Are there any other non-planners out there?

[Griffmom]

I must admit that I do not make lesson plans. Last year was my first year homeschooling my 2nd grader. I have looked at online planners, paper planners and do-it-yourself planners -- and I just don't see the need. In our state, we don't need to have lesson plans.

 

Last year, I followed the suggested syllabus from our core program and then wrote down in a planner what was completed. I documented what we did in math, science, etc and even kept a reading journal. Documented field trips, experiments, sick days, etc...

 

Is it really necessary to have a lesson plan if it is pretty much laid out for you?

 

I have other friends that swear by the lesson plan but I am thinking maybe I am missing something since I just follow what is already in front of me. I figure documenting what was completed is much better than what we planned to do.

 

Just wondering what others think... I personally think the only right way is to do what works for you.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I personally think the only right way is to do what works for you.

 

:iagree: I am a planner. :tongue_smilie: But there are more of your kind here. :D

[Incognito]

I did what you do last year. It worked fine as far as my kids learning things. I felt like I didn't get to a lot of interesting things I meant to do, so now I'm planning it out and we'll see if that makes those things happen. I also found that when pregnant and busy with small kids I would sometimes lack the mental space to figure out what I was doing that day, even though it was very open and go I'd be at a loss as to what I was going to open! So having a flexible plan should work well for me this coming year.

 

I think a lot of people here also invent their own history programs or the like, so they want to plan it out. When you buy something, you often pay for that to be already done for you.

[MerryAtHope]

I do a combination of things. I have often used programs as written (and some things don't need an extensive plan--ie, math, do the next lesson, and so on). Sometimes I plan my own programs, and I come up with a basic plan, but I don't do an extensive, 180 day plan like you might get from Sonlight. I use the 1-page plan idea that they also create (listing books by week that they are introduced, and so on). I use a weekly schedule page for recording what we have done. I have more description about my "planner" here. I do find that as my kids get older, I do a bit more prep work than when they were early elementary.

 

Merry :-)

[Griffmom]

Thanks -- I feel much better knowing I am not all by myself in this thinking.

I guess I should spend more time on this forum and less with my local homeschool friends. :lol:

[Bear23]

I don't make up plans. I will and never follow them. We just go with what is scheduled in the guides or texbooks and go. Everyone is at different lessons in different subjects. With a house full of pets, kids, almost weekly medical appointments and a deployed husband it gets pretty hectic out here.