty well for me right now. But then I've only got two to keep up with in the same grade.

[MommaOfalotta]

I havent read the replies so Im sorry if someone has already mentioned it, but I make my own and It... is... WONDERFUL! I use the New Beginnings website for forms, covers, calendars, etc and I also get some forms from Donna Young (I hope I remember that right)

 

The first site gives you step by step instructions on creating your planner. It really is so much easier than you think! My planner was exactly the way I wanted it. I used every form and knew exactly where everything was! :)

[NittanyJen]

I like the idea of laminating and using dry erase. I don't want to spend the $ on HSTOnline (can't use the Plus version b/c I have a Mac), have tried and not liked Skedtrack, tried the free trial of Scholaric and liked that (I might use that since it is ONLY $1 per child/month). That isn't too bad. If you are using an all-in-one curriculum (we use HOD and MFW for high school), you might not need a detailed planner. For the first time in many years, we have strayed from the HOD/MFW program for the younger kids and so I am looking for something to help keep me on track. We will be using AAH and interest led science topics. I think I might like to have something on the computer...b/c I have to keep records for my state. :glare: (Sorry to hijack...just wanted to put my thoughts down on the matter. :tongue_smilie:)

 

If paper works for you, great! But for Mac you can try Olly for free for 30 days.

[LoveBaby]

If paper works for you, great! But for Mac you can try Olly for free for 30 days.

 

I just downloaded this and really like it! I am a pen and paper person, but this will be a great way to record and keep track of what is going on in one place. I am still in my free trial, but I think it will be interesting to see how useful it will be while I am planning for next year.

[SailorMom]

I use HST Basic. It was free when I downloaded it - is that still an option?

It has more than enough for what I need. I've never tried HST+, I'm sure it would be great, but I do fine with Basic, so why pay the $50, right?

I used paper planners up until middle school. At that point, it became a lot to write down....

[Monkey Island Academy]

I havent read the replies so Im sorry if someone has already mentioned it, but I make my own and It... is... WONDERFUL! I use the New Beginnings website for forms...

 

I have used the New Beginnings forms as well to create my planner the past 2 years. Makes me happy!

[Greta]

I used My Homeschool Plan for awhile, and I liked it. (Ultimately just decided that I prefer paper planners.) I also tried the free version of SkedTrack for awhile, but I didn't like it as well. (Maybe the paid version is better?)

[LoriK]

I spent ten years teaching, before I had kids and became a stay at home mom. Old habits die hard. This will be my first year homeschooling, but after looking at all the computer programs, I went to the teacher supply store and bought the same lesson plan/record book I used as a teacher. LOL

 

I must be showing my age, but I prefer pen and paper.

[Five More Minutes]

I do a combination of electronic and paper-based planning.

 

I use an Excel sheet to create a full year calendar, inputting how many chapters / units of each program I imagine we'll complete in a month.

 

Then I use a weekly planner form that I created, which probably looks similar to some of Donna Young's forms. On Sundays, I write the specific page numbers or chapters or topics that we'll cover for each subject each day. I usually check with our year-long plan to see if we're going faster or slower than I'd imagined.

 

So far this is working well for us.

[ClassicalTwins]

I use paper for my long range plans, like mapping out the year. But for weekly and day to day, I use http://www.scholaric.com.

[Mrs.Gregg]

I do almost everything in life on the computer but for lesson planning I prefer paper. I use the Quarter planner from Donna Young and plan by subject for a Semester. I use the weekly planner from Donna Young to put together a 2 week "Road Map" Check list for each child to see and for me to keep us on track. Each kid gets a copy and I do. They then can check off as they go. I have a School calender that just lets me know what days are our schooling day and which are holidays etc.

I have a personal calender that I write down where we need to be during the week: Drs on Monday, Girls Scouts on Tuesday, Workshops from 9-3 on Wednesday, Park Meet up on Thursday. I also transfer that info to our big family calender so that the husband and kids know. I tried doing an online app. But my husband never checked it and it lead to more problems. Our old (now new again) system works for us. I also have a Morning/day routine for days at home when I do cleaning, goals, objectives etc.

[kadesmom]

I just use a planner book from the teacher store, easily erasable and adaptable if we need to change things.

[kolamum]

For two years I used this, which is like a homeschool diary. I loved it.

I also used this year before last.

Last year I didn't use anything because WP was preplanned, math was pretty simple with "next lesson", etc.

This year I'm using something a wee bit different because I'm waiting on my SL core to arrive which I plan to write in, etc.

 

I tend to be a bit of a planner freak & have used MANY over the years. This year what I'm using is my fav, but a year or two ago I would have said what I was using then was. :D

[Hoot]

I'm a paper and pencil girl. I have a large 3-in. binder with tabs. At the front are tabs with all of my necessary forms - curriculum list, key, field trip log, volunteer log, attendance sheet, calendar etc. Then, I have a tabbed section for each month. Behind each tab are weekly plan sheets that I made up using the "table" feature in a Word Document. Then, there is a pocket folder behind that for each month to hold things that I may need for the month but aren't able to be hole-punched (invitations, event tickets etc.). In looking around I couldn't find a planner that I liked well enough to spend money on. Most just didn't have enough blocks for my taste or were not labeled in a way that I felt was most efficient.

 

Part of me would like to be able to have our plan book, attendance, calendar etc. online so that my MIL and DH could log in and see what we've got planned on any given day but I just haven't found a solution that would be easy for me and not eat up a lot of input time. I'm also not overly fond of having to rely on the computer during the day as it can be too much of a distraction for me.

[blessed3x]

I am going to look at the HT+, but have always used this. It has worked very well for us, is inexpensive and I like not having another reason to be on the computer. ;)I can see myself checking the WTM forums if it were ::D

Edited June 19, 2012 by blessed3x

[threeturn]

Originally Posted by NittanyJen

If paper works for you, great! But for Mac you can try Olly for free for 30 days.

 

I just downloaded this and really like it! I am a pen and paper person, but this will be a great way to record and keep track of what is going on in one place. I am still in my free trial, but I think it will be interesting to see how useful it will be while I am planning for next year.

Another OLLY fan here. I am finishing up my trial and am going to purchase. I use the Simply Charlotte Mason forms for outlining our week and subjects because I need the visual chart, but for entering lesson plans OLLY is working great.