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How far in advance do you start making plans for "next year?"


Momof2littles
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And define making plans any way you please. :)

 

If you are working with a planned out curriculum do you just buy the next year's set and use what's working every year? Obviously, if it's not working you would find something else to fit your family, but if what you're using now works, do you just buy the next year or do you "shop" around? WDYD? ETA: by shop around I mean look into other resources or curriculums.

 

I'm so new and curious about what other families do each year.

Edited by Momof2littles
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I got a plan through high school. There are some things I "know" I want to use, some I have options that I've researched and will choose from when the time comes, and some subjects I haven't thought much about but know I want to cover down the road. I've got all of grammar stage firmly planned, though. I have a chart of what subjects and curriculum we'll use each year. I have documents typed out for the next few years of what curriculum costs new for each thing we plan on using so that when I run across a deal, I can check whether it's worth it to get it at that price. If something is working, I stick with it. If not, I'll change it up. We've hit upon a good thing now and we're sticking with it.

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And define making plans any way you please. :)

 

If you are working with a planned out curriculum do you just buy the next year's set and use what's working every year? Obviously, if it's not working you would find something else to fit your family, but if what you're using now works, do you just buy the next year or do you "shop" around? WDYD?

 

I'm so new and curious about what other families do each year.

I start planning in the fall bc we set our budget in Jan and I need to have a general sense of what we will need. I start buying in January--looking for bargains.

 

In general, I don't shop around but I do pay attention to what's "out there" in case a change would be good. Sometimes I'll borrow something to test run it. I was lent some things this year that didn't work as well as I hoped so I'm back to old faithfuls.

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I roughly know what DD will be using next year.

(I've also mapped out most of our years up through graduation, LOL, but I consider it fluid and open-to-change.)

 

I'll probably start ACTUALLY BUYING sometime in the spring (for next fall)... I like having it ahead of time and packages in the mail will help clear up the end-of-year fidgets. :p :p

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I have general ideas about things but as to actually planning I will start in late winter, early spring. I've been keeping an ear open to various things I might want to use in the future but nothing definite. I'm waiting to see how things progress. We might switch to full-on BA next year but it is too early to tell yet. I plan to continue WWE but we might do some IEW starting next year, still undecided on that though. IRT Spelling/Phonics I'm entirely waiting to see how this year plays out as well. IRT content subjects I have no big plans for any formal programs. For dd I plan to use the same Math and Writing for sure that I used for ds, but I'll see how it works for her.

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So far I have found I never cease on the planning. I set goals and objectives, and constantly revisit my own philosophy of education. I look at various programs deciding, "Will this get me where I want us to go?"

Last year was our first year homeschooling and I had a couple of "false starts" on what curriculum to use. But as the year progressed I found our groove. I spent all spring planning for this year and so far I am very pleased with our mix. We are three weeks into school and I'm already thinking about what will next year look like. That doesn't mean I will change programs, it just means that for me I will always be evaluating what we are doing and whether we are still on course for the target.

 

I am definitely not obsessed with researching curriculum options. I'm more obsessed with goal writing. Does this school year capture what I feel education at home of my children should be?

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Mine are teens, but now that we're into this year, I begin thinking about the next one. I don't start buying until January though because that's when we begin registering for classes and by then I am definite on my choices. I've never bought much more than that ahead because my assumptions and style has indeed changed.

 

One of mine has three different directions we could go for 2013-2014, the other is mostly worked out already.

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For history, I have a three-year plan. We just started, but it looks like it's going to work well. Unless we have a major problem, we'll stick to the plan.

 

For math, I'm hoping to stick with what we're using for several years. If something's not working, we'll change it, but for now I'm not looking at anything else (except maybe Life of Fred ;)).

 

Everything else will be year-by-year, so I'm already looking ahead to next year. I have some possibilities in mind, but I won't make any decisions until the spring.

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I am starting to think about 2nd grade.......

 

I need spelling.... Im torn between LOE and AAS... WE will be done with AAR level 1 by Thanksgiving so I was planning on starting spelling after we got going with level 2........

 

But I can't decide.

 

I Plan on continuing with everything else as she finishes...... I will add 5 paragraph essay writing when she is a bit older.

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I have a roughed out plan of subjects through high school, with room for some electives each year to allow DD some choice also. I know which math I'm going to be teaching in each grade, which science, which history (except for the years I'll be offering DD a choice, and the year she's doing an independent research project), which languages (again, the languages through elementary and middle school are set, but DD gets a choice of which to add in high school), etc.etc. This plan is extremely flexible, and I actually expect it to change, but it makes me feel better to have a long term plan to look at.

 

As for curriculum, I have a couple years planned out in a number of subjects, but only because the things we are using now work for us. We'll stick with Singapore because it works, and same for AAS, Miquon, SOTW, Elemental Science.

 

For everything else.... I already have bookmarks and pinterest links to possibles through the next couple years. So I guess I'm already sort of "planning" for next year. When it comes time to make a final decision, I'll list out what we're definitely using (see above) and then just look through the stuff I've linked throughout the year to fill in the holes. The bookmarks and pinterest links come from regular browsing on this board and pinterest, not really actively searching for new curriculum.

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I am working on plans for next year right now. But keep in mind our "next year" will begin in January (we are doing MFW ECC sped up using only 1 week for each country instead of 2). I would really love to make long term plans, but so far we haven't found any curriculum that works well for us. So right now I am "writing" our own for history and science using resources I think we will like. If it works, then I will definitely start planning further into the future.

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I have different plans for different subjects. For subjects like math, spelling, and composition, I try to keep with the same curricula unless (like just recently with math and spelling) it's clearly not working and we need to switch or supplement with something else.

 

For content subjects like history, science, foreign languages, art or music, I tend to plan for the next year and possibly for the next couple of years while in the midst of the current academic year. I love to research, so part of it is entertainment for me, while also trying to figure out the material I want to cover and how. I've been slowly moving away from formal curricula for these materials, so I need to find the right resources to be able to cover the material in the way I feel comfortable.

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And define making plans any way you please. :)

 

If you are working with a planned out curriculum do you just buy the next year's set and use what's working every year? Obviously, if it's not working you would find something else to fit your family, but if what you're using now works, do you just buy the next year or do you "shop" around? WDYD? ETA: by shop around I mean look into other resources or curriculums.

 

I'm so new and curious about what other families do each year.

 

I usually start planning for fall in January or February. Each year I re-evaluate what we have been using for the current year. I look to see what else is out there and if there is something that might work better for us next year. I usually do not start buying until June or July.

 

Kim

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I've planned out all four years of high school for my oldest, with some flexibility for electives and dual enrolment if he wants to do that.

 

There are a few things that I know work, like Singapore and SOTW, so we'll just be moving on to the next book unless anything drastic happens. For everything else, I'll start planning after Christmas.

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This is our first year and I have a general plan, or outline if you will, of K-12 what needs to be covered. I currently am scoping things out for next year and have mostly figured out what I'll do but I'm still kind of chewing on a couple things. I have purchased the program that will be our core for next year, CWH, since I want to read, ruminate, and read some more before I try to start lesson plans. There are also quite a few teacher resources involved. I anticipate that cwh will be my biggest planning requirement while my other choices will be more open and go so I won't purchase those until we are nearly ready to use, or if I see a killer deal. A couple of the things we are using this year are multi age resources that you use year after year so I guess you could say I have that planned already too.

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I am pretty sure I know most of what we'll use next year (with the exception of what books will be needed for our co-op of course). MUS beta (have it already) and epsilon (still need it) for my middle two for math and MUS pre-algrebra (I think) for ODS...TOG year 3 classic...KISS grammar...lots of books we have already for literature along with books from the library...

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I have a mental plan that goes at least 5 years into the future. :lol: It's subject to tweaking, and I expect it will be. I don't start buying or planning in earnest for the next thing until we are reaching the end of something that we're currently doing. Like, right now we're almost finished with both AAR pre-level 1 and the first ETC primer, so I'm deciding what to use for phonics after AAR, and just ordered the next ETC primer. Planning is sort of an ongoing and fluid process for me.

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We are already planning for next year. Some of next year will be finishing what we are doing this year (BFSU and PLL). I already have FLL1/WWE1 for my younger ds, though I will have to get the student pages for WWE. Younger ds will use Singapore 2, so I have the textbooks but will need to get new workbooks. I'm debating on switching ds1 to Beast Academy or sticking with Singapore.

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I come here...too often...and always have to look into everything. It's a bad habit. Really.

 

I am always on the lookout for new programs. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes, not so much. :lol:

 

If something is working though, we stick with it. I have used a lot of different programs from one kiddo to the next though (which totally defeats the purpose of paying for all the pricey programs I swore I would get to use for all three kiddos and was going to save me money in the long run! :lol:)

 

I think I am constantly looking and evaluating to see if what we have is working. I try not to jump ship on anything too early on now though. BJU English for example, seemed like it totally wasn't working about 3 months in, but suddenly things clicked for DD. I'm glad I didn't get rid of it, which was my first instinct.

 

Secretly I think I just like receiving books in the mail. :001_smile:

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I have a good idea of what we're doing and what books we're using. I made a Keynote presentation for each grade, as I'm visual. All the pretty book covers are there. I find it easier to plan each year, as I have many of the resources. I'm sure that will change by high school.

 

I start actively planning and buying around November, as I order some items for Christmas, then finish in the summer. I split up the cost this way, too. It's been working for us.

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And define making plans any way you please. :)

 

If you are working with a planned out curriculum do you just buy the next year's set and use what's working every year? Obviously, if it's not working you would find something else to fit your family, but if what you're using now works, do you just buy the next year or do you "shop" around? WDYD? ETA: by shop around I mean look into other resources or curriculums.

 

I'm so new and curious about what other families do each year.

 

Well, my planned curriculum is the Well Trained Mind. So it is already planned out and done for me.

 

I do purchase texts and books early in the fall for the next year. That is simply because I have stuck with the same publisher for our core subjects from the beginning. They have a sale around October, and I just try to order the next year's books at that time, during the best sale of the year.

 

As for other subjects that I use different resources for each year (science, art, Bible, new subjects that will be added the next year etc) I begin rereading WTM for inspiration in the 2nd semester of the year for the next year. So around Feb. or so, I begin thinking about the next year. By then I have an idea of how the current year is going and how far we will get, and if I liked or disliked aspects of what we are doing, and can think about how to improve.

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I'm already planning. I have a rough idea of what I'd like to accomplish each year, and I note ideas for specific books, but I don't buy until I'm ready to use (except for good/great books - I buy those whenever I find a bargain).

 

I am considering some changes to make early next year - there are a few things I basically like, but I'm trying to see if I can make better fits for the child AND myself. (Mainly I've re-discovered I'm not a workbook person.)

 

I agree with a PP - coming here can be dangerous! :auto:

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